December 2016 PopSugar Must Have Box Review

Recently, I have gotten several emails asking me if I am planning on doing more PopSugar reviews in the future. The truth is the May 2016 PopSugar box was my last box before this one. As much as I love PopSugar, I didn’t want to mess with it while we were moving and I was waiting for surgery. I ended up getting a new subscription on Black Friday. They were selling PopSugar for $20 a box, and I couldn’t say no to that! The December boxes have always been one of my favorites of the year (here is 2015 and 2014 for reference), so I was a little bummed this one wasn’t as festive as previous years. Still, it had some great items, so I’m excited to share it with y’all!

Note: This post contains referral links. If you decide to purchase a PopSugar box, I would love it if you used my link.

Odeme Catchall and Ring Dish Set ($67): 
I really love this set. It’s made out of porcelain and has a beautiful minimalist look.

Bauble Bar Snowfall Pendant ($28): 
This is a PopSugar exclusive item, which is always fun, but I don’t love it. It’s just not my style.

Winky Lux Lip Pill in Bunny ($14): 
I love cranberry lipstick for the holidays, and it’s even better that it’s matte! This is a gorgeous color with a beautiful pigment and is surprisingly moisturizing for a matte lipstick.

Dessange Top Coat Serum ($12): 
Apparently, this serum adds shine to your hair. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s not a bad product to get.

Mane Message Date Night Bobby Pins ($10): 
I can’t remember the last time I’ve used bobby pins, but these are so cute and sparkly!

Sisters’ Gourmet Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix ($7): 
I was just thinking I needed to pick up ingredients for cookies, so this is perfect! Chris and I always love the food in PopSugar boxes, so we’re excited about this mix.

The total value of this box is $138. I didn’t love all the items, but the catchall and ring dish set makes it more than worth it for me.

If you are interested in a PopSugar subscription, PopSugar is currently offering $5 of your first box with the code “MUSTHAVE5.”

What was your favorite item in my December 2016 PopSugar box? 

Eleven Books I Read in November

I honestly didn’t realize how much I read in November until I looked at the list of books since my last update. It was another strange reading month. I read a bunch, but only a few books stood out. Most of them fall in the “just OK” category, and there is only one that I would go out of my way to recommend. Also, I’ve decided not to divide my reviews into categories for now. If you want to know how I ranked them out of my five stars, you can check out my GoodReads account.

Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon
(c/o NetGalley)
This is the best time travel book I've ever read. It's a love story, but it's so much more than that. It's a coming of age story. A story about second chances, of feeling stuck and fighting to get out of it. It's slow at first but gets so much better. I loved all the characters. I don't usually tear up while reading, but this book got me. It's truly beautiful.

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale
(c/o NetGalley)
This was a good book, but it was much different than I expected. It was more a family drama than a thriller. When Aimee's fiance dies, she has to piece her life back together, but she can never get over the feeling that he's still alive. She decides to dig further into his disappearance, hoping the truth will help her heal. I liked Aimee and her will to move past her circumstances. I didn't love a few of the situations towards the end and the way they were resolved, but overall, it was a good read.

The Confectioner’s Tale by Laura Madeleine
(c/o NetGalley)
Petra thought her late grandfather never hid anything from her until she discovered a photo of him in Paris in front of a patisserie with two people she doesn't know and the words "forgive me" on the back. Told in a dual timeline between Gui in 1909 and Petra in 1988, this is an interesting story of a forbidden love affair. It did stall for me a little at times, and I wish there were more descriptions of the patisserie, but overall, it was a good read.

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase
(c/o NetGalley)
I needed some fluff in my life, so I picked up this book. It was a little sadder and more serious than I expected (though I don't really know why since I knew it was a book about a woman finding out about her husband's affair). It was a decent read. It's not super memorable or a book I would go out of my way to recommend, but I'm not disappointed I read it.

