My 2013 Bucket List

Many years start with new resolutions promising things to do differently, make better, etc. This year I'm also starting (ok well as much as you can "start" a year at the end of the first month) with a bucket list of sorts. There are a lot of things that I say I want to do every year and I'm hoping that by writing these things down I can maybe actually be more accountable and do some of them.

So here goes:

1. See The Beach Boys at our local fair
2. Start fertility testing
3. Get a new car
4. Have 1 student loan almost paid off
5. Find a new book series to fall in love with
6. Get a tattoo
7. Have a scrapcation (scrapbooking vacation) with Kelley
8. Win at Monopoly
9. Do at least 50 Project Pinspiration things
10. Organize my scrap/craft stuff

I may come back to this list and add things to it as time goes on.

What's tops on your 2013 bucket list?

Palmolive Fresh Infusions - First Impressions - Influenster VoxBox

I was so excited when these showed up at my door a couple of weeks ago. I'd seen a few posts and a couple of reviews from when Influenster did the first round of VoxBoxes for Palmolive Fresh Infusions in the fall and I'd heard mostly rave reviews. I was excited to be able to try these bad boys out for myself!

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box were the amazing colors of the dish soaps. Usually - it seems to me at least - dish soaps come in a few basic colors: yellow (lemon), green (apple usually), and blue (I have no idea what scent). Not these Palmolive dish soaps! They do come in green (Lime Basil) and yellow (Lemon Thyme), but they also come in this great peachy, pink color (Ginger White Tea). And even though they do come in some of the standard dish soap colors, I find these colors to be more vibrant and different. The green, for example, isn't your standard dish soap green. It's a much lighter shade of green and really compliments the decor of my kitchen well. Actually, all of the colors will look great in my kitchen.

Which brings me to another thought I had when I saw these beauties sitting in the box. They will look great sitting out on your counter. The bottles are very sleek despite being a 16oz. bottle! They don't have the same big, bulky look of other dish soaps of similar sizes. They fit great into smaller spaces on the counter and there's no need to feel as though you need to hide the soap in other dispensers or even under the sink!

Look for a full review to come after I've tried them for a bit!

Have you tried the new Palmolive Fresh Infusions dish soap? Feel free to share your thoughts below!

Disclaimer: I received this product free from Influenster for testing purposes.

Has it really been 4 years?

I know that some of you have been readers here for quite some time and others are fairly new. If you've been a reader for a while, you may remember this post from a year ago about the tragic death of a very special little boy. If you haven't yet read the post, be warned that it is not an easy read in many ways and I understand if you aren't able to read it at all or in part.

It's so hard to believe that it's already been 4 years since that unimaginable day.

I'd like to preface whatever follows with this: While I have thought about what I'm about to write, I won't know exactly what I'm going to write about or how it will come out until it's out. That said, thank you for your patience as I muddle through my thoughts.

Life Update - January 2013

Well that was strange typing 2013 into the title. I've been doing fairly well at remembering to write 2013 on things but just then trying to type it was almost a fail.

So what's new in January you're probably wondering. A strange mix of a lot and not much.

Most of my time has been spent working on blog and Etsy things when I haven't been at work. My training is finished and I'm on my own now. So far I love it. The residents are awesome and I feel like I'm in some Twilight Zone version of Kids Say the Darndest Things: Adult Edition. I've come home a few times and my cheeks have hurt so bad from laughing all night. That's a good thing.

One of my biggest peeves at the moment is when I tell people where I work and they assume I got the job because of my mom. She works for the same company but in a different department. In such a different department that she really wouldn't have had any pull in getting me hired and really, she could have been a reason I didn't get hired. Part of the application is about nepotism and I had to list that she works there also and what department, etc. Quite frankly, I got the job because I'm damn good at what I do.

In other news, I've gotten quite a few things in recent weeks that you've probably already seen reviews for or that have reviews coming shortly. As always if there's something new out there that you'd like to see a review of, let me know and I'll see what I can do!

Project Pinspiration is coming along pretty well too! I've gotten a few projects under my belt and they're just waiting to be photographed and written up. I've been trying to get ahead the last couple of weeks so that when I start on my regular work schedule I'll have some wiggle room. That said, the posts will be up in a sort of spread out manner so I don't have 50 projects bunched into one week and then nothing for two months. If you're interested in helping out with this, head on over to this post and let me know!

