March Weight Loss

Good Morning lovelies, I can't believe it's already the last day of March, it's hard to believe that three months have gone by since the start of the new year. 

I don't really have much to say today, so I'm just going to jump into this months weight loss update!

Diet: 

This month I actually did really well with my diet. I've been focusing on trying to find low-calorie and healthy snacks and I found two that I absolutely love. 

My #1 fave snack is the tropical tie-dye flavored Fruit Roll-Ups, they're only 40 calories each and they're made of real fruit.

My #2 fave snack is the Original Rice Krispy treats, they're only 80 calories, and they make me feel full so I don't feel the need to keep snacking.

I know they probably aren't the best options, but I'm a very picky eater, and they just happen to be low-calorie, so I really don't care.

Exercise:

 I've been sick pretty much all month and I've just been focusing on trying to get better. And because I've been sick I haven't really been exercising. I did start using my 5-pound hand weights again and I've also been trying to get back into a routine of doing squats.

 I was going to sign up this month at the gym, but with me being sick I've been getting short of breath and I think going to the gym like that would be a bad combination!

So did I lose any weight?

Weight Lost This Week:  -7 Pounds

Total Weight Loss:          8 Pounds

Unfortunately I didn't lose any weight this month, I actually gained three pounds. But to be honest I was kind of expecting it. I'm having trouble coming up with the words to explain how I feel, but all I get is blah. That's how I feel, March was just one big blob of blah! 

That's all for today, tomorrow I'm going to be posting some of my favorite Dresses for Spring, and then on Wednesday I'll be posting My Top 10 Authors Whose Book I've Never Read, so don't forget to check back for that!

XoXo,

     Lori 

Weekly Inspiration

March Goals Update

Earlier this month I shared with you some of the goals I hoped to achieve in March, and today I want to update you about them.

Open a savings account with my birthday money.

Finish College Prep American History Part 1.

Start College Prep American History Part 2.

Take my Algebra 1 Part 1 Quarter 1 Exam.

Read 3 Books.

Finish unboxing my bedroom.

Less junk food, and only one soda a week. 

Clean out my closet, and sell or donate old clothes.

Start the search for a new mattress and box spring.

Write 5,000 words for my new novel idea.

I think I did really well this month, I accomplished most of what I wanted to get done. Towards the end of the month I did get sick and so it kept me from finishing some of my goals, but I'll explain that below.

Open a savings account.
The reason I didn't get this accomplished is because I forgot that I have to get my address changed on my ID before I can open an account.

Finish College Prep American History Part 1.
I accomplished most of this, this month, but due to me being sick I wasn't able to finish it. I'm still not feeling to well, but I'm starting to catch up and get back on track.

Take my Algebra 1 Part 1 Quarter 1 Exam .
Honestly I just didn't feel like doing taking my test, so I didn't. I'll get to it, eventually.

Write 5,000 words for my new novel idea.
I actually decided to just keep writing for my original idea, but hopefully I'll get to start on my new idea soon. But I did manage to write a little more than 2,000 words for my original idea.


That's all for today, I can't believe that this month is almost over!
XoXo,
    Lori

5 Words: Week 63

I'm just going to be honest with you I don't have anything to say today, so all I'm going to say is that I hope you have a good weekend.

Here's this week's 5 Words...

Conflagration- An extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property.

Cupidity- Greed for money or possessions.

Deleterious- Causing harm or damage.

Desiccated- Remove the moisture from (something, esp. food), typically in order to preserve it.

Diaphanous- (esp. of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent.

          Well that's all for this week, don't forget to check back on Sunday for a little bit of inspiration!
                                                                                XoXo,
                                                                                    Lori

School Haul??

I wasn't really sure what to call this post, but since most of the stuff in this post is used for school, I decided School Haul was the best title, for now that is.

Last month I mentioned I was planning on getting a new computer and a new camera, and I did, so I wanted to show them to you.

Obviously I can't use a camera to do my school work, but I do use it for blogging, so that's why I chose to include it.

I was originally planning on ordering a 15.6" Macbook Pro, but I decided to wait till next year to splurge on that. So for now I bought a HP Pavilion TouchSmart Notebook. So far I'm really liking it, and I love the touch screen!

Instead of ordering online, I went to our local Staples store and they setup the computer and added on all of my programs. 

BUT, there was a problem. They gave me the wrong laptop!

