Nailpolish Organization

Recently my nail polish drawer need to be tidied up a little bit, So I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show how I store my nail polish.

Here is the before:

and the after:

My nail polish lives in the bottom drawer of my jewelry armoire (which I will be giving an updated look on soon). I have two old-Birchbox boxes holding all my nail polish in place which has proved very effective so far. I like that the boxes are protecting the bottom of the armoire drawer from any harmful chemicals the nail polish has.

In the left Birchbox you can see my nail polishes lined up neatly. I started with Essie, then transitioned into Sally Hansen Crackle, followed by Revlon, then Sally Hansen. In the second box I have my OPI nail polishes, followed by my small collections- Rimmel, Color Club, Ruffian, Disney, and then my top coat and base coat. I also have two small nail polish removers in this box. On the right hand side of the boxes I hold my small nail dryer and a container of cotton pads. You can see way back there behind the boxes, I lay all my nail files, nail clippers, and any other small nail tools I might need at any given point.

I don't have a HUGE nail polish collection, but I definitely have quite a bit and I enjoy doing my nails on a regular basis so it's important for me to have a place to store my nail polish. I know nail polish is a difficult thing to store, since you want to keep it out of the sunlight so it won't change color, so I think keeping it in a jewelry armoire drawer is the perfect solution!

How do you store your nail polish?

I know someone will probably ask, but as of right now I have 44 nail polishes, not including base or top coat, which is a little excessive, but I love to paint my nails =)

January Birchbox

I was waiting for my Birchbox to arrive this month…the last few days I was awaiting the mail, only to be disappointed when it was not here. Finally yesterday it arrived!

The first item in my box isn't something I'm particularly excited about...

I love tea, but I'm definitely an unflavored tea person. I'm not sure if I will try these or donate these…we shall see!

I've received Serge Normant items in the past so I"m excited to try this dry conditioner. I've never had a dry conditioner before so I'm interested to see how it works.

Gotta love a hand cream! This is a super small sample- so it's definitely a one time use item!

I've been wanting to try 100% Pure products for so long now, and I always love mascara samples. I'm thrilled that Birchbox has sent out 100% Pure items this month and I really hope it continues. I want to try their lotions, shampoos, and conditioners….

My last item is nail polish remover pads. I love getting things like this because it is something I will definitely use. I find nail polish remover pads as well as makeup remover pads way easier to use, but never tend to buy them, so it's always nice to get them unexpectedly!

What did you get in your beauty box this month?

Project 365: Week 2

This post is coming to you a little late today, I've been running around like a crazy person- doing insane amounts of errands and changing up my lifestyle a little bit, which you'll hear about later!

So here are my Instagram pictures from week 2!

On Day 9, I was enjoying my Fitbit so much! I have been doing really well staying active during the day. 

Friday, day 10, was a long day at work, luckily I met up with my co-worker Kaitlin for dinner at Applebees after work!

Day 11 ended with Laura, Kayla and Kaitlin learning to play Cribbage. It was a great time, and I was excited to finally learn to play Cribbage! We also had dinner out at TGI Friday's and it was so nice to spend some time with the girls!

On Day 12, I spent the day scrubbing down everything! I even cleaned my makeup brushes.



Day 13 was Bachelor Monday! Need I say more?!



Day 14 was a rainy, icky day outside so I made sure I got my 3 miles in by walking on the treadmill! I also beat my step goal for the day- yay!



Day 15 was spent running a TON of errands. I had the drs, bank, post office, pharmacy, oil change, etc to do. Luckily I got a complimentary manicure while my oil was being changed. Then it was off to Trivia which is always a great time!


How was your week?!

My Fitness/ Organizing Blog Inspirations!

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Wednesdays tend to be my favorite day of the week, since they have been my day off for the past few years. There's something refreshing about having a day off in the middle of the week. I'm always able to get so many things done while everyone else is at work. =)

I thought that today I would share some blog-lovin'! I read so many blogs, that I honestly have trouble keeping up with them on a daily basis but wanted to share some of my absolute favorites in case you're looking for a great read.

Favorite Fitness Blogs

My first and favorite fitness blogger is Julie over at PBFingers. Julie's blog is the one that inspired me to start my own blog and she is also the one who inspired me to focus on my fitness and healthy eating. I honestly think that if I met Julie in real life we would be such good friends, she seems like such a sweet girl! If you are looking for some rockin' workouts and great tips on getting and staying health, head over and check this girl out!

