LIFE AS YOU LIVE IT: January 2015

Thursday Thoughts

29 January 2015

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This week flew by in the blink of a second! I don't know if it was the snow days, or easy work days... but I can't believe it's Thursday! Here's to Thursday and everything I'm thinking about right now!

 + With the several inches feet of snow on the ground, I'm thinking that I'm going to have to go scoop a pile of snow off of the roof deck to make this delicious treat.

+ I've been putting it off for the past 6 months, but I've finally started investing some time and money into putting some frames on the wall like this or this.

+ I'm already over our navy blue nightstands from Target. I'm eying these guys from Wayfair. EXCEPT... I'm going to avoid that close to $300 price tag per nightstand and attempt to build them myself (In two or three years when I have a garage or workshop of some sort)!

+ My favorite pallet project of the week goes to this accent wall! I want it!!

+ I want to buy these magnets made of my Instagram pictures, but I have no idea what I'd stick them to? Maybe frame out a sheet of metal and hang it on the wall to stick them to?

+ I started following Naomi's blog (Love Taza) and I absolutely love it and her life. Family of 5 living in a 2 BR NYC apartment doing all things awesome, loving life. Not to mention, all of the pictures she uses on the blog and that are on Instagram are flawless. Oh yea... that's where I got the magnetic inspiration from too! ^ 

+ I saw the Super Bowl commercial for Go Daddy, which made me sad cry while the one for Budweiser once again had me happy crying. I'm pretty sure they pulled the Go Daddy one.
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Snowmageddon

28 January 2015


I honestly can't imagine living anywhere that doesn't snow... it is my element. 

Yesterday, we were spoiled rotten with a snow day and over two feet of snow! 
The day started early Tuesday morning when we were watching the news and decided to go check out the beginning of the storm. We ventured around the North End and eventually found the CNN news crew over at the Christopher Columbus Park. After our 1 AM stroll through the neighborhood, we bunkered down into our heated bed and woke up 8 hours later to a winter wonderland! We had some snow day french toast and then bundled up to go play!



We spent a huge chunk of the day running around in the snow all over the city. We ended up at Boston Common where people were setting up jumps on hills and boarding over them, as well as sledding down the hills using boxes and trays and cross country skiing through the streets. We also found a handful of happy pups playing on the swan pond in the public garden, and a ton of news crews hanging out by the state house. New England loves this stuff. 




When we were hiking back to the North End we started to starve and were crossing our fingers hoping there would be a sandwich shop or something open to quench our hunger. We turn the corner and BAM, Vito's (our go to bar) was open and packed! We were luckily able to score some seats and ordered out usual eats... grilled cheese and tacos. Stopping at Vito's made me feel like I was taking a ski break and heading into the lodge for lunch. Snow gear everywhere, and beers in everyone's hands. Except for me, I went for my favorite sunny drink because I think I'm in Florida? Afterwards we crawled home and drank up some hot, hot chocolate and took naps because we're apparently old and can't hang anymore. 


Side note... L and I are loving that new "Hack My Life" show... we're learning so much!


 Yay for snow days! 
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Apartment Updates

27 January 2015

I realized the other day that my "home tour" pictures were from the very first day and month that we moved in, so I found myself determined to get some updated pictures up for ya. Not a WHOLE lot has changed, but enough for it to not look like a college dorm room. We got rid of a few pieces of furniture like this chair and this wardrobe and bought all new rugs, and pieces for each room. Without further adieu, here's a quick tour! (AND hopefully these pics will make it up to the "home tour" tab as well... we'll see how productive I am today on my SNOW DAY!

Our kitchen/living/dining multi-purpose room is very open concept like it was in our last apartment which makes it convenient for lounging around and having everyone in the same place.


