My Second Stitch Fix

May 26, 2014 | tallmoll4

So my second Stitch Fix arrived last week!!! (You can find my first Stitch Fix post here!)

The reason I have delayed writing about it is because I had a difficult time with this box… More on that later.

This is how it works…

You fill out a ten minute survey on their site, detailing as much as possible about yourself and your style. You give them your size, set your preferences for colors, patterns, and items of clothing, etc. My best friend was on the phone with me while she took her quiz, asking me for my opinion about how she should fill everything out. (This is especially fun if you do it with a bunch of girlfriends!!!!)
You schedule your first fix. There is a $20 styling fee for the box. If you choose to keep anything in the box, this $20 goes toward that. If not, they have to make their money somehow! I don’t fault them for this.
A box (seriously soooo cutely wrapped and decorated) arrives at your doorstep with 5 items that your stylist thought would look great on you.
You have three days to decide what you want to keep and what you don’t. They give you a prepaid envelope to send all unwanted items back in.
If you keep all 5, you get 25% off your order!
You fill out another survey online, detailing what you thought about each piece. Then you can schedule your next fix!

Okay, so onto the clothes…

Item #1- Beige Open Cardigan with Embellished Shoulders

I loved this sweater. Very comfy and I could picture myself throwing this over pretty much any outfit this summer. The color was a little boring. And the price was outrageous, so I sent it back. $78????? The fabric wasn’t even thick. Granted, it was well made, but I’m pretty sure I could find this at a place like Target for half the cost.

Item #2- Colorful Cut-out blouse

When I pulled this out of the box, it was my favorite item. My boyfriend’s mom also shared in my enthusiasm. Unfortunately,when I tried it on, it was just too tight around my chest. This fabric can be really tricky for me, so I tend to avoid it. It doesn’t have a lot of stretch to it, and I need that when it comes to my bust. I avoid it like the plague because I have to buy a size or two larger just to make it work for my chest. Therefore, I never buy anything like this. I’m really bummed it didn’t fit though, I loved the pattern. My bust caused the top to hang strangely and just the slightest lift of my arms would have shown off my belly. No one wants to see that.

Just a close up shot of the pattern. LOVED it!

Item #3- Button-up Green Striped Tank

This piece was my favorite in the fix. I loved the fit of it. The length was so perfect. I can’t wait for the weather to heat up so that I can wear this to the beach! I think it is very versatile.

Item #4- Striped and Tiered Sheath Dress

Here is the biggest fail from this fix. I’m really not sure what the stylist was thinking with this one. The sheath fit I think would be great for my curves, but the different striped pieces of fabric tiered down the dress? What is even happening? It accentuated everything I want to cover. I look pregnant. Not a good look when you aren’t actually pregnant. The length was great though….

I liked it better when I threw the sweater over it.

Item #5- Pink Chevron V-Neck Tank

I liked this tank top a lot and had greatly considered keeping it. But the neckline is a little too low, and I’m really looking for pieces I can wear both to work and on the weekends. I did like the general cut of this tank top.

So now I’m going to be completely real with you. I was disappointed. 3 tank tops? It’s getting to be summer, so I sort of understand, but I didn’t really feel the variety in this box like I did in the last one.

Remember how I said I had a difficult time with this one? I felt like the pieces didn’t work with my body type, at all. Pretty much every one of them made me feel self-conscious, except for the $80 cardigan. And I can’t spend that kind of money. I feel like when you are curvier, it can be really hard to dress yourself and look fabulous. I have slowly started getting my crap together to, you know, look more like an adult and to accept my body shape and embrace it. This box made me feel a little sad and felt like a couple steps backwards.

However, I still love Stitch Fix! I made sure to make some guiding pointers in my survey, which hopefully will be listened to for my next fix. =)

One Pan Cajun Chicken Alfredo

May 26, 2014 | tallmoll4

My guilty pleasure food is chicken alfredo. I could eat this stuff night and day, day and night. Of course, it is not the best for you. Isn’t that always the way? It is at least for me.

I like to spend hours pinning things to my 458375835735 Pinterest boards (you can follow me here!) and came across a wildly easy one-pan alfredo recipe from No. 2 Pencil. I made it one night for my boyfriend and his father, and I think they were literally speechless. I have been challenging myself the past couple of months to learn how to cook and to develop a couple go-to recipes that I can make with my eyes closed. This is the first one I tried that I could tell they really, really loved.

