PopSugar Must Have: November 2015

Getting back on track by reviewing my November PopSugar Must Have box while it's still actually November! My cat was really loving the PopSugar box this month so I've included some of her best moments with the box as well :)

---

The PopSugar Must Have box is a monthly subscription ($40/month or less if you make a 3, 6, or year long commitment)  that sends subscribers full-size and sample versions of the season's must-have beauty, fashion, home, and fitness products.

I love that the PopSugar box includes this little card with descriptions of all the products. Having these descriptionsmakes me even more excited to try all of the products because there are suggestions on how to use each one of them. Plus, being the nerd that I am, I love to go back through my past subscription cards to see all the goodies I've gotten over the years.

Deepan Gurnani: Katie Crystal Headband - Retail $56

This little headband is really the star of this month's PopSugar box! It's so sparkly and really stood out as soon as I opened the box! The headband is really comfortable and looks beautiful - I'm excited to wear it to some upcoming holiday events as it's perfect for the holiday season! 

Gramr Gratitude Co: Exclusive Thanksgiving Postcard Pack - Retail $10

These postcards are absolutely beautiful and I am so excited to send them to the people I am thankful for this year. While I do think it's appropriate to have them be Thanksgiving themed since they are in the November PopSugar box - I'm not usually one to send postcards out on Thanksgiving - maybe on Christmas, but Thanksgiving just seems like a weird time to be sending postcards. Regardless, I'm excited to have these to send! 

Terrapin Ridge Farms: Pecan Honey Mustad - Retail $6

I love mustard because I'm a huge sandwich girl and toppings like mustard really pull together all the flavors nicely. This mustard is no different- it's delicious and I love that there's a little twist of pecan in it as well! My only complaint? The top of this mustard jar screws on so tightly that I can't get it off on my own. Time to get working on those push-ups :(

West Emory: Bingo Set - Retail $20

This bingo set is absolutely gorgeous - I love the simplicity of the design and how classy all of the pieces are. I've had it sitting on my living room coffee table ever since I received it from PopSugar and it actually makes for a nice little decorative piece as well. I'm not too big of a bingo fan so I don't think I'll be keeping it but it'll be perfect for re-gifting this Christmas!

Tarte Cosmetics: Beauty & the Box Eye Shadow - Retail $22

These eye shadow shades are absolutely beautiful and so perfect for fall! Since I have a monolid (this means I don't have a crease above my eye), it is more difficult to wear eye shadow so I usually don't buy it on my own, but this little set inspired me to try a few looks! The shades are beautiful but since they're probably not going to get much use in my makeup collection, I'm planning on re-gifting this set. 

Capri Blue: Mercury Jewel Box in Rain - Retail $18.95

I think this candle from Capri Blue has officially gotten me hooked and candle-obsessed. I've had tons of friends telling me for years about how amazing candles are and how they really "just warm up a room". I'm finally a believer thanks to this little box! The candle smells amazing and I love that the little box has decorative holes all around the sides that allow the candlelight to shine through. I've been lighting the candle in the mornings while I'm practicing yoga and I love the ambience it gives the whole room. 

Inkdot Gift Card - Retail $20

I am definitely planning on using this gift card for the upcoming holiday season! I love giving personalized things for Christmas - mugs, notebooks, mouse pads - you name it and I've probably given it to someone for Christmas with their family's face on it. I love being able to personalize items but it looks like Inkdot's main focus is prints and you can only create a couple ofdifferent personalized items (phone cases, coasters, throw pillows). Regardless, I am still excited to use this gift card to create maybe a nice phone case or pillow for my family!

Additional Coupons

PopSugar also included two additional coupons from Capri Blue and Gramr for future purchases. 

---

This is my second PopSugar box and I have to say - I think I liked the October box just a little bit better since I'll be re-gifting a lot of the things I received in this month's box. Overall, however, the value of this box is still through the roof and I love that it will be saving me some money during the holiday gifting season!

What did you think of this month's PopSugar box? Have any suggestions for other boxes I should subscribe to? I'm always up for suggestions and would love to try more!

