Monday, May 30, 2016

Oh The Places You'll Go....Our Moving Story!

So we have been officially in our apartment for over a week now and can almost officially say that we are completely moved in. We have a mattress to pick up from Tim's dads house, a bed frame and box spring from my parents house, and then our new Pier 1 headboard to pick up- but that's all! 

There are plenty more things to buy (I don't think that list will ever shrink) but I think we are doing well over here!

Here's whats happened so far:


We took a few car loads of stuff so we could start unloading everything into the apartment. We rented a truck over the weekend but there were a few things I didn't want to just throw in the back of a truck. We also had a ton of furniture to build from Ikea and wanted to try to get that built before we moved everything in. I highly recommend building all furniture first so you don't have to wait to unload boxes. It made it easy for us to put away clothing and other items.


We spent multiple nights building furniture. Tim and I started out each building our own nightstands from Ikea. They were fairly easy to build although there were certainly enough pieces!



Over the course of this week we collectively have built two nightstands, two dressers, a coffee table, and a bookshelf. Yes, we are ambitious.


Our living room with just a few items inside. We used our living room as a processing area throughout the moving process. Once we got a box upstairs we would put it down in the living room. Later on when we were sorting it was nice to be able to open all boxes in the living room and figure out where everything was going to go. I highly recommend having a processing area! I originally wanted boxes to be dispersed among rooms but I found it easier to deal with everything in our massive living room.


Just our apartment number, lucky #13!

Friday night we had our first meal in the apartment- we headed to the local supermarket Dave's and grabbed some food from the hot bar. It was very good and I ate every bit of my mac and cheese and mashed potatoes.








Tim's sister Brit came to help us put together furniture as well. We are lucky to be living only a few roads away from her, her boyfriend and their new puppy!

On Saturday morning while Tim worked I emptied out our bedroom and got everything down into the garage or loaded into my car and my moms car. By the time Tim came home everything other then the furniture was downstairs. (Side note: I like to pretend I'm strong... I did manage to bring down the nightstand and dresser by myself!)





It was so weird to look around my bedroom that I've lived in for the last year and a half and find it empty. It's even stranger to know that I'm moving into a place that we are making our first home together! At some point we plan to buy a house but this will be our home for the next couple of years!

When Tim pulled up with the truck I was ready to get started!


I didn't take any pictures that I wanted to on moving day. I wanted to get a picture of us next to the truck, I wanted to take pictures as we moved things in...but I was extremely focused. Tim and I moved as efficiently as we could with the help of my mom who was awesome! She lifted and carried more then she should have been doing and we appreciated her help so much.

I started to style bookcases and unpack boxes...






It has been so fun to decorate an entire apartment! We have had a great time picking everything out together. The theme of my bedroom was already a beachy theme so we did stick with that. I am also pretty minimalistic when it comes to decor, I don't like having tons of things to dust! We have picked out very simple, plain items which has worked out great so far. 



Remember this is just a sneak peek into our apartment! Things are still evolving and I will be sharing everything once it's completed.


When our coffee table arrived we were excited to have a table to eat off of!


We also have been putting up curtains which has made it feel more like home!


When our couch arrived on Saturday everything instantly felt completed! Even though there is still a ton of items we still need to hang, even though some areas have just been filled with stuff and not sorted properly, putting a couch in the living room has made it feel homey!


Don't worry we've still got plenty of work for Tim to do around here ;)

Thanks for checking out our moving story! I'll be back to share more details!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Spring Empties

Well friends we are officially in our new apartment! #apartmentliving 

There are still quite a few things left to do. Things to put away, pictures to hang, items to buy... all that fun stuff that goes along with moving. I can't wait to share everything with you! I have so many fun new items I purchased to share and I can't wait to do an official tour of each space. However, all in good time! While I'm finishing up that fun over here let me share with you all the empty products I tossed before I moved out of the old house.



Usually I do my spring empties March, April and May however I did cut it a little short and the rest of May will be included with my summer empties. It's also possible I may do these posts a little more frequently so I don't have the HUGE bag of trash hanging out in my apartment all the time!

