Heather Giustino Blog

Goodbye, Mom.

2017-11-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sure many of you already know this, but my beautiful, amazing mama passed away very suddenly and very unexpectedly the night of October 24. Everyone who knew her, even for if just a little while knows how amazing she is. Was. Speaking about her in the past tense is something I will never get used to. My mom's cause of death (as we currently know it) was a pulmonary embolism. The pulmonary embolism was caused by blood clots on her lungs (which were originally mistaken and misdiagnosed as pneumonia) and the blood clots were caused by pancreatic cancer. We had no idea she had cancer again. She just had her quarterly checkup and scan not long ago, and nothing was found. (Since having uterine cancer almost five years ago she's had quarterly scans.) Pancreatic cancer is the same fucking awful disease that stole my Auntie Linda and my Father-in-Law, Tom. This was all found out via autopsy, which I am so grateful we chose to do. We were told by the coroner that if this didn't kill her at best she would have had another two months. Those would have been two months of a rapid decline and suffering. None of which we would have wanted for our mom. As horrific and shocking, and completely devastating as her sudden loss is, I know she was spared two terrible months, and in turn, we were spared. Her death would have been terrible at any point, even if she lived to 150. My mom was the greatest person in the world.

My family and I are all trying hard to get back to some sense of normalcy. Or at least what our new normal will people. Fact of the matter is, there is an enormous hole in each of our hearts that will never be replaced. It sucks. It hurts.

This is so raw, and I know it will be for a long, long while. We are all in a deep hole of sadness, and your prayers are appreciated.

BCA 2017 Products

2017-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise that I love shopping. I'm also a big fan of products that give back, which is why I like to highlight products that give money to various breast cancer charities in the month of October. I lost my Auntie Joy to breast cancer. It's a beast. Many products and companies are guilty of "pink washing" - slapping a pink ribbon on something, but not donating any of their proceeds. These products ACTUALLY give back.

Elemis SUPER SIZED Marine Cream. This beautifully packaged cream retails for $160, but is worth $256. My mom has been using it, and has already seen an improvement in overall moisture and skin texture. Proceeds from this purchase will benefit The Pink Agenda, a not-for-profit organization committed to raising money for breast cancer research and care, as well as awareness of the disease.

This adorable rose gold compass necklace by Modern Citizen. October, $10 from each Going Places Necklace will be donated to Bright Pink.

OneHope California Chardonnay in a limited edition pink glitter bottle, with coasters. I have had this chardonnay and it is fantastic!! And how pretty is it in that bottle?! ONEHOPE works with Gateway for Cancer Research, and every two bottles sold funds a clinical trial for a woman with breast cancer.

During October 2017, Tory Burch will donate 20% from select products to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, up to a maximum of $35,000. If you're going to treat yourself, now is the time!

Le Metier de Beaute Breast Cancer Kaleidoscope. 30% of total sales will be donated to various breast cancer charities within the US.

The Pink Peony illuminating set with brush. Bobbi Brown is one of my favorite lines, and this little set is at the top of my wishlist right now! For every purchase of the set, $11 will be donated to the BCRF.

The Pink Print Canvas Tote from Land's End is something I own (I have their BCA bag from a few years back) and it has been put through the wringer, and still looks beautiful! This bag is super sturdy, and better yet anywhere between 15% and 25% of proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. If you choose to get it monogrammed $4.50 of the $6 fee will also be donated!

The season of giving is right around the corner, so whether you plan on doing some giving to yourself, or others, why not shop for a cause? ;)

Current Beauty OBSESSIONS

2017-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

A lot of products come my way - some are great, some are not. Below are a collection of things I have been using and loving!

The Zoya lipstick in Addie is my new everyday color. It's the most gorgeous pink/mauve/nude and it had great lasting power. If I want to pump up the color I line my lips and fill them in entirely with Chocolate glimmerstick by Avon. I also love this liner with another lip favorite, Clay Crush by Maybelline.

The L'Oreal mask was actually sent to me from Influenster (such a fun concept!! Sign up HERE if you haven't yet. Free products in exchange for honest reviews!) Anyways, I was sent the "Clear & Comfort" version of this mask, and I really enjoyed it! My skin felt super smooth and soft after I used it, and it helped to dry out a pimple I had, without drying out my skin. I will definitely buy a new tub of this when I run out! The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is something I should have told you guys about loooooong ago! I've been using it for over two years, and only recently bought a second jar. You put a tiny dab on your lips right before bed, and wake up with beautifully hydrated lips. We are coming to the time of year where it's getting colder and drier, so I tend to add a bit more at night during the chilly months.

