Where have I been? DISNEY!

It's been a while, more like months, since my last post and I'm truly sorry for that! I have new products and thoughts to share with you, rest assured. But before I get to all of that, I want to share some of my most recent vacation photos with you. I took my first trip to Disney World recently with my cousins and it was so exciting! We went almost everywhere, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, all more than once. We stayed on Disney property at a new resort called Art of Animation which was pretty neat and almost like a mini park in itself. Since I'm an aspiring photographer at heart, naturally I took my camera everywhere and literally took thousands of pictures. Although it's usually about quality over quantity, I was so overwhelmed, with it being my first time there, I had to capture every moment. But, to keep your interest and keep this from being too long, I've tried to pick some of my favorites to sum up the trip! I also tried to add some blurbs with the pictures, restaurants and so on. I could potentially turn my little travel diary into a bound book with everything we did, all the places we went and all the fun we had. But there's not enough time for that here, so hope you enjoy!

Disney's Art Of Animation Resort

-Outside and in the lobby 

(there's so much more to be seen so I may do a separate post dedicated to the resort & our time there) 

Some of my Alex and Ani bracelets! Can you spot the new addition? ;)

Click "Read More" to see more of my vacation! 

Mini Vacation Snapshots

Hey everyone! I just got back from my families annual trip to New Hampshire and although it was short, it was just nice to get away and sit on a beach! I did manage to vlog a bit while I was there and I took a bunch of pictures too so I wanted to share some with you! I didn't film my outfits but I did get pictures of them, but I'll do a separate post on just the outfits for those interested! I packed way too much by the way, I'm just not used to going away for such a short amount of time. Anyway, hope you're all having a great summer! Enjoy!

Sunset 

Best boardwalk french fries! (They tend to be more ketchup than fries though... :D Can't help it.) 

Click "Read More" to see more of my vacation pictures!

New year, new resolutions!

I can't really remember if I had "resolutions" last year, so I can't tell you if I kept them. I'm sure I wanted to work out and eat healthier, and I'm sure I did those things every now and then but I didn't make a big deal out of it. This year however I've decided to do things differently. I wrote down all my resolutions, yes I have more than a few, this way I can stay on track and it can be my reminder throughout the year. Also, I've made realistic ones. Instead of saying I'm going to work out everyday or stop eating junk food altogether, I've worded it differently in an attempt to make them all possible!

Here are my New Year resolutions I hope to keep and concur throughout the year. 

-Eat healthier 

(more fruits and vegetables each day, less junk, stop eating late at night)

-Drink more water!!!

-Exercise more 

(I'm not a gym member anymore so I'll go for walks, maybe run?)

-Stop picking 

(my face, my nails, my cuticles, it's a terrible habit!)

-Paint my nails more 

(if I keep paint on them they will grow & I won't bite them)

-Use more of the nail polish I already own & buy less 

(think before I buy)

-Save more money! 

(find something to save for)

-Keep better inventory of my nail polish, clothes etc. 

-Use my coupons 

(I always clip them but can never find them or never have them when I need them)

-Get rid of/give away clothes I haven't worn in a year 

(face it, I'm not wearing it!)

-Keep my room clean & organized 

(that way on the weekends I wont have to spend hours cleaning)

-blog more and make more videos 

(I know I keep saying it, but I mean it!)

-Finally decide and buy a DSLR camera & take a ton of pictures!

-Use this amazing picture site I found through Leesha or xsparkage!

(Take a picture everyday)

-Go someplace I've never gone & do something I've never done!

What are your resolutions? 

Vacation OOTD's!

Hey everyone! So I know I've been MIA lately but I just got back from a little vacation at the beach in New Hampshire and it was great! The weather was outstanding, I couldn't have asked for it to have been better and we all had a great time. So my first post back I thought I would compile a few of my outfits from the trip. They really aren't anything too special because when I'm on vacation I like to be pretty comfortable but I thought I would share anyways! I'll also have a video to go along with this very soon that has two little vlog stile videos attached to these OOTD's if you're interested! (The video will detail where each piece of clothing is from!) Now onto the outfits...

