leah tackles – Page 11

Arbonne Sea Salt Scrub Review and Giveaway!!!

August 6, 2014 & 25 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

ANNOUNCEMENT: I have been posting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but will now be changing to a Monday and Wednesday schedule. I will still be blogging on the Pearls and Pastries Shop Blog biweekly on Friday’s. I want to focus on quality while still bringing you blog posts on a very dependable and consistent basis. I really appreciate all of your support as I work to improve my blog with every post, so please subscribe if you haven’t already!! Every one of you who has subscribed I am so grateful for! : )

Okay….onto today’s post!

I have been hearing little bits about Arbonne products more and more lately, but just a couple of weeks ago I was finally able to try something from the company. I am SO excited to share it with you!!

Arboone is all pure, safe, and maybe best of all, benefitial. All of the products are vegan, plant based, soy free, paraben free, and dairy free. One thing I found really awesome is that the products are formulated in Switzerland and are held to Swiss standards which are some of the highest, but made in the United States.

NOTE:****Be sure to read to the bottom of this post for your chance to win a full size of the Awaken Sea Salt Scrub!! Details are at the end of this post!!! : )****

Aromaessentials Awaken Sea Salt Scrub:

My Arbonne consultant, Kim, introduced me to this and I am in love! Before using this my go-to body scrub was the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Coconut Lime, but the Awaken Scrub blows that out of the water!! I was a little apprehensive about whether or not this would be anything different from scrubs I had used in the past, but the exfoliation combined with the oil is a total game-changer. I know having “me time” is important, but with two toddlers, work, appointments, life…..it is really low on my ~~to-do~~ survival list! I almost didn’t use this scrub when I first got it because I was in a rush (per usual!) and didn’t think I should spend the time, but I ended up using it anyways. Ahhhh! SO glad I did! It sounds so cheesy, but the smell was seriously uplifting!! I immediately felt relaxed, happy…that feeling you get after hours in the chair at the hair salon or after a fresh mani/pedi. I want to try some of the “unwind” products now because the “awaken” works wonderfully.

Kim shared two of her favorite uses and I want to share them with you as well to give you some ideas!

1) Foot Soak and Scrub

Soak your tootsies in warm water and once they are soft, scrub your feet with one scoop of the scrub! My feet were SO soft after doing this method (but a tad slippery!).

2) Scrub Legs *Before* Shaving:

This way is my favorite use for this product so far! As much as I love the foot soak, finding the time just isn’t always going to happen, but using a scoop of this scrub in the shower on my legs and feet is easy to work into my routine. Simply scrub your legs with the scrub and then shave while the oil from the scrub is still fresh on your legs! SO luxurious and my legs looked amazing after doing this. It was way less of a hassle then shaving cream, and also much more relaxing.

I wanted to have other suggestions for you since the Arboone website is AWESOME but there is so much that it was a little daunting, so I picked Kim’s brain a bit and found some other great ideas.

FALL/WINTER ARBONNE PRODUCT FAVORITES:

1) Shea Butter Body Lotion

An Arbonne favorite in a pump bottle and great for all skin types!

2) FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme

Kim told me that her husband carries this around with him in the winter, and to me if a guy is carrying around a prodcut like that it MUST be good! I hate dry winter hands, and I will definitely be trying this out asap because fall is approaching fast!

3) Baby Care Body Lotion and Baby Care Body Oil

This is for the little one’s in your life!! My little man has severe eczema and I love the idea of a natural product line to try out this winter. You can mix the two and apply to dry areas on your little lovess….again, can’t wait to try this!

4) Made in the Shade Self-Tanner Broad Spectrum SPF 15

I love the idea of a more natural, botanicaly based self-tanner to try to keep up a warm glow in the cooler months!! And you all know, I am ANTI-TANNING so wear your sunscreen and rock a sunless tanner, please ; )

OTHER FAVORITES:

1) Lip Saver Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

I mentioned this in my July Favorites post. It is awesome and I have used it daily since I got it!!

