September Marked My One Year Blogging Anniversary

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Giveaway!

I just posted a poll regarding my first giveaway over at my new blog, A Little Cup of Random. Please hop on over there and take the poll so I can start planning my first blog giveaway.

Also, if you haven’t deleted this site from your account and readers yet, please do so, and follow me over at my new home, www.littlecupofrandom.com.

See you there!

Feel-Good Friday 7/12/13

Hi all!

There’s a new Feel-Good Friday post up on my new blog, A Little Cup of Random located at www.littlecupofrandom.com.

I hope you’ll come visit me over at my new home. I’m starting to get lonely!

Announcing . . .

My new blog,

A Little Cup of Random!

You can check it out at www.littlecupofrandom.com.

You’ll notice that a lot of the content looks the same, but there’s no looming threat of deactivation. Plus, I’ve spruced things up a bit, and changed more than just the domain.

I’d really love it if you would all come visit me over there. I won’t be posting here much anymore, but am planning to keep this site live for a while so everyone can find me over at my new place.

So, please come visit soon. I have three sub box reviews coming up this week plus a giveaway that you won’t want to miss. Hope to see you there!

Ah, such is the way of the world.

I have two tests today. How did that happen? I’m taking two online classes with widely differing subject matter, and psychotically different schedules, yet they both have tests on the same day.

All of my classes this term are operational. I’m in Hospitality Industry Human Resources and Hospitality Industry Information Systems this term, plus I’m the TA for Hospitality and Event Risk Management. I’ve read more information on the working side of the Hospitality Industry than I’ve ever wanted to know in the last 2 weeks, and I have 4 more to go.

I know I’m whining. It’s just that my two majors have such widely varying subject matter. My Event Management major covers fun things like how to decorate events or plan a menu for a 5 day convention while my Hospitality Management major covers Human Resources and housekeeping management systems.

The first part of Summer term, I had 2 classes that had us doing hotel tours every week, or planning menus while enjoying catered “coffee breaks” so we could learn about the variety of food provided in that setting. Since I’ve been planning events for more than half of my life, menu and event planning is completely fun and exciting. Learning about labor relations is not. Blech! I want my fun classes back!

Blog at you later!

Awesome Giveaway Alert

Hey all!

I just wanted to pop in quickly and share some info on an awesome giveaway going on at a blog I read.  The blog is called TodayCommai, and is a collaborative effort from 4 college friends.  The reviews are fun and thorough, and with four ladies posting, there’s always something going on.

Their current giveaway has a grand prize of over $70 with a second place prize as well.  Click here to check out the goodies, and enter to win.  Afterwards, spend some time cruising around the blog and check things out a bit.  I promise you won’t be sorry.

Have an awesome day.  Blog at you later!

Random Monday 7/8/13

Once again, this week’s Random Monday post is coming at you as a link-up to my bloggy friend Deb over at Not Inadequate. Deb is a funny lady. You should check her out sometime!

Photo Credit: tokii.com

~ I kind of actually got to do the “Monday is cancelled, go back to sleep thing” today. Not because of anything good, mind you. No, because I woke up with a raging migraine. My only option was to go back to sleep after taking some headache meds. There went all of my plans for the day.

~ I spent hours with my friend this weekend planning out our school schedules for the next several semesters. If your GPA is at a certain level or higher (at least 3.5,) our school gives you the option of registering for three semesters of classes at one time. This means that I was allowed to register for Summer 2013, Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 back in March of this year.

Now, I’m definitely a planner, and regularly schedule out my activities a few months in advance. But even I get the willies planning out what amounts to my life for more than a year. Still, after hours of relentlessly juggling, checking and rechecking, I think I am finally all set with my schedule, and pretty much know what I’ll need to take every semester between now and graduation in December 2014. Yes, it means 4 more semesters of full-time classes (including a full Summer session,) but it will all be worth it once I finally have my degree in my hot, little hands.

