Collective Haul Part I

Hiiii my pretty ladies!

I've been pretty busy moving so I haven't been online much. We finally settled into our new home in Carol Stream. It's a 4 bedroom house, and we have one roommate. I'll take pics soon, after everything is completely set up the way I want it.

I've been shopping a lot this past week and wanted to do a collective haul of everything I've purchased. Some of these things were bought with gift cards from Christmas/my birthday, some were purchased with coupons to knock a bunch of money off, and some items were bought at full retail price. I am a pretty smart shopper though and usually wait until things are on sale or I can get a good coupon or discount code for something before I buy it. (Unless I'm feeling really impulsive and just have to have it. haha!!)

Here we go:

The first (and one of my most favorite things) that I bought, today actually, is my new cell phone. I signed up with T-Mobile and bought the LG G2. I am absolutely in love. It was really hard to take a photo of the front of the phone WITH the phone, lol, so I'm sorry for the crappy quality. I also bought a case right away, so that's what's on the back of the phone. 

T-Mobile LG G2 $599.99

Back view/case.

The 2nd big ticket item I bought (again, today) was my laptop. Our old laptop decided to die on us and clearly I need to be able to get online to blog. ;) I also make money from doing surveys online along with a million other things, so I needed a new computer. I bought the HP Envy from Walmart. I'm SO excited because it literally has everything. It's a touchscreen laptop AND it has Dre's Beats so I can bump my music and it'll sound amazing. I'm so excited to explore my new laptop some more!! :)

HP Envy TouchSmart 15 Notebook PC -- $698.00 (I got it on sale for $550 + tax.)

Excuse me in the background. LOL.

Out of all accessories, I'm most obsessed with purses. I'm definitely a purse freak. I have way too many but can never have enough. LOL. So why not buy another one? ;) I bought this Guess purse from Macy's. It's a gorgeous black bag with silver studs. One of my favorite parts is the leopard detailing inside, it's perfect for me. I also really like that you can wear it as a crossbody bag or a handbag.

Guess bag from Macy's -- $128 (I got it with a coupon for $88.)

Then I went to Victoria's Secret and got a few things...

You can never have too many panties! Lol. 5 for $26.

Victoria's Secret PINK push-up bra and multi-way bra. 2 for $42.

This was expensive but it was MADE FOR ME! Look at the leopard print sequin detailing!! $79

I finally caved and bought one of those plug-in scent things from Bath and Body Works. It smells SO good, definitely worth it!!

I also got some random stuff that we needed for the house from Walmart. A trashcan (boring, not pictured...LOL), hangers, an extension cord, an organizer bin, etc.

That's it for part 1 of my collective haul. :) I'm always interested to see what people are buying, so I thought I'd post my own haul. Do you have any of the things I bought today? What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments below! <3

xo, Sarah

Punky Pins Jewelry Review!!

Heyyy beauties!!

I'm very excited to do this review for all of you today. I was in contact with Ali from Punky Pins, and she was kind enough to tell me to pick out a couple items from the website. She sent me two necklaces to review.


Punky Pins is a UK based jewelry company. They make necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings && even pocket mirrors. Their products are extremely unique.  I've never seen anything like their jewelry, and I absolutely love that because I know that a million other girls won't be wearing the same thing as me. I always try to find unique pieces && this is definitely the place to go for that!!

With them being based in the U.K., I was very surprised that shipping only took about a week. My jewelry was packaged in a yellow envelope, and inside was a pamphlet about the company and what they offer, and my two jewelry boxes.

Immediately upon opening the "Twinkle Twinkle" necklace, I fell in love. I already had a million ideas on what outfits to pair it with. It's on a silver chain, and it has a cute silver star hanging from it. It's also incredibly lightweight!!

When I opened the "Alice in Wonderland" necklace, I was surprised at the size of it. I thought it would be a little smaller than it actually was. Once I tried it on though, I was very happy with it. I used to love both the Alice in Wonderland book && TV show when I was little, so this necklace reminded me of my childhood. This necklace has a gold chain and a bigger pendant with a sparkly red heart dangling from the bottom. It's definitely a statement piece!!

