March Favorites!

It's been a little while, but I am back with a blog face lift! My old theme was really starting to get on my last nerve. For whatever reason it continued to have technical glitches, so I alas, I decided to invest in a new template. Thank goodness, because I am very happy with the new look! Looking for a new blog theme can be maddening. After a while they all start to look the same and it becomes a big blur.  Amanda has some beautiful templates, so if you are in the market I highly recommend checking out her Etsy Page. 

March Favorites

1. NXY Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator

2. Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain "Honey"

3. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser

3. Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash "Almond Cream with Hibiscus"

4. Vaseline Intensive Care Healing Serum "Deep Repair"

5. Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel "Rich Raspberry"

6. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Set Sail"

The theme for March was hydration, radiance, and pops of color. A.K.A I am SICK of the cold and I'm ready for a warm spring. Seriously though, to say that I was in an all out war with the depressing Cleveland winter is an understatement. I am a Florida girl at heart, so I have learned quickly that I don't do well with long periods of grey, dry, and cold.  However, the past two days have actually been quite nice. Hopefully the worst is over... I mean it's April now so spring has to show up sometime right?! 

1. I have been mixing this beautiful pinkish illuminator with my everyday foundation to help with my dull skin problem. When I apply this it really helps give my skin a natural and pretty glow. It reminds me of NARS Copacabana, only not as thick and not as pricey. I am all about drugstore dupes, and I have to say that for the price, it is definitely worth giving a try!

2. I know everyone raves about this lip product, and there is definitely a reason! I feel like I wore this pretty much every day in March. It really is the PERFECT everyday lip color. The formula is hydrating and the staying power is amazing. Plus it smells like mint. :) 

3. I am a big fan of the Neutrogena Gel Cleansers. This little guy grabbed my attention for two reasons. The first reason was the White Tea and Vitamin E just because it sounded appealing. Second it claimed to boost radiance without over drying. Well obviously I had to give this a try, and I am glad that I did! Snaps for you Neutrogena.  My skin has been loving this cleanser, and I have definitely noticed a difference. I might even go as far to say that this may be my favorite of their gel cleansers. 

3&4. Alright time for my dry skin annihilating duo! Like I have said over and over, this winter has been hell on my skin. Everything has been SO dry. For a while there things were cracking and flaky...ugghh ain't nobody got time for that! Well finally enough was enough and I went out on a mission to find some solutions. Ohhh let me tell you, I found them! 

Lets start with the body wash. It is SO thick and creamy. My skin just drinks it in every time I use this wash. Plus can we just take a minute to appreciate the smell of this product?......Ahhh. It is one of the most amazing smelling body washes that I have ever used. I am a huge fan of almond scents, but Dove just decided to take it to a whole new level with the hibiscus. It is absolutely delicious. 

Next is the lotion. I have been applying this every time I get out of the shower and also to my hands and feet before bed. It has done wonders to my skin. It absorbs pretty fast and it isn't greasy, which is always nice. This also smells really good. (Not as good as the body wash ;) )

5&6. These little babies were my pops of color for the month of March.  Due to the lack of spring here, I haven't felt like busting out the pastels yet. These colors have been nice transition shades. The formulas for both are pretty great. I only needed two coats and they didn't take long to dry. 

I hope that it is warmer where you are and that you are enjoying every last bit of it! Let me know what you are loving this month.

XO, 

Mimi

TRESemme Perfectly (Un)Done Review

Hello! 

I am almost finished with my classes and thankfully my work load is starting to wind down.

What better way to jump back into blogging than by doing a review?

Today I am reviewing TRESemme's Expert Selection Perfectly (Un)Done Line targeted towards wavy hair. 

O.K. I am giving you fair warning before I start reviewing those lovely products above... I am absolutely IN LOVE with them, and I am about to use the rest of this post to sing their praises. So, if you were just curious and wanted a quick review, then know that they are wonderful and they do everything that they claim. If you have wavy hair then do yourself a favor, scoot on down to your closest drugstore, and treat yourself to these lovely gems. (I promise you won't regret it!!)

