Long Time No See! Recent Sale/Clearance Purchases

Hi everyone!

So it's been a WHILE since I've posted anything. I guess you could say I have been super BUSY. We want to have our house on the market by August 1st. And I'm doing a lot on my own, and with the help of my parents, because Dylan is not here. My dad has been doing yard work here all week and is going to finish up some of the bigger projects. And of course I hope Dylan will be able to come home soon on his next days off to help my dad and I.
We've also started setting up apartment showings, which have all been busts. Dylan has been doing those on his own in Duluth. I even started applying for some jobs and already have a call back from my #1 choice: MAURICES! AHH!
I also looked into the school I plan to attend for cosmetology. They only offer programs starting in August or January, and August is already full. So I have until January to save up and prepare myself!

Anywho, besides working vigorously to get my house ready, I've been doing a whole lot of notta. Except... shopping and spending money I shouldn't on makeup, hair products, and clothing! Ugh, I have a problem. Shopping is my favorite hobby and also my 'therapy'. For real though.


But of course, I rarely pay full price for anything and I've been snagging a lot of great clearance and sales on new products, and tried and true products! I wanted to showcase some products that I've really been loving and some that I will definitely not repurchase or recommend.


After I get my recent Haute Look (The Balm) and Anastasia Beverly Hills purchases in the mail, I'm thinking of doing a 'No Buy' month. Ok, maybe a 'No Buy' week. Haha. But seriously. I need to start saving for cosmo school, where I'll learn how to even better work with these products!

TONI&GUY Casual Sea Salt Texturizng Spray, clearance at Target, 50% off= $2.50

I have seriously been loving this guy for summer! I've only had it a few weeks and the bottle is almost empty. I say it's great for summer, because if you are someone like me who has naturally wavy/curly/messy hair, you can spritz this thoroughly on towel-dried hair, and continue on with your day. I work in an office and have gone to work with just this in my hair, with no styling needed. A little scrunching can add a bit more texture. It gives you that beachy, messy, piecy look. If Target is still carrying this, I will definitely repurchase.

TONI&GUY Heat Protection Mist, clearance at Target, 75% off=Bought 3 bottles at $1.25 each

 I have only used this a couple times so far. Nothing too amazing to say about it, but heat protecting sprays are one of those must-have items if you style your hair with hot tools. So I stocked up at this price. Usually I use Tresemme heat protectant, and was using the sample of It's a 10 that I received during the Ulta Beauty Days.

Frizz-Ease serum, on clearance at Target. Frizz-Ease Go Curlier and 3-Day Straight, on clearance at Walmart

The Frizz-Ease serum has been a staple in my life since..junior high? I don't know why this particular one was marked on clearance at Target, so I snagged it up.
I haven't been very impressed with the Go Curlier or 3-Day Straight. I tried them a few times each when I got them a couple months ago, and now I don't bother. I didn't really see any significant changes to my hair by using them.

NYX HD Photogenic Concealers in Green and Yellow

I just picked these up when Ulta had their 40% off sale. I have used them everyday this week. What's strange to me is that a little goes a LONG way with the green, but the yellow seems more watery. When I want to cover up a red spot on my face with green, I have to barely graze it with the product. I feel like I have to load the yellow on under my eyes to see any correction. Regardless, I'm really loving these. I gently tap the concealed spot a couple times to lightly blend, then put on my foundation as normal and blend out. I really think these are helping me to achieve a more flawless face!

Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme, picked up 1 on clearance for about $3 at Walgreens and one at CVS for about $4

 I don't think I've ever bought anything Covergirl in my life. But I'm a sucker for clearance! I think this line might be discontinued shortly and that's why it was on clearance. The texture is a soft creme. The texture and appearance is that of a day cream or night cream. It doesn't remind me of other 'whipped' foundations I have tried (in high school I used Maybeline Dream Matte Mouse religiously). It allows for pretty good coverage but I feel like it just sits on top of my skin. I haven't tried applying it with a brush though, maybe that would help. After these two are gone I wouldn't repurchase, and I'm not sure this style of foundation is really for me!

