Sandra

Find the Right Size & Style at Sears

July 1, 2013 by Sandra 2 Comments

Sponsored post by the Niche Mommy Network & Conference. #MoreAtSears

Since I’ve started investing in conferences to grow my online business, I’ve found myself shopping more.

A lot more.

Why? Well, because I want to look professional and feel good about what I’m wearing when I’m meeting new people. I also want to make a good impression with the sponsors that I’m hoping to work with after the conference is over.

As a mom of five kids, I don’t have tons of time to spend shopping in store. Going along with that thought, I’m not exactly a fashionista, either. I’ll be the first to admit that. 😉

When I find something in my size that I can feel good in, I’m excited! And I’m thankful to be able to add a new dress, blazer, shirt, etc… to my slowly growing wardrobe of clothes that I actually like to wear.

But…
One of the most discouraging feelings is finding something you love in the store, only to realize someone else bought the last one in your size.

Thankfully, Sears has expanded its website, and it’s now way larger than the stores. Sears.com carries more sizes and colors than you’d find at your local Sears. And I love that if you need a certain item in just a few days, there’s no worry. You can buy that item online and schedule an in store pickup. Sears guarantees to have your item ready in 5 minutes or less, or you’ll get a $5 in store coupon.

In addition to having more colors and sizes on the website, Sears carries more brands and styles than they do in the store! The Sears website is now offering brands you’d never think you’d find on Sears.com.

New Arrivals
Besides being able to find more sizes, styles, and brands on the Sears site, you can also check out the latest new arrivals at Sears in anything from baby gear to home decor. It’s all right on the website — those and millions of other items are absolutely at your fingertips.

What’s your favorite category to shop for online? Did you know there was an option to shop online at Sears (for a outfit in your size) and pick it up in the store?

Beauty Review: imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails (pretty nails for moms)

July 1, 2013 by Sandra 9 Comments

Thanks to Influenster for the imPRESS Press-On Manicure by Broadway nails. I think this is a fabulous product for moms.

It’s been long time since I’ve worn press-on nails, and I don’t remember having a good experience.

Actually, I was probably a teenager the last time I wore press-ons, so when Influenster sent these nails to me, I wasn’t really excited about trying them.

The BEST Press-On Nails Ever
However, I now have a completely different view of press-ons after trying out the imPress Press-on Manicure by Broadway nails. I honestly can’t say enough good things about these nails. Maybe it’s because as a mom, they’re an easy solution to pretty nails for me. I actually applied the nails while holding Elisabeth, my 18 month old daughter, and it was easy.

Here’s a Before & After picture of my nails:

Here’s what my nails looked like 3 days after I first applied the imPress manicure:

After 3 days, there was some visibly apparent chipping but, overall, not too bad.

Here are 8 Reasons why I Love imPress Press-on nails:

They’re easy to apply and the whole process takes less than 10 minutes. I also like that you don’t need any help with application, even though, my 4 and 6 year old sons were ready to help mommy at any given second. 😉

It’s a cinch to remove them.

They don’t leave your natural nails damaged or gritty after taking them off.

They’re the perfect length.

It’s not burdensome to put my contact lenses in and out when I wear these nails.

It’s painless to type on a keypad/keyboard with imPress nails. This is a must-have feature of any manicure, right?

They come in many different styles and colors.

It may be hard to tell from the pictures in this post, but these nails actually blended in exceptionally well with my natural nails.

When was the last time you wore press-on nails? As a mom, what’s your favorite quick and easy tip to pretty nails.

Weight Loss: Shaklee 180 Video (Month 4 Update)

June 29, 2013 by Sandra 4 Comments

Well, it’s no secret that I gained weight during the month of June.

I talked about that in my lastest weight loss update post. And now I’m ~~torturing myself~~ talking about it again and sharing even more in a video that you can watch below.

P.S. My wonderful husband gave me extra library time this week, so I filmed my video there. I had to film the video a few times to minimize distractions, because people kept perusing the bookshelves in the background. 🙂

This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. I have received free products, online support, and incentives for participating in the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. My opinions are my own. People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180™ Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

Losing the Baby Fat Weight Loss Update: June Results

June 28, 2013 by Sandra 11 Comments

I mentioned in my goals post that I went to the Savvy Blogging Summit last week, so my brain is overloaded with tips and ideas for my business that I want to implement in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

It was a great conference — well organized, chock full of great speakers and sessions, fabulous for networking, just a terrific first-class blog conference all the way around. If you’re serious about turning your blog into a business, go to Savvy. You won’t be disappointed.

My Not-So-Healthy Food Choices
But…if you’re trying to lose weight, it may be hard to do that while attending the Savvy Blogging Summit. 😉

For me, it was impossible. All the meals are included with your conference registration, and I knew that ahead of time. Not only that, but there’s coffee available pretty much all the time — iced or hot, it’s at-the-ready.

And snacks, we can’t forget about those. Aldi sponsored snack breaks, and while they provided fruit, I went for the chocolates and snack-y type foods. I couldn’t resist.

Oh, and I suppose that I should mention the ice cream on the way home. Graeter’s generously provided us with coupons for free pints of ice cream, and because some of my blogging friends don’t have a Graeter’s where they live and were going to flying out the next day…they gave me their coupons and my family of seven ended up with FOUR free pints of ice cream that we enjoyed on our car ride home.

That was probably my biggest downfall.

Weight Gain
Overall, I don’t felt like I overate a whole lot, but I did eat a lot of foods that weren’t necessarily healthy. I made the choice not to bring any of my Shaklee 180 products with me, because I knew that all meals, snacks, and coffee were going to be provided for me. I love that the Savvy conference provides all of that, but next time I’m going to request the vegetarian option ahead of time. 😉

All that to say, I gained 3.5 pounds this month. That’s right. I started the month at 182 lbs., and I stepped on the scale today and weighed 185.5 lbs.

Another Challenging Month Ahead
For most of the month, I was on track to lose weight. However, I shattered all of my progress with our out of town trip to Ohio to attend the conference. And I have another busy month ahead of me. I’ll be attending BlogHer in July in addition to several blog-related events, and there’s going to be food.

My Plan to Lose Weight in July
In order to be able to enjoy the conference and the foods there, I’m going to be posting what I’m eating here on my blog as added accountability. I plan on, of course, being on the Shaklee 180 program (you’ll get a chance to see what that looks like for me), juicing more than usual, and drinking fruit and veggie smoothies whenever my husband makes those for us. 😉

After two months of not losing any weight, I need to work hard at turning things around, if I want to come close to my goal of losing 40 lbs. this year.

I’d love to know how you are doing on your weight loss journey. Are you seeing results? How do you handle the challenge of eating well when you are away from home?

Sandra

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