The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa
(c/o NetGalley)
I love WWII historical fiction, so it's a genre I read often. For that reason, I probably judge WWII historical fiction books a little harsher than others. This one was just so-so for me. Only the first 25 percent was about WWII-most of it was about Hannah's life in Cuba. I think it would have been better if the part of the family on board the SS St. Louis was longer. Overall, (and I hate to say this about a book about WWII) it was just boring. There are so many better books out there.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
(c/o NetGalley)
Anne and Marco went to a dinner party next door and left their baby at home unsupervised, and she gets kidnapped. What happened to her? I really enjoyed this thriller. There were several interesting twists, and it was a fast-paced novel. There were also several technical issues. I didn't love the writing style, and it was quite a bit repetitive in the beginning. Overall, it was a good read.

Note: The next two books are the second and third book in a trilogy. Click here for my review of Alone, the first book in the trilogy.

Alight by Scott Sigler
(c/o NetGalley)
In the first book, Scott Sigler asked us not to give away an spoilers, so I am going to be super generic about this one too. This was my favorite book in the series. Usually the second book in a trilogy can be rough, but I think this one really worked. I really grew to love Em and the other characters in this book.

Alone by Scott Sigler
(c/o NetGalley)
I really liked how the third book started. It was exciting, and I felt like things really came together. The middle lost me for a bit. It felt a little repetitive. I hated some of the decisions made towards the end, but I understand why they had to be done. Overall, it was a satisfying ending to the series.

Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin
(c/o NetGalley)
I always have the same thing to say about Holly Martin's books-the writing is rough, but I love the story. The writing in this one really bothered me at times. It was awkward, and there was a lot of repetition. I honestly think the book could be 50 pages shorter. Still, it was a sweet Christmas story that kept me interested (I was hoping for a little more conflict toward the end, though. I felt like things got resolved too quickly).

Christmas Under a Starlit Sky by Holly Martin
(c/o NetGalley)
This book was a little over the top for me. I can handle one insta-love story, but three at once? Plus, Oakley and Neve's story just seemed weird to me. I hate what she did and how she tried to justify it. The ending was cute, but overall, this was my least favorite of Holly Martin's books.

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
(c/o NetGalley)
I thought the concept of this book was cute: Julia was frustrated with her grumpy neighbor Cain, so she decided to "kill him with kindness" on the 12 days leading up to Christmas. She writes her progress in a blog, which happens to go viral (I'm not really buying that). The blog was a fun idea, and I like Julia & Cain, but I thought the conflict and resolution towards the end of the book was extremely weak. Still, it kept me engaged, and I read it quickly. It works as a feel-good Christmas read.

Favorite reads in November: Valley of the Moon, The Couple Next Door, and The Generations Trilogy by Scott Sigler.

Linking up with Steph & Jana.

I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?

Five Favorite Instagram Hashtags for Bloggers + Why I Think Instagram Is Important

Instagram is by far my favorite form of social media. I love how everyone’s feed tells a story. You can really get to know a person through their Instagram. Since I started using Instagram as a tool for my blog, I have cared way more about the engagement I’m getting than the followers I have. I love interacting with other bloggers, commenting on their posts and learning more about who they are.

I’ve always viewed Instagram as an extension of my blog. Those who know me know my goal is to treat every day like it’s an adventure. I love sharing those adventures both on my blog and my Instagram. For a long time, I had no idea how to reach out to other bloggers on Instagram. My engagement was terrible, and I didn’t know how to fix it. Then, I took Helene’s Instagram for Success course and realized part of the answer was hashtags. I used to put hashtags like “#tree, #sky,” things that no one would actually search. As soon as I changed my hashtag strategy, my engagement skyrocketed. When people would like my image, I would head over to their Instagram and interact with them. It’s been such a great way to grow and make new friends!

Today, I wanted to share five of my favorite hashtags to use. I like including a mixture of “big” hashtags and some smaller ones because on the larger hashtags, your photo will only be on the top of the feed for a few seconds.

#mytinyatlas
#Mytinyatlas is one of my favorite travel hashtags. The world is really smaller than it seems! I love this hashtag because it is full of stunning images to explore, but it’s a little smaller than other hashtags, so your images will be at the top of the feed longer.

#myunicornlife
I love #myunicornlife! Everyone has a unique story to tell, and this feed really showcases that. I’m constantly browsing this feed for gorgeous photos and inspiration.