Loreal Voluminous Butterfly Waterproof Mascara, used a manufacturer's coupon and I believe it was on sale at Target

 I picked this up because I have always heard good things about the Voluminous line of mascara, and there is a manufacturer coupon out there right now for this product (coupons.com) I didn't mean to buy waterproof and I don't think I've ever used a waterproof mascara before! I guess it's okay to have one around. I really like the length I get from this product!

NYX Mineral 'Set It Don't Fret It' Matte Finishing Powder

This is another product I picked up at the Ulta 40% sale. I'm all about being matte lately. But I've honestly never really used powders! I am loving this product. I can't believe what I have been missing out on.  A light dusting of this across my whole foundation routine and I look perfectly matte. The matte lasts all day! It has a very soft finish, I touch my face throughout the day at work just amazed at the staying power and the soft texture.

Loreal Youth Code BB Cream, purchased at CVS. Regularly $16, paid $4

BB cream was never something that tickled my fancy because I'm a full coverage kind of girl. But when I saw this insane clearance deal, I had to give it a try. I have actually really been enjoying this product for all these days I've been spending doing yard work, but still making the occasional run to the hardware store. A gives just a light tint (I bought the shade light and I'd say it's more medium) that is enough to cover most of the redness in my face and make me look a little less zombie. It also has the benefit of the SPF 15, which is another reason I've been wearing it for yard work.
I have worn it underneath my foundation acting as a primer which I think is another great way to use the product.
I can't say I see any improvements to my skin from using Youth Code, but I haven't been using it long enough and regularly enough to know for sure.

Lumene CC Anti-Age Color Correcting Cream, purchased at CVS. Regular price $14, paid $4

I've also never tried a CC cream before, but again, when I saw the deal, I had to try. I bought 2 bottles but ending up giving one to my mom because I didn't see myself absolutely needing this product. This CC is a bit thicker than the above mentioned BB. I can't see myself applying this on my whole face but rather have used it to cover and redness here or there, kind of acting as a primer before foundation. This one little bottle will last me forever, another reason I decided to give the extra to my mom rather than keep it in my stock pile!

Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Customer Bronzer for Blondes and Mineral Wear Flawless Airbrushing Kit. ON SALE RIGHT NOW AT TARGET BOGO FREE! Plus look for peelies! I found a $3 off peelie. Regular price, $28.18, I paid $12.49.

Ummm YES. The Mineral Wear Flawless Airbrushing Kit is EVERYTHING. I used it for the first time today and I am in love. I used the matte bronzer to do my contour, the blush is a perfectly tawny corral the looks perfect with the bronzer. The powder I thought was going to be a bit dark for me, but was perfect. I was so excited about the lasting power of the NYX powder I just got, but I can already tell this is even better! The product reads '16 hour airbrush finish' and I'd have to agree. I have had these products on my face since 6am, it is now 9pm and after an eight hour work day and mowing my lawn my face still looks pretty dang good! I am in LOVE. Not to mention the products' packaging reminds me of the MAC Alluring Aquatic collection (from what I've seen in pictures anyhow).
The Multi-Colored bronzer I haven't opened yet. The only reason I got that product is because that's what the peelie coupon was for. Had I known my cashier wasn't going to verify what the coupon was even for (grrr) I would have picked out another set, and gotten even more for my money. But that's okay. I'm going to leave this baby closed and put it in my stock pile for later use. I've used many PF bronzers in the past and I've always adored them.


So that's a wrap on some of my recent sale purchases! I feel good about how much I saved on all of these products. When I move to Minnesota it is my plan to become an extreme couponer. Where I live now, I don't get the coupon inserts in the mail so once I'm livin' in the 'big city' I will begin my quest to start saving extreme amounts of money! Which will hopefully help pay for my shopping addiction!

