Hello Friends!

    Hope your summer has been treating you well! It's been a bit chaotic and yet calm for my little family. First half was insane with our move across the United States! Yup, we handed over our Florida sunshine keys for some PNW mountains (and Seattle rain). We had an amazing road trip- I'll share another post about that and everything we did soon. Everyone should do a road trip once in their life...just saying.

I wanted to share a new product I found and have been loving!! Now, if you follow any of the amazing Instagram Fashion bloggers you have seen this handy dandy tool we (women) use all the time. I'm talking about the Billie Razor.  I fell into the hype and ordered my own.  I hate shaving and I hate every razor I have ever used. I even used my husbands disposable razors for a while, those actually seemed to work better then ones meant for us ladies. Go figure! 

I gave Billie a good solid month of use and I'm here to report my findings on this razor that has received so much hype from the Influencer world. And my friends, its good. Reeeaaaal good! And you can not beat the price and convince of this fab little tool! 

So, Billie...where do I begin. Billie is a "female first" razor company. 100% geard towards us women only. The razor has 5 blades that are encased in 360 degrees of charcoal shave soap (meaning you don't need shaving cream). All of their products are free of toxins and bad additives. They also currently donate 1% of all revenue to Women's causes around the world. Pretty good deal to get a good shave and feel good that part of your purchase is helping other women. Win-Win in my book!

 The starter kit is $9 and free shipping. Woohoo! You get the razor handle (a few colors to pick from- all super cute!), two razor heads and a magnet to stick to your wall to hold your razor. You can then add on shaving cream, body lotion, and body wash. I added on shaving cream, making it a whopping total of $18. Not to shabby to keep my lady parts hair free! And did I mention, shipping is always free?! 

Shipping for your starter kit does takes a little while. It took about 2 weeks for me to receive my order. Kind of annoying since I was so excited to try it out, but it is what it is. You are then automatically set up (depending on how you answered their questions) to receive your razor refills every month or other month for only $9! Now if you want the shaving cream or anything else to come with your razor replacement it will be more then $9. You can change your shipment dates at anytime and can cancel at any time. But I'm not sure you'll want to.  I'm set up for every 2 months and I'll receive 4 blades and a shaving cream. But I may skip the shaving cream this shipment. A little goes a long way, but I'll get more into that below.  

So my experience. Packaging is cute as can be, simple but colorful and happy. The razor it self is great quality and also super cute. I choose the two toned razor and I love the bright colors! The shaving cream is great! A little goes a very long way! I'm due to get a new bottle in September and I think I'm going to change it to my November shipment. I'm not even half way through the bottle! And the smell is great too! Not strong and very pleasant. I may try out the body wash and lotion next. 

So how was the shave? My first shave I thought "well it's like a regular razor". I wasn't overly impressed. I had to shave two days later, which was disappointing because I kept hearing women say they can go like three to four days without shaving. But after the 2nd shave I started to see a difference. I dont know how it's happening or why, but my hair is growing back slower, softer and less. I can no go about 3, maybe 4 days without shaving my legs. Its about the 3rd day I even realize I should probably thinking about shaving. What is this sorcery?! 

I dont know how Billie has done it, but they've made a great product. If you've been on the fence about trying it and thinking its all just Influencer hype, I'm here to tell you it's not. It really does work. And it's cheap and convenient! I never have to stand in the razor and shaving cream isle at Target again. YAS! 

I'm going to include a link to order yourself a razor. Click here. The link will bring you to the Pink Tax Rebate page and if you put in your email you also get a code that allows you to share with friends and family. The Pink Tax Rebate gives you money off towards your next purchases. You most certainly don't have to join the Pink Tax Rebate, but I'm betting you're going to love Billie as much as I do and want to share it with everyone too.

Let me know if you try it out and what your thoughts and experience are with Billie! Talk to you all soon! 

Xo,

 Nikki

Let me re-introduce myself...

Hi All!
 I'd like to re-intriduce myself to you. Why, you might ask. Well because I'm not the same person I was when I started this blog. I mean, I'm still Nikki: Military wife, Girl Mom x2, lover of all things fashion, makeup, and home decor. I still need my coffee daily and I'm still in a constant battle of fitness freak and eating all the food- the struggle is real.  But, I've changed SO much in the last 2 1/2 years. I've grown: as a women, a wife, a mother, a friend. I'm in a completely different season/chapter of my life. And I feel like I need to start this blog over, in a sense, to show that. I've tried countless times to write a blog post. But every time I come on here my mind goes blank.  I'm hoping with reintroducing myself to you, I can start my blog over. Maybe I can find the direction I want this blog to actually go in. A fresh start with the Nikki that I am now. So here it goes...

Hi! I'm Nikki! I'm a 32 year old...military wife and SAHM of 2 little girls- L who is 8 and Z who is 4. I'm also a dog mom. Her name is Cali, she's a mutt and a ripe old pain in my you know what, but she's so dang cute! I have a love for makeup, fashion, home decor, coffee, and Rea Dunn (who doesn't?!?). I also have a love/hate relationship with health and fitness. I try not to take myself too seriously. Something I've learned to do over the past year and half. In person I have a sailors mouth, but I'll never drop curse words here. Well, never say never... I ramble. A lot. I write like I tell my stores in person, so my posts will most likely be on the long side. #thatsjustme

I had an extremely rough 2016-2017 and learned so much about myself. So much so that I feel like I need to share what I've learned. First, because I know it will be somewhat therapeutic for me to put it out there. Second, because I want you, my fellow timeouter, to know crazy life things happen to us all. I am no expert on life-Lord knows that! I get it wrong daily...hourly if I'm being truly honest. But with the help of some amazing people in my life, my own soul searching and self empowerment searching these past few months I've learned the power of finding comfort in knowing I'm not alone. Feeling alone is horrible. Feeling like your losing yourself, like your drowning above water is down right scary. And if me sharing my life helps you not feel at least one of those things, makes you feel like you can relate to me. My heart will be so happy.

 So, what have I learned that I want to share with you? I learned how true it is to have seasonal friends, how to live a life with a constantly deployable spouse, the importance of knowing your own worth, that putting positive vibes out into the universe is a real thing-seriously it is, how to survive a hurricane that could have wiped out your whole state (damn you Hurricane Irma) and so much more. I'm here to ramble about nonsense that happens in my life and add pictures to that nonsense. I'm here to share new things I've found and love. I'm here to be held accountable for the goals I want to accomplish. I'm here to give you a laugh. I'm here to be me...unapologetically me.

