December Favorite Things

It is that time of year when amazing holiday decorations come out!  Here are few photos of houses I have seen around the NOVA area:







New Winter Boots!

I had a boot crisis during the first snow of the season.  I pulled out my trusty Columbia snow boots (about 10 years old...) only to discover that they are falling apart.  I have never had shoes fall apart like this, but in fairness I also don't usually keep shoes for this long.  Needless to say I ordered a new pair right way!

Broken boot

Glorious New Boot

L'oreal BB Cream:

As you know I am a fan of CC creams, I sort of skipped over BB creams because the first one I tried was a mess (Maybelline).  I like Maybelline for their super fun lipstick colors but haven't had much luck with their other makeup.  Once again L'oreal did me right!  This BB cream is all I could ask for.  It has more coverage than their CC cream (which I am a huge fan of their CC cream).  This BB cream is great for those days when my face is a bit on the red side and needs a medium coverage.  Do not use too much!  You don't need a lot of product at all and make sure to blend like crazy!  I don't even bother to wear powder with this because it dries to a nice powder finish. 


Produce Share:

I got an email from the Reston Co-op about buying into a winter share of produce.  I called my Mom and we agreed to split the food.  It comes every other Friday for a total of 6 deliveries.  The food is organic and delicious.

My half of the produce share (Thanks Mom!)

Holiday Parties!

I love going to Holiday Parties and catching up with old friends and new friends!

Holiday Party #1

Holiday Nails

Christmas with the Family!

As usual we celebrated on our own day, not on Christmas.  This year we celebrated on Christmas Eve afternoon.  It's not about what day you celebrate but who you celebrate with!




Ebates!

I shop online a lot.  Ebates is great because it allows be shop at my favorite stores while earning cash back.  It is super simple to use, you register and then use their search box to find the store you want to shop with, you click the link to that store and it opens a new page to that stores page while also opening an Ebates ticket for you.  When you are done shopping and your purchase is confirmed, you can log into Ebates to see how much you earned for that purchase.  It is pretty amazing!  I have "made" over $100 so far!

If you are so inclined here is my Ebates referral link:

Maureen's Ebates referral link

November Favorite Things

November Favorite Things:

Running:
This month was all about gearing up for Spring running season.  What does this mean for me?  I had to get serious about starting to train.  3 days of week of running are a must for me right now with cross training 2 other days. At the end of the month I can run 4 (very slow) miles without having to walk!  I train outside year round and much prefer to run in the cold.  Just make sure you have proper gear to keep you warm and you are good to go.  Also PSA, please don't run with headphones outside, you become very unaware of your surroundings.  Stay safe bbs!

Dogs!
I have 3 amazing dogs and they make my day everyday.  They are so much fun and are ready to play any time.

Elly, Gordon, Sammy (L-R)

Thanksgiving:


I had a wonderful time with my family.  My mom does a big brunch in the AM for us.  My sister and her family usually have to leave early afternoon before dinner, so brunch is our "Thanksgiving Dinner".  Later my parents and I do a small Thanksgiving.  Between meals this year we went a walk to the local elementary school.  Here are my Dad, nephew and myself:

The coldest walk of the year (so far!)

October Glossybox Review

 Glossybox is a monthly subscription service (you can subscribe for just one month or 3 months, 6 months or 1 year).  You get five products to sample, some of which are full size.

I pulled up to my house and this was attached to my mailbox!  I grabbed it and ran into the house so excited to open it.

 

 Here is a photo of the items in Glossybox
 

 Here they are in the flesh! 


The lip gloss is very nice, it is a sheer color with good staying power and it is a full size gloss.  I am not sure that I would buy this due to the price of $16.50, but it is nice to have. 

The perfume is very subtle, a nice change for the fall where strong florals are a bit too strong.  I don't think I would buy a full size of this because after about 2 hours I can't even tell that I have on any perfume. 

Fresh face cream is so nice!  This face lotion is so nice and luxurious.  It is a really soft smell and dries to a matte finish (which I really appreciate).  I went and bought the full size of this already

Sesha face mask- paper masks are making a comeback so I was happy to have this to try out.  You wash your face and then put this on for 15-30 minutes.  After you take it off, do not wash the residue, rub it into your skin and let dry.  The pros - this is all ready to use, just unfold and peel of plastic layer.  Cons - can't use for spot treatment.

Tarte mascara, this is a full size mascara which retails for $23 - this pays for the Glossybox all by itself! This made my lashes look REALLY long, but not very full.  I will try with more layers and update later.

So of the items received, 2 of them were full size!  I just get the boxes now and then as I have so many products that I can't justify getting this on a monthly basis. 

If you are interested in Glossybox, please shoot me an email and I can give you a link to sign up.

