Birthday and Christmas Haul

Well, the month of December is over which means my chance to unwrap stuff is once again gone for another 11 months. Having a December birthday is less fun than I imagine having a birthday in another month might be. Anyways, here are the pictures of what I got. Because it's my blog and I do what I want, yo. First up, the birthday pics!

Purse from Luke

Slippers from Dad

Complete Series of Friends from Joe

Necklace, Bracelet, & Scarf from Amanda

Socks from Liam

Too Faced Naked Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection from Jessica (not pictured)

Now Christmas!

Calendar from Dad

Cricut Cartridge from Dad

TomTom from Dad

TomTom Case from Dad

Chocolate Orange from Dad

Leather Gloves from Dad

Burt's Bees Gift Set from Dad

Mini Hipster from Jessica, Uriah, and Liam

ITunes Card from Matt

Salon Gift Card from Mom

Walmart Gift Card from Mom

Victoria's Secret Gift Card from Mom

Instant Lotto Tickets from Mom

Mini Heater from Mom

Ghiradelli's from Mom

Chocolate Cherries from Mom

Chex Mix from Mom

Ferrero Rocher from Mom

Socks from Mom

Grey's Anatomy Season 9 from Mom

Head Massager from Mom

It was a great haul and I'm genuinely excited about everything I received. I have amazing friends and family who know me so well!

Friday Faves

It's the last Friday Faves of the year! Starting this blog is the best thing I've done this year. I'm really looking forward to more Friday Faves in 2013!

1. Joe

I got to spend lots of time with Joe this week! He made an extra great nurse while I felt like death. I love him.

2. Christmas Eve Dinner

Joe's family was kind enough to invite me over for lasagna for Christmas eve. Joe's mom makes amazing lasagna and I was completely obsessed with the chicken alfredo lasagna! Om nom nom.

3. Silver Linings Playbook

If you haven't seen this yet, go do it! It was great! The acting is amazing and the story is great. Joe thought it was predictable but I really loved it. I loved that both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were the focus rather than just one lead character.

4. Christmas with Liam

I had a blast spending Christmas with Liam. I think Jessica and I had more fun playing with the Little People Farm than Liam did but it's fine! Liam wasn't super into opening presents but we still had a lot of fun and I think everyone really enjoyed having a little one running around.

5. Jingle Cards

At B&BW, the sales leads have been handing out "jingle cards" for a good shift. They are these little scratch off cards for free products. I received two cards for my floor set shifts so I got a body butter and a lip gloss. We also have our big sale this week and I picked up this berry scented shower gel for just $3!

Fall 2012 Target Beauty Bag

The Target Style page on Facebook seasonally gives away beauty bags. They are these cute little bags filled with beauty product samples and a coupon book. They are hard to get because they run out so quickly. I got so lucky that my sister got two this time around. I haven't tried all the samples but I'm looking forward to it since my sample box is getting full.

Isn't this bag cute? It's vinyl and seems pretty decent. I like the size a lot and I think I'm going to use it to carry my every day make up on trips to Joe's and such.

(Clockwise from the top)

Jergens Daily Moisture lotion- I've been using lotion a lot more lately so I'm pretty excited to try this one out.

Pixi Flawless Beauty primer- I had never even heard of this brand but since trying a Smashbox sample and breaking out, I have been looking for a new primer and I'm hoping this one goes well.

L'Oreal EverCreme shampoo, conditioner, and masque- This line is supposed to be super hydrating and all the EverCreme products are sulfate free. 

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy shampoo and conditioner- I've been really intrigued by this brand since it came out. I've had scalp problems since I was in middle school so I'm curious to see how well this one works.

Fekkai shampoo and conditioner- Is it wrong to say I want to try high end brands because I like their packaging? 

I'll let you know if I develop any strong opinions off these samples but no promises. Shampoo samples usually only last maybe two washes for my thick hair. It's hard to develop strong opinions off one or two washes.

Friday Faves

It's Friday again? This year has gone by so fast. It's only 4 days until Christmas, people!

1. Friends

I've watched Friends for a solid two weeks and I am not ashamed. I'm almost done with season 10 and I plan on starting over again at season 1. Sorry I'm not sorry?

2. Hickory Farms Turkey Summer Sausage

I am obsessed. So freaking good. I could eat this all day every day.

3. Miss Universe

Watching Miss Universe with Courtney was super super fun. Although I think Miss France was way prettier, Courtney and I cheered for Miss USA when she was crowned.

4. Liam Time

Liam and I got some quality time together this week. I got to see Jessica's house and I'm so excited to see how it looks when they are all done. Liam and I played lots of games and I can't wait to see him on Christmas.

