It's very frustrating when you are trying to potty train your puppy, especially if it is a dog that will forever be going on pee pads.  I have small dogs (Chihuahuas) and that's their method of using the potty, so I had to work so hard in the beginning to ensure they would become properly potty trainer.  When it comes to an indoor dog bathroom, you have to check out the Puppy Apartment! It's literally like an apartment for your puppy and it helps teach them where to go.  There's a place for your puppy to sleep, and since dog will not use the bathroom in their bed, it teaches them to go on their pad, since really, where else do they have to go?  This can be used during the day, overnight, or whenever you aren't home.  Over time, your puppy can learn how to comprehend that the pee pad is for potty use!

This is great for crating a dog also, because if it has an accident inside the crate, it will be on the pad, and not all over in the bed.  It's important to be patient and invest a lot of time into potty training! Remember, puppies don't understand things like humans do!

Everyone Needs a Simple Handbag

Out of all the Melie Bianco bags at Silvia's Handbags, I feel that the Melie Bianco Johannah Two Tone Satchel is the one that is most simple and can be worn pretty much all the time.  It comes in three simple colors and it's a beautiful bag.  It's a shoulder bag so the straps are long enough to be worn over your shoulder, but you can still drape it on your forearm to show off when you are out and about if you so please!

Percent Apparel Review & *Giveaway* Ends 8/6

Percent Apparel is an awesome clothing company that represents originality, creativity, and lifestyle in the alternative culture.  Their design is an awesome skull with 2 skateboards making cross bones.  They sell womens clothing, mens clothing, and accessories!

I received 2 shirts from Percent Apparel.  I love the fit, they aren’t too tight or too loose.  The material is very soft but very breathable so I could wear this in summer, or even in winter with a cami underneath!!  I love the design.   It’s unique and rebellious!! I felt really really comfortable when I wore my shirts, and I loved the colors.  They go with everything I wear!

I just love representing originality in the alternative culture when I wear my shirts from Percent Apparel.  Fashion is all about being yourself, and representing your style through what you wear so this is perfect!

One winner will get a grey shirt like I wore above!

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SuperFood Snacks Review & *Giveaway* Ends 8/3

SuperFood Snacks is a great place to go for healthy foods that have many benefits.  Proper nutrition can improve your mental health and physical health.  The foods we put in our body often times have no real value and can cause you to feel letharthic and just all around icky! But the organic raw chocolate inside these snacks is very beneficial and won't fill your body with junk!

I received a Chocolate Sampler.  Inside was: 1 Brazilian Chocolate Ecstasy, Chocolate Goji Treats, Green Chocolate Dream, and Chocolate Cherry Qi.  They were delicious! Every single one! And they were actually filling.  I am usually pick with these kinds of foods but my taste buds really enjoyed it.  It actually made me feel great and I had great energy for my workout when I ate these before my evening workout!


One winner will receive a sampler of their own!

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 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

An Easier Way to Make and Wear A Belt

I don't have many of those thin belts that people use to hold together an outfit.  My belts are made for holding up my pants.  So when I saw some photographs of people on the street using a scarf as a belt a light bulb went off in my brain! DUH!!  What an easy and great idea.  You can just take a scarf you already have and wrap it around.  You can tuck the ends in too if they don't like right sticking out.  This is a great idea because it also gives you more breathing room.  Sometimes wide belts that I wear over sweater dresses, actually make me feel like I'm being squeezed. 

Have you done this already?  Are you going to try it?

Hair Trend: Ombre Hair

When you first read this, you might not even know what I'm talking about, but I promise you that you have seen Ombre hair before!!!  Khloe Kardashian is a prime example! Ombre hair is when your hair is dark on the top and light on the bottom, as if you were growing it out for many many months after dying it.  It's pretty much dark brown and light brown/dark blonde.

The beautiful thing about it is that if you have the right shades, you can do Ombre hair yourself simply by letting your hair grow out!! But you would have to have the exact right tones though so it's a good idea to have a professional look at your color and maybe alter it just a bit.  But at least you have a great start for it!

It's important, however, to match Ombre hair with your skin tone.  If you have fair skin it looks better with ashy and gentle blonde tones.  If you have dark skin, a deep red or copper will complement your skin and if you have medium skin tones, a luscious deep brown will be just right!

I like Ombre hair because it looks more natural and it complements skin tones.  I can't stand a hair color that makes your face look washed out.  Also, one thing about dark hair is that if you wear black, sometimes in pictures the hair color blends in with the dark clothing.  With Ombre hair, the dark will show on your head but on the long locks of your hair it will stand out against the dark clothing, as in the photo above.

Do you know anyone with Ombre hair or are you thinking of doing your hair this way?

Summer Bucket List: Indian Echo Caverns

the entrance to the caves!

