Upcoming posts!

So I just wanted to do a really quick post about some of the upcoming posts that you guys can expect!

A collective drugstore haul
Box reviews from Blissmo, Birchbox, Ipsy, Beauty Box 5, Bonjour Jolie, Ophelia's, Lip Factory, Eco Emi, and Green Grab Bag.

Some of the box reviews are from a couple weeks ago, but that's ok since I had a chance to tell you if I like the products or not!

So yeah. Things have been pretty hectic here. I've been buying things like crazy for my new house (I seriously have been to TJ Maxx about 5 times in the last 2 weeks, they are amazing!) and then with fall I've had to get Gabe a bunch of new fall clothes.

Speaking of new clothes, I'm excited for Thursday when I can use my Gymbucks! I have $50 worth, and I actually have no idea what I'm going to buy. I was thinking about buying him a somewhat fancy outfit, but I really don't think he needs that since he never really needs to dress up.

Oh well knowing me I know I can find something!

Anyway, the posts will be posted within the next week or so!

Poll: Is this too much on a toddler's outfit?

Today I was at Younkers and I saw the cutest outfit for Gabe, that he just had to have. After checking the price I found that not only was it on sale, but it was the last one in his size (which okay, am I the only one that somewhat freaks out when it is the last one in the size I need? I swear sometimes that alone gets me to buy things.)

So I bought it. David was with me and he totally freaked out, since my total with tax was like $29. He then proceeded to give me a lecture on how I could have bought three outfits for that price and why did I spend so much on it? It is a super nice Carter's overall set (which will be shown in an upcoming haul) that is going to be perfect for fall! It's super warm and versatile. And it came with a cute plaid shirt that again will be versatile for fall.

Just so everyone knows, I'm pretty sure this is the only piece of clothing I've ever bought Gabe from Younkers (since I normally don't really care for what they have) so it's not like this is a weekly thing. Plus it's not like we really super badly need money (in case some people were going to point that out, we are pretty financially stable.)

I see nothing wrong with getting Gabe something nice, but is it silly to spend $30 on one outfit? I don't think so, but apparently David does.

What do you think?

Collective Haul: Dillards, Dry Goods, Gymboree, Barnes and Noble, Forever 21, and More!!

Well I am very behind on my box reviews, so I decided that I'm just going to start fresh with them as of the next time I get a box in.

Today I have a haul, my husband (David) and I went to a big mall by us for our anniversary this weekend since I really wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory. I wasn't too sure if this would be of interest or not, so let me know if you guys like this and I can do more, since I'm always online shopping.

The big collection of bags. I went to Sephora, Ulta, Dillards, Dry Goods, TJ Maxx, Forever 21, Gymboree, Barnes and Noble, Pottery Barn Kids, Lyla's, and I thrifted a couple things.

From Dry Goods I got a really pretty tie dyed orange and white maxi skirt. This has two slits going up the sides as well. It is super comfy and casual and I love it! I'll probably wear it with a lace sweater and tan wedge sneakers. I'm sorry the picture is so awful, but really the print is what makes the skirt, I've been looking for something similar all summer. Plus it was only $14!!

*I can't find this online at the Dry Goods website, but it is the brand Urban Day.

From Sephora I got two bottles of nail polish. I was going to buy something from the Marc Jacob's beauty line, but I couldn't find anything that I really super wanted (besides more nail polish) so I got something that I have also been wanting for awhile. Nail polish from Nails Inc!

The first one is one of their new Leather Effect polishes in Ladbroke Grove. I wasn't sure if I wanted the cream or the pink more, but I decided to get the pink since the cream would be more for nail art and if these are as hard to work with as people say, then I wouldn't be doing nail art with them anyway. This was $11, but it's super pretty and I hope it does have a real looking leather look!

The second one is kind of old, but it is one of their Feathers polishes in Edinburg which is orange and blue. I love the more neutral colors on this one and the lid is so pretty! I've wanted to try this for awhile and I'm so happy I got it! This one was $9.50.

From Dillards I got a Chanel Le Vernis (nail polish) in Taboo. I really wanted one of their new fall shades (it was a dark green one that I believe is called Mysterious) but it was too similar to one I already own, so I just decided to get this one.

Taboo is a really pretty dark purple color with red glitter in it. I love it a lot! This was $27 I believe.

