IN WHICH I SAVE

I have recently come to the conclusion that I have a lot of stuff. I don't deny myself unless I'm absolutely forced to, and that doesn't happen often. I work hard, and I like to enjoy myself when I can. 

However, it has gotten a tad out of hand, and if I'm going to be moving into a smaller place I have got to cut back a tad. 

Sooooo... I have decided to join in a spending ban for the month of March. I first saw it posted Here and thought it was an awesome idea. March is both my birthday month and my boyfriend's, so there will be one day/night of spending.  I already have the outfits planned, so other than the food and room, there will be:

"No luxury purchases. No materialistic purchases. No cheap thrills. NOTHING you don`t NEED."

I might have made a special trip to Nordstrom, Sephora and Ulta today, just to be stocked up on the essentials. This month is not going to be easy for me! 

THIRTY MINUTES MORE

Last Monday Brandon and I didn't have class, and he has decided that he wants to go to Southern Oregon University. I refuse to apply to a school that I haven't heard of/haven't visited, and we decided to make the drive after I got off work. We left our area around 11pm, and arrived in Ashland around 4 am. We stopped by the first hotel we saw had vacancies, and were asked if we could wait thirty minutes. 

Odd, really. It was a huge hotel, part of a large chain, and I can't imagine that the same person who manned the desk cleaning the rooms. What could possibly have changed in thirty minutes? Did he really think that I was going to wait that long when all I wanted to do is sleep? Did he need to hide the bodies and turn off the "vacancies" signs? I'm still somewhat weirded out. 
Anyway, I am indifferent to SOU. It seems really small and more expensive and isolated than it is worth. I am going to spend a little bit of time thinking about it, but I'm doubtful. 
It does have some crazy gorgeous scenery though....

MAYBELLINE BABY LIPS REVIEW

I don't know about you, but my lips have a tendency to get dry. I'm not sure why, because I'm always drinking water and I tend to keep my lips fairly moisturized. 

Anyway, I managed to find myself out and about without my usual lip balm one day while out of town, and I decided to run over to a local drugstore and see what I could find. They had Maybelline lip products buy one get one free, so I decided to get a couple of these. 

First off, the are pretty awesome for the price. In my area they are about $4 a piece, which is barely more than a basic chapstick. These have SPF 15 too, and that is always a plus in my world. 

I got the nude peach flavored one, a clear mint one, and a light pink one that I cannot remember the flavor of. The color is wonderful— the pink is actually opaque after one coat, which I definitely wasn't expecting. They do a fairly decent job of moisturizing, but they wear off quickly. If I had to make a comparison, I would say that they are FAR better than the EOS balms that were everywhere last year, but no where near as good as the Fresh Sugar balms (which are more than five times the price of these, so....) 

Ultimately, these are a fun balm to have. Nothing super fancy, but nothing to sniff at. Perfect to take on vacation, to the beach, or leave in the car. Just enough to add color and moisture, but not something you will cry about losing. 

GOODBYE OLD FRIEND

In the past two weeks, my life has exploded. Most of it has been awesome, but today was somewhat sad. 

My old black Macbook died. Now, I know that it may not seem like that big of a deal — it is just a computer. But it was my first computer. I worked my butt off to pay for that beast, and it has been good to me for nearly five years. Literally no problems whatsoever, until it passed quietly today into the land of "refuses to acknowledge charger, dead battery, Mac store people say it is a total loss." 

It was my close friend. It travelled with me, had photo booth pictures of me with my natural hair color, bleached blonde hair, and my horribly unfortunate shaved head.

It saw me through multiple blogs, multiple communities, and multiple life changes. It was my friend. 

Good bye, Macbook. You were my first computer, and will always hold a special place in my heart. 

This means that... I'm typing this post from my brand new Macbook Pro! It was ridiculously expensive, and I might end up living off of rice for the next year and a half, but I knew that my old computer was going to die and had been saving accordingly for the past year. I might be in love, and I may have driven two hours just to be able to pick it up today. 

I have been in the house for just long enough to change into comfy clothing and start my setup. If you can tell, I'm literally sitting by the front door! I have a little basket that I store magazines that I'm using to hold my computer at the moment. My new Macbook is two inches wider than my old one (15 inches v. 13) and my desk isn't clear enough for it yet. 

Side note: You can kind of see it in the pictures, but while out at thrift stores earlier this past week I came across the most hideous flannel shirt. It goes down to my knees, has an enormous hood, and is made out of four different colors of plaid flannel. It is by far the least fashionable thing I own, and is therefore the most comfortable. And I'm sharing it in all of its awesomeness with the internet.

I will regret these pictures in five years (or tomorrow morning, depending.)

HANDS

Today's picture is hands, and I admit, I am ashamed. My hands and nails have taken a real beating recently, and I haven't been moisturizing, filing, or painting them like I normally do. This is one of the things I'm going to work on this week though! As soon as these midterms are over, I will be free to spend more time taking care of myself.

