Tuesday Things - Summer Bucket List

This weekend was COLD!  Not cool.  It was sunny though, which had us longing for the summer.  While eating lunch Saturday, Brian and I started talking about all the things we want to do this summer, and I decided we needed a summer bucket list :)

In no particular order, we want to spend time...

- talking nice long walks outside
- Running!  I cannot wait for nice long runs outside
- eating out on patios - a lot!
- playing outdoor games - golf, tennis, volleyball, ladder ball, bags (ahem, I still call it cornhole), bocce ball, mini-golf, etc
- exploring downtown more
- hiking
- visiting waterfalls

And hopefully at least one weekend up in Duluth & Lake Superior :)

Last summer was completely crazy between work, vacations, and moving, so we're really hoping to get out more and do some more local exploring :)  I cannot wait!  Bring on the warmth!

What are you hoping to do this summer?  Anything we should be sure to do?

Monday Morning Recap 3.24.14

Well it was another laid back weekend in our house :).  We did actually go out to eat with some friends on Thursday (we're not big on going out during the week).  They were headed out of town for a class the next day, so we got together while we could :)

Now that I'm thinking about it, we didn't really do much on Friday...we grabbed lunch when Brian got home from work, but spent the rest of the day at home.  I took care of some stuff around the house, and we caught up on some of our shows.

Saturday was a little more busy, and we ran a few errands.  First stop was Best Buy where Brian was looking for a specific type of cable.  They didn't have what he needed, but we did pick me up some computer speakers! 

                             

Brian built me a new desktop last year, but one of the things I still needed was some speakers!  Since I broke my iPod speakers a few months ago, I'd been listening to music in my office with my headphones plugged in and the volume turned all the way up (because I get tired of actually wearing headphones).  But now I have speakers!  They're pretty nice, and we got a pretty good deal on them :)

After Best Buy we grabbed lunch at a new restaurant that just opened.  It was goooooood! I had a burger with fried cheese curds on it - yum! The restaurant (it's an ale house type place) seems really cool, and they'll have a huge patio (with bocce ball!) once it gets warm.  Plus they have a ton of beers on tap, and Brian was impressed with the scotch menu :). We're excited to go back with a group of friends!

The restaurant is right next to our regular Super Target, so we did our grocery shopping after lunch.  For some reason, our Target does not have any rain boots! Booo!  They do have some cute sandals though!

After coming home and putting away the groceries, I left Brian and ran some errands of my own, namely Staples & Ulta.  I needed a few things I had run out of, and was quite proud of myself for getting out of Ulta without any extra purchases!  There was lots of new makeup that was tempting! Yay for will power :)

It was pretty cold this weekend (teens & twenties), so the rest of the day was spent working on some stuff in my office and watching TV :). We had planned on going to see Divergent that evening, but I ended up with a pretty nasty headache, so we decided to wait.  We did watch Frozen though - I love that movie :)

I was feeling better on Sunday, and actually had a pretty productive day!  Sunday is my laundry day, and I had the laundry sorted and started by 8am! Pretty sure that's a record for me :). While the laundry was going I spent some time writing blog posts for this week - trying to stay ahead of myself :). I also had to watch this promotional video from Disney Vacation Club (I didn't HAVE to, but if I did I got entered into a sweepstakes to double our points for 3 years - I can watch a video for that!). The video was all about the resort in Hawaii, and it definitely succeeded in making me want to go back!  Brian says if we reach our fitness goals we'll go again (nothing like a little incentive!)

I had the laundry done by four (also a record!) and finally did my nails for the first time since...Christmas?  I decided to go with a bright spring blue - What's with the Cat-itude by OPI.

                            

Sunday was also Brian's birthday, but he wasn't up for much, so we just spent the day hanging out.  He's decided he wants a new set of golf clubs, and found a set he likes, but he's still doing some research.  Oh, and apparently I have him conditioned to receiving Reese's whenever I give him a card, but I didn't this time - he said he had a major hankering for them after I gave him his card!  Whoops :)

So that was our weekend!  How was yours? Do anything exciting?  We so can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can get our and do more!  

Hope you have a great week!

Friday Favorites - Current Makeup

Today I'm going to share my current makeup favorites!  I haven't bought any makeup in a long time (save for a few lip glosses here and there), and have really been focused on using up what I already have in my collection.  I don't wear makeup on a daily basis, and most of the winter I've only worn it on the weekends, when we've gone somewhere.  These are the products I've been reaching for!