Native deodorant. So, I did an Instagram story mentioning that I was going to make the switch over to natural deodorant, and I've never had so many direct messages in my life, lol! Anyways, I have successfully made the switch and am really loving Native brand! The scent I'm using and loving is Apricot & White Peach. If you've been thinking of making the switch to natural deodorants, I highly recommend it. I switched Tony over too, and he's been really happy as well.

Makeup Forever's nourishing primer was sent to me a while ago, and I finally picked it up recently, and have been thrilled. My skin is super sensitive and for most of my life has been oily. Since I've gotten older it's moved onto combination, and quite recently it's been feeling dry. I switched over to this hydrating primer and am in love! It makes my skin feel great, and holds my makeup on all day.

The Urban Decay Troublemaker is bomb dot com!!! It goes on so beautifully, doesn't flake off and is super black! My one criticism is that it's a bit harder to remove than other mascaras, but I can handle it, for the look it gives off. Also, the packaging is super pretty ;)

What are YOUR current beauty obsessions?! What should I try next??!

Time to edit & de-clutter: Linen Closet Organization

2017-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I pride myself on keeping a neat and clean home. I work hard at it, and NO, I don't enjoy cleaning. I do, however enjoy having a clean house. Living across the street from school, and near so many friends it's not uncommon for people to stop by at any given moment, and while I totally get that the people who love and care about us don't care what the state of our house is, but I do.

That being said - what you see on the outside hasn't always necessarily matched what's on the inside. I know just about every house has a junk drawer in their kitchen, and mine (WAS) no exeption. I tackled that first. It was a fairly quick project, and it's no longer a junk drawer, but more of a general purpose drawer. No longer is there loose change, gift cards, band-aids and other random things rolling around. Everything is contained, and in plain sight.

Once I tackled that little project it was time to move onto something bigger. My bedroom closet *was* a total disaster. I decided finally to tackle it once and for all - edit down clothes I don't wear often, or just don't love and donate them. The pieces I kept I hung in a way that makes sense and got a closet bar doubler to give me some more much-needed space. Tony is going to build me a shelf at the top of my closet for all of my purses, which will be a huge help. It was a big project that took a good 6+ hours, but it's beautifully organized, and even though it's behind closed doors, knowing that it's neat and tidy brings me a great sense of happiness. (Bummed I didn't take pictures of it, though. Wowzers, it was a doozy!)

After my closet, I moved onto a smaller (in space) project, but one that I knew would be harder to tackle...the linen closet. It's pretty small, and it has over the years become the place we shove random crap, and forget about it for a while. The first thing I did was empty everything out. I had a bunch of big garden trash bags - some for trash, and some for donations. Once I went through everything that needed to be tossed or donated it was time to really get down to the details. (We had SO Much to donate, including several pairs of queen sized sheets....we haven't owned a queen bed in over five years. Whoops!)

The after brings me so much satisfaction!

Tony likes to make fun of me, because I love clear containers. He likes to tell me that I have containers in containers, which in some cases is true. Before I started on organizing the closet I went to Target and bought a bunch of clear containers. I broke the plastic bins into categories that make sense for us, and labeled the outside of each with a white chalk marker. (These markers are great because they come off easily with nail polish remover.)

Right above the medicines are our essential oils, and below the medicines are our hand towels (rolled to maximize space) and my "specialty towels" (hair towels and makeup towels.) Their is still plenty of room behind those boxes!

For bedding, I folded top sheets (and kind of rolled fitted sheets) into their coordinating pillowcases. I saw this tip years ago on Martha Stewart's blog. Why it took me so long to do it, I'll never know. It's genius!

The highest shelf has the most open space, so I have mine and Tony's bedding (folded/rolled and tucked into their pillowcases) in a big, old laundry basket. Another clear box has our silk pillowcases. (I looooooove me a good silk pillowcase, and we have a different color pair for each different set of sheets. THESE are my favorite. They come in a bunch of different colors, and I really love that they have a hidden zipper!)

The very bottom shelf holds two large plastic containers. One has all of our big pool and beach towels, the other has our smaller bathroom towels. All are rolled to maximize space.

I love Bath and Body Works candles (who doesn't, right?) and I removed the lids of ones we're not currently using so that they naturally give off their fragrances. It seriously smells so darn good every time we open the closet door!

