The Sweet Life

Book Club Discussion Questions for My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

2019-08-21T18:12:00.004-04:00

Book club Discussion Questions for My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

· The book begins with newlyweds, Ed and Lily, two of the main characters. We find out that Ed proposes to Lily on their second date. Should this have been a red flag for Lily?

· We find out Ed’s ex girlfriend left him and he needed to get married in order to acquire his trust. Let’s unpack this and the implication it has on his future with new wife, Lily.

· Lily is a lawyer, who takes on Joe Thomas as a client. Discuss their relationship.

· Do Ed and Joe have anything in common?

· Carla is raised by a single Italian mother named Francesca. Lily and Ed watch Carla while she’s at work. Her “work” is really a married man named Larry. Larry had a secret name and a not so secret family. Discuss.

· Lily's chapters are in the first person and Carla's in the third. Does this make you more sympathetic towards Lily?

· Lily seems to have a strange relationship with her family. We later find out she had an adopted brother and her issues stem from far more than just his suicide. How do you think their relationship and his death have impacted her life choices?

· Carla becomes a muse for Ed and he paints her as “The Italian Girl,” awarding him some attention for his work. Did anyone else find their relationship to be borderline inappropriate from day 1?

· Lily and Ed have a son named Tom, who has some behavioral issues. The issues make Lily think he could be Joe’s son. Lily never finds out if Ed or Joe is the father. Why?

· Carla comes back from Italy to attend law school after being inspired by Lily. In a way, she seemed to be trying to become her before she became involved with Ed. Do you think she wants to step into Lily’s life or just thinks being with a married man is acceptable because of her mother’s past relationships?

· Joe Thomas is a stalkery criminal that Lily has some strange feelings for. Let’s talk about their relationship.

· Ed is killed. Who did it? What happened?

· Carla seeks Lily’s help as her lawyer. Lily steps in to take the case of her dead husband’s new wife. Why?

· Carla was painted again as a child and as an adult. We later find out that Carla’s father, whom she has yearned to know for her whole life saw the painting on the news and ends up getting in touch with Carla’s Nonno and then taking care of her daughter Poppy. In the end, it seems as though her daughter will be getting the father she never had. Being raised by a single mom seemed to be the stem of many of her insecurities throughout the book and also may have given her a “father complex,” which possibly played into her relationship with married man and father, Ed. Discuss this and the end of the book.

Blistex: Allure Beauty Enthusiasts

2018-11-17T00:37:00.000-05:00

Allure Beauty Enthusiasts sent me three of the newest Blistex lip products to try out.

I was extremely excited to get these in the mail. My two favorites are the Superfruit Soother chap stick and the Global Blend chap stick. The lip serum is super moisturizing I just don't like to touch the products with my finger. I'd rather smooth on. It will be great for extra chapped lips in the winter cold.

The Global blend lip balm smells incredible and goes on extremely smooth. It leaves your lips smooth and is thinner than a typical chap stick. The scent is a bit like a mango and it goes on like velvet. The pearl powder and jojoba oil make a great mix.

The Superfruit Soother chap stick also has a tropical smell superfruit/berry scent. It is great for a primer or daily chap stick.

I will definitely use all three of these. I am grateful to have received them from Allure Beauty Enthusiasts!

Book Club Questions for A Simple Favor!

2018-10-05T16:44:00.000-04:00

Hello readers,

My book club just read A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell and I couldn't find discussion questions anywhere so I made my own.

I wanted to share them with you in case your book club reads this book as well!

Enjoy!

1.The book starts with a blog post from Stephanie on her “mom blog.” What do you think about her blog? What is the purpose? Do you think she has an active audience?

2. Miles and Nicky are friends so Stephanie and Emily become friends. Was their friendship normal or contrived?

3. Emily asks Stephanie for a “simple favor” which ends up being anything but simple. Discuss this favor and why the author chose to name the book after it. Do you think it was a good idea/book title?

4. Sean and Emily have an interesting marriage. He is British (and in the movie a crazy rich Asian!) She is from Bloomfield Hills, MI. Is this who you would expect to be Emily’s husband? Explain why they go together or don’t.

