Goodbye January 2016, Hello February 2016!

"You say goodbye, I say hello..." 

The Beatles - "Hello, Goodbye"

Before I could really grab a hold of the new year...January you're leaving us and onto February!! I thought January was going to drag on and on but no...it was a quick blink here and there. However I did manage to accomplish some things which I am very happy I did! I'm getting used to wearing glasses, I got to see a few movies I've been wanting to, FINALLY designed my wedding album, and actually successfully saved a lil money this month! It's a solid jumping off point and I'm excited to see where February will lead me!

Friday Favorites: My Garage Band King - Husband V-Day Gift Guide

 1. 11-Piece Boxed Bar Set - Crate & Barrel

2. Don't Go Bacon My Heart Print - Etsy

3. "No Wedgie" Guarantee Tommy John Underwear - Tommy John

4. The Art of Shaving Starter Kit Unscented - The Art of Shaving

5. Mo's Dark Bar w/ Bacon - Vosges Chocolate

Happy Friday Everyone! Last Friday I geared up some heart shaped items for myself and some lady friends, so this Friday it's time to talk about the husbands & male significant others!  Craig and I don't usually do much for Valentine's Day but this is our first Valentine's Day as a married couple so it needs to be a little special! 

Life Lately by Melanie a.k.a. Toots

I'm trying to bring the cat eye sunglasses back!! =)

Have you ever had a migraine headache that just wouldn't subside for days? Well I'm enduring my 4th day. I never got migraines when I was younger. I just turned 30 in August of last year and a little bit before my birthday it began. Each month for about a week a migraine rolls in. I have light sensitivity, a constant throb in my temple, and I'm nauseous. I thought perhaps it was due to my diet attempts and was eliminating too many crucial items and then I thought maybe it was a soda addiction. I'm still not ruling out soda/sugar addiction but this is something I might have to go see a doctor about this because damn...nothing is working. 

Blog: Five Ways I Find New Blogs to Follow!!

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All together I've been blogging for about 6 years now. Yikes! I've found and lost a lot of wonderful blogs throughout the years. When I started I feel like it wasn't as easy to find new blogs because social media wasn't as mainstream...no one I knew had Instagram yet...and twitter wasn't taken as seriously as it is now. Bloglovin existed but it was still hard to stumble upon a new favorite unless you scowered the comments of a popular blogger &/or a popular blogger mentioned you. But times are definitely different now and there are a lot of opportunities at our fingertips!

Married Life: Happy Birthday to my Husband Craig & How We Met

Toots + Dill thru the years...

As I watch you play with the lil toy helicopter our "kitties" bought you *wink wink* (me) for your birthday...I'll never forget the day we met...And how a week later when I saw you again I fell in love with you. 

#Blizzard 2016 - A Lil of This & That...

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Here
2. The Visit 
3. Garnier SkinActive Miscellar Cleansing Water
4. Rancid Concert - March 17th - Ft Lauderdale, FL

 Sometimes the weather man is right! Southern NY got socked with at least a foot of snow. I think my dad told me there was 14 inches of snow that fell in Pearl River, NY. Yes my father is one of those crazy people who goes out with a yard stick to test the inches. lol. But I love him. =) Overall, the snow day was just what I needed. I delightfully got to do some things I'd been putting off for far too long. 

Simple Math for Simple Changes Week #3 Progress

Created by yours truly using Canva - Free Design Template site

Happy Snow Day!!! I have to admit the snow is pretty when I'm safe & warm and

don't have to drive in it! While the snow is piling up outside I'm happily reflecting how well I'm doing with my lil Lunch Money Budget Project. It's not easy and yes I've had some freak out moments at 11am when I still have not decided what I'm going to have for lunch. But for three weeks now I have successfully kept within budget and have some extra cash now to add to my savings jar.

Friday Favorites: All You Need is Love...

CucinaPro Heart Shaped Waffle Maker - Crate & Barrel

Liam the Lion Knitted Stuffed Animal - Hallmark

Elegant Heart Cakelet Pan - Williams-Sonoma

St Jude Heart Pad Print Bowls - West Elm

Finally it's Friday!!!!!! This week was so long yet it raced by crazy fast. I need this weekend like no other to relax and dream about heart shaped items. lol. This is one of my favorite times because I love when all the heart shaped things come out of the wood work for Valentine's Day. Especially the days after Valentine's day where heart things are on sale like they just went out of style! 

Life Lesson: Five Things I've Learned Never to Ignore in My Life...

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There are Five Things I've Learned Never to Ignore in My Life...

1. Suspicious Lumps in my Breast
2.  Credit Card Bill Deadlines 
3.  Six Month Dentist Cleanings
4.  Smoke Alarms & Co2 Detectors
5.  Car Maintenance Lights 

Each one can equally be a bitch in their own right... I've overcome #1 - Here, I monitor #2 very closely, #3 is easy for me, #4 makes me mad every time I cook anything, but #5 can be the biggest bitch of all. 

Randomness: What's Hap "Pinning" Wednesday!

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Happy Wednesday! Well here's hoping it's a happy Wednesday...I have to go to the car place this morning because a little light turned on in my car - this can't be good. Work is crazy this week and there just isn't strong enough coffee to keep my focus up. So today I thought I would join Jenn & Jessi for the fun that is "What's Hap "Pinning" Wednesday to lighten the airs a bit! 

Married Life: Building New Traditions!