My hope is that you'll take a timeout with me every now and then. That you'll leave my little space feeling better, happier, more positive about your day, and maybe a little inspired by something. Nothing more, nothing less. Thanks for taking a timeout with me and letting me reintroduce myself and my blog to you. I'll talk to you soon!

Xo,
 Nikki

How life changes....

Hi! It's been a little while since I've visited my little corner here. I hope you are all well! There have been so many changes in our lives over the past year. We've been through 2 hurricanes now (Matthew and Irma). I took on a business adventure that might have sucked the life and sanity out of me. A lot of growing pains from the move and a rough school year. I've made amazing new friends here in South Florida. People I know were put in my life for a reason and I'll forever be grateful for that. And I've lost a few. But things happen right? When one door closes, another opens...

I've mostly come back because a dear friend of mine got wind (my big mouth that is) that I had a blog, read it, and asked me why I stopped. And to be honest, I don't have any an answer for that. I guess Life...? I felt like I had nothing important to say anymore. I think I get into my own head and started down playing everything I did. We can be our own worst enemies... I would think, who really wants to read about what I have to say? Do people really care that L and Z had an amazing day or a bad one? Does anyone care that I didn't do well with all the adjusting to all the changes? Do people really care to read with my horrible spelling and grammar? I know it's not the best guys! lol! But after my friend read my blog, I came back and read it too. And you know what? It brought back so many great memories. Things I completely forgot happened. It brought back really happy times.

So I guess, weather or not anyone else really cares about what I have to say I'm glad I wrote those posts and have them for me to look back on. It also reminded me that I enjoyed this. It made me think, be creative, and just maybe I actually helped someone out. And you know what, I was actually kind of good at it. At least I think I was. Yes I'm patting myself on the back. We really all should pat ourselves on the back from time to time. We work damn hard at life and we have enough people who judge us. We shouldn't judge ourselves! I think if I had stayed connected to my timeout I would have had an easier time adjusting to all the changes. At the very least, maybe I could have received some encouraging comments or helped another person threw a hard time in their life.

I've said it before but I'm saying it again: I'm going to try and keep up with this timeout. Give myself the mental timeout that I know I need. Some place to be creative and get my thoughts out there. If you continue to follow along, I truly thank you. If you don't, thats okay too. We all have busy lives and I'm not expecting anyone to find my life anymore interesting then theres. But, maybe my timeout will become yours too. A moment to escape your own life, a moment to find a review on new product you want to try, a moment to think deep about what you might have done in my shoes, a moment to think about you and your feelings.

With that all said, welcome back to my timeout! I hope you can find what you need from our timeout together. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for joining me!

See you in my next timeout!

XO,
 Nikki

Long time no talk...

Well hello there my pretty little space on this here inter-webs! I've missed this place and this outlet for me so much. Its crazy how life can just take over and you can easily change your priorities. It's been months (I'm sure you've noticed) since I last posted and oh how has my world changed...

For starters, we sold our house and are no longer New Englanders. We are now South Floridians as of the end of June.

packing up and heading south!

My heart misses New England (wicked bad), but I feel like we've made Florida our home in the 3 months we've been here. I could use a heat break though! But from what I'm told it will stay like this for the next few months. My happy days of Fall = jeans, boots, sweaters, and leaves changing is apparently out of the picture now that we are here. That honestly makes me sad, as Fall is my favorite season. But I guess I get to wear shorts and flip flops a little longer. My PSL's however will not be iced. I just can't do it, doesn't feel right...

Florida living....

Both the girls have had birthdays (as have I, ugh!!). I now have a 6 1/2 year old and a 3 year old. And they both give me a run for my money!! The sass and drama that runs threw this house could give The Real Housewives a run for their money. L has stated school here and seems to love it. Little miss social butterfly has already made friends with a bunch of people. Thank goodness for her outgoing personality and warm heart! And Z is in a pre-school speech program. She is challenging in the morning to drop off, but when I pick her up she is all smiles and tells me "I had a great day!" She has been doing amazing in the 2 months she has been in school. She says so much more now and says words much clearer. I'm so proud of her!! And the few hours I get to myself have been pretty darn awesome... 

I feel like with the girls back in school and us finally settling in, it's time to get back to my "work". I have so much to share about our move, our summer, selling our house, moving into a rental, our trip to Disney (yay!!), becoming a Girl Scout Troop leader (oh yes, you read that one correctly...I think I've gone off the deep end) and life in general. I can't wait to get started! 

See you in the next post! 

Xo,

  Nikki

Happy New Year!!!...A couple weeks late...

Hi!

  Happy New Year!!! I can't believe we are heading in to the third week of January already. I hope your holidays and start of the New Year have been great! It's been crazy town in my house since Christmas. We decided at the last minute that we would not be staying home for Christmas. So on Christmas Morning we packed up everything and headed to NY and PA, only to be back the day before New Years and have my brother, his wife and my nephew come visit. The following weekend Lilly turned 6 (sigh. She's growing up too fast) and we went to CT to an indoor water park with my Mom, Step-Dad and little brother. And now, here I sit at my kitchen island with a friend of ours still asleep in the spare room. Don't get me wrong, I have loved visiting and having people visit, but I'm tired! haha! I will say though, there is nothing better then ending a year and beginning one with family and friends.

   On top of all that, we sit and wait for orders to our new location. Our picks could lead us to Florida, California, South Carolina, Michigan, or Oregon. Hubby gets to make a "dream sheet", as they call it, but in the end its not up to us. But once we find out, you will know too. :) Plus once we find out the true craziness of moving kicks in.

   I've made a few New Years resolutions and I'm trying to stick with them. So far I've failed at my blog resolution, but I'm going to keep trying. I am trying to stick to a "dont spend more then $40 a month on none essentials" budget. Meaning, I'm trying not to buy an over abundance of make-up and clothes. I'm really trying to work on my "needs vs wants' attitude. I want everything, but do I need it, no. And there are more important things in my life then needing that $30 lipstick. I guess I'm just trying to be more humble and grounded. It's very easy to get caught up in wanting to be on top of the latest trends. I don't think it's a bad thing, but I'm at a point in my life where I just need to take a step back and sort out whats most important. Does that make sense? I hope so...

