Ins and Outs

Well, it's been a long time since I've done a good, proper Ins and Outs. I'm not even sure if I've ever done one on this blog. Let's get started.


Ins:
-Good food. I'm visiting my grandmother right now and having lots of fun cooking and eating great food with her. We bought lots of kale this morning for smoothies and I'm so excited to drink them!
-School supplies. I went school supply shopping recently and had so much fun. I love school supply shopping so much! I went to Target and Staples and got the cutest notebooks ever at Target.
-Books. I have been reading like crazy (when am I not?!) and have read some amazing books recently. Hopefully I'll be able to do a few reviews soon.
-My birthday! It's coming soon (September 19th) and I am so excited!
-Coziness. With the new season comes the coziness that I love


Outs:
-Homework. School is starting in a week and I'm excited but I  have not missed the crazy amount of homework my school gives me. I hope I'll be able to blog with all my work.
-Backpack shopping. I have been looking for a new backpack and let me tell you this- it drains energy. And it's a lot harder than I would expect.
-Construction. Our house is being renovated and it is crazy! There is dust everywhere and the last time I saw the house there was a hole in the kitchen that let you see all the way through the floor down to the basement.
-The feeling of things being temporary. I'm staying with my grandparents now and when I get back we'll have to move to an apartment for a bit to avoid the craziness of the construction. Then we'll move back in before the house is done. Things are just too temporary. Plus I really want to decorate my room. Which I can't, because I won't see it until April or so. Macbarbie07's new video totally made me want to do some re- decorating.


I hope you enjoyed this little post. See you later!


XOXO,
MMM

MMM's Book of Tips- Dining at a Restaurant

Ok, I admit it: I'm not the neatest person. At all. My friends and family can vouch for that. But I do like to eat at restaurants. And so I have accumulated several tips for doing so. Yes, it sounds unneeded. I'm sure you are all capable of putting food in your mouth, chewing, and swallowing. However, there are some tips I wish I had known a few years ago. With this blog post I introduce a new category on my blog: MMM's book of tips. Under this category I will post tips for several different things. I will have makeup tips, beauty tips, cooking tips, and so on. Tip post #1: Eating at a Restaurant.


Tip #1: Grace comes first. I realized this recently while dining at a restaurant with my parents, my sister and several friends from my time living in India.  We visited Delhi a few weeks ago and had the pleasure of going to an exclusive club with a friend. While eating I saw that my mom's hand sanitizer was on the table, and so I grabbed it and passed it to her quickly. Perhaps too quickly. I knocked over a dish of Thai curry and it splattered all over me (and my sister) and caught the attention of pretty much everyone in the room. Never again. I have learned that grace always comes first when eating out. Thankfully my elbows have calmed down. When I was younger I used to knock over at least one glass a month with my elbows. Despite the fact that this has stopped, I still must be very careful and retain grace while eating.

Tip #2: Always sit closest to the wall. This is my secret tip. I hate it when waiters lean over you to pour water, serve food, etc. HATE IT. I have started eating next to the wall or window if we are lucky enough to get a table next to one. That way waiters don't have to lean over you to give food to other people at the table. This is my most used tip and saves me from one of my biggest pet peeves.

Tip #3: Be water savvy. Do not try drinking a lot of water and wipe your hands well on the napkin before each sip to keep your water glass clear and free of smears.



So those are just a few of my tips for eating at restaurants. I do have more, so let me know in the comments below if you would like me to do a part two of this post. Also please let me know if you like these tips posts.


XOXO,
MMM

Back to School Look

So today I decided I'd create a back to school look since it's almost fall and school is upon us (or has already started for some of you). I love this look because it is a nice balance between girly and casual. I am not a huge fan of jean on jean but the jean like top works with the bottoms because it is looser, and the bottoms are more fitted. However, the jacket is fitted enough to be nice and flattering as opposed to sloppy. The shirt is also lighter than the bottoms and I don't think it's actually jean material. 

