Monday Motivation: The Miracle Morning

September 17, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I have a confession to make…I fell off the Miracle Morning bandwagon these past few months. I’m still doing bits and pieces here and there but I haven’t gotten up early in a while. Life happened and things got really stressful for a while so I just needed some extra sleep. But today – today was different. I woke up motivated to get back on track. These things that I am doing will lead me to the right path but only if I’m consistent with them. So it’s time to start over and get fired up. This video from Rachel Hollis is a great motivator.

Needless to say, I finished her book Girl, Wash Your Face ASAP. So here are a few of the Miracle Morning SAVERS that are speaking to me right now.

Silence

I’m still loving the Headspace app, but we did have the Meditation Works van come to work a few weeks ago and it was awesome to get out of the office and really leave those thoughts behind. I like the idea of going to a special place to meditate, even if it is outside on my patio while the weather is still nice.

Affirmations & Visualization

I’m putting these two together because I think I need to have both of them more visible and present in my life. In Rachel Hollis’ book she suggests posting things up in her closet because she can see it every day. While I love my affirmations and visualization apps it might be good to have them a little more in my face on the regular. I LOVE this Maison Rouge Lamartine Shabby Chic Distressed Antique Ivory Wood Wall Memo Board ($70.99).

Exercise

I need to get some exercise motivation, so I was thinking about trying a new class once a week and see how I liked it. I REALLY want to start with cardio drumming and I found the POUND workout series, but can’t find many around where I live. If anyone knows of a good class let me know! I found one on Friday nights so I will definitely share on my social posts if I make it out there, but if anyone knows of a good morning class in Oakland County sign me up!

Reading

As I mentioned above, I recently finished Girl, Wash Your Face and LOVED everything about it. Rachel (I’m going to pretend that we’re on a first name basis) is so inspiring and motivating. I haven’t been this fired up in a while. I’ve also read The Body Book by Cameron Diaz, The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, Successful Philanthropy by Jean Shafiroff, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. I’m currently working on The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley.

Scribing

I’m taking a page out of Katie Dalebout’s book (Let it Out if you haven’t seen my last post on the Miracle Morning) and trying to work on her HappyThankYouMorePlease prompt. This is where you create a note in your phone called “HappyThankYouMorePlease” and anytime a good feeling washes over you, you take out your phone and complete this sentence: “Thank you for_____________________________; more please.” Then you have this wonderful long note of gratitude to pull back out and look at when you are feeling down. It is based on a movie by Josh Radnor (a.k.a. Ted Mosby for all my HIMYM fans) that I have been meaning to watch:

How are you staying motivated for the Miracle Morning? For more Miracle Morning posts, click here.




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Repair Your Hair with Olaplex

September 11, 2018 by 1 Comment

I’ve mentioned my tragically thin hair many times here on the blog and over the past few years have gone on quite the journey to repair it. As you may have noticed, I used to wear extensions every day for a few years (which I loved and gave me the hair I always dreamed of) and I also used WEN for a long time, which if you want to look it up was involved in a class action lawsuit for people’s hair actually falling out. I remember about mid way into my extension journey some coworkers wanted to see what I looked like without my extensions and I took a picture for them. I was horrified. I couldn’t believe how little hair I actually had left. I took this picture in 2015 and am sharing it so you can see the difference. Even looking at it now makes me want to cry at how damaged my hair was…I am practically bald!

After that picture, I decided to start slowly taking out my extensions. Every six weeks I would take out a weft so it looked more gradual. I also was doing a number of other things to help grow my hair:

  1. Taking Biotin
  2. Taking Prenatal vitamins
  3. Stopped using the round brush
  4. Stopped using heat to blow dry my hair (I use the coldest setting possible)
  5. Switched my part every six weeks

A few months ago I was visiting my sister (who has a cosmetology license) after getting my hair done and she asked me if my hair dresser was using heat on my hair when I got it highlighted (she was) and she suggested that I was going too blonde which is why my hair wasn’t growing. I started thinking about it and doing some research. Other women go blonde all the time and don’t have problems, but if you compare pictures of me from college (when I could only afford to get my hair done every six months on my bday and Christmas) it had a lot more length and thickness. So I stumbled across this article from Marie Claire and this one and a few other ones (which I can’t find again unfortunately) and heard the word Olaplex. I had never heard of Olaplex before and was intrigued! Apparently all the celebrities had been using it for years to go blonde and not kill their hair.

