HinW is Closing!

I'm not sure how many of you out there actually still read this. I just haven't been feeling it anymore. I do still plan on blogging but not about nails or random "favorite" posts. I have picked out the 3 things that I love doing most and that is what I'm sticking with.

I created an entirely new blog so that I can start over fresh. I would love it if you wanted to join me over at my new location! (click the link below) I will be posting book and product reviews mostly. But I will also be continuing my 101 challenge and posting about our home renovations.  So there will still be some "crafty/diy" stuff... just not my main focus.

I do still plan on opening a shop one of these days. The opportunity just hasn't presented itself to me yet. Anywho... if you love books then please check it out! I'd love to have you!!

Geek Glitter Blog!

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Let's be Honest..

I am not the best blogger in the world. But I'm not going to apologize for that .. again. Blogging is something that I've always done, way back to LiveJournal days. I wrote something every day. It may not have been deep and purposeful but it was something. And it made me happy. I enjoyed the silly comment conversations and the friends that I made. These days I find myself putting way to much thought into writing out a blog post. There are so many great bloggers out there and I admit, I get caught up in it. I am the worst for questioning myself. "Am I good enough?" "Do my photos compare to so and so's?" "Does anyone even care about this project?" I know we all probably ask ourselves things like this from time to time. But lately, it consumes me.

I've decided to go back to what I started this blog for in the first place. I wanted somewhere to document our lives, our home projects and our pets. I also wanted to start my own handmade business (which is still going to happen!) and have a place to share the things that I create. I never post on time, I always put off my freebie posts, I procrastinate. I will continue to blog, but I won't continue to make promises to myself about when and how I do it. It will happen when it happens. Maybe starting slowly and with no real plan in mind will get my gears turning. I guess we will see what happens!

I am not a professional. I don't have fancy cameras and a great writing skill. I don't whip out fabulous projects on the daily. My house is not clean all the time. Most days I rock my pajamas. I'd rather spend my time with our dogs than most people. I am not perfect or anywhere even remotely close to it. This blog will be a reflection of me. It'll grow as I grow. I hope that you will continue to follow along with me!

As always you can find me on Instagram: hollyinwonderland. I am slightly obsessed and post pictures all the time. 

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Pineapple Birthdays!

Today is Marc's birthday! The cake he requested was a Pineapple Upside Down cake. He is mildly obsessed with pineapples. I've planned a small dinner for him tonight with some of his favorite foods. I invited a few family members. Small, Simple and fun!

Check back tomorrow to find out how it all went down! :)

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NOTW {glitter & hearts}

This is how my nails started out last week. A nude color with a turquoise tip and some hearts. Of course, my impatience didn't allow me to let them completely dry first. So a few nails were flawed. Then my tips weren't even. My hearts were free handed and not that hot. Trust me they look much, much better in the picture than they did in real life. So, I took it all off and started over with a new plan. That led me to these nails...

And I'm still rocking them. It was fairly easy to do. I just used a clear glitter polish on the tips and bottom of my accent nail. I actually think this might be my new go to nail. It would work on so many colors and with so many different colored glitters. I love it!

Then on Saturday night, Marc and I went to dinner with my mom and her sunday school class. We had some time to kill before we had to be there so we checked out this place called Hudson's Salvage Center. I never made it more than 10 feet inside the door because of all the makeup and nail polish that was 60% off! I did score a few goodies and I can't wait to go back and get more!

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Freebie Friday #9

I am way behind this week. I took my photos on Friday but I haven't gotten around to editing and uploading. FAIL. Marc's birthday is tomorrow and I've been trying to focus on getting things done for the dinner I'm cooking and making sure the house is all clean. Eh, but I decided instead of doubling up on Friday, I'd just post last week's now.

ITEMS PICTURED:

• 3 issues of Latina magazine
• Men's Health magazine
• Newsweek magazine
• Oprah magazine
• Road & Track magazine
• 2 issues of Lowrider magazine
• 4wheel & Offroad magazine
• Lego Club magazine
• a week supply of Stri-Vectin SD
• full size Lickety Stix cat treats
• SmartyPants vitamin sample
• cigar ash tray from Black & Mild
• Hydro Silk razor
• 3 Kcup samples from Starbucks
• Prevention magazine
• pair of earrings from 1saleaday
• Gamer Grub sticker
• coupon book from BzzAgent for free glade products to try
• 2 free books (Nude Honesty & How to Avoid the Pitfall's of Nonprofit Hell)
• Fekkai Shampoo & Treatment samples

If you're interested in getting freebies for yourself, check out Vonbeau.com & Myfreeproductsamples.com!

