Getting in the Mood for Thanksgiving

November 13, 2017 by Virginia 8 Comments

I have been getting in the mood for Thanksgiving, how about you? I love the holiday season. Is it more rushed than the rest of the year? Yes. Is it stressful at times? Yes. But you know what else? It’s one of those times of year that just makes me feel happy. We emphasize warmth, coziness, comfort, and family, all things I need when my work life gets crazy.

I’ve been working some very late nights lately and yet, snuggled up with all my favorite fall things, I still feel happy! Today I want to share some ways you can get in the mood for Thanksgiving in your home. Having a warm, cozy home helps me balance out the stress from this time of year and maybe it will help you too!

There are a few crucial elements that make my home cozy when I’m getting in the mood for Thanksgiving.

*This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you click and/or make a purchase through these links, I may make a small commission. For more information, see my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting the retailers that make this blog possible.

Cozy Elements

Pillow Covers

There’s just something about adding fall color to your home that helps up-the-cozy-factor. When we moved into our house last year I bought these pillow inserts (they’re SUPER comfy and totally affordable). That way I can change out the covers for each season rather than having to switch out the entire pillow and find a place to store it. The only challenge has been finding affordable pillow covers that fit. Jane is my favorite place for affordable pillow covers but they are almost always made to fit 18″ x 18″ pillows.

Other than Jane, my favorite places for pillow covers are H&M Home, Ikea and Etsy.

Here are my recommendations for 20 x 20 pillows for fall from the image above: (Links updated 10/2018)

Under $20: Similar Faux Fur 1 | White Quilted (similar) | Faux Fur 2
Under $15: Jacquard Weave 1 & 2 | Faux Fur | Quilted White | Jacquard-Weave
Under $10 Velvet: Orange | Golden (more HERE) | Green, Purple + 10 other colors
Under $10: Patterned Orange and Charcoal | Red-Orange Linen | 12 color Canvas

Oh! And I love this one for under $20! So cute for both fall and winter!

Faux Fur Blankets

Every fall, I pull out my trusty brown faux fur throw from Threshold. It was the best birthday present ever and three years later, it’s still in great shape. They no longer make the same style but mine looks almost exactly like this one, at a better price. Threshold makes a great, affordable faux fur throw. I own this one and love it too. This brown one and this one are both similar to the one I own and would make great throws to cozy up your living room!

Fall Scents

Candles

When I’m wrapped up on my couch in my perfect faux fur blanket, I always have a candle burning. Great scents calm me down and make me feel like I’m at the spa rather than grading or planning. Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles are my favorite. They last longer than most other candles and smell amazing. I kid you not, when I lit this candle last, the scent stayed for 2 days! Plus, they give a warm, flickering glow. I never buy these candles for full price. Sign up for the Bath and Body Works email list and wait until they are $12, then buy with a 20% off or more coupon.

Autumn is my absolute favorite candle scent of all time. It leaves the room smelling bright and fresh.
Leaves is the perfect spicy scent and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin is very like it, but with a deeper, richer scent.
Finally, this one is the perfect complement for any of the above to burn in a different room, on its own, or to carry over between the Thanksgiving to the Christmas season. I wasn’t sure I would like it but it has really grown on me! It smells exactly like its name!

Beauty Products

Finally, it’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned anything from my Glossybox subscription boxes, but I’ve had a few items recently that just give me the perfect fall scent! Both my husband and I are obsessed with this shower gel (also here). The foam is so silky and soft and the scent fills that whole area of the house with a wonderful orangey-spicy scent. It’s perfect for fall and winter!

Then, this red lip glaze is amazing! Not only is the color vibrant and gorgeous, but it has the most wonderful spicy scent (similar to the shower gel above). You can see me wearing it here.

Thanksgiving/Fall Food!

Ok, so this one might not be for everyone, but for me…part of getting in the mood for Thanksgiving is starting to think about the foods of thanksgiving. Last year I shared some of my favorite thanksgiving recipes. This year I want to share some of the easy recipes we’ve made to get in the mood.

What are your favorite ways to get in the mood for Thanksgiving? Let me know in the comments below!

