Keeping Up With My Natural Lifestyle with Tom's of Maine's Products at Target

Keeping Up With My Natural Lifestyle with Tom's of Maine's Products at Target

Apr 22, 2016

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tom's of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

The longer I stay in Los Angeles the more natural my life is becoming. It's not as a way to "fit in" but having almost unlimited sunshine makes me want to take care of myself, and all that surrounds me, more than usual.

Tom's of Maine Luminous White Made to Matter Toothpaste is one of the things that is helping me with this. Not only do they have a reputation for using the most natural ingredients, but their new products work really amazing while doing so.

I purchased their Luminous White Toothpaste which is exclusively sold at Target, and was very happy with the results from the first use. Not only did it not include ingredients that I didn't need, but it left my mouth and teeth feeling extremely clean and fresh.

I've never been one to "celebrate" or do anything for Earth Day but now I realize that I'm celebrating it every day. I walk a lot more than driving or taking mass transit, I started to grow my own herbs and vegetables in order to ensure that I'm only putting the best, organic ingredients into my body and I try to not be wasteful overall in terms of saving energy when it's a cool night out, etc.

All of my loyal readers know that I'm slowly making the transition into living a greener lifestyle and I can't only do that with the foods in eating.

Buying from a company like Tom's of Maine, which I never would have done before while I was living in New York City, is just an extra step in helping me live a better a greener life. It's especially easy when the product totally rocks and I can give it a glowing recommendation. Make sure to put these items on your Cartwheel App and take advantage of their cartwheel offer so that you don't forget to grab it on your next trip to Target!

And if you've got a man in the house or kids that you're buying toiletries for check our their other Made to Matter items like the North Woods deodorant for men as well as their Wicked Cool! one for kids so that the whole family can get involved!

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Moving Around Until You Set Down Roots Shouldn't Be a Burden

Moving Around Until You Set Down Roots Shouldn't Be a Burden

Apr 19, 2016

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT. All opinions are 100% mine.

Staying in one place for long is not my idea of fun!

I'm that one obnoxious person that can easily say they're a NYLA. Or that wants to say it at least! With my heart and soul in New York City and my body in Los Angeles it's hard to do certain things that mean I'm setting roots. Getting a California ID was tough and I cringe whenever I call a highway the freeway but one thing that I haven't done yet is fully furnish a place.

Next month is my four years anniversary (or moviversary, because why not?) and it's a great time to reflect on how deep my roots here have gotten. I went from living in a studio apt with a Murphy bed in a questionable part of North Hollywood to one of the most coveted luxury buildings in the area but I can count on one hand how much furniture I've actually purchased. Committing to a couch means I'm committing to this city and while I love it I love that Paris and London are in my not so distant future.

When I moved into my new building I was checking out all the things offered and saw that I would get discounts from CORT Furniture Rental. I checked out their site, their offerings, and thought it was a great idea for someone like me. Fast forward to now, three months later, and the opportunity to delve deep into what CORT was all about and share it with my readers landed on my lap.

I love that CORT has more than one option

 

What initially drew me to CORT was that they had items listed by room or by piece. I'm good on bedroom furniture but my living room still needs a lot of work. I've been hesitant to purchase anything pricey because I feel like I'd rather do that when I buy a home. I've also avoided buying second hand items from online sites because I would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that everything in my place has always been well kept.

The great thing about CORT is how convenient it is. If you're like me and like to move around a lot it's so much easier and convenient to not have to deal with moving large items from place to place and rent furniture instead. For someone like me, with very little things in terms or furniture, their move in ready package is amazing because all you have to do is go on their site and pick things out room and room and voila...no need to wait months to have a fully furnished place with things that may not work out with the next apartment.

This is what my latest apt looked like for almost 3 months as I slowly got it furnished

There are always two things that happen when I move. One, I end up getting rid of a ton of things and then two, once I move into my new place, I go through another purging. With my clothes, shoes, records and sentimental items being the main focus of my moves I'm so glad I don't have to worry about whether or not a couch that I bought secondhand is worth the move.

If you're thinking of making a big move across the country or are moving out on your own for the first time you should totally give CORT a try. They have a wide range of styles that you can chose from and if you decide that the place you're in isn't for you it relieves you of the stress of trying to sell things you don't deem worthy enough to move!
 
 

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Light Your Purse Up

Light Your Purse Up

I like big purses and I cannot lie. Sadly though, this means that whenever I need to find something it takes ages and it usually ends up with me in panic mode thinking that I lost something.

I usually have to use the flashlight on my phone to get light to shine in but there are moments where my phone is the item that I'm actually looking for. Having a purse light is something I never knew I needed. This light is great and works a lot better than I expected it to.

I have this light by Wasserstein on the zipper of the inside pocket of my purse and I like that it turns on automatically due to its sensor and it's actually really bright. I use it for my current purse, which is a larger one, and I keep it filled with everything that I need if I'm going to be out all day. Having a light that helps me find things in my purse while in the back of a car or just when the lighting is low.

This is a must for everyone that carries a big bag around and doesn't want to freak out while looking for something important in their purse and the fact that there's no need to find the light to get it to work--since when I just had it thrown in my purse it would go on automatically--makes it all the better.

You can grab it on Amazon here. Actually, make sure you grab more than one, you're going to want one in all of your favorite purses!