I also love reading Jess's blog, The Blonde Ponytail. Jess has some great workouts, and talks a lot about her new daughter Jada who is adorable! 

Organization Blogs

Sam, over at Simply Organized  shares a ton of great organization tips. Her blog is one of the first ones that I read. Sam organizes everything in a simple way (hence the name of her blog) she makes the organizational process less-complicated and easy for readers to follow her lead! 

iHeartOrganizing, written by Jen is another favorite of mine. Jen has a huge catalogue of organization posts and does some beautiful decor work that I admire so much!

I read Erin's blog, Sunny Side Up regularly. She has a ton of great posts, and always shares details about her kids, that are hilarious! I love when bloggers make their blogs personal, and Erin definitely does that!

"Other" Blogs

My BFFL, Rachel, started her blog The Shoreline Bride and I love reading it! She is bringing readers along on her journey of planning her wedding, and since I am a member of the bridal party I love reading about every detail.

My favorite YouTuber, Elle Fowler, has two blogs. I heart you coffee and Dreaming in Blush are both excellent lifestyle blogs. Elle doesn't blog very often but when she does it is always worth a read!

I was kind of obsessed with Sean Lowe when he appeared on The Bachelorette (and also when he was The Bachelor) so I started reading his sister Shay's blog, Mix and Match Family, and I never stopped. Shay writes a ton of interesting posts that I really enjoy!

What are your favorite blogs? Do you read blogs every day or just once in awhile?

My Organization Binder

I have shared my organization binder on this blog before, but I often switch things up, and just love the way it's looking right now so I thought I would share!

When you open my binder you see a few things inside the front flap of the binder. I have my laminated cleaning schedule tucked in there as well as the 52 week money challenge that I'm hoping to complete this year. There's also a couple gift cards I need to use and some post it notes, which I seem to use every day! =)

My dividers for this binder are labeled as; lists, making money, bill payments, budget, spending log, savings log, fitness, gifts, addresses, and inventory.

In my first section I have quite a few lists which is appropriate since that the title of this section. I have a list of projects to complete, and lists of items donated to the Salvation Army.

Below, you will see my list from Samantha at Simply Organized organizing my scrapbooks to complete.

I also have a list of items that I eventually want to use in quilts. I plan on either making or having quilts made containing items from my dancing days and my days at URI. I have quite a few t-shirts, costumes, and other clothing items that I have stored away for this future project so I want to keep them organized.

In my Making Money section, I use this printable to keep track of my money made through e-bay, paychecks, etc..

In the Bill Payment section, I use this printable to keep track of what bills I have paid and what bills I still need to pay.

Monthly Budget is just that, a monthly budget. I try to budget out my money every month so I won't spend enormous amounts on things that I actually don't need.

I also use my spending log to keep track of every purchase that I make. I like to do this so I can add up everything I spend and see if I'm on track with my budgeting.

My Savings log is where I keep track of the money I've been saving in my savings account.

In the Fitness section, I keep a bunch of fitness inspiration including magazine articles and workouts I've written down from different websites, blogs, and pinterest.

I did not include pictures of my gift section because you have already have seen this previously, and it has not changed. I still use the same gift tracking printable.

I also did not include pictures of my address section. This is simply because I have addresses for friends and family in this section which I cannot share due to privacy reasons. I also have my address labels in this section, which I can't show you for my own privacy!

My last section is my inventory. I have so many boxes stored away in the attic, kitchen stuff, childhood items, etc.. and I want to know what is in every last box in case I want to find something. I also keep track of my DVD collection, books that I own, etc. I am just crazy OCD! =)

This is where this little binder lives, with my Blog binder and my Coupon Binder. Just a little thing that keeps my life a little more organized!

Do you have an organization binder? What kinds of things do you keep organized in your binder?

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I just recently finished Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater which I read in just two days! It is not a surprise that I would read a book that quickly, but this book was one that I was so unsure about at the beginning definitely surprised me.

This novel is a young adult book that is about a girl named Grace who lives in Minnesota, surrounded by a forest that houses wolves. Grace is fascinated by the wolves and has been ever since she was a young child. She was attacked by a few of the wolves at a young age and then rescued by one wolf who has been watching her ever since. One night, Grace's wolf transforms into a boy named Sam and they fall in love instantly.

