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Our Holiday Greeting
This is our Holiday greeting card! Another thing about growing up and living on your own — is sending out these cards to the special people in your life… I love doing that. I even sent one to Freddy’s breeder with a small note updating her about him =) I know its something I would appreciate, so I hope she did too. Merry Merry!
How Fred slept after our Christmas Eve-Eve ugly Sweater party. PAWS up!
Monthly Subscription Boxes!
There are so many boxes out there lately – it’s the new thing (or I’m just jumping on the bandwagon now). I’m talking a monthly subscription box filled with makeup, filled with bras, a box from a stylist (I got Nico trunk club), a box for your cat, a box for your fishing loving brother (Mystery Tackle Box), a box for shaving (Dollar Shave club), food boxes (Plated), natural product boxes, Vegan snack boxes… the list goes on!
So I haven’t got a box for myself (yet), but I’m loving getting them for other people, especially those on my Christmas list— Because seriously it is already in a box – you just need a bow to go on it!
Freddy is a model puppy or a “Celebripup” for PUPBOX. You can use his special code and get 15% off (Freddy15). So, this is his first month with the box and so far, we’re loving it. In his Holiday Box, he got 2 toys, puppy vitamins (chicken liver flavor), differnt types of healthy training treats, and the best part is it is targeted to his age group – so Freddy being 5 months old, I got tons of training tips geared to his age — practicing Come When Called, for example!
It’s so cute when he gets it and I let him open it himself –totally need to take a video next month =)
What box will you try this month? Or what have you tried already? Let me know – I am sure there are a thousand more out there that I haven’t even heard of yet.
Fake looking lashes without the glue!
I am sure by now most of you have heard about the new beauty craze. It’s called 3D Lash mascara! I was skeptical myself. I mean I have tried Sephora’s “best seller” extension fiber mascara and all I got was a clump of white specks.
However, this mascara has BLACK fibers.. genius, right? I don’t know why people made white fibers to begin with? Anyways, if you know me, you know I wear minimal makeup and the only time I wear more makeup is if someone is applying it for me! ahhh those runway days…. BUT if I can apply this mascara and make it look like I have full amazing lashes- then you better believe you can too! This is my first try – I hear it gets easier and more amazing with a little bit of practice… and practice I will —for all the Holiday parties I got going on =)
www.lashesbymelanie.com to get your own! She can give you some expert tips too 😉 Coconut oil as a makeup remover? uhm yes!
video tutorial coming soon!!
xo,
K
and the winner is….
Thank you to all who commented on the Old Factory Candle giveaway post! There can only be 1 winner, but of course you can go on Amazon.com and order a set for yourself just in time for the Holidays.
Congratulations to the winner mentioned in the video. Please let me know what set you would like and I will send over some instructions on how to retrieve your Old Factory Candle set =)
KISS InstaWave Hair Curler- so easy to use!
Just tried this out and I took it with me to Mexico for the wedding and I was able to get my hair done really fast. The video is my second time ever using it (and my first attempt at taking a beauty video), so I will admit it takes a little getting used to (the tool and my bad video), but before I became an expert, I wanted to just show you my first experiences with the InstaWave and how I still got great results!
Sidenote: What are being using to take those great beauty videos? I know lighting is probably one of the most important factors…sigh
p.s. This is a a great gift idea =)
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Hand-poured Soy Candles + CONTEST GIVEAWAY for a Lucky Reader!
I just ordered the Winter Wonderland Set of candles from Amazon and they smell amazing!!! They all compliment each other too- so I can put the Hot Cocoa one in my kitchen , the Roasted Chestnut candle in my living room and the First Snow candle in my bedroom and they all flow throughout the house to make it really feel like ….. the holidays!
Such a great gift idea too – you can get it for anyone as they come in so many different themes – like Man Cave, Spa Day & New Born Baby! They burn really light with not much soot at all, so that’s always a plus!