LAURA MERCIER TINTED MOISTURIZER SPF 20 PORCELAIN REVIEW

I have a love-hate relationship with tinted moisturizers. I love them, because they work so well on my skin in the winter, but I hate them because they are the only thing that works on my skin in the winter. Couple that with the fact that I'm ghastly pale, it didn't bode well for this one at all. I had read all about it online, and so many people seemed to love it that I fell into the all-too-common blogger trap of hype.
My first issue was the woman that sold it to me. I went in there looking to buy blush and eyeliner and to inquire about the tinted moisturizer. I thought that it would be too dark on me, but the saleswoman assured me that it was perfect! And, truthfully, in the flattering light of the Nordstrom makeup area, it was. 
Unfortunately, it oxidizes like mad and becomes far more orange about ten minutes later. Also: you must set this with powder or you will become shine city. I have such dry skin that shiny skin has never been a problem for me. This stuff sits on top of your skin, and the only way to make it work is to powder the daylights out of it. 


My second issue, and the one that really ruined it for me, is the terrible packaging. It has leaked into the cap since day one. It didn't leave my makeup counter for its first month in my home, and was always left on its side, and yet every morning I opened it up to a mess. I typically try to keep my makeup clean. I feel like I have invested in it, and because I have invested in it, I really should take care of it. This product is so awkwardly watery and oily (like a cheap, low spf sunscreen) that no matter how well I clean it and close it, it manages to leak out again within twenty-four hours. 
It has now become my "post-gym" makeup: The stuff that I put on after I get out of the shower before I leave the gym. I hate to be there without at least a base on*, but I don't want to have anything super nice rattling around in my bag.

*I would love to work at the gym I go to in the near future, so I always try to look at least somewhat put together. I'm not crazy vain! Just trying to be professional :)

WORDS

This isn't my photo, but this is a concept that has stuck out to me recently. I have listened to people complain about their current life situations, how they hate being where they are and wish they could be elsewhere. I have been saying that a lot lately! And I've come to realize that there is nothing holding me back. Realistically, all I have is a car payment, and I have people that could watch the car if I wanted to go to university in another country. 

I think that we forget sometimes how capable we are of taking control of our happiness. I'm not saying that the moment we feel pressured or stressed we should run from the situation. I'm saying that we should be actively working towards what will be the best for ourselves, and thus the best for those around us. 

Case in point: I love exercise. I really, really do. I feel better when I work out, and I tend to like myself more. About a year ago I moved thirty miles away from my favorite gym, and joined a different one. From the beginning, I wasn't a fan. I didn't like the lack of machines, lack of classes, etc. Plus, it wasn't as clean as my old gym and was more expensive. I didn't like paying more for machines that were in a constant state of disrepair. I eventually ended up giving up my membership, and I stopped going to the gym for about five months. 

Last week I rejoined my favorite gym. It is a bit of a drive, yes, but I got a really good deal on a long-term membership, and I'm already happier. My boyfriend has already noticed the change in my mood! I'm far more energetic and bouncy, plus I'm with my friends again. It may not have been the most economical move in the world, but it makes me happy. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. 

PICTURES AND PREGNANCY.

I have decided to do  this challenge put on by fatmumslim!! I'm determined to make it happen :) 

Today's photo is of my electric blanket control. An odd view, sure. But here is why: 
Today has been incredibly full. I went to class, turned in a ton of paperwork and did a ton of homework. I went grocery shopping, fun shopping, and then I went to the gym, andddddd:
My Zumba instructor is pregnant! I'm so happy for her. Her life is in the perfect place for her to have a baby, and everyone is thrilled for her. Her husband is waiting on her hand and foot, her family is excited, and I'm oddly thrilled for her. I'm not usually a baby-gushing type — I'm not planning on having kids. (Not that I don't like them, but I want to be a surgeon. Surgeons are busy!)  
For some reason, it just made me super happy for her. 

MAYBELLINE COLOR TATTOO 24 HOUR EYESHADOW TOUGH AS TAUPE REVIEW

I have been on the hunt for a decent eyeshadow primer for ages. I use my Naked palette nearly every day and love it to pieces, except for the glitter fallout. I have never been overwhelmed by UD's primer potion, and I find it overpriced for what it is. When I came across this eyeshadow, I instantly perked up. The fact that it was on sale for $4 added to the intrigue... Could it really be any good? 
The answer is YES! It is such a wonderful product. I wouldn't wear it on its own, only because it is quite matte, but it makes my UD shadow last forever! I have been wearing it daily, under my other shadows, for about a week. I have worn it through long workouts and Zumba classes, and it didn't crease or run. I have worn it through miserable eight hour shifts at my other job. I have worn it to class in the rain, and it has stayed in place as it should.
I chose this color because I thought it would add a nice depth to my shadows, and it has. I plan to get a few more as soon as I can find more colors! My area has been sold out (the main problem with living in a fairly small, isolated college town!) 
This is a truly wonderful product for the price, and I strongly recommend it!
*This product was purchased by me with my own money! I just really, really love it.