Last week, I decided to make it again but this time, add my own flair to it.

So I now present you with my slightly altered version of this dish!

When I say one pan, I literally mean you make the whole thing in one pan. No boiling pasta in a separate pot, heating up the sauce in a saucepan….. NOPE! All in one. I like easy.

Ingredients (pictured):

Olive oil
2.5 lbs chicken breast
14 oz chicken broth
1 lb (1 box) of pasta
1 cup of heavy cream
Can of McCormick Specialty Blends Cajun Seasoning (you can find it at Wal-Mart!!)
Salt and pepper
Grated parmasean cheese (the green shaker can is what I used…I know, blasphemy)
Red peppers (optional)

This recipe feeds two big strong men, and me! =)

Directions:

Cut the chicken up into little 1-1.5 inch cubes, season with some salt and pepper, and throw on the frying pan, along with a little bit of olive oil. It only takes about 15 minutes to get them to cook, just be sure to flip them and check them out!
Drain any of the juice that comes with cooking chicken this way (there wasn’t too much)
Add in the cream, chicken broth, and pasta and stir it all together. This is also where you can add in the Cajun seasoning. I used several shakes of it.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to simmer.
Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally, until pasta is cooked to your desire! (About 15 minutes in, throw in the diced red peppers.)
I test a couple of the noodles for firmness and taste. I like to make it a little softer than al dente.
Remove from heat and shake out that parmesean cheese! The green can stuff is just convenient, but I’m sure this tastes even better with fresh cheese! Totally up to you how much to use. The recipe I followed calls for 2 cups of it, but I don’t use nearly that much. Again, test for taste!
Enjoy!

And because I always like to get a visual to make sure I’m doing everything correctly….

Cooking the chicken

Adding all the ingredients to the pan

Covered and simmering

Close up of the finished product. YUM.

Pasta Salad

May 20, 2014 | tallmoll4

I’m not going to lie. Any meal you can prepare and eat all week is a gift. And if it’s easily prepared? Bonus!

My boyfriend’s mom from time to time whips up some great dishes that are a fall back all week when you don’t feel like creating a whole dinner, if you’re running late in the morning and need to put together a quick lunch, or for a snack on the weekends when you are watching marathons of Say Yes to the Dress. Ahem. We don’t do that or anything……..

I was never much of a fan of leftovers, for whatever reason. My mom makes killer mashed potatoes but I would not eat them leftover. They aren’t the same!!!! I promise, I’m growing up, Mom! Anything that makes my life easier is a-okay in my book now.

So one of my favorite things that my boyfriend’s mom makes is her pasta salad. She changes up the dressing she uses quite often, but her latest concoction has been my favorite! Seriously, I shovel this stuff…

And it’s so easy!!! Keep reading for the yummy recipe!

Continue reading →

Update on my Candy-free Month

May 13, 2014 | tallmoll4

It is now the 13th of May. That is 13 days without candy. Am I almost halfway through the month????

Still going strong!!! Well, sort of.

“Detoxing” my body of all the sugar and candy was interesting, to say the least. I felt like crap the first few days!!! But I guess that’s how you should feel when you are literally clearing your body of months worth of, well, crap.

The hardest times of the day for me are in the middle of the afternoon, and at night a couple hours after dinner. I’ve been trying to bring fruit every day to work to eat in the afternoon between lunch and going home. This is helping, but we are currently almost out of fruit at the house, so it’s slim pickings. And at night, when my boyfriend’s mom pulls out her giant 5 lb bag of gummy bears, I hide under a blanket in the corner. I don’t really even like gummy bears!!!! It’s the fact that I can’t have any that makes me really want them.

Yes, I’m at the point in this experiment where I am psychologically analyzing myself.

I read an interesting (albeit a little silly) article yesterday about some new diet trend that involves tapping your face. No, I’m not kidding. While the process leaves me extremely skeptical, there are a couple of tidbits I took away.

The number one ruiner of dieting plans is emotional eating. This is stating the obvious. But really, who isn’t guilty of this? Candy, particularly chocolate, is my go-to when I’m stressed. I think it’s because I associate it with being a carefree kid, with a super fast metabolism. Well, my metabolism is now slow as molasses and I was consuming candy like I was still 12.

I also like the part of the article that states that telling yourself that you’re fat isn’t going to help. You really have to get to the root of it. I’m fat because xyz. Now what’s your plan to fix it?