Then, when I took it back, I found out that I actually paid $200 more for that laptop than the one I asked for. Unfortunately by then laptop I asked for was no longer on sale, and if I wanted it, then I would have had to of paid and extra $300 to get the one I originally wanted!!!

In the end my mom and I decided that she would take the non-touch screen laptop, and I would get the touch screen till next year when I no longer need it. We didn't get what we anted but ya know shit happens! 

After talking to the manager he apologized for what happened, and gave us a $20 in-store credit. So below is what I got with that $20.

The in-store credit got me 10 notebooks, 2 gold series writing pads, 1 planner pad, 1 pack of Bic pens, and 1 little notepad.  

I also bought an extra 10 notebooks because those are my favorites and I was down to my last one at home.

I also made a trip to the bookstore and I bought these little beauties.

I know I'm a huge dork a Sudoku book and a book about Mythology!

That's all for today, I hope you enjoyed my little story, and of course my dorkiness!

   XoXo,

          Lori 

Book Review: Maureen Child- Baby Bonanza

         Today I will be reviewing 'Baby Bonanza' by Maureen Child, I got this book through iTunes iBooks for free. At this time you can also get this book through the Kindle app for free.

         'Baby Bonanza' is a Harlequin Desire novel, and it is part of the Billionaires and Babies Series. It is 186 pages long, and took me 3 hours to read.

         For a while now I've been trying to stay away from series, because I'm not wanting to get into another series at the moment. Technically 'Baby Bonanaza' is part of the Billionaires and Babies series, but the best thing is that the books are meant to be read as standalone novels, none of them are connected, and there are 42 books all written by different authors.

          Since my e-book version didn't have a blurb, here is one from Amazon that I trimmed down.

     "Twins? The startling revelation that his affair with Jenna Baker had produced two little boys was almost impossible to grasp. Tycoon Nick Falco had never considered himself the settling-down type, yet now that fatherhood has been thrust upon him, he was determined to give his sons his name. But their mother wasn't about to let him back into her life.... at least not without those three little words Nick had never, ever said."

What did I think?     4 STARS

Like: No unnecessary characters and story lines.

Dislike: Nothing.

     I really enjoyed this book, and it's probably the best Harlequin novel I've ever read. Most Harlequin novels are too short, and leave you not knowing the rest of the story, but this book really wrapped up all story lines, and ended perfectly.

     What I liked about this book the most is that there weren't any unnecessary characters or story lines, it stuck to the story, and didn't go off course.

     I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read.  This is the type of book that once you start the story line hits the ground running, but you won't feel like you missed out on anything. Before this book I'd never read any of Maureen Child's books, but I will definitely be looking into reading more of her books.

      So that's all for today, I hope you like my little review, let me know what you think in the comments. Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations?

             XoXo, 

                    Lori 

Monday Reading

If you watch The Voice then read this about the contracts contestants have to sign! 

I think all schools should do this, it would raise so much money to buy new books and equipment!

If you're and Amazon Associate, make sure you read this!

Need a  Spring Cleaning Checklist? Here's a free printable!

Overlooked European Travel Destinations

XoXo,
      Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Via

    One of the things I hate the most in the world, is when someone tries to make someone else feel bad, by telling them that somebody else in the world has it worse than they do. Someone else is always going to have it worse, but it doesn't mean that other peoples problems aren't serious too.


                                            Goal: Don't invalidate your feelings.

                                                                         

5 Words: Week 62

It is officially Spring, so I'm hoping that little fact has lifted your spirits, and that you enjoy your weekend knowing that warmer weather is on it's way!

Here's this week's 5 Words...

Aspersion- An attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something.

Buttress- A projecting support of stone or brick built against a wall.

Capricious- Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. 

Clemency- Mercy; lenience.

Concomitant- Naturally accompanying or associated.

           Well that's all for this week, don't forget to check back on Sunday for a little bit of inspiration!
                                                                                XOXO,
                                                                                        Lori

Spring Favorites from Nordstrom

It's that time of year again, the weather is starting to warm up, and the snow is melting. It's time to put away those heavy winter coats and bust out your lightweight jackets.

It's Springtime!

You all know that Fall and Winter is my favorite time of year, but I also like Spring. I'm happy for the longer days and warmer weather, I'm just not looking forward to Summer. I know, I know, I'm not like all the other bloggers you follow who can't wait for Summer to get here, but that's just me!

So to get in the mood for the new season I thought today that I would share with you some of my Spring picks from Nordstrom.

