April Slantbox Reveal

Let me start off by saying that this post should have been up a long while ago! It's been a strange two months for me with my new migraine medications and side effects from those. I will post about that later. But I just want to say that my April Slantbox match, Carol over at Super Sparkly in Second, is the sweetest! 

 

This is Carol :) Hi, Carol!!

You definitely need to check out her adorable blog! She sent me the most fun and adorable box of goodies! I absolutely loved it and have been using everything in it ever since I got it :)

The theme for the Slantbox Swap in April was to send your partner a box based on one of your favorite books. After you chose a book you wanted to send your partner, you found items to fill their box that fit the theme and the happenings in the book. I loved the theme of this box! It was so much fun! Probably one of my favorite themes, as well as June's theme (all about your swap partner!).

If you're unfamiliar with the Slantbox Swap, you can check it out here on Jameson's blog Lesson's with Coffee:

There are still a few days to sign up if you in any way work in the education field: teacher, teacher's assistant, librarian, substitute teacher, etc. If you think you might be interested, you should definitely sign up! It's tons of fun!

The box that Carol sent me was fantastic! Here was what she sent:

The book she sent was

This book is so fun! I have been jumping around reading different parts! It's so fun and colorful and has cute little doodles in it as you go! I love it!

These stickers are awesome! They smell like chocolate!!

This little book is full of inspirational quotes that I can stand up on my desk. I love a good inspirational quote! Below are two of my favorites so far!

 Aagghhh! It's Goethe!! I love Germans!! And I love Goethe! (On another topic: if you've never heard an explanation of my ginkgo leaf tattoo, it has to do with Goethe!!)

I love these markers! I've used them so much in my art journal!

And that stamp is going to get used so much in my classroom next year!

Carol, thank you so much for my awesome Slantbox!

Love and happiness <3 Holly

Tried It Tuesday

Hey, everybody! I've got some great finds for today! I won't blab a bunch about anything, but get straight into it! I hope you've had a great June so far! I'm excited to get back into a regular blogging schedule, and I have some great blog ideas in the works! Here's to another Tried It Tuesday! Happy Tuesday, and happy almost Hump Day!

Food

Annie's Frozen White Cheddar Shells with Chicken

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I tried Annie's shells with butternut squash, and they were delicious! This was also a fantastic find! For a quick dinner with a side salad, this is an excellent choice! I found this frozen entree (as well an Annie's shells with butternut squash) at Target in the frozen food section. It was well worth the $7.99 price tag, especially because I did NOT feel like cooking that night!

Ice Breakers Watermelon Mints

I LOVE these mints! They are so refreshing! I'm not a big mint person, and I don't chew gum either (it gives me migraines). I do, however, love these! I'm on my second package, and that is saying something! I really enjoy the mint and watermelon combination. They are perfect for summer! I buy mine at the checkout at Target or Kroger.

Dee Felice Craft Bourbon Marinara

Tonight Bjorn and I made a simple meat sauce with mushrooms over pasta for dinner. I wanted a different kind of marinara sauce, not my typical flavors. I looked around the pasta sauce aisle and found the brand Dee Felice. I ended up buying their Bourbon Marinara. It is fantastic! It has a subtle sweetness from the bourbon to it that is perfect with a meat sauce. It was also only $5.99, so it wasn't super-duper over-the-top expensive. I bought it at Kroger. I can't find any info on it on the web; I'm wondering if it's an exclusive sold only at Kroger in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Dee Felice is a Cajun cafe in Covington, Kentucky. They started selling their creole sauces and also their marinara sauces. To check out the cafe's website, click here.

Drinks

Dogfish Head Festina Peche

I like Dogfish Head, and when I saw they had a peach flavor for the summer, I had to try it! It has a subtle hint of peach and is very refreshing. I really like it for a summer beer. It's not sweet or "fruity" per say. It has a nice, light summer ale taste. 

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Water

I am really good at drinking water at work. In the summer, however, I tend to forget. And I need to drink water. For my migraine medication to work, to keep my migraines at bay, and for general health reasons. So in order to make myself want to drink water when I have more time to think about how blah it tastes, I started buying cucumbers and strawberries to cut up and throw into my tumbler to make it taste festive! Here's to drinking lots of water this summer!

Make-up

I LOVE Rimmel London's BB Cream for the summer. I haven't used it a lot lately, but I pulled it out once it got hot again. I forgot how much I love this make-up! I used it last year in Flordia as my go-to, when I was at Disney World, in Naples, and in a really hot climate in general (hello humid Cincinnati!). Not once did my foundation melt down my face or smear. This BB cream stays put and gives good, buildable coverage.  I also feel, once blended, that this BB cream really matches my true skin tone. I am in the shade "Light."

