Summer Inspiration

*Mandy's Note: I have been trying to get this post up for no joke, a month now. That's why the post says it's being posted in July, even though I didn't actually get it finished until August. Just a warning, there are going to be a few posts dated for July even though they were posted in August; I'm trying to get these late ones up. So I's sorry.*

As I mentioned in my previous post, some of my absolute favorite things in life come during the summer. It inspires me, drives me, motivates me to get out and do more. I'm not feeling terribly motivated at the moment; the weather has been completely unbearable for me and taking a toll on my health, but the summer itself is usually very inspiring for me. I've never done a seasonal themed essentials post before, so I was pretty excited to see if I could come up with some things. I started with my color inspiration for the season and just went from there. So without further ado, here is my list of summer inspiration and essentials!

I'm a big one for themes and color palettes for some reason. Different seasons have different scent profiles, color palettes or makeup looks, and I'll use that as a foundation for other things for that time period. I didn't initially intend to have so many colors, but when I look at all of them individually, I think of summer but when I was trying to develop a color profile for myself, I wanted something that touched on most of the major colors. That culminated in this list here.

Colors: Wet 'n Wild Wildshine in Be More Pacific, Sinful Colors in Boogie Nights, Wet 'n Wild Wildshine in Who is Ultra Violet?, Sinful Colors in Firefly, Sinful Colors in Sky Tree, Wet 'n Wild Wildshine in Lavender Creme, Sinful Colors in Curry Up, Sinful Colors in Why Not, Wet 'n Wild Wildshine in Nuclear War, Butter London in Champers

When I thought of summer, I thought of a bag of Tropical Skittles. Does that sound weird? lol When I think of summer, I think of loud, bright colors. They give me a fun, playful vibe that I always associate with the season. I sound like such a dweeb, huh? Well anyway, these are the colors that came to the brain when I first started trying to find inspiration for summer. I'll find a color palette or some other kind of inspiration base and go from there. This year it was in polishes, because that was the easiest (and cheapest) way to get as close to the inspo colors as I could. All of these were super affordable; I got all of the Wet 'n Wild polishes for 99 cents and even though Sinful usually retails for $1.99 (which is still an awesome price), they had a couple of half-off sales while I was building this post that allowed me to scoop the rest up for 99 cents. The Butter polish was part of my Allure Beauty Society box that I got last August.








If I'm being honest, the header photo is what I would prefer my essentials to consist of. lol I don't wear makeup on a daily basis, so for my face my only mandatory essential is a good chapstick. I'm usually barefoot, so the closer I can be to that while in public, the better. I also tend to sweat--a lot--because of both anxiety and the heat, so a good deodorant goes a long way. And finally, sunglasses because duh. I'm not one for really large routines and a long list of products (which gives this entire post a bit of irony lol) so I'm pretty late to the game with developing skincare/body routines for myself, but I've finally come around. Here's what's been working for my bod so far:

Products: Australian Gold Broad Spectrum Sunscreen with SPF30, Hawaiian Tropic Aftersun Lotion, Avon Footworks Cooling Lotion & Exfoliating Scrub in Papaya Sorbet, Equate Blemish Control Exfoliating Face Scrub

I got both the sunscreen and aftersun lotion from a couple of Influenster boxes, the sunscreen from this year’s Blossom VoxBox and the aftersun lotion from last summer’s Surf’s Up VoxBox. I’d never dealt with aftersun lotion until I received this one, but it really does do wonders for my skin. Even though my skin’s surface veers towards oily during the summer, underneath is still very dry, so if I’m not using a lotion that’s good on my skin, going out in the sun usually gives the exposed parts, my shoulders and joints in particular, a leathery texture and appearance. Both the sunscreen and aftersun lotion do a lot to keep my skin feeling smooth and moisturized, before, during and after any sun exposure. 

The Footworks line from Avon isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it’s excellent for light day-to-day maintenance. I use the scrub in the shower to smooth out the texture of my feet, and the cooling lotion after I get out to lock in the moisture. They both keep my feet looking and feeling soft on a daily basis, which is a must for someone constantly in sandals or barefoot. 

Finally, since my face gets the oiliest by far during the summer, I usually use a cleanser or scrub with salicylic acid to balance it out. I use one once a week anyway, but I up it to about twice a week during the summer to ensure that my pores aren’t getting clogged with excess oils. This removes any dead skin on my face, evens out the oil content, and gets rid of any lingering blackheads. I’ll be talking more about this product in an upcoming skincare routine review.






I really wanted a simple makeup routine this summer, and I wanted products that weren't going to break me out and were going to be easy to remove. I like some of these products more than the others, but so far these have been my favorite makeup items to use. 

Products: CoverGirl Queen Pressed Powder in Golden, Elf Sunkissed Glow Bronzer in Warm Tan, CG Smoothers BB Cream in Medium to Dark, CG Intensify Me! Eyeliner in Intense Black, LA Colors Chunky Lip Pencil in Wine, CG Super Sizer Mascara in Very Black, NYC 24-hr Eyeshadow in Brooklyn Mocha, Sally Girl Shimmer Stripes Palette

I think the summer is the time of year when my makeup routine is the simplest. I don't like bothering with 10,000 products and 2 hours of application, especially when I'm going to be out in the heat feeling like my skin is melting off anyway. The products I use should be simple to apply, stay put after application, and not smudge within minutes of being outside. One of my personal favorites in this particular bunch is the NYC shadow. If I feel like keeping it light, I can wear this shadow and nothing else because it blends out well, but if I want a more intense eye I can add one onto this one and it will still look good. It's very versatile but still summery. The Intensify Me! liner has since dried out on me so I don't use it too often anymore, but if it had continued to work properly, it would have been the only eyeliner I would have needed most days. I love bright lips for summer but for some reason I'm really starting to wonder how they'll look with darker colors once they return in fall. This wine color reminds me of berries and I've had a small obsession with berry-colored lips this summer. 

As for my everyday body products, I keep it short and sweet year-round. During the winter I might add body washes or lotions with different properties because my skin changes during that time, but during the summer the only thing I usually ask for is a good scent and moisturizing properties to keep my skin from drying out too much. 

