Friday, June 5, 2015

21 Day Fix Review

Oh my goodness I am such a slacker!! What happened to my daily posts?? I didn't realize it had been so long since I had posted. I also think I ran out of things to write about, which is unusual for me because I always have something to say, just ask my family! LOL 

Okay y'all, well just like Brittany Spears we all get to make a comeback so this is mine! Hopefully. 

Sam started doing Insanity almost 6 weeks ago and I knew that I really needed to get my ass in shape and I really wanted to lose the weight before I turned 32 in July. I tried to do Insanity with Sam but holy crap I was so flippin out of shape that I was lying on the floor praying I wouldn't have a heart attack...that's no lie! 

I kept seeing the Infomercials for the 21 Day Fix and finally one day after work I was sitting in the chair and I got my phone and ordered it. I didn't even think twice, I just did it. Well, of course the next day I came down with a terrible case of laryngitis and a ridiculous sore throat so that delayed my start date by about a week. My 21DF arrived in the mail and I was so excited, I decided to make my official start date May 11th - the day after Mother's Day. I joined a Facebook Challenge Group and was ready to go! 


I absolutely LOVE the 21 Day Fix! Everything about it is amazing! I love it so much that I joined Beachbody as a Coach. I feel better, have more energy, i'm losing weight, my clothes fit better. I love everything about it, even the Shakeology - which took me a few days to love it but now it is an everyday staple! 





Even Sadie does her "Exercises" with us! Too cute...and then there is G, resting on the couch! LOL 


I have a 21 Day Fix Challenge Group starting on June 15th! I'd love to have you join me!! 



Xo, 

Nikki 



Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Sadie's First Birthday

Wow, I have definitely been a slacker for the past several weeks!! It is so crazy how time can just get away from you. I have had so many people tell me "the days are long but the years are short". It is so true. Some days I feel like man, I am so ready for the weekend and then I feel so guilty for wishing days away. I really need to be better about that! Embrace every day for what it is.

My baby girl has officially turned ONE!!! I have to admit, I was pretty emotional the night before her birthday. I took pictures of her sleeping and her with her bedtime baba (bottle). It's just so amazing how much she has grown in just a year. It's incredible the abundance of love I have for that little girl. The second I see her when I walk in the door from work all the stress and issues just melt away. Some of my favorite time with Sadie is just rocking her in the evening. Most of the time the pup is trying to sit with me so it gets a little crowded but you get my point!

I wanted to share some pictures with y'all from Sadie's party. We had her party Easter weekend which was a really bad decision. It turned out to be a very small party but we had a wonderful time nonetheless.


I just love the pictures of Sadie in her tutu sitting in the sun!! 


Sadie on the other hand did not love her tutu!


My absolute favorite picture!! I feel like this really shows her personality...sassy and spunky! 


2 of my favorite girls....Sister and Sadie! I love that we are all wearing white too. Makes for a pretty cool picture! 


I love this picture of the 3 of us....we are just missing G pup! Sadie is like "give me my cake people!!!"


Present time! 


A lady I work with made this for Sadie and charged me next to nothing. If anyone lives in the Triad or Triangle area of NC and need a cake i'll put you in touch with her! Y'all, Sam had 4 pieces....it's that good!!! 

Don't forget to file your taxes today!! It's April 15th!! 

Thanks for stopping by CHMH! 

XO,

Nikki 

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Target and Ulta Haul

Happy April Fools Day Y'all! I am not sure about you guys but I have never been a big fan of April Fools Day. I love to laugh and joke but sometimes I think some pranks/jokes are really mean. If you're playing an April Fools joke on someone just be mindful of any life situations they may be dealing with. Okay, off my soapbox! Now on to the fun stuff! 

So this past weekend I was in desperate need of some new skincare/beauty items so I loaded Sadie in the car and off we went. I mentioned yesterday we went to Target twice. I have a particular loop that I follow when I go to Target and my hubby just doesn't know how to do Target like me so sometimes I need to go back without him! Do any of y'all have a particular way you like to walk through Target? It's really important to hit all of the sections. :) Y'all know what i'm talking about. 

So without further delay check out my latest and greatest purchases from Target


I really needed something that would help take off all my makeup before I wash my face. I have heard really good reviews about Ponds Cold Cream and so far I love it. I use this all over my face and then remove it with a warm washcloth before washing my face. 


I've used this foundation in the past and it just has a really nice feel to it. It also has great coverage and that's something I like.


