TBB: Beauty Edition

Few days late, but oh well. Better late than never, right?

1] Eyelash Curler Yes or No? Nope. I'm blessed with long eyelashes so just need a bit of mascara.

2] Favorite Nail Shade? A deeeeeep dark almost black purple or bright pink.

3] Favorite Lipstick Shade? I switch daily, haha. A nude shimmer or deep purple red.

4] Blow Dry or Air Dry your hair? Blow Dry if I have to go somewhere, but normally Air Dry since I'm usually showering after I teach a class. If it's cold I'll speed up the heating process.

5] Artificial Nails Yes or No? If I had the budget totally would, but nope for the maintenance. 

6] Foundation Yes or No? When I was in an office, daily. Now it's only when I look tired or am dressing up. I also try to adhere to the 5/2 ratio to give my skin a break. 

7] Hair Up or Hair Down? When I get dressed up, down and curled. Daily, usually down then in a braid/ponytail combo when teaching or working out. I want to find a fun workout hairstyle.

8] Bar Soap or Body Wash? Body Wash! But, now really look at ingredients and might switch to soap.

9] Bath or Shower? If I could take a bath everyday I would. I LOVE baths but never have time. I WILL be taking baths every night once our bathroom gets all put together. 

 

10] Favorite Body Lotion? Call me crazy, but I use Coconut Oil for lotion. 

11] Do you wear perfume? If so, favorite scent? I love perfume. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. But, Le Husband has NO sense of smell I rarely wear it anymore. I LOVE Black Opium and Givenchy.

12] Do you shave your legs every day? Almost everyday. Hazard of wearing shorts to teach.

13] Favorite Lip Balm? Any chapstick. I must have chapstick.

14] How old were you when you first started wearing makeup? We received play make up for Christmas when I was eight years old and we were only allowed to wear it at home. Sometimes Mama B would make us up for special occasions, but we weren't allowed to wear it to school until high school.

Add It To The List

Quick post today, friends. I hadn't planned to post because Le Husband has been home since Friday and I wanted to enjoy the evenings with him and get stuff done around the house. Then, this morning I saw quite a few of these ADD IT TO THE LIST posts and thought, yup, I'm in it to win it.

Sleep has been something I've complained about since March and I'm slowly trying to find my sleeping rhythm. The past two months have been tough because I wasn't staying asleep for more than an hour at a time. I made the room colder, started going to bed later and FINALLY listened to Kathy and ordered some Natural Calm. I take 1.5 teaspoons about an hour before bed and my mind slows and I'm usually able to get to sleep quickly. I still wake up once a night, but that's way better than six to seven times. I bought the pink bottle [of course] and didn't realize it had stevia in it, so I"ll be guying the other bottle once this is done. Highly recommend if you need to ease your mind or get more sleep!

[source]

 Tarte Shape Tape: Y'all were NOT kidding, this product is pretty freaking fantastic. Thank you to everyone who suggested it last week. I went out and bought it on Friday and feel so much better about my eyes this week. Honest moment, I dabbed on WAY too much Monday morning and so randomly did some highlight work on my face to blend it in, oooops! A little goes a long way so I'm pretty happy with the coverage and the price. Thanks, friends!

[source]

While at Ulta I purchased a few other delights and wouldn't you know, this amazing palette was on SALE! YES, URBAN DECAY was half off. I'm not the best at the smoky eye, but for the price am willing to play around a little bit. I checked on sephora and it was also on sale there online, go snag one, friends.

[source]

Another recommendation, one from Kathy and one from my husband a year or so ago. Le husband started taking collagen for gut health and I tried it a few times but meh, didn't really stick with it. However, in the past few months I've seen a ton of other companies coming out with collagen supplements so I started putting it in my coffee a few times a week. After my whiny post last week, Kathy reminded me HOW GOOD this is for skin and as of last week have made sure my morning cup of coffee has at least a teaspoon. If you start this regimen, START WITH SMALL DOSAGES, or expect to be in the bathroom more than normal. I've already noticed a different in my face, woohoo!

[source]

Not too many products, but these are big keepers in my opinion. What should I add to my list?

