Tag! This or That! + Get to Know Me

Hello Friends!

Today I thought I would do another tag! This is the "This or That" tag! If you want to see what I get up to in a normal day or what to see pictures from my day check out my Instagram (@ErinElizabeth8L).

Without further ado here is the "this or that" tag!

This or That
Blush or Bronzer: 
I like blush, if I just have foundation on I will at least add a small amount of blush just to add a little natural flushed color.

Lip gloss or Lip stick:
I prefer lip stick because it's not as sticky as lip gloss. I love lip stains though!

Eyeliner or Mascara:
Mascara! Hands down, if I don't put any other eye makeup on I will at least put on mascara.

Foundation or Concealer:
Foundation, unless I have breakouts that need to be concealed.

Neutral or Color Eyeshadow:
Neutral all the way, unless I have something super special that I want add a little color to.

Pressed or Loose Eyeshadow:
I've tried loose eyeshadow and I can say without a doubt that I would go with pressed eyeshadows any day!

Brushes or Sponges:
I've only ever tried the drugstore sponges and they don't really blend as well as brushes do. So, I would definitely go with brushes!

Nails
OPI or China Glaze:
I've actually never tried either! I've heard a lot more about OPI though.

Long or Short:
I like longer nails! Unfortunately mine like to chip and peel.

Acrylic or Natural:
For the reasons above I do prefer natural nail. I've had acrylic before and that's why my nails are so bad. :(

Brights or Darks:
I love bright colored nails! I will do darker colors on occasion, but I go for mint or coral colors!

Body
Perfume or Body Splash:
Perfume! Especially the roll ons!

Lotion or Body Butter:
I've tried both and I would definitely have to go with lotion!

Body wash or Soap:
Body wash, only because you can get so many different scents and you don't have to deal with a bar of soap just sitting around.

Lush or Other bath company:
I love the smell of Lush products, but I don't have one nearby so I do more with Bath and Body works.

Fashion
Jeans or Sweat Pants:
Jeans when I'm out and about otherwise I live in my yoga pants.

Long sleeves or Short:
Short sleeves, I get warm really easily.

Dresses or Skirts:
I like Maxi dresses, does that count?

Stripes or Plaid:
I don't really like a lot of stripes so I would have to say plaid.

Flip Flops or Sandals:
Sandals, unless I'm in a hurry or just running errands.

Scarves or Hats:
I don't look good in hats, and my dog hates when I wear one, so scarves all the way!

Studs or Dangly earrings:
I used to wear nothing but dangly earrings, but over the last few years I've been wearing studs, they just don't get in the way of anything.

Necklaces or Bracelets:
I only wear one necklace, so I would say bracelets! I have so many that I like to change up my look.

Heels or Flats:
Flats, I'm not coordinated enough to wear heels.

Jacket or Hoodie:
Hoodies, just for the comfort factor!

Hair
Curly or Straight:
I have straight hair that doesn't hold a curl at all!

Bun or Ponytail:
I go for either a top knot bun or a sock bun.

Bobby pins or Butterfly clips:
Bobby pins! They hold hair so much nicer. Do butterfly clips still exist?

Hairspray or Gel:
Hairspray! Does anyone really like the crispy gel hair anyway?

Long or Short:
Right now I really like my hair long. I've tried short hair, but I never liked it.

Light or Dark:
Again, I've done both and I can honestly say I love my blonde hair! Although there are days when I miss my dark hair.

Side sweep bangs or Full bangs:
I do side sweep my bangs when I first get my hair cut, but after a few weeks I have full bangs. So, I guess I just go with it.

Up or Down:
Normally I wear my hair down. I have to have it up for work, so when I'm not working I like having it down.

Random
Rain or Shine:
It really depends on my mood. I love the sunshine, but I really like falling asleep to a nice thunder shower.

Summer or Winter:
Summer, only because my birthday is in the summer, and I live in the midwest where winters just suck.