The beach

Out to eat and boardwalk outfits

Go Green, it's Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone! I've been working on this post all week to find the best eco friendly links, get you the best information, show you how easy it can be to go green! I am in no way an expert, I am just passing along information I have learned in the past and feel everyone should know. I've compiled a list of all the things I do or know want to start doing in the future to be green and think you should consider it too. This is a rather long post, with a lot of words and I know this. But, if everyone who reads, scans, or stumbles upon this aimlessly finds somethings here that they didn't know before, then this will all be worth it. I hope you all find this helpful and really consider changing something about the way you live to lower your carbon footprint. Also, be sure to check out the links (they're in blue) throughout the post and at the end of my post and share your tips and tricks for everyone to see! The best way change your ways is to educate your self and to be aware. 

Things I do on a daily basis to to be green and conserve energy that you can do too!

• I've been using more natural makeup products as you an see above. I'm not saying that all of the items above are all natural but some are and all of them have better ingredients in them than most of my other makeup products. I've become more aware of what I use and I read the labels to see what I'm actually putting on my face. Look for things that say 100% Natural, organic and certified, because not all products saying they are natural are. If you're not sure, just look at the ingredients and stay away from Parabens, and sulfates. The nail polishes I show in the picture are "3 free" which means they contain NO Formaldehyde, NO Toluene, NO DBP. 
• Zoya also has their Earth Day Nail Polish Exchange going on now until April 27th! 
• I recycle! Paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, anything with that little recycle symbol at the bottom and more. Don't forget things like your shampoo bottles, shaving cream, face wash, tissue boxes, even certain lip glosses and many other makeup products that have any plastic on them. If you just take a minute to look at the packaging before you throw it away, or while your in the shower, you'd be surprised to find out how much can be recycled. A lot of my products actually say, "please recycle" or have the recycle symbol somewhere on them, you just have to find it and decode it's meaning. 
• My university does and amazing job at recycling and having separate bins available to recycle bottles and we are very green with our Dyson eco friendly hand dryers in the bathrooms and we also have a sustainability bulletin to track how much energy the kids on campus are using. Once you're aware of how much you use you start to use less. (links to find out how much energy you use will be below.)
• Unplug my phone/ipod/laptop (electronics) when they are fully charged -you're not only over using energy, but it's bad for your electronics when you keep them plugged in all night 
• Turn off the water when brushing my teeth - everyone should be doing this by now, it would save billions of gallons if everyone around the world did it
• Turn off the light when ever I leave the room - sounds stupid but there's people that don't and I know we've all left the lights on out of laziness or forgetfulness but the more we do it the more it we won't forget
• I use the Yes To Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes everyday to take off my face makeup. They're 98.7% natural, biodegradable, natural cloth, FSC Fabric and the container they come in can be recycled. You can buy them at Target and drugstores.  

• Replace regular light bulbs with CFL's - even replacing a few lamps around the house for starts will save energy and save you money in the long run.
• I reuse random things around the house for craft projects that I do with the kids I babysit. Sometimes we use toilet paper rolls, cereal or tissue boxes or the tops to bottles. Be creative! 
• When I shop I use reusable shopping bags - buy at least one from a store you shop at the most (for me that's Target, I have four bags in various sizes) or a few from your grocery store to reduce the amount of plastic bags that enter landfills...If you do get plastic bags now and then, reuse them or check back with your store to see if they recycle their bags since a lot of stores do that now. You also get $0.05 towards your purchase for every reusable bag that you use in most stores as incentive to use them instead of the plastic ones. 

• Although I don't drink as much water as I should, I own a plethora of reusable water bottles, I just bought another one from Target the other day, it's called a Bobble- my point is if you drink a lot of water buy yourself a nice water bottle you can carry with you and refill periodically rather than buying more plastic water bottles, again you'll be saving money and the environment (if you do buy plastic water bottles however look for eco-friendly containers and RECYCLE them NEVER throw them away) 
• I've been trying more organic products such as Annie's Homegrown Natural and Organic Foods like the White Cheddar Bunnies and the Organic Berry Patch Fruit Snacks. I bought them at Target and I have always loved Archer Farms Simply Balanced Organic Raspberry Real Fruit Strips. 

