This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
It’s that time of year already! Lush’s Valentine’s Day 2015 products are available now and they are super pretty! I’m so excited for this little haul! This year’s collection is so much more fun than last year’s…..although I did love the Neon Love soap from the 2014 collection.
Here are all of the Valentine’s Day 2015 items I got. There are a couple of lip products, soap, Love Locket, and the Prince Charming shower gel that weren’t as interesting to me. I was most excited about the Unicorn Horn bubble bar; so colorful!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
This breakfast sandwich is incredible easy to make and it tastes great. You can make this in the mornings before school or pre-make a week’s worth and warm them up before you head out the door!
Ingredients
fresh baby spinach
1 egg
chopped onion
1 english muffin (toasted)
shredded cheese (try pepper jack for extra spice!)
salt + pepper
cooking spray
sauté the onions and spinach until the spinach is slightly wilted and the onions are translucent.
Add the cheese and stir until slightly melted
Add your egg, and scramble all together
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add your spinach and egg to the top of your english muffin and place the other half on the top to complete your sandwich.
And you’re done! So easy and delicious. I like to cut up some fruit to eat on the side as well.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
It can be difficult to incorporate your New Year’s resolutions to be healthy while at work. These 4 tips will help you to stay healthy at work and help you to take care of your body so you can stay on track with your personal goals.
Drink Water – It’s important to remember to drink water throughout the day. Water is so important for your body to stay healthy. Plus, staying hydrated can help brain function, which is obviously important at work & your skin will thank you. Avoid sugary drinks like soda — ditch that daily Pepsi and your body will thank you. Invest in a BPA Free water bottle to make drinking water more exciting and convenient.
Sit Up Straight – Maintaining good posture is key when working at a desk all day. Engage your abdominal muscles and keep your feet flat on the floor. Good posture will keep your body in alignment and cause less stress on your joints. It can also be a little bit of an ab workout too if you aren’t used to engaging your core muscles!
Make a Lunch – It can be tempting or convenient to buy your lunch everyday, but if you take a little extra time in the morning or the night before, you can make a healthy, nutritious lunch. With a healthy lunch ready to go, you won’t make that impulse purchase at Jack In The Box because you’re having a stressful day and you will save a lot of money!
Go For a Walk – Getting up and going for a 10 minute walk will help you feel better and more alert. Every step is more calories burned! I’m tracking my steps with my FitBit Flex, but I’m curious about the new FitBit Charge HR which has a heart rate monitor!
What are your tips for staying healthy at work? What do you think about the new FitBit line?
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Cold weather can make my skin feel dry and irritated. So to help my skin feel better especially in the winter, I like to take a nice warm bath. I’ll use some of my favorite Lush products, a few drops of argan oil, and my new Josie Maran Argan Sugar Scrub!
Josie’s Whipped Argan Body Butter has helped heal my super dry, itchy skin in the past so I knew this argan sugar scrub would be a great exfoliant without causing irritation.
First off, this Argan Sugar Scrub has Josie’s signature Argan Oil. It’s smooth and smells a little like vanilla. The sugar melts into your skin as you rub it in. It’s not scratchy and burn-y like a salt scrub or those little plastic beads in some scrubs.You only need a little bit. The sugar scrub is smooth and creamy. Once you wash it all away the water kind of beads off of your skin. There is a layer of oil or whatever is in the balm part of the scrub that locks in the moisture. Your skin feels soft and smooth all day long.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I like to plan ahead. If my gas tank in at the halfway mark, I’m planning my next trip to the gas station. I like to do things on my terms. I won’t wait until the gas indicator light comes on and be forced to go out of my way to get gas when it might not be convenient, but have to or else my car wont run. My future self always appreciates my present self getting gas before it’s an emergency. It’s a simple way of being in control of your life.
A huge way to take control of your life is to wake up early. Most of us have obligations in the day — work, school, other responsibilities — with so much going on, it can be hard to get up earlier than necessary. I’ve found, however, that setting an alarm just a little earlier can be all the difference in setting the tone for your day.
