A Year in Review

So I have been with Birchbox for over a year now (I started in May 2012) and I must say that getting those beautiful pink boxes in the mailbox always makes me SUPER happy!  Sure, some months are better than others, but I absolutely love the service so there's no way I'm giving it up anytime soon.

Here's what I love about the whole Birchbox system (hint hint - why YOU should join too!):

1 // I get 4-5 of the hottest beauty samples delivered to my door each month!

I don't know how often you have the time to go out and try new products, but I am definitely way too busy (and cheap!) for that.  How am I supposed to know what works well and what totally isn't the right product for me?  Well, Birchbox makes it easy!  If I absolutely hate a product, I never have to use it again, and I've only invested $10 (which covers the ENTIRE box).  I don't have to worry that I'm going to go out and drop major cash on something that I don't even like.

2 // I'm kept up to date with trends.

I knew about BB cream (and CC cream) just as it was coming out, because Birchbox does the research for me.  I get the opportunity to sample the newest stuff as it hits the shelves.  Plus, certain brands often make exclusive items just for Birchbox subscribers!

3 // The rewards system.

So Birchbox costs $110 per year (which is roughly $10 a month), right?  Well, for each sample I get, I have the opportunity to review it for rewards points.  Each review that I write earns me 10 points, which is equivalent to $1 (every 100 points = $10) and I then have that money stored up to spend in the Birchbox store.  At 5 products per month, I'm essentially getting $5 of spending money back!  And trust me, after sampling all of those amazing beauty and style items, you're going to WANT to get the full-size thing!

4 // I have discovered TONS of great new products that I had never heard of before.

Check out some of my faves...

Stila "In the Light" Eyeshadow Palette 

$39 (includes a full size eyeliner)

I wear these colors every. single. day.  They are amazing and there's something in here for all occasions, from natural day looks to dramatic nights out.  The formula of the shadow is very smooth and stays on all day.  I highly, highly recommend ALL things Stila.

theBalm Mary Lou Manizer   

$24

I didn't actually sample this through Birchbox, but I did get to try Kati's and I immediately fell in love.  It's a shimmery highlighter that works wonders for my skin and adds a beautiful glow.   

OROFLUIDO Elixer

$29.99

I've been using this on my hair since about October and it's been amazing.  The smell is fantastic and just a little bit brushed through the ends every morning makes my locks smoother and shinier.  I'm in love!

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvinator

$34

This stuff is absolutely incredible.  It's non-irritating on my sensitive skin and provides just enough exfoliation to totally brighten my complexion.  Plus it smells nice, too!

So...is it worth the $10 per month?

I say ABSOLUTELY!  Like I said before, some boxes can be hit or miss, but I have never had a box where I've hated every single product inside of it.  In fact, I've even had some where I've been obsessed with all of the samples!  

Interested in reading more about some of my favorite past boxes?

June 2012

September 2012

November 2012

April 2013

Wanna sign up for Birchbox?  Just click on this link and head on over there.  If you sign up using my link, I'll get some points to spend in their shop, so it's win-win for all!

PS - Birchbox has NO idea who I am.  This post was written to share its awesomeness, NOT for any sort of personal gain!

Happy Monday!

For this first time in weeks, I am not exhausted by the mere mention of Monday rolling around again - yay!  These past two days were extremely relaxing, and I managed to be productive without totally stressing myself out.  I think that's the mark of a nice weekend, especially with all the craziness that I'm currently dealing with.

The Good - Friday night was spent laughing and catching up with my three best friends from high school.  We haven't been all together in at least two years (crazy, right?) because Hannah lived in Virginia for awhile, but she's finally back!  We toasted to NINE years of great friendship and had a lovely time hanging out.

Summer '08 - right before college

The Bad - My gym took away my Saturday Zumba class because it was not very well attended.  I'm actually not that upset about it, because half the time I'd wake up early, get ready, show up there, and then have to leave after 15 minutes of waiting for someone to come to the class.  Now I can use those few hours much more efficiently!