5. Jeffrey's Christmas Medley

Since Christmas is upon us, here is my favorite version of some Christmas classics. :)

Influenster Holiday Treat 2012: Ferrero Rocher

Disclaimer: I received this product from Influenster complimentary for testing purposes.

I was very excited to find out I was receiving Influenster's Holiday Treat. I had my suspicions of what it could be but my expectations were totally exceeded. The holiday treat was a box of 18 Ferrero Rocher hazelnut truffles. Like an actual package of Ferrero Rocher you could buy in stores!

Product Information: Ferrero Rocher® is a unique and delicious chocolate experience made by Italian chocolatier Ferrero, since 1982. The chocolates are a tempting combination of smooth chocolaty cream surrounding a whole hazelnut; within a delicate, crisp wafer. . . all enveloped in milk chocolate and finely chopped hazelnuts. The chocolates are individually wrapped in gold foil. Ferrero offers beautiful, premium gift boxes that make any moment truly golden! Ferrero Rocher® chocolates can be purchased at most grocery, drug and mass merchandiser stores.

Ferrero Rocher® specializes in making gifting a golden moment for everyone and asked what my golden gifting moment is. The best gift I've ever given was a sleep-over kit to each of my grand littles. Mary Kate made the sweetest face and I realized I had found a mini me in her. No one else in my family is a hugger but Mary Kate is. She loved her present so much and it made all the frustrations I had had with the gifts worth it.

This gift was absolutely amazing! I love how crisp the exterior is and how sweet and creamy the center is. I am so excited to have received this from Influenster and Ferrero Rocher. If you want to know more about these yummy chocolates, check out the Ferrero Rocher website.

Friday Faves

I just realized this list is all about stuff. I'm not that materialistic. Really. Don't judge me.

1. New Purse

The boy bought me this bag for my birthday. I'd like to say I feel bad that I spent the whole car ride to the restaurant paying attention to the boy but that is not true. I actually spent the whole car ride entranced by my bag. I'm not actually that sorry.

2. Influenster Holiday Treat 2012

This came in the mail this week! I was expecting a small sample but instead it was a full box with 18 Ferrero Rocher hazelnut truffles! Read my review later this week.

3. B&BW Holiday Gratis

Our gift from B&BW is a travel size of the new Paris for Men 2-in-1 Body Wash and Shampoo, a travel size of the new Sparkling Blackberry Woods lotion, a mini Merry Cookie candle, and a lab sample of Japanese Cherry Blossom 24K Silk Lotion. I exchanged the mini Merry Cookie candle for a mini Winter Candy Apple candle because I already own the Merry Cookie candle.

4. The Roommates

I love these girls. They took me to the ER so I could get pain medication for a migraine in the middle of finals week. That is real friendship.

5. Grumpy Cat

I love you grumpy cat. :)

Pesto Pasta Salad

Do you like regular pasta salad? You know, macaroni drowning in mayo and mustard? I don't. Pasta and mayo tastes like mayo which makes me feel so gross. But pasta salad emerged during the great depression as a way to use a lot of cheap food with a little expensive food so the whole family could have some expensive ham while filling up on the cheap stuff. I've never had pasta salad with ham in it so maybe I would enjoy that.

But anyways, when you are working at the mall on Black Friday, you know the crowds are way too big to ever get in and out of the food court in 30 minutes. So Bath and Body Works had a potluck so it's poor associates don't starve to death. My contribution was this pasta salad. Because pasta is cheap. I found a recipe on the internet for a pasta salad that used pesto sauce instead of mayo. I took that inspiration and made my own pasta salad recipe. I doubled this recipe and got 16-20 servings of pasta salad. That's less than a dollar a serving! See? Cheap! You could add some cubed, cooked chicken to make it a meal. The girls at work really loved it. I divided the leftovers up into smaller containers to make great meals that can go to work.

Pesto Pasta Salad (Inspired by this recipe)

• 1 lb pasta (I used penne but you could use cavatappi, farfalle, fusilli, or macaroni if you would like.)
• 2 cups peas, cooked and drained
• 8 oz. pesto sauce (I used bottled sauce but you could make your own.)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is cool. Drain thoroughly.
2. Toss pasta with peas, tomatoes, and sauce until well coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours. If you make it ahead of time like I did, the pasta will soak up all of you pesto so either wait to to add the pesto or add a couple of extra tablespoons of olive oil to keep it moist.

Friday Faves

Once again, it's Friday. Thanks for joining me for the recap of weekly awesomeness that is Friday Faves.