Overall I'm very impressed with this jewelry && can't wait to purchase some. I'm also super excited to do some OOTD's featuring these gorgeous pieces!! If you are interested in unique, beautiful handmade jewelry for a low price, visit Punky Pins.

xo, Sarah

Joan Rivers vs. Baby North West?!

We all know 80-year-old comedienne Joan Rivers can take it a little too far sometimes. Her latest routine however, went WAY overboard. Joan had a stand-up comedy show in LA on Friday, and decided to take a jab at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's infant daughter, North West. Apparently she ran into Kim K. and Nori at the E! offices one day. On stage she said, "That baby is ugly! I've never seen a six-month-old so desperately in need of a waxing!"

I understand that comedians poke fun at celebs and their lives, but making fun of a child, let alone an infant is crossing the line. It's one thing for a grown adult to be scrutinized, but a baby?! C'mon Joan, really?? I get it, celebrities are in the spotlight, and therefore their children are in the spotlight, but Kim and Kanye have done a pretty good job at keeping Nori under wraps as best as possible.

Personally, I like Kim Kardashian, although I definitely don't agree with everything she does. Kanye on the other hand, has really been getting on my nerves lately. I love his older music, but his new music isn't that great && over the past few years he's become so narcissistic!! Regardless of how I feel about her parents, I actually think Nori is a pretty cute baby. I don't care if Joan really does think North West is hideous, she should have never said it. Children should always be off limits, whether you like the parents or not. There are some things that are better left unsaid and this is definitely one of those things.

Joan isn't the prettiest person on the planet, not to mention her own daughter isn't the epitome of beauty. Joan apparently thought that she was so ugly that she had to go get an entirely new face. Obviously she has some self-confidence issues herself. I understand two wrongs don't make a right, but I'm pointing out the obvious here. These are also grown adults, not a minor child that I'm talking about.

Overall I think that this went way too far and Joan should know better. It takes a heartless bully to attack an infant, and I don't care who the baby's parents are, no child deserves that.

What do you think about Joan's latest act? Let me know in the comments below!!

xo, Sarah

[[Random Recent (Photo) Update]]

Hiii Beauties!

I've been doing a lot of product reviews, hauls, etc. and I just wanted to do an easy "what's going on in my life" update. :)

Our nephew Jack turned 1 this month, and we went to his birthday party. It was at the "Pavillion" and it was adorable because there was one room with a full-sized carousel and another room with a giant play place for the kids. Lexi loved it, and she met some new friends. It was really cute.

Lexi and the birthday boy, her cousin Jack.

Lexi and her aunt Asia. :)

Lexi && Me

Lexi and her new friend Olivia

Mike, Jack, and Jenny (Tom's brother, birthday boy, and Tom's sister-in-law)

A few days later it was Lexi's birthday. We did some fun little things with her on her special day but we're going to take her to Chuck-E-Cheese (per her request) this week sometime with the family. We wanted to do it this weekend but unfortunately some of our family caught the stomach flu && we wanted them to be there with us so we decided to wait. :(

Here are some other random photos we took today:

Me just messing around with my phone.

Proud of my "new" figure.

"She got a big booty, so I call her big booty." -- 2 Chainz ;)

My youngest daughter and I just hanging out. :)

01/18/2014

I recently lost more weight and everyone and their mom has been noticing. It's a huge compliment when people comment on it, and it really motivates me to keep going. I guess my squats have been helping too because some random lady the other day said "Girl, you have a black girl booty! Did anyone ever tell you that?!" I started cracking up but once again, it made me feel good about myself. I've lost almost 20 pounds and I'm almost at my goal weight. It was a very gradual weight loss but I'm proud of myself && I did it the healthy way.

What have you been up to lately? Let me know in the comments below. :)

xo, Sarah

Simple Necessit-ease BFF Period Undies Review

A few months back, I was contacted by Grace from Simple Necessit-ease. I was sent a pair of their new BFF Period Undies to review. When I saw the website I was really excited about trying these out because they were such a unique product. I haven't seen any other product like this.

