On Beauty: The Impromptu Purchase

I just got back from Shopper Drug Mart. I went there because I wanted to try to find something similar to a dermatological cream I used London. I found something similar, but before finding, I found something else.
A package full of beauty items I didn't plan to purchase. I made a quick calculation.
I will need toothpaste soon, and that alone is $2. I wouldn't mind trying that coconut scrub. Even though the package is priced $8.99, it is discounted to $7.99.

The content:Satin Care Shave gel
Lady Speed Stick Anti-Perspirant
Nivea Essentials
Colgate Total toothpaste
Vaseline Sheer Infusion Body Lotion
Veet Wax Strips
Aveeno Volumizing Mousse
Coconut Scrub Softsoap Bodywash
Pantene Shampoo
Pantene Conditioner
Schick Quattro Razor
Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream Sample

I know, I won't use some of the items in the box, but WOW, the total value of the items is more than $54.00. That's the reason I bought something I didn't plan to purchase.

Have you ever bought a beauty item on a whim due to value for money?

Be Inspired Monday: No Limit

Did you watch Expedition Impossible? I was addicted to it. If you did watch it then you know who were the No Limit group. The group was composed by three men. One is blind, the other broke his leg half way the mission, leaving them vulnerable in the adventure. They had to go through lot of diversities but managed to come third in show. They never saw themselves as victims.

They inspire me because they showed that no matter what may come in your life, you have to push forward and never give up.

Hope they inspire you too on this labour day!

Celebrating Our 30s!: Laurin!

TC30s is definitely excited about this new feature!
We will be celebrating some amazing ladies who are enjoying their fab 30s.
These ladies are confessing that life is even more fabulous NOW than ever!
They've learned some lessons along the way, good and bad, and are ready to share it with us!  

TC30s came across Laurin from Searching for Sanity unexpectedly and it definitely was in the cosmos!
Naturally, she had to start off this new feature for us!

Laurin recently turned thirty and we loved the way she celebrated her day.
She so eloquently waved goodbye to her twenties
and sashayed into her next decade beautifully.  

We asked her to share how she celebrated her 30th with us!

Ladies, introducing Laurin:


1. Name & blog
Laurin @ Searching for Sanity  www.thesearchfamily.blogspot.com
 2. Age 
30
3.  What is the best thing you did to celebrate turning 30?
I spent my 30th birthday with my husband and daughter, two of our best
friends, and their two kids.  We enjoyed pizza, cupcakes, wine (there's
always wine!) and had lots of laughs - it was perfect!

Laurin is a beautiful wife, mom, sister, friend and a Gamecock Lover...you gotta love her!
She believes in: dancing and singing even when everyone is watching and  the kind of love where both your eyes and soul are wide open.  

Take it away, Laurin!

__________________________________________________________

Here we go!

 I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age...
 The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
 Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun
 Try to forget about all the crazy things I’ve done
 Maybe now I’ve conquered all my adolescent fears
 And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years....Tim McGraw

 Thirty isn't so bad.
Its ok to turn thirty!
 I've learned a lot.
 Here's what I've learned and why 30 rocks:

1. Watch out - I can be president in 5 years.
 2. According to Snooki, I am now a cougar.
3. It's a "milestone" birthday.
4. I may be turning 30 but I will always be the youngest in my family.
5. All the life lessons I learned in my 20s, I can now apply to my thirties.
6. Being carded is a compliment.
 7. Like wine, I'm getting better with age.
8. "Remember when" now applies to my twenties.
9. More candles = Bigger Cake10. Though humbled and broken-hearted, I am wise enough to know what dreams to let go of.
 11. Being thirty is like a rite of passage - I'm old enough for the "old
people" to take me seriously as an adult, but still young enough to be considered "cool."
12. I have a certain confidence in my own experience and knowledge and a
 certain comfort in my own skin that I did not have before.
13. I am one year closer to senior citizen’s discounts.14. I have a healthy balance of self-discovery and learning from others.15. I know who my friends are.
16. I'm still younger than most of said friends.
 17. The maximum heart rate during exercise is now lower.
 18. I understand and accept that nothing is given to you in life, everything is earned.
 19. I will get fewer weird looks by declining events based on parking
accommodations, size of crowd, food served - simply because of my age.
20. I’m finally at an age where I realize it’s important to take care of ME.
 21. I eat dessert first. Because I can.
 22. I've learned that growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
23. I've just about run out of lessons that I have to learn the hard way.
 24. I know what I like and what I don't.
 25. 'Life is short, so break the rules. Forgive like you have amnesia,
believe like a kid, love like crazy, laugh til you fart, and never regret anything that made you happy.'
 26. Simply being able to turn thirty is better than the alternative!
27. Don’t quit. Life's storms will define you. No rain, no rainbows.
 28. 'Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen Hard. Practice wellness.
 Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends.
 Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.'
 29. The most important thing is not the place where you live but the people
 around you that you share your life with. Take care of them as much as you can.

