4th of July Recap!

Sorry, no couponing this week... I just wasn't in the mood and there weren't any great deals at CVS anyways! So instead of a couponing post today, I'm going to share a little bit about my 4th of July!

I started off the day with walking/running a mile on the treadmill, making sure that I got some exercise in before I started my day! Then I took off to spend the day with my parents in Newport. We drove over to Newport but found that it was so busy, we decided to head to Jamestown instead where it was far less crowded.

We walked around in downtown Jamestown, which was all decked for America's birthday!

Then we decided to stop for lunch at the Jamestown Oyster Bar. I had the most delicious chicken parmesan sandwich- it was amazing! I'm not quite sure what it was about the sandwich but I absolutely enjoyed every bite of it.

After eating lunch we drove down to Beavertail Park to walk along the cliffs and take some pictures of the beautiful ocean. I had heard of people exploring Beavertail before, but I had never been there myself and I have to say that I loved it!

Can you see my mom peering over the grass in the picture below?!

Dad checking out the view.

My parents on one of the paths

I should know by now two things about myself.
Number one: I cannot wear white without thoroughly destroying it.

Number two: I cannot do anything remotely dangerous, that includes walking on rocks. My hand is all cut up and my leg is worse. Awesome!

Later last night I went to Old Mountain Fields and watched fireworks with one of my best friends, Brittni.

It was a fun night and we had a great time hanging out and watching the fireworks show. It was a beautiful relaxing 4th of July!

What did you do for the 4th of July?

Have a great weekend everybody!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July everyone! My day will (hopefully, if the weather holds up) be full of fireworks, friends, family, and good times. I have enjoyed this week immensely thus far and have simply been relaxing and doing whatever I please! I don't even feel bad about it! Okay, well maybe I feel a little bad...and have tried to throw in a few things off the to-do list that I have been meaning to do, but for the most part I've been just hanging around and doing whatever I want.

Other than a Disney practice on Tuesday (which was followed by a long discussion about what park we are going to when and what rides we plan to go on), I have been able to mostly hang out.

 Roxy and I have been snuggling...a lot!

Roxy also went and got a haircut yesterday, and she is not quite as fuzzy anymore...you can see the picture above compared to the picture below there is quite a difference!

I did a few pages of scrapbooking (and hope to continue to do more over the next few days...) I am still a year behind in my scrapbook (in June of 2012..) so I need to get more done before I fall even further behind.

Roxy and I also hung out on the porch with mom. My mom read on her kindle while I caught up on some blogs and organized some pictures. Roxy took a nap and got annoyed when I shoved my phone in her face to take a picture...

I hope you all enjoy a completely fabulous 4th of July, whatever it is you do! =)

Spring Empties!

I am back today with my two months worth of empty products! I decided to hold off and do one of these blogs for two months rather than one so there would be quite a few products to review and for you to check out! So here we go!

My first product is a bit boring...it's a mouthwash. I use this Listerene Ultraclean mouthwash and love it! It makes my mouth feel clean but isn't an overpowering taste. I don't like when a mouthwash is so strong that it leaves the alcohol taste in my mouth and this one is perfect for that reason.

I actually didn't finish this Care One Multi-purpose Solution because it expired. It wasn't anything special and I definitely prefer what I'm using now to this one. So I wouldn't recommend this one to contact wearers!

It takes me FOREVER to use up body washes...but I finally finished this Carried Away body wash by Bath and Body Works. I love this scent, it is such a springtime scent- very fresh with a little bit of a flowery smell to it. I am sad to see it go!

Couldn't stand this Aquamarina cleanser from LUSH. I used it a few times but the smell of seaweed was overpowering. Yuck. No Thank You. Trashing this one before it's used up!

Since I learned that aluminum in deodorant is a cause of breast cancer, my mom and I both switched to natural deodorants. I used up the Toms one, but couldn't finish the Jason one because it was just too sticky. I will definitely be purchasing more Toms! I loved the lavendar scent too, it was very natural smelling!

For hair, I went through a small clear scalp and hair therapy shampoo and a large conditioner, rehab shampoo from LUSH, Daddy O Shampoo from LUSH,  H'suan Wen Hua from LUSH and Hello Hydration Shampoo from Herbal Essences.

I was not overly impressed with ANY of the LUSH haircare. It did nothing for my hair and was too expensive. I will not be purchasing any of this haircare from LUSH again. I love my Herbal Essences Hello Hydration- I will definitely be getting that again and the Clear shampoo and conditioner is another great one that works really well with my hair!

