High Five for Friday!

                                                              High Five For Friday!... A day Late -Opps!
I recently was reading some blogs that reported weekly a "High Five For Friday!" What a fun idea! I am going to give it a shot...since recently I haven't had too much to blog about.  It is a simple chance to share with other the highlights of your week.  I love reading about other people's joys and the things they love & I hope you can appreciate the same for me : )

1. Funfetti Pancakes!!!

Over Christmas break my parents gave me tons of awesome stuff in my stocking...including FUNFETTI PANCAKE MIX.  I obviously was super excited and have been saving them for the perfect day! Which turned out to be today : ) ...Now, the question with Funfetti pancake mix is should you frost them or syrup them????? I was going to try both...but then I realized I did not have any syrup

:( LUCKILY, I am a total frosting junkie & I had plenty of that to use. IT was DELICIOUS! Total success- I will definitely buy these and continue eating them with frosting!

              This is my baby frosted pancake...needed to make a small one to to test the waters!

                                      I only had ONE pancake burn : ) : ) : ) .... a record for me?!

Sarah and I at the banquet

2. Banquet For The Broken

I am in an organization at my school- North Central University- called release.  Release is a program that spreads awareness of human trafficking, along with putting on different events to help raise money for those who are working to end this type of slavery.  Release put on Banquet for the Broken, a semi formal event for the students and others in the community to fund raise money for missions in Moldova.  The Missionaries spoke at the banquet and shared about how they are fighting to combat sex trafficking and rehabilitate victims in Moldova.

Cassie and I at the banquet

3. Roomie Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful roommate, Sarah! This week Sarah turned 22 & I surprised her w. a Candle, picture of us, and of course a plate full of wonderful cupcakes my friend and I had made the night before! Yay for Birthdays : ) I absolutely LOVE birthday gift shopping! (and Cupcake Baking)

4. Free Time

The last two weeks have been a little rough regarding getting hours at work.  The mall is slow & my availability was a little rough.  I decided to take advantage of my free time by baking a ton this week and writing letters to my relatives and friends that live far away.  I bought this inexspensive stationary at Target for a dollar and I absolutely Love it! Give me your address & I will most certainly write to you!

5. Working At The Bridal Boutique - I don't have a picture for this, but since I haven't been getting too many hours at VS I picked up a shift at the COL! Yay for looking at wedding magazines all night! What a treat : )

My VERY first BIRCHBOX!!!

My Birchbox is here! YAY!!!!!! I waited a month...completely forgot about it...and what a great surprise to see CENTER MAIL in my e-mail! I quickly remembered MY BIRCHBOX!!!! Okay, so whats a Birchbox?

A Birchbox is a little mini box that gets mailed to you monthly for only TEN BUCKS A MONTH with all the latest products...or classic favorites of the Birchbox team! You are guaranteed 4-5 generous samples of prestigious products! This is perfect for me, as I am someone who LOVES trying new products! I obviously can't afford to be trying new nail polish, lip color, & hair products each month (ESPECIALLY WITH ALL MY RECENT CAR TICKETS!!!!) ...And with that let me share with you my first Birchbox!

My Birchbox included:

* C.O Bigelow Lavender & Peppermint Shampoo and Conditioner

*Jour Moisturizing Lip Gloss In Birchbox Pink

*Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Mini Vial

*Zoya Nail Polish in the color Kristen

* Larabar mini natural bar

So I am totally pumped about this first package! My favorite by far is the nail polish... I don't think I waited five min to apply it!

I also had the Larabar for breakfast this morning, and while the test was a bit ify... I felt quite healthy.  The bar contained nuts, fruit, & other wholesome ingredients! 

Oh and don't even get me started on the lip gloss! I haven't bought myself a lip gloss in years, just because I always seem to have some laying around.  I Love this new Jour color because it goes on thick and just a bit pink, but mostly sheer!

Now for the Juicy fragrance- I actually already own this in the full size bottle, but of course I could use a mini for my purse : ) ... I have yet to try out the shampoo and conditioner but I am sure that any product by C.O. Bigelow will do wonders for my hair! ...so keep posted and I will continue to share my Birchbox goodies & my experiences with my new products! You should go subscribe yourself by clicking here - Sign Up For Birchbox : ) If you are like me & are a sucker for anything Mini, you will LOVE getting your Birchbox!

Purity- Philosophy Facial Cleanser Review

If you know me at all... you know I have a love for trying new products.  My most recent product try out was the facial cleanser Purity by Philosophy.  While I am a BIG philosophy fan, my skin did not react well with this face wash.  I am still on the hunt for the perfect skin care line for me. : (

I used this facial cleanser for about two weeks.  I will continue to use it for an additional week to see if any results change. (I will keep you posted.)   At my first use I liked the product.  It lathers nicely onto my face leaving the face feeling fresh and well cleaned.  It took off all of my make up with the exception of mascara. Sooo far sooo good right! ...Unfortunately after about a week and half of use I noticed little bumps on my face.  They are not my typical "that time of the month" bumps. Rather it almost seems like a rash or little bumps of oil.  They can be easily hidden under make up, but are not ideal for a smooth textured face.   Because of this reaction to the product I have a few concerns. First, I do have to wonder if maybe I have a simple allergy to this specific Philosophy product. Also, the product does not contain salicylic acid, tea tree oil, or benzyol peroxide.  These are the most common acne fighters that I have found to be effective.  Purity contains many wood oils, sunflower oil, and sodium lauromphoacetate. 

