Reviews and Sponsored posts | Beauty and The Boys

Flowers are the way to my heart

November 18, 2014 - 9 Comments

I was provided these flowers in exchange for an honest review, also the link for The Bouqs is my affiliate link!

I am a girl who LOVES flowers. I don’t care that flowers eventually die, I love the feeling of receiving them, I love sticking my nose right in them and smelling that delicious flower smell, and I love walking into my kitchen or living room and getting an eyeful of gorgeousness. So, when I was contacted by The Bouqs to do a review for a bouquet of their beautiful flowers, I knew there was no way I was turning that down. I received these while I was on bed rest and I had hoped to share them with y’all sooner, little did I know that two days after getting them, I would wind up in labor, but I’m excited to get to share them with you now!

They arrived perfectly package in a sturdy box and were wrapped in plenty of bubble wrap to keep them safe. When I opened the box, I was so surprised that they were more beautiful in person than they were in the pictures I saw. The pink and yellow were vivid and bright, I feel like my pictures don’t even do them justice. They were stunning and I immediately stuck them in a vase! I couldn’t help but smile every time I walked into the kitchen and saw them!

The shipping was also fast, which I loved! These would be so perfect for a special anniversary, the holidays, or to send just to say I’m thinking about you. They have such a wide variety and all of them are absolutely beautiful! I will definitely be ordering some in the near future!

Tell me, what’s your favorite bouquet from The Boqus?

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DIY Thankful Bouquet

November 4, 2014 - 10 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ExtraGumMoments #CollectiveBias

If there is one person that has been there for me through my life, through all my ups and downs, and through all the good and bad things in life, it’s been my mom. Not only was she there for me growing up, but when I became an adult and started having children of my own, we got even closer. I can truly say she is one of my best friends and if anyone deserves a beautiful thankful bouquet, it’s her. She has always been the one to give extra in any situation and she’s a true blessing! When I first became a momma, she was always there helping me when I needed it and offering advice when I asked. She always seem to have the answers and knew what to do. When we found out my back was messed up, she was there for me again. She knows what it’s like to have a bad back and so she knows what I’m going through. She helped/helps in whatever way she can, whether it be a shoulder for me to cry on or helping me out with the boys. With this pregnancy, she has been here every step of the way. It’s been my hardest pregnancy so far and she has really shown how much she cares. I honestly can never thank her enough for all she has done for me, but I know making little things for her is always a way to her heart. I decided to make her a thankful bouquet and I am so happy that she loves it!

It turned out so much better than I pictured in my head and I wanted to share how to make your own diy thankful bouquet. Especially with thanksgiving around the corner, it’s that time where we start thinking of everyone and everything we are thankful for. I’m sure there is someone in your life you are extra thankful for or maybe even a few people! You could whip these up and give a little something extra to those special someones and let them know how much you appreciate all that they do.

For this DIY Thankful Bouquet, you will need:
- Extra Gum {I used two packs}
- Flowers {I used purple because that is my mom’s favorite color}
- Sticks
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
- A pen
- Fall leaves {These are extra and not required}

First, I wrote out all the different reasons I was thankful for her on each piece of gum. I used 4 sticks per thankful message.

Then, I lined each message up and glued them in a straight line on the sticks!

I could have easily left it like that, but I decided I wanted to do something more and make it a little more fall themed and fun! I had some fall leaves on hand and so I glued little leaves onto each piece of gum and to the top of each stick. I love how they turned out!

Afterwards, I added some leaves to the bottom of the vase and then filled it up with water. I love the look it created! Then, I put the flowers in the vase and arranged the sticks around the flowers. I adore the finish product and I love it even more knowing that my mom loves it!

What do you think, do you love it?! I would love for you to share with me who you are thankful for in your life!