From Ulta I got a NYX Wonder Pencil in Light. I already have one of these, but I wanted a backup for my bag because I find myself reaching for this a lot. This was only $4.50.

Then from TJ Maxx I got a Warm Apple Cider mini body lotion from Hempz Treats. I love Hempz Treats, but I can never seem to find the fun or seasonal in my local Younkers store, so I always get so excited when I find them at TJ Maxx. This one smells really good, more like just plain apples then apple cider, but still nice and fall like! Plus their lotions are pretty moisturizing. This was only $2.99.

**This looks like it is an older item, so I cannot find it online for sale.

From Forever 21 I got a neon pink scarf. The scarf is so much brighter in person then the picture shows. I really wanted a similar scarf from Hollister, but I ended up not buying it in store when I saw it, and then I couldn't find it online so I was so excited to get this. It's nice and soft and I'm sure it will be warm in winter. I'll be pairing this with a lace maxi dress and a leather jacket. This was only $12.80.

**I'm not sure if the scarf linked is the same or not, the price is different and the fringe looks different, but it looks close

Then from Lyla's Boutique I got two super cute rings. I think they only have stores in Iowa (specifically Ames) but I'm not sure. They do have a website, but as with most small boutiques it doesn't have a huge selection.

The first ring is a big chunky cat ring. I love these big chunky rings! They are so cute and I think they really add something to an outfit. I have quite a few of these animal rings, but I think this is the first cat one I have, which is weird since I have pretty much every other cat shaped/printed piece of clothing available. This was $14.

The next ring is a super cute 3-D looking bunny ring. I've wanted a ring that looks like this for a while so I was so excited to get this! This was also $14!

**I couldn't find these online at their website.

The next item is from a card shop on Main Street Ames (I know it has a name, but I'm not really sure what it is since I just call it the card shop.) It is just a Magic life die. Magic is a card game like Pokémon, but it is so much fun! David taught me how to play and I'm addicted it is a lot of fun! Maybe it's a bit nerdy, but oh well, I like playing. This was only 75 cents.

From Gymboree I got Gabe a bunch of fall clothes! They were having a great sale and I've also bought a few things from their website (which I'll show when I get in). The "Baby Sale" is going to be on until Sunday and pretty much everything is on sale in case you are interested in checking it out.

The first two items are both slipper socks. Gabe is having a really hard time wearing shoes (mostly keeping them on) so I decided to try some fun socks! Maybe if his feet have cool animals on them he won't take them off? Plus I just really wanted an excuse to buy them! The fox ones were the only thing that wasn't on sale and they were $6. The beaver ones were $2.09!

The next item is a beaver shaped hat. Not only are these animal hats in for adults, but I think they are adorable on kids! I could not resist this one, plus it seems like it would be warm, which is good since Gabe still doesn't really have much hair. This was only $5.59!

The next item is a really cute long sleeved beaver tee shirt. They also had this really cute beaver sweater, that I'm still thinking of buying, but David thought this would be better for right now. It is really cute and the beaver's tail is 3-D. Plus it was only $8.75!

Then I got one of my favorite pieces, this really nice hooded zip up cardigan! I love the stripey fair isle like print and it seems like it would be very warm and that it will last a while. I just love how simple it is and it is just a great versatile piece! This was another amazing sale item, it was only $20 thanks to their baby sale! Score! (:

The last item from Gymboree is a stripped thermal. I thought this would be really nice when it's not too cold with jeans, but it could also be layered under a tee shirt with jeans or just under a sweater as an extra layer. Really these are great pieces and I'll probably be buying Gabe more as it gets colder. This was only $10, but I only bought it because I wanted to get my Gymbucks. Which is $25 off a $50 purchase, which in my opinion is pretty good!

The next item is from Pottery Barn Kids. I initially went in there because me and David recently bought a house and I'm looking for things to decorate Gabe's room with. I ended up finding this super cute trick or treat bag for Halloween and me and Gabe both loved it! He love's kitties (he calls them Arlo, which is the name of my cat) and he was so happy and smiley when I showed this too him, so I had to get it. Plus it's a nice black cat, a classic Halloween symbol, so it can be used with many different costumes, it also seems pretty durable, so I'm sure it will last. My only thing is, is that I think it might be a bit girly since it has pink polka dots inside, but oh well when he get's candy no one's going to notice anyway right? This was only $13.