Like I said, I have some The Balm products coming from Haute Look that should be here next week (it literally took a month- not cool Haute Look) and I just placed an order on Anastasia Beverly Hills. Reviews on those products will most likely be to come!


Thanks for reading!

DIY Gnome Garden

My mom, sister, and I were shopping a few weeks back at Gordman's when she found gnome and fairy garden accessory kits. She said her best friend had one and how cool it was. She was tempted to buy a kit herself, but I reminded her that Mother's Day and her birthday were coming up.

So my sister, brother, and I went in together to make my mom a Gnome Garden. Of course, I'm the one who ended up doing all the shopping and the work. I'm not much of a gardener, but it was still a fun,quick little project. Would be great to do with kids as well!

I started with this Echo Valley Gnome Garden Accessory Kit. I picked mine up at Gordman's for $19.99 but used an in-store 20% coupon to get it for $16 + tax. I saw the same kit at Menards for $19.99 as well. Although the box shows this picture on the front, it only includes the accessories, not the plants, soil, pot, etc.

Echo Valley Gnome Garden Accessory Kit

The kit includes:
-Gnome figurine
-Birdbath
-48" fencing
-Chair
-Wheelbarrow and shovel
-Birdhouse on stake
-Arbor


I found the perfect planter at Hobby Lobby and it was 40% off.

My local Menards also carried a couple additional accessories, I purchased a trellis there for $2.99. I also purchased a bag of potting soil there.
As far as the plants go, the kit actually had a list of recommended plants. Of course, I couldn't find most of them, but went off the list to find some herbs and ground cover.

The plants I purchased:
-Alternathera - Striking foliage is great as a background or accent for gardens or containers.
- Sperngeri 'Asparagus Fern' - Perfect foliage accent, attractive in containers.
- Crassula pelluicida variegata 'Calico Kitten'- Succulent. For rock gardens, containers and low-water plantings.
- Oregano
-Thyme


To put this Gnome Garden together, I started by filling the bottom of the planter with larger rocks from one of my own gardens at home (because I was too cheap to buy a whole bag of rocks when I only needed a few!). I then filled in the gaps with very fine rocks/sand that Dylan had in the garage for the winter months (he used to work in a rock quarry). I added the potting soil, leaving a couple inches of space at the top of the pot. I drew a quick blueprint in my head of how to lay out the plants, but then I just winged it. Turns out I may have bought one too many plants, the garden is pretty full and I'm not sure how much my mom will be able to expand it! After all the plants were in place, I scattered a few smaller rocks, added in the accessories, watered the plants, and it was done!

All supplies included, I spent about $50.

I can't wait to give it to my mom tomorrow. Because she has been eyeing them up for a while, I think she will love it! I personally adore it (I have a soft spot for gnomes) and might make myself one in the future!

The Magic of Coconut Oil

After seeing many Pinterest posts and reading up on some blogs, I decided to buy myself a jar of this magical product- Coconut Oil. The list of what you can do with coconut oil is lengthy, but I'll describe what I've used it for so far.

Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (Unrefined) from Walmart, about $7

My uses for coconut oil:

-Oil Pulling. You may have read articles about oil pulling on Pinterest- it's quite the fad right now and it's what sparked my curiosity about coconut oil. This article I read on Fashion Lush blog teaches the step-by-step process of oil pulling, click here. Essentially, you swish coconut oil in your mouth in the same way you would mouthwash, for about twenty minutes. The benefits include: whiter and stronger teeth, detoxifies the body, banishes bad breath, and headache relief!

- Quick and easy lip balm. Swipe some coconut oil on your lips for quick and easy moisture.

-Eye makeup remover. Use your finger to grab a dollop of coconut oil, rubbing it on your eyes in a circular motion. It removes eye makeup much more quickly than the usual Vaseline that I use, and leaves your skin feeling soft.

-Lotion. Rub some coconut oil on dry spots, like elbows, for instant moisture!

-Shave gel. Use coconut oil instead of shave gel or soap. Your legs will be silky smooth!

