My 5 Favorite Products at the Dollar Store

So I'm pretty sure that everyone knows about my affinity for savings. I absolutely abhor spending money on things just because they are in season. I am the person who buys winter clothes at the end of winter, for the next year. Madeline already has her winter wardrobe in place for this year. That is one of many ways I save money. Another way that I cut corners is to shop for my family at the dollar store. It isn't the most glamorous place to shop, but you can find amazing steals if you look. Without further ado, here are my 5 favorite things to shop for.

1. Organization/ Storage bins - I love, love, love putting things in bins. We meal plan every week and I like to portion out my snacks in advance. The downfall of doing that is a ton of little baggies everywhere. I used to just put my little baggies inside of one big baggy. Baggy-inception if you will. I didn't want to spend $5-10 for a plastic container at Target.

 The dollar store was the solution for this particular issue. I bought all of these containers at the $.99 only store. I keep our granola bars, which we buy in bulk, and our individual portions of crackers in these bins. I also have a big bin under the sink filled with Madeline's finger painting supplies. I have also found most of my little glass jars where I store makeup sponges and cotton balls at the dollar store.

2. Balloons and Party Supplies - When we had Madeline's first birthday party I bought the expensive balloons from Party City. I think that some parents correlate where they buy stuff with how great the experience will be. Welp. A balloon is a freaking balloon. In fact I bought a balloon similar to this one for $5.00. The Dollar Tree has foil balloons (fancy!) that they inflate on the spot and they are 1/5th of the cost.

3. Stickers and Coloring Books - For all of my fellow planner addicts, this is one thing I would go there for! I have found some of the cutest stickers at all of the dollar stores I go to. They are also much cheaper than Target/Etsy. For all of my non planner addicts, they have tons of coloring books and stickers for kids. They are just as nice and even have some of the same characters. I've seen Disney coloring books and Hello Kitty coloring books and everything in between.

4. Dishware -  So I was a little suspicious of this at first. My friend Brenda is the one who turned me on to dollar store shopping and she is also the one who convinced me to give these beauties a try. I was so sick of my husbands plates from before we were dating. They were black, super heavy and not at all pretty. I wanted to get some new dishes from Target but we would have to buy two sets to get the amount of plates we needed. It would also come with 8 mugs, which we definitely did not need. It just wasn't economic and it would have been wasteful. A decent set of dishes would cost about $50 and we would need two. I found these and was delighted to find they are microwave and dishwasher safe. I like the design just fine and they were $1 per item. We were able to buy the things we need, and avoid the things we didn't (mugs).

5. Baby Food and Snacks -  This one comes with a caveat. You have to check expiration dates. The food isn't expired, but it might be in a week or less. I have been super luck and at the $.99 Only store I have found these Plum Vita Organic pouches. We used to buy these at Target for $1.49. We managed to score them for 2 for $.99. They also don't expire for 6 weeks. With the way Mad's chows down, they won't last that long. We also found plenty of name brand candy for Halloween. The bags are about half of the size of the big Target bags that sell for $9. I will pay $2 over $9 any day.

Soooooooo. In conclusion. The dollar stores are pretty damn awesome. If you have the time and patience to look, you are bound to find some hidden treasures. Remember, paying full price is only an option if you make it one.

Haul: NYX and Real Techniques

I went to Ulta couple of days ago to stock up on some products. In case you haven't heard, this week they have 40% off of L'oreal, NYX and Physicians Formula. There were a bunch of products I wanted to try, especially these babies. These are the new NYX Avant Pop palettes. There are three of them and, of course, I had to try all three.

SO. MUCH. COLOR.

Here's a closer look.

This one is called Surreal My Heart. The aquamarine blue on the top row is so, so, so sosososo pigmented. Anyways. I will save the details for the review once I have had time to PLAY. Here is another view so you can see how it looks from a different angle.

Look at those colors! The cool gray on the bottom is so beautifully matte. It has my name all over it. Literally. Pretty sure they will name that color "Stevie".

HOLY COOL TONES!!! So this NYX Avant Pop palette is called Art Throb. It is so beautiful. Honestly, I picked this up because I wanted to push myself, not because these are my typical colors. I typically love warmer neutrals but makeup is about fun. These colors SCREAM fun. Also.. I would definitely describe these colors as avant garde. So lovely.