Christmas was good and I got a lot of things I needed: the usual socks, underwear, clothes, etc. You may have caught my Walmart gift card shop & tell a couple of weeks ago - I got all that with a gift card I received for Christmas.

As you can probably tell from the lack of pictures in this post, my resolution to take more pictures isn't going so hot. BUT I'm not even through the first month of the year so there's still a lot of time to turn that around!

I really can't think of anything else that's going on right now. Hopefully February's update will have some pictures to liven things up a bit. Until then, feel free to comment below and tell me what's been going on in your life recently!

Weight Loss Update - January 2013

If you've been keeping up with my weight loss updates, you'll notice that my ticker is going the wrong direction. Truthfully, I think part of that is due to the fact that I haven't been exercising. However, now that I've started my job, one of the homes I'll be working in is 3 stories so I'll be up and down and up and down and up and down again. While it might take a while for my body to register this as exercise, I think it will help. Also, I spend most of my 8 hour awake shifts on my feet at that house. I really hope this helps get the ticker moving in the right direction.

As far as eating goes, I have been eating quite a bit more fast food than I have in the past. At the same time, I haven't been eating a proper meal during my 8 hour awake shifts either. I think this may be confusing my body and causing it to want to hold on to any calories it gets after my shift. I'm no doctor or nutritionist, but I kind of think that may be the case.

Going into February I want to be more aware of what I'm eating and just move around more in general. I think it will be easier than in months past and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Are you on a weight loss journey too? How is yours coming? Any tips or tricks you'd like to share?

Foodie Fridays - A few thoughts and questions

When I first started this blog, Foodie Friday was one of the first series type things I got going. Since then I've missed a few (or a lot) of Fridays here and there due to whatever reason. I've tried to keep it a weekly staple though. Now that my work schedule is a bit more demanding and I don't always have time to do a new recipe every week or I might not always try a new food product every week (we're in a food rut right now), it's getting a bit harder to keep it going on a weekly basis. So here are a few questions for you readers:

• Would something like every other week work out ok for Foodie Friday posts? - I feel like doing them every other week would free up a day for other things I'd like to write about as well, maybe giving me a chance to do more journal style blogging mixed into the reviews, etc. that I post.

 

• Do you prefer themed Foodie Fridays - ie. the Christmas cookie posts in December, the summer veggies posts in August - or just random whatever floats my boat at the moment posts - sometimes recipes, sometimes food reviews, etc?

 Ok so i thought I had more questions, but I guess not. Basically I'd like a little input here in what direction to take Foodie Fridays. I can't take them completely away as I genuinely enjoy them too. It's just not feasible at this point in time to continue to do them weekly.

Thanks for your opinions!

What's in my Birchbox - January 2013

The theme of the January 2013 Birchbox is "Best Year Ever." They've included products that they feel will get you off to a great start this year.

Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum

Full size - $25 : Sample - $1.03

I'm kind of excited to try this. I recently had 4 inches cut off my hair and it's much less frizzy now than it was, but there are still some times when it just needs a little something extra to help the frizz calm down. You can use this serum before heat styling to protect from the heat or alone to control frizz. Sounds good to me!

alessandro Nail Polish in Blue Lagoon

Full size - $12 : Sample - $6

I have been addicted to nail polish lately so this is a great addition to my collection. I know some people complain about getting sample sizes of nail polish, but for me it's perfect. I rarely (if ever) use a full sized bottle of nail polish until it's all gone. It gets clumpy and lumpy and generally not good long before the whole bottle is gone. With a smaller size I feel like I at least have a chance at finishing it. This blue is really pretty and it looks darker in person than it does in this picture.

theBalm cosmetics Put a Lid On It Eyelid Primer

Full size - $18 : Sample - $5.64

I currently use ELF eyelid primer and I'm almost out so this couldn't have come at a better time. I think the ELF primer is the only one I've really tried so far so it will be nice to have something to compare it to. I believe this is a new theBalm product debuting in 2013, so if you didn't get it in your Birchbox and you're excited to try it, keep an eye out for it at the store.