1. Birthday Dinner

Joe took me to Papa Vino's for dinner. It was absolutely amazing! Om nom nom

2. Karaoke Night

We got a bunch of people together for my birthday to go out and sing karaoke and it was the best night I've had in a long long time. I even sang 5 songs! It was a blast!

3. Birthday Presents

Joe bought me the complete series of Friends and I am so obsessed. I still am convinced you can watch all 72 hours of Friends in one day. :)

4. Alpha Nu Love

We had our graduation ritual on Sunday and it was the Alpha Nu show! I will miss these fabulous ladies but I am so proud of their accomplishments and I know they will all do amazing things.

5. Merry Cookie Candle from B&BW

I got the Merry Cookie candle from B&BW and it is absolutely amazing. If you are looking for a great holiday scent, try this one! 

If You Really Knew Me

It's my birthday! Woot woot! In honor of my awesomeness, I present this list of things you would know if you really knew me.

If you really knew me... you would know that I love teacup piggies! I really love a lot of animals but right now teacup piggies tops the list, followed closely by hippos. I want to own a teacup piggy one day. His name will be Franklin. We will be BFFs and his hobbies will include skeet shooting and snuggling. His dislikes will include bees and mean people... Don't judge me.

If you really knew me... you would know that would only buy skinny jeans if I thought that was socially acceptable. I own three pairs plus quite a few pairs of regular jeans but I only wear the skinny jeans if I can. Other jeans are for laundry day. Skinny jeans make me feel skinny. And they are an excuse to wear cute shoes since everyone can see your feet that are not covered in extra material from your pants.

If you really knew me... you would know I love my nephew more than the world itself. I don't think I have ever met another person who loves their nephew as much as I love mine. And that makes sense since we are BFFs and he is the coolest kid in the world. So if you have kids that aren't my Liam, I'm sorry you will forever be disappointed. Liam and I play lots of games like "Wiggle" and "Sit Ups" and "Nom the Fingers". Which are exactly what they sound like. And I don't think it's physically possible to be any happier than when Liam laughs because you nommed his fingers.

If you really knew me... you would know if I had to eat only one food for the rest of my life, I would totally choose shrimp pasta. You think you know what shrimp pasta is but you don't. Joe came up with the original recipe and I helped him perfect it. Only Joe makes it perfectly. It is garlic-y and cheese-y and delicious. Joe and I describe it as our first favorite food cooked in our second favorite food all over our third favorite food. It's awesomeness in your face hole. Hopefully, I will have a free day to post the recipe. It's on my list of potential blog posts, but every time I schedule it, I come up with another post that would work better for that time.

If you really knew me... you would know that I am currently working on myself. I am not overly happy about this change in my life because I feel guilty about spending any time focusing on my health and that is exactly why I am forcing myself to do this. You really only do live once and I am tired of rushing through life and settling for what life hands me so I'm taking some time to work on letting go and seeing the bigger picture. Being 22 might prove to be the most difficult age yet and I'm oddly at peace with that right now.

If you really knew me... you would know that I have self-diagnosed O.C.D. For example, I have perfect numbers that I stick to. If it's not a perfect number, I will be frustrated until I can make it a perfect number. I plan out each month's blog posts so I can ensure there is a multiple of ten. Again, don't judge me.

If you really knew me... you would know that I might be the most stubborn person like, ever. For real. When I argue, I even know I'm being unreasonable and I just keep barreling on. Sorry I'm not sorry?

If you really knew me... you would know that I have become really obsessed with my blog. If I have nothing to do, and sometimes when I actually do have things to do, I get on blogger and admire finished posts that haven't been published and scroll through the long lists of posts I'm working on. I am really really bored if I don't have a post to work on.

If you really knew me... you would know that if you are riding in my car and we see cows, I will make you say "cows" in a way that makes it sound like you would get out and frolic with the cows if you could but you know that I will drive away and leave you with the cows. And I do the same even though I'm the one driving. The only person who gets it is my sister. We're too cool for school.

If you really knew me... you would know that polar bears are "polaa beaaars" and fish are "feesh".

Winter Bucket List

Winter is a fraud. People say they love winter but they are frauds too. No one actually likes winter. They like Christmas. But really, after two weeks of blizzards, no one loves winter. If you think you like winter, you are deceiving yourself. Winter is all "I'm cozy! I have hot chocolate and soup and blankies and presents!" but deep down, you know that you could have all of those things by just turning the AC up.  And I'm going to help you rid yourself of that deception with a winter bucket list. Sorry I'm not sorry. But really. Winter is stupid which is why I made this great little list. It's the best parts about winter so you can stop telling yourself you like winter and actually like the cool parts of winter. Like skiing and food and Doctor Who. And then you can be grumpy about snow and ice and bad drivers without feeling like a hypocrite. You're welcome.

