Golden Tote 2016 Mystery Tote Reveal #1

The Box: Golden Tote's Mystery Tote

The Price: $60

The Goods: 4 items from previous Golden Tote Sales

Skies are Blue Top: I love the color of this, but I am not crazy about shirts with elastic bottom.

Potter's Pot Top: I actually really, really like this.  It's loose, swingy, and comfy but not in a way that I feel like I'm wearing maternity clothes.

Skies are Blue Dress: I can't make up my mind on whether to keep this dress or try to trade it.  It's cute and I like the cut, but light colors and I don't get along very well.

THML Top: I love the buttons down the back, but this beige just isn't right for my skin tone.

Reveal for my second mystery coming soon.
Check out the reveal for the denim mystery bag.

Golden Tote 2016 Denim Mystery Tote Review

The Box: Golden Tote's Denim Mystery Tote

The Price: $60

The Goods: 3 pairs of denim from previous Golden Tote Sales

Celebrity Pink Trouser Jean: These jeans are super soft.  I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of them, though, because the cut is best for heels, which I don't really get to rock much at the moment.

Just Black Low Rise Skinny Jeans: I love black jeans but the fit of these just wasn't right for me.  They're just a bit too low and a bit too short.

Scarlet Boulevard Yellow Skinny Jeans:  Ughhhh...I am just not a yellow person.  I'm kind of tempted to keep these just because I like how they fit.

So...I thought that the denim tote would be my safest bet, but I forgot how picky I am with jeans.  All of them are *almost* perfect, but fall just short for one reason or another.  

2015 Resolution Wrap Up

I had so much going on last year, I feel like I kind of forgot that I even made resolutions.  None the less, let's see how I did...

• Read 40 Books: I fell pretty short, only hitting 29.

• Declutter, Part Two: I did make some progress sorting through the junk in my garage, but I haven't actually gotten around to taking the big "donate" pile to Salvation Army.

• 12 Things Uniquely Austin:  I honestly forgot that this was a resolution I made.  I might try it again this year.

• Make Myself A Priority: Well, sort of.  I wanted to go to a doctor, optometrist, dentist, and hairstylist at least once.  I only did the optometrist and the hairstylist, but I did take a lot of steps to put myself and my own happiness first, which I am pretty proud of.

• Blog Better:  Hah.  Um.  Nope.

• 12 New Restaurants:  SUCCESS!  I managed to go to 12 new-to-me local places, and even fell in love with some of them. (*Cough*Bouldin Creek Cafe.)  The only downside is...now the dilemma of where to eat is even harder because I have too MANY choices.

So...I could've done a bit better.

But!

I completed one and made progress on two others so...yay?

Hello? Is this thing on?

Oh!  Hey!

I kind of fell off the face of the earth for a bit.  Here's the sparknotes of what's happened and where I've been:

I started a different job.  One that is a lot more exhausting than my previous one.  So...yep.  That's mostly where I've been.  I'm back full time at the Harley dealership that I worked at when I first moved to the Austin area, but this time I'm in a management role and not sales.  It's been a learning experience to say the least.

J and I split up.  It wasn't a negative, all out, blow-up kind of break up.  It just wasn't really working any more, so we're moving on with our lives separately.  It's also the first time I've ever really been independent as an adult.  I had my own apartment in college, but that was paid for through grants and loans and scholarships so I don't really count it.  It's actually been kind of nice living alone again for a little while.

I've regained an interest in getting my motorcycle license.  My dad offered to try to teach me how to ride.  However...my first attempt ended in me panicking, meeting a ditch on the side of the road, dropping my bike, and spraining my ankle.  Um...it's part of the learning curve, right?

Anyway.  The short of it is that I've spent the past 8 months or so trying to learn how to take control of my own happiness.  I'm still a work in progress, but I've come a long way.

I have missed blogging, so I'm going to try to get back into it.  I'm not as into subscriptions as I once was so...who knows if I'll still have anything to say. ;)

April Popsugar Must Have Review

The Box: Popsugar Must Have

The Cost: $39.95/month

The Goods: Hand-picked food, fashion, beauty, home, and/or fitness items.

Dabney Lee Dottie Umbrella: ($18)  We have a billion umbrellas but most are janky or ugly.  I'm not complaining about having a new, pretty one!

