Spongelle Body Contouring Buffer Review + GIVEAWAY

Hey y'all! I hope you're having the most fabulous week! Mine has been pretty good and I'm just happy it's FRIDAY! I'm about to get into a super busy season with my job, so I'm enjoying this "calm before the storm" time period. I've found that when I get busy with work, my typical routine and priorities shift. Normally, I stay in a pretty structured routine and this makes me happy (yes- I'm very Type A). I try to get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, eat right, have a healthy amount of exercise, and keep up with my family/friends. Add in work responsibilities and blogging, and I have a full day every day!

Unfortunately when my routine starts to shift, I notice some not-so-cute side effects. Bags under my eyes, dry skin, fast food/take out for meals, feeling isolated from loved ones... YIKES! Any one of those problems are basically a nightmare for me, not to mention a combination of several. To my dismay- there is no quick fix for these problems. BUT, you can take steps to lessen and/or prevent them when you know they're on the horizon. Prevention is key for so many issues we run into- and that's precisely how Spongelle's Beyond Cleansing body contouring buffer comes into play!

Do you remember my first experience with Spongelle? I couldn't be more thrilled to check out another one of their awesome products. This body contouring buffer is designed to fight cellulite before it's a problem. How is this miracle accomplished? The shape of this buffer allows you to massage areas prone to cellulite. This treatment aims to stimulate lymphatic flow in those areas to firm and tighten your skin- ultimately preventing cellulite. It also contains caffeine and other botanical extracts to give immediate results after use. Um- hello?! A preventative treatment to keep my skin looking youthful that involves a massage? Do you think there is even a second of hesitation here??

As expected, my experience with the body contouring buffer was wonderful. First- the beach grass scent is just intoxicating. I mean, seriously. I wish y'all could smell through the screen! Simply taking it out of the box transported me to a spa-like mindset. I love feeling pampered and this did just that for me. The buffer is to be used in gentle circles with the textured side and the soft side is used to cleanse. This has 30+ washes in it and I can't wait to continue using it. My skin is soft, smells great, and appears smooth- especially in the areas that I massage. In my understanding, the new plumpness of the treated skin is due to the caffeine inside the buffer. I do believe that prevention is the only true way to combat certain issues like cellulite and do not think there is a quick fix that will provide long term results. With that being said, I think that quick fixes absolutely have their time and place! I'm happy to have discovered mine- this is perfect to bring along for a beach trip or to be used any time that you need a little last-minute skin tightening.

It even looks fun!

Overall, I'm pleased with this product (not that I'm surprised after my last experience)! Want more Spongelle? See their Instagram page to look at images to get you in a relaxing mindset and stay up-to-date with all product news! If you'd like to get one for yourself, Spongelle body buffers can be found at Anthropologie, spas, and local boutiques. You can use the store locator found on their website to find the closest location to you! In addition, they are sold online. Spongelle is generously offering 20% off to readers with the code "BBLOGGER20" through October 19.

This giveaway has ended, thank you for all who entered!

Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary product sample from Spongelle to review honestly. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I benefit in no way if you purchase this product. Thank you for supporting brands that support A Peachy Sonder!

Eat, Pray, Love Book Review

Hi hi! I'm back again with another book review. This was actually my second time reading "Eat, Pray, Love" because my initial attempt was unsuccessful. I first tried to start this book while in college, and wasn't able to juggle all of my commitments AND read. This was fairly typical of my college days- my renewed love for reading has really blossomed since I've been working full time. I purchased this book before it was even committed to be a movie, and decided I wasn't going to see the movie until I finished it... years later I am finally ready. This second attempt obviously had divine timing because I was able to get all the way through it and really felt as though my older self appreciated it more than my college self would have. I've had more relationship experience, finally have the desire to travel, have a love for yoga, a steady faith, and well, my love for pasta has always been here. But you can see that I am basically an ideal candidate for this book.

The book is split into 3 sections, not-so-slyly relating to the title. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, picks up to travel after a nasty divorce and what I gathered to be a mid-life crisis. She spends her time in 3 different countries- Italy, India, and Indonesia- and explores different aspects of her personality while immersed in the culture of each one.

