New year, new look.

First I wanna start by saying sorry for the delay in posts, the holidays kept me pretty busy.
Also Happy Holidays to all my viewers! :)
Want a show stopping look for your New Years Eve party? Want all eyes on you?
Well Ive got something that will definitely attract everyones attention!

Inspired by the art of Chinese paper-cutting, Eyelashes blend an element of traditional culture with contemporary design.

click photo to enlarge.
Unique and expressive, Eyelashes come in two sizes: accentuate the corners of your eyes with the smaller lashes for a subtle daytime look, or make a statement with the full lashes for a special occasion.

I think these things are just so cool and creative.
You can turn any ordinary look into a runway look by adding these paper accessories!
You apply them just like any normal pair of eye lashes, and they use regular lash adhesive.
They come in 11 different styles, each infused with symbolic meaning rooted in Chinese culture:

Horses: symbolic of success
Peony: for happiness and good fortune
Peach blossom: a symbol of love and romance

Peacock: auspicious and lucky days

Butterfly: free, beautiful and sensitive

Clown: bring the whole happiness
You can find Paperself products at Sephora or Sephora.com and PaperSelf.com.
They cost about $9 and are reusable.
Enjoy your New Year and maybe this exciting new look! :)
The product in this review was provided to me for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way effects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly my own opinions. All reviews provided here are the work of myself and remain completely unbiased.

Brazilian Bombshell.

As you may know, if you read my blog often, I have had a pretty bad relationship with my hair in the past.
And I have told you many times about my all time favorite hair care line, Redken Extreme.
Well, I recently tried a new hair care line, which is now, a very close second!
A natural color fix from the Amazon Rainforest.

Developed to keep your mane looking and feeling its best, Surya Brasil's Color Fixation Collection is guaranteed to take battered hair - chemically treated, frizzy, colored and weak - and infuse it with the essential ingredients it needs to smooth and shine your colored 'do.

As Ive mentioned many times, Im a huge believer in being very pure. Not only eating mostly all natural, organic foods, but using organic all natural products.
So when I found this stuff I was super excited to try it, because
Of all the ingredients in the Color Fixation Line, there are NO parabens, NO artificial fragrances, NO artificial coloring, NO sulfate, NO sodium lauryl, NO sodium laureth, and NO harmful substances to human health or to the environment.

I have tried the shampoo and conditioner, as well as the leave in conditioner and restorative serum.
The shampoo and conditioner are a lot like the Redken products I love so much. They leave my hair feeling soft and beautiful every time I use them. They dont weigh my hair down or leave a built up feeling, they rinse clean.
The leave in conditioner..well, it isnt my favorite. It was a little thick, so it either didnt spread through my hair enough to cover what I needed, or it felt like I had wayy too much. When blow drying my hair, it felt like it took longer to dry, and even once I was done it still felt weighed down and sort of damp. After an hour or so the damp feeling went away, and my hair was very soft, but I still didnt like the feeling. For a leave in, I will stick to my Redken. But for the shampoo and conditioner, Surya Brasil is a great, cheaper alternative.
The prices range from $3.99 for the Single Application Intensive Treatment, to $9.99 for the Restorative Shampoo and Conditioner.
I am overall very pleased with the products Ive tried!

You can find all the Surya Brasil products, including the Color Fixation line at Whole Foods nationwide. Or at SuryaBrasil.com.
The product in this review was provided to me for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way effects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly my own opinions. All reviews provided here are the work of myself and remain completely unbiased.

Something a little different.. (Part 1)

I know this blog is called "Makeup by Lara Lee" But thats not all Im about. If you know me, you might know that Ive been a vegetarian for over 5 years.

I try to eat organic as much as I can. And, especially lately, Ive been eating healthier.
I know a lot of people would like to eat healthier, but they just cant give up soda and junk food.
Or have children that love soda and unhealthy snack, but want them to drink, and eat better things.
Recently I tried a couple things that are perfect for those people.
So Im here to try to help you out with a few healthy alternatives!