Harvey Prince Skinny Chic

Full size - $55 : Sample - $2.20

To me, this smells similar to Cool Water. The info card that Birchbox sent says it's a blend of Meyer lemon, white grapefruit and pink plumeria. However, the sample packaging says green apple, mint and amber and the Birchbox website says apple, mint and grapefruit. Apparently, just take your pick of fruits and there you go. Because I'm awful at describing scents that aren't obvious, like vanilla, I'll just tell you that I like it.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

Full size - $42 : Sample - $3.36

I like face creams but I'm usually kind of wary of them causing breakouts. This one is supposed to improve elasticity and radiance, protect from free radicals and hydrate for 24 hours. What I may end up doing is using this more around my eyes where I have some issues with dark circles and fine lines. It sounds like it might be helpful around that area.

Box total: $18.23

What do you think of the new format for these posts? I can go back to the old ones if people prefer but I personally think this is easier to read and follow.

Do you get a Birchbox? What did you get in yours?

Bead/Pearl Bangle Bracelets - Project Pinspiration #3

I'm generally not a jewelry person but I'd like to be. I'd also like to not spend a billion dollars to start and build my collection so I thought these bracelets might be a cute way to start. They looked really easy so that was a big factor too.

My sister and I sat down one Sunday afternoon to make our own bracelets. I got the bangles at Hobby Lobby, but had some problems finding exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't find actual meant to be jewelry bangle bracelets so I ended up buying some macrame rings that looked like they would fit over my hand and around my wrist.

They were a pack of 6 for about $2.50

For the beads, I used some small pearl things I had a TON of here at home already. I just used hot glue and worked my way around the ring gluing and sticking the beads on.

We just used embroidery floss we had at home as well.

The instructions say to wrap about 2 or 3 times around between the beads, and I tried that with the pink one.

 While I think it turned out pretty well, I really like how the blue one came out better. I wrapped that one 4 times around between the beads.

 I think that part of it is because I like the blue color more, but I also think it looks more full and just generally looks better. I attribute this to the wrapping around 4 times since that's the only difference between the two.

So what do you think? Will you be trying these bracelets too? I'd love to see how yours turn out!

How to Get Products to Review - BzzAgent

The first two posts in this series are available here and here.

This post will look at another great resource that encourages product testing and honest reviews:

3. BzzAgent

BzzAgent is a free to join, word of mouth marketing site that connects users/consumers (that's people like us) with products. As with Influenster, however, the products don't just magically show up on your doorstep. There is a bit of leg work both prior to and after receiving products.

One major difference between BzzAgent and Influenster is that the things you need to do before and after receiving products tend to be much less for BzzAgent than Influenster. That does not in any way, shape or form mean that you should put any less into your BzzAgent requirements than your Influenster ones. The biggest reason why there tends to be less stuff to do for BzzAgent is that they send products one at a time, instead of a whole box of goodies at once ala Influenster.

BzzAgent encourages things such as sending informational Tweets, Facebook posts and writing blog reviews of the products you receive. They also give you the option of spreading your opinions face-to-face and over the phone and have a form you fill out each time you do one of those. I think this is a plus that I wish Influenster had because I often tell people in person about the products I've been using but there doesn't seem to be a way to get credit for that on some of the other sites.

So by now I bet you're wondering how you qualify for the various products and what kind of products you might see. Like just about every other site that is based on word of mouth marketing, they want to make sure to match products with the correct people - ie they don't want to give a chocolate bar with nuts to someone who has a peanut allergy.

You take surveys about your likes, dislikes, various habits, etc. and then they match you with upcoming BzzCampaigns as they call them. If you're a match for a particular campaign you get an invitation to join. You then have the option of accepting the invitation, and thus sampling the product, or you don't have to accept it if you don't want to.

Once you receive your product(s) you just spread the word about it - what you liked, how you used it, if it was helpful, etc. You can do this by sending Tweets, posting Facebook messages and all that other good stuff I listed earlier in this post. You then fill out forms on the particular BzzCampaign page to get credit for it. The more you talk about the products and let BzzAgent know about those conversations, the more likely you are to continue to get products you qualify for in the future.

