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Absences & Mind Sets

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Hi, friends!

I hope you are all having a great week and a fabulous summer. Here in Oklahoma we are experiencing another season of uncomfortable heat and it is less than fun to be sure. I’ve been pretty absent here and on my social medias lately. Taking breaks from blogging is never fun and I am the worst at taking them. I always think I stay away for too long and when I do end up coming back to blog, it won’t be worth it. Welcome to the highs and lows of Mimi. So in every aspect, I let myself down when I set goals for the month because I get sidetracked or things happen and my focus goes away.

With college starting up really soon, I know I am not going to be here as much as I used to be or as much as I would like to be. And you know what? That’s okay. It isn’t going to be the end of the world and the universe won’t explode if I don’t have a consistent blogging schedule. I would rather get a degree and work in my passion.

As for mind sets (Because we all could use a super positive mindset where we only build ourselves up!), I am working on mine. I don’t like being confused and right now, I feel majorly confused about everything that is going on in my life. The balance has been knocked out of alignment and that really freaks me out. With major life changes happening, I know that it is normal to feel this way and to want things to be centered again. Going with the flow is not one of my strong suits and I need to work on trusting that everything is going to work out.

One of my favorite songs is “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singing’ don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright

It is relaxing and is my go-to song for when I am about to have an anxiety or panic attack. All I have to do is plug in the music and let it flow into my soul.

So in all of the changes going on in my life and through all the confusion, I’m trying to remember that it is going to be okay. Going with the flow is good. My wish for you is that you can go with the flow, too. Let’s all relax and “Rise up this mornin’
Smiled with the risin’ sun.”

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Coffee Chats + Giveaway Sneak Peek

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Happy weekend, friends!

For many young adults and students, it is finals week and that means the rush of studying, making sure you are prepared for big exams, and trying to sleep are your top priorities- but the last one often gets neglected! With all of the rush and all of the changes happening, I decided to sit down and just have a down to earth chat with you guys and that means this post is going to be random. Grab a snack, get a coffee (or tea!), and let’s sit down and chat.

If you read my last post then you know that I took a badly needed break for my own personal reasons and I am so glad that I did. It’s been really great to reflect on everything and to start telling myself (and believing!) that it is okay to take a break, to take a step back, and to relax if it is needed. The world won’t pass you buy if you decide to stay off of Instagram for a day or disconnect from Twitter for a few days. Life will be okay and so will you..so will I. It’s a learning experience every day that I log on here or on Instagram (you should watch my stories..I’m a hoot! Steve Carell, who?) because I always talk to new people or interact with people who I admire. With all of that and seeing changes develop, it can be pretty overwhelming to think about all of the upcoming events (good or dreadful) that are coming up and that all mean change.

When change is happening and I get worried about life, the world, and every tomorrow, the one thing that I know is always reliable is my faith. Not necessarily my but the faith of Jesus. When life becomes crazy, it is always great to sit down and read passages in my Bible that reaffirm my beliefs and that remind me that the love of Jesus will never change and it will always be there. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” No matter what happens with school, with a job, or with family, the one solid thing that I know I can rely on is Jesus. There is something incredibly comforting in knowing that I have something solid in my life that will remain the same even though centuries pass.

But with my faith comes a problem that is like a nasty hurdle that always trips me up: my mind. How my brain loves to become a concrete barrier that blocks me from an unchained faith. “I sound stupid praying out loud. It’s just me in my car. I literally look like an insane fool.” “Does God really hear me? I feel like I am talking into the air.” “I’m not the best Christian in the world. I am selfish, I curse, I end up repenting for a lot of things.” And mostly, I think that I can rely on myself alone so I end up not asking for things or asking for help of any kind. It’s something I want to work on but admitting that I have a fault is never an easy thing.

An announcement for you guys, though, that is entirely unrelated to this topic, is that there is a giveaway happening right here on May 5th! It is just in time for Mother’s Day and there is going to be a special post on the holiday that will be published on the 5th and you guys will know all about the special giveaway in that post. I am so excited for you guys to see it and enter!

