mini haul from tn

While out in Tennessee, we may have done a lot of shopping, but most of it was for gift giving. However, I did pick up some clothes I'd had on my "to find" list and a few odds and ends.

Did you know if you sign up for the Eddie Bauer Adventure Rewards they send you a $10 certificate every so often that you can use on anything? We stopped by the outlets and everything in the store was half off, so I scored two Stasher Totes for only $2 and some change. I love little collapsible bags I can put in my purse, so I'm glad we stopped there.

We stopped by Ulta and while I had a few gifts in mind, I picked up Tree Hut's Passion Fruit and Guava Shea Sugar Scrub. I'm a sucker for anything passion fruit and I've really gotten into scrubs lately. My e.l.f. powder is panned so I thought I'd try the Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder for a change. I've already cracked it open and I like it so far.

The In Vitamin Activated Charcoal Tooth Powder is something I've wanted to try but didn't want to order, so I snatched it up at a hefty discount at TJ Maxx. I'm going to give it a shot.

I'm excited to try all of these!


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the mountains called and i answered

I just got back from a fabulous weekend in Tennessee visiting my mom. We had a little pre-holiday visit and did so much Christmas shopping! It was nice to get away for a couple days and seeing your mom always helps. :)

Since she lives six hours away, it can really take it's toll on both her and I when we don't see each other often. Between work, dogs, and general responsibilities, I don't see her nearly as often as I'd like. We're really close, so this weekend was just about us hanging out and catching up.

And that's exactly what we did! We ate tons of food, did bunches of shopping, and talked about all kinds of stuff. It was so nice. I had such a great weekend that I hard took any pictures, but I did capture this Smoky Mountain sunrise once morning. ♥

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empties #9

This month I had a lot of empties, so there's going to be two posts! I'm still rolling through my non-CF and vegan items, but the pile is getting smaller and smaller as I replace them with cruelty free and vegan options.





Botanical Choice Nose Pore Strips // These didn't do a whole lot of anything. I wouldn't get them again.

Clinque Liquid Facial Soap Mild // This was a decent cleanser, but it smelled terrible and chemical-y. Not only is Clinique expensive, but not cruelty free. No dice.

Clarisonic Deep Pore Detoxifying Clay Mask // My mom gave me this little sample and while it was a decent mask, Clarisonic isn't cruelty free. It took me a while to use this up, so a full size would probably dry out on me. I wouldn't buy a full size.

Generic Nail Block // A dollar store purchase. It did the job, and I have another in my nail box now.

e.l.f. BB Cream in Fair // cruelty free & vegan // This has a lot of product left in it, but the nozzle broke and I didn't want to take the time to get it all out since this was nearing the end of it's shelf life. Sometimes this can make my face greasy, but once I use up the other bottle of this that I have, I'll probably get another.

Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub // I found another bottle of this stupid stuff in my stash. I don't like it. It's hard to wash off and doesn't have much exfoiliating power. I used it as a hand scrub and I'm glad it's gone. I definitely won't be getting any more.

B&BW Endless Weekend Body Lotion // I found this little bottle when I cleaned out a purse. It was a decent lotion and smelled nice. B&BW isn't cruelty free, so I say so long.

e.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner // cruelty free & vegan // This wasn't much more effective than my vinegar and warm water DIY brush cleaner. I had to use a lot of this to clean my brushes. I don't think I'll pick it up again.



Sally Hansen Insta Dry Polish in Mint Sprint // I liked this color, but as you can see it spoiled on me.

Clinque Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam // First off, this smelled like nail polish remover. Ew. It foamed well and the consistency was nice, but as above, Clinique isn't cruelty free and I didn't like the smell.

Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Creme // A decent little sample, but nothing special.

Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste // After grabbing this in a super pinch, I wish I hadn't. Coming from natural toothpastes to this was terrible. Waaaaay too much fake mint taste. I'll stick with my natural pastes.

