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When I was contacted by Misikko to do a review of the Hana Pro 1″ Flat Iron, I was ecstatic. I have seen a couple of other bloggers review this product and I couldn’t wait to try it out myself.

First off, I have terrible hair. It is frizzy and curly. Half of the time, I give up on it and end up throwing some gel in it and calling it a day. I have been using a hair straightener that has been okay. It has lasted a while but it has definitely run it’s course on my doo. Example:

Gross, right?

I received my box from Misikko and let’s just say they spoiled me. Not only did I receive the incredible flat iron, they also included a brush, silicone mat, hand sanitizer, nail files, E.L.F. lip gloss, eye shadow and eyelash curler. This would make a perfect gift for birthdays or Christmas.

So here is why I loved this hair straightener: It heats up to 450° and heats very quickly. It also has a 2 year warranty which is pretty rare these days. But the best part? It worked wonders on my hair. My hair didn’t feel all dry and hay-like after using it. It felt and looked soft. It also made my hair less frizzy than my old straightener. Instead of going over it multiple times, I only had to do it once. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new flat iron.

Here is a picture of my hair a few hours after I used the Hana flat iron:

HUGE difference.

A huge thanks to Misikko and Hana for letting me try your product.

*I was given a product as compensation for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How far along? 28 1/2 weeks (3rd Trimester!!!)

Baby Size: 17 in. 2.9 lbs. (What to Expect app)

Feeling: Excited and a little sad. I realized this past week that I’m actually going to miss being pregnant. It has been such a wonderful experience for me. Of course it hasn’t been perfect and I’ve experienced the not so fun things. I’ve had sickness, round ligament pain and Hampton decided to chill out on my sciatic nerve for three weeks. But it has all been so exciting and emotional. From that first kick to being able to see his precious face for the first time, it is all so worth it.

Sleep: I’m not sleeping too well because I have a hard time getting comfortable.

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my stomach and having my back popped. That sounds like heaven right now. 

Movement: All the time! 

Looking forward to: My doctor appointment tomorrow! I’m going every 2 weeks now.

Bump: If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen pictures of my growing belly. It’s definitely out there now!

Exercise: Still walking and swimming. I love to swim because it is so much cooler. 

Doctor Visit: We had our 4D ultrasound done last week! Ryan and my little sister were there to share in the joy of seeing our sweet boys face for the first time. It was the greatest thing I’ve experienced. I haven’t been able to quit staring at the pictures since. To you, they may look like a mud creature, but here are a couple for your enjoyment. 🙂


Welcome to the twenty-seventh week of Monday Mingling! Please take the time to introduce yourselves to our co-hosts! If you are new to this blog hop, please leave us a comment letting us know you are following and we would be happy to follow you back. If you are interested in co-hosting please fill out this form. Thank you for joining us this week, and don’t forget to link back to us by grabbing our button. Happy Mingling!


Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans


 



Shannon @ Smile and Write



Smile and Write

Blog | Bloglovin’ | Twitter | Facebook

A lifestyle blog about finding the brighter side of life. You can find recipes, my diy attempts, pinterest tests, mommy humor and inspiration








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My name is Kaity, the voice behind {Bee}autiful Blessings and I’ve got a confession to make:
I’m terrible at guest posts.


Beeautiful Blessings

Counter to what people may believe about me and my blogging habits, I’m super uncomfortable talking myself up. It’s not modesty by any means, I’m just a super shy, introvert who prefers to keep her distance from the spotlight…even in cyberspace. I just happen to enjoy writing.
But I digress. 
When Logan offered me the opportunity to guest post for her, I jumped at the chance. I love highlighting my favorite bloggers on my site and love to see other bloggers doing the same. So guest-post-writing-suckiness aside, I’m here to introduce myself and the city in which I reside: Pittsburgh!

via

In the summer of 2011, I was officially accepted into the Master’s of Food Studies program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. I spent a year learning about our broken food system, figuring out how to make organic, local and sustainable food more accessible and hypothesizing how to end the obesity epidemic in the Western world, as well as global food insecurity. It was awesome.
And then one day I realized that I couldn’t actually afford to attend graduate school. So I got myself a big girl job working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and two years later, the husband and I are still living the city life. Although our hearts reside in Southeast Ohio, we’re making the most of our time here. 
These are some of my favorite things about the Steel City:
The Food Culture

There are so many fun restaurants to visit, markets to shop and gardens to see!
 The Strip District is a must! A few blocks near downtown devoted to farmer’s markets, local food and home to the original Primanti Bros., a Pittsburgh staple. Other places of note are Hofbrauhaus, modeled after the original Hofbrauhaus in Munich, Germany, and the place my husband will not shut up about: Wholey’s, a fish market that Chuck swears have the best cod sandwiches.
Pirates Games
Although my husband is a Reds fan to the core, we live so close to the stadium that attending Pirates games has become one of my favorite things to do in the city. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they’re currently ranked 2nd in the league!
Date Ideas
There is never a shortage of places to go in Pittsburgh on Date Night. Chuck and I have an ongoing list of places we still need to check out, but our favorites so far have been the Dependable Drive-In, The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium and The Heinz History Center.
So if you ever find yourself in the Steel City, be sure to look me up! I’d love to be your tour guide. Until then, come say “hi!” to me over at {Bee}autiful Blessings.

