Leah Tackles

POPSUGAR MUST HAVE BOX DECEMBER 2014!! BONUS POST

December 19, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi there! Happy Friday!!

Today I have ANOTHER bonus post because I got my December PopSugar Must Have Box and have to share it with you right away! It’s suuuuch a good one!

If you don’t know, the box contains full size items in all different categories: food, beauty, fashion, home, and sometimes an extra goodie too! *Usually* the PopSugar box usually arrives between the 10th-15th of every month for me…it ships from California via FedEx Smart Post, which means it goes out FedEx but arrives to my P.O Box.

December 2014 Must Have Box:

Speckled Metallic Scarf from SPUN by Subtle Luxury

I love this! Anything metallic, especially gold, catches my eye! I absolutely love this lightweight scarf and think it’s a great way to add a little sparkle to any outfit.

$62

Sydney Necklace from Sparkle Pop

This is by far my favorite thing in the box!! It is *so* sparkly! I was doing my monthly unboxing with my 3 year old, and she nearly broke my heart when she said “Mom! Check and see if there is another one in the bag” because she loved it so much, too. I couldn’t blame her, it’s stunning!

$42

Platinum Bowl by Canvas Duaville

This bowl is plain matte white on the outside, but on the inside it is a super sparkly platinum! This looks PERFECT with the Sydney Necklace above tossed inside! I adore this for a jewelry catch-all.

$29

Be Legendary Long-Wear Lip Lacquer

This deep bordeaux color is perfect for winter! I thought that staying power was great, and I haven’t braved it without a lip liner yet, but with a liner I didn’t have any bleeding or feathering. I really like this color, the gloss formula (again, my DRY lips need it!), and the stain it left was beautiful! Even after eating out at a mexican resturant!

$24

Parcel Tags from Knot & Bow

These little tags are cute! I think they would look adorable with a name written in gold sharpie : ) I don’t love these for Christmas gifts, but I like them for other gift giving, or labeling around the house! I love that these are from an etsy.com shop!

Cupcake Mix in Vanilla Bean from William-Sonoma

I was hoping for some fancy smancy chocolate this month, but I am not complaining about this ; ) I love William-Sonoma cooking ware, but haven’t tried any of their mixes. Hailey, my 3 year old, LOVES to bake with me! So, we will have fun with these even though I wouldn’t pay this much for cupcake mix myself : )

$14.95

I looooove this box! The $175.95 total value is fabulous and I think this box is absolutely worth the $39 price! Do you subscribe to PopSugar? If you would like to you can sign up here for $39/month! If there are any other subscriptions that you think I need to try, let me know in the comments or find me on social media! It’s always LeahTackles : ) Good luck getting all of your last minute Christmas shopping, baking, and wrapping done this weekend!!

PICTURES OF OUR SWEET 2 YEAR OLD!!

December 18, 2014 & 7 Comments

Hi there! Happy Thursday!

Today is a bonus post because I really wanted to do a special post for our son, Connor, who turned 2 last weekend!!! He is the sweetest little man and oh so busy! We are so proud and can’t wait to see where the next year takes you Prince-C! We love you so!

Enjoy some picture cuteness : ) Thank you for reading!! XO

Ipsy Glam Bag December 2014!

December 17, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

As promised in Monday’s blog post, today I want to share my Ipsy bag for December! If you don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $10/month subscription where you get 4-5 deluxe size samples or sometimes full size products in makeup, hair, nails, and skincare. Do you subscribe to Ipsy? I would love to hear about what you thought of your bag this month!!

December Ipsy Glam Bag:

Bag and Theme:

I think the theme “Thinking of You” is sweet and the card says “You Are a Talented Being” which I love, I am saving the card to put on my desk or vanity! The bag is really simple and nice, it reminds me of bags that my mom would get at department stores when I was little, which I would then steal and carry around like they were fancy purses!! I was *so* elegant : ) : )

Bumble and Bumble BB Repair Blow Dry Serum-in-Creme:

Even though this is tiny, I am excited for a sample from Bumble and Bumble! I actually don’t blow dry my hair too often, I try to let it dry naturally since I put enough heat on it curling it regularly. I am excited to give this a try!