The products available to sample are all over the place. They've had BzzCampaigns for things like cereal, adult beverages (read: beers and liquor), beauty products, milk...and lots more! I've been a member since mid-August and have already participated in seven BzzCampaigns!

Do you Bzz? What has been your favorite BzzCampaign so far?

How to get a great manicure with Neutrogena Norwegian Hand Cream & Giveaway - CLOSED

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is not your typical hand cream, lotion or anything else that helps hydrate the skin. To be perfectly honest, I've never tried something quite like it at all before.

It's a glycerin based formula that's concentrated and lasts a long time - both in terms of how many uses you get out of a bottle and in terms of how long the moisture lasts after it's applied. It's also great at helping with many signs of damage:

• dryness
• chapping
• splitting nails
• dry cuticles
• scaliness
• roughness

Although the name suggests the use of hand cream, it can be used for so much more. In addition to your hands, you can use it on your nails, lips, anywhere dry skin pops up.

Not only does it help get your hands in tip-top shape, it also helps keep your manicures looking great too! It keeps your skin and nails moisturized and looking better longer. Say goodbye to a ruined manicure just because your cuticles got dry and peeled!

Below you'll find a step by step guide on how I get a great manicure and keep it looking amazing day after day with the help of Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream:

1. Start with clean, dry nails. For me, this means using a hand scrub to help with any rough skin and taking off my old polish.

2. Apply a clear base coat. This will help keep whatever polish you're applying from staining your nails. Some base coats also claim to have other helpful properties which may or may not help your nails.

3. Apply 1 - 3 thin coats of polish depending on the opacity and desired opacity of the polish you have chosen. Personally, I have a few polishes that literally only need 1 coat to be completely opaque and cover my nail. I also have others that take about 3 coats because they are much thinner and the color takes a while to build up.

4. Top your nails with any glitters and/or top coats you'd like. Even though most glitters are suspended in a clear polish, I still put a top coat over to seal things in. Not only does this make the glitter feel less rough on top of my nails, it also helps seal things in and last longer.

5. Finish with a bit of Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. I do this step at the end of my manicure, and then whenever needed for dry skin throughout the life of my manicure, because that's when it's most effective. As stated earlier, you want to start polishing your nails with dry, clean nails. If you applied your hand cream before you started and then didn't use nail polish remover or wash your hands to remove the oils/hand cream your nail polish wouldn't look as good as it could.

Disclaimer: I received free samples of this through BzzAgent.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below! Four lucky entrants will win a 0.5 oz sample of Neutrogena's Norwegian Formula Hand Cream to try out for themselves! You can use it to get a great manicure or help with other dry skin issues you may be having during the winter.

EDIT 1/15/13: Contest open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No nonsense Tights & Leggings - Style Made Easy...and Affordable

This post brought to you by No nonsense. All opinions are 100% mine.

No nonsense has teamed up with Jill Martin, a new brand ambassador who has her finger on the pulse of the latest trends and is stylish, yet practical, to bring you great ideas on how to add a pop of color to what could be an otherwise ordinary outfit. As an Emmy Award winning TV personality and co-author of the book “I Have Nothing to Wear!,” Jill has an amazing background in the fashion industry and would never steer you wrong.

Having been an avid fan of the No nonsense brand in general for quite a while, Jill is even more excited (is that even possible?!) about the new tights and leggings. They’re on-trend, high quality and won’t break the bank!

They’re also an amazing, readily available way to make a style statement this winter without going overboard paying for a new wardrobe. No nonsense tights and leggings are an extremely affordable way to give new life to old staples by adding a pop of color under a long sweater, short skirt and anything else your fashionable mind can dream up! It helps that they’re available at many food, drug and mass retail stores.

Take this outfit below for example:

Neon was a great trend over the summer, and even into fall. With these teal leggings under the sweater, it seems to tone down the neon enough to make it still wearable into winter. The black boots and bag, along with the silver accessories also help keep the neon in check. And for less money than you would spend on an entire new wardrobe, you can just buy a few pairs of leggings and tights in a variety of colors and extend the life of your entire closet!

Be sure to follow No nonsense on Facebook and on Twitter @benononsense to keep up with all the latest and greatest in the world of leggings and tights.

