Beauty Favorites

Hey y'all! After quite the busy summer, I have a few beauty favorites that I would like to share. As I've mentioned before, I am a huge YouTube junkie when it comes to all things make up and beauty and have accumulated a few goodies over the past few months thanks to my YouTube findings. (As a delightful side note, I am pretty sure The Mister knows how to do a mean highlight and contour due to how many YouTube vids he's listened in on...many a summer night in the C household was spent with me watching YT and TM playing PlayStation.)

Let's start with skin care....

Angels on Bare Skin - Lush - 

I was in search of a new cleanser and have very sensitive yet combination - oily skin..I scar easily (and go through spurts of breakouts) that require a daily exfoliation light enough for my sensitive skin but mechanical enough to slough off and eventually erase the dark scarring. (#HighMaintenance, I know.) All of that being said, Angels on Bare Skin, delivers that to me daily. It's a calming (and pretty exfoliating) cleanser for all skin types. The smell is amazing (like every thing from Lush) and your skin feels amazing after every use. If your skin is high maintenance like mine or you are looking for a nice gentle daily exfoliation, I would totally recommend this.

Breath of Fresh Air - Lush - 

On my trip into Lush, I also picked up a toner. I was in Florida and the Breath of Fresh Air toner just seemed like the right purchase. It can go over make up and perfect for the end of the summer heat or midday pick me up!

Sephora Masks - Rose and Green Tea - 

Also for my FL trip, I picked up a few Sephora Natural Therapy sheet masks as my skin always freaks out when traveling and I had heard the rose mask was super calming. I got the rose mask and rose eye masks and the green tea mask as well. The rose masks were my absolute favorite out of the two (though both were great). The smell is divine and it calmed by face right down after a nasty plane breakout or two.

Now, let's move on to make up...

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte foundation- 

Y'all, I have a new favorite foundation and I am not afraid to shout it from the roof tops..This is a full coverage, matte finish foundation and it does not move, get shiny, or melt off your face for HOURS.. I put this bad boy on with a beauty blender due to how heavy it can feel on the skin if you don't apply it right. This is definitely for more combination/oily skin types! One thing to keep in mind - this foundation has a yellow under tone (except for the darkest two shades which are more pink-ish).

Urban Decay Naked Weightless Concealer - 

There is nothing I love more than a brightening under eye concealer (#DragQueen) that is also super light-weight and non-cakey. This is perfect for achieving the perfect highlight and contour look. A good dupe for this is the NYX high definition concealer wand.

NYX Contour Kit - 

Although this is not in my own personal kit, I have a good friend that got this recently and I have been doing her make up with it and LOVING it. It's a great price and the color payoff/pigment is very good. It blends like a dream and always makes sure her #ContourIsOnFleek. The banana shade is my absolute favorite for setting under eye concealer.

Lights, Camera, Lashes - Tarte - 

Believe me when I tell you - this mascara is the.holy.grail. I am an avid falsies user and nothing could ever get me away from my L'Oreal Telescopic....until I got a sample of this stuff during a recent Sephora purchase and OMG...I will never buy another mascara again.

Products in the Queue -

Just today, I picked up a mini GlamGlow mask...YouTubers fah-reak out about this stuff so I had to see what all the fuss is about...I will keep you all posted! I also got a Dr. Jart Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Sheet mask (can you tell I have a thing for masks!?) as it said on the package it is good for dark circles (check), dullness (check), dark spots (double check) and uneven tone...We shall see if it delivers!

Products I am in search of - 

A good body butter! It's so hard to find a reasonably priced body butter with decent ingredients in it. Any suggestions?

Life Update - 

Over the past few months I have been contemplating where I want my next step to be as far as social media goes and I am thinking of re-lauching my YouTube channel around the new year. I am hoping to get a new vlogging camera and start doing things like, tutorials, "get ready with me" vids, favorites videos, unboxing vids, Disney magic (duh) and maybe even some fitness related things as well. So stay tuned for all of that and let me know if y'all know of any 14 year olds that can teach me the basics of video editing!

