Five Things Friday

Happy Weekend and National Pizza Day!  In case you didn't know, this celebratory holiday known as National Pizza Day falls on February 9th...as if we need another reason to eat pizza.  Whether you prefer thin crust, hand tossed, or deep dish, pizza is something everyone can enjoy.  Today on 5 things Friday, all 5 things will involve PIZZA.

Express your love for pizza with this adorable heart-shaped clutch by Studio DIY.  This is available with the Can't Clutch This subscription where you'll receive a brand-new clutch exclusively designed by Kelly each month.  

Get yours here:  Can't Clutch This

Isn't everyone motivated by pizza and puppies!?  This relaxed basic tee is available on Etsy!

Pawmiscuous:  Motivated by Pizza & Puppies Tee

Grab a slice!  This cute pizza necklace would make a perfect gift for the pizza lover in your life!

PowHiSo:  Pizza Necklace

How about we do pizza for dinner and dessert today?  (Afterall, healthy New Year's resolutions ended a few days ago, right!?)  This decadent Sinful Chocolate Pizza recipe has a soft baked crust topped with Nutella, three types of chocolate, and toasted marshmallows...seriously a chocolate lovers dream come true.

Get the recipe here:  Cleobuttera - Sinful Chocolate Pizza

Lastly, we have my favorite pizza place in St. Louis.

Pizzeoli Wood Fired Pizza

Are you celebrating National Pizza Day today!?  I'd love to know how you're conquering the holiday in the comments!

♥ always
Allison

Cooler than Corny Valentine's Day Gifts

Can you believe it's already February 1st?  January somehow seemed to fly by while also being 1,000 days long.  If you haven't started thinking about Valentine's Day gifts yet, here's a guide to gift ideas she'll love.  These presents will definitely earn you major cool points over the same corny, cliche items.

Drugstore chocolates are nice but how amazingly nice is this adorable 6 piece set of Be Mine chocolates by Christopher Elbow Chocolates?  They're almost too cute to eat...almost.  There's others sizes and options available!

Christopher Elbow Chocolates:  6 PIECE BE MINE SINGLE ORIGIN CHOCOLATES

Who wouldn't love to feel pampered and relax in a luxurious bath?  A bath bomb gift set is almost as nice as a trip to the spa, right!?

Lizush:  11 Bath Bomb Set with Gift Ready Box

Is minimalist more her style?  This geometric print from TheInspiringType on Etsy is surely the way to her heart.  Their shop is full of black and white minimal prints that can be downloaded right away.

TheInspiringType:  Geometric Heart Print

Okay, admit it...you've seen her saving all these hanging terrariums on Pinterest.  Air plants last much longer than roses so why not surprise her with a Hanging Terrarium Air Plant Kit by BirdAndFeatherCo?  She'll love the fact that she can build it immediately instead of running out to the store for all the necessities and will be left wondering how you just knew she wanted one.

BirdAndFeatherCo: Hanging Terrarium Air Plant, Amethyst Crystal Point, and Pyrite

She'll be feeling warm and fuzzy when you gift her this plush heart-shaped accent pillow!

Nordstrom at Home:  'Cuddle Up' Faux Fur Heart Accent Pillow

Cuddles and movie night in?  This so-soft snuggly faux-fur oversized jacket will be an absolute favorite to get through the rest of winter.

Soft Surroundings:  Hug-me Cardi

Insert heart eyes emoji!  Supersoft and lightweight tee that's all googly eyes on the front and tells it like it is on the back with "c'est la vie" written across it.

Topshop: C'est la Vie Motif Tee 

"Girl next door" meets flirtatious and a side of sexy with this ruffle tee showing off one shoulder.  The essential piece to throw on with a pair of jeans or dress up for a date night out.

1. State:  Ruffle Cutout Tee

Shimmy shimmy with these playful and trendy tassel earrings.  Since this pair features Ultra Violet, 2018's Color of the Year, she'll definitely be accessorizing with these spring, summer, fall, and winter.

LovelyHeartThings:  Ombre Violet Tassel Earrings

Has she been holding up her resolutions to hit the gym more often this year?  Treat her to this sporty, stylish and functional backpack to tote her essentials to the gym!

adidas:  Originals Tote Pack II Backpack

What gifts would you love to receive this Valentine's Day?

♥ always
Allison

Product Review: Origins Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer

Hi, Guys!  Today I'm doing a product review of Origins Original Skincare Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer with Willowherb.  This skincare product was sent to me by the kind people at Influenster in my very first VoxBox!

When the box arrived, I immediately tore into it to see what I received.  The pore perfecting primer is in this cute little "millennial pink" aluminum can, which I love.  At first, I was pretty skeptical due to the description being "super-cooling" and the current temperatures in St. Louis were single digits.  Honestly, the last thing that sounded appealing in the morning was intentionally applying something "cooling" on my face...I could go outside and let the chilling wind hit me for that.  BUT nonetheless, I sucked it up, shook the can, dispensed the lightweight foam onto my fingertips, dotted it on my face and gently rubbed in. 