The first thing I wanna talk about is soda.
The average can of soda sweetened with sugar contains 150 calories.
Soda has many negative health effects, such as: increased risk of osteoporosis and kidney stones, addictive properties, potential for tooth decay, high phosphorus intake, possible link to cancer, and much more.
With the average american consuming around 56 gallons of soda a year, and many consuming much more, soft drink consumption has become the leading cause of obesity in the US.

The average person is supposed to drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day. But a lot of people find it hard to drink that much. A lot of people cant even drink water at all.
I personally love ice water, but I know a lot of people hate it, because its "tasteless"

Ive found an amazing alternative to those horrible drinks, and an easier way to get your 64 oz. of water a day.

Sparkling ICE. Naturally flavored sparkling water. Enhanced with essential vitamins and antioxidants.
Sparkling Ice contains:
0 Calories, yes ZERO.
Natural Flavors.
Vitamins & Antioxidants.
Light Carbonation.
Sweetened with Splenda.

This stuff tastes so good, its like soda, but so much better for you! And in my opinion, it tastes better.
So far, Ive tried the Pink Grapefruit, and the Orange Mango.
But it also comes in flavors: Black Raspberry, Kiwi Strawberry, Lemon Lime, and Pomegranate Berry.
They taste so fresh and knowing theyre zero calories you just feel so much better drinking them.
And its an easy way to help get your 64 oz. of water a day.
You can buy them at: Kroger, King Soopers, Ralphs, Frys, Dillons, Smith's, Costco, Sam's Club, Fred Meyer, GFC, Haggen,Top Foods, Winco, Jewel, Walgreens, and online at Amazon.com and SparklingIce.com, where you can also find a store near you that sells it.

Another great substitute for soda, or plain water is this.

Twist Essence Water, A great tasting premium flavored water - lightly sweetened with a blend of Agave Nectar and Stevia extract. 100% Natural. No artificial flavors, ingredients or preservatives.
Twist contains:
0 Calories, again, yes ZERO.
100% Natural.
No Artificial Sweeteners
Antioxidants.

This tastes less like soda, its not carbonated, and doesnt has as strong of a fruit flavor as the Sparkling Ice. But its equally as good, and good for you.
Ive only tried the Pomegranate Blueberry.
But it also comes in: Lemon, Mandarin White Tea, Mango Acai, West Indies Lime, and Wild Strawberry.
Again, its another great way to get the water you need, and keep away from the things you dont, like soft drinks and sugary juices.
Twist is available nationwide and on Amazon.com and DrinkTwist.com.

And lastly, there is..

Hint premium essence water. Hint is pure healthy water lightly infused with natural flavors.
Hint contains:
0 sweeteners.
0 calories.
0 preservatives.

This stuff is so refreshing. It tastes like water, but has a subtle hint of fresh fruit flavors.
I have tried the Mango-Grapefruit, and Lime.
But it comes in 8 more delicious, refreshing flavors.You can buy it nationally at Whole Foods, Starbucks, Wegmans, Fresh Direct, most local grocery stores, or online at Amazon.com or DrinkHint.com, where you can also find stores near you who sell it.
For more information on the above drinks, and other TalkingRain and Hint products visit TalkingRain.com and DrinkHint.com.

Look forward to part 2 - snacks/junk food.
The product in this review was provided to me for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way effects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly my own opinions. All reviews provided here are the work of myself and remain completely unbiased.

Skin Care Routine

Ive been wanting to do a skin care routine blog for a while now. and im finally gonna do it :) yay

ive struggled with bad skin basically my whole life. ive gone to dermatologists, tried like everything out there. some things helped a little. some not at all.
my skin is oily, acne prone, and i have large pores. so i go through products like crazy trying new things hoping something will work!
and thankfully, ive found something that actually does work really well for me.

i hate products like proactive, that say it will work for you, because everyone is different, so what works for you, isnt always gonna work for me.
i havent tried skin id, but i think they deff have the right idea about things.

but as for me, ive found the (almost) perfect formula for my skin using these products..