2) Vanila Protein Shake Mix (Powder)

Kim suggested these, and I love that they are whey free, soy free, dairy free, and vegan! The protein is sourced from rice, pea plants, and cranberries. Awesome! I want to try this in my smoothies!!

If you are interested in any of these products mentioned above or any on the Arbonne website, you can email Kim: kim.porta3@gmail.com or enter the ID 13107319 at checkout on Arbonne.com!

Now, onto the giveaway : )

HOW TO WIN THE ARBONNE AWAKEN SEA SALT SCRUB:

1) Comment on this blog post and tell me your favorite way to pamper yourself!! Commenting is *easy* promise! Just click the link by the title of this post and you enter your first name, email, and comment : )

2) You *MUST* be subscribed to my blog! To subscribe enter your email into the subscription box on the right side of the page! You will then get an email that asks you to confirm that you subscribed and that’s it! You’ll just get emails when I post something new.

EXTRA ENTRY OPPORTUNITY:

If you’d like to gain extra enteries you can 1) Share this post on your Facebook, 2) Share this post on yourTwitter, or 3) Follow me on a social media platform you are not yet following me on and you will get an entry for each new like or follow (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Luvocracy, Pinterest).

RULES:

1) This giveaway is limited to those in the United States and Canada, but eventually giveaways will be opening up to subscribers everywhere!

2) If you are under 18 years old just ask permission from your parents to enter the giveaway!

3) A random selection website will determine the winner to keep things fair.

4) Once the winner is contacted by email they will have 48 hours to respond and after that I will select another winner.

5) This giveaway will end in two weeks!!

Good luck to all of you entering and I hope that this post was helpful! Have a wonderful rest of your week!!

Manchester United vs. Real Madrid Record Breaking Game!

August 4, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Back in February I read that Ann Arbor, MI was rumored to be hosting Manchester United vs. Real Madrid for a game in the Guinness International Champions Cup. I knew if it was true I wanted to nab tickets because my husband is a big fan. Finally it was confirmed and I was able to snag tickets on Stub Hub for an inflated price (of course!!) for the August game!! Tickets to this once in a lifetime game were the *perfect* gift for my husbands August birthday.

Earlier this summer I was asked to participate with Fanatics.com initivate called “Family Fanatics” by sharing a time when sports helped bring my family together. I knew that this game would be the perfect thing to write about, and I’m so excited to share our amazing experience with you all! Fanatics.com has a huge selection of sports gear and I was amazed at the choices! I have my eye on an adorable pom-pom Manchester United Hat for winter. I am not affiliated with Fanatics.com and as always all opinions are my own. I have NEVER accepted money in exchange for a positive review.

My husband, Stephan, and I were lucky enough to have my parents who live close by avaliable to watch Hailey and Connor, and also to drive us downtown for the game. We arrived to Ann Arbor early and were able to walk around before heading to the stadium. Cheverolet, a big sponsor, hosted an invent where you could interact with their new 2015 cars to win prizes, get your picture taken, get your face painted, and participate in soccer drills. We took advantage of all of the fun and had a great time : ) After that we headed to the stadium, got some food and drinks, and headed to our seats at “The Big House”!

Leaving for the game…super excited!

Strike a pose!

Face Painting was necessary.

My new ride (ha-ha!)

I’ve never seen UofM Stadium look so good (::Cough go state! Cough::) ; )

Enjoying a Guinness before the game ; )

Game time with my babe!!

Soccer is awesome! You could actually clearly see every play!!

Our seats : )

Breaking records! Highest attendance for a soccer game in the U.S: 109,318!!

This game was such a special experience! Manchester United, the team we were rooting for, won! But the game was so much more than that!! The game Stephan and I the perfect opportunity to have quality couple…and anyone with young kids knows that this can be rare! Having “us” time is an essential part of bringing our family closer together because investing in us makes us a stronger couple. We want dates for our sanity ; ) But we also want dates for our children! Plus, they got quality nana and grandpa time: Win, win! If you get the opportunity to attend events like this with your significant other or friends, do it! It doesn’t matter if it’s a sporting event, music fest, whatever…they create amazing memories!