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PinFabulous No.1

I know everyone loves Pinterest. I am not as addicted as some people I know but I do like to browse around from time to time. I've gotten a lot of great ideas and recipes from there. I thought it might be kind of cool to share some of the things that I pinned with you guys. Kind of like my version of a "weekly favorites" that so many bloggers do. I think it's fun to see how different everyone's taste is. So, let's get on with it!

Luux via pinterest

I think this is the cutest thing in the world! Even tho it is meant for children (I'm a big kid!), I'm thinking this would be super cute in one of my rooms. I may try this...

2 girls being crafty via pinterest

I am one of the few crafters out there that doesn't have a stock pile of scrapbook paper. But I think I may get some because this floral arrangement is too cute to pass up on!

no credit. if you know, tell me! i'll add a link.

I've had the pvc pipe thing pinned for ages. I know most of you will know what I'm talking about. But I love this idea much better. How come I can never think of things like this?!

trishginter via pinterest

Dream crib. I can think of nothing better than getting cozy with a nice book and some coffee. So, so pretty!

Well, that's it for round one. Sometimes links of pinterest can be a little off, so if my credits aren't correct, please tell me and I'll be glad to update them. Hope ya'll are having a great start to the week!

FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!

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NOTW {pink stripes}

This is actually a mani I did a couple of weeks ago. Right now my nails are just natural and that's not very exciting. So, I figured I'd share these nails that I still had some photos of. I started out using tape. But I was kind of impatient so I ditched that half way through and just free handed it. So my lines are little wonky but I still think it turned out cute.

ITEMS USED:

• N.Y.C color 108a (light pink)
• N.Y.C color 111a (hot pink)
• Sally Hansen Diamond Strength glitter top coat

The only thing that I wasn't happy about with this was the glitter. I think it would have been much cuter if I'd just used a plain top coat. But eh, you live and you learn! Overall, it was super easy to do and it would be fun to play with the colors. Maybe even add in a third color. Hope you guys like!

LINKING UP @ Glitter and Gloss

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Freebie Friday #8

ITEMS PICTURED:

• 2 bags of Uncle Bucks Beef Jerky
• 1 10ct package of Aleve pain relievers
• 2 travel toothbrush with Colgate toothepaste packs
• 4 bags of Kettle Chips Tias cool rach chips
• 1 pack of 5 React gum
• 2 packs of Stride gum
• 1 pack of Chapstick
• 2 bags of Sniders pretzel pieces
• 1 bag of Gardetto's
• 1 Moonpie
• 11 5ct packs of Black & Mild Apple Cigars
• 9 5ct packs of Black & Mild Original Cigars
• 20 loose Black & Mild Cigars various
• 1 6ct pack of Black & Mild Fast Break Cigars
• 1 60ct box of Swisher Sweets Cigarello's
• 2 25ct boxes of Black & Mild Apple Cigars
• 1 25ct box of Black & Mild Original Cigars
• 1 25ct box of Black & Mild Royale Wood Tip Cigars
• 2 5ct packs of Black & Mild Original & Wine variety pack

All of these freebies were courtesy of my husband, Marc. He works weekends at a local gas station and all of these were writeoff's for the company. He said they had 7 huge totes of freebies! I could have handled some more free snacks. I think we're good on the cigars though. HA!