Check them out on Amazon before they all sell out! **One of my readers will get a set of candles of their choice ($30 value). Leave me a comment and I will choose the winner in the next coming weeks…. here are your options:
Fall Harvest: Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry, Autumn Leaves
Happy Holidays: Christmas Tree, Candy Cane, Gingerbread
Winter Wonderland: Hot Cocoa, Roasted Chestnut, First Snow
Romance: Rose Petals, Champagne, Dark Chocolate
Fresh & Clean: Lemongrass, Olive Blossom, Fresh Linen
Spa Day: Cucumber, Lemongrass, Green Tea
Vacation: Sea Breeze, Hawaiian Lei, Awapuhi
Coffee Shop: Coffee Bean, Hazelnut, Chai Tea
Man Cave: Straight Razor, Leather, Mahogany
High as a Kite: Cannabis, Incense, Bag O’ Cookies
New Born Baby: Baby Powder, Baby Shampoo, First Blanket
50 Shades: Leather, Vanilla Sex, Jasmine Bubbles
This is a Sponsored Post.**Contest winners must have an Amazon.com account, a PayPal account (for shipping reimbursements) and live in America in order to claim their prize
6 important tips to keep your pet healthy and safe during the holidays
With all the holiday gatherings about to begin, the last thing you need is to take a trip to the emergency VET hospital. Follow these simple, yet important tips so you can focus on eggnog and gingerbread and mistletoe =)
1. No Holiday Table Scraps! I’m a new dog owner and I fall victim to that cute little face staring at you when you’re eating something warm and delicious – but you just can’t! I mean maybe give them a few pieces of plain turkey meat, but NO SKIN,NO GRAVY. You don’t want to give them too much rich fat which could lead them to severe stomach pains, or in the worst case – pancreatitis.
2. Bones – you know “This old man, he played one,He played knick-knack on my thumb;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,GIVE THE DOG A BONE,This old man came rolling home”… actually, DON’T DO THAT! Poultry bones will most likely splinter, thus forming sharp edges that could potentially get stuck in the gastrointestinal tract or throat causing dangerous punctures. Better yet – do you know how to give Pet CPR? Pet Heimlich Maneuver? Here’s a link just in case you don’t follow these tips!
3. Be careful if you have Snacks out around the house for guests to nibble on. No Macadamia nuts, raisins, grapes or chocolate – all things that a party mix may have and that a dog cannot. Chocolate can OVER- stimulate the heart and it actually fatal in small dogs because of this…eeek.
4. NO ALCOHOL. I feel like there is always that drunk uncle or maybe a kid who thinks it would be fun to give your pet some beer in their bowl… uhm NO. This can actually be fatal. Also, monitor where you or anyone places their bevs – dogs can sneak up on coffee tables and slurp your drink right up!
5. Having Dessert? In my family that usually means there is coffee too or something with espresso in it!….. Or maybe a morning lattee to get you through with last minute cooking. Caffeine can cause tremors or even a seizure if they have too much!! Scaryyy
6. Have your vets number handy, (saved in your phone, a sheet on the fridge)…Also make sure you know an emergency 24 hour vet just in case you need a back-up!
This should make for a smooth holiday party focusing on family, friends, and at my Polish family parties—whose going to finish the Vodka bottle! Have a safe and happy Holiday season- to you and to your furry pet too!
My puppy stopped peeing under the dining room table and 13 other little things I’m thankful for.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the madness I’m about to encounter with prepping food, baking pies cleaning up and the bouncing between 2 households (mine and the boys), I am trying to stop myself and not only be grateful for the insanely large amounts of food my family always prepares or that we have a warm house filled with love to eat it all in. I am thankful to spend it with the people I love dearly. I am thankful for having good friends who listen to me vent and always have my back. I am thankful to have a job, although I may not like it, I am glad for all that I have learned and continue to learn. I am thankful for my Prius, which doesn’t cost me a day’s work of pay to fill up and is very reliable. I am thankful for my boyfriend and my puppy, who I get to spend every morning and night with.
All that thankfulness should be more than enough—and it is—but I also wanted to think of the little things that we take for granted. Well— because they occur all the time, like every day or so – we may not appreciate them. I know we aren’t the Pilgrims and don’t really look at Thanksgiving as a time to be thankful – it’s become more about the 3 F’s (food, family, football), but It’s good to realize some of the day-to-day things going on that we may have become accustomed to without even realizing until, well you make a list of thankfulness!
Here is my quick list I jotted down –( in no particular order)
I am thankful….
–that the dog stopped peeing under the dining room table – as our house has a small slant to it, that is most noticeable when he pees under there and it slides down to the other end of the room…
–for my amazing boyfriend: who sees me with no makeup, hair a mess, in my sweats and still loves me. And for how hard he works along with getting his MBA at Boston College (late nights) yet still remembers to give me a kiss when he walks in the door.
–for my mom and dad – especially for my mom who has done a complete 180 with Freddy and is not only accepting being a pet-gramma but embracing it. My dad has always been on my side =)
–for my cousin, Jaclyn who always makes sure we stay connected – and keeps calling- even if our conversations are via voicemails.