before you wash your face, you should use a makeup remover, because if you just wash your face, youre basically just removing the makeup, and not actually cleansing the skin, so if you just wash it, youd have to do it twice to remove and cleanse the skin. so i like to use a makeup remover wipe, i havent found a problem with any ive tried, right now i have the cheap walmart brand which was more than twice as many for like $1 cheaper than every other brand. but i love the nutrogena ones too. just check the package to see if it removes waterproof mascara. thats a must!

as you probably know, im a HUGE fan of Murad.
every product ive tried, ive loved!
so of course, my favorite face wash is:

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

(which, btw, right now if you order any acne products on Murad.com you get a free travel bonus)
I absolutely LOVE this stuff! if works amazingly on my skin. and right now im out of it and so upset, but its $23, which is a bit pricey, so ive been trying cheaper products like nutrogena
but anyway, it:
*eliminates 99.9% of surface bacteria, in 60 seconds.
*clears blemishes and prevents breakouts.

to wash my face, i use the
Clarisonic Classic.

(The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System works with your skin’s natural elasticity to gently remove the impurities that traditional methods leave behind — giving you softer, smoother and more beautiful skin.)
I have a pink one and a white one. and i looooveee these things! they get your face so much cleaner than using just your hands, or anything else ive tried.
it has two speeds, and 5 different brush heads for your specific needs.
(normal, sensitive, delicate, deep pore, and body)
it uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth skin. in just 60 seconds, the micro-massage action removes 6X more makeup and 2X more dirt and oil than cleansing with your hands alone. removing more dirt and oil from your pores also helps products work more effectively.

Clarisonic has 4 different cleansers (which ive tried, but didnt love) you can use with the brush, but i like to use the murad one, because it works better on my skin.

after i cleanse, i always use a toner. i use the
Murad Clarifying Toner

it basically goes hand-in-hand with the cleanser, it:
*eliminates oil and impurities from acne-prone skin.
*controls surface shine.
*clears and tightens pores

then i like to follow with a spot treatment, or Murads Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel.
then of course a moisturizer.
and my all time favorite isss..
Korres YOGHURT Velvety Moisturising Cream.

its made for oily, yet dehydrated, skin.
which is something a lot of moisturizers are not. most have oils in them, and even if they say "oil free" they still make my skin feel oily shortly after applying. but this stuff, the first time i tried it i was amazed, my skin didnt feel oily at all, and it did exactly what i needed.

and lastly, theres weekly treatments like masks, ive been using the
Murad Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask.

you can find a dull review part one here and part two here. :)

i love to hear about what other people are using for their skin, so please share your favorite products. let us know your skin type, and what products you use that work for your skin type, and products youve tried that didnt work for your skin type. :)

Shower Favorites

*None of the companies mentioned are paying me and all opinions are my own.*
Hay guys!
First I wanna say, Im sooo sorry its been so long since Ive blogged!
I tweeted last night that Ive been slacking and Im gonna do two this weekend! And am getting back to my blog (almost) every day!
Okay now to the actual blogging. Ive been planning on doing a shower favs for a while now. Ive done other favorites, and now i wanna do one for the things i use in the shower (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.)

Firsttt, this is something Ive talked about before, and if you follow my twitter (@MakeupByLaraLee) youll already know this, but..
My ALL TIME favorite shampoo/conditioner is:

Redken Extreme Shampoo and Conditioner.
it seriously made my hair amazing..i went through a huge hair abuse phase..(bleaching basically every few weeks, dying it random colors like blue, green, pink, purple..blow drying it on high and straightening it without using a heat protectant, teasing out the wazoo. (which btw i have no idea what that means, i just heard it on tv haha :) So my hair was seriously damaged. its been probably a year and a half - two years, since ive stopped doing that stuff to my hair, trying to take better care of it..and it was slowly getting there. but recently i got the new redken 'extreme' hair care collection. and this stuff really worked so well!! my hair feels and looks like i never did any damage. :)