How many times have you pressed the snooze button on your alarm for 10 more warm minutes snuggled in bed? You may have gotten 10 more minutes in dreamland, but now you are rushed and running late for school. It can be hard to train your body to wake up earlier, but you will be more prepared and relaxed throughout the day.
If you set your alarm just 15 minutes earlier and get up out of bed, you are telling the day that you are in control. You aren’t waiting around for the alarm to tell you what to do — YOU are choosing to get up earlier and you are in control. Get in the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time, even when there is no obligation to get up. Your body will appreciate the consistency and you will be more productive.
With your extra 15 minutes in the morning, think of all you can do!
Yoga/Stretching – Just 15 minutes of stretching can help blood flow and keep your body limber. Any kind of activity in the morning will encourage activity throughout the day.
Go for a walk – a 15 minute walk can help you wake up, but also be a good way to clear your mind and sort your thoughts.
Meditation – Focusing on your body and your breathing can be so therapeutic. Meditation helps memory and reduces stress. Spending 15 minutes in the morning to center yourself can help you be more productive throughout the day.
Make breakfast – hopefully, you are already eating breakfast everyday. But with 15 extra minutes, you can skip the Pop Tart and make yourself some oatmeal and fruit.
Just taking 15 minutes in the morning to take control of your day will set you up for success! Give it a try and your body will thank you.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Happy New Year! Time for a fresh start and new goals. So many people make unrealistic resolutions and get discouraged before they even start, but if you make the right kind of goals, you will be sure to achieve anything you set your mind to.
So how can you make sure your goals are attainable and ensure your success?
SMART goals! You might have heard of this concept in school or at work, but you can apply it to your personal goals as well. SMART is an acronym to help you define your objective in a way that sets you up for success.
What is a SMART goal?
Specific – get detailed about what you want to achieve
Measurable – quantify what success is/set up a method to measure progress
Achievable – how can you make your dream a reality? what needs to happen to reach your goal?
Realistic – be honest with yourself about how much work you are willing do do to reach your goals.
Timely – set up some time specific deadlines
These five factors can help you formulate goals that you can reach and feel proud about. Think about it, a lot of people say, “I’m going to start working out in January so I can lose weight.” How long does that resolution last? It depends on the person, of course, but the goal is so vague, it can be easy to rationalize and say, “I have done two workouts this week, so maybe I’ll just take the day off and start up again tomorrow.” One day off turns into two and it’s hard to get back on track.
Say instead, that you made a SMART goal about working out — “I’m going to do 4 workouts a week; 1 weight training, 1 yoga, and 2 running for at least 45 minutes each time so that I can do 50 pushups and run 5 miles by the end of the year. I’d like to be able to do at least 25 pushups and run 2.5 miles by July.” This goal is very SMART; it’s Specific about what these 4 workouts are going to be each week. The goals are Measurable and Timely — “50 pushups and 5 miles by the end of the year”. I know what I’m working towards and I know that I can make it if I keep up with my plan — Realistic and Achievable!
Set yourself up for success this year and make your resolutions SMART!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
This recipe is super easy and delicious. It’s a pasta casserole that is perfect for staying warm and snuggly during these winter months. This dish is great for an easy date night dinner or perfect for lunch time leftovers. Yum!
I found this recipe on thkitchn.com and made a few changes to better suit my taste.
Ingredients
8 ounces spinach pasta (I like linguine!)
6 ounces fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup half and half
6 ounces basil pesto
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Olive oil
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Boil 4-6 quarts of lightly salted water in a large pot and cook the pasta according to the package.
Set cooked pasta aside.
Peel, wash, and thinly slice the shallots.
Roughly chop the baby spinach
Mince garlic
Grate the cheese
In a large bowl, combine the half and half, basil pesto, eggs, and greek yogurt. Wisk together until smooth.
Combine the spinach, cheese, shallots, and cooked pasta in a large bowl.