Anyways, here's what I finished!


Bath and Body Works Leaves Candle- This is my favorite candle of all time! It is so spicy and wonderful I would gladly burn it every single day. If you've been living in a hole you may not have heard of this candle, but I'm pretty sure most of you already know how wonderful it is!

Yankee Candle Sugared Vanilla Candle- I bought this candle mostly for Tim because he loves vanilla scents and it was on sale at Kohls. I am not a huge fan of Yankee Candle scents because they smell great in the jar but don't have much of a scent throw. I found this one to be pretty much the same. I never ever buy Yankee Candles at full price anymore because of that!

Yankee Candle Bermuda Beach Candle-  If I had to pick a favorite Yankee Candle scent this would be top dog by far. I honestly wish the scent throw was better because this candle is magnificent in the jar. It's a beachy scent but has a little bit of fruitiness in it as well. A perfect mix of salty, sweet and beachy!

Airborne- Unfortunately in March I was feeling pretty sick so I started taking some Airborne to get myself healthy once more. Tim also took a ton of these to ward off the cold I had. I hate Airborne when you have to drink it but these gummies were tolerable.

Brogue Deep Conditioning Mask- I love a good hair mask and this one worked well on my hair. It's been super dry lately since I highlighted it and I need all the help I can get. I didn't feel it did anything amazing for my hair, but it certainly didn't hurt it. I always feel a slight change after using a hair mask- not enough to go out of my way to purchase one, but enough to use it when it's available in the future.

Vitafusion Women's Gummy Vitamins- I'm not a huge vitamin person but every once in awhile I'll pick some up at the store and they are always gummies! I liked these and would definitely buy them again in the future but I did switch it up this time and have vitamins that aren't specifically for women so Tim can take them too.

Not Your Mother's Way To Grow Shampoo- I've been trying to grow my hair out and this shampoo has worked great for me in that aspect. I am finding that my hair is more dried out then it was before but that tends to happen when I use the same product for too long. I will definitely be trying something new next but will repurchase this in the future.

Reach Floss- Keep those teeth clean friends! I have been doing my best to floss on a regular basis and really like the Reach floss. It works well and has a great taste which is good in my book for the not-so-fun job that this product is meant to do.

Opti-Free Contact Solution- I used many bottles of this contact solution for quite some time and recently switched because it was just not cleaning my contacts as well as I needed it to. I don't think I will ever go back to this solution because I like the product I'm using now much better.

Pantene Classic Clean Conditioner- This is a Tim empty and he loved it so much that he repurchased it last time we were in Walmart. When he asked me to pick up shampoo and conditioner for him I was at a total loss and picked up a set that seemed the least girly. He must've liked it!



Cake Batter Chapstick- Eight cake batter chapsticks completed! They are currently my favorite chapstick and I will keep repurchasing them.

Febreeze Set and Refresh- This works great at a distance but I hate when I pick it up and am close to the smell. I would only get these if they were free again, not something I would actually spend money on!

Dove Shampoo and Conditioner- I used these during my trip to Florida and I did like them but there are definitely shampoo and conditioners that I like much better and would repurchase first.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara- This mascara was way too wet! I prefer my mascara to be dry and go on nicely. I don't like when my mascara comes off my lashes and doesn't dry right away. I wouldn't ever purchase this in the future.

Bath and Body Works Crisp Morning Air Lotion- This lotion was one of my favorites of all time! I had never tried this lotion before but I love Bath and Body Works fall scents so I was sold on this particular scent from the moment I sniffed it in store. I will definitely re-purchase this one.

Bath and Body Works Fresh Sparkling Snow Lotion- I purchased this lotion primarily for the packaging because it was so gorgeous but I absolutely loved this lotion. It smelled amazing and I will purchase this next winter when it comes back out.

Dior Maximizer Mascara Primer- Such an expensive product but very worth it! My lashes never looked better then when I applied this before my mascara. I will be saving up to purchase this again but it is definitely a splurge.