Also, with the holidays looming and me finally finishing decorating our new apartment in the next few weeks, you guys can expect some fun little blog posts coming your way!

Happy Shopping!
xoxo

Tips for an Organized Hotel Room at Walt Disney World

It's no secret that some of the rooms at the Walt Disney World Resort are a little on the small side. On one hand, depending on the type of Disney vacation you are doing, you most likely won't be in the rooms that much anyway...on the other hand, it will be where you are living for your whole stay and keeping organized is very important to a successful WDW experience.

For the big C family vacay that is coming up, we are staying in the Little Mermaid rooms at the Art of Animation resort. This is considered one of their value level rooms and is heavily themed (#WatchOutInsta). The Mister, Cy and I have a really easy time hunkering down in a small room..mostly due to my organization and planning skills.

Since I have been gathering all of my hotel room organization supplies for our trip, I thought I would write a post about it to share the wealth and hopefully help you on your next vacation where space is limited.

Plastic/Ziploc bags -

I can not tell you how important it is to have a plethora of different types of plastic bags (#BagLady) with you on your trip to Disney. For our trip, we are bringing -

1. Big and small Ziploc bags - For things like - outfits, cut up fruit & snacks, toiletries, cell phones and other electronics, sunscreen etc... I will be taking one box of each with us.
2. Garbage bags - We still have a little one in diapers...those tiny hotel garbage bags never work well for us. 
3. Regular old plastic shopping bags - For anything and everything else. Seriously, you never know when you will need one..there are a lot of water rides in the World!

Over-the-door shoe organizer -

This is a pretty common organization tip on most Disney planning blogs but it's such a genius idea. There are so many compartments for anything and everything. When I travel, I hate there being a lot of *things* on the bathroom counter/dresser space because those are usually your only "working surfaces" (#MommyProblems) The more things have a home, the more organized you will be.

Dollar Tree Hamper & Organizers -

Dollar Tree pop up laundry hampers are great for traveling and keeping laundry all in one place which can sometimes be tough in a hotel room when you are busy and there are a lot of costume changes (Or is that only me?). These hampers travel flat - the perfect luggage staple!

Organizers - Dollar Tree also has collapsible storage organizers. These are going to be perfect for us as we will be doing a small shopping trip at the beginning of the week. The organizers will give us a spot for all the things that aren't going in the fridge. Again, they travel flat and are perfect for getting things off your surfaces.

Musings

Follow -

Beth Stern (@BethOStern)

Howard Stern's beautiful wife - Beth - has the cutest of the cutest of Instagrams. All of her pictures are of her animals and foster animals (mainly cats). I find myself binging her page and screen-shot-ing many a photo to The Mister. You see, I really would like a new little fur baby running around these parts..

 !!!!!!!!



Steph The Hammer (@StephTheHammer)

Steph was my #WCW today. She is the World's first Crossfit Level 2 trainer with Cerebral Palsy and she is a rockstar. A lot of where my motivation to work out comes from people dealt a harder hand in this life. Steph says it best with a quote under one of her Insta-vids - "The ability to pick yourself up independently is a gift many take for granted." I can scroll though my feed of hot girls with nice abs all day and not feel an ounce of motivation...then I watch one of Steph's vids and know that if I have a body that works, I better be moving it as much as I can.

Watch -

Thingamavlogs

Wayyy back when I was posting vlogs, I did a video called The Disney Tag. In said video, I mentioned Sarah Snitch and Leo Zombie...they are both Disney YouTubers (Yes, that's a thing). Sarah is a Disney connoisseur and Leo is a real life Disney Prince...Together with some of their other Disney-centric friends, they have created a YouTube Channel called Thingamavlogs.

Thingamavlogs is made up of 5 Youtubers -  Patrick, Leo, Sarah, Keith, and Tiffany. All of which have been in the online Disney community for quite some time. Monday - Friday they take turns feeding the Internet's hunger for Disney content. They are all living in the SoCal area at the moment and frequent Disneyland quite a bit! #jelly I highly recommend binging their channel and subscribing for more Disney fun! Their SnapChat is quite the hoot too!