You can also follow Justin Anderson on Instagram as he shares all the celebrities he uses Olaplex on including, Jennifer Aniston, Margot Robbie, Kristina Schulman, Lauren Bushnell, Kristin Cavallari and so many others.

Right about the time I was discovering this, Olaplex came out with some at home treatments that I could try on my hair. They have an intensive treatment that you can use after coloring and about once a week and a shampoo and conditioner that you can use every day at home. Now I haven’t been using these long enough to give you a comprehensive “after” picture, but I have noticed a HUGE difference in my hair and I finally feel like I’m going in the right direction. I wanted to try the at home treatments first before I invested in the salon treatments to bring to my stylist. Once I start doing that I feel like we will see an even bigger difference. At my last hair appointment I also stopped going under the dryer when I get my highlights.

Even better news is that Olaplex is now carried at Sephora so you can get the Hair Perfector ($28), Bond Maintenance Shampoo ($28) and Bond Maintenance Conditioner ($28) right at your local store or online. AND you can earn points at the same time…win-win. Olaplex actually REBUILDS the damage in your hair and makes it better. I have never found anything that gave me better results. If you can use the Hair Perfector overnight that yields the best results, especially with hair like mine. I try to do this when I can on a Sunday night and wash it out Monday morning. As you can see in this picture my hair looks a lot better than it did in 2015. This has a lot to do with the list above and I hope to have an even better picture after amping up my Olaplex use. In this picture I had just started using the Olaplex Hair Perfector.

Have you had experience rebuilding your hair? I would love to hear your success stories! Next on my list will be investing in the Olaplex 1 and 2 treatments for my stylist.

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September Pinspired: Back to School

September 10, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I LOVE going back to school…except I no longer get to do it…boo hoo. The excitement of a new backpack, schedule, trapper keeper, planner, folders, all the things used to get me so jazzed! I couldn’t wait to start all over again. I am trying to channel that back to school energy into my professional life and thought what better way to do it then to invest in a “back to school/work” outfit.

I have a tendency to wear a lot of dresses at work because they are easy, comfortable and versatile. Throw in some tights and all of your summer dresses work for fall and winter too! Then I came to the realization that I don’t have a lot of work pant outfits and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to change it up with a new look. I found a winner here. This outfit is the perfect mix of comfort and style. with our new dress for your day policy I struggle to find something that isn’t so much more dressed up than everyone else, but also isn’t too casual for me. I’ve seen all my coworkers sporting these dusters (hello early 2000’s) and figured that I can throw some yoga pants on when I get home and be set.

I’m starting with the hardest thing first, the pants. I settled on the Gap Skinny Ankle Pants ($32.97) that look casual but still dressy for work.

Ann Taylor had a great Drapey Cami ($59.50) that is perfect for layering:

Madewell’s Kent Cardigan Sweater ($98) looks almost too cozy for work!

The best part of this outfit may be the shoes and these Steve Madden Daisie Pumps ($99.98) are very sexy:

It’s a little different than the photo, but I’ve been coveting the Stella & Dot Rebel Pendant ($79) for years and it would look great with this ensemble.

In true Elizabeth fashion, I spent the most time looking for the perfect bag. It’s a little different than the picture but I just LOVED the detail on the Nine West Aury Tote ($99):

I cannot wait to get this look in my closet for fall! What are your favorite fall combinations?

For more Pinspired looks click here.




