Travel Essentials

            Okay so I know I've been complaining a lot lately but I am so over winter. In 3 (long) months I'll be headed to sunny and warm Costa Rica and I've already started planning on what to bring to get my mind off this miserable weather we've been having. I know I can't be the only one who heads to their local Target a couple days before a trip to buy those airline friendly carry-on shampoos and soaps. I refuse to check a bag because I have serious paranoia that my luggage and all my stuff will get lost forever so it's important that I find TSA approved products that I can bring on board with me. This means that I have to shove all my shampoo, conditioner, face wash, lotions, moisturizer, toothpaste etc into a tiny plastic bag and find decent products that I can trust to keep me feeling clean throughout the duration of my trip. 
           So I was looking through my recent InStyle magazine and they highlighted their favorite travel kits and I'm officially hooked. The idea that I can order a little travel set that comes in it's own case and has everything I would ever need for a trip is music to my ears. 

This is what I found:

Tumi and Malin + Goetz Travel Set

This one is the most expensive but has a good selection of products, Malin + Goetz specializes in bath and body products for sensitive skin. The travel kit includes grapefruit facial cleanser, vitamin E facial moisturizer, bergamot body wash, peppermint shampoo (my favorite), cilantro conditioner and B5 body moisturizer. It comes in that fun Tumi kit and their website says its all TSA approved for carry-ons, woohoo!

Fresh Travel Essentials Set

Okay this set is just as amazing as the first one and comes with quite the selection of products. The Fresh kit comes with soy face cleanser, sugar lip treatment sunscreen SPF 15 (which is always appreciated after a day at the beach), black tea age-delay cream, grapefruit bath and shower gel, grapefruit moisturizing body lotion, soy shampoo, and pomegranate conditioner. All items are travel friendly and comes in a clear kit.

Oribe Beautiful Color Travel Set

This set is a little different from the others because the products come in packets and its solely focused on hair care. Included in the set is 6 shampoo and conditioner packers and one shampoo/masque packet. So if you prefer to bring your own body lotions and moisturizers but need q quick solution to your hair travel, this is the set for you.

Am I the only one too paranoid to check a bag at the airport?

What travel sized products do you use when you travel?

xoxo

Sunday Thoughts, Plus A Weekend Recap

Happy Sunday!

Today is the last day of my Christmas break which means tomorrow I will be back at school (boo hiss). It was a nice relaxing, much needed break and I enjoyed my time with friends and family. This weekend was pretty low-key. The sub-zero temperatures didn't really inspire me to do much. 

Here's a quick recap:

- Did a little shopping....so many great post-holiday sales going on. Now I really want to get to the outlets to see what they have to offer.

- Finished a 1000 piece puzzle and started a new one (my new little obsession... keeping my mind fresh).

- Finished season 5 of Dexter...all that Netflix watching probably negated my brain activity from the puzzle. 

- Ate at the Melting Pot for the first time. Have any of the rest of you been there? If your going to try it I recommend skipping dinner and going straight for dessert.

1000 pieces later I feel quite accomplished

**Don't forget, tomorrow at 8am the Lilly online sale begins!*

What did you do this weekend?

xoxo

Cold Hands, Warm Heart

So with the weather being below zero the past couple days I realized the importance of having really warm gloves readily available. As I mentioned yesterday Macys was having a huge sale so I bought by first pair of leather gloves. They were made by Charter Club and had leopard fleece lining (I'm a sucker for anything leopard) and I can't wait to weather them out in the cold this week. So today I'm going to highlight some of my other favorite leather glove picks. 

Charter Club Fleece Lined Leather Gloves // Portolano Pink Leather Gloves // 

UGG Leather Tech Gloves with Sheepskin Lining // Michael Kors Leather Gloves with Zipper

Mark and Graham Monogrammed Leather Gloves // Just Cavalli Cobalt Leather Gloves

Okay... while researching leather gloves I may have stumbled across other adorable gloves that werent leather but I couldn't pass up not sharing them with you guys. I really think I need to get those Ralph Lauren tartan tech gloves....

