#BikiniReadyLifeStyle

I recently recieved a sample of Bikini Ready's Energy Gummies in my #VitalityVoxBox complimentary from Influenster for product testing.

I really love the energy the gummies gave me without the jittery feeling, like most energy drinks give me.  They are tasty and I may go pick up a full-size bottle on my next trip to the super market.  They are a great supplement to take before a cool dip in the pool or on a day when you're feeling lethargic!

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Bikini Ready Energy Gummies

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#Vitality Vox Box

I recently recieved the #VitalityVoxBox from Influenster for product testing.  It came with a variety of new products in a large purple box.

All products were complimentary from Influenster.

As pictured above, it came with a sample of Bikini Ready energy gummies, a sample of Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future Caplet Serum, a Soft Lips Lip balm cube, a pack of Playtex Sport tampons, a tube of First Degree Burn Cream, two coupons for Soft Lips, and a bottle of Pure Leaf sweet tea.

I really enjoyed all the products in this Vox Box, except the Pure Leaf sweet tea.  I only drink sweet tea, but I imagine a sweet tea drinker would find it refreshing.  The Bikini Ready energy gummies were quite yummy, but I would need a bigger sample size to give an adequate review.  I did feel more energetic afterwards before a quick dip at the pool!

The burn cream worked wonders after I accidentally burned myself while cooking.  I splashed boiling water on my arm and the cream worked wonders on the burn!  

The Playtex Sport Fresh Balance tampons were great.  I am always scared that my period makes me smell so the odor shield and 360 degree protection helped me lose that fear!  I will definitely keep a pack handy for my more active days.

Elizabeth Arden's Flawless Future caplet serum noticeably brightened my skin and helped with my complexion.  I am interested in buying a full-size bottle once I finish my sample.

Last but most certainly not least, the Soft Lips 5-in-1 lip balm cube.  I recieved the fresh mint flavor, but went out and got the Pomegranate one as well (with a coupon I recieved in the box).  I collect lip balms and am always buying the newest ones.  I use my Baby Lips and EOS frequently, but I think the Soft Lips cube will be getting used the most!  It was not a waxy or thick balm.  It left my lips shiny and hydrating, I love that their is no tint in it like most Baby Lips balms.

Overall, the Vitality Vox Box was my favorite Vox Box that I have recieved from Influenster.  I would have been more satisfied with a larger sample of Bikini Ready Energy Gummies and Unsweet tea, but it was a great box nonetheless.

Last months of summer

My last couple months of summer have been wonderful and full of food food, great people and even better adventures.  I having been cooking and baking some healthy foods, was in a wedding, went to the river and so much more!  My financial aid appeal went through and I am two semesters away from my Associates then I start my Bachelors in Fall 2015.

Here are some pictures from my best friend, Simone's, wedding that was on July 25, 2014.  More pictures can be found on my wedding blog here.

Here are some pictures from my Frio River float in Concan, TX with my best friend, Haley:

I have had a perfect summer full of quality time with all my friends and memories to last a lifetime.

LUSH

I have been doing my fair share of pinterest experimenting and shopping past two weeks.  Along with studying for my upcoming Nursing entrance exam!  I went to LUSH to buy my favorite products last week.  I'm a hug fan of their cruelty-free and vegan products.  I got a new bath bomb and a face mask I had never tried.  Both were deliciously amazing.  I got two bath bombs, a lip scrub (I spilt mine in my purse), and a face mask.

SEX BOMB Bath Bomb $6.65

HONEY BOMB Bath Bomb $6.45

CUPCAKE Fresh Face Mask $6.95

BUBBLE GUM Lip Scrub $9.95

I highly recommend all of the products above.  I would get a lip balm as well, but I was short on funds!  The face mask helped with a breakout I was experiencing, thank goodness!   

Nannying, Maid of Honoring, & Cooking

Here's a random selfie :)

The past months have been pretty fast-paced and astounding.  Where should I even begin to start? Hmmm... I have had the opportunity to be hired as a nanny for two families.  I nanny Monday mornings and Friday or Saturday nights for one family.  They aren't offering many hours, but that extra money is going into my savings weekly!  The other family I work three to four days a week and that job covers all my bills and extra expenses.  Nannying (along with having five nephews and seven nieces) has made me realize I am waiting awhile for kids.

Aside from working,  I recently wrote my appeal letter and gathered all the paperwork for my appeal process late this month.  I surpassed 90 attempted hours, so all financial aid was cut off.  I'm praying that everything clears up so I can get the money I desperately need!

I registered for my HESI exam, which I will be taking July 16th.  I have all the study material, so instead of reading or Netflix binge watching in my spare time I will have my nose in my study material.  God willing, I will be able to send my HESI results to UT Health, Lone Star, San Jacinto, and HCC.   Once my HESI exam test is over and passed I will be starting all my applications.  I'll have to do multiple drug screenings, background checks, order transcripts, put together my shot records, and make copies of my CPR certificate.  It will be pretty pricey, but thank goodness my second job is bringing in a decent amount every week.  I am so happy to be finishing my pre-requisites and potentially starting on my path to my dream career.