This past Saturday we headed out to Indian Echo Caverns in Middletown, PA.  It's a beautiful place for people of all ages.  You can take a tour of their huge caverns, check out a small petting zoo, pan for gold and gems, and shop in their huge gift shop.

me holding my ticket

When we arrived, the first thing we did was take a tour of the caverns.  It was beautiful inside.  We had to go down a huge flight of stairs to start though.  I mean like 100 steps!!  The caverns at certain points are 100 feet under the ground!  Our guide instructed us not to touch any of the rocks or walls because the oils from our skin can make the rocks stop growing!!!

Me in the caves

The rock formations inside were beautiful!  It was a nice balmy 50 some degree temperature and it was very damp and drippy but not so much so that it ruined our time.  I actually enjoyed it.  There was even a little underwater pond! 

The guide explained what some of the formations look like, which had all the kids laughing.

Towards the end there was a little area that a man used to live in.  He lived there until he died.  She even showed us where he slept.  I was amazed that someone honestly lived in a cave.  I guess he ran away from some life problems he had and then when he didn't show up to the farm he worked at one day, they went looking for him!  He slept high up on this rock ledge, and it's a wonder he never fell off!

After the tour, which was about 45 minutes, we headed up to pan for gold and gemstones.  It was called Gem Mill Junction and basically, you purchase a bag of sand of your choice.  Some have gem stones in them, some have fossills, and some have a mix of both.  You pick up a panning box and head to the water area.  It was so fun that me and my boyfriend couldn't stop smiling and chuckling!

Honestly, I think I saved money because if I would have purchased rocks from the gift shop it would have been way more expensive.  I dumped sand in mine and began to sift and immediately saw some gem stones.

I got some really cool stones! And we even had brochures to explain to us what each stone was.  Johnny had a blast doing his as well!!

After we placed our findings in our baggies, we headed to the petting zoo because you know I can't pass up the opportunity to see an animal!  There were goats, sheep, and roosters and chickens! They were pretty lazy probably because all they do is eat.  But we did get some cool pictures.

Overall, I had a blast and for the price, it was great! There's even a playground for kids and a huge area to picnic at, which is where we ate our hotdogs after our cavern tour! If you are ever in the central PA area I highly recommend you check it out!

Alicia Klein Media Pocket Review & *Giveaway* Ends 7/31

Alicia Klein is a company that offers handbags and travel bags that are luxurious and easy to bring along when travelling or just getting around from place to place on a daily basis.  Some of us feel like we are world travelers the way we run all over town for errands or for our jobs.  Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do that while looking fashionable and stylish still.  

One of their travel items is the Media Pocket.  It can be used for someone who is technology savvy, or for someone who just wants to keep coupons, bills, and receipts organized.  The great thing about the Media Pocket is that whatever you carry in it will be kept safe, and also away from inclement weather like pouring rain or a snow storm.  Whether it’s a camera or GPS, or just your passport and some money, the Media Pocket is roomy and easy to put inside any other bag.

I received a Media Pocket from Alicia Klein! Mine is pink, although it also comes in many other colors and designs.  I love how smooth it opens and closes.  It’s so soft and you can tell it’s made from high quality REAL leather.  Since I don’t ALWAYS bring my gigantic purse with me, I used the Media Pocket when I just wanted to bring cash, credit cards, a license, camera, and my phone with me.  Maybe it’s just into a store, or over to a friend’s house, but either way, I really loved this adorable little envelope!  It measures 7x5x1 inches, so it’s plenty big for anything you need to store in it! 

And stay tuned next month when I feature the Taxi Wallet!

One winner will receive a Media Pocket of their own!

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Summer Bucket List: Hershey Gardens

So this weekend was a total blast!!  On Saturday, we went to Indian Echo Caverns and then decided to head on over to Hershey Gardens since we were only 10 minutes away.  It's only $11 admission a person and you get to walk all over their gardens and there's even a butterfly house.  It's so worth the money and it's a great opportunity to take pictures!

Me by the pond

Taking time to smell the flowers :)

We started off by a pond and a bunch of rose gardens.  Because the heat was so nasty lately the roses weren't as healthy and vibrant as they could be. They still were beautiful though and it smelled wonderful.

Here little piggy!

Relaxing in a lounge chair in one of the gardens

Along the way there were these watering cans that were painted by students from the Milton S. Hershey schools. They were pretty awesome!

I really loved the interactive seating and the fun displays near the kids garden.

Beautiful Koi that came up as we walked over the bridge

Messing with the statues!

This awesome old tree that a bajillion people drew on!

Then we went to the Butterfly House and it was honestly one of the coolest things ever.  You have to be super careful where you walk so you don't step on a butterfly!  There were so many and there was a guide we got to tell us what each kind was.  I took so many pictures!!

There was a rock garden and a Japanese garden that had a huge pond with Koi fish! They all came up to the top and some were so huge that I was a bit nervous!!

Then there were some statues and a big area of trees.  It was very relaxing to walk through everything, and it really helped clear my mind from the busy day. 

How funny is this. Summer Fashion Intorduced 1986 (my birth year!)

Then the annuals came, and they were vibrant and beautiful with amazing colors and beautiful displays!! 

I hope you enjoy all of my pictures!

What did you do this weekend?