This is the NYX Avant Pop Nouveau Chic. When I went to Ulta the consultant didn't know how to pronounce this but I believe it is pronounced New-voh Sheek. This is the safest palette out of the bunch. It has lots of shimmery, warm colors. I can totally see myself using this in the fall.

I also stocked up on the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams. I purchased a total of 5 and seriously... for $3.59 a piece I might go back for more.

From left to right we have Buenos Aires, Milan, San Paulo, Ibiza and Copenhagen. I'm on such a matte lippie kick right now. Can't wait to try these out. I know that Copenhagen is super dark for summer, but I have fall/winter on the brain right now.

These are the NYX Matte Lipsticks. On the left we have Street Cred and on the right is Eden. I am really excited to try these out. I have a few of the Wet 'n Wild matte lipsticks but they are very, very drying. I am hoping that these are matte without being drying.

This is the NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator. I'm going to be honest.. I swatched this on my hand a couple minutes ago and I saw flecks of glitter. wompwomp. I'm going to test it out, but I hate flecks of glitter in my makeup. It settles and draws attention to things it shouldn't. I like a more subtle glow. We shall see.

My baaaabies. I'm sure everyone has heard of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponges. I love, love, LOVE these. I have an unopened double pack of Beauty Blenders that I will be comparing to these.

So. Everyone! Head to Ulta!!! A 40% discount is huge. If you are unsure about what to check out, the new L'Oreal Color Riche La Palette Nude 1 and 2 are amazing. I also can't recommend the Infallible Pro-Matte 24Hr Foundation enough. The foundation and the powder are amazing. Here are the links to everything!!

NYX Avant Pop Surreal My Heart

NYX Avant Pop Art Throb

NYX Avant Pop Nouveau Chic

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

NYX Matte Lipstick

NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator

L'Oreal Color Riche La Palette Nude 1

L'Oreal Color Riche La Palette Nude 2

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte 24HR Foundation

Infallible Pro-Matte 16HR Powder

Review: Jamberry Nail Decals and Nail Polish

Helloooooo. So I tested out Jamberry's recently and I wanted to go ahead and do a quick review.

The nail decals.... so not for me. I know this isn't going to win me popularity points but hear me out. They would be perfect for someone who doesn't have a child. There is no way that I could wear them on a regular basis.

My first issue was the length of time it took to apply them. As my sister Naomi said, it becomes tedious right around your fourth finger. Now I only have a short amount of time to get my nails taken care of. Here are pictures of all of the steps it took.

Normally I can paint my nails and spray the crap out of them with the quick spray stuff. My nails can typically be done during one of her naps. These took longer, probably because of the learning curve, and I wasn't happy with the end product. Which brings me on to the second point.


They didn't fit my nails correctly. I have really long and slightly curved nail beds. I watched the youtube video saying that you need to pull it a certain way to stop it from getting bumpy. That did not work.

They looked super cute on my little sister who has shorter, flatter nail beds.

My third issue is that it takes a couple days for them to look their best. I was talking to a friend to does the Jamberry thing and she mentioned that you want to do them a couple days before a big event. I don't have that kind of time to wait.


I can say that things would probably be different if I had the time to keep trying them out. The designs are amazing. There are designs for EVERYONE. They are beautiful and edgy and wonderful. I'm sure that I will try these out again, I just have to wait until I have more time to get it right. That's kind of a lie. I'm on the site right now looking at more patterns...  They are so pretty.

The nail polish is AMAZING. I got the Jamberry Polish in the color Mulberry. It's a rich purple/berry color. It goes on beautifully without any streaking. It also lasts a long time which is AMAZING considering that I put my hands through hell on a regular basis. I honesty can't wait to get more of these. The colors are so beautiful and I love the formula.

So here is my disclaimer. I was sent these as a sample by a Jamberry representative/seller. She (very generously) supplied me with everything I could possibly need test these out. Here is her link for her Jamberry site. Feel free to show her some love and pick up any stuffs that you might need!

Ulta Haul!

Ulta is my weakness. I am like Superman with Kryptonite. I get all weak-kneed and googly eyed. I could spend hours playing with all the beautiful things they have. Well, I could before I had a baby. Now I get approximately 15 minutes before I have a melt down on my hands. Anywaysssss moving on. 

 I got all of the makeup from Ulta and some brushes from Target. Unfortunately I still haven't found my makeup palettes or any of my brushes. I'm also missing the liquid eyeliner. So... basically I have nothing. NOTHING (insert dramatic tears HERE). Anywaysssss. It was a great excuse for shopping. So here we go. Sorry for the pictures, we are working on getting more photography equipment that will make it easier to take better product pictures.  

