Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Three Things I'm Loving Lately!

Happy Wednesday ya'll!



Today I'm sharing with you three things I'm loving lately!

Fall TV

I love when fall tv comes back! Some of my favorite shows are back/coming back and I tend to be terrible at watching shows when they are actually on and have been catching up on everything when I have a free moment. Lucky for me we have OnDemand!

Some shows I'm watching this fall are; Big Bang Theory, Once Upon a Time, This Is Us, The Good Place, Modern Family and The Middle.




When I mention fall tv, I also have to mention football! I have been watching my Patriots of course, but with Tim around I watch more football then I ever did! It's so nice to be back to watching The Patriots win again :)


Decorating For Fall

I have been loving decorating our little home for fall.  I don't have a ton of decorations but have managed to only pick up one item so far! I will be sharing all of our fall decor soon right here on the blog so keep your eyes peeled!



Audiobooks

I have been actually listening to quite a few audiobooks on youtube. So far I've only been listening to books I've already read so I kind of already have an idea of what's happening but I'm really getting used to it. When I do overtime at work I've been listening to audiobooks instead of listening to music which feels way more productive to me.

So far I've listened to the entire Harry Potter series and am working on a Nicholas Sparks book right now and plan on keep listening to book, especially in the car during my commute!

What are three things you've been loving lately?

Monday, September 26, 2016

Our Updated Gallery Wall

One of my favorite editions to our apartment is our gallery wall. We started one with just five pictures and are slowly adding to the wall to create a place to showcase our adventures together. My main issue when adding to the wall is I don't want it to only be pictures of the two of us. I think it would just make us look pretty lame! 

On Saturday I grabbed my electric screwdriver and started hanging three new pictures on our wall. It started off with me screwing into my pinky finger...but ended with all three successfully on the wall.

Since I'm a little OCD I knew that even if everything isn't even, it all needs to be in the same type of frame. My OCD cannot handle gallery walls where everything is different. Consistency is key for me.

Here's what I added on Saturday...



The top picture is a photo I took on Charlestown Beach at the Breachway. During the early days of our relationship Tim used to drive me home from dates and ask if I was ready to go home...I would say no because I wasn't ready for the date to be over and we would end up down at the beach late at night just talking in the car. So sweet right? So although that particular picture wasn't taken while we were together it is certainly a place that reminds me of our relationship.

Below I have a picture from Buttonwoods Sunflower Field from last summer. We went and saw all the sunflowers in bloom last summer and it's a cute picture of us from that day. I also have a picture of the side of Tim's head and Tom Brady. This was the only picture Tim requested be put on our wall because it was the closest we've ever been to Tom Brady. Last summer we went to a Patriots practice and Tom came around signing and taking pictures after practice ended. Although he didn't interact with us at all it was super exciting and Tim loves that picture.


As for what was already on the wall....We have a picture of the two of us on Easter in Florida when we visited my parents. The top picture is of Tim and Emma at the park over the summer. There is a picture of us kayaking on Wood River this summer and n the bottom is a picture of Emma and I on the day of her baptism. Finally, on the end is a picture of us at Harry Potter world in Florida.


I just love being able to look at all of these memories and know there are so many more for us to create! There are many other pictures that could be featured here as well and I had a really hard time picking what would place up here but I know that the wall will change and grow with time.


I plan on continuing our gallery wall here at our apartment and again in the future when we own a home. I tend to favor actual photos to paintings or anything along those lines. Photos are more real to me, where a painting just doesn't feel as right on my walls.


So. That's what our gallery wall looks like so far, I'll keep you updated as we add/change anything!
What's on your walls?!

Monday, September 19, 2016

Life Lately: Quick Trip to Vermont

Just a little Life Lately update for you guys to brighten up your Monday morning!

Lately I've been working a ton of hours and am always super thankful when my little friend Emma comes to meet us Brittni and I for lunch. 


Having a sweet lunch date gives me so much to look forward to and helps me go into work every day #truth. Although I love having lunch with just Brittni too :)

On Friday night Tim and I headed into Target, we went in thinking about buying an air mattress for our weekend trip to Vermont but ended up passing on buying one since they are pretty expensive. We decided we would rather just drive home and sleep in our own bed anyways so we picked up a few more things for a gift, some Halloween decorations (because who can pass up decor?!) and then checked out some Halloween costumes...


Tim LOVES pizza, I mean loooooooooooves pizza. I think it would be an extremely difficult decision if he had to choose between anything else important to him and pizza. To prove my point I just asked him to choose between pizza and football and he told me that it is impossible. I asked him to choose between me and pizza and he said "nothing, I mean you, you!" Nice save buddy.