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3 ways I’m staying hydrated with fruity drinks

October 22, 2014 - 7 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PlatinumPoints #CollectiveBias

This has definitely been the hardest pregnancy I’ve had so far. From starting my pregnancy with back problems, horrible morning sickness in the first trimester, restless leg syndrome, and now being put on strict bed rest… it hasn’t been a walk in the park. I don’t like to complain about all the bad things though because I know how incredibly blessed I am to be pregnant, to be carrying two sweet babies, and to be able to be on bed rest in the comfort of my home and not in the hospital. One of the big things I’ve been trying to do this pregnancy, is drink more water. I am so not a fan of plain water and I have to have some sort of fruity drink flavor in my water, otherwise I just can’t stand it. Since the beginning of this pregnancy I’ve been trying to find different drink mixes to try to up my water intake. It is really important in pregnancy to drink lots of water for all different kinds of reasons, but now that I’ve had contractions and am on bed rest, it’s even more important to keep myself hydrated to help keep contractions at bay.

Thankfully, I have found a few ways to make sure I’m getting plenty of water and making sure it’s flavored! Here are my top three ways I’ve been making sure to drink plenty of water this pregnancy.

1. Avoiding keeping soda in my house. This is a big one because if there is soda in my house, I’m more likely to grab a soda than a glass of water. I’ve always been a big soda drinker and this has been the best thing I’ve done to kick my soda addiction. I still allow myself a soda a day, but keeping them out of my house has helped so much.

2. Crystal Light Liquid Drops! These are my new favorite and I am so glad I found them at walmart! They have so many different flavors and it makes flavoring my water super easy. Especially when I don’t feel like making a pitcher of flavored water or running to the gas station to grab a bottle of water. I can simply feel my favorite cup up with water, put a couple of drops of whatever flavor I feel like drinking in my cup, stir it up, and let my taste buds do a happy dance!

3. I make a pitcher of flavored water. Seriously, this is a big one too because then it’s already ready and I don’t have to make anything. I use crystal light products to do this too. Not only do they have a lot of flavors in the liquid drops, but they have tons of flavors in there other products as well and it makes it so much easier to drink water when it’s yummy!

Those are my top three ways that are helping me stay hydrated! How do you drink enough water throughout the day? Are you a soda addict like I was? Do you think you’ll try and replace a few soda’s with the cystal light liquid drops?!

p.s. Another bonus about using Crystal Light is you can earn rewards by purchasing Crystal Light products! At the end of the Platinum Points Loyalty program, we’ll randomly select one winner. All purchases must be made by December 31, 2014, receipts submissions must be submitted by November 15, 2014, and points redemptions must be submitted by January 15, 2015. See Official Rules for details.

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The SIMS 4 Demo and Launch

August 28, 2014 - 14 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #thesims4

I have a pretty busy schedule during the week. I feel like I am always go, go, going, and that my to-do list is never quite complete. After we have made it through the day, the house is somewhat clean, and my to-do list for the day is mostly done, I try my hardest to relax in the evenings. Whether it’s playing a game or laying in bed reading a book. I have to be able to unwind at the end of the day somehow, otherwise stress builds up, and I eventually snap. One thing I love doing to unwind is playing a game on my laptop. I don’t always have a lot of time to do so, but when I do, it’s normally The Sims. My love for the Sims started when I was around twelve years old and my best friend introduced me to it. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked and have played several version of The Sims. A few of my favorites are The Sims house party, The Sims Vacation, and recently The Sims 3. When I heard The Sims™ 4 demo was available and that The Sims™ 4 launch is on September 2nd, I did a little happy dance!

Live.Laugh.L0ve. // The SIMS 4 Demo and Launch #TheSims4 #Shop #Cbias

When I found out I could check out a demo of The Sims™ 4 before I bought it, I jumped on that quick! I wanted to see what made it so much better than The Sims 3. The demo absolutely did NOT disappoint! I loved how much I could customize my Sim. There are so many new options to choose from and it made creating my Sim 100 times more fun. One of the things I really enjoyed was creating a personality for my Sim, a personality that was very much me. I feel like The Sims™ 4 gives you more options and makes your Sim seem a lot more real because you get to choose a wide variety of traits for your Sim’s personality! It was a blast! Another thing I got a kick out of, was you could customize their walk! There were different walks you could have your Sim do and one of them even had me laughing out loud.

