October Favorites | Beauty + Random

October seriously flew by that I can't even believe we are approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas!! I know people always say that, but it really did. Not that I'm complaining though. I had a few beauty and random favorites this month so I'm here to share them!

Beauty Favorites

Nail Polish| Essie Chinchilly is one of my top five Essie polishes ever and I wore it two straight weeks this month so it was definitely a favorite.

Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara - I love using this over my lengthening mascara, it makes my eyelashes look thick and full.

It's a 10: Miracle Leave-In Product - I think that this product along with the Tangle Teaser pictured above have helped my hair so much. I used to have hair that would break and shed all the time and I've noticed that when I use these products my hair feels so much healthier.

Freeman: Golden Grain Brightening Mask - This product is amazing for dry skin, I am always hesitant about face masks because I have such sensitive skin but this one is very mild and makes my skin look bright and hydrated...plus, it's less than five bucks at Ulta!

Lorac Pro Palette 2- This has been my go-to for eye makeup this month. I love the more nude colors and the champagne color for all over the lid and inner eye.

Random Favorites

Tech|  I just took the plunge last night and bought the new iPhone 6S in rose gold because this girl was running on constant full storage and it was time for a new phone. Let's just say that I am loving the new features and the camera is great.

Music| October was a great month for new singles and now I have even more anticipation for Adele and Justin Bieber's new albums! Hello and Sorry are still on repeat and I'm not even sorry.

Television| I'm still on my Criminal Minds kick on Netflix but as for what's actually on TV I have been watching my usual Housewives of Orange County. This might have been one of my most favorite seasons. Here's hoping Vicki can mend her relationships since her and brooks broke things off. That guy was gross. Oh, and Modern Family but that's always a favorite.

Scent| I am obsessed with the fall scents at Bath and Body Works and  the Autumn candle has been burning all the time in our house.




What were some of your favorites from this month?

Weekend Things: Pumpkin Patch

This weekend pretty much summed up what I love about fall. Painting and carving pumpkins, visiting the pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and eating apple pie. All that was missing was a Halloween movie. Which by the way I still haven't watched any...not one. I should probably get on that since Halloween is next weekend. I haven't watched Hocus Pocus in years so that's a must. The weather is almost cool enough to wear boots and order a hot drink from Starbucks. I'm hoping this week will really start to feel more like fall. Anyway, on to the weekend...

On Saturday we painted and carved pumpkins at our house. It's pretty much become a tradition at this point and I don't think it will matter how old we get because it's just so much fun.

On Sunday we went to a pumpkin patch that was near by and it was so much fun. I'll let the pictures show how cute this place was but it is a family farm and they had a petting zoo and corn maze. It kind of makes me wish I lived on a farm. Basically taking my niece anywhere means taking a ton of photos because she is that cute. I'm not biased or anything, but really shes adorable.

The rest of Sunday was spent watching football, reading blogs, and eating roasted cauliflower which is my new favorite food. I'd say it was a really good weekend. Someone please give me last minute costume ideas because I am completely lost. I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

What is your favorite Halloween movie??

Marriage, One Year Later

Guys... I have been married for an entire year (yesterday). How does time go by so fast? October will always be one of my most favorite months even more so now that it holds our marriage anniversary date. I am so excited to celebrate with my favorite guy on one year of marriage down and the many, many more to come. I know I've learned so much just in this one year I can only imagine the years to come.

|We have learned to compromise, agree to disagree, and love each other during our worst. Nothing makes me happier knowing I have someone who will love me unconditionally.

|As much of an independent person as I am, I need Joe in my life. He is my partner and other half. I'm completely okay with knowing that I need this person in my life to be a better version of myself.

|Never speaking about personal things (you know your spouse would not want you speaking about) regarding your spouse with friends. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard awful things come from someones mouth about their husband and it makes me cringe. That is the most intimate relationship you have, I feel like it should not be slandered like that.

|Knowing that through the ups and downs of life I have that one person to always rely on. This year has been hard. With health, job, and school things that have not been easy, it's always nice to come home to someone who makes me feel better. Or let me cry on his shoulder.

|We both appreciate a good Netflix marathon. We have finished many of series in our first year of marriage and it's one of our favorite things to do after work/weekends.

|You really get to know someone once you're married. I mean, we've been together for almost six years in December, but now that we're married I feel like we are even more connected. It's really the best feeling ever.

I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us. What is your best advice you give to newlyweds or what works for your marriage?

Simmered in Tradition With Ragu

Thank you to Ragu for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to remake a family recipe!

Keeping traditions with my family as we get older is so important to me. My family tries to make a great effort to have dinner with each other at least a few times a month. Now that I have a brand new baby niece it is even more important to keep family traditions. We are a huge fan of pasta dishes, so my sister and I decided to get together and cook dinner for everyone.

I love the story behind Ragu and what a strong woman Aussanta was. On their website you can find their story along with awesome recipes and the many different flavors that Ragu offers. We honestly use Ragu every time I make pasta dishes because there are so many different flavors you can get, and it's a bang for your buck.

Reasons to believe in Aussanta, her sauce and her story: 
+Her Italian Heritage
+Ragu’s Commitment to Aussanta’s High Standards
+The Process – Stemming from a family recipe, Slowly simmered to add layers of flavor
+No.No.No (no artificial flavors, no artificial flavors and no high fructose corn syrup)
+Farm Grown ingredients
+Affordability

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Stuffed Shells featuring Ragu Marinara Sauce

Ingredients
Jumbo pasta shells (We used the whole box in case any broke)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh garlic

12oz skim-milk ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded skim-milk mozzarella cheese
4 cups fresh spinach chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh basil - chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1-1/4 cups Ragu traditional or marinara sauce

Directions

+Cook the pasta as directed on the box

+Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

+Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown. +Add the spinach to pan, cook for about four minutes

+In a large mixing bowl, stir together the rest of the ingredients except the pasta sauce.

+ Pour 1/2 cup of the Ragu sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.

+ Stuff each shell with a spoonful of the mixture and place in the dish.

+Cover with the remaining sauce and bake covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. 

+Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. 

Recipe adapted from this
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Needless to say, this dish was a huge hit!

Visit the campaign landing page to discover the Ragu heritage story.

What are some of your family traditions that you will keep for years to come?