Manicure Monday - Shimmery Pink Unicorn Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

For the month of April the #CBBxManiMonday group is doing pastel nails - I always struggle a little with this month as I typically love bright and bold nails, but when I saw this shimmery purple I knew it would pair perfectly with a pastel pink so I looove how these turned out! 

Five on Saturday - April 20, 2024 ~ The Night Circus Vintage Quarterbound Classic Edition, Orchard YYC Restaurant, Crucial Conversations Course, Poshmark Order, and Taylor Swift Tortured Poets Department

Happy Saturday - I hope you all had a great week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

I just got this brand new gorgeous Vintage Quarterbound Classic Edition of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - it's gorgeous! As this is my very favourite book, I'm so glad it's being referred to a classic - it's such a stunning edition. It is only available in the UK right now, but Blackwell's offers free shipping to Canada in their prices! 

Manicure Monday - Essie Spring Apricot Jelly Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a good weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

For the month of April, the #CBBxManiMonday group we always do Pastel and Easter nails - I've been loving the pastel polishes this moth, so that's typically what I'm sticking with. 

Five on Sunday - April 14, 2024 ~ Weekend Update, Science Centre, April Most Anticipated Books, Blurb 2022 Yearbook, and A Little Instagram Fun

Happy Sunday everyone - I hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

I don't usually get to share a weekend update on these since I'm supposed to write them on Fridays! But, Friday was my husband and I's 12th Dating Anniversary, so we had a good dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine! Then, Saturday we had a retirement party for my Uncle and today was just a beautiful to enjoy the weather! 

TWO

I purchased everything in this post

This past weekend, we went to the Telus Spark Science Centre - we always have a blast there! The latest exhibits that they have on right now are DaVinci (which was great) and the digital immersion gallery that is all about space exploration and NASA. So well done! 

Revlon Illuminance Serum Tint & Gel Serum Blush - Swatches and Review

I have been swapping to the drugstore lately and I've been really impressed with what they have to offer at affordable prices! So, when I saw Revlon was releasing a few products in this Illuminance line, I knew that I had to try them out. 

I purchased everything in this post

I actually don't typically go for a glowy look or overly oily/shiny skin, but I thought with these being really skincare focused that they might have some good balance for my skin! 

Manicure Monday - Tutti Frutti Dotticure

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a good weekend! 

I purchased these products

For the month of April, the #CBBxManiMonday group is doing pastel manis - I love this fun mixed glitter polish with a light pastel base so I knew I wanted it to use it this month! It's super pretty and the Insta-Dri polishes are amazing for when I need a quick mani! 

Monthly Beauty Favourites ~ March 2024

Here's what I've been loving the past month:

The Skin Proud and XO were received as PR samples

Nails Inc Mani Marker in White ~ $12.99 CAN.You don’t have to paint it like the pros to try out these mani markers. Bring your nail art ideas to life, from simple to complicated designs. Turn your nails into the ultimate canvas in just a few minutes. 

I've used this in a couple mains now and I really like! It paints on really easy and exactly how you want it - my only tip is to make sure your polish underneath is totally dry! It's a great alternative to nail art polishes with really long brushes that have a little less control! 

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul ~ March 2024

Back in 2022, I set a monthly beauty and books budget at $200 per month and I've been pretty good about sticking to it! I am trying to be thoughtful in my purchases, so this has been holding me accountable for being reasonable with my spending. Since it worked so well last year, I'm really trying to do the same thing this year! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

ELF Cosmetics Order ~ $44.00 CAN. I've been waiting to do this haul for a little while - I'm excited to try the clicky lip balms so I picked up two! I also picked up the liquid blush brush so I can try out the Camp brush. Also, ELF appears to be one of the only brands to still make brush cleaner so I picked up a couple! I haven't tried anything yet since I am slow right now!

