Thursday Thoughts

               
             This week I am linking up with Jennifer over at www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com

*It finally feels like summer and I could not be any happier. My garden is growing larger every day and the sun is staying out longer every night. I have so much more energy in summer. Could it please be summer year round?

*Speaking of my garden, my herbs are enormous already! I have chives, cilantro, dill, thyme, parsley, and tons of basil.  It is getting me in the cooking spirit. Last night I made a shrimp scampi with fresh parsley and white wine. The link for the recipe is here: Tyler Florence's Shrimp Scampi w/ Linguini.

*Tonight I am going to make chipotle chicken tacos w/ tons of fresh cilantro and some cilantro lime rice. And then for the weekend I am going to make some potato salad with fresh dill & chives, and some roasted potatos w/ thyme. You should come over for dinner. Tony is one lucky guy.

*So someone told Tony that you can buy ribeye steaks at the dollar store. Seriously? Has anyone? Cause that to me.. sounds terrifying. But Tony said he tried one and it was good! But who the heck sells steak at a dollar? Beef is so expensive right now! We are saving some money for a half cow to save some money.

*So I began my own facebook group called Paxton Cove Scams Customers. I would totally appreciate if you joined and shared your stories with me. As of right now my April 15th order is still "processing" and I still have not received one response to my many e-mails. I could not report them to the Better Business Bureau because there is no phone # or valid address. This company is a legitimate scam at this point. Please warn people.

*I have been really frustrated lately is my subscription boxes. From the customer service to the contents. Everything really.. and I am wondering if I am just over them. Was it a phase? I mean, I dedicated a blog to them so how could I be over them? I will always love my Popsugar, that is going nowhere and I will scoop up any LE box they bring. But the rest? I have to re evaluate. I canceled Glossybox, Blush Mystery Beauty Box, and all my food boxes. I have been really happy with Wantable Intimates, but my Wantable accessories was horrible. I changed my Stitchfix settings to "the cheaper the better" just to see what would happen.. and they really didn't seem to read my profile at all. Just threw some cheap clothes in a box and sent it to me. It was horrible. I didn't take pics, just sent it back with a complaint, and my $ settings are going back to where they were. I have way too many skin care products and make up products. Is it time to cancel Ipsy also? They have this month to wow me or they are gone also. I'm really considering the Tyler Florence Fancy box. I really want beautiful, useable home goods.

*I am beyond obsessed with www.PickYourPlum.com and I have placed 2 orders this week alone. Yesterday for 7 infinity scarves (Only set me back $16.00) and today for a ton of Washi.

*What shows are you watching this summer? I am excited for the new Pretty Little Liars to start! Also loving Catfish, Awkward, So You Think You Can Dance, The Soup, Hell's Kitchen.. omg I watch a lot of TV. My DVD is constantly stretched to it's capacity.

*I finally watched The Heat. Ahh it was amazing. I laughed so much through the entire film. I just love Melissa McCarthy.. she's prob my favorite person ever. I think she is so funny and adorable. And how do you keep a straight face with some of those lines? lol

*I think my work computer has enough of me blogging, it won't let me upload any more pics. This thing is ancient!

May Ipsy- Quick Pic Post

Not Ipsy's best month. I liked the bag because it's very earthy. And I get where they were trying to go with this. But I miss getting a bag focusing on make up. I thought that was what Ipsy was about!

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask and Sans Tan Sun Tan Lotion SPF 35. Moisturizer and a hair mask.. 2 things I simply cannot use for I am a walking oil spill.

Barefoot Spa Professional Exfoiliating Polish. I will use these. I just have not yet. 

Pacifica Mineral Eye Shadow. This is kind of fugly. I didn't bother with this. It's somewhere.

Olive Natural Beauty Olive Lip Balm. Also something I have not opened. I will use this though.

I can totally appreciate having several full sized products. That is why I will still stay true to Ipsy. I may not have loved May's bag, but I know there will be plenty more to love in the future. Plus, for $10.00 a month, I think the value is still here.

If you'd like to try Ipsy, and I do recommend them highly.. Click here. It will take you to sign up!

May Birch Box

I'm not going to go into too much detail about May's Birch Box. Just going to show you what I got and bust out a few opinions.

May's box was partnered with Kate Spade Saturday. The box itself had the signature stripes and bright yellow tissue paper. It also included a $25.00 gift card that expires in July. $25.00 at Kate Spade won't getcha much so I am holding onto it until some items I like go on sale.

Everyone got 2 Smarty Pants Gummy Vitamins. A package of these is expensive! Wow. Like 30 something bucks. That's crazy. These tasted way too much like a vitamin and the serving size is 6 gummy pieces. The ones I usually take are only 2 pieces and taste much better. Pass.