Fiesta Lime Rice - Foodie Friday - Project Pinspiration #2

A couple of weeks ago my husband was complaining about reminding me that we were stuck in a dinner rut. We were basically recycling the same meals over and over and quite frankly there are only so many ways you can cook a beef roast before you want to stay as far away from beef roasts as possible!

Another couple of weeks before that we had Chipotle for lunch. Cue angels singing and rays of light shining down when I saw the pin pictured above pop up on my Project Pinspiration board!

Of course I did alter the recipe a smidge to suit our tastes and my husband's appetite, but it turned out wonderfully. I paired the rice with some steak and chicken cooked with a burrito seasoning packet from the grocery store and the huge burrito sized tortillas. It was a hit!

The next time I make this (note not an "if" but a "when"), I will probably add some diced red onion to the mix as well. Not that it really needs it, but the whole time I was munching away I kept thinking how good some red onion would be in there.

Oh! And as a testament to how delicious this really is, my very picky eater of a father loved it too!

Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue Shampoo & Conditioner Review

The Damage Rescue shampoo and conditioner is a brand new line from Head & Shoulders. It's so new in fact that you may not have seen it around too much. If it isn't already in stores near you, it should be soon.

It seems, to me at least, that hair care companies seem to be focusing on repairing damaged hair quite a bit more than they had been recently - maybe damaged due to all the ombre hair we saw over the summer? Who knows. At any rate, it's nice to see hair care companies, like Head & Shoulders, addressing the needs of those with dry and/or damaged hair.

This formula promises to leave your hair up to 10 times stronger in just four uses, and it still has all the anti-dandruff benefits as the regular formula. That's pretty impressive to be honest. Ten times stronger in just four uses.

Before I get into my thoughts on the shampoo and conditioner, I'd like to tell you a bit about my hair and my hair care routine.

I wash and condition my hair every other day. Once in a while I have to wash it two days in a row - due to my schedule or what have you - but that's pretty rare. My hair is fine in texture, but I have a TON of it. This means I'm prone to tangles and snarls and in the end hair breakage because it gets tangled so easily.

At first I was kind of skeptical about a dandruff shampoo and conditioner - I didn't even know they had conditioners! - making my hair stronger. It only took a few uses to convince me it was possible though. I started out using both the shampoo and conditioner every time I washed my hair - that's every other day - and after about a week of washing my hair really did feel stronger. It was almost as though my strands of hair felt thicker and there was definitely more elasticity. I didn't seem to have as much hair pulling/falling out when I brushed it and there was less fall out and breakage during the day.

The only downfall I discovered right around the time I noticed my hair getting stronger is that if I use these products every time I wash my hair, it doesn't take long for my roots/scalp to get weighed down and almost greasy. I hesitate to say it got greasy though because it wasn't necessarily greasy. It just got very heavy and tended to lay flat instead of having volume.

I've found that if I use it every other or every third wash it does a lot better. It keeps my hair feeling strong without also feeling heavy and flat. As an added benefit, I haven't had any of the dry, itchy scalp that I sometimes get in the winter. I don't tend to have dandruff problems, but occasionally get some itchy scalp when it gets really cold out.

The shampoo and conditioner retail for about $6 on Amazon and $5 at Walmart.

Disclaimer: I received this product free from Influenster for testing purposes.

How to get products to review - Influenster

Hopefully you caught the first post in this miniseries, but if you didn't don't worry! You can read it here.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time I'm sure you've noticed that I do reviews of products. What kind of products? Pretty much anything. I don't do it just to get free stuff, though that is a bonus. I do it because I like to share my opinions with others. I give honest feedback about whatever it is I'm reviewing so that others can use that information to decide if it's something they also want to try. Not only do I write reviews about things I enjoy (my favorite reviews to write), but I also write them if I didn't enjoy a product. I think it's important to share my views regardless of what they are.

So just how do I get these things in the first place?

2. Influenster

I've mentioned Influenster before and you've probably noticed first impressions/unboxing posts about VoxBoxes in the past - those came from Influenster. I did a whole little post about when they gave their website a makeover (a much needed one too!) and you can read that here. But you're probably still wondering WHAT Influenster is.