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Splurge vs. Steal: Chanel Classic Handbag

August 13, 2018 by Leave a Comment

From the first time I saw Charlotte (Kristin Davis) clutch her Chanel bag on Sex and the City I was hooked! Every girl needs one of her own, but with the $5,900 price tag, it’s not something I am going to get for a while. Instead, I wanted to find a great dupe while I work on my Chanel fund. It’s not hard to find a wide range of celebrities with Chanel bags – they are timeless, especially the classic bag.

So you might notice that the Chanel bag currently sports the interlocking CC logo as the lock, but the original bags had what they call the “mademoiselle lock.” Karl Lagerfeld added the logo lock in the 80s, so my dupe today could actually look more vintage. The Chanel Classic Large Handbag costs a cool $5,900. I also never realized that the bags have a burgundy leather lining and it was chosen specifically by Coco Chanel because she wore a uniform of the same color in the orphanage where she grew up. I found a great steal from Jollque with their Women’s Chain Quilted PU Leather Shoulder Bag ($35.80).

I think this is a fantastic alternative for $35.80 if you are saving up to invest in a real Chanel bag. With this price point, there’s really no reason not to scoop it up. In any case, this bag is the ultimate in classic looks and can dress up any outfit.

Do you have a splurge that you want me to find a steal for? Let me know in the comments. Or let me know if you find another steal for the Chanel Classic Handbag.

For more Splurge vs. Steal posts, click here.




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Go Crazy with Me at the Crazy Rich Asians Screening

August 5, 2018 by 5 Comments

Disclosure: I received complimentary passes to the screening in exchange for this post. Scroll down for your chance to win tickets to the screening.

Ever since Sex and the City introduced me to luxury brands in the 90’s, I have been ogling that luxury lifestyle. Crazy Rich Asians offers all that and more. Just think opulence, grandeur, big sets, big families, big money. I had actually heard of the book before I was invited to attend the screening, I just hadn’t had the chance to read it. Now that I have, I can share that it is the perfect chick lit read for summer. Can you imagine being invited to meet your boyfriend’s family only to discover that they are obscenely rich?

The plot follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life.  It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors.

The movie officially opens in theaters August 15, but the date is actually lucky. The movie will launch in the 8th month, in a year ending with 8. Apparently 8 is a lucky number in the Chinese culture so this premiere has even more significance. Crazy Rich Asians would make the perfect book club read and the author Kevin Kwan has additional sequels China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Maybe this will be a fun trilogy!

In addition, Warner Bros. has partnered with Live Love Polish to create a special nail polish line just for the movie with colors like Class and Sass, That’s Rich, Wedding of the Century, Family DrAhMa, Kitty Pong Purple, and Something Blue, you can find the whole set here for $89.99.

If you would like to join me for an advance screening to Crazy Rich Asians, enter below for your chance to win a pair of passes for Thursday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m. at MJR Troy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read the book? I would love to hear your favorite part in the comments.

For more movie posts and recaps, click here.




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I Feel Pretty Giveaway

July 30, 2018 by 13 Comments

Disclosure: I received a complimentary box of goodies to give away in exchange for this post. Scroll down for your chance to win them for yourselves.

I can’t tell you how much I LOVED I Feel Pretty. So much so that I felt compelled to do another post about it and give away some fun goodies so you can experience it for yourself. Now that I Feel Pretty is out on DVD/available for download you have no excuse not to host the ultimate girls night in with your friends and tell them that they are all beautiful.

I Feel Pretty has an amazing message. Women have always been told to focus on their flaws. If you eavesdrop on a conversation between friends, at some point you will hear them complain about something that they don’t like about themselves. This is terrible for us, instead of always tearing ourselves down we should be focusing on the things that ARE amazing about each other.

In the movie, Amy Schumer’s character has low self-esteem and thinks she can’t compete with other women to achieve her dreams. Then she hits her head in a Soul Cycle class and all of a sudden sees herself as beautiful . The things that she is able to accomplish with that level of confidence are amazing! She just needed to believe in herself all along. There were so many moments in the movie that I could relate to and I’m sure other women could too.

