A Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

11/5/20

Erin Condren 2020 Holiday Gift Guide #ecsquad

This year's gift guide might look a little different than past years due to the ongoing pandemic. I decided to feature items from a few different categories to help you with your holiday shopping. You should consider ordering sooner than later because shipping times can take a bit longer this year too. Without any further delay, let's get into the gift guide!


This post is not sponsored however affiliate links may be used

Gifts under 25$



This is the perfect gift for someone in your life who loves doing puzzles! It's also a great gift for the cold winter nights to do together with your family and loved ones! There are three different pattern options too!


This playing cards will make the best stocking stuffer! I grew up playing cards at different family events and I think these are the perfect gift to give during the pandemic! There are so many card games to play!


This little puzzle is a great gift for somebody working from home who needs some stress relief from all the Zoom calls and meetings. It also is a great gift idea for teachers!

Gifts under $75

Isn't this model gorgeous!?


The addition of comfortable, colorful loungewear could not come at a better time. This set looks like the work from home uniform yet! The Pants come in sizes XS to XXXL and are a relaxed fit. The hoodie comes in sizes XS to XXXL and is also a relaxed fit. This are a bit of splurge but would be great for your friend or family member with a casual work from home attire!



I personally want this tank top so bad! It runs sizes XS to XXXL and its a relaxed fit. I love this cut of top of my body and I love the quote to keep me motivated during my workouts! The leggings are also a bit of a splurge but they would be perfect for the workout lover! They run sizes XS to XXL and are made out of Polyester and Spandex!

Planner Gifts


This wouldn't be an Erin Condren gift guide without featuring the Life Planner! 
Here are some of the new Hello Kitty Collab winter covers! The LifePlanner comes in several different layouts and covers can be customized! 


This is a brand new product to Erin Condren! It features 160 pages and 13 tabs! It has goal setting tips and advice, 6 big goal action plans, and a whole lot more content! The A5 size is also relatively new to EC!


The Budget Planner is not a new concept to Erin Condren, however a coiled version is! Previously, EC only offered a budget planner as a bound softbound book but now you can get it coiled!! This is very exciting and a great gift for someone looking to work on their finances in the new year! 



Stickers are a great way to decorate your planner and made a great gift too! I love using stickers to add a little flair and color to my planner! You can also use these in cards, notebooks, etc!

So that is everything I want to share in my Erin Condren 2020 Holiday Gift Guide
Everything is live on the site now, so head over and start your holiday shopping early!!
8/23/20

Lover Overdue Life Update 2020

black and white picture of the author


 It's fairly obvious I haven't been active on this blog in a very long time and I wanted to come back share with you, who ever still follows this outlet, a bit of a life overdue life update!

Life

Wow, such much has happened over the past year. I turned 30 back in February and was able to celebrate with my family. We went to a hibachi restaurant and had a blast! My husband and I also got involved with a political campaign and we did some door-to-door petitioning and canvassing! We did that in our local area as well as in Massachusetts and New Hampshire during the months of February and early March. I can say now that we volunteered for the Sanders campaign but as time will tell he suspended his campaign after Super Tuesday. It was an amazing experience and I will continue to do more volunteer work int he future! We were supposed to go on vacation back in May to Ireland to celebrate my birthday however we had to also cancel that trip due to the pandemic. 

author with grandmother on wedding day sitting at table


Now onto some very sad news. In March, my grandmother lost her battle to liver cancer. It seemed to happen so quickly looking back and we still have not had a funeral or any services due to the pandemic. I miss her everyday as we were extremely close.


Work

I am still working my 9-5 job as a business analyst and we have been working from home since mid-March. We also just found out we will be working remotely until at least January 2021. My little home office has been slowly coming together and I now have an excuse to maybe get a new desk since I still have my old Ikea desk for many years ago.

School

I started my masters degree over two years ago and finally this fall I will be finishing my degree program. I plan to share more about my experience working a full-time job and going to graduate school at the same time but I am so excited to my taking my final classes this fall!


Other Things

-Animal Crossing: I started playing Animal Crossing a lot when it was released back in March during the pandemic because there wasn't much else to do and I found it an easy way to relax and the end of the day or during my lunch break!

-Netflix/Disney+/Amazon Prime: I recently finished watching Selling Sunset on Netflix and I loved it because the homes they sell are an absolute dream! I also watched all the episodes of Better Call Saul on Netflix and all I can say is wow! That show is special and the acting is top notch! I got to see the traveling show of Hamilton last summer and had to see the Hamilton special when it was released on Disney+!