Anyways, we both thought this was hilarious and would be a PERFECT Halloween costume for Tim. We didn't purchase it but it's a definite contender.

Saturday morning started pretty early as we got up and got ready to head up to Vermont. We had Kate and Mike's baby shower to attend! They have chosen to not find out if it's a boy or girl so they have been calling him/her McBaby for the time being.


We played McBaby Bingo while they opened their gifts..



They were asked to write their answers on whiteboards and turn around at the same time. This question was "Mike hopes the baby is a..." Kate wrote "boy" and Mike wrote "live" as in alive. There were some interesting answers that caused us all to laugh and laugh. Especially when they revealed that when they found out they were pregnant Mike wouldn't stop pacing and Kate was sitting at the top of the stairs completely paralyzed. Sounds like appropriate reactions to me!


We had a great time eating the delicious food, particularly the pizzas Mike made. One of my favorite parts of the party was when we sat around the fire outside playing a game called salad bowl.
It was a game I'd never heard of before but it was so fun and I can't wait to play it again. 

Everyone writes down four words or phrases on to pieces of paper and places them in a bowl. Then you go around the circle pulling papers out and trying to describe what's on your paper while your team guesses what the paper says discarding the papers that they get right. There is a timer and when it goes off you pass the bowl to the next person and it keeps going until all the papers are completed. Then you do a second round where you have to act them out. Then a third round where you can only describe it with one word. It was a blast!

We left around 7:30 so we could head home since it was a four hour trip back! 

Sunday was spent mostly on the couch watching football which was a perfect relaxing day before heading back into the week. 

Have a great day everybody!

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Under The Sinks..

When I typed the title of this blog post I totally sang it to the "Under The Sea" tune from The Little Mermaid...just in case you were wondering how cool I am!

This past weekend while I was cleaning I noticed some dirt under the bathroom sink in our little cupboard so obviously that meant I needed to take everything out and clean the whole surface. While I had everything out on the floor I figured I might as well put contact paper down to make it look a little nicer. (Side Note: This is starting to sound a lot like that book When You Give A Mouse A Cookie)

I think placing the paper down and reorganizing made a big difference in our two under-sink cabinets.  I didn't think to take before pictures, but here is a peek at what each one looks like.

Bathroom Cupboard:



I love Method products! I have been obsessed with their cleaning products lately. 


Kitchen Cupboard:





Although neither place is absolutely beautiful; they are organized and functional and that's what truly matters!

Monday, September 12, 2016

September Birchbox

I am actually posting a Birchbox in a timely fashion, say what?!

I am notorious for waiting a week or so to show what came in my Birchbox, but this one arrived on Saturday and it's only Monday- not bad at all!


First of all the box itself is super cute. It makes me think of sprinkles and eating ALL the ice cream.  I love all the colors included in this design.


A ton of great products in this months box!


First up is a hair product from Beauty Protector. This is a toning shampoo which is an awesome item to receive for my blonde hair! My hairdresser uses toner on my hair quite often because it tends to turn pretty brassy from sun exposure, well water, and pretty much every other element in the world turns it orange- lovely right? Well for blondes with that issue, toner is a great thing to use to keep your hair a blonde rather then orange! I'm excited to try this and see if it makes a difference.


I haven't use a face scrub in quite some time but am definitely excited to try this Derma-e Microdermabrasion Scrub. My face always goes through quite a bit of stress in the summer. No matter how much sunscreen I use I always manage to end up with a bit of a burn and my face tends to get the brunt of it. Hopefully I'll be able to revive my skin this fall.


A girl can always use eye make-up remover especially one that is for waterproof makeup. I sometimes get lazy and don't remove all my makeup before bed, but that makes a big mess around my eyes the next morning. I need to get better at removing all my makeup and washing my face at night before I go to bed- just for the health of my skin!


I've honestly never heard of Milk makeup but I am super intrigued by this highlighter. At first glance I thought it looked way too dark for my skin, but after swatching it on my hand it's a beautiful light shimmery color and it looks amazing! Highlighters are something I want to play around with a bit more and I have been trying to add them into my makeup routine slowly but surely.



I honestly don't love receiving perfume samples because if you've seen my perfume collection you know I definitely don't need any more! I wasn't thrilled seeing this Escada Agua Del Sol inside my box, but I actually really like the smell! It's a super fruity fragrance which I normally don't go for- but I really like it! I actually can see myself wearing it and using up this little sample.

That's what I received in my Birchbox this month, what products are you trying lately?

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Touchstone by Swavorski Haul


Gorgeous right?! Tim's sister Brittany had a jewelry party last Monday night and when I heard the word Swavorski all I could think of was crystals!  I ended up purchasing three items from the party, two bracelets and a ring all pictured above.