I still have plenty of other projects to tackle, but I'm feeling like I've made a good start!

Here are a few tips that worked for me:

*Take EVERYTHING out. That way you'll see exactly what you're working with, what's worth keeping, and what's worth parting with.

*Put on a great playlist. When you're listening to music you love, it's easier to stay focused on the task at hand.

*Clear containers that are easily labeled with either a chalk marker or sharpie make it so you can easily find exactly what you're looking for

*Store your sheets in their coordinating pillowcases

Are YOU a big organizer? Not at all? Somewhere in between?!

Avon X Project Runway: Wine-Stained Lips

2017-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when my friends at Avon sent me a package of goodies, on how to create one of the looks they did on Project Runway for wine-stained lips. I'm not typically a dark lips girl, but it was really fun to try this look out for something new!

They sent two eyeshadow singles, in Beige and Black Brown, and a great felt-tipped liquid liner in black.

For the wine-stained lips they sent me a glimmersticks lip liner in chocolate, and two lipsticks - oxford wine and cherry jubilee. The name "glimmersticks" is a bit misleading - chocolate is a gorgeous matte lip liner, that is super flattering and goes with tons of lippies.

Like I said, wine-stained lips isn't my typical look, but I really liked it and got quite a few compliments when I was wearing it. In this look I'm wearing the beige eye shadow in my crease, with a shimmery pale white eye shadow, and the black liquid liner. These products all wore beautifully!

Would you go for a look like this?

Thanks, Avon!

Zoya Lippies

2017-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Zoya has long been one of my favorite nail polish brands, because they have never included any of the nasty chemicals prevalent in so many other brands, but lately they've become one of my favorite lipstick brands as well. The colors are highly pigmented, super creamy, and relatively long-lasting (for not being a longwear specific product.) Recently they sent me their new lipstick colors, that correspond with their Sophisticates collection. They are all just perfection!

My girls had a lot of fun helping me swatch these colors! In fact, their lip marks are what you will see in the following pictures, and here is a behind the scenes pic that Tony snapped:

My personal favorite from this collection is Layne - the most beautiful warm, rosy color. Perfect for everyday. For a more kicked up look I'm in love with Bristol - which is almost the color of cabernet wine. Coco's favorite was the bluish purple, Tommy. It looked really fun on her for dress up! And Leila's favorite is Lucky - a pretty hot pink!

Have you tried Zoya's lipsticks yet?! I can't recommend them enough!

HG's Book Club {Fall 2017 Edition}

2017-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. Reading for pleasure has always been a joy for me, and it seems my girls have the love of reading as well. It definitely helps that Tony and I read all the time, so they see us doing it. Anyways, I'm always giving book recommendations to friends, and thought it would be fun to start a little series here on the blog. You can check out some of the books I read over the summer HERE.

Some of the things I've read lately:

The Bourbon King books by JR Ward // These books were all really great! A lot of different storylines that were all interesting, and kept me coming back for more. They are each right around 400 pages, but they read quickly. You might as well put all three on hold at your local library!

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins // I wasn’t a fan, and I was disappointed by that since I really loved The Girl on the Train.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware // I enjoyed this book. Creepy goodness!

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda // Another quick read that I liked but the ending was a bit underwhelming.

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand // She has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Like her other books, this was great, but the ending had me absolutely sobbing!

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia // I like when I can't quite figure out what's going on in a book, and the ending of this book surprised me. I definitely recommend it!

Currently on my reading wishlist:

*Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart - her book We Were Liars is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to read this one!

*Tales of Two Americas. This would be a really different book for me, but I think a great one. Our country is so divided right now, and this book is a collection of stories and essays of all different viewpoints of America and American life.

*Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng - which follows the aftermath of a teenage girl, in a small town.

*Cozy Readers Club. No, this isn't a book, but a monthly curated box for lovers of reading, that does include a new hardcover book. How fun would this be to give or receive as a gift?!

What is on YOUR reading wishlist?! Have you read anything great (or not so great) lately? Please let me know!

Mani Monday

2017-10-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

It is October, and there's a slight chill in the air. It is officially fall, and I am officially rocking allllllll the fall colors!! For my fingers, from the OPI Icelend collection, I am wearing the beautiful Turn on the Northern Lights which is a deep indigo, with bits of coppery gold running through it. It's even prettier in person!

On my tooties, it's hard to see but I'm rocking on of my all-time favorites, Wyatt by Zoya. A perfect, emerald green.

