(FREE!) Manduka Renew Mat Wash Review

Hey y'all! Long time no blogging! It's that time of the year again. I'm back in the throws of school again. But I wanted to make a review post of this yoga mat spray that I recently got. I haven't blogged much about it but I have been doing yoga a lot the past few months offered by my college. I bought my Blogilates mat a while back but it's a little too attention grabbing for me so at the moment I have been using my black Oakley mat which I won back in 2013 at an obstacle course 5K.  I don't know how many times I've used it, but I do know that I have never given it a proper wash or wipe down which is scary considering that I use both sides and the floor on which I'm laying my mat on is probably not clean either. Long story short, my yoga mat needed some good ol' TLC.

My yoga instructor told me about a mat spray that he got for free from a website using a promo code and that was when I found Manduka.  They have 2oz. travel size bottles for $5 which I got for free using the promo code "grateful". I don't know if the code still works but you can give it a shot. Choose free shipping and you basically get a bottle of mat cleaner for FREE. I used my 2 debit cards to get 2 bottles (shameless I know! But when they run out, I will probably buy the big refill bottle.).  They come in three scents: Energizing Gingergrass, Soothing Citrus & Tranquil Lavender. I got the latter two and they smell great. Not a scent you would want to spray on yourself but a very clean scent nevertheless.

The actually process of ordering it online was top notch. I ordered the spray on February 1. It shipped on February 2. And it landed on my doorstep February 5. They came in a box that was way bigger than the actual bottle and it was covered in bubble wrap. I can feel they took extra care to make sure it was sent safely. So if you guys are looking to try out a mat spray for FREE, go to the Manduka website.

How To Save Over $100 on Swimwear Without Really Trying

If you haven’t realized yet, I am a major bargain shopper.  I rarely buy anything that is not on sale. You might as well call me Connie the Cost Efficient Shopper (because Connie the Bargain Hunter doesn’t sound as poetic).

I was window-shopping at my local mall one day and I wandered into JC Penney.  I was browsing around the sale sections since most of the clothes are above my price range. As I was looking through the racks a sign that said Clearance $2.97 caught my eye.  It seemed too good to be true so I looked at the price tags and sure enough there were $2.97 bikini pieces. Long story short I walked out of JC Penney with one bandeau top and a top and bottom swim set paying less than $10 for them.  So the shopping moral of this story is shop early (or late, it’s a matter of perspective) for swimwear in October and save a boatload of money.

ANA Bandeau Top $44.00 $2.97

This feels like a good quality bandeau. I couldn’t believe that this even retailed at $44. This came included with a removable strap in the same colorful print. I love the gap in the middle.

ANA Banded Hipster Bottoms $44.00 $2.97

Again, another $44 swim suit piece. It has the same colored lining. I love the crisscrossed detailing at each side.

Arizona Jeans Bandeau Top $28.00 $2.97

I love the pastel tribal print of this bandeau. My favorite part of this bandeau is the braided section in the back. It comes with a sewn in braided strap in the middle. It looks like it included a removable strap like in the ANA Bandeau Top but there wasn’t one in the empty plastic bag.

Retail Total $116.00

Sale Total $8.91

Total Discount $107.09 (92.3% off!!!)

Overall, I am very excited about this purchase.  I don’t have a lot of swimwear and the fact that I got these good quality pieces for $3 each.  I will be going to Australia in December where it will be summer so this sale came at the right time. Until next time!

Xx

GirlInAFantasyland

Charlotte Russe Haul/Review

Here’s the next installment of Connie shops too much online with her debit card. I’m in a current transition where I donate clothes I’ve had since high school and buy new clothes to fill the void.

Crochet & Chevron Print High-Low Dress $28.99  $11.60

I liked the mix of crochet and chevron, two popular trends. I wouldn’t say it is really crochet though. It’s just a textured white material. The thing I don’t like about this dress is that it is inadequately lined. The white part has a thin lining on the front and not the back, and even with it, I don’t think I would be able to wear anything but a nude-colored bra underneath because it would show through. The bottom part doesn’t have any type of lining under it either. It’s feels cheaply made and not something that should have been priced at $28.99. I did get it for 60% off so I won’t complain too much.

