WEEKEND LINKS

WEEKEND LINKS


Happy weekend everyone! Sunday always comes so quick and then it is back to the grind for another week! This semester is winding down which means Christmas break is almost here! I love this time of year, minus the snow. This weekend we took our yearly Christmas photo (above), and I seriously think it turned out so cute. I thought I would share some links I have been loving this week.

01. I have decked out my phone and iPad with this free download. It is so cute and simple and looks perfect on all my mobile devices. Go download yours, and tell her that I sent you!

02. It is no question that Pinterest is my guilty pleasure, I have been searching for new recipes to try because I feel like we have to shake it up a bit. This week for dinner I plan on trying this cauliflower mac n cheese recipe, it looks yummy and is a healthier alternative to regular mac n cheese. 

03. Whenever I am in a slump and looking for inspiration of any kind, whether it is fashion, nail, DIY, or home stuff, I look to Pinterest. This week I have been pinning A LOT, and re-organized my boards. Check out some of my pins here. 

04. Did anyone take advantage of the Black Friday deals? I was definitely lusting after some of the deals that would have been perfect gifts. We are pretty much all done your Christmas shopping for everyone, but if you're looking for something personalized I love these pieces that offer personalization to bracelets and necklaces. 

05. Blogging is not new to me, but there is a vision I want to have and things I want to do to make it better. Finding articles like these, help me improve on writing and the look of my blog. In the next year I slowly want to improve on things and experiment, so these are great help. 

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and check out some of these links I have been loving this week!
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DIY: YARN ART

DIY: YARN ART


Today's DIY came from seeing photos like this on Pinterest, and watching this video a few months ago. I love the way these look, and it kind of goes with our house theme, so using the yarn I already had I thought I would give it a try! 

What you will need:

01. Yarn (as many colours as you want)
02. A stick or dowel to attach everything
03. Scissors


I had this type of ombre yarn lying around for forever, so I thought I could somehow use it to my advantage. All you have to do is cut your yarn to your desired length (keep in mind that you will be folding the yarn in half so make sure it isn't too short!)


Once you have all of your string cut, it's time to arrange them on your stick! To attach them to the stick all you have to do is fold in half and loop inside, and pull. Refer to the video link to see it done in person, explaining it through text can be kind of tricky.


Once it is all done, it will look something like this! I kind of like the way it turned out, the ombre yarn worked to my advantage! Since our colour scheme in our bathroom is blue and grey, and we had a wall there that I had no idea what to put on there, I decided to hang this wall yarn art there for the time being. I think it brings a rustic element to our washroom, we have rustic pieces all throughout our house. I love the look of it over a crib like the video displayed, if you bought Christmas colours it would be a nice added decoration for the holidays, or even a playroom if you want to buy crazy colours! Happy DIYing!





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WISH LIST

WISH LIST

Tis the season! Christmas time is in full swing with December right around the corner, if you're organized like me then your shopping is pretty much done. However if you're like Kyle, you haven't even started yet. There are a few things I have been lusting after this holiday season, and a few may or may not have made it onto my Christmas list this year :)



01. Design Love Planner $55
The organizational addict in me lusts after so many planners, whether it is a Kate Spade, Erin Condren, or Filofax. Unfortunately their price tag isn't always in my budget, even though this planner is $55 which is a little on the pricey side, it has everything I am looking for in a planner (and is so adorable!) I hope this is awaiting under the tree this year, it is definitely on my wish list this year!


02. Letter Bangle $15-$29
I stumbled across this website not too long ago, and I am a huge fan of dainty jewellery. There are two bracelets I would love from this website, the single letter bracelet and the numbered bracelet. The single letter I want for Bentley (he is literally my pride and joy, I can't help it!) and the numbered bracelet I would like to have our wedding date. Wear them both together and you have the cutest arm candy set :)


03. Sega Classic Game Console $49
The little kid in me lit up as soon as I saw this in the Bed Bath and Beyond flyer. Sega was the only console we owned when I was little, and Sonic the Hedgehog was my favourite game! I think it is really awesome that other Sega games are compatible with this console as well, so if you had any games or took a trip to the flea market, you could buy other games!


04. Black Pandora Bracelet $50
I love my pandora bracelet, every charm has a story and was given to me by someone different. However, I would love the leather black bracelet so I could make the bracelet more casual if I wanted to. I wouldn't hate if there was maybe a charm or two included too ;) Getting charms is so special to me and means something different. It is also an easy gift for those who may not know what exactly to get! 