I hope that you all had a great weekend! Did you attend any fun events? Let me know : ) And please, subscribe to my blog to really make my day!! Thank you so much for taking time out of your lives to read my little blog!!

July Favorites!

August 1, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Friday!!!!!

After grabbing my favorite items for this post I was going to break it up into sections of beauty items vs. lifestyle items, take invidual photos, do swatches…the whole nine yards! But then I decided it is FRIDAY and who wants to read all that?! So, if you have any questions on any of the products mentioned *please* feel free to comment and I will absolutely get back to you! I may go back to doing favorites more like this or maybe I’ll stick to something more short and sweet like this. I also want to start mention any product flops…it could be helpful! : ) You can definitely let me know your opinions as well!

Now, let’s jump into it!

JULY FAVORITES:

1) “She…” by Kobi Yamada

This book is so special and would be a beautiful gift for any girl. Each page has an inspiring message and the books deisgn is stunning.

2) Hair Donut

Okay, so at first these reminded me of Bumpits (who remembers those from a few years back? Yes, I totally had one! NO worries!) and I was pretty unsure but late last year I picked up a hair donut….I love it! It makes doing the perfect sock bun so easy, and yes I realize you can do it with a sock, but this just works so well for me! This isn’t a new item to me, but it’s a rediscovered favorite, and I’ve been loving it for second day hair. You can get them at Claire’s or Ulta, but I got mine off Amazon.

3) Sparkly Gold Coaster

I just made these glitter coasters for a DIY and I am in love! They are so cute and functional. They make everyday special and I love things like that.

4) Scotch Expressions Washi Tape

I love washi tape and having them so accessable now from companies like Scotch is so conveinient! I like these for hanging up things on my wall, sealing envelopes, and countless craft projects.

5) Zoya Nail Polish in Rooney

I mentioned this in my post What I Wore to the Michigan Girls Blogging and Social Media Meet Up and it has been on my nails a large majority of the summer. It’s a beautiful hot pink that leans on the blue toned side and it goes on perfectly every time.

6) Essie Nail Polish in Urban Jungle

This is a gorgeous nude that is unlike anything I own! It isn’t white but also isn’t nude…it’s the perfect off white, neutral color! It is described as “alabaster orchid”. Out of all the nail polishes I have, Essie is always my biggest crush, and this one doesn’t disappoint.

7) Too Faced Natural Eyes

These 9 neutral eye shadows are super pigmented and blend like a dream! I adore this little kit!!

8) Arboone Lip Saver Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

This product I’ve only had for the better part of a week, so considering it a July favorite is a *bit* of a strech…BUT it’s wonderful! I’ve used it every day since I’ve had it and like putting it on before my lip color. It doesn’t have a yucky sunscreen taste and it is a very shiny chapstick that could truly be worn alone for a nautral summer look.

9) Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in 235 Pink Pop

Super pigmented, long wearing, not too sticky but sticky enough to last more than 10 minutes….I love this lip gloss! The packaging is chic and looks very high end to me which is fabulous for the drugstore price tag. The color Pink Pop is so fun for summer and you can wear this alone and still achive a very hot pink lip.

10) Anthropologie Marbled Sunglasses

I really wanted a pair of round sunglasses and when I saw these with the rose gold toned glitter and tortoise?! I was sold!

11) Lucky Girl Hair Ties

These are my favorite hair ties right now and I love that they cute on my wrists as well. I don’t tend to wear my hair up, but on days when I rock an Elsa braid (as my 3 year old calls it!), I use these : )

12) Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

This is SO amazing! I have been using this nearly every day lately! The contour colors blend out flawlessly and they never look muddy or organge even on my super fair complextion.

