Design Love Planner Review

I am so excited to tell you guys about this planner! 

This is the one I chose to be my official planner for 2015.

I went through a bit of a planner roller coaster this year, first I bought the Lilly Pulitzer agenda, then I bought the Kate Spade agenda, and then I finally found my planner sole mate! 

It's crazy how much my taste changes, but I'm so glad I finally found the perfect planner for me!
Let's be honest, picking a planner is a big deal. It's the item you're going to be using every day for an entire year,  you'll take it along with you everywhere, and it will either make or break your organization goals. So because of all of those reasons, it's so important to chose the one that's right for you.

WHAT I LOVE

The layout of the planner // I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough! I absolutely love that this planner has the traditional monthly view, a unique weekly view, and a to-do list section for each day of the year. 
The daily to-do lists // I'm a person who is constantly writing to-do lists. I love the feeling of getting things done and checking things off as I go! So having a to-do list section is life changing!
The ribbon bookmarks // They're adorable and super handy for quickly flipping to pages.
The gold foil details // The perfect planner not only has to be functional, but it also has to look pretty!
The spiral bounding // This makes it so much easier to write in because you can flip the pages easily and fold the planner in half! I hate having to keep a planner flat and hold down the pages while I'm trying to write.
The thick paper // This planner is made with thick quality paper, not the cheap flimsy stuff! It's perfect because pens (specifically marker pens) don't bleed through the pages.
The stripes // I have an obsession with stripes, I think that's pretty clear by now.
The monthly art prints // Each month in the planner has a cute print which you can either leave in or tear out!
The pockets // There's not one but two pockets for sticking all your necessities in! This is huge for me.
The user guide // In the beginning of the planner there's a note from the designer, an introduction, and instructions on how to best utilize the Design Love Co. planner! I found this to be super helpful and a nice added touch.
The monthly goals & budget pages // I have yet to see this in a planner, until now. It's yet another way to stay organized, and plan out your spending each month.

WHAT I DON'T LOVE

The gold foil issues // I've only been using the planner for a month, and the gold foil is already coming off. I'm super bummed about this because I love the gold accents throughout the planner.

The overall size // Although I love that I can stick this planner in my purse, I don't love that there isn't always enough room for writing everything down. I would love for Design Love Co. to offer a bigger size for the 2016 planner.

The limited quantity // It seems like they either didn't make enough of these planners, or had overwhelming success selling them, because they sold out super quickly. You can find the odd one on eBay or another secondary seller but for the most part these babies are hard to find. Design Love Co. did say they'd have more planners available in the coming months, but I'm sure it'll be a very limited quantity.

Overall, I love love love this planner! It caters to my to-do list obsession, helps me stay organized, and looks super cute!

Tell me about your 2015 planner!

These pictures are not mine, they were borrowed from the Design Love Co. 

Blogging is My Cardio

First of all how cute is this shirt? It is my new favorite, go-to piece! I got this fun shirt from a company called HiCustom. They're an online custom t-shirt and wholesale company! When HiCustom first contacted me and asked if I wanted to collaborate with them, my first thought was "oh my goodness, yes!" My second thought was "what item should I choose?" HiCustom has many items available for you to customize, it's hard not to buy one of everything! They have everything from iPhone cases to coffee mugs. What's also awesome about this company, is that they're doing a deal right now where if you register/make an account on their website, they'll send you a $10 coupon code straight to your email inbox! Seriously this website couldn't be cooler. It's the perfect place for businesses to design their logo and build their brand. It's also a great place to get a gift for someone special this holiday season! Get this for the techie in your family, and get this for the health nut in your life.

HiCustom's got you covered this holiday season.

Go to HiCustom.net or contact them for all of your customization needs! 

Thank you HiCustom for sponsoring this post!

6 Products I Swear By

My mom and I both love makeup and beauty products. So over the past few years we've definitely gone through our fair share of both. I've found some products I've loved and some I didn't love so much. Here are a few of the products I use ever single day. I couldn't live without them!

1. elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer: I used to use the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and don't get me wrong I loved the product, but then I read this post and I decided to try out the elf primer. I am so glad I did! I now use it every single day. Not only does it work great but it only costs 1 DOLLAR! You can't beat that. Now, any time I'm at Target I'm always sure to pick up some of this primer.

2. Vaseline Lip Therapy:  For some reason, I always seem to have chapped lips because I never remember to put on chap stick throughout the day. So I've now stuck a Vaseline lip therapy (which is the cutest little thing I've ever seen) in my makeup bag, and while I'm (as my mom always says) "putting my face on" every morning, I always swipe some of the Vaseline across my lips and it really keeps them moisturized all day long!

3. Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder: I cannot say enough good things about this powder!! I just recommended it to my Aunt and now she's hooked too. I have oily skin, and once I apply the powder it really does give my skin a matte looking effect. It's cheap (only $3.50!), comes in 4 different shades, and does its job! I always buy the transparent shade and it gives my skin an over all even and shine free look. You can apply this powder with either your favorite brush or a powder puff. I prefer the puff because I think it applies the makeup more evenly. This compact doesn't come with either, so make sure you buy some puffs or a brush if you plan on getting this powder.

4. elf Lash & Brow Clear Mascara: I have naturally curly eyebrows, which are annoying to say the least. I wake up to crazy looking eyebrows every morning, with hairs sticking out every which way. As you can imagine I need something to tame them, and this clear brow mascara does just the trick! It gets my eyebrows in order and it keeps them in place all day, I couldn't ask for anything more!

5. Anastasia Eyebrow Powder Duo: This is my secret for great looking eyebrows! I've used this every single day for the past 2 years and I love it! I feel naked if I walk out of the house without it on. I bought my first (and only) Anastasia eyebrow powder duo at least 2 years ago and its lasted me all this time! So even though it is a little pricey, just know that it is so worth it and it will last for a long time!

6. Olay Complete Moisturizer: This face cream is great, its super gentle and it doesn't irritate my skin or occasional blemishes. I really believe in using a daily moisturizer, not only is it great for your skin, it also protects you from the sun (it has SPF 15!) and keeps the wrinkles away! I used to put on this face cream everyday in the morning and at night, but I found that it made my face a lot oilier through out the day. Now, I only use it at night and it's just the right amount a moisturizer to get me through the day.

What are the products you swear by?

Little Italy Farmers Market

We went this past Saturday to the Little Italy Farmers Market. It's one of my favorite things to do when visiting California! It's a seriously huge farmers market, with close to 150 booths, overflowing with goodies. They have all kinds of stuff for sale, from fresh eggs, homegrown veggies, handpicked fruits, fresh squeezed OJ, and so much more! They also have handmade jewelry, clothing, glassware, and lotions! You really can find so many amazing things at this market, I wish we had one like it at home! 

Here are just a few of the tons and tons of pictures I took during our day at the farmers market!

In case they didn't look good enough to begin with, they sliced one open just to prove how amazing these tomatoes are inside and out!

Everything looked so fresh! I wish I could of bought one of everything.

#nofilter

I love orange juice, especially with loads and loads of pulp! This fresh squeezed juice hit the spot.

Don't mind if I do :-)

There were also things at the market that I had never heard of before! Hey, you learn something new everyday.

Sunflowers just make me happy, is it just me?

Wow, just wow.

How gorgeous are these carrots?! I didn't even know carrots came in purple, yellow, or white!

We bought a whole bag of peaches, they were so juicy and flavorful!

How cool is this ring I bought! #turquoisefanatic

I'm not much of a beets fan but they looked like they had just been pulled from the ground that morning, I couldn't resist a picture!

I love herb gardens!! I think it's so cool you can have all your favorite herbs in one pot. I'm definitely getting one when I have my own apartment or house one day!

Oh so gorgeous handmade glassware!

My mom couldn't believe the size of these artichokes. They were ginormous! We are both artichoke fans so we had to buy one! It was delish.

Have you gone to your local farmers market?

Learn how to tackle your local farmers market here!

Deal Of The Week: Essie Nail Polishes

From left to right: Power Clutch// Loophole// Miss Fancy Pants// A Crewed Interest// Pearly White

While shopping at TJ Maxx the other day, I came across an assortment of Essie nail polishes. I figured they were the average $8 per polish. But I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the price tag was only $5. Hey 3 bucks off is a big discount in my eyes. So naturally I grabbed all  the ones I liked.

I also saw these polishes on sale at Marshalls! So you can snag your faves at either store!

These would make perfect stocking stuffers or get a couple and make it a whole gift for a nail polish fanatic!

To prove how fabulous this discount really is:

I bought 5 polishes for $25

In stores at $8.50 each it would of cost $42.50
Say whhhaaaaaatttt?!?!

I would never ever spend $40 on silly nail polish {yea, even Essie} That's just too much for 1 shopping trip. 

So do you get it now, how freakin' awesome this deal is? That's a $17 discount people!! You could go shopping with that savings and buy whole outfit at F21.

I think you get the point here. 

Happy shopping everyone!

Have you found any great deals this week??

The Best Stain Remover EVER

 

This stuff is magical, magical I tell you!