One Love Organics Gardenia + Tea Body Serum: ($39)  The scent isn't my favorite, but it's subtle enough that I don't really mind it.  It left my skin feeling soft, but a little oilier than regular lotion.

Produce Candles - Rhubarb: ($20)  I know that rhubarb is used in pies, but I actually have no idea what it is.  Well, that's not true, it's also a fantastic smelling candle scent.

Flip & Tumble 24-7 Bag - Blue: ($10.99)  The coolest thing about this packable tote bag is that once it's lived its life to the fullest, you send it back to the manufacturer and they recycle it.  (I had a rather had time repacking it into a little ball, though.)

Potting Shed Creations Garden-in-a-Bag - Basil: ($10)  Based on subscription boxes, it seems basil is the herb of the season.  (Ironic sentence the day after 4/20, no?)

Mott 50 Gift Card: ($25)  There isn't a minimum purchase amount for this but their stuff is fairly pricey, so I doubt that I'll use this.

Total Value: $97.99, not including gift card

I think this is the most practical assortment of items that Popsugar has ever sent out.  I'm seriously obsessed with candles, so any month that includes one is an instant win.

Disclosure: This post contains referral links.

Spring 2015 FabFitFun Review

The Box: FabFitFun VIP

The Cost: $49.99/season

The Goods: Full size, premium beauty, fitness, fashion and wellness products guaranteed to be worth $125 or more.  

Intense Body Blast DVDs: ($27.99)  I honestly don't remember the last time I worked out.  I really need to get back to it.  I really enjoyed pilates when I did it, so I'm hoping I'll like this.

Jules Smith Watercolor Scarf: ($42)  I don't wear scarves often and when I do, it's usually when the weather is much cooler.   I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of this one but I really like the colors of it.

Rifle Paper Co Bon Voyage Coaster Set: ($16)  I love the artwork on these.  There's no such thing as too many coasters, right?

Mirace-Gro Groables - Basil: ($1)  We already have a rather sizeable basil plant but J and I are sort of plant hoarders so we'll never say no to another one.

Orly Cake Pop: ($8)  I adore this milky pink shade.  It's just begging for nail art.

Orly BB Creme: ($15)  I feel so weird when my nails are naked, but maybe this will be good for the times I'm just too lazy to do something creative or dramatic with my nails.

Ofra Brushes - #11 & #20: ($15.95 & $29.95)  I already have several shadow brushes but, really, is there such a thing as too many makeup brushes?  The only odd thing about these is that they smell vaguely of paint.

Palmetto Derma Collagen Booster Restoration Serum: ($48)  I'm always a little hesitant to try serums as my skin is very acne-prone.  This has a lot of good reviews, even from people with acne, so I'm going to give it a shot.

Cosmos Creations - Salted Caramel: ($1.31)  I've had these before.  They're sort of a sweet version of Cheetos...both in texture and in addictiveness. 

Yasi Tattoos: FFF values these at $36 but that seems way excessive.  Also, I'm not sure that I'd want to wear a tattoo that says "swallow."

Hello Fresh Coupon: I've been debating trying Hello Fresh, so maybe this will be the incentive I needed.

Total Value: $205, not including Hello Fresh coupon and the tattoos

It's not an altogether bad box, but I think I liked the Winter box better.  I am excited to see how my skin likes the serum, though.

March Fandom of the Month Club Review - Doctor Who

The Box: Fandom of the Month Club

The Price: $15.99/month

The Goods:  Jewelry themed around a specific fandom every month.

Doctor Who Bracelet:  The bracelet is stamped with "We're all stories in the end."  I absolutely adore this.  It's simple but has meaning even if you're not a Whovian.

Dalek Ring: This is my least favorite piece of the three, but I still quite like it.  The back of it is adjustable - fortunately it actually fits me when it's at it's tightest.  I just wish it were silver.

Tardis Necklace: I wore this a couple days ago and got several compliments on it.  It's a pretty substantial piece; the Tardis is about an inch tall but has quite a bit of weight to it.

FotMC is similar to Loot Crate in that the months will be very hit or miss based on whether or not you like the specific fandom.  Fortunately, she posts spoiler hints on Instagram so you can unsub if you're not into the next month's.