Kate Spade 'Ring' Wool Gloves // Ralph Lauren Tartan Gloves

Where did you get your favorite pair of gloves?

xoxo

Psst...

Lilly Pulitzer is having a big sale starting Monday, January 6th so make sure you mark your calendars and get your credit cards ready. The sale starts at 8am and will run for two days. Hopefully the sale will go a little more smoothly than the last sale they had in August when the website crashed over and over again....

What special item are you hoping will be on sale this Monday?

xoxo

Currently Loving...

Happy Friday Everyone!

Sorry for the belated post but I was at the mall scoring some awesome deals #sorrynotsorry! 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I also hope all of you northerns survived the massive blizzard that hit. Nothing like getting snowed in and playing board games all night! Lucky for us we still have three more months of winter (ugh).

Here is what I'm loving this week:

23 Things To Do Instead of Getting Engaged Before You're 23
Someone I know posted this article on Facebook the other day and I actually really related to it, possibly because I have no desire to get married before I'm at least 30. It's definitely an interesting read no matter what your beliefs on the topic is!

Expresso Bar Candle
Bath and Body Works is having a huge sale on candles this week. I just bought one of my favorite scents, expresso. I'm not a fan of drinking coffee but I love the smell of it so this is the perfect substitution!

Orange is the New Black Book
So I was obsessed when I watched the series on Netflix and few weeks back and now I'm obsessed with the book the series is based on. I received the book for Christmas and can't put it down. I highly recommend it. 

Martha Stewart Plaid Quilt
While at the mall today I bought this awesome plaid Martha Stewart quilt at Macy's for $30 (thank you coupons!). They're having a huge sale and I really needed more appropriate winter bedding... Now I just need a place that sells cheap pillow cases, any suggestions?

Are any of the rest of you snowed in?
What do you have planned for the weekend?

xoxo

The Winter Blues

Now that the holidays are over all we have to look forward to is the three long cold winter months ahead of us, ugh! But, even though I'm experiencing the "Winter Blues," I'm realizing that I can even find inspiration in those sub zero temperatures if I look really closely. When I think of winter colors, I'm definitely drawn to the blues and whites associated with snow and frozen water.  So I picked out some beautiful blue and crystal-like jewelry that I've been eyeing to add a little sparkle to these dreary winter months. I'm a little obsessed with that blue opal and I think I might need to order it!

What are your favorite colors to wear in the winter?

Pave Cushion Cut Stud Earrings // Crystal Prism Bib // Navi Blossom Bib 

Fire Opal Bracelet // Crystal Fan Earrings // Blue Crystal Bangle

xoxo

Resolutions and Plans

Happy New Year!

2013 was a big transition year for me, I went from being a broke college student to being a broke full time worker (damn you shopping habit). I took some time off after graduation to soak up the sun and figure out what really makes me happy and I did some traveling with friends and family. It was definitely a year of some downs but plenty of ups and I wouldn't change a single thing. One thing I realized is that I'm happiest when I'm moving forward rather than standing still. Despite my hatred of change, I can't be afraid of it because the past year has been filled with so much change and I regret nothing. I'm excited to see what 2014 brings and I have no doubt it will be filled with plenty of adventures and lots of laughter. Plus I have a lot to accomplish while I work to finish my 25 Before 25 list. 

Sometimes I think it's hard to come up with a New Years Resolution because theres so much I want to do! But at the end of the day I realized that I have the same resolution every year: trust my gut and do what makes me happy, this way I will be free of regret at the end of the year. One resolution unique to 2014 is I want to say 'yes' more. It's important that I go out of my comfort zone every once in awhile because you never know what magic will come out of it.

I also want to thank each of you for following me on my journey, I feel like this year I made so many new blogger friends and I couldn't be happier!

Do you make New Years Resolutions?

If so, what are your goals for 2014?

xoxo