Things to Keep in the Car

I was raised in a house where both parents frequently traveled long distances in the car for work. When the time came for me to start driving, you can be assured that I was given a cubic shit-ton of car related advice. I was basically bombarded with everything from car parts to what I should keep in the car. Being full of typical teenage rebellion I failed to heed all of my parent’s advice and on more than one occasion found myself in a situation where I wish I had listened. 

One of my main goals for this blog is for people to learn from my mistakes so read on if you would like to know the things everyone should keep in their car.

·      Change of clothes: handy incase you break down and need to spend the night somewhere. In the winter make sure your change of clothes is warm and maybe include a small rain poncho to keep you dry for changing a tire in the rain.

·      Small cosmetics bag: pick up some travel size shampoo, soap, spare toothbrush, etc. At least you won’t have to feel grimy if you need to stay overnight somewhere.

·      Blanket: doesn’t have to be large as it can be used to bundle up in if you break down or cover up your purchases after a day of shopping.

·      Folding shovel: so you can dig yourself out of a snow bank

·      Flashlight: always handy to have around

·      Tire repair kit: you’ll be able to patch things up until you can get to a service station

·      Booster battery: this baby will be able to give your battery a boost without needing another car around. You can also get them with electrical outlets so it can be used to charge electronics like a cell phone. If you're not sure what I'm talking about just click on the link.

·      Pair of sneakers: just throw a pair that you are going to be getting rid of or a pair you found on super clearance. You just want something to throw on if you need to walk anywhere, your current footwear (ie. Heels) are not great for driving in, or you need to fix something like a flat tire (again not a great thing to do in heels).

·      Storage container: this will keep all of your supplies above from rolling around the trunk of your car. The one I have is actually collapsible, lightweight, and has Velcro on the bottom so the container stays in place. 

Now that might look like a lot but if you travel in your car a lot it is really worth these things on hand. I can fit everything into my storage container so there is still a nice amount of trunk space remaining. More general things you might wanna keep around would be tissues/wet-wipes, garbage bags, a phone book, and of course some CDs incase your mp3 player dies.

Happy driving!

Rebecca

Collective Haul: 08/06/2011

Hey Guys,

I'm currently in my small hometown for a month so before I left the city I wanted to pick up a few things I've been wanting to try for a long time. I've picked up these things over the past couple of weeks and wanted to share with you guys. I'm also hoping to do reviews of most of these products once I've had a chance to really test them out.

About 2 weeks ago, I picked up a couple of hair products that I've heard lots about particularly from Amarixe on Youtube (she's one of my favorite gurus).

First I picked up the Moroccan Oil Restorative Hair mask which is a treatment that offers a therapeutic remedy that penetrates deep into the hair. This mask smells amazing and from what I've tried so far, it is a miracle for my natural curls which are normally extremely dry.

Then I bought the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum which is a lightweight serum that helps to smooth and seal in hair with added shine.

Thirdly, I picked up the It's a 10 leave in treatment is apparently a thick cream which sprays out into a fine mist. This stuff claims to do 10 things for your hair and it smells amazing.

Before I left I used my Shoppers Optimum Points that I've been saving for a while and I picked up the Urban Decay De-slick mattifying powder which is a lavender toned powder which claims to keep your face matte all day, as well as, the Stila convertible color in Petunia which is a bright pink lip and cheek color. Perfect for the summer!

When I got home I was a little bored so I went down to our mall and picked up a few drugstore items.

First I picked up the Maybelline dream mousse blush in 25 rose petal. This color is a deep pink with a lot of shimmer. I love the consistency of this blush because it is super blendable and dries to a powder finish. I'm not sure how I feel about the amount of shimmer yet though..

Then I bought 2 Rimmel items that were on sale because I can't pass up a good sale! First I bought their powder blush in 101 Pink Sugar. I thought this would be a nice color to layer over my Maybelline dream mousse blush. Then I bought the Vinyl Gloss in Bronze Ambition which I am quite happy with. This is a bronze colored gloss with silver glitter that has awesome staying power. 

Then I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart and bought the Covergirl Natureluxe foundation in 315 bamboo. I bought natureluxe foundation before but I don't use it because the color was too dark so I plan to mix the two I have and create my perfect shade.

The last thing I bought was the Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top coat which is supposed to be a cheaper version of Seche Vite.