   I also did what millions of others did the first week of January, I joined the gym. I actually rejoined the YMCA because I truly missed working out at the gym. Working out at home just wasn't cutting it for me this time around. I'm going on my third week and I feel great. I keep reminding myself I wont see changes for about another 2 weeks and if I don't clean up my diet then I most certainly wont see any changes either. Starting February 1st Hubby and I will be doing a cut. Basically we will be meal prepping every Sunday for the week and making sure our diets stay within our macro count. We made some personal goals and I'm excited to see where we both end up. I have a passion for health and fitness, it gets put on the waist side sometimes, but its still there.

   Well, that's about all I have as far as catch up goes. There are a lot of changes going to be happening this year and I can't wait to bring you along with me. :)

   Talk to you soon!!

Xo,
  Nikki

Bite Beauty | Opal Lip Gloss

Hi!!

   I can't believe that its already the middle of December and Christmas is in just two weeks. There has been lots going on here, traveled for Thanksgiving, had my brother-in-law visiting for a week and the typical Holiday festivities taking place. I feel like I'm ahead of the game on Christmas prese.nts but at the same time I'm not done. Is Christmas shopping ever really done?? I did however buy myself a few new things from Sephora the other day (Merry Christmas to me!! HAHA!). One product, in particular that I wanted to share with you. (P.S. It would make a great stocking stuffer!)

   I was in Sephora the other day to return some things and use my VIB $20 off $50 coupon. I really wanted to get a lip gloss or lipstick. Mostly I wanted a Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick but the colors I wanted were sold out. So I headed over to the Marc Jacobs section because I remembered that I wanted to check out Moonglow (lip gloss. It's sold out but you can check it out here). I asked one of the workers if they had any in the back. He said no (of course), but that he could show me a great alternative if I was interested. Of course I said yes. He brought me over to Bite Beauty and showed me the Opal Lip Gloss.

   Is that not gorgeous?! This picture does not do it justice. But seriously, it's gorgeous.

He told me that this isn't getting a whole lot of love and he's not sure why. To be honest, I'm not sure why it isn't either. This gloss is gorg!! And on top of it looking gorgeous, it feels amazing on your lips. There's no smell, it's not a sticky gloss, and it can be worn by itself or over top of your favorite lip color.

 

 The top color is Buxom Bold Gel Lipstick in Sultry Mauve and the bottom is the same color with Opal over top. This picture really doesn't do Opal justice, but it does show you how it can transform the color and yet still give you what you want. It also works great over liquid lipsticks. I've worn it over Ofra's Laguna Beach and ColourPop's Trap. It gave both of them just a beautiful opalescent look without taking away from the actual color or the formulation of the liquid lip. Yes, it added a gloss but even when the gloss wore out the liquid lipstick stayed. But it made my lips look hydrated rather then the dry chapped looked that liquid lipstick can do sometimes.

   If you don't know a lot about Bite Beauty and need a little extra nudge to check them out, the major things you need to know are their products are made with natural and food-grade ingredients. It is also made without Parabens, Sulfates, and Phthalets. All great things to know since this product does go on your lips and you will no doubt be ingesting it. And whatever else is in this lip gloss has helped my lips to be softer and look healthier- if thats possible. I've been using a lip balm every night for well over a month and in just three days I've noticed a HUGE difference. Which I'm chalking up to this lip gloss because that's the only thing that's new. I know Bite Beauty makes a lip balm (Agave Lip Mask) and I've heard great things. But after using this, that balm is going into my shopping cart for my next purchase.

   I highly recommend this lip gloss! The gentleman that showed me this also said that he thinks it will be a big seller in 2016 because a lot of beauty products are going towards that opal/transformer shade/look. I have to agree with that 100%. Kat Von D has a transformer liquid lipstick (which I want to try out too) out. ColourPop, in collaboration with CoffeeBreakWithDani did an eye shadow quad called Metamorphosis, which has two transformer shades (you can watch my video here on the quad). I really think we might start seeing a trend here soon. And if not, I still think you should own this. Doesn't matter if you are a huge lipstick fan or someone who only wears nudes or lip balm. I swear you'll love this. Also, this shade is in a Creme Lipstick! I will be purchasing that next too. But if lip gloss isn't your thing you can still pick this up in the lipstick.

  I have a video up talking about this lip gloss and a few of the other things I picked up at Sephora that day. If you care to watch its down below. :)
                  

                   


   Thanks so much for taking a timeout with me! I'll talk to you soon!!

Xo,
  Nikki

Play! by Sephora November

Hi!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! We drove to Pennsylvanian to be with my in laws for the holiday. As always, it was a great time with amazing food. My mother-in-law and I did our annual Black Friday shopping. We were in no rush so we didn't leave the house till about 10:30 (btw, I do not support these 6pm openings on Thursday, it should stick to Friday mornings- thats the whole point of Black Friday) which caused us to miss some of the great deals we wanted to pick up, but it wasn't the end of the world. We had a great time as always. But now it's time for my favorite holiday of the year and I CAN NOT wait to get all of my decorations out. And pick up some new ones- I die for Targets selection this year!

Since I still have one day of November left, I wanted to tell you about what I received in my November Play! by Sephora subscription box. If you haven't heard about this yet I'll give you a quick run down. Sephora started their own monthly subscription box. It's $10 a month (plus tax), you also receive 10 BI/VIB/Rouge points with ever box purchase. They have a waiting list right now but click here and you can put in your email address. Once a spot becomes open they'll let you know and you can sign up.

I will say, this beauty subscription box might just be my most favorite subscription box and I love this month! It's called The Exclusives. Everything they included can only be purchased at Sephora. As always, everything was a deluxe size sample- but I'm totally okay with that.  

I posted an unboxing video and you can watch that below for my thoughts and opinions on everything. But I'll go over everything briefly below.

The first product I received was Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer (here). I've heard great things about this primer (and the other steps too) and I'm so happy I now get the chance to try it out. I've been using it for a about a week and I have to say, I really love it. My foundation has been going on great and staying on for hours. I'd totally recommend this primer if you are looking for something to hydrate your skin while not letting your foundation to seep into your pours and fine lines.