Products: St. Ives 24-hr Deep Restoring Lotion with Almond Oil, Dial Pura Fruta Shower Gel in Guava and Watermelon, Intimate Tropical Body Spray in Coconut Hibiscus

I said earlier that I'm not usually one for long, drawn-out beauty or skin routines, and I am never more willing to take shortcuts on the routines I do have than during the summer. I'm trying to get out of the shower and back in front of my fan as soon as possible. I recently found this lotion, and even though it doesn't work for the 24 hours it's advertised for, it does work very well. I love anything with almonds in it anyway, so bonus points for that. This is also very compatible with my sunscreen, so during the summer I'll just mix the two so I can apply them at once. I read somewhere that mixing sunscreen with lotion can dilute the effectiveness of the sunscreen, anyone know if there's any truth to that? I'd hope not, because I see no fun in having to rub lotion everywhere just to go back and do it all over again with sunscreen. So I'm Team Lazy. Sue me. 

I'm usually drawn to fruity scents during the summer anyway, but this summer I really wanted something that was light, had a fruity base, and keeps my skin soft. This Pura Fruta body wash has been doing pretty good this season. Nothing particularly notable about it, I just like it. 

Finally, the same scent profile follows me over to the body wash, which I picked up from the dollar store. lol Usually when I smell body sprays from the dollar store, they have a heavy alcohol scent to them, so I don't really bother with them. This one had an awesome smell though. The coconut smell mixes really well with the hibiscus, but it's not heavy at all. It's very summery to me. 

So that's what's been in my head this year when I think of summer. If I had to sum it up in a sentence, I'd say bright, vivid colors, light, shimmery makeup, and fruity scents. Even though I spend all of the cold months waiting for summer, once summer gets here I always wish it gone again because the heat is unbearable. I think it's the feel, the idea of summer, that grabs at me all year, because it damn sure ain't the temperature. I hope you enjoyed this post; now that it's finally out of my hair I can start focusing on fall. LOL See you soon!

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June Favorites

This month I have to admit that I didn't try too many new things at all. All but the last week of this month was uneventful, so there's not too much to add right now but next month's Favorites list should be full of new stuff. Have you done your homework and made a small bucket list for yourself yet? I'm hoping to really kick my #rrntbucketlist into high gear for the month of July, so hopefully I'll start having more to say. I've gotten a lot of new things lately, so be prepared for a month full of reviews. I know I usually say that and then the blog goes dry for awhile lol, but all of those reviews as well as these newer ones will be rolled out very soon. Anywho, let's get to the list!

Sinful Colors polishes, Australian Gold sunscreen, Carmex Cherry Lip Balm

When I was finding my items for a summer-themed post that should be going up in a couple of days, Walgreens did their not-often-enough 1/2 off sale of Sinful Colors polishes. I was able to find a couple of the colors that I was looking for, but they stayed on my mind until after the sale, when I found the remaining colors that I needed. I think Sinful Colors is a very underrated but quality brand of nail polishes that are super affordable. The majority of my nail polishes are Sinful Colors and I have yet to buy one that I ended up disliking. I'm probably addicted to them. 

I got this sunscreen in my Blossom VoxBox and I am still extremely happy with it. My favorite sunscreen was the COOLA sunscreen before I was sent this one, but even though the Australian Gold doesn't have the cucumber scent and is a little thicker than the COOLA, it does its job very well. It doesn't have a heavy scent or formula, it sinks into the skin, I use it daily on my face and it doesn't clog my pores, and it doesn't leave my skin looking greasy or shiny afterward. I can mix it in with my lotion or face cream with no problems and it sits well underneath my makeup. 

I ran out of my Aquafina and wanted to switch it up a bit, so when I saw the Carmex in a balm tube, I picked it up. The smell isn't quite as strong as the Carmex in the pot but otherwise, it's the same ol' stuff. It's really been helping keep my lips moisturized and I don't have to keep reapplying every 5 minutes.  

none this month!

It's a rare month when I don't have a favorite book to talk about. I haven't been doing too much reading lately; I've had so much going on (in my mind LOL) to try and get organized that reading was not on my list of priorities. Well it was, I have book reviews up the wazoo to do, but they just got pushed to the bottom of the list with everything else that I wanted to do. I got really thrown off towards the middle of the month and have been stumbling ever since so I'm hoping that this week I can finally get everything straight again. Then I'll be able to get back to my reading so there will be something here for sure next month. 

Braxton Family Values, Swerved

Braxton Family Values is one of my guilty pleasures. Sorta. I tire of the drama pretty quickly every episode (so clearly, the genre I should be watching isn't reality LOL) but I used to love this show when it was about sisterhood and actual family values. Now that Scandal and Vikings are between seasons, I find my Thursdays quite boring after ATV's TNT and Smackdown are over, which ended up bringing me back to BFV. I've been gaming quite a bit lately so I haven't been watching too much tv (even though I have several shows DVR'd so I can review them) but this is one of the things that I do watch. I probably won't finish the season out, but I've been watching it consistently this month so here it is. 

Swerved is a new show on the WWE Network and I've been wanting to see it since they started showing the previews a couple of months ago during Raw and Smackdown. It's sort of like Punk'd for wrestlers. It's basically a show where various pranks are pulled on different Superstars at arenas before events and usually, another Superstar is in on the prank. I thought the premiere episode was stronger than some of the other shows on the Network but I think it has a bit more potential for longevity than some of the other original shows. In this first episode, Dolph Ziggler pulled a shock prank on some of his co-workers, Renee Young got a few more with a fake cooking show, and a poo microphone really pissed off Darren Young. I loved it and can't wait to see what else they come up with. 

