Sick as a Dog

So, it happened.  I missed blogging on my Monday/Thursday schedule for the first time!  Shoot.  Oh well, it's not like I have any regular readers who were disappointed. :P

I have been SICK.  Sudafed, Nyquil, and a lot of tissues--that's been my world for the past few days.  So, I will keep this short.  Wish me...health? 

Next post will be March favorites!

Spring?

Last time I checked, the first day of Spring was last week.  Why the heck is it so cold and windy outside?!  The weather is seriously messing with my sinuses, and now I feel like I'm getting sick.  :(  I just want to wear Spring clothes and spend all of my time outside in the sunshine.  Groundhogs are liars.

Not much else to post about today.  Renewed my car tag last week and did my tax return.  Applied for a credit card earlier.  Thinking about opening up a savings account soon.  Also wanting to start keeping a monthly budget.

Being a responsible adult is exhausting.

Birchbox: March 2013

This has been an odd month for me in the world of Birchbox.  I received my shipping e-mail earlier in the month, and 10 days later, the tracking still had not updated.  This is unusual and can sometimes mean the box is lost.  So, I e-mailed Customer Service and they said they would ship me a new box but that it might contain different samples from my first box.  That same day, my first box arrived.  I checked my profile, and my items had already been changed.  Luckily, they're all practically the same as the first box, so I'll just have duplicates of most of these items.  Odd, right?  I'm not sure when my 2nd box will get here, but here's what I got in my original box:

This month's theme is "March Madness".  Let's not even talk about NCAA Tournament brackets because mine is crap.  Also, I've decided to start calculating the value of the boxes I receive.  A Birchbox subscription is $10.00 a month, and if you're interested in subscribing, click here.

MAKE Matte Eyeshadow:  This first box contains the color Burnt Umber, a dark cool-toned brown.  The second box might contain a different color--won't know until I get it.  The card inside the box says, "This new brand's pretty pigments have serious staying power, and we love that one-third of all sales are donated to charity." Full-size: $18.00, Sample size: $5.40

I'm glad I received a neutral shade, at least in this box; I wouldn't get much use out of a crazy color.  Excited to try this out!

MAKE Face Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30:  "Pump up your makeup's endurance and protect skin with this two-in-one base and SPF." Full-size: $30.00, Sample size: $5.46

This primer has a faint sunscreen scent, and I looove that about it.  Some people hate when things smell like sunscreen, but I love it because it always reminds me of the beach.  Makes me happy.  We'll see if this truly helps the staying power of my makeup on my oily skin.

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Color-Saver Sulfate-Free Shampoo:  "The Hollywood stylist devised this sulfate-free shampoo to enhance the vibrancy of your hue.  It's loaded with yummy apple and lemon extracts that boost volume." Full-size: $22.00, Sample size: $5.50

Smells wonderful.  I still haven't finished the last Nick Chavez volumizing shampoo sample I got back in November or December, so I know this will last me forever.  I'm probably going to get my hair colored in April, and this will come in handy! (This is the one differing product in my 2nd box.  Instead of this sample, I'm getting a sample of volumizing mousse from Oscar Blandi, which I'm actually excited to try.)

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream: "The organic shea butter in this foam-free shaving cream makes for an insanely close shave and leaves skin incredibly soft.  We love the exclusive blueberry scent." Full-size: $20.00, Sample size: $2.93

The blueberry scent is really unique, in a good way.  This will be good for travel.  Eh.

*Beauty Extra* Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board: "We teamed up with Madewell to create this adorable mani savior, patterned after a print from their new spring collection." Full-size: $5.00.

Super cute pattern.  I prefer glass nail files because I think they have a much more fine texture, but I might keep this in my purse or something for emergencies.

So, the monetary value of the samples in my original box is $24.29.  Definitely worth the $10.00.  Not my favorite Birchbox month, though.  I feel like I said this about every product, but these are all things that will come in handy.  I'll use everything, but I'm not particularly excited about any of it.  And I'm not even that excited about getting two of almost everything haha.  I kind of wish my 2nd box had all completely different samples.  I shouldn't complain though, since they sent it to me free. 

I heard through the grapevine that Birchbox is teaming up with Women's Health magazine next month.  I hope that box is awesome since this one left me underwhelmed.  Bring on April!!

A Change Would Do You Good

It blows my mind just how much life can change.

Growing up, I was never a fan of change.  I didn't understand people who didn't seem to care when people or situations weren't what they once were.  

It's been about a year to the day since my life and future plan changed drastically.  And while much more has happened within this past year, these events were just tests of my character and strength.  I like to think I've come out stronger and more self-assured than I once was.  Maybe that's why I didn't like change before, because I was worried I might not be strong enough to pass the tests that come with it.  Well, now I know I'm more than capable.  Isn't it funny how it sometimes takes hitting what we think might be rock bottom to realize how all of our qualities, good and bad, are what makes us each an awesome individual?  I'm just so thankful for everything I've learned about life and about myself this past year. 

Something else I've rediscovered amidst times of change is faith.  I hold onto the hope that whatever we go through is meant to happen--that it's all part of the grand scheme.  I like that thought very much. 