Autumn or Spring:
I really like autumn! The trees changing colors and the crispness in the air.

Chocolate or Vanilla:
Again, this one depends on my mood.

Kim, Kortney, or Khloe:
I don't really have much of an opinion on this one, but I would say probably Khloe.

Coffee or Tea:
I love my tea, but if I want a little something extra I go for the espresso!

Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this little tag! Now it's your turn! Comment down below with your blog so I can see what y'all would choose!
We'll see what comes tomorrow! Let me know what y'all would like to see. I might do a come along with me, but stick tight for next week! I have another great recipe coming your way, more beauty posts, more lifestyle, and another #RealTalk!
xoxo -Erin

#RealTalk + Happiness

Hello Friends!

Last week on #RealTalk I mentioned body shaming, the way society tells women they have to look is ridiculous. I say as long as you're healthy and happy with who you are, why should someone dictate how you need to look or even act?

So, this week I thought I'd talk about happiness!
I struggled a lot with being happy, mainly because I always looked at myself as not being good enough! Guess what! You are good enough! Just the way you are!! I'm not a size 2 and I know I never will be, but I am happy with who I am! I workout, I eat healthy, I enjoy life, I have friends, but most importantly I have God!
Yes, society will try and tell you how to live your life, but true happiness comes from within! Just do what makes you feel good! Personally, I like to draw and run and listen to music. I also know that, for me, prayer plays a huge part in my life!
Another thing that makes me happy is being around people who encourage me. I have a lot of friends who are smaller than me and they don't see me any differently. They look beyond what society looks at, they look at me for who I am! So, get out there and BE YOU! Love yourself, be happy with who you are and before you know it, society won't be able to dictate your happiness!

I hope y'all post what you want to hear about in next week's #RealTalk! Tomorrow I'm coming back with another tag so stay tuned for that! Have a great night!
xoxo -Erin

April NatureBox: Review

Hello Friends!

A couple weeks ago I posted about NatureBox, now this is my second full size box and I can honestly say I love it!

Naturebox.com

Basically, NatureBox is a monthly subscription box with over 100 healthy and delicious snack choices. You can choose your snacks or you can just be surprised every month.
(Note: I lost the picture I took of my April box, so this is one from March)
I have my pantry loaded with all kinds of snacks so in April's box I chose what snacks I wanted sent. It was a box full of blueberry goodness. So, here are the snacks I got last month! Blueberry Almond Bites, Blueberry Nom Noms, Jalapeño White Cheddar Popcorn, Dark Chocolate Pretzel Pops, and Blueberry Greek Yogurt Pretzels.
I absolutely love the blueberry pretzels! Basically, I like all of the blueberry snacks I got! I highly recommend anyone who loves snacking to sign up for NatureBox! One of the best parts about NatureBox, other than the 100+ snack options, you can choose how often you receive these boxes! You can get one every other week, every month, or every few months! Super affordable and super tasty! What's better than getting a box delivered to your door every month?

I hope y'all are thinking about getting one of these boxes for yourself! Just click the link under the photo and get signed up! Tune in tomorrow for another episode of #RealTalk! and remember to like this post and follow my blog for more lifestyle and beauty posts!
 xoxo -Erin

What's In My Bag: Makeup Edition! + Finished Look

Hello Friends!

Last week I had a lot of response to my makeup favorites. So, this week I wanted to show you what I have in my makeup bag. A lot of these are in my favorites post, but I also put together a photo collage of my Urban Decay look.

Starting from the top left:
These are all the products that are in my makeup bag from prepping my face to finishing my look.