Lightly grease a 9×9 casserole dish with olive oil and mix in pasta mixture with the pesto mixture.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
It’s always exciting looking forward to the new year — fresh starts and new goals. One of my favorite things to help me stay organized and keep track of all my new goals is my Erin Condren Life Planner. I got my first Life Planner earlier this year, and I loved it so much that I bought a separate one just for work.
Left, very first Life Planner (Party Pops) Right, 2015 Life Planner (Signature Stripes)
I’m so excited for my 2015 Life Planner and the extra goodies I got (interchangeable covers, I’m lookin’ at you)! My Erin Condren Life Planner arrived in a purple themed box with pretty purple tissue wrapping.
Everything was neatly packaged inside, wrapped in bubble wrap. I’m so excited for everything! First off, the Planner because it’s amazing! The planner measures 7.25″ x 9.25″ and can fit nicely in my purse. The Life Planners are $50 but you will get a $10 coupon, if you sign up for an account through my link.
This is the 2015 Erin Condren Life Planner in Signature Stripe Blues. I love the colors and how you can always personalize your covers. Having a planner that is pretty makes me excited to use it. I like planning and making lists anyway, but I find myself thumbing through the pages of my current planner and taking it with me just because I like the way it looks.
The Planner has a transparent ruler which can double as a bookmark inside or out; it just clips in and out of the spiral binding (similar to how the interchangeable covers lock in and out). The spiral ring is thick and durable, but doesn’t make the Planner heavy or bulky. In my two previous planners, the spiral binding has never bent.
It’s not just pretty on the outside. The real fun of all the Erin Condren Life Planners is inside. I love how bright and colorful the designs are on the inside of each Erin Condren Life Planner.
Near the front, there is a 2014/2015 monthly view calendar. I like how it goes back to July 2014 in case I need to reference any days. Each month has its own color theme and cute accent designs.
Inside the planner, there are tabs for each month to help you easily navigate the Planner. The tabs take you to a colorfully themed month-view of each month.
January 2015
February 2015
Just behind each month-view page is the weekly breakdown by day.The weekly view shows Monday – Sunday across the top with the date clearly posted. The days are broken down vertically into Morning, Day, and Night categories. There are fun little accents that indicate holidays or special observances near the dates.
In the upper left corner of each week view, you will find a monthly mini calendar. This is perfect so you don’t have to keep flipping pages in order to see the entire month page. Along the left column, there is a lined section for Goals & Notes. Obviously, you can write whatever you want in that space. I tend to use it for daily to-do’s or weekly reminders.
Each month’s calendar has a different color theme, but the same layout. This is amazing for me because the familiar layout makes it functional and easy to navigate, but the new color keeps it fresh and exciting. I remember when I was younger, I’d always want new notebooks before I’d even finished writing in the first — I just wanted a change from the same boring lined pages. That never happens to me with Erin Condren; I love every page and am excited to use it all year! The colored tabs will help you navigate to each month.The Notes tab in the back takes you to amazing lined and blank pages for whatever you want.
After the Notes section, there are tons of stickers built in to the Planner. There are two sheets of just colored stickers in all sorts of colors — pink, purple, grey, blue, green, teal, etc. And two sheets of “pre-printed” stickers that say things like, “Vacation”, “Day Off”, “Birthday”, or “Party”.
Blank Stickers
Pre-Printed Stickers (“Day Off” “Dr. Appt””
Blank Stickers
Pre- Printed Stickers (“Party” “Vacation”)
There is a folder in the back of the Planner with the Perpetual Calendar & Contacts insert. I choose to keep this booklet at my desk, separate from the Planner. I love how it’s no longer built in to the spiral binding, so I can transfer it to each new planner every year if I choose.The perpetual calendar is small and sleek. There is a section for your contacts and a Holidays to Remember section.