At this point, all of our furniture is the "screw it together yourself" furniture due to the difficulty of moving it up and down three flights of stairs. We scored a killer deal on our jute rugs from Rugs USA, bought some floating shelves from IKEA which we decorated with acadia wood frames. Our little accent table and TV stand were from Target, and out futon was something that we reused from our old apartment that we threw a cover over to blend it into our color scheme a little better. We would like to get some frames hung on the wall, however that's something that I've been dancing with for awhile.


The other half of our "multipurpose" room is the kitchenette area which consists of our table and "bar cart". I would love to get some new chairs for that table, but I think that that is going to have to be something that wait until we have a little more space. 


Our bedroom "theme" is very crisp and clean with white furniture and bright accents. Our bureaus are from IKEA and our nightstands are from Target as well... and that mirror... IKEA. I love that store. Once again we scored our rug from Rugs USA and please don't mind our Christmas sheets... I'm still stuck in December with all of this beautiful snow!


Right off of our bedroom is a bathroom which I really don't think you guys would care to see... and we also have a smaller room/office on the back end of the apartment which is currently my Monica Geller closet... will have to share pictures later. It's an eclectic mix of extra furniture, clothes and boxes. 

 We did end up getting a handful of snow last night as predicted and are spoiled rotten with a snow day today! Everything is closed and people are cross country skiing through the streets of the North End, and sledding where they can. 

Last night L and I chased down the CNN news crew and now I'm off to go spend the rest of my day playing the in the snow, drinking hot cocoa, and making snow ice cream! 

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It's Supposed to Snow

26 January 2015

I woke up this morning to choppers buzzing above the area only to remember that today was the Pats rally at City Hall Plaza. Had I had my face on and the energy and motivation to venture on a 5 minute walk over, I would have loved to go see Tom Brady being worshipped by thousands of Bostonians, however my lazy arse had errands to run and an apartment to clean. #solame


We're supposed to be getting some snow tonight and tomorrow, so I ran around today dropping stuff off at the post office, picking up groceries and doing my laundry. All of this productive activity made me anxious to clean, so I deep cleaned the apartment, took some updated pictures of the place (cause they're the same from the first month that we moved in over 6 months ago) and then threw some cookies in the oven. I'm starting to get excited for Valentine's Day! Heart shaped everything my friends. 


With this blizzard that is supposed to be hitting the Northeast tonight, I have already received emails from NSTAR (my electric company), my landlord, both my jobs are closed for tomorrow, MBTA service is closed for tomorrow as is my Physics class, and the shelves were cleared at CVS. I guess this storm is going to be something.

...because this is the most snow that we have had thus far...

In other news, my face has been glued to Lifetime movies these days. They're so cheesy, but they suck you in so bad. I watched four the other day, in a row. You know what I could have been doing that night? I could've been eating at Bricco where JLaw was the other day. Why do I always miss out on this kind of stuff!?

Oh, and I once again walked into my vain cat staring at herself in the mirror. This show is all about her.


We're all snuggled up noshing on cookies and hot cocoa waiting for a blizzard... this city needs some snow!
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Lately...

23 January 2015

I found myself missing the blog this week, as I haven't had the chance to spend much, if any time unwinding on here. So without further adieu, I give you a brain dump for Friday.
L tried to feed our precious angel spam earlier this week, and as you can tell... she was not a fan. This spiraled into a series of unfortunate events which ended up with her getting sick. I then, unknowingly put a pile of my clothes on her sleeping ottoman, and she let me know what was up by taking number two's where she shouldn't be. After four days of pulling my hair out and going crazy from constantly cleaning and scrubbing I put two and two together and discovered that I had made her mad and she was teaching me a lesson... lesson learned. Note to self... don't takeover "her" spots. 


I had another Christmas party on Tuesday. A little late, I know... but it was so wonderful to have the crew all together and happy with a drink in hand! We celebrated at "Causeway", located right across from the garden and reserved the entire top floor for our crazy souls. We had a gift exchange in which I excitedly walked away with some Ulta goods and cash while others walked away with booze and blow up dolls. These cats are crazy, I tell ya. What a crew!