That’s it : ) Now, I want to know! What have YOU (yes, YOU!!) been loving lately? I would love to hear your thoughts, product suggestions, and opinions! So let me know by commenting…it’s easy, just click the link by the title of this post. Also, what are your plans for the weekend? I am *super* excited because the hubster and I are going to a Manchester United soccer game…..eeeeeep!!!! Thank you for reading and please subscribe if you enjoy my posts : ) Have a fabulous weekend loves!!

Outfit of the Day-Summer/Fall 2014

July 30, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Summertime is slipping by SO fast this year and I’m already thinking fall clothes…probably because it has been such a chilly summer here! I wanted to share this outfit because I think it’s such an easy transition outfit for summer to fall.

*Note: Big props to my photographer (hubs!) for helping me laugh at myself and taking all of my pictures : )

TOP: Anthropologie

BOTTOMS: Forever 21 (*Similar)

SHOES: J-Crew navy espadrilles (no longer avaliable)

BRACELET: J-Crew Factory (no longer avaliable)

EARRINGS: Bauble Bar (*Similar)

NECKLACES: Bauble Bar (*Similar)

RING: My engagement ring and wedding bands <3

What is YOUR favorite thing to wear as we transition (hopefully slowly!!) into fall? Let me know in the comments below : ) Have a great day!!

GLITTER COASTER DIY

July 28, 2014 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Recently I was walking the aisles of Hobby Lobby looking for some DIY inspiration because I hadn’t done a fun project in several weeks and I ran across Krylon Glitter Blast Glitter Spray….ohhh my goodness! I quickly tossed it in the cart because I knew I wanted to use it for something! I stumbled upon these little pre-cut wooden circles. Wooden circles + glitter blast = perfect coasters!! And it couldn’t be easier!!

GLITTER COASTERS:

What You’ll Need:

Krylon Glitter Blast Glitter Spray in Golden Glow

Wooden Circles

Step 1:

Spray the glitter blast on in a fairly heavy coat.

Step 2:

Let dry between each coat (it doesn’t take long at all with this glitter spray!)

Step 3:

Spray one or two more heavy coats.

Step 4:

Enjoy your glitterific new coasters!

Thank you for reading! Don’t forget to share this on Pinterest if you’ve enjoyed! I hope you have a great week : )

What I Wore to the Michigan Girls Blogging and Social Media Meet Up!

July 25, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy FRIDAY!!

I am SO excited for this Friday because we have NO PLANS! My friend and I had tentitive plans, but she also has a *crazy* schedule, and so we agreed to re-schedule for another weekend in a month or so when the craziness of summer is over! If you’re reading this girl, I am going to get ahold of you so we can set a date in stone, because I can’t wait to finally be able to really catch up : ) What are YOU up to this weekend? I would love to hear about it, so let me know in the comments!

Today I thought I would share the outfit that I wore to our michigan girls blogging and social media meet up!

WHAT I WORE:

(please excuse the poor lighting! I had to get the pictures quickly!! xo)

DRESS: J-Crew

I picked it out with the help of Cathy, my J-Crew very personal stylist, who works at the J-Crew in Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor (she is great! If you’re in the area and interested, call and ask for her!!).

SHOES: Söfft ‘Mena’ Espadrille Wedge in Iris Blue from Nordstrom

BELT: Anthropologie

SUNGLASSES: Anthropologie Marbled Sunglasses

BRACLET: Ell and Emm Giant Koko Cuff in Cream Beige

EARRINGS: Bauble Bar

NAILS: Zoya Nail Polish in Rooney

That’s it! If you’ve enjoyed this post please subscribe so that you will recieve emails when I post something new! Thank you for reading and have a beautiful weekend!!

Pre-School School Supply List?!

