February's Sweetheart VoxBox

At the end of February, I received my first ever Influenster VoxBox. Never heard of Influenster? They are similar to Birchbox, but instead of paying $10 month, you review and share their products through all of your social media outlets. You should definitely check them out! February's Sweetheart VoxBox was filled with some pretty awesome goodies. :)

1) Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleansing System and Shine Minimizing Cleanser: I wouldn't buy something like this for myself normally, but I'm so excited that I got the chance to try this cleansing system and cleanser. First off, the cleanser smells amazing! Secondly, it helps reduce shine, which for us oily skin ladies is a huge plus. And the little cleansing system feels amazing on your skin. It's like having a little facial at home! I like to use this product first thing in the morning after I wake up. 

2) Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response:

To be completely honest, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel about this deodorant. I was a Dove girl prior to trying this particular Secret version, but I must say that after a few weeks of use, I'm pretty impressed. It goes on clear and smells fruity! I wasn't sure I'd like the fruit smell, but every time I move and get a whiff, I think, "Oh, that's me! Mmm!" 

3) Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bars:

Ok, these DO NOT taste healthy! But they seriously are. Does it get any better?? :) Skinnygirl Daily's bars were a huge shock to me. I always think of granola bars are being bland and questionable. But this one tasted so good (Greek yogurt blueberry crisp) and I'm already a fan of Skinnygirl Margarita, so you can assume that Skinnygirl and I are only becoming better friends.

4) Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray:

Unfortunately, this item was probably my least favorite. It actually does exactly what it promises: gives you "I just left the beach" hair. However, this isn't the best look on me. I need more texture and hold. On the bright side? It smells like coconut colada!

Thanks Influenster! I can't wait for my next VoxBox. :)

MBCL's March Group Giveaway!

Our weekend getaway to Washington, D.C.

Last week/weekend, Luke and I took Thursday and Friday off from work and drove down to Washington, D.C. for a long weekend with some friends. This was sort of a Sara's birthday/our friends' anniversary/we all need a weekend away from life kind of trip and it was exactly what Luke and I needed!!

{View from our hotel room}

I had forgotten how beautiful DC is! It had been over 10 years since I'd last visited and Luke had never been. In addition to being saturated in our country's history and American pride, DC is an awesome city for your professionals to live/work in and it has a really fun restaurant/coffee shop/bar scene. We stayed at the Washington Hilton and I would totally recommend this hotel to anyone!

{I love the cherry blossoms in the spring!}

We stayed three nights, but didn't get into town until closer to dinner time on Thursday. Knowing that Friday and Saturday would be our only two full days in Washington, D.C., we spent all day Friday visiting touristy sites. We took the metro over to the Arlington National Cemetery, where we watched the changing of the guard. We also walked through the National Mall and Memorial Parks (Washington, Lincoln, Vietnam, WW2, etc) and even made a quick stop into the National Museum of Natural History. We did a TON of walking on that first day and I'm pretty sure we all felt like our knees/ankles/feet we're going to fall off! 

We also ate some really amazing food that day. I have to admit that my pub onion soup at lunch was by far my favorite!

{Warm doughnuts with caramel and chocolate dipping sause after dinner on Friday night. SO YUM!}

On Saturday, the four of us tackled the Smithsonian National Zoo and it was amazing! DC's zoo is free to the public, but this does not mean it is mediocre in the least. It is actually a very nice place and we had the best time walking around out in the sunshine feeling like kids again! We ate over-priced chicken fingers and french fries for lunch and, of course, Luke had to have Dippin' Dots, ha! Zoo food at it's finest. 

After the zoo and a ton more walking, we decided to start walking back towards our hotel so that we could rest up and get ready for a fun last night in DC, but of course, the girls had to make a quick stop into Lou Lou Boutique, the cutest little shop just a couple of blocks from our hotel. Our sweet boys suffered through and I'm so glad we stopped! I picked up a couple pairs of earrings and a beautiful, spring-inspired infinity scarf for my birthday. :)

For dinner on Saturday night, the four of us walked down to Tortilla Coast, a popular Mexican food restaurant in DC. It was like HEAVEN for these displaced Texas kids just dying for fajitas, enchiladas, and margaritas! We toasted to birthdays, anniversaries, and a great weekend in Washington, D.C.

Waking up early on Sunday morning so that we could get back to Jersey and pick up our furbabies from the doggy boarding place was a rough wake-up call (a little too much fun? nahhh!), but we were excited to get home and relax the rest of the weekend. As we were driving home, Luke and I could not stop talking about how much fun we had and ranking our favorite places we visited. I think that is a sign of a successful, long weekend getaway!  Our 2nd anniversary is quickly approaching and I'm already thinking about a weekend trip to...? Any suggestions??

Until next time DC! :)

Me, Myself, and I Link-Up #7

1) Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? How?

Luke and I moved to a very Irish town about 6 months ago and they held their St. Patrick's Day parade a week earlier than the actual holiday, so we definitely checked that out. But other than the parade, we aren't big celebrators of this holiday. I do have a ton of friends that have birthdays around this holiday though, so we did some birthday celebrating.

2) It's March, which means spring break! We want to know how your spring break went or if it hasn't happened yet, what will your spring break consist of?

Unfortunately, it's been a couple of years since I've had a spring break. Once you graduate college and join the professional world, spring break just isn't the same. :( But Luke and I are taking Thursday and Friday off this week and are driving down to DC with some friends for a long weekend. We're going to  see some of the traditional DC sites, but I'm excited to stop by Georgetown Cupcake and to go on this moonlight cruise!

3) A zombie apocalypse happens and you're stripped of all your luxury items. What beauty product would you miss the most?

Mascara.

4) What is the one cause you feel most passionate about?

In college, I pledged Tri Delta. Tri Delta's philanthropy is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Since I spent 3.5 years in college helping raise money for this hospital and the families it supports, St. Jude will forever hold a very special place in my heart. Any time there is another opportunity for me to give back to St. Jude, I do.

5) What is the #1 most played song on your iPod?

Anything by Eli Young Band!