Alright now time for me to properly sing TRESemme's praises. If I could insert an intense slow clap then I would *insert here*...

Well done TRESemme. Well done. 

These products have been a complete life savor for me since they have come into my life.

Recently I have been very busy, and I haven't had as much time to spend on getting ready. I need products that are quick and reliable. My hair is thin, wavy, and tends to be frizzy. Thankfully, it heat styles pretty well, however when you only have 20 min to take a shower and get ready, it's not much of an option. So, that being said, I have been on the hunt for something simple and reliable that I can use to basically scrunch and go. 

This can be a pretty challenging task for us wavy haired girls, the struggle is real. A lot of curl products are too heavy and tend to weigh down my hair making it look flat a greasy. 

On the other side of the spectrum, not using enough of the right product will make me look like I stuck my finger in a light socket. 

Needless to say, I got a little too excited when I saw the Wave Creating Sea Foam. I can probably count on my hands the number of products in the drugstore that are targeted towards wavy hair, so I decided to pick up the foam and give it a try. 

On the bottle it claims "This ultra-light, Sea Foam infused with Sea Kelp Extract, helps create natural looking waves... for gorgeously un(done) waves." It does exactly that, and helps me achieve that undone textured wavy look with very little effort. I scrunch some of the foam into my wet hair with a drop of hair serum, let it air dry, and voila, beautiful wavy hair! Sometimes (when I have time) I will curl a couple of pieces, but seriously I don't really have to do anything. It's like magic.

This foam was such a success, that I had to try the rest of the line.

The shampoo and conditioner are both equally amazing! The weightless moisture claim kind of worried me, because usually those products tend to dry out my hair. However, that is not that case with these products. The shampoo does a good job of removing any buildup, and then the conditioner instantly makes my hair feel moisturized. They do smell like any other TRESemme products which doesn't bother me, but I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea. I promise you the payoff is worth it! 

This last little gem is the perfect finishing touch and keeps my waves in place all day without feeling stiff. It is perfect if you want that touchable hold. 

Overall, these products are worth it, and I would definitely recommend them! 

(There is also a Sea Salt Spray in the line that I plan on trying out soon.)

I hope that you are having a wonderful relaxing Sunday.

XOXO

Busy Bee

It would be an understatement to say that last week was absolutely insane! I work for a children's theatre program during the week were I teach classes. In the past I have taught two or three classes at a time, but for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to take on seven classes this session...on top of another part time job.  Oooohhh boy. It is so. much. work. You know those times in life where you have already committed yourself, so it's too late to back out? You prepare as much as you can, and then you sort of just strap yourself in and hold on for dear life? Yea. 

So here I am holding on... :) 

That being said, I love my kids and I think that once I get these first two weeks under my belt, then I will have a routine and hopefully I will adjust to the chaos. 

I have tried to keep myself sane by staying as organized as possible. This has been a bit of a challenge at times, but I am starting to get the hang of it. I picked up this bag from Target in the clearance section for $17.95 (OOH thank you Target) before my classes started, and it has been an absolute life savor. It is big and boxy, which is perfect because it doesn't smash my binders and notebooks. I can also fit my portable speakers and a box of crayons in that baby, so it has definitely been worth it.  

We have also had a lot of snow over the past week. Over the weekend we had about a foot of snow. Though it gives me a panic attack to drive in, I still can get over how beautiful it looks. (Especially on trees) 

I have yet to learn how to drive in snow. I simply just won't do it, because I am absolutely terrified of it! Thank goodness for John, because he heroically volunteers to drive me places when it gets bad. This is greatly appreciated by me, because it saves me a lot of  tears and curses. (Though I still find myself clinging to the door even in the passenger seat) 

I hope you are having a wonderful week so far. Do you have any tips for staying organized during busy times? Please do share. 