I will have to request overrides for both Spring and Summer 2014 so I can take more than the regularly allowed number of credits per semester, but again, as long your GPA is good, they will allow it. I currently have a 3.93 (darn that A- in accounting!) so I’m pretty much a shoe-in for the override. Plus, I’m only requesting to add 1 more unit in the Spring, and 3 more in the Summer. This will put me at 18 units for Spring and 15 units for Summer. Of course, I will still have a part-time job plus part-time internships in addition to being in school full-time right up until I graduate.

~ I’ve officially set up my new domain for my blog at my new web hosting company, and I’m in the process of learning how to design a custom background, header, etc. My initial design is going to be pretty basic as I am planning to pay someone to do something a bit fancier down the line, but I want something more than a free WordPress theme. I do have school, internship and life stuff to deal with along the way, so I’m not entirely sure when I’ll get everything completely shifted, but I’m thinking it might be another couple of weeks. All I can say is that Google has been my friend throughout this whole process because I would have NO IDEA how to go about doing any of this without learning how online.

After polling friends (both blogger and offline,) I did decide to go with a complete name change of my blog, domain, etc., to be more in line with what I talk about here. I’m still trying to figure out how to get all of my followers from here over to the new blog, but will be working that out soon as I want to get moved before any of my existing followers get too attached to my current theme or blog name.

~ I am so impressed with the wear I’ve gotten on my OPI polish job that I did on the 4th of July. It’s been 5 whole days, and I haven’t had a single chip. In fact, I’m JUST starting to show wear along the free edge of my thumb and index finger on my right hand.

This is what my manicure looks like after 5 days.

Look ma! No chips!

Here’s the slight wear along the edges.

See the white edges on the thumb and index finger?

I haven’t been quite as impressed with the Julep Fireworks glitter polish that I have on my accent nail. It’s been slowly wearing a little more each day on the free edge. I can’t figure out if this is because it’s a glitter polish, or if the issue is the Julep formula. I’m planning to re-do my nails tomorrow using only Julep polish so that should give me a better idea. I love this polish job and love that it has lasted so long, but I’m a little over the red, white and blue color scheme on my nails at this point. I’ll be sure to post a wear test on the straight Julep polish mani once I have more data.

~ I should be receiving my July Birchbox and my first ipsy Glam Bag this week, and will be putting up reviews for June GlossyBox and July Julep so stay tuned for those.

And finally…

~ My song discussion of the day is all about how much I am in love with Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive” that is blowing up the airways at the moment. I’ve actually read in a couple of places that it’s being tagged as the “Rock Song of the Year” which I can see because it’s a really great song. I like the lyrics a lot, and like the bass drum line even more.

As I’m sure y’all have noticed, I don’t usually talk about songs here that I love unequivocally, and this one follows that trend. You see, I HATE the video for this song. I mean really, really hate it. The premise is a cock-fight setting with anthropomorphized stuffed animals, and the champion literally tears the losers to shreds. I know it’s fake, and that it’s just stuffed animals, but I just don’t like the premise at all. Lou Diamond Phillips makes a very sleazy-looking cameo in the video as the operator of the fight ring, and eventually receives his come-uppance. Even so, nothing about the video is redeeming even though the song is absolutely fantastic. It just goes to show that videos don’t necessarily improve songs, but at least seem to no longer hurt their performance.

So, that’s all the randomness I have coming forth today. I actually am working on some homework at the moment as well so I’ve got to get back to it.  Thanks for reading.  Blog at you later!

Random Adoration

I’ve been wanting to do a post with links to various other blogs that I’ve been reading and loving recently. I feel like I learn so much, and get so much entertainment from other members of the blogging community that I think it’s only fair to share the sources. Plus, I would love to drive some more traffic in the direction of some of these really awesome bloggers as a thanks for the many hours of distraction they have provided me in the form of post-perusing.

