June Favorites

Hey ya'll!!

Wow, I can't believe how fast this year is going by and that it's already halfway over. June was a great month for me. This month I really made it a point to try and use up products that I already had in my collection, and rediscover old favorites.
I love monthly favorites videos and blog posts. I like to see what products people are loving. It's a good time to see swatches, and sometimes get a mini review of each product. This month I have beauty products, hair care, one skin care, and a book favorite. Let's get started!

Beauty Favorites

Becca Blush in Damselfly
I am obsessed with this color and have been wearing it all month long. It's the perfect light coral shade and it's so smooth and buttery. I'm quickly becoming a huge Becca fan. All of their products are amazing and of such great quality. I highly recommend you checking out Becca the next time you're at Sephora. You will not be disappointed.

Urban Decay Lipstick in Naked, Gloss in Walk of Shame
I am really loving this lip combo from Urban Decay. The Lipstick in Naked is the perfect "my lips but better" color for me. I can easily wear it with any makeup look. It's so perfect on me that it compliments any, and every, look I come up with. The Gloss in Walk of Shame is such a great compliment to the lipstick. It's so creamy and hydrating, and they look great paired together.

Loreal Voluminous Extra Collagen Mascara & Covergirl Clump Crusher
This has been my favorite lash combo lately, and I've been wearing it all month long. First I apply two coats of the Loreal Voluminous mascara. The wand is thick and the bristles are soft (my favorite kind of mascara brush). It literally plumps my lashes and makes them look amazing. After those two coats, I go over my lashes with one coat of the Covergirl Clump Crusher. The brush is plastic with small, stiff bristles that do a really great job of combing through each lash. It separates and lengthens each lash, leaving zero clumps behind.

Lorac Pro Palette - Shades Cream, Mauve, Taupe, and Sable

I have been using my Lorac Pro Palette a ton this month. My favorite shadow combo has been the colors Cream, Mauve, Taupe, and Sable. You can tell I've really been loving Sable because I've hit pan on it. I start by using Taupe as my transition shade. I apply it all in the crease area. I blend it above and below the crease. I then apply Mauve all over the lid, stopping right below the crease. I take Sable and apply it to the outer corner, and blend it onto the outer part of my lid and the outer part of my crease. Before I finish, I take a clean blending brush and use it to blend everything to eliminate any harsh lines. I use Cream last, applying it to my brow bone and the inner corner of my eye. To line my bottom lashes, I combine Taupe and Sable.

Hair Care Favorites

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
I swear by this deep conditioner, and I've tried a lot of them, both high-end and drugstore. I especially love it in the summer because of all the chlorine and salt water that my hair gets soaked in. I don't have curly, or coarse hair, but I know for a fact that it works on those hair types as well. My daughter Lexi has a friend who has really thick, long curly hair. She came with us on vacation and I used it on her. Her hair brushed out in one try after a long day at the beach. Love, love, love it!

Biosilk
My mom had me using this stuff ages ago, and I still love it. I hadn't used it in a while because I had another oil I was using. When that was running low I decided to grab this beauty, and my oh my have I missed it! It smells so good and my hair loves it. I don't use a lot of product in my hair, mainly leave-in conditioners and an oil, or serum. This serum is really thick, so you only need the tiniest amount. I use about a pea-sized amount on wet, or damp hair, and work it through my ends up to about the middle of my hair. I got mine at TJ Maxx, it's half the price there than at any other retailers.

Skin Care Favorite

Victoria's Secret Sunny Brights Lotion in Sun Blissed
I have been using this lotion like crazy. Sadly, it was a limited edition scent from last summer. For one reason or another I didn't end up using it until recently. The scent is perfect for summer and it's really moisturizing. My favorite thing about it is that the scent is not overpowering, and it doesn't linger. I can apply it all over my body, apply a perfume, and not have to worry about mixing scents.

Book Favorite

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

I finally got a chance to really dive into the final book in The Mortal Instruments series while away on vacation and OMG I love it! First off, I will read anything Cassandra Clare writes. The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices are two of my favorite book series (P.S. - She's coming out with a brand new series this September called The Magisterium Series). I have really been enjoying City of Heavenly Fire and can't wait to see how it all ends.

I hope ya'll enjoyed my June Favorites! What are some of the products and things you've been loving this month?


xoxo,
Casey

Bath and Body Works Haul

Hey ya'll!!

Today's post is going to be a Bath and Body Works Haul. Keeping reading to see all the goodies I picked up!

Last week Bath and Body Works had their big Semi-Annual Sale. I mainly wanted to go because all of their 3-wick candles were on sale for $9. If you aren't familiar with their candles, get familiar because they are the best. They are normally $22 each, so I wait until they go on sale and stock up then. They run specials pretty regularly where you can buy 2 for $22. If you go to their website, you can sign up for their emails and they will notify when they go on sale.

