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PINTERESTING PICKS WEDNESDAY!: Blog Tips & Tricks, Affiliate Programs & More!

April 26, 2017 by SouthernBeautyGuide Leave a Comment

Happy Wednesday! It’s that day again! Of course I am talking about Pinteresting Picks Wednesday! Yes after a few months off I am starting this again! I seriously am trying to get back into the blogging game. Balancing a job change and adding becoming an Independent Presenter for Younique has developed quite the struggle for balancing everything. I thought today I would share all of my favorite pins So without further ado, check out my favorite pins for the week!

In blogging there are so many ups and downs to the point where sometimes it’s like you’re on a roller coaster. There are so many tips and tricks for blogging success on pinterest. Some times it really is astounding to me since I have blogging for years now. Over the past 2 years the blogging scene has exploded and there are truly some great resources available for anyone. I found some really pinteresting pins on Pinterest this week that relate to blogging. From How to Start a WordPress blog to Post ideas.

There are endless posts here available for you to learn the tricks of the blogging trade. Regardless if you are new to blogging or have been doing it for years, there are some really beneficial posts I have included in this post today. Make sure you go through them and see what you can learn! Hope you enjoy these and make sure you share your favorite pins!

What have you been loving on Pinterest lately? I can’t wait to see what you have all been loving this week. Don’t forget to link up your posts full of your favorite pins!

The day I prayed from 2am to 7pm

January 25, 2017 by SouthernBeautyGuide 3 Comments

I normally got to sleep watching the weather which is great when you know you have bad weather coming. I admit I’m a bit of a weather nut, but after seeing what destruction tornadoes can have I don’t really blame myself. Watching the weather I knew this storm system was coming. However I don’t think any of us really thought it would be that bad. However as tornadoes came on both sides way to close for comfort I leaned on my faith and prayed for God to take care of his people and not let the storms hit.

At 2am Saturday night/Sunday Morning I heard the alert go off on the TV. Shortly after I received a weather alert call stating we were under a severe thunderstorm warning. I diligently watching as the system kept vastly encompassing the state. I knew that this situation was etching it’s way closer and that it seemed as they crawled into this state the warm gulf water was adding accelerant to the storms. As I prayed I knew that lives were being lost as the first round hit in the southwestern part of the state.

Around 3am I starting seeing reports of tornadoes decimating areas of the state. Then my 4:30am the Tornado Warning was issued for my area. Time proved that we would be in and out of Tornado Warnings for the next several hours. As I stepped outside at just before daylight I felt the pressure drop and instantly new it was time to get everyone in my family up and alert. After pacing for hours I knew this was coming. Luckily it missed us but unfortunately my feelings were accurate and a few miles away a neighborhood was hit. Homes were destroyed and even one was picked up and tossed into a pond with people in it. I now know that we were far more lucky than I expected. As daylight came and more reports come in all I could do was pray. Most in my area don’t have storm shelters because tornadoes are not common.

Throughout the day I stayed glued to the tv, checking in on everyone that was in the path of the storms that I knew. As the horrific wedge tornado hit Albany I couldn’t believe my eyes. Meteorologists tried to warn people that it was going to be horrific, but we never thought we would see a tornado of this magnitude. I literally saw this tornado track 30 minutes away and then it just stopped. It had been on the ground for many miles and finally after an all night and all day event I saw time tick to a close.

Thanks goodness as I look around we were spared. We lost a few trees but that’s nothing compared to what some lost. Days later they are still looking for lost loved ones. I do pray they find them soon. Tornadoes in Georgia are not that common and definitely not that of what hit Albany. Times like these make me realize how thankful I am for God protecting us and how lucky I truly am. All of my thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by these horrendous storms. #AlbanyStrong #AdelStrong

Sephora VIB Sale Haul: New Amazing Products to try & Favorites!

December 5, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 2 Comments

Sephora Sales come twice a year and with my cut back on buying makeup I decided 20% was a great incentive to pick up some items I was out of and some I’ve wanted to try. Granted I go through several “Cart drafts” as I call them before making my final purchase. Basically this entails me weeding down to the minimum on what to purchase. Deciding what is classified as a want or need can be difficult. However, I ended up picking up some true goodies!