Maybelline Brown Tones Eyeshadow- I have had this eyeshadow duo forever and I was so glad to hit pan. I do like the Maybelline eyeshadows, they aren't as great as other eyeshadows but for drug store shadows they do the job.

Yankee Candle Amber Sunset Tealights- I finished a few tealights and they definitely aren't my favorite but I'm almost done with my stash. I prefer bigger candles to smaller ones due to the scent throw.

Patchology Face Mask- I liked this mask but I find them kind of creepy. I like when you a product gets spread onto the skin instead of placing a mask onto the skin but I will finish using up the ones I have until they are gone. I don't think however that I will purchase them in the future.

Philosophy Shower Gel Samples in Raspberry Glazed, Homemade Honey Buns, Sweet Fluffy Cupcake, and Pink Almond Candy- I am not a huge fan of Philosophy shower gels, particularly these scents. I always seem to end up with shower gel scents from Philosophy that smell like food and that's not the scent I would chose normally. I will stick with other scents!

Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb Perfume Sample- I want the full size SOOO badly! This is the perfume I'm currently coveting despite the fact that I own a ton of full size perfumes and certainly don't need a new one. Amazing scent and someday I will actually purchase it!

Not Soap Radio Lemon Shower Gel-  The lemon scent is definitely not my favorite but the shower gel itself is nice. I have a few of these left so I will keep using them up!

Olay Facial Moisturizer- I did like this at first but it started to bother my skin quite a bit. I didn't actually finish this product up but ended up tossing it. I am trying different lotions for my face now and will keep you updated on the new ones I try and if they work better then this Olay one!


Sephora Makeup Remover- This product is one I picked up because of ease while shopping in Sephora. I'm not picky about my makeup remover and this one was fine for my eye makeup. There wasn't much left in the container and I figured it was time to let this go since it had been quite awhile!

Dove Cucumber Deodorant- I don't love the idea of using a non-natural deodorant but this Dove one is nice and convenient to keep in my purse. I find that sometimes the non-natural ones tend to work better on super stressful or hot days. I keep trying to only use natural deodorants but will settle for only using this one occasionally.

Benefit Roller Ball Mascara- I LOVED this mascara! As you've probably already realized from this post I love drier mascaras and this one was a great dry one! I will definitely be repurchasing this one again.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara- Unfortunately this mascara is rather wet and not one of my favorites. I won't be buying this one again!

Anastasia Brow Gel- I have found I'm not really a brow girl. I don't need to fix my brows every day they aren't too unruly, so this is not a necessary product and I will not be buying brow products in the future.

Lavanilla Vanilla Coconut Deodorant-  I love this version of the Lavanilla deodorants. The coconut is a nice addition to the regular vanilla scent I buy. It really smells great and works well except as I mentioned above that I need to reapply or use a different deodorant on hotter days.

Cadbury Mini Eggs- I became obsessed with these during Easter this year! I ate quite a few packages of them this year! #obsessed

Philosophy Animal Cracker Shower Gel- At first I liked this scent but I am getting sick of all food scents Philosophy has! I am staying away from Philosophy shower gels for awhile!

Air Repair Moisturizer- I received this in a Birchbox and liked it but it certainly wasn't my favorite moisturizer. I was happy to finish it up. 

Coola Sunscreen- I love love love when I receive Coola products in my Birchbox because they are so expensive! I used this while we were in Florida on my face and it worked wonderfully at keeping me from getting burnt!

Oscar Blandi Heat Protectant Spray- This is has been my favorite heat protectant for some time and sadly this was my last container. I desperately need to find some more!

Neutrogena Night Time Moisturizer- I used this at night before bed and it was great at keeping my skin moisturized while I slept. I would definitely use this again in the future.

Skintimate Tropical Splash Shave Gel- I am not picky with my shave gels but I love the scent of this skintimate one. I would definitely chose this scent over others in the future. 

What products have you used up lately?

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

We Bought A Couch!

The title of this post may be a little misleading because we bought more than just a couch on Sunday however I find that to be the most exciting part!