30. I'm awesome. Just because!

_________________________________________________________


Ladies, when i read this list, i pumped my fist in the air and said YAAHHH to 30! 
Thank you Laurin for such an inspirational list! 
And helping others take ownership of the new chapter in their 30s!
Please stop by and say hello to Laurin @  Searching for Sanity!


And to celebrate, Laurin wanted to share (Sexy) Tim McGraw's the Next Thirty Years with us!
Enjoy...

BTW: Happy Birthday on 9/4 to Beyonce!
Welcome to the Fab 30s!
You are glowing!

On Marriage: Guest Blogger

I am sure you know today's guest blogger, the fun-tastic Faith. If you don't know her, you must check her out on Life.Love&Marriage. Everyone who stops by Faith's blog will not turn back without a smile. She is warm and even through a computer screen you want to hug her and see her smile. In my opinion she has the most bright and adoring smile on the blog-sphere!

We love to read her insight on relationship and everything else she writes on her blog is a hit! We were pleased, *{understatement}*, we were ECSTATIC when she accepted to write something on marriage to share with readers of TC30s.

____________

Today she is here to tell us about The Importance of Date Nights in Our Marriages.

It is extremely easy to get wrapped up in our daily lives, especially in this day and age when there are just so many distractions. It is so easy to complain about how busy we are that sometimes we forget to make time for the most important people in our lives. I’ve heard people who have said that they have woken up one day and they have no idea who their spouse is. It is like the time whizzed on by and you were left with a stranger who you happened to marry years ago.

That scenario is one of the reasons why I believe that date nights are important. So important that we have designated a night or day each week to forget about how busy we are and wrap ourselves in that one person.

It can be a simple night in with the surprise of a candlelight dinner. Or a night out to a movie dressed in pajamas. A night where you go out dancing and the two of you move as one to the beat of the drum. Or a night spent on the couch cuddling, watching movies and eating ice cream. Or a day spent at a park having a romantic picnic.

Whatever the date consists of, the only thing that is truly important is taking the time out of the day to talk to your significant other about any and everything. A time to ask questions, to answer questions, to laugh out loud and flirt. A time to remember why you fell in love in the first place.

I believe that it takes work to keep the spark alive. It takes work to keep a happy marriage. Date nights are just one of the ways to help remember why you feel butterflies and why just the thought of that person leaves you breathless and flustered with desire. Date nights ensure that you do not become distant, that regardless of children, careers or busy schedules, you take time out of the week where it is only about the two of you. A night or day to remember how the love started.

Date nights with the hubby are always anticipated. I look forward to Fridays every week because I know that it is when no one else exists but him and I. There are no distractions such as the internet or the phone. Those beloved hours are only about us.

I encourage you to have a date night weekly. In this economy, research your area for fun things to do with your significant other for free. I know that this summer there were free concerts, festivals, fairs, etc, which cost us nothing. You do not have to spend money to have date nights. I repeat, you do not have to spend money to have date nights so make sure that is never an excuse as to why you don’t have date nights.

I’ll end this blog post with one of my favorite quotes:
“So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."

Marriage isn’t easy but it is up to you to ensure that the love for your spouse grows with each passing day. Choose to love your spouse, choose to have date nights, choose to spend time with each other, choose to laugh with each other, choose to flirt, choose to have hot sex, and choose to be the person you would want to be with. Never be the person to say, we just fell out of love. Make those words impossible to utter.

Date nights won’t fix everything but it surely is the step in the right direction.

_____________________

Thank you again Faith. Ladies don't forget to say hello to her at Life.Love&Marriage

Question: What do you do to keep the spark alive in your marriage?

Wednesday Fashion Items: SIKA, The Ghanaian Print Designs

In Ghanaian Sika means money. And lot of money is what you might need to buy a piece of Sika Designs at the rate it is getting international publicity.

The master mind behind the label is Phyllis Taylor. She set up Sika in 2006, after completing a dress-making and pattern cutting course at the London College of Fashion. Sika is inspired by the rich and diverse culture of Ghana, West Africa. Every fabric has been carefully selected in local Ghanaian markets and hand-made using natural methods, creating exclusive limited prints. Each unique piece defines an area in West Africa’s vast textile landscape, using traditional fabrics such as tie dye, batik’s and wax prints.

All garments are produced in Ghana by highly skilled tailors and seamstresses. The highest standards in garment production is an integral part of Sika’s mission. They work very closely with local traders and manufacturers to produce quality garments for the international market. By generating regular income for those involved, they are able to give back to the Ghanaian community and raise the standard of garment production.

While producing a stylish and wearable range, Sika creatively collaborates exeptional West African textiles with the trend and styles of London’s urban chic, making her creation a feminine, stylish approach to ethical design.

The designs range from cute vintage teadresses... ...to modern stylish dresses......to playful pieces like this summer dress and jumpsuits.

You can also find versatible pieces like overdresses and tops.
And don't forget about the little miss:

One of my FAVOURITE pieces is this mini dress{all above pieces can be found on SIKADESIGNS.co.uk}

What do you think of the designs? Would you wear them as everyday wear?