I like using the Simple soothing toner because it's so refreshing. I then use the Origins No Puffery I roll on gel, super cooling and my eyes feel less tired. I also use the Origins GinZing moisturizer, not only is lightweight, but also has a nice citrus sent. The finishing touch is my Smashbox photo finish primer.
I use the Rimmel Match Perfection concealer under my eyes and any spots that I have. I also use the Benefit They're Real eye liner along with the Maybeline Great Lash and Real Impact mascaras.
For brushes, I love the Real Technique line! I have the powder brush, contour brush, and the buffing brush for my face. For my eyes I have the base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, shading brush, and the eyebrow brush. I also use my BareMinerals crease brush to blend my shadow. I use the Sephora brush (#73) for my blush.
For my face, I go for the Urban Decay foundation, flushed and basics palettes. The Anastasia brow duo powder and to set my look I use the Rimmel London Stay Matte powder.

My makeup look! Top is no makeup at all, then going from left to right: foundation layer, highlight and contour, blush, base eyeshadow, and finally full eyeshadow with liner and mascara! I love the cat eye flick right now.

I hope y'all liked this look and enjoyed what I have in my makeup bag! If y'all did enjoy this give this post a like follow my blog for more beauty and lifestyle posts!
Tomorrow I'm going to do a review of my NatureBox from April!
xoxo -Erin

Loaded Nachos!

Hello Friends!

As I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to share a delightful recipe I found on Pinterest a few weeks back. I found this recipe on Oh My Veggies! (http://ohmyveggies.com) an all vegetarian blog site!

What You'll Need!

2-3 large sweet potatoes, washed and sliced thin.
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 large diced avocado
Sour cream or Greek yogurt (I personally love Greek yogurt)

How to do it!

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place sweet potato rounds on a large baking sheet. Don't crown the pan (you may need more than one). Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and season. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the rounds and bake for an additional 10 minutes until potatoes are crisp.
3. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese and black beans all over the sweet potatoes. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven and top with green onions, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream or Greek yogurt. Serve immediately! 

Click the link above to check out more recipes from Oh My Veggies! I've tried quite a few of them and they are amazing! Remember to check back tomorrow for a look at what's inside my makeup bag and a couple of looks I do with my makeup essentials. 

xoxo -Erin

For the Girls ❤️

Hello Friends!

In honor of Mother's Day I wanted to post one of my favorite bible verses!
This verse is for all the girls out there! You are all beautiful and amazing.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue"
Proverbs 31:25-26 (NIV)

In all you do, do it for The Lord! I'm so blessed to have women in my life who love The Lord, who have taught me so much! Many of these women really are clothed in strength and dignity because the are filled with Christ's love!

I hope all the mothers reading this enjoyed today with their families! For girls out there like me and have a four legged furry baby, I hope you enjoyed cuddles and kisses! All in all I just hope y'all had an amazing day and know how beautiful y'all are!

Happy Mother's Day, once again! See y'all tomorrow for one of the tastiest sweet potato recipes I've tried, so far! I think y'all will like this one!
xoxo -Erin

TAG! Get To Know Me Better!

Hello Friends!

Today I want to do a tag I found on a blog by Vogue Infatuation (http://vogueinfatuation.com/category/home/ <-- Check her out here). Basically, I want y'all to get to know me better and this is a fun way to do it.

What was your favorite subject at school? I majored in History, but I enjoyed printmaking.
What is your favorite drink? Herbalife lemon tea!
What is your favorite song at the moment? It's a tie between Oceans and Devotion by Hillsong.
What is your favorite food? I like veggie burgers.
What is the last thing you bought? Coffee.
Favorite color? I like blues and purples.
Do you have any pets? I own one dog named Murphy, but we have 4 other family pets (2 dogs, Shadow and Molly, and 2 cats, KC and Bronte.)
Favorite perfume? Marc Jacobs Dasiy
Are you married? No
Have you ever been out of the country, if so how many times? I went to Canada and Mexico when I was younger with family and then I went to Ireland for a semester abroad.
Do you speak any other languages? I took Spanish in high school and German for two years in college.
How many siblings do you have? One sister, one brother, and a half brother.
What is your favorite shop? Old Navy and Sephora
Favorite YouTuber? Connor Franta, Zoella, Tanya Burr, Ingrid, Gabriella Lindley
Favorite TV show? I like Netflix ;)
PC or Mac? Mac, I've had PCs before and didn't really like them.
What phone do you have? iPhone 5s
Where were you 3 hours ago? I was at work.
Is there anything pink within your reach? My computer case and my bracelet.
When is the last time you went to the mall? I was there on Wednesday.
Have you been to the movies in the past week? Nope! I haven't been to the movies in a long time.