Beauty Blender BB Clean $40
Yes this sponge is one that I love using on a daily basis. I missed out on all the Beauty Blender holiday kits. I was determined to pick at least one up this year. This is a great deal for the value. You basically end up getting the Cleanser for free. I had never tried it but so far I love it. I do prefer the black pro Beauty Blenders because they seem to hold up better, but I love all of them regardless. I find they are great at blending out foundation, concealer, cream products, etc. You can also use it for baking. The shape of it proves to be a great choice in the baking technique.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Palette in 04 $60
I admit I caved after my hair stylist has been after me for months to pick up this palette. Not that I need a palette, but after telling me how amazing it is she truly convinced me to get it. I have to say this palette is not cheap. With the 20% off I felt it was the best time to try it. I will have a full review up of this palette soon.

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Foundation in Shade 230 $47
Oily skin drama. Let’s be realistic. When you have oily skin it’s a true struggle to find foundations that work for you. There are only two that fall into this Holy Grail category and this is one of them. With a steep price tag I had this 1st on my list of products to pick up.

Too Faced Melted Matte Liqufied Longwear Lipstick in On Point $21
Being a Sephora VIB Rouge has it’s perks and this is one of them. This was a Rouge exclusive that I had to pick up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not for the faint at heart, it’s super intense. To me it looks like a deep oxblood shade. I will also have a full review of this up soon.

The Estee Edit Mellishadow Crème + Powder in Cyberella $25
This was something I threw in at the last moment. I saw a few YouTubers talking about it and I had to try it. There is a creamy purple cream shadow on top and purple toned gold loose pigment on bottom. This is seriously so easy to use and I am glad I picked it up. I will have a look and review up of this soon. However, if you check out my Instagram you can see a sneak peak of what this product looks like.

As you can see I didn’t go too crazy, but I was strategic at getting only the best. Of course there were so many things I wanted to pick up but I didn’t need them. I love trying new products as a Beauty Blogger and I can’t wait to post reviews of all of these. What did you pickup in the Sephora sale? Anything new you love? If you have a post on anything Beauty, feel free to leave it below.

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How to Find the Most Awesome New Fonts & Beautiful Mockups for your blog

September 15, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 2 Comments

Do you look at other blogger’s post and see the most gorgeous fonts and mock up images? I know I do all the time. I consistently scour the Internet looking for the prettiest calligraphy fonts and clean images to use for blog posts. There are things you have to think about as licensing rights that can really cause a migraine quick. I look for sites that I can freely use fonts and images and ones that clearly have license information spelled out for me. After all, I want to make sure I am always in compliance. I love font and mockup bundles and find you can really great deals!

Creative Market
I honestly purchase most of the fonts and mockup images from Creative Market. They have a large variety of products in bundles geared for bloggers. I find tons of etsy sellers also use this site. I have found some truly gorgeous mockup images on this site. Each bundle, font or mockup set clearly has the licensing information listed so that there are no questions. Plus they send emails weekly with free stuff that is awesome! This is my go-to for mockups and fonts.

Design Cuts
This site primarily has font bundles. It’s an oldie but a goodie. When I first started getting active in blogging I started purchasing all my fonts for blog pics from Design Cuts. The license information is cut and dry and I am confident buying products from Design Cuts. When I say bundles I mean bundles! I have purchased over 50 fonts at a time for an incredible deal. I have even used this site to buy a font set that includes drawings for trees for my work business card.

The Hungry Jpeg
I find a great mix of fonts and mockup images on this site. They run deals all the time and I even see where you can tweet for a discount to be applied. I would say this is one of my favorite sites that I am on weekly searching for new ideas. I love the great mix they have for sale and that you can really find anything you are looking for. Again there are clear license information.

The Fancy Deal
I find the most intriguing font bundles on this site. I find you can really find hidden gems and great deals on this site. I have not used this one as much as the others but I do love their products. I too find this site to be full of great products for bloggers.