1. Leith Triangle Pendant Necklace 

2. SPROUT Watches Diamond Owl Watch. 37mm 

3. Kate Spade New York Stud Earrings 

4. Free People Lace Trim Trapeze Tunic Dress

5. Maggy London Belted Print Chiffon High / Low Dress 

6. Splendid Ribbed Waterfall Cardigan
7. Lush Cage Strap Floral Dress

8. 7 For All Mankind 'The Skinny' Stretch Jeans (Spring Grey)
9. Bobeau Asymmetric Knit Maxi Skirt
10. kensie Faux Leather Inset Leggings
11. SP Black Destroyed Low Rise Skinny Jeans (White)

That's all for today, so let me know what you think in the comments, and don't forget to follow if you haven't already!

XoXo,
         Lori

Review: OPI Nail Lacquer

         Today I will be reviewing the OPI Nail Lacquer  in Tickle My France-y. I bought this a few weeks ago at Krogers for about $8.00, I've said before that I hate paying more than $4.00 for nail polish, but I couldn't resist.

        The reason I chose this color is because I don't have anything like it, and  I wanted a new nude color. 

                                

    This was my first OPI nail polish so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was definitely satisfied with the results. I applied two coats of the nail polish, and I forgot to apply a topcoat, but it still lasted for 6 days with hardly any chipping.

                                               

What do I think?

    I really loved this nail polish, I was a little scared about it at first because after the first coat it didn't really look the way I wanted it to. But after I applied the second coat it looked just like I imagined it would.

    I would totally recommend this nail polish to anyone, I think the color is perfect, and this is a nail polish every woman needs in her collection.

    Well that's all for today, let me know what you think in the comments. Will you be buying this? Have you tried it already?

XoXo,

       Lori 

Pinterest Finds

Happy Monday lovelies, I wish you good luck today, it's a new day, and you can make it what you want!

1. Quote about modesty.

2. Another quote about modesty.

3. Robert Frost

4. I love the blue, it blends so well with the rest of her hair.

5. Rocky River Cave, Warren Co., Tennessee

Well that's all for this months Pinterest Finds, I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to hit the follow button if you wanna see more!
XoXo,
     Lori

Weekly Inspiration

Via

    There comes a time in life where you have to stop playing it safe and take a chance. Sometimes it's worth it, and sometimes you realize it was a mistake, but regardless of the outcome, if you don't do it, you will always wonder 'What if I had done that? Where would I be today?'.


                               Goal:  Take a risk, and do something you've always wanted to do.

                                                                           

5 Words: Week 61

Happy Friday, I hope you have a great weekend! This week we have a them of the letter A.

Here's this week's 5 Words....

Abrogate- Repeal or do away with ( a law, right, or formal agreement).

Acerbic- (esp. of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright.

Adumbrate- Report or represent in outline.

Alacrity- Brisk and cheerful readiness.

Anathema- Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes.

            Well that's all for this week, don't forget to check back on Sunday for a little bit of inspiration!
                                                                                XoXo,
                                                                                    Lori

10 Things to Let Go of Before Your Next Birthday

     Letting go can be hard, but once you let go of the things holding you back you realize just how freeing it is. This article from Marc and Angel Hack Life lists 50 Things to Let Go of Before Your Next Birthday.  

     Today I want to highlight 10 of these that can be benefit you this year. I decided to post this today because today is my birthday, and to me it just seemed like the perfect time to share this post with you.

1. Let go of feeling like you aren't making progress fast enough.

   You're wasting time worrying about not progressing in life, instead of worrying try working harder to get where you want to be.

2. Let go of the idea that you have too much to lose.

      If you keep up with this mindset then you're never going to accomplish anything in life. Life is full of risks, sometimes you take a big risk and fall on your ass, but when you fall, you gotta get back up, and keep trying.

3. Let go of worrying about everyone else's opinions of your life.

It's YOUR life, stop letting other people's opinions get to you. Do what YOU want to do, not what other people want you to do. Yes listen to their suggestions, if they really are trying to be helpful, but don't let them make decisions for you.

 It's your life, you have to take over and take control of it sometime!

4. Let go of making the same mistakes over and over.

If you're making the same mistakes over and over, then you obviously didn't learn your lesson the first time. The point of making mistakes is to learn from them, if you choose not to learn from them, then you're just going to keep making the same mistakes over and over again.

5. Let go of one-sided relationships.

    Last year I decided to let go of people who weren't really there for me. They would send the occasional "We need to hang out sometime", but they never really seemed to put a real effort into the relationship. After I made this realization I cut them off, and once I did I felt so much better, I no longer felt like the back-up friend who was there when their other friends canceled on them, I felt free for the first time in a long time.