This Marcelle BB cream is dark on my ivory complexion. I really have to smooth it in for a long time for it to blend at all.  I also got Cynthia's Rowley's eyeliner in Silver. I don't use silver eye liner because I am blonde w/ green eyes and ivory skin. Light colors wash me out, I pretty much stick to warm colors.

I know this shampoo and conditioner is super expensive. I haven't tried it and I've got it stashed for my next vacation.

This lotion is Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy and it smells very light, beachy, and airy. I really like it but I won't be repurchasing. It kind of smells weird when it is rubbed on the skin.

So my May Birch Box was okay. It didn't wow me and mostly I won't use any of this stuff really… Kind of a waste. But considering the review points and the deal I got on the year subscription, I am not that upset. Sometimes BB is amazing, other times not. But when it is.. it more than makes up for it.

I didn't do a cost break down because these are all sample sizes and not one full sized item this month.

Lush Haul

I finally gave in to the hundreds of reviews I've been seeing recently going on and on about how wonderful Lush is. So I ordered a couple of things online to give it a shot. We have a Lush somewhat nearby (Okay..about 45 min away) but not near enough to warrant a trip through stop and go traffic due to construction.

I started out with Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter -$16.95. That's a lot of money for a tiny tub of gunk. But this stuff is great and I'm glad I tried it. You may have noticed in the past couple of nail polish pics that my cuticles are shot. We had over 40 days of -15 degree weather and my skin suffers a lot. I need all the help I can get. I keep this on my desk at work, slather my nails in it and keep on typing. The smell is like Suki's Exfoliating Scrub. If you've tried that (who hasn't?) and liked it, you'll like this.

I had to get Grease Lightning because along with the cold dry winters we also get muggy hot summers.  My face 'glistens' with oil more than I'd care to admit. I also have large pores and an oily complexion that makes me prone to acne. I don't get acne all the time but usually once a month for about a week (haha..wonder when that is) and then it is pretty darn bad. I am hoping this helps. So far I can't say for sure. This set me back $13.95. 

Below is the Stimulating and Reviving Minty Shampoo Bar -$11.95. This smells like cinnamon but the scent doesn't stick around. I've been using it every day for weeks and I haven't even made a dent! I cannot believe how long lasting this is. Most all natural shampoos have no lather and are hard to manage. This is not the case for this, it's bubbly and squishy and perfect. I chose this one because I have very thin hair that falls out constantly. This is supposed to stimulate your scalp to promote growth. I now need to figure out what to do with all the extra shampoos I have accrued.. because I don't think I will ever use anything else. The case for this was $3.95.

Most bath bombs are $4.95 and this was no exception. This one is a therapy bomb for sore muscles. Ever since a car accident I was in 10 years ago I have horrible back pain. I often sit in epsom salt baths and thought this would be fun. Honestly, this didn't do anything for me and I will stick to Epsom Salt.

I got a tiny Porridge Soap sample but I haven't tried it yet because it's teeny weeny.

 Other than the bath bomb I really loved what I got and I will for sure be repurchasing at least 2 of the items.

May PopSugar Must Have

The first subscription box I received in May was my PopSugar Must Have box. This will always be my favorite sub box and I will never cancel this so long as it's open. PopSugar is $39.99 a month and worth every cent. I sometimes cannot believe that they can stay in business while including such amazing pieces. I also then wonder why I pay so much for other subscriptions that don't hold a candle to PopSugar.

Upon first look it was pretty clear that the theme of May was getting fit for sumer.

The first item was this Kerry Cassill Eye Mask -$24.00. This is a very light weight and breathable eye mask. I need to use eye masks because I have chronic migraines and often need to be in pitch darkness to get over them. This is now the prettiest one I own. Love it.

Tone It Up One Day Fat Blast -$10.00. I'll be straight up with you.. I haven't watched this and it's still in it's cellophane wrapping. I want to use this but the thought of moving my entire living room set to do it? That isn't practical and might be a work out enough anyway. I will stick to running for now.

Zing Anything Citrus Zinger- $17.00. I was so excited about this. I always have citrus on hand and I love an ice cold lemon water.. plus this bottle is adorable. But there are so many parts to assemble and I'm not sure what I did wrong, but this leaked everywhere. I tried to tighten it but it didn't work.  So this was disappointing for me.

Hi, I'm Skinny Sticks in Multi-Grain Sweet Vedalia Onion -$4.00.  I tasted this and really loved the flavor but immediately felt a burning scratching down my throat indicating an allergic reaction. I gave these to Tony and he chowed down.

Smell-Bent St Tropez Dispenser -$45.00. I was so worried about hating this perfume. It's a pretty huge bottle actually!  This smell is sunny and summery, like a beautiful beach mixed with tanning lotion and coconut oil. And boy is it strong! A tiny spritz and you are good to go. Love love love this. Definitely my new summer scent.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in Pool Boy -$10.00.  Ummm..LOVE this color. You will eventually notice that I have every shade of blue imaginably for nail polish. Somehow though, there are always more to add to my collection. I think this is the perfect summer shade. I think I have a nail polish hoarding problem and I'm A-OK with that.