I hope you will find a link amongst this bunch that will bring you new knowledge or a laugh. Before I send you on your way, I must give credit where it is due, and thank Lyn over at Pretty Frugal for the idea for this post. Now, click to it!

Did you say Subscription Box?

I mentioned on my Subscription Box page that my sub box hero is Jennifer over at Ramblings of a Suburban Mom. She has the most amazingly up-to-date list of subscription boxes that I’ve ever found, plus pics and reviews of the many, many boxes that she has either received in the past or currently subscribes to at the moment. The bonus of being a regular reader is seeing pics and hearing about the escapades of her precious boys – human and fur alike. Definitely check out her blog, but beware of sub box envy!

Another source of sub box fabulousness is Erica from Reviews, Reviews, Reviews. She posts tons of box reviews as well as reviews of other products, and of her favorite Etsy stores. Plus, her two dogs are super precious, and make regular appearances in photos as well as the unboxing videos she posts on her Youtube channel. And believe it or not, Erica actually gets a few boxes that Jennifer doesn’t so you’ll have a chance to check out even more sub box goodies.

All Things Nail-Related

I have soft, weak, bendy nails that sometimes peel, and very often tear. In my quest to find a product that would help me with this issue, I happened upon the blog, loodie, loodie, loodie, written by a woman who describes herself as having a “nail care obsession.” Her series of blog posts on the various types of nail hardeners/strengtheners and how they work is fascinating and well-written. The best part is that she’s a scientist (yes, really; she has her PhD) who also explains WHY the products work the way they do. If you don’t need nail treatments, then check out her blog for the fun writing, pics of gorgeous nail colors on her amazing natural nails or her DIY Recipe for a Zoya Remove+ polish remover clone.

If you just want to look at pictures of pretty nails and/or nail art, The Daily Varnish is the place to go. The tag-team bloggers who post on this site share daily pics of gorgeous manis with a variety of polish brands. There are also tutorials for various DIY nail-art techniques as well as reviews on top coats and other nail polish necessities. I visit for the pretty, pretty pictures, but also learn a few things while I’m there.

Money Savers & Personal Finance

If you like free samples (although face it; who doesn’t,) check out the blog, Beauty and Lifestyle of a Broke College Girl. Jocelyn’s weekly Sample Saturday posts list the latest free sample giveaways or super cheap sample programs. I’ve already received a couple of samples from her referrals, and she somehow finds more each week. Plus, she posts reviews of beauty products, subscription boxes and even throws out occasional ideas for ways to make extra cash (like tips for selling your old, unwanted clothes on eBay.)

Joanna and Johnny at Our Freaking Budget post about every financial topic under the sun such as tips on investing in a 401k as well as fun topics like their He Says/She Says debates that never fail to bring a chuckle. Their tag-team writing is witty, amusing and extremely helpful when it comes to basic financial management issues. Their 50 States Series covering pros, cons and info about each U.S. state makes for some pretty interesting reading. I’ve already learned a lot from them, and I’m pretty sure you can, too.

DIY-Tastic!

I’m a sucker for a good DIY project, and the DIY Spa Recipes and other projects at Sparkle & Mine are some of the best I’ve come across. Sarah also posts reviews of beauty products, her fave places to score great deals on fabu fashion and info on fabulously inexpensive makeup dupes for much pricier products. Plus, her effervescent writing style always puts a smile on my face so I just love visiting.

Deb over at Not Inadequate literally makes me laugh out loud when reading her posts. She’s pretty much a wise-cracking, freezer-cooking, DIY-loving, home-schooling mom who is re-furnishing her house after a months-long journey across the United States with her family. Her series of posts that she has dubbed “Other People’s Crap in Mah House” chronicles her pretty fantastic DIY transformations of garage sale and thrift store finds. Plus, her frank posts about the terrors wonders of home-schooling her kids have changed my perception of the home-schooling process in a wonderful way.