One of my favorite wedding pics + part of our Cake Topper

It's incredible for me to say that I've almost been married a year. In four more short months I can say I've known my husband for six years. And in 2 more weeks I can say we've lived together in my tiny studio apartment for 3 years. Wow the time flies...literally. In all of the days, months, and years I've been noticing, outside of the holidays, Craig and I have fallen into some traditions between us that always bring a smile to my face and warmth to my heart! 

Randomness: A Mini Wishlist + Lazy Weekend

• Simple Matters - Book by Blogger: Erin Boyle - Here
• Lush Love Lettuce Face Mask - Here
• Brookstone Cat Ear Earphones - Here
• Torrid Bardot Off-The-The Shoulder Top - Here
• Kate Spade Lily Avenue Carrigan Tote Purse - Here 

I'm seriously crushing hard on the items above!! I will probably break down and at least buy the black top! I've been eyeing it for months! =) I will definitely be purchasing Erin Boyle's book too. I've followed her blog for years and it's always a delight to visit and catch up. The cat ear earphones are soo cute!! I'm going to keep my eye out for a major sale.

Simple Math For Simple Changes - Progress Week #2

Happy Saturday!! I'm so excited to share with you my progress from week #2! It's hard to explain how shocked I am that I'm sticking to this budget as strict as I am. I'll admit it...I'm one of those people who goes hard and fast at something for a brief period of time and then slowly drops it off course. The follow through and keeping up has never been my strong suit. But I'm two weeks in and I've been able to keep to my budget and see real saving results! 

Friday Favorites: Essentials + Lady in Waiting...

My Daily Essentials:

• Crate & Barrel Mr. & Mrs Ring Dish - Here

• Alex & Ani M bracelet for positivity  - Here

•  Eos Lip Balm Sphere Coconut Milk

• Dove Soap

• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

• Betsy Johnson Bow Earrings - Here

• ***Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (1 Towelette does the trick!)

•  Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner Black Noir

• Udderly Smooth Hand Cream

~ The other items can be bought at Ulta, Sephora, & your local drugstores/Super markets ~ 

About Me: Embracing Maturity...

The Chalfins - Day #1 - March 27, 2015

Today I got to do something I've been putting off for way too long. Craig and I got married on March 27, 2015 and finally I got around to changing my name on my Social Security card. It doesn't seem like a big deal in hindsight, but today marked a special day for me and I'm feel so happy, grown-up, and proud that I did it. 

"We Could Steal Time Just For One Day"

There is another part of this lil blog besides what I've shown you so far that needs to come to the table more often. Dill aka Craig aka my husband. He plays the bass, the guitar, and a mean harmonica. One of the artists responsible for his love, passion, drive, and commitment was David Bowie. Countless times Craig chooses one of Bowie's songs over all the rest to play in the car, he hums/whistles his songs more than he can count, and Bowie was a true inspiration for him. Yesterday the world lost a great artist and he will be deeply missed.

Simple Math for Simple Changes - Progress #1

Happy Sunday! Today is one of those rainy Sundays perfect for brunch and a movie matinee. Also some much needed self evaluation and bookkeeping. 

Before the holidays I made a promise to myself to start saving money and to pay attention to my spending. Read Post Here - Simple Math for Simple Changes. In my blog post, I decided to target my lunch spending as a good area to improve and limit. It's so easy to spend over $10 a day on lunch and if I want to achieve any of my hopefuls this year - I'm going to need the extra money to do it.

Friday Favorites: 10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week!

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This week was a very successful week back from the long holiday! I felt very self-aware of the choices I made and it's a good, motivating feeling. I got to re-connect with some friends I didn't get to see over the holidays, spent some quality time with my husband, and dreamed of spring flowers. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend of decluttering, reading and hobbies. Ooo and maybe a sushi date. =) 

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Lessons Learned 2015

2015 as I've mentioned will forever be a year that changed my life on many different levels. Some good, bad, and ugly lessons were tacked on with free admission & no heads up. It's all made me a little wiser on the home front and I am ever so grateful.

Randomness: Fun Little Things!

Coat: Old Navy (Similar) - Scarf: Dress Barn - Hat: Amazon - Glasses: Visionworks

"It's too cold outside for angels to fly..." 

 A Team ~ Ed Sheeran

Winter has finally decided to rear it's pretty head around Southern New York! Thankfully, no snow just yet! We've pulled out the heavy blankets, cranked the heat up, and tried hard to get our kitties to sleep with us under the covers with us so they'd be warm too! I'm really missing the 60's & 70's temps we've been having, especially Christmas day where you barely needed a coat! Deep down I know it's supposed to be this cold and it's a good thing I guess for winter to be showing up! 

Now that the big resolutions, hopefuls, and goals are set for the new aspiring year I thought I would share some of the little fun things I was grateful to receive this Christmas season!  

Married Life: Lessons in Patience for Wonderful Hopefuls

My Favorite Picture of Craig & Me -

If 2015's word of the year was Blur...One of 2016's words will have be Patience, which is something I've struggled with my whole life. 2016 will be a year of dramatic change for Craig & I and I'm hoping we will have patience to do it together as a strong married couple. 

Goodbye 2015 & Hello 2016!!

Happy New Year! from Melanie & Craig - Toots & Dill

~ Goodbye, 2015 ~ 

If I had to pick one word to describe 2015 it would be blurry. Three days into the new year I'm still taken aback that 2015 even happened. I walked down the aisle and became a wife to my best friend. I went to a country I had never been before. I built memories with new friends at a beach house I can't wait to go to again next year. I held my best friend's newborn baby and felt that maternal urge flourish. I discovered true friendship can endure time & distance. It was one hell of year but definitely a blur.