What are you rocking?!

Mani Monday - Zoya fall favorites

2017-09-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was wanting to do a great fall manicure and when I was looking through all of my colors I couldn't possibly pick just one. The Zoya Sophisticates collection is just *too* good. So I chose five colors for a somewhat ombre fall mani.

I went with Elaine, Joni, Presley, Beth and McKenna. They all went on smooth and beautifully, and didn't chip at all the six or so days that I wore them. I love this collection!

Have you fully switched over to fall colors yet??! What are you rocking?

2017-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wine lovers - the Whole Foods wine sale is TODAY!!! (It's a one day sale, so run over!!) That means you'll get an additional 30% off your purchase of six bottles or more. Now is the perfect time to stock up for upcoming holiday parties. I recently went to stock up on favorites, and try a few new ones. The favorites I picked up were Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay, El Terrano Temprañillo and Charles & Charles Rosé (this is one of my favorite wines to bring to book club, give as gifts, etc. It's a pretty universally loved rosé!)

One new (to us) wine I picked up was the Chateau Gassier Esprit Rosé. YUM! Even Tony who isn't a huge fan of the blush wines loved it.

It paired perfectly with some other goodies picked up at Whole Foods!

SO......since you're done reading this post, run (don't walk!) to your local Whole Foods!

Back to School

2017-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is always bittersweet for me. My girls are so wonderful, but there seems to come a point every summer where they start bickering over every little thing - I think it probably is just a result of too much togetherness. It's funny - August rolls around, and I start feeling sad that summer has gone so quickly, and I'm not ready for them to go back yet. Then inevitably one day, soon after I start feeling like that they start bickering and I know that it's time. We got lucky, and that day wasn't until heir very last week of summer break. By the time they really started getting sick of each other, school started up.

Leila is in fifth grade this year. (SOB!) She is such an incredible little student:

My little Coco is in second grade (again, SOB!) and also an incredible student!

They are such great girls! I am incredibly lucky to be their mama!!

Have your kiddos started school yet?! How are they adjusting to the new year?

Avon for Project Runway

2017-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am a total Project Runway fanatic, AND a makeup junkie so you can only imagine how excited I was when Avon sent me some of the products being used on this season of Project Runway! Avon is the makeup being used this season, and I am loving seeing little snippets of what the makeup artists do for each model (I wish they would show more!) I checked out the Avon website, and found a great section with behind the scenes info from the makeup this season, with head makeup artist Hector Simancas - check that out HERE.

Anyways, the sweet people at Avon sent me a gorgeous eight-color palette called Smoky Nights, swatched below, which has a really great variety of colors, perfect for making all sorts of different looks! The pigment is awesome, and stays put all day!

They also sent a super gorgeous eye liner in the color Sugar Plum, which is a gorgeous deep purple (perfect for my hazel eyes) with just the tiniest bit of shimmer. It also has crazy good pigment!

They also sent a two-color palette, called Warm Cashmere with two really great neutrals. A beautiful lipstick called Tender Kiss, which is a great everyday color. The perfect nude, with just a touch of pink. And finally their lengthening mascara in black.

Here I am with eye shadows from the Smoky Nights palette, the Sugar Plum liner, lengthening mascara and Tender Kiss lipstick.

Do you use Avon? My grandma sold it when I was little, so up until now my only experience with the company was mini-sized hand creams, and chapsticks with calendars on them :) This makeup wears beautifully all day, and after a quick look at the website I am SUPER impressed with the prices, and will definitely be checking out some more of their items.

Mani Monday - The OPI Iceland Collection

2017-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

It may have been one hundred degrees in the Bay Area this weekend, but if the new nail polish collections are any indication - fall is coming! The fall releases are always my favorite. Come mid-August I am OVER summer and craving fall! The OPI Fall 2017 Collection - Iceland - was just released and it is perfection. Gorgeous, fall hues in creamy, perfect formulas!

I had a really hard time choosing which color to wear first, but I ended up going with Less is Norse, a dark, icy blue that is just too pretty - I keep looking at my nails!!

And I know that foot pictures are weird (eww, sorry!) but I wanted to show you the gorgeous Presley from the Zoya Sophisticates collection - a pretty, creamy pale purple.

Between the new OPI and Zoya collection, which color do you think I should try next??