 Island Waters

"Dive into an invigorating mix of water notes, lush green palm leaves and a hint of fresh cut bamboo"

 Caribbean Escape

"Dive into this blend of tropical melon and tart raspberry nectar mellowed by creamy coconut milk"

 Mahogany Teakwood (One of my favorite scents!)

"The luxurious scents of fine woods - mahogany, cedar wood and oak - are enlightened by lavender and geranium"

 Hawaiian Hibiscus

"Experience an island getaway with the fragrant hibiscus, Hawaii's native flower, combined with creamy coconut and jasmine notes"

Red Guava Lava

"Hawaii's spectacular lava landscape is celebrated in an explosively fresh and fruity blend of red guava and passion fruit"

I normally don't buy any lotions or body washes from Bath & Body Woks, but since they were having their sale I decided to get a couple body washes. I didn't get any lotions because I have a couple at home that I need to use up before they go bad.

Violet Lily Sky "A heavenly blend of fresh violet blooms, sparkling bergamot and pink pepper, floating on a cloud of whipped lily petals and sheer sandalwood", Cashmere Glow "A warm blend of golden peach and shimmering vanilla with a heart of soft cashmere musk, inspired by being wrapped in luxury"

I'm running low on my hand soaps around the house so I decided to get some new ones. I normally just buy hand soap when I'm grocery shopping, but since these little guys were on sale I decided to grab a few.

Caribbean Escape "An exclusive blend of moisturizing honey, coconut milk and olive fruit extracts to help nourish and soften the skin, further enhanced with Mango Fruit", Citrus Sunshine "Sun-kissed orange, fresh verbena, red grapefruit", Peach Belini "An exclusive blend of moisturizing honey, coconut milk and olive fruit extracts to help nourish and soften the skin, enhanced with Bamboo extract"

I love Bath and Body Works Wallflowers. They are strong and smell just like their candles, but last much longer. I have one in almost every room. I went ahead and picked up a few to match some of the candles I purchased.

Red Guava Lava & Hawaiian Hibiscus

I hope ya'll enjoyed my Bath and Body Works Haul! Let me know in the comments below what your favorite scents, and products, are from them.

xoxo,

Casey

Book Worm Series: Books I've Read Recently

Hey ya'll!!

Today is going to be another post from my Book Worm Series on some of the books I've read recently. Find out below each book, the summary, and what grade I gave each of them. Enjoy!

1. Looking For Alaska by John Green
I'm becoming a big fan of John Green and have made it a mission to read every book he has written. This is the second book I've read by him, the first being The Fault In Our Stars (Loved it!).

"Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . .

After. Nothing is ever the same."

GRADE: Liked it!

2. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

I had heard really good things about this book, so when I heard it was going to be made into a movie I decided to pick it up. The style of it reminded me of "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" (Really Liked it!). If you enjoyed that book, you would probably enjoy this one as well.

"SUTTER KEELY. He's the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.

Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever."

GRADE: Liked It!

3. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

When I heard that there was a series about a school for vampires, similar to that of a school for wizards - aka Hogwarts -, I was sold and knew I just had to give the series a try. Vampire Academy is nothing like Harry Potter. But it is really fun and I enjoyed the world Richelle Mead created in Vampire Academy. It's a quick, fun read.

"St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school–it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's–the very place where they're most in danger. Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi–the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires–make Lissa one of them forever."

GRADE: Loved it!

4. Frostbite by Richelle Mead

This is Book Two in the Vampire Academy series. I downloaded it as soon as I was done with Book One. I would have downloaded Book Three, but I had a bunch of other books that I still needed to read, so I decided to hold off on purchasing Three until I have read more of the book I already have.

"Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if handto- hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks.... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price"

GRADE: Liked It!

5. FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell

I was browsing through Barnes and Noble one day and came across the cover of Fan Girl. I read the inner flap and thought it sounded promising because of yet another Harry Potter similarity (do we see a trend here?). The book series that the main character is a big fan of really reminded me of Harry Potter, so naturally I wanted to read it and added it to my Christmas List. It took me a while to get around to reading it because I was finishing the Divergent Series. FanGirl is such a good book, and has become an absolute favorite of mine!

"In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?"

GRADE: Loved It!

6. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

This was another random find for me. I was searching through the paranormal section when the cover stood out to me. I really like paranormal, fantasy type books. I have the most fun with them because anything is possible and I can escape to a different world for a little while. It got kind of slow at times, but towards the end it picked up the pace. I do plan on giving the second book in the series a try.

"When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living."

GRADE: Liked it!