6.  Let go of those who have never been there for you.

     This kinda ties into #5, holding on to people who are never there for you can really hurt you, letting go of those people is so much easier than you think, and once you do, you no longer feel hurt when they aren't there and you needed them.

7. Let go of ugly words.

    Stop putting yourself down, no matter what anyone says you're beautiful.

8. Let go of the need to always feel comfortable.

  I'm not going to lie, I've always felt the need to be comfortable, and because of that I turned down amazing opportunities, and now I regret it.
Sometimes it takes being out of your comfort zone, to be able to really live life, and discover who you are. 

9. Let go of yesterday.

Yesterday is in the past, there is nothing you can do to change what happened,  no matter how much you want to. The only thing you CAN do is move on, and learn from the past.

10. Let go of the idea that it's too late to start over.

      You can always start over, it's never too late to ask for a second chance at life. You may feel alone, and it may take time to get your life back on track, but it's never too late to take back your life and make it better.


That's all for today, I'll be back tomorrow with 5 Words!
XoXo,
         Lori 

TAG: Would You Rather Beauty Edition

     I've been trying to do a TAG once a month, and I recently came across this TAG so I thought I would use it for today's post.  As always I tag all of you, so don't forget to leave a link in the comments so I can see yours too!  I also want to Tag the lovely Elizabeth over at Closer Than Yesterday .

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses, or lose all your palettes and eye-shadows?

    I would rather lose all my eye-shadows, cause you can always smudge a colored eyeliner to use as eye-shadow.

2.  Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

   Cut it all off.

3.  Would you rather have a coral cheek or pink cheek?

   I always wear a pink cheek, I don't even own a coral colored blush.

4.  If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

   Clothes.

5.  Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

    Eyeliner as lipstick.

6.  Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

     Definitely Sephora, because they sell my favorite brands.

7.  Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or only one lip color for the rest of your life?

     One lip color because I only own one lip color as it is. Carmex is what I wear on a  daily basis, I only wear color on my lips for special occasions.

8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in the summer or summer clothes in the winter?

    Summer clothes in the winter, cause you can always add on more layers if you get cold.

9.  Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

    Dark nails, my go to nail color is black.

10.  Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

     Lip product. I could never give up my eyeliner, I love it too much.

11.  Would you rather only be allowed to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

      I'd rather a messy bun, and that's because all of my hair would be up and out of my way, especially in the summer when it gets hot.

12.  Would you rather never be able to paint your nails or never be able to wear lip gloss?

     Never wear lip gloss. I always have something on my nails, as for my lips Carmex is all I use.

13.  Would you rather shave off all your eyebrows or have to sharpie them in everyday?

     Shave them off, they're already so blonde you can hardly see them, so it wouldn't really make a difference.

14.  Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

       Makeup,  I hardly ever wear it, but I always have my nails done.

    Well that's all for today, I hope you liked it, don't forget to follow if you wanna see more blog posts.
                                                                    XoXo,
                                                                        Lori

Review: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail polish

      Today I will be reviewing the Sally Hansen Nail Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear nail polish in 130 Blue Me Away! I bought this a few years ago at Walmart for $2.50, and I decided to review it today because it's super bright, and I really wanna get back into doing reviews every week.

                              

   This is a nail polish that I have used for years, and I've always loved it and still do to this day.

    As you can see it's super bright, and I got so many compliments on it, it really is the perfect light blue nail polish.

                             

   I think the reason I love the Xtreme Wear Sally Hansen nail polishes  so much is because they last so long, AND they're affordable. What more could you want out of a nail polish?

   Would I recommend it? OF COURSE, I don't think I've ever found a nail polish from the Xtreme Wear line that I don't like, they're all just so perfect.

    So that's all for today, come back for more tomorrow.

      XoXo,

                Lori 

March Playlist

We are into the second week of March, and last week actually wasn't too bad. I took my first History test and made an 80%. I'm actually pretty happy with that grade considering the test was over the entire first Unit.

This months playlist consists of a lot of country music, 5 out of the 8 songs on this playlist are country, and I love it!

That's all for today lovelies, I'll be posting everyday this week (except Saturday), so check back for me posts!

XoXo,
           Lori 

Weekly Inspiration

Via

     We all have that one fear that keeps us from doing what we want in life. My biggest fear in life is failure, and everyone telling me "I told you so", but I realized towards the end of last year that if I didn't let go of that fear, then that's exactly what was going to happen. If I didn't let go, then I wouldn't be able to do what I needed to do, to prove them all wrong.