I used up a Pink bath bomb from LUSH which I loved. The scent was great and my bath turned...you guessed it.. Pink! I would use this one again for sure!

I finished one candle by Bath and Body Works called Poolside. I love this scent it is absolutely delicious- with the smell of sunscreen, sunshine and summer, I couldn't get enough of it! Will definitely buy it again!

I used up the Vanilla Buttercream soap from Bath and Body Works- such a great scent!

One lotion I finished up was Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works which is great. I like the scent but I definitely have other lotions that I like better than this one- it was still great though!

For makeup products:

Maybelline Great Lash- too wet. I just was not into this mascara at all!
Urban Decay Mascara- LOVED this! Such a great mascara, I'm sad to see it go!
Almay Makeup Remover Wipes (Oil Free)- these are such a great product- work so well to get makeup off!
Something Blue Perfume Sample- Yuck. I did not like this scent at all- it kind of reminded me of an old lady!
Caudalie SOS Morning Eye Cream- This was okay, nothing special. I will not be buying the full size
Elf Mascara- This was an okay mascara it definitely got the job done but it wasn't anything to write home about.
Eyeko London Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner- I loved this eyeliner! It works really well and is super skinny so you don't have to make a super thick line! I will buy this next time I see it!
Revlon color stay eyeliner- My favorite eyeliner for my water line.
Revlon Brow Fantasy- I liked this product but I am very interested to try out other types of brow products. This one dried up on the liquid side. I could have still kept the pencil, but I am not that attached to it!

I thought I only used up 5 Burts Bees Chapsticks...but after taking the first picture I found another one. SIX! That is out of control right?! I am an addict.

I also used up:

Beauty Protector Leave In Conditioner- I didn't notice a big difference in my hair after using this product. It definitely didn't change anything on my hair so I wouldn't purchase a full size of this
Winter Candy Apple Hand Sanitizer from Bath and Body Works- LOVED the smell of this sanitizer. I will buy this again if I see it next winter!
Davines Beautifying Potion- Nothing too special about this. Didn't really do much to my hair.
Davines Conditioner- Loved the smell of this. Wish I had a bigger sample of it to try!
Eucerin Lotion from extremely dry skin- I used this on my feet and it definitely helped where they crack and callus! I would buy a full size of this if I needed lotion...which I don't!

That's it for this post about empties! I will be back at the end of August with my summer empties!

What products have you used up lately? What did you hate, what did you love?

Weekend Recap: Wedding Dress Shopping

Sunday was a very exciting day for me, because it was the day I went wedding dress shopping with my best friend! As I mentioned before my best friend Rachel is engaged and she planned for the entire bridal party, her mom and her future mother in law to go wedding dress shopping all together on the 30th of June.

The day started off by picking up one of my oldest and best friends, Brittni.

The drive to Rachel is a little over an hour. We had a great time chatting about anything and everything. Brittni is just one of those friends where anything goes. We laugh all the time, she is the friend that always makes laugh and completely riles me up. My mom used to pack extra napkins for when we had lunch together. I always came home riled up when we hung out together, we definitely would come up with some trouble to cause but we were so afraid of getting in trouble (still are) so the trouble we caused was always pretty tame.

Anyways, we arrived at Rachels around 10am, and were instantly greeted by Rachel and her best college friend Katie. (You may remember when I went to visit Katie in NYC with Rachel). Instantly Rachel cracked open the champagne I gave her as an engagement present and started making mimosas. I honestly always assumed that I didn't like mimosas because I HATE orange juice, but I actually really enjoyed it. I only had one because I still had half a coffee to drink and I was one of the designated drivers since I had to leave a little earlier than everyone else (more on that later) but it is definitely something I would try again.

Once another of Rachel's friends (Angie) and Rachel's future mother in law (Bettie) arrived we headed off to the vineyard where we had reservations for lunch.

The Chamard Vineyard had a cute little bistro where we ate. It was nice to spend time with friends (Rachel's other bridesmaid Kristin met us there, along with her sisters Ally and Sara, and her mom Lisa) but I do have to say that I didn't enjoy the food very much. I got the grilled cheese, but the cheese was weird, and even the salad wasn't really my taste. I prefer less fancy food for sure.

A photographer took photos of us throughout our lunch and we posed for some pictures in the vineyard before heading off to the White Dress by the Shore where Rachel was ready to pick out her wedding dress!

She tried on a ton of dresses and she said yes to the dress!!!!

