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April Favorites – Add it to Your List

Linking up with Lauren and Bre today with some of my April favorites I think you should add to your list!

Van’s Foods The Perfect 10 Crackers

These crackers are so good!!! I love to pair them with a little Laughing Cow wedge for the perfect afternoon snack. And wine. They go great with wine. Doesn’t everything? They have whole grains and seeds in them so I tell myself they are healthy. Ish.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

I have tried ~~a million~~ many lipsticks and glosses over the years. Rarely is there one that really stands out as absolutely amazing. This stuff you guys? This is my holy grail!!! My mom got the Lovesick color for me off my Christmas list, and it is my absolute all time favorite lip product. This stuff has some amazing staying power. Even though it is matte, it doesn’t look or feel dry on my very dry lips.I can’t say enough good things about this stuff. If you are looking for a new lipstick, give this a try! I want to pick up this duo from Sephora!

I am wearing lovesick in this picture…

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser

I have been using this cleanser for about a month now and I love it!!! It’s a real bitch when you have to worry about breakouts and wrinkles, am I right??? This cleanser covers both problems!!! The thing with most acne cleansers is they tend to dry my skin out and make the problem worse. Not this stuff!!! It is more of a cream cleanser than a gel. It goes on smooth, has a cooling effect and leaves my skin super soft and looking awesome!!! Chris is even using this stuff too.

Big Little Lies

I know I am late to watching the show, but we were trying to catch up on our other stuff first. I read the book two years ago and really loved it and I have to say that this show has been done very well!!! We have two episodes left and I am trying to savor them. If you were on the fence, give it a try. Chris is watching it with me and enjoying it as well. I will say that some of the twists in the book are easier to figure out on the show.

Grocery IQ

I used to write all my shopping lists on paper, all the way up until about a year ago. I decided to finally try a few apps to see if it made it easier and it does!!! I got tired of leaving my list at home. Or sometimes we were out and decided to go ahead and pick up a few things. Grocery IQ makes everything so easy! It is free to download and you can share your lists with multiple people. Chris has it on his phone and it was a HUGE help the first few weeks after we had Zoe when he was going to the store himself. I also shared a shopping list with one of my coworkers last year who did Whole 30 with me so he could see everything he needed to pick up from the meal plans that I set up for us. You can check off things as you find them in the store and have several lists going at once.

What are some things you are loving right now?

April 25, 2017 by Nadine

beauty, favorites

Empties

I am back today with some more empties!!! Perfect day to review a few of these since a few of these will be included in the Sephora 15% off sale is starting!!! I am reviewing them differently today, and giving you the good and the bad. Tell me if you like this format better than just spilling it all in one paragraph.

**some affiliate links because if you are going to click anyways, then why not earn a little penny?**

Clinique Moisture Surge Intense

The Good– I am obsessed with this stuff you guys!!! I think I have mentioned it on my blog quite a few times. This is one of the best moisturizers I have ever used for my combination skin. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. My makeup applies so well over it that I really don’t use primers anymore. I am repurchasing this during the Sephora sale!

The Bad– The only bad thing I can say is that it comes in a jar instead of a tube. I always wash my hands before washing my face and using this product so it isn’t a big deal for me. And honestly, being in a jar ensures that you can use every last drop of it.

Repurchase: YES!!!

Spongelle in Freesia Pear scent

The Good– Let’s start with scent. This scent is amazing!!! I like that this is an all in one. The soap is built in to the sponge so you just scrub all over your body with it. It leaves my skin soft and exfoliated, without stripping it of moisture. It was fun to use and it lasted a lot longer than I thought it would! I cant even remember when I got it??

The Bad- Other than being a little on the pricey side, the only negative thing I have to say is depending on your shower set up…it might be odd to store it between uses. We didn’t really have a good place to lay it in our shower stall without it getting hit by water constantly, so I kept it by my sink and had to take it in to the shower each use.

Repurchase: This isn’t something I would purchase on the regular, but I would certainly pick one up if I want something different and fun to pamper myself with from time to time. I would 100% purchase it as a gift for someone else too.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

The Good – Decent primer, keeps my oily skin in check.

The Bad – Pretty pricey and gets used up quickly.

Repurchase: I have purchased this many times in the past, but with my current face routine and moisturizer…I find myself not really needed a primer.

Younique Moodstruck Natural Fibers Mascara and Transplanting Gel

The Good: I liked the length that this mascara provides. My eye lashes looked pretty fantastic when I used it!

The Bad: You have to purchase it through a Younique distributer. I don’t know if it is just me, but the mascara flakes off and bothers my eyes. It is a little pricey.

Repurchase: No. There are mascaras from both the drug stores and Sephora that don’t bother my eyes the way this did and are easier to purchase.

Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter

The Good– Safe to use while pregnant. Super moisturizing. I found that my belly itched less when I used this.

The Bad – I couldn’t stand the smell of this stuff for half of my pregnancy. I used it the second half of my pregnancy and still have stretch marks from hell so it wont prevent stretch marks if they are in your genes. I think you are either lucky and wont have stretch marks because your mom/grandma didn’t get them….or no matter what you rub on your belly the stretch marks are going to appear because that is your fate.