In my humble opinion, this is a beautiful story of self-discovery as she navigates her travels and healing process. She openly writes about her struggles with loneliness and depression, which I was very impressed with. She could have easily glazed over those details and filled the pages with the rest of the story line. Her self-assurance tactics and connection to her budding spirituality were also inspiring to me.

I found this to be extremely well-written and easy to read. It wasn't a book that I couldn't put down, but I had no problem feeling engaged and excited to pick it back up. I love books with a strong female lead and this absolutely qualifies! After finishing, I have decided that I want to go eat all of the pasta she described in Italy and am excited to develop a more spiritual connection to yoga/meditation. But first, I will settle to just see the movie! I hope it doesn't disappoint!

On a side note, I just started Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me" and am loving it. I'm looking forward to the next review already!

Have you read "Eat, Pray, Love"? Did you see the film? What are you currently reading/do you have any book recommendations for me?

Rehoboth Beach Getaway

Hi and happy Friday readers! This past weekend I took a girls trip out to Rehoboth, DE to go to the beach! I've been feeling pretty down lately and I think that I just needed a healthy dose of "vitamin sea". We packed up the car and headed about 3 hours East to get just that!

We arrived around 10:30AM and found the cutest coffee shop called Dreamer for a mid-morning snack. I got a cold-pressed juice and was basically transported to heaven! This had a tropical juice-stand feel with a feminine twist. I absolutely loved their coffee cups and couldn't leave without a photo!

 

This beach was absolutely packed! I am used to the SC/GA/FL coasts, and have never seen a beach so full of people. We lucked out and found the perfect spot, rented chairs and umbrellas, and got settled. I was very nervous about frying since I haven't spent a ton of time in the sun this summer and was careful to reapply my sunscreen frequently! Thankfully, I made it out with a light tan and no burns! Wahoo! We read, chatted, tanned, went swimming, took walks, and pulled out some rusty gymnastics skills in some clear spots far down the beach. It seriously was a blast!

For dinner, we ate at a cute little restaurant called Fins. We had delicious cocktails and even tried oyster shooters before dinner. Once we got to our table, we had a delicious feast of raw oysters and entrees. I had grilled fish tacos that were the Bomb.com! I have never enjoyed fish tacos that much in my whole life. If you ever head to Rehoboth, I recommend them!!!

Who can pass up a cute pineapple photo opp?! Not me!

For breakfast, we headed back to Dreamer for juices and bagels to eat on the beach. I listened to my church sermon from my iPhone (I love technology!!) and was totally at peace on the beach. I was completely overwhelmed with contentment and gratitude for everything that I do have in my life. It's amazing how good preaching can really change your outlook. I snapped the below photo in hopes of capturing my feelings and to serve as a reminder that I can find peace if I try.

I'm already dreaming of being back with my toes in the sand!

A little confession/peek into my life.. I absolutely love salt water taffy! I hadn't tried it before going to Savannah for the first time in middle school and I've been hooked ever since! It's almost a curse though, because nothing compares to fresh taffy! Whenever I go to the beach, I always try to find a candy shop that makes their own and stock up. I keep a little candy bowl on my coffee table and like to keep it stocked with these pretties.

 I couldn't leave without a bag of fresh sweets!

I'm so thankful that this trip was able to happen! I already can't wait for the next one, I hope it's soon!

Have you taken a girls trip? What is your favorite trip? Are you going to squeeze in one last trip before the end of summer?

Beach Weekend Essentials

Hey y'all! I hope this week is going well for you. Can you believe it's already August?! I'm freaking out a little bit. This year has been a wild one and I am just in shock that it's already the 8th month of 2015. This past weekend, I took some of my own advice and headed out for a spontaneous trip to the beach with a few girlfriends. I had the most rejuvenating time! We packed up the car and drove to Delaware for what was supposed to be a day trip, but we ended up finding a hotel vacancy and turned it into a little weekend getaway. More to come about my trip on Friday- be sure to check back! We had packed contingency bags just in case we were able to find a room but to say we were ill-prepared is an understatement! While you definitely need fewer items for a one night stay, there are a few things you shouldn't forget. To help you avoid my same issue, I wanted to put together a list of essentials for a quick beach getaway!