-Virginia

August Makeup and Beauty Subscription Box

September 4, 2017 by Virginia 4 Comments

Well, school starts this week! Eeek! I have guests this weekend too and I am NOT ready for Tuesday! However, I told myself that I was committed to getting this beauty subscription box post on my most recent Glossybox up before heading back to school. It may not contain as much detail as usual but at least I can tell you how AMAZING this box was. I think this was my favorite box from Glossybox. My box is complementary as part of the Glossybox affiliate program. This time I can honestly say that I was obsessed with this month’s beauty subscription box

Updates on Last Month’s Products

Before I get into this month’s amazing box I feel like I need to give an update on last month’s box. I wasn’t that impressed with the box I got last month. There were some products I thought were pretty awful but have since started to love. First, I used this product as a lotion, as stated in one of the descriptions. That was awful. Reviews said to use it as a lip balm. I did and I like that a lot better. It doesn’t last all day for me, but it is very moisturizing.

I hated this cleansing oil at first but I have, quite literally, been using it every day to remove my makeup with a cotton round. I still wash my face afterwards to remove the oil but am very happy with the product.

Products in my August Beauty Subscription Box:

Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara– Sample Size (Full size $25.00)

Um…yeah…this stuff is AMAZING! The first time I tried it my mouth popped open, as my husband would say, like a cod-fish. I was like, “Wow! Look at those lashes!” The description says it gives “instant heart-stopping volume” and that was so true! Definitely a keeper and I would highly recommend this mascara. I think the price point for the full size is fair but if you’re looking for a drugstore product that is also amazing, try this one.

Doucce Blush Duo Palette + Blush– Full size $24.00

Do you remember this blush and palette from last month’s box? I got the second blush to fill the palette! Like the last blush, it’s very pigmented and the color is beautiful. I love that they included two very different colors. The first one was much more coral and this one is much more mauvey-pink. Love both!

Pixi Brow Tamer– Full size $10.00

I have never tried a brow gel but now I am a fan! This clear brow gel was awesome! It didn’t leave my brows crispy but they stayed shaped all day! I will definitely buy it when I’m finished with this little tube.

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Facewash– Small Size $9.00

I was so pleased by this foaming facewash. It smells a little bit like bubblegum to me and it lathers up really well. This facewash cleanses and exfoliates and I could definitely feel both. It’s very gentle exfoliation but after I use it my skin just feels wonderful! I may actually purchase when I’m finished with this bottle!

Beauty Infusion Charcoal & Probiotics Cleansing Clay Mask– Full size $8.00

This is my favorite charcoal mask so far. I got a charcoal mask that I enjoyed in my ____ subscription but I love this one more. It has a light, pleasant scent and afterwards my skin felt SO soft and bright! I am always skeptical about claims but I really did seem to feel like my face was brighter afterwards! It’s going to take me forever to get through this huge tube so I think it’s definitely worth the $8!

You know what! I totally forgot to use this one! Then I was going to do it while I finished this post up and I set it down somewhere and am completely unable to find it!! So, I apologize. I will let you know about this one next month!

Get Your Own Glossybox Beauty Subscription

Prices for Glossybox range from $17.50 per box up to $21 per box, depending on the length of your subscription. Even though many of these items were small or sample sizes, it was still totally worth it because I found a ton of products that I love! This box was worth around $55 (small and sample sizes) and the subscription is only $21! You can see the reviews of my May, June, and July boxes for more ideas of what comes in the box. Grab it here now or gift it to a friend or loved one!

Thanks so much for visiting!

-Virginia

July Glossybox Beauty Subscription Review

August 10, 2017 by Virginia 15 Comments

I know, I am WAY late on this post but my July Glossybox Beauty Subscription came right before I left for California so I threw a bunch of items in my bag to try out on my trip and then got carried away with everything going on and forgot to write about it!

*This box was gifted to me as I am an affiliate of Glossybox. This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you click and/or make a purchase through these links, I may make a small commission. For more information, see my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting the retailers that make this blog possible!