Today, my nephew is turning one! I can’t believe how fast time has flown by since he was born. What better way to celebrate our little man than with a “little  man” birthday party?

Happy Birthday, Gage!

Welcome to the twenty-sixth week of Monday Mingling! Please take the time to introduce yourselves to our co-hosts! If you are new to this blog hop, please leave us a comment letting us know you are following and we would be happy to follow you back. Thank you for joining us this week, and don’t forget to link back to us by grabbing our button. Happy Mingling!


Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans


 



Samantha @ Life is But a Stream of Thoughts

Life is But a Stream of Thoughts

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

I am a college student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My blog is all about the experiences I have as a college student and a young woman.


Lisa @ Sorority Life to Army Wife






Lifestyle blog about a military wife, recipes and random stories.








Rules:

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4. Link back to us by grabbing our button.

5. Tweet, Facebook, and Pin this blog hop. The more you spread the word the more people will link up, and the more success you will have! 






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How far along? 26 1/2 weeks

Baby Size: A cucumber! About 15 inches and 2.2 lbs. (What to Expect app)

Feeling: Other than the cold I have been plagued with this week, I am feeling wonderful! 

Sleep: Sleep? What sleep?

Miss Anything? I’m starting to miss my old clothes. 

Movement: All the time! My doctor said he is VERY active.

Looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound next week! I can’t wait to see my sweet boy!

Bump: If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen pictures of my growing belly. It’s definitely out there now!


Exercise: Still walking and swimming. I love to swim because it is so much cooler. 

Nursery: The nursery is painted and the carpet is in! We ordered our furniture 2 weeks ago, but they said it would take 8 weeks to come in so we are just waiting on that. I promise I’ll post pics soon!


Doctor Visit: I went to the doctor last Thursday and had my glucose test done. Everything went great! His heartbeat was 140! I love hearing that sweet thump.


I can’t believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by! I’m only a week away from the third trimester! It’s nuts. I am getting so excited to see his sweet little face, but I’m also super nervous about the birth. Luckily my excitement outweighs my nervousness.

Welcome to the twenty-fifth week of Monday Mingling! Please take the time to introduce yourselves to our co-hosts! We are accepting co-hosts for next month! If you’d like to co-host with us, please fill out this form. If you are new to this blog hop, please leave us a comment letting us know you are following and we would be happy to follow you back. Thank you for joining us this week, and don’t forget to link back to us by grabbing our button. Happy Mingling!


Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans


 









Rules:

1. Follow both of your hosts via Bloglovin’.
(first 2 links below)

2. Follow your co-hosts via GFC or Bloglovin’
(next two links)

3. Link up your main blog URL, not a specific post.

4. Link back to us by grabbing our button.

5. Tweet, Facebook, and Pin this blog hop. The more you spread the word the more people will link up, and the more success you will have! 






6. Be sure to visit other blogs! Don’t just link up and wait for others to find you. 

Let’s get this party started!!…


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Someday Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
Ballantine Books, 2013

First Line: “Begin whenever you’re ready,” comes the voice from the back of the house.

Synopsis from GoodreadsFranny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works. 


Meanwhile, she dreams of doing “important” work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It’s hard to tell if she’ll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won’t call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. 


Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.


My Thoughts: Lauren Graham is the star actress from Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. I have not seen Parenthood, but I am a Gilmore fanatic. I own all 7 seasons and can quote every episode. Sad, but true. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I found out she had written her first novel. I’ve since learned that she is writing her second which makes me ecstatic. 

Her personality and humor are very evident throughout the book. It made me laugh, but it was also a very interesting book. The story line is different than anything I’ve read before which made it exciting. Franny Banks, the main character reminded me so much of her character in Gilmore Girls. Franny is a struggling actress trying to make it in New York. She’s quick, and driven. She is focused but there is also a level of romance that she lets creep in.

I thoroughly enjoyed her first novel. I feel like it will be a big hit not only to her fans, but all fiction readers. I gave this book 4 1/2 stars out of 5 only because I only give books a 5 that were absolutely exceptional. I can’t wait for the second one, although I’m sure it will be a while before it comes out. I definitely recommend it to all you chick-lit/ fiction readers.


(I purchased this book)


Literary Junkies


If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you know that I’m a member of the Literary Junkies Book Club! I absolutely love these girls! We read a book a month and discuss it as well as have these awesome link-ups. If you want more info or are interested in joining, feel free to contact Taylor or Leslie.

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.

-I’m reading Ketchup is a Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves by Robin O’ Bryant. It is absolutely hilarious. I giggle like a little girl every time I pick this up. Robin is so honest and open about her mommy experiences and I love it. Every mom/mother-to-be should read this.

2. What book first made you fall in love with reading?


-This is tough. I don’t remember the first. I’ve loved to read forever. My grandmother read fairy tales to me all the time when I was younger and I have been fascinated with my second world of books ever since then.

3. Summer is a great time for series.  What are your series recommendations?


-I loved reading the Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts last year! You can check out my reviews on my bookshelf.

4. Does a song come to mind with the book you are currently reading? If so what it is?


-Not that I can think of. 

5. Are you participating in any summer reading challenges?


-Sadly, no. I am so far behind on my personal reading (and goal of 50 books this year), that I’m focused on catching up on that before the baby gets here.