Happy Friday Everyone!
Happy Friday everyone! I am sad, because we are wrapping up our Spring break. Brian took off work this week while the kids were out of school and we had fun doing various things around town AND we bought me a new car (more details below). Read on to see what I’ve been up to lately.
One – Sunshine Blogger Award
Thanks so much to Julie from This Main Life for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award. I featured her yesterday in my Thursday Fashion Files, be sure to check it out HERE. I have gotten to know Julie in the last year through blogging and we are both moms that blog for an outlet. Her two children are teens and one of mine is ALMOST a teen. We both enjoy fashion, fitness, taking time for ourselves and wine! 🙂 It was so sweet of Julie to nominate me!
A little more about the award: “The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive, and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.”
The award is given by bloggers to fellow bloggers and is a great way to share, recognize, and learn more about each other.
Now, let me answer Julie’s questions:
- How\why did you get into blogging? I started my blog in 2008 after I had my daughter, because many of the other moms on Babycenter in my birth group for my son had started blogs. It was a way for all of us to keep up with each other. I am the only one that still blogs out of this group.
- What is a favorite post that you’ve written? Prepping for Italy: 3 Outfit Ideas and Fall Decorated Tablescape (I did this after our kitchen was remodeled last Fall!)
- Is there a blog event you’d like to attend? What would you hope to accomplish? I would love to attend the Snap! Conference in Utah in 2020. I attended Haven last July and LOVED it.
- If you could work with any brand, who would it be, and why? I’d love to work with Nordstrom, of course! Charming Charlie would be fun… or I love how some bloggers have been able to design their own clothing line. That would be a dream! Arhaus Furniture would be nice… especially since I could use some updated furniture! 🙂 And… Disney or Disney Cruise Line would be a dream!
- What do you think has helped you the most in growing your blog? Networking is always important. I’m a perfectionist and I enjoy spending the extra time on each and every post I do (especially sponsored posts, because I want to WOW them!). I’ve worked hard to up my photography game. I’m trying to research more on SEO, pinning, etc.
- What are some of the tools/apps that you find really helpful for your blogging? My husband has helped me to invest in the right camera equipment and lighting. I don’t use a lot of apps, but I am really powerful and efficient in Photoshop.
- About how much time do you spend per week on the blog and do you have any tip or tricks for balancing blogging and the rest of your life? Oh gosh, I don’t even want to count how much time I spend and I honestly don’t track it. I think tracking it would take even more time. LOL. I will say that this year I have said no more and I’m trying not to overwhelm myself as much as I did in 2018. Sometimes less is truly more.
Sunshine Blogger Award Nominations:
- Lauren from Mom Home Guide
- Jill from Doused in Pink (which, I just realized she’s already been asked!)
- Leslie from Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Questions
- Where are you going on vacation to this summer? If nowhere, where would your dream vacation be?
- What is your favorite beverage (alcoholic, nonalcoholic or both!)?
- Do you make a summer bucket list?
- Do you take a blogging break in the summer? Blog more, less, same?
- Perfect/favorite summer date night?
- What are your favorite items to grab at the Farmers Market during the summer?
- If you could have an entire day to yourself, what would you do?
Rules
- Thank the person who nominated you, and include a link back to their blog.
- Answer the questions given by the person who nominated you.
- Nominate other blogs and give questions for them to answer.
- Notify your nominees through social media or by commenting on their blog.
- List the rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post.
Two – Sleep Number Bed
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One of my goals for 2019 is to update our Master Bedroom. We’ve been wanting to switch to a King bed for awhile, our Queen just doesn’t give us enough room. I had this whole plan to have painters out to paint the bedroom first, then to pick out new bedroom furniture AND then a new mattress. Well, my husband decided a couple of weekends ago that we should just get the mattress first. We both really wanted to visit the Sleep Number bed to see how comfortable these mattresses are… and, oh my! They really are!!! So, now we have a King Sleep Number bed in our bedroom and NO headboard… and, I bought a last minute comforter for it at Target! LOL! Spontaneity is SO not my style, but this is my husband all over! So, our bedroom looks very unfinished right now, BUT… we do have one heck of a comfy bed!!! We got the p5 which lets you raise the top part of the bed on both sides at different angles and then we can raise our feet together. We control everything with special app on our phones and it tells you how well you sleep each night. So fun!!! If anyone on here has a Sleep Number bed, I’d love to hear how you love yours and how long you’ve had it.