-Workouts: Since all the gyms have been closed, I have been doing lots of home workouts. I went back to my tried and true Beachbody on demand workouts and they have been great. Most of the programs are 30 minute quick workouts which you can do anytime, anywhere. I look forward to being to go back to the gym once it reopens to hopefully do some social distancing classes or individual sessions. 

-YouTube: I have still been very active posting youtube videos and my channel saw a lot of attention over the summer! 

-Twitch: I started a Twitch channel! I don't think I shared it on here but I really enjoy playing videos games in my spare time to relax! I usually stream 1-2 times a week, mainly on Fridays and sometimes other days!

Well, I think that is everything for now. I hope you all enjoyed catching up with me and I hope to be able to share more content on here soon! 


7/5/20

Face Mask Myth Debunked

Some believe that face masks are ineffective and can make you sick. I did some research and wanted to share with everyone!
10/26/19

2020 Cultivate What Matter Power Sheets Unboxing!



10/5/19

Almost 30 | Four months until I'm 30 AF


Est. 2015

Whole Sh!t I will be turning 30 in a little over four months! Instead of creating a 30 before 30 list, I wanted to come up with a list of future bucket ideas list. Some of my inspiration is from Pinterest, so let's get started!

1. Visit a Castle

2. Get a Tattoo

3. Travel overseas

4. Go wine-tasting

5. Publish an eBook

6. Go on a road trip

7. Host a dinner party

8. Learn cocktail-making

9. Learn photography

10. Ride in a hot air balloon

11. Go to a Yankees game

12. Go to a live talk show taping

13. Get a facial

14. Plant a Tree

15. Go to a drive-in movie

16. Start my own business

17. Take a girls trip

18. Go to a music festival

19. Travel alone

20. Send more snail mail

Some of these will be accomplished sooner but others but I love having list of things I want to do!
What's on your bucket list?
7/15/19

My Amazon Prime Day Picks for 2019!


This is just going to be a list of my Amazon Prime Day Picks for 2019! The sale runs today and tomorrow July 15-16, 2019! Get your Christmas/Holiday/Birthday shopping done and out of the way!

Let's Shop!


Amazon Devices


Fire TV Stick 4k $24.99 (50% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079QHML21/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_bjllDb47EX1B2

Echo Dot (3rd Gen) $22 (56% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0792KTHKJ/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_DjllDbKHRKC80

Echo Show 5 $49.99 (44% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HZLHPKP/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_ykllDbXVE59W6

Fire 7 Tablet - 7" display, 16GB - $29.99 (40% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKR6KXF/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_hmllDbVMFFWDN

Home & Kitchen

iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum 690 $229.99 (30% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XRT2B3P/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_ynllDb8760JTA 

Instant Pot Duo Plus 60 $55.99 (57% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBKTPTS/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_2qllDb1WDS1VD

Nespresso Vertuo Deluxe Coffee and Espresso Maker $99.99 ($88 less buying separately)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RTMVCHB/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_LCllDb9V6XK53

Shark Genius Hard Floor Cleaning System $59.99 (50% off!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KU4BSGK/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_wEllDb69XRCY9


Electronics

Sony WH-CH700N Wireless Headphones $89.99 (55% off!)

Garmin Forerunner 35 GPS Watch $89.99 (47% off!)

Playstation 4 Slim 1TB bundle $249.99 (30% off!)

Travel

YETI Roadie 20 Cooler $139.99 (30% off!)

Office

Day Designer for Blue Sky Planner Academic Year Planner $13.99 (30% off!)


Clothing

Select Adidas styles up to 30% off!
Select New Balance styles up to 40% off!
Select Calvin Klein clothing up to 30% off!
Select Ray-Ban sunglasses up to 40% off!


There are SO many more good Prime Day Deals that you should head over to Amazon now and shop!

What are you going to pick up from the Prime Day deals?


6/2/19

Free or Cheap Summer Activities 2019

Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels

If you are ballin' on a budget this summer, I complied a list of free or cheap summer activities you can do with your friends and family! Always check out your local paper and Facebook pages for free events!

