Simply Gum

You guys should know by now that I'm a sucker for great design and packaging (I'd like to thank the academy and Alyssa Liegel) and I was in Whole Foods the other day buying blueberries [specifically] when I spotted packets of the Simply Gum Cinnamon and Ginger chewing gum. Needless to say, I grabbed them and threw them on the conveyor belt with no idea what they were or how much they would cost me. I still won't say because I know for a fact that my husband reads this blog. $2.99 So I brought them home, took a pic, uploaded it to Instagram and didn't think much about them. I passed the Ginger onto Alyssa and kept the cinnamon for myself.

I finally popped a piece in my mouth after lunch on Monday and was so pleasantly surprised by the light cinnamon flavor and the juicy/gooey texture of the gum-it was SO good! Simply Gum is made of ingredients that I've mostly heard of (what is Lecithin?) and contains Organic Dried Cane Juice (Cane sugar), I always opt for real sugar when I can and I don't even mind the 3 calories in each piece [I ain't that hard up for calories].

For $15 you can buy an assorted pack of all of their 5 flavors which include Ginger, Cinnamon, Coffee, Maple, and Fennel Licorice. I really want to try the Maple and Coffee next! Also! you should know that the package contains "Post Chew Wraps" which Alyssa pointed out is just a gum wrapper in a different place but I think it's classy as hell to have Post Chew Wraps.

Please remember to chew responsibly people, no one likes an open mouth chewer who smacks their gum guilty.

Wednesday Words

That is all . . 

#tbt Throw Back Tuesday- Piglet's Life

This past Saturday you may have noticed that I went a bit crazy on Instagram 1. uploading pictures and 2. uploading pictures of my baby Pig's adventures. Well, it was her 2nd birthday and having almost lost her 3 weeks ago to a stomach/intestine blockage, I wanted to go all out to celebrate her life and her clean bill of health!

We started off with her first hotdog (which she reluctantly shared with Harry) at Johnny and Hanges, followed by frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles at Cups. Her day ended with a trip to JB Pet Supplies for treats, a birthday cookie, and a few new toys. All in all, I'd say she had a pretty awesome birthday, which was evidenced by the fact that she slept for a solid 4 hours afterwards!

For those of you that are raising/have raised fur babies you know exactly how much she means to me. For those of you that haven't had the privilege, I could never write the right words to make you understand. I will say this without a single doubt in my mind, she has taught me unconditional love and responsibility in a way that can only be attained from caring completely for another being's life.

My husband has told me several times that I don't post enough pictures of Pigz and Harry, so I thought it would be fun to share a view of Pig's life from the day I met her to where she is now (in the lap of luxury). Happy Birthday to my sweet baby diva Pig, here's to one million more years! (If you don't want to see 12 pictures of Pig, here's your chance to bow out)

This and the next picture are from the day that we met her when she was about 4 weeks old and weighed 2 pounds!

The day we took her home!

Her 1st Birthday!

The day we brought Harry home and completed our family!

One of their very first cuddles!

The day after she came home, I love this pic because you can see how tiny she is! {That little butt!!!}

A couple days after her surgery when she got a great report from the vet!

This is from Saturday when she had her first hotdog. I'm pretty sure this is the best picture that I've ever taken!

Discovering Meadow Belle Market

When our anniversary rolled around last month (July 1), I sent my husband the link to a personalized listing within this shop. I worked with Erin, who is one half of the sister team behind Meadow Belle Market, to personalize two rings that I desperately wanted! I really can't express how much I love this Etsy shop, it was a pleasure working with them to design personalized pieces that I love and wear every day.

I chose this dual birthstone ring and this gold with cz ring. I am so happy with my choices, both rings fit perfectly, look gorgeous and have not left my finger since they arrived. I've been stacking them with a thin gold band placed in the middle but I could also see myself wearing them separately or stacked with my engagement and wedding rings. I've also been thinking about ordering another dual birthstone ring to represent my fur babies! Oh, I should also mention that these rings are super affordable with both rings running me about $110 with shipping included!