I hope this gave y'all a little bit more information about me! Tomorrow I'm going to try a photo blog, but stay tuned for next Friday where I might do another tag! I also have a special post for Sunday and a recipe to share with y'all on Monday!
xoxo -Erin

#RealTalk : Body Shaming

Hello Friends!

Last week I was busy with redoing my bedroom and trying to figure out what topic I wanted to start this series with. This topic is all over social media right now and I think it's a great one to start with!
Basically if you've been living under a rock, body shaming is making people who are bigger feel like they don't belong. Well, that's my version of body shaming anyway.
I've seen celebrities like Pink and Kelly Clarkson deal with body shaming and I love that they basically don't care about what social media says! Those women are great role models for any girl dealing with social media and society telling them they're too big. Well people guess what, I don't think that anyone should worry about what anyone else looks like!
I've posted this photo on Instagram and I know that I'm not small, but I'm proud of how far I've come since the picture on the left was taken! I dropped 2 dress sizes and I did it for me! I've learned that people are just mean and most have their own insecurities that they take out on other people.
If you take one thing away from this post it's that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Don't listen to the media, you are beautiful inside and out! If you don't believe me then look at Psalm 139! God, Our Father, Our Creator, loves each and every one of us. Not by our outer appearance, but by our hearts!

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well" -Psalm 139:13-14

Friends, this all I have for you today! Leave comments down below on what you want to talk about next week! I want y'all to be involved in this series. Check back tomorrow to get to know a little bit more about me!
xoxo -Erin

Healthy Life Changes 😜

Hello Friends!

A healthy lifestyle can be seen everywhere today. Around this time last year I decided I was tired of just sitting around being lazy. I wanted to do something good for myself, by the time I made that life changing decision I already joined the Pinterest world. Scrolling along the fitness section in the Pinterest world I found a jogging/running schedule for beginners. That wasn't enough though!
Has anyone ever hear of the 80/20 rule? Well it comes down to 80% diet and 20% exercise, I was good with the 20% but not so much with the 80%. After 3 months of really getting into jogging and running I came across a little gem of a place in an alley entrance. A wonderful little nutrition center where I learned more about how to really take care of myself.

Herbalife | Mango Aloe | Chocolate PDM | Cafe Latte F1

These products have been a staple in my diet ever since I first went to Life Force Nutrition Center! The mango aloe (well aloe) concentrate helps with digestive issues. The herbal tea concentrate (not pictured) is loaded with energy. The Formula 1 comes in all kinds of yummy flavors (mine is the cafe latte flavor) and the Protein Drink Mix comes in chocolate and vanilla. Basically, the Formula 1(F1) and Protein Drink Mix (PDM) are a healthy meal replacement that you shake and drink twice a day.

Another fun little fact about my healthy life change is I gave up on drinking soda and started drinking tons of water!

So friends, what ways do you choose to be healthy? Do you go out and run or do you prefer the gym? Do you eat clean all the time or do you indulge every now and then? Leave your comments down below and check back tomorrow for a little #RealTalk!

xoxo -Erin

Beauty Favorites! ❤️

Hello Friends!

I want to share a few beauty products I've been really enjoying lately! I started moving away from my "I only wear Bare Minerals makeup" mindset and began shopping at Sephora. One of the first things I ever bought from Sephora was the Anastasia brow duo powder (medium brown).