If I can only recommend one thing, it would be the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense! And honestly, it isn’t near as pricey as some of the other moisturizers out there. This jar lasted me several months too! What are you going to purchase during the Sephora sale? I am getting the moisturizer and I was thinking about ordering another Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick (my favorite!!!!) or this set.

April 19, 2017 by Nadine

fashion, favorites

Good Friday Things and Spring Style

Hey there, Friday! Some of you have off today. How lucky!!! Our office closes at 2pm today, so I will take it! I am not sure what we have in store for this weekend, but for Easter Chris and I made it a tradition to go to Waffle House for breakfast and then his parents house for family festivities and lunch. This year will be our first year playing Easter bunny, and I am really excited! Last year, Easter is when we announced to our families that we were pregnant! So this time of year will forever be extra special to me.

I did some shopping this week. I was in desperate need of some spring attire. Which for me, is dresses and a good pair of comfy sandals. I found some really great pieces that I wanted to share with you!

First up is this amazingly comfortable pink denim jacket I picked up from Target a few weeks ago. I got it 30% off with Cartwheel making it around $20. I live in my regular denim jacket all spring and summer so I am glad to mix this one in to change it up! (Don’t mind the Loft fitting room selfie!)

I also purchased that black/white/blue dress behind me. It is a fit and flare one that I cant find online anywhere. It was 40% off! I spy Zoe’s adorable feet in this picture too! Swoon.

Next up is this super comfy (you seeing a pattern???) striped swing dress from Old Navy. On Wednesday it was 50% off. I assume it still is? I mean, less than $15?!?! Sign me up for more, please! After wearing it yesterday, I think I want to go back and get the all black one too. You can never have too many black dresses, am I right??

I also scooped up this little black off the shoulder number while I was there for 30% off. Again, so comfy, but so cute too! And ladies, if I can pull these off with my deflated water balloon postpartum belly…you can too.

I still have my eye on this dress from Loft, but I refuse to buy anything there full price.

Then, thanks to Emily, I was on the search for these LC sandals at Kohls. They were on sale and they had an extra 20% off coupon! Major score! I was afraid my feet would look ~~fat~~ weird in them, or they wouldn’t be comfortable, but they are a perfect fit and I basically want all the colors!!! I grabbed nude, but I would love to have the rose gold and black as well. I can see them being a summer staple.

While I was at Kohls, I spotted these LC Sandals as well. I really wanted them, but they didn’t have my size. They had a half a size smaller and I can tell by trying them on they would be a great fit. I liked that they dont cover your entire ankle. Most gladiator type sandals kill my ankle bone by the end of the day but these would be much better! I will be keeping my eye out for them in my size. How gorgeous are they???

What do you have your eyes on right now? Do you have any Easter traditions? This year we are sticking with our regular ones, but I think next year I want to add in some fun activities to do with Zoe when she is a little older. My mom always took extra measures to make sure our holidays were super fun growing up. I want to do the same! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Happy Easter!

Linking up with Amanda. Here are some Friday funnies!

April 14, 2017 by Nadine

beauty, favorites, friday favorites

Friday Favorites

I went to schedule this post and realized it is St Patrick’s Day! Happy St Patrick’s Day!! Since I am part Irish, clearly I need to celebrate it in some way right? I feel like this week just went rushing right on by. Even work hours. I was busy busy busy. Let’s get to it, shall we?

Favorite Moments:

–A few coworkers and I headed over to the new Pizitz Food Hall downtown to check out the food court there. It was really cool. While I wasn’t super impressed with the meal I ordered from Choza, I am sure to go back and try some other things!!! I got three tacos, a chorizo, chicken and steak. I hate corn tortillas and didn’t realize that is what they would be. Despite that, the chorizo taco was good and had a real kick to it. The steak one was alright. The chicken one was really bland. I think next time if I go to that particular place, I would get a bowl instead. There is a bar set up in the middle of everything and several other restaurants I am dying to try!!! There are both an Ethiopian and Jerusalem place that I want to try, as well as a fish place that has sushi bowls that Laura has convinced me I need in my life.

–Speaking of Monday, I put on pre-pregnancy clothes and they fit!! Of course, not everything in my closet fits. But my stretchy jeans and the flowy tops do and I am calling that a freaking win!

–Another win? When I met up with my Friday lunch club girls that haven’t seen me since the week before I had Zoe. They finally got to meet her and made the comment that I don’t even look like I recently had a baby. Biggest compliment there ever was.

–This Very Berry Good Salad from Urban Cookhouse is what dreams are made of. I always order it with grilled turkey and citrus vinegerette. YUM

–I took Zoe to Babies R Us to use a gift card that we received from a sweet friend. I wanted to get her some new toys because we are both bored with all her current ones. Check out her haul!

–That dancing robot thing that lights up??? I save it for tummy time. Now look who likes it!!! Check out that neck strength! (The lights are reflecting on her face, she isn’t really a pink baby lol.)

