November Birchbox!

It is Birchbox time again! I'm a little late getting it posted this month but it came right on time last week. This month's theme is "More Good" - sort of focused on the holidays.

 

 

This is a sample of Sampar's Equalizing Foam Peel. I am a little nervous about using a peel but it claims to be gentle so it is worth trying! The full size is $75 and honestly I don't think there is anything that could make me purchase the full size - there isn't enough here in the sample to make me fall in love with it - but I am excited to try it!

This is a Joie sample of their Folle de Joie perfume. I haven't gotten a perfume sample in a while since I updated my profile that I would like to receive fewer of them (I was getting one in every box!) but I REALLY like this one. It is a little less floral than others I have received - almost more "grown up" smelling, if that can define a perfume. I've worn it twice now and I like it a lot...

This is a Tiossan body cream sample. It is a nice thick cream that rubs in pretty well. Nice size to toss in the travel bag and it has lots of antioxidants in it - supposedly great for skin so that's a win in my book!

Another Color Club nail polish. The color is quite a bit darker in person - this picture makes it look bright blue but it is closer to a dark royal in real life. I think I will start with it on my toes and go from there. I usually avoid blue and green on my hands - personal preference - but this one is dark enough that it might fly!

Finally, this is - I believe - a full size product! It is a Chella brand highlighter pencil. Regular price is $18 and if the full size is bigger then that is awesome. I have already used it multiple times and I really like it. Perfect shade to brighten up brows bones, inside of the eye, etc. Goes on thick like a concealer but smooths easily. Really like this one.

 

All in all, this was a really good month! Great nail polish color, lovely perfume sample, and the highlighter pencil topped it off.

 

I actually used some of my Birchbox points to purchase full size items of things I received in previous boxes (the Benefit Fakeup concealer - AWESOME - and a dry shampoo) and only paid $4! Yay Birchbox points!!

Good times.

I spent Friday night and all day Saturday at our GS camp in Knoxville teaching girls about the Gold Award. It is always gratifying to be able to answer their questions, challenge them to dream a little bigger, and encourage them to achieve the highest award possible in our organization. This group was a little challenging - not very talkative and looking intimidated by the process - but I think we made some progress. And, they know how to find us when they are ready to ask questions - they can put a name with an email address or phone number so maybe WE will be less intimidating!

Chad is working today so we just had lunch with J and he headed to the hospital for work. It is raining and nasty outside so my plans include lit candles for a good smelling house, working a little more on cleaning out the craft/spare room, starting some Christmas craft projects, cleaning up the kitchen, and maybe a little movie watching. It is going to be a good afternoon.

Then, I have tomorrow off work too! We will do a little bathroom tiling - its coming along slowly but surely - and then a trip to the animal shelter to look at dogs. Someone we know (NOT THIS HOUSE) might be getting a dog for Christmas! I'm excited! Of course, it takes everything in my power to not come home with another cat - I just remind myself how much food costs and how much the annual vet bills are and then I remember why we have cats and dogs instead of kids and I think, why not one more? :)

Never slow.

I thought that my job might slow down during some time during the year - and while I haven't actually been in this particular position for a full year - it doesn't seem like it will ever be slow.

So, that being said - I've been busy...again...more? yeah.
I took one day off this week, trying to burn some vacation time before I lose it at the end of the year but I feel like I have been playing catch up all week. Busy day of meetings on Monday, day off on Tuesday (which was vegging out perfection with my sick-with-a-cold guy), spent the entire day yesterday touring venues for a spring event, meetings all day today. I don't want to make myself sound too exciting with all the meetings - more like we are just in this season of trying to plan, make decisions for the future, and get ahead of the ball (which isn't the norm!). We are looking at events for next spring and summer - living in the land of 2014 and 2015 because we need that long to get it right!

Today was a big day...if you recall, this summer I attended the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in DC and has the privilege of presenting a session at that conference. Well, I'm applying to present two different sessions this coming year in Atlanta. The proposals are due tomorrow and I've been working on mine for a couple of weeks now. I started getting so nervous about sending it in that I just forced myself to do a final review and send it in today before I left work. I didn't want it hanging over my head tomorrow too and I don't think I could improve it any more. So, fingers crossed that they will accept it and want me (and a team mate) to present next summer!

I have another surprise project hanging over my head for tomorrow - our CEO asked me to come spend the day with the Board on Monday and chat with them about my team. They want to take a more hands on approach with our older girls programming and I'd be glad to have the input so bring it on. I'm a little nervous that I need to pull the info together by Monday but most of it is in my head so I just have to get it on paper! That'll be my project for tomorrow...so, goodnight!

Beautiful day.

I had some vacation time that I needed to use before the end of the year so I gave myself a 3 day work week this week!

I took today off to hang out with my mom and my sister. I drove about 2 hours southeast to Ball Ground, GA. to a family owned gardens that my mom found a few months ago. Gibbs Gardens. She meant to go in the spring when their 1,000's of daffodils are blooming but missed it so she bought an annual membership to go back. I enjoyed our stroll through their Japanese style garden because the maples were turning beautiful fall colors. I mainly just enjoyed spending the day with 2 of my favorite ladies...

I came home to work on my costume for work. We are allowed to wear costumes (nothing questionable, obviously!) to work tomorrow which is just another reason that I love my job.
Nothing like procrastinating...waiting until the last minute to make my costume. I believe I did this to myself last year too during the Mrs. Potato Head fame.
Anyway...
I am going to be a peacock for Halloween...
And I had some extra supplies so I made Gwendolen a costume too.
And now I am staying up until Chad gets home because I can't wait to show it to him. I think it is hysterical. He probably won't.
Pics from work after tomorrow....

Living it up.