AfterFocus, Layout, OneTab

AfterFocus and Layout are a couple of photo apps that I've been messing with lately, and OneTab is a Chrome app that has saved my yellow derriere on a number of occasions. AfterFocus allows you to change the focus of a photo and blur the parts of your choice, Layout gives your photos really fun and colorful looking filters, and OneTab allows you to save memory in Chrome by condensing your tabs into one tab. I really like AfterFocus since I don't have the Aperture feature on my phone's camera and this app allows me to mimic it for my photos. I like being able to choose the focus of my photo and I think it really does enhance the final result of the picture. Layout is a great app if you're trying to combine a piece of different photos into one larger photo. I used that app to create the first Sister Summer photo that I posted on IG a couple of weeks ago. If you're into the #iggoals sort of photos, this is a good app to go with if you're trying to include snippets of multiple pictures into one. Finally,

OneTab is pretty simple; if you're like me and have 19 windows open in Chrome at one time, you have the option to save them to OneTab, where you can open them again at will. You can also star or lock a tab or a group of tabs, which locks them to the OneTab window and you can go back to them whenever you want. I have my OneTab set to open whenever I open Chrome and that makes things easier to keep track of. Make sure to bookmark the sites just in case though because the last time it updated, I (and tons of other pissed off users, according to the reviews left for the app after the update lol) lost all of my info and saved tabs. For the forgetful, multi-tasking folks out there, this app is a helpful resource to have. 

none this month!

Another thing I wasn't doing too much of this month was randomly surfing the 'Net. All of my internet activity was based on specific things, most of which were for blog posts, so I wasn't really trying to find new things. I'm actually thinking about combining this category with the Apps since I don't have too many website posts up here yet, but nothing's been decided. Either way, no new websites this month. 

Blog calendars, flower headpieces, 4th of July projects and recipes, desk decor, cutoff shorts

I finally got around to making a dry erase blog calendar, the DIY for which will be up in a few days, and minus the aforementioned bump in the road earlier in the month, it's really been helping me keep my intended posts for both blogs in mind. I got my inspiration from LaurDIY's DIY Wall Organizer and even though mine isn't even close to being that Tumblr-worthy, it does the job for me. I tried to make this a bit more affordable in terms of the frame I used and the decoration, and it's not bad for my first calendar although I'd love to make another. 

It's summer, so obviously I'm going to want to roll out a cute headpiece. I struggle sometimes with wearing them and being afraid that people will look at me strangely, but you know what, I like them. Whoever doesn't like them or doesn't like how I look in them doesn't have to look at me in them. LOL They seem pretty simple to make and affordable to boot, which is usually my deciding factor, so I want to learn how to make a few of them. 

One of my favorite holidays is the 4th of July, so it's one of the days I usually go all out for. Every year I'll look for new projects I can do for the day or fun new recipes (appropriately colored, of course) that I can try out. 

I cleaned out my desk back in December, and despite my efforts, it has become overrun with clutter again. This time I'd like to redecorate as well as reorganize, so this one's back on the list because I need some ideas. 

Finally, I've been kind of late on the cutoff short boat. I didn't care for cutoffs too much as a kid, because for a poor kid, cutoffs meant you were too poor to buy shorts, so you took old pants and made them shorts instead, which made you fodder for teasing. And that was usually the case, so I didn't even really have a defense for it. Since I was already getting teased, I wasn't trying to invite more of it by wearing cutoffs, so after a couple of times of being teased like crazy for them, I didn't wear them again. I was staunchly against them up until adulthood, but about a year ago I finally started to like them, and now I love them. lol 

Photography, school supplies, makeup & nail polish, baskets, cold coffee, cutoff shorts, crop tops and bucket lists

Now that I'm finally getting into these photo apps, I've started to love editing again. I used to use GIMP to edit my photos but I found that it took longer, I couldn't edit on the go, and I wasn't as pleased with the final result. Editing via app is much easier since I can take, edit, save and upload the photo and Blogger will get it automatically. I can then promote it on IG without needing to re-crop the photo, whereas with GIMP I'd have to repeatedly resize the image and the quality suffered as a result. I've been learning how to take better photos with the resources I have rather than learning how to use equipment that I don't yet own, and it's been fun to learn. 

The most wonderful time of the year--school shopping--is right around the corner already, and I can't wait. I have had this obsession with school and stationery supplies for about as long as I can remember, so even though I'm not in school anymore I now have blogging as an excuse to buy more stuff. I really don't need any more pencils, pens, notebooks or crayons....but I want them. lol

Baskets are another thing that I've picked up a sudden need for, and I still don't know how to use them all yet. I think the colors of the baskets are what did me in. lol At one time, my room was completely unorganized and stuff was everywhere. Then I got it into piles but had nowhere to put it. I'm hoping that containers help move me to that next stage of organization, and then eventually I can cut down some stuff. There's a system for recovering packrats. lol

Despite the fact that this is the absolute worst time of the year for me to be drinking cold coffee, for some reason I can't get enough of it lately. I tried a mocha frappe from Starbucks and it was okay, then a caramel mocha coffee from McD's and wasn't crazy about it, but where it's at for me are the caramel frappes from McD's. They taste great, I'm addicted and my guts are angry with me but hopefully I won't have to feel their wrath for too long. 

Once again with the cutoff shorts. I would now much rather make a pair (the irony, right?) of cutoffs that I like than buying a pair for $16 or more bucks at the store. That's where thrifting comes into play. The jeans are already softer due to wear, so they're easier to cut and manipulate into the style of cutoffs that you want. It's much cheaper and much more fun because you made the shorts yourself, so in a 'take that!' moment to my childhood, I love making a pair of cutoffs that look good. When people ask me where I bought them, it gives me pride, not shame, to admit that I made them. It's so easy to do I wonder why more people don't just make them. 

Another trend that I've been late to hop onto is the crop top trend. I thought they were too cute in the '90s and I spent way too much time twisting up all of my tops until they were hopelessly wrinkled at the bottom, my entire underage stomach was out in the wind, and my mom was yelling at me about both things. Adulthood was when I started looking at them differently, and when they came back into fashion a couple of years ago I was not on board at all. Times have changed and I was on a mission to own at least one, so I could wear them with my shorts. I'm not in quite a rush to make one of those lol, but I was determined to be more adventurous with my clothes and buy--and actually wear--a couple of them. 

Bucket lists should be an obvious choice given the last post I did. I have a lifetime bucket list, but I never thought of doing a seasonal one before. Since I would really like to get out and just enjoy life for once, it too became a near obsession as I tried to find exciting things to include for me to do this summer. The bucket list was born and even though I haven't started crossing things off of this one yet, I'm already thinking about if I want an autumn list and what I'd put on it. 

