February Favorites

A few random things that I loved during the month of February.

Jan Marini Bioglycolic Fave Cleanser. I had never even heard of this brand before until an esthetician recommended this cleanser to me after a facial. I usually don't buy what is recommended to me at a salon or spa, but my skin had been really bad lately, so I decided to give it a shot. This stuff really works! I started using it the next day, and right away my skin felt so clean and fresh. I've been using it about three weeks now and those pesky little zits on my cheeks have really started to clear up. I'm so glad I decided to try it and will definitely be listening to the experts more often, they know what they're talking about!

Orla Kiely Yoga Mat. I've been eying the this yoga stuff at Target for a while now, but kept telling myself I already had a perfectly good yoga mat and don't need a new one. But a few weeks ago, there was a deal on CartWheel for 30% off, and I couldn't pass up a deal like that, so I grabbed one. I love it so much! I'm a huge fan of Orla Kiely, and I've loved being able to buy her stuff at Target. This mat is super adorable and makes me want to get the rest of the collection!

Jane the Virgin. When I first saw this show advertised last year, I wasn't really interested. It just didn't seem like my type of show. But then my sister recommend it to me, we usually like the same stuff, so I watched the first episode. I was hooked. This show is so unique, like nothing I've ever watched before. It's an awesome combination of comedy, drama, and romance, with a really quirky twist. It's really fun to watch, kind of like a silly soap opera. I'm having a really hard time describing it haha, but if you haven't seen it yet, I really recommend you give it a try!

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara. I've talked about this brand a ton on here, and for good reason, it's amazing. I heard a couple of months ago that they were coming out with a new mascara meant for people with very straight lashes, which is a huge annoyance for me. It promises the results of an eyelash curler without actually having to use one. I was really excited to try it when it came out (today!) but they sent me a sample size in the mail at the beginning of the month and obviously I fell in love. I really does curl even my super straight lashes and holds them up all day. I'm super happy with the results and ran out to get a full size earlier today. Another win for Benefit!

Honeysuckle Bouquet Candle. This candle smells AMAZING. Such a light, fresh scent. It's really gotten me into the spring mood. I've pretty much burned it every day this month and am prepared to go buy another once this one runs out. Probably my favorite candle ever from Bath and Body Works!

Anything extra special you discovered in February?

♥

Baby Ezra

 In January, my sister and her family made the trip to Ohio to adopt their third child, Ezra. We all learned a few months ago that they were matched for an adoption, and we were all so thrilled. They have an almost six year old boy and a three year old girl that they also adopted at birth, and it's the absolute coolest thing ever.

The day after those four arrived in Ohio, my other sister and I flew over there to help out with the kids while they were busy at the hospital. I always love hanging out with them, they're so much fun! Plus there was a ton of snow there to play in, something we Arizonians aren't used to! Unfortunately, we had to leave before the kids met their new brother, but we received tons of photos and videos, the sweetest thing in the world!

Ezra is finally home now, and he is the most precious thing ever. I'm so excited for my sister and her adorable little family.

Zaiden's drawing of a "doggy with babies in her tummy"

♥

February 2015 BirchBox vs. Ipsy

This month's Ipsy bag was awesome! An eyelash curler (worth $25 on it's own!) a beautifully colored blush, face oil, hair volumizer, lip stain, and hand cream! All things I could definitely see myself using. This is my third Ipsy bag and I'm really loving it so far! I really think Ipsy takes into account what you say you like and dislike in their little quiz. Huge fan of this month's bag! 

Total cost of this bag (without actual bag) is $73 for $10 a month.

Get your own Ipsy bag subscription here.

Next is Birchbox, which like I've said a million times, is super give or take for me. This month was, for lack of better word, boring. Shampoo, hair oil (foil packet), eye makeup remover, hair texturizing spray, mascara, and perfume. I'm okay with the texturizing spray, seems different than anything I've ever tried, and I would be more okay with the mascara if I didn't also get one last month. Everything else gets a big thumbs down. Juicy Couture perfume? I didn't even know that company still existed, plus I just dislike all perfume samples anyways. To me, this box just seemed full of hotel room items. Sorry Birchbox, better luck next time ;). 

Total cost of this box is approx. $35.50 for $10 a month.

Get your own BirchBox subscription here.

Sweet Home

For Joe and I, one of the biggest parts of our first year of marriage (so far) has been making this house our home. This is both of our first time living with someone, so it's been a crazy and exciting journey figuring it out together. We're getting the hang of each other's habits, working together, and doing a lot of compromising.

When we started deciding how to decorate our home, we both agreed right away that we love simple, clutter free, and cozy. And then we both took what we love individually and made them work together; he loves wood and a natural look, I love a lot of photos, art and flowers (real and fake).

Putting a home together is a crazy process. When we got married back in June, we made a (long) list of improvements we wanted to make together, and it's a wonderful feeling after hard work being able to cross things off. It also turns out that the annoyance of cleaning up a backyard and building furniture is more opportunity to bond and laugh together. It's been amazing turning my single-girl's house into a married couple's home, I've been loving every moment of it and can't wait to do more.

♥

Red Red Wine

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

When trying to decide what color to pick for this year's first "lovely hue," I thought it made perfect sense to start with the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year, which is Marsala. I absolutely love this color. It's a perfect wine-red color, and is just so sophisticated. I love it because it can be worn as either a neutral or pop of color, which isn't very common. As soon as I found out about the color of the year, I wanted to go out and buy so many things in the gorgeous shade. I just love it.

What do you think of the color of the year?

More lovely hues here.