October Favorite Things

 Movie I am totally obsessed with: Pitch Perfect

I LOVE this movie.  I first watched it in January when I was home with the flu.  I watched it 3 times in one day.  I am actually watching it while I type this.  I might have a problem.  I got the special set at Target that came with a cup (to practice your cups song with!), 2 pens, a pencil, sunglasses  and of course the DVD.  My friend Beth taught me the cups song and there is a bar in DC where if you do this at the bar you get $$ off your drinks.  Pretty cool!  I recently learned that Pandora has a Pitch Perfect station.  Guess what I will be listening to tomorrow.  I watch this probably once a week.  I have a problem.

Product to NOT be scared of: Boots Botanics Facial Oil

 

Ladies, don't be scared of facial oil!  My favorite is Josie Marin Argan oil,  if you shop now you can get 10% off with the code: autumn.  The one pictured is from Target (Boots Botanics Facial Oil).  It is a really really strong floral smell.  I am not a fan of the smell, but I like the product overall.  I put it on at night, probably 5-6 nights a week.  This oil does not clog your pores,will not make you break out, none of that!  The bottle will last you a long time.  The Boots item is under $10! 

Vitamin/Supplement that I am enjoying: L-Lysine

 

My sister turned me onto this years ago and I have been a fan ever since.  I keep it in my desk and take it after lunch.  If I am feeling a cold sore coming on, I up it to 2 to 3 times a day.  I find it helps with nail and mouth health.  You can read all about the science elsewhere, I am just saying that for me this is a great supplement that I like to take.  

Product for the Home: Roku

My dad bought me this and I am loving it!  I don't have a gaming system and I don't want to watch TV on my laptop so this was the ideal solution!  You hook it up to your TV, add all your accounts, Netflix, Hulu +, Amazon Prime, whatever you have going on.  Then you simply watch your stuff streaming through the Roku.  So awesome!

Dreams

On Sunday I had the amazing opportunity to be a part of my friend Carissa's dream.  She has been training all summer for the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM).  26.2 miles of running in DC and Virginia.

The day started off early!  I went to a costume party the night before and made sure to be home by 1am.  I got up at 7 since I knew she would ok at the beginning of the race.   I took the metro to DC and met up with her husband and other friends that were there cheering too.  Her friends made the most AMAZING signs that all the runners were loving.

I met up with Carissa at mile 16.  I jumped in and offered candy, water, lip gloss and entertainment.  I stayed with her on and off until the end of the race.

We had to make some cut offs at miles 17 and 20 in order to remain on the course.  We did a walk/jog strategy in order to reach these checkpoints.  When I met up with Carissa, I could tell that she was in some physical discomfort.  But there were 10.2 more miles to go. 

At mile 18 she looked at me and said "Do you think I will make it?"  It almost made me cry.  I knew she wasn't asking about getting to the mile 20 checkpoint, she was asking about finishing the race.  Luckily I had on sunglasses so she couldn't see my eyes.  I told her yes, you will finish this.  

I can't describe to you all the reasons that she did the race, but I will tell you this, it was an emotional time for all of us to see her accomplish this great goal.

She claims "never again" but only time will truly tell!

Congrats my Marathon friend!

Finishing the MCM!

Here are some photos after the marathon:
 

September 2013 Favorite Things

Here are a few of my Favorite things from the month of September:

Perfume: I recently discovered Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture.
 

How long has this been around?  I am mad for it!  I got it as a sample over the summer and for some reason just wasn't super interested in trying it.  But of course I finally got around to it and was so pleased with the smell.  For me it is the kind of perfume that instantly brightens my mood when I use it.  If you purchase from the Juicy Couture website you can get this amazing limited edition bottle ($98).  You can also get smaller bottles ranging from $52-$98.

Skin Care: An oldie but a goodie for me.
 
Murad Clarifying Cleanser.  Whenever my skins starts to get a bit crazy, I always go back to this.  For me, this product really works for a short time frame.  It is a bit harsh long term for my skin, but when I am having breakout issues or greasy skin issues, this does the trick! You can purchase this at Sephora or from Murad.  Approximately $26.

Makeup: The joy and wonder of CC cream



 L'oreal CC Cream.  I got this on a whim one day at CVS.  I have been having a problem recently where my makeup just sinks into my pores and looks gross.  This does not do that!  It is light coverage (which is my preference for everyday wear) it has a floral smell (not my favorite but I can deal with it).  I like the way it feels on my skin.  After applying, I put on my concealer and then I wait a minute for all that to set before I put some powder on.  You can purchase this at any drugstore (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart).  Approximately $13.

Online Service: Shoedazzle.

 

This is a service that helps you pick out shoes, handbags and accessories.   I got the boots pictured above and they are darling!  They actually zip on the other side and the zipper shown is just for looks.  There are tons of cute accessories too which I will take a look at in the future.  Disclosure, if you join Shoedazzle from my link I get points toward store credit.  These boots were $86.


That is all I have for the month of September.

Hugs and Loves,

Mo