Next up is Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb (here). I have only owned one product from Bite Beauty and it's a lip gloss. I like it, but I have a hard time getting past the smell. Thankfully this lip pencil has no scent and the color is gorgeous. It is a perfect dusty rose mauve that would look great on anyone.

Following one lip product with another is BUXOM Full-On Lip Cream in Dolly (here). This might possible be my most favorite lip gloss. It is a plumper, but it doesn't hurt like some lip plumper's do. This actually feels like that cooling sensation you get when you have chapped lips and you use Carmex lip balm. No what I'm talking about? No? Yes? Maybe? ;) I don't know that it actaully plumped my lips but the color is a beautiful neutral that just adds a nice shine to your lips or over a lipstick. I highly recommend the Full-On Lip Creams.

Next is Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil in 29 Boyfriend's Jeans (here). This is an electric blue and is waterproof. Really waterproof. This is a great color to just have on hand for a day you feel like adding a pop of color on your eye. It's great on the waterline or put some on your eyelid and smudge it out. Adding a pop of color seems to be on trend at the moment and this really is a pretty blue. I won't be wearing it every day, but I'm glad to have it in my collection now.

Second to last is Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil (here). If you ever have to have one beauty product, it really needs to be this. I have used Josie Maran on and off for about 2 years. Every time I start using it again I wonder why I ever stopped. The uses for this oil are endless, but I use it mostly in replacement of a night time cream. It hydrates and balances out any skin issues I might be having. This is a holy grail skin care product for me. I really can not say enough good things about this oil.

And lastly, is Stella McCartney in Stella Parfum (here). Umm, yea... I don't like this. It has a rose scent and I'm not a fan of rose scented things. I truly believe you can not go by what other people's opinions are on perfumes because everyone has their own favorite scents. When you think you might not like it by their description you might surprise yourself and really enjoy it. I personally, do not like this. But you might, so if you get the chance to smell it I would. 

And that is it. Here is my YouTube video:

                    

I loved everything I received for November (minus the perfume). I recommend getting your name on this list and trying it out for a few months. Let me know if you have every tried any of these products and what you think about them. I'm definitely adding a few of these to my shopping cart for my next purchase at Sephora.

 Thanks for taking a timeout with me! I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon!!

  XO,
  Nikki

October Play! by Sephora Box

Hey, hey, heeyyy!

      Hope you had a lovely weekend! Today is turning out to be a pretty gorgeous fall day. Which is nice, considering it's been in the 70's all week and I keep having to remind myself that it really is November in New England. What is the deal with this crazy weather? I think Mother Nature needs to lay off the spiked Caramel Apple Cider.  Although I'm not totally complaining about the higher temps and spiked caramel apple cider is really good.

    I know I'm behind and it's November, but lets talk about the goodies I received in my October Play! by Sephora box. If you still haven't heard, its Sephora's monthly subscription box. When I got the initial email they said they were opening up to certain areas to test it out. I don't know how true that still is, but you can click here and put your name on a waiting list if you want to try this out. It's $10 a month (plus tax) and you get about 5-6 items.  You also get 10 beauty insider (VIB/Rouge) points with every box. Pretty awesome way to build up your points if you ask me! Plus, if you bring your play card into the store you get an extra 50 points with your purchase. Even more awesome! I'm just saying, I really don't think you can go wrong with at least trying this box out.

    Let me start off by saying I LOVED this box. I loved everything about it, with the exception of the perfume. Although, that should come as no surprise if you read my post about the September box and watched the video. This boxes theme was "Secrets to Dewy Skin". For me, I would say these products hit the nail on the head for "dewy" skin. My skin felt great, looked fresh and bright. It still feels great, in fact. Although thanks to some foundation I used my skin currently looks like it's under attack. :(  Thankfully it's under control now but I'm a picker and will be dealing with these things for a few more weeks. But anyways, lets jump into these products and what they are all about.

   First items I received and played with were the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser and the Charcoal Konjac sponge. At first I was a little intimidated by this. Yes it's just a sponge but it's rock hard and this face wash comes out in a black gel. I wasn't sure how my skin would react to both things. The sponge softens up dramatically when you soak it in water for a few minutes (which is what you are suppose to do). It's also gentile enough that you can use it around your eye area- that in itself should speak volumes. I noticed a difference in the texture of my skin within 2 days of using this. I do not own a Clarisonic and if you don't either, I would say this is a semi-decent alternative. The cleanser is not harsh at all and in fact I really love using it every day. Depending on how my skin does after I run out (I still use and swear by First Aid Beauty face wash- holy grail for me) I may just purchase this. The cleanser (here) runs for $28 and the sponge (here) is $15. I really love the sponge and until I can get a Clarisonic I'll be buying this little guy for an extra scrub on my face.

   Next up is the Sephora Pearl mask. I have not used this mask yet, but I have used one of these types of masks in the past and I'm a big fan. I have to say, I've never used a lot of Sephora brand products but the more I do the more I'm really impressed with the quality. The pearl mask is intended to brighten and hydrate. Again, I'm not sure if it really does that, but once I try it out I'll let you know. A cool tip they tell you is to put the mask in the refrigerator for an hour prior to using it and it will help de-puff skin and it helps for redness-prone skin. I've done this with under eye masks and it feels amazing.  These masks are $6 a piece, but Sephora has a special for buy 4 get 1 free. Just use the code MASKLOVE at checkout. I will add this warning though, when wearing this mask you may pee your pants from laughing hysterical at how ridiculous you look and the looks on your kids faces' when you scare the crap out of them. The later may or may not have happened in my house. ;)

   The next product is the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidian day tint with SPF 15. To me, this is like a BB or CC cream. It's light weight, tinted, and helps even out skin tone. The difference for me between this cream and most BB or CC creams is that I didn't break out from it and I actually felt like it made my skin look natural, bright, and healthy. I didn't feel like I was wearing anything and it didn't look like I was wearing anything.  Now if like me, you have no idea what Ceramidian is I'll tell you what Sephora says: Ceramides are "molecules that exist naturally in our bodies and decrease as we age. When this happens, our skin tends to become dry and sensitive." So that makes sense as to why this cream helps make your skin feel softer, brighter, and evens out our skin tone. This product can not be replaced as a foundation, but for those days you don't want to do your makeup but also don't want to look like a zombie, this is it. This cream runs for $48, but I feel like its worth it. I plan to buy this. Not only has it made some of my mornings getting ready shorter but I think this will be a perfect staple for summer.