I hope ya'll enjoyed today's post! Let me know in the comments below what some of your favorite books are that you've read recently.


xoxo,
Casey

Mommy Miniute: My Baby's Daily Routine

Hey ya'll!!

Today I wanted to share with you Kason's daily routine. The things we do, and the times we do it,  vary from day to day, but for the most part this is how his daily routine usually goes. I'm not a huge stickler on doing everything at the same time every single day, or setting strict time limits for naps and play time because I want him to be flexible.

Before I get him up I make his bottle and get his medicine ready. He has acid reflux so he takes Zantac three times a day. His day starts between 8:00-8:30AM. First thing I do is sing our "Good Morning" song while he shakes the sleepiness out of his eyes, and gets in a few smiles and giggles. I change his diaper and leave his PJ's on. He gets distracted easily when eating, so to get him to eat in a reasonable amount of time I lay him on his Boppy and prop his bottle until he's done.

After his first feed he sits in his chair and watches cartoons for about 30 minutes. His favorites are all on Disney Jr: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake & The Neverland Pirates, and Doc McStuffin's, just to name a few. He gets bored really easily, so we rotate "stations" every half hour. After a little couch time he plays in his bouncer. Ours is The Little Einstein's bouncer I found at Target. He loves it! It's really helped him gain balance and control. After spending time in his bouncer we have play time on the floor. I lay down a blanket and he does Tummy Time and practices rolling over and sitting up. This is really good one on one time for us as well. He gets lots of kisses and tickles, and I get lots of good giggles and baby sugar from him. At about 10:00AM he gets tired and takes a morning nap for about an hour.

At 11:00 he gets up from his morning nap. This is normally when I change him out of his PJ's and it's time for his second feeding. He has a 6oz bottle every 3 hours, and has solids twice a day, the first being oatmeal and the second is a fruit or veggie. We started with Rice Cereal at 4 months. He never got constipated, but it gave him bad gas so we had to switch to Oatmeal. Ever since we made the switch he's done just fine. His first solid is usually given on the second feed of the day. I mix 2oz of water, with 1 scoop of his formula, and spoon in his oatmeal until it's the consistency of jarred baby food. After he's finished his oatmeal he has his bottle and we start our "station" rotations again. If I need to run any errands I usually do it around this time of day.

Between 2:00-3:00PM he has his third feeding, and his second round of medicine. Afterwards he is ready for his longest nap of the day which is normally 3 hours. When he wakes it's time for his fourth feeding and second solid of the day. I rotate between veggies and fruits every two days, so for two days he gets the same veggie and the next two days the same fruit. He hasn't really shown any signs of favoritism between the fruits and veggies which I think is great. The only flavors that haven't worked for him so far are Squash and Banana's. Both gave his bad tummy aches and lots of gas. After his solid he has his fourth bottle and then watches cartoons or plays in his bouncer while I get dinner ready. It's really important to me that our family has dinner together, so every night we all sit at the table together and eat, even if my husband is out of town for work. Kason joins us too! We have a tall dining room table so instead of a regular high chair I purchased just the seat. It straps onto our kitchen chairs so he sits at the same height as us.

After dinner it's bath time. He only has a bath every other night. He has really sensitive skin so if I bathe him every night, he gets really dry and breaks out. If it's not a bath night, he just hangs out with my husband and I until it's time for his fifth, and final, feeding of the day. Bed time is between 8:00-8:30PM. Me, my husband, and our daughter Lexi normally tuck him in together. He sleeps with stuffed animals, they are like his security blanket. He LOVES them and can't sleep without them! He hugs and suckles them until he falls asleep. It's the cutest, sweetest thing ever. He's a really good sleeper, and has been since he was two months old. He will wake up around 6:30AM but 95% of the time he never cries. He just plays with his toys for a little bit, falls back asleep until 8:00-8:30, and our daily routine starts all over again.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Let me know in the comments below if you like to keep your baby on a schedule and what works for you!


xoxo,
Casey

First Impressions: Loreal Miss Manga Mascara

Hey ya'll!!

Today I'm doing a First Impressions on the Loreal Miss Manga mascara. It's fairly new and I've seen a couple beauty blogger's review it and wanted to try it for myself. Loreal makes really great mascara's. I've tried both high-end and drug store, and the drug store mascara's often times perform just as well, if not better, than the high-end ones.

There's two things that make this mascara different from most, and that's the brush head and the "bendy" applicator wand. What I like about the brush head is that it starts off thin and pointy, which is really great for getting the inner corner lashes and the bottom lashes. It then fans out and gets wider towards the end which is great for the middle to outer lashes and adds more volume. The "bendy" wand is definitely sensitive and bends really easily. I had to apply the mascara slower than usual to maintain good control so I didn't end up with mascara all over the place.

