Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

While enjoying the fact that I can do absolutely nothing on my days off of work, I also look forward to sitting on my couch with my warm fuzzy blanket, lit candles and a good movie. All this wouldn't be picture perfect, however, without a nice cup of coffee in hand. Now let's face it, it's fall so to make it better it's Pumpkin Spice! Now I realize this makes me a so called "Basic" girl, but I mean come on. If you can honestly tell me that you wouldn't enjoy doing any of these things in any combination I'd be surprised. I would also completely reconsider our friendship.....that may be a bit dramatic.....but I'm okay with that.

So today I enjoyed my ritual and I thought I would share my "recipe" for my Pumpkin Spice coffee (which honestly is probably what the majority of you guys do). So be prepared to be un-amazed at my mad coffee making skills!

Starbucks House blend Keurig Cups

Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Whipped Topping

Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg

There you go! Like I said nothing special. I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin or peppermint. I do have a question for all of you though.....What coffee brand do you use? If you do use Starbucks, what blend of coffee do you prefer. I bought this to try it and I like it, but I'm open to more!

xoxoKira

Cruelty Free

So for every 20 something year old there's going to be changes happening. Whether they are planned for you, by you or unexpectedly, changes occur 24/7. So with the obvious stated for you, here's the not so obvious. I decided to make a lifestyle change about two months ago. I've always had a soft spot for animals. And for some time now I've been donating money to the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). It's not an outrageous amount by any means, but it's something to help each month. Through social media, however, it was brought to my attention more and more of the on-going issue of animal testing and animal cruelty. I felt the need to do more, I had to do more!

This is where http://www.gocrueltyfree.org came into play. This site helped me realize what I could do to help end this outrageous problem, by simply replacing the products I use daily with those that are cruelty free (not used on animals). I was shocked to find out that so many products that I used were not animal friendly. But this website gave me options to use in place of those. It made it easier to make the transition. I by no means am at 100%, I am still a work in progress with this lifestyle change. I also don't claim to be perfect, so if you have any information that will help me or educate me more in this process I am more then willing to take that in.

So with all that said, I wanted to share some of the swaps I made in order to work toward a Cruelty Free lifestyle. Now I won't post the products I used to use, but I can verify why I chose the new ones!  I tried to choose products that were in my price range. I've also shared the links so you can see you pricing for yourself.

TOOTHPASTE: TOM'S OF MAINE

At an average price of $5 depending on where you purchase from, Tom's of Maine was an easy switch from my previous toothpaste. The cruelty free bunny of the back of the product immediately let's you know there was no animal testing with this product. A company pays to have that symbol on the product. From what I learned though, there may be a company that is cruelty free that does not have the symbol, but you'll need to do research on that. But I look at it this way, why wouldn't a company want it's consumer's to know it's cruelty free? Just a thought.

COSMETICS: NYX COSMETICS

This brand was a lifesaver because usually Cruelty Free makeup can be a bit on the expensive side. This brand comes at a reasonable price and delivers the bunny! I use a Matte and loose powder as my foundation, but they have other options as well. Other options for cruelty free cosmetics are (but not limited to) e.l.f cosmetics, Tarte, Bareminerals and Stila cosmetics.

BODY CARE: LUSH 

One of my favorite places to go because the staff is always so helpful. They will also let you take samples of items if you aren't sure. Not only are the cruelty free, but they are also a very GREEN company! I've used their face cleansers and masks and can attest to them working. My skin feels amazing afterwards! You are able to pick the amount you want and that depends on your price. It may get a little more pricey at times, but it's worth it and depends on what you get.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST!

BURT'S BEES

For a definite honorable mention I wanted to include Burt's Bees. They sell several different products that you can easily incorporate into your life. I use several of their items (below) and still want to try more! 

So it's safe to say there are a lot of options out there for you to make the switch to CRUELTY FREE products. Doing your own research will definitely help to grasp a better understanding of what it means to be CRUELTY FREE as well as what options are better for your lifestyle. It's taking the time to make the change that seems to be the hardest part for most people. Once you do though, you will feel like you are making a difference and will want to share how easy it was (case and point myself!).

I do not claim that these are my pictures. Found with the help of GOOGLE. 

:)

xoxoKira

Pinterest again!

Just a little view of my PINTEREST account!! I'm a pinning fool!

Love this color scheme!

I am in love with chevron print! And the colors with it our amazing!

My wedding ring one day! (A girl can dream!)

"Me and Mr.Darcy"

My day off of work this past Wednesday was spent reading the book I mentioned in my previous blog "Me and Mr. Darcy" by Alexandra Potter. Although there were a few instances where I could predict what was coming, I all in all enjoyed reading this book. The ending was actually something I didn't expect, but I'm not the most avid book reader so you may predict the ending from the beginning. The main character Emily Albright is very much relatable to myself. The language used is also modern as could be. Even though the date for this book is in 2006, I still found it relatable and was surprised that it incorporated fashion (a Fashion Marketing and Management Graduate can appreciate that). 