Loving Lately {The JUST HANDLE IT Edition}

What, a post without whining? Is this a different blog? Nope, friends, nope! I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and TRYING not to be so negative. I've heard from quite a few of you that you like how REAL I've been about my struggles and you have no idea how much I appreciate those words. I NEVER want to be fake and I'll NEVER pretend things are roses if they aren't. I know people like that and KNEW people like that and it drove me bananas how FAKE their blog was compared to their REAL LIFE personality and situation. However, that's another post for another day. 

Life has been nothing SHORT of bananas for me, so my faves and loves have come in QUITE handy. None of these are new, well one is, the facial mask [oh em gee love] was recently discovered at Target, they are just my tried and true steady eddies. 

Or, old pieces I totally forgot about and now use like crazy. I'm looking at you Oakley Kitchen Sink. Le Husband and I bought Oakley bags back in the day for traveling and kickball and since we've moved I haven't touched my bag. Well, I barely used it last year now that I think about it, haha. My gym back was NOT cutting it for work, it didn't have enough pockets and all of a sudden I went, wait a minute, I have a solution. This bad boy is super comfortable and holds a ton of crap! I carry my laptop, binder with teaching materials, planner, keys, makeup bag, workout outfits and BCAA cup easily. The only bummer is if I want to change out shoes, but I just keep those in my car, no sweat. HIGHLY recommend this bag, totally worth the price.

Being so involved with Les Mills I basically live in workout pants outside of work. Zellas are my favorite because they are SUPER comfy, wear well without thinning and if you take care of them last forever. Normally I'm in black pants at work and very now and then will throw on my Zellas and they feel great all day. 

Reebok sponsors Les Mills, so I've slowly started building my Reebok wardrobe. The shoes have been pretty incredible and I'm so glad I snapped a few up during Black Friday. The pumps are my favorite, perfect for cross training and magic when teaching BODYPUMP. I need to find a more active shoe for ATTACK and COMBAT, though. Any suggestions?

November and December I was just about survival at work, so my hair and makeup routine was pretty horrid. I did not take care of myself and I hated how scruffy and blah I looked. I've started to take care of my appearance more now, hello fresh new hair cut and products, but still need things to be quick and easy. No fuss, because after all, it is a gym, right? Still loving my ELF primer and the mineral eyeshadow is pretty fantastic for all day wear. Garnier makes the best undereye concealer, I look like I'm carrying shopping bags under my eyes if I forget to swipe it on in the morning. 

Lastly, I have to send out some love to a group, not a thing. This move has been hard and stressful and I've wanted to throw in the towel more times than I can count. But, it has brought me to my people. My tribe. Those who will never leave me and who support me unconditionally. I'm talking about my group fitness peeps. My peers, my members and now, my squad. I have created fast and secure friendships all because of group fitness. Some of my closets friends I've met at trainings and my Facebook group keeps growing because of people I've connect to through new formats and new classes. I am beyond grateful for finding my niche and for finding those people who will always be there because they GET IT! I love fitness, I love results and I love my squad.

Try Something Tuesday

Hi, fiends. Happy 5th! I hope everyone had a great weekend, I'll be recapping mine later this week. Today I wanted to share a few [random] things I've tried and think you should try too. Have a fabulous day!

|| Vegan hair products from Kroger. I'm a huge fan of products that don't have any nasty chemicals in them and it's a HUGE plus when they are cruelty free. Best thing about this duo right here... CHEAP! Found them ON SALE at Kroger in the natural aisle, woohoo. Love the smell and so far [past two weeks] my hair has styled like normal. 

||  Making your own wine charm. Sportyspice's bridal shower is this weekend and part of our 'shower gifts' for the guests are personalized wine charms. They were super simple to make and something I plan to do for every season going forward. 

||  Stand up paddle boarding is my jam and should be yours too. Seriously, this board is NOT nearly as hard as people make it out to be and is an AWESOME workout. Le Husband and I snagged one on sale over the holiday weekend and we've LOVED getting out on the lake for a quick workout. 

|| Want to get back on the fitness train after a fun and festive Fourth? Try my five minute ab burner this week. There are five moves and it amounts to JUST about five minutes, depending on your transitions. You'll be doing around the world planks, alternating leg extensions, oblique crunches, knee to nose, and leg scoops. Super quick, super hard, super fabulous for your core. I hope you like it, let me know if you have any questions/concerns!