  • Go to a park
  • Swim at your community pool
  • Visit the library
  • Play in sprinklers (we always did this growing up!)
  • Go for a hike
  • Play a board game
  • Learn something new
  • Take pictures
  • Watch a movie
  • Visit a free zoo or museum
  • Go to a farmers market (we have a great one every summer!)
  • Start a blog or youtube channel (like me!)
  • Attend a free workout class
  • Go to a garage sale or have your own!
  • Ride your bike
  • Go to a parade
  • Go to fireworks
  • Listen to a podcast
  • Read a book
  • Do Yoga
  • Pick strawberries
  • Pack a picnic
  • Clean out your garage (or any space!)
  • Visit family
  • Plan a tree
  • Go camping
  • Volunteer
  • Plan your next vacation
I hope this list gives you some ideas for some free or cheap things to go this summer!
5/28/19

The Travel Tag


I had some extra time this Memorial Day weekend, so that's why I am blogging agin, a little bit xx
I will be honest, between work and grad school, my time has been very limited, and the blog always seems to fall through the cracks whenever that happens but here's a fun tag for you today! I saw Gemma do this tag, so much sure you go check out her blog!

1. You are leaving tomorrow to start a new life in a new country, where would you go?
Well, the USA is a pretty darn good place to live BUT if I could live anywhere, I would probably move somewhere in Europe, maybe Finland or Sweden.

2. You can take someone for a weekend away to the place you had the best holidays ever, where would that be and who would you take to go with you?
This is tough! My favorite place I have ever traveled has to be York Beach, Maine. My most recent vacation was to Cape May, NJ and I would to take my mom and my sister's with me!

Summer 2018 Cape May, NJ

3. You can get married wherever you want to, your budget is limitless, what is your choice?
I got married almost four years ago but if I could do it over with an unlimited budget, I'd say on the beach somewhere!
Our Wedding 10/24/2015


4. You can get back in time and relive one family trip, which one?
Family vacation to Outer Banks, North Carolina

5. What is the first thing you would pack for a one year travel around the world?
A camera!

6. What would your fantasy 100th birthday destination be, and why?
If I live that long, I'd love to go to where my family came from - Poland and Italy!

7. During your travel you can learn one sport to become a pro, what would that be?
I have never played Cricket, so I think that would be really interesting to learn!

So, that's the tag, make sure you do it and tag me in it if you do xx
5/26/19

Memorial Day Weekend Sales 2019

Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels

Bath & Body Works
$10 off 3 wick candles
$10 off $30 with Code: OHELLOSUN

Gap
40% off everything code: READY

Loft
40% off full-price styles Code: FINALLY
 Extra 50% off Sale Style (Online only)

Madewell
20% off Dresses and Sandals Code: PERFECTMATCH

Michaels
20% off entire purchase including sale items 
50% off All summer floral & Garden Collection
50% off Red, White, and Blue
50% off All Summer Decor

Nordstrom
Half Yearly Sale through June 2

Old Navy
All Tanks, Tees, Swim, Shorts & Dresses 50% off
All activewear 50% off Saturday and Sunday only
$1 Solid-Color Flip Flips 5/26 only Code:FLIPPY

Target
Up to 30% off Patio items
Up to 30% off home items
Free $5 gift card when you spend $5 on sun care
Save 20% on select SwissGear items
Free $25 gift card when you spend $100 on toys & games
20% off sandals. Use code: SANDALS20

Vera Bradley
25% off your entire purchase

Victoria's Secret
Free Tie-dye Beach Tote with Any $60 beauty purchase
Code: 60Beach

Wayfair
Memorial Day Clearance up to 70% off

west elm
15% off 100+
20% off 500+
25% off 1,000+
30% off 3,000+



5/1/19

New 2019-2020 Erin Condren Planners

Erin Condren website

If you have been following me for any length of time on my blog or social media, you know that I am a planer girl and have been using Erin Condren products for YEARS! I got my first Erin Condren Life Planner in 2015 and I used a horizontal layout. I currently used a Vertical planner. I did not get a sneak peek of the new planners but I saw all my favorite planner YouTubers made videos and wanted to make an easy-to-access list for you to watch them all:


I am currently undecided which planner I will get for 2019-2020, but right now, I am leaning towards the neutral vertical, like I have gotten in years past. I am also interested in the horizontal, so we shall see!

The new 2019-2020 Erin Condren Life Planner launches on Wednesday, May 8th! Happy Shopping!
4/6/19

YETI Rambler vs Sip by S'well

Over the years, I have amassed quite the collection of different water bottles. Recently, I have gotten two new water bottles, the Yeti Rambler and the Sip by S'well water bottle. I wanted to do a post comparing and contrasting the two so you can decide which one is the best option for you!