Hawaii 2017

2017-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hawaii holds SUCH a special place in my heart! I'm lucky enough to have been quite a few times, to each of the major islands, and to the smaller ones on day trips. If I *had* to chose a very favorite island though, it would be Maui. The last time we went on a big family vacation was five years ago - the girls were 2 and 5. They never acclimated to the time change (in the summer Hawaii is three hours behind California) and, while it was fun, it didn't really feel like a vacation. Fast forward five years - the girls are 7 and 10... THIS was a vacation!

We stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel, which is awesome when you're staying with kids. The rooms aren't fancy, but they are perfectly nice and there isn't room service, so if you're an ordering up junkie this might not be the place for you. BUT there is a great pool, a restaurant, a beach shack, an awesome beach bar, a (shockingly) well-priced gift shop, and tons of fun activities for the kids, most of which were free. You've also got the amazing Kaanapali beaches just a few steps away.

On the other side of the island, is another one of our favorite beaches - U'lua Beach. Coco had *just* gotten comfortable with swimming this summer, so we wanted to take her to a really chill beach to get her acclimated to the ocean, and comfortable with snorkel gear.

I am really prone to ear infections when I'm in the water too much, so when we needed an ocean break we headed upcountry to the Surfing Goats Dairy Farm which was a fun experience!

Whenever we are anywhere tropical I *must* book a snorkeling tour where they take me out somewhere on a boat! I've been snorkeling at Molokini before, but Tony hasn't, so that's where we went!

We booked through the Pacific Whale Foundation, because part of your purchasing price goes towards their incredible conservation efforts. This was the biggest boat I've ever been on, and the tour and snorkeling were awesome!

We saw a white tipped reef shark, a nasty looking and eel and hundreds (if not thousands) of fish. At our second snorkel spot we swam with beautiful green sea turtles too!

After the snorkel tour we re-fueled at Alchemy Maui. This place was awesome, and I'll definitely return every time I'm on the island. Tons of house-made kombucha on tap, artisanal, incredible sourdough bread and THE most delicious ceviche I've ever had!

The Maui Exhibition Center hosts a huge swap meet every Saturday from 7:00 - 1:00. This is the perfect time to stock up on cheapie souveneirs! It's also a perfect time to eat pineapple. (Note: eat pineapple every chance you get when you're in Hawaii. It doesn't taste that incredible anywhere else!)

During this trip we hit up the Drums of the Pacific Luau, and while luaus are always fun, this one just wasn't worth the money. The entertainment was good, the bar was good, the food was ok. Like I said, we had fun, but the price was ridiculous for what you actually got. We have done far better luaus for a lot less money.

When you're in Hawaii you *have* to get some shaved ice!

Leila on the Leila canoe :)

The sunsets in Kaanapali are magical. Every single night!

Tony and I are lucky enough to have eaten at Mama's Fish House three times now - this is the view.

My drink of choice was the Pau Hana - lime, guava and bombay gin. Tony was loving the Hibiscus Breeze - hibiscus, lime, ginger beer and bourbon.

One of the fresh catches of the day. My mouth is watering just thinking about this meal!

My camera ended up with so many pictures like this. My girls turned into total beach bums!

The old banyan tree in Lahaina - another special spot for us!

Maui was a wonderful vacation! The girls became total beach bums, and snorkeling pros! We made so many wonderful memories, and I can't wait to go back!

Mani Monday - Zoya Sophisticates Collection

2017-08-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Zoya Fall collection - Sophosticates - has launched, and it is stunning!!! Each color is rich, and gorgeous and has me craving sweaters, boots and pumpkin spice everything!

The first color I've had a chance to wear is McKenna - a gorgeous creamy nude. It goes on pretty full coverage with just one coat, but I did two just out of habit.

A couple of days after I polished my nails I added a little rainbow :)

Here are all of the colors swatched on a piece of paper:

What are you wearing this Mani Monday??

Mani Monday

2017-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have one favorite nail polish (or lipstick, or anything beauty-related) that no matter how many other colors you accumulate you always go back to it? For me that is Vibrato by Chanel. I got it for my birthday a year or two ago, and it is just my all-time favorite. The perfect bright blue that goes on perfectly, and wears beautifully.

What is YOUR favorite go-to color?!

Poppy Seed Salad (my most requested dish!)

2017-08-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

I remember eating this salad at a very young age at one of my mom's friend's houses. I was maybe 9 or 10, and only had a cursory serving so that it looked like I took a little bit of everything. But one bite into this salad and I was hooked. It's not your typical health-nut salad, so if that's what you're in the market for, so sorry! But if you're looking for a filling, delicious salad with big flavors, and awesome textures, then I think you will love it.