Here is a video demonstrating all the moves, hope you enjoy!

Ten Things To...

Morning and happy Tuesday, y'all. I'm honestly still playing catch up on sleep as we spent a long time last night packing up more of our apartment. It was a Monday date night at the storage unit, woohoo! Today I have a meeting most of the day so my commenting might be a lil spotty, but I promise to make it to all your pretty blogs when I can. 

Today I thought I'd share different things on my radar, but with the Ten for Tuesday twist.

Here are Ten things to...

::Listen To::

Che'nelle's song if your needing a bit of a pump up vibe. Check this video out if you need to feel FIERCE!
This song if you need to focus on a single task, it's the perfect mix of calm and interesting.

:: Try ::

In the market for a new skin regimen, give Lindi Skin a try. Over the weekend my face sadly became a lil sun and wind burned from our early morning bike ride. It was quite angry with me so I was glad to have the Lindi face wash at home to try. The cleanser was SUPER gentle but still left my skin feeling fresh and clean and I loved the smell. The lavender serum not only smelled fabulous it also helped soothe my burnt skin. While this is nowhere NEAR as serious as  I now keep both the cleanser and serum in my gym back to use before or after my workouts. I know it will get the job done, but won't leave my skin feeling dry or itchy before I teach. I can see why someone with sensitive skin would LOVE these products, but I think they work well on any skin type. #trylindiskin #smellsamazing

::Bake::

Even though we're back on the healthy train I'm trying to find a delicious sweet treat to share this weekend at our bon voyage party. I know I should probably keep with an old standby but don't these look amazing? 

[source]

:: Watch ::

Yes, I'm a bit late to the party but oh my goodness this movie was just adorable. If you haven't seen it be warned, there are a few UP moments scattered throughout the movie. Oh and if you hate snakes as much as I do, be sure to close your eyes when a red thing falls off a tree. #family #humanasadog #dinosaursareawesome

[source]

:: Read ::

I've only perused Marie's website but really want to buy and read her book.  So far her 'spark joy' theory has helped me change my hording sentimental ways and I'd love to learn more about her organization techniques. #purgingbeforethemove

[source]

:: Do ::

Have courage, be kind and THROW the kindness around. Be good to others #confettiforall 

[source]

:: Buy ::

With the trip to Europe and move closing in, I've been seriously watching my spending habits. Got to be good now to justify a new Italian leather something right? However, I needed to stop by Target to pick up some new storage bins and used the time in the store as an excuse to scoop up a few more necessities. There were high hopes of scooping up some of the cute workout shirts I posted about a few weeks ago, but alas the two in the store were NOT flattering at all. My trip was not in vain though as I grabbed a new travel makeup set to replace my previous SK brushes I misplaced in February [seriously, no idea where they went]. While perusing the Merona aisle I saw my FAVORITE tank camisoles were on sale so I snatch up a few. Y'all, do yourself a favor and go get you some, they are so soft and hold up really well too.

:: Meditate ::

We all need a lil bit of Zen in our life sometimes. Ten wonderful things to keep in mind and don't forget the belly laugh.

[Source]

:: Taste ::

Love me some tacos and shrimp tacos are a favorite in the springtime. How delicious does the cilantro lime slaw sound? Can't wait to try this with our homemade tortillas #yumyumgood #amouthfiesta!

[source]

:: Sip ::

Another lil summin summin I'm wanting to try for our going away party. You know I love me some champs and I thought mixing it with sangria would be a fun springtime treat. Not sure if I'll get as fancy as this pin or just try a simple lil mixology on my own. Have you tried this recipe before? Any tips or tricks?

[Source]

What are some things on your radar right now?