That does it for me for June's favorites. I have more random favorites than anything else, but because of everything new that I tried lately, next month's list should be pretty lengthy so put your snacks on ice now. lol Have you done your homework yet? I'd love to see or hear about your bucket list items. I've got a couple of posts coming up this week, so I'll be seeing you back here in a few days. I hope your week has gotten off to a great start!

Off to answer for my inexcusably late posting over on ATV,

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My Summer Bucket List

As I continue to move through the daily ins and outs with anxiety disorders and agoraphobia, I wanted to do something fun to celebrate the summer. There are a number of things that I love about every season, but many of my absolute favorite things come during the summer. There's just something about this time of year that fires up my senses and makes me feel more alive. I'll probably touch on the things I love about the different seasons as these bucket lists continue, but there's just something about summer for me. Because of my anxiety and health issues, it was always summer that bothered me the most to miss out on. There is always the concern of relapsing and even though it has been a tough time lately with keeping my anxiety issues at bay, I'm going to keep fighting. I knew that I didn't want to spend another summer indoors, especially if I was well enough to at least go out in my local area. I knew that I wanted to push the button a little and do more. And so my idea to create a Summer Bucket List for myself was born. There was tons of inspiration online to draw from, so I was able to find some ideas that I liked from a few of those boards and add in a few of my own. I'll have probably added a few more on to the list below by the time summer is over and I don't expect to be able to do them all within the season, but it'd be absolutely super if I could. Here's my list:

*Mandy's Note: If you don't care about the details of the list, go ahead and skip to the bottom; this is a lengthy post. Otherwise, get a snack and proceed!*

1. Have a water balloon fight--What better way to bring the family together, get out of the house and cool off than a water balloon fight?

2. Set up tent for day camping--I bought a tent a few years ago and still have yet to use it. I have a pop-up tent, but this is a full on tent. I'd like to finally use it.

3. Make s'mores outdoors--Usually when we make s'mores, it's indoors, using the stove. I want to do it the proper way, at night in front of a fire. It sounds stupid, but what can I say, I'm easily pleased. lol

4. Have a paint fight--I saw this in a commercial, I forget which one, and I think it would be an awesome idea. I liked how they involved the neighborhood, which won't be happening here but it's still a fun concept.

5. Have two picnics at the park--I'd like to go on a picnic one afternoon with nothing but my Kindle Cloud app, my tent and some munchies to keep me company. My sister wants to picnic as well and I've been thinking of bringing my sisters-in-law with my nieces so they can join in, make it a 'girls' day out' kinda thing. 

6. Slide down a water slide--I've never been on a water slide. I think I went on a water ride once at the amusement park for my graduation, but that was 10 years ago. lol I've never been on an actual water slide before.

7. Go to the Plaza Film Festival--Every August, my city has a two-week block where loads of classic films are shown and I've never been able to go. It's like a mini-version of TCM's Summer Under the Stars, which I feature prominently over on All Things Vintage. The SUTS promotion and the Plaza Festival overlap each other, so this has grown to be one of my favorite times of the year. I'd love to go to the film festival when it comes back in August.

8. Eat a snow cone--I haven't eaten a snow cone since I was a kid. I have to confess that this is more about the ice they use for snow cones and less about the flavored syrup for the cones, which is usually too sweet for me now. LOL

9. Take a small road trip--This one is just a pipe dream, but it'd be nice to take a road trip to one of the neighboring cities, just for a day or two.

10. Play in the rain--My immune system is crazy low due to some of my lingering health issues, so whenever it is chilly or rainy outside, I won't even go out on the porch. I always felt my freest as a kid when I was out in the rain, dancing around like it was going out of style. I miss that bit of innocence.

11. Build a blanket fort on the bed--Look, I don't care how childish this sounds. I am of the firm opinion that you are never too old to build a good blanket fort. I might have to amend this and make a sheet fort because I'm not trying to die of heat stroke inside the fort, but I love them.

12. Run through sprinklers--This goes back to the rain one, for me there aren't many better ways to capture the carefree elation that often eludes us as adults than running through the sprinklers or out in the rain, with not a worry in your heart and cool drops on your skin. I also just miss running through sprinklers because it's hot as Hades outside.

13. Watch a sunrise & sunset--Two of my favorite things in life are sunrises and sunsets. I have a few too many photos of various 'rises and 'sets that I've taken over the years, and the collection continues to grow. I haven't just sat and watched either one in awhile though, so I'd like to do that this summer.

14. Feed the birds--Birdfeeding/watching is one of my favorite ways to relax and birds have more personality than most would think. I'm single for many reasons, and the reasoning behind this entry is further proof that things are as they should be. LOL

15. Stargaze--What's to explain? A warm summer night, a nice breeze, a can of Dr. Pepper (bc its me, of course it's going to be soda), and watching the darkened sky come alive with stars.

16. Make popsicles--This was on my bucket list when the kids were all younger, but we never got around to doing it. They're all teens or grown now, but none of them are going to turn down a popsicle. It'll still work. lol

17. Have one family game night--A few years ago, I started a family tradition that I was trying to make a long-term thing, so we made Thursday our Family Game Night. The tradition didn't continue, unfortunately, but I'd like to bring it back one last time.

18. Play bingo somewhere--Along with the child who lives for picking dandelions, blowing bubbles and running through sprinklers, there is a little old lady with a bejeweled gold lame hat, a neon-colored fanny pack and leopard print stirrup pants living inside me somewhere. It is a long-standing goal to go to one of those bingo halls and play a game, just once.

19. Make apple granola--I had this apple cinnamon granola a couple of months ago when I tried out the Blossom VoxBox and since then I've been on the hunt for a recipe that seemed similar. I've been open to trying healthier snacks for some time, but since my Wellness Challenge last month I've seriously been looking into new stuff. Apple granola is tasty and good for you...I think. lol It's certainly healthier than Hershey's with Almonds, no matter how much I try to justify the chocolate because of the almonds.

