Lifestyle Blogger

WORLDLY BOX | JEWELRY SUBSCRIPTION REVIEW!

February 29, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a fantastic weekend! I have been so excited to share this review with all of you, and the day is finally here! Worldly Box reached out to me asking if I would like to receive a box for consideration for review and after checking out their website I jumped at the chance.

Worldly Box:

What It Is:

A $14.99/month jewelry subscription box that brings you handcrafted jewelry from all over the world made by local artisans.

Why It Makes a Difference:

By subscribing you not only get two gorgeous pieces of jewelry and a surprise gift each month, but you also help create a sustainable business for artisans around the world. These pieces are not from a big factory! They are straight from the artists who make them. Worldly Box these talented artists to reach people beyond local markets. Worldly Box also uses boxes that are made mostly from recyclable materials to reduce waste.

Subscription Information:

You can find out the details of Worldly Box here. The style quiz was SPOT ON for me because I love my pieces! It was also by far the easiest to fill out style quiz I have ever done! I loved how straight forward it was. You can put your subscription on hold or cancel at any time. I have had excellent email communication when I’ve had questions, too.

Worldly Box Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

If you have any questions for me, be sure to reach out on my social media which is always linked at the bottom of every post and at the top of this blog. Or, comment!

Have a beautiful day and thank you for reading! Don’t forget to subscribe : )

THE NEW MUST HAVE PLANNER ACCESSORY! byANGIEBOUTIQUE Planner Pouch

February 15, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Last year I got my very first Erin Condren Life Planner and I really enjoyed it but didn’t dive completely into the planner world but this year I’ve fallen back in love and I am all in. As many of you know by now, I am currently living away from home every week for the next couple of months (shameless plug: watch our Daily Vlogs to see our adventure!) and needed something to use to carry my planner and all of my planning goodies. I saw a picture of a byAngieBoutique planner pouch on Instagram and instantly was swooning! After talking to Angie we decided to coolaborate and I couldn’t be happier to be sharing her product with all of you. All opinions are my own, but I was gifted this pouch for my review.

The Rebecca Portfolio:

This is the absolute PERFECT pouch for any planner lover out there! My mom doesn’t have an Erin Condren, but she loves the concept for her coloring books, too. I love that I can easily fit not just my planner, but washi tape, scissors, pens, and other planning odds and ends. Plus, how adorable is this?! Angie has the cutest fabrics, too.

Construction:

This bag is not only super cute, but it’s extremely well made. The stitching is flawless, and the zippers and vinyl are both very good quality. I can really fit a lot in here without feeling like I’m going to jam it to the point of breaking. It also isn’t too giant, so I can slide it into a diaper bag or large purse easily. You could definitely fit this in a backpack or a lot of brief cases, also.

Features:

3 pockets (2 zipper pockets & 1 slip pocket)
Clear vinyl on both zipper pockets
Zipper closure on main pocket will not allow your planner to fall out or ‘pop out’ if bag is tilted or turned upside down
Fully lined with hidden seams
Includes a fabric tab on one side of the bag
Reinforced seams

Overall:

This pouch has made me plan more because it has made planning much more functional for me. I love that I can put literally hundreds of stickers, a bunch of washi, and a pack of pens easily inside along with the planner. I would truly suggest this to anyone who loves planning, especially if they ever plan away from home.

Scentbird Review! A Monthly Perfume Subscription Service!

February 10, 2016 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

A few weeks ago one of my best friends, Jaime, asked me if I had heard of Scentbird and then sent me a link with more information when I said I hadn’t. The lovely team at Scentbird was kind enough to send me a perfume along with information to consider for review, and today I will be sharing my thoughts.

What It Is:

Scentbird is a monthly subscription service where you receive a new designer perfume every month to try for $14.95. The website has a TruScent recommender that is fun to use, because it helps you pick a scent you may like, which is helpful because they have over 500!

Packaging:

The perfume comes in a black tube that is slightly wider than the average tube of lipstick and just a bit longer than my index finger. Each month you receive a new vial of perfume to put into your tube. You twist to spray and twist to close, just like lipstick! This is incredible for when you’re on-the-go or traveling a lot, and I really prefer having a spray over a roll-on perfume.

Subscription Details:

I love that the website allows you to rate the scent to get better recommendations, update your queue for what you’d like to get the next month, and the referral program to earn free perfume.