Although the items were a tad pricey, I am very happy with the bracelets I purchased- they are gorgeous! Originally my plan was only to buy the two bracelets but the consultant mentioned that if I purchased a ring as well I would save an extra $4. I'm all about saving money so I picked out my birthstone ring which is cute.

I am actually hosting a party for this gorgeous jewelry in late October so I may post the link here as well!

Any new jewelry on your radar lately?

Monday, September 5, 2016

A Low Key Labor Day Weekend

I love a three day weekend! With three glorious days off from work, we had a few events planned out but we actually ended up skipping out on two parties because we just felt like keeping the weekend low key. 

Friday night started it all with a fantasy draft party at Brittni and Stephen's house. We had a great time choosing our teams (Yes I have GRONK again!) and hanging out together. We had a couple babies this year which made the experience quite different but it was a fun time all around.

On Saturday Tim headed off golfing while I slept in and then headed to the laundromat. Later in the afternoon Brittni asked us if we wanted to join her, Stephen, Kylee and Emma for a walk in Crescent Park where they had heard was great for Pokemon hunting.


Emma didn't need any Pokemon since she had her red panda stuffed animal :)

We had a great time walking around...



I also think I'm obsessed with taking pictures of Emma- she is just so photogenic!



Even her stink faces are adorable!

After walking around the park we headed to Dave and Busters for dinner and then Tim and I headed home so he could complete his fantasy draft online.


We also finally added some new lamps in our living room! There's still so much to do in our home!

On Sunday and Monday we did some shopping both days. I have quite a few Christmas items put away, was able to buy a ton of baby shower items, and even went home with a few things for myself :)


Yes, he is as cool as he appears in this picture ;)


My low-key weekend outfit of choice. Lauren Conrad leggings and a new shirt from old Navy. Super comfy!


My big purchase for this weekend was updating my wallet. The Kate Spade on the left has been with me for two years and has been through hell! It's falling apart and when the pull on the zipper ripped apart that's when I set my mind on a new wallet. Michael Kors it is :)

How was your holiday weekend?!

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Summer Empties!


It's summer empties time! I have been saving up empties since we moved to our apartment in May and even have a few of Tim's things sprinkled in this bin...although he doesn't totally get the whole empties thing yet and tends to throw a lot away! 




Swiffer Wet Pads- This is a necessity in our apartment! I use these every week to mop our floors and make sure everything sparkles! It's amazing that even regular vacuuming can't prevent the grime that shows up everywhere and these pads trap them easily!

Macadamia Deep Repair Mask-  I love this product- you will always see it in my empties because it's amazing. It makes my hair nice and soft and it smells amazing which is always a plus. I buy mine at TJ Maxx or Marshalls because it's way cheaper then at the drug store.

Tide Pods- I have been using these for our laundry since I travel to and from the laundromat. It makes it easier to only carry a bag of pods instead of a heavy container of detergent. I really like them and feel they truly get our clothes clean every week!

Rainbow Ice Gourmet Gum- If you've never tried this gum before head on over to Target because it's great! I tried the cake one as well (but Tim threw out the wrapper) which wasn't as good as the rainbow ice. I will definitely buy it again.

Cutex Nail Polish Remover Wipes- I never make it a point to buy remover wipes because nail polish remover on a cotton round works just fine but I do always love having these when I get them free. It makes removing nail polish a breeze.

Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner- Tim used up these samples and he liked them just fine. His hair smelt nice too which I loved!

Essence of Beauty Sunblossom Lotion- Worst lotion ever. It smelled terrible and it made my skin feel greasy. I definitely won't get this lotion again- I believe I received it for free but don't need to do that again.

Pink Warm and Cozy Body Mist- I love this body mist and I have already repurchased a large size of it. The smell is so comforting and light I will definitely always keep this in my perfume collection.

Bath and Body Works Bright Autumn Day Lotion- I received so many compliments while using this lotion. I kept it in my desk drawer at work and not only does it keep my hands super soft after the damage they go through at work but it smells amazing.

Bath and Body Works Hawaii Passionfruit Kiss Shower Gel- I love BBW shower gels and this one was nice, not my favorite but still great.

Klorane Shampoo and Conditioner-  I didn't like this shampoo and conditioner at all! They came in my Birchbox but besides the scent they were pretty terrible on my hair and made it super dry! I will not purchase this full size.

Cake Batter Chapstick-  I finished 13 of these! I love this chapstick so if you haven't tried it, go find it now!

Method Pink Grapefruit Hand Soap-I really like Method hand soap! This soap was nice and I would definitely purchase it again in the future. I like that it's natural and the scent is great as well.