I got my Yeti Ramlber as a Christmas present this year and I just got my S'well water bottle in my Spring FabFitfun box!

Materials:

  • Yeti and S'well are both made out of 18/8 stainless steel so they are puncture and rust free

Sizes:

In general, they both offer several size options:
  • Bottle - to drink your water, juice, tea, etc.
  • Mug- mostly focused on the hot drinks like coffee or hot cocoa
  • Tumbler - Meant for wine or beer or alcoholic beverages

Bottles:

  • Yeti only offers 18, 32, and 36 oz bottles. 
  • S'well offers 9, 17, and 25 oz bottles

Mug:

  • Yeti has 10 and 30 oz 'mugs' which they refer to as Ramblers
  • S'well has 12, 16, 20 oz travel mugs

Tumbler:

  • Yeti has 10, 20 and 30 oz tumblers
  • S'well has 10 and 18 oz tumblers

Shapes

Amazon
Yeti has a more traditional shape, which gives more volume for liquids. Function over fashion. 

S'well

S'well looks very similar to a Coca-Cola bottle or an hourglass figure.

Colors:

Amazon

Yeti has some more traditional color options, as well as a stainless steel option.
Some of the color names include: Brick Red, Seafoam, Pink, Navy, etc.

S'well

S'well not only has solid colors but a variety of patterns that appear to come out seasonally!

Caps & Lids

Amazon
Yeti has a variety of lids, include sip lid, tumbler lid, magslide lid, and the bottle straw lid. 
S'well

S'well places a high emphasis on design rather than function and they offer a variety of caps and lids for their products. They also come in multiple color-ways.

Do they keep drinks hot/cold?

In my personal experience, I have found my Yeti does a fantastic job at keeping cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot for extended periods of time. My S'well bottle has a very small opening so I can't fit ice cubes in it, so I have noticed it doesn't keep drinks cold for as long as the Yeti.

Which one is for you?

  • If you are looking for something stylish and sleek, I recommend the S'well Bottle
  • If you want function and volume, The YETI Rambler is the best option

What water bottle is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

3/23/19

FabFitFun Spring 2019 Subscription Box Review - Was it Worth it!?

This post may contain referral/affiliate links. If you buy something, Elizabeth Kathrynx may earn a commission. Read the full disclosure.

The FabFitFun Box is a quarterly subscription box from FabFitFun.com where you get a seasonal subscription box filled with over $200 dollars of items in categories of makeup, beauty, lifestyle, etc.
and bold Spring colors! 

The subscription box: FabFitFun Spring 2019
The cost: $49.99 per quarter
Get 10$ off your first FabFitFun box using my link! http://xo.fff.me/jVrEG
Box contains the hottest season items selected by the FabFitFun team!
Ships to: Canada and USA

Show Me Your MUMU Brie Robe - Retail Value $84

This is a beautiful floral-print lightweight robe to throw on right after you take a shower and features a removable belt and a high-low hem. I need a new robe, so I was excited to receive this item! It is very lightweight so it will be perfect for the warmer seasons!


Wow, what an amazing item to receive in this season's box! I have heard so many great things about this brand and I am excited to finally own a pair of these sunglasses! They come with a leather case and feature a black metal frame, double bridge, and adjustable nose pads. 



These are perfect for baking or cooking! I have stainless steel finish on most of my kitchen appliances, so these don't really match my current decor but could be  a nice housewarming gift!

Sip by S'well - Retail Value $19.99

I use a Yeti tumbler at work, so I will be very curious to how this compares. It is insulated to keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks cold. I got this beautiful purple eggplant colored bottle.



This brush can be used in the show to exfoliate and remove dead skin with the brush's natural bristles and massaging nodules. It can be used wet or dry.


I am still loving my all-natural haircare products by Monat but I always like trying other hair products. This product is supposed to help fight frizz, detangle, protect, and moisturize hair.


This products is supposed to reduce the appearence of under eye bags and dark circles. As I am getting older, I am starting to notice these issues and I cannot wait to try this eye gel!
It is formulated without parabens, sulfates, and phthalates.




I have never heard of this brand but am excited to try this body scrub!
It is formulated with charcoal and Dead skin minerals to help polish, refine, and hydrated your skin!

My final thoughts: My box has a retail value of $289 dollars!! I was impressed with this box because it only cost me $49.99 dollars, so it's worth more than five times the price I paid!! I love the S'well bottle and Quay sunglasses but honestly the other items are kinda of, meh, to me. I wish I got some of the other items, like the Tula Purifying Face Cleanser or the Ciate London Translucent Setting Powder. 