5. Emily works in PR for Dennis Nylon. Discuss his role in the book and how her position led her to do what she did. After Emily goes missing, Dennis goes on the news with a signature tie to help find Emily and give more press to her case. He also made flyers and sent interns to look for her. Was this helpful or just a way for his brand to get more attention?

6. Stephanie has an unfortunate past. She had an incestuous relationship with her half brother, which led to a child, while she was (with/married?) to Davis. Somebody call Jerry Springer. Let’s discuss.

7. Emily steals Sean’s mom’s ring while in London. This ring plays an important role throughout the book. Discuss why she did this and why the ring is so important to her.

8. Emily and Stephanie become fast friends. Was their friendship ever real? How did Emily know that Stephanie would play the role she played? Emily refers to Stephanie as “the fish.” Was she just a pawn all along?

9. Sean and Stephanie become involved. Is anyone surprised?

10. All of this happened for $2mil of insurance money. Emily and Sean seem to both have had great jobs. Why did they do all of this for insurance fraud?

11. Emily has a secret twin. Why did she hide her from her family? And in the end when she kills her to aid in her plan, were you surprised?

12. Discuss the ending of the book. So much happened. Does Emily really get away with all of this in the end?

Review of the Brand New Revlon® Salon 1875W 360° Dual Fast Dry Hair Dryer and Styler

2017-09-11T01:08:00.000-04:00

When I saw this new Revlon hair dryer was coming out, I knew I needed to try it. I immediately ordered it from Target, the only retailer to have immediate access to it. I could find zero reviews online but it looks like a flat iron and a hair dryer in one. For a girl with curly hair, this looked like a dream come true. So how does it fare?

I have to admit, my expectations for this hair dryer were high. I should have known better with a $60 price tag, this is would likely not be a game changer. Nevertheless, I took a chance and bought it. I found that the heat from it doesn't feel nearly as hot as previously used blow dryers. Also, because of how the hair goes into the dryer, it doesn't seem like it straightens as well. It does dry the hair but the hair seems to be drying into curls.

One nice feature is that you can turn the dryer so you can direct the heat out like a normal hair dryer. This may be the best feature. Overall, I wish I could say better things but this doesn't do what I wanted it to do. No use to straighten hair or give yourself a smooth blow out at home.

YSL. I'm green with envy!

2016-02-08T00:17:00.001-05:00

I received this product from Influenster to test out the shade of Vert Green. I don't normally use a colour corrector in my everyday beauty routine so I was excited to try this one. Having watched the how to videos on YouTube, I knew this products purpose was to cover redness and blemishes. I was very impressed by the results. I didn't think I had much redness to conceal but after using this product, I definitely saw some results. YSL made this product great to use as well. You push up on the bottom button and the product comes out of the top in the built in brush. After rubbing the product in and using foundation on top, my face looked pretty flawless.

c. Booth Review!

2015-10-24T03:23:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity to try a c. Booth product via Influenster so I obviously had a hard decision to make...pick just one! My decision was made semi easier because I did have some difficulty finding this product. After a Google search to find out what stores carried this product, I made my way to 2 separate Walgreens and 1 Ulta before I was able to find any c. Booth products. I think tried a random Rite Aid, which had 3 options. Two of them were body lotions and the 3rd was this all over body scrub. I'm always a fan of trying new products so I opted for this one vs. the standard body lotions. I'm glad I did. This scrub smells like the ocean when you open the container. It comes with a plastic top it's so fragrant. The product itself is a gel-like sea salt texture. I really liked the smell and texture. It smells very fresh and clean and it washes off quickly so there is no sticky residue leftover. I'm glad to have found this product because it makes me skin feel extremely soft.

Birchbox purchase!!