The main tip I can give you is to shop around and real the license information. These sites sell products for bloggers, personal use, and for mass sellers. I personally look for sites that have the best deals, are easy to understand and maneuver through and also that spell out the licensing. These sites have never failed me so I feel comfortable sharing these with all of you. Of course there are other sites that I use, but these are the ones I go to most of the time.

I hope you find these tips for finding the most awesome new fonts & mockups for your blog! I truly love these and find the most awesome products! Regardless of what you are looking for these will not disappoint. As a blogger I depend on these sites to keep my blog interesting. What sites do you use to buy fronts & Mockups?

Oh, Hey Friday!|That’s Life

August 5, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 1 Comment

Hey, Hey it’s Friday! I know you are all wondering where I have been and why posts are few and far between. Well you see basically between working 12-15 hour days, in the middle of home renovations, and my SD card breaking I’ve fallen behind. Never fear! I am A-okay and back on this glorious Friday! To get back in the swing of things I decided to show 5 things on this Friday for Oh Hey, Friday!

1|I’ve been super obsessed with Balyage hair styles specifically on brunettes. I dipped my toes in the water per say into Balyage a few months ago. Well it was time for touch up and My stylist and I decided to take it up another notch with using Balyage and color melting. I simply love it. I truly feel the Sugar Cookie tone goes wonderfully with brown eyes. Know granted when I took this picture it was late yesterday afternoon, my face is super oily and makeup was sliding off. Welcome to the Humid south right? Anyways, I am so grateful that I was able to get my hair done this week. It truly makes me feel so great to get make hair styled. My hairstylist makes it such a relaxing experience that it truly just melts the stress away.

2|We finally were blessed with rain. It’s been so hot and dry(rain wise,still humid) that we have be praying for rain. Prayers were answered this week since it has rained every day so fast that the dirt roads, yes I said dirt, are very washed out and muddy. There is no chance of keeping my car clean but I am very thankful of the rain.

3|The Bachelorette is Over! I can’t believe that JoJo found her man! I know this is some “really great” reality tv, but I really find the entire concept interesting. I find even more interesting the show Married at First Sight. I just don’t know how they do it. As a single gal I can’t comprehend giving up all decisions as to whom I will marry to someone else. Crazy right?

4|My Morphe Brush Club bag came in the mail! I can’t help but feel excited when I get this in the mail. I am so looking forward to testing these brushes out and will hopefully have a review up soon!

5|Renovations continue at my parents’ house. I am helping them with their remodel so that next year I will have some help with mine. I love the design process and am excited to learn some new skills like laying tile and flooring. Between learning new skills and the new season of Fixer Upper, I should be totally set for my own renovation! I am truly saving every penny and putting it in my savings account. What this means is that I will be giving up my Sephora Rouge status, but in the long run this is so worth it.

I will be spending my weekend helping to finish the back porch and deck around the pool. After we do this we are moving to the inside which means I will be exhausted come Monday. I just am keeping my vision focused at the light at the end of the tunnel in that this too shall pass. Now that you know just how much fun my weekend will be…tell me what your plans are?

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Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette Review!

July 29, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 4 Comments

Yassssss! Ok so maybe that was me shouting yes from my house to yours, but you can’t really blame me due to my excitement over getting my hands on the Jaclyn Hill x Becca Face palette. I’ve had this for a few weeks testing it and I have to say I l-o-v-e it. This palette launched with the eye shadow palette, but this was the only piece I chose to pick up.

This palette is truly made from medium toned skin, but with different application methods can probably work from a large variety. I admit that I love every single shade in this palette. From the Blushes to the shimmering skin perfectors, they are fabulous! This palette is pretty intense and very pigmented. With a flick of the wrist your face can be on point with your highlight. I find this to be the perfect palette for summer. After all what is better than a bronze glow look in summer? I use this palette a ton and you can sure tell it!

These all swatched beautifully as well as they apply great to the skin. I love that you can really mix all of these shades in different combinations to achieve different colors without making them look muddy. My favorite combinations was mixing Prosecco Pop and Champagne Pop together. Talk about Glowy goodness!