I remember the first time I ever built my own house on the Sims instead of buying one. I quickly learned that I loved building a home, decorating it, and perfecting it to my taste. I love that The Sims™ 4 makes building houses even easier and better! I could spend so much time building a house to perfection and that’s exactly what I plan to do! =D I was always worried that I was going to somehow lose my Sims game. A computer crash, accidentally deleting it, whatever, and sadly it did happen. I didn’t always mind starting over, but sometimes it was just so dang frustrating to have to start from scratch. I loveeee that you can save and share your creations straight to your computer or facebook. That takes away my fear of losing all that fun hard work!

I seriously can’t wait to be able to play it in the evenings and I wanted it as soon as I could get my hands on it! Thankfully, I could pre-order it on Walmart.com or if you prefer to shop in store, it will be hitting stores September 2nd! I love that I could pre-order it and have it right on my computer and when you pre-order The Sims™ 4, you get a free pack of Sour Patch Kids Gum AND if you purchase it in store on September 2nd, you will also receive your free gum as well!

If you are a nerd like me, *wink* be sure to head over to The Sims™ 4’s facebook page and give it a like to keep up with the latest and greatest! Be sure to enter the SIMify yourself Facebook Contest here: https://www.facebook.com/simifyyourself. There are $8000 in prizes to be won including the grand prize where you could win a trip to Maxis studio in California! See the official rules here: https://collectivebias.box.com/shared/static/bgg20pn7ujnmkha77b6p.pdf

So, what do you think? Will you be pre-ordering the game or running to the store to buy it next week?! I definitely recommend you check out the demo and give it a little test run, I guarantee you will fall in love with it like I did!

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Kid Friendly Snack Kabobs

August 4, 2014 - 21 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

With twins on the way and school fixing to start back up. I’ve been doing everything I can to come up with a good schedule for us and other little things that make life easier! One thing I’ve been working on, is quick and easy recipes for dinner and for after school snacks. Jay is always hungry right after school and while handing him a yogurt or fruit snacks works, I wanted to come up with fast and easy kid friendly snack ideas. Which brings me to my newest recipe!

What I love about these snack kabobs is you can cut up the grapes and cheese ahead of time, that way when you get home from picking up the kids, you just have to heat up the taquitos and bagel bites! I did it all at once and all total, it probably took me 10 minutes to make! I ran to Walmart and grabbed everything I needed for this quick, easy, and delicious recipe! I decided to try this recipe out on my boys and my nephew and it was a huge hit! They devoured the kabobs so fast and I did a little happy dance!

You will need:
- Delimex Taquitos
- Bagel Bites
- Grapes
- A block of cheese
- Kabob sticks
{not pictured is..}
- A couple of plates
- A cutting board
- A knife

First, gather everything you need. Start heating up the frozen taquitos and frozen Bagel Bites. {In the picture above, those items are still frozen}. I made five taquitos and heated up one whole tray of the Bagel Bites.

Next, start cutting up the grapes and cheese while you are waiting for the other ingredients to finish. I cut a pretty good size chunk out of the block of cheese, sliced it into 3 long/thick pieces, and then began cutting them into bite size pieces. For the grapes, I simply cut each grape in half. Once the Taquitos got done, I used about four of them and cut them into bite size pieces. When the Bagel Bites finished, I used three of those and cut them into bite size pieces as well.

Once I had all of the pieces cut up, I began assembling the pieces onto the Kabobs. I made three, one for each of the boys, but I easily could have made six or seven with what I had cut up. I put the food on in this order.

- Taquito
- Cheese
- Bagel Bite
- Grape
- Taquito
- Cheese
- Bagel Bite
- Grape
- Cheese

So, each kabob had two taquito bites, three pieces of cheese, two bagel bite pieces, and two grapes.

