Oh Hey!

Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot believe it has nearly been 2 months since I posted! To be honest, I just didn't know if I wanted to keep blogging or find something else to work on. After a couple months off, I really do miss it and really want to put in the effort this time. Its like a relationship! You gotta put in the effort.

But anyways. A little bit of life lately. Still working at the ad agency on international marketing. Started working out at CorePower Yoga as much as possible. I'm skipping tonight to go to Trivia. Which brings me to the "Wolfpack". A group of friends who are single, figuring out life, and overall trying to have a good time. It all started about the time I stopped blogging (funny how that happened) and a few of my friends and I started going to trivia night. Trivia led to bingo and other nights out. We went to a lovely dinner for Valentine's day (so we wouldn't be alone). Sigh.

What else? Basically my love life is just messed up. Like for real. I can't even. I have been "focusing on me" the last couple months and I am finally back into a routine. Like, no expecting text messages, no expecting good night phone calls, nothing. What do I really want though? I don't know. Apparently I want a challenge. As I am a very challenging person to date, I can only imagine what my match will be. Oh Lord.

So, next? What is next--I do not know. I have been on auto pilot the last few weeks and really want to "shake it up". AKA I need to find a new challenge. Whether its at work or my dating life, I need something. Or, I thought, keeping up with this blog could just be it.

So there ya go. My challenge to myself. Start writing like I mean it. And write a lot.

That's all for now. More to come (hopefully). And here is a little image I found that completely fits where I am at in life right now. Just trying to find myself in this journey.

My Favorite Lips

It's almost Valentine's Day, so I thought I would share with you how I keep my lips looking great and feeling healthy!

1. I am obsessed with CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer. It tastes so good and makes my lips feel ultra smooth and soft. Plus, it feels like you are rubbing little broken up candy cane all over your lips. I usually wipe it off with a washcloth and warm water.

2. I constantly re-apply lip balm everyday. Currently I am loving Burt's Bees Replenishing lip balm with Pomegranate oil. It is very light and not sticky like other lip balms. Plus, the lip balm is a red color, so if you apply over lip stick it won't get all yucky and mixed with other tints.

3. To complete my look, I like to add a little color with Maybelline's new line, Color Whisper. My favorite so far is Pin Up Peach, because it is light enough to wear in the office but still gives great color.

These products will definitely make your lips perfect for the upcoming holiday. Let me know if you try any of them out and what your thoughts are!

Apartment: Bathroom

I love seeing how other people decorate their apartment's so I thought I would start a feature where I show off one part of my apartment each week. One room that I absolutely love in my apartment is the bathroom. The colors make me so happy and I love getting ready here in the morning. So here is a little tour of my finished bathroom :) 

Nail Polish holders on the wall

Just enough color on my shower curtain and a "pantry" to store all my bathroom supplies

Valentines Owl towel and some leftover Christmas candles and soap

One of my favorite quotes to read every morning

I have a slight obsession with owls..

and everyone has to have the dreaded scale--not so dreaded in penguin socks!

Please leave comments and let me know what you think!

Let's Talk: Birchbox and Ipsy

Hey Guys!

I signed up to receive birchbox and ipsy subscriptions about 6 months ago. I absolutely LOVE getting the beauty samples each month and it is something I look forward to. It is like opening a present every single month!

Each program is only $10 and you get about 5-6 products to try out. ipsy is full size products usually and birchbox is sample size. birchbox usually has more body and hair products, where ipsy is usually just make up.

Here is what I got in each one:

Birchbox
Juice Beauty: Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
Kerastase: Nutritive Nectar Termique--Protect
ModelCo: SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss
Thymes: Naia Body Lotion
Tymes: Lotus Santa Body Lotion


Ipsy
Urban Decay: 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black
Mai Couture: Highlighter Papier
Mirabella: Primer for Face and Eyes
NYX: Loose Pearl Shadow in Mocha Pearl
be a...bombshell: Hot Mess Lip Gloss

Watch the video below to see the products I got in both of mine for December.

Fiesta Style Girls Night In

This past weekend I enjoyed a Saturday Night In with some of my friends. We went for a Mexican theme and had tacos, guacamole, salsa, and chip dip. So good! I don't even want to think about the calories!

We started the night with some Skinny Girl Margaritas and enjoyed our feast! We watched Pitch Perfect and Ted, both of which are hilarious movies. I definitely needed a night in to just veg out and relax without thinking about boys, work, or any problems.

Below are the recipes that we used to make each dish.

Cowboy Salsa

Ingredients

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup olive oil

½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 can black beans

1 can black eyed peas

1 can pinto beans

2 stalks celery

½ red onion

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 orange pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 can shoepeg corn

1 jalapeno pepper.

In a sauce pan, boil oils and vinegar. Then add sugar and let dissolve. Remove from heat and cool.

Drain and rinse beans, peas, and corn.

Chop celery, peppers, and onion. To make spicier, keep the seeds from jalapenos in the mix. Otherwise, for milder salsa remove them.

Combine all ingredients in a large plastic container. Cover to store. Keep refrigerated. 

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

6 chicken breasts

1 fiesta ranch packet

1 16 oz. salsa

Combine in a crock pot and wait 4 hours.

Enjoy with tortillas, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, black olives, and cheese.

Guacamole

2 avocados

2 Garlic cloves

Lime juice

½ onion

1 jalapeno pepper

½ tsp. Paprika

½ tsp. Cayenne

1 tsp. Cumin

½ tsp. Chile Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel, remove seeds and mash the avocados. Stir in everything else. Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Appetizer
Click here to see the recipe and a post from my old blog.


What are your favorite girls night in recipes? 

Stuck in a Mid Twenties Crisis--Help

Sometimes I feel like I'm driving with no place in particular to go.

We are already 11 days into the New Year and I still do not feel like it is 2013. I usually have some sort of resolution that I begin working toward or something to keep me focused and this year I haven't thought of one yet. I am trying to understand why I am so hesitant to begin this new year. 

I feel like I am in the same place I was one year ago and that scares me. Everyone else is moving and doing new things with their life and I feel like I am stagnant. I hang out with the same people, I wear the same clothes, I have the same job, and I pretty much eat the same food. I am perfectly content with where I am at, but struggling to think about where I want to go.

Does anyone else go through this? Is this my "mid-twenties" crisis? I don't understand why I am not motivated to do the things I think about or attempt to "get in shape". 

I think I will begin my new year this weekend. I need to reflect, find time for me to really know what I want and know where I am going.

Does anyone have any advice on this type of situation?

Calm After the Storm

I love the holidays as much as the next person, but my favorite feeling is the day after Christmas. When everything is said and done and I'm able to sit at home with my shiny new gifts and relive the two days before. It is an amazing sense of relief that all the gifts have been given, treats have been eaten, and the hustle and bustle of the season is over.

I'm very thankful for the time I got to spend with family this year and I am beyond ecstatic about the presents I received  I have been coveting an anthropology bedding set for over a year and I finally got it for Christmas. The first thing I did last night was set it up!

Thanks to all my family and friends for celebrating the season! Looking forward to the calm now and focusing on being happy and healthy!