Cailyn Just Mineral Eye Polish in #5 Orchid:

I thought this was nail polish at first! I am not a fan of loose eye shadows for everyday use because they can be messy and take longer to apply, but this color is reeeeeally gorgeous!! The packaging and applicator remind me of Beauty Rush Luminous Shadows that Victorias Secret carried several years back. I am going to give this a shot because with a little blending this might be a gorgeous one-shadow look! Not my favorite thing, but hoping to get some use out of it. The pigmentation seems to be good, and of course there will be fallout with a loose shadow, but we will see how it wears! Did anyone else get this? What are you thoughts? I would love to hear what you think!

Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream with Avocado + Argan for Normal to Dry Skin:

Typically with eye creams I want something that’s a little more potent and will really help me combat dark circles and fine lines, but because I am pregnant this is a great gentle and safe alternative. This feels rich and very moisturizing for the delicate eye area.

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes in Black:

I have sooo many mini mascaras, but I love trying new ones and this is a formula I know I love!! I always wear a water proof mascara as my first layer because I haaaate when mascara transfers, but this is a great mascara that builds beautifully on itself!!!

NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait:

I am suuuper happy with this! I LOVE NYX lippies, and I’ve never tried one of their butter balms but I love their butter glosses! My lips have been so dry this pregnancy, but I like to have color on my lips, so a tinted balm like this is fantastic! This is going to be packed in my hospital bag (which I need to do….liiiike now! I’ll be 37 weeks Friday!) for sure!!

Overall I am once again really happy with this months bag!! There isn’t anything that I won’t use or at least have fun trying, and it is definitely worth the $10! Do you subscribe to Ipsy? What did you think of your bag this month? If you’re interested in more information, you can find it here.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! I hope that you enjoyed this post : ) Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Can you believe it is almost Christmas!?! And Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!

Tarte Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set! Swatches & Review! Free shipping now!

December 15, 2014 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

About a month ago I got my hands on the “Kiss & Belle Lipsurgence Lip Set” from Tarte Cosmetics and because Sephora is offering FREE shipping on this until Thursday 12/18 with the code “GIFTSHIP” in the U.S, I thought it would be a great time to show you some swatches and give you a short review.

*NOTE: I am in no way affiliated with Sephora or Tarte, I just saw the deal was going on and wanted to share because (review spoiler!) I think it’s absolutely worth the money!

What You Get:

This kit containsn a total of 8 deluxe mini sized lipsurgence lip tints and lip glosses:

4 LipSurgence lip tints in Dreamy (raspberry), Alluring (very pretty mauve), Innocent (a nude), Dainty (pale pink)

2 LipSurgence matte lip tints in Eternal (pink nude), Fancy (berry)

2 LipSurgence lip glosses in Kiss (pale pink), Belle (a raspberry)

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVE this set! They are small, but perfect to throw in your purse, and still plenty of product. I love lip products, so it is pretty rare that I go through something completely (unless you’re talking my EOS lipbalms!), so I don’t mind the smaller size. The lipsurgence tints twist up and are like the many other jumbo crayon style balms out on the market. The lipsurgence tints have a very minty smell and a cool feel on the lips, I like this but it is something to be aware of if you aren’t a fan of that in your lip products. The lip glosses in this set have a very nice vanilla scent. The matte tints wore for a long time, and didn’t seem drying on my lips which is really saying something since my lips have been *SO DRY* this pregnancy! It has been a problem because I have had to avoid a lot of my favorite lipsticks, especially my mattes. The regular tints don’t last quite as long as the mattes, and the color is more varied in opacity and pigmentation depending on which of the regular tints I reach for. These glosses are a little bit sticky, which I actually like because it means they’ll have a better staying power! The glosses are not so sticky that they are uncomfortable on the lips. I think that the color and finish variety in this set make it a fabulous gift for any makeup lover out there, and it’s also very affordable compared to other holiday makeup exclusives! You could also split this up and they’d make great stocking stuffers!! I have been reaching for these almost daily lately, and am very pleased!

Swatches:

Thank you for reading my post! Be ready for my review of the Ipsy Glam Bag for December on Wednesday! Also, can you BELIEVE we are only 10 days away from Christmas?!

DIY SNOWMEN HANDPRINT ORNAMENTS!

December 10, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!! I hope that you enjoy this post and will stay awhile : ) Last year for Christmas my kids, Hailey and Connor, made some of our friends and family some DIY ornaments, and they turned out so well that we decided to make a fun ornament this year as well. I haven’t decided if this will be our gift from them this year, but we did have fun making some for our house!