I personally have a very heavy flow, and annoying leaks are a part of it. Unfortunately having a period every month is a part of being a woman, and leaks come with the territory. Sometimes my tampon will fill up too quickly, or my pad will shift and suddenly I look and notice I've leaked through my underwear. Ugh.

Photo taken from necessit-ease.com.

The BFF Period Undies are backup protection for your (dreaded) time of the month. They are made out of a comfy mix of cotton and spandex. I was really surprised at how comfortable these underwear are. I received the bikini brief in black. These undies come in black, nude, baby pink, and light blue. Grace asked my size and sent me a medium. (I'm normally a small in thongs, and a medium in boyshorts/briefs, depending on the brand. I decided to get a medium because I do have a booty and didn't want them to be too small.) Size medium fit me perfectly. They are really soft and have just enough elasticity. A lot of brief style underwear ends up being really tight at the leg openings, but these were perfect and not too tight at all. One of my favorite things about this pair is that they were very breathable.

I had received these a few weeks ago, but obviously had to wait to start my period to test them out. I started my period a few days ago, and decided to try these out immediately. Normally if I wear a tampon, I wear a panty liner as well, because I always end up with a couple dots of blood on my underwear. This time, I just used a tampon and skipped the panty liner. I was really surprised at how well these underwear worked. I did end up having a slight leak, and they did exactly what they promised. The leak did not go through the underwear at all.

Since the BFF Period Undies are machine washable, they were a breeze to clean. I threw them in with other laundry, used my laundry detergent and fabric softener, and used the delicate setting to dry them. When I took them out of the dryer they were back to looking brand new and didn't have one stain on them.

Overall I'm very impressed with my new BFF Period Undies, and give them 5/5 stars. They do exactly what they promise, and I'm excited to add a new product to my arsenal and have extra protection from embarrassing leaks. I'm planning on purchasing more pairs so I have enough to wear them throughout my entire cycle each month. I'm not dreading my period (as much) because leaking is a problem of the past.

You can get your own BFF Period Undies here.

xo, Sarah

Hair Product Haul!!

Happy New Year!!

I hope you all had an amazing New Year. Mine was pretty good. I can't believe it's already 2014!! Time is flying. I feel so old, I'm 25 already. I feel like I was 17 like, last week!

This morning Tom, Lexi, and I went out to breakfast with my aunt Denise (aka aunt Neicey), who is also my dad's twin sister as well as my godmother. We had a really good time and I'm so glad we finally got to see her. It's been way too long.

She came bearing gifts for all of us since we didn't get a chance to see that side of the family for Christmas this year. She also brought me a TON of hair products && a tanning lotion. I was SO surprised (and thankful) at the arsenal of hair products she brought me. I think I legit have enough hair stuff for the next 2 years now. No, seriously!!

Here's some of what she gave me:

Michael O'Rourke (Rock Your Hair) Spray It Hard Big Volume Hair Spray
I've seen this a few times and was always curious about it but I never ended up purchasing it. It doesn't have a crazy strong smell which is awesome and the packaging is f*cking ADORABLE!! It's pretty expensive in the store && it has really great reviews so I can't wait to try it out!! She gave me FIVE BOTTLES!! I'm sure I'll be using this a LOT. Lol.

Moroccan Oil Glimmer Shine Spray

I actually already tried this one and I fell in love with it right away. It's lightweight && still gives your hair a gorgeous shine at the same time. In the store it costs around $30 but it's so worth it. I will more than likely be using this every single day and repurchase it when I run out.

Moroccan Oil Luminous Hair Spray

This is a strong flexible hold hair spray. It has a strong fresh/clean scent that smells really good. This is another expensive hair spray and it also has great reviews. I'm excited to see how well it works!!

V05 Extreme Style Volume Blast Styling Spray

This product doesn't have much of a scent and it feels very light on my hair. It claims that it has a 24 hour hold which is awesome.

White Sands Volumizing Shampoo && Conditioner

I always love trying out new shampoo and conditioner. I rarely buy the same shampoo/conditioner twice in a row. I tend to rotate between my 4 or 5 favorites. These are also pretty pricey. They both smell so good and I'm excited to try them out!!