I’m overweight because I eat a lot of candy, and junk food in general, without any limitations. Because I have a control issue, I need to cut things out of my diet one by one, not all at once. And it has to be cold turkey.

Really, in all honesty, I hate calling myself fat. I’m not skinny, by any means. But the word fat is harsh, and it really bothers me when I hear my close friends and people I care about constantly calling themselves fat. So why would I, in turn, call myself fat?

I’m all about owning up to your flaws and conquering them. Isn’t that what this experiment is all about? But let’s do it in a happy and healthy way! Every day that I go without eating candy, I feel better and better. Sure, I see some delicious chocolate sitting on the desk at home and every once in a while, I look at it just a bit longer than a second. Old habits die hard.

It’s not like I will never eat candy again. I just need to get out of the habit of eating it whenever I’m stressed. And let’s face it, as a 20something in an unstable economy and job market, I’m stressed every day!

Willpower: An Experiment

May 2, 2014 | tallmoll4

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Why? The candy.

Every year, they start selling the candy earlier and earlier. I have this weird mentality that I need to eat all the candy because it is only available for a short amount of time. I know, it is ridiculous.

As I’ve gotten older, it has naturally become harder for me to gorge on Cadbury eggs. This is a sad fact of growing up.

This year, especially, I found it really weighing me down. I love candy- particularly chocolate- but I’m just not liking how it makes me feel anymore! When did I become an adult?

So I decided to try a little experiment. I am giving up candy for the month of May. When I told my best friend this past weekend, she gasped and was like, “…….how? I have to have at least a piece of chocolate every day to sustain!” (this is why we’re best friends)

I just want to feel better. The majority of junk I put into my body is typically candy. And every year around Easter, I feel this same crappy feeling. So why not try to remedy it?

And it terms of quitting cold turkey, there is no other way I could do it. The problem with me is that I can’t simply eat one piece. That’s just not even in my vocabulary.

Amirite?

Reason #2? My boyfriend doesn’t think I can do it. As I was eating a few chocolate eggs one night a few weeks ago, I told him my plan and he straight-up laughed. I’ll believe it when I see it, he said. And then he was like, why wait until May, why not start now?

Now it was my turn to laugh.

Ummmm…. because Easter hasn’t happened yet and all this delicious candy needs to be had?!!!? (yes seriously, that was my excuse)

So here it is, May 1st! I had my swan song last night when I ate one last handful of m&ms. This time, my boyfriend was a little more supportive. I still think he’s skeptical but I can’t make him believe it until he sees it!

My first day candy-free is almost over. I can say that I haven’t found myself craving it. So maybe I don’t really have a problem? Just kidding.

Let’s do this!!!!!!

My first stitch fix

April 25, 2014 | tallmoll4

I love getting packages in the mail. It feels like Christmas morning. When I was away at college my freshman year, I had a really difficult time adjusting. My mom used to sleep with her cell phone next to her, in case I called in the middle of the night, crying.

Because I was having such a hard time, my mom would send me care packages with little surprises. I would seriously cry tears of joy when I opened them. The contents never ceased to amaze me. Spring Oreos, a Cinderella wand that lit up and made noise, a pack of High School Musical trading cards… Little pick-me-ups that really helped me survive my freshman year. It made me feel special.

Monthly boxes are all the rage right now. And because there are soooo many that I want to subscribe to, I subscribe to zero. I can’t choose. That doesn’t stop them from emailing me every month offering me a “free box”. Temptation is a killer sometimes…

So, when I first heard of Stitch Fix, my curiosity was piqued. I found out about it through one of my new favorite blogs, A Sorta Fairytale, and I shared the idea with my friends on our endless Facebook thread. We were all giddy at the idea.

This is how it works…

You fill out a ten minute survey on their site, detailing as much as possible about yourself and your style. You give them your size, set your preferences for colors, patterns, and items of clothing, etc. My best friend was on the phone with me while she took her quiz, asking me for my opinion about how she should fill everything out. (This is especially fun if you do it with a bunch of girlfriends!!!!)
You schedule your first fix. There is a $20 styling fee for the box. If you choose to keep anything in the box, this $20 goes toward that. If not, they have to make their money somehow! I don’t fault them for this.
A box (seriously soooo cutely wrapped and decorated) arrives at your doorstep with 5 items that your stylist thought would look great on you.
You have three days to decide what you want to keep and what you don’t. They give you a prepaid envelope to send all unwanted items back in.
If you keep all 5, you get 25% off your order!
You fill out another survey online, detailing what you thought about each piece.

