Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Your Friends

It’s the last Monday before Christmas and I’m getting excited! There’s just something beautiful and happy about this season and I wish I could bottle it up and carry it with me throughout the rest of the year! One of my favorite things to do during the week before Christmas is hit the stores to do some last minute shopping. It’s completely chaotic but that’s what makes it so fun.

I’ve done pretty much all of my shopping but one of the hardest things to find are good stocking stuffers! My mom, ahem, Santa I mean, used to give my sister and I cans of silly string and tell us to go at it. Usually, we ended up just going after my dad because it was way more fun! Anyway, I’ve included a few fun stocking stuffers to spark your creativity.

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Women

Some of my favorite things I’ve gotten in my stocking in Christmases past (besides silly string) are nail polish, fuzzy socks, chocolate Santas, mittens, lip balm, and oddly, a whoopie cushion. Trust me, that provides hours of entertainment and laughs for the whole family! Here are a few other great ideas for a gal pal on your list! Scroll through to find your favorites and be sure to share your stocking stuffer ideas in a comment below!//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/#/?options=%7B%22widgetId%22%3A%225855ae954df128a1f9ef707d%22%2C%22version%22%3A1%2C%22pid%22%3A%22uid3025-28872695-82%22%2C%22size%22%3A200%2C%22columns%22%3A3%2C%22rows%22%3A1%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fapi.shopstyle.com%2Fapi%2Fv2%22%2C%22iframeHeight%22%3A275%2C%22iframeWidth%22%3A705%7D

5 Must-Have Fall Nail Colors

Happy Saturday beautiful readers! It’s been one of those long weeks that I’m glad is over. I traveled across the country and let me just say that I’m glad it’s over. Nothing quite exhausts you like sitting in a car for over 36 hours. As a reward for my patience and willingness to sit on my butt for so long, I’m doing my nails in a fabulous fall color. I’ve spent way too much money collecting O.P.I. nail polish and I have an abundance to wear now. I’m going to share with you a few of my favorite fall inspired colors.

First on my list of must-haves is a dark green color. The OPI color above is Gwen Stefani Limited Edition Holiday. I love green because it’s not something that’s worn very often but is so rich in color!

The next color is tan. My personal favorite OPI polish is “San Tantonio” because it’s so natural looking. I don’t think they sell that one anymore but the above version is similar and is called “Over the Taupe” and it’s really subtle but adds a little something. Plus, it goes with everything.

That gorgeous sapphire blue is called “Eurso Euro.” Bold, rich blues like this are such a great statement with any outfit. You honestly don’t even need accessories when you wear this color, it speaks for itself!

Next on my list is a warm pink color. The differences in pinks never seems to end but the seasons you can wear them in certainly do. I’ve put away my “pink lemonade” colors for the summer and brought out my dusty rose polish for the fall. This particular one happens to be called “Meet Me on the Star Ferry”.

Finally, since it’s autumn you need a good orange to wear. Go for a burnt orange color (think Texas Longhorns) and avoid bright oranges (like University of Tennessee’s orange). This nail color is called “It’s a Piazza Cake” and it’s beautiful for autumn!

And just a little tip for those of you who don’t want to spend $9.50 on a bottle of nail polish, places like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s sell OPI and Essie polish for about $3.99! Look for it in the check out line!

7 Things to Find Cheap at TJ Maxx

In my never ending conquest to find good deals on things I love, places like TJ Maxx have caught my attention and of course, my wallet. I’ve found a ridiculous amount of good stuff at these stores that I would have otherwise bought at Target for twice the price. While I am a Target snob, there are some things I just refuse to pay so much money for. I guess you could say I’m a Target snob on a Walmart budget. Believe me, I hate it too. So here’s 7 things that you can find at TJ Maxx for a portion of the regular price.