Well-packed beach bag. A beach bag is the first essential for a beach trip- for obvious reasons! You need a bag that you're ok putting on the sand and won't be upset if sand gets in. A few things I don't want to be caught on the beach without are sunscreen, chapstick (with SPF), a snack, headphones, a sunhat, and a coverup! Here are a few cute ones out there:

Towel. I'm a fan of the over-sized towels or beach blankets out there! It's nice to spread out. Also, if you're going with a group it helps you to claim more space on the beach. This is super helpful on some of the more crowded beaches.

Reusable water bottle. These are great for the beach- especially if it's insulated! That way, you are able to get some refreshing sips of water while you're out in the heat. There are usually water fountains to refill at, or if your beach has nearby restaurants you can full up at their drink stations! There are so many cute bottles out there, I couldn't help but share a few!

Beach read. I've been making reading more of a priority, and the beach is absolutely one of my favorite places to read! I'm not sure that there is better place. The sounds of the beach in the background, the warm sunshine... total relaxation! I'm usually able to get through my books quickly because I'm undisturbed when sitting out on the sand! Check out some of my reads as of late here.

Flip flops. It's so useful to have a pair of rubber flip flops when visiting the beach! I usually don't like to bring expensive shoes just in case they get wet or messed up another way! Sand can be cruel.

Thankfully, I had most of these packed. I did forget my water bottle and was seriously regretting it every time I had to pay $5 for water! But you've gotta stay hydrated on the beach. Hopefully you'll be perfectly prepared for your next getaway, and I hope it's soon!

What are your beach essentials? Did I miss anything?

4 things you should try alone

Hey out there! If you've been following along with me for some time now, you've probably gathered that I'm currently living alone. I've been through periods of life with roommates, but can honestly say that I've experienced some crucial growth since I've moved to be on my own. When you live with a roommate, you constantly have companionship (which is good and bad sometimes). This means that you can always have a partner-in-crime for binge watching Netflix, grabbing meals out, going to grocery store, etc. This may lead to the misconception that you NEED someone else to do these activities to have a good/productive time. Y'all, that is SO FALSE. Doing certain things alone can be scary but totally worth it. Here are a few things I think every adult should do alone at some point in their lives:

1 Live alone. While there's absolutely value in co-habitating, I think that everyone should experience living alone. There's nothing quite like it! You have the flexibility to reach out when you want company or just relax in your own awesomeness within every square foot of your place if you want to be alone. You are forced to identify your own design style/taste and I think it's healthy to learn how you live naturally. Do you make your bed everyday even if you know no one else will see it? Do you leave dishes in the sink? Are you tidy? It's absolutely a self-discovery experience and will prepare you to understand what you bring to the table (both good and bad) when you live with someone else again!

2 Eat a nice dinner out alone. The idea of this used to terrify me. When I worked in a restaurant, I always felt pity for people who came in to eat alone. I caught myself thinking "Aw, how sad! I hate that they don't have anyone to come out to eat with!" Maybe it has come with age, but I never realized the courage and confidence it takes to take yourself out to a nice meal. It's absolutely easier to stay at home and order Chinese if you don't have a dinner date. And while it does feel weird at first, I now find it to be empowering. If you want a steak, go get yourself a steak! Bring a book, or your iPad, and enjoy a quality meal. Why? Because you can and you deserve it!

3 See a movie alone. This is another silly thing that I used to care too much about! I was embarrassed to go out alone to see a movie, no matter how badly I wanted to see the film. When you actually think about it- this is the EASIEST thing to do alone because it's a solitary activity! You go and sit down in a dark theater to stay quiet and enjoy a movie. Then you leave. I promise you, no one cares if you walk in and out alone. They probably won't even notice. Go and get yourself a popcorn, icee, and some twizzlers- or wine if you're at that kind of theater!

4 Go to the grocery store alone. Now that I do this alone every week, I am not sure that I want to do this with company again. It is so much easier to get through the store and to get everything you need (and nothing extra) when you are alone. You don't really need to discuss much while in the store, especially if you come with a list, and if you're going slowly to socialize- you're probably holding up others!

Do you have anything that you are afraid to do alone? I urge to you give it a try, it can be so invigorating to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone! Let me know if you've done something that was scary at first (or if you plan to tackle something soon) in the comments!