What Brings You Joy?

There are quite a few things that bring me joy...

Watching my favorite TV shows 📺

A Million Little Things is easily by favorite show these days!

Do you watch?

All Things Christmas 🎄

 Christmas trees, lights, the music, etc.

I just love it all!

Working out 💪

I have Beachbody On Demand and it is great!

I have access to all the workouts anytime I want!

I constantly change up which workout I am doing to keep things more fun!

Watching my Cleveland Browns come away with a Big Win! 🏈

Did any of you see that game yesterday???

Eek!

My Family & Friends 💕

But the things that get me smiling from ear to ear every time is dancing to music! 💃

I have always loved to dance!

As a kid I would make up my own dance routines to my favorite songs all the time.

As I got older I would have all the dances on MTV memorized.

And now I just dance anytime I get the chance!

Can't wait to dance away the night for my birthday this coming weekend!!!!

What things bring you joy???

In other news.....I winners of my Favorite Things Giveaway are....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will be contacting you all today!

Thanks again to all who entered! 😘

Linking up with The Blended Blog today :)

XOXO ~ Vanessa

Blogaversary Special Giveaway

Happy Monday!

Make sure you head over to The Blended Blog today to enter our special Blogaversary Giveaway!!!

XOXO ~ Vanessa

10 Things You Didn't Know About Me

And just like that we are into the second week of September!

Today is all about things you may or may not know about me :)

1. I can't stand to walk around barefoot anywhere.
I can hardly stand to be barefoot at the beach, but it is much easier than wearing sandals or tennis shoes there.
I think this all stems from the fact that my first bee sting was on the bottom of my foot.
I was running out to the lake to swim with my friend at the campground we were staying at when I stepped on a bee that was laying in the sand.
From that moment on I have rarely been caught barefoot.

2. Almost my entire life I wanted to be a fashion designer despite not liking to shop.
I think that is probably why I don't like shopping though.
I know in my mind the look and piece I want, but have a super hard time finding it.

3. I am NOT a fan of Beyonce,

Kenny Chesney, 

or U2.

But despite all the negative comments I get, I do like Creed and Nickelback. :/

4. I can't stand to listen to anything Talk. 
Pod casts, talk radio, etc.
Yet, I love hearing every one's voices on Instastories!

5. I was kicked out of a bar for getting into a fight.

If you know me at all, fighting/confrontation of any kind makes me super nervous.
My friend Missy, Mic and myself stopped in Panini's after work on a Thursday evening.
We were sitting at the bar where they make the food minding our own business when some little (shorter than me) dude came up to me and starting yelling at me for not liking his friend.
His friend was a guy I worked with that apparently had a thing for me, but the feeling wasn't mutual.
He kept up the yelling, so Mic stepped in and just told the guy to leave us alone.
This guy had had his share of alcohol which must have given him the courage to try to throw a punch at Mic.
Mic stood up and was instantly a foot and a half taller than him.
He stuck out his arm to hold the guy back and the guy couldn't touch him.
Of course from there another guy jumps in, and then I started swinging before my friend pulled me away.
Thankfully no one was hurt, but since the problem guy was a regular there the three of us were kicked out :(
I have never been in any other fight, but man it gets my blood pumping just talking about it again!

6. Despite having a lot of friends, I am such a loner.
Which makes sense that I have a fear of being left out.

I have never been a girls girl, so I struggle with this feeling all the time.
I grew up with a younger brother,
and added four older step brothers when I got into high school.
So I have always been surrounded by guys.

7. I have never been a morning person.

Why must we set alarms and wake up early?
Why can't things just be open and operate late into the night?

Despite real life, I think my body and mindset were designed for 2nd-3rd shift life ;)

8. I will choose jeans over leggings all the time!
I can hardly leave the house in leggings!
And you better believe I am not going anywhere in sweatpants, pajama pants, or yoga pants (unless I am going to a yoga class)!

9. No matter how hard I try to like it, I just can't add any form of alcohol to my coffee.
Whiskey, Bailey's, etc. I just can't do it.

10. I am super traditional, and even old fashioned at times.

(Not looking to get into a huge debate about life here)
I just don't care for the way the world is turning these days - sports, women empowerment, the school systems, etc.