So to launch my girl’s night in giveaway, I thought I would share a few reasons why I think I am beautiful in the hopes that you will do the same in the comment section.

10 Things That Make Me Beautiful

  1. My smile
  2. My compassion
  3. My eyes
  4. My sense of humor (I will laugh at all of your dumb jokes because I think they’re funny)
  5. The cupid’s bow on my lips
  6. My ability to see things through rose colored glasses
  7. My long fingers
  8. The drive to never give up
  9. My blonde hair
  10. My loyalty to family and friends

I also had fun messing around with the I Feel Pretty photo overlay for your FB profile pic, here. Which is a great girl’s night activity.

I would love to gift you and your friends the ultimate I Feel Pretty girl’s night in package and hope you enjoy the movie as much as I did. The package includes 2 lip balms, 2 compacts, 2 sets of makeup wipes, pop sockets, pins, sign, and 2 wine glasses. The bubbly is not included, but I definitely recommend it. Don’t forget to tell me one thing that makes you beautiful in the comments below and enter the giveaway.

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To see more movie posts, click here.




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Dance Your Way to the Mamma Mia 2 Screening

July 10, 2018 by 4 Comments

Disclosure: I received complimentary passes to the screening in exchange for this post. Scroll down for your chance to win tickets to the screening.

Mamma Mia is a classic, so creating another reason to get together and dance it out in a Mamma Mia sequel sounds like a good time to me. Who doesn’t love dancing, Amanda Seyfried, ABBA, Cher and Greece? Put that all together and you have a fun girls night out for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

It’s been ten years since Mamma Mia hit theaters so it’s about time for us to sing, dance, laugh and love all over again. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! takes place on the magical Greek island of Kalokairi with all of your favorite ABBA songs. The film goes back and forth in time to show how relationships forged in the past resonate in the present, Lily James will play the role of Young Donna.

Mamma Mia is a timeless coming of age story with a fantastic soundtrack. Amanda Seyfried always looks fabulous and no doubt will have the perfect wardrobe. For a preview, you can get her SHEIN Striped Off Shoulder Tie Cuff Blouse for $12:

What are the Greek Isles without a fantastic bronzer? Tina Earnshaw is the makeup artist on the film and shares the top three bronzers and brushes she used on her website. They are Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base ($50), Tom Ford’s Ultimate Bronzer ($112), and the Terrybly Densiliss Sun Glow ($116):

Join me on Tuesday, July 17 for the advance screening of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again at 7 p.m. at the MJR Grand Digital Cinema Troy. Enter below for your chance to win a pair of tickets. Winners will be named on a first come, first serve basis and I will email you all the details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you miss the screening, you can still catch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again in theaters on Friday, July 20. What is your favorite ABBA song?

For more movie posts and recaps, click here.




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July Pinspired: Patriotic Pride

July 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I love themed looks and nothing is more fun than the Fourth of July for a red, white and blue look. I’ve always loved the fourth, because it is so close to my birthday and it was my grandmother’s birthday. Not to mention celebrating this crazy nations’s independence with fireworks, family and all the food! I stumbled across this adorable dress on Pinterest from When Gal Meets Glam and wanted to recreate her style.

I couldn’t find a similar red and white striped dress, but I did find the sweetest Melrose Sleeveless Checked Fit & Flare Dress from JCPenney!

On the flip side, I found a blue and white striped Nine West Striped Belted A-Line Dress from Macy’s:

I figured I would share some red and blue shoe options so you could accent your dress with the opposite. For the red shoe, these Charles by Charles David Lizzie Wedge Espadrilles are simple with a little pop of color:

For the blue option, these Lace Up Espadrille Wedges from Loft are so feminine!

I am definitely not a minimalist and love a statement piece, so these Callisto Drop Earrings from BaubleBar are the perfect accessory to top off the look – they look like fireworks!