If you re thinking of trying FabFinFun, do it!! Get 10$ off your first FabFitFun box using my link! http://xo.fff.me/jVrEG

What did you think of the Spring FabFitFun box? Which items did you pick up?
*This post was not sponsored.  I use MagicLinks for all my ready-to-shop product links. Check it out here: https://www.magiclinks.org/rewards/referral/elizabethk/










2/19/19

The Blogger Tag


So I recently saw a post from Gemma over at touch of belle. Gemma is one of my favourite bloggers so you should definitely head over to her blog and have a look if you haven't already. The post was the bloggers tag and so I thought I would give it a go!


Question 1: How tall are you?
I am 5'2

Question 2: Do you have a hidden talent if so what?

Nothing really comes to mind...

Question 3: What is your biggest blog related pet peeve?

I don't really have any pet peeves really except maybe when people have really annoying layouts or bloggers copy each other and don't give proper credit.

Question 4: What is your biggest non blog related pet peeve?

People being late or blowing you off at the last minute.




Question 5: What is your favourite song?

The Scientist by Coldplay

Question 6: What is your favourite social media site?

Instagram! 

Question 7: What is your favourite way to spend your time when you are alone?

Watching TV/Youtube

Question 8: What's your favourite junk food? 

I love sour candy

Question 9: Do you have any pets, if so what kind and what are their names? 

I have two cats, Luna(bottom) and Mia (top)!




Question 10: What are your favourite fiction and non fiction? 

Favorite Fiction - After series, Fifty Shades series
Non fiction - I don't really read non fiction books.

Question 11: What is your favourite beauty product or tool? 

I love my beauty blender!

Question 12: When were you last embarrassed and what happened? 

I say dumb things sometimes and the last time I remember was saying something about a particular holiday and a parade.

Question 13: If you could only drink one beverage besides water for the rest of your life what would it be? 

Chai tea.

Question 14: What's your favourite movie

I have so many favorites but I love Spanglish!

Question 15: What was your favourite lesson in school and why? 

I actually really enjoyed History in high school just because I loved learning about the world and our country's history. 




Question 16: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why? 

I haven't traveled to too many places outside the USA but I love the Boston area!

Question 17: PC Or Mac? 

Apple all the way. I have a Macbook, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch.

Question 18: Last romantic gesture from your other half/ close friend? 

Husband bought my flowers on Valentines Day!

Question 19: Favourite Celebrity? 

I have quite a few celebrities I follow on social media.

Question 20: What blogger do you secretly want to be friends with? 

There are so many amazing bloggers, I would love to be friends with all of them!




Question 21: Who is your biggest inspiration? 

My mom.

Question 22: What is your favourite blog to read?
Here are a few favorites...


Question 23: What is your favourite high street shop? 

I think high street is like lower end stores. My go to's are Target, Marshalls/TJ Maxx.

Question 24: Are you in education or do you work? 

Both. I have a full-time job as a Business Analyst and I am working on my MBA part-time.

Question 25: One thing you are proud of? 

I am proud of going back to school for my master's degree!



So, that's it for The Blogger Tag! I hope you enjoyed it 

and tag me if you decided to do it too!

2/11/19

Sick Day Essentials

Happy Monday!

If you are reading this, I am happy and well. My husband and I BOTH caught the flu this past week and boy, was it a dozy! I haven't worked out in over a week and will probably be taking it easy for a while until I fully recover. I don't really have a ton to share, so here are some of my sick day essentials if you have a cold or the flu:

1. Cough drops


2. Dayquil/Nyquil
This stuff just helps with all the things from headache to sore throat to congestion

3.Tissues!

Tissues are a necessity because your nose will probably 
be leaking like the kitchen sink. I always get the ones with lotion 
because they don't cause your nose to get all dry and chaffed. 

4. Tea
A hot cup of tea really helps when you have a sore throat or a bad cough. 
Echinacea tea is really great when you're sick, I highly recommend! 
You should avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee because can cause
you to become dehydrated! 

5. Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing makes me feel better than a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup!

6. Netflix/Hulu/Youtube


You'll probably be doing lots of sleeping and laying in bed, 
so I'd definetly recommend a good
streaming service. You can get caught up on your favorite show, 
or finally watch that movie you have been meaning to see.

Here's to feeling better and recovering from the cold and/or flu! 

What are your sick day essentials?