Then because David is such a thrifty person, totally the opposite of me, he found Gabe a few super cool bath toys at a Garage Sale. And they were brand new! Score! The first one is a Suds and Mirrors toy that also comes with a come and a seahorse that you squish and it squirts water. It is by Little Tikes.

The other two bath toys are also from Little Tikes. The first one is a Floating Fountain. This is super cool because you pull the fish and there is a little fountain that shoots out of the frogs mouth. I know Gabe is going to have a blast with this, and I think it's pretty awesome.

The other one is a Glow Pals. It is just a light up duck, that supposedly lights up by itself when it's in the water. Surprisingly I don't have any ducky toys for Gabe so I'm excited that he found this. The coolest part about this is that all 3 of these toys were only $4 for all of them!

From F.Y.E. I got Asking Alexandria's newest CD!! (: I love Asking Alexandria, they are my most favorite band. Not only is Danny Worsnop really hot, but his voice is amazing too. And they are British! This CD I like more then their second CD, but I still like their first one the most.

**Edit. This CD is called From Death to Destiny and was $9.99. Sorry I got wrapped up in their amazingness.**

From Barnes and Noble, which I'll admit I totally prefer BAM (Books a Million) to B&N. It is just so much more interesting and they have a way better magazine selection.

Anyway I got 2 magazines. One is People Style Watch, which was $3.99. I was so sad because I thought the new issue of Nylon would be out, but alas it was not so I had to satisfy my craving with People Style Watch. They're an ok magazine, but I only buy them sporadically since they aren't my favorite.

I also got the newest edition of Seventeen*, which is $2.99. I forgot to renew my subscription, so I thought I'd pick it up.

I also got two books for Gabe. The first one is The Bear's Winter House by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake. This was only $6.98. This is such a cute fall book, and since I'm trying to stop buying board books and trying to buy more like real story books this one is perfect!

The next one is Just Go to Bed by Mercer Mayer. This was only $3.99. I love this book! I had it when I was little, so when I saw this I just had to get it! I wish they would have had the Just Me and My Mom one, since that one was my favorite, but since they didn't I guess I'll be on the lookout for it.

I know that was a lot of stuff, but I thought it would be fun to do a haul, since I love watching hauls on Youtube. If you liked this let me know, and I can do more!

*I know, you guys are probably thinking wait, you have a 1 year old and you still buy Seventeen magazine? Well let me tell you a secret...I was a teen mom, so I'm only 18, so the fashion tips and everything in there is still totally relevant. (: I hope that you guy's don't think less of me because of that, but I just thought I'd let you know.

Fall Favorite: Popcorn Balls!

So I guess Fall is officially here, and I have been totally obsessed with all things seasonal lately. I recently ordered a bunch of Bath and Body Work's Fall candles, and I recently bought Gabe a Trick or Treating basket. So while walking around Walmart today, I decided to check out their Halloween section, especially since I'm in need of decoration after finally moving into my own house. While there I discovered that they had some of my favorite Fall time treat...Popcorn Balls from The Popcorn Factory!!!

Image from The Popcorn Factory's website

Not only do I love popcorn balls, but The Popcorn Factory's popcorn is really one of the best! I was so excited to find this and they were only 50 cents each. If I hadn't needed to buy important things I would have bought a ton of them!

**While browsing The Popcorn Factory's website looking for a picture of the popcorn balls (since I already ate the one I bought) I discovered that they had caramel and chocolate dipped popcorn balls and I think the next time I get paid I'm so going to have to get me some!**

Image from The Popcorn Factory's website

Sample Society September Review!!!

Sample Society is always one of those boxes that comes right on time, it always comes on the first Thursday or Friday of the month, but I always seem to forget about it.

I guess I tend to forget about them, because they aren't really my favorite and after I open my box I always tell myself I should cancel, but I never do.

This is what their boxes look like. Sleek and sturdy.

Every month they come with a mini magazine by Allure, who is their partner for the box.

This is their information cards. This month they are red instead of black. Not only do they tell you about the products in your box, but they give you your code for $15 off a $50 purchase if you buy one of the brands in your box, so really if you like one of your items enough you basically got the box for free!

The first item is a Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion. This goes for $13.26. This is the one part that I hate most about Sample Society, in pretty much every box no matter what you put your age at, you seem to get some type of anti aging product. I don't think I really need a collagen infusion right now, so this will be going to my mom.

