High Five Catch-Up

I know I didn't do a high five last week so here is a little catch-up since then.  I was really dreading this week after a short week, but surprisingly it went by fast! We have lots on the schedule for this weekend, but all in all it should be a good time.

Here are my top five things from the past few weeks:

1. Milo can just be so sweet sometimes. I brought home a few new "steals" and found him sleeping on them.
2. We finally found a media console with a fireplace that we both liked! (You've probably already seen it here). We got this little gem at Lowe's. We were able to fit this into the budget because my parent's were willing to pay someone to paint their bedroom and bathroom. I of course saw the opportunity and volunteered.
3. On Thanksgiving the big Dallas vs Redskins game was on so I of course had to send an "intimidating" picture to my mom (HUGE Cowboys fan). I found a really good use for my newly purchased yellow jeans. :)
4.  LOVE this time of year and came home to a surprise from the husband. He bought Christmas cookies for dessert one night. I of course couldn't resist the urge to pull out the "Santa's Cookies" plate.
5.  After a long Monday I found these little beauties in Target and had to restrain from purchasing. I could see myself wearing these everyday after work. I'm sure that's perfectly normal right?

Happy weekend everyone. So excited its almost December!

 Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged. 

NEW Fantasyland

So excited that the NEW Fantasyland expansion is officially opening next week! The grand opening is set for December 6th, but luckily, most of the area has been available to preview since October. They call it a dress rehearsal which means that at any point they reserve the right to stop letting people into the area.

Good news for me as I went down in October twice, and got to see the whole area between the two trips. I have already given you the low-down on Belle's cottage area in a previous post. So today I will focus on the Ariel section.

Isn't she pretty?!

The Journey of the Little Mermaid is a ride inside Eric's castle and around the corner, you can actually meet Ariel herself in her grotto!

 I was so stinkin' excited!

 Just like over in Belle's area, not a single detail was left out. I only got to see this part at night so I will have to get some better daytime pictures in January when I'm down again for the Marathon!

 I know it's hard to see, but the theming of this area is impeccable!

Below are some pictures I took from inside the ride (don't worry, I didn't have a flash so no one's experience was ruined). Oh and don't judge my picture taking skills. These were not only done at night but with my iPhone instead of my good camera. Ooops!

 So there you have it! If your familiar with other rides in Disney, I would tell you this ride is a cross between The Living Seas with Nemo and Haunted Mansion in terms of technology and how the ride feels. The overall concept fits right in with the rest of the "kiddie" rides in Fantasyland. It's an abridged version of the movie just like Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, and Snow White (was).

So if your planning a trip to Disney this year, be sure to plan for extra time in the New Fantasyland section as there is a ton to see! Also, the Be Our Guest restaurant is in Beast's Castle (I've heard GREAT things about it. It's a quick service by day and a sit down by night), Gaston's Tavern where you can get these little beauties (Le Feu's Brew), and Belle's Cottage is all open starting next week!

Stay tuned as there are more sections to be opening as part of this expansion. Such as the Dwarf's Mine roller coaster and an entire Fairyland (curious to see how this turns out).

Now get to planning your Disney vacation!

Lumberjack Wednesday

With the weather growing increasingly colder, I've decided that with today's outfit warmth was going to play a key factor. Easier said than done because not only do I want to be warm, but I also have to dress for a typical day at the office.

Here is what I came up with. My husband so lovingly refers to this as my "Lumberjack" look. Not sure how I feel about that, but I guess he could call me worse things right?! :)

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW

Deck the Halls!

Everyone has their own opinion as to when you should decorate for Christmas. However, I have decided that there should not be an acceptable date to which we all adhere to for decorating but instead it should be a feeling. After all, isn't that the best part of the holidays? The feeling you get? So I hereby decree (I know you wait on me to make all your decisions) that whenever the spirit of the season hits you, feel free to deck your halls!

With all that being said, I would like to share with you my decked halls.

My artistic shot of our tree through the mirror in the pump organ.

My friend gave me these adorable chair bows. Of course I HAD to put them on all my chairs.

This is my favorite area. 

Up close of our little village

Love our countdown to Christmas! Yes, I'm aware we are down to 28 days.