Last, finish up the rest of the kabobs, and then let your kids enjoy them! What I really like about this after school snack is it has a little bit of everything and the kids got full off it! Which is perfect, that way there is no snacking all the way to dinner! The Taquitos were delicious and the Bagel Bites are made with real cheese and homemade sauce and I think those were their favorite part of the kabob! This definitely makes for a perfect #AfterSchoolSnacks!

What is your kids favorite after school snack?

Before you run out and grab the ingredients, be sure to print out this coupon for the Delimex Taquitos and the Bagel Bites! You can also find more great recipes here!

I’m linking this post up to the Sunday Funday linkup!

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July Glossybox Review

July 30, 2014 - 2 Comments

After seeing all these fun Glossyboxes everywhere, I decided to take the plunge and order one. I’m always skeptical of ordering boxes when I don’t know whats in it, but I’ve seen a lot of good reviews and I was pretty excited for mine to arrive! When it arrived, I fell in love with it instantly without even looking inside. The packaging was so cute and I was really impressed with that. I fully believe if a company takes the time to invest in cute packaging, then the products inside are normal just as amazing as the packaging! I was instantly impressed when I opened the box and saw all the goodies. They were good size products and amazing products!

I’ve already tried out almost everything and I’m going to share with you what I think about it all! First up we have the Mitchell and Peach Body cream. I loved this body cream. My skin has been really dry lately so I applied it to my arms, legs, and feet. The result was amazing. I applied it a couple of hours ago and my skin still looks great and feels so smooth. I will be using this daily until I run out.

Next, we have Glamglow. I am so bad about not washing my face or really taking care of it. So, when I saw this I knew I wanted to try it. I have really sensitive skin so finding something that I like for my face that I would be willing to use on a daily basis is hard for me. When I started to put it on, it did burn for a few seconds, but after that it was fine and started forming the mask. It was tingly while it was setting and when I washed it off, my face felt amazing. I will absolutely be buying this and using it regularly.

The Skin inc is the only one I haven’t tried yet, but I plan on using it in the morning to see if it’s as great as it looks!

I really liked the Mojito Lip Balm. It was a little sticky when I first put it on, but after it had been on for a minute, my lips felt really smooth and I really liked it. I think I need to use it a little longer to see if it’s something I want to keep using, but from the first use, I think we have a winner.

Last, we have the Philip B Detangling Toning Mist. I am really picky about my hair products. I use two hair products that I swear by so, I’m never really sure about trying new ones. After I got out the shower, instead of using my normal one I decided to try this one and I love that I didn’t need to use a lot of it and after I started brushing my hair, it worked like a charm!

Have you tried Glossybox yet? If not, I highly recommend it. It’s worth the money and worth being surprised. The products were great and it was fun finding new stuff to use that I love! You can purchase a Glossybox here!

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4 things that helped me get through the first trimester

July 29, 2014 - 9 Comments

This post is sponsored by Cottonelle. All opinions are 100% my own.

I am so glad that the first trimester of this pregnancy is over. It was by far the hardest first trimester out of all of my pregnancies so far. From the horrible morning sickness to being constipated to being overly tired, etc, it was just all around difficult. Now that the first trimester is over, I am finally feeling somewhat normal and have some energy again. I’ve even started cooking again! Woohoo! I thought it would be a good idea to share four things that helped me get through my first trimester. I know searching the Internet for all the different things that help can be time consuming, exhausting, and frustrating. These are things that worked for me and I hope they work for you as well!

1. This is something no one likes talking about, but it happens a lot with pregnancy. I had some pretty bad constipation issues during my first trimester, it’s embarrassing to even type that out, but I know other pregnant mommas are going through it too. I’m a really big brand snob when it comes to toilet paper. I only like to use the best and I have always used the Cottonelle toilet paper above because it is so soft and sturdy. The cottonelle flushable wipes I’ve been using for my boys, I never really thought I would have a need for them, but they helped so much during this part of my pregnancy because when you are constipated, you seriously don’t want anything hard touching your tush and these really worked perfect for that. Now that I’ve embarrassed myself talking about this, I hope you pregnant mommas can find comfort in using them too! {There is a coupon code if you go to that link for $1.50 off when you purchase both products}

2. I had to pretty much give up soda for awhile during my first trimester. I know you’re supposed to anyway, but I didn’t really give it up with the boys, but this time I had no choice because it made me so sick. Bottled water became my best friend and the fact that I love anything mini made these water bottles were perfect!

