Gde otm - January

<3

It's the January Glamour Doll Eyes Of the Month!

Theme: Aladdin (a favorite in our house right now, watched about once a week, requested several times).

Cost: $18 USD to make it to the great white north.

What is it really? Each month an exclusive shadow and other goodies such as a guest indie sample ro candy may be included. 125 subscriptions are available (you can join the waitlist in the facebook group), and 15 will be listed on the website at noon, PST, on the 10th of the month. 

Here is the full January kit (minus a candy).

I've been collecting these as long as I've been signed up for the OTM. Be sure to read them to gain insight on what's happening at Glamour Doll Eyes. 

The goods! A mine sample, a full size and two sample baggies plus a full size lipstick! 

These two shadows are cult favorites in the GDE group, so I'm surprised/not surprised to seem them made into remix. One image blurry for sparkle. Tattooed on the left, Undercover on the right.

And the start of the month: Not a Prize and Desert Prince. Oh, my kingdom for a Dessert Prince!

Gosh, so as usual I'll finish with the internal dilemna of the cost increase due to shipping increases and my own personal cost increase due to exchange rates of if I should keep this subscription or not. I have almost the entire collection of GDE, so I don't need eyeshadow... but... it's the OTM. OTM is life, right? 

Hello Waffle Visage Subscription January

Hello Waffle is a Canadian company that offers a monthly subscription package called the Visage. It included a full face look, and is a great way to get familar with Hello Waffle products. The subscription is currently offered by waitlist, and for myself, I'm charge $30 USD. Price varies by location as shipping from Eastern Canada (as Western or Atlantic Canada) is costly. But worth it! It's again one of those odd things that sometimes shipping into the United States can be less expensive than shipping a couple provinces over. 

I believe it was the person credited with creating Cinderella's birthday in January. Hence the princess theme. I'm always okay with princess themes. 

I love the story that is included and I try to make my kidlets listen. The lack of illustrations does test their patience. 

As usual communication from Christine, the owner, creator and head Girl Boss at Hello Waffle was awesome. Her facebook group had a head's up boxes were going to be delayed and to make up for it she included a random product (I think they were all lip products?) from the newest releases in January.  

I got SOUTH. It looks so lovely. The visage this month included the beautiful rose lip shade. I'm suffering a cold so I wait until I feel better to try these out.  

All the goodies together.

Every month is great! This month was the five eye products, a mini-blush, the sample of the upcoming glitter adhesive and the two lip products. Glass slippers is by far my favorite.

Swatches! 

Here is the uponaworld cosmetics guest indie over UDPP and the new Hello Waffle excitation.

I'm really indecisive if I should terminate, end, stop, sadly ask to cancel my subscription. I'm currently being charged $30 USD which will go up to $35.50 USD at some point. This is over $43 Canadian, or over $500 a year. I don't know. I am having the same fight with my Glamour Doll Eyes subscription as price has increased as well. I know I can't have both. I also am learning it takes me awhile to go through a mini blush/contour/lip product and goodness knows I have enough eye shadow to last until my grandchildren graduate high school. I feel like I would be able to purchase more new releases if I dropped out of visage. But, I also recall waking up early and fighting for 3 spots only to time out when completing payment.

What would you do? Are you in love with your Visage too? 

Topbox January

This month was such a let down I almost emailed topbox to cancel or request anything that doesn't suck as much as this box. Topbox is Canadian (yay!) and for $12 per month plus taxes 4 samples are delivered to your door. 

This month I received duplicates of the last two years. Ugh. Duplicates I don't like. 

SeaRx lotion that cannot be used by breastfeeding mom. So this was gifted. 

la Roche-Posy Sustiane serum. I still can not tell what part of the body this is supposed to be used for - hair? face? skin? All the above? $59 for full size, $5 for this sample. Gah, I much rather have a latte. 

Cuccio nail lacquer in baby puke brown. $4.21. I'm never going to use this, and I feel awful it was sent to me to be wasted. 