 This is our newest edition! We got a media center with an electric fireplace! It really brings our room together. Not to mention how cozy we now feel!

 We each had a tree of our own before we got married and since we lived in apartments until now we've only put one up. Now that we have space we are a multi-tree family!

 Of course no Christmas is complete without a sweet Christmas kitty under the tree. This is his new favorite napping spot.

 I can't wait to start seeing everyone's Christmas decorations! It really is the best time of the year!

Today my blogging big Kailyn is featuring little ol' me on her blog! I am giving away $45 in Mary Kay products! She has a ton of other giveaways for this entire week so be sure to check it out and enter to win as many as you like!

 Linking up with Helen @ Helen in Between 

Cyber Monday and Adopt-A-Mom Program!

First, I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and got to spend some quality time with your families. I know I have been incognito for a while, but I enjoyed spending some quality time away from my computer and with my family. No need to fear for I will be spending this week, catching up on various things that haven been going on. However, in the mean time I want to make sure everyone gets to take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale as well as a very special opportunity to give back this holiday season. So here it goes!

No need to be bummed about being back at work today, I have a little Mary Kay Cyber Monday deal to sweeten those Monday blues. More importantly, because we are in the season of giving, I want to share with you a way to give back to your local community. For a mere $10 donation to the Adopt-A-Mom program (see below) I will provide a Satin Hands Lotion and a pair of gloves beautifully gift wrapped to a mom who might otherwise be forgotten this season. What better way to share the love this season?!

For the sale you ask? Here you go!

Cyber Monday (12am - 11:59 pm)-

Orders up to $49 get a FREE Satin Lips Mask

Orders up to $99 get a FREE Satin Lips Set

Orders up to $199 get a FREE Compact (unfilled)

Orders $200+ get a FREE Volu-Firm eye cream!!!!

ADOPT-A-MOM Program

I am so excited to be participating in the “Adopt-A-Mom” program this holiday season.  Last year through many generous donations my Mary Kay sisters were able to bless over 4,000 women throughout the Northern Virginia area and beyond.  The Adopt-A-Mom program allows you to purchase our Satin Hands Lotion and a pair of gloves, beautifully wrapped, to be given to local women who might otherwise be forgotten at the holidays.  These gifts will benefit women in shelters as well as Church organizations throughout Virginia. 

The impact we can make in someone’s life is truly amazing!  My personal goal this year is to bless 100 women, and with your support we can reach that goal. For just $10, the cost of a drive-through meal or 3 Starbucks drinks you can reach out to another woman in love and compassion.  Simply let me know how many moms you would like to bless at the time of your purchase & I'll be sure to add your donation to your order.  Thanks for your generous support!

Email me or visit my website to place your order today before midnight!

mbolt9@marykay.com
http://www.marykay.com/mbolt9

High Five for the Little Things

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in less than a week! Which means Black Friday is next week too! Usually I am the crazy lady who camps outside Target at midnight for a 4am opening, but this year they are opening at 9pm?! Come on people, it's still Thanksgiving! For those of us who actually want to spend time with our families, the industry is making it impossible. Am I supposed to eat and run so I can get in line at 6pm?! No way!

My husband said it best the other night, "They should just do a reset". Since everyone is always trying to open one hour earlier then the next guy and every year the start time gets moved up, they should start all over again at 7am like the olden days. I think I'm going to rely on the internet this year for my shopping. I'll let you know how it goes.

Enough of that, here are my top 5 things from this week!

1.  I LOVE the fall. I also love the fact that we are so close to country roads and on beautiful fall days can just go cruisin'
2. As you read on Monday, we bought a Mustang! One week later and we still dig it, so that's good!
3. Casual Fridays make me happy. My two newest items to my fall wardrobe: mustard pants from Loft and leopard print target shoes from last week's High 5.
4. Don't you just want to eat this little nugget up?! Hadleigh is 7 months and couldn't be cuter.
5. Milo enjoys my wardrobe almost as much as I do! Sometimes I too find myself wanting to nap among my clothes! (Ok maybe not, but it sure does look comfy)

Big plans for the weekend?! We are laying low and catching up on some chores around the house. Oh yeah, and I'm running 15 miles. Womp womp....I might die.