Southern Charm

I was going over past blogs the other day and realized I have been yapping about this show for forever...it's really just THAT good of a show though. If you haven't started watching this show yet, you should...it's such a good show to binge! I am so sad their season finale is next week but I am excited for the reunion in which Andy and T.Rav will discuss T.Rav's allegations that Andy goaded him (On an episode of Watch What Happens Live, no less) into running for state senate....yeah, let that sink in.

Listen -

I found this Arctic Monkeys song from 2006 the other day....Future apologies to my Spinners....this will be 3 mins of straight speed. :)

Read -

ACE Group Fitness Manual & Ace's Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals....Cause that's literally all I have been reading for the past 5 months....My test is this Friday....I am a nervous test taker and generally suffer from NCD (No Chill Disorder) so naturally I am freaking out. After this test is over I will return to my normal reading repertoire of Disney related books and celebrity biographies so stay tuned for THAT excitement.

#MagicalMonday - 5 Reasons Why The Disney Dining Plan Is Not Right For Me & 5 Reasons It May Be Right For You

Hello there pretty people! So glad to see you back around these parts again. Blogging has taken a back seat here at the C household due to me working on my group fitness certification. I am happy to say that I can see the light at the end of the proverbial fitness tunnel (which includes an agility ladder) and can focus on some blogging again. Also, we are shipping off to Walt Disney World later this year and all my planning has given me some blogging inspo.

Last year sometime, I talked about a future blog post regarding the Disney Dining Plan (DDP). I never actually got around to posting about it, so I thought I would make today's first #MagicalMonday post of 2015 - 5 reasons why the DDP is not for me (at this moment) and why it may be for you...

If you are not already familiar with the DDP, you're going to need to read all about it here. You'll find prices (which are based on a per night basis) and all the rules and regulations.

Here are the basics - Each plan is per day/per adult/child & every plan comes with a refillable mug.

First level dining plan - "Quick Service Dining" - 2 quick service meals, one snack. ($41.99/$16.03)

Second level dining plan - "Regular Dining" - 1 table service meal, 1 quick service meal, 1 snack. ($60.04/$19.23)

Third level dining plan - "Deluxe Dining" - 3 meals (any combination of table service and quick service), 2 snacks. ($109.53/$29.86)

Now onto an Internet favorite...a list! The numbered sections are why it's not for me and the italicized sections are why it may be for you...enjoy!

1. We always have a rental car - There two types of Disney people - the ones who fly into MCO, immediately hop aboard the Magical Express (Disney's airport transportation) and head straight to WDW. They do not pass go, they do not collect $200 - they go straight for the pixie dust like flies to a bug zapper, pass those blue signs and don't leave those 45 magical square miles for their whole vacation. And then there's people like me...who really enjoy the tackiness that Orlando has to offer. Call me crazy, but I have certain requirements when it comes to food and Orlando, FL. There always has to be a Sonic stop, an A&W stop (corn dog nuggets FTW!)...and maybe even a $2.99 Sizzler breakfast buffet thrown in (#Don'tJudge).

Why it may be for you -  If you will be on Disney property for your whole stay, the DDP is definitely something to consider. You are going to need to eat anyway and you are going to need to eat within the confines of the 'World. Also, the dining plan IS a savings if all you plan on eating is Disney food anyways. The ease of already having your meals paid/accounted for is always a good feeling when having to plan a vacation that is so "package" based. It also prevents you from overspending. Unless you're like me...which brings me to my next point....

2. I can't trust myself to sick to my allotted meals - IMO, the dining plans offered are either not enough food and too expensive or too much food and way too expensive. I could never do the first level offered due to the fact that I always like to do a few table service meals. The second option could work, but some of the restaurants I like to eat at require you to use TWO table service meals from your DDP because they are pricey. That right there requires you to have a few nights of no meal points left and leaves you paying out of pocket for meals anyways. Which IMO defeats the whole purpose of the savings on the DDP. And, the third option would be way to expensive for us as (like I mentioned above) I don't like all of my meals being from the 'World.

