Bloom Daily Planners Review + Giveaway

Anyone else ever have the problem of being stuck in a continuous loop of buying either shampoo or conditioner again before the other? And by that I mean buying them once at the same time, then running out of one of them before the other. So then you’re constantly stuck buying one at a time now when you need it instead of both.
Conditioner – 1.. Sarah – 0.

Hahahahaha, good evening everyone (morning or afternoon depending where you are hehe) and welcome back to my blog ♡

Today I am SO excited to share with you one of my very first reviews! Surprisingly it has nothing to do with makeup – believe me, I’m shocked too. As many of you have gathered by now though, I do like and try my best to stay as organized as I can. In case you’re new here, I have maybe 10 different journals with different things specified for each one -just to give you a small little insight there. That’s basically how I like things to be. I also struggle with being very forgetful sometimes and that’s just how I am. That being said, it’s completely the reason I’m attached to my planner. 

I probably looked at 50+ different sites just trying to expand my options and finally I found Bloom Daily Planners. Now just to give y’all a quick run down here are some of the products they offer: daily planners, planner stickers, notebooks, addresses books, teacher planners, wedding planners, file folders, planning pads, binders, desk calendars, etc. 

I have purchased my own 2017 daily planner and their classic sticker sheets. Then when they launched their new 2017-2018 pre-order collection, I pre-ordered their new holiday sticker sheets. All pre-orders will be sent out by June 15th in case anyone was wondering. Bloom Planners was also very kind enough to send me a package to review which included another 2017 daily planner, a notebook, and an 8.5″ x 11″ planning pad. 

So of course I already had my own planner and fell absolutely in love with it. They do also have an Ultimate Planner which retails for USD $29.95, unlike the daily planners which are USD $14.95. Comparing the two, I realized personally I much preferred the daily planner more. The fact it was smaller (easy to carry around and travel with) and much cheaper was just a bonus. I don’t like “undated” planners and planners that only have a “monthly” spread – I prefer having a weekly spread as well. The Ultimate Planner is undated and has no weekly spread so I was basically sold on the daily planner. But note, that is just something based on personal preference.  The daily planner has many different pages: goals, class schedules, notes, addresses, to-do lists, and more. The one thing I will say is that I wish it was just slightly bigger height wise. The planner has a front and back pocket and I wanted to slide my sticker sheets inside; however, the stickers are longer vertically than the planner is. That’s honestly my only negative thing to say about it!

Everyone knows I’m a huge notebook fanatic – I have many and feel no shame about it. From browsing the website multiple times I had a picture in my head about how big I thought the notebook was even though they had the dimensions written. I wasn’t the perfect visualizer but if you are then here ya go.. 7″ Wide x 10″ Tall x .2″ Thick.

In reality it’s actually a bit bigger than what I thought initially and I love it. The design you see is called “Bohemian Ikat” and it’s even more gorgeous in person. I’ve never been more obsessed with a notebook. If you want one that’s great for school, work, or just taking notes – this is one that gives a lot of room to write (perfect for those with bigger handwriting).

Now I’ve never had a planning pad until now and it’s probably one of the most convenient things a person could have. I think it would honestly be PERFECT for someone who works in an office – just keep this on your desk and plan away. Or even maybe a stay-at-home mom. Plan the week with the kids and have all your notes, things to do, and main focuses in one neat area. There are also 6″ x 9″ planning pads as well if you want something a little smaller and there are many different types. This is obviously the one I have but if this one doesn’t fit your preferences then you do have options, which is something I love about this brand. One of the pads I want to pick up in the future is the “Grocery List” planning pad. By first glance I feel it’ll be very useful to everyone ranging from college students to busy parents. If you happen to have this already, comment below how you like it!

Now for my favorite part  ♡

I will be giving away this new 2017 Bloom Daily Planner and other goodies as a thank you to all my followers and all the support I’ve been receiving from everyone! I was a little hesitant on blogging at first but now I love my blog and the entire blogging community! So the giveaway starts when the blog post is published “010:00PM 19th April 2017 ” my time zone – “05:00AM 19th April 2017” Pacific Time. 

The giveaway will end after a month and one day so there’s plenty of time for people to enter.. “11:59PM 20th May 2017″ my time zone – “6:59AM 20th May 2017″ Pacific Time. And then the winner will be announced on the following week’s blog post on Wednesday the 24th of May. Sorry if the times for the US seem a little off the wall – where I live there’s a big time difference so my apologies if that inconveniences anyone! This giveaway is international. 

