To Take Another Hiatus?

Well, that was another unintentional hiatus from blogging… It’s been a crazy, but AWESOME month! After my last post, I headed back home to the Cape for the holidays. Hanging out and relaxing with the family was fantastic as always—getting another deathly cold was not as fantastic. Christmas was quite overwhelming, I must admit. Once a three-year-old and a one-year-old are involved, things get HECTIC.

The day after, I hopped on a plane to Louisville, KY for one of my college besties wedding. It was such a gorgeous affair. Since it was in the winter, the bridesmaids wore long, navy dresses by Monique Lhuillier. I was so thankful to be wearing a flattering gown! Additionally, Libby (the bride) gave us white, fur caplets for when we took pictures outside and for the ride to the reception—they were a lifesaver! On Sunday morning, the day after the wedding, I woke up at 3:30 AM for a 5 AM flight to Boston… Talk about a QUICK trip!

I touched down in Boston at 10 AM and started unpacking, taking down my Christmas tree (a hilarious project), and repacking for my 10-day adventure to St. Thomas! I was still so exhausted and fending off the cold, but I managed to get everything done at a reasonable time. Unfortunately, I had to be at the airport on Monday morning at 6 AM for my flight; I say unfortunately because of the time, not because I was traveling to a tropical island.

I won’t go into all of the glorious details because I know most of my readers were here in Boston, braving the storm of the year and FRIGID temps!! People on the island kept asking where I was from and when I responded, they kept saying how they saw how cold it was there on the news. Andi and I spent New Year’s Eve on St. John… Not a bad way to ring in the new year!

I was sad to see the trip come to an end, but I had to start my new job with Robert Half! So far, so good, but I’ll get more into that later in the week with my first week review 😊

To Resign?

Well, it's official--I am no longer an employee of EdgeRock. After three and a half amazing years, I've decided to part ways with an amazing company. I have learned so much about myself while working there and I could not have succeeded without all of the help from my colleagues. I've also made some great, and lasting, friendships that I will cherish forever. It was an extremely hard decision that came with many sleepless nights, but I am breathing a little easier now. Leaving was one of the hardest (if not the hardest) decisions of my life and I am truly going to miss it.


Only time will tell if it was a good idea, but I'm excited for some new adventures with some new friends! 


Thank you again, EdgeRock. It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to seeing you all in the near future!

To Go Outside in the Cold?

Woke up and had a hard time crawling out of bed... With it reading a balmy 21 degrees, I thought I'd post a few more of my winter weather, cold-fighting tricks.

The Third Piece

1. Vaseline: Best product ever. Great for cuticles, cheeks (dab a tiny bit on the cheeks before heading out in the blistery winds), and lips. At night I'll also put some on sensitive spots that tend to dry out to prevent the splotches
2. Hand Cream: I love Vaseline’s ntensive Rescue and Neutrogena's Hand Cream (Norwegian Formula) for the winter. I keep it on my desk to keep my hands from drying out all winter
3. Chapstick: I use them all: Blistex, Carmex, Smith’s Rosebud Salve, and the trusty Chapstick—no one likes chapped lips
4. Hair: Moroccanoil is one of my all-time favorites. It keeps my fine, straight hair shiny and smooth, and break-free. Dab a little bit after the shower and tangles glide right out too; plus I've noticed less split ends. If your hair is still super staticky, I'd recommend running a dryer sheet over it
5. The Third Piece: a winter essential for me are knits, hats, scarves, headbands, gloves. This is a local Boston company with super-soft, hand-knit pieces. I love them because the yarn is high-quality and doesn't leave me scratching my neck or forehead! 

Stay warm!!

To Buy a Clarisonic Brush?

With this first official snowfall in Boston comes the first stretch of dry, cold weather… FUN! While I personally love winter and a fresh coat of snow, my skin HATES it. First the summer glow begins to fade and my bright blue, Norwegian veins show up (I also find these veins fascinating, but sometimes it’s a bit sickly looking). Then my skins gets little dry patches, nothing major, a little around the eyes, a spot around the mouth, etc. And then it’s real winter and that’s when I have to start paying attention. 

[Side note: I never used to have issues with dry skin, eczema, pimples… Just ask my parents. Then throw in a real job with a little stress and I’ve got them all. None of them are terrible, but one little red spot is really apparent in the winter on my pasty, porcelain skin. And for me, one spot is too many and I stress over it]

So, recently, I started trying to pay attention to my skin. As all the blogs say, at 23 things begin to go downhill and I’m two years into that slippery slope. I’ve already started using moisturizer (Cetaphil Cream), but never really cared about washing my face before bed, or removing makeup. Here I am though, $150.00 later with a brand new skincare product, and I must say I am in LOVE. 

Clarisonic Mia 2 in Amethyst

I bought a Clarisonic from Sephora. And I hate to admit I bought it because the blogs told me to (I made sure I bought it with a 60 Day Guarantee in case I wanted to return it), but I did. What I hate to admit more, is that I LOVE it! My skin is SO soft and hasn’t been nearly as dry. I still have breakouts and the random patch of dry skin, but I’m going to say that’s user error—I don’t use it every day. To fix these patches, I dab on a little of my eczema cream, Elidel, prescribed by my dermatologist. 