Why it may be for you - If you and your family can be disciplined enough to stick to whatever meals are in your dining plan, then it can be somewhat of a "value" (I say that loosely due to the fact that there is really never "value" in a Disney trip). If you are straying from those meals at all, (and don't forget, some table service dining requires the points of TWO meals) then you will end up spending more money in the long run.

3. I truly, in my heart of hearts, don't believe you are saving that much money - After tips and the occasional purchase of something not on your DDP, you pretty much break even.

Why it may be for you - If you are one of those vacationers that like to have every thing budgeted, down to the last dollar, then the ease of the DDP is probably something you're looking for. Every time you eat a meal, you can have a sense of security knowing that meal is already paid for. You are paying a premium for the ultimate convenience.

4. Food is very important to my Disney vacation experience - I want to eat all of the food, all the time and I don't like to be told how much I can eat before even getting to the vacation. IMO, if I want cotton candy, popcorn a Dole Whip AND a Mickey ice cream bar, I don't want to be told I can't have all that because I used all my snack credits that day...yanno?...Did I mention I am a fitness instructor?

Why it may be for you - If character breakfasts are the only table service meals that are important to you, and/or most of all your other days are going to be spent touring the parks/resort and NOT sitting down to eat, the DDP is a great option.

5. I wouldn't travel to Disney just because they are doing their "free dining plan" promotion -At a certain point during the year, Disney announces a free dining plan promotion for select dates. The promotion requirements are a 7/day-6/night non discounted vacation package with a park hopper option. The reason why this doesn't work for me is because, I don't like to pay full price for anything, so buying tickets through the Disney website isn't an option when AAA is always cheaper for ticket prices. So, if I chose to get my tickets through Disney I would be paying more and therefore "paying" for the dining plan anyway.

Why you may think it's a good deal - Because hello, it's free and if your vacation package matches up with the promotion dates and regulations, you are taking the damn DDP because, Dole Whips and Mickey bars.

Coincidentally, Disney just came out with the dates for their free dining plan promotion for fall this morning, you can find that here.

The dining plan can be very confusing at times and Disney wants you to believe that it's the best value (and may be for some people). But, as with anything, do your research to see if it's best for you and your family in the long run.

Have a Magical Day!

#OOTN

I attended my very first Passion party this past weekend. There were lots of laughs, girl time and a wonderful pink, sparkling drink that was to die for.

As with any event, I always aim to situationally dress....I've had these garter tights sitting in my drawer for a while and I thought it was the perfect occasion to rock them!

Trench | WalMart (!) | Sweater | H&M | Necklace | Charlotte Russe | Tights | Amazon | Boots | Marshalls

Dear Santa...

Every year my mom requires me to write out mine, The Mister's and Cy's Christmas list....You see, Nana and Grandpa are very practical and they only want to buy what we want and will use...Of course we love and appreciate them for doing this...Thanks Nana and Grandpa!

Anywho, I was making my list today and wanted to share a few of my favorites for the season -

Morphe flat buffer brush (G6) -

At the end of every month I go around to various YouTube beauty guru's channels and check out their monthly favorites. I like to do this because it gives me ideas on what to buy for my kit and new products to try. That being said, this month I saw Jaclyn Hill raving (and using) the Morphe flat buffer brush (used for foundation). She is usually a Sigma brush user so when I saw she was using something different for her foundation (not to mention using a brush that is significantly cheaper than a Sigma brush) I knew it had to be a good product. I have been using a Sephora stippling brush to apply my foundation that was working well, but as with any other makeup junkie, I saw something shiny and now I have to have it!

MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in the shade Light Boost -

I have been using MAC Prep and Prime in the shade Radiant Rose for about a year. It is amazing and has made such a difference in my highlighting and contouring game.

Snow White tank - 

Me in this tank at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival = perfection

The Andy Cohen Diaries - A Deep Look at a Shallow Year - 

This book came out today and I will be buying the kindle version of it later tonight, but I have the hard copy of his first book (Most Talkative) so I really want his second one for my shelves.

What are some of the things on your list this year?