The three mandatory rules:

1. You must be a follower of my blog via WordPress or your email
2. Like my Beauty by Sarah facebook page 
3. Follow Bloom Daily Planners on instagram

Then there will tons of extra entries you can do if you’d like a higher chance of winning. Click the link below to enter – you must enter through the link!

Sarah’s Thank you Giveaway

I hope everyone has had an amazing week so far and good luck to everyone who enters the giveaway – I wish you all the best of luck. Have questions? Thoughts? Comment below! See you next week  ♡

Daily Inspiration

As the week starts to come to close in a few days, I hope everyone has spent their days being productive and positive. Sorry I didn’t post yesterday, the week has been a little busy for me and I just couldn’t get around to writing. Plus, honestly, I couldn’t find any inspiration. I always have a list of ideas to choose from that I wrote a few weeks ago in advance but nothing really stuck out to follow through with for this week. However, something did end up coming to me. I have a really good friend who’s been encountering a lot of changes within the past few months. This has caused her to look at some things more negatively than positively, whether or not she wants to admit that. I’m sure it seems like there’s one thing happening after another and that can be hard to adjust with. But the main thing I want her to know, as well as anyone else going through the same type of thing, is that you’re not alone. 

I think it’s safe to say life has it’s guaranteed ups and downs. I’ve had days where it seems like everything is exactly how I want it to be and then other days where nothing seems to go right. School, parents, work, siblings, moving, boyfriends/girlfriends, money, kids, pets, writing/blogging — these are all examples of things that people may have had a problem with in the past, right now in the present, or in the future. And you know what? That’s okay. No one is expecting you to have everything figured out right this second. Give yourself time and space to assess every situation and find the best possible outcome for yourself. It’s not selfish to want to help yourself. And that’s something I want my friend to understand. Yes, it’s hard right now. New surroundings, new people, new things to get in the habit of.. but it won’t be bad forever. These things won’t challenge you for the rest of your life. 

Something I shared with my friend to help make her feel more positive, that I want to share with y’all, are some of my favorite quotes. They’re just words but some words can hold a very powerful meaning. 

Sometimes all you need to do is read something to help make you feel that, even if not today.. that eventually everything will turn out okay. And sometimes, all you need to do is hear that someone else understands what you’re going through. Whoever may be reading this, I want you to understand that your feelings will never be insignificant. No matter how big or small your problems may be, they’ll always be important. I can promise you that. I actually think that’ll be your first step – realizing that you have every right to feel the way you do. Second step – to just breathe. Like it says in the one picture above.. “inhale. exhale.”  Take it one day at a time. Things have a funny way of working themselves out. But what can do.. what you should do actually, is if something isn’t going to way you want it to be, change it. Only you have the power to make those kinds of changes in your life. Because it’s YOUR life babe. No one else can tell you how to live it. I’m going to make the next set of quotes bigger so you can take the time to digest each one for what it’s saying and what it has to offer you from this moment on. 

That one quote above has to be my number 1 favorite – “every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.“ And that’s what I ask of you today, find that one good thing in each day, or multiple! Then just hold onto that hope. Sometimes it takes a lot to read something and retain the information in the way you intend too. So I have a few tips/suggestions to also offer you. None of this is necessary; however, you could find it to be beneficial for you in the long run.

1. Read quotes like the ones above everyday. That kinda reinforcement might help stimulate your brain to have a more positive outlook on things throughout the day, thus causing you to have more positive energy to give. The key is to help release the negativity you have overcrowding in your mind. I have a Daily Inspiration board on pinterest if any of you are interested in that. You can even create your own.
2. Start a blog. Many of you may already have one but if not, you could start a blog to help channel all your negative energy into your writing. Focus your posts on expressing yourself and reaching out to others who may experience the same things as you. Surrounding yourself with people will help you realize even more that you really aren’t alone. 
3. Now if you aren’t quite comfortable with sharing all that kind of information to where other people can see it – keep a diary or journal. You will still be able to express yourself through your writing but instead in a more intimate manor. 
4. Start planning. Keep a planner. Some people tend to feel better when it feels like they have that complete, full control of their life. Keeping a planner allows you to keep track of anything you’d like, day by day.. month by month. Most planners come with a “to-do” list and sometimes having that sense of being busy and using your time productively will result in self-accomplishment. Like it says above, “the best way to get things done, is to simply begin.” There are also fitness planners, which brings me to my next suggestion.
5. Exercise. Physical activity is proven to help relieve stress. Even if you’re just sitting in your room and doing a few sets of crunches, you’re giving your body and mind a chance to work in a different way. Take a walk outside – just enjoy the nature and the breeze through your hair.