We started our day at Ikea...



Tim had never been to Ikea before so it was a first time experience. Tim kept finding everything green within the store, so quite a few of these pictures are just of him finding green things!




As I said.. Anyways, we spent some time walking through the room displays. It is nice to see everything set up as rooms so you can get different decorating ideas. It took us about an hour to get through the entire walk through.


We saw this awesome picture that we both loved, but didn't end up purchasing it. We may have to still get it though :)


We also picked up a puppy stuffed animal for Tim's sister at her request.


We also both loved this light, it would be so cool in a modern space.


We survived our first Ikea trip together! They say that's one of the biggest tests in a relationship...a trip to Ikea and we did it!  Although we had a little confusion because for the two dressers we bought we needed multiple boxes and were not good at following instructions. We ended up waiting in a long line and then having to go back into the warehouse to get the boxes we needed and stood in line yet again.


We needed two carts (one for boxes and one for our smaller items) in order to get everything out of the store.

Here's the furniture we picked up...




We grabbed TWO dressers from the Hemnes collection- one long and one tall. Although these pictures are in two colors we ended up going with the black-brown for both. They have not been put together yet so I can't speak for how easy or difficult they are to build but I love the look and the drawers are super deep which is awesome!



We also picked up two nightstands from the Hemnes collection. Once again in black-brown and they will be great on both sides of our bed!

After grabbing those furniture items and a few small things from Ikea we headed off to Jordan's to look for a couch! We decided to take part in the Penant Fever and if the Red Sox and Yankees play each other in the pennant we will be getting our couch for free! So as much as it pains me to say it, please cheer for the Yankees to get slightly better. Please and thank you.

So here she is, our beauty!


We weren't really sure what we wanted going into our shopping trip but we ended up really happy with our choice! After some financing and signing up for delivery we were the proud new owners of a couch that will be delivered May 28th! 


So that's our furniture shopping adventure from Sunday! We are signing our lease in a couple of days and there will be so many updates along the way I can't wait to share everything with you!

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Packing, Food and a Graduation Party

I cannot believe how fast this weekend flew by! I feel like it was just Friday afternoon and it's already Sunday night. I often wish I could drag the weekends out a little more, especially busy ones like this one was!

On Friday I worked cleaning an office after my regular job so it was a pretty tiring day. Luckily I had an amazing boyfriend to come home to who had waited for me to have dinner. We decided to head to The Haversham for a quick dinner and it was awesome.

I had met friends for dinner and drinks there before, but this was the first time I have ever sat down in the dining area. We both ordered the french onion soup and it was cheesy and delicious. I always feel like I could eat a few bowls of french onion for dinner and be completely content. 



I opted for the French Dip sandwich and french fries for my meal and loved it.


Then we split a brownie sundae for dessert which was fantastic. Anything that has hot fudge on it is fine by me!


Saturday morning when Tim had to work I spent my time packing up our bedroom.




We still have a ton of stuff to pack and sign our lease on Thursday so it will be a busy week for us!





I have been bringing a ton of boxes home from work but we are already out of boxes! It's amazing how much stuff we have. As you can see when Tim arrived home from work he was super helpful...


Just kidding! He knows to stay out of my way when I'm in super organizing mode :)

Saturday afternoon we headed off to Tim's sisters house since she was hosting her boyfriends graduation party.


Obviously it meant lots of puppy playtime!









We had an awesome time hanging out with his family and playing with the puppy. It was a fun night!

This morning we decided to start with breakfast at T's in Narragansett.


My breakfast was great! I had home fries, bacon, scrambled eggs, and buttermilk pancakes. 


Tim opted for an omelet with toast and buffalo home fries and only had great things to say about his food!

After breakfast we made the hour drive to IKEA! Tim had never been so it was an experience for him.



I'll be back a little later this week to share all about our shopping experience from today...it's going to be a little long and will definitely take up a full post! We ended up buying quite a few things for our new apartment and I can't wait to share everything with you guys!

Have a great start to your week!