Thursday, December 31, 2020

December 2020 - Monthly Favourites!

Here were the top 5 things I was loving in December:

December 2020 - Monthly Favourites!
I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

Surprisingly heavy on the makeup department despite not wearing much - I still used some really great products this month! 

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Reflections of 2020

Happy almost New Year's everyone - wow 2020 was certainly a year that none of us will soon forget - it was pretty unreal year, to say the least. I have to say, however you handled the year, you did great, we got through it! I personally was up and down with how I was dealing, but feel like we managed all right through the year! 

I'm a super nostalgic person and I love looking back a moments in time and remembering how it was and picturing myself back there (this is why I'm a big scrapbooker too!), and despite dealing with a pandemic, there was some really amazing moments from this year! 

Family Vacation in Mexico 


Holy shit, remember when we could travel and can you believe it was in 2020? We went to Mexico in early January and stayed in between Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen! We had an absolutely amazing time - we had a huge house with out own swimming pool, a very close walk to the beach. We had toddlers to entertain, so we alternated days close by the house and outing days. The outings were amazing - Xcaret, cenote swimming and cave touring! It was such a great trip and my first time to the East side of Mexico! 

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

December 2020 - Lush Kitchen Subscription Box

I was SO excited earlier this year when Lush Kitchen announced that they were starting a subscription box, of course I ordered it right away and the first box was in May! It is a little pricey with the conversion to Canada; but, I've only been getting it every other month and I've been loving it! 

December 2020 - Lush Kitchen Subscription Box
I purchased this box

The Lush Kitchen Subscription box is a monthly subscription box full of exclusive Lush Labs goodies made exclusively for the box - every month subscribers vote on the monthly menu of products that they would or would not like to see in the box, so you can help pick what is included in the box! Also, all of the products included in each box will be vegan. 

Monday, December 28, 2020

Manicure Monday - New Year's Stamped Star Nails

Happy Manicure Monday everyone! I hope you all have a great week and had a lovely holiday season - I'm so excited to have another week off from work and looking forward to time with the kids and just being home! 

Manicure Monday - New Year's Stamped Star Nails
The BioSculpture polish was received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

Can you believe it is New Years this week and we can kiss 2020 good-bye?! I know that January 1 isn't going to erase all of the craziness of 2020, but I'm certainly more hopeful for what 2021 will bring! 

Sunday, December 27, 2020

November and December 2020 - Monthly Empties

Alright, I was incredibly behind on my November empties, so I figured it's just best if I combine the two months in to one post - it's a bit of a doozy:

November and December 2020 - Monthly Empties
Some items were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Color Correct Cushion Wonder in "Peach" ~ $6.98 CAN. This color-correcting serum instantly provides weightless color correction of any skin coloration concern.

I you've seen my Project Pan 20 in 2020 Wrap up Post, there will be a few repeat products in this post, because I finished quite a few goodies. This was a good product and I did like it, it was creamy and blended in so nicely. It was peach so it worked to colour correct under my eyes and looked good. This was a Monthly Favourite back in July 2017 but the cushion just got so messy and I probably wouldn't pick this up again only because of this.
Repurchase: Not likely 

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Five on Saturday - December 26, 2020

Happy Boxing Day everyone! I hope you have an amazing Christmas and holiday season! 

ONE 

family christmas
I purchased everything in this post (of course, except for the gifts) - this post contains affiliate links

We of course, had a much quieter Christmas this year, but it was still so great - we spent Christmas Eve having an appetizer night and playing games! With Elliott, we played Hungry Hungry Hippos and Candyland. Then, once Elliott went to bed - we played Exploding Kittens and Throw Throw Burrito - both are hilarious and so fun! 

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

20 in 2020 Project Pan - Final Update #6

In December last year, I kicked off my big year-long Project Pan - I was planning on using up or hitting pan on 20 makeup products throughout the whole year and I'm using 10 products at a time. So, I introduced the first 10 products in December, did an update in February, an update in April, an update in June, an update in August, an update in October and this is my final wrap-up update! 

20 in 2020 Project Pan
The Paula's Choice & Hard Candy items were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

At the end of my last update in October I had reached my goal on 13 products, so I had 7 more products to go to reach my goal - do you think I made it?!?! 

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Last Minute, Easy Pickup Beauty, Bath & Body Gifts and Stocking Stuffers!

Can you believe we are on the home stretch to Christmas?! I know it will be a quiet one this year, but I love Christmas, so quiet or not, I'm so excited for it! 

