by Joey | Jan 7, 2015 | Throwback
- Coastal Scents Revealed Palette (1): I’ve talked about this before, but I reached for it so much in December. This palette has exact dupes for almost every shade in the Naked 1 & 2 palettes! (It’s currently on sale!)
- “Vicks” Vapor Rub: WAIT! Don’t skip over this one thinking I had a massive cold. I didn’t. Instead, I had three MASSIVE cystic breakouts on my face at the beginning of December. If you suffer from cystic acne, you know there isn’t anything topical that touches those suckers. After a couple days, I was losing my mind and took to the internet. I read somewhere that vapor rub helps them. I figured, what did I have to lose? So I slept with it smeared over the cysts. And you know what? When I woke up, they were almost completely gone. Apparently it has to do with the fact that vapor rub has an anti-inflammatory in it!
- Suave Natural Infused Strengthening Light Leave In Cream: This is only a few bucks ($4.99) and performs just as well as the It’s A 10! Miracle leave in spray. I’ve repurchased this a couple times this year (it lasts a long time!) and realized I hadn’t ever shared it with y’all. I rub about a nickel sized amount between my hands and then into my damp hair after showering. It detangles, conditions and adds shine!
- Real Techniques Buffing Brush: I bought the core brush set a while ago and have been using the buffing brush ever since. It’s my favorite way to apply foundation. It blends foundation in beautifully and leaves a skin-like finish on any product!
- Suave Smoothing with Cocoa Butter & Shea: I keep this on my desk and use it often throughout the day! It’s a light finish but super moisturizing. It keeps my hands (and cuticles!) nicely hydrated without leaving a residue. I’m also a big fan of the scent.
- Vaseline Lip Balm: I am obsessed. OBSESSED. Now, these are the cutest little things I ever did see, but they are also super freaking hydrating. These are the only little guys that even begin to battle my super cracked lips in the wintertime. I keep one (Creme Brulee) on my nightstand, one (rose tint) in my office travel bag & one (original) in my wallet. If you like these, you should see this super stinking adorable little gift set!!
- Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream: This is nothing new. In fact, you’re probably tired of hearing about it. But you know I love this stuff and have repurchased it several times. I also got a hefty little stash for Xmas which I was pretty excited about. It’s the best cuticle cream out there in my opinion.
- Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry: Yeah, the 90’s brownish lip is back in, and I’m happy about it. These little guy is a perfect dupe for the Bobbi Brown lipstick in Tawny Pink. While it seems “brownish” in the tube, it’s definitely a rosy/berry tinted brown. It’s perfect for every day and very comfortable on the lips!
by Joey | Jan 6, 2015 | Throwback
After Mia wrote about her new planner, I was sold and begged asked Santa Husband to be sure one these ended up under the tree on Christmas morning.
Since blogland is so heavy into planners, I thought I’d share an in depth review of the Plum Paper Planner and compare it to the highly coveted Erin Condren Planner, which I had for 2012.
Plum Paper Planners are completely customizable. The husband picked out the cover (so it was still technically a “gift from him) but I ordered everything so I could customize it the way I wanted. I chose the regular planner with the weekly spread option 3: lines, and I had the planner start in January.
I absolutely loved that you could chose how to have the days/weeks broken down. They have four options:
The planner itself is $31. Shipping was $8.95. I ordered the day after their guaranteed Christmas delivery date but it still arrived in time to be wrapped and placed under the tree (impressed). It took 18 days from when I ordered until it was in my hands. I imagine they were probably extra staffed for the holiday because it says on their website to allow 2-3 weeks between ordering and shipping.
I also added their Repositionable Sticker Sheets ($3) to my order, and I have to say I’m hugely disappointed in them. 1) They are not respositionable. I tried to remove one and it ripped my planner. 2) YOU CANNOT WRITE ON THEM. At all. Not with any kind of pen. It seems they must have realized this because they are no longer available on their website.
Now for the good stuff, why you’re actually probably here. Because you want to know how this compares to the Planner Bible of Blogland…the Erin Condren Life Planner.
Why is the Life Planner $50 and the Plum Paper Planner $31?
- The covers. The Erin Condren planner has a gorgeous laminated, vibrant cover. The cover for the Plum Paper Planner is printed on thick(ish) cardstock with a frosted plastic cover that closes over it.
- The Plum Paper Planner has thinner paper. The quality of the pages in the Erin Condren planner is better, but keep in mind that the thicker paper also means heavier.
- The Erin Condren Life Planner has a thicker coil. Thicker, I guess, is supposed to mean sturdier. I don’t see the extra thickness as anything necessary. The Plum Paper Planner coil seems sufficient and again…not as heavy.
- The EC Life planner comes with two pages of labeled stickers (party, game, pay day just to name a few) and one page of blank stickers that you CAN write on. In order to get these with the PPP, it was an extra charge and the quality of the stickers weren’t great. I won’t hold that against PPP because it seems they’ve caught their error and I imagine they’ll be providing a new (and better) option soon.
- The EC Life Planner comes with more note pages. The PPP comes with what I feel to be a sufficient number of note pages per month. You can add more starting at $1.50 if you feel you need more.
So what’s the verdict? Having all the information that I do now about both planners, which would I reorder for next year? Plum Paper Planner.
Why?
- The base option for the PPP is sufficient and significantly cheaper than the EC Life Planner. If you don’t need all the extra bells and whistles that the EC LP offers, you’re paying for stuff you won’t use.