Urban Decay | Eye Shadow | Foundation | Flushed

I then fell in love with the Urban Decay naked basics eye shadow pallet. Let the Urban Decay obsession begin! After using the eye shadow for a few weeks I got the naked flushed trio (native) and then the pressed powder foundation (fair | neutral).

Photo Finish | Smashbox

Once I found a nice foundation I really liked I wanted a better primer. Bring on the Smashbox photo finish pore minimizing primer. This stuff makes my face feel super smooth and my foundation just glides on.

Origins | No Puffery | GinZing Moisturizer

For my hydration routine I began using the Origins line. These have become a morning and nightly staple in my skincare routine. The no puffery gel is super cooling and makes my under eyes feel amazing! The GinZing moisturizer is super light and smells so good!

Sephora Eye Masks | Honey, Pomegranate, Pear, Rose, Lingzhi

Finally, my newest beauty favorite! I like to keep my under eye area nice and hydrated. I've seen under eye masks everywhere and always wanted to try them. I found these at Sephora. They each do something different while maintaining ultimate hydration. It's an added bonus that they're so relaxing to wear.









Well friends, that's all my beauty favorites for right now! Next week I'll show you what's in my beauty bag. You'll see what my favorite brushes are to what my favorite eyeliner is to what I wear for mascara (atm). Stay tuned for that fun beauty blog and check back tomorrow for a healthy life change blog.
xoxo -Erin

P.S. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Room Makeover!

Hello Friends!

This week I've been working on a little project, which meant a lot of long nights. I was ready for a change and decided to freshen up my bedroom.

Before, my room was full of earth tone colors with clutter everywhere. I was happy with how it turned out, but I really wanted something new! 

After, my room is neutral with a little pop of color in my work area and everything has a proper place. I got black curtains to make my room feel more grown up! I don't have as many pictures on the wall but that's fine by me (for now anyways). 

Well friends, that concludes my room makeover. I hope y'all enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoy my new room! 

Be A Light!

Hello Friends!

I know for a lot of people the school year is winding down. So, I want to leave y'all with this.

  

  "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" Matthew 5:14-16

Be the person that draws someone in. If you see someone struggling, be there for them. Just go out and show the world your light!

I'm going to leave you with this lovely video from Kari Jobe. https://youtu.be/B07iK9uh9qY

#RealTalk

Hello Friends!

So, I came up with this idea after reading articles and watching videos about real topics. You know, the topics no one really wants to talk about, but the ones that help to talk about. Each week I am going to be publishing a small snippet about a real topic and I want y'all to be a part of it! So, leave a comment down below letting me know what you want me to write about here.

For me personally I know stress, anxiety, depression, and body shaming come to mind. These are topics I see and hear about almost everyday. I'm asking all y'all to leave a comment and let's get real!!  Be a part of the conversation!

Snack Well

Hello Friends!

Since this blog is about lifestyle and beauty, I thought I would share with you a little healthy snack option I found watching YouTube. Being healthy isn't about fad diets or cleanses, it's about a lifestyle change. Making small changes at a time can help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Changing the way you eat, snack, workout can make so much difference. It can lead to more energy and an overall happy you!

I have been a YouTube addict for about a year now and a lot of YouTubers I watch have mentioned this product. I was a little curious and signed up for a free trial, and I love it! It's NatureBox! This is a monthly snack box that includes healthy choices when that snack attack hits.

Naturebox.com <-- Check out the link here!

If you've tried NatureBox comment down below what your favorite snack is! Mine are the blueberry greek yogurt pretzels. 

Hello Friends

Hello Friends!

I have decided to jump back into the world of blogging. I wanted a fresh start so let's get started. This blog is going to be dedicated to all thing lifestyle and beauty!

Y'all remember to keep moving forward no matter what gets in your way.

I want all y'all to go and comment down below with topics you want to see on this blog! I have an idea for a weekly series about things we've all seen, felt, dealt, or are dealing with. So go and like this page. Y'all are awesome!