Last Minute, Easy Pickup Beauty, Bath & Body Gifts and Stocking Stuffers!
These products were all received as PR samples, except the Cooling Globes and Body Shop lotion that I purchased - this post contains affiliate links

Now, I'm one of those people that pre-plans my Christmas shopping and starts months in advance, so I've had everything done and wrapped for weeks (I personally just try to avoid the last minute stress); but, I do know most people will be rushing out for a few last minute gifts and stocking stuffer ideas! 

Monday, December 21, 2020

Manicure Monday - Christmas Reindeer Nails

Happy Mani Monday! Can you believe this is the last Monday before Christmas?! Whoa - this went so fast! 

Manicure Monday - Christmas Reindeer Nails
The OPI polishes were received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

For my Christmas week manicure - I went with a little mixed Christmas themed nail art look, with Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer as the front and centre accent nail! 

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Lush Christmas 2020 Collection!

I'm a total sucker for Lush's holiday collections - they always pull out all the stops for their Christmas releases! 

Skincare Saturday - Lush Christmas Collection!
I purchased everything in this post

I picked up a whole range of products, as usual - I don't hold back when it comes to the Lush Christmas collection. I got shower gels, bath products, lotions, a shampoo bar and even a little shower steamer! I do love the range of products that they release for the holidays! 

Skincare Sunday - Masque Bar Christmas Sheet Masks

Happy Skincare Sunday everyone! You know I love some printed sheet masks and I usually pick up fun Christmas ones, so this year I saw a few adorable masks from Masque Bar and I couldn't resist trying them! 

Skincare Sunday - Masque Bar Christmas Sheet Masks
I purchased these myself - this post contains affiliate links 

How cute are these little guys?! A little Moose and Snowman in their Winter earmuffs! Also, they have a snowman, polar bear and reindeer ones that are so cute (I think the snowman is from last year, but it's too cute!)

Friday, December 18, 2020

Five on Friday - December 18, 2020

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you've all had a good week - it's been a busy work week here, so I'm glad it's over! (And, I finally have a fully potty-trained toddler - woo hoo, so it hasn't been all bad!)

ONE 

alberta authors
The Butcher Shop Girl and 111 Places in Calgary were received as review copies - this post contains affiliate links

I've been focusing a lot this year on shopping and supporting local (if you missed my huge Shop Local YYC post make sure you check it out!) But, what I didn't feature any local authors and I felt like that was really important - I've been reading like crazy this year and I think when we consider shopping local, there will be books by local authors/photographers/chefs that you can find for anyone on your list! (Plus, sometimes local authors books come signed and I think that is amazing and such a great touch for a gift - 2 of these books are signed!) Also, if you can support a local indie bookstore while you are at it, that would be perfect! 

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Holiday 2020 Beauty Sets That Caught My Eye!

I'm a total sucker for beauty gift sets and I pick up a couple every year as I find them a good value or a good way to try a few different products from a brand! 

Holiday 2020 Beauty Sets That Caught My Eye!
I purchased all these sets - this post contains affiliate links

Of course, I'm wearing less makeup, so I leaned towards picking up mostly skincare and body sets this year; but, I couldn't resist a couple of lip sets because they looked so good! 

Monday, December 14, 2020

Manicure Monday - Christmas Wreath Nails

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend! Alberta is back in a lock down, so we baked Christmas cookies all weekend! 

Manicure Monday - Christmas Wreath Nails
The OPI polish was received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links 

Prior to the lockdown being announced, I was in Edmonton to do some instructing for work and so I went to Creme de la Creme Beauty Lounge and while I was mainly there for makeup, they sell nail polish too. The coolest part is that they actually make the nail polish fresh in store for you when you pick out the colour! It was very neat! 

Sunday, December 13, 2020

November 2020 What I Bought - Monthly Haul!

I always love my Monthly Haul posts, so I can share with you everything I picked up in the month; because, as much as I love blogging, I can't share every single thing I picked up! 

Instead of budgeting each month (like I was trying at the start of the year), I'm just sticking to the being more conscious about my purchases and just make sure it's makeup that I will really like before buying it! I want to make sure that I can use and enjoy the products I have in my collection and that I will really use the products I picked up!  

I purchased everything in this post

Colourpop Haul ~ $59.62. I hadn't purchased from ColourPop in just over a year, but when this Baby Yoda palette came out, I knew I had to pick it up! So, I picked up a few other things that had caught my eye lately! I did a full post on everything I picked up - check it out here

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Five on Friday - December 11, 2020

Happy Friday! I hope you've all had a good week - it's pretty crazy for me. I have been in Edmonton doing some instructing for the week, so I've been living in a dorm room and away from home for a few days. Also, Alberta is basically going into full lock-down now for 4 weeks and it's pretty tough - it's over Christmas. Lots of people have been calling for this for weeks so we could have a small Christmas and it sucks, because now we get nothing. Of course, it will be lovely with the husband and kids - it's just hard without our parents involved too. But, on a good note, the first vaccine was approved in Canada and we will slowly start rolling that out, so it feels like there is a little hope on the other side of a long tunnel! 