                             Goal:  Make the decision today to leave your fears in the past.

5 Words: Week 60

    Happy Friday everyone, I hope you had a lovely weekend, and I hope the first week of March wasn't too hard on you!

Here's this week's 5 Words...

Cafuné-  To repeatedly run your fingers through someone's hair.

Lacuna- An unfilled space or interval; a gap.

Mot Juste- The exact, appropriate word.

Estival- Belonging to or appearing in summer.

Clemency- Mercy; lenience.

            Well that's all for this week, don't forget to check back on Sunday for a little bit of inspiration!

                                                                                XOXO,
                                                                                        Lori Ann

My Top 5 Beauty Products Under 5 Dollars

  Today I thought I'd take a break from doing reviews and do something a little different. I'm going to show you my Top 5 Beauty Products Under 5 dollars.

                         

1. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle  $2.99 at Walmart.

 - This is hands down my favorite conditioner, it's even better than the conditioner my hairstylist uses. Normally I use this twice a week, butvfor the past month I've been using it everyday to prep my hair for the damage I knew my hair would go through last week when I dyed it. I also use this alongside my Moroccan Argan Oil, you can see my blog post about it (here)

2. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish  $2.50 at Walmart.

 - For this one I'm lumping the entire collection together because I love every single nail polish in this line. If you've been reading my blog for a while then you know that I love these nail polishes, I've reviewed many in the past, and I have more reviews coming up over the next few weeks.

3. Wet & Wild Eye Shadow Palette in C246 Greed    $1.99 at Kmart.

  -  This is my most used beauty product, I don't wear makeup often, but when I do I use this palette to do my eyes.

4.  E.L.F Eyeliner Brush    $1.00

 - This is my favorite makeup brush ever, and I use it every time I wear makeup.  I probably have three of these brushes one I use, one as a back-up, and then I cut one into an angled brush.

5. Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner  $4.49 at Walmart.

 - I cannot believe I've lived my entire life without this eyeliner, it is the most amazing beauty product I've ever used. I use this to line my bottom waterline, and I use it to tight-line my upper waterline. Once you put this on your skin it does not budge, and it will not smudge, it is the BEST THING EVER!!!

   Well that's all for today, I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to follow me if you want to see more.

        XoXo,

                    Lori Ann

Review: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish

   Today's post is a review of the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Polish in 320 Fuchsia Power. I've had this nail polish for about 3 or 4 years, I got it at Walmart for $2.50.

    This nail polish is a really pretty, bright fuchsia color. In the picture it looks like more of a red, but that's just because I couldn't get it to photograph correctly.

What Do I Think?

  In the pictures I'd had it on for about a week, and that's without a topcoat. It did chip a little, but not too much.
    Just like with all of the other nail polishes in the Xtreme Wear line, I would totally recommend this nail polish, I absolutely love it.
     Also have you noticed I've finally grown out of my glitter nail polish obsession? That's all for today, don't forget to follow to receive more posts.
                                                              XOXO,
                                                                    Lori Ann

Goals for March

Hello lovelies, I can't believe March is here and it's time for me to make new goals already!

Via

This month my goals are going to focus around school and I'm also going to be focusing on getting back to writing this month.

 I've had writers block since mid-December, and I haven't been able to write at all. Friday night I wrote 250 words for my current work in progress, and then early Sunday morning I came up with an idea for a new book, so I'm not sure which I'm going to be working on, but I'll keep you updated.

Open a savings account with birthday money.

Finish College Prep American History Part 1.

Start College Prep American History Part 2.

Take my Algebra 1 Part 1 Quarter 1 Exam.

Read 3 books.

Finish unboxing my bedroom.

Less junk food, and only one soda a week.

Clean out my closet and sell or donate old clothes.

Start the search for a new mattress and box spring.

Write 5,000 words for my new novel idea.

That's all for today, don't forget to follow if you wanna see more blog posts!

XoXo,

        Lori Ann

Weekly Inspiration

 
     I think we all have those days where we just wanna tell everyone to go fuck themselves and to leave us alone. Yeah I have those days too, very often! When it comes to bully's or other shitty people in your life, you just need to remember that they're the ones who have the problem not you.

  Goal:  Ignore the people who try to tear you down. When they try to bring you down, give them a big smile in return, turn your back, and go on with your life, they're not worth your time.