Y'all, I was in serious need of new razors. I had to stop using Sam's! I finally broke down and bought some - he was so glad that I did! 


Yummy smelling shaving cream to go along with my new razors! It smells like strawberries and oranges. 


Rachel Talbott recently did a blog post about how this Ponds anti-wrinkle cream is an amazing dupe for La Mer. I HAD to try it! I don't wear this during the day only because I feel like it is a little heavy but I use it every night so have loved it so far! 

I also had to run to Ulta to pick up some shampoo and conditioner for my newly color treated hair. I decided to go ahead and purchase what was used on my hair at the salon, which was the Goldwell Dualsenses Color Treated Shampoo and Conditioner.. It smells delicious! 


Last but not least is probably my most favorite purchase during my shopping trip. I ran into Sephora to lust after all of the amazing products they have there and came across this gem while looking at lipsticks.. Most of my makeup had already worn off so I tried this and I instantly fell in love with it. It's the perfect shade for light/medium skin tones and feels like silk, plus it has amazing coverage.I've been wearing this everyday this week by itself, there is really no need to wear foundation over it. I bought the sample size because I wanted to make sure that I loved it as much at home as I did in Sephora ( I tend to love everything in Sephora!!). Once I use all of this size I will most definitely repurchase. 


Whew, that seems like a lot! I love everything that I purchased over the weekend and I can't wait to tell you all about all of the samples I was able to pick up at Sephora! The older I get the more into skincare and health I become! Since I made a major oops buy purchasing skincare products before I tried them in the past I wanted to make sure that I love what i'm buying. As you all know, a lot of these products aren't cheap and I want to like them before I buy. 

I'd love to hear some of your favorites! I'm always looking to try new skincare and beauty products! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

XO, 
Nikki 

Disclaimer, this opinions are my own. I am not compensated in anyway to share these products with you. I truly have a passion for skincare, makeup and hair products! All of these prodcuts can be found at Target, Ulta and Sephora.  Thank you for your support of CHMH! 

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Weekend Recap

Hey Everyone! I know I am a day late posting my Weekend Recap! Yesterday was Sadie's 1st Birthday (sniffle sniffle) so I took the day off from work and blogging. We had a wonderful day! Be on the lookout for a post all about her birthday! I have to say I was really emotional yesterday. I even cried at Chick-fil-a! I'm such a sap! 

We had a really busy weekend! Friday was my little sister's 22nd birthday! We are 10 years apart which she thinks is so funny and always calls me old. Just wait until she's 31, she won't think it's so old anymore! It was definitely hard when we were younger but the older we get the closer we become! Love this girl! 


Just us girls went to dinner on Friday evening. Sam had prior commitments to work on the race car. Sometimes you just need a girls night! 



That selfie turned out a little bright. Oh well! 

Saturday, Sam and I took Sadie to get pancakes, her favorite! Then we ran to Target to look at new car seats. I can't believe she has outgrown her's. I will never forget how tiny she looked in her's the day we brought her home from the hospital. 

Of course Sadie and I had to take a few pictures while we were in Target. 


Seriously, could she be any cuter?! 


My Stitch Fix box was waiting for me when we got home! I can't wait to share my reviews with y'all in the next couple of days! I was definitely much more pleased with this Fix than my first one. 

Saturday evening, Sadie and I ran to Target (yup, we went twice on Saturday) then went to Ulta. I made several purchases that i'll share in my upcoming Target and Ulta Hual post. 

Sunday was a pretty lazy day! My niece came over to play for a little while. The girls always have so much fun together!


Sadie decided she didn't want to take a nap on Sunday afternoon (those no nap days make for really long days)! Sam went to pick up dinner from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and of course she fell asleep right before he got home. I did't mind, I wouldn't trade these cuddles for anything in the world! 

I can't begin to tell y'all how much I love this girl! 

What about y'all, do anything fun and exciting this weekend?! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

XO, 

Nikki  



Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Weekend Recap ....a day late!



Hey Everyone! I hope y'all have had a good start to the week. Yesterday I woke up around 6am and thought that it was Sunday. You guys can imagine how sad I was when I realized it was Monday. Yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day though! 

Anybody do anything fun over the weekend? We didn't do much, poor Sadie bug has an ear infection so we laid low and watched the NCAA tourney. My brackets are totally busted! Did anyone else fill out a bracket this year? 

I did get my hair done....first I looked like a crazy lady who had way too many foils in her hair! 

Sexy hair, huh?! LOL 

But I've got to say I am really pleased with the end result


That's my i'm excited face!! Hey blondie! 