Body Wash-
i am a huge body wash fan. i cant use bar soap..i have to use body wash. and im picky about it..it has to smell good, lather good, and leave its scent for longer than it takes to rinse..i wanna smell like my body wash after i get out of the shower. i hate when the scent rinses away with the suds. so im always trying new body washes..looking for the perfect one. and i think i found it! :) the body wash i am currently in love with is..
SoftSoap Ultra Rich Shea Butter Creme
(moisturizing body wash with moisture beads)
omgshh it smells so good :) and like i said it needs a good lather, or i dont feel like it get clean, so it lathers good..and the scent stays on your body for a decent amount of time. and the scent just smells so clean and fresh it reminds me of a baby :)

Since im on the topic of body wash, im gonna let you in on a little known fact about me. i have a sort of "fear" or shower loofahs. its not that im afraid to touch them or be near them or anything. they just sort of gross me out, and i cant use them. i dont think anyones gross for using them or anything like that. i just get creeped out by them. they sit in the shower..they hold the moisture. i always think that because theyre in the wet shower all the time they get moldy and germy and stinky. even if they dont i just get that vibe from them haha. i absolutely can not use them. i have to use a fresh wash cloth every day.

the face wash i use, im actually not going to talk about, because tomorows bloggy is going to be about my skin care routine, where ill talk about everythingg.

lets see, what else. the shaving cream im in love with right now is Skintimate, the only kind i really like. and the scent which is AMAZING i want to eat it. is Raspberry Rain.
The razor I have right now is Gilette Fusion ProGlide.
I always feel like mens razors get such a closer better shave..so i prefer mens to womens haha.

i dont know is this is weird, or if a lot of people do it. but i always brush my teeth in the shower. i also whiten my teeth in the shower.
so the tooth paste i use is- Crest 3D White. and the whitener i use is the Plus White 5 Minute Speed Whitening System. It comes with the tray and a pre rinse thing. then i just buy the paste when im out and when i feel like i need a new tray ill probably just buy the kit again. its super cheap and works really well.

things i use after the shower are
Redken Extreme Anti Snap and Redken Align 12 Protective Straightening Lotion.
Then I blow dry on cool/high. and straighten to smooth it out.

And I think thats about it!
Comment below with your favorite shower items and must haves :)
I love to try new things and would love to know what you guys think i should try!

Giveaways

Hey guys, i just wanted to do a quick little update on these giveaways i keep talking about.
Well, Ive been working with a few companies to get some give aways together.
And Im getting the products together.
Once I get all the products, Im gonna figure out whats going with what and how many winners and all that goodness.
But I need something from you guys first.
These giveaways are gonna be for my followers ONLY.
So If you guys wanna have the chance to win some awesome things (absolutely free) you gotta follow my blog.
And another thing is a lot of companies want my follower numbers to be higher to actually send me things to give away. So I need everyone to follow.
So please help me get followers so we can get this thing going! :)

And I just wanted to thank those of you who followed me because you liked my blog and not just the free things! im setting these up so i can thank you guys!

so please follow this blog. (click "follow" at the top left side of the page)
and follow my twitter @MakeupByLaraLee or like my facebook page (if you dont have twitter)

and please tell your friends to do the same!
Ill post the official contest with rules as soon as i get everything together!
and thanks so much i love you guys :)

Feather Extension Giveaway?

So, feather extensions have become very popular, i was wondering who would be interested in me doing a "kit" including feathers and supplies to put them in yourself, as a giveaway. please let me know what you think! i will prob also do a bloggy on how to install (that doesnt sound like the right word to me, but idk what else to say so install? haha) them yourself and maybe even how to do them 100% yourself (buying feathers and all supplies) for super cheap!! :) so comment below or tweet me if youd be interested in this. also let me know other things you would be interested in for a giveaway. (sorry cant do an ipad or anything ridic like that. this stuff is coming out of my pocket) thanks guys :D and remember to follow my blog (here) and my twitter! (@MakeupByLaraLee) :)
I cant do any giveaways until I have 1500 followers on both! (And i will only giveaway to my followers)
so follow blog and twitter and tell your friends to also! post it on the internet everywhere and help me get followers! Once i get some followers ill do a bunch of giveaways! :)

The New Extreme.