I hope your finals go well! Rest up, eat good food, and remember that school is almost over!

I have a few questions for you guys, though:

  1. What do you like to see on Instagram?
  2. What wallpaper designs do you typically like?
  3. What is your current favorite song or album?

Let me know down below, tweet me, or let me know on Instagram!

See you all on the 5th!

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Yummy Halloween Treats | Blogtober

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Hey, babes! Welcome back to the spooktacular and fun month we have here on Glitz & Glitter! As you may have noticed, all of the Blogtober posts here are in collaboration with other amazing bloggers who produce great content. I am so excited for this post because there are 3 yummy treats for you to try out this October! This post is in collaboration with Cait over at Lipsticks and Acrylics, so make sure to check out her post and give it some love

Originally, I had made a spooky and bloody-looking cake for this post but that was a minor disaster. So I scrapped the entire thing and started from scratch! The treats and drink featured in this post are relatively healthy (better than cake, at least, and certainly more edible than my first attempt!) and delicious, so make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the post so you can make them yourself!

The first sweet eat is none other than a chocolate chip pumpkin loaf! I got up and made this bread early this morning (bad time management on my part earlier this week!) and it filled my house with the tantalizing aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin, and chocolate! Yum! While the bread baked, I got some of my work finished and tried not to fall back asleep! The bread is super yummy and moist (nothing worse than a dried out bread loaf!) and the chocolate chips add a perfect touch. I love chocolate in any form so when I saw that you could add a ½ cup of chocolate chips, I couldn’t throw the bag of them into my shopping cart fast enough!

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The next eat on the list is honey crisp baked apples! I had never made baked apples before, so this was something I really wanted to try! They were very delicious and tasted like fall..that is, if fall had a taste. It tastes great with walnuts but if you have an allergy to them, you absolutely can leave them out! Baked apples are great for fall and I can totally see sitting on the couch while watching a spooky movie and eating a honey crisp baked apple! These baked apples are also vegan and gluten free!

Okay, our last treat is actually a drink that everyone (or mostly everyone) has tried before, unless you are like me and in this case, you have never had this drink…the pumpkin spice latte! I am probably the only person on earth who hasn’t had a PSL so I figured “why not try a PSL but instead of going to a coffee shop, let’s just try to make one!” So that is exactly what I did! I used a recipe that called for almond milk (or coconut milk) and a few other simple ingredients. This PSL is vegan, paleo, and dairy-free (hello, almond milk!), so you don’t have to feel the guilt of going to Starbucks and buying their PSL. Plus I would rather make my own pumpkin spice latte instead of going to Starbucks, so I gave it a shot!

This was a great drink to try and I am so glad I made this one! I have a lot of pumpkin and almond milk left over, so I am going to be having a lot more of these this month!

Make sure to go check out Cait’s blog post over on her blog Lipsticks and Acylics! Also go make sure to go follow her on Instagram because her content is great and she is at 99 followers as of right now, so go put her way over 100 follows!

The links for all of the recipes are right below! If you make any of the recipes, make sure to tag me in your pictures on Instagram @glitz_glitter_blog! I would love to give your photo a like and leave a comment!

I hope you guys have a great weekend and happy Friday! There is going to be a brand new post out on Sunday! I was sent two sample packs of nail wraps from Laila with Jamberry and I am so excited to post my review!

Have a fabulous weekend and don’t forget to smile!

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Recipe Links:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

Honey Crisp Baked Apples

Vegan, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte

Halloween Inspired Makeup Looks | Blogtober

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Hi, babes! Welcome back to another spooktacular Blogtober post on Glitz and Glitter!

Today’s post is in collaboration with Jess (aka queensapphireuk) and there are going to be Halloween makeup looks on both of our blogs, so be sure to check out her post on her blog. Jess’s Instagram and blog links will be below, so go follow her!

The first look I have is a dark plum look, both for eyes and lips. I use a lot of dark berry shades during the fall months and a sharp black wing always compliments that! On Halloween and the weeks working up to it, I like to go for darker looks, so both of the next looks are perfect for Halloween!