3. I had HORRIBLE morning {all day} sickness. I was literally throwing up several times a day and it sucked so bad. Normally, if I could get one of these candies in my mouth fast enough when I started feeling sick to my stomach, they would hold off the throwing up! I’m thankful for whoever invented peppermints and jolly ranchers.

4. Last but not least, my prenatal vitamins. I tried a couple before I found ones that didn’t make me throw up. I swear by these enfamil prenatal vitamins now. I take one in the morning and one at night to make sure the twins are both getting the amount of stuff they need!

What helped you get through the 1st trimester of your pregnancy?!

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DIY Laugh Basket for your spouse

July 25, 2014 - 16 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias

Today, I’m going to brag on my husband for a moment. He works so hard for our family to allow me to be a stay at home mom to our kids. He also helps me out whenever I need him to and sometimes when I don’t even ask and I appreciate that so, so, SO much! Since finding out that my back is messed up, he has been even more tentative and hands on than he normally is, especially now that I’m pregnant and he knows I’m in more pain now than when I wasn’t pregnant. He is always making sure I’m okay, doing extra things I ask him to do or that need to be done, rubbing my back, and he’s even given me a few massages without me asking him too! This past year has been hard, but it’s also made me realize how incredibly blessed I am to have such an amazing husband. Now, normally, when I want to show my appreciation for all he does for me and our family, I would get him some form of sweet card and a little something extra. I know he always appreciates every sappy/love card I get him, but truth be told, my husband is a man who likes to laugh.

He’s always making me laugh {it’s one of the things I love about him}, he has the best one liners, and always has hilarious comebacks. I’m always telling him that I wish I could just read his mind for a day because I think I would be spending the whole day in tears from laughter. This time to show my appreciation for all he has been doing, instead of going for my usual sweet stuff, I decided that I’m going to make him laugh this time. I ran to Walmart and grabbed some things to put together this laugh basket for him.

Here is what you’ll need for a laugh basket:

Hallmark BuzzWorthy Cards
Index Cards {at least 15}
Two cans of Silly String
1 can of Frosting
2 Funny shirts
Sharpie Paint Markers

I had a hard time finding exact things I wanted to put in the basket to make my husband laugh. I did find a couple things though while I was at Walmart. I found two shirts that I knew would make him laugh, they sure made me giggle. I picked up some silly string, frosting, and index cards for a few DIY games I put together.

Then, I went over to the card section and picked out two of the new BuzzWorthy Cards from Hallmark because I couldn’t just choose one. People probably thought I was crazy as I was reading the cards and laughing in the aisle. I picked out two that were sure to make Hubby laugh. I really am loving these new cards you should definitely run to Walmart and grab a few!

When I got home, I started putting the basket together and I have to say I love it! Here are some up close pictures of the different things in the basket.

For the DIY games, I just came up with a few sexy/fun things to do with the frosting and silly string! These are very much adult only index cards. You can create your own games or use the ones I have below!

There you have it! My DIY Laugh Basket for my husband! What would you put in a laugh basket for your spouse?!

Make sure you check out Connections from Hallmark to sign up for the Hallmark Rewards, and to see great content from other bloggers! Also, Make sure you check out #TrendyCards on Twitter!

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What’s in my bag?

July 2, 2014 - 9 Comments

I was provided the phone case in this post by Tiny Prints in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

I am normally not a purse girl. Up until recently I have owned all of two purses for quite some time. My mother in law gave me a few adorable purses and I figured it was time to switch/clean out my purse and in the process, I decided to show y’all what’s in my bag. I love seeing these type of posts so, I figured it was time to show y’all what’s apart of my daily life.