****

Before you leave, I have to share one more fabulous piece of news. My sweet, sweet, friend Jess of The Newly is expecting and I am over the moon and excited for her and her sweet lil family. If you have a minute head over to her blog and give her some congratulation love.

linkinguphereandhereandhere
***I was provided Lindi Skin products for review, but as always all opinions are my own**

Loving Lately {Random Mix}

Morning beautiful friends! Hope your week is going well. We are enjoying some goooooooooorgeous weather down here in Virginia and I'm basking in the sunshine and warm temperatures. So happy SPRINGTIME is right around the corner.

Today I thought I'd share some of the things I'm loving lately. I always find these posts on other blogs intriguing and quite often find new favorites. I admit I don't have anything new and trendy to share, but the products below are all things I use weekly if not daily.

Le Husband brought me home these socks and shoes -- at different times -- and they have both become  staples in my work wardrobe. I love the shoes, they provide great support for lifting and my elliptical workouts and are nice to switch off and on with my regular teaching shoes. I was a little less sure of the socks -- I think they look silly on -- but they allow me to grip a bit better while doing lunges and hang/cleans.

My yoga mat is used almost daily and I am in the market for the a new one. How fun are these colors?

I was in the market for a new shampoo/conditioner set after Pureology changed their formula  [boo] so I reached out to my favorite hair girl, Courtney. She told me about Joico so I ordered it off of Amazon and have been la-la-la-loving it. My hair feels fresh and clean without feeling weighed down. Oh and it smells delicious, which is an added bonus.

Totally random to have a coffee maker on le blog, but y'all, this BUNN is a dream. I always forget how LONG it takes for regular coffee makers to brew coffee because our Bunn brews in less than two minutes. You can't 'prep' it to brew on it's own, but I pour the water in the coffee pot head to the bathroom to wash my face and by the time I'm done so is the coffee. #lovethebunn

While starting the purge process I uncovered some Lancome Juicy Tubes gifted to me and I forgot how shiny their glosses make my lips. I will never give up my Sugar lip colors, but it's been fun to break out some new [old] fun colors.

Well, that's what I'm loving right now. Are there any new/old products you're loving?

linkinguphere

On Repeat {Winter Wear}

Brrrr....it's cold out there...

[source]

No joke y'all, this weekend it was wicked cold which culminated in a snow storm late Sunday night. Unfortunately I still had to get up at 5am for my 6am class just in case someone showed up to work out. No one did [which didn't surprise me], so I did a quick work out and headed back home. The roads weren't terrible but it was still snowing so I texted my boss and asked for permission to work from home. Thankfully he agreed with my choice and I was fortunate enough to work on the couch in my pjs.

All  this cold weather nonsense has me wanting to curl up all day and sip hot cocoa. Sadly that isn't an option so I'm doing my best to combat the frigid weather with my winter wear repeats. We all have our trusty standbys and below are my favorites this time of year. #warmandcuteisamust #gimmeallthecozy

I'm all about cozy comfort at home so I basically live in my flannel pjs and robe after I shower on the weekends. Silky robes are super cute, but the flannel or terry cloth fabric gets a lot more use from me year round.

I can't forget my favorite pair of fuzzy flips, they keep my feet warm year round and man are they soft. My aunt gave us a pair for Christmas and I have never looked back. They are fabulous at keeping my feet warm and give them a little breathing room in the summer.

Warm socks are a must when I sleep, yes even in the summer, but they really get a workout in the winter. I love to stock up on them when they are on sale, they make for great gifts, too.

Combating the snowy outdoors is never fun, but fashionable boots and a warm furry hat makes it a bit easier, right?

Now, we can't forget our bodily maintenance in the winter. I swear by Vaseline for your lips/hands and coconut oil as lotion. YES, lotion. I slather it on after my shower and it keeps my skin so soft and the smell makes me think of a tropical paradise.

What are your winter wear must haves?

linkinguphereand hereandhereandhere

Year in Review {Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec}

Here we are, the last yearly recap. Wow, just wow. Hard to believe tomorrow is the last day of 2015. What a year it was and what memories were made. I have to admit, I got a bit teary finishing this post because there were so many wonderful moments to reflect on and remember. #lastyearlyrecap #goodbye2015
 

S E P T E M B E R
Labor day was celebrated in Cincinnati with family. It was a wonderful time of baby cuddling, pool time, yummy food and of course playtime with legos and kids.