Sebastian Re-Shaper Strong Hold Hairspray


I've heard really great things about this brand so I'm excited that I get to try this out. This is my favorite smelling hairspray out of the bunch. It just smells so fresh and clean to me! Once again, this is another product that has amazing reviews.

Ed Hardy Billionaire Bronzer Tanning Lotion

I haven't had a chance to use this yet but next time I go tanning I definitely will. It smells really good, more like a perfume than a tanning lotion. I have a feeling I'm going to be really impressed by this tanning lotion.

My aunt also gave me a few other shampoos/conditioners but they're already in the shower. I didn't get a chance to take pictures of them earlier. I'm so thankful for all of the awesome things I got from her today. If you want me to a review on any of these products, let me know. I'd be more than happy to!!

Have you ever used any of these products? Are you interested in trying any of these products? If so, which one(s)? Let me know in the comments below!!

xo, Sarah

Nails of the Week -- 12/29/13 "Snow Sparkle"

 Happy Holidays everyone!!

I hope you all had a great Christmas (or whatever you celebrate)!! Mine was pretty good. I'll have a separate blog post up about that soon. :) Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love decorating and being festive. One of the ways I like to express my holiday spirit is through my nails. I wanted to show you all what I did with my nails this week.

I wasn't sure what to title this post because even though I do paint my nails every week (at least once a week), I don't always post photos of them. I should probably start doing this more. Ahhh, the life of a procrastinator. Lol. :)

Anyway, I got really bored yesterday and decided to do something different with my nails. After re-doing each thumb nail about 4x, I finally got them as close as they were going to get to looking presentable.

My sparkle snowflake nails...

A closer look...

Products used:

Rimmel London 60 Second Top Coat --210 Mintilicious

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri -- Clearly Quick

Sally Hansen French Manicure -- 1 Natural White

Essie Multi Dimension Top Coat -- Set In Stones

How I Did It:

1.) First, I used 2 coats of "Mintilicious" as a base for all of my nails.

2.) Next, I added "Set In Stones" to my two ring finger nails.

3.) After that, I concentrated on my thumb nails. I used "Natural White" to draw a few small snowflakes on both nails. The brush that comes with this polish is really slim so it made it easier to make the snowflakes. It still took a few tries though before they looked good enough for me. Lol. When I was done putting the snowflakes on my nails, I used the same polish and same brush to draw small dots around the snowflakes.

4.) Lastly, as always, I used "Clearly Quick" as a top coat over all of my nails. I never paint my nails without using this because it makes them dry to the touch within 90 seconds and completely dry within a few minutes. It also helps seal the color and makes polish last longer. This is one of my favorite top coats.

Have you used any of these polishes? Did you do anything special to your nails for the holidays? Let me know in the comments below. :)

xo, Sarah

SAMMYdress

I came across another website that I thought was blog worthy. I've seen it before but never really looked through all of the merchandise thoroughly until now. SAMMYdress.com offers both women's and men's clothing, jewelry, bags, shoes, lingerie, watches, beauty products, accessories, toys, home products, and so much more. I was really surprised at how much stuff they sell-- you can find almost anything on the website!! The best part is that their prices are so inexpensive!!

Here are some of my favorite things that I came across while browsing SAMMYdress:

Leopard Print Embellished T-Shirt

Leopard Print Embellished T-Shirt

Black Knitted Dress

Black Knitted Dress

Snowflake Pattern Leggings

Snowflake Pattern Leggings

7 Piece Knuckle Ring Set

7 Piece Knuckle Ring Set

Wall Sticker Decal

Wall Sticker Decal

There is so much more stuff that I want from this website, but I just wanted to show you a few things on my SAMMYdress wish list. Check out the website for yourself, it'll be worth your while. :)

xo, Sarah

[[DISCLAIMER]]: This is a sponsored post BUT all of the things written in this post are true && are my honest opinions. If I don't like a product or site, I won't post it at all or I will let you know what I don't like about it.