Things I want to try

• The toilet paper with no tube!  I've only seen the commercial for it but it's an amazing commercial. The fact that all the empty toilet paper rolls that are thrown away each year could fill the Empire State Building TWICE is ridiculous and even the most conscious recycler (myself included) has forgotten about the toilet paper and paper towel roll many times and have just thrown it out and am not proud. So, this sounds like genius idea that I really want to try. 
• More organic clothing. I have a few pieces but I'd like to research and find some quality, affordable brands, I'll obviously get back to you when I do!  

Other ideas that are out there

• Check out the new Garnier Cleaner Greener World Tour and recycling ideas along with their new products if your a fan here.

from http://www.people.com/ Credit: Bill Davila/Startraks

• Back to MAC! I haven't finished any of my MAC products yet but someday I will. Here's what it is and how it works. If you still don't fully understand Allison, or Amarixe on youtube,  did a full video on it here.

"Because we share your commitment to the environment, M·A·C accepts returns of its primary packaging through the Back to M·A·C Program. By returning six [6] M·A·C primary packaging containers to a M·A·C counter or M·A·C Cosmetics online, you’ll receive a free M·A·C lipstick of your choice as our thanks to you."
• Sign up for electronic billing statements. Instead of getting the statement in the mail, or the stub from your direct deposit that you might not even keep, just opt out of those all together. Check with your bank, their online website or through your work to see how. 
• Don't throw away your old or unused eye glasses or cellphones! I know there are vision centers in my mall, as well as Target that collect unwanted spectacles. There are a lot of programs out there that recycles electronics and eyeglasses. A specific program is Cell Phones for Soldiers. They recycle donated cellphones by selling them to a company that does the recycling and then using that money to buy calling cards for soldiers overseas. 
• Do a clothes swap with friends. It's a fun way to get together with friends, get rid of some stuff that you don't want anymore, and find some gems that your friends might have that they're done with and you can enjoy. You can do this for jewelry, shoes, books, dvds, cds, anything! 
• If that's not your thing, you can always donate to Salvation Army, Good Will or local shelters or churches that may be in need of gently worn clothes, home goods, books, electronics, things you've upgraded and don't use anymore 
• Shop Green with these tips from the EPA...http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pubs/shopping.htm
• Carpool to work, school, special occasions when you can, and consider planning out your next trip to run errands so your not driving back and forth a million times wasting gas and your precious time! 

Sites to check out and bookmark! 

Ways to find your Carbon footprint: 

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/

If you ever have a specific question about a law concerning the environment: http://www.epa.gov/

Learn more about Earth Day: http://www.earthday.org/

To find recycling centers near you & other amazing information: http://earth911.com/ 

An amazing foundation doing extraordinary things for the world: http://www.isfoundation.com/
Some great natural beauty tips, tricks and beauty videos: http://naturesknockout.com/TV/home.html

How green are you? What tips and tricks do you have?

First Blog Post!!

Hey everyone! So, I've been wanting to make a blog for a while now but I just haven't gotten around to it until now and I'm really excited! I already have a YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/02mariaa mainly about beauty and I also love to tweet http://twitter.com/mariaa02. 

My plans for this blog are as follows...

• I watch way too much television so there will definitely be posts about, but not limited to, The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, Burn Notice, Law and Order SVU, and many others shows when I see fit.
• I am also a huge Yankee fan which means there are bound to be a good amount of posts either about the Yankees or about my recent travels to see them play. 
• Also, since I do have my YouTube channel, there will probably be some beauty related posts on here as well. 
• Whenever I feel like there is something interesting in the news, on t.v. or otherwise going on, it's likely I'll blog about it once and a while. 
• I love to take pictures so I will also be posting some of those, just please don't steal them! Unless otherwise noted, pictures on this blog have been taken by me. 
• Anything else that shows up on here will just be a ramble about my life and I promise I'll make it interesting! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you've enjoyed your stay!