Rose Spritz, Amaretto, Pample-mousse, Champagne Pop, Prosecco Pop

I was super interested to see the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector® Pressed Champagne Glow Palette featuring Champagne along side face palette to compare the Champagne Pops. I noticed a slight variation in color in the original Champagne pop and wanted to see just how similar these were in comparison.
So let’s clear up a few things up! There are a few rumors circulating about the quality and where this palette was made. Some have said this was made in a foreign country, but my palette clearly says it was made in the USA. Now as to the quality, this over all texture is superb, but I do see some variation in the Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector. Check out the swatches I did on Champagne Pop from another collection, single and from this face palette. I found the two located in the palette were very similar, but a bit different in shade and texture than the original Champagne Pop. The texture is not as buttery. Honestly they are all gorgeous and nothing to really dwell on. However, just take a look for yourself.

Champagne Pop swatches: Face Palette, Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Glow Palette, Original Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector

No joke this palette is really pretty and a great addition to my collection. The packaging is simply gorgeous and this coupled with the quality, quantity and value makes this a must have for any collection! I know this is sold out most everywhere but try checking online and in your local Sephora! I truly can’t wait to see what Becca x Jaclyn Hill have coming out next! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Nordstrom Mascara Sale Haul!

June 3, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

First of all Happy Friday! I am so excited to share an interesting haul with you today! Mascara is really a girl’s best friend, at least it is mine. I simply look dead if I am not wearing mascara. I am pretty picky in this department due to liking the look at big full lashes. If you’re a mascara girl then you probably heard that Nordstrom occasionally hosts sales where you can get buy 2 get 1 free deal on high-end mascara. I have an absolute addiction to Chanel mascara, but with a hefty price I don’t buy it until this sale. I generally buy just 3 mascaras which get me through most the year. If you toss mascara when it expires and only open 1 tube at a time, you can really make this sale work for you. Curious to see what I picked up, then stay tuned!

As you can see I was not kidding that I love this mascara. I normally pick 2 Chanel Mascaras and then pick another I haven’t tried. Again as I mentioned above I am not able to show you the wand on these due to I will not open them until I need them, but I do promise to do a review when I open them to show what the wands look like.

I am so excited to have the Le Volume De Chanel Mascara from Chanel back in my life and also to try out this Armani mascara. The Eyes to Kill Excess Mascara from Giorgio Armani has been on my shopping list for some time, so I can’t wait to try it and report back. I know it will take a few months due to Chanel will be the first one I open. This sale normally only lasts for 24 hours, and most the time I see Temptalia announce it on her blog.

Did you shop the sale? What are your thoughts on these mascaras? Any you think I would love leave in the comments below. Have a great weekend!

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Blogging 101: Why you must use vertical images for pinterest

May 6, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 2 Comments

Happy Friday! I am so excited to share the next installment on my Blogging 101 series! As I sit here writing this I am sipping on coffee and counting down the hours. You see I am going away this weekend so celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom. I have collected some great presents for her to open, and I admit I am a bit excited about seeing her reaction. However, moving on to today’s post!

Pinterest is one social media platform that is far beyond the complexity of others. The creators of Pinterest have created may facets within the site geared towards giving insight into the site for bloggers. Talking about Pinterest is way too much to fit into one post, so I will be breaking it down into several concise posts on different facets of Pinterest and how to get the most out of your pins! Today I am focusing on why you need to stay away from being square.

Ever noticed your pins just don’t flow well on your boards or see photos others have pinned that look more streamline? Most of the time this would be because pins need to be fully vertical images to really get maximum exposure. Pinterest is purely built for vertical pins, in that only the vertical pins are truly showcased well. Does this translate into popularity of pins? Absolutely. I’ve put this to the test and 10 out of 10 times vertical pins with always get more repins, likes and comments than square pins. Don’t believe me, just try it!