You will need:

Mixed greens (I always get a big bag from my local farmer's market, or the bag simply titled "mixed greens" from Trader Joe's)
One cup dried cranberries
Half a cup slivered almonds, or candied almonds if you want a bit of extra sweetness
One large can drained mandarin oranges (not pictured in this post, because I was completely out. UGH!)
Half a cup crumbled feta cheese
7 - 10 pieces pork or turkey bacon (NOT bacon bits, trust me) cooked, and roughly broken apart (You want them to be in somewhat big pieces) You can always add more or less, it all depends on what you like.
Poppy seed dressing. My all-time favorite is THIS one
OPTIONAL: thinly sliced red onions. They were in the original recipe, but I strongly dislike them so I leave them out ;) Occasionally I'll have Tony slice some up and leave them on the side, for those who might want them.

Drain and then rinse your mixed greens, if they aren't already. Pour greens into a big bowl, and then add in remaining ingredients, except for dressing. With clean, dry hands mix all ingredients thoroughly. I've found that my hands are the best tool for mixing!

Lightly dress the salad, and put remaining dressing out so that more can be added individually. Like I said, this salad has a lot of big flavors, and in my opinion doesn't need a ton of dressing, though some people do like quite a bit.

Serve along with my white wine berry sangria spritzer, enjoy!

Not only is this salad delicious, but it is pretty! Total win-win ;)

This is my most-requested dish for every party we go to - I hope you love it too!

Photos by Hi Plus Hello Photography

PIN for later:

White Wine Berry Sangria Spritzer

2017-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for a refreshing, easy to make adult beverage?? Look no further than this delicious white wine berry sangria spritzer! I had all of the ingredients on-hand, and hoped for the best and it turned out really delicious!

You will need:

One bottle Pinot Grigio (or your preferred white wine)
Three cups Simply Lemonade with Blueberry
One can Berry La Croix sparkling water
One cup frozen, pitted cherries (I bought them from Target - they are also delicious in smoothies!)
Any other fruit (fresh or frozen) that you have on hand - I had two meyer lemons, and about a half a cup of frozen pineapple
A handful of fresh berries (I used blackberries, but any berry would be great!)

Simply pour all of your ingredients (except fresh berries) into a large pitcher and refrigerate at least one hour. Mine was in the fridge just about three hours, and the flavors were great!

Just before serving pop three or so fresh berries into the bottom of your drinking glass, and lightly muddle them.

Pour your liquid over the muddled berries:

And enjoy!

This white wine berry sangria spritzer goes SO perfectly with a big, green salad including my always requested poppy seed salad, which I'll share the recipe for soon ;)

Photos by Hi Plus Hello Photography.

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HG's Book Club {Summer 2017 Edition}

2017-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have loved reading for as long as I can remember! Be it a magazine, an article online, or a good old fashioned book, I LOVE reading! I had a slight book-buying addiction that I've put the kebash on, and have been instead relying on our local library (which is awesome!) and sharing with friends. I've been sharing what I've been reading on Instagram, with the hashtags #hgreads and #hgsbookclub but I realize not everyone is on Instagram.

I've decided that I'll sporadically share my favorite reads, here on the blog, and this is the first installment. (Don't worry, no book spoilers!)

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. This was a great book that kept my attention from the very first page. While I enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10 the book ended with me wanting more of an explanation of how things ended the way they did. I finished and literally went "HUH!?" Still a great read.

The Vactioners by Emma Straub. This was such a wonderful book, about a two-week vacation to Mallorca with a family, and friends. Secrets come out, and people are changed. The character Franny totally reminded me of Ina Garten ;) Emma Straub writes so beautifully that I instantly picked up her next book as soon as I finished this one.

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. I'm telling you, I loved her writing! This book is about two best friends, their spouses and their kids, their college band, and everything that's happened in between. A quick, wonderful read!

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand. So, apparently I am SUPER late to the Elin Hilderbrand train, because according to the comments on this Instagram post everyone loves all of her books! I honestly don't know if I could have loved this book more! Elin Hilderbrand created such beautiful, flawed characters that you couldn't help but root for. I'll be picking up a bunch more of EH's books!

The After Party by Anton DiSclafani. This was a good book, but not one of my favorites. Set back and forth between two main characters childhoods, and 1957 in Houston, Texas. I like the way this author described the characters, and she set the scenes well, but there was an underlying sadness (or something!) that made me just like, and not love this book.