The total for this box was over $100.00 and everything was full sized. Please tell me you are going to sign up for PopSugar immediately. Because I'm telling you that you are crazy if you don't.

April Glossybox

Glossy Box dropped the ball in April. I don't remember exactly when I got my box.. but it was not in April. I also did not receive an e-mail letting me know of any delays, and no compensation for the long wait. On top of that I had planned to take the product surveys for glossy dots, and use said glossy dots for my May box to be free. Instead, because the box was so late, I was charged for May before I even received April or had the chance to redeem points. 

I'm not going to provide links or referral links because honestly I feel that Glossy Box has taken a turn for the worst lately. The products are just eh. Not the high end, beautifully curated box that lured me in.

I really ended up enjoying Aqua Spa's Relax Body Creme in Lavender Chamomile  2 oz-$1.75. A lot of customers were very let down by this Wal-Mart brand hand creme. I completely agree that it is not something I would expect from Glossy Box. Now if I had bought this for the $1.75 I'd be enthralled. I love this smell, and I have it right next to my bed to use before I sleep. 

We received a full sized LASplash Comestics Splashproof Sealer Eyeshadow Base -$9.00.  I use Urban Decay's Primer Potion so this would never even compare. Not even close. I did use it for several days and by the end of the day I had significant creasing.

Also included was a full sized BellaPierre Cosmetics Super Gloss in Vanilla Pink -$24.00. I haven't opened this yet because I literally have dozens of lip glosses. I'm just not sure how many more I can handle. I try to use a different one every day but I have too many.

Something that was varied was  1 oz of Caldrea's body wash -$1.50. I got the scent of  Tea Olive Lime and I was kind of hesitant. I don't think the name (or at least the olive part) gives a good head image. But I am pleased to report that this is such a lovely scent and smells nothing like olives. I even swapped for a full sized moisturizer.

Lastly is Ciate's Paint Pot in Skinny Dip -$15.00. I was very happy to receive this brand since I have never tried them before. I was worried that the cute packaging was going to be all for show and that the polish would be lack luster. Not the case. Love this. I really would have preferred a more summery color, I think this is a little more Halloween than summer. But the formula was great, the color was bright and smooth and opaque in one coat. And this with a top coat was very long lasting! About 5 days without chips! Now that is impressive.

The total value for this box is about $51.25. That is a good value for the $21.00 it cost, but I wasn't wowed. I just wasn't feeling it. And I really own so many beauty products at this point that I have been giving them away.. so why am I paying for them?

I'm really interested in more house hold, gift,  and accessory subs that I can use more in my daily life than 200 lip glosses. If you want to recommend any.. that'd be cool. 

My 11th Fix

Earlier this month I received my 11th Stitch Fix fix. I couldn't believe I was on number 11. I really love the entire Stitch Fix concept and have enjoyed even the fixes that weren't so much for me.

A quick run down.. Once a month Stitch Fix will send you 5 items ranging from clothing to jewelry, scarves, and bags. You can request items, provide feedback on what you'd like, create a pinterest board on items you love, etc. Basically it is a very customizable service that revolves around a stylist picking items that reflect your style. You pick what you like, send back what you don't, and get a discount if you keep it all. Easy Peasy. 

They include a detailed receipt to make choosing your items easier and also a sheet on outfit ideas for each item.

Here's an overview of my items. You'll notice a pair of white jeans hanging out in there. I didn't take a picture of them because they were bad. And cost $128.00! Blasphemy. They had two rips in the knees which didn't even look intentional, they looked like I had one too many drinks and took a spill.

Below is Fun2Fun's Colibri Heart Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse- $44.00. I really liked this shirt a ton but it pulled in tight around my middle and made me look a bit pregnant. Returned.

This is 41Hawthorn's Rowson Colorblock Striped Sweater- $58.00. This looks all stretched and huge on the hanger but it's quite pretty in person. Very soft and high quality with the loveliest shade of light teal. Kept this one.

Paired together is Pomelo's Corinna Striped Heathered Dolman Top- $48.00. Also, 41Hawthorn's Delta Lightweight Geo Print Infinity Scarf- $32.00. This dolman top was pretty but hung in a way I didn't feel flattered me. I also felt it too closely resembled the sweater above. I loved the infinity scarf but I'm not sure that I'm okay spending $32.00 on a scarf unless I see myself wearing it a ton. This is pretty but doesn't match enough of my closet to justify keeping. Returned both items.

So the grand total was $310.00 and if I had kept all items it would have been $217.50. That is a huge discount, and one I have taken advantage of before.  For June I set my price limit to "The Cheaper The Better." I'm strapped for cash so.. hopefully I hate everything. ;) 

Interested in trying Stitch Fix ? Please click any of the links in the post to use my referral link.