The next item is MD Solar Sciences Daily Eye Repair Emulsion. This goes for $10.49. Even though they say this is a line eraser, I'll still be using this because they say it also de-puffs and gets rid of redness. Plus my eye area can always use some extra help.

The next item is a Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser. This goes for $2.05. I tried this in a Birchbox a couple months ago and I actually bought a full size of it! This is a nice little sample size that will be great for traveling! This is a great cleanser that isn't too rough on my sensitive skin and it has a great lemony scent!

Then I got a L'Occitane Immortelle Precious Face Cream. This goes for $17.05. This is my favorite item in the whole box! (Which is really saying something because I do love my Suki!) Not only is it a great sample size, but I have been wanting to try a L'Occitane face product for a long time, ever since I tried their handcream a while back and discovered it was the best thing ever. I've been using this since Friday and some of my drier patches on my face already look better, I might use my $15 off coupon to get a full size of this!

The last item is a Deepa Gurnani Hair Accessory. This goes for $40 (similar style). I really like this alot. I already have a hair style in mind for this, and I can't wait to try it out. It is so pretty and sparkly. However I probably wouldn't have paid $40, but I guess that's what boxes are for since I do love this!

All totaled my box has a value of $82.85. That's amazing since I only paid $15 for the box. This Sample Society box is definitely better then most of them have been. I love 3 out of 5 of the items, plus the sample sizes this month are way better then they usually are! I still think, though, that this would be a better box for someone more into skincare, or even an older person. However I'm excited to see next month's!

Olfactif Box Review September 2013!!!!

My mom is quite the subscription box connoisseur, and while I was down in Texas for that month and a half I was gone, my mom was busily searching for new boxes that she could get. One of those boxes was Olfactif. 

Olfactif is $18 a month and you get 3 indie perfume samples (I think these are a little bit bigger, then the average perfume sample though.) The best part is that you get a coupon for $18 off a purchase of one of these perfumes. Even if I don't use the coupon, I still think this is a super cool box because I love perfume! (And in a place, where no one gives out perfume samples, this is a great box.)

After my mom told me all that, I just had to get this, so I signed up right away!

This is what the outer box looks like.

This is the actual box. It is so cool looking! It just pulls out by the little cloth tab, and looks very fancy. (:

This is the front of the card. It describes the theme for the month, which this month is landscapes.

This is a picture of the other side of the card. It says what the notes are in the perfumes.

The first one is Pleasant Promenade by S Poncet. This goes for $3.40 (non subscription price. I think these are about 2 ml.) This one is a very nice pleasant floral scent. It is more of a classic smelling scent, but not overpowering. I'm not a huge floral scent person, and I still love this one and I'd totally buy it! This is my favorite one out of the whole box, and it doesn't surprise me because it has pear in it, which is my number one fave scent!

The next one is Siam Proun by Olympic Orchids. This goes for $4.33 (non subscription price.) This is another floraly scent, but this one I'd say is heavier and more mature. It smells sort of like my grandmother's house. It's not a bad scent, I actually think it's good for fall, but it isn't something I'd repurchase. However I will use the rest of the vial since it isn't that bad. It has orange blossom, mint, and lavender so it's not really a surprise that I don't adore this, since none of those scents really appeal to me that much.

The last one is Tzora by Anat Fritz. This goes for $3 (non subscription price). This smells very floraly, but fresh at the same time. Even though this is a way stronger floral then I normally go for, I really adore it! I might ask for this for christmas, since at $150 a bottle, it is a bit pricey.

The total value of this box is $10.73. While that isn't a huge value, I don't think that is the point of the subscription. I think they really want you to try out the samples and then buy a full size, which is why you get a coupon when you order the box. I am totally fine with a coupon, because I know I'm going to be buying one of these. Plus what's really cool is that I've never heard of any of these before so it was fun to try new fragrances and it got me out of my comfort zone by making me try some floral scents! I'd say they fit pretty close to their theme too, everything was floral and I think it was all pretty natural smelling too.

They do have a couple of bad things, which are both very minor compared to all the awesomeness that is Olfactif. The first one is that some of the perfumes are a bit pricey, even with the coupon, but at least this month they had a pretty good range from affordable to expensive. The second thing really has nothing to do with Olfactif, since they don't control how the perfume makers design their bottles, but none of the bottles are pretty. They are all basic and plain. I really like pretty bottles, because they are more fun to display, but oh well. The perfume is more important.