Perpetual Calendar & Contacts insert
Perpetual Calendar & Contacts insert
Perpetual Calendar & Contacts insert
Perpetual Calendar & Contacts insert
Perpetual Calendar & Contacts insert
In the Planner, there is a second folder behind the first (attached). Each folder can hold a fair amount; I’ve never had one rip. I’ll usually put printouts of email confirmations, random notes, or reference materials in the folder.
There is a built-in clear plastic pouch behind the folders. It comes with cute freebie stickers from Erin Condren. I like to use the pouch for receipts or to hold stickers that I use to decorate my Planner.
Appointment Reminder Cards
Free Stickers
And now to the extras — ErinCondren.com had a coupon code for a free cover but I didn’t see it until I had already placed my order. I was super sad because I would have to pay separate shipping if I “purchased” the cover on its own. I emailed their customer service, and Anne was very friendly and helped me to cancel my first order so I could re-order my planner and take advantage of the free cover promotion without paying separate shipping. Great customer service is just another reason why I will continue to use Erin Condren planners for years to come.
I got two of the interchangeable covers — JollyJester and ZenGems. This is my first time buying the interchangeable covers, but I am excited to have variety and to continue reusing these for all of my future planners. The covers are the same durable, laminated plastic that will protect your planner and it easy to wipe clean.
I personalized my free cover — Jolly Jester. I really love the colors on this cover and how subtle the personalization is.
And I bought the Zen Gems cover. These geometric flowers are so pretty. I love how the personalization is in rainbow colored letters!
I also bought a pack of the coil clips. I thought these would be good for keeping track of invitations or pictures within the planner. I don’t know how many times they can be reused, but I tried one out and it was easy to use and you might be able to get a second use out of them as well.
pop off the non-adhesive part
clip in to planner & use adhesive side on the item you want to save
And finally, you can never go wrong with the elastic bands. I really like the platinum color; I think it goes best with the covers I chose. For me, it’s functional and also seems to visually tie it all together.
If you’re considering Erin Condren for a new planner, definitely go for it! And don’t forget to use my link to make your account for $10 off your order. 🙂
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I don’t usually get excited about the seasonal items from Lush — I love the classics (the Comforter is my favorite). But this year, I wanted to try out some of the Lush Christmas products. I bought Northern Lights bath bomb when it came out a month or so ago and I loved it; the colors were super pretty and it smelled great.
So naturally, I wanted to grab another one when I ran out of my “Lush stash”. I’m super excited because I got to stock up on everything with this Lush Haul — classics and Christmas!The Northern Lights bath bomb wasn’t out on its own — apparently they’re all breaking during the shipping process, so one of the Lush girls pointed out the Poptastic gift box which has Northern Lights and Sparkler. Unfortunately, my Northern Lights was broken when I opened the box. It’s fine though, I know the bath will still look and smell amazing!
The rest of my Lush Christmas looks equally amazing. I’m so excited because I’ve haven’t tried any of these products except the Snow Fairy shower gel.
The Snow Fairy shower gel is such a pretty pink color. I love all of the pink things at Lush! Actually, when I first used this gel, I didn’t like the smell at all. I’d gotten it in a gift box and I remember not liking it or the Rock Star soap. But I like it a lot now — it’s sort of like a cotton candy smell. When I saw the Holly Go Lightly bubble bar — with silver glitter all over — I knew I wanted to try it out. Mostly because it looks so pretty, but also because it smells warm and cinnamon-y. It’s a large sized bubble bar which is nice — you could definitely break this up for multiple uses.The Wizard bubble bar looks super cute. There is a little yellow star at the top of his wizard’s hat. Mine is a little more pink looking than other’s I’ve seen. I think this might be part of the Halloween collection, but either way, I’m glad I got to buy one before they ran out.The Luxury Lush Pud bath bomb looks like it has a little bit of everything. There are lots of fun colored polka dots within the mostly pink bomb. It smells like soothing lavender and doesn’t appear to gave any glitter or things that will make clean up difficult.And then I picked up some of my favorites:Dragon’s Egg, Creamy Candy bubble bar, Sex Bomb bath bomb, The Comforter, and Think Pink bath bomb.