05. Entourage Complete Series $100
It wouldn't be a wish list from me without some type of movie. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a huge movie/tv lover, and getting some type of movie is usually an easy way to my heart. Entourage is seriously one of my favourite tv shows, if you haven't seen it you're missing out (think of a male version of Sex and the City). The complete series would be the best gift ever, especially since it has been years since I watched a lot of the episodes. This is one of those gifts that you never think to get, but it would be a lovely treat if you received it. 

Those are just some of the gifts on my wish list this year. Normally creating lists can be hard for myself, I am a huge sucker for anything sentimental. Which is why charms and those bangles would make my heart melt! No matter what, Christmas is always one of my favourite time of the year. This is the first Christmas with Kyle as a married couple, and is the first year we create our own memories and traditions! I can't wait to have him open what I got for him, and spend the morning together. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holidays this year!



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STAYING POSITIVE

STAYING POSITIVE


In life we are faced with uncertainty, hardships, and struggles and in these times it is sometimes hard to stay positive. Currently, I am trying to find my way through a dark time and from past experience I have tendency to go down a dark path for a little while and I am trying not to do that this time. With that being said, I wanted to share some things that help me stay positive and work through the struggles that come my way in this crazy thing called life. 

01. Breathe: sounds easy right? I sometimes forget this part, and go from normal to hysterical in 2 seconds. By taking a step back and breathing and then going forward I can judge a situation with a clearer head. 

02. Do something: Seriously, anything! For me, I know it doesn't come as a shock but my happy place is making something. So naturally right now my house has glitter, mod podge, and tissue paper all over it. But hey, I don't mind the mess because when I'm creating something my mind is somewhere else for a little while, and I can be proud of something. I seriously encourage anyone to find something they enjoy because it helps a lot. 

03. Write: What I'm doing right now is helping me huge. Even if it is not read by anyone other than myself down the road, it has helped me get out what I may be holding in. Writing has always been an outlet for me, whether it is journaling, writing lists, in my agenda, or in a blog. 

04. Take the time: Whatever is going on, take the time you need to be okay. Whether you have experienced a loss, or just having a bad day. Take the time to take a breath, or cry if you have to. Nothing is worse than burying feelings and emotions, I have found that this doesn't help myself at all. It is okay to feel what you are feeling, as long as you are able to pick yourself up and continue to stay positive.

05. Have a support system: I am so blessed to have so many amazing people around me. When hard times are being had, I have my husband, family, friends, in-laws, and Bentley (he is always good for hugs!) Even if it's not advice or talking I'm looking for, I know I can count on them to help me heal. 

06. Try & laugh: This may be hard at the time, but finding something that can make me laugh helps huge. Family guy is always my go to for a laugh, it always tickles my funny bone. If I am ever sad or need to be cheered up, this usually helps a lot. Laughter is the best medicine out there, so try and laugh even when it's almost impossible to.

The thing about life is that it is always moving, good and bad times come and go, for myself I find it is so important to have a healthy state of mind. By doing some of these things, and having time continue to move forward, I know I can keep moving forward. 

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THE "PERFECT" RELATIONSHIP

THE "PERFECT" RELATIONSHIP


Through out the years I have heard comments from different people saying that Kyle and I have the "perfect relationship." I always smile when I hear these things because although it is lovely to hear, it is far from true. I am very blessed to have found an amazing partner in this crazy life, but like many others, we work hard every day to make our relationship and marriage work. We have been together for over four years, we have enjoyed each other's company in this time and in that time have also had our fair share of arguments and wanting to rip our hair out. As we both grow older (and wiser?) and learn more about one another, I have a little list of what I think is important to making any relationship work! 

01. Support : 
One of the things I love most about Kyle is how supportive he is, I think if I came home and said "I'm going to start my own lemonade stand!" He would completely support the idea even if he thinks it might be a little crazy. He has supported my hobbies, my desire to continue my education, and pretty much every little idea I have come up with over the years. In return, I think it is important in any relationship to be supportive of your partner, I hope that I have been as supportive to Kyle as he has been to me. He loves photography, and I have helped him grow it into a part time job. Kyle loves tinkering and anything mechanical and even though I don't understand it, I support it. 

02. Sacrifice : 
A relationship, like most things in life, is not a one way street. You cannot expect to have a healthy relationship if one person is selfish or has that kind of outlook, at least in my opinion. When I look at our relationship, I see how much we have both sacrificed in order to be where we are today. Whether it is sacrificing a two income household to get more education, or sacrificing seeing each other for over a month in order to bring home more money for us. I think by sacrificing, it is a way to show your partner how much you love and appreciate them. 