Eye Liner Treasure Chest

Look at that packaging. Bright colors, floral design and plenty of color options! I have never tried Ulta brand eyeliners so we shall see. I'm particularly excited for the blue and the gold shade. I believe this is part of their new summer line. Some if not most of the colors are a part of their permanent line.

I'm also still missing ALL of my brushes. Seriously. I feel like I've unpacked every box but I can't find them. I got some Up & Up brushes (silver handles) and two Sonia Kashuk brushes. I've never tried the Up & Up brand of brushes. The Sonia Kashuk ones are my ride or die brushes. Inexpensive and effective.

I still can't find my eyeliners so I decided to test out three of the NYX eyeliners. I purchased the Super Skinny Eye Marker, the Super Fat Eye Marker and the Vinyl Liquid Liner. I'm such a huge fan of NYX cosmetics and I can't wait to text these out. I also can't wait to compare the Vinyl Liquid Liner to my beloved NYC eyeliner.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte foundation and the Infallible Pro Matte powder. 

The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I hear everyone compare this to a Beauty Blender. The two main differences are the shape and the price ($5.99 vs $20.00). I'm hoping this is a comparable product. 

This is going back.... It's awful. I wanted to swatch it however the colors were completely lacking in opacity. It says they have a variety of matte, shimmer and metalics. There isn't one matte. The closest color is more of a satin brown.

Holy crap this was a splurge. This is the IT Cosmetics fluffy brush No. 211. I have a bunch of really great products from IT Cosmetics including the CC cream and the recently departed bronzer. I lost the bronzer during a bath time fiasco with Madeline. Note to self, the counter is no longer a safe zone.

A couple more Essence products including their I Heart Extreme Mascara.

Benefit Roller Lash and the IT Cosmetics mascara primer. 

Can I just say how good it felt to be playing around with makeup again? I'm really glad I got the opportunity to go and try some new products and there will be reviews up shortly. I will say... I hope I find my box of palettes and brushes. 

My next blog will probably be more baby focused (SHOCKING) but I'm considering blogging about a diet that I'm starting. It's the 21 Day Fix by Beach Body. We will see if that ever pans out. I think it will be good to have some sort of accountability though.


Until next time my lovelies.

Busy Busy Busy

Hi everyone! So we are in the middle of the biggest move ever. Well, that might be a little dramatic. Technically we are only moving 10 minutes away from our old house. This is, however, the first time we are moving with a baby. Holy crap this kid has a lot of stuff!

Laundry is so backed up with the move. Unfortunately I haven't been able to cloth diaper for the last 2 weeks. We have been using The Honest Company diapers. I will say the designs are super cute, but I can't freaking wait to get back to Cloth. Hopefully we will be back in them by the end of this week.

BAM! KAPOW! ZAP! POW!

When we bought the house we noticed there was a small tree. I wasn't sure what it was and gardening isn't my thing. I noticed a week ago that it was starting to sprout small fruit. Well!! I have a pomegranate tree! Look at how cute these are.

I have no idea how to keep them alive and healthy but I promised myself I would research it this week. Every once in a while I wander to the back yard with a glass of water and I toss it into the roots. Pretty sure a certain best friend will be rolling her eyes and laughing at this! It also rained a couple days ago and it was beautiful.

She kept staring at the window and at some point tried to walk through the glass sliding door.

I still think she has the most beautiful, soulful eyes I have ever seen.

Still no consistent walking. She will take steps occasionally but it's not something she's really interested in. She pulls herself up to standing but doesn't tend to take a step.

My heart melts every time I see Anthony and Madeline. She has such a wonderful bond with her daddy. Probably because he is the fun one.

I'm so ready to get unpacked and start playing with Makeup again.

One Year Later: Tips for Handling Post Partum Depression and Baby Blues

I have been a mother for a year. A full year of my life has been dedicated to one small, rambunctious beautiful little thing. I love my daughter. She is the light of my life. This year has been a huge transformation for my family and especially for me.

I've been putting off writing this post for a year now. For the first month after Madeline was born I really struggled. I don't really know why I wanted to share other than to let other moms know that whatever your post labor experience was, you are brave. 