The pink top is a nice girly top that is made more casual by the jacket. I decided to pair the outfit with the big bracelet because I loved the collar of the shirt, and while it is simple I wanted it to shine. So I added a bracelet instead of a necklace. I liked the fact that the bracelet was big because with all solid colors you really want a big patterned piece of jewelry. 

Finally I added the earrings for another bit of detail. I loved them and thought that the slightly wild look was a perfect balance for the rest of the outfit. 

I hope that you enjoyed this post and that it gave you a little bit of inspiration. See you in the next post!

XOXO,

MMM

Blue shirt
maurices.com

AG Adriano Goldschmied super skinny jeans
harveynichols.com

Lucky Brand silver cuff jewelry
zappos.com

Silver jewelry
moddeals.com

Sleeve less shirt
wholesale-dress.net

Bath Products To Try

In my Pretend Shopping Spree Post I told you what Lush products I wanted to try. I didn't, however, get to the bath products. Here are the ones I am dying to try/ have tried and want to re purchase.

Bath Melts:
Another Melting Marshmallow Moment (or MMM, just like Ms. Midnight Makeup)
A Dreamtime Bath Melt


Bath Bombs:
Twilight
Sex Bomb
Pink Bath Bomb
Big Blue
Another Blackberry Bath Bomb
Sakura
Tisty Tosty

Bubble Bars:
Another Comforter
Amandopondo
Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds
Karma
Creamy Candy Bubble Bar
A French Kiss
Pop in the Bath
Two Timing Tart


In case you can't tell, I'm obsessed with bath products, particularly bubble bars. I think it's safe to say that it's better for my wallet that I go on a Pretend Shopping Spree, rather than a real one. :)

XOXO,
MMM

Spa Day: What I Used and What I Recommend

Hey everyone,
I had a spa day today and thought I'd share with you what I used and what my favorite spa picks are.
I actually don't paint my nails when I have a spa day because painting my nails can frustrate me and I can't shower with wet nails.

When I want to pamper myself I like to take a shower and wash my hair with a clarifying shampoo. I am currently using Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo. I really like it. It is gentle and does a really good job of deep cleaning my hair. I also really like the smell. It is very herbal, so I might pick a different scent if you're not into that type of thing. I love it, though. It doesn't last in my hair, so even if you're not a huge fan of the smell, you might like it.

The next clarifying shampoo I want to try is Lush's I Love Juicy Shampoo. It is not meant to be a clarifying shampoo, but it is meant to be for greasy and oily hair, which I don't really have, so I think it would be a good deep cleaning shampoo for me.

After I use a clarifying shampoo in the shower I like to put in a deep conditioner or a hair masque. My favorite hair masque of late is the It's a Ten Miracle Hair Mask I then put my hair up in a shower cap and put on a face mask. The one I'm using right now is Freeman's Feeling Beautiful Facial Anti Stress Mask. It does a great job, but it irritates my eyes a little. It also stings a bit, but other than that it works well. The reason I used it was because I need to use it up. I wouldn't recommend this face mask, instead I would try a Lush one. However, since this does a good job I might look into getting a couple other masks from Freeman.

While I am waiting for the masks I like to take a bath. I love using lots of yummy products in most baths, but often these baths are short and productless. However, if I really want to treat myself I'll use something.

Last but not least, I rinse off the masks in the shower. I like to use an exfoliater. One of my favorites is Lush's Aqua Mirabilis. I highly recommend this one.



Xoxo,
MMM

Pretend Shopping Spree

First things first, I'm sorry I haven't posted on here lately. It's just sorta slipped my mind. :(
Anyway, when I saw a Pretend Shopping Spree on The Grass Skirt I decided I'd do a pretend shopping spree here for you guys. I already add items to carts and don't check out, so let's take a look at some of the things I've been loving lately.

First of all, I have been seriously OBSESSED with rollerball perfumes. Here are a few that I would love to own:

Vera Wang Princess
Daisy by Marc Jacobs
Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy


I've also been looking at some things from Lush. Here are the Lush products I wish I had:


Creamed Almond and Coconut Smoothie
The Olive Branch Shower Gel
Grass Shower Gel
Ocean Salt Scrub
Lemony Flutter

I will do another installment soon if it is requested. Let me know if you'd like to see that in the comment section.