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk

Kickin' It

So I just HAVE to share this amazing new app with you guys. It's called "Shopkick" and it is my new obsession. It all started 2 weeks ago when a friend invited me to join. It was free and looked like fun, so I figured I had nothing to lose. Well let me tell you, this app is LIFE CHANGING!. Ok, that might be a little dramatic, but seriously. Get it!

"What does it do?", you ask? You get what they kicks for walking into your favorite stores. It's that simple. Open the app, and walk into one of the stores available (Target, Old Navy, Macy's, Best Buy etc.) for kicks and there you go! Once you're in the store, there might be fun scan missions to do. Those get you even more kicks. And on certain days, (such as today) you get bonus kicks for each walk-in.

Now I know, your next question is, "What do I do with all these kicks?" Glad you asked. You get giftcards! That's right people, free money! For instance once you earn 500 kicks you are eligible for a $2 Target gift card. Now obviously it makes it more fun to save your kicks for something really good. How about a $300 gift card to use at Tiffany's?! That's what I'm saving for!

How could this get any better?! Earn your kicks even faster by linking your credit card. We all know we buy stuff at Target almost every time we walk in. Why not get rewarded?! Another way to get kicks quick is by inviting friends to sign up. Every person that signs up using your link will give you up to 2,500 kicks in their first 30 days as members. You get kick for kick until they reach 2,500 kicks or 30 days (whichever comes first).

So now that you know about my FAVORITE app. I must leave you so I can earn my bonus kicks for the day. It turns your lunch break into a fun adventure!

If you want to get the app you can download it using this link and sign up
Please note: You are NOT required to sign in using Facebook. Under the Facebook option, there is a sign up with email option. Do that.

*This is not a sponsored post. I am THAT excited about this app, and wanted to share it with ALL my readers.

Happy Kicking!

Time to Get Serious

I don't know how many times I'm going to post about my marathon training failures, but I'm REALLY hoping I can get my life together and get back on target this week! (FOR REAL!)

I ran twice last week, but no long run (go figure).

 Nothing to write home about, but at least I did something right?

For some reason 15 miles has been a huge mental block for me. I've hit the half way point and am happy with my half marathon time, but now it's time to get serious and train like I'm running a full and not a half.

This week my goal is to run a total of 22 miles. Three and four miles on Tuesday and Thursday, then 15 miles this weekend. It WILL happen. I have exactly 2 months before the Disney Marathon which is only 8 more long runs! I now have to play catch up and increase my runs by 2 miles every weekend. That will put me at 26 miles on Dec 22 and then two weeks to taper back before the race.

Let's talk about something more fun, shall we? Ready to see who won $40 in free Mary Kay products?! Drumroll please.......

YAY Kailyn! Email me what you want :) 

Thanks to everyone who entered.  If you didn't win, no worries. Place your order by midnight tonight and I will give you 10% off your entire purchase just by mentioning this blog! I also ship within the United States for FREE! Email me your orders at: melissa.m.bolt@gmail.com

Gonna try something new and link up for "Tell Me About Tuesdays" with Helene from Helene in Between.

Muscle Car Monday

What a GREAT weekend! It was the first weekend in I don't know how long that I didn't have to work my part time job (I'm no longer working at Kirkland's) OR go anywhere. We took advantage of the beautiful weekend and did some really fun things!

On Saturday, we woke up and decided to go shopping at our favorite mall. Old Navy was having 50% ALL outerwear, so I of course couldn't resist on getting the cutest little navy pea coat for only $27! Then I went to LOFT and decided I wanted another pair of the colored jeans. I chose mustard yellow, but forgot to get the modern curvy and got modern skinny instead. Hopefully I can switch those out!

After all that shopping, I knew just the thing to bring a smile to my husband's face. We were right by a Carmax so I said "Let's go walk the lot and see what they have!" You see, we have one car, a Ford Edge and have been talking about getting a second, more "fun" car. We test drove a mustang but it wasn't exactly what we wanted. My husband had his eye on a used Mustang Cobra so we went to the dealer to check it out. Long story short, the price was right and it was exactly what he was looking for. Needless to say, we didn't want to lose it so we bought it. Just like that, on a whim!