Have any of you tried any of these products? Tell me what you think below<3

So that is the end of my extreme haul.. I hope you guys enjoyed~

xox

Ash


P.s.- Here's a link to one of my new fav songs! Hope you check 'er out!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocEPkkq0QWI&list=FLR5USV4Np9t8&index=1

July Favorites!

Hey Guys

Summer is just flying by isn't it? I can't believe we're in August already.. I cringe when I go to the stores and school supplies is out.. ugh.. but time to forget school for a little and start with my July favorites~!

Makeup

First off I've been loving Benefit's Booing Concealer. I've been breaking out quite a lot this month and Booing has been saving my completion. I bought the Confessions of a Concealaholic set which comes with 2 Booing colors so I mix them to get my perfect match.

Also from Benefit, I've been using my creaseless cream liner/shadow in Birthday Suit. This is brown/gold color that is super pigmented. I have been using Birthday Suit as my only lid color this month.

My third item is my Sigma F50 brush which I like using it to lightly swipe powder on my face.

I've also been loving my Revlon Colorstay Foundation and my Stila tinted moisturizer mixed together as a foundation routine. The Stila moisturizer helps make the foundation feel less cake-y for the summertime and gives an extra glow.

Hair Products

I recently purchased the It's a 10 leave in product which I saw on my friend Sammmtina's blog so you guys should definitely go check out her review. I've only used this a couple of times but from what it's done so far it's a favorite.

I love the Garnier Fructis Style Ultimate Gel in Survivor with cactus extract. I use the tiniest dab of this when I put my hair in a bun to smooth away any flyaways and those flyaways are down for the day! Thank you Fructis! I think this stuff would be awesome for people with layers who want to do a fishtail braid. Smooth this over the fishtail braid where your layers stick out and they would be gone!

The Got2be shine spray would also have to be a favorite this month. This stuff makes hair so glossy and shiny but not looking oily. It also smoothes away any flyaways. I love it!

I also have been loving the Batiste dry shampoo in Tropical. When I take the time to straighten my hair, I like to try to make it last for 2 days so on the second day I use this stuff and it takes away any oils and makes my hair smell yummmayyyyy.


Body Products

This month I've been loving my The Body Shop's coconut milk body lotion. When I was stuck inside doing homework the smell of this would remind me of.. freedom! And the summer sun and beaches.. and I could go on forever. My point? The smell is heavenly but it's not the most moisturizing body lotion I've tried. It also comes with a spray pump which would be cool if you spray it when your lying on the beach wanting a pretty coconut smell, but when your just out of the shower it gets kind of hard to hold on to.

Again this month, I've been loving my Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh. The smell is perfect for summer because it's a light fruity floral. I adore it!

My nail polish loves for the month are Essie Turquoise and Caicos, China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy, China Glaze Turned up Turquoise, Orly Rage and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Electric.

Randoms

I have been loving my Toms shoes! So comfortable, cute and they help so many children with their One pair sold= one pair donated. I <3 Toms!

Some televisions shows I have been loving are Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen. I think I might have a secret crush on Chef Ramsay. I also finished Season 4 of Dexter <3! OMG.. I could not move for like 10 minutes after I finished the season. I really almost passed out.. Dexter is always so exciting but season 4 really blew my mind. Now I'm on to season 5 to catch up before season 6 starts!

Some songs I've been loving this month are Dancing in the Dark- Dev, Save me San Francisco by Train, Skyscraper by Demi Lovato, Back Down South by Kings of Leon and Arms by Christina Perri.. I'm in love with playing this song on guitar.

And another favorites comes to an end.. so friends please tell me in the comment below what do you think of these favorites and what are some of your July favorites?

xox

Ash

P.s- Here's a random trending video :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpl5mOAXNl4&feature=aso

Where to Shop Online

I love to shop online, mainly because I don’t have to fight through crowds and my size is usually in stock. This being said I also usually shop on sites that I’ve been in the physical store itself so I have a better idea of what sizes I will need despite the sizing charts available. Here is a list of some of my favorite places to shop from the comfort of my couch.

Threadless

If you don’t know what Threadless is, shame on you. It is such an awesome place to get t-shirts with unique designs. I really enjoy how it’s a community of designers who submit designs, the public scores them, and a select few with the highest scores are chosen to be sold as shirts. In the beginning designs were placed on simple tees or hoodies, but now you can purchase infant-wear, bags, and they’ve started putting the designs on different clothing styles in their “Select” line. A lot of the designs are amazingly artistic and many have a story behind them you can read about in the “About the Design” section. If a design you’re looking to purchase is sold out never fear; just click on a button and Threadless will let you know when it has been reprinted.