What are your favorite looks for the 4th?

For more Pinspired looks click here.




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Wine of the Week: Chocolate Shop

June 13, 2018 by Leave a Comment

I first discovered Chocolate Shop during a Black Wine Night event. It was served as the dessert wine and it was like red wine and truffles all mixed into one. I’m not usually a huge fan of dessert wines, but this wine is different. It’s easy to drink and not too sweet that you can’t handle it.

Hal Landvoigt is the brains behind Chocolate Shop and from what I can see he is an innovator through and through. As much as I love tradition, I also love the idea of trying new things when it comes to wine…who knows what you’ll come up with? Chocolate Shop wine is a premium vinifera red wine with a natural dark chocolate flavor. What is vinifera you ask? Vitis vinifera is also referred to as the wine grape of which there are 5,000 to 10,000 different varieties.

Chocolate Shop wine is the perfect pairing of wine and dessert with notes of black cherry and dark chocolate satisfying all of our cravings in one perfect blend. This is a good blend to keep chilled. I like to use my Coravin with this wine so I can enjoy a glass here and there. This is also the perfect little treat if you are craving something sweet at the end of the night.

Have you tried “The Ultimate Chocolate Lover’s Wine?” What would you pair it with?

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.




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Brighten Your Smile with Carbon Coco

June 12, 2018 by 1 Comment

Disclosure: I received sample products from Carbon Coco in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

What if I told you that you could whiten your teeth by completely covering them in charcoal? Sounds gross, right? Well that’s exactly what I did with Carbon Coco and I was surprised by the results. Before I get into that, I wanted to give you a little background on my teeth. In 2014, my dentist told me that I had been grinding my teeth at night which caused tiny little fractures. This made my teeth SO sensitive to everything. I have to wear a mouth guard every night now to prevent more damage. One of the side effects of grinding is that it can start to yellow your teeth, but I was hesitant to use any whitening options because they were too strong for my sensitive teeth. Enter Carbon Coco.

Carbon Coco uses activated charcoal to remove toxins, stains, and plaque from your teeth through a process called adsorption, in which the charcoal binds with these particles and flushes them out. The only thing I knew about activated charcoal was that they use it in hospitals to pump people’s stomachs when they overdose so I did a little research. Carbon Coco’s charcoal is made from 100% certified organic coconut shell charcoal. What makes it “activated” is how it’s processed, with high heat making it more porous than regular charcoal. Activated charcoal has a negative electric charge so it can attract toxins and gases with a positive electric charge. Charcoal cannot be absorbed by the human body, so if you accidentally swallow some, your body will just pass it through.

Before you try just any activated charcoal on your teeth, remember that all charcoal products are not created equal. I mentioned above that my teeth are extremely sensitive so I have to be careful not to do any further damage to them. The FDA uses a scale called Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) which measures abrasiveness in all FDA approved dental products. They recommend a score of 200 or below on the scale. I found it interesting that most whitening toothpastes score between 100 to 200 RDA, but Carbon Coco’s toothpaste is 60 RDA and the tooth polish is 68 RDA. This struck a chord with me as being a great whitening option for my sensitive teeth.

With all my questions answered, I was ready to try out Carbon Coco. I’m glad I read some reviews before I did because it is MESSY! They recommend you do this at night, but someone suggested to do this in the shower and boy I’m glad I took that advice. I dipped the toothbrush into the tooth polish powder, popped it in my mouth, hopped in the shower and started brushing. When I spit it out and rinsed, it was so easy to pull the shower head down and rinse the mess down the drain. Then I followed up with the activated charcoal toothpaste and finished my shower.

I wasn’t expecting too much, but to my surprise my teeth were noticeably whiter and brighter! I was thrilled with the results and will definitely use this again. I will probably treat this like a face mask or something I do to get ready for a big occasion or photo op. It added a little extra time to my routine, but not much.

Have you tried Carbon Coco? I would love to hear about your results in the comments.

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