Confessional Thursday {drybar Sea Salt Spray Review}

I confess...

that I am obsessed with drybar's Sea Salt Spray! I decided to try it out after hearing nothing but great things about it. I have to admit though, I was a little hesitant at first because of the price tag. For $25 you get just 3.4 ounces. I took a picture with my hand to show y'all the size...

 

You can see from the bottle that it is pretty much full and I've used it generously on about 8 different occasions so I think it'll last me a good bit. I love this little product because 1. it smells heavenly and 2. it makes my hair feel so soft and light! I like to use the Sea Salt Spray on occasions that I don't have any time to do something with my hair {like this morning}. When I get out of the shower I dry my hair with a towel and generously apply the spray to my hair {see pictures below}.

 

Next, I scrunch my hair with my hands a few times and then apply the spray again. I go on with my day and let my hair air dry. By 10am I'm sitting at work, my hair is completely dried, and it feels so so soft! I couldn't be happier. Having long thick hair can really be a drag sometimes but when I use the Sea Salt Spray it feels light and airy! I'm obsessed.






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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

How I Save Money on the Regular {Get Financially Fit in 2016}

This year I made it a goal to get into the gym, lose a couple pounds, and tone up. For me, I wasn't looking for a quick fix or to lose a lot of weight... I joined the athletic club for a lifestyle change and to GET FIT! It's now the end of March and I'm still in the gym every Tuesday and Thursday and some weekends. So far so good. The other New Year's resolution I made was to stay FINANCIALLY FIT! At the end of 2015 I officially had no debt {except for my house}... no car payment, no credit card bills, nada! And I plan to keep it that way. It's not always easy but here's how I save a few bucks here and there which helps me stay debt free.

1. I shop online deals and always go through Ebates. If I'm in the market for something I can usually find it online cheaper by using coupon codes for discounts and free shipping. The icing on the cake is when I go through Ebates first and earn cash back on my purchase! If you shop online and you're not a member of Ebates already, I highly suggest that you join.

2. I buy designer handbags and shoes used. I'll admit I like the finer things in life. But right now my bank account doesn't agree so when I want a Louis Vuitton bag or Valentino pumps, I shop on The Real Real and Fashionphile. I have bought authentic items you wouldn't even realize are used, they come with a box and dust bag, and I got them for less than $500! I win

3. I rarely drink alcoholic beverages when I'm out to dinner. Jon and I used to be that couple who would split a bottle of wine at dinner or indulge in a couple of cocktails and craft beers. We soon realized that drinks a lone were costing us sometimes more than our food! What? So now I'll just order a glass of house wine or a draft beer if I feel like having a drink. And when I want a fun cocktail or craft beer... I'll have it at home for a lot cheaper. My dinner bills have gotten significantly lower!

4. I have a budget, check my credit card balances every day, and pay the entire balance every month. I pay all my bills {mortgage, gas and electric, cable, and security} on the first of the month using my checking account. Anything else I want to buy {food, atheltic club membership, gifts, clothes, gas, donations... literally anything else}, I use my 2 credit cards. I have given myself a limit of what I should be spending every month and I check my credit card balances every day to a. make sure I'm staying on track and b. make sure there are no fraudulent charges. If I don't have the money to buy something then I don't. Also, using my credit cards for all purchases allows me to earn points and pretty much every month I have enough to get a $25 gift card to a restaurant of my choosing!! {Note: for tips about credit scores and credit cards go to Credit Card Insider}

5. I joined an energy savings program. I save a ton of money on my gas and electric bill every month because I joined Ambit Energy. I still receive the same service but my rate is much lower. Plus I earn points each month that I can redeem for travel!! Right now I have enough to go on a free 5 day vacation to Mexico. Other ways I save on energy is: I unplug things that don't get used daily, I turn off the lights, and if no one is in the room the TV better be off :)

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Easter Weekend Recap

I'm a little late to the game on this one. I was moving slow yesterday so between work and chores around the house, a blog post just didn't get written like I planned {boo!}. Maybe I was just exhausted from our weekend filled with family fun? Last Friday I got off work a little early and was able to stop at my local florist and get a bouquet made for my mother in law's birthday which we were celebrating that night. I then had plenty of time to shower and get ready for dinner... there's just something simply sweet about not having to rush for once! Dinner was at 7pm at Carrabba's {Jon's family is Italian so it was fitting}. We had a great family dinner and decided to continue the festivities at our house afterwards with our niece and nephews. The guys enjoyed a few beers while I played with the kids before calling it a night.