Why I Love It:

I have slowly but surely used up most of my perfumes over the past year, and I needed a way to try new scents. I have a hard time testing scents at Department stores sometimes because I’m only getting a little sample or get frazzled trying too many at once, so I really love this option to try it for a whole month. I know that you could potentially pick a scent you didn’t love, but I think it’s a really fun way to get to try high end fragrance you may not purchase otherwise.

Overall Final Thoughts:

I absolutely love this! As always, all thoughts are my own. I was not paid to write this blog post, and I really do think this is a fun subscription service. I think it’s perfect to be able to throw in your bag and go!

Where To Find More Information About Scentbird:

Twitter.com/scentbird

Pinterest.com/scentbird

Facebook.com/scentbird

Instagram.com/scentbird_perfume

www.scentbird.com

Have you ever tried Scentbird? What is your favorite perfume? Let me know in the comments! If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask away!

Have a beautiful weekend and thank you for reading! Please don’t forget to subscribe to be alerted any time I post something new : ) It’s fun and free! Just enter your email in the subscription box on the right side of this screen and open the confirmation email.

PEACHES & PETALS SUBSCRIPTION BOX REVIEW! GET 50% OFF!

January 27, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that all of you are having a fabulous and productive week! My family has a lot going on currently, and if you watch our daily vlogs you’ll know a little about what I’m talking about, but I wanted to tell my readers that I will be continuing to upload every Monday and Wednesday as of now! In December I reviewed the Peaches & Petals box for the first time I was very impressed! The wonderful gals at Peaches & Petals asked if I would like to receive another box for consideration & review and I happily accepted. For the January box I decided to film an unboxing so that you could get my real first impressions and to make it a little bit more fun : ) I filmed this video a week ago and now have some thoughts on the items that I’ve been trying from the box, so I’ll also briefly share those below.

Peaches & Petals was kind enough to offer my followers 50% off their first box with the code LEAHPEACH so be sure to use that! This box is $19.99 a month, and I think that’s a very good deal if you’ll use these types of lifestyle items! I love this box because just like my beloved PopSugar Must Have Boxes, they can easily be made into gifts or passed along…not that I do that often because usually I want them myself ; )

PEACHES & PETALS

Fruit Infuser Water Bottle

I already LOVE this and think it’s amazing quality! I love that this is a glass bottle, because the infuser bottle I already have is plastic and now I have the option to use either depending on where I want to use it. I can’t wait to try more fruit waters with this.

Selfie Stick

I have had a blog for almost two years, and I have been on YouTube for almost one year, but I didn’t own a selfie stick until now! I had a little phone attachment, but never a selfie stick! I haven’t used this yet, but can’t wait to try it out! It is HARD to capture a family of five without one!

Adventure Jewelry

Okay, I thought this was adorable when I opened it, but I can’t get it to fit my wrist very well and the quality doesn’t seem as nice as the jewelry from last months box, however I will wear it when I stack my bracelets.

Healthy Cooking Cookbook

I love reading cookbooks and cooking magazines, so I was really happy to see this! I haven’t tried any of the recipes, but there are definitely a lot I would love to try out!

Inspirational Decal

How cute is this?! I gifted this to one of my best friends! Yay for Happy Mail!

What is your favorite subscription box? Do you have any you would like to see me review? Please let me know in the comments! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

IS YOUR UNDER EYE CONCEALER MAKING YOUR FINE LINES AND DARK CIRCLES MORE VISIBLE?

January 25, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

This morning I was thrilled to be volunteering in my 4 year olds classroom for a few hours, and her sweet teacher asked me about under eye concealer suggestions. First of all, thank you for asking! I absolutely love getting questions from all of you, and every time I take it as a compliment! So, ask away! I am also a huge fan of this topic, because I have (BAD) dark circles! I’ve talked about it before, but the combo of three kids under five and genetics (love ya mom and dad!) makes my dark circles situation rough most days. I also think it’s a super important topic because if you don’t apply or set your under eye concealer correctly it can cause the makeup to set into your fine lines making the lines and dark circles more visible! Let’s be real, none of us have time for that!

What I Do For My Under Eye Make Up and Dark Circles:

1. If you’re not using an eye cream, you should be! I really love using the Benefit It’s Potent Eye Cream which you can find at Ulta or Sephora. It’s a little pricy, but I really like this and it has helped my dark circles to appear less drastic. I also like this because it doesn’t take forever to absorb into the skin, and it doesn’t feel heavy at all.