I'm the maid of honor in my best friend's upcoming wedding and I have so much to do.  I've been slacking and I feel so bad.  Next weekend is the bridal shower, I am the hostess (even though the invitation doesn't say my name?) and I am super excited about the gifts I got for her.  Below is a picture of where my inspiration stemmed from:

The Best Bridal Shower Gift For A Spring Wedding

On the bride and groom's registry I found they wanted a slow cooker and used a 20% off coupon to buy it at a great price.  I have to use coupons and free shipping, otherwise I am not buying.  (Yeah, I am that shopper.)  I got the slow cooker from Bed, Bath and Beyond and ordered the exact cocktail glasses from Furbish Studio for $22, plus shipping and used a 10% coupon.  Along with the cocktail glasses I also purchased The Southerner's Handbook: A Guide to Living the Good Life by the editors of Garden and Gun off of Amazon.  Since I had cash back rewards on my credit card, I was able to only pay $0.22 cents for it along with free prime shipping.  If y'all do not have a Prime membership, you need to get one.  There's so many advantages and discounts!

Mr. & Mrs. Cocktail Glass Set, $22.00

The Southerner's Handbook, $18.34

I don't think I will be added champagne or alcohol so I am at a dead end on what else to get.  I am trying to find cute and non-obnixous Bridal shower games.  I am hoping to go my best friend's this weekend to do some planning and prep work.

My friends and I have started a new tradition, that I am dying to blog about.  We meet Tuesday nights to cook, bake and watch one episode of each of our favorite T.V. series.  Last week we made some scrumptious desserts and food that were, get this... HEALTHY.  We watched an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate SG1, and Grimm.  To oldies and a new goodie!  Now the best part was my dish, protein-rich, gluten free, almost 100% vegan cookie dough dip.

Recipe from Chocolate Covered Kate

The real kicker is the base ingredient was chickpeas.  Yeah, you heard me correctly. CHICKPEAS! I can't believe how delicious it turned out.  The chocolate chips were not vegan and the graham crackers were not gluten free, but the dough was!  It was almost 100% guilt free, well I feel no guilt for anything I eat but my friends are not the same.  I tweaked her recipe a bit from her site, she also has a sugar free recipe.  I used Stevia so I didn't feel as bad for using sugar!  We also made buffalo cauliflower bites and pumpkin pie smoothies.  All were so delicious and the shows were fantastic.  I am looking forward to tomorrow, I will be making Chocolate Avocado Mousse with mint and raspberry garnish.

My friends and I are going to make a recipe binder and add all our pictures we take of the food!  I am so in love with this new tradition.  It is such a relief to have friends in their early twenties that can hang out without going out or getting plastered all the time.

Well that is all for this post. I meant to add a book review, juicy life experiences, Etsy reviews and some river trip pictures but I am too tired to think straight. I'll have to blog more so I don't get so behind on my life happenings.

Summertime Begins

I'm currently working two part-time jobs this summer to pay my bills.  The kids I am nannying at too cute and so sweet.  I work mornings to afternoons leaving me free evenings and free weekends.

There's a ton of stuff and trips planned this summer and I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life.  Memorial Day weekend I am spending it with two rekindled flames at a family lake house.  That means good food, tanning, swimming, boating, and great times.

I am too exhausted to blog... So I'll make a larger post when I feel up to it. Y'all have a great night under the Texas sky!

Bridemaidzilla

Yesterday I went to David’s Bridal to pick up my bridesmaid dress for a wedding in July. They informed me it was already picked up. I was about to become Bridemaidzilla. I was on the phone with the bride’s mother asking if she grabbed my dress by mistake and I informed her that David’s Bridal lost my dress. After 40 minutes of them searching, an employee remembered she moved it to the front store room when the other girls in the party came last week to pick their dresses up. After they found it the lady said, “We do not lose dresses.” I responded, “But apparently you misplace them.”

I was unhappy I had to drive to another city to get the dress then wait for them to find my dress. Sometimes I have an attitude. Oops!

Any who, I had my last final yesterday so my summer has officially begun!  Now it is time to find a job.  Wish me luck, y'all!

To Nanny or Not to Nanny

Last night, I babysat for a really nice couple that I contacted through Care.com.  After I babysat, they said they'll contact me after my final to talk about my hours for being their nanny.  I honestly want 40 hours, but they said they do not need a full time nanny.  I can live off 20-25 hours, but I won't have any extra money for trips or shopping (I know isn't that awful?).  Another couple contacted me for 40 hour weeks at a really great weekly salary.  If I worked for them, I'd be able to save up a few grand for a down payment on Invisalign, pay for LASIK in full, or pay off my credit cards and go the Wizarding World of Harry Potter this year.

The less hours I work, the more time I will have to work on all my nursing school applications and spend more time with family, friends and the boyfriend. But I will not have any money to pay for my drug screening, background checks, transcript fees, etc.