Starting with my face, I have 3 products that I rotate between, depending on how much coverage I want/need.  As you can see, they're all from Tarte, which is one of my favorite brands :)  Their face products are some of the few that don't irritate my trouble skin (with the exception of the powder foundation they put out last year - that broke me out like crazy!)

1. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation in Ivory - I wear this if we're going out somewhere special, or if I just feel like my skin needs extra coverage (which has been a lot the last few weeks, unfortunately!)  I sometimes mix in a little highlighter so it doesn't look flat.  This is my favorite full coverage foundation - it has great coverage, but looks totally natural, and the Ivory shade matches my skin pretty well!

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer w/ SPF 20 in Fair - I've been wearing this tinted moisturizer for years and it is definitely my favorite!  They changed up the packaging recently, but the formula stayed the same.  This is my everyday go to.  My skin loves it, and on good days all I need is this and a dab of concealer :)

3. Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-hour Primer w/ SPF 30 in Fair - this is the newest in my collection, and decided to try it out after seeing some good reviews on Youtube.  The coverage is in between the other 2 products, so I tend to travel with this one since I can sheer it out or build it up as needed.  I'm wearing it today because my skin needs the coverage, but I didn't want to slap on the full coverage foundation.

As I mentioned, I have quite troublesome skin, and am always on the look for that holy grail concealer.  These are the best I've found so far :)

4. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Fair - the newest in my collection, its not my favorite, but works well when I want to really try and cover up my spots.  Its quite light though, so I'll apply this before foundation so that everything gets blended in well.

5. Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory - I use this to brighten up my undereye area after my other face makeup has been done.  I have hereditary dark circles that never ever go away, so i do my best to hide them :)

6. Benefit Erase Paste in No. 1 Fair - I mostly use this under my eye on those days when my circles are especially pronounced.  Again, I'll do this first so that it gets blended in when I do my foundation/tinted moisturizer.

7. Benefit Boi-ing in 01 - My favorite all around concealer, and the one product I reach for if I'm rushing out the door and only want to put on one things (for some its mascara & lip gloss, for me its concealer)

Now onto the fun stuff!  In my efforts to actually use up some of my makeup, I've been using these exclusively :)  I've had them all for a very, very long time and the only one I might actually finish before getting bored is Hoola :)

8.  Nars Blush in Orgasm - One of the first blushes I bought when I started getting into high-end makeup because it was everyone's holy grail.  I hadn't used it in years though, so decided to pull it out and actually use it.  I may switch to something else now that spring is here...but maybe not :)

9. Benefit High Beam - Definitely my favorite liquid highlighter.  As I mentioned above, I've taken to mixing some in with my foundation for an all-over glow.  Otherwise I just use it on the bridge of my nose, my cheekbones, and my cupid's bow.

10.  Benefit Hoola Bronzer - I have had this same box of bronzer since at least 2010...they've since changed the packaging a bit (and I think they're a bit smaller now).  Its one of the only bronzers I've found that looks natural on me.  I don't really use bronzer for contouring, but to give me some color, because this girl is pale!

Eyes!  My eyes are really the only place I ever really experiment.  I'm definitely a pink lip/fun eye kind of girl.  These are what I've been reaching for the most this winter:

11. Stila Written in the Stars palette - not available anymore!  I picked this palette up around Christmas 2012, and love it!  I mostly use the dark brown shade for eyeliner, the 2 pink shades for my lids, then the sparkly nude color for highlighter.

12. Flower Color Play Creme Eyeshadow in Good as Mari-gold - This is part of the Drew Barrymore line that you can get at Walmart.  I picked this up a few months ago, but really just started using it.  Its a real pretty gold eyeshadow that isn't in your face.  Makes a great base color.

13.  Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown - I'm not really big on doing my brows, but every once in awhile they need some attention.  I love that this pencil has a brush on one end.  I usually just lightly fill them in and brush them out.

14. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Brown - lately I've been grabbing this one, just because I don't like looking like I have crazy amounts of mascara on - the more natural the better most of the time.

15. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon - definitely my favorite eyeliner :)  I don't do anything crazy, just try to make my lash lines look a little fuller.  I find that a little bit of eyeliner helps me look more awake too.

16. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded - another great cream eyeshadow base.  This one is a metallic nude and is real subtle on me.

so much pink!

Last but not least - lips!  I have a ridiculous amount of lip products, but hardly ever wear most of them.  I'm still on the hunt for that signature color, so I tend to grab whatever I think looks close.  Most of the time its just lip balm for me though.  When I have worn color lately, its been one of these.

17. Maybelline Color Elixir in Petal Plush - Really pretty nude pink lip gloss - just adds a little something to my lips.  I have a couple of other colors too, but this is the one I grab most.

18. Cover Girl Jumbo Gloss Balm in 210 Blush Twist - I like that this gives me just the right amount of color.

19.  NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie - I actually just picked this up earlier this week, but I am loving it - its the closest I've come to the pink that I want - something natural looking yet still gives me color.  The formula is pretty great so far as well!

And that's it!  If you read this far, congratulations!  I know that was a lot :)  I like makeup though, and reading about makeup, and getting the opinions of others, so I thought I'd join in :)  Any thoughts on the stuff I shared?  Or any products you'd recommend?  I am on the lookout for the perfect pink/coral/natural looking lip product :)

Happy Friday and I hope you have a great weekend!

Thursday Randomness Take 2

Just a little randomness for this fine Thursday :)  Apologies for missing yesterday, this week has been cray ;)

- I figured out how to get my pictures to be larger without running into my sidebar!  YAY!

- We're going through some major changes at my day job, so I've been pretty busy trying to get organized and doing research...hopefully it won't all be for nothing :)

- Today is technically the first day of spring!  I don't think Minnesota got the memo, but at least the sun is out today!  Still cold though.

-  I think I'm going to have to buy one of these when they're back in stock...and maybe this phone case to go along with it :)  My phone likes to do this weird thing where it says I have 30-40% battery left, then next thing its completely dead and has to be plugged in...and it always does it at the most inopportune times - like this past weekend when I was using it to find our way back to the garage where we parked downtown!  [Also, how cute is the stuff on that site??]

- I started reading The Lord of the Rings...because I had it on my kindle from a long time ago and had never read it...fingers crossed it doesn't take me the rest of the year to finish it (it took me FOREVER to read The Hobbit a few years ago) 

- Brian watched the Pretty Little Liars season finale with me the other night...I don't think he'll be tuning in again any time soon :) 

- Oooh, one of my brothers and his gf are talking about coming up for a visit this summer!  I'm super excited :)

- Also super exciting is that we got our Disney trip booked!  Well, we have our room booked :)  We're watching flights, and its too early to book restaurants yet.  We didn't snag a room on the monorail, but were able to get a 2 bedroom villa at the same resort we stayed at last summer, so we'll all be in the same suite, which will make things super convenient :)

- My sister-in-law just launched her own website!!  Its a site that reviews subscription boxes - check it out here!  She designed the site herself, and it looks fantastic :)

- Brian's bday is this Sunday, and I have no idea what we're going to do!  Or what to get him!  He mentioned getting his golf clubs fitted, so that's probably what we'll do :)  I'm hoping for a date night this weekend to go see Divergent, and maybe eat at this new ale house that just opened up in the area.  

That's all for now!  Lots to do today!  Hope you're having a wonderful Thursday!

Tongue-Tied Tuesday

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Monday Morning Recap - St Patrick's Day Edition!

Happy Monday everyone! And Happy St Patrick's Day!!

We had a pretty fun weekend, though not as fun as last year.  St Patty's weekend last year was super fun, but this year wasn't quite up to par!  

On Friday a friend was having people over for corned beef and cabbage.  It was a potluck, so Brian volunteered me to make a pound cake :). So that was my morning. It turned out pretty good!! I'm so bad at flouring the pan, so it wasn't the prettiest, but it tasted good, and that's all that matters :). Totally forgot to take a photo...

Anywho, Brian came home for lunch and we went to Panera, then to the liquor store for our refreshments. Brian had looked up some Irish cocktails, and decided to go with one containing Bushmills, ginger ale, and lime juice (I don't remember what it was called...).  I also picked up some Harp, cause it's Irish and my favorite :)

Once home I spent a few hours working, then fit my workout in for the day.  I was in a Faith No More mood, so I rocked out to them while I got ready.