Love/Hate

I have such a love/hate relationship with dieting.  I love the idea of getting healthy and slimming down, and I love it even more when I see results (which I HAVE!).  However, sometimes it is pure torture having to resist the foods I love and crave.  Earlier this week, I walked out of my office to go to lunch, and the smell of burgers and fries from the restaurant just down the street wafted my way.  My stomach screamed "I want THAT!"--figuratively, of course.  My one saving grace that has kept me from being miserable is the weekends.  I do my weekly weigh-in on Friday mornings so that I can relax the diet a little on Friday and Saturday.  If I didn't have some cheat days thrown in my routine, I'd go insane.  I don't want to feel like I'm depriving myself, and let's be honest, everybody needs a french fry fix every now and then.  So, I get really excited about food on the weekends!  Haha.  I know I should be trying to have more of a "this isn't just a diet; it's my new healthy lifestyle" mindset, but purposely giving up pizza and Chinese takeout sure sounds like dieting to me.  It's really hard not to give into my cravings, but I've made up my mind to lose weight.  The taste of that Sonic Oreo Blast is not worth the future health problems or feeling crappy about oneself.

Since I don't weigh for the week until tomorrow, I can't give an exact number of pounds I've lost.  But, I can say that I'll be hitting the 10lbs-lost mark soon.  My clothes are starting to hang a little more loosely on me.  It's exciting!  I'm proud of myself, and I hope to continue the journey toward a healthier me.

We Can Learn to Love Again

I don't really have anything I want to blog about today, so I'm just going to leave with you a song I've been loving lately.  Pink is a badass in every way.  Her harmonies?  PLEASE.  I just love her.  I tried posting the official video but was having a lot of trouble with VEVO and ads.  Typical.  Enjoy!!

It's in the stars,
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
That we're not broken--just bent,
And we can learn to love again.

Spring Nail Polish

The month of March is here, and while it may not feel like Spring outside quite yet, the beginning of the season is fast approaching.  Warmer temperatures mean it's time to shed the dark colors and neutrals of winter and embrace pastels and brights for spring and summer!  With that philosophy in mind, I've listed some of my favorite transitional springtime nail polishes.  I wish I had personal pictures of each one actually on the nails, but I've linked some of them to their respective websites.  For the ones not linked, I couldn't find a good page, but you're welcome to look up how they look for yourself.

• Sinful Colors Social Ladder- Sheer, shimmery pearl color.  Subtle and fresh for spring.
• Zoya Shay- A creamy nude color, again with subtle shimmer. Classic.
• Essie Penny Talk- Love this one.  It seriously looks like you melted down some brand new pennies and painted the copper on your nails.
• CoverGirl Outlast Peaches & Cream- While I don't think this one is as long-wearing as it claims, it's a definitely special shade of orange.  It's a bright pastel, and I don't know how that's possible.  It is definitely a soft peach color, but in certain lighting, it can look downright neon.
• Zoya Cassi- A peachy-pink polish with some shimmer that is just PERFECT for Spring.  Zoya describes this color as being "undeniably girly," and I must say I agree.
• Sinful Colors Hazard- A daring orange, this one is a more saturated version of the CoverGirl polish from above.  Soft, yet VERY bright at the same time.
• Color Club Blue-Ming- I don't think the picture I've linked is very true-to-color.  In real life, it's like a bright, pale turquoise.  If you want people to notice your nails, this is the color to wear.
• Zoya Lo- This one is a bright pink cream, and I really like it on my toes...when they're stuck in some sand...as I'm sipping on a fruity adult beverage...is it time to go to the beach yet? No?

Do you have any nail polishes or beauty products you can't wait to bust out for the warmer weather?  Let me know!

Another year older,...

...and another year wiser.  Saturday was my birthday!  I had a pretty good weekend in my hometown.  Shopped a lot, hung out with great friends, and spent time with my parents.  Also, I saw quite a bit of the damage left from the tornado that hit Hattiesburg a few weeks ago.  It was so surreal.  I should have taken some pictures to post here, but I felt like that would be disrespectful of the people who lost everything if I were to act like a tourist.  If you want to see what happened, just Google it. 

On a lighter note, I got so many fun, springtime things this weekend when I went shopping with my mom!  I think I'm most excited about the sunflower seeds I bought to plant.  And, I got some super cute jewelry from Target.  Pictures below!  I apologize for poor picture quality; all I have is my phone!

From TJ Maxx: Purple studded clutch with an optional skinny shoulder strap, velcro rollers, and Batiste dry shampoo.

CVS and Walgreens: A whole lot of things I wanted to try out! If they're awesome, you might see them in an upcoming favorites post!

From Target: A brown crossbody purse, green tea K-Cups, and Peanut Honey Pretzel LUNA Bars.

Also from Target: Pastel plaid camp shirt, blue boyfriend-style cardigan, two necklaces, and a pair of earrings.

From Big Lots: Measuring cups, Physician's Formula baked eyeshadow, and a pina colada candle. Oh, Big Lots.

From Old Navy: Grey lightweight jacket, navy striped tank,  bright coral skinny pants.

Also from Old Navy: Linen shorts, crochet flats, and black flats with a subtle snakeskin print.

From Ross: Sunflower and coneflower starter pots and a small pot.

From my family: Delicate cross necklace and adjustable string bracelets.

I can't believe I'm 24!  My phone was blowing up all day from texts, calls, and social media notifications.  Everyone's kindness was so thoughtful. :)  Cheers!