2. I always use some sort of pinky/salmon concealer to brighten up the dark circles under my eyes. My go-to favorite is a drugstore concealer! I use the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles in Brightener! Make sure you get the one that actually says “Dark Circles” because they also have a regular concealer that isn’t specific to the under eye area. I also really like the Benefit Erase Paste, it works so well on days when I want maximum concealing power, but it’s thicker and harder to work with when I’m in a real hurry.

3. I then use a concealer (Tip: Look for one that is one shade lighter than your skin tone for extra brightening power! But I am very fair so I just get the lightest shade offered) over the brightening concealer from step 2. I really love the Estée Lauder Double Wear Concealer or the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye! I like to make a triangle under each eye and then use either a damp Beauty Blender, or my Sigma F86 Tapered Kabuki Brush (any makeup sponge similar to this or tapered kabuki brush will work) to pat and lightly press the concealer into the skin. Don’t drag the brush in a painting motion! You want that product to stay there!!

*Note: Sometimes I go from step 2 to step 4 and skip this step altogether, but most days I include this in my routine.

4. I then ALWAYS set my under eye concealer with a loose setting powder, preferably a brightening setting powder, with my Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter (or a fan brush works wonderfully too!). By setting your under eye concealer with a powder you are helping it to stay put, and also avoiding the risk of the product settling into your fine lines or wrinkles. I love the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder or for a much less expensive route, the E.L.F High Definition Under Eye Setting Powder is also fantastic! Who can beat $3?!

If You Enjoyed This Post You May Also Enjoy:

My Top 3 Ways To Apply Liquid Foundation

I hope that this was helpful! If it was please subscribe, share, or “pin” onto your Pinterest account! I have share buttons for social media at the bottom of each post : ) Have a wonderful week! Let’s chat again on Wednesday! xo

MY EXPERIENCE WITH BREAST MILK JEWELRY! HOLLYDAY DESIGNS REVIEW & PROMO CODE!

January 20, 2016 & 4 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

If you would have told me six years ago that I would own a piece of jewelry made out of my breast milk, and not just that I would own breast milk jewelry, but that I would would find peace and closure with it, and treasure it? I would have told you there was no way! But here I am today thrilled to be sharing my start to finish experience ordering breast milk jewelry.

When I found out I was pregnant in 2010 I did what I do for everything: research! I knew that I wanted to breastfeed, and that was on my “Must Do To Be The *Perfect* Mom” list. Now, breastfeeding is supposed to be the most natural thing ever, right? So I didn’t do any prep to breastfeed while I was busy researching and prepping for my first born. Fast forward to delivery day and the first week of Hailey’s life and I wished that I had! It took me SO LONG to be able to breastfeed Hailey well, and we both struggled with her latch, my nerves, but finally after ordering books, gadgets, and anything breastfeeding related I could off of Amazon we got the hang of it it. I went on to breastfeed Hailey for over 14 months and she had breastmilk for 18 months. Connor was unable to breastfeed due to medical reasons, but I did pump some breastmik for him. With my third, Logan, I was lucky because he latched perfectly immediately! My breastfeeding issues ended up coming later with him, so I fought to breastfeed him and turned to pumping most of his milk eventually. Logan stopped breastfeeding at around 11 months but thankfully I had pumped enough for him to have breast milk until his first birthday. Logan drank every single ounce I pumped except for about 1 tablespoons that I shipped to Holly Day Designs to have a charm made for my Pandora bracelet. My heart hurt so much when Logan wouldn’t nurse anymore, and any time I offered and he wouldn’t nurse I felt rejected and like our special bond had ended too soon. I was not able to let go of the sadness of my last little love ending his nursing journey until I ordered my breast milk jewelry and then as silly as it may sound a wave of peace washed over me and I felt the closure I had so needed.

*Note: I was provided my breast milk charm from Holly Day Designs in exchange for my honest review and consideration. I never accept payment in exchange for a positive review. I have a promo code below, but do not earn money if you order! The promo code is to pass on this wonderful treasure to my readers!!

What IS Breast Milk Jewelry?

It is a piece of jewelry of your choice (rings, necklaces, charms, bracelets, etc) where she will plasticize your milk and then encase it in a clear resin. There are TONS of choices! Check out the Holly Day Design Website or the Holly Day Design Facebook Page!

What is the process like?