   Fourth on the list is the Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Instant Infusion Treatment Toner. This lovely toner runs at $48 and I'm still on the fence about it. I do like it, in fact I probably only have about another day or two left of it. My hang up is I don't know how I feel about toners. You hear they are good to use but not necessary. I don't know that I've ever really seen a difference using them before. And with using this one, I can't say I've seen any drastic changes. But I like it. Ugh... So this toner is suppose to "refine the appearance of pores while moisturizing and protection from pollutants and other environmental damage." Maybe I'm not seeing a total difference because I'm using a cotton pad and rubbing at around my face (which is what the box says) instead of using my fingers and lightly pressing/patting with my fingertips (what Sephora says to do). I'll try Sephora's way the next couple of days and see how it goes. I'm not sure I'll be picking this one up, but if I get the opportunity to pick up a sample I just might to keep in my travel bag.  

   Second to last item is belif: The True Cream Aqua Bomb. Let me just start off by saying this stuff feels amazing on the skin and I'm so overly impressed with this. I'm not sure I've ever used anything like it. It's a gel like look and consistence but it feels like a cream when your rub it in. It's cooling and instantly hydrating without any greasy feeling left behind. It says to put it on right after you've washed your face or steped out of the shower so you skin doesn't have time to dry and tighten up. But if it does this will instantly re-hydrate. It also says that you can put this on over your makeup for a refreshing glow- I don't think I'll be doing that at any point, but if you try it out let me know. This little bottle of amazingness runs for $38 for 1.68 oz or $22 for 0.84 oz. A little goes a long way so I'm not sure when I'll be picking this up but I can tell you that I will be.

   And lastly is Atelier Cologne: Collection Azure- Mandarine Glaciale. So the scent is inspired by Calabria, Italy. It's a fresh citrus scent that balances cool notes with hints of ginger and heart of vetiver. It smells nice but it's not my thing.  The way this cologne is made, it can be worn by both mean and women. Also, not my thing. I prefer to wear perfumes that are distinctly meant for women. Just my thing, no judgement at all for any women who enjoy these kinds of perfumes/colognes. So my opinion on this is honestly based on my personal preferences for perfumes. I feel like you can never give a true review on a perfume or cologne. Everyone has such different tastes and you really have to smell it yourself and see how your body takes to that smell. This is a no go for me, but whos to say you wont love it.

   And so that is everything I received in my October Play! box. Again, I loved this box. I got to try out skin care products that I probably would have never touched had I not received this. Now I know of a few new products that I love and think will become a staple in my skin care routine.

 If you received this box let me know what your thoughts are on everything. Now it's on to making my list for the Sephora VIB sale. I can not wait for Friday!! I'll be posting everything I bought either this weekend or next week. Let me know what you're picking up and if you have any recommendations.

    Thanks for taking a timeout with me! I'll talk to you soon!!

  XO,
   Nikki

PS. My adult Caramel Apple Cider: Get a fancy glass, some ice, any Caramel flavored vodka and some apple cider and Bam! Enjoy!  :)

  








 

Happy Monday and Play! by Sephora

Well Hello Monday!
   Hope you had a great weekend! Ours was non-eventful, but I got some small things accomplished. Like the mound of laundry washed, folded, AND put away (watch for pigs flying out the window)!! Did some online Christmas shopping (SO proud of myself for starting so early). Old Navy was having amazing sales this weekend! I also got a vanity/desk from a friend so that went into my room last night. And the Hubby and I cleaned out his side of the garage so he can put his car in for the winter. The temps decided to drop below 30 last night so we decided it was time to get it cleaned out and get his car in. New England is getting cold fast and I'm not entirely sure that I love it. Today was super cold! 35 degrees on our walk to school!!! I would have drove but Hubby needed my truck and the only car seats we have for the girls went with him. So we bundled up and off we went! It was kind of refreshing, but still too cold for my liking this early on. It's suppose to be in the 60's for the rest of the week so hopefully no need for gloves like we wore this morning. I just love fall and I don't want to see it go away before it even got here! Okay, I'll stop complaining about the New England weather now. Next year at this time, we most likely wont even be living in a place that gets colder than 60 in the winters. For the record, I'm very okay with that.

   I know this is late and not my conventional subscription box post, but I got this box almost a month ago and I really wanted to share it with you. It's the Play! by Sephora monthly subscription box. If you haven't heard about it, it's okay. It is brand new and they were only testing out to a few cities. Boston was one of them and since I live just outside of Boston I got an email back in August to sign up. Click here to read more about it and enter your email address if your are interested. They will let you know when it becomes available. It's $10 (+tax) a month and I'm thinking you will get about 6 items every month. I'll have a better idea in a couple of weeks when I get my October box.

    I really enjoyed this box and I also love that its from Sephora. I'm pretty positive these are all 100 point perks, possibly 250 point perks. I read a few comments about how people weren't happy about that, but it doesn't bother me. Honestly, what exactly did they expect for $10 from Sephora? I think this box could potentially be better than so many other subscription boxes. But I say that because what I got from September is really just about everything I've ever wanted from a beauty subscription service. Watch the video to see everything and to hear my opinions on it all.


                     

    Let me know if you also got the box and what you thought about it. Also let me know if you were able to sign up and don't live in the few cities they selected. I'm still kind of confused about that. 
  
    Well, my timeout is over and now I have to go adult. Ugh.... haha! I hope you have an amazing day! Stay warm and thanks for taking a timeout with me! I'll talk to you soon!

XO,
   Nikki
   

Crockpot Tuesday: Nicole's Corn Chowder

     Hello October!! I hope your October has started out great! It's been one heck of a week and a half here. So much going on between birthdays, weddings, traveling, and a mud race (yes, you read that right- it was SO much fun!!). It's nice to know that we aren't doing any traveling for almost the whole month of October but we are going to be having some visitors. And than its Halloween! I love Halloween! It's so much fun to dress up and I love getting the girls all dressed up. Lilly wants to be Bat Girl and I think Zoeis going to be a kitty cat. Still a little on the fence with that, but I have to make up my mind very soon.