#theblogissue
This is the best hashtag for finding other bloggers! I love looking through this feed and then clicking on the links in their profiles to find new bloggers to read.

#photosinbetween
Of course, I had to include Helene’s hashtag. She’s such an Instagram guru, and I love both her own feed and her hashtag.

#nothingisordinary
This is another hashtag that speaks to me. It’s a beautiful feed filled with others’ stories that is always worth exploring.

I have loved being part of the Instagram community so much more after I took Helene’s Instagram for Success course. I still use all the strategies she taught me on a daily basis. The good news is Helene has relaunched her course, and it’s even better than before! She’ll teach you how to take the best photos, grow your community, and even how to monetize your Instagram. I feel so strongly about it that I signed up to be an affiliate. If you are serious about growing your Instagram, this is the best class out there! Helene is also including some amazing bonuses, including a live coaching call. Also, a fun fact: I am one of the case studies included in the class!

Click here to sign up for Helene's course. 
Let's be friends on Instagram. Follow me here.

What are your favorite Instagram hashtags?

A Waco Weekend

Waco will always be special to me. Chris and I met on our first day at Baylor, got married in Waco, and lived in the city for our first two years on marriage. For most people, Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper put Waco on the map, and it’s so fun to see what they have done for our little college town. This weekend, Chris and I headed to Waco with my in-laws for a short visit to see what’s new and watch a Baylor basketball game.

As I mentioned on Friday, we hadn’t been to Waco in two years, so we had to stop by one of our favorite Tex-Mex restaurants in town—Ninfa’s. We have celebrated so many big life events at Ninfa’s, and it was always one of our favorite places for date night while in college. They make their own tortillas, which seriously makes such a huge difference. Chris and I shared the fajitas and finished off the meal with some amazing sopapillas.

Waco has so many great boutiques, which is why I love Spice Village. Spice Village is a collection of over 90 shops in an adorable space. It’s full of adorable clothes and lots of fun Texas trinkets. My favorite was this adorable Paris display. It made me want to book a ticket to Paris right away!

Of course, the highlight of our short trip to Waco was the Baylor basketball game. Although we’ve been back for football games, Chris and I haven’t managed to go to a Baylor basketball since we graduated from college. When we found out Baylor was having a Cyber Monday deal where tickets were $5 for a top 10 matchup and Chris wasn’t working that weekend, we knew we had to go.

The game was so much fun. Baylor has been playing well so far this year, which made it even more fun to watch. Bill Murray was at the game, which was super random until we discovered his son is an assistant coach for Xavier. The game was really close until the middle of the second half when Baylor really started to dominate. We had a blast being part of all the Baylor traditions again and celebrating a win!

Linking up with Biana for Weekending.     

Have you ever been to a college basketball game? 

Friday Favorites: All the Christmas Things + Baylor Bound

It’s been a while since I’ve done an actual Friday favorites post, but today I have a million (or you know, five) little things to share with y’all, so I thought I’d do one today!

One.
For all the people in our blogger Christmas exchange, today is the last day to ship your package! I can’t wait to see what everyone gets!

Two.
Chris and I finished watching the Gilmore Girls mini-series on Wednesday, and I have so many things I want to say, but I won’t since I know many of you haven’t watch it yet. I will say the last episode was my favorite except those “last four words” (which are really two in my opinion). I get why they did it, but I don’t like it.

Three.
We are headed out of town again this weekend to watch a Baylor basketball game! Baylor has been playing really well so far this year, so we are excited to watch them live. Plus, we haven’t been on Baylor campus since College Game Day in December 2014, so we are excited to go back!

Four.
Does anyone else love Cyber Monday shopping? I knocked out my entire Christmas list this year, which feels great! I absolutely love giving gifts (if you’ve read the five love languages, it’s definitely one of my love languages), so it’s one of my favorite days of the year!

Five.
Chris has to take vacation at the beginning of the year, so we have been discussing where to go. It’s weird to have some say in when we go this year, but he still can’t take any vacation from the middle of March to July. We are currently considering the first week of March. Anyone feel like throwing out any ideas for us?

Linking up with Amanda, Karli, and the High Five for Friday girls.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!