Overall I love Olfactif, and I can't wait for next month! I would 100% recommend them!

Goodebox Review August 2013!!!

I have another August box review and this one is Goodebox. Goodebox actually seems to come the first week of the following month, instead of in the month that it should come. That does bother me a bit, since I was already charged for September before I even got August, but whatever.

Goodebox is a eco friendly sub box. They say you will get 6-7 trial sized items. They are only $16 a month.

This is only my second month of Goodebox, and I was a bit apprehensive to open my box because last month wasn't a good first impression.

This is what the outside of the box looks like.

Then this is their info card. They are nice and informative, but they list all the options that you might have gotten, so it is a bit disappointing to read and see what could have been, especially if you don't like your box.

The first item is a CV Skinlabs Body Repair Lotion. This is .23 oz and goes for $1.50. This says it is good for eczema, so I am excited to try it. It also has aloe, which is probably my favorite body lotion ingredient, so I'm sure I'll like this. The only downside is I'm not sure I could ever totally justify spending $36 on a lotion.

The next item is also from CV Skinlabs and it is their Calming Moisture for Face. This is .10 oz and goes for $2.45. This also has aloe in it, so I'm sure this will be another winner. I'm currently working on a couple of other body and face moisturizers, which is why I didn't try these last night. However this does sound like it might be a bit too strong for this time of year since the skin on my face isn't really that dry yet, so I might save this for when it gets colder.

The last item that I got from CV Skinlabs is the Restorative Skin Balm. This is .08 ounces and goes for $4.48. They say this is another good product for eczema, so I'll probably be using this for that, however it does seem to have a bunch of different uses so that's cool!

As excited as I am about all the CV Skinlabs products, I do wish I would have gotten more of a variety of products from different brands, especially since these are all pretty much just lotion of some sort!

The next item is a Kahina Giving Beauty Eye Serum. I'm estimating this to be about 2.5 ml (since it is about the same size as the restorative balm) and it goes for about $11.14. Even though I'm pretty young I use eye cream religiously since I feel like that is definitely one of my more drier parts on my face, so I'm super excited to try this! Plus I'm sure it's much more natural then the Clinique eye cream that I normally use. The only problem, is again the price. I find it hard to fork over the $30+ for my Clinique cream, anything over $50 is for sure a no go. :(

The next item is a Joanna Vargas Skincare Daily Facial Serum. This is 5 ml and goes for 13.60.  Since it has the word serum in it I initially thought it was some type of anti aging product, but after reading it, I guess it is just something to use in between facials. I do do facials weekly, so I'm really interested to try this and see if it helps prolong the benefits of my facial! Plus I think the idea of this is super cool! However again the price. I'm one of those people that gets these boxes to try out new things and then hopefully buy them later, but again unless this serum makes my face look airbrushed and perfect, I just cannot justify the price. Especially because skin care is not something I splurge on. This is cool though and I do really like it. *However they do sell it on BB, so I guess if this is amazing I could always just save points right?

The next item is a S.W. Basics Organic Lip Balm in Citrus. This is full sized and goes for $4.00. I got one of these in a box a couple months back and I really enjoyed it. I'm happy to have a backup one that I can leave at work, since these are super moisturizing! Plus this one only have 5 ingredients! How cool is that?

The next item is a Ecco Bella FlowerColor Shimmer Dust in Star. This is full sized and goes for $14.95. This is really my most favorite item in the box. It is such a pretty peachy nude color and I love that it comes with an applicator! I love trying eco friendly makeup brands, so I can't wait to use this. I think this helped redeem the box a bit for me, since I prefer makeup over skincare, and I love eyeshadow! (:

All totaled my box has a value of $52.12. That's great since I only paid $16 for the box, however I am just not too thrilled with Goodebox. This month is way better then last month, but I would prefer a bigger variety of brands (CV Skinlabs, I'm looking at you.) and I'd also prefer more affordable products if they are going to go with mostly a skincare box. I'd also like a bit more variety/makeup, since I'm always looking for eco friendly makeup brands that are more on the indie side (like Ecco Bella!). Since they already charged me, I will be keeping them for another month or two, but I'm not sure that I really love Goodebox, they're ok, but I just don't know if I really want to keep them. :(