-DIY Sugar Scrub! Click here.

-Hair frizz. Rub a little coconut oil on fly-a-ways to prevent frizz (be careful not to use too much or you could end up looking greasy).

-Hair mask. In the shower, apply coconut oil from mid-shaft to ends, let it soak in while you continue your shower routine. When you wash out you will have seriously softer hair!


These are the uses for coconut oil that I have personally tried so far. Frankly -I'm in love with the stuff! You can also use coconut oil for cooking and baking. I haven't tried that yet because it does have a distinct coconut flavor.

I'm glad I got sucked into the hype of coconut oil. I'm amazed with how silky smooth it makes my hair and skin, and plan to continue on my oil pulling regime.


Mallory

DIY Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

1/4 cup granulated brown sugar
1/2 cup organic unrefined virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp honey

I have been using this simple recipe for a facial scrub, body scrub, and also as a lip scrub to remove dead skin before applying lip color! It tastes and smells delicious and truly leaves skin feeling super soft!

DIY Vanity Staining- Easy Bathroom Makeover!

Hello,

Right now we are in the process of fixing up our house to get it ready to sell. Dylan would like to have the house on the market in August and I plan on moving to Duluth in September.
Our goal is to make things look as awesome as possible, but without spending a lot- I'm sure most people have that goal when renovating, right?
I have MANY projects to get done before August (mostly by myself with no help from Dylan, mind you) and this is the first solo project that I tackled. And let me tell you, I am SO proud of how this vanity project turned out! Let me describe to you how simple it is to completely update the look of your bathroom vanity for less than $20!

Would you believe that these are the SAME vanity?

Minwax Polyshades in Espresso Satin - this size container cost about $10. I could have gotten away with the smaller size but didn't want to take the chance! I still have enough for many more staining projects!

Tools and Supplies:
Minwax Polyshades in Espresso Satin (this color was not available at my local Menards, found it at Home Depot)
5-10 cheap foam brushes (I threw mine away after each coat)
Painters tape
New knobs and pulls if desired (could spray paint your old ones if you liked the shape of them)
Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint (used to spray paint the hinges rather than buy new)


1. You will want to start by cleaning the vanity. This is a step that I could have put a little more effort into. I scrubbed lightly with soap and water with a sponge. I think a scrub with a little more 'elbow grease' would have definitely helped with the application.

2. The beauty of Minwax Polyshades is that you don't have to sand!!! That's right. The product is designed to lay over the current varnish/stain that is on the wood. Again, I think it would helped my stain application to have at least lightly sanded, but I am still happy with the way things turned out.

3. To make it easier to stain all the nooks, crannies, and edges, I removed the doors and drawers and laid them out on an old sheet for staining.

4. Tape off your sink, floor, walls, etc. and lay a sheet to cover the floor if needed.

5. Get to staining! The key to this project is VERY light coats. Start at one end and slowly drag the foam brush to the other. YES, it will take longer to do 4-5 very light coats as opposed to 2-3 heavy coats, but the results will be worth the extra time! My very first stroke was thick, and the stain started to bubble up on the surface and wouldn't even soak in.
I worked on this project over the course of a weekend, allowing between 12-24 hours between coats (just because I had other things going on over the weekend as well). I did 4 very thin coats of stain.


6. After giving at least another 24 hours for all coats to set, I added the new knobs and pulls, which really made the look.

New pulls, around $4 each from Menards

7. I spray painted the old hinges (because there was nothing wrong with them) with a dark oil rubbed bronze color, because I wanted them to blend in with the color of the stain. Another option would be to get new hinges or spray paint your hinges to match with your new knobs and pulls!

Door on the left after 1 coat. As you can see the difference is very minimal- THIN coats.