Liebster Award

Thank you Meme from

 http://thedayinthelifeofmexoxo.blogspot.co.uk/

for the nomination! You are so sweet!  ^.^

I love this idea! This sounds like such a fun way to meet new bloggers, and I'm so game! 

OK

(Just in case you don't know the rules.)

Rules:

Link the person who nominated you.

Answer the questions that they gave you. 

Create 11 new questions. 

Nominate 5-11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers. 

Notify all other nominees on their blogs. 

Meme's Questions

1. What have you gained from blogging? 

Well, so far it has been a great creative outlet. I also love meeting new people and reading their blogs. 

2. What do you want in the future?

Like Beyonce says, I want to be happy.

3. What's your favorite type of blog?

Ones that are honest and simple. 

4. Have you ever tried Tiger Bread? And do you like it?

No, I have no idea what that is, but I am about to Google it...

Don't you mean "Giraffe Bread"? ;) It looks delicious!

5. Hot or Cold Weather?

Hot. I'm a Florida girl at heart.

6. Sofa or Gym? 

Ummm... neither. Dance Studio.

8. Have you got a Celebrity Crush? (OMG "Have you got?" Meme that is so British, I love it! teehee!) 

I do. At the moment my celebrity crush is JLaw. She is hilarious, and she seems like she would be fun to hang out with. 

9. Where are you from? And describe that place. 

I am from Gulf Breeze, Florida. It's beautiful. 

10. If magic was real what would be your powers?

I would have healing powers. I want to be able to heal people. 

11. What do you think of England?

I LOVE it! I have always wanted to visit and maybe life there. London looks like my kind of city. 

I Nominate

(I did this according to bloglovin followers)

Jess from http://ratherstrangeblog.blogspot.com/

Nicole from  http://www.roseandmuse.com/

Sarah from http://herlittlesoapbox.com/

Paige from http://milkyte4.blogspot.co.uk/p/about.html

Lauren  from http://www.cupcakesandcandyfloss.com/p/about-me.html

Dianne from http://www.diannetanner.co.uk/blog/

Cecil from http://www.wednesday19th.blogspot.com/

Eunice Caroline from http://theberryway.blogspot.co.uk/

Beth from http://bdazzles.blogspot.com/

My Questions:

1. Favorite Place

2. Dogs or Cats?

3. Greatest Accomplishment?

4. Biggest Regret?

5. What makes you happy?

6. What makes you bored?

7. If you could visit anywhere for a weekend, where would it be?

8. Favorite Flavor?

9. Tea or Coffee?

10. Biggest Fear?

11. Biggest Goal?

Have fun guys!

Snowy Dog Park

Today was John's Birthday! Both of us had to work, but thankfully we had a couple of hours in the middle of the day where we were both free. We decided to grab the dogs, and visit the dog park. When the weather is warmer we try and make it out to the park at least once a week. However, thanks to the recent cold weather, (other than for potty walks) the poor pups haven't been able to get out of the house for a couple of weeks! They have definitely been going stir crazy, which in turn drives us crazy...so when we saw that the temperature was up to 34 today we were like, "We'll take it, let's go!" 

It snowed this morning so everything was lightly dusted with a fresh layer of snow. I am originally a Florida girl, so I still get a little too giddy when it snows. (As long as I'm not driving in it..) I was struck with inspiration, and decided to take my camera along so that I could get some practice. It was a lot of fun playing with the settings, and in the end I was quite pleased with some of the shots. 

This snow queen is Gator. She is an eleven year old Springer/Chow Mix. 

This handsome boy is Charlie. He is a three year old Beagle/Pom Mix. 

As you can tell most of my pictures were of Gator. Charlie was too busy playing in the snow and chasing other dogs to be bothered with posing for mom. I tried to get some good action shots of him, but failed. I will have to work on my crazy action shot skills next time.  ;) 

Overall, operation "Get Dogs Out Of House" was a success. They actually love the snow, so they had a blast. 

Why Blog?

Ok here is my official "Why I started this blog post". 