Neon Scarf Print Cold Shoulder Shift Dress $28.99  $11.60

This is one of my favorites purchases. I had nothing like this in my closet. It is one of three shift dresses from Charlotte Russe. I love the bright pink paisley pattern and the black piping on the top and the cold shoulders. This one does have a lining under it. My only gripe is that it is a little longer than I thought it would be.

Crochet & Chiffon Flounce Shift Dress $26.99  $9.49

This is one of the clearance dresses that I bought. Again, another fusion of two current trends: crochet and chiffon.  Coral is also a trendy color. The only bad thing is that it has a v-neck back which shows a little of my bra underneath.

Strappy Floral Print Cold Shoulder Shift Dress $28.99  $11.49

Another shift dress! I liked the straps on this dress. The print looked a little different than it did on the site but I actually like it a lot more in person.  It’s a more subtle print. Overall, I like this dress.

Lightweight Striped Scarf $9.99  $3.99

I absolutely love scarves. I was overdue for a new scarf and I didn’t have a striped one. I liked the color on this one and it was only $4.

Coral Metallic Bandeau $16.99  $1.99

I really only bought this because I was just under the amount needed to qualify for free shipping. I was also drawn to the fact that it was only $2. It has since been removed from the online store, which is expected when you discount a swimsuit bandeau to $2.

Retail Total $140.94

Sale Total $50.16

Total Discount $90.78 (64.4% off!!!)

So that was my Charlotte Russe Haul/Review. Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase. My bargain hunter tip with Charlotte Russe and online shopping overall is to monitor sales (Charlotte Russe ALWAYS has some type of sale) and decide which one is best to pounce on. I made my purchase during a 60% off dresses sale. Two dresses had qualified for 60% off and the other two were already on sale. My order was shipped a day after I placed my order. Shipping took only four days; two days sooner than expected. Everything was individually packaged with the price tags on them. Five stars for Charlotte Russe.

Xx

GirlInAFantasyland

Forever 21 Haul/Review

Being away at college to me is synonymous with guilt-free online shopping. Maybe it's the distance away from my family that makes it easier to buy stuff online and get it in the mail so far away that they never know it happens.
That being said, I still have some cash on my UK card when I was abroad and seeing as I can't use it here without charges, it goes to feed my online shopping addiction.
The dangers of online shopping are that sometimes expectations fail to meet reality. I'm not super high maintenance so I can usually work around any mishaps I may come across.
Without further ado, let me give some feedback on the 6 (7, I'll explain down below) items I bought online at Forever 21.
Scottish Terrier Sweatshirt $15.80

A basic sweater at Forever 21. They have the same type in Boston Terrier, Horses, whatever suits your fancy. I bought a size M because I like my sweaters baggier. The design is cute and the sleeves go to my palms. I wish it was long enough for me to wear it with leggings without judgement but alas, it is not. The material is pretty thin, like a light cardigan. It won't do a lot of good on it's own during average winter day. Pair with a pop up collar and a skater skirt for a nice transitional season outfit.

Low Impact - Reversible Chevron Sports Bra $12.80

I loved the concept of a reversible sports bra. It's like 2 in 1 even though people's would even see it. This did not come with removable pads as they had listed nor did it have a sleeve sewn in to put ones in. First issue so far with this shipment. But what puzzles me more is what kind of sports bra doesn't come with padding? It's still a cute design and I pair it with a tank top that also has a sports bra without padding sewn into it. So I guess two wrongs make a right?

Power Mesh-Paneled Leggings $12.80

I tried to find them online again, but they have been taken off. Just picture black leggings with a mesh stripe down each side. Anyways, this is the one I was most excited for. I ordered a small because I consistently fit the small size. But with these leggings, I struggled to comfortably fit them. They were so skin tight I thought they would rip down the middle in yoga class. But I guess that will be my motivation to work out.

Low Impact - Cami Sports Bra $7.80

I bought this in purple. It's great. Nothing to really say about this.

Basic Cuffed Denim Shorts $7.80

If there's one thing Forever 21 is good at, it's offering affordable demin.  Sure, it's not the most high quality but for $8, I'm content. 