DIY SNOWMEN ORNAMENTS:

What You’ll Need:

Large Clear Plastic Ornaments (*Tip: I found mine at Dollar Tree and Meijer, but most big box stores or craft stores will have these!)

Soft Snow Shimmer Flakes or whatever you choose to put inside your ornament (blue ribbon, glitter, or confetti would all be fun options!)

White Acrylic Paint

Assorted Acrylic Paint Colors

Paint Brushes (I used one medium sized one and one very small pointed one)

Step 1:

Paint your childs hand with the white paint and have them make a hand print on the bulb. For my 3 1/2 year old I just showed her how to put her fingers on the bulb and not wiggle them around, but for my almost 2 year old I found it easier to just hold his hand steady while pushing the ornament into his palm myself.

*TIP: If the fingers wiggle or the hand print doesn’t turn out I was able to quickly wash off the bulb, dry it, and redo the print!

Step 2:

Let the ornaments dry completely. I found that using small cups worked great for this so they wouldn’t roll.

Step 3:

Paint the details onto your snowmen! If you have an older child, they can do this part, or you can do it yourself. I had a lot of fun adding top hats, holly, earmuffs, scarfs, and of course that carrot nose! You could also use paint markers or permanent markers instead of paint to do this part if you prefer.

Step 4:

Let your ornaments dry completely!

Step 5:

Open the top of the ornament and put the snow flakes into the ornament. I found the using a funnel and a pen to shove the stubborn flakes down worked really well. You can put as much or as little in as you want, but I only filled mine up about 1/4 of the way.

Step 6:

Wrap to give away or hang on your tree!

TOOT TOOT! Seriously sorry for tooting my own horn, really it’s just a proud mommy moment, but how cute are these?! I know this is a SUPER popular craft on Pinterest right now (speaking of, “pin” mine if you like it!) but I thought it would be nice to show a simple step-by-step that was not intimidating. This *won’t* be a “Pinterest fail”, promise : )

Again, thank you for reading and have a great weekend!! XO

Holiday Sparkles!

December 8, 2014 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!!

I hope that you had a FAB weekend!! Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read this blog! Some days I just want to look at beautiful things and that’s even more fun at Christmas! I hope that you enjoy a little holiday sparkle from me to you and that it brightens up your Monday : )

<3 Christmas Trees, Makeup, Christmas Skirts, Target Hauls, Nail Polish, Starbucks, Baubles, Snowmen, and iPhones OHHHH MY!! <3

I hope that you’re having a beauuuutiful start to your week and don’t forget to check back Wednesday for another post!! Please subscribe and share!! And to all of you who have subscribed and who share, thank you!! I love you!

Meet My Newest Obsession: Preppy Pink Shop and See My Christmas Eve Outfit!

December 3, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!!

Last Christmas I wore a skirt from Preppy Pink Shop and I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to wear another one this year. I had a whole year to swoon over the skirts on the Preppy Pink Shop Instagram and resisted ordering skirts all summer long since I was pregnant. As most of you know, I’m still pregnant, and now I’m VERY pregnant, but I decided to email Justice, the owner of Preppy Pink Shop, and ask about a custom maternity skirt for Christmas. Justice responded quickly, was super friendly and wonderful to work with! Her custom service was fab and I will be ordering from her often in the future! I am obsessed!

ABOUT PREPPY PINK SHOP:

Justice makes beautiful handmade skirts, but also has headbands, bows, scarves, keyfobs, belts, clutches, and jewelry. Everything on the website is ADORABLE, and I think the price range is awesome because it’s all reasonable and there are budget-friendly options. You can order both on the Preppy Pink Shop Etsy Store or off the Preppy Pink Shop site. And if you aren’t following her Instagram, do so immediately! You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook...seriously, who wants to limit themselves when it comes to this eye candy?!

THE SKIRT:

A gold brocade with a removable red bow custom made fully lined skirt to fit over the basketball I’m smuggling!

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Skirt: Preppy Pink Shop, of course! ; )

Sweater: Express

Tights: Target (maternity)

Booties: Express

Earrings: Boutique

Bracelet: Express

Lipstick: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69

As always, thank you SO much for reading!! And please share (check out the easy click and share buttons at the bottom of all my posts!!!) and make sure you’re subscribed!!! It’s free, easy, and you’ll get emails only when I post something new!! Have a great weekend!!!