Once you order you will get her shipping address on both the confirmation screen and via email! She has a great F.A.Q page, but I promise it isn’t scary! I wondered how in the world I would send milk, but it was as simple as sending my milk (fresh or thawed is fine but don’t send more than 1 ounce) that I double bagged in my breast milk storage bags and put inside a piece of thick cardstock in a bubble envelope! She has an awesome system where you can log in to your account and check the status to know when she has received your milk and when she has shipped your jewelry among other messages that I loved! My breast milk charm came a lot faster than I imagined, and I am absolutely in love with it! be sure to check her website for her current turnaround times.

What I ordered:

I picked out the European Bracelet Breast Milk Pearl in Solid

I knew that I wanted a subtle piece that I could easily wear. I love that this is something where nobody would know that it’s breast milk without me telling them (well all of you will know! haha!). I picked the solid option, but she also offers a beautiful swirled option for this pearl as well.

Get Your Own:

I have a unique coupon code just for my LeahTackles readers!! If you would like to order your own breast milk jewelry be sure to do so by February 15th using the code below to get 15% off your order of $50 or more!

LEAHTACKLES15

I hope that you enjoyed this! If you know a breastfeeding mama, please consider passing this blog post along! I couldn’t be happier with my decision to order, and know it will be something I treasure for years to come. My breastfeeding journey is over, and all of my milk is gone, but now thanks to Holly Day Designs I have a little keepsake to remember the struggles, the work, the labor of love, the pride I felt sustaining life with my body, and all of the special moments with my babies that I experienced nursing them.

CUSTOM BUNTING FLAGS DIY (PERFECT QUICK & CHIC VALENTINE’S DAY DECOR!)

January 13, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you’re having a fantastic week and thank you for reading! As most of you know, I absolutely LOVE Christmas! I say that I sing Christmas carols all year and that’s no exaggeration. I also put my tree up November 1st…yes, I’m on of *those* people. So, when I have to pack away my beloved Christmas decorations, it’s always a little sad. This year because the house felt so plain without all of the Christmas decorations, I decided to decorate for Valentine’s Day, which usually I do very minimally (read: window clings and kids art projects). I have basically a $0.00 budget for Valentine’s Day decorations, so I decided to do a few D.I.Y style. So, here is an easy DIY for bunting flags project that takes almost no time, and costs no or very little out-of-pocket money. I loved it so much that I made one for Logan’s birthday, too!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

-Cardstock

-Scissors

-Printer

-Ribbon, string, or bakers twine

Step 1:

Use Ella Claire’s amazing free bunting printables and print off the letters you need onto the cardstock of your choice! Do not be intimidated by this!! All I did was select the print icon and then look to see which pages you need to print! So for example I needed 3,7, and 8 to spell “O-N-E” for Logan’s birthday bunting flags.

Step 2:

Cut out your flags.

Step 3:

Use a hole punch to punch a hole on either side of the top of each flag.

Step 4:

Starting with the ribbon (or whatever you’re using to string your flags) on the front side of the first letter and string each letter on. *Tip: Be careful not to pull the string, but instead gently slide the letters so that the paper doesn’t rip.

Step 5:

Hang up your adorable bunting and impress your friends ; )

If you found this helpful please considering sharing! You can “Pin” this post on your Pinterest account by hovering over any of the pictures or using the Pinterest share button at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ACCOUNTABILITY! TIPS + MY OWN GOALS!

January 6, 2016 & 3 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

My scheduled post decided to somehow unschedule itself, so if Monday’s post got to your email late I apologize! I have yet to miss a blog post in almost two years, but now I’ve officially had a late one…for those of you who know me know admitting this makes me *cringe*. But hey, it’s 2016, and one of my goals that you’ll read about below is patience, so that should include with myself? RIGHT?! For the past 5+ years I have written out my New Year’s resolutions and they have been lofty, but I haven’t stuck to them like I would like. So, this year I decided to share my three New Year’s resolutions, or as I’ve decided I’m going to call them “goals”, with you to hold myself accountable. If you’d like to leave yours in the comments or send them to me via social media, please feel free to do so!

Leah’s New Year’s Goals 2016:

*Image from XNSpy.com

1. Instagram More Regularly

This may seem like a silly goal to a lot of you, but as someone who has a blog and YouTube channels, I want to be better about sharing on Instagram because I know that is a hugely popular social media forum. I love Instagram, but I want my feed to reflect myself, my blog, my message, and have a theme.

