Tag Archives: favorite

Jul20

Cleveland Zoo Adventure

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Cleveland Zoo Adventure

Howdy! This past week, I enjoyed a wonderful day trip to the Cleveland Zoo and had a ball. Not only were a lot of the animals very active, but the whole zoo was decorated for their spectacular Asian Lantern Festival. After talking about it for years, my family finally went last year and it was awe inspiring. I assumed that a lot of the decorations and displays would be reused and I was dead wrong. Everything about this Festival was different and it is so cool to me that you will never experience the same Asian Lantern Festival twice! Take a look at some pics and be sure to follow me on TikTok for videos from this adventure:

^^^ Look at that lil face! ❤

The Cleveland Zoo is an amazing staple in my neck of the woods and is a joy to visit. It’s a sprawling, beautiful park that boasts six different areas and a seventh soon when their rain forest is done being remodeled. There is the African Savanna, Wilderness Trek, Australian Adventure, African Elephant Crossing, Waterfowl Lake, and a section of Primates, Cats, and Aquatics. Every exhibit is a sight to see and there were plenty that I simply couldn’t tear myself away from!

While the entire Cleveland Zoo outing was fabulous fun, there were some definite highlights. My top favorite has got to be in the Australian Adventure at the Kangaroo exhibit. I was able to see a tiny baby Joey outside of its mom’s pouch and that was something I had never seen before. I joked that I didn’t realize they had legs because you usually only see the top half of them lol! It was SO incredibly cute and I could have watched the mama/Joey duo all day. Speaking of babies, the Koala at the zoo recently had a little one and you could just make it out while they relaxed in their tree. The Australian Adventure was bursting with new babies and that was really cool to see.

Bear Hollow was also an exciting place to visit as the bears were all up and moving. We saw them snacking, one climbed to a high up net in the exhibit and was hanging out there, and the Grizzly Bears were play fighting in the water. One of them totally bitch slapped the other! And, last but not least, I absolutely adored being able to feed the giraffes some romaine lettuce (Just like my bunnies!). So much so, that I did it twice! Hey, when at the Cleveland Zoo amiright? 😀

Sans the decor of the Asian Lantern Festival, the Cleveland Zoo is a very scenic park. However, it transforms into somewhere magical when the Festival is in full swing. The decorations were astounding and it felt like walking in a fairy tale. I was mesmerized by the colors, the artistry, and the enormity of each and every display and felt so lucky that I could see a second Festival as I now know that it’s totally different each year. If you thought the pictures alone were jaw dropping, just wait for when you see the displays at nighttime. They light up and a lot of them have motions too. It is an absolute MUST if you find yourselves in good ol’ Cleveland, Ohio during the summer!

From start to finish, my day at the Cleveland Zoo was the best. I cannot wait to see their remodeled rain forest because construction was underway and it is HUGE!!

What is your favorite zoo to visit? What’s your favorite animal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul14

Bath & Body Works Freebie Haul

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Bath & Body Works Freebie Haul

Hello! On Tuesdays, I have an hour and a half or so break until my last shift of the day. During that time, I will work, read, run errands, have coffee with a friend, or an impromptu shopping date. It’s such a nice little hiatus and I always look forward to it. This past Tuesday, I had a few errands to run before posting up at Starbucks with my Passion Fruit Tea and a good book. I needed bunny supplies and a trip to Bath & Body Works to cash in on all of the freebies. I had a free travel size coupon as well as two free full sized products from their rewards program. It truly couldn’t have come at a better time because they just launched their Halloween line!! Thanks to a helpful employee, I found my new favorite thing and I seriously can’t wait to use it! Check it out:

^^^ You can peep my review for Gingham All-American here!

When it comes to B&BW freebies, I have a system. I always alternate between a shower gel and a lotion so that my stockpile is relatively even Stevens. I had every intention of doing the same with my freebies and that got turned on its head! As soon as I walked in the store, I couldn’t help but share my excitement for the Halloween line with the first employee who talked to me. She asked if I wanted to see her favorite new product and I said ABSOLUTELY. I have been missing the Halloween collection since it left the shelves last year and wanted to see everything B&BW had to offer!

The employee returned with a Shimmer Fizz Body Lotion in my absolute favorite scent of Vampire Blood. When she put some on for me to sample, my mind was blown. This lotion looks like shaving cream when you use it and quite literally fizzes on your skin. It felt like little bubbles dancing and it was the most delightful sensation. Not to mention it was insanely light and hydrating to boot. The piece de resistance, however, was the shimmer. The lotion left behind a sparkly trail of glitter and I was totally and completely sold. So much so that I just had to get another bottle in their newest scent, I Scream Float.