 

We celebrated our two year anniversary and it was a wonderful anniversary celebration.

 

The month continued with a trip to Music City for kickball. It wasn't the best tournament but it was a fantastic time with some of my favorite people. #blessed #rich #ilovekickballandmyfamily

 

I shared my first makeup video. 

Katie Elizabeth and I hosted a fall linkup and it was so much fun reading everyone's fall favorites. 

 

I trekked down to my alma mater for a soccer alumni reunion and welcomed Babyspice home from London.

I also gave you a lil bit more of a peek into my personality and life.  

O C T O B E R

I became CPR certified and ate all the unhealthy things.

We made our yearly Vegas visit and again came away from the tournament short handed. However, we ate delicious food, hung out with some amazing people and enjoyed a fun weekend away from regular life.

Shared a review of a new boutique,  provided tips on the perfect pushup. and shared some of my Autumn favorites.

Made my first homemade soup. #whole30

 

We were weenies and did NOTHING for Halloween.

N O V E M B E R

The first full weekend of November I headed down to Orlando for the kickball Championships and I also met up for a fabulous blate with some of my Florida favorites. It was a fabulous happy hour and the tournament actually went really well for once. We didn't win but everyone played their best and that's all you can ask for right?

 

 

Snapped up some sweet make up goodies and wore some of my fashion favorites.  

 

I used November to give thanks for many different things and it made me happy counting my blessings.

Sportyspice got engaged!!!!! 

We traveled Cincinnati for Thanksgiving and spent an fabulous week with family celebrating the holiday.

 

D E C E M B E R 

I joined some fabulous ladies and hosted my first giveaway.

Katie, Sara and I also had a weekly Christmas Countdown linkup. I shared my favorite decor item, our apartment decorations, a gift guide and ended it with some of my favorite Christmas traditions.

There was Christmas tree buying, dinner with friends, mission work and of course yummy treats.

 

 

We continued our yearly tradition of lay wreaths in Arlington cemetery and this year Le Husband joined in the fun. 

 

I started recapping 2015. 

We celebrated Christmas in DC with my family. 

And there you have it folks, the end of the line. Thank you 2015 for being so fabulous. CHEERS to 2016!

Talking to Ya Tuesday

Morning, ladies. I hope you are doing well, cheers to a short week and Thanksgiving only two days away. I am more than ready to stuff myself silly with delicious food and bask in family love and fun. Today's post is short and sweet, as I'm sure there are very few readers this week. My Sephora goodies came in last week and I thought it would be fun to share vlogstyle since we've seen multiple collage style posts recently. #videoitup #iliketotalk #hangsheadinshamefortheums

Thoughts after using a few products for a week:

+ Black Opium smells amazing and is the front runner for my new perfume purchase. #love

+ Naked on the Run is FANTASTIC. Everything [minus brushes] in one set and the colors are true to the Naked palette. This will be my go to for trips because it has everything I need and is in a strong case.

+ I've used the UD Eye Shadow primer a few times and THINK it helps. Do y'all use the brush to apply it fully or just dab it and then use your fingers? I'm still trying to figure out what works best.

+ The L'Occitane hand cream set is pretty fabulous. I love all of the scents and they keep my hands from feeling dry. This would be a GREAT stocking stuffer or present for a friend, useful and pretty too.

I'll keep y'all posted on the rest of my products as I use them. What were your favorite purchases from the sale? If you didn't buy anything what are your favorite makeup products?

Running Around & Chilling Out

Morning, friends! I hope you are well and had a good weekend. Mine was a wonderful combination of go, go, go and chill out and rest. Saturday was fast and furious and Sunday was errands and relaxation so I'm ready to tackle the week. Right now the weather looks fabulous and I have a bunch of fun stuff going on in the next few days so I'm smiling and enjoying life.

Let's check out the weekend in review. This weekend I...

