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Monthly Archives for November 2013

November 14, 2013

The Wonder Cloth

A few weeks ago I was sent the Wonder Cloth to try out. I hadn’t heard of the product previously so I was  excited to try it out. This cloth is meant to naturally remove make-up, oils and pollutants and gently exfoliate your skin, potentially leaving it smoother, cleaner and healthier. The Wonder Cloth is all natural, made from a combination of plant pulp and 100% cotton fibers.

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I have been using this cloth for a little over a week now and overall I am a fan. I first tried it at the end of the day and was surprised to see that it did remove my make-up. However, I could not manage to get my eye make-up off completely without using my make-up remover. I have also used it with some of my normal cleanser (Cetaphil) and I love the way it additionally gently exfoliates my skin. Some exfoliants I have tried in the past can be rough on my skin, but this cloth is gentle enough to use every day. I would think that this would be a great purchase for those of you with sensitive skin since it doesn’t contain any chemicals that can be found in other make-up removing wipes/towelettes. Additionally it’s a wonderful thing to have on hand when you’re exhausted at the end of the day and just want to climb into bed without going through your whole bedtime routine. A little water, gentle scrub and you’re done. Well, you probably want to give your teeth a quick brush as well ;)

Good news, those at Wonder Cloth were kind enough to send along a second cloth for one of my lovely readers! To get your hands on this cloth, please enter below. This giveaway will be open through the weekend and I will announce the winner next week. If you don’t happen to win, the Wonder Cloth can be found at Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid and directly from their site.

Good luck!

Although the product was sent to me courtesy of Wonder Cloth, all opinions expressed are my own.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November 13, 2013

Holiday Inspiration

Over this past weekend I was in Leesburg, VA with my girlfriend and some of her family. She’s in the process of building a house in the area so we took a trip to see her place and do a little shopping along the way. The first stop we made was at The Old Lucketts Store. I’m sure many of you have heard of this place because it seems rather well known. Once a month they decorate a home that is on their premises and open it up to the public to shop. After waiting an hour in line to get into the home, you practically had to pry us out. Picture a mix of Restoration Hardware and Anthropologie thrown in with antiques and one of a kind items and you have my dream decor.

This open house was obviously decked out for the holiday season. I’m starting to give in to the Christmas music and although I am not planning to decorate until after Thanksgiving, this trip gave me the inspiration and spark of excitement for the coming holidays. I snapped pictures along the way in hopes that they may prove to be some inspiration for you as well.

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November 12, 2013

In My Cocoon

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For some reason I have been doing my best to layer my clothes in an attempt to avoid breaking out my winter coats. I suppose I just wasn’t ready to give in to winter weather, but once I got back into this coat I didn’t want to take it off. This JCrew coat is very appropriately called the Cocoon Coat. Mine is from last season but they are available again this year in a variety of gorgeous colors. I’d love to add the midnight green and regal blue to my closet. (more…)

November 11, 2013

Pizza Pie

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I’m always tempted to make my own pizza from scratch, but then I stroll past the pre-made dough in Trader Joe’s and it manages to end up in my cart. I can be a sucker for the easy way out. Well, I finally got the itch bad enough and thanks to Smitten Kitchen, I pulled it off using this recipe. I did make mistakes along the way, but in the end, it was still well worth it. (more…)

November 8, 2013

High Five for Friday

Well, it’s Friday, again! We are a week into November and time isn’t slowing down. I had a wonderful week that started out at a football game with some of my best friends. It continued on as we celebrated my Mom’s 5*th birthday ;) And is ending with anticipation for the weekend. My gf (pictured to the left of me below) is closing on a new home next week and we’re taking a quick road trip to VA to scout it out this weekend. I’m not ready to let her leave, but some things are inevitable. Fortunately her 1 year old son is in love with my daughter, Madelyn, so we’ll always be tied together ;)

Here’s what my week looked like:

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…and 5. 

  1. Two girls that know too much about me but love me anyway.
  2. Sara Evans and world champion skaters at the new Pegula Ice Arena at Penn State. The show airs on NBC on 11/24 at 4pm if you’re interested! This was my Mom’s ideal B-day celebration :)
  3. Grocery shopping is even more interesting with these two in the drivers’ seat!
  4. I just came across a new blog that I am obsessed with. The author, Beth, is not only adorable and has me wanting to try out every outfit she has worn, but I’m pretty sure she just inspired my next haircut!! Check her out at Seersucker + Saddles when you have a chance. Finding new inspiration is so exciting isn’t it?!
  5. I’ll leave you with 31 seconds from my week. Don’t be fooled, there are many moments of screaming and crying in my house as well, but this laughter is my absolute favorite part of any day.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday.

November 7, 2013

Work It

At this point in my life, my job as a full time mom doesn’t require me to dress presentably everyday. On certain days I appreciate that, but on others I miss the days of pulling myself together and getting dressed up for work. For those of you who are not in my boat, I have put together some outfits showing you how some closet staples can work in a variety of ways.

