The Original Bed Buddy Hot & Cold Pack

My wonderful father-in-law bought this for me a couple of years ago when I had a stiff neck.  It comes in handy so much.  Just pop it in the microwave for a minute and you have the perfect hot pack.  Perfect for winter days when you just can’t shake the bone chilling cold.  You can even store it in the freezer and use it as a cold pack.  LOVE THIS!  Thanks again Dad:)

BITE Beauty Lipstick

The color is ‘palomino’.  Received this lipstick in my Birchbox and I absolutely LOVE it.  It stays on all day… and night!  Seriously, I woke up the next morning and Steven thought I still have make up on!  Ha!  Fantastic product:)  Looks like Sephora has a holiday duo available.

LASH EXTENSTIONS

So I had a full set of lash extensions put on for my sister’s wedding.  Fell in love with them and decided to continue with regular fills.  It takes mascara out of my daily make up equation and I am over the moon about it!!!  Take care of them and they can last almost a full month!  My gal is the very best, but you have to have a referral to see her.  So tell Trisha I sent you;)  262-391-3876 or lashanimal@gmail.com

Divine Consign Sale

Thanks to my sister Angie, Mom and I now go to this sale religiously, have been for years.  Sometime we will sell our own stuff too – and do VERY well I might add:)  Definitely worth it!  This sale has definitely become one of my favorite things to look forward to throughout the year.  Now they even offer the same sales for kids!  Check it out:)

Dry Shampoo / Powder

I’ve tried many dry shampoos and just wasn’t a fan.  Then I received this one in my birchbox and finally got what all of the craze was about.  It smells great and works really well.  I can get away without washing my hair for 4 days and each day I seem to add a new layer of texture to my tendrils.  Love it!

Tamales

The city has a lot of wonderful food options to offer, but one of my favs from this year has been our friend Pedro’s Tamale cart on Oklahoma Avenue every Friday.  His lovely wife Jann makes tamales that are absolutely to DIE FOR!!!!  Placing a weekly order (a good idea if you are a bean and cheese tamale fan:) has become our tradition.  The also offer catering!  They actually catered our moving day and everyone was sooooo impressed with the quality of food.  Best pico I have ever tasted!!!!  So definitely stop by one of their cart locations or place an order for delivery.  They are ahhhhhhhhmazing:)

COZI APP

Staying organized is essential to being productive.  That is why I love this wonderful List/ToDo app!  It has been so helpful to Steven and I.  Not only is it FREE, you can add things to each other’s list and always have an updated list on hand when you get to the store:)  A close second in my fav apps, is my AnyDo app.  It’s great for a more detailed to-do list for yourself;)

Quiet Spot Pet Tag Silencer

If you have a dog, you know how annoying their dog tags can be when they jingle all of time.  This fancy little doodad is FANTASTIC.  Thanks to our trend setting neighbor dog, Pepper, Mona & Monty couldn’t wait to get one (and neither could we!).  It will change your life.  I know that sounds funny, but it really gives us peace from the loud ringing we used to hear every time our fury friends would make any type of movement.

MM&L Show

This past year I didn’t have the time or energy to stay up on what was new and hip.  With a little help from Michelle Money’s vlog, I have discovered many new tips and tricks… not to mention humor from the dynamic duo.  My favorite take away was their recommended nail polish by Essie.  The color is ‘Take it Outside‘.  THE perfect neutral gray.

CHECK OUT LAST YEAR’S FAVS HERE!

Nope, that is not a typo:)  I was going through a bunch of old files and came across these images taken of me and my sweet niece Laura over a year ago.  I absolutely love this girl!  Seeing these images reminds me of how much fun we have together.  I’m so excited to see her and the rest of of the family in a couple of weeks!

Truffle Fries
First had these in NYC with my bud Brooke a couple years ago.  Easy to make on your own.  Go to McD’s – sorry, but they do have the best fries.  Even when we grab a burger at Culver’s (very rarely), we will drive over to McDs for the fries – HA!  Tip: Ask for fries without salt, because they have to make a fresh batch every time.  Add truffle oil & salt or truffle salt (if you are lucky, you can score some great types at TJ Maxx;).