ITEMS PICTURED:

• Well Being for Dummies book
• NewsWeek magazine
• Shape Magazine
• Men's Health magazine
• Better Homes & Gardens magazine
• American Baby magazine
• Club Lego magazine
• Barbie Collector catalog
• Forbes magazine
• Spin magazine
• Cosmopolitan magazine
• Seventeen magazine
• Maker's Mark Ambassador info kit
• $15 in coupons for baby formula
• Free Nibbler from Zaxby's for Marc's Birthday
• 2 2ct samples from Vivarin
• Unreal candy coupons from BzzAgent
• Sample of TriCalm lotion
• magnet from Alley Cat Allies
• Toms of Maine deodorant sample
• storage bag from BizarkDeal
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce from Copenhagen
• sample of Juice Beauty face serum
• 10 samples from Cane & Austin face products
• Cars Collectible Lunch box
• Hire Your First Employee book
• Woolite Dark sample
• Wonderstruck fragrance sample
• Clear Hair Shampoo & Conditioner full size
• Clear Hair Shampoo & Conditioner samples
• Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty Lifting Eye Creme full size
• Liquitex Spray Paint sample
• 2 Emergen-C samples

That was a pretty good 2 week collection! I didn't get much in this past week, so I'm saving it to put with next weeks! Did you get anything super cool in the mail this past week?

Have a Wonderful Weekend!!

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REVIEW {unreal candy}

I was given the opportunity to try Unreal candy for free through BzzAgent. The following is my own opinions based on my experience trying this product. I am not being paid in any way other than a free candy product.

At first I was skeptical. I mean a lot of healthy or good for you snacks taste like cardboard. I was hesitant to even accept this campaign offer from BzzAgent. But, considering it was my very first offer ever, I figured I probably should take it. Well, I am happy to report that I was wrong. I am now glad that I tried Unreal candy. It was really good! And that means something coming from a girl who doesn't care much for chocolate or sweets.

UNREAL 54 - CANDY COATED CHOCOLATE PIECES
Let's just say these are the healthier version of M&Ms. My pictures are a little less than drool worthy. My candy melted before it made it home. I put them in the freezer for a couple hours and well.. I got that. Looks aside, this candy was good. Marc and I split the bag and even he thought that it was pretty awesome. I love the fact that they used natural ingredients for the coloring. (BEETROOT JUICE, TURMERIC ROOT EXTRACT, PURPLE CABBAGE JUICE) Which explains why they aren't bright like M&Ms. All in all, I would definitely buy these again!

UNREAL 77 - PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
I am and probably will always be a Reese's fan. They are the best. After trying these I still think they are the best. But .. these are good. A really close second. I like that the chocolate doesn't taste funny. I've tried plenty of cheaper versions of peanut butter cups and some of them are pretty disgusting. These are pretty good. I can't say that I'll never eat another Reese's again but I can say that I will eat these too! Again, pictures are not so hot. But the taste was yummy! It's nice to know that you can get the yumminess of a peanut butter cup without all the junk.

The above photo is Hershey's face while we were eating our candies. It was to cute to not post. He's wishing for a dog friendly version! Overall, I am very impressed with Unreal candies. I suggest you all go out and try some for yourself! You might just be as pleasantly surprised as I was at how good they are!

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RECIPE {sweet & sour meatloaf}

This is a favorite in our house. A few years ago, I was looking for a good meatloaf recipe and my husband actually found this one. I decided to try it and I haven't made another kind of meatloaf since. This is seriously the best meatloaf I have ever had. And it's so easy to make! I have found that we prefer it in a 9x9 pan instead of a loaf pan. It seems to not get as done in the loaf pan because of the thickness. But it comes out perfect in a 9x9.

SWEET & SOUR MEATLOAF (via Allrecipes.com)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, salt, ground black pepper, eggs, onion flakes and 1/2 of the can of tomato sauce. Mix together well and place into a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
3. Push the meatloaf down into the pan forming a well for the sauce around all the edges.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, white sugar and mustard. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
6. After meatloaf has cooked for 40 minutes, remove from oven and pour sauce over the top of the meatloaf.
7. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 more minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before removing from pan.

LINKING UP @ LizMarieBlog, 

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NOTW {golden flowers}

I actually received these nails for free. A sample for signing up with PrettyWomanUSA. I'm not much for the press on/glue on nails but I gave these a shot. Like most nails of these types, they didn't last more than a couple days before popping off. But they are really pretty and they have so many designs to pick from. I would definitely use these for a special occasion, where you only need them to last a few hours.

I'm not sure what this style is called. It's not listed anywhere on the package and I can't find them on the site either. But they are a golden yellow color with glitter. The accent nail has little pearl flowers and rhinestones.