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All Shoes are Make For Walking Thanks to Foot Petals Sock-free Saviors

All Shoes are Make For Walking Thanks to Foot Petals Sock-free Saviors

Apr 12, 2016

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foot Petals for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Having had to commute to school and work using mass transit for over 15 years has made a walker out of me. Even now that I live in LA I prefer to pound the pavement if I'm going somewhere that requires a walk that's 20 mins and under. I take a car to and from work about 6 times a week and I walk the others. I like walking because it lets me see things that I miss when I'm in a car and it lets me stop and smell the roses, or go into a shop to try on a pair of shoes on a whim.

Walking also gives me time to think. I remember years ago when I was in Paris for a solo trip I loved getting up early and go for walks so I could soak up the sights and sounds, and also get to know myself. With all that being said, sometimes walking gets on the way of my comfort. During my NYC days I lived by the theory that beautiful shoes required Tylenol because they were hardly ever comfortable. These days I'm a whole lot practical but still wear some shoes that aren't the best for walking, especially when my job requires me to look nice and run around taking care of our clients. 

I love how thin these are!

No need to worry about one size that doesn't fit all!

The Foot Petals Sock-free Saviors were easy to get fitted. I put the heel of my foot at the bottom edge of and checked to see if I needed to leave it as it was or cut it to medium or small. I had to go for medium so I went to work cutting them out and put them in my favorite pair of booties. With my Sock-Free Saviors I was ready to head on to work and then run some errands after wards without bringing along a pair of sandals or sneakers in order to really put them to the test. 

Making sure my favorite booties will always be comfy!

I decided to walk a little more than normal today because I wanted to see how long it would have taken for my feet to start getting tired and it took a bit longer than normal. I wasn't rushing to sit down whenever I had a free moment and the soles of my feet weren't in pain. I manage a lot of people at work and am always walking around the office answering questions, going to the printers or getting tons of coffee and I have noticed a major difference in how my feet feel afterwards.

 I'm really happy with these and even though they are made of materials that I can wear over and over, I think I'm going to get a few extra pairs to keep inside the shoes and boots that I wear the most when I'm ready to hit the town. I tend to wear a few of the same pairs of shoes over and over (creature of habit!) so the fact that they over odor control, keep my feet dry and are machine washable is amazing. I've never used any kind of insoles that were able to give me all three so I was walking on cloud nine over that.

 

These Foot Petals make being on my feet at work all day a dream!

 

April 1st is National Walk to Work Day and I plan on making full use of these. Let me know in the comments below if you plan to take advantage of it as well! And be sure to check out (and like) the Foot Petals Facebook to stay in the loop!

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New Year, New Look with Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Hair Color

New Year, New Look with Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Hair Color

Apr 7, 2016

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Clairol Nice ’n Easy for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've been dying my hair for as long as I can remember. It's to the point where I don't believe that my natural hair color is, in fact, what it is and of course my hair decides to grow longer than a temporary color stays in. Needless to say, I was ready to try something new.

Clairol Nice ’n Easy hair color was that something. One of the first things that stood out to me about the brand was that they have 45 shades that range from the brightest blonde to a deep natural blue/black. This was important to me because it meant that I had more options to choose from. I have dark brown hair with red undertones so finding the perfect shade is very important. After all, I always want a hair color that looks natural and doesn't make it obvious that I've colored my hair. Choosing the right shade was easy because the back of the boxes lets you know what the hair color would look like based on the shade you currently have now.

Even though I've dyed my hair before I did the skin allergy test that was recommended because I've never used this product before. Every brand and product are different and sometimes a company changes their ingredient and even the slightest change can cause an allergic reaction. It's best to do the skin allergy test in an area that is discreet, like the inside of your elbow or the back of your neck, 48 hours before you plan on dying your hair to ensure that you'll be good to go and not have any issues while coloring.

 

Clairol Nice n' Easy hair color came with the instructions, gloves and three different bottles that are labeled very detailed so you know exactly what to do. The color blend formula is to be added to the color activated bottle and shaken with the tip still in place or a gloved hand to avoid putting color all over your walls that should go on your head.
 

Check out this quick how-to video that I created discussing what my process was using this product for the first time.

Once the product was in my hair I let it sit for 25 minutes before rinsing it off. It wasn't long before the water ran clear and all the excess dye was gone from my head. My hair felt a but dry at that time so it's great that their CC+ Colorseal Conditioner gave it the moisture that it needed. Even with my thick head of hair I only had to use a little more than half of the tube and when I rinsed it off after 2 minutes the softness was back.

 

Since I have extremely thick and curly hair it took about 2 hours to get it completely dry and straight. The end result was a color that was a bit darker than I thought it would be but that was perfect because even though I living in sunny SoCal, the days here have not been so sunny lately, so having it a bit dark was great. Plus, it got rid of the red undertones in my hair that I am really not a fan of. Check out the end result below. Compared to the color in the video, I'd say it's a bit more natural because it's not as light as I had it before.

I'm awful at straightening my roots but I'm loving this new color!

It's a new year so why not try something different. Coloring your own hair at home is quick, easy, and not to mention inexpensive so head over to their website to read up on their product before you go out and pick the perfect shade for the look you're going for.

Don't forget to check out some other how-to video's on the Clairol YouTube channel and link up with them on Clairol Twitter to stay up to date with their product line!

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