• Makeup remover– I don’t put a lot of soaps and cleansers on my face because it breaks me out. Instead, I use makeup remover towelettes. I used to buy them at Target for around $5 for 40 of them. I recently found that I can buy a supply of 90 for between $4 and $5.
• Nail polish– I love nail polish a little too much. Every time my mom turns around I have a new color on and I’m trying to convince her to let me do her nails. I was waiting in the checkout line one day and noticed a bunch of Essie and OPI polishes sitting on a little rack. It just so happened that instead of paying retail prices of $8.99 these were $3.99!
• Snack foods– Last week I found a bag of Boom Chicka Pop for $2.99. At Target they retail for around $5. You can also find things like organic potato chips, granola, dried fruit, coffee, biscotti, and even spices for low prices.
• Coffee mugs– Anyone who knows me realizes that I have a slight obsession with cute coffee mugs. I live for them. Most of my coffee mugs have come from TJ Maxx and were under $4. I’ve also found great travel mugs and these amazing food containers called Sistema for half the retail price.
• Kitchen gadgets– Have you ever found an avocado container? I did and it was really cool! I browse the kitchen aisle like there’s no tomorrow. I never buy anything because this girl can’t cook. However, if you’re looking to stock your new kitchen you’ll more than likely find everything you could want here.
• Gift bags– I refuse to pay $3.99 for a stupid gift bag. That could have been a Starbucks coffee for me. TJ Maxx usually has a lot of gift bags to choose from for almost every occasion at a much lower price. There are some days that I’m tempted to buy a bag just because it’s cute to look at.
• Notecards– Stationary has always been something I liked to stockpile. Not only does it make for adorable letters to send, it also looks great for Instagram photos. Don’t I just think ahead?

Tell me what your best TJ Maxx find was in a comment! I’m excited to hear!

Friday Favorites- Jamberry Lovin’

Happy Friday! I’m sitting in my bed still doing some work and drinking my coffee while watching my roommate’s little dog try to catch a bug. It’s an eventful morning here in mi casa! Today, my friend, Alyssa, is going to tell you a bit about her Friday Favorites! She’s one of the lovely Jamberry Nail girls and is going to give you the details on these nail accessories and then she’s going to tell you why she loves them. I tried them on my toenails recently and really like them. Having pretty summer toes is the best!

Jamberry nail wraps offer a cheaper, fun alternative to going to the salon to get your nails done. You have over 300 designs to choose from (I love having options!). They are high quality, vinyl, heat and pressure sealed nail wraps that last for weeks without chipping. No harsh chemicals, messy polish, or damage to your natural nail. Each $15 sheet of nail wraps will give you at least 2 manicures and 2 pedicures and sheets are on sale, Buy 3 Get 1 Free! They are also backed by a 90 day full cash back guarantee – if you don’t like them for any reason, get your money back (but I bet you’ll love them)!

I started using Jamberry because I love having my nails done, but almost never took the time to do them myself and never wanted to spend the money to get them done at a salon. The first time I tried them, I fell head over heals in love! I was able to apply them quickly, I didn’t have to wait for them to dry, and I got to have cute nails that lasted through out my daily routine!

Check out my website to see all the adorable wraps and to learn more about this awesome product that will change the way you do your nails! Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like to host an online Facebook party and earn your wraps for free!

–Alyssa

 

 

 

Jamberry Nails Review

I’m a total nail polish hoarder! I love the stuff and literally change my nail color twice a week. I’m really loving the deep winter colors right now, but I’m slowly transition to light, spring colors. Since I just can’t get enough nail stuff, I thought I’d try something different. I’d heard quite a lot about these new-fangled nail things called Jamberry so I figured I’d give them a shot. My mom ordered me a set of cheetah print nails to try. In my opinion, it was a waste of money and here’s why.

First and foremost, Jamberry nails are expensive. I think my mom paid $15 for the set. Granted, they are pretty! However, at that price I just assume pay a little extra and get someone to do my nails for me at the salon. The price wasn’t the worst part though; the process was! To stick these things on you have to size them to each individual nail, place the print on your nail, take a hair dryer, hold it near your nail, and allow the heat to melt the glue on the print to your nail while pressing down on it so it will stick. Then, you must file down the excess print to the exact size of your nail. This is a long process to repeat for each nail!

After I finally finished my nails, I went to bed for some well-deserved sleep. I woke up in the morning, went along with my usual routine, looked down at my nails, and what do I see? The prints beginning to peel away from my nails. Perfect. Ultimately, these stick-on nails lasted about a week at best. I was not impressed at all.

I wouldn’t buy Jamberry nails again. I think the idea is very clever but the product has to be easier to use and needs to last longer. For now, I’ll stick to my Essie and O.P.I obsession.