Steven and Chris
This show on LWN is fabulous. Chris is absolutely hilarious and the show is reminiscent of the old Nate Berkus show, that I was so ticked when it was cancelled.

Pure Barre
My sister in law introduced me to this in KY last thanksgiving and I’ve been hooked ever since. Unfortunately, there isn’t a franchise in my area, nor any courses locally that fit my schedule, so I ordered the DVDs. It will change your body!

Pet Laser
Monty has an uber affinity for light. So when he was graced with the lazer my Mom bought him for xmas last year – he went nuts. He loves this thing. So if you have a cat or in our case, dog that loves chasing light – buy this!

UV Cake Vodka
My friend Carol made this special cocktail for me when she threw a bday dinner party for me and Kate last year. This vodka is absolutely amazing, literally tastes just like cake. Don’t forget the sprinkles to garnish;)

SparkPeople Email Newsletter
Love the daily dose of healthful facts and his Especially the daily quotes.  Super inspiring:)

LUSH Bath Bombs
I’m a lush for LUSH products. Not only are they all natural, but smell amazing! The bath bombs are my fav. Relax and enjoy.

Cuisinart Egg Cooker
WOW! What an amazing device. We love eggs… basically any kind. But hard boiled eggs can get tricky and take time and energy to watch over. Not with this egg cooker. Now, I just take half of my eggs and turn them into hard boiled ones in 12 minutes.Love, love, love this! Thanks Mom;)

iPhone
What? You say, ‘How is that you don’t have an iPhone?’. Well, our carrier FINALLY got the iphone in their line up!  I cannot tell you how fab the iPhone 5 is.  Like any Apple product we own, it is soooo incredibly user friendly.  Now that basically all phone carriers have this phone, jump ship, if you haven’t already:)

The 1975
So I came across this band and instantly fell in love with their sound.  While the band is still young – literally – they are really gaining popularity and selling out shows everywhere.  Saw them in Milwaukee with my pal Brooke and they were awesome!  This indi-pop album is great from beginning to end.  ‘Chocolate’ is the most popular tune.  ‘Menswear’ is one of my personal top tracks.

CHECK OUT FAVORITE THINGS FROM YEARS PAST HERE!

Memories of special moments/people can sometimes fade over time.  That’s why photographs have such an important role in our lives.  A photograph can immediately transport you to that moment, that feeling, that person, that special friend that gave you so much joy.  About three years ago we lost our dog Dollie.  She was so precious to us and left a very large hole in our hearts.  Luckily we were able to have a mini photo shoot with her before she passed.  I was so thankful for those images and all of the images we had captured throughout the years.  Whenever I miss her I can reminisce over the photos.  It’s a comfort everyone deserves.  So, when I noticed my Dad and Lee’s dog King having some health challenges, I wanted to be sure some of their special moments with Kinger were captured.  Since King is over 14 years old and has given so much love to our family I couldn’t think of a more suitable thing to do to honor his memory.
Dad and Lee, I hope that these images bring you comfort and peace in the future.  Comfort in knowing what a great dog he was, comfort in knowing how happy he was with both of you, and comfort in never forgetting just how special he always will be.  Love you. Always, Sarah

We felt extremely honored when we received the top secret, for-your-eyes-only, invite to cousin Dave’s 50th surprise birthday party.  A little background…  Dave and his wife, Wendy, are some of Sarah’s closest cousins.  Dave was a reader at our wedding and Wendy was one of the bridesmaids.  Wendy spent countless hours preparing for this big event and the amount of thoughtfulness she put into everything was astounding.  You may be asking yourself, ‘Super Dave’?  Well, he is just that – a ‘super’ guy.  Hard working, kind, thoughtful, and funny!  There were many laughs to be had at the shindig.  Wendy hosted a roast with some of his favorite pals and family members.  She had a lovely slideshow put together and even included video cameos from some of his most treasured friends that were unable to attend.  Dave’s bday cake was an out of this world carrot cake (his personal fav) – yummmmmmy!  To cap things off, Wendy walked out in her wedding veil and delivered a heartwarming thank you to her husband for their years together and for being, well, Super Dave.  A very special thank you to Wendy for putting such a fantastically well thought out party together for such an awesome guy.  Your love inspires and warms all of our hearts.  Thanks again for allowing us to share in such a special event.  We love you guys!