You can check out my Vampire Blood review here, but let’s discuss the brand new addition to the Halloween collection:

I Scream Float: Thanks to Facebook ads, I knew that I Scream Float was going to be hitting the stores and I was SO excited to take a whiff lol. The fragrance notes offered are “fizzing cola, frightful vanilla float, and spooky sugars” and I couldn’t agree more. I Scream Float really does smell like a Coca Cola float with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream and sugar crystals on the rim. It is absolutely delicious and speaks to my Diet Coke addicted heart. I never thought I wanted to smell like my favorite bevvie but here we are now and I can’t get enough. And, yes, I feel that way about I Scream Float and my beloved Diet Coke!

The Shimmer Fizz Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works is going to be oh so sweet for summer concerts and complimenting Halloween costumes. I can’t wait to use it with my summer OOTDs! My freebie haul totaled out to forty-seven bucks in product and I am beyond happy with it. So much so, that I actually might pay full price for more Shimmer Fizz. RUN don’t walk to get a bottle for yourself!

What is your favorite holiday collection from B&BW? Have you scored any good freebies recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul7

Feeling Lucky

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Feeling Lucky

Hello! At the beginning of April, I was in need of some new sunglasses and bought two new pairs at TJMaxx. I was especially partial to the pair by Lucky Brand because it is one of my favorite brands and the sunglasses fit me to the T. In fact, I loved them so much that I almost considered buying two pairs of them. I wore those babies everywhere and I just felt so cool in them! Because I wore them everywhere, it’s no surprise that they accompanied me to the Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson concert. It was one of the craziest nights of my life and I ended up losing my beloved pair of Lucky Brand sunnies in the mix. I was absolutely devastated. I went from wearing them every day to not having them at all and I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying that back up pair.

I was feeling fairly confident that if I went to TJMaxx, they would not have another pair of my beloved Luckies. It had been well over two months since the initial purchase so why would they? However, I just had to see for myself so I made a pit stop to the happiest place on Earth. Rather than browse through the store, I made a beeline to the sunglasses department and began scouring the shelves. I started at the left hand side, looked through the rows from top to bottom, and was seeing nothing. I continued the hunt to be one thousand percent sure and, as luck would have it, one pair of Lucky frames remained at the very end of the display. I couldn’t believe my good fortune and snatched them up!

Had there been more pairs of these sunglasses, I would have bought the lot of them. Sunglasses can get broken or lost so easily and I have experienced both firsthand. So the moral of the story is: There is no shame in buying back ups of anything you really love. It could be a great pair of ballet flats, your favorite T-shirt in different colors, and yes – sunglasses too. I learned my lesson when my favorite pair of sunglasses I have ever owned almost got away from me and I am not making that same mistake twice!

The fashion gods were truly smiling upon me when they returned my Lucky frames to their rightful owner. I was feeling so lucky I should have played the lottery! 😀

Do you buy back ups of anything in your wardrobe? Have you ever lost a favorite fashion item? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul5

Country Cutie OOTD Bloopers

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Country Cutie OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Country Cutie OOTD! This look was worn to Outlaw Fest to see Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson at Blossom Music Center. Honestly, the whole night was a blooper reel in itself and Johnny and I are still laughing about the antics we got into. I haven’t had a night that wild since the after party at our wedding lol. The bloopers didn’t begin at the concert but during the photo shoot beforehand so take a look at some yikes pics that really helped set the tone for the festivities:

Tinkerbell just hanging out on my nose

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting ready to practice my hoedown

So sick of constantly wiping away upper lip sweat SMH

This hoe was almost down lolol

A measurement of how lit I got at the concert

As you can imagine, Johnny and I were definitely feeling the hangover blues the day after the concert. Luckily for us, we have concocted the perfect cure – AKA: A Day of Lay. Lay days are exactly what they sound like: Staying in bed, watching TV, and moving as little as possible lol. And, luckily for us, we have discovered a new “warm blanket” show (Johnny’s definition of a comfort show) to enjoy. A few weeks ago, we started watching Fresh Off The Boat and have been plowing through it at a speed of light pace. It is absolutely hilarious!