My step mom shared one of her little secrets with me, and I'm sooo glad she did, I have been stain free ever since.

Dawn dishwashing detergent, it's the stuff made by stain fighting gods. I've only used the green kind, so I can't tell you how the blue, yellow, or any other colored Dawn soaps work. But I can tell you that this stuff has made grass, blood, food, and coffee stains vanish right before my very eyes.

If you still don't believe me, listen to this story (It's a true story):

On the first day of 11th grade, 2 Mondays ago, I was all dressed head-to-toe white shirt, black jeans, and white shoes, and 5 min. away from leaving home and embarking on my first day of junior year. After having my morning cup o joe, I was walking to the kitchen, coffee in hand, and suddenly felt something warm on my stomach. Yes, that's right I spilled coffee all over my solid white shirt and narrowly missed staining my white shoes. About ready to cry, I stripped my shirt and immediately soaked my shirt with water and then dribbled Dawn dishwashing soap all over the stained area. Between massaging it in and rinsing repeatedly with water, 95% of it came out! I threw it in the dryer and 5 min. later taa-daa! The stain was gone.

 

 

How to have your stains magically disappear:

(works best with stains that haven't gone through the dryer yet)

 

1. wet stained area

2. dribble small amount of Dawn Dishwashing Soap

3. massage into stain or scrub it with a toothbrush

4. repeat and add water until stain is gone

5. throw in the washer as normal or throw in dryer for quick wear

 

Have a happy stain free day!!

 

 

FREE PAINT SATURDAY AT ACE HARDWARE

If you're out and about today {which you should be, 'cause it's Saturday WHOOP WHOOP}

and have been wanting to try out a new color in your home stop by an Ace Hardware and get a free quart of paint TODAY ONLY!! Let me repeat, FREE. The best part is, its not just one or 2 colors they're giving away here, you can bring in a paint chip or tell them the color you want {even if it's not a Clark + Kensington Paint} and they will match it to the exact color you want AND IT'S STILL FREE!

And as If it couldn't get better, there's primer already in all of the paints you get so you won't even have to buy primer!! This deal just couldn't get any better

*It's one per person per store

Today is the last Saturday they are running this promotion EVER, so take advantage of it while you can!!

Wanna hear a secret?

We got the grey paint we used to paint the master bedroom in our new house seen HERE

for free {last Saturday, when having another free paint Saturday}. We saved $75 on paint by going into 3 different Ace Hardwares and got a total of 6 free quarts or paint. Is that bad?

Well I hope not, 'cause we are doing the same thing today! Ha Ha Ha

So grab some friends or just some random people you find in the parking lot and get them all to ask for the color of paint you want and you'll paint a whole 1, 2, 3 rooms for free!!

Hey, in the long run you're just trying to support your local Ace Hardware and take advantage of the nice deals they're offering ;)

Have a great weekend!!

Clinique Chubby Stick Review



First of all, how stinkin' cute is the name of this product?? Chubby Stick. The name let alone makes you smile. What also makes you smile is how good you look after sliding on this moisturizing lip balm! Clinique came out with the Chubby Sticks last year, and has added 8 new shades to the collection: Heaping Hazelnut, Two Ton Tomato, Curvy Candy, Pudgy Peony, Bountiful Blush, Oversized Orange, Mighty Mimosa and Voluptuous Violet.

 I purchased this tube of fabulousness at my local Macy's and I haven't been able to put it down since. In my opinion It combines lip stick and chap stick into one product. For me, lipstick always dries out my lips, so I always have to opt for boring chap stick. But not anymore! I tested out (and highly recommend doing this) multiple colors and decided on Bountiful Blush due to how it complimented my Ivory skin tone, but I think this color would look gorgeous on all skin tones!

It's a nice nude pink color, with a little bit of shimmer in it.

It comes in a handy little tube that easily fits in your pocket, purse, or anywhere else!

I'm excited to see what other colors they come out with next year, I think I will forever be a chubby stick lover and buyer!

My Farmers Market Find

To follow up on the Farmers market post, I thought I'd share a stunning ring I came across while strolling through the market.

This is the boho booth I stumbled upon. It's a business run by a pair of sisters who handmake a line of jewelry out of a studio in southern California called Lily Girl. I seriously could've gone crazy and bought one of everything on this table, but a certain turquoise ring stood out to me (and being a turquoise fanatic) bought it before anyone else could snatch it.

To further explain my love for my new ring and this line of jewelry, I'm planning to go back next weekend and get another ring I had my eye on... :)

 Check out their beautiful line of Jewelry:

http://www.shoplilygirl.com/