… snapped up some amazing deals during the Sephora sale. My treasures are set to arrive today and I can't wait to dig into my beauty buys. I'm stoked I was able to nab the Naked on the Run before it sold out and I'm looking forward to my first foray with Butter nail polish. The Cartier, St Laurent and Fresh products were all samples and I'd love to hear thoughts if any of y'all use them. #ilovemakeupsales #soexcitedfornewperfumeandlotion

… Saturday morning we were up bright and early for the Army Turkey Trot. Daddy and Babyspice rand the 10K and Mama B, Sportyspice, Le Husband and I ran the 5K together. Well, Mama B took off and WON her age group and the three kids stuck together. This year was SO MUCH better than last year both weather and race wise and it was fun tackling a race with those I love. Cheers to Mama B winning a turkey and Babyspice winning a PIE for 2nd place #funfitfamily!

The family that runs together, looks cute together. 

… treated myself to amazing banana french toast at Silver Diner. #sooooogoood

… drove home, showered then headed to my hair appointment. It was just a color touch up and trim but  it made me feel fabulous. Is there anything better than an hour or so at a salon?

Love the color touch up and new mousse

… bought a new mousse that I LOVE so far. Check it out if you're in the market. 

Purchase *here* or at a salon

… hung around the house and then got ready for dinner with a bestie. Was super excited to wear two of my favorite fall pieces. Loving my plaid pieces and of course my fabulous faux fur vest. 

Just a bit of fall fashion

… met up at a DC favorite for dinner. I hadn't seen my bestie in awhile and it was wonderful catching up with her wedding plans and life. Even though things have changed we're still able to pick up where we left off. #friendsarefunandsoaredrinks

Oh sangria, how I love thee.

… had a freak out moment when the Metro stopped running trains to my stop. So grateful for my amazing husband who drove to come pick me up in DC. #wtfmetro #thankyouhoney

… slept in Sunday morning and then attacked the laundry monster while prepping chili for dinner.

… caught up on some readying and blogging.

… went for a beautiful fall day bike ride with Le Husband. LOVING this mild fall weather.

… Snapped up these beautiful babies. So happy with my new rain/snow boots! #cheerstoreisales

… ate delicious homemade chili while watching football and catching up on our shows.

hashtagmyhusbandrocks

… tried out *this* recipe. So yummy, can't wait to try another twist on it.

I used chocolate instead of white chocolate, mmm, mmm, good!

… skipped out on my soccer game because my shin still hurts from two weeks ago.

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

Linking up with these beautiful ladies whoop whoop 

A Few of My {Current} Favorite Things

[source]

Kristen posted this delicious shake recipe in October and I cannot get it out of my head. I am counting down the days until I can recreate it at home. #yesiwilldrinkitoutofamasonjartoo

While I was cleaning out my makeup drawer I found this eye liner in green and have been rocking it for something new. I'm all about a good smoky eye, but changing it up every now and then is fun too.

This November poem. Such a beautiful description of a transitional month.

Whenever I travel I wear a scarf to keep warm on the plane or to use as a blanket. The last two flights have been cold enough to use my blanket scarf and I can't lie, I feel so fall and festively put together.

I am obsessed with this sauce. It's delicious, WHOLE30 friendly and tastes great on veggies and proteins.

My girl, Jessi, did a fabulous post on changing your NOREPLY status on blogs and I'm so grateful she did. I get so sad when I can't respond to someone's awesome comment, so if you're new to blogging please check out her tutorial, we all wanna be able to chat with you :)!

Looking for Christmas card options? Make sure you check out Paper Culture before you decide on a company. Not only are all cards are made with 100% post consumer paper and they even plant a tree with every order made. I found a 50% off deal last month an our cards are already on their way, I can't wait to show em off.

Can Ariana Grande do anything wrong musically? Her Focus song has been on REPEAT like whoa in my neck of the woods. The music video is on point and I LOVE the syncopated beat.

I have been LIVING in these leggings at the gym. I'm so glad I listened to everyone during the Nordstrom sale and snapped up four pairs. I have yet to wear them with real clothes, but I'm in there at least four times a week at the gym. So comfy, thick and CUTE.

Did you hear the incredible news? Apparently Urban Decay is bringing out the Naked Vault II for the 2015 holiday season. OH EM I LOVE MAKE UP GEEEEEEEEEEE!