–Zoe’s high chair has been sitting in the box in a corner of her room since we received it before she arrived. I decided to go ahead and put it together yesterday because she really likes sitting up. (And I am tired of looking at the big huge box.) Look at her loving it like a big girl!!!

Favorite Recipe: I am still trying to stay Whole 30/paleo the majority of the time. I have expressed my hatred of eggs many times. Here is the perfect non egg whole 30 breakfast! I cant wait to try this.

via

Favorite Mini Haul:I had to stop at Walgreens the other day and they were having a sale on their Wet n Wild stuff. Their brushes were 2 for $5. Um, ok!!! These brushes feel amazing and are so pretty!!! I got the blush, flat top and eyeshadow. Remind me of some higher end ones. I also have been dying to try the Lancome cushion highlighters. I didn’t want to pay the price for them, so I grabbed this one from Wet n Wild instead. It is super pretty!!!

Favorite Lusts: Even though this week has been cooler, overall it is starting to warm up around these parts. Time to start thinking about spring/summer clothing. I needed some new dresses last year, but since I was pregnant I just wore the crap out of the few flowy ones that I had. Basically I am started from scratch now and need at least a few to get me by this coming season. How perfect is this cold shoulder one from Loft??? My issue with a lot of dresses is that the arm holes are way too big for me. Ummmmm this tie shoulder strap would be PERFECT!

I fell in love with these sandals from Target. I am just patiently waiting for their shoes to go BOGO or at least on sale. There were a few others I wanted to scoop up also. Like these. And these. And maybe these.

Favorite Purchases: Speaking of shoes at Target, I did scoop these up last week. There was only one pair left in my size, and only about five pairs total in my store. I was afraid to wait for them to go on sale and they run out. They were insanely comfy and totally matched one of the four shirts I have that fit me right now. So yay! They look cuter on than in this picture. Much fancier than my usual flip flops.

Favorite Funnies:

TJ Maxx, I am looking at you….

My life struggle….

Linking up with Amanda. I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

March 17, 2017 by Nadine

beauty, best of, favorites

Go Ahead, Add These To Your List!

I decided that I wanted to play with Lauren and Bre for their new link up! I know I share some things on Friday Favorite posts, but any posts like this I do will be ultimate favorites. More than just my favorite for the now until the next best thing comes along haha. Anyways, let’s get to it!

Snack: Have you guys seen the Good Thins snacks in your cracker aisle yet??? I grabbed a box of the Sweet Potato ones and yummmmmm!!!! This really hits the spot when I want something crunchy to snack on. I looked at the ingredients and nutrition facts and they really aren’t too terrible. Much better than chips, that’s for sure!

Show: I have a lot of favorite shows, but I wanted to share one you maybe aren’t watching. Lucifer. Not only is the main guy a hottie with an amazing accent!!! (Who cares if he is the devil, right???) This show has the best soundtrack and it is action packed with some dry humor and fun plot line. Give it a try.

Dish Soap: Raise your hand if you have super dry hands pretty much all the time. What makes it worse? Doing the dishes!!! I have been using Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap for over a year now and it has made a world of difference on my poor, dry hands! In fact, I hardly had any cracking this winter and I know it is because I am using this!!! Bonus for smelling amazing! My favorite is the Basil but I have used the Lavender several times as well and it is great too. It is made with all natural ingredients so I don’t mind washing Zoe’s bottles with it either. Which is basically what motherhood to an infant is. Washing bottles. All. Of. The. Time. So many bottles!!!!

Makeup Palette: If you can only purchase one eye shadow palette, get Urban Decay’s Naked Basics Ultimate. You can pretty much create any look you are going for without having to reach for anything else. There are great natural looking daytime colors, a few that you can use to spice it up for evening…and everything in between. What I really appreciate is that they are matte. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good shimmer now and then but most of the time I want matte. The pigment is perfect and there isn’t much fallout. I use the Urban Decay Primer Potion under it, and every shadow. A holy grail for sure.

Acne Treatment: I really missed the Kate Somerville Anti-Bac Lotion when I was pregnant!!! You wouldn’t believe the difference this little gem can make with regular use. A bottle usually lasts me about six months, so it really isn’t a steep investment if you look at it that way.

Lip Treatment: My lips are forever dry and cracking. I have tried so many different things, but I always have Vaseline Rosy Lips on hand. I have been using this stuff for years and it is really the only thing that can bring some moisture to these lips of mine!!! I love the way it smells, it adds just a hint of color and is super cheap and found everywhere! I put it on every night before bed and I can still feel it on my lips in the morning. This also works great on days I don’t want to mess with lip gloss.

Blog: I plan to share one blog that you may not be reading each month! Have you met my IRL best friend, Laura? She blogs about awesome food and beer, DIY, recipes, being a full time working mom and everything in between. She is a real life blogger, which is something that is harder to come by these days. Find her over at Alabama Graffiti. Coolest blog name ever.

Let me know some things I need to add to my list!

February 28, 2017 by Nadine

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