Overall, there are some winners in this box but it was not my favorite box. The box design was super-cute this time and even included a fun postcard, but since most of the products were skin-care items I wasn’t as excited about them. So, without further ado, here are my reviews:

Products in my July Glossybox Beauty Subscription:

Dr. Paw Paw Multipurpose Soothing Balm – Full size $10.00

The description in the box says that this balm can be used for a variety of different things including treat sunburns, skin irritations or use as a lip finisher. It’s very thick and since my hubby got very burned at the beach, I had him try it out on his sunburn while I tried it as a hand lotion as suggested on the tube. Both of us washed it off our hands because it was much too greasy. When I looked it up online for this post though I find that most people use it as a lip balm! So, I’m going to try that next! I will let you know later how it turned out!

Skin & Co Truffle Cleansing Oil_July Glossybox_Beauty Deals_Beauty Box_Subscription

Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Cleansing Oil – Full size $30.00

This cleansing oil was my least favorite item in the box. The directions on the bottle said to squeeze three pumps into your hand and rub into your face in circular motions. Then, you were to wet your hands and face and rub in a circular motion until it became milky and then rinse off. This did NOT work for me. It was disgusting. My face just felt greasy and nasty. I couldn’t just “pat my face dry” per instructions because it left my face a greasy mess. That being said, it really did remove ALL my makeup. It got all over my towel and still, I felt like I had to wash my face with a foaming cleanser just to feel clean.

The directions in the Glossybox said to use it on a cotton ball so that’s how I used it after the initial test. It works, even removing eye makeup. When I use it this way my face feels nice, provided I wash with a foaming facial cleanser after I use the oil and the cotton ball. Otherwise it just feels so greasy. If you are a fan of facial oils, you may love this truffle cleansing oil.

De Bruyere After Sun Lotion Monoï – Full size $12.00

This lotion smell so wonderful and feels great on the skin. It’s got a very light, tropical scent which is perfect for feeling fresh and clean after time in the sun. I did use it after multiple trips to the beach and it did make me feel very moisturized afterwards. I wouldn’t say it has any particular cooling properties but it is definitely moisturizing.

NCLA Clean Up Your Act – Full size $16.00

This item was really intriguing to me. Supposedly you can use it to remove spots of nail polish. You rub the saturated end over the polish until it dissolves and then dab the tip with a tissue so that the polish doesn’t accumulate. Since I am cheap, I paint my own nails but I always struggle when I have to paint my dominant hand. I thought, what a perfect product to deal with that problem! This pen comes with 3 extra tips of different cuts. It worked but the tip isn’t particularly saturated and the polish builds up quickly on the tip. I think it will be a handy tool to have around but I’m not overly impressed by it.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser – Sample size.

Whereas the Truffle Oil was gross when I followed the directions on the bottle, this cleanser was wonderful! I used it when I was traveling since it’s a sample size and I still keep using it now that I’m back. It foams up really well and I can tell it is actually getting rid of gunk on my skin. The full size is 13.5 fl oz and retails for $15. It’s definitely a keeper, especially if you have more oily skin.

Doucce Blush Duo Palette + Blush– Full size $24.00

This blush palette was a very fun addition to the box. Not only is the blush magnetized (and can therefore be moved to a different magnetic palette) but it comes with the case too and next month I’ll get the second color to fill out the palette! So fun! This blush is very pigmented and a pretty color. A little goes a long way and it’s a bit dusty but I like it!

By the way, the Bronze Goddess Palette from last month’s box is still getting a workout. I’m not putting on makeup and going out every day, but any day that I do go out, I’m using something (usually more than one thing!) from this palette. The highlight color in it is amazing!

Get Your Own Glossybox Beauty Subscription

Prices for Glossybox range from $17.50 per box up to $21 per box, depending on the length of your subscription. It’s such a great deal because five of these products were FULL size! This box was worth around $100 and the subscription is only $21! Though this box wasn’t my favorite, you can see the reviews of my May and June boxes. The August box just arrived in the mail and it looks awesome!! Grab it here now or gift it to a friend or loved one!

Thanks so much for visiting!

-Virginia