Obviously I cannot share any of those pictures here on the blog, as maid of honor I am sworn to bridal secrecy! You'll just have to wait till next August for the big reveal =)

We also were able to try on bridesmaid dresses which was an interesting experience. Rachel has an idea of what she wants us to wear, and it's going to probably be a blush color which is a great choice in my opinion. I am so excited to be a part of her wedding and it was truly a perfect day spent thinking about the big event!

I ended up having to leave a little early, because I had a babysitting job to go to which kept me busy the whole night, so I definitely was exhausted by the time I headed home!

Yesterday I took the day to mostly be by myself. After a busy week and weekend I needed some time to relax and not worry about anything but just hanging out. I did clean up and organize a little bit, things got a little out of control while I was running around like a madwoman. I also managed to get some thank you notes written, bills paid, and finances organized. Today, I have to head into work for a Disney practice later on but plan to relax most of the day! =)

I hope you have a great day everybody!

Weekend Recap: Recital Nights, The Heat, Memorial Service and Flowers Galore

Well, needless to say it was an extremely busy weekend around here. I kept myself hydrated and alert with multiple iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts and am thrilled that I made it out of the weekend alive!

As I already mentioned last week on the blog, I had a busy recital weekend around here. Thursday was dress rehearsal which unfortunately made me extremely nervous for the upcoming shows. Things don't always go exactly as planned and that was definitely an issue that day! I learned my lesson about starting 6 and 7 year olds in the audience and hoping they would find their spots on the stage.

Fortunately, Friday's show and Saturday's show went off without a hitch and were amazing! I was so proud of my kids and enjoyed watching them put on an amazing show! =)

All dressed up for Friday nights show!

Of course after each show I had to blow off a little steam. On Friday night, I went to dinner at the 99 Restaurant with Doreen, her husband, both of her daughters and their boyfriends. It was a fun dinner and we were able to talk about the show and have some tropical, fun drinks! I had a buffalo chicken wrap and it was okay, I really wanted the chicken, broccoli mac and cheese but I know how many calories it is and wanted to opt for a less dense option.

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow on Friday night and woke up very early on Saturday morning for a less joyous reason, my great grandma's funeral. Even when someone lives for an amazing 100 years it is still difficult to attend their memorial service. My great uncle was very upset, seeing that he took care of her full time up until she moved into a nursing home at the age of 99. He also happened to mention that they had to cut me out of the picture of her they placed in the obituary. Guess that's something to check off my bucket list, being in the obituary section. When I mentioned as much to my mom, she told me that they also cut me out of the picture of my grandma when she passed away, so I have been in the obituary section not once but twice and I am still kicking! I honestly wonder if anyone else can say that.... =)

After a quick service and reception at the church, my mom and I took off to have some lunch together at a local restaurant called The Cooked Goose. It is one of the cutest places in the area (Taylor Swift has eaten here multiple times...but no sighting on Saturday) and I absolutely love their grilled cheese. Yes, I am a cheap date and easy to please.

I had to head off to recital soon after arriving home, and as I mentioned earlier, it was great! I was so proud of my kids and they were so sweet saying goodbye to me- I will miss every one of them this summer!

Me and one of my students on Saturday night =)

One of my favorite things about recital is all the flowers- the girls I am taking to Disney World next week blessed me with a beautiful bouquet of lilies, a graduating senior gave me a rose, my mom brought a bouquet of roses, and a student gave me carnations. It was an amazing night =)

After the show, my co-worker Doreen and I headed to the movies to have a relaxing time. Complete with popcorn and soda, we totally vegged out watched the movie The Heat, starring Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. It was completely hysterical and I think I laughed through the entire duration!

I particularly enjoyed that there were many Rhode Island mentions throughout the movie. Melissa McCarthy wore a Pawtucket Red Sox shirt many times throughout the movie, and there was also a sign for Providence. Despite being set in Boston, it seemed that Rhode Island was mentioned quite a bit! I don't think people who don't live in Rhode Island would pick up on the subtle hints, but I do wonder if the director of the movie was from RI and that is why we are hinted at so many times! Whatever the reason, I love it! Home state pride all the way!

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this movie, but you definitely need to go see it- especially if you need a good laugh. Melissa McCarthy truly makes the movie- you can't NOT laugh at her craziness. Sandra Bullock is just as wonderful as ever- she is an amazing actress which I don't think anyone could deny!

This is getting a little lengthy....so I think I'll pick this up tomorrow because Sunday was a big day and deserves its own post.... I'll give you one little hint before I go- wedding dresses.

Have a great day everybody!