Fresh Off The Boat is based off of a book of the same name by Eddie Huang (I can’t wait to read it!). Eddie’s family is Chinese American and the book and show documents their move from Washington D.C. to Orlando, Florida to open a steakhouse in the nineties and get their own slice of the American Dream. The Huang family is comprised of proud parents, Louis and Jessica and their three boys named Eddie, Emery, and Evan. Louis’s mom, Jenny, also lives with them. She speaks no English but lives for Garfield comics and cruising in her electric wheelchair. 😀

From start to finish, every single episode has Johnny and me in stitches. The Huang brothers are all cute as can be and the littlest, Evan, is our favorite. He is just a doll! We also revel in the pure “Louis and Jessica” of our own relationship. Johnny is a Louis for sure. He is spontaneous, silly, and always has a new big idea. I am one thousand percent Jessica and I own it – strategic, thinks in black and white, never backs down from a challenge, and tears it up in a game of Scrabble. Fresh Off The Boat is the most delightful mix of funny and downright heartwarming and when we aren’t in hysterics, we are going “aww” at how sweet it is lol. It was easy to forget how hungover we were during our marathon when we were laughing the entire time!

Our daily viewings of Fresh Off The Boat are something I really look forward to and it came through in the clutch the day after the concert. We finished a full season in one day! 😀

What is your favorite comfort show? How many times have you seen it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

June 2025 Finishes

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June 2025 Finishes

Hello everyone! June is drawing to a close which means bye bye birthaversary month and hello to more summer fun in July! It also means that it’s about that time to discuss my beauty empties. This month, I finished up two long term products. Normally, I am excited about that because I always look forward to trying more new to me bath and body and skin care. This time around, however, I am royally bummed out because these products were easily two of the best that I have used in recent memory. Take a look and let’s discuss:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES

Provence Beauty Hyaluronic Acid + Retinol Eye Cream: YES!!

AllAboutSkin Hyaluronic Acid Night Cream: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Provence Beauty Eye Cream: I began using this eye cream in April and after almost three months of use, I am so sad to see it go. Usually, I don’t find myself getting attached to products but this one was so good that it was hard not to! This eye cream was a fantastic water gel texture. It was cooling, incredibly light, and I could feel optimum nourishment with the tiniest dab. While using this eye cream, my under eye designer bags decreased significantly and I definitely noticed fine lines getting tighter too. It is an excellent year round product but would be especially nice during the summer because it is so lightweight. I cannot recommend it enough and am keeping my fingers crossed to find another jar or ten at TJMaxx!

AllAboutSkin Moisturizer: Despite the AllAboutSkin Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer being technically a “night cream”, I considered it my all day moisturizer and applied it morning and night. I started using this jar in mid April and literally just finished it. I have never had a moisturizer last me that long before which was, in itself, very impressive for the value of my money alone. Like the eye cream, a super small amount of this moisturizer went a very long way – I used a nickel sized dollop with every use. This was just the right amount because this moisturizer is a bit heavier in texture. Regardless of that, it absorbed really quickly and achieved maximum hydration. My skin felt and looked soft and smooth and transformed into the prettiest peaches and cream complexion. This is the moisturizer to have and I highly recommend it!

Parting was such sweet sorrow with my two new favorite products and I will be keeping my eyes peeled high and low to find them again. How do you say goodbye to the best?!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

New Max Studio Maxi Dress

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New Max Studio Maxi Dress

Howdy!! The final item from my TJMaxx summer wardrobe refresh haul is truly the piece de resistance. Other than a couple of new tops, I was really hoping to find a sun dress or two. What I ended up with, however, was a maxi dress that caught the corner of my eye. I walked past it while I was heading to the dressing rooms, did a double take, tossed it into the cart, and knew it was a winner as soon as it was on. This Max Studio maxi dress is serving all of the Midwest Princess vibes and I am a thousand percent there for it! Check it out:

^^^ Peep that original price tag! Talk about a STEAL!!! 😀

During a recent trip to Bath & Body Works, I noticed a new scent called Heirloom Tomato or something or other. It smelled like ass, but the packaging was so pretty. It featured deep reds and greens for the fruit/vegetable and was the first thing I thought of when I saw this dress. The color palette is almost identical! When I put it in the cart, I honestly didn’t think it was going to work out. As a petite gal, maxi dresses can be hit or miss for me. If they are not the perfect length and fit, I will drown in fabric. The maxi dress has to be “just right” and they have been few and far between in my extensive shopaholic tenure. My rule of thumb when shopping has always been to try clothes on anyways. Regardless of fit, style, or assumptions, if I like what I see, I am going to try it on. I am so glad for that because this dress would have been bypassed and I never would have found my new favorite thing!