   Well, it's that time of week: Crockpot Tuesday! And today I am making 'Nicole's Corn Chowder'. Although the name is very fitting and this is one of my favorite cold weather meals, I can not take any credit for it. I found it on Pinterest (of course), but all the credit must go to The Crockin' Girls.  Click here for the actual recipe. I don't stray much from the actual recipe, but instead of using canned corn I usually use frozen corn. Today is the first time I'm using canned corn in mine. Also, this is great for left over ham. I buy the center cut ham steak, but if you just made a ham this is a great options to use up some of those left overs.

Everything you need:

• Potatoes - peeled and diced. I used 5 because mine were small. 
• 1 Can cream corn
• 1 Can whole kernel corn - drain the water out of the can
• 2 Cups chicken broth
• 1 Center Ham Steak - cut into cubes
• 1 Cup diced onions - I used one whole yellow onion
• 1/4 Cup butter
• 2 Cups half and half 

What to do:

• Add the potatoes and everything down to the onions into the crock pot. Cook on low for about 7 hours (this will actually cook for about 6 1/2 hours for me). 
• 30 minutes before serving mash up the potatoes in the crockpot and add in the butter and half and half. Crank the temp up to high for 30 minutes.

   I'm making some Pillsbury croissants  rolls to go with this. Cornbread is another great option. You don't have to make bread with it, but I like to dip it into the corn chowder.

   And that's it. This meal is perfect for cold fall and winter nights. It's hearty and will hit the spot for a warm comforting dinner. The left overs are amazing too!

   I've actually never checked out The Crockin' Girls website before, but I think I'll need to be checking them out. Let me know if you try this out and what you think. Do you have your own version of Corn Chowder that's amazing? If so share it with me!

   Thanks so much for taking a timeout with me! I'll talk to you soon!

XO,
 Nikki

Crockpot Tuesday: Beef Stoganoff

Hi!!

  I hope you had a fantastic weekend! It was a very nice weekend here in New England. Super hot on Saturday, but a beautiful fall Sunday. We didn't do much of anything, just took care of somethings around the house. A typical weekend for us. Sunday Football was semi good to us. Our Giants lost (boo), but I won my one fantasy football league. I'm 0-2 in my other :( But it's still early in the season and I have some time to make a come back. :)

   It's Crockpot Tuesday and I'm making Beef Stroganoff. I found this recipe about 2 years ago on Pinterest and it has been my go to ever since. It's from The Crockstar. Her recipe calls for double of everything, but I cut this in half (literally) and it feeds all four of us with left overs for one (most of the time). There wont be a follow up tomorrow on this because this is a staple in my house and I can tell you right now that it is amazing. You will not regret eating this! And if my two little picky eaters will eat this than you know its good. :)


Here's what you need:

• 1 pound cubed stew meat (I just buy a package and use the whole thing, so sometimes its just under a pound and half)
• 1 can Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup (this will be located by the cream of mushroom soup- I had a hard time finding it at first)
• 1/2 largish onion diced
• 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Salt ( I don't have any, so its garlic powder and salt for me)
• couple dashes of Hot Paprika (I have never been able to find this, so I just had a couple shacks of regular paprika)
•  4 oz of cream cheese (Sometimes I use the whole 8oz block, just depends on the mood I'm in)
• bag of egg noodles 

 Now, add everything to the crockpot EXCEPT the meat and the cream cheese. Stir it all up, add the meat, and stir again. Cook this on low for about 6-8 hours. I usually go for about 6 hours so the meat doesn't get to dry. Before serving cut of the cream cheese into cubes and mix it in until its all melted. If you need too you can put the lid back on the crockpot to let the cream cheese melt some more. Once it's all combined put it on top of your egg noodles and you are ready to eat. :)

   One thing, I've had my cream cheese melt seamlessly into the liquid and other times it's kind of chunked up. I'm not sure why the cream cheese does that or how to fix it. I've tried cranking up the heat and seeing if it will melt. But it has always tasted exactly the same now matter how the the cream cheese has melted in. If you know how to make it so the cream cheese doesn't chunk up, please let me know. Although it tastes the same, I'd prefer not to have the chunks.

Mix everything without the meat first than add it. It smells SO good already!!

   I hope you try out this meal, I'm positive you will love it! If you do let me know what you think. It's honestly such an easy and tasty meal to make. It's also a nice change from everything chicken. Don't forget to send me some of your favorite crockpot recieps, I'm always looking for new dinner ideas. :)

   Thanks for taking a timeout! I'll talk to you next time!


 Xo,
  Nikki 

Friday Favorites: BP. Double Stud Crossbody Bag

Hi!

 Happy Friday!!! I hope your week was fantastic! It was super busy for this family, but a great week none the less. Lilly finished and survived her first full week of Kindergarten. Well, we still need to make it through today. But she's loving it so far and can't wait to go back on Monday. I think she's ready to just relax this weekend though. She's not use to this constant go-go-go. I'm getting in the groove of having just one kid at home and figuring out a schedule. Thankfully Zoe still takes a nap so I'm able to get so much more done around the house than I'm use to being able to do. I actually get to have a full on Mommy Timeout. ;)

   Since its Friday I wanted to do a 'Friday Favorite'. I'm sharing one thing today that I have been looking for, for what feels like years to find. A Crossbody Bag. I know, I know, " Nikki, really a purse?!"  Yes really. And you will thank me later for this. :) 

                         

   Since having kids the funds to support my Coach, Michale Kors, and Kate Spade purse love has virtually disappeared. I just don't have the extra money nor can I justify a purchase like that when I know we have more important things to buy. So when I found this purse I was so beyond thrilled. I'm talking about the BP. Double Stud Crossbody Bag.

   Now, it's not your typical "Mom Purse". Clearly it is not huge and honestly can not hold a great deal of things, but it can most certainly hold what I need. And it has helped me keep the junk out of my bag that normally builds up and turns a normal purse into a 50lb weight. It's also amazingly light and not bulky that it gets in the way when I'm holding Zoe.