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So there you have it! A short, little excerpt from my blog roll. All of these sites are ones that I read because I enjoy the content and the writing. I’m considering making this kind of post a regular monthly feature on my blog, so please let me know if you visit any of these sites, and if so, whether you liked them or learned anything. Also, if you do happen to visit and decide to comment, please let them know that I referred you.

If you are potentially interested in seeing another post like this one, drop me a comment in the box below. Thanks for reading. Blog at you later!

June Birchbox Review – Wanderlust Collection

June Birchbox – Wanderlust Collection

This review is now located at my new blog: A Little Cup of Random.  Please click on over, and check out all of my Subscription Box information and reviews.

Thanks for dropping by.  Blog at you later!

Feel-Good Friday 7/5/13

Today I have a few feel-good things to talk about.

~ All this recent polish changing has resulted in my nail polishing skills getting a lot better. My latest manicure actually looks like it could have been done in a salon. Well, a salon with a nail tech who needs to work on their cuticle maintenance, but still, the polish job looks pretty darn good. 😉

~ Speaking of polish, Bondi New York finally announced that they will be doing their own monthly “nail mail” subscription box beginning in August.  I’ve included all of the details in a separate post so click here if you want more info, or just go directly to the sign up page to put your name on the list to get the details on the first box.  I’ve already signed up because it sounds like it’s going to be a really good sub!

Photo Credit: Bondi New York

~ A friend of mine that I see almost every day during the regular school year, but haven’t seen all summer is back in town, and we are getting together tomorrow to catch up. I’m really looking forward to it!

~ I’ve been growing my hair out to donate to Locks of Love, but want to be sure I’ll still have plenty of length when I finally get it cut. I actually measured my hair yesterday, and I only need about 4 more inches before I’ll be ready to cut it off and send it in.  That should only take me another 3 or so months, so I’m happy that I will be able to help a child with cancer get a hair piece AND that I will finally be rid of my crazy long hair!

Photo Credit: Locks of Love

~ I know I’ve posted a lot this week about my on-going argument with WordPress.com about my referral posts. I thought the matter was resolved after the discussion I had with WP Support on Wednesday, but it apparently wasn’t per the additional email I received today. I’m sick of dealing with the issue so I’ve found a web hosting company I can live with, and I’m migrating this weekend. I’ll be sure to make this site point to that one so y’all can find me.  I’m feeling really good about this decision!

~ Goodies Co., ipsy Glam Bag and Birchbox all billed this week, and the last two will supposedly be shipping out next week. I’m super excited!!!

~ And finally, this showed up in my mailbox today:

Surprise!

You may be thinking, “So what. It’s another subscription box.”  Well, it IS just another subscription box, but not one that I currently subscribe to.  I actually posted about the reason why I was dropping my GlossyBox subscription back in my first Random Monday post so I won’t go into the whole thing again here.  Just suffice it to say that I had some issues with the way GB handled an issue with their June box, and I cancelled because I wasn’t happy with the way it all went down.

Anyway, given that I knew I cancelled, I was completely shocked when Roger told me my GlossyBox had arrived.  I immediately double-checked to be sure my account was inactive, and it was.  I also checked to be sure that I had received my refund for June’s box, and I did.  So I called GlossyBox Customer Support to find out what was going on.  They basically told me that they had completely messed up, and sent me a June box by mistake even though they do indeed show that my account has been cancelled, and my payment refunded.  I offered to mail the box back to them, but they told me to just go ahead, keep it, and enjoy it, and that they hoped it would help me decide to re-subscribe to their service.

SO, this means that I now have a surprise box to review.  I’ve already opened it, taken pics and tried out a few of the products.  I’ll reserve my opinions for my actual review which won’t be up until some time next week.  I will admit that I was feeling kind of yucky today so this was definitely a nice pick me up.  Surprise boxes full of goodies are ALWAYS nice to receive.

Do YOU have anything you’re feeling good about this Friday? If so, share your comments below.  Blog at you later!