My pregnancy was pretty rough. I was sick pretty much from conception. I spent the entire first trimester afraid I wouldn't meet my daughter because of one irresponsible doctor. Once I got into the second trimester I spent my time imagining matching outfits and homemade meals. I was totally ready for mid morning snuggles and late night feedings. When Madeline was born the entire world stopped. I was completely elated. The moment your child is born is like nothing else. The world manages to shrink into a small squeaky bundle while simultaneously turning into a huge, undiscovered adventure.

A few days after that I noticed I was feeling anxious over the smallest things. I was recovering from an emergency c-section and I assumed my body was just at it's limit. Unfortunately this was not the case. Motherhood is one of the loneliest experiences I have ever had. For a week after I had her everyone around me was thrilled. I was expected to be this glowing new mom, filled with joy and expectations for the future. Post Partum Depression is real. It's also really painful. You feel completely isolated and scared because you aren't feeling the same way that other mommies are feeling. Some women have a harder time than others after having a baby.  For me it hit 3 days after I gave birth, for some women it starts after you stop breast feeding or even a year later. Every woman is different. A year later I can look back and offer these words of advice.

1. Talk to someone. I was so desperate and so lonely that I actually reached out to a friend who I hadn't talked to in years. She had a baby about a year before me and I wanted to know if she struggled with her experience. I was so scared and so nervous. How do you ask someone if it's normal to cry when people ask you if you are ok? To stay up all night and make sure your baby is still breathing?

Here is how I started the conversation:

                "Did you have a total melt down when you got home from the hospital? I totally lost it yesterday. I kept thinking that without the nurses to help me I wouldn't be able to do it. It passed after a couple hours... But holy cow. I was a mess."

                 "It was so scary. I felt like I had made a terrible mistake. After months of being excited about her, I felt totally unsure. I just kept saying I wanted to go back to the hospital. I was so scared. It's not as easy as I thought it would be to transition."

She was very up front with me about her experiences after labor. She told me it was ok that I was seeking help and that there was nothing to be ashamed of. . Looking back a year later I know that she saved my life. To this day I am forever thankful that she was so willing to help me. If you are ever scared, anxious and feeling alone, talk to someone. Anyone. If you are drowning, find someone who can throw you a rope. 

2. Accept your fears instead of fighting them. This piece of advice came from my best friend. For a long time I was scared to go out with Madeline. I wasn't used to shopping with a baby, what if I turned my back and she got kidnapped? What if I walked away without her? WHAT IF BEARS ATTACKED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. What if. I was constantly trying to fight these fears. Once I started to listen to her I realized that when I accepted my fears I could look at them more objectively. Yes. Bears are terrifying. Yes, you  never know when one might attack. No. It probably won't happen while you are shopping at Target. 

3. Don't be ashamed to get treatment. If you are in real trouble don't be afraid to get help from a doctor. There is nothing to be ashamed of. You cannot take care of anyone if you don't take care of yourself first. It's kind of like when the flight attendants tell you to secure your oxygen mask first.

4. Earmuffs. People are jerks. Everyone is going to question the way that you choose to raise your baby. Whether you breast feed or bottle feed, use disposable or cloth diapers, eat organic or Cheetos.. everyone will judge. Your only job in this scenario is to avoid giving them the platform to voice their opinions. If you can't avoid it, use earmuffs. Pardon my language, but people can be dicks. Sometimes you come across people who think they have/can/will do better. The truth is that only you know what is best for your child. 

5. Be careful of who you surround yourself with. If you are struggling with acclimating to your new life as a mom.. do yourself a favor. Take a step back from any moms who are quick to question the challenges of motherhood. I'm not saying that you should stop being friends with moms who aren't struggling. I'm saying that if it's beginning to make you doubt yourself, take a step back. I promise you, eventually all of the pieces fall into place and you will be that mom who takes it all in stride. Confide in your friends, if they can't relate or aren't making an effort, take a step back. I remember how hard it was for me to be around new moms who had no idea how hard it was to deal with PPD. 

6. Accept yourself. This one should be pretty easy because you, my friend, are a f****ing badass. You made a human. YOU housed another person inside of your body for 9 months. Go eat some ice cream, or turn up some tunes and do something that makes you feel good. Take a moment to be selfish. Enjoy being you. 

Today I am back to my wonderful, nature fearing self. I might, however, be a more tired version of my former self. Thanks to the help of my friends, loving husband and wonderfully supportive family. Family is everything.