You can check out Threadless Tees on their website or while you’re watching Community as Abed frequently sports these awesome shirts.

American Eagle/Aerie

I don’t purchase as much as I used to from AE but I still love the site, especially since they upgraded and got a better site layout. Since I live in Canada I get dinged with extra duties and taxes but it usually isn’t that big of a deal because AE has free shipping deals every other week it seems as well as taking off an extra percentage on clearance items. Clearance is typically where I get all my items from just because I love a sale and why pay full price for something when you can get it on sale?

Victoria’s Secret

As a Canadian I suffer from lack of Victoria’s Secret stores. Did you know that they can only be found in Alberta and Ontario? I live a long ways away from either of those locations so unless I wanna jump on a plane for a few hours every time I want to shop, I’ll just have to stick to online shopping. Now I’ve never ordered any undergarments or over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders, but I love their clothes. I find the sizing charts are pretty good to work with, but some items are a little short in the torso but still manageable. A big disadvantage I find with the site is that their free shipping offers generally only cover U.S. based orders. Once in a blue moon they apparently have free shipping to Canada. To make up for this there are usually some online promotion codes you can enter to save a few bucks, but without the free shipping it means that whatever I buy off the site is something I really want.

1928

I don't tend to wear a lot of jewelry but when I do I find myself drawn to vintage-inspired pieces. Thanks to a family member I was told about this awesome website. They have tonnes of stuff to choose from ranging from very affordable pieces to some that are a little more expensive. They also have a bridal line, things for pets, frames, and lots more. I adore this site and am always on the lookout for a sale so I can order even more :) Make sure to check out their website

If anyone can suggest some other great online sources for online shopping leave your comments below. Happy Shopping!


Rebecca

First Apartment Drama: Things You Should Learn

Just before you leave home there are a few basic things you should learn to do. Some of them are going to sound silly but hey, somewhere out there some lost soul is unaware of what they are missing out on.

1.      Learn to cook

One cannot live on take-out and Mr. Noodles alone. You need some nutrition in your life otherwise you’re going to get scurvy or a deficiency of some sort. Now I understand that cooking is not for everyone but at least learn to do some basic things like rice, eggs, boiling water, and cooking some form of meat. Ask someone you know to give you hand or write down a few pointers. There are also some great literary references you can invest in that will really help you out, a lot are actually aimed at college students who are getting their first place. Two cookbooks out of my collection that I really enjoy are Jamie’s Food Revolution and Everyday Food: Great Food Fast.

Jamie’s Food Revolution is the first cookbook of Jamie Oliver’s that I can actually use. Not because the recipe’s in his other books suck (they are actually awesome) it’s that I’m not fond of the page layouts. I’m really fussy when it comes to cookbooks but I use this one a lot, I find the recipes are simple, delicious, open to your own variations, the book is organized really well. He really tried to target this book at people who do not know how to cook.

Everyday Food sometimes has unique ingredients (it is a Martha Stewart book after all), but I really enjoy how recipes are divided into seasons. This gives one a greater idea of what produce is in season and taste best. Certainly you can cook these recipes anytime of year, but I thought it was a unique concept dividing them by season. I highly recomend the recipie for Creamy Broccoli Soup because it tastes fine by itself or with some additions like crackers and cheese.

Unlike my other books, which I never dog-ear or mark in, I love to write in cookbooks. I can remind myself what recipes I like, ones I don’t, changes I’ve made to recipes, or note another recipie that paired really well with another.

2.  Learn to do laundry

As Rachel Green pointed out, not everyone knows how to do laundry when they move out. If you do not have laundry facilities at your new place, scout out Laundromats around town. Make note what type of payment the machines take cause if they use quarters you can remember to save all of yours for laundry day. Don’t just throw everything in together; learn to read the labels on your clothing. Again you may want to ask someone you know for advice on laundry or you can check out Laundry Labels or How to do Laundry

3. Learn how to manage your finances

This is probably the most important thing to learn because you need to know how to budget so that all the bills are paid and you still have money left for food and other expenses. Try to make a routine out of it so you get into the habit of paying bills, transferring money when necessary, etc. Every paycheck I like to assess my bank account, make sure I have enough to take care of my living accommodations, then I move so much into a savings account for school, my budget for personal money I can blow on non-essential items, and my Christmas Fund. I love my Christmas Fund because during the summer when I’m working full-time I can actually have the money I need for getting Christmas presents before school starts. This means when I'm back in classes and only working weekends, I don’t have to worry about having money saved for Christmas.