The first look is more intense because of the wing but the second look is a lot easier because it doesn’t take as much time as the first one. Wings are a work of art and those buggars take time!

The third look is the easiest because it is a basic makeup and a fun orange lipstick look. It reminds me of pumpkins and crisp leaves falling, which is probably why I love it!

I am definitely not the best at makeup (obviously) but I try my best!

Don’t forget to go check out Jess’s post!

I hope you have a great day and an even better weekend!

Jess’s links:

Blog: queensapphire.co.uk

Insta: @queensapphireuk

Splurge or Save Review: Ouidad Advanced Climate Control hair products & Shiseido

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Welcome back to Glitz & Glitter! If you are just now stumbling across my blog, hi there and thanks for checking out my blog! This Monday’s review is over the Ouidad Advanced Climate Control hair products line and Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection Cream (face). Let’s get on to the reviews!

Ouidad

I have naturally curly red hair that is super thick and rather frizzy in humidity, which has made finding a good shampoo and conditioner a hard task. I have used an array of different products that claimed to tame the wild beast that is my hair, but they never really worked. I made a trip to Ulta last week and they had a special bargain box where you could pick three trial sized items for an insanely low price. I couldn’t pass it up, so I picked the Ouidad pack, the Shiseido facial sun lotion, and a makeup bag. I was kind of skeptical about the hair products because of my past experiences with curl and frizz taming products, but I figured why not and gave it a shot!

I made the 10mL packs of shampoo and conditioner last for 2.5 days, which is pretty good for me. I wanted to use it for at least 2 days to see how well it would work for me instead of judging it after one day. I still have a bit of the detangling heat spray and the hair gel and I am going to use those until I run out. On the first day that I used all of the products, I noticed a difference while it was drying. The frizziness was knocked down and my curls seemed to be bouncier than usual! I was so shocked and I was pretty sure that once my hair was totally dry, the frizz would return and my hair would be like it always is, but it didn’t! Since I started using the Ouidad Advanced Climate Control hair products on Friday, my hair has been great! I’m so sad to be returning to my regular shampoo and conditioner, but at least I still have some of the hair gel and spray left!

All of the products range from $22-$60 at Ulta, so it is a lot more than what I usually pay for hair products. I don’t think I will buy these products unless I have extra spending money because let’s face it, I am a drugstore hair product shopper and these products are kind of pricey (but worth it!). So if you have curly hair that is frizzy and you have extra cash to spend, check out Ouidad!

Next is the Shiseido facial sun lotion! I used this over July 4th while I was out and about all day because it was sunny, hot, and the perfect time to test out the product!

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This sunscreen is 50 SPF, water resistant (80 minutes), and broad spectrum protection. The sunscreen felt kind of heavy on my skin until it absorbed in and it has an almost powdery feel to it. I wore it all day (I forgot to reapply it) and it worked really well! I have really fair skin and get sunburned easily, so this product was great! It smells good and I’m really happy with it!

The full size product (3.3 oz) retails for $40 at Ulta, so again, a pricey product. Is it worth the money? I’m not sure. I personally wouldn’t pay that much for a sunscreen when I could buy one for a lot cheaper and that works well and provides great sun protection. I do have a lot more product left and I am going to make it last for as long as I possibly can!

I don’t hate either of these products, far from it! I love them and I think they both did exactly what they said they do, but they are both a bit out of my price range, so both are a save, not splurge.

I should have some products coming in this week, so a brand new review will be out next Monday!

I hope you have a fabulous week! If you want to connect with me, my social media info is in the banner below! Check me out on Bloglovin! Link below!

XOXO

-Mimi

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Follow Me On Bloglovin!

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Happy Saturday, everyone!

Just a quick update: I am now on Bloglovin! Please head on over there and hit that follow button. I’m also looking for new blogs to follow, so comment your Bloglovin link and I’ll follow you!

Have a fabulous weekend!

– Mimi

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