Throughout the books, readers are able to see as Grace and Sam spend their limited amount of time together, searching for a cure to keep Sam from turning back into a wolf. Without spoiling anything for you in case you haven't read it, they find a cure for becoming a wolf and try it out on Sam and another wolf, it works on one person but not on the other.

I am currently reading Linger, the sequel, but it is taking me much longer to read it then it did for me to read the original.  I truly enjoyed Shiver, I thought that it was extremely interesting although not entirely believable. It is nowhere near on the same level as Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent or any of the many other series that I have devoured in the past- but it definitely entertained me enough to want to continue reading!

Hopefully I will be finishing Linger soon and will be sharing my review on that as well!

My Current Beauty Favorites

I don't believe I've ever done a favorite beauty products here on the blog. I know I have previously shared my beauty empties, which is a great way to share which products I've used up, but I thought readers may be interested in what my current beauty favorites are! I love to try a variety of products, always trying something new- but there are some products that are tried and true and I keep going back to them!

Foundation

My favorite foundation recently has to be Maybelline's Liquid Mousse Foundation. Since I have a very light skin color I wear the color       I really like the coverage it provides and so far don't have a reason to purchase a high-end foundation when I've found one that I like so much in the drugstores.
When I apply my foundation- I pat it in four clumps- one on my forehead, one on my chin, and one on each cheek. I then use my foundation brush in a circular motion to smooth out all the foundation and create a simple, smooth look.

Concealer

I absolutely love Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment. I have always suffered from dark circles under my eyes and have found that this really helps hide them. I usually put this product on before I do my foundation in order to blend it in more efficiently.

Eye Shadow

For awhile now I have been truly loving the Naked 2 eye shadow palette by Urban Decay. I also have the Naked 1, but I find myself reaching for the Naked 2 palette far more often. If I'm getting particular about which actual eyeshadows I reach for the most, they would definitely be Foxy and Pistol. I take Foxy on one side of my brush and glide it all over my lid. I use just a little bit of Pistol on the outer part of each eyelid and then I blend them together.

Moisturizer

For the last year I have been absolutely loving Lush's Celestial Facial Moisturizer. It has done a great job at keeping my skin moisturized but not breaking my skin out. I absolutely love it and I also love what Lush, the company, stands for with fighting against animal testing and using all-natural products. I  am at the end of my container right now, but will be repurchasing a new one even while I try out some other products.

Mascara

I am a mascara snob. I have tried so many mascaras over the years and only a few have stood out as great ones in my eyes. I tend to stick with mascaras that are on the drier side. My eyelashes are pretty full, so I don't need a ton of mascara anyways- but whenever I put on wet mascara I cannot stand it! I wear contacts so if I blink any mascara in my eyes, I practically have a panic attack. I need dry mascara to calm myself down =) A few of my favorites are Maybelline Define-a-Lash Waterproof Lengthening and Clump Crusher by Covergirl,

Eye shadow primer

I absolutely adore the Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion. I received this sample with one of my palettes and it's still going strong. I love that my eyeshadow doesn't crease once I use this. I try to save it for times when I will be out, wearing my makeup for a long period of time without being able to reapply it.

Blush/ Bronzer

I was never huge on using blush or bronzer, until I picked up this small size of Nars Orgasm blush/ Laguna bronzer duo. I absolutely love both of these colors, particularly the Laguna bronzer and the colors work really well with my skin tone. They are definitely my go-tos!

Eyeliner

I really love this Loreal infallible eyeliner for my waterline. I use this every day and it is the one piece of makeup that I have to put on every single day. I tend to buy this eyeliner over and over again because I know that it works and lasts all day!

Makeup Remover

I have been using this Sephora eye makeup remover for years and it works great. I take a tiny bit of it and put it on a q tip in order to get all the makeup off my eyes. I think that it's a great value- I may try another one once this is finished, but as of right now it's my favorite!

Perfume

This is a brand new favorite! I absolutely love Taylor by Taylor Swift perfume- it smells AMAZING! I recently purchased this super cheap (17 cents) by using Kohls Cash and a Kohls gift card to pay for almost all of it. I am awful at describing scents, but I can tell you this is my favorite of all her perfumes. It is truly my favorite perfume of all time. I'm afraid to use it every day because I might never finish up the rest of my perfumes….


So those are my current beauty favorites! What products are you loving lately?

Have a great weekend!