Since you’re learning to budget it is also wise to consider getting a credit card. If you’re a student some banks offer a special credit card that cuts you a break on banking fees. Having one will help build your credit rating so if you ever need a loan, they can see what a good banker you are and approve the loan. But beware! Don’t use your credit card for everything, preferably it should be kept for emergencies or purchases you know you can pay off at months end. I use my credit card for groceries because I know I can pay it off each month and I get extra air miles at the store for using it.

There you have it, three things that are important to learn when you get your own place. Hope you find it useful!

Rebecca

Beauty Breakdown Tag!

Hey Guys!


I watched this tag on xeverygirlx's channel and I thought it looked fun so I wanted to do it! The tag consists of 5 categories!


Categories:
1. What products do you use in the shower?
2. What products do you use when you get out of the shower?
3. What are your odds and ends products?
4. What products do you use on your face?
5. What other makeup products do you use?


So here we go!


Category 1:


In the shower I use the Macadamia Nut Oil shampoo, Burt's Bees Pomegranate Raspberry conditioner, The Body Shop Apple shower gel, Bic Soleil razors, EOS Pomegranate Raspberry shave cream and loofah!.. apparently I really like pomegranate raspberry.


Category 2:


When I get out I use Soft and Dry no aluminum deodorant, The Body Shop watermelon body lotion, Burt's Bees Peppermint foot lotion, Victoria Secret Splash of Pink Fresh and Clean body spray, Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh perfume.


Category 3:


My odds and ends products are my electric toothbrush and Colgate Whitening toothpaste.. real exciting.
OH! and my Lush bubble gum lip scrub.


Category 4:


On my face I use the Clinique 3 step acne system and Carmax cherry lip conditioner.


Category 5:


On lazy days, I'll usually just use my Maybelline dream matte powder to stop oils throughout the day, Boing! concealer by Benefit and my eyelash curler. If I put on makeup, I'll use some of Revlon Colorstay mixed with a dab of Stila tinted moisturizer so I don't feel cake-y, Maybelline dream matte powder, Nyx cream blush in natural and Maybelline one-by-one mascara.


I tag all of our followers and if any of you do this tag please send us your link so we can check it out! <3

Chow-4-Now


xox


Ash

Don't Fear the Dress

Whenever I went shopping for a night-on-the-town outfit I always avoided dresses that were the least bit form fitting. The main reason being that like many ladies out there, my biggest problem area is the lower abdomen/hip area. It just doesn’t look flattering in tight numbers that hug every curve which made me uncomfortable. For as long as I have done my own clothes shopping, I’ve gone for the dresses that have an empress waist style or a fuller skirt; never the little black dress that would surely display everything I was trying to hide.

That was until last year when I was desperately trying to find a new dress for our school’s semi formal. Everything I tried on was so similar to what I had previously owned; I didn’t see the point in buying it. Discouraged and with nothing else to try, I started browsing through my personal forbidden zone of dresses when I came across a sharp looking dress with horizontal pleating. Years previous I had also make it a rule to avoid this style or anything with ruching due to an unpleasant experience of my grandmother and aunt working in cahoots to force me into something more “modern” for the next school year.

Anyways, the material had a pattern I fell in love with and the back had an edgy geometric cut out that I was sure some magazine had informed me was all the rage. Not thinking I would like it, I tried it on anyway. The worse that could happen was that I look like a stuffed sausage in the privacy of the dressing room. I was in for a surprise. Instead of clinging to areas I didn’t want attention drawn to, the pleats actually formed a smooth silhouette over areas I generally had a strong dislike towards.

Now I’m sure most of you are saying, “Well Rebecca, everyone knows this,” but I didn’t! I must’ve missed the memo when they sent it out. Admiring myself in the mirror I felt silly for ever forbidding myself to consider a form fitting style. So if anyone out there was like me, and avoiding a more fitted dress because you feel you don’t have the “right” shape; stop it. Don’t disregard a style because of one bad experience or be afraid to experiment. What you wear makes a statement and what better statement is there to make than, “Look at me, I look awesome,” in that pleated dress.

Rebecca