It's no secret I'm not big on resolutions. Not in the way most of us treat them these days. That idea was the birth of this blog.

Of course I'd like to drop some pounds, erase my debt, and keep an immaculate house. Of course I want to be a better person. But those big goals are a big undertaking and are the most successful when you set and accomplish small goals to get there.

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When I set my goal in 2013 of eating less meat, I had no idea I was one recipe away from becoming a vegetarian. I had no idea I would start taking a closer look at not only the food I ate, but the products I used. I took a small step that led to more small steps that led to overall lifestyle change.

For 2014, I set two small goals. I can say for certain I'm happy with the results of the first. As for the second...well, sorry to people with birthdays after March who didn't get birthday cards from me. I do care, I promise!


I hadn't thought much on goals for 2015. I always want to build on what has been achieved but didn't have anything specific in mind for how to further my "green living" efforts. Inspiration was recently delivered in my facebook feed when I saw an article about Lauren over at Trash is for Tossers. Wow. This chick is light years ahead of me and puts me to shame in terms of being friendly to the environment.

Long story short, I have a new blog to add to my list of favorites and a new (ish) re•solve for 2015. I think about ingredients in my food and in my products for sure, but TifT has forced me to also take a look at where those products go when they're done. Sure I recycle what I can and void littering, but what more can I do to scale back on the constant outgoing trash? Where does that toxic plastic item go when I'm finished with it?

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It's time to take a closer look and declare 2015 as the year of less waste.

Leaving a wonderful temp job for another wonderful opportunity

Weekend getaway in PA

9 years together, 4 years of marriage

Our first house!

Anise! And Sean - but he blesses me every year

What was your favorite 2014 memory? What are you looking forward to in 2015?

Like many people this year, I realized that I needed a deeper clean when caring for my skin.

All the buzz seemed to be about sonic cleaners. But dang, they're crazy expensive. On top of that, there's replacement heads to buy, the abrasiveness (especially for those with sensitive skin), and the concerns about spreading bacteria. No thanks.

So, formost of the year, I was cheap and relied on a Silicone Facial Cleansing Pad plus a scrub for extra exfoliation once or twice a week. Definitely an improvement from regular cleaning but I still had some issues.

Then, suddenly,  the Konjac Sponge started popping up all over my online feeds. What the heck? What is this thing? I seriously thought it was an oversized foundation sponge and ignored the posts until one day I came across a review from a blogger I knew and realized what they were all about:

It can't be BOGO since I love to give out sponsorships for free!

December's Sponsors

So, enjoy this WOGO (win one, get one) special:

in January: Your button is on my sidebar and you have access to the sponsors only group Pinterest board to promote your posts like crazy. Since I'm in need of a little post-holidays R&R, the social media promotion won't begin...

...until February: when you get an additional month of sidebar and Pinterest perks plus plenty of the visits, comments, and social media promotion from yours truly that really make blog sponsorship such a beautiful thing.

Heard enough? Enter below.

Want to know more? Take a look at re•solve's stats and what former sponsors have had to say about their experiences here.

From my family to yours! We sincerely wish a blessed day to all.

I've mentioned before that I have a sensitivity to synthetic fragrance. It's sad, really. I want to have nice smelling bath and body products and home fragrance products....but I have to be uber cautious. My teenage self adored Bath and Body Works and Yankee Candle; the mention of those names today is enough to begin the headache the store would now inevitably give me.

But, it's Christmas and it's definitely the time to make home a little extra cozier and welcoming with some fragrance. I just have to use caution when finding products, As far as candles go, soy wax is an absolute must. It's amazing the difference when burning - no nasty smoke to further soot the air.



Thankfully, just in time for the holidays, Red Brick Candle released their first collection, "loft," inspired by, well, luxury loft living. The collection includes three hand-crafted scents made with soy-based wax and essential and/or natural fragrance oils. Loft No. 2 (I love the understated names and packaging, it's refreshing!) jumped right out at me. Cinnamon? cloves? yes please.

Allow me to start with the obvious: the packaging is classy and perfect for gifting! I love wrapping everything, but really, with a box like this, slap a bow on and you're done (really, with Amazon Prime, it's a great last minute gift)! But then, you open the box, and it gets better:


I mean, these guys have thought of everything. Any little thing to exceed expectations is always a plus in my book. In this case, my expectations were a candle in a box. But then they make sure you're good to go with some matches so you can enjoy the fragrance right away and a coupon for your next candle (which is perfect as they have announced that additional collections are on the way including "manor" and "bungalow.")!

Oh, and if you do your homework, it gets better: I'm all about giving back, and it turns out that ten percent of all Red Brick Candle proceeds directly benefit urban revitalization and community development initiatives in their local communities. As a new city dweller myself, this is a huge win!

I know, I know....onto the important stuff - how does it smell?

Delicious! It wasn't the traditional spicy scent I'd expected, but very cinnamon-y and festive. Sean actually said it smelled like a fireball (whether that be candy or booze, I'll let you decide). Anyway, the fragrance is yummy and there's lots of it.


I loved the presentation of this candle. I love the ingredients used and the good being done by Red Brick Candle. Unfortunately, I am still sensitive and while the scent itself is not at all a problem for me, the strength of it is. I'm looking forward to their future collections and hoping for a scent that fits our home perfectly.