Musings/Life Update

Hi everyone! You'll have to excuse the slight blogging hiatus. My birthday was Nov. 1 and my Spin instructor certification was the day after. Since then I have been regrouping/refocusing to ensure an amazing start to my new Spin venture. I have been writing playlists and practicing speaking in front of a room with everyone staring at you (a big fear of mine). I am looking forward to teaching my first class and hoping everyone will enjoy my take on Spin!

Tank can be found on Etsy and (in a size medium) on my Christmas list.

Now that I am back to blogging, I had to share some of the happenings around the C house these days...

Decorations go up....decorations come down... - 

The time after Halloween and before Thanksgiving has always been a weird time for me (decoratively speaking). I don't decorate for Thanksgiving as I include it within the Christmas season, but I also don't want to put out our Christmas decorations too early (a moment of clarity perhaps?) But that doesn't stop me from still buying a few things here and there to prepare for the season....

This cute sign is a #DollarStoreFind...I should be heading back to the dollar store this week to stock up early because all the good stuff goes quick!

My MIL got me a Disney gift card for my bday and that was put to good use getting some Disney holiday wares. These mini platters are going to look perfect wherever they end up living for the season!

The shoes that my menswear dreams are made of... - 

As I was scrolling through Instagram the other day I came across these amazing loafers that will hopefully make their way into my wardrobe before the end of the year...

Ugh, I love them so much and have already conjured up a million outfits to pair with them....I'm dreaming of a loafer filled Christmas....

Thank you! - 

I just want end this blog post with a big thank you to all of the Decidedly Delightful readers! As 2014 is coming to an end, I think I have reached my goal of blogging more and becoming more of a presence in the social media/blog-o-sphere world and I have all of YOU to thank for it. I am so appreciative to everyone that has come to me (in real life and on social media) to tell me how much they like this little blog of mine. I put a lot of work into it and I am so glad people are enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it. I love you all and I can't wait to finish out this year and see what 2015 holds!

Pop & Locktober Fest 2014

I can't take credit for that title. That is actually the name of one of Community's Halloween episodes....

Anywho, I thought I would take this opportunity to recap all of my Halloween blog posts as well as give you guys an #COTN (costume of the night) run down of my costume this year!

You can find all of this month's Halloween posts....

Here
Here
Here

This year, The Mister and I had the pleasure of going to my trainer's house for a Halloween party...it was tons of fun and it was exciting attending our very first (adult) Halloween party since Cy was born.

#CoordinateWithYourDate

#COTN 

I'm a cat, duh.

Every article of clothing in this costume (except for the lace ears) I already had in my closet which I suppose says something about my wardrobe....The lace shirt and shoes came from Cohoes....The stockings came from Amazon....the skirt and rings came from Forever 21....and the ears came from Charlotte Russe...I like to call this look, a high fashion black cat!

Happy Halloween!!!!

5 Steps to the Perfect Disney World Group Trip

WDW is an amazing place for a family vacation. There are so many options for groups and it's always a little bit more magical when your whole family/all of your friends are there to experience the Happiest Place on Earth.

But, as with any trip to Disney, there is a science to planning a group trip....

1. Stay in a big house together - One of my very first Disney posts I wrote was about the company All Star Vacation Homes. Basically you can rent a mansion for the week (no lie, some of the homes sleep up to 24 people) for the same price (per family) it would be to get a hotel room on Disney property. I suggest you check out that blog post for more info!

2. Split up! - Okay, so this may sound counterproductive, but hear me out -- WDW tickets are expensive to say the least...the last thing you want is to have to skip something just because someone in your group doesn't want to do that specific thing. That's where splitting up comes in...the parks are way too big to stay in a group any larger than 5. So, if you are with a lot of your friends/family, plan on being in the same park on the same day but only meeting for certain rides or for meal times. That way, everyone can branch off, do their own thing and meet back for "social times." Moral of this story and the key to group WDW trips - do your own thing, meet for meals/fireworks/scheduled activities and hang out back at your house.