Since that day, the Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer has become a staple in my daily beauty routine.  It immediately made me and my skin feel awake, almost like I didn't need coffee (but funny joke...I always need coffee), smoothed my skin to make it makeup ready, shrunk up the pores, and brightened the tone to a natural glow. 

What the heck is Willowherb you might ask?  I asked the same thing and referred to my good friend, Google, for the answers.  After searching Willowherb, the first medical uses came up as a treatment for prostate and urinary problems and I was like "WHY AM I PUTTING THIS ON MY FACE!?" and dug a little deeper.  Willowherb "is apparently effective against acne bacteria, anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-viral, cleansing and acts as a natural analgesic, mimics hydrocortisone to soothe discomfort."  Now I'm not a doctor, so don't quote me on that, but I referred to Gerlinde Naturals for all that information.  The first part of the Willowherb description definitely makes sense as to why my face looks and feels 100% after using the Origins Pore Perfecting Primer.  It's an exceptional boost on tired mornings or after going to the gym and a hot shower, 10/10 recommend.

The Origins Original Skin Pore Perfecting Primer is available at Sephora, price $32
This post has been sponsored by Influenster, all opinions are my own.

♥ always
Allison

How I Keep a Positive Attitude in Winter's Gloom

With gloomy, cold, and short days, the days can seem to drag on yet seem like there aren't enough hours at the same time.  Sometimes finding myself in a funk for no apparent reason aside from the season to blame, there are ways I've figured out how to keep a positive attitude and not completely struggle through winter's gloom.

1.  Fuzzy everything...fuzzy scarf, fuzzy socks, fuzzy blankets, fuzzy sweaters.  Cozy layers make having nowhere to go enjoyable and staying in much more comfortable.

2.  Hanging out and snuggling with my dog :)  

3.  Binge watching tv shows - Stranger Things, This is Us, and Friends are what I've been watching lately

4.  Game night with the significant other.  Farkle has become our go-to!

5.  Skipping the gym and opting for at home workouts...because it's cold out.  Yoga with Adriene and Tone It Up are a few of my favorite YouTube fitness channels.

6.  Homemade soup...or soup out of the can.  I really enjoy soup.

7.  Hot tea and hot chocolate!

8.  Crafting.  I received a Cricut for Christmas so it has been fun getting creative, crafty, and feeling accomplished.
9.  Constantly remind myself that it won't be winter forever.  :)

♥ always
Allison

Resolutions and Goals for 2018

Happy 2018, everyone!  A new year, a fresh start, right?  Up until a few days into 2018, I had no set resolutions or goals for this year.  I had a few ideas that had crossed my mind, but nothing that I was really setting out to achieve.  After the go-go-go of the holidays, hosting a New Year's Eve party, and so on, I took a little time to decompress and jot down goals for 2018.

My first, I was going to attempt dairy free 3 days a week.  After 11 days into the new year, I'm pretty sure this is my first day without dairy so far (until I just remembered that I added a splash of milk in my eggs this morning, so I'm back at the beginning).  So, I'm going to aim for dairy free 1x a week until the end of the month, then possibly bump it up to 2 in February...January can sorta be a trial month, right?

In the past, I have considered the whole Dry January thing but never ended up partaking.  It's supposed to be good for your health, weight, cleansing, give you more energy, and all these other benefits that I don't know without Googling (also since I've hit my 30's, I can get some absolutely TERRIBLE think I'm legit going to die hangovers and thought it might be nice to have a month without losing those battles) I decided to attempt this month, but the weekends are a little difficult for me.  I had a few drinks last Saturday so I cheated the whole dry MONTH, but figure significantly cutting back and a few drinks one night a week can't really harm anything.

Also, since we're talking about liquids, a resolution is to DRINK MORE WATER.

For Christmas, I received a Cricut machine so made a set goal of how much I would like to sell per month through crafting.

Another goal is to COOK a meal a week.  Like actually find a Pinterest recipe, go to the store, get the ingredients, and make dinner rather than grabbing a Boca Burger out of the freezer, tossing that in the microwave, adding it to greens and calling it a night.  On Monday, I made some Creamy Tortellini Soup and it was SO GOOD.  Here's the recipe I based the soup off of:  Creamy Tortellini Soup

While we're on the topic of food, another goal is fewer carbs, fried food, and reduce sugar intake.  Sugar is a big pitfall for me...I love sweets but find that when I reduce eating them, the craving goes away.  Focusing on upping fruits and lowering cookies.

I always say I would like to read more so I'm aiming for 1 book a month.  :)

And lastly, but probably most importantly:  Be more present.  Put technology down for a bit.  Spend time with my boyfriend, watching a show or movie, and not look at my phone every few minutes.  Learn to take a break from social media.  Stop getting caught in the black hole that is Instagram and Facebook, scrolling mindlessly for who knows how long through things that don't even really matter...and by doing this, I hope to find the time to accomplish all the things that do matter.

Here's to 2018!  What are your goals and resolutions for this year?

♥ always
Allison

37 Simple Ways to Spread Kindness

It's officially December 1st which means the holiday season is in full swing.  While it's a magical, happy, wonderful time of year for many, the holidays can also be hard, bittersweet, and even sad for others, and some may even experience feelings from both sides.  I do feel during the holiday season, people are kinder to others and act happier in general, but it never hurts to spread a little extra kindness whether it's to strangers on the streets or being kind to yourself.  A little something can go a long way and you never know who's day you will brighten by a small deed.  After all, kind is cool, right!?