It’s a really simple and fun process. And the best part is that you get items that you would never pick out for yourself!

Here is what was in my box:

Item 1: This asymmetrical striped blazer. I was very unsure about this when I pulled it out of the box. It seemed really short and the zipper off to the side was strange to me. I think the asymmetrical can only be pulled off by certain body types, and I just do not have one of those. I decided against this piece. I had a difficult time zipping the jacket up past my left boob! #bigchestedgirlproblems

Item #2: a tribal-print tank top. I loved this one. I never, in a million years, would have picked out a pattern like this. It was very fun. It would look awesome with a cardigan for work, or paired with shorts and flip flops in the summer. The material was soft and comfortable and it was very well made. I decided against it, in the end, because it was a little too much money for a tank top. I liked a couple of the other pieces more.

Item #3: Grey striped dolman top. LOVE. Everything about this top is perfect. The length is amazing. The way the bottom of it is cut, it elongates and creates a thinner illusion. The material is out of this world. I have owned a couple shirts like this in the past from Old Navy, and they disintegrate pretty quickly. I can tell this one will not do that. I kept this. I pretty much wore it all weekend.

Item #4: A pink/coral colorblock shift dress. If you know me, you know I love pink. I did not give this away in my survey. I left all color options open, even though I’m not really a fan of green. I was so skeptical when I pulled this out of the box. I am aware of shift dresses, but I really didn’t think it would work with my body. I WAS WRONG! This dress is amazing. My boyfriend and his mom both gave it two thumbs up. You can tell I love it by the smile on my face. I am all about this dress. And it’s fully lined! A++++++++.

Item #5: The necklace I’m wearing here. I forgot to get a close-up shot of it. I loved this necklace, but I didn’t think it was worth it. It was super long, so you could wrap it around a couple of times. I just didn’t think it made enough of a statement.

My best friend and I were like kids in a candy shop when our boxes arrived. She got hers first and we spent a great deal of time on the phone analyzing each item. She ended up getting all 5!

I’m no authority when it comes to monthly boxes. My paycheck won’t allow for it. Trust me, if they did, I have a list of about 20 that I want to try! You can get a Stitch Fix as frequently or as infrequently as you want. It is super easy and it will for sure brighten your day!

My boyfriend thinks this is perfect for his mother, who spends hours shopping online and never finds anything. Sometimes it is easier to have other people pick things out for you. I call it “passive shopping”.

Check it out!!!!

Mexico Part III

April 8, 2014 | tallmoll4

I know, I know, it’s been a while.

If you missed the previous posts, click here and here.

After an even more terrifying trip back to Playa, we decided to take it easy for the rest of the day. I kid you not, we had a siesta every day we were there and it was fantastic! We decided to walk up and down 5th Avenue, which is the main drag there in town. We did some shopping, we went down to check out the beach, and we got some lunch and drinks.

We clearly enjoyed all the food down there. I think we cleaned our plates at every meal!

The next day, we decided to have a beach day. We grabbed our towels and headed down to a beach club, which was a five minute walk away. As I am very pale and afraid of burning, we rented an umbrella with our chairs. More drinks! They were so cheap at this beach and it was great to sit back and relax, while drinks are served. Delicious!!!

We didn’t have much planned for this vacation, which was very difficult for me. I like to have things lined up. Our only activities booked were the jungle spa and a fishing charter. Unfortunately, due to high winds, the port was closed and our charter was cancelled. There was no available time to reschedule. Needless to say, my boyfriend was devastated. This was the one thing he wanted to do on vacation. I felt really sad for him.

To make up for it (as best I could, anyway) I planned a day for us to go to see some Mayan ruins in Tulum. It did NOT disappoint!

Tulum was one of the last built and inhabited cities of the Mayans. It was active for a couple of centuries, with as many as 1,600 people living there at one time. The thing that sets Tulum apart from other popular ruins in Mexico is that it is situated on the sea. This made it a very important port at the time, and is probably a big reason it stayed inhabited for so long.

You can no longer climb or go in any of the structures, but as it is a city, it is a great place to walk around and absorb the history and heritage. Expansive is the word I would use. You climb up and up, seeing more and more of the ocean as you climb. The views are truly spectacular.