I first chose a basic shift dress. If you don’t own one, you may one to get your hands on one ASAP. They are so easy to work with and can be changed up with a swap of a few accessories. You could easily layer some necklaces on here instead, but I love the way a scarf looks with a shift dress. A few weeks ago I was wearing mine with bare legs and booties, but the weather has since taken a change for the cooler, making tights a necessity.

Shift Options

Shift Options by mzerby

Outfit 1: Madewell white ivory dress / H&M black tight / Zara leather shoes / Marc by Marc Jacobs leather purse / Marc by Marc Jacobs stainless steel jewelry  / Bracelet jewelry   / Loop scarf

Outfit 2: Madewell white ivory dress / Navy opaque tight  / Lauren Ralph Lauren tall boots  / Madewell leather tote / Michael Kors watch / Gold bracelet / Forever 21 scarf

 

Second, I chose your basic pair of black pants. I love this pair in particular because they are fitted and have an ankle zip to give them a bit of flare. Your options are almost endless here. I kept the ensembles fairly classic but added pops of color, animal prints and statement necklaces. I also paired black pants with a navy top since I told you before that I’d be pairing these two colors from now on. I happen to own this top, and it’s even better in person.

Black Pants

Black Pants by mzerby

Outfit 1: Madewell ponte pants /  Gap chambray top / J.Crew purple jacket / J.Crew bootie boots / J.Crew j crew purse/ Tory Burch earrings / Betsey Johnson stainless steel jewelery

  Outfit 2: Madewell ponte pants / LOFT blue sweater / La Mer chain bracelet  / Pendant jewelry / Louise et Cie black ankle bootie / MICHAEL Michael Kors zipper tote

It’s always fun to re-think what’s in your closet. Sometimes it just takes someone else pointing it out to you. For those of you lucky enough to get dressed up everyday, enjoy it!!

November 6, 2013

Tie it with a Bow

I’m a huge fan of bows. They only thing more feminine and girly that I can think of might be pearls. They are the first thing we want to put in our daughters’ hair (regardless of how little hair they have) in hope that they won’t be referred to as ‘an adorable baby boy’ one more time. But they certainly don’t leave us in our childhood. Bows are used to decorate hats, gloves, jewelry, bags, shoes, slippers, you name it, a bow can be tied on it. Kate Spade is certainly a leader in this category and probably one of the main reasons I’m drawn to their accessories. I’m drawn to bows at all times of the year, but with more accessories available during the colder months I’ve found myself eyeing up so many items that I decided to gather them together here.

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So what do you think? Anything with a bow is just that much more appealing isn’t it? :)

November 5, 2013

Put a Cape on it

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I never knew I was a fan of sweater capes until I came across this one a few weeks ago. It has been the perfect additional layer as I’ve been running in and out of the house during these chilly fall days. I’m also a fan of this one and this one. Layering comes in handy as it allows you to bundle up for crisp mornings and remove layers as necessary as the afternoon sun warms things up. Oh, and remember those shoes I found that were a half size too small? Well I went back and they magically had them in my size. Meant to be. I love how a pair of pumps pair with boyfriend jeans. Casually chic. (more…)

November 4, 2013

Apple Cinnamon Danish

danish6Anyone interested in treating your family (or yourself) to an amazingly delicious breakfast (or snack or dessert)? I came across this recipe in Rue Magazine and tucked it away for the perfect day to make it. We had friends in town to attend the PSU game this past weekend and I wanted to have a warm breakfast on hand. It conveniently served as dessert later in the day as well.

My apple filling ended up slightly juicy and I had no idea how to braid this pastry, but in the end, the taste was all that mattered and in my opinion, it was definitely up to par! (more…)

November 1, 2013

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday! So the week is already over, as is Halloween and it’s November. Wow. After being away this past weekend for a wedding, the rest of the week felt like a whirlwind and I don’t see that letting up just yet. We have some friends coming into town to attend the Penn State game with us tomorrow, two of my best friends included. I have some food prep to tackle and we’re praying for no rain, but I’m extremely excited nonetheless.

Here’s a glimpse of what went on during the rest of my week:

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  1. Pumpkin carving with some friends. You can tell little Jack was a big help ;)
  2. My girlfriend messaged me about this soup with rave reviews. I tried it and it was everything she said it was! My son ate it and my daughter basically inhaled it. Add it to your list, give it a try and let me know what you think!
  3. Despite the constant drizzle of rain, trick or treating with these two was so much fun. I like this picture in particular which shows Jack taking candy as Madelyn quickly swipes some right out of his bucket. Sneaky little bugger.
  4. Dough prep for a recipe I hope to share next week, pending the outcome of course.
  5. I caught my daughter loading laundry for me. Apparently I’m not as on top of things as she’d like me to be ;)

 

Enjoy your weekend and I’ll be back here on Monday!

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