This Weekend

As I write this, it's Thursday and the weekend is so close that I can taste it! The past few weekends have been all about running around and seeing family and I'm ready to take this one at a slower pace. We don't really have any plans which means I want to sneak in a few casual outings to keep everyone (namely me) interested.

Friday- We have summer hours in my office and I'll be going in at 1pm, but before that I'll be stopping by my grandparent's house to see my grandma's new silver convertible. My grandma is officially cooler than me [I drive a Camry].

Saturday- Ms. Pigz will be turning 2 and I fully intend to spoil her! I'm thinking a trip to the dog park followed by some Fro-Yo is in order! This will hopefully be taking place after my triumphant return to hot yoga. Also, the birthday girl will be getting a birthday bath (which she will hate, but she's stinky, so).

Sunday- I don't have a damn thing planned which means catching up on blog posts for the coming week, doing laundry, cleaning our apartment and last-minute brunch plans. I'm planning to text all my friends on Saturday night to pull together an impromptu brunch crew-we've noticed that last-minute plans work so much better for us than setting events up in advance. And brunch should be easy and fun anyway! (sorry for starting that last sentence with and, it just felt so right even though I know it's so wrong. #judgeme) If any of you are reading this post, disregard what I just wrote and expect a text on Saturday night.

What are you guys up to?? Anyone have fun plans that I should be inviting myself to??

Current Obsessions

You guys should know by now that I have a new obsession every 3 days or so. I've noticed a few themes lately and I am excited to share them with you. I have to admit that I'm swept up in a bit of a back-to-school mood. I won't be returning to school but my husband will be starting his first semester at Steven's Institute in a couple weeks (studying for his masters in Business Intelligence & Analytics) and I'm really more excited for that than shopping for the upcoming season [kidding].

Personalized Jewels

This Stella and Dot engravable disc necklace has been getting a TON of play and compliments lately.
Also, this $22 bangle engraved with my babies hashtag hasn't come off my wrist since it arrived! My own version of a LOVE bracelet.

Serpentine Cosmetics

This Color Club nail polish (Snakeskin) is GORG and wears so well, I had only 1 teeny chip during a 10-day wear.
I'm currently on a 7 day no-shopping challenge, but I'm dreaming of picking up this Tarte palette once I finish!




Seasonal Prep

I can't get enough of luxe extras like this gorgeous Rag and Bone hat, these leather quilted slip on sneakers {on sale} , this $20 pearl ring, and this miniature diamond necklace!

Congrats, Eva!!

I could not be more excited for Eva Chen (EIC of Lucky Magazine) and her husband on the impending arrival of their first daughter! I also can't deal with how cute this baby announcement is! I'll be storing this idea away for possible distant future use!

Wednesday Words

Paying it forward is one of the most important principles in my life. I feel that if I have the ability to help someone or improve their life, then I should do so.

Lush Cosmetics

We've all heard about how amazing and good for you Lush body products are (my faves are here, here, and here) but did you know that Lush now offers hand mixed color cosmetics? Neither did I. The other night my best friend and I wandered into the new Lush store in the GSP mall and I was blown away. Not only is the new store gorgeous (think reclaimed woods and chalkboard displays), but there were several new products that I knew nothing about.

I like to consider myself pretty up on what's happening in the beauty world and I was surprised that Lush pulled a Beyonce on me and launched a cosmetics collection. Naturally, I was drawn towards the uber colorful display and immediately started chatting with a sales associate about the collection. I sat down for a "color reading" and wound up with a bright purple lipgloss (Drive) which I absolutely love!

A color reading consists of the sales associate spinning this lazy susan of color chips, you close your eyes and pick the first 3 colors that you see. I chose In Charge, Feeling Secure, and Drive. The first color is meant to represent a strength of yours (true), the second is meant to represent a weakness of yours (false), and the third is meant to represent a quality you wish to enhance or cultivate more of (semi-true). At first, I thought that all three colors were eyeliners (the wheel is a mix of eye liners, lip glosses, and cream eye shadows). I was all set to purchase Drive, because I thought it could be a really cool eyeliner if used responsibly and upon learning that it was a lipgloss, Alyssa (aforementioned best friend) and I agreed that it was a must-have. 

Even if you think all the color theory is nonsense, it's fun to go in and spin the wheel and grab a couple colors that you may not have previously picked up! 

In addition to the lipgloss, I came home with a Mint Juleps lip scrub. I've been wanting a lip scrub and knowing that everything at Lush is cruelty-free made it an even easier decision to grab one right before checking out! 

It's a very wearable purple when worn with a bit of lip balm!

I am

My husband once mentioned to me that it's helpful to make a list of all the qualities you wish to cultivate in your life and embody. I always find myself wishing that I was more prompt, that I was better prepared, and that I was more focused on my goals. Well, I've always been of the mind that sharing your goals with others holds you accountable. Blogging is the absolute mecca of sharing, so I've compiled a list of 12 qualities that I plan to embody from this day forward, with the turn of the season as my chance to shed my skin and start over.

Using terms like "I am" and "I do" gives the impression to yourself and others that you already embody the qualities that you wish to enhance and provides a base of positivity for you to achieve and exceed your goals. Here's to positivity and me getting off my damn phone.

1. I am 5-10 minutes early for all appointments (I also don't forget every hair appt. I ever make)
2. I purchase birthday gifts and cards at least 1 week in advance
3. My dogs never have accidents in our house (due to my own obliviousness)
4. I wake up at 6am every weekday morning
5. I do not spend money frivolously
6. I eat healthfully 2/3 meals per day (starting small here, folks)
7. I engage in physical activity 3-4 days per week (this is the biggest stretch on this list)
8. I vacuum every other day #HairyHarry ain't no joke!
9. I spend less than 1 hour per day on my cell phone [ this includes Instagram (!) ]
1. I downloaded the app Moment ($4.99) to help track and set the amount of time I spend on my phone. 
10. I'm never late for work and I stay fully engaged and focused throughout the day
11. I always take the stairs
12. I have legible handwriting

You should know that I was very tempted to title this post, "Imma be" after the 2009 Black Eyed Peas classic that we all know and love, but "I am" came to mind first and I had already committed, so . . . 

Image via Pinterest

Altuzarra for Target

On September 14 (this is 1 month from today, folks) Altuzarra for Target will launch, and I will get divorced because of it. Why, you may ask would a Target collection lead to the demise of my relationship? Because my husband won't understand why I need an emerald green snakeskin print pullover sweater. Honestly though, everything in this collection is gorgeous and my top picks are below!

Wednesday Words

We've lost a beautiful soul, rest in peace, Mrs. Doubtfire. 

Edie Parker

What we have here is the new Judith Leiber. Where Lieber delivered with a myriad of bejeweled sculpted clutches, Edie Parker picks up with glitter infused acrylic. Parker steps in at a more affordable price (which is still way outside of my clutch budget)-at around $1,200 for a classic clutch and $1,595 for a bespoke clutch (think initials, full name, hashtag, etc). This line was launched after founder, Brett Hyman could no longer find the vintage acrylic clutches that she had been purchasing for years. Recently, Britt has teamed up with the Mount Sinai Parenting Center to donate 10% of proceeds from the sales of two of her pieces. If I didn't already love these bags, that would be a major selling point for me! Check out Edie Parker on Instagram for fun behind-the-scenes shots!

10% of proceeds from the sale of this clutch will be donated to the Mount Sinai Parenting Center in NYC! 

Quick Washi Tape Update

This was such an easy little update-one could argue that it's not even worth a whole blog post but what's the point of a blog if not to update you on every little part of my life? So, here is a super quick update to a bulletin board that we have in our kitchen.  

As you can see, its 1. overcrowded and 2. missing a decorative piece (see below). 

At some point, a piece of wood molding fell off and we've been looking at this unsightly glue trail for at least 6 months. 

I had finally had enough and I decided to just place some lime green sunglasses print washi tape over the gap and call it a day. Also, that is definitely a poop sticker from the doggie waste bags we just purchased. 

I also threw out about half of all the junk that was on the board to make it a bit easier on the eyes. 

Now we just have to work on that hideous floral wall paper . . .