The end of the monogram saga

I've been obsessing over monograms for a while. I took to the Twitters to complain, too. Sorry about that...

A few weeks ago I found a Groupon for one, and it finally came in the mail. I love it! I ordered the rose gold 18" extra-small monogram from monogramonline.com and it's wonderful! A little larger than I was dreaming and hoping for, but after 3 days it's grown on me.

I even bought one to give as a gift! Guess you'll have to wait until the holidays to find out who it's for.

Have you purchased anything lately that you are just obsessed over?

BB Cream

I think I'm a little late to the party. In fact, I know I am. Proof, times three. Seriously. It's not often you find makeup advice, suggestions, or thoughts around here. I try to leave that to the professionals, which I am most certainly not.
 
My friend Whitney posted about the best BB creams the other day, and I kept thinking about it. I realized I got a BB cream in my BirchBox a few months ago, and no time like the present to try it.



The one I got in my BirchBox was Marcelle BB cream. I had no idea what to expect (I pretty much ignored all those blog posts I referenced above... what can I say, I'm a creature of habit!) so imagine my surprise when I realized this stuff was tinted! Then I got all nervous that it would be the wrong color. The only reason I put it on is because I've been looking for something lighter than foundation to incorporate into my summer makeup routine, and I think I've found it!



Now I just need to go to CVS or Target and buy 7 different kinds and figure out which is my favorite. I really liked the Marcelle brand but I am excited to try other kinds. I'm also not excited about the $27.00 price tag, so let's see how they compare!

image image

Magazine Mania

I am a magazine-a-holic. I love them. I love reading them, ripping pages out of them, getting ideas from them, and I love that they fill my snail mailbox with something other than my American Express bill. I have a whole notebook of recipes that I've clipped, and another notebook of "inspiration" clippings, ranging from gorgeous engagement rings to a really great haircut to workout tips.

All of that being said, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell ya'll about a GREAT deal on 4 magazines - Taste of Home, Get Shape, Men's Fitness, and Every Day with Rachel Ray. A dear friend sent me an email with a link here, where you can choose a subscription to any of those magazines for $3.99! I love it!

I can't wait to see what Rachel Ray has in store for me over the next year... what are you going to get?

Hot Tip of the Day

I just spent way too long thinking about this, but I thought I'd share my fabulous theory with all of you - it's the kind of person I am. Far be it for me to theorize about something without sharing.

So, everyone always complains about the excessive spam mail they get from various companies. Amazon, Zazzle, Old Nav, New York & Company, Groupon... those are just a few of the ones that flood my inbox on a daily basis. Obnoxious, right? And you are constantly tempted to unsubscribe, aren't you?

Here's an idea: instead of unsubscribing, create a rule in Gmail for those emails! Picture instructions below:

Step 1: Open the email. Under More Actions, select Filter Messages Like These.

Step 2: Choose how you want to identify the emails - I usually opt for the From field. Go on to the Next Step.

Step 3: Select Skip the Inbox, Mark as Read, and Apply the Label:. Select your label - mine was called Daily Deals, but I have now changed it to Deals/Ads.

Then Create Filter!

Why is this awesome? Because every now & then websites send you handy coupons or information about deals. For example, today I wanted to place an order from Zazzle.com, and I searched through old emails and found out that they had a 50% off deal with an exclusive code. But, I never even saw the email, I was never tempted by their little schemes, and I still benefitted from being a subscriber! Win-win if you ask me!

So next time you're planning some online shopping, do a quick search of your inbox and see what emails you've gotten (and not even known about!) that might save you some money!

Happy Online Shopping and even Happier Clean Inboxes!