I adore that leopard purse. It has so many different compartments and can hold so much stuff! Alright, lets get started!

I don’t have a real wallet right now so, I use two Artsy Anthropology key chain wallets that hold different cards, money, etc.

My Erin Condren planner. I always like to take this with me in case I get a blogging idea while out or something comes up, I can simply pull it out and jot it down real quick.

Two pens. I always have at least two pens, especially my sharpie pen. I love that darn thing!

Viva La Juicy is my all time favorite perfume and I always have that with me. You just never know when you need to throw on a little more perfume before going inside somewhere.

Sunglasses. Sunglasses are my favorite accessory. I used to own a white pair that I loved, but the boys got ahold of them and wound up breaking them so, I had to get this pair and I’ve grown to love them. They are from walmart. I never spend a ton on sunglasses because I’m always afraid I’m going to break them or lose them.

My iphone. I literally don’t go anywhere without my iphone and I always love having a cute case on it. I just got this phone case from Tiny Prints and I love looking at the back of it and seeing my little family whenever I want. The boys also ask me quite a few times a day since I got it, if they can see the back of my phone! They have so many cute cases and I had such a hard time choosing.

Tic Tacs. These are really self explanatory. I don’t really chew gum, but I like for my breath to smell good and these orange ones taste so yummy.

Werther’s originals. These are not only good, but they help with my morning sickness so I always have a few on hand.

I normally also carry my tablet for the boys to play with while we are out, but they were currently playing with it! I also need to restock my chap stick because I’m out and it’s something else I usually always have in my bag.

So, that’s what the inside of my purse looks like! What are your must have items in your purse?

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Wonka Randoms Candy Fun Cookies #NewFavorites

March 11, 2014 - 7 Comments

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #CollectiveBias

The cookie dough we ordered from Jay’s fundraiser came in on Friday and ever since Hubby has been practically begging me to make them. I put it off for a few days, but I couldn’t wait any longer. We have plenty of cookie dough now and I wanted to do something fun with plain ol’ sugar cookies. I created a “new” cookie that I’m calling, Wonka Randoms Candy Fun Cookies. Clever name isn’t it? Really though, you are about to find out why I had to call them fun cookies and why my boys were laughing and giggling as they munched away on them!

You will need to run to your nearest Walmart and grab some:

Wonka Random Candy {These are seriously the boys #NewFavorites}
Frosting {I went with a spring/Easter colored frosting aka it’s what I actually had on hand because I forgot to buy some, oops.}
Sugar cookies {or cookie dough to make said sugar cookies, either way, you need the darn sugar cookies}

I imagine you have some of the following around your home, if not, pick this up to:
Something to sort the candy into
A butter knife {or actual frosting knife} for layering on that frosting
A plate of some kind
And a bowl

First up, dump a bag {or two} of the Wonka Random Candy into a bowl. {Well, first bake the sugar cookies if you need to}

Dos, Sort all of those fun candies. I went with things I knew my boys would love. Like mustaches, animals, cars, trains, etc. Yes, they have all of that cuteness in the bag and now you know why my boys loved these cookies.

Three, frost those yummy sugar cookies and begin placing your candies on the cookies however you like. I created a three little pigs cookie and then I simply had fun with the rest. Yeah, you also see a unicorn. That just rocks my socks all kinds of off.

Quarto, let your kids devour your new fun cookies.

I really should have stopped there with the candy, but I just couldn’t. As we speak I have another concoction involving these candies in the freezer. I simply filled three small box shaped containers with the Wonka Randoms Candy, filled it with water, stuck tooth picks in it and popped them into the freezer. The boys can either suck the ice cubes {they like to do that} or we can put them in some water and let them melt. Yeah, that’s what I’m doing with mine!

Be sure to check out these yummy flavorful moments where there are a ton of great recipes!

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