Lily Sky Avery 4-Piece Layering Bracelet Set (Retail Value: $52): I absolutely love these pieces and can’t wait to wear them.
Pivotal Cosmetics Facial Cooling Globes (Retail Value: $35): These are super cool and I wasn’t expecting this so I am in awe of them and can’t wait to try them out.
Belgian Boy Choco Stroopwafel (Retail Value: $4): I got this in another box so I was not impressed. I wish they had included another type of snack – it is however pretty tasty so I won’t complain too much about it.
Zona ‘Good Vibes Only’ Reusable Travel Mug (Retail Value: $22): Not sure I would purchase this for $22 but it is super cute and I look forward to using it.
Cambridge Proper Multi-Wear Bandeau (Retail Value: $18): I love the color of it – blue tie dye and that you can use it in a variety of ways. It can be rolled up to be a regular headband or unrolled as a hair band. It says their are 10 ways to use it so I’m going to go ahead and give it a try.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
This year sure went by quickly. Quicker than many other years in the past. I’m sure most of you can agree that there was a lot going on. I was able to jot a few things down about what I was up to – which wasn’t much since we were in lockdown for most of the year anyways.
January: This month was a pretty lazy month. I was excited to start a new year even though I wasn’t feeling very well for awhile.
February: The main event of this month was going to the Waikiki Aquarium with the family for my sisters birthday. We had a great time there – the kids had a blast. My favorite exhibit was the jelly fish so I made sure to get plenty of pictures of them from different angles. They are just so mesmerizing.
March: This is the month we watched protests and riots erupt around the globe. America was in a state of unrest. This definitely got my anxiety on a new level. So happy that I have been routinely visiting my therapist to keep that in check.
April: Due to Covid-19 we were masking up and started only going out into the world for essentials. Luckily we have a beautiful backyard and scenery to enjoy so I was spending more time in nature.
May: Did May even happen? Is was basically a repeat of April.
June: Had fun taking pictures for my sisters Instagram as well as a bunch of nature pictures outside. I also enjoyed checking out the garden she started and picking fruits from our tree.
July: I started blogging more consistently and writing in general. My goal was to post at least one post a week and to write at least 3-5 days a week. I did fairly well for the first time in awhile. I also starting practicing more self-care as that had been put on the back burner for awhile. I also turned 40 so that was an exciting time even though due to the pandemic I wasn’t able to go out and do anything too fantastic. I still was able to enjoy my day.
August: Started walking again to work up to jogging/running for exercise. Really got me feeling overall better. Also started eating a bit healthier. Even though I only gained 3lbs I wanted to lose some weight for my overall health and well being. I continued with my goal of writing and I also tweaked my daily routine to include other self-care items that I had been putting off for far too long.
September: Started September optimistic even though our island was on another Covid-19 lock down. We went through a phase 2 lockdown when our cases of Covid-19 went up. September went by in a flash. I feel like I blinked my eyes and it was over.
Since things were now “different” I also decided to attempt and do other things differently. One thing I planned on doing was quitting coffee. I thought I could do it but after a few days I simply had to have it.
I have gone months without it in the past so I’m not sure why it was so difficult this time around. Maybe because I was always at home and could see and smell other peoples coffee. Replacing it with green tea was the overall goal but convincing myself to drink green tea instead was not working either – and I love green tea lol.
October: I started writing a book. This has been a long time coming and I have always wanted to write a book. I actually started writing one years ago and just never really got into working on it.
This new book that I’m working on is a different genre and I am very passionate about the topics that I am writing about. I am hoping to finish it in the next year or so and have it published in different formats.
If you follow the blog you may also notice that I started posting more frequently as I have been wanting to for what seems like forever. I think I did a good job at writing and scheduling out posts for the month.
Since we were still on lockdown our Halloween was spent inside doing a couple of fun games and eating some yummy food. We all dressed up so that it wasn’t just like any other day.
November: For most of us (in America) the beginning of the month was focused on the presidential election. We were on the edge of the seats wondering and watching what was to happen next. I tried my best to stay off of social media and not watch the news but I couldn’t help myself to want to know what the results were going to be. This election dragged on for what felt like forever. With recounts and all that jazz.
In my personal life not a lot happened. One thing I did learn, however, thanks to social media is that one of my friends passed away from cancer. That was a blow to the chest since I hadn’t talked to her in such a long time. So here is your reminder to call or text that friend or family member that you haven’t connected with in awhile. Tell your people that you love them.
December: The holidays came and went fairly quickly. Instead of enjoying our regular holiday traditions we ended up doing modified celebrations. As long as I got to contact and/or see (via video) my favorite people that is what counts the most.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
Reading: I haven’t been reading much lately other than online, however, I do have about 4 or 5 new books that I look forward to diving into very, very soon. Maybe after the holidays so I’ll have an update on that in the next few weeks.