Five on Friday - April 5, 2024 ~ After The Forest Book Review, Month of Vegetarian/Pescatarian Meals, Easter, Weekend at the Cabin, and New Makeup Bag

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

I just talked about my March books on yesterday's post; but, After The Woods by Kell Woods still deserves it's own post because I really enjoyed it! This is an adult fantasy/fairytale retelling. This was a Hansel and Gretel "retelling" but set 15 years or so in the future when Hans is squandering the family money and Greta is baking some magical gingerbread to keep their family afloat. While the village folks are starting to question if she is a witch and the ruling people are looking to collect more money, Greta isn't sure what she should do. There are also dangerous creatures lurking around - wolves and bears in the forest nearby and the lines are blurred on what is good and evil. I loved the twists, the sentient book, the magic types, the potential romance. This focused very much in the beginning of characters and ambience and the plot really picked up in the second half and I enjoyed it!

Monthly Reads ~ March 2023

Time for a look at my March Monthly reads! Each month I share a quick look at the books that I've read with a little synopsis and my rating - anything that I love or is really intriguing, I will share a more in depth review on a different post! 

I purchased all the books in this post

So, in February I read 8 books with a mix of genres from true crime to YA horror. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books, and this month I'm right down the middle which is perfect! 

Manicure Tuesday - Easter Mini Egg Nails

Happy Manicure Tuesday everyone! 

I purchased these nail polishes

Can you believe it's already April?! It was just Easter and so for April the #CBBxManiMonday group usually does a mixture of pastel and Easter nails, so I'm doing a combination of both today! 

Five on Friday - March 29, 2024 ~ Grape Escape, Wilfred Twirl Pleated Skirt, Ricki's Clothing Haul, Amazon Bodysuit, and Old Navy Haul

Happy Friday everyone - hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

This past weekend we went to Grape Escape - it's put on by Co-op and it's sampling of everything that they are selling! I had lots of wine and snacks and we had a great night out with our family! 

Manicure Monday - Mushroom Nail Art

Happy Manicure Monday everyone! 

I purchased these polishes

For the month of March, the #CBBxManiMonday group is doing green nails for the month - I went a little sage green earthy for my mani and did some adorable mushroom nail art! 

Five on Saturday - March 23, 2024 ~ The Invocations Book Review, March 2024 Owlcrate Unboxing, Dare To Lead Course, St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun Trap, and My Neighbor Totoro

Happy Saturday everyone - as per usual right now, it's been a crazy week for me with lots of training going on, so happy it's the weekend! 

ONE 

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

I really enjoyed The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland 4.5 stars! This is a young adult magical realism horror all about witches (for me this wasn't just YA if you like dark books, I think this would be great!) We have a lot going on, but kept me hooked the whole time. Each of our three characters is quite distinct - one has cursed herself beyond repair and is searching high and low for a witch to help save her, one is mourning the loss of her sister and will stop at nothing to learn a spell to raise her from the dead, and our third is a curse-writer who a serial killer appears to be hunting down the woman she's given spells to. They all come together trying to solve the crimes while each with their own story and path. There were a few conveniences to help the plot along but I just thought everything was so good!

Manicure Monday - Neon Green Polka Dot Nails

Happy Mani Monday - I hope you all had a good weekend! 

The Biosculpture polish was received as a PR sample

For the month of March the #CBBxManiMonday is sticking to a green theme! I tend to struggle with green, but I feel like these past few weeks I've been feeling pretty inspired! I did Lucky Charms nail art last week and loved it and I'm going with a neon green nail theme this week and I love how bright they are! (And my nails have been long for so long and they look so good painted right now!)

Five on Friday - March 15, 2024 ~ Divine Rivals & Ruthless Vows Book Reviews, Urban Planet Finds, WINS Thrifting Finds, ReGrub Nerd It Out Milkshake and WTF Is Up With The Royal Family

Happy Friday and happy weekend! I have been so behind on my blogging if you've noticed these are a little delayed! 

ONE

I purchased everything in this post

This duology is beautiful inside and out - Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows! This is a YA fantasy duology with a great romance in it! Waring gods and enchanted typewriters add great tension to this series! This focuses on our main characters, Iris and Roman as they are competing journalists in the same company vying for the same job. They come from very different worlds, where Iris is struggling with a brother at war and a mother in the throws of addiction, while Roman is from a well-off family looking at an arranged marriage. They find a connection through magical typewriters, where only Roman knows her identity. The war is two old rival Gods who have awoken and are calling civilians to pick sides and fight for them.