Alba Botanica Even Advanced Sea Moss Moisturizer // cruelty free & vegan // I loved this! It was light but moisturizing, and I think it evened my complexion a bit. I'll definitely be repurchasing.

A lot of "no's" as I slowly weed out the bad products, but I'm happy to have more items out of my life. ♥

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happy mail

My mom and I swap packages a couple times a year and it's always fun to get something in the mail, especially when you aren't expecting it. This is the happy mail I came home to Friday!



A few of my favorite things! Books, accessories, beauty products, and candy corn!

I haven't gotten on the Kay Scarpetta boat yet, but I've read a few excerpts and it seems pretty interesting, so I'm excited to start Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell (use my link and get 15% off!).

There's this great little boutique in Tennessee that we love visiting, and my mom picked me up an adorable knit beanie there! It'll get a lot of use this winter. How cute is the little Vols decal? I've wanted one ever since the boutique posted them on their Instagram. I'm so excited to put this baby on my car!

The candy corn? I'm a nut for those things.



Along with the hotel sticky notes (love free stationary!), my mom and stepdad just got back from a trip to Lake Tahoe, and she picked me up some beauty products! A total surprise, but boy am I looking forward to trying them! Both products are Lather & Fizz's Tahoe Blue line, after the blue of the lake.

I'll be seeing her soon, but I'm preparing my package to take to her. ♥


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empties #8

Another round of empties! I've been really striving to use up products since we've been going to look at houses and I don't want to pack all of this stuff!



OKAY Deep Moisturizing Coconut Oil Leave In Conditioner // I didn't see how this really made my hair any softer or more moisturized AND I missed the ingredient honey shoved down in the corner. I won't pick this up again.

Kleancolor Nail Lacquer in 247 Peacock-A-Boo // cruelty free & vegan // This was a party favor at a baby shower I attended. I never got around to using it because blue isn't a go-to color for me. I might pick this brand up again if I saw it somewhere, but I really need to work through my current stash of polishes first.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in 230 Coral // This was a decent little balm that packed a lot of color behind it, but Covergirl isn't cruelty free and sadly this died a slow, melting death in my car. I won't be replacing it.

Burt's Bees Coconut & Pear Lip Balm // cruelty free // This smelled really good and Burt's Bees has great balms, but they're not vegan. This also died a slow, melting death in my car, so I can't even finish it. I won't be buying another.

Colgate Total in Clean Mint // It's toothpaste. It's not cruelty free. Sorry, Colgate.

The Merry Hempsters Vegan Hemp Balm in Spearmint // cruelty free & vegan //I was very sad when this became a casualty of the summer heat in my car. (Do you see a trend? I left a whole cup of lip care in my cup holder.) This was a great lip balm I ordered from iHerb (use the code TNZ430 and get $5 off!). I'll be adding this to my next order.

e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation in Porcelain // cruelty free & vegan // This is a cheap foundation that I routinely pick up. I'll be replacing this once I go through a couple other bottles in my stash.

tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel // cruelty free & vegan // Full review here. I'd definitely buy this in a full size.

Beautique Long Wear Automatic Eye Liner in French Roast // I had this eyeliner for a while and I loved it. It was a cheap Sally Beauty pick up that I snagged at a discount with my Beauty Club card. I used it until the little pieces kept falling out and I finally got around to sticking it in my empties bin. Sadly, they're not vegan in the slightest, so I won't be getting any more.



Stila HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara // I received this in a palette for Christmas. This was a great mascara. I dare say I'd even compare it to Better Than Sex, volumizing wise. However, I will not be purchasing a full size because Stila tests on animals, so I can't recommend it. Sorry, Stila, Too Faced still gets my mascara money.



Classic Flannel Candle // I picked this candle up at Walmart last fall. It was a nice scent, but I don't shop at Walmart anymore, so I won't be getting it again.

That wraps up this month's empties! Have you found any new favorites? Link your empties in the comments!

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