Since I've been hitting the gym like a maniac [lifting with Le Husband and taking BODYPUMP classes] my muscles have been a bit sore. My bed buddy heating pack has made a few trips to work with me and not only has it helped my muscles it keeps me warm in my dungeon of an office.

The Macy's Day Parade is only 23 days away and I'm enjoying all the fun updates from the Rockettes Twitter account. One day I hope to see them in NYC, but for now watching them on TV during the parade will suffice.

Our Ninja 3-1 Cooking System. I love our crock-pot, but this baby is fabulous during the fall. We use it almost every day and I love the fact I can stir fry something in the pot and then turn it on to slow cook. This was a random registry item and probably one of the most used gift from our wedding. If you're in the market, I highly suggest putting one on your Christmas list and will gladly tell you everything you need to know about using it. FIVE STARS, y'all!

*****

I am still on Whole30 and I haven't had a chance to bake any cookies for the Cookie Swap, so I"m borrowing a recipe from Pinterest to share today. Most chocolate cookies make my tummy happy, but Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies will get you into my heart as well as my tummy. No one seems to make them anymore so when I come across a yummy recipe I have to snap it up for future baking. Are you an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip person or plain Chocolate Chip person?!!?

[source]

linkinguphereand hereandhereandhere
*some affiliate links used

Make Me Up, With Naked THREE-EEE

Morning, friends! Today I have a video treat for you. Okay, it's not really a treat, it's just me talking about make up. And me talking is a treat? No. Well drat. Here's a video of me putting on my make up face. #sweetscreengrab

A few things:

+ I say the word SO way.to.much. My Communications Studies professor would be incredibly disappointing.

+ Holy shiny batman. Where is Ramona with the powder? #myfriendscantbeshinyontv

+ Forgive the misspeak. I'm cringing over #specialer.

+ Is the music too loud? I can't tell, but I hate silence on videos. Am I weird?

+ I did not end up going out with my friend, due to extenuating circumstances, so I looked beautiful around my apartment all by myself. #makeupfaceforbenandjerry #mycleanapartmentlikedmyprettyface

Moving on to products used...

makeup by pinkpersistence featuring face makeup

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette: Love, love, love this palette. I believe it is 100% worth the $50 price tag, both for the quality and the quantity of the different eye shadows. There are so many different looks you can create with the range of pinks and browns and even though I have my set look I still enjoy experimenting. If you're on the fence about this palette, please use this post to push you over to the side of yes. I promise, you will LOVE IT!

ELF BB Cream: This is a new to me product and so far it's been just okay. The squirt applicator isn't really working for me so that's definitely a minus. I will say the coverage is pretty good though and I don't find it heavy. I'll let y'all know more once I've used it for longer than a few days.

ELF Pore-less Face Primer: Y'all, I've only had this product three days but I la-la-la-love it. It goes on super smooth and feels super light and the $6 price tag is pretty hard to beat. Thanks again to Biana for the suggestion :)!

ELF Mineral Eye Shadow in Celebrity [No longer available on the website. *Here is something similar*]: I bought this product YEAAAAAAAARS ago during an ELF 10 for $10 promotion. Honestly, this the ONLY shadow I still use and thankfully bought two of them during the promo. I love a nice, soft shimmer and this product 100% delivers.

Artistry Eye Pencil: As mentioned in the video, my mother sells Artistry products so if you're interested let me know. I've used this eye liner for a long time and enjoy having a smudge sponge on the end quite useful. I almost always line my eyes in black, but sometimes will use brown for a more naturalesque look.

Artistry Mascara: Y'all heard my love of this mascara and it is now the only mascara I use [except for a travel emergency brand]. The wand elongates my lashes and I find it gives just enough plump.

And that's all folks. What do you think? If you have any questions or comments please let me know. I highly doubt make up will become a *THING* here, but if I decide to do another video I'd love to know what you liked/didn't like. Do you have the Naked 3 palette or another Naked? What are your favorite colors?

*****

Remember tomorrow is our Falling for Fall linkup and we would love to have you join in the fun. Post about something fall, grab our button and link up with Katie Elizabeth or me tomorrow :)! I can't wait to read all of your fun posts.