2015-05-05T20:30:00.001-04:00

I redeemed 400 of my Birchbox points for this fabulous Laura Geller Flawless in a Flash kit! It came in a cute wristlist! Inside was a blush, a foundation, a primer, a mascara and a blush brush! It was a $112 dollar value and it was on the site for $28. I also got an Illume grapefruit oleander candle! I love the way it smells but it is way smaller than I expected from the picture online. Either way, I'm glad I was able to get all of this stuff with just points!

Target Beauty Box!

2015-04-18T12:26:00.001-04:00

My Target Beauty Box arrived today. I had no idea it would arrive so quickly! It's pretty epic for a $5 box. I can't lie. In it was a Maybelline Color Elixir Lip Gloss, a L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Spray and Set, which I'm very excited about. I don't currently use a makeup setting spray and I love discovering new products that I need to add to my routine. Also included was a Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream. This product was about $17 dollars full price so I'm excited to sample it. I also got a TreSemme Extra Hold Hairspray and a SheaMoisture Superfruit 10-in-1 shampoo. It's sulfate free so I will def give it a try. I have seen it in store for $12 dollars. Target also gives you a coupon for $3 off of a $15 beauty purchase. I think this box was a great deal and I will definitely repurchase again!

First ever Walmart Beauty Box Arrived!

2015-03-25T19:42:00.000-04:00

Today I got my first ever beauty box from Walmart! This is the spring box and it was $5.00. It's a seasonal box so it's $20 for the whole year. In this box, I received L'oreal shampoo/conditioner samples, John Freida shampoo/conditioner samples, Tresemme Dry Shampoo, Dove Dry Oil, Dial exfoliator, St. Ives face mask, Nivea body lotion, coupons from Covergirl and Nivea and best of all, a Hard Candy lip stain. Definitely worth $5.00!

Wet n Wild MegaLast Salon Nail Color

2015-03-20T02:07:00.001-04:00

Under Your Spell (it's a dark red)

I am a bit of a nail snob and normally don't do my own nails. I usually frequent nail places and use OPI and Essie exclusively. This particular day, I couldn't get a manicure appt until Saturday and didn't want to go to work with chipped nails. I picked up this Wet N Wild polish because I liked the color and figured it would do for 1 day before I got my nails done. I was SHOCKED and surprised by how magnificent this brush was. I've never used a nail polish that was so easy to apply. The brush is really a pro manicurist brush and the polish dried very quickly and evenly. I didn't even need a top coat. I will buy this polish in every color it comes in. What a fantastic deal at $2.00 a piece and it is supposed to last at least 7 days. You can't beat this!

buy it online here

Yves Saint Laurent mascara

2015-03-13T08:07:00.001-04:00

I received this YSL volume effect mascara today and I was beyond excited to test it out!

Review of the product:

This YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils puts my other mascaras to shame. All that hype about Benefit, There're Real mascara... And I was far more impressed by this YSL mascara. It comes in a luxurious, sleek gold tube, with the YSL logo as seen below. The wand is smooth, unlike many voluminizing mascaras. It applies easily and it gives you great lash volume. It also has a very lovely scent that is not too overpowering. It's a triple intensity formula for intense volume, color and care. The brush coats each lash from root to tip and is said to strengthen lashes. I love it!

I don't know how I can go back to my other mascaras. I will definitely be repurchasing this product!

*Product courtesy of Influenster!

Evian Giveaway!

2015-03-06T20:09:00.004-05:00

Evian has a great giveaway happening now where you can Enter to Win two 5 oz. evian® Facial Sprays ($25 value) Click this link to enter!

Promotion hosted by The Wilkes Group #evianspray

Tocca Laundry Delicate

2015-02-26T20:20:00.001-05:00

Tocca Laundry Delicate is a dream product. As a person who loves Tocca products and hates hand washing, I was thrilled to learn that this product existed. It is perfect for hand washing delicates such as bras and hand wash only tops. But another great thing about it is that you can actually use it in the washing machine as well to make your linens smell nice and fresh.

I noticed right away that when I poured it into the sink, it started to bubble up much more so than when I hand wash with regular soap. It smelled amazing as soon as I poured it in the water. It will definitely leave your clothes smelling fresh and fragrant.

