Weekend Roundup - Flower Crowns, Walks, & Kittens

My weekend was rather eventful! My boyfriend had to work all weekend, so instead of just being lazy and becoming one with the couch (like I typically would) I decided to get outside and do a few things!

First up on Saturday was a flower arranging class at Whole Foods! About 10 of us gathered under some tents outside and watched Diana show us how to properly arrange floral bouquets. It was pretty interesting watching her work as she cut off extraneous leaves, trimmed down tea leaves, and placed each flower just so. While she created several beautiful bouquets, she dropped some knowledge. For example, did you know that roses usually have several 'guard petals' that are used only to protect the rest of the petals?

After making 3 different bouquets, one with hydrangea, one with roses and baby's breath, and one with lilies and pink roses, she showed us how to make a flower crown before sending us off to some tables filled with jars of various kinds of flowers.

 I really liked the crown I made and I had a lot of fun doing it!

From there ('there' being the Runway Playa Vista outdoor mall thing), I decided to walk over to the Playa Vista rummage sale that takes place annualy at Concert Park. It wasn't too far a walk, and it was a lovely area to walk through anyway. 

I didn't find anything good to buy at the rummage sale, so I walked back to my car, went home, and watched Season 2 of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt netflix show for the rest of the night. And that was my Saturday!

On Sunday, I had a shift at the Kitten Foster program at the animal shelter where I volunteer. I cleaned a few cages, did some laundry, mopped, and then I got to do playgroup with the kittens!! One at a time, each cat condo was emptied of it's kittens into a very tall cage, filled with toys, treats, and me!! My job was pretty much just to watch them, pet them, entertain them, and make sure they didn't get out. It was like heaven. The first group of kittens consisted of a mix bag of 5 kittens, plus their mama cat too. 

The next group consisted of 5 black kittens!! How freaking cute is this little black hole with eyes??

You have no idea how challening it is to photograph a bunch of kittens scampering around.

This one was my favorite. I wanted to put her in my purse and take her home with me!

 Look at that photogenic little face!!!

So that was my flowers, walks, and kittens-filled weekend!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Lip Balms!

Lip balm is one of my favorite, and most necessary, things in life. I always have at least one on me. Even if I'm just walking around somewhere, chances are I have one in my pocket, in addition to the several back-ups in my purse. Burt's Bees used to be my jam, and is the first lip balm that I ever religiously used. I stuck to it for a long time, but eventually branched out to other brands. Here is a list of my top ten favorite lip balms!


1. Chapstick, Cake Batter Flavor

I'm a fairly recent convert to Chapstick. Chapstick really appeals to me due to how soft the balm is, and also because of how many flavors they have. My number one all time favorite now and forever is Cake Batter. It makes me feel like I'm rubbing a soft marshmallow all over my lips!


2. Chapstick, Candy Cane Flavor

I love mint flavors, so the Candy Cane flavored Chapstick is another favorite of mine! And yeah, I'm listing two different flavors of Chapstick. That's how much I like each of them. So there!


3. Hurraw Lip Balm

Hurraw is this great company that only uses organic ingredients and is completely vegan. I love the oval shape of the tube; it's so unique, and it keeps it from rolling off your desk! They have a lot of great and unusual flavors, like Grapefruit, Lime, Root Beer, Orange, Green Tea - there's something for everybody.


4. Eos

These got really popular a few years ago, but I never tried them until recently. The unique round shape of EOS is my most and least favorite thing about it. I like that it's unique, but it does make it awkward to put in your pocket. I do appreciate the wide range of flavors. They've even branched out into lotion and shaving cream.

5. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

These lip shimmers from Burt's Bees are great because they not only moisturize your lips like a lip balm, but they also give you a bit of color. No need for lipstick with these babies!

6. Lip Smackers, Dr. Pepper Flavor

Not only does this lip balm from Lip Smackers taste very reminiscent of my favorite carbonated beverage, Dr. Pepper, but it also gives your lips a very subtle tint!


7. Maybelline Baby Lips

These only recently found their way into my collection, but they're pretty great. I love that they're swivel-up kind, so it's almost like you're putting lipstick on. I have one that's a cute pink color, and another nude one. They smell excellent! 

8. Vaseline Lip Therapy

These are also a newer addition to my lip balm hoard. I love Vaseline in general, and this tiny tub was too cute to pass up. I've tried the Rosy Lips one, and it's great! It's just as uber-moisturizing as your regular Vaseline, but it's scented and I believe, slightly tinted. I haven't tried the cocoa butter yet, but you better believe I will soon!

9. Rosebud Salve

Rosebud Salve used to be on everyone's must list a few years ago, and I too had a tin of it in my purse. The great thing about this balm is that you can use it not only on your lips, but also on your cheeks for a hint of color! The only thing I didn't really like is that you have to use your finger to apply it (unless you happen to have a lip brush) and if you have longer nails, it's gonna get gunked up under there. Still, it's a really great, moisturzing lip balm. 

10. Burt's Bees

Sigh. I guess I"ll put this one on the list, if only for being my gateway drug into the world of moisturized lips so many moons ago. I loved the formulation of it back then; it was so smooth and made my lips feel all tingly. However, I'm pretty sure they changed it, and now it just seems waxy and dull to me. Still, I do use it sometimes if it's the only one in arm's reach. Plus, they've expanded into a whole new world of flavors, and they even have lipsticks now!! Good for you, Burt's Bees.


None of these products are sponsored, I just really really love lip balm.