Texts from Darrell: Got Milk?

I drank the milk, now I'm coco loco

Blogalicious

One of my "resolutions" this year was to blog more. I was doing a great job for a while, there are so many holidays in the spring that it was easy and fun doing my "days of" challenges. So recently I haven't had much to say. I sort of missed out on blogging about anything for Memorial Day although I did celebrate. I'm always looking for new and different ideas to keep my blog fresh. During baseball season it can be tough with my hectic schedule. Aside from my Monday Morning Flowers blog series and my monthly Birchbox, I haven't had much to offer the blogging world. I'm inspired by brother's wife Sarah who recently started a blog, For the Hall of it... Her blogs are more like personal updates on her life, but she still makes them interesting and fun. She is currently pregnant so she always has new topics to discuss as her journey to motherhood continues. I have another friend who just got engaged so her blog is all about the life of a bride to be. Unfortunately I'm at a phase in life where things are just the same. I have a lot going on, but it isn't anything new or different. I'm not getting married, I'm not having kids, I'm just living my life. 

I saw the above image on someone's Facebook one day and thought, hey that's me. As I browse my newsfeed, it's filled with pictures of babies, bellies, engagement rings and wedding pictures. I spend my days browsing Pinterest and pinning ideas for those future things, but I'm just not there yet. 

Even though I probably have 10 different weddings planned on my "Marry Me" board, I do pin a lot of things that could be relevant in my life. Recipes, organizing tips, fashion and beauty stuff, etc. I just need to actually start executing some of these things so I can blog about them! So that will be my goal to help spice up my blog again for these lull months between holidays. I'm currently helping plan my cousin's bridal shower but I can't blog about it until it's over so that everything can be a wonderful surprise for her! Stay tuned for that in early July since the shower is end of June. Some other blog series I started that could use some new posts are my Cleaning out the cabinets, Creative Cocktails, and Photo Diary. I also completely failed on my Cooking Through the Months with my Betty Crocker calendar since the only recipe I tried was January's. Ultimately, even though I'm not personally getting married or having any babies, I still have a lot going on in life and just need to continue to keep up with my blog. Stay tuned...

Sampleicious: Birchbox Edition: May & June Boxes

As is typical in the life of someone who works in baseball, my spring and summer have been hectic. I had no doubts that I would get behind on my blogging and I have. Below see what I received in my May and June Birchboxes. 

I was so busy that I didn't even get pictures of the products in my May box. I remember opening it but aside from that I don't think I've done much with it. I'll list the products and then I'll have to update with reviews and pics. 

List of products:

Arquiste Flor y Canto

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream

FusionBeauty LipFusion Balm Lip Conditioning Stick SPF 15

Ojon damage reverse™ Restorative Conditioner

In honor of their season finale, this Birchbox was a special "Gossip Girl" edition so even though it had a couple less products, they might be bigger samples, fancier or more expensive than a typical box. I'm not really sure. 

First up is a sample of Arquiste Flor y Canto perfume. It runs for $165.00 for a 55 ml bottle so I'd say that's fancy and expensive. Birchbox describes it as long lasting with floral notes. I thought it smelled nice but not my favorite, and for that price, you'd have to love it!

Next up is Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream. I've heard of this brand before but not sure if I've actually used it. I've never had a need for a really good hand cream, my hands don't get too dry, so spending $19 on a tube of this probably wouldn't be in my budget. But for those that work in food or the medical field where they have to wash their hands all the time, something nice and powerful might be ideal. Birchbox describes it as having an appealing fruity scent thanks to it's botanical ingredients, ultra-concentrated and it even reduces fine lines on your hands. They also say that one tube will last for months, even if you use it multiple times a day. Maybe I'm changing my mind about the $19 being worth it...

Birchbox seems to be pretty consistent with putting one full size product in most boxes. For May it was the FusionBeauty LIpFusion Balm Lip Conditioning Stick SPF 15. Wow that was a mouthful! Thankfully the product is meant to condition your lips so you can handling saying it's long name. At $22 a stick, what a great deal it was for Birchbox to include this in their monthly $10 box! I'm always excited about a moisturizer lip balm that makes your lips soft and an SPF is a great bonus!

Finally for the May box, there was Ojon damage reverse Restorative Conditioner. Another small mouthful but this product is strictly for your hair! A conditioner isn't as easily sampled as a perfume, lotion or lip balm so I didn't try this at all yet. Birchbox says this is a daily deep conditioner that works on all hair types. It makes your hair stronger and healthier overtime. If it works, $25 is a very reasonable price for a salon quality conditioner. 