Teeez Trend Cosmetics Read My Lips Lipstick. This I thought would be awesome! And the packaging is nice. Then you put it on and try to suffer the overwhelmingly strong crayon smell. I'm not keen on this formula at all. $28.94. 

It is really nice they include the information sheet. So that's a plus. I opted for the environmentally friendly bag this month, so I don't even have the tube to repurpose. 

So disappointing. I hope next month is better. 

I paid $13ish with taxes, and this box was valued around $35. But most of that is the awful smelling lipstick. 

I would go back in time and not buy this month if that was an option. 

Good bye to diapers #byebyediapers

Let's talk pee. And poop. And all things diaper. 

One in diapers, one almost out! This big kid has been ready to move onto the fully using the potty, and more excitingly, sleeping through the night with no wet spots.

Influenster was awesome, and sent me a pack to test out. Sign up on influenster.ca and maybe you can test your own!

We received a very generous pack! I like to look for deals on these and I think they are usually about $0.40 per diaper but can get as low as $0.22-$0.24 on the really good sales. Shoppers, safeway and sometime Costco has these deals.















My daughter loves the designs but didn't really catch on to the idea that if she urinates the flower, heart or butterfly goes away. I love how well the absorb at night, and if she goes a little she can get up by herself, finish on the potty, pull them back up and go back to sleep until morning. It's a great way to help her be a big kid. We also love to use them during naps at they are just like "real panties".

My turn next!

Thanks, Influenster! 

Innocent and Twisted Alchemy Subscription - July 2015

A tea party! And made with love <3

Ah, shabby-chic. That's a thing now, I guess. Purdy.

July was a special month with 4 guest indies! A lip tint from Kiss My Sass, Lip sample from Kae Q, and eye shadow samples from Chirp Cosmetics and Wonderland Beauty. Two of those had been on my must-try list for some time. I think I&T is always delivering a great value.

A side view . I love how nice these look together.

And.. on my face:

My first Hello Waffle Visage - August 2015

Hello Waffle is a Canadian cosmetics company that offers a well-sought out monthly subscription. A tiered pricing plan was just put into place to include shipping costs. At the time this was purchased, I paid $25 US (including shipping). Based on my geographical region, I would now be paying $36.50 US (including shipping) per month. 

I love that kitty tape! I've actually peeled it off and used it to tape up photos in my daughter's room.

Oh, Hello Waffle. 

Opening the box.

I love the thought and design in the themed cards.

Two guests this month - Corvus Cosmetics and Darling Clandestine.

The goods!

Detailed insert including a lovely story based on the month's theme, a suggested look and product details. 

Look at how pretty that is!

Two eyeshadows, one mini-blush, one lip product and one full size perfume.

So pretty!

Immortal soul, blush, corvus, eye shadow.

Check out that sparkle!

Even when I want to forget, they try to get me...

Just to follow up my last post with another challenge.

Be strong! Ignore it!


And for good measure, try not to be this:

Thanks to Sarah's Scribbles. 

Two weeks into my no-buy/low-buy shopping pause

Temptations
Shortly after I declared to the world I was going to pause my shopping, be more mindful and try to cut extraneous expenses out of my life for a year a bunch of life happened. Good life (insert big smile here) but life. I was on track to be debt-free, at zero, net worth positive on my birthday. The bills have settled, and for now I think I can recalculate my debt payment plan. I'm still going to do the 365 days of shopping pause.
Not surprisingly, the spending gremlins snuck into my brain. Yesterday was a great example of what I hope the shopping pause can help correct. I knew I couldn't buy anything yet I still spend over three hours looking at and tempted to get various things. Oh, the shopping ban has just started, this is okay. It's only x dollars, and you're going to get it sometime soon anyway; why not get it now? If you really want to stick to a whole year, just buy this thing now. etc, etc. I'm pretty sure I spent so much time looking because 1) I was tired and 2) I suspect my subconscious knows that will-power can only last so long and eventually I'll give it.