In "Pride and Prejudice" I found it hard to think Mr. Darcy was this perfect man that all women want. As the main character explains her love for Mr. Darcy I soon began to see why he could be so perfect, but by the end was satisfied to see he had his flaws and I was glad to see that I hadn't missed something about him in the first place. (Hopefully this made since). The next book on the list is "Since and Sensibility" by Jane Austen again! I'm not sure when I will get to reading that and when I will finish, but for now I set aside the book reviews. Who knows what the next will be about?!

Check it out! Tell me what you think!

<3kira div="">

Back to Basics: Book Review

So it's been a while since my last blog (over a year in fact). Considering it's almost March, It's a little too late to say I'm starting the new year off by religiously blogging my butt off. So all I can say is "Hello welcome to my blog! You'll find many random things that may or may not interest you, but I can assure you that I am 100% passionate about what goes on here. Hopefully that helps and captures your interest. You'll at least get to know a little more about me!"

(While listening to Pandora I type this)
Today I spend my day with recent book purchases. I finally finished the classic "Pride and Prejudice" by the great Jane Austen. I do have to confess that when I started reading this book I had a big question mark on my face. I could barely understand what was going on with the wording of everything. Granted this book was written centuries ago, so totally understandable in that aspect. So I decided to watch the movie with Kiera Knightly as the dear Miss Elizabeth. Afterwords, everything made more since. Although it may have ruined the ending I still enjoyed reading it and felt very accomplished.

So what's next?

Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter!

From what I have read this is a modern take of Mrs. Austen's love story, that mentions the main characters love of Jane Austen books. So I'm very interested and may mention my thoughts of this in a future blog. Who knows? Keep you posted!!!

<3kira p="">

New Year: Food Ventures

So with the start of the New Year I wanted to make some changes. I cut my hair (shorter than normal by my standards), started re-evaluating my wardrobe, and have recently started venturing off into the land of healthier eating. Now I say healthier because it's not that easy to quit old eating habits. So by easing my way into this whole new food pyramid I am finding things that I actually do like. With the help of Pinterest.com I have some photos here of some of the more recent things I have tried out! Hope this gets your food senses tingling!

Lemon Water is starting to become a more well to do thing. Lauren Conrad recently blogged about it on her site. Lemon water has some really good benefits that may surprise you.

1. It helps with weight loss by cutting down cravings. Lemon water is part of an alkaline diet (but should not be the only thing you are consuming).

2. It helps your digestion system and helps to flush out any toxins in your system more efficiently.

3. It also helps to keep you healthier, which comes in handy for the on-the-go college students!

Click Here for more benefits of Lemon Water!

Pita Pockets help make for a quick and easy meal for on-the-go. There are so many options when it comes to these, which means that you won't easily get tired of it. I just made a pita pocket with:

1. Mozzarella Cheese

2. Cherry Tomatoes

3. Lettuce

4. Yellow and Orange Peppers

5. Dip in ranch/caesar dressing

This little sandwich is amazingly delicious and still touches many of your major food groups. You could also add grilled chicken slices for a meat factor. My next option to try is egg salad. I really am IN LOVE with this pita pocket idea!

Frozen Grapes are definitely my not so guilty, guilty pleasure. By simply putting your rinsed off grapes in the freezer four a few hours or so, you have a delicious cold treat to snack on. It tastes like a grape slushy with each bite! 

So if any of you are looking for some possible changes to make for the New Year, why not try and add some of these delicious food ideas to your shopping list. They are simple, quick and affordable treats that will have you feeling great in no time!

<3Kira

Pinterest me please!

I have recently become addicted to pinterest.com. I've found myself going on to the website to pass time and 3 hours later it's time for bed! This site is great and I definitely recommend joining it. There is everything from women's apparel, art, food & drink to technology, fitness and home decor. There are a million more topics. Still a little confused? Here is a short description:

Pinterest is basically a Virtual Pinboard.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

All you do is go to the website and request an invite and they will get back to within a day. Once you are accepted you can pin away. This site gives you ideas for parties, weddings, meals, and so much more. It is honestly one of those things that you have to see for yourself to get. Pinterest is one of my favorite waste my time sites that doesn't actually waste you time!

Here are a few of my pins from my pinboards!

Wedding Invites!

Frappacino Cupcakes!

Frozen Strawberries!

Nail Ideas!

Fashionable Trends!

 Creative Photography!

Hope this gives you all a taste of what your should no longer be missing out on! ;)

<3 Kira