Recently I got the entire Extreme Line by Redken.
I could not wait to use this stuff! Its new formula is Interlock Protein Network for distressed, damaged or chemically/mechanically weakened hair types.
Which is def my hair! The fact sheets Redken sent me say:
"Extreme haircare collection, reformulated with Redken's Fortifying Complex and Interlock Protein Network (IPN) features advanced strengthening and repair to destressed hair for healthier-looking, resilient hair. Extreme with IPN now delivers 96% stronger hair plus 73% reduction in breakage."
What?! Thats amazing! Thats exactly what I need!

I went through a phase in my life where I treated my hair horribly.
I would bleach it 3 times to get it to super blonde, then dye it blue/green. Then bleach it again and throw a different color in there. Go back to black, then blonde, then black, then add blonde with the black.
It was seriously so bad! And not to mention I straightened it every day.
So basically, my hair went from: Extremely long, almost to my butt, beautiful, healthy hair. to: barely shoulder length, thin, brittle, extremely dead hair. :(
But I hit a point where I realized my hair was unhealthy and needed to stop.
And I realize now as Im typing this, it sounds like my hair-dying was an addiction and i put myself through hair-rehab baha.
so, I stopped dying it, stopped straightening it, and started cutting it. i cut off all the deadness, and let it grow healthily. And now my hair is back to its long healthy beautiful-ness.

But basically, its products like this, i wish i had when my hair was disgusting.
But even now, I dont get my hair cut every 6 weeks or whatev most people do, Im lucky to get it done every 6 months, unless i do it myself..
And I do straighten it prob 2-3 times a week. So its not in the best shape. Then ends are a little dry/dead.
So this product is AMAZING to me!

I tried it once, and my hair was sosososo soft! It just felt healthier. And looked shinier and prettier.
After using it every time i wash my hair, i definitely notice a difference.
I use the shampoo and conditioner every day, but occasionally swap the conditioner for the strength builder or the strength builder plus. And 2-3 times a week Ill also use the anti-snap.

the whole line is about $91, depending on where you get it at. Unfortunately you cant buy it at redken.com, but there you can find a salon near you which does sell it.
Most Sallys and Ultas sell redken products.

Now Im gonna talk a little about the products themselves.
Theres a total of 6 products.
The shampoo, conditioner, anti-snap, CAT, strength buolder, and strength builder plus.
Shampoo - basically just a really good shampoo, nothing super special about it, it just works really well.
suggested retail price is $13.50 (10.1 oz)
Conditioner - same thing, nothing crazy about it, it just works amazingly and leaves your hair so soft and shiny.
suggested retail price is $15.50 (8.5 oz)
Anti-Snap - this is a leave in treatment that provides heat protection, reduces friction from brushing, and helps prevent breakage and split ends. this stuff is amazing. you apply it to towel dried hair and put it on the more fragile parts, then you can blow dry it and straighten it without having to use a heat protectant, because this is one, as well as leave in "conditioner" type product.
suggested retail price is $16 (8.5 oz)
CAT - a protein reconstructing treatment that, of course, reconstructs, reconditions, and adds immediate strength, without adding weight. you use this after shampooing, and before conditioning. its a spray bottle, so its easy to apply to hair.
suggested retail price is $15 (5 oz) - which isnt sounds like its so much more for so much less compared to the rest, but you really only use a little bit, so this will probably out last the rest of the products with normal use.
Strength Builder (& Strength Builder Plus) - basically, a stronger conditioner, that you leave on longer, which makes your hair so amazingly soft and healthy. it conditions and strengthens to the core of highly distressed hair.
suggested retail price is $15 and $17 for the plus (both 8.5 oz)

This is a really long post, and i apologize, but this is seriously my favorite haircare collection ever, and will def be buying again when i run out!!
i suggest you try it, and find out for yourself just how amazing this stuff works.
and btw, it smells really good too :)
The product in this review was provided to me for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way effects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly my own opinions. All reviews provided here are the work of the reviewer and remain completely unbiased.