Watching: Since it is the holidays of course I’ve been watching holiday movies with my family. A new movie that we watched was Jingle Jangle on Netflix. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion. It was a nice family movie.
Listening: For me I usually like calmer Christmas music so Michael Buble Christmas station has been my go-to. Lots of oldies and jazzy type music. I’m old skool – I still use Pandora but I’m sure other streaming services probably provide the same type of playlist.
What have you been reading, watching and listening to? Let us know in the comments.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
This was a fun box! I really loved everything that I got in this box. Totally worth the price (and more!)
BOMSHBEE Sloane Champagne Flutes – Set of 4 (Retail $51); These flutes are GORGEOUS. I would use them as decor if I had the space for them somewhere
Lucky Brand Solid Brushed Scarf (Retail $69.50): This scarf is pretty. It is thick and would go perfect in cold weather. I will definitely make sure to use it the next time I’m in cold weather. I also love the color.
dr. brandt skincare POREDERMABRASION pore perfecting exfoiliator (Retail $58): I cannot wait to add this to my weekly skincare routine.
Voir Haircare Rhythm of the Rain Hair Masque and Scalp Detox (Retail $28): I am super excited to try this. I absolutely love hair masks.
espare Cutting Boards – Set of 4 (Retail $19.95): This set is made for different food items – veggies, fruits and more. A fun addition to the kitchen. Love the colors and the images that tell you what each board can be used for.
B-Low The Belt Croc Card Case (Retail $35): This is perfect if you just need to carry a few cards with you.
Daily Concepts Daily Facial Dry Brush (Retail $20): I’ve always wanted to try dry brushing on my body but I didn’t even think about doing it to my face. I look forward to using it a few times a month.
Aesthetica Liquid Eyeliner (Retail $21): Said to stay on for hours, this eyeliner will probably be the first eyeliner I have used in awhile. I like the simple design and the brush tip.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
I recently purchased Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder and really enjoyed my experience with it. I thought that a short review of my experience with it might be helpful to others that are interested in purchasing it.
The company claims that it “helps to improve the health of your hair, skin, nails, joints and ligaments, and tendons. I have tried collagen powder before but did not have a full container so I couldn’t write a review of my experience. I can’t remember the brand I used in the past but Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder had good reviews so I thought I would give it a try.
The container has a scooper inside of it to measure out the servings. It is recommended to use 1-2 scoops and mix it in a cold or hot beverage. I tested it out with soda – do not recommend. It turned into a foamy mess. My next try was coffee and that was a great experience. I initially started with 2 scoops but ended up doing just one scoop every morning.
When they say it is unflavored they truly mean that. I tried some in some water and there was barely any taste to recognize so I believe you can mix it in most beverages. Here is my experience with Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder.
Skin: My main reason for purchasing the powder was to improve my skin as it has been acting up lately – random redness and dry patches as well as acne here and there. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. My skin started evening out, a lot of the redness went away and my skin started feeling smoother and supple.
Hair: I did notice that the new growth of my hair felt a bit softer than usual so that was a cool discovery.
Nails: Now this was an added bonus to using Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder. My nails grew long and were stronger and harder than they have been for awhile. They are so long that it is almost difficult to type right now – I’m not used to having long nails as it has been awhile.
Joints,ligaments, and tendons: Now this I don’t really have much to report about as I didn’t feel any significant improvement in my joints. I have some sports injuries that cause me discomfort but I didn’t feel any true changes in that.
Overall I was pleased with Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder as it helped me in more ways than one. I would definitely purchase this again.
Do you use collagen powder? If so, what brand and how did you like it? Let us know in the comments.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
Happy Holidays! Even though this holiday season is going to be a bit different than usual I thought it would be fun to recap some of my family holiday traditions.
Gift giving: Our morning usually starts with us handing out gifts to everyone and we often open them from oldest to youngest.
Talent show: Now this tradition started over 20 years ago and continues to be passed on off and on throughout our generations. It isn’t as big as it used to be and mostly consists of the young kids putting on plays or singing karaoke but either way it is one of my favorites.
Brunch: We usually have a fairly big holiday dinner so during the day we would usually have a light brunch with breakfast items just to hold us over until dinner (which was usually served before usual dinner time).
Friends and Family time: Later in the day an early dinner was usually served and often friends and family would stop by for some laughs, conversation and maybe a plate of delicious food. Other than watching the kids open presents this was my favorite part of the holiday tradition. We would get to see so many people that we haven’t seen in awhile and that was always nice.
So those are our main holiday traditions. This year it will be a little different – perhaps some Zoom and phone calls instead of the normal fun times that we have.
What are some of your holiday traditions? Let us know in the comments.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.