Linking up @ Just Lovely

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REVIEW {5 hour energy}

I received 2 bottles of 5 Hour Energy from Smiley360.com for free. I am not being paid to write this post. These are my honest opinions, good or bad, on my own personal experience testing this product. If you are interested in more information on Smiley360, then jump over to there website {here} and sign up for free! You could be testing out products next!

Finding the energy for work and family responsibilities is hard enough. Throw in a second job, go back to school, or simply have a sleepless night and you’re bound to hit the wall. So what do you do when that afternoon lull strikes? Run for more coffee? Grab a soda? But how long does that last before you need a refill? Try this instead – take one 5-hour ENERGY®. It’s the quick, simple way for hard working people to feel alert and energized for hours

The key ingredients in 5-hour ENERGY® are also available in every day foods. It contains zero sugar, zero herbal stimulants, and four calories. It also contains about as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee.

Believe it or not, this was my first time trying 5 Hour Energy. Of course I've seen these around for years, I've just never had one. I've had other energy drinks in the past and well, I've always thought plain old coffee was more effective. And to be honest, I still do.

The Berry Flavor. The first sip gave me shivers. It didn't really taste that great. But after a couple more sips, it wasn't so bad. I don't think I could handle drinking it if it wasn't a "shot". I decided to try this flavor 5 Hour Energy around mid afternoon. And while I did manage to finish up my house cleaning, I don't believe it was due to this energy boost. I really didn't feel anything. The bottle says, "Feel it in minutes!" I'm not sure what I was supposed to feel, but I didn't notice anything different. But I didn't give up.

10 reasons to try 5-hour ENERGY®:

Groggy mornings

The afternoon lull

Long hours on your feet

Shift work

Long drives

Busy weekends

Action-packed vacations

Workouts

Overtime

Business travel

The Pomegranate Flavor. This flavor was... not so good. Normally I love pomegranate but mixed with that "energy drink" taste, not so much. I would definitely prefer the berry flavor over this one. As before, I didn't feel much of anything with this one. I think energy drinks are just a lost cause with me. I guess I'll have to stick with my plain ol' coffee.

7 reasons to trust 5-hour ENERGY®:

People choose 5-hour ENERGY® over 9 million times a week

Key ingredients are available in everyday food

Packed with B-vitamins and nutrients

Contains about as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee

Manufactured and bottled in the USA

Complies with the provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act as regulated by the FDA

5-hour ENERGY® is in its 8th year of helping hard working people feel alert and energized.

So, overall, I'm not that impressed with 5 Hour Energy. But maybe I'm just one of those weird people who doesn't profit from energy boosters. Next time my husband and I take a road trip, I might give this another shot. Maybe in a different situation, it may effect me differently. I always get super sleepy on car rides, so that would be the perfect 2nd test. I have tons of friends that swear by this stuff. I would definitely recommend it to someone who is interesting in finding something to give them a boost! Maybe it will work for you! 

*Visit Smiley360.com to read about their program. For a free signup, you can qualify to test out products and give honest feedback! What are you waiting for?! Go, Go, Go!

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NOTW {dark clouds}

First off, I apologize for the picture quality. I'm not so hot at taking close up photos, especially with one hand doing the other hand. Meh.

Colors Used:
Sally Hansen Maximum Growth as a base & top coat
N.Y.C #116A
Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup in Canary Diamond Chrome

I have always loved nail polish. I just chose to never wear it because I thought it made my fingers look even shorter and chunkier. Crazy, I know. Regardless, I still have a drawer full of polishes that I never wear. Some of them I probably haven't even opened once. So I've decided to work my way through every single color I own and play around with it. Plus, I need to some easy "blogging" to ease my way back into posting regularly.

This was my first try at a full cloud mani. I freehanded it completely and while it's not perfect, I like it! I think this is a cute way to layer up some colors and the combinations are endless.

Linking up with Just Lovely.