Friday Faves

It's Friday once again. What a busy week. I can tell you for sure Black Friday was not one of my faves this week. To the woman who yelled at me because we were out of the candle she was looking at earlier in the week, sucks to suck. Other than that, it was a pretty good week.

1. Interviews

I had two interviews for a possible barista position with two seperate Biggby locations. I'm pretty excited because I could really go for a more permanent position.

2. New Paddle

I love Mary Kate for thinking of me and making me a paddle. She is so dang precious and I love her to pieces for making me such a gorgeous piece!

3. Caramel Brulee Latte

OMG YUM! It's a good thing I don't have money right now because I'd be all over this every day. 

4. Joe

Joe took me to my appointment in Holland and to get my lab work done. I just appreciate his support so much these days. I wouldn't get through life without him.

5. Liam

Seeing that baby will always make my list even if its an unexpected visit home! 

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans

Last year, for Thanksgiving, I was requested to bring green bean casserole. I don't even like green bean casserole. It's slimy and it features my two least favorite flavors: mushrooms and onions. Yuck. And the worst part is my green bean casserole was criticized harshly. And all I wanted to scream at people was, "If you like this outdated dish so much, you should have made it yourself!" It's like asking the vegetarian to bring the turkey. Who does that? This year, I told everyone I would make green beans but they would not be in casserole form. Because, really it's already a calorie-loaded day. Is there really something so wrong with fresh veggies? I don't think so. So I made Parmesan roasted green beans. Is there anything easier than roasting veggies and tossing with cheese? If there is, it's probably disgusting like green beans smothered in soup and "onions". Just saying. The green beans were perfectly cooked and had a lot of flavor! I love blanched green beans but I'll be roasting them a lot. They were quick and there was no guessing if they were done. This recipe is courtesy of skinnytaste.com!

Winter 2012 Vera Bradley Wish List

I have a Vera Bradley obsession. Really more of an addiction. As soon as Vera Bradley released their holiday products, I created a wish list of items separate from my regular wish list. And of course, I then had to find them all, clip them to Polyvore and create a collage. Then, I decided to share it here. Because it's my blog and I do what I want, yo. So anyways, these products will only be in stores and online for the holiday season so my chances of getting all of these gorgeous pieces is slim to none. But a girl can dream.

Cookin’ with Vera in Provencal ($18)

Gloves in Provencal ($32)

Knit Headwarmer in Provencal ($28)

Knit Scarf in Provencal ($46)

What’s Cookin’ Apron in Provencal ($28)

What’s Cookin’ Potholder Set in Provencal ($30)

Patricia Crossbody in Dogwood ($98)

Photo Frame in English Rose ($28)

Influenster

Have you heard of Influenster? Of course you have. I've dedicated 8 posts to my Beauty Blogger Vox Box. Now I've decided to take the time to explain what Influenster is in detail. My sister first introduced me to this amazing site and since receiving my first box, I've become even more hooked on Influenster.

Let's start with what Influnester is. Influenster is a site for anyone who enjoys talking about the products they are loyal to as well as trying new products. You don't have to be obsessed with make up or hair products. You can review everything from charities to movies to candy. You choose what interests you most. These are called expert and lifestyle badges. To start, you can work on 5 expert badges. Expert badges show Influenster what you are passionate about. I have the Beauty Queen badge, the Sweet Tooth badge, the Chowhound badge, the Fashionista badge, and the Decorator badge. Lifestyle badges help the Influenster team know what sort of demographic you fit into. For example, sending me a box meant for a mother or a bride is a waste of their time but because I have the collegiate badge, they have some idea of what my lifestyle entails. The goal is to increase your badge scores to increase your overall Influenster score. To increase your score, you take surveys, write reviews, answer questions and share products on social media sites. Your score determines your eligibility to receive products to review.

It's not all about the free stuff. Even if you do have a high score, you are not guaranteed a Vox Box. The site is about giving companies useful feedback about their products and services. If it only took writing a couple of reviews and liking some stuff on Facebook, the site would go out of business. Nope, you have to work for the stuff. And even when you receive stuff, you still gotta do a little work. For example, with my Beauty Blogger Vox Box, I had to complete a survey to claim my box, complete at least one review for the box, and complete an exit survey along with trying all seven products that came in my box. There are also bonus brand challenges. Each challenge was a little different, but for the most part, I had to write a specific review for each product, like the company on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter, and write a review on either the company's site or on Influenster. It's all about how involved you choose to be.