July 23, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

My daughter Hailey is 3 years old now, and will be beginning pre-school in a 3 year old classroom this fall. Her school supply list just went up online and I thought it would be fun to share with other mamas out there who may be curious as to what a 3 year old needs to bring to school! If you or your kids are in school tell me about the most random thing on the school supply list you had to pick up : )

PRE-SCHOOL (3 Year Old Class) SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST:

24 Count Pack of Crayons (no Rose Art brand!)

1 Pack of Paper Plates

1 Box of Kleenex

1 Box of 3 oz. Cups

Clorox Wipes

Gallon Ziploc Bags

Sandwich Ziploc Bags

Baby Wipes

Stickers

2 Rolls of Paper Towel

Large Googly Eyes (the craft items were split up alphabetically by last name, so other kids had to get Play-Doh, etc)

Regular Sized Backpack

Lunchbox (for kiddos who have a full day)

Hailey, myself, and my mom got to go on a date to Target to pick up most of the supplies which was a LOT of fun! I couldn’t find the large googly eyes, so I need to grab those the next time I am by a Walmart. Hailey helped pick out this butterfly backpack from Pottery Barn Kids (this just happens to have “Hailey” on it..how funny! But we will be opting for her initials). She will have one half day and one full day of pre-school each week, so we will probably get her the matching lunchbox from Pottery Barn Kids…I just have to make sure I don’t get tempted by all the *adoreable* accessories!

I know this is a really random thing to blog about, but having a kiddo old enough for a school supply list?! Blowing my mind!! I hope that you’re having a fantastic week and be sure to comment to let me know if you like posts like this : )

*Note: I will be contacting the winner of the Ell and Emm bracelet giveaway today so be sure to check your emails!! : )

All About Our Michigan Girls Blogging and Social Media Meet Up!!

July 21, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I am still swooning thinking about how magical this weekend was for me! I got the opportunity to co-host a meet up for bloggers, social media rockstars, and all-around AMAZING women! Lauren, of the fabulous Pearls and Pastries Shop, asked me to help her organize a meet up and we made it a reality! I am *so proud* of that! Lauren and I met on Instagram ourselves, tried and failed to meet up before (hey, life gets so crazy!!), but we had only talked via phone, text, and email before this weekend! The room was filled with so many talented girls, and I feel so blessed to be to have spent a lovely afternoon mingling with them : ) I will stop myself before I gush on and just share some pictures ; )

I hope that you enjoyed seeing these pictures!! I am still on cloud nine! Lauren and I got dinner afterwards and were already chatting about next year!!! We want it to be bigger, better, and just as sparkly!!

My Random Everyday Essentials!

July 18, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Friday!!

I talk a lot about my favorite beauty items and monthly favorites, but I thought that it would be fun to talk about the random essentials that I consider must-have items every day. I got the idea for this post after having a conversation with a girl from a new company called Man Crates, but was not paid whatsoever for this post. As always, all ideas and options are my own. Man Crates is a new company who ship out gifts for men in cool wooden crates for all different occastions! I might have to try one for my husband : ) I think it’s nice that it isn’t a subscription service so it’s just a one time purchase. Please be sure to let me know what items YOU have to have or use every day by commenting (click the link by the title of this post) : ) All of my social media links are at the top of this page!!

My Random Everyday Essentials:

#1 LOTS OF WATER (ARROW H2o ON THE GO JUG)

I LOVE this water bottle! I carry this room to room throughout our house more than my cell phone, and we all know that’s saying something! I carry this in the car with me or when out and about for the day. Also, for those who struggle to drink enough water through out the day I *highly* suggest getting a jug like this so you have a better idea of how much you’ve actually drank. Is it just me who finds I drink WAY more out of a straw or sport spout than a regular cup? Let me know in the comments!

#2 PURITY FACIAL CLEANSER FROM PHILOSOPHY

Not just any facewash will do! It took me YEARS to find my perfect facewash and I buy the largest sizes possible when purchasing this. It is a little bit pricier and cannot be purchased at the drugstore, but I find that I use such a small amount that it lasts a long time. I usually use eye makeup remover and then a makeup removing wipe, but this DOES breakdown my makeup very well when I skip the remover on lazy days. I notice such a difference in my skin when I use this! My skin is clear, it doesn’t dry me out, it smells lovely, and my skin just feels extra clean after using it.