I find I habitually make blog pictures horizontal as I have for the past few years of blogging. This is a habit I am trying to break myself of slowly. As blog designs have developed over the past few years a trend of narrow writing blocks has come onto the scene. This is purely catered to easily transforming your hard work into amazing pins. Let’s face it, creative beautiful image for posts is not always easy and is time consuming. I am not always able to make images vertical, but most of the time I really try to do so. Reason being, it’s much easier to just start from the beginning making images vertical so that you can pin them straight from your blog without having to create an entire different image for pinterest. Naturally as we read left to right, an image that is elongated causing readers to scroll which increases the chance of them reading an entire post.

What is a great size for pins to be the most successful? I find having pins around 700×1300 tend to make very attractive pins. Why bother? That’s simple. With millions of pins circulation throughout pinterest, you need your pin to really stand out and get attention. Here are some WordPress plugins and photo editors that I use to create my pins.

What is Sumo? Notice the floating social media bar, the shareable pictures and how if you highlight my text you can automatically share it? This is all due to Sumo and truly worth it. I use the free option and simply love it. It allows all of my readers to easily pin my photos throughout pinterest.

What editors do I use? The flip between two editors for creating and editing all of my photos for pins, Picmonkey and Photoshop CC. Yes you can do pretty much everything you would need for basic editing on Picmonkey and for free. However, if you are one that like more advanced editing I find Photoshop CC is a must. I use the Adobe subscription where I get Photoshop CC & Lightroom for $9.99 a month. It’s totally worth the money and extremely helpful in creating photos for Pinterest.

Basically what you need to remember is to create vertical images for pinning and to use a great editor to make the images stand out. What are your thoughts on this? What editor do you use? Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there!

April Beauty Favorites!

April 27, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website.

Seriously where did April go? There have been so many changes in April and reasons to celebrate. Not only did I pass my state licensing test, but I found my holy grail foundation. Pretty great month right? For so many reasons beyond this April has held some really low points, but has also delivered some of the happiest. I found so many new products in April due to Sephora’s spring sale that I must say surprised me by how amazing they are. From Skincare to makeup, I have a great mix of favorites that became a product I used throughout April.

Beautyblender® Pro • Beautyblender • $20
Pro Beauty Blenders are my favorite. They do have a somewhat different texture and have a bit more bounce which I find I love and so do my clients. The black does get dirty and stain, but doesn’t look nearly as nasty as a pink beauty blender. I have used these for over a year, but switched to brushed for a while. In the month of April I jumped back on the Beauty Blender train and fell in love all over again. Some may feel these sheer out your foundation, but I find by just bouncing it on your face give flawless coverage and adds moisture that aids in helping foundation blend seamlessly on the skin. I find my nose is particularly hard to get foundation to apply evenly to, but with the pro beauty blender the foundation blends flawlessly.

boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment • Boscia • $38
I recently found myself trying multiple masks to see if they could help minimize pores and help get my skin under control. I have super oily yet sensitive skin and need something to really cleanse my pores. I first year about this from a YouTuber, and decided since she claimed it helped with her pores I would give it a try. This mask is thick and doesn’t completely dry down like other mask I have tried have when I tested them. This does give off a slight warming sensation and my skin was a touch red as expected afterwards. However, since introducing this into my skincare regiment I have found my skin has really improved. My skin seems to be more plump, tightened, and pores minimized. I can only attribute my skin improvement to this product. I know the smell and feel gives off that this product is intense and working. Those that have really sensitive skin may not be a fan of this, but I simply love it!

M·A·C ‘Prep + Prime’ Fix+ Finishing Mist • M·A·C • $22
This product is an oldie but a goodie! I have used MAC Fix+ for years to add a metallic finish to shadows and help products stick to my face. I ran out of this for months, and finally this month purchased a new bottle. I use it daily to spritz my beauty blender for applying foundation and spritzing my shadow brush to increase the intensity of my lid shade. If you have dry skin you can even use this as a setting spray. It will cause and powdery look to fade and make your skin look radiant. I find this product is one of the most useful and versatile I have in my collection, which is why I continuously repurchase it.

Lancôme ‘Teint Idole Ultra 24H’ Wear & Comfort Retouch Free Divine Perfection Makeup • $47
Thanks goodness for this foundation. I finally am able to keep foundation on my oily skin for 8 hours a day. Normally by 2pm by foundation is melting off my face. However, a fellow makeup artists mentioned that this would work with my skin so I picked it up.