DIY CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!

December 1, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!!

I hope that all of my American subscribers had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and families! Can you believe it is DECEMBER?! I am having an especially hard time letting that sink in since it means my baby turns 2 this month, we have Christmas of course, and our newest addition is due in early January.

Because we have so much going on this month, I have been trying to get as much Christmas shopping and crafting done early as possible, and today I want to share two simple but adorable Christmas gift DIY projects.

Christmas Sock Coffee Cozy

I love this and am planning to keep one for myself! Too fun : )

What You’ll Need:

A Pair of Christmas Socks

A Travel Coffee Mug (*Tip: Starbucks has the *cutest* holiday mugs this year!)

A glue gun or other strong glue of your choice

Optional: Chocolate to fill the cup with or a giftcard to hide inside : )

Step 1:

Cut the sock so it will be long enough to wrap around the mug (make sure to not use the heel part of the sock).

Step 2:

Glue the two ends of the piece of sock together so that you form a coffee cozy.

Step 3:

Put the cozy on the mug and fill the mug with chocolates, a giftcard, or whatever else you’d like!

Pretty Nail Polish Gift Bag:

I love the way these turned out and plan on making several more!!

What You’ll Need:

A Small Cellophane Bag

A Stapler

A Piece of Plain Paper or Christmas Scrapbook Paper

A Red Pen

Crinkle Paper or Confetti

Chocolate or Christmas Candy of Your Choice

Nail Polish

Step 1:

Fill the cellophane bag with the crinkle paper or confetti and then add in your chocolates and nail polish.

Step 2:

Measure the paper so it is the length of the top of the bag and fold it in half lengthwise so it will fit over the top of the bag, and then cut your paper. Write a note or greeting on the paper and then staple it to the top of the bag.

Step 3:

Pass out your cute little bags! These also make great stocking stuffers, and you can put other items like giftcards or lip gloss.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post! Please “Pin” it to your Pinterest account! It’s easy, just scroll over any picture until the pink “Pin” button appears or use the share buttons at the bottom of this post. Have a wonderful start to your week and MONTH! It’s time to get holiday ready!!

Easy Reindeer Candy Cane DIY and Elf On the Shelf Ideas!

November 26, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! And Happy Thanksgiving Eve (that is SO a thing! promise) : )

My 3 year old, Hailey, and I have so much fun making crafts together, and during the holidays it seems extra special. Today I want to share a very simple and very fun craft that we did last week together on one of her snow days home from school.

Because Thanksgiving is TOMORROW (already!!!), I know a lot of homes will have their Elf on the Shelf returning to visit on Friday or soon after, so I have enough Elf-y ideas for Black Friday through Christmas Eve to get you ready! Our elf, McJingle Toes, was VERY popular in our house last year, and now that our oldest is really into it, we have to up our game this year ; )

EASY REINDEER CANDY CANE DIY:

What You’ll Need:

Candy Canes

Pipe Cleaners

Tiny Googly Eyes

Small Red Pom Pom

Glue

Step 1:

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane and shape into antlers.

Step 2:

Glue on the googly eyes and red nose.

Step 3:

Enjoy your cute little craft! These make great add-ons for holiday gifts or baked goods, and you can really make them your own! I think next year we will add some ribbon, brown noses for some of the reindeer…who knows what else!

ELF ON THE SHELF IDEAS:

1) “I’m Back” sign with door decorated like a present or balloons and if it’s your first year doing it have your Elf ask for name!

2) Elf head first into a holiday M&M bag

3) Googly eyes on fruit with “I’m watching you” sign that Elf is holding

4) New toothbrushes as gift with a note or smile written in toothpaste by Elf

5) Red noses drawn on picture frames with dry erase markers or small pom poms

6) Mustache on frame with dry erase marker and paper mustache on Elf

7) Elf hanging off Keurig or coffee pot to help make mom or dads coffee

8) Elf in a rocket ship made out of toliet paper tubes

9) Elf making a micro marshmallow (in hot cocoa section of grocery stores) or mini marshmallow snow angel

10) Make “Elf Milk” with green food coloring in fridge

11) Sled going down the coffee table

12) Elf playing Candy Land or similar game with “friends” like Barbie or stuffed animals

