POPSUGAR Must Have box | May 2014

Hey Lovelies! 
"Must Have" boxes have exploded recently. I started seeing them on Pinterest and on Facebook through multiple different companies and websites. I decided to give one a try after seeing the POPSUGAR Must Have box on Pinterest.

Here is the scoop:
Each month you will receive a box of goodies! It's like getting a surprise gift in the mail every month. Love surprises! =) I decided to give POPSUGAR's a try because it was cheaper than some other must have boxes I have seen before. I gave it a go and paid for 1 month to see how I liked it.
I filled out a "My Preferences" form while signing up.
They ask questions like:
Personal Style (Sporty, Bohemian, Feminine, etc)
Color (Warm or Cool)
Jewelry Type (Necklace, Earrings, Bracelets)
They keep your preferences in mind when choosing products.

POPSUGAR describes it, "It's kinda like getting a cupcake for breakfast." Yup.

Price: 
Monthly for $39.95/month
3 months for $109.85 (save $10)
6 months for $214.70 (save $25)
1 year for $429.40 (save $50)

This is the May Must Have box I received last week!

Inside the box were 7 new products in the categories of: 
Must Have Beauty, Must Have Home, Must Have Food, and Must Have Fitness.

The Contents:

 May Box

Summer is fast approaching, and we've got all the goodies you'll need for your best season yet. This box will give you a head start on feeling rested and energized for your upcoming activities and weekend getaways. Get bikini-season ready with these food and fitness must have. To look and smell like paradise, try out these beauty products to unleash your inner sun goddess. Finally, after a long Summer day, sleep soundly with this eye mask to recharge for your next adventure!

1. Hi I'm Skinny Sticks - $4

Multi-Grain Sweet Onion flavored. A tasty alternative to chips and cookies to help you achieve that beach body this summer! I've never been a onion rings kind of person, but I gave these sticks a try and they were surprisingly good! They are not orange colored like they look on the bag. They are more of a cream colored onion stick. I'd recommend them, but not before kissing your significant other!

2. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Pool Boy Lacquer - $10

This nail polish came at the perfect moment! I was looking for a new bright color for the summer and I LOVE blue. I just painted my nails with this polish, and I love it. It is richly pigmented and in a super full bottle! It almost looks like I went and paid for gel nails at the salon! It's also 100% vegan and cruelty free. Bonus.

3. Lip Spread Anti-Age Tinting Lip Gloss - $19

(This wasn't even pictured or written about in the May Box brochure. So, maybe I received a bonus product)! I applied the lip gloss and just thought it was a clear shade. I caught myself in the mirror a few moments later and noticed the gloss turned into a very flattering pink color. It was so cool! I just Googled the gloss and read: "Lip Spread® Anti-Age Tinting Lip Gloss is like a mood ring for your lips. The clear gloss reacts with your pH balance to create your own unique shade of light pink to berry red." Love.

4. Zing Anything Citrus Zinger - $17

This water bottle is fancy! You can press lemons, limes or any citrus fruit into your water to stay hydrated on those hot summer days!

 5. Tone It Up! - $15

 This work out DVD contains two 30-minute work outs from Bravo's Toned Up featuring personal trainers Katrina and Karena. Workout #1 features a full body workout targeting your heart rate to get you lean and mean! Workout #2 features an abs and buns workout that requires NO equipment. I have yet to try out this DVD, but I will keep you posted! 

6.  Smell Bent St. Tropez Dispenser - $45

This is probably my favorite item in the entire box. It also is worth more than I paid for the entire box, too! This perfume smells amazing. It smells like tropical paradise in a bottle. It is a mixture of jasmine absolute and fresh coconut aromas. I love it. (I may keep this in mind as a gift for friends). Here's lookin' at you kid. ;-)

7.  Kerry Cassill Eye Mask - $24

This was perfect for me. I work the strangest and forever changing hours. I honestly looked into buying an eye mask multiple times to help me sleep. I actually used this last night when I noticed the sun starting to peek through my window. It was silky and comfortable. Worked like a charm!

Total Price: $134  
(and I only paid $40)! Win. I'm a fan. I will definitely be signing up to receive the June Must Have Box and I recommend it for you, too! 

If you want to give POPSUGAR Must Have Box a try, PLEASE use this link:  http://popsu.gr/sWFc

Each person I refer helps me towards receiving free Must Have boxes! I'd love you for it.

Influencer- Receive 1 month free when 2 friends join

Insider- Receive 3 months free when 5 friends join

VIP- Receive 6 months free when 10 friends join 

Also! Use this coupon code: REFER5 to save $5 on your first Must Have Box Purchase!

Bloomington Breadstick Tour

Kathryn and I recently went back to the greatest college town in the world: Bloomington, IN. We attended a conference put on by our college called MultiVisions. We both spoke on a panel for students and faculty to inform them about our jobs in the media industry. We were excited to go back to our Telecommunications building, but we were also pretty pumped to eat tons of bread. Yup.