The Ugly - It was icky and rainy all weekend, which meant no laying outside in attempt of soaking up some Vitamin D.  I'm white as a ghost and I desperately need some pre-wedding glow!

What was good, bad, and ugly about your weekend?  Grab our button and link up below!

Fantastic Friday

It's going to be a good weekend, I can feel it.  For the first time in EIGHT weeks, I have absolutely nothing planned for Saturday and Sunday.  Ahhhh.  I am really looking forward to having some time to myself!

And since it's Friday, here are the top five moments of this past week.

1 // Standardized testing (as of about 10:30 EST) is O-V-E-R in fourth grade!  This was obviously my first year giving them to students and it was agonizing.  Thank goodness they are finished!  We're celebrating this afternoon with popsicles and a movie so that Miss G can relax.

2 // I taught my first Zumbathon last weekend (a charity event where people pay a certain amount to take a Zumba class) and had probably around 60 or so people show up.  I know it's not huge in the grand scheme of fundraisers, but it was really, really fun to lead that many people.

3 // First soft serve ice cream of the season.  Dee-licious.

4 // My May Birchbox arrived!  Full review coming next week.

5 // Have I mentioned that I have absolutely nothing planned yet for the weekend?  I mean, with the wedding and everything I'm sure that I'll be running around like a madwoman, but I don't have anywhere I NEED to be, which makes a huge difference in my mind!

Don't forget to come back on Monday for the GBU!

Nosy, Nosy

I don't know WHAT it is about our culture, but we are constantly all up in each other's biz.  To be honest, I think it started with Facebook and the whole concept of status updates.  Really...you think people want to know what you're doing or feeling today?  Then it turned to twitter, where you could get a minute by minute narrative on what a person was doing, literally as they participated in whatever it was that they were tweeting about.  Now it's Instagram.  Wanna see the perfect dinner I made?  Boom.  Here it is.  The sunset I saw and appreciated during my drive home?  Right there for all to see.

Oh hey, fro yo that no one cares about!

Now mind you, I'm as guilty as everyone else  I've always been the type of person who likes to be in the loop and know what's going on.  In fact, I go crazy and get highly anxious about the unknown.  That being said...I think there's a fine line between knowing and gossiping.

Yesterday, the contracts came out for next year.  The permanent teachers were notified about their positions (where they'd be, if they'd be switching grade levels, etc.) and all of the long/short term subs were told if there would be openings in the district or not.  People were being called into the principal's office left and right, and by mid-afternoon, the rumor mill was in full force.

Everyone was buzzing with secret knowledge, and I kept finding that people would tell me things and then make me swear up and down not to say anything.  Lucky for them, I'm trustworthy and haven't told a soul at school (though I've now told the whole blogosphere!)  But think about it - what if I had chosen to share their secret with a few more people?  How would it have made those girls feel?

I don't intend for this to be a rant, but sometimes, especially as women, it's really easy for us to fall into the pattern of gossiping and talking behind people's backs, even with the best of intentions.  Saying, "Oh no - I feel so sorry for her" is disguised as sympathy, but it's totally gossip.  Why can't we just accept the fact that people have secrets that they choose not to divulge?  And in the same vein, why do we feel like we have to be an open book to everyone?  Didn't we all learn in elementary school that the ONLY way to 100% absolutely keep a secret was to NOT share with anyone else?  

Bottom line?  My heart just hurts for the girls who were being talked about yesterday, whether their news was good or bad.  It wasn't anyone else's business, but I have to admit that it's incredibly tempting to WANT to know and therefore participate in the gossip.  For me, it's a conscious decision NOT to listen or talk about other people behind their backs, but it's one that I feel responsible to make every day.  Trust me, working in a building with 60 some other women is hard sometimes when it comes to nosiness and general discussion because it's all around me.  But ultimately, the golden rule comes into play.  You don't want other people talking about your biz, do you?

Happiness.