TIPS:
-Scrub that baby clean beforehand! Do not half-ass this step. It will make a difference. I found leftover soap residue, dust, etc to cause quite the problem for me.
-Drag the brush from one and to the other, without stopping, as much as possible. If you lay the brush down in the middle, you will see a brush stroke.
-Again- VERY THIN coats. This is the key to this product. Without sanding, essentially this product is just laying on top of the current varnish. Thin coats will stick better
-Be careful not to let any stain drip - and if it does, blend it in quickly. It doesn't take long for it to become tacky and hard to manipulate.
-Remember the edges of the doors, drawers, etc.

Finished Product

I couldn't be happier with how things turned out for the price! Like any DIY project, it's not perfect, but it makes a huge difference in the look and feel of my bathroom. Only a few more small steps and my bathroom remodel will be complete! More to come soon!

Mallory

DIY Spring Wreath

Happy Easter!

I'm a bit behind with my posts because once again Dylan has taken the laptop as he has now moved up to Minnesota. 

Speaking of which it's definitely been a change to be 3 1/2 hours away from him! Today was Easter and it just didn't quite feel right not being together. 

This DIY is a spring wreath that I created a couple weeks ago to give to a friend as a bridal shower gift. I saw a lot of wreaths on Pinterest and also on Etsy selling for upwards of $50 or more. I'm a pretty crafty girl so I knew that it would be ridiculous to pay $50 for a wreath, when I could easily make it myself!

I ended up getting all of my supplies at my local Hobby Lobby but I'm sure the supplies were also available at Michael's or Joann. I actually have all three stores in my area but Hobby Lobby is usually my go-to. 

Materials:

Twig/branch wreath to use as base, they sell various sizes

Assorted artificial flowers, branches, greenery

Ribbon 

Wooden letter or numbers 

Acrylic paint 

Brush 

Floral wire (or jewelry wire or any sort of flexible wire)

Wire cutters

Hot glue

You'll want to start by picking out a wreath base that is the size you would like, depending on where you want to hang it. I designed this to be hung on the front door. I want to say mine was about 1 foot in diameter. 

I then started by arranging the flowers in the way that I wanted them to be before I even started attaching. 

I then trimmed down the excess wire of the floral pieces the best that I could. Some of the thicker parts of the 'stems' wouldn't stick to the wreaths with glue so I used floral wire to wrap around and attach to the wreath. Make sure that you then spread out the flowers and branches to cover up the wire. I used hot glue for the rest! 

This wreath was for a friend who's new last name will start with an 'N' which is why I chose that letter, and then I painted it with two coats of white acrylic paint. I have also seen wreaths on Pinterest that use your house number rather than a letter which I think is cute as well. I was able to attach the letter to the wreath with glue. 

I made the bow out of burlap and also attached it with hot glue. I also made a loop with the burlap ribbon that she can use with a wreath hanger. 

It's hard to describe the process because it's pretty simple- just pick out the flowers, ribbon, and other adornments that you want and start attaching them to the wreath! There is no right or wrong! 

The best part about this project is that the total cost was only about $15! I can't wait to make one for myself. 

Mallory

My 'Beauty Station'

Because Dylan is going to be living in Duluth without me for a few months (sigh), he is taking the spare bedroom furniture, leaving the room completely empty.
Prior to today, I would sit on the spare bed, with a mirror propped against the wall, to get ready in the morning. This was neither glamorous, comfortable, or practical.

Today I moved the desk from my front room that I refinished a few summers ago with my friend Kelsey into the spare bedroom and set up my 'Beauty Station'. I few months ago I picked up these decorative canister/candle holders? at Target for just a few bucks each. I had them in my dining room hutch for decorative purposes until today- now I'm using them to hold my brushes, hair products, and lip products! I picked up a plastic organizer at Target today on clearance for under $5 where all the rest of my makeup is now held.

I'm so happy to have my own space, to be comfortable in the morning, and be organized! I think I threw it together pretty easily. What do you think?

Canisters, Key wall decals, mirrored tray, lamp, and organizer all from Target. Wall mirror was given to me by my mom. 2 way magnifying mirror from Menards.