Kathryn created the name BBT (Bloomington Breadstick Tour). It made me laugh so hard that I had to use that hashtag when uploading all our pictures. One thing about LA, is that there are NO BREADSTICKS or good pizza. There are a plethora of these things in Bloomington and we had to eat them all in less than 12 hours.
So here is the documentation of our BBT that I wanted to share with all my Los Angeles and non-IU friends, but also for my IU friends to look back on with fond memories. I apologize now for generating any withdraws.

1) Kilroy's on Kirkwood "KOK"- 12:00PM
 http://kilroyskirkwood.com/ 
Our first stop was at Kilroy's to enjoy their amazing Stuffed Breadsticks for lunch! I was able to get an Amaretto Sour drink for only $3 (WIN!) and Kathryn was able to get her beloved Strawberry Long Island which is also delectable. Apparently, flavored long island drinks are only a thing in B-town, or atleast NOT in LA. People usually look at Kathryn like she is crazy whenever she tries ordering a Strawberry Long Island anywhere in Los Angeles. 

Kilroy's is ranked as one The Best College Bars in America according to:
Business Insider
Complex City Guide
University Primetime
Sports Business Daily
Bro Bible  
Thrillist.com 





 
2) Mother Bear's - 5:00PM
http://www.motherbearspizza.com/ 
Next stop is my favorite Pizza place in the entire WORLD!!! I was very excited to eat their orgasmic breadsticks with spicy cheese and delicious pizza. Yes, People. Indiana has amazing pizza. Not just Chicago and New York. People Magazine named Mother Bear's one of America’s Top Nine Pizzarias! The sign out front rocks a blue ribbon saying "4th in the Nation." 
I'm starting to have withdraws just looking at these pictures. The breadsticks as you can see are grouped in fours. They have a crunchy top with a SUPER soft amazing middle section as you bite into it. It's perfection. Yes, I may be a little biased, but this is QUALITY BREAD PEOPLE! Below you will see an example of a 10'' pepperoni pizza. It's more on the deep dish side, but this is consider their traditional crust. They have a deep dish square shaped pizza you can order as well. NOM.

3) Hartzall's Ice Cream - 7:30PM
http://www.hartzellsic.com/
We took a #BBT Detour. The line was OUT THE DOOR, but it was worth it. This place has the best chocolate milkshake I've ever had in my entire life. If you know me, I LOVE chocolate and usually get some sort of fancy sundae with Oreos and what not. No. Hartzall's chocolate milkshake holds its own. I know what you are thinking LA kids. Yes, it is hands down better than In-and-Out Milkshakes. Yup. I said it. Their milkshake is made to order and they put their own chocolate blend into the ice cream which makes it incredibly chocolatey and delicious. They also let you hand pick your own HUGE colorful straw which is made for drinking shakes. Take Notes In-and-Out. Sorry I didn't take a picture of my milkshake cup. I was too busy inhaling it. However,  I did take a picture of Kathryn before she had her 50 cent cone. It was so cute.


4) Pizza X - 8:30PM
http://www.pizzaxbloomington.com/index.html 
Our final stop! When I first arrived in Bloomington as a freshman this place was called Pizza Express. I find myself still calling it that, but they shortened it to Pizza X during my 4 years at IU. "Same friendly people. Same great taste." Their pizza is okay, it gets the job done when you are hungry and/or drunk. The bread is always good. They are known for their "Big Ten Deal" or "Big X Deal" Where you get a large pizza, 2 cups of your soft drink choice, (You can keep the Pizza X cups forever! We have a collection of them), and a bag of breadsticks with dipping sauce. These breadsticks are Kathryn's personal favorite. She is a frequent buyer of the "Little 5 Deal" which includes 8 breadsticks, 2 dipping sauces and a Pizza X cup drink! Their shape reminds me of bones. They are saltier than Mother Bear's breadsticks. Kathryn enjoy's their cheese dip better as well. Oh and this place is open until 4am. Yup.

This concludes the BBT! I hope you enjoyed our inside look of the tour. Please come again. 
Our Bloomington Breadstick Tour was a great success. We left with very full tummies, but with happy hearts/taste buds. =)
This is Indiana.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8hdKnr7rpE

Save the Date designs

Hey lovelies,

Well, since I have a lot of time on my hands (funemployment) I was able to enter DESIGN MODE. My good friends Paul and Crystal are getting married this September and I was honored to be asked to be in their bridal party. I saw it as my duty to design their Save the Dates. [I have to admit I was really excited to create them].
I looked and Googled HUNDREDS of Save the Dates to get an idea of what is current, modern, and appropriate. I was inspired by many other designs and I will credit with a source link below each one.
In the end, I believe I designed about 8 or 9. Here are the finished (or nearly finished) designs:

 Can you guess which one Crystal and Paul chose for their wedding?!

 

 Source image

 Crystal's idea   

Source image

My own design

 

Source image

Source image 2

 

Crystal's idea

Source image

Let me know what you think!