#3 MINI NOTEBOOK FROM GRAPHIC IMAGE

I am a list maker and I like to have something that fits into my bag easily so that I can write something down wherever I am! I love this mini notebook from Graphic Image and the fact that it is so pretty just makes every day a little more fancy and special, which I love : ) I love being able to jot down whatever I think of so that it actually can get crossed off the list.

#4 NATURE VALLEY SWEET & SALTY ALMOND GRONOLA BAR

I am not one to skip breakfast, so on days when I am really rushed I like to have these on hand to grab and get a little protein in to start my day. I also get what I like to call “hangry” which is that when I get really hunrgy I get angry ; ) I loose patience, and with two toddlers and a hectic schedule?! That can’t happen! So these bars help me be the best mom/wife/human possible by tiding me over until I can eat something more substantial.

#5 EOS LIPBALM

I originally bought this because the packaging is cute and I really didn’t expect it to be better than my other lipbalm or chapstick type products but I was wrong!! I use this every day before applying my lip color to help give me a nice base to work with. I love that it gives such a nice light layer of moisture and doesn’t give me a weird chapstick taste. My 3 year old also LOVES this so I sometimes have to share ; )

Okay, that’s it!! Now, what are YOUR must-have items? I want to know! Thank you for reading and have a fun weekend!!

How To Organize and Store 1,500 DVDS in a Small Space!!!

July 14, 2014 & 4 Comments

Hi There!! Happy Monday!

When my husband and I first moved in together we were fresh out of college living in a small apartment. We stored our now huge combined collection of DVDs on a floor to ceiling bookcase and that worked fine….for awhile! Fast-forward to living in our first house with two toddlers…the DVDs on a bookcase wasn’t going to cut it! For one, I don’t like the way it looks in a room that is a central focus in our home. But even more importantly, DVDs left out where the kiddos could reach isn’t an option! At first we just had all of our DVDs in a giant bin in our basement, but we ended up never watching any of them or when we wanted to we had to dig through all of the unorganized DVDs. Finally, I decided to tackle the DVD project. I knew that we had close to 1,500 DVDs ( I know, I know….craaazy!) to store and that I wanted it to be organized….so today I share what I did to organize a LOT of DVDs.

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR DVDS:

1) I bought 3 cases off of eBay that were very similar to this although I can not find the exact case anymore. I do know that sometimes eBay stores/sellers will give you the option to “make an offer” and TOTALLY take advantage of that!! Obviously you don’t want to make a super low-ball offer, but especially if you’re buying 2 or 3 cases, it is worth seeing if you can get a little bit knocked off.

2) I seperated all of our DVDs by genre (you can do as many or as few categories as you want) and then alphabetized the DVDs. Alphabetizing them is optional, but I love the way it turned out and it didn’t take too much extra time.

3) I put the DVDs into the cases by genre and in alphabetical order.

4) I typed up all of the movies, printed out the sheets, and put them in clear page protectors to have at the front of the cases for quick reference. This step is totally optional!! I do realize that as we buy more DVDs there won’t be spaces to put them into and that they won’t be on the list, but for now my plan is to just add them (overlap the DVDs where needed) and write the title in pen wherever it would alphabetically be on the list. I don’t think it will be too big of a problem since we hardly ever buy DVDs anymore. We are BIG into Netflix and Hulu Plus, so we rarely add to our hardcopy collection. If you have any better ideas for what to do when I add more DVDs, please let me know! I would love ideas!! : )

5) Enjoy your perfectly organized DVDs!! I know this project make seem super time consuming, but I did it all over a couple of evenings while watching TV with my husband, Stephan. I *love* the way that this turned out and it is so nice to be able to easily find a movie or show on DVD to watch!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! How do you store your DVDs? I would love to hear what other people do! I hope that you have a fabulous start to your week : )

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY FOR A BEAUTIFUL BRACELET FROM ELL AND EMM!! A $42 VALUE!!

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