• Pros of the Full-time Nanny position: Higher pay, no work on weekends, older kids so less work, it will pay for everything I need this summer
• Cons of Full-time Nanny position: It is over 30 minutes away from me, it's not enough money for 5 kids
• Pros of Time Nanny Position: Close to home, adequate pay for two kids, can cover all my bills including gas, available for a Nanny share in the apartment complex
• Cons of Time Nanny Position: The hours fluctuate, only enough pay to cover bills nothing extra, want me to work occasionally Friday and Saturday nights

Either way I'll be able to pay my bills, but the full-time is way better for me.  The full-time would help me rebuild my savings account and since I have a lot going on this summer with my best friend's wedding I could pay for everything in full without resorting to my credit card.

I can always go back to my manager job at $11/hr for 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday.   If the full-time position does not contact me back, I'll take the part-time nanny and work part time at my old job so I am guaranteed to make enough cash no matter what (depending on the nanny-share thing).  I HATE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT MY FINANCES Y'ALL!

Aside from bills and work, I registered for my classes next semester!  I will be taking 14 hours, which is the most I have taken in awhile.  I will be taking Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology 2, Nutrition and Pathophysiology. Chemistry and A&PII have labs and are Monday through Thursday.  Nutrition and Pathophysiology are online so they're going to make my other classes more manageable.  God-willing, after Fall semester I will have the required 60 hours of prerequisites for my BSN and can start nursing school.  I'm praying I get into University of Texas for my BSN, but if that does not happen I will go through a local community college to get my AAS in Nursing, then re-apply to UT for an accelerated BSN.  If I get into UT I will be done in two years, but if I do not I will be finished in 3 years.  Once I get my BSN, I'm going to then specialize in Pediatrics, neonatal, or trauma.  From their I will decide if I want to for my Masters or PhD.

I want to be a nurse more than anything and I pray that I can be one day (hopefully within the next few years)!

Tomorrow is my final for Microbiology then it is summer!  I'm hoping to get a B+ or at least a B, which both are extremely disappointing to me.  At the beginning of this semester I was working and it is a hard class, so I bombed a test and it ruined my average.

Now I shall go back to studying for my final, I am using this post as a way to procrastinate.  Y'all have a wonderful Sunday and if you can say a prayer about my nursing school applications!

Crawfish, Captain America, & The Battle of Hogwarts

Yesterday was all around a great day.  I went to school for an extra credit lecture that added three points to my previous Microbiology exam, turning my 97 into a 100.  The 100 is great, but the free cupcake was exceptionally better.  Then after lecture I went home to work on my final review for Microbiology.  (I also took a pretty selfie in my Tardis blue chiffon top!)

I went over to my boyfriend's for date night.  We cuddled and watched T.V. until dinner time.  We went to Tailgators Pub & Grill for crawfish and fried gator, yummy.  Then we meet up with one of his brothers (he went out of state for months to get chemotherapy for his lung cancer.  Now he's in town visiting because he beat the cancer) and his niece to see Captain America.  I absolutely loved the movie.  I am not a big Marvel buff, I think they're releasing too many too fast.  But I found the Winter Soldier to be way better than the first Captain America movie.  Plus you get to see Chris Evans hot body. *melts*

I also got a package in the mail yesterday afternoon; Harry Potter, 7 pt.1 & pt. 2 DVD, Dany & Shay's new album, and Thomas Rhett's new album.  Ironically the DVD arrived on the 16th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts.  "Today, we remember the devastating Battle of Hogwarts. The day the horcruxes were destroyed and Voldemort was finally defeated. Let us raise our wands to all the brave who died defending their school."

Any who, that was my day!  I'm trying this new positive attitude because I'm a pessimist (even though I think I'm a realist but no one agrees with me) and everyone calls me Negative Nancy.  Bah humbug!

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The Girl Behind the Blog

Hey y’all! I’m Polly, a 22 year old nursing student who lives in East Texas.  I’m in love and taken by my boyfriend, Seth.  We’ve been together since July, 4 2012.  I am from a big, loving family and I want to have tons of babies with Seth! I dabble a little in graphic design and writing.  I abandoned books for my Paperwhite Kindle, which is always in my purse (along with my taser).  This blog is where I let my thoughts flow free and wild and my heart spill. 

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Nicknames: Polly Pocket, Pocket, or Pooh Bear

Likes: Harry Potter, Skyrim, Doctor Who, reading, my Kindle, Supernatural, CoD, mason jars, cowboy boots, unsweet tea, Miss Me jeans, graphic design, Dr Pepper, Whataburger, Texas, river floating, country music, swimming, mudding, fried gator, crawfish, fried pickles, skinny dipping, pizza, Netflix, sleeping, learning, lazy days, sushi and volunteer work.

Dislikes: Body-shaming, racism, vegetables, exercising, mornings, coffee, oceans, and sweet tea.

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My Etsy Shop: The Brooks Press | My Good Reads | Instagram: @reasonandfaithh

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Other blogs: My Wedding blog & Southern/Country Graphics blog