ONE 

November Owlcrate
I purchased everything in this post - this post contains affiliate links

I received my November Owlcrate subscription and this month's theme is "Growing Wild" - I actually skipped the past couple of months, but was so excited about this theme and I love this box. Each month the book Owlcrate includes is signed by the author and comes with a note from the author as well - they often have special edition covers just for the box, and they seem to include a lot of exclusive items just for Owlcrate, which is so fun! As a bookworm, I have been loving this subscription!  

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Trying New(ish) e.l.f. Cosmetics ~ Bite Size Face Duos, Bite Size Eyeshadows, and Sheer Slick Lipstick

I will be honest, e.l.f. isn't a brand that I've tried much from and hadn't really been on my radar, but that's likely going to change for me after trying some of these newer products I've seen from them - I'm really liking what I've picked up! 

Trying New(ish) e.l.f. Cosmetics ~ Bite Size Face Duos, Bite Size Eyeshadows, and Sheer Slick Lipstick
I purchased everything myself - this post contains affiliate links

I'm a pretty recent convert to drugstore brand makeup - just within the last couple of years, I've taken more opportunities to try brands I hadn't before, and they've mostly really impressed me! I was intrigued when the Bite Size Eyeshadows were released, but they took a while to release in Canada, and I picked up a couple, but had sort of just held on to them without try these for a while. 

Monday, December 7, 2020

Manicure Monday - Christmas Lights Nails!

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend - I'm feeling pretty accomplished from this weekend, I am done everything for Christmas! Everything is wrapped, mailed and I can relax now and enjoy the season! 

Manicure Monday - Christmas Lights Nails!
The OPI polishes were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

And, the first Monday of December means CHRISTMAS NAILS for the whole month! Woo hoo - I absolutely love doing Christmas nails and I always have so many ideas and not enough weeks to get them all done! 

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Winter 2020 - The Jilly Box Subscription

I'm a big fan of Jillian Harris, so when she announced last year that she was starting a subscription box, I was so excited! The first box was the Winter 2019 box and I waiting in an online queue for the whole day trying to get one and sadly, I did not so I have been waiting patiently for a random selection ever since - I finally got picked to receive a Fall box, (not a subscription though), and I loved it! For the Winter Box, I didn't get randomly picked, but I was able to purchase a box through a friend of a friend and I was so excited to get another box! 

Winter 2020 - The Jilly Box Subscription
I purchased this box on my own

The Jilly Box is a quarterly seasonal subscription box - the products within the box include some of Jillian’s (and Team Jilly’s!) favourite items (and brands) from home decor, fashion, bath and beauty, health and wellness, accessories perfect for each season. Some of the items included will be custom designed exclusively for the Jilly Box. The Jilly Box really focuses on including products from small, local businesses while being ethically sourced and inclusive. They also focus on reducing plastic waste and packaging - the big boxes can be turned inside out and reused! 

Friday, December 4, 2020

Five on Friday - December 4, 2020

Happy Friday everyone! Another busy week, so I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend! 

ONE 

The Pixi Beauty quad was received as a PR sample, everything else was purchased by me - this post contains affiliate links

I have been keeping up my Monthly Makeup Baskets throughout this pandemic; but, I am finding it a little hard to use everything in a single month as I am wearing masks all the time. So, for now, I am going to do bi-monthly baskets - I typically feature older products, but I have quite a few newer face products that I will be focusing on for December and January:

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

November 2020 - Monthly Favourites!

Whoa! Can you believe we are in to the last month of 2021?! Here's what I was loving in November:

November 2020 - Monthly Favourites!
I purchased all of these products - this post contains affiliate links

This was a month of great eyeshadows and some fun beauty accessories! There was a good range this month, except I didn't really have a skincare product, but I had something hair related (which hardly ever show up in my favourites!)

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Family Advent Calendars ~ Sephora Collection, Kin + Pod Chocolate, Yawn Brew Hot Chocolate and Paw Patrol!

I absolutely love advent calendars and I really like to try new ones every year! We've tried it all - beer, chocolate, tea, books, lego, you name it! I'm really excited with our family advent calendars that I picked out this year! 

Family Advent Calendars ~ Sephora Collection, Kin + Pod Chocolate, Yawn Brew Hot Chocolate and Paw Patrol!
I purchased all these - this post contains affiliate links

We have some classic calendars in here, but we also have a small-batch Calgary chocolate company and a hot chocolate advent calendar in here! (I love that companies have become so creative with their advent calendars - there is something for everyone out there! I heard there is even a cheese calendar! So fun!)