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Freebie Friday #7

ITEMS PICTURED:

• Emergen-C sample
• 2 samples of Nescafe Momento
• September 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living
• August 2012 issue of Forbes
• August 1012 issue of Town & Country
• August 2012 issue of Maxim
• issue of Newsweek
• L'oreal Fructis Fall Fight shampoo & conditioner sample
• L'oreal Fructis Strength & Shine shampoo & conditioner sample
• Miessence hand, face & body lotion samples
• 2 100% Greens samples
• GetGlue stickers
• 4oz bottle of Ecos laundry detergent sample
• Arm & Hammer Sensitive toothpaste sample
• Honey Nut Cheerios sample
• 3 Sheets sleep aid samples
• 5 $1 off coupons for Koch foods
• $1 off coupon for Sara Lee
• 4 mini tubes of Smashbox Cosmetics Foundation Primer samples
• 2 Caswell & Massey lotion samples
• 1 card from Cardstore.com
• prize mail from Shape Magazine - Camelbak Waterbottle
• 5 sample bags of Kong dog treats

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Freebie Friday #4-6 {catch up!}

OK. I have kind of put this off because well, I don't have a good excuse. So now I have 3 weeks worth of freebies to list out. I have no idea if any of them are still available. I'm sorry about that. I think I have come up with a plan to make this a little bit easier tho. I'm gonna start fresh on Monday and see if I can't keep up with it a little bit better. Ok, well on to the free stuff!

ITEMS PICTURED:

• NewsWeek magazine
• American Baby magazine
• Road & Track magazine
• O magazine
• 4wheel & Offroad magazine
• 2 Super Chevy magazines
• a week's worth of WSJ
• 2 Shape magazines (not pictured)
• Similac Newborn Pack (1 full size original formula, 1 fullsize sensitive tummy formula & 1 newborn bottle.)
• 4 pack of Kcups from Green Mountain Coffee
• Honey Nut Cheerios sample
• Fancy Feast Morning's sample
• Promesil 30 day trial
• Hydro Silk razor
• Full size Nivea lip care
• Nescafe Momento sample
• ring sizer chart
• Lanacane sample
• 3 Blue Plate Mayo coupons
• U by Kotex clutch and pad/tampon samples
• hand towel from chevron

ITEMS PICTURED:

• a weeks worth of WSJ
• Seventeen magazine
• NewsWeek magazine
• Forbes magazine
• 2 O magazines
• Better Homes & Gardens magazine (not pictured)
• 2 5hour Energy's from Smiley360
• Purina Cat Chow sample
• Instinct Cat food sample
• No More Slumdogs book
• Divine Design book
• Anti Monkey Butt Powder & Lady Anti Monkey Butt Powder samples
• Pethub ID tag
• Bissel floor cleaner
• The Caffiene made me do it sticker
• Eucerin face & body lotion samples
• Animals Don't Smoke stickers
• Meow Mix coupons
• Miss Jessie's shampoo/conditioner samples
• birthday card from cardstore.com
• 3 Tea Forte samples
• BBQ BROS rub sample
• Finish dishwasher tabs sample
• ProForce floor/carpet cleaner samples + 4 hand towels
• Kirkland Borghese Eye & Face serum samples
• 2 Field & Stream magazines (not pictured)
• Tshirt from Glyde.com's Ambassador Program

I apologize if the spelling is wrong on some of the samples. 

I no longer have them in front of me and I have a horrible memory!

What have you gotten the past few weeks?!

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REVIEW {Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish}

I was given the opportunity to try the Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color for free. It came inside my Influenster Summer Beauty VoxBox 2012. I was not paid for this review. The following is my honest opinion based on my own experience from using this product.

I think the idea behind the whole magnetic nail polish craze is pretty cool. It's neat to play around with this stuff. I was pretty happy that I received the color Silver Elements. It comes is several other colors, but the silver is most appealing to me. I have used this a few times already and I know it will become a staple in my nail painting.

It is super easy to apply. Just like normal nail polish, you apply one thin coat and let it completely dry. Then you go back and, one finger at a time, apply a thick coat. Immediately place the magnet (which is found on top of the lid) over your nail for 10 seconds. I found that it helps to kind of roll it side to side. This way the design isn't just in the middle of your nail, but all over. It's a little tricky at first to do this without touching your nail and messing up the color. It didn't take long to get the hang of it tho.

It's a nice, thick polish. It goes on really smooth. No clumping, or brush strokes. I am totally impressed with this product Sally Hansen! I do think that $10 is a little steep for nail color but given how this stands out from normal polish, I'd say it's worth it.

I can see myself using this all the time. I especially like the idea of making this your accent nail design. 4 clean, simple colored nails and then 1 really snazzy nail. The ideas are endless!

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