Sunday was fun because it was another beautiful day and an even more perfect day to put the top down and cruise! And cruise we did!

Have I mentioned how much I ADORE our home town? This is practically our backyard!

Don't forget that tonight at midnight, the Mary Kay giveaway ends. Enter by following this blog AND commenting for $40 in FREE Mary Kay products! Also, anyone who emails me with an order and mentions this blog will receive 10% off their entire order! (Good until 11/13/12)

Good luck!

Linking up with Molly for YOLO Monday's!

Shoes, Babies, and Kittens....Oh My!

Glad to be back in a normal-ish routine this week. The time change definitely has its pluses and minuses but I must say, I'm mostly happy about it. This time of year is my absolute favorite. I love the holidays and everything that comes with it (yes even the tight budget and family drama). So when I button up my coat to leave for work and the sun is setting on my commute, I'm a happy girl!

Hope everyone had another great week! Here are my highlights:

1. As usual, Milo spends most of the day waiting to have his picture taken, so every now and again I oblige.
2. As you saw last week, my sister-in-law had a beautiful baby boy! We headed to Richmond on Saturday to meet him. He was only a week old in this picture and I couldn't get over this adorable little outfit. All I could think about was the movie "A Christmas Story" and how the little brother getts bundled up to go outside to the point he couldn't move.
3. Now that I'm back in a routine and marathon training is halfway over, I've decided to try and set a weight loss goal for myself. I'm using the Lose It! app to track my daily calories and weekly weigh-ins. Initial weigh in is complete and my goals have been set. Getting my cruise body ready for March!
4. I fell in love with these red booties on Zulily and decided I HAD to have them. I haven't been sold on ankle boots until I saw these. Red and with a bow! I've already been dreaming of outfits for when they come. (Yes, I actually dreamt about them. Obsessed? Perhaps!)
5. I keep seeing leopard shoes around and when walking through Target I stumbled across these beauties. They were on sale for $9 so I figured it was a good investment.

*Don't forget to follow this blog for a chance to win $40 in Mary Kay products! Enter here for your chance to win! Contest closes Midnight, Sunday.

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk

MK Giveaway

Hello friends! First and foremost, I want to say THANK YOU to all my readers, that's you! I started this blog 4 months ago to hold me accountable for my marathon training. But along the way I started having fun with it and now it has morphed to what you see today! So again, I thank YOU for standing by me and reading!

Now, for today's post. As some of you might have seen on last week's High 5 for Friday, I decided to start selling Mary Kay. Makeup has always played an important role in my life because I was not one of those girls with a perfectly even complexion and dark features. Instead, my face is covered in freckles (and no, not the cute kind where you have like a few dozen on your cheeks and nose) I'm talking full on millions of freckles everywhere. I secretly hope they all connect one day and I can be a super tan person. Features on my face don't stand out, so makeup has always played a key role in helping me with that. Over the years I have learned what works and what doesn't.

I discovered Mary Kay when I was 18 and the rest is history. Don't get me wrong, there were times in college where I was in a pinch and hit up the local drugstore to get my fix, but I always found my way back to Mary Kay. It just seemed to do the job. I was always happiest when I had my Mary Kay face on. I've tried MAC and other products, but for me I could never justify the cost.  So here I am, selling a product that I not only love but use every single day.

Since I am having my Mary Kay launch party this weekend, let's celebrate by hosting a giveaway! How about a $40 MK gift certificate?!  Check out the Mary Kay product line here! Now are you ready to win?! There are two chances to win below. Contest closes end of day on Monday, the 12th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you place an order through me by November 10th, you will get 10% off your entire purchase! Just mention this blog with your order. You can email me your order: melissa.m.bolt@gmail.com

Happy shopping!

November Wreath

I just can't seem to get enough of these ribbon wreaths! I find myself making them for every season! This weekend I decided to make a fall ribbon wreath since my Halloween one has to come down and with the way the redskins are playing, I'm not sure I want to put up that one.