Monthly Reads ~ February 2024

Time for a look at my January Monthly reads! Each month I share a quick look at the books that I've read with a little synopsis and my rating - anything that I love or is really intriguing, I will share a more in depth review on a different post! 

I purchased (or borrowed) all the books in this post

So, in February I read 10 books, with a mix of genres from middle grade fantasy to adult historical fiction. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books, and this month I'm right down the middle which is perfect! 

I read 2 physical books, 2 ebooks and listened to 6 audiobooks. Here's a quick look at all the books I read in the past month: 

Manicure Monday - Lucky Charms Nails

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend! 

The OPI and China Glaze polishes were received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate link

For the month of March the #CBBxManiMonday is sticking to a green theme! I'm feeling full on St. Patrick's Day this week so I'm doing Lucky Charms nails! I hand painted all the charms and I'm so happy with how they turned out - fun to feel so inspiration for my nails again! 

Monthly Beauty Favourites ~ February 2024

Here's a look at what I was loving in February: 

The Skin Proud product was received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

Skin Proud Bright Boost 2% Vitamin C Serum ~ $17.97 CAN. Ultra potent and packed full of vitamins, Bright Boost is your skin’s wakeup call in a bottle. Enriched with brightening vitamin C, revitalizing kakadu plum and glow boosting lemon extract you can officially say goodbye to dull and lack lustre skin and embrace the glow. Meet Skin Proud's Bright Boost—your skin's daily dose of Vitamin C magic. Packed with 2% Vitamin C, it's like a shot of espresso for your complexion. This serum is your secret weapon against dullness and blah skin days. The Vitamin C is like a superhero, brightening and evening out your skin tone while you sip your morning coffee. Just apply a few drops after cleansing and let the magic happen. Get ready for skin that's more radiant than your favorite dance move and as vibrant as a summer festival. Brighten up your life with Skin Proud's Bright Boost—because glowing skin is always in season!

Five on Friday - March 8, 2024 ~ A Girl Called Echo Omnibus Book Review, Mirror Mirror Experience, March Most Anticipated Reads, Blurb Italy Photobook, and Howl's Moving Castle

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a god week! I can't describe how busy I've been the past few weeks and I'm looking forward to a chill weekend! 

ONE 

A Girl Called Echo was received as a review copy

I always love sharing my favourite reads, and I'm happy to share A Girl Called Echo Omnibus by Katherena Vermette - this is a bind up of the 4 graphic novels in this young adult historical fiction graphic novel series. In this series, we meet Echo, a young girl separated from her mother, thrown in to a new school and environment where she doesn't fit in. While in her history class learning about Metis history she is compelled to know more about her history and her people and we learn the history first hand as Echo is transported to big milestone events in Canadian history surrounding Metis people - in four volumes, the Pemmican Wars, Red River Resitance, Northwest Resitance and the Road Allowance Era.

For me, this wasn't history I learned in school, and while I've tried to learn more about Canadian history, there was still plenty in this book that I didn't know and I think it's an important story to be told about generations that are separated but still affected by their past.

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul ~ February 2024

Back in 2022, I set a monthly beauty and books budget at $200 per month and I've been pretty good about sticking to it! I am trying to be thoughtful in my purchases, so this has been holding me accountable for being reasonable with my spending. Since it worked so well last year, I'm really trying to do the same thing this year! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

XO Treatment Room Heavy C ~ $103.45. This is my holy grail vitamin c serum - I ran out and picked this up (and then got a different one to try in PR first so I'm saving this), but this uses a special vitamin c molecule that doesn't irritate or break out my skin and it's just so good! Highly recommend! 

Manicure Monday - Scratch Easy Peasy Nail Wraps

Happy Manicure Monday and it's the first Monday in March! 