Success
Good news! I actually didn't buy anything yesterday despite all the temptations! I am also very proud of myself for not giving in on any of the 12+ halloween day only sales and products. That was ... unexpected and hard.
Some of the things I did was to
-Calculate the exchange rate and how many hours of work the item would be
-Close the browser windows after emptying my shopping card
-Look in the stores for what I want without any money/cards telling myself I can come back
-Put the phone to charge and go to another room in the house
-Whine to someone about how I want to buy things
-Think of something I would want more that I already paused on
-Look at how much stuff I have now; think if I have something that already fills that role
-Decide when I might be able to buy that item without any guilt (ie I'll get a new cover when it's time to replace my planner or if it breaks; I'll get a sample of that make-up item when it's time to order an essential item, I think I can make it this year without replacing my x clothing item, wait until you've lost the weight and then replace with something nice you love that will last)


A Plan
I've decided that to really stick to my shopping pause I need a good start. I want a goal to get me focused to aid in preventing slip ups. I know it's going to happen, I know life is going to happen. But... I have a goal I've wanted for several years now. Debt-free.
If I trim all the excess (which is going to be really hard with the holidays upon us) I think I can be debt free on my last pay day in February. Four months from now. 117 days. I only have to stick to only essentials (no make-up, stickers, outside coffee, clothes, non-essential kid stuff, etc) for another 117 days and I'll be at the start again. Only 117.

So that's my mantra this week. 117 days. I can do this.

My one year low-buy

Because I heart my birthday, I'm going to start it now.

I have allowed a bit of wiggle room. I think I'll continue my Hello Waffle and Glamour Doll Eyes subscription until December before cancelling, and I will be keeping one of my subscription boxes (either Birchbox or Topbox and they both renew in December). I may try to get another Glamour Doll Eyes OTM, but I'm not sure about this.

What I will stop buying as of Today (October 17th) for the next year is:
-Make-up (except for replacements of unique categories like foundation, primer, mascara)
-Nail Polish
-Clothes
-Shoes
-Kitchen items
-Books
-Any of the other millions of temptations I have

I will not intentionally stop buying planner stickers for the entire year, but I do intend on waiting until march before I select more. I am writing this in advance and assuming a certain shop I follow sticks to the release schedule posted I will make one more planner sticker purchase today, and if the Femme Fatale goosebumps part II collection is out, that will make its way to me. I am going to continue to spend the next couple of months monitoring my spending before establishing a formal budget. I also expect there will be slip-ups but I hope not for a while. I think if I reduce my exposure to social media and when I do use it to come with a feeling on contentment with what I have that I can change my feeling of "gimmie!" to one of appreciation without brain altering desire lust.


What is allowed?
-a new planner or two for the next year
-replacement make-up listed above
-reasonably timed haircuts as I forgot how nice this feels
-reasonable replacements for things like shampoo and soap
-savings for a vacation next year
-currently coffee and takeout food but this may change after my couple months of monitoring. I'm currently quite good a limiting my intake and use of these sources
-Two race entries
-Activities for the kids, presents for the kids, and reasonable clothes for the kids


Why?
I want to realign my finances with my values, build an emergency fund, set a good example for my children and force myself to see some areas where I might lean towards hoarding *cough cough indie eyeshadows cough cough*. I also want to be better to the earth, more mindful with my shopping and consumption and build myself back up from the start. I also want to enjoy what I have, and I think that might come from having less. I want gain control of my spending. I want to get my old habits back of exercise, eating healthy, work/life balance and financial responsibility. I want to be the mom my kids are proud of. I am hitting restart. I want to me.

If this sounds nuts to you, and to me it sounds a bit crazy to be internet posting it (doesn't everyone do this sometime?) here's a recent article on how to choose your own financial adventure. In the context f that post this could be my re-declaration of option one as I hope to out of debt by the end. Assuming I get out of debt I'll essentially be renaming my debt repayment plan budgets to low-buy in order to start the saving train. I'm looking forward to it.

My last Chinovi order :'(