20. Get a hula hoop--Want an easy and cheap way to exercise? Get a hula hoop. It's a good way to loosen the bottom half, it works the muscles and the core, and if you're a parent this is an excellent way to implement exercise in such a way that the kiddos won't even realize they're exercising. I just like hula hooping, but I've found a good reason that justifies it. lol

21. Visit a farmers' market--I've never been to a farmers' market. I keep hearing people talk about how you should purchase your produce from there, that local is better. I just want to see what the hype is about.

22. Go to an antique store--One of the series I've been trying to start up on All Things Vintage is where I go to local vintage businesses and the like, which for me includes antique stores. There are a few here in town but they're pretty far from home so I was always a little anxious about going on my own because it takes so long by public transport. This summer though, it's a challenge I'm willing to accept. I love antiques and can't wait to get some great pics for the blog.

23. Make jam & fresh bread--The next thing to cross off on my to-make list is jam of some kind, so I'd like to make a jar of it along with some bread. I'm a little late to baking, but along with the child and old lady, there's also some really old school broad in me who likes making her own stuff. I'd really like to do it this summer.

24. Brew sun tea--I had a neighbor when I was 13 who, like clockwork every Sunday, brewed sun tea. He used to tell me that it was the best kind of tea I'd ever taste.

25. Go swimming--I usually don't swim. Like, ever. The last time I bought a bikini was 10 years ago and I've worn it exactly 4 times since then. It's hot as demon piss out here, I think it's time I bring the count up to 5. LOL

26. Make glow in the dark bubbles--I saw this on someone else's bucket list and thought it was too cool to pass up. My niece loves bubbles so I can't wait to get the recipe and try them out with her.

27. Try out some recipes--When I think about food, I think about ways to make each dish my own. My mind stays on the run about different ways to tweak various recipes and I'd like to try some of them out.

28. Finish all prelim plans for food truck--Now that I'm working on getting my blogs on schedule, it's time to turn my focus back to my desire for a food truck. The groundwork needs to be laid so I can figure out if or when this idea will be feasible to launch.

29. Do some summer DIYs--I love me a good seasonal DIY. I never know what to do with the finished product after the season is over, but I love them. They help put me in that season's state of mind and inspire me.

30. Make a flower crown/headpiece--I know the Coachella purists probably hate these, but I love them. I want a headband with smaller flowers going around the crown, but I also want a big, obnoxious one because why not?

31. Visit local places I've never been--My city expands all the time, but there's so much of it that I've never seen. I'd like to visit some of these places and see a few of the things I missed.

32. Make fruit ice cubes--I can't remember where I saw this idea, but I saw it a few years ago and have been wanting to try it ever since. I think we're going to give it a go for the 4th.

33. Write and finish a short story--Writing has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember and I have quite a few stories on various thumb drives. The thing is, all of those stories are unfinished. I'd really like to start and finish a short story rather than trying to finish a full-length one.

34. Go to a local show or event--I don't go to any of these. My agoraphobia usually kicks in and there's quite often some boob there who can't hold their liquor. I'm ready to find a local event or show that doesn't have the latter, challenges the former, and is still fun.

35. Make a wish at a fountain--This is just one of those random whimsical things that I love doing. I can't remember the last time I made a wish at a fountain.

36. Make some DIY shirts--I have some shirt ideas that I haven't been able to find in stores, so I'd rather just make my own. There's also a few ideas from my Pinterest board that I'd like to do.

37. Continue facing agoraphobia--This should be self-explanatory. I am more ready than I've ever been to keep fighting my anxiety and challenging myself, and most of the things on this list do just that for me.

38. Find a drive-in--Drive-ins are a vintage treat that I never got to indulge in. I think there's a dirty movie theater in town but that's another post for another blog. lol If there is one and I just haven't found it yet, I will.

39. Go to local business events--This goes with something that's a couple of numbers down on my list, and that's saying yes to the good stuff. I don't know much about the local business climate, but I could use the knowledge and won't get it unless I start going.

40. Do something for Sunday Funday--I always get jealous when people participate in Sunday Funday. Sunday is usually my day for laying around, planning out the week's blog posts (or playing catch-up, which is usually the case lol), and relaxing. I wouldn't call it FOMO per se, but I do feel like I'm missing out on doing something fun because I don't want to break my routine. lol

41. Say yes to the good stuff--I've gotten used to either saying yes to something when I wanted to say no, or saying no to social events. I'd like to re-learn the difference between saying yes because I want to, not because I feel like I should.

42. Get my hair cut properly--Last March, I went to a salon to have my hair evened out, but this broad totally took me for my money and didn't do what I paid her to do. I was pissed but got over it because I was afraid to go as short as I know I need to go. I'm ready now, so I want to get it over with.

43. Finish puzzle wall--I think I mentioned this during the post I did about my room this past spring, but I really like accent walls. I also really like puzzles. I wanted something that was unique to me, so I went for both. My bathroom door is my puzzle 'wall' of sorts, but right now it's only halfway completed. I want to see what it looks like when it's finished.

44. Go on a Ferris wheel--The carnival comes to town 2 to 3 times a year, sometimes more, and I never go. I'm not one for amusement parks, but it's been a long-standing bucket list item to get on a Ferris wheel one day....and not pass out from fear when I got up to the top. LOL

45. Go more places alone--This is a big one for me in confronting my agoraphobia. Usually I won't go too far from my house alone, but I'm determined to start trying again. I'm naturally a very independent person and I hate feeling like I need someone's hand to go anywhere, so I'm trying to get back to when I didn't need it all the time.

46. Join a book club--I haven't joined a book club since high school. Since I do more book reviews right now than any other kind, it'd be fun to find people I can connect with and talk about the books we've been reading.

47. Get a tan tattoo--I saw this on Tumblr and I thought it was great. I tan really easily so this is going to be a walk in the park.

48. Find somewhere to play tennis & volleyball--I'm not usually one for sports, but next to kickball, tennis and volleyball are the sports I enjoy playing the most. Tennis is something I can play alone, and I've always thought volleyball was fun. Now am I good at the latter? Probably not but I'd still like to find out where I can play. lol

49. Make some nerd DIYs--I follow this site called Our Nerd Home and it is a great source of inspiration and motivation for me. They made me feel like it was okay to have video game or other nerdy memorabilia up in my personal space, that it was okay that those things spoke more to my personality than an expensive vase or a abstract wall art piece that I don't understand. I have some ideas that I want to try out, partially because the DIY category here needs more entries lol, and partially because I need to see if the finished result is Our Nerd Home or Hefty worthy.