Overall, it was a great day. We made the most of it, even if we were a little disappointed about the fishing trip. It was great to go somewhere so rich with history and culture. After seeing the ruins, we ventured into the village where there were shops and restaurants set up. The food was incredible. As we had a while to kill before our bus ride back, we found a small hole-in-the-wall bar where we sat for a drink and talked with the bartender. With his limited English and our limited Spanish, it made for some interesting conversation. At one point, a small cat appeared. This was the first cat we had encountered down there that actually wanted attention. She was the sweetest thing! The bartender explained to us that he has no idea where the cat comes from or goes to, but it visits him every afternoon for dinner. He took an empty ashtray and poured some milk in it for the cat, who happily lapped it up. I could tell he had quite the fondness for this cat. She liked to play and mess around with him, darting underneath his legs and hiding behind cabinets. He was so patient with her! I was sad to say goodbye.

And just like that, our vacation was over! We went to our favorite restaurant down there, Yo Amo Tacos, for dinner. It was the only place we went to twice! The chicken tacos were out of this world. The couple sitting in front of us was from Germany, and the gentleman had only been drunk one other time in his life! It was hilarious to watch the waitress bring him a few tequila shots, and to see this guy become sillier and sillier as the night went on.

We were up bright and early the next day to head to the airport.

I tweeted and Facebooked this message that I think perfectly summed up our time there-

“Bye bye Mexico. We will miss your warm sunshine, out-of-this-world food, margaritas before noon, and the lively street culture. We hope to see you again soon!”

We saw so much but there is SO MUCH more we would like to see! Can’t wait to go back.

Thanks for reading!

Mexico Recap Part Dos!

March 27, 2014 | tallmoll4

If you missed the first part, click here. I quickly recapped our decision process and our exciting trip down there.

We went to bed that first night relatively early, exhausted from a day’s worth of travelling. The next morning, we were up bright and early for our trip to the Jungle Spa in Puerto Morelos. Being our first time in Mexico, we were completely naive when it came to how long the ADO bus trip would be. I researched before leaving and wrote down a list of possible departure times. The site said it would be about 45 minutes by bus. I mean, as far as I could tell anyway. The whole website was in Spanish. I was in communication with the owner of the spa, Sandra, and she advised to take a taxi once we got to Puerto Morelos, from the bus station through town to the jungle spa. My dear, sweet boyfriend figured we would be able to walk back to the bus station after our massages. Again, naive. =)

The bus dropped us off in the outskirts of the town. It wasn’t exactly tourist-friendly. This sort of thing usually puts me on edge, but I very much tried to let go of any worries I had to really enjoy and appreciate the experience. We negotiated a cheap taxi ride to the jungle and we were off. We drove through neighbors that you would see in movies, little tin huts with barred windows, vehicles sitting with missing tires, stray dogs laying in the street… I could feel my boyfriend’s eyes staring at me and thinking, what the heck have you gotten us into!!? We then turning onto a dirt road and drove into the jungle. All that was there to indicate that we had arrived was a tiny handpainted sign that read JUNGLE SPA. After paying our cab driver, he drove away and we looked around. It was hard to tell how to enter this place! We were then greeted by several dogs, and we made our way in through the gate. It was there that we encountered a man who guided us to the main palapa (sort of like this). It was there that we realized we were almost an hour early. Whoops!!!! Guess that trip was much shorter than we had anticipated…

Once the other scheduled appointments arrived, we heard the story from Sandra about how the Jungle Spa came to be. It really is an incredible story. I don’t want to reveal too much, because I know she really enjoys telling the story to all the new people that come. But here are the Spark Notes:

Her and her husband are originally from Ohio. She studied Community Tourism and really enjoyed Mexico. They originally built the infrastructure for a cenote, before they became a big tourist draw down there. Through a series of unfortunate events, they lost the cenote and she decided to set up a market with some Mayan women, so they could showcase and sell their crafts. After learning that the Mayans give massages to those who are sick, Sandra thought it would be a great way for these women to make money. She bought a small piece of land in the jungle, and her and the women went in with machetes, cut down some trees, and built the structures that are there today!

So they decided to blend their practices with the traditional massages you can get in any spa and they customize them based on any problem areas you may be having. For example, my boyfriend told them he was a forester, so he is always walking around and looking up at trees. They focused on his neck and shoulders. I sit at a desk all day, so they focused on my shoulders, back, and thighs. My boyfriend got an hour and a half massage, and I opted for the hour massage with a half hour chocolate massage after.