GIVEAWAY!

Hey guys, this is not the official giveaway.
i need your help!
help get my twitter @MakeupByLaraLee
and blog http://xlaraleex.blogspot.com/
to 1500 followers so i can do a giveaway! :D

I have a ton of really cool things planned to giveaway, like:
makeup
jewelry
gift cards
and a bunch more.

So hurry and help me get some more followers so i can start giving you all a ton of stuff!

I love that i have a ton of viewers, but you guys gotta follow me too!
The more followers i have, the more i can giveaway :)
thanks<33

DIY Clip in Hair Extensions. (colorful highlights)

Ive been making my own clip in hair extensions for probably five years now.I prefer using clip ins rather than gluing them or doing micro links.

With clip ins, you have the option of taking them out, and just putting them in when ever you feel like it. Clip ins are also a lot easier to take care of, and will last much longer.
You dont really have to worry about tangling them or pulling them out of your hair while you brush.
And the main thing, you can do them yourself for pretty cheap!

What youll need:
1 weft of hair in blonde at your length.
15-20 snap clips (hair extension clips) to match your hair color.
Needle and thread to match the hair/clips.
Scissors.
*Optional*:
Flat iron.

You can get them:
Weft - Most hair/wig stores (that will most likely be the cheapest place) I got mine at a beauty supply store in Morrisville for $50, Sally Beauty is usually $70.
Clips - Sallys sells a 3 pack for like $2, but you can re use the clips, when the hair is too old and tangled just cut the thread and keep the clips for next time.

What to do:
(This is only for colorful highlights, not full head extensions I will do a post on that next)
Take your weft out of the package, and unfold/unwrap. If you want you can take your flat iron and straighten out the kinks in the track, it will make it a little easier later.

Measure about 4.5" and cut.


Fold the hair into thirds (You can take your flat iron again to hold the folds to make it easier while sewing)
Thread your needle so your thread is about 12" long (i double my thread over so its 2 strands, for a little added strength) and tie a knot in the end 2-3 times so it wont pull through.
Then you basically just wanna sew the hair through the holes in the clip.
Start at either end, make sure you go through the hair first, the thread will pull through the clip.


Go through the track and through the hole in the clip, then I just wrap it around and go through the same hole to give it a little more strength, then go to the next hole and repeat, all the way to the last hole. Then tie your thread off, make sure its secure on the end of the hair/clip. And cut your extra thread.

Do it again for the next piece of hair, repeat till you have no more hair.
It should look something like this.



Then just dye them to your desired color. Ill be doing mine hot pink and purple, some blue and turquoise. If you want them for natural highlights just buy that color.
For full head extensions check back later this week, Ill be posting that soon!

What a week.

*This is not a beauty post, this is a personal post, if you dont care, dont read*
Its been about a week since Ive posted something, and I like to post at least twice a week..preferably more.
But I have had quite a hectic week. So I just wanted to take a little time and explain whats been going on.
This isnt going to be a beauty post at all, so If youre uninterested in my life and personal posts, please dont bother reading this. And please no rude comments.

So, my last post was tuesday.

Wednesday my sister moved back home. her and her boyfriend had an apartment together, and things didnt work out so she moved back home. during the day her and her bf were bringing some stuff home then after my parents got home we all went over to help her move her bed and dressers and everything. so that was an all day thing, no time to bloggy.