50. Make at least one "DIY For Cheaper" item--One of the series I wanted to start here is a DIY for Cheaper series of various DIY projects. One of my favorite things to do is recreate something for much cheaper because honestly, many things these days are grossly overpriced. If I can make something for $20 that would cost $80 in-store, of course I'm going to make it. It's not to rip off the store that created the product but if you can't afford it, creating something similar can be just as good.

51. Read a paperback--I was a late convert to cloud books and the like but now that I've been converted, I haven't gone back to paperback except for the rare occasion that I check something out from the library. I want to read an actual book again.

52. Make some jewelry to remember this summer by--I have a thing for commemorative stuff. I like remembering certain periods of my life with something I can wear. Pretty simple.

53. Work on blessings jar--I started a blessings jar at the beginning of the year, but in true Mandy fashion, while I have the blessings written down in a notebook, I haven't put them in the jar yet. I need to put it somewhere I can always see it.

54. Get at least one pet fish--You know you've been alone for too long when you seriously ask yourself if you want the responsibility of feeding a fish everyday and cleaning out the tank. LOL It wasn't one of my shining moments, obviously, but I love fish. I'd like to have some, but then I start worrying about not wanting the responsibility. It's a fish, not a dog. It'll be fine, Mandy. #pathetic

55. Make some "DIY For Cheaper' wall art--There are a few pieces of basic wall art that I really like, but they cost over $100. I'm intrigued by the prospect of finding a cheaper way to create something similar.

56. Make the terracotta smoker--One of the best things about summer is grilling. I keep coming across this idea for a smoker made from a terracotta pot, and it seems legit. And affordable, which was what actually swayed me. lol 

But before I close this out, what's this #SisterSummer I've been posting about on Instagram? About a day after talking about my list with my mom, my little sister mentioned that she had one too. My sister is usually a homebody, buried deep within the depths of her dark little crypt where only fangirling, K-dramas and 5 Seconds of Summer are allowed to dwell, so this was a bit of a surprise to me. Because we'd searched some of the same things, a few of our bucket list items overlapped. Some of the places she wanted to go my mom wasn't comfortable letting her go alone, so I agreed to tag along and that's how we came up with #SisterSummer. Since I'm IG'ing my bucket list, I figured we'd IG the #SisterSummer stuff as well and at the end of the summer, I'll put it all together so we have something to look back on and remember it by. I want our stuff to be easier for me to find though, so I'm changing the tag to #MKSisterSummer so we can keep track of our little adventures. My sister and I are two completely different people, we're at two very different stages in life and we aren't super close to boot, so this has the added benefit of maybe helping to bridge the gap a little bit and get to learn more about each other in the process.

I have to confess, my favorite thing about all of this other than actually being able to go to these places is being able to photograph a moment from all of them. The beautiful thing with photography is that it snaps and freezes one individual moment in a series of moments. It's fun to look back on that one moment and remember where you were, how much fun it was, and to capture the beauty of whatever it was you were doing. If you are sharing an experience with someone else, it's always pretty cool (and insightful) to see which moment they chose to freeze to remember it by. Yes, that sounded cheesy but I make no apologies. That's really how I feel about it. I am determined to make this a summer unlike the decade of other summers that preceded it and really try to enjoy this bit of life. And that's why for you, I challenge you to put together a Summer Bucket List of your own. Start out with 5 things. If you ever come across this post and decide to take on the challenge, let me see it on Instagram by tagging your photo with #rrntbucketlist. Here's to the Summer Bucket List!

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Wet 'n Wild Wildshine Nail Polish

The next product in the new Wet 'n Wild 99 cent line that I wanted to review was the Wildshine nail polishes. I have a few of these as well, and I wanted a few more before I reviewed the line but unfortunately I already have a lot of the same colors from other brands, so I decided to just review what I already had.

From l to r: Clear Topcoat, Matte Topcoat, Kaleidoscope, Blazed, Do Pass Go,
Be More Pacific, Grape Minds Think Alike, Burgundy Frost

Pros:

--The obvious, they're all only 99 cents
--Most have shiny finishes
--Most of them can be used as affordable dupes for more pricey brands
--Wide array of colors offered
--Buildable layers
--Easily removable and doesn't leave stains
--Dries pretty quickly




Cons:

--The cap tends to come unscrewed from the wand
--Some of the brushes apply the polish in streaky and uneven layers
--The formula is a bit watery, which causes the brushes to hold a lot of excess polish
--Doesn't stay on very long without chipping, even with a topcoat








My thoughts:

If you just need a quick replacement polish or don't mind reapplying your coats after a couple of days, then these polishes will be fine. Again, there's a good selection of polish colors you can choose from, there are a lot of fun colors, and they're easy to apply and remove without staining your nails. But as I'm finding to be the case with many of the WnW polishes, they chip fairly easily, even with a clear topcoat. If you do a lot with your hands or get them wet often, then expect these to chip within 24-36 hours of application. I didn't time it exactly lol, but I polished my nails with one of the polishes on Saturday morning and noticed some chipping at the tops of my nails by Sunday evening. The formula is pretty thin and streaky (but the streaks could be due to the brush), so in order to get both intensity and even application, I've found that two coats is the magic amount to go with. Any less than that and you risk having streaky nails, even with a light hand. Any more, however, and it starts to build up so I'd stick with two good coats. It dries quickly, so don't be slow with evening the coats out. If you've got a young one who won't stay out of your polish, this would be a good line to start her off with since they're so affordable. But if you want a thicker formula, a wider brush or more time between touch-ups, I'd go with another line. If you're trying to stick with Wet 'n Wild, then go with the Megalast line. The brush is wider, the colors more intense, the formula is thicker, and it lasts a little while longer with a topcoat.


Do I recommend this product?

Yes and no. I do because I'm never going to turn down the opportunity to buy a nail polish for 99 cents. So I'm cheap. Sue me. lol I think for 99 cents, these are a pretty decent line of polishes. Touch-ups are needed often, but I do like the colors and once your nails are dry and ready to go, they look great. You could try changing the brushes out and see how that affects the application; maybe that will improve things.