We were taken to the same palapa but there was a partition in between us. We actually didn’t realize we were in the same hut until the end!!! I can only speak from my experiences from this point forward.

My masseuse instructed me to take my clothes off and lay on the concrete (not kidding) bed with a tiny towel. I managed to get it to cover the essential parts of my body, but that’s about it! As this was my first time ever getting a massage, I just went with the flow. My mother raised me to not get embarassed in these situations as I “will never see these people again“. I was massaged literally from head to toe. Only part of my body that she didn’t touch were my private parts. Any place she found any knots, she spent extra time on. I’d be lying if I said parts of it didn’t hurt. But afterwards, it felt like that part of my body was woken up and re-energized.

Once I had been massaged from head to toe, front and back side of me, she pulled my towel off of me. Yes, at this point I was stark naked. The only thing she used to cover me up was a small towel in my butt crack. Good thing I’m semi-okay with my body????? The chocolate part of my massage consisted of being covered head to toe (again) in the seeds of the cacao, which is used to make chocolate. It was very grainy, which made it a great exfoliator. After she covered the back side of me with chocolate, she covered me with giant banana leaves and left me for ten minutes. Ten minutes was an excrutiatingly long time to be left naked covered in chocolate and leaves, naked, in the middle of the jungle. Couldn’t really complain too much though, because the smell was amazing. Once she came back, she wiped all the chocolate away with a warm towel and then instructed me to flip over onto my back. Again, naked. She put a leaf over each boob and my private parts, and got to work covering the front side of me with more chocolate. After she finished and covered me with more leaves, she again left me alone for 10 minutes. It was at this point that I realized my boyfriend was in the same palapa as me the whole time. He popped his head in once his massage was finished, and saw me lying on the table covered in chocolate in leaves. We had a good laugh. I wish he had gotten a picture!!!

I have to say… It was an incredible experience. Neither of us had ever had a massage before, so we can’t really compare it to much. But we both agreed that we never slept better in our lives than we did that night. And my skin is the softest it has ever been. Side note to my lady readers: for whatever reason through the exfoliating process, it left my legs sooo smooth! I didn’t have to shave them once while I was down there, and it wasn’t until the last day (5 days later) that I felt even a hint of stubble. Amazing!!!!!! Pretty much any other tourists we encountered down there, we shared our experience with and told them that it was a must. I am sure a massage on the beach is fantastic and relaxing. And I’m sure they do an awesome job! But you can get one of those anywhere. I could get one at the Cape this summer if I wanted. This was truly unique, and it made us feel good knowing we were contributing to their lives and heritage.

This post ended up being a lot longer than I had first anticipated, so I’m going to end it here and make this a trilogy recap! Thanks for reading!!!

Don’t forget to like my Facebook page for updates! =)

Mexico!!! Part One

March 21, 2014 | tallmoll4

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I have been super busy! I wanted to share a recap of my fabulous trip to Mexico.

I’ve only flown one other time before, and that was to Disney World with my best friend when I was 18. It is a trip that will literally live in infamy for us. After stuffing my face with eggs and fruit for breakfast, we were up in the air. Since the flight was so early, we decided to get some shut-eye. Well, I woke up mid-turbulence and before I could process the nausea I was experiencing, up my breakfast came. All over the window, myself, and the people in front of us. My friend’s dad desperately tried to get a stewardess to bring me some paper towels and water, but they couldn’t remove their seatbelts because of the turbulence. I had to sit in my throw up for minutes. Meanwhile, my friend awoke from her nap in a groggy state and didn’t realize right away that I was covered in my breakfast. Like any true best friend, she helped me wash my clothes off in the bathtub once we checked into our hotel.

So it’s been six years since I’ve flown. Not necessarily because I didn’t want to (college and life got in the way) but I have always been a bit fearful about my next trip into the skies. When my boyfriend asked me at Christmas last year if we could go on vacation, I immediately had flashbacks to my trip to Disney. When we finally settled on Playa del Carmen in Mexico, I knew I would need to take some precautions this time around. I’m pleased to announce that I had no throwing up incidents on this trip! Phew! I did not eat before our 7am flight and just remained calm with some water and juice. Easy, breezy.

Once in Mexico, Cancun International Airport was a zoo! We, luckily, breezed right through customs and were released into the shark-tank filled with solicitors. Time shares, nightclubs, drug dealers, all swarming. Once outside waiting for our shuttle, we were pleasantly greeted by a man selling beers for $1. Yes, please. We sipped our beers for our 35 minute drive from the airport to the hotel. Our home for the next six days was Hotel Lunata.