What have YOU been reading this summer?!

2017-07-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Long time no Mani Monday ;) My nails have been naked most of the summer, but this color is so good I have to share. It's called Funny Bunny and it is (of course) from OPI's Infinite Shine line. It's the perfect white (that isn't quite a stark white) and I actually call it "ghost" - it seems like a ghostly white to me!

What colors have you been rocking lately?!

Summer 2017, so far

2017-07-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July has come and gone, and we are officially in the thick of summer!! I've had lots of sweet emails asking about my absence from the blog, so I thought I'd take some time to share how our summer has been going so far.

We've been watching Leila play TONS of softball! She got recruited to travel ball this summer, and after three years of saying no we finally said yes. It's been such a great experience! She's made lots of new friends (as have we) and she's definitely grown as a pitcher.

Swim lessons. Everyday. Both girls have been in swim lessons every summer since they were babies. Leila took right to it, Coco, not at all. Every year she's started at square one, and hated every single second of it. However living in California, where so many people have pools, and we have beaches and lakes everywhere, we knew we had to make swimming something that she was (at least) proficient at. I am SO happy to say that something finally clicked, and she's become a little fish this summer! She's impressed her teachers, myself and Tony and herself! I've signed her up for every session that we are in town for, and she's become such an awesome little swimmer!!

Lots of time at the Farmer's Market. Summer fruit is so perfect and delicious, how could we not!?!

Barbecues and hangouts with friends. We do this as much as possible!

Beach time. Last week we were in Half Moon Bay and saw SO many humpback whales, pretty darn close. It was so incredible, and I love being constantly reminded of how blessed we are to live where we do, and raise our girls in such an awesome place!

Lots of basic stay home things like baking cakes. Such a simple little pleasure, but they love it!

CHORE STICKS!! Once a day the girls have to pick a chore stick. If they complain about the chore they chose, they have to choose a second. Each girl complained once (and got stuck with their original chore, and a second,) and once was all it took for them to not complain anymore ;)

We have also spent lots of time at the library - all three of us are doing the summer reading programs and having fun with it! I've also said countless times "EMBRACE THE BOREDOM!" I really feel like they don't need to be constantly entertained, and being bored is ok. It encourages creativity. They've been having fun watching TV and movies too, creating books and art, and playing games like Monopoly and Candyland.

Our summer has been wonderful so far, and I hope yours has too! What have you been up to?!

Some of the BEST deals for Amazon Prime Day 2017

2017-07-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

The third annual Amazon Prime day will start tonight at 7PM (California time) and will go through midnight on Tuesday. If you aren't a Prime member you can sign up HERE. New deals will go live as often as every five minutes, but there are a few deals that have already leaked. Below are a few deals I'm excited about:

1. ~~The Amazon TV Fire Stick~~ (DEAL ENDED) for $24.99, usually $39.99 - We have one of these in our front room, but I will be purchasing a second for the TV in our bedroom thanks to this sweet deal!

2. SOJO sunnies will all be $7.99 (regularly $10.99 and up.) At checkout, enter code SOJOS799 and the price will be adjusted. You all know by now that I love my Sojos sunnies! They are a steal at their regular price, but at less than eight bucks, why not grab a handful of pairs?!

3. The 7-in-1 Instant Pot will be $89.99, usually $129.99 - I feel like I'm one of the last people to NOT own an Instant Pot, so I will definitely be picking one up!

4. (Print) magazine subscriptions for .99 for six months! I loooooove magazines, and will definitely look into a new subscription or two!

5. Amazon music unlimited will be only .99 a month for the first six months if you haven't already signed up. We have this service and LOVE it! You can listen to any song you want, without ads. We have tons of playlists and listen on our Amazon Echo (also on sale for prime day) and in the car all the time.

6. These really gorgeous leather handbags that come in several different colors, with tons of pockes for only $29.99, regularly $76.99

7. The entire Born Pretty Store will be 30 - 50% off! This place is a nail art lover's dream!!

8. JORD Watches are all 30% off (the 30% discount will be added once you add the watch to your cart.) Remember my post about my JORD watch?? I love them!!

These are just a very few of the leaked deals. Make sure to shop early, and check back often. Lots of the best deals will go quickly If you get anything fun, be sure to come back and let me know!! XO!