From top to the flowy tiered bottom, this maxi dress is dynamite and I was so delighted when I fell in love with it in the fitting room. Not only was the length of this dress questionable to me, but the pattern was as well. As a heavily tattooed chick, loud patterns can look cluttered over all of my artwork. The full coverage on the legs and torso that this dress offered put a limit on my own color palette and allowed for the pattern to fully do the talking rather than work against the tattoos. I felt like a country music star in it and couldn’t help but do a twirl in the fitting room! I cannot wait to pair it with a deep blue denim jacket and a pair of heeled cowboy-esque boots. This dress is so different than anything I own and I know I am going to have a total blast styling it!

There’s a new country cutie in town and her name is Lil Red! You already know an OOTD with this Max Studio masterpiece is coming so keep your eyes peeled! ❤

Do you update your wardrobe with the change of the seasons? What are your summer wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun25

New Caroline Constas Flower Power Top

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New Caroline Constas Flower Power Top

Hello! My mom and I have had TJMaxx gift cards burning a hole in our pockets and decided to have an impromptu shopping trip during my break this past Tuesday. It was just the little pick me up I needed and we had so much fun. I absolutely love going shopping with my mom, I always have and I always will and she is my partner in crime. Normally, I like to stock up on skin care when I have gift cards to spend. This time, however, I was on the hunt for new summer clothes. As a gal who loves dressing for the fall, my warm weather clothes are lacking and I have recently been lamenting over having “nothing” to wear. Happily, I found three amazing new pieces to update my summer wardrobe and I can’t wait to show all of you! Let’s get started with this gorgeous top by Caroline Constas:

When I am at TJMaxx, I browse in the junior and women’s department alike and tend to have good luck across the board. Other than a super cute crop that you will see soon, the junior’s department was doing nothing for me during this trip. Everything was so small, so short, plain ugly, or featured a tie in the front of the tops which I freaking hate lol. The women’s department was much more like it and I literally GASPED when I saw the flower power top by Caroline Constas. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful top at Urban Outfitters that I was obsessed with. It was very expensive and it didn’t come home with me. I honestly couldn’t even tell you what it looked like now, but for some reason the idea of it came to my head when I saw my new top. It was like getting a second chance at the one that got away and I was not letting it slip through my fingers again.

This cropped number is everything and it is so unique and adorable. The poppy embroidered flowers and red border over a stark white base remind me of an artist’s smock in the best way possible. And, of course, I loves me anything with balloon sleeves! This top screams fun in the sun and I cannot wait to pair it with sweet denim shorts and wedge sandals. It was a bit more expensive than I usually will spend for a top at thirty-five dollars, but it was worth every penny. There was no original price tag to compare to so I looked it up online and saw it for sale on Poshmark for one hundred and twenty-five smackers. Whatever it originally costed, I got it for a fraction of the price and you can’t beat that!

I have a feeling I will be wearing this top all summer long and it is officially one of my new favorites. Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD soon!

What is your favorite designer brand? Which stores or websites can you get the best bargains on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun18

Bath & Body Works Birthday Freebie

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Bath & Body Works Birthday Freebie

Hello! During my hand soap restock at Bath & Body Works that you saw yesterday, I also got to pick out a free travel size item for my birthday. I absolutely love cashing in on those birthday offers and it’s so nice to get a little treat from the stores that I frequent. While I did have some difficulty selecting my hand soaps, my birthday freebie was a no brainer. I am a HUGE fan of the Gingham line from B&BW and when I saw that there was a new addition to the collection, it was game over! Check it out:

Literally every time the Gingham line is updated, I have to see what that’s all about lol. I have tried every single Gingham expansion and have no plans on stopping now, as you can see. Although nothing will ever be better than the OG, Gingham All-American is a really nice addition. The packaging screams red, white, and blue but the fragrance notes of “juicy red fruits, white freesia, and blueberry sugar” do all the talking! 😀

Gingham All-American is a fresh summer berry delight. I primarily can pick up on raspberry and strawberry with just the slightest hint of the freesia. I am not a floral scent fan, but I find that the flowers in the Gingham line almost feel like an afterthought and you really have to work to pick up on it. That is perfectly fine by me! This scent is juicy, a little tart from the raspberries, and gives all of the summer fruit salad vibes. What a fabulous birthday gift to get a new fragrance from my favorite line!

If you are a Gingham fan too, RUN – don’t walk to give All-American a try. You will definitely be in for a treat!