1.  Compliment yourself.  Our biggest critics are ourselves and we can be negative about us on the daily.  Find something you truly love about you and own it.  Spreading kindness onto others begins with the kindness within.
2.  Hold the door for someone.
3.  Call your parents just because (or grandparents or siblings or anyone else that you love).
4.  Pay it forward (pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru, whether it's their whole order or just a coffee, burger, partial payment.  Anything unexpected will brighten someone's day).
5.  Compliment a stranger
6.  Donate an item(s) that you don't use
7.  Support a local business
8.  Pick up a piece of littered trash from anywhere
9.  Leave an anonymous happy note or inspirational quote for someone to find
10.  Bake cookies to share at work
11.  Rake leaves or shovel snow for a neighbor
12.  Buy a bouquet of flowers for someone (a friend, significant other, sibling, parent, cousin, aunt, even yourself...It's a-okay to brighten your own day).
13.  Donate $5 to your favorite charity
14.  Let someone go ahead of you at checkout
15.  Help a friend in need
16.  Volunteer for an hour at a local organization
17.  Plant a tree or buy a cute new house plant
18.  Unplug devices when not in use
19.  Organize a family meal and appreciate being together
20.  Disconnect from your phone and computer for an hour (or longer)
21.  Stop and look around while you're outside to actually appreciate nature
22.  Donate school supplies to children in underprivileged homes
23.  Offer to read or play games with someone elderly or at a nursing home
24. Apologize for something you've done, whether its something big or small
25. Treat a friend to dinner
26. Ask a loved one about their day
27. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth, scrubbing dishes, shaving, or take a shorter shower
28. Make one change for yourself that will make you a better person
29. Take food to a neighbor
30.  Bring a hostess a little gift as a thank you for opening their homes and getting everyone together.
31. Recycle any items possible
32.  Help someone older with the internet or learn Facebook.  (After all, my mom has been on the book for years and still has a million questions about it ;) )
33.  Leave a small gift for your mailman/woman.  A box of chocolates, hot cocoa mix with a holiday mug, a gift card
34.  Make homemade gifts to share this season
35.  Invite the girls over for a night of sugar cookie decorating or gingerbread house building
36.  Give blankets, coats, scarves, gloves, socks, mittens to those in need
37.  Continue doing good deeds and spreading kindness through 2018

What acts of kindness will you be practicing this holiday season?

♥ always
Allison

Fall Style + JORD Wood Watch Discount

Huge thank you to JORD watches for sponsoring this post.  All opinions are my own.

Okay, so start this out being completely honest, I haven't worn a watch for the better part of 5+ years because...well, iPhones are to blame.  But truth be told, I'm a girl who loves accessories and over the past few years, it's become trendy to wear cool watches.  The analog watch is a trend that I hope stays forever because they have this classic, chic, old-school feel about them.

When JORD reached out to me about collaborating this season, I was over the moon.  JORD watches are hand-crafted from 100% natural wood, creating refined and unique watches.  No two wooden watches are exactly alike, and there's something special about owning a one-of-a-kind piece.  The company focuses on creating timepieces modeled after a modern lifestyle while valuing efficiency, sustainability, and experimental living.  Not to mention, JORD is based here in St. Louis, MO so supporting a local business is an awesome bonus.

After a long debate (since all of the JORD wood watches are absolutely amazing), I decided on the women's watch Frankie 35 in Zebrawood and Champagne.  The natural minimalism of the wood watch paired with the right amount of metallic gleam effortlessly transitions with day to night outfits.  This watch wears well with monochrome and colorful outfits alike and has quickly become a piece that I reach for every day.

With the cooler temperatures that finally hit St. Louis, it's time to bust out the sweaters.  This fuzzy, short-sleeved sweater perfectly pairs with a jacket for the chilly mornings, then 75+ degree afternoons (who really knows what to wear when it's October-November and temperatures are acting crazy like that!?), then back to cooler evenings.  Skinny black pants are my wardrobe staple and throwing on a pair of flat mules creates a casual, yet put-together look.

Not to freak anyone out, but we're probably all well aware that the holidays are quickly approaching.  From the vast array of women's and men's wooden watch options, there's something for everyone.  JORD offers custom engraving, ideal for adding a little something extra special to an already special timepiece.  Gifting idea, anybody!?

JORD and I partnered for the season with an exclusive early holiday 25% OFF discount offer.  Don't miss out on JORD's biggest deal of the year by saving money on a gift for a loved one or a present for yourself!  Share this post with friends so they can also take advantage of this incredible offer!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR DISCOUNT CODE

Offer ends at 11:59 CST on December 19, 2017

I'm going to end this post with a quote from the JORD company website that I completely related to:
"The value of a watch is not in being able to tell how much time has passed, but in being aware of the need to make that time count.  Moments are bigger than minutes and your watch should tell more than time."

♥ always
Allison

Wooden Wristwatch