5 Thanksgiving Survival Tips

Sometimes the holidays can be an incredibly stressful time - from traveling long hours to dealing with difficult family members - so I thought I would share some Thanksgiving survival tips that I've picked up over the years!

---

1. Audiobooks/Overdrive books

Thanksgiving = traveling = boredom.  Whether you're traveling via plane or car, traveling is exhausting and usually entails hours spent trapped in a seat. As someone who travels by car during the holidays, I use audiobooks (sometimes I forget and still call them books-on-tape- #nerdalert #grandmastatus) to survive the long hours spent driving. Through my library back home, I checkout free digital audiobooks through an app called Overdrive - it is literally the best app discovery I've ever made! I find that listening to audiobooks keeps me more awake while driving and makes the hours go by more quickly. This Thanksgiving, I'll be listening to Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella - 5/5 stars for the Shopaholic series if you want a good laugh and love British accents

2. Pack Simply

I have a tendency to overpack - especially when it comes to visiting home during the holidays. I think I'm going to need so much stuff when in reality, I spend most of my holiday weekends in pajamas since my family really doesn't care what I'm wearing. To try to simplify things, I go as minimalist as possible and select pieces that really can't go wrong. This year, I'm packing combos of sweaters/scarves/leggings (my favorite leggings are these crazy warm ones I impulsively bought off Amazon last year) because this is a tried and true combination for me that is not only comfy but also sufficiently cozy looking for the holiday season! If your tried and true style combination is jeans and a sweatshirt or dresses with tights - whatever it may be - it's always handy to have outfits with you that you know are flattering and don't require any extra planning on your part. This helps me stress less and focus more on the important things :) 

3. Group App Games

I'm that annoying family member that tries to rally my entire family into playing a board game with me instead of having us all stare at our phones! An easy way I've found to get my family engaged quickly is to play group games on my phone - my favorite is Ellen DeGeneres' Heads Up. It's simple and a hoot when people get really into the game. With some of my girl cousins, I'll also pull out phone games like truth or dare - not only does it bring back some hilarious memories from when we used to play it back in our teen years, it's also a fantastic way to start up some really thought-provoking discussions.

4. Knitting

This one might sound a little bit weird - but let me explain myself. You know how everyone has that one boring aunt/cousin/grandmother who you love with all of your heart but just can't manage to have an engaging conversation with? As much as you truly want to care about your grandma's flourishing tomato garden, it just isn't the most entertaining thing in the world. That's where knitting comes in. I always feel horrible about being on my phone if I'm having a conversation because I want to make eye contact with the person and show them that I'm listening, so knitting has become my alternate strategy. It's perfect because it provides just enough entertainment and satisfaction that it allows me to continue any boring conversation. It's also great because even if you're knitting, most people are aware and know that you are able to listen to them despite being simultaneously engaged in the process of making a scarf. Plus, it's the perfect hobby for the fall season so it's a win-win all around for my Thanksgiving weekend :) 

5. Let It Go

*Cue Elsa* Normally I'm a bit fitness-tracker obsessed. It's not even because I exercise that much - I just have a compulsive habit of tracking my attempts at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to the holidays though, I just let. it. all. go! Life is way too short to be worrying about how many pounds you're going to gain from eating that turkey or how much exercise you're going to have to put in to work off those buttery mashed potatoes. What other time during the year is it perfectly socially acceptable (in fact, encouraged) to eat 3 times your weight in delicious foods?! Answer: Never. 

Do you use any of these survival strategies for the holidays? I would love to hear from you! Wishing everyone safe and happy travels this Thanksgiving :) 

PopSugar Must Have: October 2015

---

I know this is a little late given that it's already halfway through November - but I wanted to share my first experience with the PopSugar Must Have box! I'm new to the PopSugar Must Have box but I've been a long time subscriber to other beauty boxes like Ipsy and Birchbox. I have wanted the PopSugar box forever but as a poor college student, I couldn't justify the cost! Now, as a "grown-up" with a "real job" I've finally subscribed and naturally, bounced off the walls like a kid on Christmas when my box arrived :) 

The PopSugar Must Have box is a monthly subscription ($40/month or less if you make a 3, 6, or year long commitment) that sends subscribers full-size versions of the season's must-have beauty, fashion, home, and fitness products.