I am sure I will lose a few followers over that last one, so be it.
I am not the type of person that drops someone just because our thoughts are different :/
#keepinitreal


Still here?
Great!
I would love to hear something about you that most people may not know!
Comment below, or if it is super secret shoot me an email ;)


Thanks for stopping by today!
Make sure you link up your 10 Things post on The Blended Blog!

XOXO ~ Vanessa

TBB Talks: Makeup

It is the final Monday in March and today is all about Makeup!

Linking up with The Blended Blog today for there weekly Talk Series :)

When I first started using make up I would use anything I found in the drugstore.

But as I have gotten older, I have invested in products that are better for my skin and work better for me.

Don't get me wrong, I still get quite a few things that are "drugstore" products!

For the last 15 years or so I have used Bare Minerals products.

My skin is SUPER sensitive!

I turn red and/or breakout really easy from a lot of products.

When I first starting using Bare Minerals, I was all in!

I had the blush, eye shadows, mineral veil, etc.

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

But as I got older my skin started changing a bit.

I absolutely love the loose power foundation, but my skin has become to dry to use it every day :(

Bare Minerals Foundation 

So I switched to the Tinted Gel Cream and it works perfectly for me!

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

I have used the bareSkin foundation as well, and it goes on super smooth.

I just like something a tad less foundation like if that makes sense.

Bare Minerals bareSkin Foundation

As far as concealer goes, I'm not picky but maybe I should be.

I currently have an NYX one that I am using, and before that I was using one from E.L.F.

NYX Hi Definition Photo Concealer

My main problem with concealers is that every time I find one that I really like they stop making it :(

What brand or kind of concealer do you use?

I prefer a creamier one (compact style) vs. a wand but I am having a hard time finding that style anymore.

I fell in love with a eyeshadow/blush set I picked up a couple of years ago at Ulta from Bare Minerals so I use that a lot!

But I also LOVE the Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palettes!

They go on so well, and last forever!

Urban Decay Naked Basics

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

Urban Decay Naked Palette

And on special nights out I apply the Urban Decay Eye Primer.

And I rarely use eye liner.

I just typically use one of the darker shadows in the palette and lightly line the outer half of my top lashes.

My go-to mascara for years was Maybelline Great Lash!

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

But when I picked up those Bare Minerals kits a mascara came with them and I was hooked!

Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara

I love this stuff!

I don't wear blush too often because my face is ALWAYS naturally glowing red ;)

But when I do, I just use a peachy pink shade from the Bare Minerals.

Bare Minerals True All Over Face Color

I do love using bronzer in the summer!

I have a Bare Minerals one that is fantastic!

Bare Minerals Warmth

And I recently picked up a contouring kit from E.L.F. that I love...I just am not that good at using it yet :/

ELF Contour Palette

And that is pretty much it for makeup for me.

I tend to skip a few of those steps on a daily basis to keep things really simple.

Oh, and something I never go anywhere without is lip balm!

Preferably ChapStick brand! lol!

Now if I am heading out for a rare girls night or date night, I might swipe on some of my favorite lip gloss.

Bare Minerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lip Gloss

Hey Bare Minerals Execs!

If you are reading this...call me! ;)

What brand of products do you use?

Do you have a simple routine or more elaborate?

Is there a product that I must try?

I would love to hear from you in the comments below :)

TBB Talks | All About Hair

I think I have finally nailed down a good hair routine for myself.

It only took me 39 years, but who's counting ;)

I used to be a wash my hair every day (sometimes every time I showered) person.

A few years ago I decided to try the every other day thing because I knew it would help my hair color last longer.

Not going to lie...when you are first starting out it sucks!

But once you and your hair get used to it things aren't so bad.

Once we moved to a house with well water that wasn't filtered I really stepped up my game in the no wash department!

And that is when I started using dry shampoo.

#andtherestishistory ;)

I tend to style it daily with a big round curling iron, unless it is the weekend.
Then I throw on a hat :)

I don't like styling my hair, so I try to keep the time to the bare minimum.

And honestly, most days my hair ends up in a bun by noon :/

So onto to what I use!

I have tried so many shampoos and conditioners over the years, but I really like what Moroccanoil Volume Shampoo and Conditioner does for my hair so I have stuck with those for about a year now.

I now wash my hair every 3-4 days!

Some days I can't even believe it!

So on days I wash my hair, I apply Moroccanoil Root Boost.

My stylist has used this on me for years, but I never bought until last year.

I love it!