None of that is required, but I want you to start taking the initiative to better understand yourself. And to my dear friend, truly understand that life is going to tear you down. More than once. But you will stand back up eventually. Each time, taller than the last. You just need to give yourself time to get there. And that goes for everyone. I’m always here if anyone needs to talk. Message me anytime – here or here ♡

Share your story below. Connect with myself and other people in the comments. Most importantly, tell us something you did to keep your head held high. I’d love to read it.
Thanks for reading, see y’all next week with a new post and remember to stay strong. 

Organization is Key

Things always take time to progress and practice makes perfect. I just wanted to take a second to thank everyone that’s been supportive so far with my first blog post and following me. I really appreciate it. I also wanted to mention that I’ve had views from all over the world and I’m more fascinated than ever by it. United Kingdom, Poland, Japan, Pakistan, Australia, Ireland, Canada, the United States, France, and many more. So a quick shoutout to all of y’all – it really is amazing! So I just wanted to say thank you and I hope everyone keeps viewing, following, and supporting!

I believe it’s good for one’s well-being to be as organized as you can. Organization is helpful in reducing your stress-level. As mentioned in my “About Me” I stated that keeping lists is a good way to do so. For example, write a to-do list. Maybe you have to do homework, study for a mid-term, babysit the neighbor’s two kids, and take a trip to the store. It could be extremely helpful to write everything down so you don’t forget it. I also mentioned that one of the lists I have is my “Makeup Wanted” list. It’s definitely for fun so I can keep track of things I’d like to buy but it also helps me keep everything neat and stops me from forgetting products in the future. A few things on my list to share with y’all: Too Faced Sweet Peach Papa Don’t Peach Blush (USD $30), theBalm Photo Balm Powder Foundation (USD $26), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow Face Palette (USD $68), Sleep Makeup Highlighting Palette in “Solstice” ( USD $14.99, €12.49), and many others. Those are just some of the few things I’d like to try  and test out.

Many people have “beauty rooms.” In other words, a room some people dedicate to makeup and a good amount of the time use it as a recording room. The well-known Ikea Alex 5 and 9 drawers may sound familiar to most of you. The company doesn’t ship to wear I live so unfortunately I don’t own them (even though I’d like too – I could use all that extra drawer space). However, I have a decent amount of acrylic containers, which I would recommend to help organize all your makeup. You can also find regular containers that’ll work equally as well at your local dollar store or even just some random containers you may have stashed around your home. One of my containers has three open slots and I keep my eyeliners on one side, my mascara in the middle, and all my lip liners on the other side. There are also four openings in the front which are shaped for lipstick but instead I use it to put my 4 most used mascaras – Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Mascara (USD $32) and theBalm Mad Lash Mascara (USD $18) – those are just my two favorites. I have a three square open container that just holds a bunch of my lip balms, lip crayons, and lipsticks and drawers to keep all my liquid lipsticks. I know most people use actual lipstick holders but I find this just as useful and found at my local exchange. There’s also a place for all my makeup brushes and my eyeshadow palettes but of course, I’m certainly running out of room.

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The main organizer I have is the one in the middle of my vanity. I recommend doing this because it could help save you tons of time while getting ready for the day (maybe work) or getting ready in the morning for school if you’ve decided to sleep in on some occasions. I have my “every day” makeup products in this container. The things I use absolutely everyday (also have a few palettes that I like to keep out on the side for quick access like my Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sweets (USD $40). My foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer, blush, etc are located in this container. Then when I get a new product that I want to try out for a little while (see how it wears on the face) – I’ll switch it out with the corresponding product in my organizer. It’s very useful and helpful for me. I also keep a Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer and fragrance mist there as well to keep my “getting ready” time as effective and efficient as possible. In the long run I think you’ll be relieved  and grateful to have saved yourself so much time!

Hope you enjoyed! Comment below your makeup organization skills and how you keep things to help save time! Any questions, just ask.