As I have mentioned multiple times before, fall is my favorite season. It cooler temperatures, the leaves changing colors, the windows open in the house - I just enjoy so many different pieces of it and I am so thankful for another beautiful fall season arriving on our door step.

We have been busy the past few weeks...travelling to Columbus last weekend and trying to fit in as many things as possible into our days. Chad is working this weekend so I spent Saturday morning with his mom and uncle at a local fair - bought a couple of Christmas presents - and then was the official nephew babysitter Saturday afternoon/evening. I knew he had been struggling with behavior at school but I did not have any issues with him. We had a good time together in my opinion. He ran a couple of errands with me, we had dinner at Chick-fil-a, played on the playground here in St. Elmo, baked cookies, and played Monopoly. Chad claims that I didn't have any trouble with him because I kept him busy doing things that were all "fun" so he didn't have a chance to want something different. I disagree...I think he knows that his behavior needs to remain good in order to do those fun things, that I won't hesitate to discipline him, and that I will follow through on the things I tell him (both positive and negative). I think consistency is key for kids (obviously, coming from a non-parent so no judgment here!) but when he behaves well, I really enjoy hanging out with him. He is smart, funny, and full of questions - eager to learn.

Chad is gone to work now after a lazy Sunday morning together so I am going to clean up in the house a little. Something nice about the birds singing outside, windows open, and tooling around the house. (p.s. we will probably close the windows tonight...it was 64 inside the house when we got up this morning!)

October Birchbox!

Its October Birchbox time!!

 

This month was actually a really good one and I'll tell you why in a minute.

This is a small sample of the benefit brand Fake Up. It is supposed to be a hydrating, crease control concealer. I have not tried it yet but I probably will tomorrow because I am always on the lookout for an awesome concealer for genetically dark circles under my eyes. Plus - hydration is always a good thing for those too. It is in a little twist up stick so easy to smear on...

This is an interesting item that I will definitely try. It is the Lix Earle brand Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser (a UK brand). It comes with a muslin cloth to wipe off the exfoliator which is interesting and unusual. You are supposed to run it under hot water first and then use it on your face. I love that it came in its own little blue box...so fancy!

This is the item that makes me feel like this month's box is awesome.

It is a Chapstick brand hydration lock chapstick.

1. a product that everyday folks can afford and will actually use.

2. a full size item. awesome.

3. it came in this awesome little printed Ziploc baggy - this month's "Birchbox Find"...just a little extra.

Apparently the Chapstick is so self-explanatory that they didn't even feel the need to list is on my enclosure card that explains each item. Simple and awesome. Get in my purse NOW.

Sorry for the crazy blurry picture on this one (all this month's pictures were taken on the cell phone because literally my camera was in the car and I was too excited to go out and get it before I opened my box).

This is a Pop Beauty brand Aqua Lacquer. It is a sheer gloss with a little bit of pink color. I have actually already used this one and it has some sort of tingly agent in it to "plump" your lips. Love the colors lots - super sheer, could be great over anything. Don't love that it is a little on the sticky side. BUT...I think this might be a full size item too. Which means two full size lippies in one month.

It was an excellent month.

 

 

 

So, that is all the goodies for this month. A surprisingly good month. Maybe they knew it was my birthday week. :)

 

Great snail mail surprises.

I lurve Birchbox.

 Want one of your own? Get it here: Birchbox

One more.

Last birthday post I promise...but this one is a little different.

Chad and I looked for our house for a long time. We lived in a family owned townhouse for about the first 2 years of our marriage, at times sharing it with his grandmother and for nearly a year, his sister. I have no complaints about those years. It allowed us to save up money to buy a house, taught us a lot about family and love, and showed us that God's provision sometimes doesn't look like we expect it to.

We looked at a lot of houses.
Let me rephrase that. PAULA looked at a lot of houses. Chad's work schedule at the time (mainly, his lack of time off or a flexible schedule) did not really allow him to look at many houses with me. We would find ones we wanted to see and I would go with the real estate agent to look. If it passes the first test (me!), then we would make a second appointment to go back and look at it together. It really worked best for us because we were able to rule out a lot of stuff that would have just frustrated Chad and I really enjoyed the process. (If I ever have a major career change, I'll become an interior designer.) We kept coming back to the St. Elmo neighborhood for a long list of reasons, some we were sure about and some that I am sure was God leading us in the right direction.

We bought this house over 3 years ago and have been gaining some lovely relationships ever since. I am absolutely 100% convinced that we could have ended up somewhere else - there were a few other houses that I really liked - but 10000% convinced that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

We have some of the most amazing neighbors. A sweet couple across the street that have 2 year old twins and share Chad's love of running. The awesome couple in the purple house that know exactly what is going on in the neighborhood - and who trade books about Jesus back and forth with us and sent me chocolate and a sweet card for my birthday. The family up the hill that has sons that have bonded with Chad and all of whom I truly consider family...that that bestowed the sweetest birthday present on me today. An awesome bag full of goodies - homemade soaps (oh Lordy - they smell delicious and make me want to be more dedicated to my Pinterest crafts), a sweet Origami book with gorgeous paper, a hysterical Pez dispenser, and an absolutely fantastic candle from a little boutique in town- which they know I wanted because they saw me post it on Facebook.

It isn't that my affection can be purchased. Gifts isn't even my love language! It IS the fact that these people that make our house more a HOME every day are a small piece of the puzzle of why I deeply believe God put us exactly where we are supposed to be.

This week has been so eye opening. I have been trying to hard to be mentally more aware of my blessings (I picked a good week to start, right??), be more intentional with my time, more thoughtful and more thankful. And truly, tears are pricking my eyes because I can see it! God is everywhere and involved in everything.

The sweet purple house neighbors included this verse in my birthday card and here it is from the Message "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go..." Proverbs 3: 5-6a