But because touch-ups are needed often and it can be a bit of a pain getting the coats evened up, you might as well spend a dollar more and go with either the Megalast line or Sinful Colors since they're the same price. The cons are more annoying than anything else.

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May Favorites

May was a pretty fun month for me in trying out new things. There weren't too many new things this month, but I ended up loving most of what I did try. I haven't been able to try too many new things that weren't apps in quite some time and my favorite 'things' was getting a little stagnant, but there are some new additions this month. Let's get started!

NYC 24-hr Eyeshadow in Brooklyn Mocha, Pond's Dark Spot Correcting Cream

I got the eyeshadow in my Blossom VoxBox from Influenster earlier this month and it was easily one of my favorite products in the box. It was my first time trying out an NYC product other than the eyeliners, and I was very satisfied with it. I've gone to get ready a few times with a planned eye look in my head, but then I look over at that crayon sitting in my makeup caddy looking so tempting and immediately scrap my prior plans so I can use the crayon instead. lol I like the color payoff, I like the longevity, and the versatility when combining it with other colors. If you have a CVS in your area, you can pick this up for $2.99.

The Pond's correcting cream is an old favorite; I used to use this all the time in the small travel size container until my local Wally World stopped carrying it. With consistent usage, it evens out the skin tone and gradually fades dark spots on the face. It did everything it said it was going to do; it kept my face moisturized, was great underneath my makeup, evened out my skin tone and within a month or so, the dark spots on my face had all but faded completely. I found it again last month and I've been using it since. I started using a new scrub with salicylic acid a couple of weeks ago that's supposed to get rid of blackheads, but I'm guessing I'm in the 'worse before it gets better' stage because I've been breaking out like crazy ever since. The cold cream is helping my skin stay moisturized after using the scrub, it doesn't clog my pores or leave a greasy feel behind, and it's already starting to lighten up the dark spots left behind by my breakouts. Other than my sunscreen, it's the only thing I use on my face. I love it. If you're interested in picking it up, you can find it in the section where all the trial and travel sizes of products are located at Wally World for about $1.50. It's a small container, but a little goes a long way so it should last you a good couple of months. 

Caveman Cookbooks series by Angela Anottacelli

I had to review a series of Paleo-themed cookbooks for LibraryThing not that long ago and even though I don't know much about the Paleo concept in general, it has interested me for awhile so when I got the opportunity to review a few of them I was intrigued. There were 4 in total that I received by this author and while they all had different themes, they all integrated the Paleo diet in a way that maintained some sense of normalcy. One reason why I don't like themed diets is because they feel restrictive, and I'm more of a 'everything in moderation' kinda gal myself, so diets and I just don't mesh well. But the Paleo diet doesn't seem like a 'diet' per se, and through these cookbooks you can see that it's actually not so hard to implement if you aren't a purist or very strict on yourself when following diets. It can provide a healthier way to eat without robbing you of the good stuff, which I like. These cookbooks were well-written, I love that the diet principles were integrated into recipes that made it fun for children to eat, and still provided variety in terms of meal options. There are four separate Caveman Cookbooks, so I won't waste your time with posting where you can find them on all the book sites. 

Amazon: Paleo Italian Recipes ($0.99) | Paleo on a Budget ($0.99) | Paleo Mexican Recipes ($0.99) | Paleo Kids Recipes ($0.99)

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

The third series of this Australian-set crime drama premiered at the beginning of the month, and even though it's on my favorites list I have yet to see it. Now that my Thursdays aren't as packed since my shows have since gone on hiatus, I have even more time to lament that I'm not in Australia, where it would already be Friday and I'd get to see the new episode later that night. lol From what I read in the few previews I've checked out, MFMM has picked up right where it left off for the third series. I can't wait until the original run is over and Netflix picks it up. 

WWE Immortals, Skyrim

A new challenge began in Immortals in May, with the grand prize being a rare cyborg Brock Lesnar immortal card. Each challenge is about three weeks long, I think, so if your cards are properly leveled to handle your opponents you should be able to get through the various challenges in time. I'm about halfway finished with 4 days left in the challenge but I don't have two of the cards needed to fully complete it so I know that I won't be able to get the grand prize. I did the ones I could complete and decided to just work on getting some of the minor prizes and leveling up my other cards. Long story short, I'm still addicted; the challenge just provides some legitimacy to my constant need to log on. 

I go through cycles with games quite often; if it's a long-term kind of game like Skyrim, I'll have stages where I play to the point of obsession, followed by periods where I won't do so much as look at the game. The latter cycle is usually prompted by my buying a new game and drowning myself in that one, but I digress. lol My poor PS3 is about to quit me so I've been trying not to game too much, but Skyrim has this irritating addicting trait that keeps drawing me back in so here I am. lol 

Aviary, Phonto, Photo Grid, #SquareDroid

These apps are the ones I use to edit any photos I add to my posts here (I'm growing as a blogger. LOL) or on Instagram. If it's a photo where I'll need both product shots and close-ups, I'll start out with Photo Grid and go from there. If it's just one photo though, I'll start with Aviary, do all of my cropping, editing and border additions, send it to Phonto so I can add my font and finish the photo off in SquareDroid, where I'll upload it to IG from there. Phonto and SquareDroid are new apps for me, but Aviary is a returning app and I've been using Photo Grid for awhile.

Of these apps though, Phonto is probably my favorite. This is a great app to use if you like adding a variety of fonts to your photos. There's a pretty good selection of fonts already in the app but if you'd like to add more, the instructions are easily accessible from the app and simple to follow. Everything about the font can be customized, from size to alignment, its position on the photo to the color(s) used. If I need to add a font to my photos, this is usually the last app in the line before I send it through to SquareDroid if I'm putting it on IG or prepping it for a post on here.

Speaking of SquareDroid, this app is simply for customizing the size of your photo to make it IG ready. There are basic editing options, but I've already edited my photo by the time I get it here so unless I want to add my last filter, I usually don't use them. Aviary is a very solid app for editing your photos and I've been loving it since I re-downloaded it a couple of weeks ago. I had it before, but I wasn't really into editing blog photos back then so not only did I not understand it, I didn't have much use for it so I got rid of it. I just needed to learn how to edit photos without using GIMP. lol It's an awesome app.