I spent Sunday morning with this cute little pup and of course my sweet sleeping baby. We watched the first several episodes of Secrets and Lies and oh my it's good! I didn't know if I would like it based on the previews but y'all it's intense! Check it out! 

I seriously love our cuddle time! 

And then this happened Saturday evening....



She's standing ALL BY HERSELF!! Would time please slow down!

So, i've been drinking my Juice Plus shakes everyday and I crave them when I don't have them. They are seriously that good! I'm really trying to eat better and lose this baby weight before my birthday in July. I decided I really needed to start working out again so I started Insanity again last night. Talk about out of shape. Holy crap, I thought I was going to pass out! I just need to do something. I try not to be hard on myself but I really want to look and feel better. I have 3 months until I turn 32 and i'd like to share my progress and struggles with you. So stay tuned! 

What are some of your favorite healthy meals and exercises?! 


Thursday, March 19, 2015

A Few of My Favorite Beauty Products


It's almost the weekend!!! I don't know about y'all but my goodness it has been a long week! I think I am still adjusting to the time change. I also haven't felt great this week. I ended up going to the doctor yesterday and was given an antibiotic. Hopefully it'll kick in soon so I can enjoy the weekend with my family. Since I drive a lot for work I don't have a primary care doctor near my office so I ended up going to a CVS Minute Clinic. I thought it was great! I only waited like 2 minutes! It was a great experience and I would totally do it again, but hopefully I won't get sick again any time soon! ;) 

So, I kind of have a slight obsession with makeup, skincare, hair care, just beauty products in general. While I wish I could buy everything that I see I kinda have to stick to a budget. I thought I would share a few of my go to items with y'all. 


So since I sent back my super expensive face wash I've been using a gentle cleanser. So far i'm loving this one by Neutrogena.


For some reason I can't use the Cetaphil cleanser but I love, love, love this Daily Moisturizer


 This is the perfume that I won a few weeks ago and it smells amazing!! If you're in the market for a great sent definitely check out Love Me by Victoria's Secret.


 I have really large pores and wanted to try a pore eraser so I bought Maybelline's Pore Eraser  and it's great. It leaves my skin feeling really smooth and silky. 


Best $5 i've spent in a long time! This is great for covering up dark circles or blemishes. I just discovered the NYX products and so far I really like them. You can find the concealer HERE


I was in need of new blush for Christmas and my little sister bought me Bobbi Brown in Nectar. It has definitely become one my faves! I will definitely buy it again. 


 Honestly, I had never heard of this brand before until a dear friend gave me a bunch of fun samples from Sephora as part of my Christmas present and this is amazing!!! It leaves your lips full and gives them a little tingle! Buxom Lipgloss in White Russian


This is a little dirty but that's because I seriously use it all the time. When I started getting my eyebrows waxed years ago my eyebrow lady (Marianne's Brows for those of you in Greensboro, NC!) would always fill them in for me and this is what she uses. It's the E.L.F. Eyebrow Kit and it's only a few bucks! 

These were another gift from the same awesome friend who gave me the Buxom Lipgloss. These are the absolute best nail wipes ever. You know how some nail polish remover leaves your nails all yucky?  Well I feel like these wipes make them look better and they don't stink! They are a little more expensive than what you would find at your local drugstore but I think it's worth the few extra bucks to buy something that smells better and leaves your nails looking nice and clean. Check them out!

That's more than a few but I really couldn't narrow it down to just a 3 items! I'm always trying out new products and i'll be sure to share those with you guys. I also love hearing what other people use. 

What are some of your favorite beauty products?! 
Thanks for reading! 

XO, Nikki  

Disclaimer: I am not being paid in any way. These are strictly my own opinions. I use Amazon to share these products with you because it is much easier for people to find them that way! 

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

#pimpinjoy

Happy St. Paddy's Day Everyone!! 

So I have a good bit of Irish in me but some how I don't own any Green. Not sure how that happened! So i'm just wearing a really pretty pink dress shirt today. My bad! 

My plan was to do a blog post on the new beauty routine about women shaving their faces. I know it sounds totally crazy but I've heard some really great things about what it can do for your skin. I'm saving that post for later in the week. 