Like every other person and their mother, L and I went to see American Sniper, and were left beside ourselves. I was the one secretly trying to hide my tears in the theater. Even though we went on a Wednesday night, the show was still practically sold out! The movie was intense and very moving, and I barely recognized Bradley Cooper who had put on 40 pounds in 6 weeks for the part... unbelievable.

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L, being the financial advisor that he will someday be, talked me into opening a brokerage account and investing. Yikes. I have to say... I'm a huge scaredy cat when it comes to playing with my money like that. I don't know the slightest thing about stocks and investments and was on the verge of tears when I saw the money transferred out of my savings. The mutual fund that L had me put my money in will probably stay there for at least a year, and if I lose a single penny I'll be crying (as of today it was up $35! ...but he said that it will probably go back down, lots of fluctuating). I'm not good at this whole risk taking thing with money. I'm hoping it does well.... as it is my house fund!

I may or may not need to invest in this book.

After working out nearly dying in front my laptop yesterday at home using two wine bottles as dumb bells for day 1 of Jillian's 30 day shred, it came to my attention that it was time to revamp my workout regime so I went ahead and purchased P90x3 yesterday! I'm terrible... absolutely TERRIBLE with the whole working out thing. I've been making a monthly donation to my gym since July, and plan on canceling my membership today. Honestly, my lazy butt hasn't made it out to Government Center lately (a whopping 10 minute walk), and there's no sense in paying for a membership I don't use. The gym that I am currently a member of is like a Planet Fitness so believe me, I'm not investing much... however, the only thing I ever do when I am was there was mess around on the elliptical for an hour so I don't think I'll be missing much. What I'm most excited about with P90x3 is the 30 minute workouts! This girl does not have time for those 60 and 90 minute ones. I'm hoping that with the shorter workouts, I'll be more motivated to do them knowing that they're only 30 minutes, AND it's even something that I can do in the mornings before work. (HAAAA --- okay, someone please reference me back to this post in a month. I'm not exactly famous for working out). Anyways, if I actually stick with it and make it more than a week and hopefully the full 90 days, I'll try to post before and afters/updates! Wish me luck!

Getting toned is the ultimate goal here, so if these guys can do it... so can I!

AND... not to get too involved in sports politics... but we're going to the Super Bowl!!! Deflated balls or not! When it comes to deflate-gate I think it's safe to say, we (and I think I can speak for every Pats fan and New Englander out there) really don't give a f%$! If there are consequences, so be it... we would have won regardless, and are just proud to see another great team represent us. This game against the Seahawks is going to be a good one, both teams are tough and will bring their A game to the Super Bowl!

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Have a wonderful Friday friends, and an even better weekend!!
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Younique 3D Microfiber Mascara

12 January 2015

I was recently offered the opportunity to try out Younique's 3D Microfiber Moonstruck Mascara, courtesy of Rachele Sweetser. Younique is an organic cosmetic line that is talc and paraben free with many of their products even being gluten free and vegan. I have heard such positive things thus far about this product that I was excited to try it out for myself. The product arrived in a case similar to a glasses case with two different tubes included inside.


The first tube is a transplanting gel which contains collagen and ensures the fibers stay put longer, while the second tube consists of the natural fibers. The fibers are what attach themselves to your eyelashes providing increased volume, length and thickness. 
You begin by applying a coat of your preferred mascara. 


Next, you'll apply a few coats of the transplanting gel. Use the wand to help shape your eyelashes and generously coat them with the gel. This will also help keep the lashes moisturized.


The fibers are applied next by gently swiping them on your lashes, helping them adhere to the gel.


Finally, take the transplanting gel and swipe a second coat over your lashes.

Please excuse my lack of lower lashes... I have none, nada, zilch.


One of the fun perks about this mascara is that you can easily add more layers for a more dramatic look. By swiping the end of your lashes with more of the fibers and then again with the gel, you can extend the length. The mascara is also sweat, cry proof, and water resistant, however I was easily able to remove it with my makeup remover.

