Xoxo,
MMM

Lush Haul!

Hey everyone,
I went to Lush today and thought I'd share what I picked up. Normally I spend most of my money on bath products, but my bathtub is not the best and we are redoing our house soon, so I am not taking too many baths and will not be able to take any for a while. I decided to seize the opportunity and get some body/hair products I've been wanting to try.


First of all, I got Karma Komba shampoo.


 This is a solid shampoo and as you know, I already own the Squeaky Green shampoo, but I don't get to visit Lush often and so I decided to get another solid shampoo. It doesn't look like my current one will be running out anytime soon, but better safe than sorry! This shampoo is supposed to help detangle your waves. I have wavy hair that sometimes looks like I haven't brushed it (even though I have) and thought this might help. Lush's site says that it is also good for dandruff. As you know, I have some dandruff. At least I did. It has mostly gone away since I started using Squeaky Green. At first, I didn't love the smell and debated whether or not to get it. However, I got it, and when I smelled it at home it smelled great!


Next I got Big Solid Conditioner.



I am super excited to try this one. According to their site, it's a best seller. They only have one other solid conditioner, but that one hasn't gotten the best reviews. This one, however, looked really good. I am always looking for some volume, but didn't want to get Big Shampoo because it seemed more like a special occasion type thing. They had several pre-cut slices, all different prices, at the store. I got a $12 chunk and it is fairy well sized.I can't wait to hope on the shower and give this one a go!


I also got Shine So Bright split end treatment.

I almost didn't get this one, because it is a bit pricey for such a small container. There was a trial one, though, and so I gave it a try, didn't buy it, bought everything else, and walked out of the store. Then I had lunch, and came back, because it smelled amazing on my hair, and I did NOT want to leave without getting it. Besides, you only need a really small bit, so I think it will last a while. It is to mask the appearance of split ends, plus help with flyaways. In addition, it fragrances your hair. I'm obsessed, especially since I have a ton of frizz. I tried this when I got home, and it really helps calm things down.

The next thing I got was Sea Spray.


The woman there actually talked me into this. I was so not planning on getting it. But she said it worked well to give you a beach look and she let me smell it, Holy cow, this smells just like the beach. The website says it has the same smell as Shine so Bright, but to me, they smell completely different. I love the smell of both.


That's it for hair. The next thing I got was Aqua Mirabilis.

This is a body butter. You hop in this shower, soap, wash your hair, etc., then use this all over. It exfoliates and moisturizes. Wash it off, and you're good to go. I like the subtle scent of this. It isn't sweet, spicy, or citrusy. I can't quite describe it. You'll have to smell it for yourself. I also got a tin for it.

I got one massage bar, Strawberry Feels Forever.

One of the women there gave me a hand treatment. She used Lemony Flutter and Ocean Salt scrub. Then she asked me if I liked citrusy or sweet scents. I love both, but I was in a sweet mood. She got me this bar, and used it on my arm, while giving me a bit of a massage. I couldn't get over the smell. I bought it. It smells amazing. The smell lingers a bit, but sadly not too long. I also wanted to get Lemony Flutter and Ocean Salt, but I couldn't afford them. They are on my wish list, though.

The last product I got was Green FUN.


You can use this as a soap, shampoo, or bubble bar. It is the consistency of clay, so you can play with it. It is huge! I walked in planning to get either the pink or red one, but I smelled them all and this was my favorite. I realized later that it smells like Calacus, the limited edition Halloween shower jelly. I LOVE the scent of it, but shower jellies are a smidge hard to use. Not FUN! I tried using a bit on my hand, and it was, well, fun. I just used it like a soap. When my hands were wet and I molded it, it cleansed them, but I could mold perfectly fine with dry hands, without my hands getting soapy. However, it left a bit of a green reside.

Overall, I am more than happy with my haul. There were some products I couldn't afford but I absolutely adore all the ones I got. Happy Hauling!


XOXO,
MMM


All pictures from www.lushusa.com.