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C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

I especially love this salve in the summer. It is super hydrating and refreshing on my lips. I also rub it on my extra dry skin on my hands, my cuticles, and my elbows. My favorite part about it is that it smells like roses! I love roses! I bought this for $5.50 at Bath and Body Works. I think I bought one last summer, and I still have it! A little goes a long way!

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Music

I've been listening to a lot of calm, chill music lately, especially on the David Gray channel on iTunes radio. Here are a few of my favorites that I haven't listened to in awhile, but rediscovered through this channel:

Paolo Nutini, "Autumn"

Amos Lee, "Skipping Stone"

Rachael Yamagata and Ray LaMontagne, "Oh Lover"

Matthew Perry Jones, "Save You"

That's all I've got for this week's Tried It Tuesday! Hope you enjoyed!

Have you tried anything new this week?

Love and happines <3 Holly

It's Totally On. My Happy List Update: Progress!!

Closer to the beginning of the school year, I started a happy list--a list that would keep me honest about making sure I did things that I loved throughout the year. Instead of coming home and just crashing or feeling stressed or down (I still do that every once and awhile), I would complete something off of my happy list and add a little sparkle to my life.

This list keeps me accountable. It gives me tangible goals. Coming home feeling stressed and overwhelmed, I never felt like I had time, or the energy for that matter, to do anything I loved. With this list, I had items in waiting--no excuses. Since my goal was to slowly complete these over a certain amount of time, my hope would be that, over time, I would feel happier. I would feel happier because I was making myself do the things that I love. I was forcing myself to find time for them. I was not allowing myself to have excuses not to do them. It was commitment I made to myself. And, it worked. 

Since it worked so well, I decided to keep the list, cross off the finished items, and add a few new things to the list.

Below, I kept the top section of my list as the things still "to do;" I haven't gotten around to these yet. I also added a few summertime "to-do's." At the bottom of the list, I crossed off the things that I have completed since the beginning of the school year (or whenever the heck I wrote this list!). 

To see my previous update on My Happy List, you can click here.

To read my original post about My Happy List, click here. 

My Happy List (To Do)

1. Visit the Contemporary Art Center to actually see the museum!

2. Practice taking pictures with my new camera

(Washington Park, Eden Park, city views)

3. Go to Wine Tasting with Rachie and Bjorn

I'd love to try Oakley Wines. They have wine tasting every Friday at 5!

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4. Finish decorating and organizing my upstairs loft

This may take awhile. I've been putting this one off until the summer. Eeehh!

5. Try a new restaurant in Over the Rhine

I'd love to try Kaze and The Anchor

Ummm...this Bloody Mary pic is on The Anchor's homepage. I mean, "Hello!?!" Am I right?

6. Do a craft

I have made fascinators before and would love to try my hand at it again. 

I also have some ideas for some brooches that I purchased antiquing and thrifting. Stay tuned to see how they turn out!

7. Hang up all the artwork I haven't "gotten around to yet"

This summer this is all getting done! We are redoing our hardwood floors ourselves. As we finish each room, I plan to get everything hung up in each room as well. 

8. Write my books (anything for them)

We'll see how this goes. I feel a little stuck in the young adult book I'm writing. I'm also writing a children's book. Maybe I'll pick up there? We'll see. 

9. Read, read, read!

I've already read two books! I can't wait to keep reading! So far I've read...

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I absolutely loved both of these books! I highly recommend both. The Opposite of Loneliness is one of my favorites that I have read in awhile. Marina Keegan's writing is far beyond amazing. It's real. It's touching. It's honest. I truly believe after hearing her story that she is some sort of writing prodigy. I wish I wrote like this when I was her age. I wish I did now. I am so glad I got to know her through these pieces. I wish I could have read more from her. One amazing woman. I highly recommend this book.

My Happy List (Finished!)

Take Bjorn hat shopping at Batsakes downtown for a new hat!

Ta-Da!!

Bjorn is seriously loving his pork pie hat!

Take Rufus, my dog, on more walks-carry Thor (my chihuahua not a big walker).  And now Remy!!!

Do something fun for our 3rd wedding anniversary!

Take time to enjoy the little things

Read more

Keep writing (poems, my book, blogging)

Keep enjoying my students

Figure out a new plan for my migraines

Start my art journal

Try a new recipe every week + use my crockpot at least once!!

Bake more

Well, that's what I have so far and what I've completed over the last few months. I didn't want to make my list too overwhelming, so I think that's how it will stay for now!

Do you have anything on your summer happy list?

Love and happiness <3 Holly