As a bonus, a  cute notecard was also included in my box. I don't write letters much anymore but hopefully I'll find a use for it. 

Now onto my June Birchbox which I just received this weekend. Finally getting caught up!

Each Birchbox seems to have a fun theme and June's is Jetsetter. 

List of products:

John Varvatos Star U.S.A. 1.7 oz

tili Bags Small Collection 1

Eyeko Fat Eye Stick

Likewise Facial Moisturizer + Sun Protectant SPF 50 Normal To Oily

Comodynes Self-Tanning Intensive

theBalm® cosmetics Stainiac

Birchbox actually recently started "Birchbox Man" so I think as a tease for that (and in honor of Father's Day as they stated), they included a men's cologne in this month's box. Luckily I have a boyfriend who loves trying new colognes so I was happy with the decision. The cologne they included is John Varvatos, heavy with juniper berries which Gary said he could really smell. The full size runs for $55  for 1.7 oz which is a typical cologne price. 

Fitting with the Jetsetter theme, the non-beauty product bonus this month was a small tili bag, perfect for storing your makeup or toiletries while traveling. These are super cute but probably unnecessary. A regular clear ziplock bag is more affordable. But someone like me would be tempted by taking something boring and making it fun! These come in packs of 12 with 3 different designs for $8.49.

When I opened my June box, I was excited to see another full size product. This Eyeko Fat Eye Stick caught my eye immediately. I quickly became disappointed though when I opened the box. As you can tell in the picture, the eyeshadow stick is melted. When I took the cap off, the entire stick came with it and I was unable to put it back together. I have informed Birchbox of this and am currently awaiting to see if they can replace it. I was looking forward to see what the Old Gold color, one Birchbox describes as metallic with olive undertones, would look like on my eyelids! Hopefully they right this wrong and I can still try it. At $15, this full size product was the best value in this Birchbox for sure.

I'm very curious to try this Likewise Facial Moisturizer. Birchbox describes it as an anti-aging serum, sunscreen and moisturizer all in one! If you follow my blog you may have seen my "Search for the Perfect Moisturizer" series a while back. I want a good moisturizer with an SPF but most ones with an SPF are too thick or smell too much like sunscreen. With this having an SPF 50, I'd be shocked if it wasn't like the others but there's only one way to find out...

These Comodyness Self-Tanning Intensive wipes are another product I'm extra curious about this month. I've heard of self-tanner wipes before but always been afraid to try them. A wipe seems to have a higher risk of streakiness than your hands or a spray, but I don't know for sure. Birchbox says these are a best-seller in Europe and that the formula adjusts to your skin tone which is awesome. At 14.99 for an 8 pack, they're cheaper than going to the tanning bed and a whole lot safer. If they work, maybe I'll become a fan!

The final product in the June box is Stainiac, a lip and cheek stain. As I'm writing this blog, Birchbox's site seems to be down on this one particular product so I don't currently have a further description. Having a rather pink skin tone, I've always been weary of cheek stains. I'm still curious to give it a shot though. Stay tuned...

June Blooms

Every series at the Trenton Thunder, we get a beautiful display from Monday Morning Flowers. I've always fallen in love with the different displays they do so for the 2012 season, I wanted to photograph each one and keep a blog on them. Check out my April Smiles and ...Brings May Flowers to see the creative arrangements they've provided thus far. Below check out some gorgeous June blooms.

June 1-4

I am such a huge fan of birds of paradise flowers. They're so elegant and exotic. They can really carry an arrangement. This display also includes other fun pops of color and unique elements including bamboo shoots, twine, berries and whatever that crazy fun sunburst looking flower is.

June 8-10

These arrangements are truly beautiful. The deep rich colors in the red and yellow go perfectly with the bright white flowers. The baskets that they are displayed in are also very cool. They are made to look like they came straight out of nature with a moss and twine design. I'll try to get a closer picture of those.

June 19-21:

Because of the team being on the road, we had to go a whole week without new flowers! Of course the 9-5 style work days were a nice relief, I was still excited when the new flower arrangements came in the door yesterday. The first thing I noticed were the stones in the bottom of the arrangement. I love the look of smooth rocks, whether in a garden, vase, flower arrangement or whatever. I think they look so elegant and modern. The rest of the arrangement is really built around the stones. Tall green plants and bright orange and yellow flowers help to complete the sleek look.

June 22-25

Our final June blooms were very bright and cheery. They came in cute little wooden boxes which I love for flowers. The bright yellow and white colors surely put smiles on our fans faces and the splash of purple added a fun touch. I can't wait to see what Monday Morning Flowers has in store for us in the month of July. Hopefully something patriotic to kick it off since our first game is on the fourth!