Did you pick up any of Lush’s Christmas items? Which are your favorites?
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
There is something special about an instant photo camera. I have the Polaroid 600 and was so disappointed when the film was discontinued. I recently used the last pack of film I had and sadly, it must have expired because each picture had blotchy areas that wouldn’t develop.
I started researching the Polaroid 600 film which led me to Amazon and to a whole new generation of instant photo cameras. I then discovered the Fujifilm Instax 210 which takes “wide” photos. The reviews were good and the colors looked so vibrant compared to the Polaroid 600.
The Fujifilm INSTAX 210 Instant wide Photo Camera is pretty large but really very similar to the Polaroid 600. It comes with 4 AA batteries, a shoulder strap, and a pop on lens to help focus for close up images (it even has a mini mirror so you can see if your selfie is centered).
The side has the Power button and controls to set the focus (3m to infinity or .9m – 3m). There are also controls to Lighten and Darken the exposure. And of course, the flash button — The flash seems to always go with every photo, even when I turn it off.
The side battery compartment holds 4 AA batteries that are included with the camera .The closure feels a little cheaply made. I haven’t lost any batteries yet, but I could see the case becoming loose if the camera was dropped or mishandled even a little.
The back of the camera is pretty basic. There is a pull down flap that houses the wide film.
pull down back cover
open fujifilm instax 210 wide film
insert film, line up yellow tab in the upper right corner
eject the film backing card
Once your film is in the camera, you’re ready to point & shoot. The camera is super easy to use and the pictures come out so vibrant and clear with a slight retro feel.
I really like having a “one of a kind” image that you can take with you. A lot of times, I’ll take pictures with my phone or regular camera and I end up having 20 of the same picture. I get to pick my favorites from the photo shoot and that’s nice too, but I’m not going to waste tons of film on the same picture with the Instax 210. It makes each picture seem more special even if it is just of an everyday thing.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I recently picked up a few things from Sephora with my birthday gift cards and was super excited because I got a bunch of extra freebies and renewed my VIB Rouge status!
I purchased another bottle of the Purity cleanser by Philosophy. I really like how well it removes makeup and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dried out. I also bought the Lancome Regenerie Lift Multi-Action moisturizer — I use this as my morning moisturizer because it has SPF 15 and it is so smooth and hydrating. (It smells great too!).
And everything else was free!
I had to pick up two bottles of the 100-point perk – Lancome Genefique! I’m running low on my actual full-sized bottle and these are basically free, so I picked two!
I’ve never heard of DevaCurl, but the sample of this One Condition Daily Conditioner was huge and I have curly hair, so I thought it would be cool to try it out.
This Bare Minerals Best in Show set was free with $35+ purchase, and I really like Bare Minerals. It comes with a duo eyeshade with Mixologist, a light shimmery pink, & Cognac, a gold bronzy color; Speak Your Mind, a rose colored lip stick; and Beauty, a rose colored mineral blush!
You know I love all of the Josie Maran products, so I also got this free, 5-day sample set. It has five sample pouches of the Argan Cleansing oil, which I’ve never tried but always wanted to; the 100% Pure Argan Oil (which I LOVE); and the new Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 47.
Since it was around my birthday, I also got the Sephora/Makeup Forever VIB Rouge birthday gift to really make this a true Sephora Haul. This little set comes with the MUFE Smokey Extravagant mascara, the MUFE Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in N9, and the MUFE Aqua Eyes eyeliner for VIB Rouge only.
And finally, since I re-upped my VIB Rouge status, I got this Formula X – X❤Rouge nail polish. Pretty cool for a free gift.
I am super excited about everything I received! YAY SEPHORA!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I am so excited about this gift box from Lush. I love the fun, colorful wrapping paper and bright orange bow. I love getting individual items from Lush, but it always extra nice to have a neatly wrapped package. 🙂 I received this wonderful box…well, for my birthday. And what a Happy Birthday indeed!