That cup fit in my bag too. :)

 I have been wanting a crossbody bag for the longest time. I mean, probably about a year and a half. I've been over the bulky bag and diaper bag thing since before Zoe was even born. I want convenience, practicality, and something easy. And now with Zoe being 2, I honestly don't need a big bulky bag for a trip to the store.

   When I came across this BP. crossbody bag on the Nordstrom website I KNEW I had to check it out. It reminds me a lot of a Rebecca Minkoff, but literally a fraction of the price.  When I got to the store and saw it in person I knew I had to have it. The quality is so much better than I expected. The faux-leather looks a lot like real leather and it isn't stiff at all. The Cognac color and the gold chains are right up there in the style I've been wanting. It goes with everything and is so perfect for fall and winter. I love the zip pocket on the outside (perfect for my iPhone). There is a zipper on the inside and two pockets for your phone and pens or lipgloss. And there is still plenty of room in the actual bag even with those extras. And the price point is AMAZING! It's only $32!!!! Oh yes my friends, you read that right. I was just as surprised at that price as you are. I love this so much that I'm contemplating buying it in black. This one really has gone with everything I've worn, but it's always good to have a go to black bag.

   So, what am I able to fit in this 'small' crossbody bag you ask? So much more than you would even think! Now I can not fit my normal wallet. If I had an envelop wallet I'm sure I could, but I don't. So I use my LV card hold for my id's and credit cards. And I carry around my check book (yes I still use checks, I'm sort of old fashioned in that I still like to write out checks upon occasion), keys, lipstick and lipgloss, my too faced translucent powder compact, tissues, a pen, and a couple of granola bars for when my girls start whining that they are hungry in the middle of the store. 

This is what's currently in my bag

   Now I can't fit a diaper and wipes with all that. I mean, I can shove it in there, but I'm not looking to break this bag. But I'm to the point with Zoe that I'm not out long enough to need to carry those things on hand. I actually keep extra diapers and wipes in a bag in my car. If we go to a zoo or something than I bust out the trusty diaper bag. But I don't need all those extra things right on hand anymore. Maybe wipes though, I never realized how handy wipes really are until I had kids. 

   I really can not say any more good things about this bag. If you have been on the hunt for a great quality crossbody, I highly recommend this bag. It's on trend, great price point (for maybe $5-$10 more than what you'd pay for a bag at target), and it really has more room than you might think. 

   If you don't have a Nordstrom near you, click the link up top to look at the bag online. Shipping is free and returns are free if you're not happy with it. Can't bet that kind of customer service! Let me know if you decided to pick this crossbody up! I'd love to hear what you think. 

Thanks for taking a timeout with me and I hope you have a fantastic weekend!! Talk you soon!!

Xo,
  Nikki 

my Mom and I at a zoo. This bag is so great!

    P.S. This is not sponsored in any way. I bought this bag with my own money :)

   

The vedict for Crockpot Tuesday is...

Hi!
   So I know you have been dying to know how dinner was last night! Okay, I'm sure it wasn't a top priority for you, but I'm going to pretend it was in your top 10 things you had to know when you woke up.  ;)

   Well, here was the final product.

   I put the zucchini and chicken over rice (about a 1/2 cup of cooked rice) and topped it off with some shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. The girls didn't get to try any of this. Hubby was home and just made them something else when we got home. He didn't know my plan of wanting to give them a little. But thats okay. We have left overs so they will get some tonight. Hubby didn't complain but he didn't rave about the dinner. But since he didn't rave about it, I'm pretty sure he thought it was just so-so. I personally thought it was good, nothing very exciting, but good.

   I feel like it ended up with more of a chili taste than Italian. Hubby kept saying it too. I'm not entirely sure what caused that flavor. I really don't think it was the one Jalapeno I added. It wasn't a bad flavor, but not what I had anticipated. After a few hours of cooking I took a taste test and I did have to add more salt. I know salt is personal preference, but I would recommend adding maybe 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and not just a pinch or two. 

   All and all, it was a good meal. I don't think this will be a constant meal on rotation though. But I have so much zucchini that it will be a good meal to add in every once and a while to mix things up. It also made some left overs. So I put a severing in the fridge and froze another serving. Id say it made about 4 servings all together.

   Let me know if you plan to try this meal out. It was good, but it didn't wow me to the point of feeling like I have to make it again next week. Know what I mean? Not a complete lose in the cooking department, so I'll call this a win. :)

   Next week is the family favorite, Beef Stroganoff! I can't wait to share it. 

  Thanks for taking a timeout with me! Talk to you soon!!

XO,
  Nikki

Crockpot Tuesday: Zucchini Chicken Parmesan

Hi!

   Fall's here (well kinda, just need these temps to stay below 75) and with Fall comes my many nights of crockpot cooking. I'm designating Tuesdays to be Crockpot Tuesday here on my Timeout. I'm going to share with you what I'm making for dinner Tuesday nights on Tuesdays. I hope thats not too confusing. I have a few crockpot meals that are on constant rotation during the fall and winter every year. So some meals I'll be able to tell you exactly how much my family and I like it. And others (like today's meal) will get a follow up the next day if its a brand new meal to us. I just want to put this out there,  I'm not a natural born cooker so all of my meals are Pinterest finds. I will ALWAYS link up to the original recipe and give credit were credit is due. After all, I wouldn't be making any of these if it wasn't for these awesome cooking bloggers. You can also check out my Pinterest boards Recipe Keepers and Recipes to Try.

   Tuesdays are going to become extremely busy in my house. Well extremely busy around dinner time, so it will always be a crockpot day.  The Hubby will cook upon occasion (he's an amazing cook so no complaints here), but for the most part there shouldn't be any reason for me not to get the crockpot started in the morning or early afternoon.

   So to start of my Crockpot Tuesday the meal is Zucchini Chicken Parmesan. I found this recipe on Pinterest and its from Smile Sandwich. The recipe is simple and looks pretty darn tasty.

Picture from Smile Sandwich

   Our garden produced an absurd amount of zucchini this year. Although I have frozen a lot, we still have some fresh. So I'm looking up all sorts of different meals to use up our zucchini in. We also grew jalapenos so I'm going to add a few of those even though the recipe doesn't call for it. Hubby likes spice and since I've had to endure yeas of him adding spice to just about everything I've come to enjoy it myself. I'm not adding too much though because I want to see if I can get the girls to eat this. I'm on a mission to get them to eat the same meal's we are. They eat a lot of what we do, but not as much as I would like. 