I have been part of the Influenster site since the beginning of the year and they recently relaunched the site to make it more efficient for Influensters. I absolutely love the new site! You can be as involved as you would like and your involvement is rewarded with discounts and free product to test. Less involved people have less of a chance to take advantage of these great perks and that was my biggest complaint before the relaunch. There seemed to be no real rhyme or reason to who received Vox Boxes. Now you know exactly what areas you need to work on to improve your chances and since most people like having that sort of feedback, that seems like a really efficient way to pass out the boxes.

Let's talk about shortcomings. The site seems to take forever to update your scores. I wrote quite a few reviews in the last week or so and my score for those badges has yet to reflect that. I don't know if I didn't do enough for each badge or if the site is simply slow to update my scores. Either way, I would like the site to address that. The "Plan of Attack" that appears on the profile page often features tasks I thought I had previously worked on. I get that you have to continually keep up on reviews and such but if you have just recently done a task, it should be reflected in your profile in a timely manner.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoy being part of the Influenster community and look forward to my next chance to actively review products through the Vox Box program. If you would like to be part of the Influenster trend, check out Influnester.com or leave me a comment and I'll send you an invite!

Friday Faves

It's Black Friday, y'all! While I got to spend the first 8 hours of Friday selling soap at Bath and Body Works, here's a special Friday Faves for you. These are the 5 people I am most thankful for.

1. Joe

It's not easy being my best friend so I'm pretty thankful that Joe puts up with me. I don't always know why but he does. He takes good care of me and I don't think I could ever repay him.

2. Liam

Does anyone have a sweeter nephew than my Liam? No. He makes my whole world turn. He is the sweetest little thing in the world and when he smiles, you forget everything that could possibly be bad in your life.

3. Jessica

Jessica and I often contemplate how anyone in the world lives without a twin. I still don't know how you all singles do it but we certainly couldn't. It's like an instant best friend but better because we barely have to say anything to understand each other.

4. My Roommates

I've shown love for the roomies before but these last two and a half months have shown me just how much Brandi and Courtney mean to me. They support me even when they don't know the whole story and they are the best.

5. Dad

Even though we almost never see eye to eye, Dad has supported me financially these last few months and I can't be more appreciative of that. He takes good care of me even though I don't always understand him and he doesn't always understand me. 

Product Review: Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet 3-in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath

Quite often, I somehow end up at Ulta following my sister around. One one such trip, I started smelling all the pretty philosophy 3-in-1's. I mean they are such pretty colors and they have such enticing scents. I fell head over heels in love with raspberry sorbet. It smells just like fresh raspberries. I ended up buying it because it just smells so good. I absolutely love this product! The lather is amazing which I guess you could have figured that out because it can be used bubble bath. But anyway, I will for sure purchase philosophy products again. I am seriously considering buying a seasonal scent like the cranberry orange spritzer and switching them out for the next few weeks. I love that philosophy products smell exactly like the real thing. Overall, I'm impressed and am going to continue using philosophy products!

Mini Pumpkin Pie Scones

There was a call for healthy fall dishes for a sorority event this month. I spent a lot of time looking for something but not surprisingly, dishes that are both healthy and dessert-y are hard to find. I finally stumbled onto this Starbucks knock off recipe. I figured it looked easy enough that it wouldn't take a ton of extra effort to double the recipe to make 48 scones. I'm really impressed with how they turned out! I didn't do the spiced glaze because I was feeling lazy but they were still really good. My one tip is get yourself a rolling pin. It was hard to make them even without it. Oh and a ruler. It will make cutting triangles easier. Unless you aren't OCD like me and then it doesn't matter. But if you want them all to be the same size, a ruler will make all the difference. You can find the original recipe from Bespangled Jewelry here.

Bonfire and Pumpkin Carving

Remember my autumn bucket list? I've been picking away at it slowly but steadily. These two events actually happened different days but the same weekend so I decided they could share a post. Sharing is caring. So anyways, the roommates and I carved our pumpkins and we had a blast. I just love the fall season for this reason. I mean when else do you haul nature in and decorate it just to add flammables and put it all on display... OK well I mean pumpkins are still fun. So the nerd in me has been dying to do a Tardis pumpkin and I found a great pattern here.

Courtney carving her Harry Potter pumpkin!

The tedious process of tracing the three part pattern.

Finished product in the light.

Finished product with a candle!

Then we had a bonfire over at Joe's Dad's house. We even got to toast marshmallows! It was extremely hot but so fun!

Avoiding getting too close!

Eating my s'more while Kate and Joe avoid the fire.

The fire was so hot, I could only toast the top of my marshmallow!

We're getting to the end of our autumn bucket list and this has been so so so fun!