Valentine's Day Birchbox!

2015-02-18T23:40:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day Birchbox

My boyfriend got me another year of Birchbox for Vday! It's the gift that just keeps on giving so I was very happy about that!

What's in my box?

Catherine Malandrino perfume:

Here we go again! Already got a repeat item and this is only my 4th box. First of this subscription. Just got this same fragrance 2 boxes ago. I did like the scent but I hate receiving fragrance samples! I could get this for free from the mall :(

Cynthia Rowley Creamy Lip Stain, Heartthrob:

This was one of the products that sold me on the curated box. I love this lip stain. It smells lovely. The color red is just right. It is noticeable but not in your face red. I prefer this lip stain over Stainiac, which I received in a prior box. My only negative is the size of the tube, it is tiny and the lip brush is equally short. It makes applying it without a mirror difficult to me.

Gilchrist & Soames body lotion:

This is a body lotion from London. It has a nice scent but it's kind of bland. Not very exciting but it is a decent sized lotion sample.

Coola Mineral Sunscreen:

I was not at all excited to get a sunscreen in my February box. When I posted this in the Birchblogger group, all the comments were like, "you should use sunscreen all year round." Well, this may be true, but I don't. If I do decide to add sunscreen to my daily routine, I don't think I need a sample of it. It will not be one of my luxury products. I definitely will not be purchasing this product. It smells like dough. It does say it is a BB cream so I guess that is one good thing about it... two-in-one.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle leave in conditioner:

I was most excited for this product. I LOVE the smell. It smells delicious. It comes out as a bubbling liquid. I prefer sprays to gels when it comes to my hair. This consistency is somewhere in between. I sprayed on my hand and rubbed into my hair. I will definitely use this product.

Bonus * Teas from Harney & Sons, Hot Cinnamon Spice and Rooibos Chai:

I love the packaging on this tea. It is so pretty. I am excited to try these. I didn't love TeaPigs so I'm hopeful that these will be better. I will update after I taste both flavors.

Overall, I was slightly disappointed in this box. I liked 2 out 5 products. I wish there was a limit on lotions and fragrances that you receive in your boxes. I would like to receive more makeup vs lotions/ makeup removers/fragrances and yes, I have filled out the online profile.

Brand New Gillette Venus Swirl Razor

2015-02-17T13:53:00.001-05:00

First ever bzzagent box came! I got the new Gillette Venus Swirl razor and the new violet swirl shave gel.

I really like this razor. It has 5 blades and a moisturizer around it. It makes for easy and safe shaving. No Knicks or cuts yet! It gives a close shave too. I think I would definitely keep using this blade and I will continue to repurchase the blades. I currently am a fan of some schick disposable blades. Might be time to make a switch! Have you tried this razor? Do you plan to?

Instanatural Dead Sea Mud Mask and a bonus night cream.

2015-02-12T00:24:00.001-05:00

I was super excited to try out the Dead Sea Mud Mask and Instanatural night cream through Brandbacker. I'm a sucker for any kind of spa day type of mask and I'm a huge fan of dead sea products. I've never used a night cream before but I figured I would give it a try.

The Dead Sea mud mask dried quickly and made my skin feel very tight. I imagine this is what your face might feel like after Botox. JK but I feel like this is a good sign for a mud mask.

The mask washed off pretty easily and left my face feeling clean, smooth and tingly. I would definitely use again. My face was a little red after washing the mask off but I think that was just from using the washcloth to wash up. It did not irritate my skin.

January Birchbox!

2015-01-24T23:49:00.001-05:00

I was so happy to receive my January Birchbox and as an added bonus, the Birchbox book club book, Love, Lashes and Lipstick. This is the first time I have won a book and it came as a surprise!

Very excited to read it and I will blog about it when I'm done!

But first here are my product reviews for the Relax & Recharge box!

Balance Me, Wonder Eye Cream:

I'm always down to try a new eye cream as I have dark circles and a lack of sleep. I like the smell of this product and I also like that it is a multi-tasking product that can prevent fine lines and conquer dark circles.