What is your go to fragrance? What is your favorite scent from the Gingham line? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun17

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

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Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Hello!! While I love a good skin care restock, one of my favorite things is when I am running low on my beloved foaming hand soap because that means a trip to Bath & Body Works is in order. Their foaming hand soap has been a staple in my apartment since moving out of chez parents and I legit couldn’t imagine using anything else. It is simply the best! This past week, I made a stop at B&BW for a reup on my must have and ended up with all new to me scents. Take a look and let’s discuss:

White Tea & Sage: As I browsed the soap department, I found that the pickings were incredibly slim and was smelling different scents for the heck of it. White Tea & Sage is something that I wouldn’t have given a second glance to, but I gave it a shot and was surprised by how much I liked it. The featured notes include “fresh tea, lemon, and herbs”. I can definitely pick up on the lemon but it mainly just smells minty, which is perfectly fine by me. I am a minty fragrance gal and White Tea & Sage is crisp and invigorating. Look at me broadening my horizons!

Pineapple Prosecco: If you are a fan of pineapple, then this scent is for you! If not, then this scent is not for you! While Pineapple Prosecco offers notes of “sparkling pineapple, bubbly Prosecco, and white nectarine”, it just smells like straight up pineapple lol. This scent is juicy and the slightest bit tart and perfect for summertime.

Sweet Strawberry Scoop: Strawberry fragrances tend to be hit or miss for me as they can often verge on being too sweet. I loved the Strawberry line from The Body Shop and the Sweet Strawberry Scoop from B&BW is very nice. The fragrance notes in this scent are “sugared pink strawberries and vanilla bean ice cream”. The vanilla ice cream makes this scent really rich and it smells like pure strawberries and cream. Once again, this is a great summertime scent!

Fresh Watermelon: Do you remember what the Watermelon Lip Smackers smelled like? If so, then that is exactly what B&BW’s Fresh Watermelon smells like and I am SO there for it. Although the notes of this scent offer “fresh cut watermelon, pink sea salt, and sweet sunrise”, it is artificial watermelon smelling through and through. If you are looking for a pure, light watermelon fragrance then this is not the scent for you. If you are looking for a heavy dose of Lip Smackers nostalgia, however, go for it!!

Garden Tea Cookie: I was so conflicted about if Garden Tea Cookie smelled good to me or not and the final consensus was that it did lol. This is a very unique scent and is something that I usually wouldn’t go for, but this shopping trip was all about shaking things up. Garden Tea Cookie features notes of “powdered sugar, fresh citrus zest, and whipped vanilla”. It really does smell like a freshly baked tea cookie! I typically am not one for dessert fragrances but that zingy citrus and airy powdered sugar sold me!

This was an interesting trip to B&BW because I had to smell a ton of different soaps to end up with my final selection. I learned that, under the right circumstances, I might be a dessert and earthy fragrance fan after all!

What are some of your must have products at home? Where do you shop for bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun5

Fun & Games: Horrified – Greek Monsters Edition

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Fun & Games: Horrified – Greek Monsters Edition

Hello!! One of mine and Johnny’s all time favorite board games is called Horrified. It is a co-op game where you have to save a village from classic horror movie monsters like Dracula, the Mummy, and the Wolfman. Each monster has specific challenges that you must complete to defeat them while still protecting yourself and the villagers on the board. It is a complete and total blast!! Johnny and I have played the original Horrified countless times and would often lament on our desire for new boards. You couldn’t imagine our surprise when we learned that there were three other expansions: American Monsters, World Of Monsters, and our newest addition – Greek Monsters!

We are simply elated to have the completed set of Horrified and we busted out Greek Monsters for the first time this weekend. Also lol at the headline “All Hades breaks loose!”. The monsters for this board include: Medusa, Cerberus, Minotaur, Chimera, Siren, and Basilisk. As per the game’s recommendation, we started with the Cerberus and Basilisk and I am pleased to report that we dominated! Check it out:

Like the other Horrified boards, the way to play remains the same: You take a turn, the monster takes a turn, and so on, and so forth. Johnny and I really appreciate this because it can be intimidating to learn a brand new game and the only thing that changes on the Horrified boards are the monsters and challenges to beat them. If this game looks intimidating to you – I so get it. It honestly does look like a lot lol. However, this is one of the most simple co-op games Johnny and I have ever played and once you get the hang of it, the entire Horrified collection opens up to you.

As Johnny and I played Greek Monsters, it only felt appropriate that we listened to our record of Hadestown! It was the perfect soundtrack to protect our village from Cerberus and the Basilisk. These monsters were recommended as they were the easiest, but it was actually quite challenging due to the special actions of the monsters. In fact, we were getting down to the wire and the game could have gone either way – a victory for us or the monsters. Through the power of teamwork, Johnny and I prevailed and I cannot wait to play again!

If you are looking for a super fun and super cool board game, you have just got to try Horrified!! I am absolutely terrible at learning games and if I can tackle this co-op, anyone can!

What is your favorite board game? Have you played Horrified before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah