The Friday Five

Cheers for a Christmas time Friday! It's the next best thing after a summer Friday!
Do you have any parties that you are going to this weekend? Not me. I'm not leaving the house until the wrapping is DONE!!

Anyway, let's do a Friday five today, its been a minute.
Don't forget to send me your answers too!


1) Have you hydrated appropriately?

Yes. I love water. I chug it all the live long day. Over the summer, I bought a big ol Hydra Flask. One of my best investments

                                                                  Hydra Flask 40 oz Bottle

2) What are your feelings on fizzy water (LaCroix and similar)?

It's a no from me, dog. I like regular, plain ol water. My hubby though...he drinks enough carbonated for both of us and a small village.

3) Is there a particular holiday-associated beverage you like?

Yes. In fact, I like it TOO MUCH. Starbucks Caramel Brulee latte. They are only seasonal #insertsadface. But...I'm told that if you order a White mocha latte with a shot of toffee nut syrup, it tastes the exactly like the caramel brulee latte. stay tuned, in January, I'll be testing this theory.

4) Do you have a fancy coffee or tea order?

Not a fancy order, but a fancy coffee maker. My Nespresso machine is my absolute life line.

5) Do you only drink hot beverages when it is cold outside? Why or why not?

Yes. I'm always cold. I want a nice hot drink. Even in the summer, I drink water at room temperature, not cold.

Lazy Lounging

Hi there! How is this week treating you so far?
This past weekend was my company's Christmas party. We were out later on Saturday than I'm typically awake.
On Sunday Chad said "Get in the car, we are going to Ulta!" #thingsineverthoughthewouldsay .
See, I've had no ideas as to what to ask for this Christmas. I normally have a few ideas, but this year, nothing.
Well, that husband of mine knows me oh so well. There is always makeup stuff that I want.
After that, he and I went and had a night little lunch together. We were done with everything by 2:30 give or take . After that, we got cuddled up on to the sofa and did our best impressions of sloths. It was all and all a perfect 10 day.

It got me to thinking about how thankful I am for lounge ware .  Just out of pride and self discipline , I  wasn't going to go back into pajamas at 2:30 pm. Also, I sure as heck wasn't going to stay in normal clothes for couch crashing either.
Enter in the wonderful thing known as lounge wear .Its as comfy as pajamas, but more socially acceptable. 

These Flannel Pants are the exact ones that I changed into on Sunday. They are so warm and cozy. The flannel is so soft.

Also, I have and love These "Lazy Mornings" lounge pants  I've fallen asleep in these babies more times than I can count. They are perfect for sitting around and drinking coffee in.

This Sherpa Lounge Top feels as if its a teddy bear. It literally has that exact same feel. 

I have a (few) pair of UGG slippers that I live in (See HERE ) Sometimes though, particularly on the extra cold days, I want something that covers my entire foot. That's why I love These Sherpa Lined Booties  they keep your tootsies oh so warm. Also, they have grippers on them so that you don't slip.

These flannel bottoms are only $12.50!   I'm including them here because, they are great, inexpensive and because when I posted this picture a few weekends ago, several of you guys commented that you liked them.

I'd be derelict in my duties, if I left out "Barefoot Dreams" from a post about lounge wear.

If I'm at home, there is a 99.5% chance that I'm wearing This Barefoot Dreams Cardigan. I've talked bout it before (Read that : HERE) but, I never knew that I needed a pajama cardigan. However, now that I have one, I can't live without it!

Also, I found a much less expensive version of this baby! See it HERE



Okay, I hope that this is enough to inspire you to get comfy cozy. Its the perfect time of year of it!



XO,
SheShe

Baby, it's cold outside

Welcome to Monday, mes amies!
How was your weekend? It was pretty mid here. However, I'm not fooled, I know that there is a long, cold winter right on the horizon. 
While its tempting to simply want to hibernate until the spring, its just not going to happen. Most of us are functioning adults who have to participate in society.

So, let's put our heads together and find some ways to look cute and stay warm, shall we?

I love a cute beanie. This one here is nearly identical to the one in the picture.

If you live somewhere like Texas , you might be able to get away with a cute little parker all winter long.

However, us northern girls just are not that luck. We have to embrace the warm, puffer coat.

This one from Target's C9 line looks very much like the one in the photo. Its only $35 dollars too! Win-win!!!

Its the time of the year where you just should embrace the over-sized sweater. In a few months, we'll all be gearing up for the cute, streamlined spring styles. However, that time is not here yet.

Personally, I have my eye on This One that is on amazon.

Admittedly, I wish I could wear cute little sandals all year long. Alas, that's not happening as long as I live in New England.

These Boots have been such life savers. They are almost too warm after awhile . But, that's a good problem to have on a January day!

No matter what, my feet are always FREEZING. Its so annoying. I recently discovered These "Butter Crew" socks by Nordstrom.

Oh my goodness, they are SO warm. They are only $12 or 3 for $30. If you are out dog walking or playing with kiddo in the snow, you NEED these!

Last , but not least... you need gloves. I'm a wuss, I hate being cold. One of my biggest complaints was having to take a glove off to use the touch screen on my car. 

when I saw These cashmere lined leather gloves that claimed to be touch screen friendly, I had to try them.

Guess what? The nice people at Nordstrom didn't lie! They DO work with touch screens!

That's a win!

If all of the above fails, I give you permission to stay home by the fire and cuddle up!

XO,

SheShe

Don't over do it.

Cheers to Friday, Mes Amies!
No, it's not a summer Friday, that is true. However, Christmas Season Fridays are pretty darn good too!

Anyway, I feel as if I'm the "anti-blogger" today, but so be it. It seems as if from the day before Thanksgiving on, all I've been seeing is various people and companies trying to get us and our money to go separate ways.
I understand that it is the holiday shopping season. Every retailer is competing for our money. Every blogger is trying to get us to use "her links" .

                                                        Source: The Financial Diet 


It's SO easy to get carried away with your shopping this time of year.  Retailers have sales with a very limited time frame. "Prices good through Cyber Monday!", "Sale ends DEC 16 at 12:00 EST!". Also, brands that don't typically go on sale are actually offering discounts right now.
Its all very tempting, I know.  Still though, you owe it to yourself to be able to reign it in. 
We have a loooong winter in front of us. Don't add to the misery , by starting January with a heap of debt.

Also, your loved ones DO NOT want you to go into hawk to buy them gifts. 
Conversely, don't be a crappy person and put the worry and strain onto others that their gifts to you will not "live up" to your expectations. 
If you are old enough to read, you know that its not "Santa" who you might be expecting to bring you expensive things. 
When I was a little kid, I loved the cartoon "Garfield". When I was 6 or 7 there was a "Garfield Christmas Special on TV. There was one line from it, that was seared into my little brain and has stuck with me all these years.

"Christmas. It's not the giving, it's not the getting. It's the loving."— Garfield's closing line, quoted from the Christmas Day 1981 installment of the comic strip

Remember the true meaning of this season, my friends.

Have a safe and fun filled weekend.



XO,
SheShe

Penny Wise Wednesday.... Old Navy Edition

Happy mid-week mes amies.
Two weeks ago, I wrote a post called "Penny wise Wednesday".  I showed apparel at Target that were dupes for much more expensive name brand things. You can read it Here .
Holy moley, I wasn't prepared for how many views that post would get.
Since that one was so popular, I thought "let's do it again!". Today, we're focusing on Old Navy.


First up is a darn near identical dupe for a sweater that I almost bought. I'd seen a great little fair isle sweater from 1901 at Nordstrom. It was $89.00, so I passed.  Here is its Old Navy doppelganger! This One is only $25

A few month back I wrote This Post about how early '90s fashions are back in a big way.  Not too long after I had written that post, I got my first pair of button fly jeans (very early 90's!). I happened to catch a sale at Madewell. These babies are super comfy and give a different ascetic to "plain old jeans".

Well, guess what Old Navy carries them too! At Madewell they are $70 at Old Navy they are $18!

Old Navy Button Fly

Jeans are all well and good, but as it gets colder and the more we indulge in holiday merriment, the more we want to change into something comfy-cozy.

At Nordstrom, the B.P brand has the coziest flannel lounge pants. They are well worth their $40 price tag. I'd totally be grabbing a pair or two , except for the fact that Old Navy has These for 1/2 the price!

The year before last, I bought myself a really nice winter coat. It has a life time warranty and its SO warm.

The thing is though, sometimes its TOO warm. For the days where its over 40 degrees, I tend to opt for a puffer vest.

I have a North Face vest that I purchased a few years ago. If memory serves me correctly, it was around $100.

Old Navy has This very similar puffer vest is $80 less!!!

Jcrew has these super adorable cable knit sweaters right now. They come in a bunch of colors. However, they will set you back $98. Yikes.

Well, a very similar option is This One from Old Navy.

And that friends, is all she (me) wrote.

What do you think? Should we keep doing these Penny wise Wednesday posts? Let me know.

XO,

SheShe

A KKW Palette Review

Jingle jangle, it's December you guys. Whoa!

I'm excited, this week is my office Christmas party. It's always everything I'd want in a Christmas party. I know this, because I'm the one who plans it! Ha!  We are a small office, so we always pick a very  nice restaurant with a great wine list and fancy menu. Bill and I love having any reason to get dressed up, so that's exactly what we do. My husband and Bill's husband have become good friends, so even though they might not be as keen on getting gussied up, they both look forward to it too.

So, as many of you know, I'm an old fuddy-duddy in a 40 year old body. I have an extreme dislike for most current pop-culture. This is most especially true when it comes to the whole Kardashian clan.
I know that I'm in the minority. I know how rich and "famous" for what?? they are.

Anyhow, I avoid their products and the stuff the endorse like the plague. (Except for Good American Jeans, Kardashian or not, those jeans are like magic).
So, I was shocked when I saw one of my favorite Instagramers/ YouTubers talking about this palette by KKW.
Tracy Hensel is on YouTube and Instagram. If you are not already following her, I HIGHLY suggest that you do so. She is one of those rare influencers that truly help you to live your best life. She provides so much useful info. Whether it be beauty, fashion, organization or social graces, Tracy's channel is my go to resource. She, however is not one of these people who is constantly trying to get you to "Shop my links!". Her channel is a breath of fresh air.
In fact, this palette that we'll be talking about in a second is "in- store" only, not available on line. Tracy literally stood to gain nothing by sharing it, but I'm so glad that she did.

From what I saw KKW beauty has three eye palettes. The one that I'm referencing today is named "classic".

I hate to admit this, but after using this palette I want to ask Santa for the other two.

The colors look exactly the same on my face as they did in the pan. There was little to no "fall out" when applying them. I typically put my eye make up on 1st and then concealer and foundation after I clean up my eye area. However, with this palette, that is not necessary. 

The colors in this palette are ideal for my green eyes. I'm willing to bet that they would be equally as beautiful on hazel eyes.  

To me, what determines if an eye shadow is a winner or not, is how blend-able it is.  You could have the prettiest colors in the world. However, if they don't blend well, you'll be left with unattractive stripes of color on your eyes. Trust me, that doesn't look good on anyone.

I was beyond happy with how buttery and blend able these shades are.  With a very minimal amount of effort, I had a very well blended look.

I used Urban Decay's setting spray and am glad to report that these shades stayed in place. I had done my makeup in the morning and had kept it on through the day and a date night with my hubby.

This is right after I applied it (hence the pajama top and undone hair).  I should of taken a picture before I washed it off at night. But, I had two glasses of Cabernet and completely forgot -sorry.

Long story short, this palette is a serious winner. Yes, it pains me to say this, but you should get this.



XO,
SheShe

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Even though he's the kind of guy that doesn't want any attention, I'd be derelict in my duties if I didn't tell you that its my human's birthday today.

I know that I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that this world is a better place because my mister is in it.

This guy has more compassion, than anyone that I know.
As you guys know, animal rescue is VERY important to me. So many people try to remind me that "You can't save them all." Not Chad, from day one he rolled his sleeves up and said "What can I do?"
Not only is he the first person to offer to help the shelter pay vet bills or adoption fees, he also got his co-workers in on this important mission too.

He treats "my" family and "his" family exactly the same. Truth be told, there is no differentiating between our families now. We are all one unit.

Hes maintained the same friends that he had since he was a little boy.  He's loyal and there for anyone who needs him.

I've heard so many countless stories about people who just cannot depend on their spouse. Whether it be that their spouse placed work, an addiction or other people ahead of their union. I'm so thankful that this man has never or would never put me in that position. I've never once questioned if our marriage was his top priority. Its as obviously is.

This guy is my best friend. I know that is so cliche, but its true. I prefer his company over anyone else. He cracks me up constantly and gives me the best hugs ever.

He indulges me when I've convinced myself  I need a new bag or something else that I absolutely do not need.

He happily goes along to places where I get to play dress-up, which I love.

So, what I'm trying to say here is even though today is Chad's birthday, hes the greatest gift that I've ever received.
Happy Birthday, baby. ILYSM



XO,
SheShe