03. Forgive :
This is something I will always be working on improving, I am such a stubborn human by nature, and unfortunately holding grudges is something I do often. Being with Kyle has shown me how important forgiveness is, not only in a relationship, but for yourself. The weight of grudges can be drowning, by being able to forgive and accept the flaws we all have, we are able to strengthen our relationship every time. 

04. Laugh :
Laughter really is the best medicine, and when Kyle tells a joke he really nails it haha. Being able to joke around and laugh really is a great feeling. I love knowing that I can be in a goofy mood, and I don't have to hide it, Kyle is able to just embrace the goofiness! 

05. Romance :
Date nights are a must, whether it is just the two of you, or you are a family of four. Having time to yourself and be romantic is so important. We try to set aside a date every two weeks, or a big date once a month. Whether it is a movie, dinner, or bowling, by spending that one on one time with each other especially after a busy week, makes all the difference! 

Hopefully this has been helpful, I know it is things that are a given in relationships, but these can often be overlooked. We are a younger married couple, with a lot going on, but I think that when it is all said and done at the end of the day, we have something really special. We really are like best friends and that is the best feeling. 

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DIY: CHRISTMAS BULBS

DIY: CHRISTMAS BULBS


I have seen this photo all over Pinterest, it is a cute way to preserve your wedding bouquet, turn it into a Christmas ornament! I had some spare plastic bulbs that I wasn't sure what to do with, and I had my wedding bouquet dried out in the closet so I thought I would recreate this photo and put my own spin on it! If you want to play around with plastic bulbs it's seriously addicting, I have a few on my tree that have our engagement photos inside, one with Bentley inside, as well as a wedding one! It is a cute way to have memories on your tree. I got a pack of 4 empty bulbs at Wal-Mart for $4, I have also seen them at Michaels too! Half the fun is finding out what you want to put inside, these could make cute gifts as well if you really want to be creative! 

Here is how mine turned out: 




I had sunflowers as my bouquet, and I also put some of the burlap that was around it, and some greenery as well. I topped it off with some gold glitter because why not?! Everything needs a little glitter! I think I might change out the ribbon for blue and yellow, since those were our wedding colours, but red was the only thing I had! This DIY took about 10 minutes in total, and was just a fun little extra to add to the tree and remember for years to come :) 






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OCTOBER FAVOURITES

OCTOBER FAVOURITES


October pretty much came and went, we were so busy with photography, school work, touring universities for Kyle's sister, and much more! However, there were a few new things I tried and pretty much fell in love with. If you are ever out and about and see these items you need to grab them because they are amazing!

Beauty

01. First Aid Beauty Face Wash: My skin is all over the place, with my hormones always being out of whack it is hard to get it under control sometimes. I bought a travel size of this at Sephora and my skin and I LOVE it! It is great for sensitive skin too if that is something you have as well. I want to try more products from First Aid Beauty because I have heard nothing but good things!

02. Benefit's Gimme Brow: Again, another Sephora purchase! But if you are like me and have sparse brows and want minimal effort to fill them in, this is something you need in your life! It is one step and no hassle, I have wanted to try this product for a while and I'm glad I finally did!

03. Miss Manga Mascara: This is from the drugstore, and the packaging is super cute. I am a total sucker for cute packaging! My eyebrows are stubborn, and it is hard to give them volume. I have tried a ton of mascaras but have never really found one that works the way I want it to. This one totally does it for me, I need a new bottle soon that is how much I have used this product!

Random/Lifestyle

01. Blender Bottle: I never understood the hype with this product, I didn't think a simple metal ball would help break up protein or powders as well as it claimed. During a stroll in Winners I saw a cute purple one and grabbed it (I needed a new water bottle anyways!) I am obsessed, even Kyle is obsessed! So I think I might need to get him one for Christmas! This bottle does not leave my sight, I carry it with me everywhere and absolutely love it!

02. Hot Chocolate: Tis the season?! I don't know why but I have been obsessed with having a cup every night as a sweet treat. Hot chocolate always hits the spot no matter what! :)

03. Phone App - Clue: This is a girl app for sure, I heard it through a video I watched not too long ago and decided to download it. It is a cycle tracker and let me tell you, this app is amazing. I have always tried "cycle tracking apps" but never liked them, I just found that they weren't user friendly. I think every girl needs to have this app, it adjusts according to the information you put in every day and every month. So it is not a set cycle, since mine tends to be all over the place this app is perfect for me!

That is about all of the things I was loving in October! What were some of your favourites?!

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