Courtesy of Hotel Lunata

I came across this place while booking our trip via Expedia and it had some of the best reviews that I have read on that site. It was very no-frills, understated, and authentic. I was obsessed. Plus, take a look at that shower! Gah!

Courtesy of Hotel Lunata

The hotel is situated right in the heart of Playa, on the famous 5th Avenue. Shops, bars and restaurants abound! It was so fun wandering up and down the street, checking out all the little shops and experiencing the lively culture. Plus, our room had a balcony overlooking the street, which was fantastic for people watching. If we are ever lucky enough to go back, we would gladly stay there again.

A lot went into the decision process for where to go. We both made lists of musts. Well, let me rephrase. Mine had musts, my boyfriend’s just had one must. We must be able to go fishing. WELL! That didn’t help me out much. I did hours upon hours of research (seriously) before coming to the conclusion that it would be Playa del Carmen in Mexico. We decided we didn’t want to do all-inclusive for a number of reasons. The biggest being that we wanted freedom, and to be able to spend the money on experiences, not an all-inclusive package of mediocre food and drinks. Playa is like the college-graduate version of Cancun. There are still wild bars and parties, but the crowds are just a bit older and more mature. We weren’t looking to do any hard partying, but it was nice to know that we could find it close by.

After traveling all day, we had a nice dinner a couple of blocks down and turned in early. We had an appointment scheduled the next day at the Jungle Spa that we needed to be up for…

Stay tuned for my “part two” of the recap where I talk about my butt-naked chocolate massage, our doomed fishing charter, and some Mayan ruins! =)

Makeup

March 3, 2014 | tallmoll4

LADIES.

I have reached a beauty breakthrough.

I am not a big makeup wearer. I tend to only put it on for special occasions or a night out. Even then, it’s a little eyeliner on the outer parts of my top eyelids and a bit of mascara. I’ve only recently began putting blush on. Legit, I didn’t even wear makeup to work most days. I’ve always just had a confidence in my beauty, even if I am just “average”.

A few weekends ago, I was at CVS picking up a few health and beauty products that were in desperate need of being restocked at my boyfriend’s house. They were having a sale on CoverGirl products, my all-time FAVORITE, so I decided to see what new things they had to offer. After grabbing a couple of pretty pink lipsticks to help prepare for spring, my eyes fell on the “face” section of makeup.

Foundation. For some reason, I have always thought it was the enemy. The only time I ever wore it was when I did musicals in high school and we had to cake it on. I think maybe that experience traumatized me into thinking that it wasn’t for me. But lately, I’ve been noticing my skin tone is a little uneven and every once in a while, red spots develop. Not zits, just weird red irritated spots. Maybe foundation is just what I need…. I’m not kidding, I spent a half hour hemming and hawwing, trying to decide if 1) I should try it, 2) which one should I pick, and finally 3) WHAT SHADE.

Well, I decided pretty quickly that I would at least give it a shot. And I knew generally what I wanted in terms of liquid/powder, ones that come with an applicator vs not, ease of application…. You get the idea. I settled on one that comes in a nice compact case that also features a mirror, just in case you are applying on the go. Perfect! Now what shade am I!?!!!????

When I did musicals, we were encouraged to use foundation several shades darker than our skin tone. This was so that we didn’t look like ghosts up on the stage underneath all the bright lights. I knew I wanted this to look as natural as possible.

Therefore, with my pale complextion, I decided on the CG Smoothers AquaSmooth Compact Foundation in Natural Ivory.

I AM SO GLAD I TOOK A CHANCE!

The application is smooth and I haven’t noticed any streaking. The color matches almost perfectly to my complextion. My biggest concern is that people could tell I was wearing it if they were up close. But the more and more I’ve observed women on the train, in the city, at work, it seems that everyone is wearing it. It looks a little flaky on my super dry nose and in between my eyebrows, but I’ve managed to get around that by applying less or none to those areas, and just blending it in. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Before and after comparison shots that I took this morning

When I look in the mirror, I am so happy with the results. My skin is glowing but not in an overly obvious way. And it’s all one tone! I look less tired, more alert, and easy, breezy, beautiful!

What are some of your favorites???

***Please note, this is not a sponsored post in any way. I am an avid CoverGirl fan for life (and even had Christie Brinkley’s picture next to my bed when I was little!) and all opinions are my own.***