Crepe Woven Shorts $12.80

I wanted black shorts like this. However I will say after putting it on, the inseam is very low which makes it pretty easy to see what's underneath if you're not too careful. I don't really like the way they fit on me. This one is kind of a miss for me. 

Pleated Woven Top??

This would have been the 7th item but it did not come in the mail. This was one of their weekly deal items. I guess they ran out and couldn't give me one. Thankfully I wasn't charged for it so I won't pursue it more. However this did dampen my online shopping experience. But I have had favorable past experience with F21 so I will keep shopping here. Overall, I was happy with my purchase.

xx

A Month in Review: February 2014

Happy End of February Everyone. I think it's safe to say that we have now all gotten used to the fact that it is 2014 and that 2014 is already 1/6 over. I started my Blogilates Fit Journal and I will be honest, it was been a rocky start but I'm working on it. I've got midterms coming up. So to celebrate, here are some of my favorites.

Music
BASTILLE - Bad Blood album
Bo Burnham

I chose the entire Bastille album because there are too many songs that I like.  I first heard Pompeii in September before it was cool when I studied abroad.  They are a British band so it would make sense that we Americans were behind the 8 ball with this band. I listed Bo Burnham as an artist because I discovered him in February and listened to his albums. He is a musical comedian. Some highlights include: Words Words Words, Repeat Stuff & Sad.

TV
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Chicago PD
Parks and Recreation

If you didn't know, I absolutely adore Seth Meyers and I am so glad that I can see his face 5 hours a week.  He is such a natural. The comedy bits are a little shaky right now, but I know he will hit gold soon. Chicago PD is relatively new. I never watched Chicago Fire but one of the creators is an alum of my university and he came to give a talk. I went for the extra credit and I stayed for the amazing show that is Chicago PD. Parks and Rec is a netflix find. I had finished all 7 seasons of 30 Rock and I figured it was the next logical step.

Books
...
...
...

Ahem. Yeah. I got nothing. I really shouldn't force this. I will read when I have the time to read. But Spring Break is this week so maybe I can read a book this month.

2 months down. 10 more to go.

A Month in Review: January 2014

This post will be sort of a hybrid of a monthly favorites post and a summary of how the month went for me.  One of my New Years Resolutions was to keep up with my blog more often. I'm still trying to update my daily entries for my 2 week vacation in Europe. Hopefully by the time this blog goes up, I will be all caught up.  I know my blog doesn't get a lot of hits. And honestly that doesn't matter to me. I don't care if 5 or 500 people read this. Though, 500 hits would be really cool.

I wanted to continually keep making posts because I want something that I can look back on when I'm older. I was never good at keeping a diary, unlike my brother who has somehow documented everyday of his life since middle school (he's 22 now!). I figured at the end of every month I could take a step back and see the progress I have made thus far. So without further ado, here is my review of January 2014.

I reigned in the New Year with my best friend.  We made New Years Resolution and cooking videos that I'm almost positive will never see the light of day.  I came back to visit my old high school and see some people I haven't seen in months.  I started my new life at my new college.  It's been a struggle but I know I just need to give it time.  The dining hall food is spectacular.  Let it be known, the freshman fifteen is real.  I find myself forcing to eat a salad for at least one of my meals every day.

So that was basically January 2014 for me. Now for some January favorites. Basically any tv shows, music, books, etc. that I discovered (or rediscovered) that I thought were worth mentioning.

Music
Happy - Pharrell Williams
Happily - One Direction
Afraid - The Neighborhoods
Take Me Home - Midnight Red

Gotta weird mix of music here. I'm pretty sure I heard half these songs in 2013 but they have been some of my favorite songs this momnth.

TV
Teen Wolf Season 3
Vampire Diaries Season 5
Law and Order: SVU Season 15

No new shows this month. Just a lot of midseason premieres. These are some that I have kept up with on my laptop since I don't have a tv to watch them on.

Books

I made a resolution to read at least one book every month. And I failed miserably. So I'm going to aim for 2 books in February. Wish me luck.

One month down, eleven more to go. And yes I do realize we are halfway through February.