Everything I used is from Michael's. The ribbon was only $1 per spool, the flower, $2 and since there was only one foam wreath left and it was broken, I got it for 50% off! I was running low on glue sticks so I picked up those too. The total cost for all my supplies was $20 (includes glue sticks). You can't buy a wreath for much cheaper than that!

Here are the quick directions again for those who missed it the first time.  First, you wrap the wreath (took 2 spools) and cut the rest of the ribbon into 4inch pieces. Then you take those pieces, glue them into little circles and begin placing them sporadically on the wreath. I'm finding that the more ribbon you use, the better it looks. It's THAT simple!

This time I added a flower I stumbled upon at the craft store to give it a little dimension.

And there you have it! These make great gifts for the holidays and birthdays. In fact, this one I gave to my mother-in-law. Between these, light up pumpkins and burp cloths, I'm thinking about opening an Etsy shop with a friend of mine. Now we just need a fun name! Any suggestions?

Linking up with Molly @ still being [Molly] for YOLO Mondays!

High Five - Sandy Style

This week has been FAR from uneventful. I flew out on Sunday to go to Orlando for a work conference, only to have the show cancelled just hours upon arriving. Then to make matters worse, all flights were cancelled. We were able to get a flight for Wednesday and then, oh wait, it was cancelled too! So alas, I got home yesterday. Luckily we didn't get hit as hard as expected, so all is good at home. I hope everyone is getting back to normal especially those affected in New Jersey and New York.

On to some of my favorite things from this week. Despite being stranded far away from home, I couldn't think of a better place to be!

1. I am now an aunt to a beautiful baby boy!!! My sister-in-law had her baby on Saturday, Oct 27th. I can't wait to meet him this weekend! 
2. This is my starter kit for my new business venture. I am now selling Mary Kay. I figure, since I wear it every single day, why not at least get it at a discount?! (I'd be happy to order and ship wherever you are)
3. The Gaylord Palms is where the conference was being held, so at least we had a room in a beautiful hotel!
4. One of the highlights of my trip, was being able to go to MNSSHP (we bought tickets before the show was cancelled) and ride the brand new Little Mermaid ride! It is still in preview mode, but officially opens to the public on December 6th.
5. Since the conference was cancelled, the highlight of our days were the meals. I had never been to Fultons Crab House, and I'm so glad we went. I had the BEST burger I have ever had (I don't eat seafood, or else I would have ordered it. I hear it is good too!)

Don't forget to read about the new Cars Land over at Disneyland! My blogging big sister did a guest post yesterday and I can't wait to go to California to check it out!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged

Disneyland's Cars Land

Today for my Disney Thursday post, I am featuring my blogging big sister, Kailyn! She is basically the best thing since sliced bread. She helps me with all aspects of this blog. Make sure to check out her blog at Wandering Free! You will see we have something pretty special in common. So without further ado, here is Kailyn!

Hello fellow readers of A Little Bolt of Life! I'm Kailyn from Wandering Free. As I'm sure you all know, Melissa is completely Disney obsessed. Well, guess what..SO AM I! I recently took a trip to the happiest place on earth..twice in 2 weeks. I know, obsessed much? But I really wanted to get my Cars Land on!

It's the most amazing part of California Adventure. It's like you're walking onto the set of the movie. Everything is identical, it's insane. You actually experience Radiator Springs. See pics below:

Pretty crazy, right? Those are pics from the first trip. My best friend and I did a walk through during the day, and went on Radiator Springs Racers that night, but I didn't take any pictures. But lucky for you guys, I went again last week with the boyfriend and took as many pics as possible on the ride! It's crazy how real it all is. Please excuse some of the blurry ones, the car was pretty speedy!

PLEASE EXCUSE MY HORRID FACIAL EXPRESSION.

Pretty freakin cool, right?! It's like you're IN the movie. I know, I know, isn't that how most rides are? But I swear this is the most realistic ride, like ever! The other rides in Cars Land are mainly for kiddos, like Luigi's Flying Tires, it's kinda like bumper cars, except it's ran on air...weird, I know.

So..basically Cars Land is the greatest land ever invented and you NEED to go there like riiiiiiight now! I promise you won't regret it! Happy November bloggy friends! xoxo kailyn