Influenster is free to join, though I think that since the site re-vamp you need an invite to join. Because I don't think I can say it any better than Influenster has described itself, here are a few quotes from their website:

"Basically, Influenster is a place for culture junkies to come together and share their unique opinions of products and experiences. Active members of Influenster get exclusive access to deals, promotions, and swag from brands that thrive off the input (the good, the bad, and the ugly -- they just want to know what's up)" 

You fill out a profile and answer a few surveys then you can earn what they call badges. A badge basically just means you've got some knowledge or experitse/experience about a particular topic. Topics range from living a green lifestyle to interior decorating and beauty. It's important to note that this isn't all just girly frilly stuff. Some of the badges are geared toward males as well. You can also earn badges based on life events - having kids, getting engaged, having pets, etc. These badges, along with the profile information and survey stuff you fill out will help Influenster decide if you're a good candidate for the various VoxBoxes (what they call their goodie boxes) they've got coming.

However, also from the Influenster website:

"If you’re here to mooch, this isn't the place for you. Nobody, no matter how high his or her Influenster Score, is guaranteed rewards. Even if you are offered a reward, you can always opt out. The real benefit of membership is access to exclusive content, product reviews, and discussion within a community of tastemakers. Perks are just the icing on the proverbial cake."

And that is so true. There's leg work to do on your end to receive and continue to receive VoxBoxes. First, you're notified that you may be a good candidate for a particular box they've got coming up and you have to take a pre-survey to even opt in. Then, if you're chosen there's more stuff to do after you receive your box. The whole purpose of a VoxBox is to get products into your hands so you can use them, try them and then share your opinions on various social networking outlets including, but not limited to, blogs, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. It's important to remember that good or bad, your opinion matters, but you have to share it so people know.

I've been a member since early May and have participated in several programs already. I've received products ranging from chocolate bars to feminine products to ink pens. It really is a mixed bag of things, though generally speaking the boxes do have some sort of theme.

Are you an Influenster member? Have you received any VoxBoxes yet? Feel free to share your Influenster experiences below!

Vicks Shower Disks - Project Pinspiration #1

I was so excited to find this pin, especially because it never fails that I am sick most of the winter. I'm not sure if it's colds, allergies or the flu, but I almost always have at least the sniffles from October to May. I used to buy these things at the store but for whatever reason they aren't available anymore. I don't know - because I haven't taken the time to look it up - if they were discontinued or if they're still out there but in limited areas. I just know that I can't go into my local Walmart and pick them up any more and it's really been years since I was able to.

So I followed the recipe - well I halved the recipe and did a few other edits as I saw fit for my needs - on the site linked in the pin above. I used:

1/2 c. baking soda
About 1/4 c. water
15 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

From the pictures on the blog post I followed, I think the original recipe makes 6 regular muffin sized disks. I decided I wanted to make mini ones so I halved the recipe. My version made 6 mini muffin sized disks. I also made this recipe twice, the first time I baked them at 350* for 20 minutes as it said I could and added the oil to the disks after baking. The second time I left them sit to air dry and the oil was put into the mixture before filling the muffin cups.

Baked

Air dried

I prefer the air dried ones in texture. They are so much less crumbly and brittle. I'm not sure if I did something wrong with the baked ones or what, but they weren't what I was expecting at all. The only thing I might try different next time is making a bit more of the mixture and filling the cups more. However, I one this size lasted me an entire regular shower so the size is really fine.

However, after letting the air dried ones dry for the recommended time, I couldn't really smell the eucalyptus when I used it in the shower. Outside the shower I could smell it though. I would recommend adding a couple of extra drops to the disk itself before placing it in the shower.

So would I recommend that others try this too? Yeah actually I would, but it seems you may have to play around with the recipe a bit to figure out what works for you. Humidity, among other things, could factor in to how these turn out.

Have you tried these? How did they turn out for you?

Bath & Body Works Forever Red Eau de Parfume Review - Influenster Cosmo VoxBox 2012

Lately I've been a bit overwhelmed with perfumes. I've gotten a perfume sample in just about every Birchbox I've received for the last 5 months or so and yeah. I just feel like I have a lot of scented things around now and it's a bit much to try to use, sample and really test out each one to decide if I like it or not.

But, I've been slowly working my way through things and I've just come to this gem that I got in the Cosmo VoxBox 2012 from Influenster.