Three – Spring Break
The kids have been on Spring break this week and Brian took off work to spend it with us. We kicked off Spring break with Tea Time at the Ritz. It is something I’ve always wanted to do! We had so much fun! 🙂
We also went to Top Golf for the first time. Wow! What a fun time!! It is 2 or 3 stories and you get your own lane with a table, golf clubs, etc. You can play 5 different games and it keeps track of your scores, etc. on a screen. There is a delicious menu and tons of drink options. We had so much fun lunching and playing golf. I could see myself back here again with the kids this summer!
We also… landed up with these guinea pigs. Sigh. My daughter lost her hamster (Marshmallow) a couple of months ago and we never got her a replacement. She was wanting guinea pigs (it is suggested you buy them in a pair, because they are social animals) and somehow she talked us into it. They are so, so cute and just babies!
Four – New Car!
The highlight of Spring break was on Friday when Brian started texting me while he was at work that he was lining up a car for me! I didn’t think we’d start ‘looking’ at cars for a few more weeks, but we landed up buying it on Friday night! My old car was a 2007 CRV and we drove away with a brand new 2019 CRV with all of the bells and whistles! I just love this car and it is so fun to have some added luxuries, such as heated seats, a tailgate that opens/closes on its own, a sunroof and leather seats! Woohoo!!! Brian was so sweet and got my windows tinted (street legal, of course! ha!) on Monday. I have to sit in the carpool line at school and I love how tinted windows give you a little more privacy. The driver and passenger windows let in 35% light, which is the legal limit for Missouri and you can still see me… but, not as well as you could if they aren’t tinted. Plus, it helps block a lot of the sun that comes in. Yay!! I’m still getting used to all of the technology on this car… digital console, GPS, etc. So fun, but… I’m still learning!
Five – Sephora Play
I used to get Ipsy sent to me monthly, but I was starting to collect too much makeup, etc. It’s been at least 2 years since I’ve gotten Ipsy and I was yearning for a monthly beauty box again. I decided to try out Sephora Play for something different. It is $10 a month and you get 5 beauty products to try and this month I got a 6th bonus product. It is so fun to try new products and I was really pleased with what I received this month.
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Here is what I received:
NARS – Powermatte Lip Pigment in American Woman
NARS is such a popular beauty brand and I haven’t tried any of their products, so I was excited to receive this lip pigment in such a versatile rose shade.
Sephora Collection – LashCraft Big Volume Mascara
I’m excited about the trial sizes of these products in my Sephora box and I know I’ll be using them for our Maui and Disney trips this summer. I always love trying out different mascaras and this one contains jojoba oil which prevents flaking, smudging and clumping. BIG plus!!
Shiseido – Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion WetForce SPF 50+
This sun protection is wonderful, because it has a velvet finish and can be applied on the face under makeup. It’s sweat and waterproof!
Dr. Jart+ – Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30
I passed this onto my husband, because I rarely have breakouts. He is in love with it! It’s supposed to tone down and cover redness and blemishes. It has a SPF of 30. It has REALLY good reviews on Sephora!
These Ouai products must be all the trend right now, because I received the Ouai Leave In Hair Conditioner in my FabFitFun Spring box and these are both amazing products.
Maison Margiela – REPLICA Music Festival
This fragrance was a bonus item in my Sephora Play Box. Replica fragrances are a collection that evoke scents attached to specific places, times and memories. This one is inspired by the iconic Woodstock Festival of 1969. I definitely think it does evoke that scent, but in all honesty… it isn’t a scent I’d wear!
Have a Great Friday and Weekend!