I purchased this set

Just like how in February the #CBBManiMonday always does Pink and Red nails, in March we we always stick to the green theme - it's fitting for St. Patrick's Day and the First day of Spring. I always find green a little more challenging, but do have some cute ideas for this month! 

Five on Saturday - March 2, 2024 ~ Fairytale Retellings Books, YYC Hot Chocolate Fest, Month of Vegetarian/Pescatarian Meals, February Bookclub, and Love is Blind Season 6

Happy Saturday everyone - coming in a little late again (this might be my new normal while I'm juggling two jobs, I feel like free time is not coming easy!) I hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

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

I'm not a huge reading planner, but I do love a theme and I've picked up a few books that are Fairytale Retellings that I need to read asap, so I thought I'd share them with you! 

• How To Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann ~ This is a few fairytale survivors coming together in a basement support group sharing their stories - I love that concept of the dingy group meeting and sharing of stories! 
• Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer ~ A sleeping beauty retelling with twin sisters who have each had a sense taken away from them and then everything changes! 
• After The Forest by Kell Woods ~ This takes place 20 years after the witch in the gingerbread house and Greta is using the witch's recipe to keep her family afloat but dark magic is coming back - this sounds great! 
• The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie ~ This one has our main character plunging in to the Forest Grimm to procure a magical book and reverse the curse placed on her. This one looks like a Red Riding Hood, but might have more than one fairytale twist! 

What's your favourite retelling? 

Manicure Monday - Red Matte Love Nails

Happy Manicure Monday everyone - hope you all had a good week! (I am getting this up a little late, but just having a really busy few weeks and little time to write!)

I purchased everything in this post

I always look forward to this month for nails because for the whole month of February, the #CBBxManiMonday group is going to do Pink & Red nails for Valentine's Day! I absolutely love this colour theme and am hoping I can get some good inspiration all month for nail art! 

Five on Saturday - February 24, 2024 - Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge Book Review, Activate Calgary, Polar Plunge Calgary, Calgary Zoo YYC Hot Chocolate Fest and Monthly Declutter

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all had a good week! It was crazy busy for me, but good! 

ONE 

The book was received as a review copy - this post contains affiliate links

Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook is a little different than what I typically pick up - it's a historical fiction with a little murder mystery twist! We follow Maude who is trying to find out how her sister died while posing as a ship boy out at sea on an arctic expedition. We follow Maude in the current trying to track down the murderer and eventually plotting her revenge on the murderer. We also follow her sister's journal that she wrote while out at sea and it helps solve the mystery. I thought the story started out a tad slow, but really picked up and I couldn't wait to see how her revenge worked out! It was a little dark too and I enjoyed this! 4 star read for me! 

Spring 2024 - The Jilly Box Subscription Unboxing

I'm a big fan of Jillian Harris, so when she announced that she was starting a subscription box, I was so excited! The box started with the Winter 2019 box and sadly, I was not one of the lucky originals who won a subscription spot, so I sign up every season and hope to get picked for a lottery spot!

I purchased this box - this post contains affiliate links

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! Also, they try to include Canadian, woman owned brands, as well as Bipoc and LGBTQ owned brands as well. 

Rimmel Kind and Free - Tinted Lip Balm and Multistick Try-on and Review

I have been excited by some recent releases from the drugstore (I've been purchasing some makeup but reviews are slow over here so I can try everything out!) so there will be more coming, but in reality more drugstore releases have appealed to me than Sephora releases lately! 

I purchased these products on my own

So when I saw a review of these Rimmel Kind & Free tinted lip balms, I knew I wanted to try them out and they had a new cream blush too?! I was sold! Rimmel is actually a brand that I'm not super familiar with, I haven't tried a ton of products from them, but after trying these, I'd be excited to more products from them! 

Manicure Monday (or Tuesday) - Pink Aura Nails

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

I always look forward to this month for nails because for the whole month of February, the #CBBxManiMonday group is going to do Pink & Red nails for Valentine's Day! I absolutely love this colour theme and am hoping I can get some good inspiration all month for nail art! 