Here is a list of what I used in my recipe (again the original recipe can be found here):

• 2 large chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 large zucchini, chopped (I used only half of mine because it's about 4 large ones put together. No lie, check out the picture below) 
• 1 green pepper, diced (I used 1/2 a one)
• 1 jalapano, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (from a jar or fresh- I used jar)
• 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I used two pinches-to taste as they say)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1.5 cups of pasta sauce
• 1 cup low fat shredded cheese.
• 1 cup rice (quinoa or pasta or nothing, its totally up to you)  
• Parmesan to taste (fresh, shredded, or grated)

How to prepare:

1.  Spray your crockpot with nonstick cooking spray (or use one of those bags- best invention EVER!) and add all ingredients but the shredded cheese. 
2.  Cook on low for 6-8 or high for 3-4. *I don't know about you, but every crockpot I've ever owned (only 2) has always cooked fast. So I always cook on low and do it for about an hour or two less than recommended for that setting. This has also helped to not over cook my meat. So for me I'm cooking this for a max of 6 hours.* 30 minutes before serving add cheese and let it melt. 
3. Serve over rice (or whatever you choose to use). Add Parmesan if desired. 

I told you it was huge! Our garden went nuts with the zucchini

Green pepper, onion, jalapeno, and zucchini all cut up

All the ingredients and spices

add 1.5 cups of tomato sauce

Mix it all up

   I currently have this cooking and I'm going with low for about 5 hours. I'm planning on making rice to go with it. Hubby will be home so he can start the rice while I'm out and hopefully it will all be done and ready by the time I get back home with the girls. I'll update you tomorrow on how it was and if I'll be keeping this in our dinner rotation. :)

   Let me know if you try this out or if you have your own version of this meal. I love dinner ideas so please share away! Thanks for taking a timeout with me! I'll talk you tomorrow!!

Xo, 
Nikki

Review: Morphe 35O Palette

Hi!
  This week feels like it has flown by, yet it has taken forever. Know what I mean? We had an extremely busy Tuesday. Got to meet Lilly's teacher, she had her first gymnastics class, and than Zoe took a nasty fall in our garage and now has a nice bruise on her forehead (insert sad emoji face here). Hubby was out of town on Tuesday too, so I didn't catch a break till about 11pm. It was a Very. Long. Day. Then Wednesday evening my phone dropped out of my hands and shattered (insert a million crying emojis). Zoe has tossed my phone from the top of our stairs and nothing has happened. It slipped out of my hands and land face down, no bouncing around and completely shattered. WHHHYYYY!!!??? So I spent all day Thursday at the mall, not being able to shop, with two kids waiting on Apple to fix it (and spending a small fortune). It was kind of like torture. Friday was extremely uneventful and quite. Mostly due to the nasty weather we had, but it made the temps drop a bit. Starting to finally feel a little more like Fall (YAY!). I have some new sweaters and booties that I can not wait to wear. And don't forget the darker, warmer makeup tones.

   Speaking of warmer makeup tones, a perfect pallet for the Fall (and for every day use if you are a warm, neutral tones kind of person) is the Morphe 35O palette.

   I saw this palette on Snapchat from Jaclyn Hill and knew I had to have it. This palette has every color that I normal wear and some. I try to branch out in my colors, but I always come back to my tried and trues. To be honest, I'm just not comfortable with wearing bright colors and I don't go out enough to do an over the top smokey eye. My biggest outings anymore are heading to the 'big' mall. A little sad, but this is my Mom life right now.

   Anyways, this palette is going to get so much love from me. And the best part, there are about 3 MAC dupes that I use constantly and one semi Urban Decay dupe. So I wont need to repurchase those colors anytime soon. The dupes are as follows:

   The one color, third row from the top and second to last shade in the row, is a dupe for MAC's All That Glitters. They are super similar in color but not in formulation. The one in the Morphe pallet seemed very dry and almost like a foil. I would recommend wetting your brush before using. It appears to look the same in the swatch, but I did try to wear it and I just didn't like the application.

 The second shade, first row and forth shadow in, is an exact dupe for MAC's Amber Lights. Same creamy formulation.  I don't wear Amber Lights all that much, but it is a great bronzy gold to have in any collection and now I have two.

 And now, possibly the best dupe of all. The one color is in the first row and fifth shadow in. The second is in the second row fourth shadow in. The are both almost perfect dupes for MAC's Soft Brown. The top row shadow is a much closer match, but still, you can't deny what you see. I use Soft Brown pretty much every day. So now that I have a dupe (or two) I will probably never need to repurchase Soft Brown for as long as I live.

      And lastly, it is not really a dupe but a good option if you don't own Urban Decay's Sin. Sin is clearly more pink in tone then the Morphe shade (by the way, it's in the first row and third shadow in). When you look at them in each of their own palettes they look almost identical, but clearly they aren't.

   So those are all the dupes I was able to find. I would look at the colors and look at what I already owned and swear I had more dupes, but I didn't. Which really is a good thing considering I don't want to spend the money on something when I already own it. No what I mean?

   My over all impression of the Morphe 35O palette is I love it. The majority of the shadows are right up there in quality with the higher end brands. They are very pigmented and wear great. If I have to make a complaint, it would be about the packaging. It's just so big that it's hard to travel with and I'm always afraid that the shadows will break because it's not the thickest plastic. But, I think it's totally worth the money. I spent a total of $28 on the palette. That was with using Jaclyn's code, shipping and tax. Not to bad considering MAC refile pans (which is what I have) are $10 a pop. I don't have a code with Morphe so you will have to find one from a YouTuber. I used Jaclyn Hill's but if you have a favorite Beauty YouTuber than chances are they have a code. I was just on the website and it is currently sold out, but Morphe did put out a statement saying it is a permanent palette and will be back. Follow them on Instagram to keep up to date on the palette situation. But I highly recommend checking out their other palettes too. They have some good ones.

   If you've been on the fence about this palette, I hope my review helped you out. If you love warm neutral tones you can not go wrong with this palette.  Let me know if you buy this and what your thoughts are on it. :)

     Thanks for taking a timeout with me and I hope you have an amazing weekend!

XO,
  Nikki