 

One of our nephews, Logan, spent the night so Saturday morning I was up getting the dogs and cat fed as well as a 6 year old which was definitely a change of pace for me! We are re-doing our backyard patio so our first thing to do on Saturday was drop a truck load off at the landfill. I think Logan was just taking it all in lol! On our way to the landfill we passed the local go-kart track and since it was such a beautiful day we decided we definitely had to go drive a few laps afterwards. That took us to about noon and we were ready for lunch so we tried out a new barbecue joint, Flameworks. I got the smoked turkey with mac and cheese and collard greens... mmm talk about comfort food! Since we only had Logan a few more hours before we had to drop him off to his mom, we decided he could pick what we did the rest of the day. Sooo like any typical 6 year old, he picked Chuck e Cheese... it had been a while since I'd been there! I think it's safe to say Jon and I had just as much fun as he did ;) With about an hour to spare we were done with playing games and opted to take Logan to the park. I was amazed at his ability to make new friends... after about a minute he wanted nothing to do with us haha. After dropping Logan off to his mom, we headed back to our area where we picked up some crabs for dinner, relaxed for the night, and watched Dateline.

Sunday morning we allowed ourselves to sleep in... kids sure do where ya out! We weren't planning on making it to church anyways because of the awful crowds... every single year prior we had to stand in the back of the church. I watched Pastor Jentezen Franklin's passage on tv instead. At noon we had to be at my grandparents house which is about 35 mins away in the town I grew up in. My grandmom hosted her favorite Easter egg hunt {her eggs are filled with money so although I think I'm too old to play, I didn't hesitate once she made me} and had a beautiful spread of ham, salads, and the show stopping Polish sausage. At 3pm we left for Jon's aunts house which is right down the street from my grandparents house! They had a beautiful spread as well... so we ate again {hey, it's Easter!}. After enjoying so much family time we decided to call it a day and was home around 7pm. I was dreading having to go to work the next morning haha! I wish all weekends could be like this was. Fun and family is all we need!

 

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Spring Giveaway!!!

Happy Wednesday, friends! I have a special treat for you today: I've gotten together with 7 other bloggers to give you the opportunity to win a lovely bundle of prizes! We're giving away a Caribou Coffee "Adventure" mug, a beautiful altered journal (of the winner's choosing) from the December Caravan Etsy shop, and a lovely English Teas & Cakes cookbook!

These prizes are the perfect stepping stone from cozier winter months into the refreshing spring season! It's always fun to throw a tea party or try out a new dessert recipe - AND, you can never go wrong with another beautiful mug. :) A December Caravan journal is the perfect product to jump start your journaling as we transition into Spring!

This giveaway is simple to enter and the prizes are oh-so-fun - good luck!! You can enter below. In the meantime, stop by these lovely ladies' blogs and say hi!

Hannah from Just Bee // Rebecca from Caravan Sonnet (+ December Caravan on Etsy) // Nelle from simply love
Olya from The Siberian American // Crystal from Dreams, etc. // Justine from Charm City Ciemny's
Kendra from Open Spaces // Christie from Sparkles of Sunshine // Susannah from Simple Moments Stick

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

MissionCute, March 2016 {Benefiting Pediatric Cancer Foundation}

Another month gone by, another MissionCute box delivered to my front doorstep! And this month 50% of net proceeds are going to Pediatric Cancer Foundation which is dedicated to funding research to eliminate childhood cancer. "Our focus is to fund research to find less toxic, more targeted therapies by partnering with leading hospitals nationwide."

 Amazing right? I just love what they are all about! Now to show you the goodies in this months box:

 

 

If you're unfamiliar with MissionCute, it is a monthly subscription box starting at just $17 a month. Each month a box will be delivered to your front doorstep with various items all just for you. It's like a gift to yourself!... or someone else. MissionCute makes a great gift for someone. The best part is, each month MissionCute donates 50% of net proceeds to a different charity. So while you are gifting yourself, you are also giving back. Pretty amazing if you ask me. Follow my personal invite if you'd like to join.

     Visit Justine's profile on Pinterest.

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For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34 

Vacation Recap {Photo & Video Dump}

Hi guys, I'm back from Aruba! We landed back in Baltimore late Saturday night and I spent all day yesterday doing laundry and stuff around the house so today is my first day back to the grind and I'm sure it'll take me a few days of playing catch up. I have to say although I enjoyed relaxing for a week, I am totally ready to get back into the swing of things! Here's a little bit of a recap for y'all of our trip: I booked it using cheapcaribbean.com and everything went smoothly {the only problem I had is that I had to call the airline to get my confirmation number... Cheap Caribbean did not give it to me... but that took me all of maybe 2 minutes}, we landed in Aruba on a Saturday and stayed at the Tamarijn Resort All Inclusive where we enjoyed not having to worry about food and drink cost while we were there, our room opened right onto the ocean and that was easily the best perk... I loved spending my days there, on Monday we ventured into town and did some shopping and eating, Wednesday afternoon Jon played a round of golf at The Links at Divi, on Thursday we took a jeep tour {by DePalm} to go snorkeling in the Natural Pool which was definitely the highlight of our trip, and Saturday afternoon we flew back home! Please enjoy the following pictures and video of our trip...

 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34