Five on Saturday - Valentine's Day and Gifts, Galentines, Valentine's Baking, and Consignment Finds

Happy Saturday everyone - I hope you all had a good week! I have really exciting news - I got a new job at work! (No picture though!) I got a supervisor job so I will be overseeing the whole Programs area at my centre, which is going to be so cool! I started on Thursday so it was a quick start, but I'm really happy. 

ONE  

I purchased everything in this post

This week was Valentine's Day and we had fun! We aren't big celebrators, but I have started the tradition with my kids to order heart shaped pizza and they love it! 

Manicure Monday - Valentine's Frog Nails

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend! (Also, whoops - forgot to post right on Monday!)

I purchased everything in this post

I always look forward to this month for nails because for the whole month of February, the #CBBxManiMonday group is going to do Pink & Red nails for Valentine's Day! I absolutely love this colour theme and am hoping I can get some good inspiration all month for nail art! 

Five on Friday - February 9, 2023 ~ YYC Hot Chocolate Fest, February Most Anticipated Reads, Spirited Away, Little Gift From A Friend, and Sheets, Delicates and Lights Grahpic Novel Book Reviews

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

It's the start of YYC Hot Chocolate Fest - each February a whole bunch of Calgary places participate by making fancy and fun hot chocolates and donate a portion of all sales to Meals on Wheels. We always have fun buying a few and supporting a good cause over the month! 

Monthly Beauty Favourites ~ January 2024

Here's a look at what I was loving in January:

I purchased everything in this post

Seamless Cotton Elastics ~ $10.88 CAN for pack of 100. Soft and solid seamless design, ties are gentle on your hair, will not snag, are easy to remove without sticking to, pulling on or damaging your hair. 

Okay, maybe this feels a little unexciting, but these are so good - am I late to the game on these?! I wanted to something that was more gentle on my hair and these are perfect! The material is soft and it doesn't pull or damage my hair. But, it holds my ponytails with my fine, thin, long hair! 

Monthly Reads ~ January 2024

Time for a look at my January Monthly reads! Each month I share a quick look at the books that I've read with a little synopsis and my rating - anything that I love or is really intriguing, I will share a more in depth review on a different post! 

 

I purchased all these books

So, in January I read 10 books, with a mix of genres from adult spicy romance to young adult mystery. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books, and this month I'm right down the middle which is perfect! 

Manicure Monday - Valentine's Day Pink Heart Nails

Happy Manicure Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend! 

The OPI polish was received as a PR sample - this post contains affiliate links

I'm so excited it's February - for the whole month the #CBBxManiMonday group is going to do Pink & Red nails for Valentine's Day! I absolutely love this colour theme and am hoping I can get some good inspiration all month for nail art! 

Monthly Beauty and Book Haul ~ January 2024

Back in 2022, I set a monthly beauty and books budget at $200 per month and I've been pretty good about sticking to it! I am trying to be thoughtful in my purchases, so this has been holding me accountable for being reasonable with my spending. Since it worked so well last year, I'm really trying to do the same thing this year! 

I do always love my Monthly Haul posts - it's a good way to keep track of everything that I picked up each month. I don't always blog about everything I pick up (I try to), but if you ever spot anything in here that you really want me to talk about, let me know! 

I purchased everything in this post

Shoppers Haul ~ $7.37 CAN. Always using my PC points on my Shoppers Hauls so they are nice and affordable! I really wanted to try then new Revlon Illuminance products and ELF blush - stay tuned for reviews comeing! And, a Sally Hansen collab with Hersheys - I couldn't resist! 

Five on Saturday - February 3, 2024 ~ Calgareads Book Club, January Month of Vegetarian/Pescatarian Meals, Dollarstore Valentine's Finds, Bare Activewear Pants, and Mario Videogame Find

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

I purchased everything in this post

I'm so excited - last weekend I joined a book club! It is the Calgareads Book Club and everyone met through instragram, so I met a online friend after years of beauty/subscription content and now bookish content! We had so much fun connecting with a new group in Calgary and chatting books! January's book was Gods of Jade and Shadow - I liked it! 