Bath and Body Works Peach Bellini Hand Soap- Not my favorite soap at all. It felt gritty and gross and just was not my thing. I will definitely only purchase the foaming hand soaps from Bath and Body Works from now on.

Sensodyne Toothpaste- I am still using sensodyne toothpaste because it is the only toothpaste that does not give me canker sores. I highly recommend it if you have the same issues because until I used this toothpaste I never was able to get rid of my canker sores.

Smashbox X-Rated Mascara- I liked this mascara, it definitely wasn't a favorite but it did the job just fine.

Advil-What is there to say about advil? Nothing exciting, I just liked that this was a small little container that fit nicely in my purse.

Eyeko Mascara- Not my favorite mascara, I feel like it was pretty clumpy. I did finish it quite awhile ago though...but it definitely didn't impress me!

Bath and Body Works Malibu Sunset Antibacterial- I loved keeping this in my desk at work since there are so many germs there. I loved the scent too, anything beach scented is generally a hit with me and this was no exception. I like that it also covers the antibacterial scent of it as well so it doesn't smell like alcohol too much.

John Freida Go Blonder Shampoo and Conditioner- I liked this shampoo and container set. It did not make my hair any blonder, but the product itself was nice enough to my hair. I would definitely try out this product again in the future.

Loreal Shampoo and Conditioner- This trio was great and was meant to make my hair straight. It didn't necessarily do that but it certainly did calm down my hair and made it silky smooth. I would try out the full size in the future for sure.

Skintimate Shave Gel in Raspberry Rain- Skintimate does shave gels pretty well. I like the scents they have and it does a pretty good job. Not as great as EOS, but not bad at all.

Dove Shampoo and Conditioner- I loved this little set of shampoo and conditioner because it did wonders for my hair! I think I'll be purchasing the full sizes soon because it worked great.

Bath and Body Works Twilight Woods Lotion- Another win! I loved the musky scent of this lotion. I had never used twilight woods before but it has officially moved up the line to being one of my favorite scents from Bath and Body Works.

TicTacs Banana- I bought this because it was minions, but I loved the banana flavor! If you haven't tried these go find them now!

Tictacs Christmas- Yes we keep mints forever apparently. These were okay and tasted like apples which wasn't my favorite but sometimes you just have to get eat some mints :)

Tictacs Easter-  These ones were nothing special either. I'm just not a fan of the berry flavored tictacs.

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner- One of my favorite shampoo and conditioner sets. I will be repurchasing these for sure.

Basin Pink Sugar Scrub- I love this scrub! We bought this in Florida and it took so long to finish this big container, but I would definitely purchase it again.

Optifree Contact Solution- Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish all of this contact solution since I left it in the car in the heat. I did like it a lot, I would definitely use it again but I'm not too picky

Bath and Body Works Endless Weekend Shower Gel-  I loved this shower gel and it was great scent as well. I will definitely get this scent again in shower gel and lotion because it was a perfect summery scent.

Suave Men Shower Gel- Tim liked this shower gel, it smelled nice, and it was FREE with couponing. Win, win, win!

Lysol wipes- I use these religiously to clean our bathroom, kitchen, etc. I love knowing that I can clear out germs with a simple wipe. I love getting things clean!

Yankee Candle Pink Sands Car Freshener- I love the smell but man do these things run out fast. I think in the future I will purchase discounted products for car fresheners because it's not worth it to spend a ton of money since they disappear so quickly.

EOS Shave Cream- I love this shave gel, it's amazing but I don't love the price necessarily. I usually coupon for skintimate but may purchase it again the future because I just love how great of a shave I'm able to get with it. Definitely highly recommended in whatever scent you like!

Pantene Shampoo- Another Tim empty and he seemed to like it! I think I may have him hooked on Pantene :)

Crest Pro Health Mouthwash- This mouthwash is good and does the job...nothing too exciting!

Colgate Mouthwash- I liked this mouthwash as well, it was just fine. I believe I got it couponing because I usually don't end up getting Colgate but I really did like it.

Palmolive Dish Soap- I hate washing dishes...but Palmolive does the job just fine. I used a couple of these this season.

Total Home Dish Soap- This dish soap was free and worked just fine. I didn't see much of a difference at all between this and the more expensive brands so I will definitely pick this up again if it's free!

Dawn Dish Soap-  I really like Dawn dish soap- it cleans dishes super quickly and they look great once they are washed. Can't ask for more! (Except a dishwasher)

Almay Makeup Wipes- I use these to remove my makeup at night off my eyes and they work great. Almay makes super gentle products which is great for my sensitive skin.


What products have you used lately?!