The Happy Birthday gift box comes with four bath bombs and two bubble bars. (And fun streamers and a noise maker!!)
Everything smells amazing — like Lush! The set comes with The Comforter (my fave) bubble bar, Pop In the Bath bubble bar, Avobath bath bomb, Big Blue bath bomb, Phoenix Rising, and Fizzbanger bath bomb.
These are a few of my favorite bath goodies at Lush so this is a perfect gift for me. Plus, I love all the colors. They’re almost too pretty to use! Almost. 🙂
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
This recipe is so simple to make and tastes delicious.
20 minutes Prep Time. 45 minutes Cook Time
You will need:
2 deep dish pie crusts
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 eggs
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
9 oz. organic baby spinach
1/4 c. butter
4 oz. half and half
salt & pepper – to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Begin by sautéing the onions and garlic in the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. About 5 minutes or until onions begin to brown.
Add mushrooms and 3/4 of the cheese to the onions. Stir to combine.Once the cheese begins to melt, add spinach.
Begin string in the spinach leaves until they combine with the onion mixture. You may need to add the spinach in small batches at first.
Once everything is combined, add salt & pepper, stir, and reduce heat to low. Then, in a large bowl, combine eggs and half and half. Wisk together and add salt and pepper.
Pour the onion mixture into the pie shells.
Next, add the egg mixture to the top of the onion mixture and gently shake it from side to side to help the egg infuse with everything.
Put your pies into the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, add the remaining 1/4 cheese to the top of your pies. Then bake for an additional 35 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set.
Then serve and enjoy! This quiche tastes great with tobasco and a tall glass of orange juice!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Hello Gorgeous box from Lush looks like a perfectly wrapped present. The floral print on the colbolt blue box is beautiful and the silky pink bow makes everything just pop!
This set comes with The Comforter bubble bar (my favorite!), Sakura bath bomb, Rub Rub Rub shower scrub, Vanilla Dee-Lite body lotion, Lemony Flutter cuticle butter, and Gorgeous facial moisturizer!
I’ve told you how much I love the comforter, but I’d never tried any of these other products and was super excited when my mom gifted me — Thanks, Mom!
I used the Rub Rub Rub and Sakura the other day and I really like the scrub.
The scrub is a super pretty blue and the sea salt makes it look like there’re bubbles inside. It smells nice and the scrub is coarse — good for exfoliating the body, not your face.
The Sakura bath bomb was just “meh” to me. Nothing really special — it did smell nice but it made the water kind of murky looking. It might be better to use with a bubble bar (like the Comforter :))
The next thing I tried was the Gorgeous facial moisturizer; the star of the show in this set. Regularly, the Gorgeous moisturizer sells for $80-90 and whenever I go in to a Lush to look at their skincare, they always rave about it, but I wasn’t interested because of the price.
I’m so excited that it was included in this set (a mini version) because I’m very pleased with it so far. It smells a little weird, but my skin feels great and looks more even to me. It’s not very greasy feeling and it absorbs well. I’ve been using it morning and night the last few days and I’m really liking it.
Next up to try: Lemony Flutter and Vanilla Dee-Lite. Have any of you used the Gorgeous facial moisturizer? Do you love it? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!
Floating Flower
Lonely Heart
I can’t wait to try out these new Valentine’s Day products! Reviews to come!
Have you tried any of the new Lush Valentine’s Day 2015 items? What are your favorites?
The Planner has a transparent ruler which can double as a bookmark inside or out; it just clips in and out of the spiral binding (similar to how the interchangeable covers lock in and out). The spiral ring is thick and durable, but doesn’t make the Planner heavy or bulky. In my two previous planners, the spiral binding has never bent.
It’s not just pretty on the outside. The real fun of all the Erin Condren Life Planners is inside. I love how bright and colorful the designs are on the inside of each Erin Condren Life Planner.
I am super excited about everything I received! YAY SEPHORA!