Amazon (tried & true) fashion finds (including swimsuits!) and fit tips

2017-06-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

Amazon is SO great because you can buy just about anything, and quite a bit of it is at an awesome price. I have been a Prime member for years and years, and I think it's worth every penny. In between buying batteries, and toilet paper, and printer ink I've also found some really great fashion pieces, and I thought I'd let you know about my favorites. Each piece below is $25 or less (as of publishing time) and available on Prime. The best part of Prime (besides the two-day shipping) is the free and easy returns. With each piece I've mentioned I've let you know my opinions on how they fit, so I hop you'll find this post helpful. Enjoy!

This incredible tie-dyed maxi dress. SUCH a steal at $24.99 - the quality is awesome, and it is something I would have easily paid twice as much for. It is not nearly as low-cut on me as it is on the model, though you could probably pull it that low if you wanted to. I have THIS dress on my next to-buy list. I don't own it *yet* but I'm almost positive it's the same maker as the maxi dress I already own, so I assume it'll fit the same. Fingers crossed ;) FIT: true to size, to slightly big. I ordered a medium.

This palm-leaf, ruffled one piece. This suit is really pretty!! It has great bust support, and although the back shows a bit more skin than I prefer, it is a great fit, and I feel comfortable in it. FIT: slightly small, I sized up and ordered a large.

This off the shoulder, ruffled pineapple one piece. SO much cuteness in one suit. It has good bust support, when you wear the little straps. I think it's cuter with the straps off (they're removable) and the ruffled bits off the shoulder, but I'm too top heavy for it. I wear the ruffles off the shoulder, and the thin straps where they typically go, and it's perfect. FIT: slightly small, I sized up and ordered a large.

This super flattering, ruched one piece. This suit has great support and is incredibly flattering. I ordered this pretty emerald green color, and would love to get one more. SO good and worth every penny, even if it isn't as "fun" as the previous two suits. FIT: true to size, I ordered a size 8.

These fun SOJOS sunnies. I own them in THIS color too. And I own THIS pair. They're so inexpensive, but super high quality. I just love this brand! FIT: one size fits all.

This super cute knotted tank. I own the blue, though it comes in a few other colors as well.FIT: This runs small for sure. It's adorable, but a bit tight. If you like it a bit looser, size up one size, if you like it down right flowy go up two sizes. I ordered a large.

This oversized lace-up sweater. I know we are currently in summer, but I bought this in late Fall and am obsessed. Buy your true size, and it fits slightly oversized and looks super cute with skinny jeans, or leggings. The tie up front can show a tiny peak of bra, but it isn't overtly sexy (although the model wears it as a dress, so I'm sure this is meant to be a sexier piece than how I wear it.) This is a really cute piece, and I get compliments on it every time I wear it! FIT: true to size gives it a good oversized, but not too big look. I ordered a medium.

Those are my favorite budget-friendly fashion finds from Amazon (SO FAR!) I'm always ordering new things, so I'll add to this post or create new ones with more seasonally-appropriate items. What are some of the best things you've purchased from Amazon?? Feel free to leave links in the comments!

And here is a PIN-able image for later:

Three Things

2017-06-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

1. Amazon will soon let customers try on clothes before buying them! You can read the entire article HERE but basically Amazon will soon let Prime customers order pieces of clothing, and not charge them. Customers will be able to try them on, send back what they don't love, keep what they do, and they'll only be charged for what they keep. Score!

2. Swim lessons!! This girl has improved by leaps and bounds since she started two weeks ago. She still has another two week session, and we are really hoping (and praying!) for no regression, as in years past, but I have high hopes! Coco definitely has more of an aversion to the water than a lot of kids, but she did so well at this last swim lessons session. I'm proud of my girl!

3. Target's Photoshop-free swimsuit ad campaign. What a breath of fresh air! High five to Target for showing beautiful women, without airbrushing away stretch marks or anything else!!

What are YOUR three things this week??

Three Things

2017-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

1. The summer teas at Teavana. YUM!! I received the piña colada and peach bellini teas for my birthday, and have since gone back to buy more of each, as well as the strawberry daiquiri one. You guys - if you have a Teavana store nearby you MUST go over, and try some samples. They are beyond delicious!! The samples they make at the store have more sugar than I add when I make them at home, but you'll at least get the taste idea. Even my kids who don't like tea love the strawberry and peach ones, and they are low in sugar + caffeine free, so I don't mind them having it. Refreshing and perfect for summer!!

2. Swim lessons. Swimming is a struggle for Coco. We are going to remedy that this summer. Fingers and toes crossed!

3. Slow hands - this is my current favorite song.

What are YOUR three things this week??