Manna Kadar, Lip Locked - All of Me:

I love this lip gloss. It is an all in one lip primer, stain and gloss and the color is perfection. I like this product so much more than the Stainiac lip stain, which I received in last month's box. The only problem I had was that it rubbed off on my teeth but once I blotted it, I was good to go.

Briogeo, Don't Despair! Repair! Deep Hair Conditioning Mask:

I have not yet tried this product. Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of hair conditioning masks. I also hate the smell of this one. I will be open minded and give it a try but if my hair smells like this product, it's going in the garbage. Anyone else tried this yet?

Perlier, Nurturing Body Balm - Shea Lavender:

This is an Italian skincare product that I thought was a hand lotion. It turns out it is actually for dry skin. Perfect timing for winter. I like the smell and the packaging. It will be perfect for on the go use.

When, Travelmate Sheet Mask:

I was excited to try out this face mask. I travel a lot and being on planes can sometimes cause break outs. The mask is literally a white sheet mask. I was expecting a cream. Be warned when applying, you are supposed to leave it on for 30 minutes according to the package. Birchbox's card said 20 minutes. You may want to plan some alone time to apply. It's a little scary looking. The mask itself was extremely lotiony. I left it on for 30 full minutes and when I took it off, there was still excess lotion to rub in. The directions said no need to wipe off so I let it sit. The next morning my face still felt a little sticky and not the normal smooth I get from washing off a typical face mask. I probably would not purchase this. Also, 4 of these cost $28. I would rather purchase a face mask lotion you apply by hand. I would get more use out of it and better results.

Teapigs Tea Temples: * Bonus

These two tea temples were a bonus. I got two flavors, chamomile flowers and licorice and peppermint. I didn't love either of them. It was a cute package but I probably would not buy based off of these two flavors I received. Did anyone else get a flavor they liked?

Benefit They're Real Mascara

2015-01-13T17:18:00.001-05:00

I used some Birchbox points to redeem a sample of Benefit's They're Real mascara. I have been wanting to try this mascara for some time and I'm happy to report that I really liked it. The brush helps to define and elongate lashes and prevent clumping. The mascara sample is a mini but the brush is great. I think I would continue to use the brush in other mascaras after it runs out.

Favorite Products Discovered in 2014

2015-01-12T22:15:00.001-05:00

I love EOS lip balms. I love the convenient circle shape of the package and the texture of the product. It always leaves my lips feeling smooth and not balmy. This is why I had to purchase the limited edition Rachel Roy collection. These are new flavors and colors that no one else has. Flavors in this set include St. Barth's Sunrise - Pink Grapefruit, Aloha Hawaii - Strawberry Kiwi, and Indian Summer - Orange Blossom. I keep one of these in every purse I own and in all my makeup bags. It's my favorite lip balm and I think I have almost every color/flavor!

The NYX Wonder Stick is a great tool for highlighting and contouring. I had always tried to do this technique but the Wonder Stick makes it easy. It's a 2-in-1 product that keeps your face looking fantastic.

Frederic Fekkai Hair Fragrance has been a life changer. I straighten my hair constantly and sometimes it smells like it. I used to sometimes spritz my favorite perfume on my hair but I read that was very bad for your hair and that it damages it. I used to use shine spray for the scent but then Frederic Fekkai came out with these great hair fragrance mists. This one is rose scented and it works like a charm.

What are you favorite product discoveries of 2014?

Tocca Hand Cream

2015-01-07T02:17:00.001-05:00

I had the option of selecting the Tocca hand cream as one of my picks for my January Birchbox. I ended up picking the R&R box instead because of the unique products but when I came across this Tocca hand cream in store, I had to try it out. I selected the Florence scent which smells like bergamot and gardenia. I believe there were 6 options to chose from and I spent a good amount of time testing them all out before I decided on this one. I feel like this lotion is extremely fragrant in a good way. My hands smell freshly scented and soft. I really liked all of the scents, which normally never happens. Tocca also makes incredible scented candles. Same scents as their lotions. I will probably have to purchase one of those in the near future!