 Before

 After 1 Coat

After 2 Coats

The formula is actually really good, but it can get clumpy if you do too many coats and it's a bit on the wet side. I did two coats and it was starting to clump up a little, so I wouldn't do any more than that. It's very volumizing and lengthening, which is what most of us are looking for in a mascara. I really like the whole Voluminous line from Loreal. The mascara's are really great quality and are definitely my favorite from the drug store. So if you are in the market for a new one, I would definitely recommend giving this one a try.

I hope ya'll enjoyed today's post! Let me know in the comments below what your favorite mascara's are, high-end and drug store.


xoxo,
Casey

Vacation Series: What's In My Beach Bag?

Hey ya'll!!

Welcome to Day 5 of my Vacation Series! Today is the last day of the Vacation Series and I'm going to show you what all I carry in my beach bag. Let's get started.

I needed a big, quality beach bag and found this one at Target this past week. I love the size, but what really sold me was the inside of it. It's all straw so it's perfect for the beach and will be easy to clean. This is also the bag I will be using for my "Road Trip Essentials".

First thing I pack is a beach towel, again from Target. We have a ton of Target beach towels. They hold up well in the wash and are reasonably priced. They have a ton of different colors and prints, so you're bound to find one you like.

Second is a ton of sun screen. I have two lotions and a spray. I like to carry all types of sunscreen that way the whole family is covered.

Third is a hat. I really like hats at the beach. They really come in handy when my face has had enough sun and for hiding my ratchet beach hair! This year I decided on a fedora. I've never had one, but they look so cute when I see them on other people so I decided I'd give one a shot.

Next is a pair of sunnies. I love my new RayBan Aviators, but I wouldn't dare wear them in the water because with my luck I'd lose them. I like to bring a cheap plastic pair, that way if I lose them I'm not super bummed.

Next is my Nook. One year while on vacation all I had was my iPad, and I couldn't see the screen in the sun. I ended up getting a Nook so that I could read it outside with no problems. I don't like to bring actual books or magazines to the beach because they end up getting wet and ruined. Plus they just add weight to my bag.

I don't like to go anywhere without my debit card and my ID, but I also don't like to bring my whole wallet to the beach. Instead I'm packing my Michael Kors wristlet. It's compact and holds my phone and my cards.

Lastly is a brush and detangler spray. I have an old brush that I use for the beach instead of my regular brush, that way I'm not brushing my clean hair with a dirty, sandy one. Detangler is a must! I hate the way my hair gets in ocean water, so I like to spray detangler in it each time I take a dip. It's a life saver for the kids too, and makes washing and brushing their hair later much easier.

I hope ya'll liked getting a peak inside my beach bag, and I hope you've enjoyed my Vacation Series! I really enjoyed doing it, and look forward to doing more series-inspired posts in the future. Let me know in the comments below some ideas on what type of series you'd like to see next.


xoxo,
Casey

Vacation Series: What I Pack - Swim Suits & Accessories

Hey ya'll!!

Welcome to Day 4 of my Vacation Series! Today I am going to show you what swim suits and accessories I am bringing on my vacation.

I used to pack one swim suit for each day I would be on vacation. Since I tend to overpack on everything else, I really made an effort to take a chill pill with the swim suits this year. My favorite thing to do is to buy swim suit separates, that way I can mix and match each piece and end up with multiple suit combinations.

I really love my new swim suit cover up! It's really comfortable, and not completely sheer, so I can wear it shopping, or out to lunch, after the beach.

I'm only bringing one purse and it's my Rebecca Minkoff M.A.C. I absolutely adore this bag, which is weird because I normally gravitate towards large totes. I bought this purse when I was pregnant with Kason because I wanted something that was small but could fit my essentials, and that was crossbody but not super casual. I was kind of nervous when I ordered it because I thought it might be too small for me, but it's honestly the perfect size. What I like about this bag is that it can be worn three different ways: crossbody, shoulder, or a clutch. I don't carry it as a clutch, I mostly wear it crossbody because I like my hands to be free. I also really like adjusting the chain and wearing it as a shoulder bag. I love the way the gold chain looks when it's doubled up, and the length the straps become because it hits in a really nice spot for my body.

I always bring a lot of jewelry with me when I travel. Jewelry is small, and can be easily packed, so it doesn't hurt space-wise to bring a lot. Since my uniform these days is on the more casual side, jewelry can really spice up my outfits to add a little glam and make me look more put together. I really love gold right now. I think it looks amazing with a tan and it really stands out against clothes. I'm also really into colored jewelry, mostly turquoise. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a really nice piece. So many stores, and boutiques, have pretty jewelry that is reasonably priced.

I hope ya'll enjoyed today's post! Let me know in the comments below what your swim suit, and accessory, staples are this summer.


xoxo,
Casey