In the meantime...my loss is your gain! One fortunate reader will have a home that continues to smell festive: just enter below!

Red Brick Loft Candle

Blog swaps never get old to me - it's so fun to pick out gifts for others and to get unexpected goodies in the mail.

I was a part of three different swaps this season and thought I'd share them all here. Thanks ladies!

The first swap was for a bloggers networking group on facebook. I was thrilled that my partner, Kirsty, is a vegan! She was also my first international partner as she's in Australia. I loved the handmade ornament and custom bookmark (see the blog name?) she sent me!


I also participated in two book swaps ...and I have plenty of reading to do now!

From Kathy via the Blogger Book Swap hosted by Writing in Red Lipstick. Thanks!

from the Secret Santa Book Swap, thanks! (partner didn't leave any blog info for me to link to)

"OK," I told him.



I can't tell you when this interaction took place or where it took place...because it's happened more times than I care to admit within the past several months. Sean's prescription sunglasses have been broken for longer than I can now remember. We both know he needs a new pair. But, between the lack of time (new job, new house, his coaching season) and the irritation of how much they cost when all is said and done....his sunglasses kept getting put off by both of us.

I'd seen mentions here and there of online discount glasses retailers and made a mental note to check in on them. I failed at that, too. Until a bloggy friend of mine tried out Firmoo and introduced us. There was no way I could say no!

What is Firmoo? An online retailer for eyewear (including prescription) that is much more affordable than most stores and pretty easy as well. Pick your frames, enter your prescription, choose any customizations, and boom! Affordable glasses that didn't involve a trip to the optometrist (unless your prescription is outdated. Then I seriously recommend an eye exam!)

You can even upload your photo to "try on" all the frames!

Sean has a few mandatory requirements for his prescription sunglasses (like polarization) that he will never budge on. These were all available with Firmoo and when all was said and done, the completed glasses we made retailed at less than $100!. That's a lot of savings compared to past pairs he's purchased at the optometrist! (full disclosure - we received the frames from Firmoo in exchange for our thoughts and paid only for custom options)


Sean's been wearing these for a bit over a month now, and he says he still likes them a lot - he can see clearly through the lenses and feels the polarization is effective. The only huge difference from his last pair (besides that these are still intact and the others aren't) is the larger temples which make peripheral vision a little different - something to consider when looking at frames! They also came with some essentials - hard and soft cases, a cleaning cloth, and mini repair kit.



Overall, this was an easy experience. Sean e-mailed me his choice, I called his eye doctor, and we had frames ordered within a day with both of us working in our respective offices. The only downside was the long shipping (almost two weeks, they shipped from China). If the glasses aren't urgent, this isn't a huge deal, but be aware. The bottom line? Firmoo is a great fit for our busy schedule, they're budget-friendly, and the product quality has been great thus far. We'd definitely use them again.

Oh....and if you need glasses? Check them out: they offer the first pair free to new customers. Yes, free! go!

This year, since we have Anise, we decided to send out photo Christmas cards for the first time.


Naturally, she stole the show. We should have just made this the photo, but we opted to do a family shot which I'll be sharing  next week. In the meantime, enjoy some other fun shots:



It was such a fun experience. Our normal photographer wasn't available so we ended up giving a complete stranger from Groupon a try. We also wanted to try a new location and found this neat farm with Christmas trees and a petting zoo (hence that adorable bunny - and don't worry, Anise was in the car by then!)

What also excited me was that just a few days before the photo shoot, I got a vegan lipstick in the mail to try from Axiology Beauty. You all know how much I love my natural products! Lipstick has always been the hardest cosmetic for me to find.  I often feel like I have to choose between the right texture or the right color.

Also, the case clicks open and shut. No more lost lids!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised when I put this on. It feels smooth, smells nice, and has a natural looking color ("the goodness") that doesn't wash me out (being fair skinned, my lips are also rather light so I want something that gives subtle color and doesn't scream "hey! lipstick here!")

I'm definitely happy with how the lipstick looked in the photos. For comparison, I thought I'd throw in an anniversary photo we took earlier this year. I'm also wearing lipstick but you sure can't tell. Hello, pale!


So, win-win. Yay for new pictures and places and lipstick! Be sure to check out Axiology's other pretty colors!

Remember the peanut butter kiss cookies? You know, the holiday peanut butter cookies with Hershey's Kisses plopped right in the middle? Of course you do.  I bet you've even had one (or more, I don't judge!) this year. Maybe you've even eaten one while thinking "You know what this needs? More chocolate!" 

No worries friend, I've got your back. I've pondered before what this classic favorite would be like if the chocolate:peanut butter ratio were flipped, and with the help of Nestlé Toll House Rolled and Ready Cookie Dough, I was able to very quickly give the idea a try. (Spoiler alert: the results are delicious!)









Enjoy...especially while the candy is still melted. Yum!
Seriously, This didn't take me more than 15 minutes. I boxed them up to bring to the office and was quickly greeted with this message:

"Oh my goodness, what have you done? Those cookies are to die for... Thank you!"


So, save yourself some time and be a hero in your office with the help of  Nestle Toll House Rolled and Ready Cookie dough. They also come in sugar and gingerbread flavors...and they are ready for you to make and decorate cutouts if you want to be a little more traditional!