3. Pick one or two people to be in charge of ADR's - Advanced Dining Reservations are tricky...you have to make sure you are making your ADR's exactly 180 days in advance and you also have to make sure everyone is accounted for within the reservation. So, after discussing with your group where you want to eat, assign one person the task of making the reservations. Related side note - Be sure this person also makes an itinerary once all the reservations are made.

4. Pick one day that everyone does their own thing - So as to not get sick of each other, make sure there's a plan in place that one day there is no reservations/plans made and people can just hang out with their own families.

5. HAVE FUN! - I know this one is silly but it's an important one. WDW is overwhelming for everyone especially if you are traveling in a group. Just be sure to have fun, take it slow and enjoy yourself. And don't be afraid to speak up if you want something/want to do something that wasn't discussed in the group. Disney is expensive and everyone deserves to get what they want when visiting.

What are some tips y'all have for going to WDW in a group?

5 Steps to Decoding YouTube Beauty Tutorials

Whenever someone asks me about anything makeup related I always refer them to the greatest invention for the beauty world - YouTube. When I suggest this I am usually met with trepidation as it's hard to pinpoint exactly where to start with all of information that's out there.

That's where this list comes in...hopefully after reading you will be on your way to navigating the YouTube beauty world.

1. Start in one place - Do you want to learn how to do a smokey eye? Or are you looking to learn how to perfect a highlighting and contouring routine? Pick a lane and stay there so as to not get overwhelmed. As you start perfecting things and watching more tutorials, you will start to gain the confidence you need to take on learning more techniques.

2. Eyelashes - Watch every and any video you can find on how to apply eyelashes..there are so many tips and tricks out there that you'll be a lash wiz in no time. Every guru has a different technique and different tips to share...take advantage of that knowledge!

3. Keywords - "High end" and "drugstore" are going to be your best keywords when searching for beauty tutorials. If the idea of walking in to a Sephora/Ulta scares the crap out of you, start small with drugstore products and work your way up.

4. "Beauty Dupes"- There are many high end products that you can find "drugstore dupes" for. Just a quick "(insert make up line here) drugstore dupe" Google search will usually yield you some results. For me, I usually spend more money on things like eye shadows (from high end lines) and less money on foundation. Which brings me to my next point...

5. Know what to spend money on - The thing I am always going to spend the most money on are brushes/beauty blenders, eye shadows and specialty products that you can't get at the drugstore (makeup setting spray,eye shadow primer etc..). IMO brushes are the most important part of a makeup application...Knowing how and what to use to apply your makeup will make your drugstore foundation look like it is a $25 airbrush foundation. Also, it's incredibly hard to find a matte eye shadow at the drugstore..so if I am looking for a glitter-less look, I will splurge and get myself a high end eye shadow. Building your makeup collection is all about balancing high end products with drugstore products.

Two of my favorite YouTube beauty guru's are Jaclyn Hill and Carli Bybel...take a look at their videos, you will not be disappointed!

Happy YouTube-ing!!

Halloween Musings

Food and Wine Experiment - 

As y'all know, the C household has been experimenting the past few Sundays with dishes from last year's Epcot Food and Wine Festival. This past Sunday the experiment was a potato and leek waffle with braised beef which hails from the Belgium booth. Now, as with any sort of food experiment, I always seem to get only a few things right. We don't have a waffle maker so instead I made pancakes (womp womp). They were....OK...the best part about this dish was the beef. We made ours in the crock pot as opposed to a Dutch Oven which the recipe calls for. My pictures of the actual food are not that great but I can assure you that it tasted better than it looked. What can I say, I am simply not a food blogger!

At least my table setting looked chic! The place mats and napkins were a gift from my SIL a few years back, the plates are Crate and Barrel and the goblets are from the Target dollar bin!

Very good, but not very photogenic!

Spooky Chic -

I promised pictures of the house lit up in all of it's Halloween glory...here they are! -

Tealights fa' days!

High Fashion Black Cat - 

This year for Halloween The Mister and I are attending our first adult Halloween party since Cy was born. I decided on being a high fashion black cat as I bought black cat tights a while back (knowing I would need them eventually) that I wanted to bust out of the wardrobe. Here's a sneaky peak! -

#BlackCatsAreMagical