January 2024 Ipsy Glambag Unboxing

It's been a long time since I've gotten I've gotten an Ipsy subscription, but I tried it once last year and wanted to see if I wanted to keep up the subscription - chances are probably not, but I thought I'd share what I got in this month's bag! 

The January 2024 Theme is Glow Your Soul and described as "Featuring a new, unique velvet fabric embroidered with iridescent sequins, this month's Glam Bag is here to help you soft launch 2024, thanks to its beautiful design by Joanne Wong. Plus, this purple pouch is packed with all the beauty you need to relax, recharge, and take on anything."

I purchased this subscription

The Ipsy Glam Bag is $14 per month + $3.95 shipping to Canada (it worked out to $25.06 CAN with the exchange for the month!) Each month comes with 5 curated products based on your preference quiz and I now you get to pick one of the items that is included in the box. It also gives you access to beauty deals in their shop. 

Manicure Monday - Books, Cats, and Coffee Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend!

I purchased everything in this post

I recently unboxed my new Mani x Me box yesterday and the theme was Purrfect Prose - I did a cat bookshelf mani last week and loved it, so I had to keep up the same theme this week! 

Five on Friday - January 26, 2024 ~ Bookshops and Bonedust Book Review, Damian's Birthday, Auction Finds, Fun Bluejays Scarf and Monthly Declutter

Happy Friday everyone - I hope you all had a great week! It was a little busy here and I'm tired! 

ONE 

I purchased the products in this post

So happy to share another fabulous book and my first 4.5 star of the year - it's Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree! This is a cozy fantasy novel and it is the prequel to Legends and Lattes! We follow Viv in her earlier years after an injury, where she needs to take a few weeks rest in a small town. She ends up helping revamp a bookshop and makes this group of friends (and potentially first love) and they are just the cutest little group. She is also still protecting the town and her friends from a necromancer and I think it has more adventure than L&L, but it was so sweet and this group of friends was just so lovely. I loved the bookshop setting and just the details and everything - this book is well written and just a cozy story! 

Beautylish Lucky Bag 2024 Unboxing

Every year on Boxing Day (or December 26 for you non-Canadians), Beautylish releases the pre-order for their Lucky Bags which ships in January - if you are interested, these sell out quickly on the day of, so make sure your ready on that date! These boxes are $103.00 CAN + shipping and duties (mine worked out to $154.22), but, you are guaranteed at least $200.00 CAN worth of makeup and skincare. They are all totally random, so it is a complete surprise what you get, and I love surprises! Some bags are extra lucky and include gift cards, etc. 

I picked up the regular lucky bag for fair/medium skin. There was also XL lucky bags, Jeffree Star Lucky Bags, and a Buy One Gift One as other options. I'm a total sucker for these mystery boxes - I didn't get one last year, but I always get FOMO so I decided to pick one up this year!

Here is a look at my 2024 Beautylish Lucky Bag:

I purchased this box - this post contains affiliate links

The lucky bags are inspired by a Japanese New Year tradition and the packaging was inspired by the upcoming Year of the Dragon! It's lovely! I received 7 products in this bag from some great brands! 

Manicure Monday - Bookshelf and Cats Nails

Happy Manicure Monday - I hope you all had a great weekend! 

I purchased everything in this post

I just unboxed my new Mani x Me box yesterday and the theme was Purrfect Prose, so naturally I had to do a cat and book themed mani and I love it! 

January 2024 Maniology Mani x Me "Purrfect Prose" Nail Stamping Subscription Box

You know I love subscription boxes here - I've cut down on them a lot, so I don't get a ton of boxes anymore, but every time I see a theme I love, I have to pick it up! 

I purchased this box on my own

And that's exactly what happened with this Maniology Mani x Me subscription box this month - they announced the theme was "Purrfect Prose" and described it as each plate brimming with literary delights and adorable cats loafing in every nook! I'm mean cats, books, libraries and warm drink themed?! I needed it instantly! 

Five on Saturday - January 20, 2024 ~ Etsy Miniatures, Origami Bookmarks, Elemental Movie, Michaels Finds, and The Conquerer Virtual Challenge

Happy Saturday everyone - I hope you all had a good week! 