2. Blog and YouTube Improvements/Learning/Love/Growth

I want to continue to create reliable, consistent, and quality work for all of you on both this blog, as well as my YouTube channel, and my family Daily Vlog channel.

3. Have More Patience

I want to have more patience with my children, my husband, and myself. And just patience in general.

If you’d like me to check in or follow up with my progress, I would be more than happy to do so! This post is for me to make myself stay accountable, and for you to see some raw honest real-life resolution/goal setting. If I can do it, you totally can do it!! I hope your 2016 is THE BEST year yet!

YOUR BEAUTY QUESTIONS ANSWERED! FIRST EVER LEAHTACKLES BEAUTY Q&A!

December 30, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I have never done a question & answer blog post, and I do get friends and readers asking me questions on a fairly regular basis (and I’m honored every time!), so I decided to do my first ever LeahTackles Q&A! This one is beauty related, but feel free to ask any questions you have for me in the comments for my next Q&A! You can also ask me on social media, or via email if that makes you more comfortable. This first handful of questions is from my sweet friend Tammy who sent me an email with a big list, some of which I’ll tackle today. I do have more questions, but I don’t want this to be too long, so I’ll save them for the next time.

1. Do you have tips for applying Younique 3D Fiber Mascara? I always seem to get fibers in my eyes! How many coats of the gel and lashes do you suggest I use?

2. How much should I tip my hair stylist? What about for facial waxing?

I always tip my stylists, and anyone who I tip, 20%.

3. How should I clean my hair brushes?

This is SUCH a great question! For years I was guilty of just pulling out the hairs and that was that. Hair brushes harbor grease, dust, and dirt which then you re-deposit back onto you hair every time you use a dirty brush! Um, YUCK!!? If the brush is plastic, I remove the hair (you can use a teasing comb pick if it’s really stuck) and then soak in in a baking soda mixture bristle side down in a bowl. If it’s really bad, I make a little mix of water, baking soda, and shampoo and then brush with a toothbrush. If the brush is made of wood, you want to be careful about soaking it! If you don’t mind the smell, you could use a few drops of Tea Tree oil mixed with water to clean the brush.

4. Do you suggest a pencil or powder for brows?

My absolute favorite brow product of all time is the Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz eye brow pencil. I was terrified of brow pencils until trying this one, and it’s a miracle worker!! I also like the It Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil now, too. To answer the pencil vs. powder debate, I’m going to cheat. On a day when I have time, or for a special occasion, I use both! I use the powder by my nose where my brows start for a more natural look for those baby hairs, and then use a pencil to define the arch and finish the tail of the brow. But everyday? I use one or the other! I also like to set my brows with a clear brow gel.

5. I’ve always had the problem where my under eye area gets dark & smudgy looking after only an hour or two of wearing eye makeup. Am I applying the wrong products?

After apply foundation and concealer, I like to set my makeup with a powder. I also usually set my under eye concealer with a brightening powder. E.L.F Studio High Definition Undereye Setting Powder is a great drug store option, and Laura Mercier Secret Brighting Powder a fantastic one as well and something that lasts a very long time. I always start with either an eye shadow base or an eye shadow primer when doing my eye makeup, even if I’m only swiping one color on my lids that day. I am a HUGE fan of the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 Hour Shadows! I wear them alone all the time, or as a base for my eye shadows. M.A.C Paint Pots are also great for this. I also always, always, always wear waterproof or water resistant mascara! I like to curl my lashes (on days when I’m not rushing so much) and then apply a coat of Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara in water resistant. I know a lot of people aren’t fans of how hard it is for water proof mascara to come off at night, but I don’t have a big issue with this and love the security of my makeup not running. I often will put waterproof on both my upper and lower lashes, and then add a coat of another mascara to my top lashes. As for eye liner, I always use liquid eye liner! My absolute fav is Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, but also have great luck with e L’oreal Lineur Intense.

Thank you so much for reading!! I appreciate it so much more than you know : ) Don’t forget to ask me questions! I hope that you all have a safe, happy, and healthy 2016!! Cheers!

CHRISTMAS PICTURES POST!

December 28, 2015 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate and a wonderful Friday if you don’t ; ) We had a wonderful weekend sharing Christmas magic with our kids! So, today I will be sharing some of our favorite moments from Christmas day, which we always spend at home with just our immediate family, and from other weekend Christmas celebrations with our extended families.

Here is a video sharing some of our Christmas traditions:

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Let me know in the comments!

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