I really like this product! It happens to be from London and it just looks and feels like a high end luxury product. I could easily carry this in a handbag or leave it out on my vanity for display. I love the scent of it and it leaves my hands feeling smooth and moisturized but not greasy. It is also paraben free and enriched with natural extracts. I would definitely recommend! I'm a Tocca fan! Are you?

Chocolate Peanut Butter S'more Dip!

2015-01-07T02:06:00.001-05:00

This is a delicious treat and it's so easy to make. It was a huge hit on New Year's Eve!

You preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Add chocolate chips and crushed Reese's peanut butter cups to an oven safe pan and then cover in marshmallows.

Bake for 5 minutes and enjoy with graham crackers!

Happy New Year!

2015-01-07T02:05:00.006-05:00

Hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve! May 2015 be a fabulous year for us all! Cheers!

My very first Birchbox!

2014-12-23T03:01:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to get my very first Birchbox in the mail! I had been talking about Birchbox for months and then I got a subscription for my birthday. This is my welcome box.

The first thing I noticed was that the box was much smaller than I expected. It looks a lot larger in photos and on the website. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to get the December box. I'm a huge Laguna Beach fan so I would definitely have picked Lo's box.

Below is my welcome box from Birchbox!

Birchbox Welcome Box...happy to be a subscriber!

2 of my products came in that blue rounded corner box. I thought I only got 3 samples at first and was a little sad.

Close up of the contents of the box!

What's inside?

Camille Beckman Platinume Gold Imperial Repair Hand Therapy

This product retails for $20 but the sample is very tiny. I don't have dry hands so I'm a little disappointed to receive this lotion. My sample also looks to be half empty. It looks like someone used some or that it may have evaporated. I did not find this product to be very moisturizing and my hands aren't too dry to begin with. It felt sticky and left my hands feeling more greasy than moisturized. It was supposed to smell like lemongrass vert and sparkling grapefruit but the smell is similar to that of dish soap... moving on.

Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris perfume sample

This full size product would be $110. I'm not too impressed with this sample as it is something you could get for free from a cosmetic counter. I do really like the scent though. It has an elegant smell and I would wear it during the day or at night.

The Balm Cosmetics Stainiac

I was intrigued by the lip and cheek stain but was greatly underwhelmed by it. I couldn't see it on my lips or cheeks. I put on a dot on each check and it rubbed right in...no rosy blush to be seen. I'm really shocked it is one of Birchbox's most popular. Am I missing something here?

Coastal Scents Revealed Eye Shadow Palette

This full size product is $34. The Birchbox website shows the whole palette so I was expecting a bit more. I got the Latte palette sampler. It has 4 small shadows in various shades of brown and one gold. I would describe it as a neutral palette. I have brown eyes so I'm hopeful it will work well with my coloring. I like a shimmery eye so the one color I'm most excited about is the gold. I liked 2/4 of these colors. Two of the shadows did not stand out on me. I could not see them at all after applying. I would use the monotone gold or shimmery brown but the two other colors do nothing for me.

Caudalie Make-Up Remover Cleansing Water

Sigh. I hate to be a Debbie Downer with this last one but I use make up removing skin cleansing cloths daily to remove my makeup. That is one part of my makeup regime that I am not looking to change. I will say to the credit of this product that it smells pure and fresh and it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy as the last liquid makeup remover I used did, it was by Clinique.

Overall, I'm not sure which of these products was the full size one. None of them were very big. I was very excited to receive Birchbox and I'm not sure it lived up to my expectations after this box. I'm hoping that it gets better next month or I may have to look into other subscriptions!

#Birchbox

Personalize your own emoji!

2014-12-19T03:43:00.001-05:00

This awesome new app lets you make your own emojis! It's called Bitmoji. I'm obsessed!

Holiday Cookies Take 2!

2014-12-16T03:59:00.003-05:00

For my 2nd batch of holiday cookies, I went with M&M chocolate chip with sprinkles. What is your favorite kind of holiday cookie to make or eat?