MAC Eye Shadow • M·A·C • $16
MAC eye shadows are my favorite eye shadows, but there are a few shades that stand out above others. Brown Script is I would say in my top 5 shadows of all time. I saw a YouTube Beauty Guru using Brown Script and I decided to pull it out to incorporate in a few looks. In April this one time use turned into weeks of using this color in nearly every eye look. You really can’t beat the warm brown shade that blends effortlessly. I recommend if you are looking to purchase some MAC shades that you get Brown Script.

What are your favorites for the month of April? Make sure you leave your favorites down below. I am always looking for new products to try!

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5 THOUGHTS ON FRIDAY DAY

April 1, 2016 by SouthernBeautyGuide 4 Comments

Happy Friday! I hope life is treating your great. Time is flying and so are the seasons. Looking at the upcoming weekend, today I am sharing 5 thoughts on Friday.

1| Hello Spring. My allergies and sinuses are driving me crazy. I thought all the rain would wash the pollen away but apparently not. I love seeing all the blooming flowers, but all the flowers in the world can’t comfort me when I see a stream of yellow/green running down the sidewalk or on my windshield. Yes, I am referring to the pollen. I completely understand the need for plants to pollinate, because we love this beautiful world but it sends my body into an “allergic shock.” On the topic of flowers, this afternoon I am going to our local plant nursery to look for herbs and mosquito bushes and a lemon tree. I would love to have my herb garden set up within a weeks. My search for a lemon tree also continues. I have been scouring the internet and local markets for a year looking for a lemon tree. Wish me luck! What Herb garden ideas do you have?

2| Miracles from Heaven. I am not sure if you have seen this movie yet or not, but I will just say you need to. I think this movie pulled more emotion out of me than watching all the Nicholas Sparks based movies. I think the reason being what the mom went through questioning God’s reasoning for letting something so awful happen to an angel here on earth is something I felt when I was a teenager. The pain of seeing a loved on in pain and losing them before we are ready doesn’t even register on any scale of physical or emotional pain. This movie pulled my emotions as if I were a violin used in a symphony. It seems everyone in the theater related in some way to this movie, maybe it was the woman behind me or the man beside me, but it seemed this movie touched everyone in the theater.

3| Washing Makeup Brushes. Full disclosure here. I own over 100 makeup brushes. Partly this is due to having a freelance makeup kit. I have sets of brushes I use on myself and clients. I completely hate washing makeup brushes. When you have as many as I do, it takes hours to fully clean them and even longer for them to dry. I spot clean brushes after use, but after doing makeup on clients I deeply clean them after each application. I don’t clean my own brushes nearly as much, due to dreading this task. It just is grueling and time consuming when you have as many brushes. I took on this task on Sunday and I thought I was never going to get done. Though I hate cleaning brushes, it is a pure necessity. If you find your face is breaking out or eyes are reacting, cleaning your brushes may help. What does make the process a little easier is a tool from Sigma Beauty.

The textured places on this glove help clean all the makeup out of my brushes. We all know that foundation brushes and eyeliner brushes are the most difficult to get clean. I find this glove especially useful when cleaning my Sigma F80 foundation brush. I use hardcore foundations to help with my oily skin, so it takes an advanced system like this to fully clean my brushes.

4| Studying for round 2 of state tests. I am studying again and so sick of it. There is nothing worse than sitting for hours reading endless amounts, then find you are reading a single page 3-4 times. At that point I bring on the coffee. I don’t believe I ever developed study skills, which is why I even struggled with studying in college. Any tips?

5| Should I upgrade my iPhone 5? this question has been floating continuously throughout my mind ever since the 6s Plus was released. My brother has one and loves it, but I don’t know if I would prefer the brick sized phone that my small hands would struggle to hold. I love the thoughts of having a large screen, but not sure if I am ready to switch. Tech savy friends, what are your thoughts on this?

*Affiliate links may be contained in this post, but all thoughts expressed are 100% my own.

*Affiliate links may be contained in this post, but all thoughts expressed are 100% my own.