13) Make “Super Elf” with cape and badge

14) Elf inside a “snowglobe” made from Pyrex bowl and mini marshmallows

15) Elf hanging from a slinky

16) Elf with supplies to make Jesus a birthday cake or birthday party

17) Elf with directions for a shoebox donation or similar charity project for kids

18) Elf making a snowman scene out of marshmallows, frosting, tooth picks, etc

19) Elf being a pointsettia in a flower pot with construction paper around face to make him the flower

20) Elf setting up a fun craft project for kids like a gingerbread house kit

21) Elf making a pancake breakfast! This one is great for weekends. Make snowmen pancakes with bacon scarf, blueberry eyes, marshmallow snow, etc

22) Elf on a sleigh made out of 2 DVDs and 2 plastic candy canes filled with candy

23) Elf sitting on canned goods and a note to take them to a food bank or collection center

24) Elf with paper to write a letter to Santa

25) Elf laying on the beach with sunglasses, sun, and water made out of paper and sand made out of brown sugar

26) Elf in sink with water dyed blue with food coloring and aluminum foil boat or fishing in the sink for Goldfish Crackers

27) *Note: If you started the day after Thanksgiving and did it everyday this day #27 would be Christmas Eve

Put Christmas Eve PJs into a box with candy, popcorn, and Christmas DVDs to watch as a family that night and a goodnight note or sign from your Elf.

As always, if you have found this post helpful, interesting, or liked it PLEASE share it and “pin” it to your Pinterest account! All the buttons you need are at the bottom of every post!! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones! Please travel safely! Oh, and be kind to people on Black Friday, especially the retail workers!!

MUAH!

IPSY GLAM BAG NOVEMBER 2014!

November 24, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! My husband dressed up like Captain America for a Comic Con event and I was so proud watching him interact with people and take lots of fun pictures! He is super supportive of this blog, and all of my other ideas and endeavors, not to mention my photographer for outfit posts, and I try to be as supportive of him as he is of me <3

Today I want to go over my November Ipsy bag, which I am very happy with this month! If you don’t know, Ipsy Glam Bag is a $10/month subscription where you get 4-5 deluxe size samples or sometimes full size products in makeup, hair, nails, and skincare. Do you subscribe to Ipsy? I would love to hear about what you thought of your bag this month!!

November Ipsy Glam Bag:

Bag and Theme:

I really like this bag! It’s so fun and girly, and it reminds me of a bag that you would find at Victoria’s Secret even though this months bag says Forever 21 for Ipsy. I think the theme, Girl Meets Glitter, is really fun for the holidays coming up!

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base in Submissive:

I was really excited to see this in the bag! I love using M.A.C Paint Pots and Maybelline Color Tattoos for an eye shadow base, and this looks very similar to those. I think the color is beautiful, and although it feels a little more slippery and thin that what I expected, I think it will be stunning with lots of eye looks.

J Cat Beauty Wonder Lip Paint in Red Potion:

This immediately reminded me of a lip tar, which I have never tried but have always been interested in, and I am intrigued to try this. I did find the applicator to be only okay, and I did end up using a lip brush, but the color I did like! It was a bit darker, very vampy, but I could apply it with a light hand and get a more everyday wearable fall/winter color. This wore nicely on my lips and lasted well. It was a bit of a pain to apply, and I would be interested to try another color that I might prefer, but I did like this.

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray:

I love little travel size hairsprays because we do tend to travel for nightaway trips pretty often. I am loving that this has argan oil, and am going to try this out first but will very likely pack this in my hospital bag for baby #3.

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Ultra Orchid:

Usually eyeliners with glitter bother me because they can tug when you use them, but this is very soft which I really like. I think this could be very pretty for holiday looks. I like that I don’t have any liners in this color.

Temptu S/B Highlighter:

I have always been interested in the Temptu airbrush systems, but I didn’t know that they had products that could be used without the system. This is a very pearly white/pink highlighter, and I think that it would apply nicely with a small stipple brush. I love a good highlight, and I have high hopes for this!

Overall I am very happy with this months glam bag! I think that these prodcuts will definitely get some use and I think they’ll be fun things to play around with! I LOVE that a lot of these products are things I haven’t played around with much, like the J Cat Wonder Lip Paint, and that is awesome as a beauty blogger who wants to learn about new things! If you would like more information about Ipsy or would like to subscribe, you can find the information you need here.

Thank you as always so much for being here!! Please subscribe if you haven’t done so already and find me on social media!!

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