Clarisonic Mia 2 in Amethyst

But back to the Clarisonic—The whole process takes about a minute and a half. Usually, I give my face a quick rinse, throw some soap on the scrubber, and follow the directions. First I do the forehead, followed by the chin and nose, before moving on to each cheek. For the forehead and chin it’s 20 seconds and each cheek is 10—quick, painless, and easy. Once my face is dry, I apply a little lotion and go about my routine. I’ve used it both at night and in the morning and have noticed two differences. If I use it at night, my face is noticeably more moisturized in the morning than it was the night before or if I don’t use it. If I use it in the morning, my makeup goes on a lot smoother, and I don’t need as much.

Overall, I really enjoy the product. It’s like a bigger electric toothbrush and as I mentioned before, I love that too. My skin looks brighter and is smoother to the touch. Was it worth the $150.00? I’m going to say yes. If I had hated it, I would have returned it. It’s at least something good to try out if you’re having any problems with your skin (might want to ask a dermatologist first though).

To Christmas Shop Early?

‘Tis the season for gift buying! This time of year always gets me into a panic. I’m terrible at buying gifts for people on time. Even my three year old nephew was braced for a late birthday gift. It’s not that I forget, it’s that when the time comes, I never know what to buy people. Usually I stumble across something a couple of weeks (or months, sorry sister) later. Then, I buy the gift, wrap it up, and give it with a big apology!

C Wonder Stationary

This year for Christmas, I decided to try something new. I started my Christmas shopping a while ago for my friends. As I was browsing some of my favorite sites, I came across some awesome gift ideas. Now it’s Cyber Monday and half of the stuff is on sale. I figured, why not share some great gift ideas with my readers! And friends, you may have a hint or two as to what’s coming your way J

C Wonder Monogram Plate

C. Wonder Stationary: Personally, I love a good note card. I buy them all the time, but always forget to send them. These are adorable, fun little animals. 
 C. Wonder Monogram Plate: For the entertainer. Who doesn’t love a good monogrammed plate? They come in lots of letters and fun patterns!  
Capri Blue Candles:  To make my home smell fresh and inviting, I always light a candle or two. Capri Blue Candles are my favorite. They burn for days (I accidentally left one on while I was away for 72 hours... Whoops) and smell amazingly.

  C. Wonder Stencil Initial Letter Cuff: As my friends can attest, I love a good

C. Wonder Stencil Initial Cuff

stack-able bracelet. I believe that fun jewelry can elevate any outfit (even Uggs and Leggings). A nice gold with a simple cutout letter, perfect for any friend—and today the whole site is 40% off! 

Jo Jo Loves You Blings in Mint

Jo Jo Loves You Blings: These are my GO TO earrings. I own about 20 pairs and have four more colors added to the Christmas list this year. I LOVE both the Blings and the Mini Blings. Plus, it’s a local Boston designer; what’s not to love!  

Jenna Sue Custom Maps: Custom maps are the perfect gift for anyone with bare walls. Last year I got my brother and his girlfriend two for their new house. One with each of their childhood address.

Now I’m not done with my Christmas shopping so if you have any other ideas, feel free to share them in the comments!

To Use Hydrogen Peroxide?

Now, don't be too alarmed, I didn't take the bottle to my hair and go platinum (I haven always wanted to try that out though). This is a post about a frugal way to whiten teeth. I have always been pretty obsessed with my teeth and ensuring they are straight and white. Luckily, I only had to deal with braces for a year growing up, but I am one of those kids who STILL uses her retainer--weird I know. I also use Crest White Strips, Crest Whitening toothpaste, and chew whitening gum. Who knows if the toothpaste and gum really work, but I stick to it.

Recently I stumbled across a blog, Hello Giggles, where they mentioned this technique. I thought about it and it made sense since the active ingredient in a lot of these "whitening" toothpastes are Hydrogen Peroxide. I also figured it was safe since people used it back in the day. Searching in my medicine drawer, yes I have a drawer, I found a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I also opened the fridge and found a bottle of water.

I emptied the bottle about 3/4 and poured in a 1/4 of a bottle of HP so the water bottle was now half full--look at that optimism right there. Then, I took a swig and swooshed it around while I washed my face with my new Clarisonic Mia 2 (another post on that later). After about a minute, I spit it out and went on with my day. 

Now, my comments:
1. The stuff doesn't taste great. It's not horrible, but it doesn't leave you with a fresh minty taste. 
2. It definitely fizzes in your mouth and gets to be a thick, bubbly consistency. I got past that too. 

The Results: 
Bright, pearly whites! I have definitely noticed an improvement and have only done the rinse a couple times a week. My friends and family have also commented on how white my teeth are... SUCCESS! 

If you're looking for something to brighten your smile on the cheap before the holidays, I recommend this trick! It's quick, painless and easy enough. You can pick up a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from CVS (mine's in a brown bottle) and mix up the solution before you head out for that holiday party!

**Caution, I'm not a dentist so if your teeth fall out, not my fault. Check first!

To Take a Break?

Whoops! Apparently I took a long hiatus from blogging. I can't say it was intentional, but I have had quite a bit going on. Luckily, that means lots to blog about!! Surgery, recuperation, travel, family, friends, and adventures... I'll get to those now that I'm back to blogging--it helps that I got my computer fixed too!