<div class="pinkpersistence-button" style="width: 300px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://pinkypersistence.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nc7iCfa0u7DFA2Jk8Ksohh3s7146iF8RBMhs7UI1kfMzHLH0Hb0fO3NjZZDJD62gS2HYCaRpp9o2EH9wMDkBzyXPqy2XfJRMaTBQgxOExGYNpDZ01qGgtUSwgbxn5IpoxgHft7597-sK/s512-Ic42/bloglinkup.JPG" alt="PinkPersistence" width="300" height="300" /> </a> </div>

linkinguphere

What's up Wednesday {Linkup}

Morning, ladies! How are you doing today? I usually share my CURRENTLY post once a month, but last month stumbled upon this fun link up and thought I'd give it a try. Here's WHAT WAS UP in August!

What I'm excited about... you are reading the blog of a CERTIFIED BODYPUMP INSTRUCTOR, friends! Yup, I DID IT! I received my email on MONDAY that I was officially certified in BODYPUMP, WOOOHOO! I'll post more about it tomorrow but I am too stoked to keep the news to myself any longer. #soexcited #imadeithappen

What I'm eating this week... well, last week actually. Eating healthy took a back burner this month, but I've been back at it for the past few days. Salads were starting to taste a bit bland so I switched it up to tuna/avocado on cucumbers. Super easy, super healthy and super filling, which is what I call a triple win. Give it a try, y'all.

What I'm reminiscing about… our Nashville trip, last August. We had SUCH a fun trip last year on a random team and winning was just the icing on the cake. Our new team is going again in September so it's going to be a much different experience this time around. Fingers crossed we bring home the championship again.

What I'm working on... trying to find a BODYPUMP class to teach. Now that I'm CERTIFIED [eek] I can reach out to gyms to teach a class hopefully once a week. I have a few emails out and I plan to pick the brain of my GGX instructor on Friday.

What I'm loving... Le Husband's lil random gestures. He's not normally a flowers guy, he's more of a 'do small things around the house' for me kind of guy, so my Sunday surprise flowers really made me smile. Relationships have their ebbs and flows but he's always SO good to me and I'm forever grateful he's mine. #luckylady #blessedwiththebest

What we've been up to... getting back into the healthy swing of life. My lil 113 Whole30 body is no more as vacations and stressful weeks at work have taken their toll. My healthy eating pretty non-existent and I can feel it in my body and in my clothes. I'm pretty bummed out at myself, but hey, life happens and now it's time to hit it hard again.

What I'm listening to... Carrie Underwood release her new single earlier this week and I've been listening to it nonstop. It took me two listens to really get into the song, but after that it was constantly played on youtube at work. I think we all could use a 'smoke break' every now and then, right? #carrieunderwooddoesitagain #smokebreak

What I'm dreading... dealing with my passport name change. I have a fabulous international trip in the future and I need my passport to match my license, bah. BTW, married ladies, if you change your name within the first year of marriage it's free. Guess who didn't know that until too late? Yeah, this girl. I'm hoping to get everything sent in this week and crossing my fingers for zero delays. #needthatnewlastname #onlytwoyearslater

What I'm wearing... this summer I've been all about bright lips and lots of colors. I LOVE my Sugar Lip set and have been rocking the Berry shade this month. I've also been dressing up more for work than I have in the past. There have been a lot more dresses, skirts and I've been loving mixing colors. #brightlips #greenandblue

What I'm doing this weekend... eating lots of food. I'm cooking for my family [homemade pasta, meatballs, spaghetti sauce and brushetta] as a thank you for "supporting me in my video assessment" class. They were all troopers attending my class and I wanted to do something they would enjoy as a thank you. Fingers crossed it tastes as delicious as I expect.

What I'm looking forward to next month...  celebrating our TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Where did the time go?

What else is new… nothing too much. A lot of the same ol, same ol living. We have some fun things in the works [fingers crossed] but I won't be sharing those until things are more serious. I am really in shock we are done with August and that September is right around the corner. Where did the summer go?

What have you been up to this month?

linkinguphere