cheer for the weekend!

You guys, we did it! We made it through our first week back at work since the break, not that I really had a break but you know what I  mean. Friday is here, hallelujah.

First up for this fine fine day...so far in my year goals I've excelled at eating healthier. and I went to the gym once! I know one isn't a lot, but it is one more time than I've gone in the previous 6 months so in my case it is a win. There were plans to go more times but unfortunately work/life got in the way. Next week my goal is to go again, at least once aiming for twice. We can do this!

Second- this weekend is my sister's baby sprinkle! Nephew #2 is close to arriving so instead of a full-blown shower we are having a sprinkle. Excited to share some more details of the party planning and pictures next week!(which I can't really take much credit for except for helping pay for it- all the planning is on my crafty sister)

Third-right now it is SNOWING! a legit snow, not a little dusting of fluff but snow. I love snow, I love how it looks, I love how it feels, I love how quiet it can be.

Fourth... I have a week off in February and I'm so torn about what to do with it. Do I sit around all week enjoying the not working, do I visit family in Florida, do I try and take a vacation somewhere else?? Too many choices!!

I mean I could totally go for one of these again...

and fifth... can I just give a holla out to eBates again? Seriously this site is rocking my world. I do a bulk of my shopping online and just about every store I shop out is on there, so my normal every month purchases are now getting me money back. As of now I'm expecting a 60+ return for February. Living the dream!

Happy Friday!

 

eBates

can we just talk about, for a second, how awesome it is to get money back from purchases you make? fantastic, right? like the best thing ever? I'm going to shamelessly throw this site at you because a) you will be earning me some money (just being honest) and b) you can get back money for yourself (for reals!)

eBates. They best invention ever. I first heard about it from the lovely Lisa over at Two Martinis in this post and so I signed up. Figured why not? Nothing to lose. And yes I have lost absolutely nothing, no losing but gaining money back for purchases I had already planned on making. Plus a giftcard to Target, for free. yep, for free. I need some new Toms so I went to ebates, searched for their shop, got $5 of a $25 purchase or more plus 10% cash back. They saved me money and then gave more back to me. win win in  my book.

You only get your cash out 4 times a year, via check or paypal, but even if I never buy anything through them again, I'm get money back in a few months. I like it, like it alot.

So go make back some money from that Gap, Target or Sephora purchase.  Do it now!

Gift-Giving Guide for Him

Brooklyn Brew Beer Making Kit, Everyday IPA / Wedding jewelry / Bose accessory / Tech accessory / The Men's Store at Bloomingdale's Solid Knit Gloves / Kiehl's Since Men's Energizing Kit 1851 / Kenneth Cole Reaction Passcase Leather Wallet / The Little Black Book of Brain Games (Brain Teasers) Challenge Your...

I will confess, besides my father and brother-in-laws, it's been quite awhile since I actually bought a gift for guy- but when I think about my friends and family, these all seem like things they would all appreciate and enjoy. Which is why I bring them here, to my gift guide. Honestly I would be pretty okay with some of these gifts for myself as well.. like how fun would it be to make beer?

Gift-Giving Guide for Her

Heart coffee mug / Rewined rustic home decor / Eberjey robe / Collection XIIX infinity scarve, / Twistband knotted hair tie / Essie nail polish / Walking Stick Umbrella / Gone Girl:Amazon:Books

In my opinion buying gifts for a female friend, relative, love interest, boss- whatever. It's all about pampering. Purchasing something that they might buy themselves, or might just want to buy themselves but haven't gotten around too. A fun umbrella, cozy robe, some new books or nail polish. Something fun, festive, and that will bring a smile to their face. Now go fourth and buy some awesome things!

p.s I would welcome any of these myself... (except gone girl bc I've already read it- but another book for sure!)

What's in My Makeup Bag? + a cash giveaway!

Good question- I don't wear makeup on a daily basis but when I do wear it I have some set staples that I'm not sure I could ever replace...

Garnier BB Cream- this stuff is amazing, it works as a moisturizer, foundation, and so much more. It covers me up and evens me out without feeling heavy or gunky.

I usually layer a blush (from The Body Shop) and a bronzer on top.

The Clinique eye-liner is great, goes on smooth and the cap has a built in sharpener- perfect for on the go. 

And we can't forget about the eyebrows! The Anastasia Brow Wiz helps keep me looking sharp and defined.

My sister gave me this Urban Decay palette several years back and I really need to buy a new one- I've used a good chunk of it up and it never lets me down.

In a Birchbox several months ago I received a sample of Benefit's They're Real Mascara and seriously haven't turned back. Hands down the best mascara out there.

And Bite Beauty lip gloss- I discovered this at Sephora about this time last year and am in love with everything they offer. The gloss up above is a great shade of red that pops, doesn't stick and lasts forever.