I had the pleasure of experiencing a pimpinjoy train at Starbucks this morning. You know, when the person in front of you pays for your order and then you pay the person's behind you, etc, etc.Most of y'all probably have no idea what in the world pimpinjoy is and neither did I until 8 months or so ago. I have a super long commute to work and I love a good morning radio show and that's when I stumbled across the Bobby Bones Show. It's a syndicated country music morning show based out of Nashville and it is fabulous! These folks keep me entertained and laughing all morning and I seriously miss them when I don't get to listen. Because of Bobby, Amy and Lunchbox I learned about pimpinjoy .Basically it means do nice things for others just because. Amy's mom, Judy, was diagnosed with cancer and instead of letting it get to her and becoming depressed Judy chose to pimp joy. It's become a "movement, a celebration dedicated to the people that are fighting Cancer or other difficulties in life but choosing to find & spread joy in their daily lives". If you want to ready more about it check out the website HERE. It's just something that really touched me and hearing listeners of the show call in and share their stories is really amazing and just goes to show that there is good in this world even though we don't always see it. Judy lost her battle with cancer several months ago but this movement she, her family and the Bobby Bones Show created will live on forever. 

So today, while you're at work or running errands or doing whatever, find it in your heart to do a random act of kindness for someone and let everyone know that you're #pimpinjoy!! 

This really cool picture above is actually a car decal - if you love it you can find it on Esty HERE!

Disclaimer - I am not being paid in anyway to endorse the Bobby Bones Show or Pimpinjoy. I really just felt compelled to share it with everyone! It's about time we all start doing nice things for other people! 

Now, go celebrate St. Patrick's Day!! 

XO, Nikki 


Monday, March 16, 2015

Weekend Recap {3/16}

Good Morning Everyone!!!! I hope y'all had a wonderful weekend! Although weekends are way too short my family and I had a wonderful one! Did anyone do anything special over the weekend?

So first things first - I wanted to let you all know that I have had a change of heart...I will be sending back my Rodan and Fields skincare items. I've been using it for over a week and honestly the only difference that I've noticed is really dry skin. Please know that this is my personal opinion; these products may work great for some people but I don't think I am one of them. I do love the micro-derm paste, I may or may not keep that. We shall see. 

Friday night was pretty lazy. Sam picked up take out from a local pizza/sub joint and we just hung out in our jammies. We were debating on whether or not we should go out to dinner but opted to stay in and be lazy. 

Saturday morning consisted of our usual routine. Sadie and Mommy get up super early and go downstairs while everyone is still asleep. I really enjoy that time with just her and I. I realized we were out of milk so I used water to make my Juice Plus smoothie and it was pretty dang good! I always throw in a really big tablespoon of peanut butter!  After breakfast we enjoyed the Mickey Mouse Club, Doc McStuffins and of course Sophia the First! Any of my fellow Mommy's watch the Disney Channel?! We know the songs by heart, especially the Hot Dog song!! Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog! (<-------- yup, I'm getting old!). 


After Sadie's morning nap we decided to go out to lunch. We weren't sure where we wanted to go so we just got in the car and drove, we wound up at Ruby Tuesday's. It was delish! I splurged and got a bacon cheeseburger...so bad but oh so good! Sadie decided she wanted to try a lemon. 

Yup, it's pretty sour kiddo! Cutest face ever!! 

After lunch we went to Kohls, Target and of course we ran by Starbucks. I tried something new, a Flat White. Has anyone tried it? I loved it! It's not something i'll get often because it's made with whole milk and has a ton of calories but as an occasional treat it's pretty good! 
Once we got home it was time for a nap. I love those rainy afternoons where we all lay in bed and cuddle. 
Notice i'm the only one smiling?! I think Sam and Sadie wanted to really take a nap instead of taking family selfies...oh well! :) 

Yesterday, Sam and his Dad went to a local race and that left Sadie and I home to do whatever we wanted! Well, little miss decided to nap for 3 hours so that gave me some Mommy time. I ended up reading blogs and watching vlogs! How about I just discovered Rachel Talbott and OMG I love her. I must have ended up watching like 15 of her videos. I've always loved skin care and makeup and she has some awesome tutorials. If y'all get a few minutes definitely check out her YouTube channel, you can find the link HERE. Her hubby also has a YouTube channel for cooking. You can find that link HERE

Disclaimer....These opinions are my own. I am not being paid in any way. I just happen to really love her and her husbands vlogs! 

Okay fellow Mommy's, I need some advice. When we first moved in with my in-laws Sadie's room wasn't ready for her to sleep in so she ended up sleeping with us. Well it has become a habit. Sam and I ready to break that habit but Sadie is not. Does anyone have any advice on how to break the co-sleeping habit? It's becoming so difficult. I love cuddle time with her but I can't put her down for naps or bedtime without me having to be with her. It's really tough! Thank you in advance for the advice! 