- While the cover for the EC LP is beautiful and the paper was thicker within the planner which made the planner look and feel expensive…the planner was expensive. And HEAVY.
- I liked that I could completely customize the Plum Paper Planner to what I needed. Beyond the regular planners with the customizable weekly layouts, they also offer teacher planners, wedding planners, family planners…so on and so forth. And within all of those, you are able to customize as you need. They also have an abundance of add ons to suit whatever need you might have.
The only negative thing I have to say about the Plum Paper Planner is that the stickers were a complete waste. Granted they were only $3, so I didn’t really care. And I’m pleased to see they’ve removed them from their website.
I bought the EC Life Planner for the year 2012, and I abandoned it halfway through the year. It was extremely bulky and heavy, and honestly the breakdown of the day (Morning/Afternoon/Evening) didn’t really suit my needs…and it wasn’t lined which only resulted in a lot of wasted space for me and a messy appearance once I did write in it.
The Plum Paper Planner is just as large but significantly lighter.
When I decided to write a review for this planner, I contacted Plum Paper and asked if they’d be kind enough to offer a discount code for you guys.
And you know what? They delivered!
If you decide to
order one for yourself (I highly recommend it!) be sure to use the code:
PODGES10 for 10% your entire order!!
by Joey | Jan 5, 2015 | Throwback
I know there are a lot of people out there who just aren’t fans of the New Year. And I get it. I do. But I’ve always just loved it. I love the concept of turning a new page, starting fresh, and having the opportunity to reevaluate.
I’m a goal oriented person. I’m constantly making todo lists, striking things I’ve done off with a bright colored highlighter. I get such satisfaction looking over my planner from the week and seeing productivity. While I think the new year is an awesome time to make goals (see how I used the word goals not resolutions), I use those goals as a road map to make weekly and monthly goals as the year goes on.
While resolutions always sound like a great idea, often they are too broad therefore setting you up for failure. Be a better person. Eat healthier. Work out more. Blah blah blah. But goals are specific. They give you concrete guidance.
So I wanted to share with you my goals for 2015. But with that said, I feel like I should attach a disclaimer. My situation is different than your situation. And your situation is different than your friends’ situation. Everyone’s lives and priorities are hugely different. But for the sake of transparency…here we go.
- Replace final Charlotte income with writing (clarification: match the income I was making before we left Charlotte nannying with writing) by the end of the year.
- Write and complete a second book, writing at least 1000 words per week day.
- Tackle query process. Bonus: acquire agent.
- Find a church and commit.
- Read 50 books. Review read books on blog each month.
- Create a cleaning schedule and maintain house.
- Run consistently, create weekly and monthly mileage goals.
- Make business cards.
- Buy (or lease) a young, new (to me) car.
My goals might not seem all that lofty, and I do that intentionally. I don’t like setting myself up for failure. I make small, attainable goals. I take one small step into each challenge. I find that I’m more productive, and I stick to my goals when I feel accomplished creating a sort of domino effect.
Do you make goals at the new year?
Do you find that you stick with them throughout the year?
Do you also break those down monthly and weekly?
Let me know! What are some of YOUR goals for 2015?
by Joey | Jan 1, 2015 | Throwback
>> We had a “Bailey Day” the other day. I took her for a good long walk. We took her to Tractor Supply to pick out some new toys. And then we spent the afternoon playing with her new toss toy in the backyard. By time we got inside and gave her big surprise to her, she was too tired to enjoy it. I’d just like to point out that while I’m typing this, she’s working on the smallest little nub that’s all that’s left of that bone. *we supervise her while chewing.
>> I met my friend Daniel for a drink last Friday. He was in town from Nashville, and we’ve been buddies since middle school so I demanded asked to meet up! It’s always just so good to see him! While we were at the bar, someone taps me on the shoulder and goes “oh, my gosh.” An old HS friend was there meeting another old high school friend! We ended up having a sort of accidental high school reunion and it was such a great night or reminiscing! Funny story: my friend couldn’t remember my maiden name. It was on the tip of her tongue. “It ended with an “ens,” right?” I stared at her blankly. “Really?” I asked. “That’s the part you remember but you forgot about the Dick?” Well, of course when I said that it seemed to go quiet in the bar and I swear half the bar turned and stared. It made it to her instagram! hah!
>> Coming from the girl who admittedly claimed to hate sandwiches a few years ago: I’ve been on a massive sandwich kick. First it was subway, but that was getting expensive. So I bought all the stuff I like and I’ve been a sandwich making queen the last few weeks. I’ve also discovered the wonder that is pickle slices on a sandwich. Yes, I’m like 8 years old in my food discoveries. Whatever.
>>It’s currently 7:30 on New Years Eve while I’m typing this and I’m minutes away from washing my face and slipping into my onesie. The hubs and I have big plans of a massive cheese plate, some happy beverages and maybe some games! Cheers to the New Year friends!!
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by Joey | Dec 31, 2014 | Throwback
2014 has been a huge year. It’s been amazing and awful and just…well, life. I will say this about 2014. I made it my bitch. I just did. I remember as the year was starting, I felt scared. I was worried another year would pass and I wouldn’t accomplish any of the things I wanted to do. So I decided to make a change. I changed the entire way I function. So I want to encourage you–if there is anything you’ve wanted to do but haven’t done, make 2015 your year. Make yourself a priority and take no excuses. You can do this!!
Some highlights through the year!
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
I’m so ready to see what 2015 has in store for us!