Chapstick- have about 20 sticks of this laying around, in bags and pockets. Caudalie's lip conditioner is my go to especially at this time of year.

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And on to the good stuff...
With the holiday's coming up faster than fast, 

this giveaway is really perfect!

145 extra dollars to buy something totally rad for your hubs, or kids, or yourself! 

Yes. Definitely spend it on yourself. 

What I am trying to say is that you HAVE to get entered to win this money.

Because when is free money a bad idea?

The answer...if it's drug money. Bad idea.

This however is clean.

Extra clean free money for you... for following these beautiful ladies:

Mary | Lindsay | Renee | Chelsea | Chelsea

Amy

Karli | Trish | Megan | Karissa | Rebekah

Seems like a win all the way around. 

Get on it. Show them some love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

32 Things That Make Me Happy

I'm a little late to the party with this link-up but with much ado- here are 32 things that make me happy!

1) Baby Animals: except for maybe snakes which is probably my only exception- I have yet to meet a baby animal that didn't make me happy

2) My family

I'm the adorable child in the middle!

3) Disney Pixar Films

4) 'Nsync

5) Candy aka Sugar

6) Coffee

7) Sadie and Phoenix

8) Harry Potter

9) Disney World

10) The Oscars

11) Singing

12) Watching a live show

13) traveling

Ireland

caves in Israel

14) gossip magazines

15) finishing a race

16) summer camp- wish I could still go back every year!

17) clean sheets

18) warm towels from the dryer

19) lazy sundays

20) Thunderstorms

21) Snow!

22) Hearing my little monkeys laugh

23) blog comments

24) Meeting celebs

Paul Rudd

Topher Grace (I swear!)

Ian McKellan

25) everything about my college

26) homemade vanilla ice cream

27) reading- check out some book recommendations here and here

28) picnics in the park- especially now that the weather is nice!

29) beach days

30) Miley Cyrus- her concert this past weekend was AH-MAZING!

we had a lot of this going on

31) new candles- lately I've been obsessed

32)  all of my friends, new and old!

yes, that's Leah from Sunshine and Traffic Jams- we go way back!

check out some of the other posts- and thanks to Erin and Sarah for the link-up!

And your time is running out to enter this awesome coffee+art giveaway! Enter now before it's too late!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

get down with the get down

Friday..ahh.. you are back again- and I am oh so thankful!It's been a long crazy week- filled with a lot of shenanigans and heavy lifting . Boo! I'm a very much looking forward to doing nothing this weekend- I love visiting my sister, but when you go out of town for the weekend it sometimes doesn't really feel like a break, anyone else feel like this?

I'm excited to get a much need massage tomorrow, which will hopefully help some of these sore muscles- between starting these kick-my-ass yoga DVDs plus emptying out my bosses second apartment (yes, second), I am in need of some relaxation. I plan to watch a lot of tv and drink a bottle or two of wine : )

Exciting things happened this week nevertheless- and I'm joining the Five On Friday Link-Up with Christina, April, Natasha, and  Darci   to share them

1) I got an awesome $13.39 kindle book credit on amazon- oh yeah, new books!

2) The Sprinkles 24-Hr Cupcake ATM (yes 24 hours a day) finally opened here on  Tuesday!! I have yet to stop by but believe me I will

3) I then saw Suri Cruise in a store on the UES (Upper East Side)- totally random, as every celeb encounter tends to be, but she seemed like a happy normal little girl. She was with some friends, wasn't acting like a brat- unfortunately no Katie or Tom in sight...

Suri Cruise, in case you forgot what she looks like- we were in the same room!

4) I received my new Kate Spade purse in the mail! I blogged about this yesterday (check it out!)- but my computer was being wonky so I couldn't post any pictures. Here it is!

 

5)  And has anyone else watched this video? It's been making me laugh all week...

And of course I'm spreading my love of music with Whitney's #backthatazzup Friday. Have a great weekend!!

(I'm on Pharrell kick, sue me)

My Newest Obsession

Thanks to Nicole over at A Dash of Gold- I've discovered a new love, the Kate Spade Cobble Hill Little Minka purse.

When I first saw it on her blog - I thought "I must have this!"- and so the search began...

I tried the normal stops first, the Kate Spade website, Nordstroms, Bloomingdales but the retail price of the purse is $378- not horrible in the world of designer but not a price I was currently willing to spend.

and then I discovered that the purse has, and does come in a multitude of colors.

So of course, I switched my searching directions to eBay. There I hit the motherload- almost every color was available in some form. The price range dropped to $190-215, much more reasonable in my opinion. I bid, I watched- I chewed on my nails in anticipation... and I won!

I'm super excited that it came in the mail finally and I will probably be ridiculous and buy another one at some point in the future. Or one of the Marc Jacobs Pretty Nylon totes that everyone and their mother has... Look ma, I'm a grown-up now!