Around 6:30 we headed over to our friends' and had a pretty fun party :). The food was actually pretty good!  I will admit I was a little nervous about it, I don't think I had ever had corned beef and cabbage before and I'm still a pretty picky eater, but it was good!  I only had one of Brian's Bushmills concoctions though...whiskey is so not my thing.

The rest of the night was spent watching basketball and playing games.  We called it a night around midnight.

The majority of Saturday was spent recovering!  I definitely do not rebound like I did when I was younger :). I spent most of the day watching TV, then we met up with some friends in downtown St Paul that evening.  We hit up a few different bars, but as I mentioned, it wasn't as fun as last year, when we found a bar with a pretty good band and danced all night :). I do have to say that the skyways downtown are super awesome since it was still freezing!  Not awesome? $6 beers.  Lame.

Sunday was again spent recovering.  I was in my PJs all day, and it was fabulous :).  We did get our Disney trip booked, so at least we were a little productive!  We also watched the new Veronica Mars movie.  We had planned to go to the theater, but decided to just rent it through the Xbox, since it was available that way too...and much cheaper :). It was good, but not really what I wanted it to be...I can't really articulate why though.  Maybe once I've processed it some more...and watched it again :)

So that was our weekend!  I've got a ton of things to do today since I was pretty useless this weekend.  Still have to do the laundry and go to the grocery store, along with lots of stuff around the house.  The store might have to wait though since the weather decided to dump a wintry mix on me and I was going to drive the mustang for the first time since November.  The roads aren't clear anymore :(. Stupid weather.  I'll probably go tonight after Brian gets home, or cross my fingers that tomorrow will be better :)

Anyway, enough rambling! How was your weekend? Any exciting St Patty's Day experiences?

Hope you have a great Monday, and a fabulous week!!

What's In My Bag - Longchamp Le Pliage

I love looking at people's what's in my bag posts/videos.  I think its because I'm a pretty nosy person in general :)  So, I thought I'd join in and show you what's currently in my Longchamp Le Pliage medium bag in navy.

I've had this bag since October of 2012.  I first started noticing them while on vacation, and decided it would be the perfect bag for the snowy winter here in Minnesota, since it is nylon and I wouldn't have to worry about it getting wet.  I received a 20% off coupon from Bloomingdales and decided to bite the bullet.  I've pretty much carried it exclusively ever since, so I think I've gotten my money's worth.  Its starting to show a little wear (and I need to clean it), but that's to be expected when I carry it everyday, and I'm not all that gentle with my bags.  I purchased a larger version to be my carry-on while in Hawaii last January, and totally want a bright colored one for this year :)  

What I keep inside is pretty typical, I think.

1. A Vera Bradley coin purse that holds extra store cards (so my wallet isn't ginormous.)
2. Target sunglasses with a pouch I picked up at a Gap Outlet in 2012
3. Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm (love)
4. Car keys & house and mail keys.  The cute bear keychain was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law that they brought me back from Paris (it also had an Eiffel Tower charm, but that fell off and is sitting on my desk :))
5. Kate Spade wallet that my sweet husband picked up for my birthday this year from the Kate Spade outlet in Chicago
6. A Vera Bradley medium cosmetic that I use to house all the little extras that I like to keep on hand 

Inside the Vera cosmetic I keep everything I feel like I should have on hand.

1. Hand cream from Bath & Body Works
2. Benefit concealer
3. Target notebook for jotting down notes
4. Vera Bradley pen (loves these pens)
5. Compact hairbrush/mirror from either Ulta or Sephora...or maybe Target?
6. Tissues
7. Hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works - in peppermint, with a polar bear!
8. Toddy screen cleaning cloth from Target
9. Assorted meds, etc.  Bandaids, Pepto, Emergen-C, Cough Drops, & Shout Wipes
10. Crystal nail file my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas
11. Advil (must have - I have Advil everywhere)
12. Gum
13. Origins On The Spot - I picked this up at the counter because I thought it was a spot treatment for zits, but its actually this kind of aromatherapy thing that you rub on your temples when you feel a headache or something coming on.  I've only used it a few times, but it actually does seem to help.

And that's everything in my bag!  Thrilling, I know :)  I'd love to hear what you keep in your bag, or if you think I've forgotten anything!  I do usually keep some girly things (if you know what I mean) but obviously haven't replaced them yet.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!  Any big plans for St Patty's Day?  I know its on Monday, but we're celebrating over the weekend :)