And if you are thinking of giving it a try, but are worried about the cost....a little goes a really long way!

I also don't use this every single time I wash my hair because it needs to be activated by heat.

So I skip this step if I am just letting my hair air dry.

Whether I dried my hair or let it air dry, my next step is a little Batiste Dry Shampoo in Divine Dark.

Even on the days I just washed my hair!

It gives my super fine and silky hair some added texture.

Then I throw a few loose ways in my hair with my Hot Tools 1 1/2 inch curling iron.

Quickly comb or use my fingers to loosen them up, and then finish with Big Sexy Spray & Play Hair Spray.

I picked this up late last year and it has been a game changer for me.

My hair truly stays put, but still has some movement through the length.

I love it!

On days 2-4 I use the Batiste Dry Shampoo, touch up my curls/waves, I might add a bit of Moroccanoil Molding Cream to the lower half of my hair, 

and then a quick spray of Big Sexy to the roots.

And that is it!

What products do you use on your hair?

How many days do you go in between washings?

Linking up with The Blended Blog today :)

TBB Talks: All About Skincare

Happy Monday!

I had every intention of having a post up and ready to go by 5am this morning, but life hit this weekend.

And when I say life, I mean X having a major case of food poisoning or a 24 hour flu bug!

It was bad folks :(

Thankfully, he improved over night so much that he went to school today!

Add in the time change and this girl is exhausted today.

Hence the delayed post.

But, I am posting so cheers to that!

Today I am linking up with TBB to talk about skincare.

I briefly mentioned last week that I decided to give some new products from No. 7 a try.

But before I get to that let me give you a few other details about how I take care of, or at least try to take care of my skin.

~one~

First things first....I always wash my make up off before I go to bed.

That makes a huge difference right there!

Honestly, I can count on one had the times I have slept in my make up in my entire life.

I can't even take a nap without washing it off.

~two~

Another thing I do is let my skin breathe.

On weekends I don't have an ounce of make up unless we are doing something.

And even then I wait until the last second to apply it.

~three~

This one might sound weird, but I am always wearing sunglasses!

Does that mean I don't have any lines?
NO WAY!

But, fingers crossed it helps me to prevent a few more from sprouting up before I am ready for them ;)

Now onto the products I use.

I have mentioned on here before that for the last couple of years I have been using Rodan and Fields products.

I would use the Soothe line in the morning and the Redefine line in the evenings before bed.

I also use the eye cream in the morning and in the evening.

I felt like they have really made a difference in the overall appearance of my skin.

Unfortunately, over the last few months my skin has been changing :(
I am not sure if that is a side effect of a fairly new medication or what.

But my skin is drier than normal and these products just weren't helping me control that.

Another blogger shared the No. 7 products recently so I decided to give them a try.

The price is reasonable, and I can pick up the products at my local Target or Walgreen's instead of having to order online and wait for them to arrive.

Here is what I picked up...

Lift & Luminate Triple Action Eye Cream .5 oz $22.99 

Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum 1 oz. $33.99

Lift & Luminate Triple Action Day Cream 1.69 oz $26.99

Lift & Luminate Triple Action Night Cream 1.69 oz $26.99

Lift & Luminate Anti-Aging Skin System $77.99 

Beautiful Skin Age Defence Cleanser 6.7 oz $11.49

Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion Exfoliator 2.5 oz $17.49

I knew without a doubt that I wanted to give the Total Renewal Exfoliator a try!

After the first wash my skin was SO soft and smooth!

It isn't something you want to use every day, but definitely something I would pick up and try out for yourself.

The Beautiful Skin cleanser was another one I knew I wanted before I got to the store.

It is a fairly mild cleaner in my opinion (I have sensitive skin), but was strong enough to remove all of my make up.

That makes it a winner right there!

I decided to get the Lift & Luminate Skin system as well as the eye cream.

This line seems to be the most comparable to the Redefine line from R&F.

The eye cream goes on nice and smooth,

the serum is very similar to the night time serum with R&F,

but the day and night cream are the game changers for me!

They are thicker in texture, but don't feel think once applied.

And boy oh boy do they hydrate my dry skin!

They even add a nice glow :)

I have officially been using the No. 7 products for a week and I might have found a replacement for R&F.

I'll report back soon if things continue to go well, or if I decide they aren't for me.

Have you tried No. 7 products before?

If so, which one do you use?