Have a wonderful Monday! 

XO, Nikki 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Stitch Fix Review


Hey Everyone!! How is Daylight Savings Time treating you? Honestly, I am struggling, a lot! I've never really been bothered by it before but this time it is tough. Maybe it's because I have a baby and I really value every minute of sleep I can get. 

It has been a crazy busy week and I have seriously slacked on my Blog posts. Sadie has been totally out of wack and has wanted to stay up super late when all I want to do is close my eyes. Obviously she doesn't understand how important sleep is! LOL

We had a great weekend! I got to enjoy Saturday morning cuddles with this cute girl! 

Then we met my Mom (Grandma) and sister, Megan (Aunt Meg) for lunch at my all time favorite Greek restaurant!

Next we went shopping! I fell in love with these Sperry's! They were a little pricey but maybe next payday I'll go back to get them! 
Then when I got home this was waiting for me.....
Stitch Fix and Rodan and Fields in the same day!!! It was like Christmas morning!!

Of course I opened my RF box first. I knew what I was going to see when I opened it. I got my Unblemish regime and my Micro-derm Paste. If you're unsure about buying anything from this company please trust me and buy the paste. It will leave your skin feeling like baby skin. It's ahhhhhhh-maz-zinnnnnng!! 


Okay, I was excited to open my Stitch Fix box and I wanted to savor the moment but then of course we had to rush out the door to meet our friends for a surprise Birthday dinner so I only had time to look. Well, when I opened it I was so disappointed. :( Nothing really looked like my style. There was one shirt that was cute but it was an oatmeal color that totally washed me out. Y'all, I didn't even take pictures. I am so sorry but I honestly didn't like anything. But, I said i'll give it another shot. I rescheduled my next Fix to arrive on March 26th and gave very honest feedback to my stylist. Hopefully she will "get" me a little more this go round. I recommend giving it a try. It's like you have to date awhile before you get married. That's how I feel about Stitch Fix. My stylist has to get to know me first! 

For those of you who have tried Stitch Fix i'd love to get your feedback. 

On a side note, it's almost Friday!!! 

Friday, March 6, 2015

Fun Facts Friday {3/6}

1} Hello there everyone! I don't know about y'all but I am so glad that it's Friday. I don't have much planned for the weekend and goodness knows I won't be sleeping in, but I am so ready for a break! Last night Sam told me he thought the week went by quickly, I was quick to disagree! Hopefully the weather will be pretty this weekend and we can finally get outside!

2} Did anyone watch The Hills? Well, I happened to be a big fan and still follow Whitney Port on Twitter and Instagram. The week of Valentine's Day she held a contest asking readers to describe their craziest Valentine's Day story. Well I have a pretty funny one (i'll be sure to do a post about) so I thought I would enter. I never, ever win anything but I'll be damned I won!!! I won a whole gift set from Victoria's Secret. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I was opening it. I received 2 thongs, an awesome bra, slip, and my favorite items are from the LOVE ME collect. OMG, it smells amazing! Sam has never loved any perfumes that I wear but he loves this. Y'all should checks it out!

**I am not getting paid for this review. I won a contest sponsored by Whitney Port and Victoria's Secret.

3-I got a text message from my hubby this morning with this picture....
My child not only broke one plate but two! Ummmmm WTH?! She apparently got mad at Sam for telling her no for breaking the first plate so she thought it would be funny to break a second one. I think we are going to have our hands full with this little girl.

4- I thought my favorite lipgloss was lost and gone forever but this morning I found it! YES!!!!!

It's an amazing color for those of you who can't read the name, it's called Scandal. I seriously need to get my eyeballs check! It was sold at Sephora for a really long time but now you can find it HERE.

5-I don't know about y'all but I love planners and notebooks and I thought I needed a new one. I went to Staples the other day and ended up purchasing the Arc Notebook. It's super fun because you can buy dividers, refill paper and sticky notes. Of course I ended up buying the pink one and then I felt like I needed new sharpies to go along with it! It's an organizers dream come true! I'm so weird though, I never want to write anything because I think they are so pretty and clean! LOL

Pretty, right?! 

6-I should be getting my Rodan and Fields  skincare shipment this weekend and my Stitch Fix  box! WOOT WOOT! Maybe that's why i'm so stinkin excited!

Anyone have any fun plans this weekend? I really don't think we are doing much, maybe having dinner with friends on Saturday. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! :) :)