Finally, Photo Grid is a great app to use if you need to do product collages. There are tons of options here; you can use this for the obvious collage creation, you can use it as a selfie cam and edit it there, you can simply edit your photo from there, or you can bring in a video slide. After selecting your photos, then you go into the collage menu, where you get to choose the layout you need for your photos. It, like Aviary, has tons of options for customizing your creations so it can function as a standalone app if you prefer. I don't prefer it though lol, but I think I've found a combination of apps that works to give my photos the effect that I want.

Pinterest

Pinterest is an oldie but a goodie. I've been on there a lot for my posts over on All Things Vintage for May's theme, and I ended up getting stuck there. lol The Pin Palace, much like Etsy, is where my to-do lists and blog post schedules go to die. Picnics were the theme over there last month, and I spent a little too much time there researching material to use. That turned into looking for new fonts for both this site and ATV, which then turned into fonts I can download to put in Phonto, that evolved into a search for photography tips which turned into DIY photo studios (which I'm going to get to later) and that turned into dos and don'ts for blog photography. It was a goal of mine this year to step my game up with both blogs, but with limited resources I'm going to have to be the queen of DIY. That's what usually leads me to Pinterest, but then days later umpteen Pin tabs are open and I haven't done what I was supposed to have done. lol It's a problem. 

Nerd decor, blog calendars, in-home photo studios

I love me some nerd decor. A few of my smaller goals are/ to eventually have a tattoo somewhere on me in Dovahkiin font, to integrate the skill charts somewhere into some glow-in-the-dark decor (that I'm going to put on here when I do it), and to have some homage to Pac-Man and Super Mario somewhere in my home. I am a super geek and proud of it. I'd really like my space to reflect my interests, however uncool they may be. I love how creative you get to be with 'geek-' related things, how it can really put some personality into your atmosphere. 

One thing that has helped me to stay at least somewhat on track has been establishing a regular blog post schedule for myself, but having a physical calendar that I can actually look at and make additions--or subtractions--as necessary has done even more to help me stay on track. I like my stuff to be personalized though (because of course), so I've been looking into options to create my own blog calendar rather than just buying a stock one. The longer it takes for me to get something up though, the longer I stay disorganized, so time really is of the essence with that. lol

Like I mentioned earlier, part of my Pinterest party led me to DIY photo studios because I'd really like to learn how to take better blog photos, even without owning a DSLR camera. If I take better photographs, I can feel better about uploading them, which makes me more confident in the content of the reviews that I post. I'm also a YouTube groupie, and thanks to the creators on there I now understand the importance of good lighting and how to properly display a product. So I'd like to start improving those pictures, and some of those home photo studios and hacks are really easy to implement.

Subscription boxes, workout tips, healthy snack ideas, breakfast & snack foods, photography hacks and tips

Hey, I didn't include inspiration boards on this or the DIY section for once! I am growing. LOL Anyway, it's always bothered me that I had to put the SBS on hiatus last summer, so I was really excited to get Urthbox for this month's edition. Unfortunately, as I mentioned in the intro to the Urthbox post, it's gotten a lot more difficult to find boxes within my budget. So unless there is a bit more money or more cheap boxes hit the market, there won't be any more SBS entries again for awhile. The genre itself is still really interesting though, and as the world of subscription boxes explodes it's fun to see the different kinds of boxes that people come up with. 

Unlike last month when one of my entries was 'fitness(wtf?),' I have since come around to enjoy working out again, if it's done in a way that isn't boring. I work out for strength and light toning, not because I'm trying to be a health nut, so I don't put too much pressure on myself. Now that the 30-Day Wellness Challenge is over (and I actually completed it!), I don't have to continue working out if I don't want to. But the thing is that I actually do want to, which was as much of a surprise then as it is now, a week after having this revelation. LOL I'm always on the hunt for good workout tips and tricks, small workouts that give me a good burn and don't take up too much time. 

Although I didn't change my diet during the challenge and still have no intention of doing so, I found that I don't mind changing up my snack habits and am up to the challenge of finding some that are easy to make but taste good. I eat small portions throughout the day and I snack a lot, so finding snacks that have more to offer since I eat them so often wouldn't be such a bad thing. With the plan to start a food truck solidified, I've been kicking my background work into high gear, figuring out the business climate for another food truck in the area, ways that I can set my truck apart from the others, but more importantly finding innovative ways to serve breakfast dishes. It's easy to pigeonhole yourself into your breakfast routine, and it's my goal to break that routine and provide other options for morning commutes and pre-school meals that aren't potato chips. lol 

After several years of blogging, I'm finally learning the importance of a good visual impression. I was a photo snob when I first started out because I allowed myself to be convinced that filters of any kind were deceptive, so I'd just take a photo and post it because I wanted to show the products I reviewed accurately. Wanting to take an accurate photo is fine, but you still have to put some effort into polishing the photos you put out because they're a representation of the quality of your posts and the attention you pay to details. Which leads me to photography hacks and tricks. I'm always on the hunt now for what I can do to improve the quality of my photos, what filters enhance the product without misleading the reader, how to sharpen my eye in terms of photo angles and be more creative. I'd really like to improve the quality of the photos I put up here, but it took me awhile to figure out that 1-your skills will show no matter what equipment you use, 2-if you have the wrong idea about photography in general, you can't improve, and 3-blogging is a multi-faceted job and if you're not good in one of those areas, it will definitely show. Now that I'm aware, I can't stop looking up new things to try.

That does it for me this month. Sorry the "Things" portion was so lengthy, you know, again. lol It's been a month of really fun favorites and new things to try out, but I'm looking forward to what I can get my hands on this summer. I'm finally....finally getting around to all of those old app reviews from when I was on hiatus now that I've got my blog schedule back up and running. I'm still a bit behind on my LibraryThing reviews, but I'm even more behind here so I can put the book reviews away for a little while. There should be another review here in a few days or so, so keep a look out for that. See you soon!

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