–that my friends have a group chat going about only things we would laugh at (Bridesmaid quotes, they never get old)
–for chocolate and my spontaneous baking that always comes out delicious. (thank you grandma for that skill)
–for the dog park (so I can have a few minutes to myself after without Freddy attacking me to play)
–that I tried to volunteer at 5 different shelters and they didn’t need my help because they were overwhelmed with the amount of volunteers helping! (It’s always good to know people care about people or about animals)
–that football season is half way over (My boyfriend is a huge fan, I am only because I want to win Fantasy – but I would rather spend our Sundays doing other things together)
–that my mother likes to shop as much as me and that we have the same size foot!
–for Sunday morning acoustic radio
–that my brother is into golf and wants to go with me! Also that even though he’s 16 , I’m thankful that he still gives me a kiss goodbye in public.
–that my sister keeps our g-chat going with random fun stuff to get us both through those longggg days.
Writing this down- made me realize how many more things I could add to it- and how we tend to focus on what’s missing in our life instead of what’s already there in front of us.
Try it out for yourself – maybe when you finally get the pie in the oven – or you can put the recipe book away- takes a few minutes, but means the world to realize how good you actually have it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
8 Fashion Opposites that ALWAYS attract
My friends have always critiqued me- or maybe they were complimenting me?- when it came to my choice of outfits. I mean saying “What the hell are you wearing?!Only you could pull that off!” – is a compliment, right? I’d like to think so.
Whether it was wearing a party dress with ankle booties, wearing a white crew t-shirt tucked into my black leggings with a navy blazer or mixing patterns like floral with stripes, or my favorite- wearing cute socks with closed toe heels! (oh my, a horror to my friends), I ALWAYS strive to make Fashion fun- to make it ME- to make it different- and the best part is — I actually don’t care what people say- because as long as I feel confident and I feel good- I have a great time and I get things done! “Look good, Do good” mentality.
I know there are a lot of people out there who may not feel as confident or as comfortable stepping out of the norm. I guess what I mean is people who don’t live and breathe fashion. You know the people who find items that “go” together…. making sure the jacket matches the shirt or the top matches the pants.
All that going and matching and fitting might make for a perfectly good outfit, but it’ll never really get you to a great one. For greatness, you’ve got to go in the opposite direction.
I make it a point to find items based on differences, rather than similarities. You know this actually helps you get more use out of your clothes than if you were persistent on always matching.
I will share with you the common ways to not follow the “My shirt must match my pants” mentality and thus get that Great outfit!
1) Wear ankle boots with a party dress. You will look fierce, yet not too prim and proper.
2)Vintage tees with classic blazers
3) Jeans and Heels
4) Stripes and Florals – okay, do pick a color that is in both prints – like blue stripes — blue florals 🙂

5) Brown and Black and Black and Navy – I remember when people would cringe (and still do) when I tell them to wear their brown shoes with black pants. Same for Navy/Black. Think LBD with a navy gold chain clutch.
6.) Leather Pants and Chunky Comfy Knit Sweater – something cozy and sexy about some leather and a gramma knitted warm sweater.
7). Leather “work men” belt and polished dress or coat or high waist long skirts – In college, I would wear a belt with almost every outfit. I have my mothers Camel color leather braided belt that she wore in Poland when she was in her 20s =)
8) Boxy top and a pencil skirt – love this look.
Explore, Be creative, Have fun!
Things to come…just in time for Holiday Shopping
Hola!
I’m back from Mexico and have a million things to catch up on with work, emails, getting Freddy back!!(he’s still at his grandparents house), unpacking, picture uploading, etc etc…..but I just wanted to write a quick post because I’m super excited about some of my upcoming posts! For one, the KISS InstaWave Hair curler (which I took with me to Mexico) helped me to do my hair in 10 minutes from getting out of the shower- amazing – Ill be posting a video to show you how easy it is!
Also, I have the 3D mascara coming to me soon so I can’t wait to show you how that works- hey, I cant wait to try it out for myself first! – because I’m pretty close to treating myself to lash extensions, but if this can achieve that in a fraction of the cost- I’m all for it.
I have some amazing candles from Old Factory Candles coming my way too!- perfect for holiday gifts! There is something magical, yet simple about coming home and having the rooms lit up with candles.
Oh, and I’ll be sharing the most amazing pictures from the wedding- I swear the background looks photo-shopped- its that breathtaking. Here is a sneak peak:
Xo,
Karina