Thursday me and my best friend went to Belmar beach for my birthday.
We didnt end up leaving until about 1:30-2:00. Which I guess I didnt mind because we didnt hit rush hour and by the time we got there a lot of the morning people would be gone.
So I live about an hour from Belmar, so we got there at like 3:00. We put a TON of quarters in the meter..got down on the beach. Look to the right, tonnnnss of people. look to the left big open space then a ton more people. So we go hey lets put our stuff down here. Then we realize theres no swimming flags. No wonder theres no one here. So we decided to put our stuff down there and just walk over to where we could swim, it was probably about 30 feet, not far at all. So it was me, my best friend, her little brother, and his girlfriend. So we all went in at once. We were in there for probably no more than 30-40 minutes. We get out and go back to our blankets..well, the seagulls had gotten a hold of our food..they took a bag of doritos and like 20 seagulls were all crowded around our stuff. There were a bunch of people around and NO ONE could scare them away while we were gone..we thought that was kind of rude, then there were people taking pictures and videos and the one girl said "we could get this on the news!" because seagulls eating someones food is so news worthy! hahaha So we buried brian, gave him a pregnant belly and some boobs, he rinsed off, we packed our stuff and went back to the car. we had only been on the beach for like an hour and a half or something. we put our stuff in the car and walked a little bit down the boardwalk and stuff. we had so much time left on the meter but we just left anyway to find somewhere to eat. omgsh it took us probably an hour to find somewhere to eat. we went in three places that should have been normal places to eat but they were super expensive and like five star hahah. So we finally found a pizza place. the plates were dirty, the pizza was extremely greasy, we had some bad luck that day with food. so we made our way back towards the beach and stopped at this marina/park and just walked around by the water and stuff for an hour or so, then we left. so this trip that was supposed to be me and my best friend going to the beach all day ended up being a 7 hour trip to jersey where we spent 50% of our time in the car. i was a little disappointed because that was supposed to be my birthday thing and it ended up being all about her brother. but its whatever i guess. so that was my thursday.

Friday was my birthday. btw, i turned 20! :) i had all intentions of posting something quick on friday. but i ended up just relaxing. we didnt do anything special for my birthday..me and my dad went to get a cake, i picked the 'cookies and cream' one, omgsh it was so good. we didnt have any candles so my sister ran to walgreens to get some. she lit them all and they were like sparking at me i was like are they supposed to do that? hahah so i blew them out and she goes "that was lame they were supposed to be magic candles" as soon as she said that they all light back up hahha. i kept blowing them out and lighting back up. so we tried taking them out quickly and putting them in water so they couldnt light back up! hahah it was pretty funny, when my family is together we do nothing but laugh :) i love my family and im so happy my sisters home :)
My dog, daisy, had been sick for like 3-4 weeks. on july 1st, we put my other dog speck down, he had heart failure, he was an old man and lived a long happy life. (btw my dads bday is july 7th so speck passed very close to my dads bday) shortly after speck died, daisy got sick. it started out just throwing up a few times, then it was every time she ate, we took her to the vet because she had a lump on her side, and they gave her antibiotics, it helped the lump a little but it didnt help her stomach at all. so we took her back. she was dehydrated, they gave her an IV and some anti nausea pills. she lost so much weight and she was nothing but skin and bones, it was so horrible to see. we were giving her broth and peanut butter and Ceasars dog food and she seemed to be keeping it down better. thursday before i left for the beach she looked like she was doing good. then when i came home i tried giving her more food, and she would just walk away from it. friday was the same thing. and somewhere along the line her mouth had been bleeding. we thought it was just her tongue from rubbing against her teeth. but friday it started bleeding so bad she was leaving little puddles of blood everywhere she layed. she layed outside all night, i guess because it was cooler outside. she still wasnt eating, so i brought her some ice water she would drink some then i would have to get fresh water because the blood in it made it look like kool aid, i was so worried about her, and my mom had made an appointment for monday, but she wasnt doing good at all, and i wanted to take her sooner. it had gotten late so we wanted to bring her inside, but she wouldnt walk, so we had to carry her in, my mom made a little bed for her and we layed her down on it. we were all laying around it with her just petting her and talknig to her trying to make her feel comfortable. we were all crying because she looked so sick and the blood was just horrible.
I went to sleep so worried about her.