So you all know that I'm a fourth grade teacher, right?  Well, I get such a kick out of the kids in my class, especially when it comes to their wardrobe choices.  The majority of my girls LIVE in sparkly clothing and accessories, many of which come from Justice.  Remember Limited Too, that super popular store from the 90's?  Yeah...well Justice is basically it's twin, right down to the funky decor and overpriced sequined tops.

Anyway, one of the girls in my class came in with the most adorable shirt on the other day.  It had a huge smiley face on the front, and the back listed forty things to be happy about.  Cute, right?

Reading that list made me smile from ear to ear.  How often do I take advantage of all the little things in my life that make me happy?  What if I stopped to acknowledge them more often?

Like the cute little keychains in the shape of breakfast foods.

Or my sweet adorable puppy.

Starbucks coffee on a cold winter day.

 Favorite TV shows.

Yummy food.

Beautiful church services.

Kick-butt barbell classes.

My list could go on and on, but today, I challenge you to stop and think about what makes you happy. Are you enjoying all of the little things?  

Tell me, what made you smile today?

How to Fight with your Fiance

One of the very first things I noticed about my relationship with Walker is that we did NOT have a hard time getting into arguments.  Now, if you know me in person, you'd realize that I am not exactly a confrontational person.  I usually only come out of my shell, so to speak, when the other person isn't doing anything to reconcile the situation.  

Until now, I have never ever had a boyfriend that I fought with.  I was always extremely passive, avoiding all types of opinion clashes and generally going along with whatever silly ideas they came up with.  And then I started dating Walker.  Truth be told, I think the fact that we were friends first totally helped, because I started out by being quite open with him.  Though I'm not confrontational, I am absolutely opinionated, and I certainly did not shy away from making my voice heard.

This whole arguing thing between us happens kind of regularly, and is mostly because we're both pretty stubborn.  Kati could probably tell you how often this kind of thing occurs (seeing as she was my roommate for a year in a teeny tiny apartment with absolutely no privacy) but it has never been a red flag between Walker and me.  If anything, it's been a sign that we're both willing and able to share our problems and work them out.

We've become pretty good at this whole conflict resolution thing, so here are some tips for you:

1 // Use "I-me" statements rather than "you"

I'll come clean - this is the strategy we use to teach fourth graders how to get along, but it really does work!  Instead of saying, "You never listen to me and you just don't care how I feel", it's waaaaay more effective to say, "When you watch TV while I'm talking, it makes me feel like you're not interested in what I have to say".  Hey, if it works for solving playground problems, it can help your relationship too!

2 // Stay on topic

It's not helpful if you jump around from argument to argument.  Having a heated discussion about the way you spend time together doesn't give you the right to jump in with a complaint about the last week's pile of dirty dishes.  It'll just make you even MORE frustrated.

3 // Repeat back to the person to clarify what they're saying

When Walker and I fight, most of the time it's due to misunderstanding, but we spin such a tangled web of confusion that by the time we get back to the root of the problem, it's totally fixable.  One way to make that easier is to repeat back what the person is saying.  Try responding to an accusation with something like, "Am I correct in saying that you feel like my preoccupation with work is causing problems in our relationship?"

4 // Think before you speak

Sometimes, Walker or I will remain silent for a solid three or four minutes during an argument because we're trying to gather our thoughts in order to avoid making a cutting remark that hurts the other person.  It's okay to compose yourself before you present your side of the situation.

5 // Don't walk away angry

There have been a handful of times where one of us has wanted to walk away without finishing the disagreement, but we've ALWAYS stuck it out until the end.  It's so much better to stay up late laughing and cuddling for a few minutes after you make up than go to bed angry and wake up with bitterness in your heart.

Ultimately, this ability to argue and treat each other respectfully when we disagree actually makes us MORE in tune to the other person's needs and feelings.  I'm no longer afraid to bring up a touchy subject or let him know that I'm upset, because I am always confident that he will listen to me and work with me to take care of the issue.

What do you think?  Does arguing make your relationship stronger?