Here are my top five reasons:  *Drum Roll Please........*

1. Creative Outlet

2. A New Social Medium 

3. Improve My Writing

4. Photography

5. A New Hobby

Creative Outlet

I love being creative. Since I was little I have always taken art, music, and dance classes. I also got a BFA in Musical Theatre...which basically means I am a legit Theatre Geek with a piece of paper to prove it. While in school all of these opportunities were always at my fingertips and I never realized how easy it was to find that creative outlet. Since graduating college, I have had a really rough transition into "the real world", but not in the ways that I had expected. When it came to the practical stuff like living on my own and paying bills, I was set. I have worked since I was 16 and I have paid my own bills since I was 18 *brushes of shoulder". It was the social and creative outlets that I missed. It is easy to meet people and make friends while in school. It is also easy to take an art class or join a club where 2-3 times a week you have that creative and educational outlet without even thinking about it. You think, "I want to learn photography." So you sign up for a photography class or club and within a semester you know the basics and have met a new group of people who share your photography interests. It's not like that in the real world, or at least it hasn't been for me. Now it's like, "I want to learn photography." So, you do research to try to find a photography class in your area, you hope that the teacher is legit, because the class is double what you would have paid in school. Then after all of that you give up and try to find some sort of tutorial online which helps, but can be frustrating... not that I know this from experience or anything... Basically I have learned that I need to make my own outlets and opportunities, which brings me to my new little blog.  #newyearnewme 

A New Social Medium

Has anyone else gotten really annoyed with Facebook and Twitter? It used to be this exciting thing where you could really connect with people all over the world. I mean even as far back as  the good old MySpace days, where you could modify your little profile to fit your personality. Now it's like look how awesome I am or how much my life sucks, look at this completely shocking and not accurate piece of news,  oh and which Disney Princess are you? Now I don't want to be completely cynical, because I am just as guilty as anyone else. I love seeing the latest funny Youtube video on my feed and you know I need to make sure that I am totally a Cinderella. However, sometimes it's too much. It's all just too busy, and honestly sometimes it gives me a little anxiety. That's why I love the world of blogs. You are not forced to read a blog on your feed. You pick and choose what to read. Blog posts are like little pieces or yourself that you put out there for the world to see and only the people who want to reach out to you will. Its cool to see these creative spaces and to be able to connect with people who have the same interests as you. 

Improve My Writing

I am a terrible writer. Seriously, I mean in that embarrassing how were you able to earn a degree way. I'm sure you will see plenty of grammatical mistakes, and most of the time I will ramble on about things. Weird tangents are my specialty. Writing has always been a huge insecurity of mine, mostly because I don't want to sound unintelligent.  But alas! Practice makes perfect, or hopefully some sort of improvement. ;) This is a nice way to hold myself accountable for my writing and to force myself to get better. 

Photography

Photography is something that I have always wanted to learn. It is a beautiful art form. For Christmas I was given a Cannon Camera and I fully intend on learning as much as I can about how to use it so that I can put *fingers crossed* my stunning pictures on my wonderful new blog.  :)

A New Hobby

To sum everything up, I need a new hobby and this is what I have chosen. I am coming out of an extreme quarter life crisis and I need something new to keep myself positive and moving forward. When I was in my deepest "what is my life?" moments I would read blogs to make myself feel better. I love reading blogs, so it only made sense to start my own and to hopefully reach out to a fellow quarter life crisis victim so that I can attempt to improv their day a little. 

So here I go! Let the blogging adventure begin!

About Me

Hello
My name is Caroline. I am 25 years old and I currently live in Cleveland, OH with my boyfriend and our two dogs. Our dogs, Charlie and Gator, are pretty much like our children and I can't even begin to express how much our little family means to me.   

Things I Love

Theatre

Film

Coffee

Elephants

Pintrest

All Things Beauty

Animals

Youtube

Fashion

Photography 

Music

Reading 

Travel

The Beach

Hint hint...these are the things that I will most likely be writing about! ;)