I love that the PopSugar box includes this little card with descriptions of all the producs. Having these descriptions makes me even more excited to try all of the products because there are suggestions on how to use each one of them. Plus, being the nerd that I am, I love being able to go back through my past subscription cards to see all the goodies I've gotten over the years.

Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling - Retail: $25

This was, by far, my favorite part of this PopSugar box! As a nerd at heart, I love reading when I finally have the time and nothing in the world beats getting a new book (especially a hardcover one!). I loved Mindy Kaling's last book and would highly recommend it for anyone who has not read it yet. Her humor is light-hearted, relatable and makes for the perfect before-bed chill pill.

Savvy Sleepers: Luxury Satin Pillowcase - Retail: $36

This is one of those products I never knew I wanted until I got one. While I consider myself a little bit of a princess because I have a set beauty routine and a strong distaste for camping, I also consider myself to be a very cost-effective, realistic shopper so "satin pillowcase" was never something I planned to own.  But - wow - who knew they were so soft. I may have excessively rubbed my face on this pillowcase multiple times before going to bed. Somehow, the material just makes bedtime feel so much more luxurious and makes "pre-bedtime" more glamorous.

Easy, Tiger: Brown Paper Liquor Bag Set - Retail: $8

Maybe I'm just not mature enough for this one yet, but unfortunately, I don't go to enough fancy holiday parties to utilize a set of liquor bags. On a normal day, I probably would not be spending $8 on three paper bags, but that's just a personal choice. Regardless, the bags are cute and I'll do my best to find some use for them around the kitchen or during gift season!

Richer Poorer: Hope Slipper Socks - Retail: $15

I love that these socks have little grippies on the bottoms! I am a total clutz 99% of the time so fuzzy socks usually have me slipping all over the place. These socks were perfect! Plus, I always love a product that aims to support a good cause - these socks support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It's a 10: Miracle Leave-In Product - Sample Size

I was excited to try this It's a 10 product because I usually use the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil products on my curls and I always see the It's a 10 brand products in the same Target aisle. To be honest, however, after testing this anti-frizz product out several times, I really didn't notice too much of a difference between the frizz level with or without the use of this product. This might be because my hair isn't too frizzy in the first place, but for me, this won't be a product that I'll be buying later on since I already have a similar product that does the trick for me.

The Honest Company: Sea Salt + Sugar Body Scrub - Retail: $17

After hearing a lot about The Honest Company and all of their products, this was the item I was most excited to try! As other instagrammers and bloggers have said, this body scrub does leave a sticky residue all over if you are not careful. To combat this, I use the body scrub as soon as I get in the shower and use body wash afterwards. The product smells fantastic and I love that it is free of things like parabens, dyes etc. I will definitely be perusing The Honest Company's website for future beauty products!

Belgian Boys: De Stroopwafel - Retail: $1.59

These waffles were really too sweet for my taste. If you love caramel that sticks to your gums, these are the waffles for you - they were more like cookies than waffles! I would highly suggest having them with black coffee instead of the sugar-creamer-filled coffee I attempted to eat them with!

Daniel Stevens: Monogram Gift Card - Retail: $40

When I first got this little card, I was really excited about being able to use it on something personalized as a Christmas gift to one of my friends since I am not a huge fan of monogrammed pieces. After I explored the website, however, I was a little disappointed - there wasn't much of a selection of personalized items that were realistically affordable. Even with the $40 card taken off, most of the items were still much more than I had expected them to be. The pieces are cute but due to my budget, this card might be tossed. 

Additional Coupons - PopSugar also included two coupons from The Honest Company and Savvy Sleepers for future purchases. 

Even though it's my first PopSugar box, I am already in love! PopSugar proved to be exactly the type of subscription box I've been looking for and it really covers all of my life hobbies and interests. How did you feel about your PopSugar box? Got any suggestions for other subscription boxes I should be subscribed to? I'd love to hear from you!