If you read my unboxing post (or saw the video), you'll know that I wasn't initially a big fan of this particular scent. Though it's not necessarily a bad thing, my first thought when I smelled this was my mom. I thought it was very much a scent that she would wear and not necessarily a scent I would wear. I also noted that sometimes it takes a little while for these warmer, less summery scents to grow on me.

That's exactly what happened.

I went back and smelled it again, tried it out and fell in love. Maybe it's because pre-holiday season I was thinking more of vanilla-type scents. I have no idea, but at any rate, I'm really falling in love with this perfume. It's a blend of pomegranate, red osmanthus and vanilla rum, according to the info card that came with it. I still have no idea exactly what pomegranate smells like and I still don't even know what red osmanthus is. I do, however, know that this is a very warm and inviting scent. It's perfect for the cooler months.

When I smell it now I think it smells cozy. Maybe that's where it reminds me of my mom? It does still smell like something she would wear, but it also now smells to me like something I would wear.

Have you tried Bath & Body Works Forever Red yet? Had it made it into your winter scent rotation?


Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

30 Days of Pinspiration - Now Project Pinspiration

This past weekend I started working on the 30 Days of Pinspiration challenge I set for myself and realized a few things.

First, I love Pinterest. I already knew that it was an amazing site to get ideas from, but I guess I hadn't really realized just how amazing some of the pins actually were. I'll admit to spending an hour or so sometimes just pinning away for "someday" and never really getting past that initial pin. I'm so glad I've actually started going through and DOING some of the things I've found.

Second, there's no way I can limit myself to 30 projects. As I said above, there are way too many great ideas out there just waiting to be done. Also, the way I had titled the whole thing before kind of implied it would be a month long process and it was never meant to be that way. I'd like to spread the projects out as much as possible and if that takes the whole year, then it takes the whole year. I don't have a specific number of projects I'd like to do, nor do I have a specific length of time I'd like to do it in (though I'm leaning toward seeing how many I can do in a year).

I still need your help to get this done! I'll be using the same pin board that's already been started- but I'll be changing the name of the board to reflect the change in direction - to choose projects from. This means that I need a TON of projects to choose from - recipes, crafts, garden ideas, hair styles, beauty tips, EVERYTHING.

There are several ways you can do this:

1. Send me an email with your email address and tell me you'd like to join the board and pin away
2. Comment below with your email address and tell me you'd like to help out
3. Comment below with a link/links to pins you think I should add to the board and I will pin them to the board myself

 As always, I appreciate everything that everyone has done to help me with this. I've found some great ideas I might not have found on my own. I can't wait to see all the wonderful things I can fill my house with as this project progresses.

I'll be doing periodic reminders and updates aside from the posts about the actual projects I do so if you aren't ready to get on board just yet, no worries! There's always room for you when you're ready.

Walmart Christmas 2012 Gift Card Shop and Tell

I got a gift card from Walmart for Christmas and ended up needing to kill some time there while waiting on a prescription so of course I found a ton of stuff to spend it on. I also got 3 shirts, not pictured.

Since it was after Christmas when I was shopping, all the Christmas goodies were 50% off, making all of the regularly priced $0.97 Studio G craft supplies just $0.49. I then wandered away from the Christmas stuff and found some leftover Halloween Studio G things that were just $0.10 each!

Christmas themed paper

There are 6 sheets in each pack and I got 2 packs of this particular theme. There are also border strips included.

More elegant Christmas themed paper

I only got one of these paper packs, also 6 in a pack, though I wish I had gotten more. After looking at all the patterns in there, I realized some could easily be used for other things.

Stickers

I really thought I was getting two packs of the 3-tiered ones on the right but obviously that wasn't the case. I wanted more of the ones on the right because there are more of them, but the ones on the left are bigger.

Stamps:

Ribbon

I got two rolls of ribbon: red and brown. Because they're just polka dots, I can totally use them for other things as well.


Ink pads:

These are actually much, much better than the ink pads I bought after Christmas a few years ago. They're still very moist and work great!

Had I purchased these all at regular price they would have totaled $27.16 before tax ($28.93 with tax here). Because I got them all on sale, I paid just $9.43 before tax ($10.04 with tax)! That's a savings of $17.73 (or about 63%)!