Go ahead, give these 100% Green Tea and Collagen lashes a go, they are a must for anyone who wears mascara! The company is predominately based on presenters doing virtual Facebook parties through their hostesses, so if you are interested in trying them out for yourself you can buy them here for $29. If you give them a try and do not feel as though they are meeting your expectations, the company has a 14 day love it or money back guarantee. With Valentine's day right around the corner these are the perfect accessory for your date!

Thank you Rachele for giving me the opportunity to try these out for myself, I love them!


Has anyone else heard of/tried Younique's 3D mascara?

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Friday Roundup

09 January 2015

I tackled trying to take the tree down the other day and ended up making a huge mess! Our building requires us to use tree bags to transfer trees in and out so that we don't leave a trail of needles on they're clean carpets. Well, I had no tree bag so I created my own out of saran wrap, multiple trash bags and tape. In other news, the living room is cleaned up and all of the Christmas decorations are almost all put away. Loving the fresh palette. 


New year, new eating habits? HA, what a joke. I tried. While these foods do taste delicious and make me feel so much more energized I find myself miserable without my beloved Cape Cod kettle cooked chips. I'm still doing well with it (mainly because my healthy food is all readily available), except for the part when I hounded a brownie and ice cream at work because I forgot I was eating healthy and the time (yesterday) when I made a special trip to the market to buy ingredients to make a cookie cake. fail, fail, double fail. 


It's finally starting to look and feel like winter around here with snow flurries and freezing temps. I am really REALLY starting to appreciate the fact that my wonderful landlord pays for heat. We've been bundled up in our flannels battling it out in cards. Last year we paid for electric heat and found ourselves in the high hundreds these months just to heat out 12 sqft. bathroom.  




 In other news, I'm itching for a workshop so that I can build these adirondack beauties out of wooden pallets.



...AND I'm taking this on as my project of the month. Fridge perfection!


Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!
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Hello, 2015!

03 January 2015

Happy New Year, I hope everyone had the best of times celebrating! Ringing in the New Year was pretty low key for us again this year as we found ourselves on Jersey's coast playing cards and eating our weight in oliebollen and appelflappen with family. Oliebollen (fried dough with apples and raisons served with powdered sugar) and appelflappen (which is basically a cross between apple pie and donuts) are fun Dutch traditions that we indulge in year after year right before New Year diets start to kick in. I had 9 in one sitting, where's my award?
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As always, we had our traditional polar plunge into the river New Years day in which I did not take part in this year because I'm a big wimpy kitty baby whiner. My brave sisters, and other family (including my 9 and 11 year old cousins) went for it while I sat on the sidelines freezing into a sculpture. Brave souls. I did it last year, does that count?

I told myself I wan't going to make goals this year because I hardly ever keep them, however I do have a list of things I would like to do more often.
Home: That's my word of the year. I'm a BIG homebody and could just sit around in my neighborhood all day and I would be happy. I want to spend more time shopping at the cute little boutiques, noshing on the infamously amazing Italian food, meeting more of my neighbors, playing cards with a plate of cookies close by and staying up all night watching movies. Being home gives me such a sense of comfort and allows me to be on my own time.
Simplify and organize: I want everything in containers and would love to get rid of everything that I don't need or wear. From hanging frames on the wall to deleting the overly excessive amount of pictures on my phone, I want everything put away, simple and organized.
Spoil ourselves: We work our butts off every week and need to do more things that we love. I'm talking more ski trips, eating ice cream for dinner, and taking time off to explore this beautiful city that we live in. 
Save money like it's going out of style: I know I say this over and over again, but we're creeping up on some of the most expensive years of our lives... life adds up!
Happy New Years friends! Sending lots of love, happiness and health your way to start off another amazing year. Happy 2015!
It feels straight up weird saying 2015... I'm mentally not in this year yet.
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