My skin is not perfect & I typically need a boost from a cleanser to keep it smooth and acne free.  Maybe your skin is less sensative than mine, and the Purity cleanser is right for you. (side note- Philosophy does advertise this cleanser as their wash for sensative skin.) It is an all natural product, which many people would see as a huge turn on to the product. I certainly plan on reading other reviews to see if how others feel about this product.  Maybe you want to give it a shot. Here is the info:

Sold at Ulta, Sephora, Macys, or Nordstrom- My mom bought mine at a Sephora counter with in a JC Pennys.  (I am proud of my mom for venturing out of her AVON rut she seems to be stick in!)

Mine was 3 fl. oz. which is a great size for trying the product out- This size costs 10 dollars.  If you do not have a philosophy selling store in your area, it is completely free shipping on their website for any size order. Yesss...I love this part of Philosophy!

Most stores that sell philosophy do have great return policies.  This means that even if you have the awful reaction to the product that I did, you can still get your money back and try something new.  I find that since it was just ten dollars it is not worth the hassle of returning an almost used bottle, but for some it might be!



2012... Watch Out!

So... telling the year itself to watch out is a bit edgy, but I am truly ready for a great year! I love hearing about other people's new years resolutions on facebook and twitter, so i thought I would post about mine on my blog!

Here goes....

1. Follow through on my word- I am the queen of maybes and ideas that I would like to happen- but never do! This year I will try my best to stand true to what I say.  It's not always the big things that I struggle with.  Sometimes it is simple things like maybe plans I make for after work...but nine hours later say I am too tired to hang out. This year if I say so...it's happening! Whether that means Bdubs after work or commiting myself to something bigger!

 

My roommates and I ended the yr of 2011 right by following through on a roomie date to get our nails done...we initially made this plan in Sept & I think we are all grateful it finally happened!

2. Do what I love & love what I do- A few things in life have held me back in the past from truly doing what I love...Things like working to much (yes, I know VS has my heart!), caring too much about what people think, or wanting to take the easier road.  However, this year I vow to spend extra time on things that are important to me. This includes spending time with friends, family, and err maybe even head into my life after graduation year with confidence...knowing that I will be doing what I love!

3. Make this short hair look good! I recently was inspired by The Small Things Blog - a blog I found through pintrest. The blogger's name is Kate and she has beautiful SHORT hair!! Yes... I know... It turns out having short hair can still be cute and fun! This year I vow to try out new products, styles, and wear my short hair with confidence instead of regret!

These are pictures of Kate from her awesome blog.  She offers easy tutorials on how to style hair of any length, especially short.  I will certainly be taking advantage of this! Here is a link to watch some easy tutorials Hair Tutorials : ) Have fun!

4. A bit cliche and maybe mirrors most Christian's goals, but one of my resolutions is to grow in Christ.  I want to wake up every morning declaring my love for Him & go to bed every night knowing I did everything in my day to glorify His name.  I have so much joy and love in my heart from the Lord & I want to share it with anyone I get the opportunity to interact with!

5. My final resolution for 2012 is to display the characteristics of a Proverbs 31 woman of God! While this goal is similiar to #4, it is more specifically aimed at the Girlie Side of being a Christian woman, vs #3 aiming for general Christian growth-Here are the dets - I have got to clean up my gossipy little mouth, wear longer shirts with my leggings! (aka modesty), truly understand and live knowing my beauty and value is in the Lord not materialistic things (Hair.clothes.makeup.designers.brands.ect.), Integrity (I will do what is right even when no one is around...), Find myself in Him- not him.

Wish me luck! I welcome lots of prayers & would love to pray for you or talk about life, love, goals, and growth over a cup of coffee!

ps. note that I did not goal myself to blog more! Nope...this is new to me & if I dont like it i dont like it...and I might just stop! ...and that is A okay!

Beauty I captured on my Kodak

Lilacs in the shape of a <3 lovelovelove.

                                  I took this in Duluth with my very special friends Emily & Nicole  

                                                    I think I was certainly going through a sephia tone phase...

                                                             
                                                                  Tulips. Yes please!
      

There is so much beauty to be found...every where! Last year I was able to capture some of God's Creation on my Camera- Of course one of my goals in life is to take new pictures! Speaking of goals...I will soon post some of my new years resolutions : )

Cake Balls

I have decided to post my new favorite recipe! Have you tried cake balls yet? The first one I tried was at Starbucks, and I fell in love! I assumed the recipe was past my skill level.  I found out I was wrong when I was recently was at a holiday party and they were served.  Turns out, they are extremely easy to make! I will post the recipe below the picture so you can try to make them yourself!

1. Bake a cake (yes a normal box cake)...right now they are on sale for a buck at Target! My favorite type to use is the Funfetti cake. Once you have baked the cake as normal let it cool.

2. Next, stir the cake to let it crumble and as you do this add 3/4 a tub of frosting. You can use a tub of store bought frosting, but I like to use this recipe - Frosting Recipe

3. Form the cake balls from the dough.  The size is up to you, but I prefer everything mini!

4. Dip in melted chocolate or almond bark.  This for me actually took two tries to get right : ) So, if you aren't perfect, you might have to try again...maybe use a lower heat setting on your stove to melt the chocolate or almond bark.

5. Decorate- by this point you might just want to eat them! but I would take the extra step to make them pretty.  I love pink sprinkles on white almond bark. It takes seconds, but adds so much to the dessert. 

 

6. Cool down- I usually put mine in the freezer for a quicker cool down, typically a half an hour should do the trick - Enjoy!