Saturday, I woke up to a phone call from my mom "were with daisy at the animal hospital, she has to be put down, do you want us to come get you" my eyes immediately filled with tears all i could say was are you serious, at first i thought it was a bad dream. so my parents came to pick us up, we went in the room and the lady was explaining what was happening. they said her trachea was paralyzed and they couldnt figure out what was wrong with her stomach yet, they would have had to do surgery to fix the trachea, but they couldnt remove her breathing tubes to fix it because she couldnt breathe without them. we dont know what exactly was bleeding but we assume it was something with the trachea. and we never found out what was wrong with her stomach, but they said it was two serious things, and it was better for her just to put her down.
they took us back to where she was, laying on a table with tubes and iv's coming out of her, her eyes looked so sad. the vets had made two little foot prints for us on cards. we had a minute to hug her and kiss her and tell her we love her. they asked if we wanted to stay for it. my sister couldnt stay, but me and my parents stayed. they gave her an anesthetic, then something else, they checked her heartbeat, and told us she was gone. we all kissed her and told her we love her one last time. and we left.
The rest of saturday we finished cleaning out my sisters rookm so all her stuff could go in there, it was all kinda just sitting in the living room.

Sunday my parents rented a carpet cleaner to clean up all the blood stains daisy had left in my parents room, it looked like a murder scene. so me and my mom cleaned the house and i shampooed their room, the hall way, and my room. when my dad got home he did the rest of the living room. then we had a delish dinner. me and my dad had been craving a thanksgiving-like meal. so thats what we were going to have, but turkey was expensive, so they just got chicken. but im a vegetarian so i got a quorn turk'y roast. and we had mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and mixed veggies. it was so good :)

then yesterday, monday. my sister was on the computer job hunting all day so i didnt get a chance to get on.

So I apologize for the delay in posts, and that this is such a long one. I hope you understand.
<3LaraLee

Are You Eco Friendly?

*None of the companies mentioned are paying me for this blog, all opinions are my own.*
Today I watched a YouTube video by Blair Fowler, a YouTube 'Beauty Guru' about being eco-friendly.
So that inspired me to do my own blog post of ways to be eco friendly.

Heres Blairs video:

Now my ways to be eco friendly are:
- Use a water filter.
I admit, I am guilty of using plastic bottles too, but at home I have a Pur water filter which I use alllll the time.

- When I do use plastic water bottles, I recycle.
In my house we have always recycled, and I kind of thought everyone just did it. But I noticed lately a lot of my friends dont. And honestly, I dont understand why. It doesnt cost anything to recycle, and its just as easy to throw a bottle into a recycle bin as it is a trash can.

- As Blair says, BYOB, Bring Your Own Bag.
Most grocery stores have reusable bags at the register for $1. Or just use a cute tote bag you already own. I also noticed at Target they have a little 'recycling center' they have bins for recycling old plastic bags. (as well as old cell phones, electronic cords, and the usual bottles and paper)

- Unplug things.
When youre not using your charger, or if you have 3 lamps in your room and only ever use one, unplug them. Even if its not in use, its still using electricity. Not only will you be helping the environment, youll save money on your electric bill.
- Turn off lights.
When you leave a room, during the day, even at night. If youre not in a room, why do you need that light on. If the sun is out, open your curtains, use some natural lighting. Or if youre sitting in your room at night turn off the lights in the other rooms, or instead of having all the lights in a room on just have one on, or use the light of your tv if youre watching it.

- Turn off unused electronics.
If youre not on your computer, turn it off. If youre not watching your tv, turn it off. Little things like that really do add up.
- Go vegetarian.
I have been vegetarian for about five and a half years now. There are so many benefits of being vegetarian. But to me the biggest one (aside from saving millions of little animals from dying for my dinner) is that its helping the environment. "According to the UN, raising animals for food causes more green house gas emissions than all the cars, planes, ships, and trains in the world combined." I do NOT want to be part of that!

- Lastly, buy environmentally friendly makeup.
There are tons of eco friendly, natural, organic makeup companies out there. Theyre great for your body, and the environment!
Click HERE to get buy one get one free all-natural, organic eyeshadows at sumbody.com.
But hurry! Offer expires Aug. 22!

Lets all go green together. Follow these tips and help make the world a better place.
Comment below ways you are eco friendly!