ONE 

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

I haven't shared on here much about my new little hobby - miniatures! I'm building a little library slowly, so I have been having so much fun finding cute little shelf decor! I picked up the three little plants from BlingbyTonia and the rest of the little shelf decor and pottery was from MiniatureMakesUK - how amazing are these cat book ends amazing?! 

Best of 2023 ~ My Top 10 Favourite Books & A Yearly Wrap-up

I've wrapped up all the books I've read all year through my Monthly Reads and I've been sharing reviews on everything I've rated 4.5 and 5 stars (so my top 10 might not be a total surprise, as I'm sure you've seen these around here)! 

I purchased all these books featured

I read 112 books in 2023 - a good mix of older and newer books and from every genre you can think of! I read a little bit of everything - fantasy, romance, contemporary, and historical fiction, so a little bit of everything in there! For my favourites, they are all adult books this year and mostly magical realism and contemporary fiction! 

Best of 2023 ~ Top 8 Skincare, Haircare & Nails Products I Tried This Year

I'm always excited to round up my MOST favourite products of the year - I just shared my top makeup products of 2023, so make sure you can check that out here! So, it's time to round up my favourite skincare, hair and nail products - I always pull from any products that I've tried within the year, whether it was released in 2023 or not - if I've tried it this year and loved it, it's in here! 

The JVN, Panoxyl, Biotherm, and Paula's Choice products were all received as PR samples - this post contains affiliate links

With that being said, everything I talked about on my Monthly Favourites, I still love; but, when I think of the best products of the year, I think of the ones that have been total standouts or game-changers in my routine! So, that is what I'm going to focus on for this year's Top 8 Favourites! 

Manicure Monday - Peach Striped Nails

Happy Manicure Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend - we camped inside all weekend because it was sooo cold out! 

I purchased everything in this post

For the month of January, I'm trying to stick to my theme of the Colour of the Year - Peach Fuzz! I love this colour and think it's fun to incorporate. The whole #CBBxManiMonday group is doing an Anything Goes theme for the month so we can all just ease ourselves in to the New Year before diving in to themed manis! 

The 3 Worst Products I Tried in 2023 ~ Makeup & Nails

fYou should know by now that I really try and shy away from poor or negative reviews - I like to keep things positive around here, so I typically only share things I love! Now, that doesn't mean I will lie, if something isn't great I would never say it is, but I tend to keep my content to things I enjoy. 

But, I make an exception for the Worst Products of the year, because these aren't just a little bad or I didn't like them, these are all pretty terrible products that I could never recommend them!

I purchased these product

It's 2023/24, but do we still need disclaimers like, "just because I didn't like this single product, doesn't mean I don't love the brand" or, "please, don't be offended if one of these is your favourite products"? Because, yes all of that is true, and I think it should go without saying - a lot of these products are from brands that I like and have tried other things from and one product is not a reflection of the whole brand! And really, to only have 3 terrible products to talk about means it was a pretty good year! 

Five on Saturday - January 13, 2024 ~ Extreme Cold, Polar Bears at the Calgary Zoo, January Most Anticipated Reads, Scratch Off TBR Cards, and ColourPop x Twilight Collection

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all have a great week - I finally got to the doctor because I just felt like I wasn't getting better and now I'm on the mend, thank goodness! 

ONE 

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We can't get started without talking about the week we've been having!! It is so cold in Calgary this week - yesterday waking up it was a high on -36 and the windchill felt like -47!! It was wildly cold and it's supposed to be -30 all weekend so we are going to hibernate all weekend! 

Best of 2023 ~ Top 10 Makeup Products I Tried This Year

I'm always excited to round up my MOST favourite products of the year - I always pull from any makeup that I've tried within the year whether it was released in 2023 or not, if I've tried it this year and loved it, it's in here! 

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With that being said, everything I talked about on my Monthly Favourites, I still love; but, when I think of the best products of the year, I think of the ones that have been total standouts or game-changers in my routine! So, that is what I'm going to focus on for this year's Top 10 Favourites!