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The countdown to the 4th of July is officially on! I love the celebration around the 4th with the fireworks, parades, sparklers, American flag decor, picnics with friends and family, and picking out red, white, and blue outfits! My home town is very serious about the celebrations on the 4th. The morning starts off with the parade, then prance around town during the day from party to party to see old friends, and at night the entire town gathers by the park to watch the fireworks! The entire day and weekend is so festive and fun!

Navy and white is one of my favorite color combinations, along with wear white dresses, so needless to say this holiday is definitely one of my favorites! I may even go a little wild and wear red this year. I have a few (too many) outfits already picked out due to my freak out ordering everything I saw online moment…. but am always open for new outfits ideas!

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My life is like the inside of a Birchbox. I love to harass my co-workers and friends daily on what products they use, research home remedies, read every product review, and then try them all. Some products have turned out to be wonderful and some, well I’ve had better days. As we get older our hormones change, we change, so the products we use have to change with it. After many years of trial and error in testing products, these beauty products have been a blessing in my journey for healthier skin and hair and are now permanent in my daily regime. 
It’s a 10 is seriously a miracle worker! I have fine hair and after using this a few months my hair dresser has commented that my hair feels thicker, hallelujah! There are different types of the spray but I use the one with keratin in it to help restore the breakage due to years of coloring and straightening. After I get out of the shower I spray 2 to 3 times on my hair, mostly on the ends, and then brush through. I have tried other after shower leave-in conditioners, even coconut spray, and they always leave my hair feeling heavy or greasy. It’s a 10 makes my hair feel soft, smooth, and healthier. I highly suggest this product to anyone with any type of hair. 
Unfortunately I have suffered from the dreaded adult acne (so embarrassing to even talk about). After spending my youth with flawless(ish) skin, my hormones hit me hard in my 20s. I can honestly say I have tested every product known to man. Most cleansers will either dry my skin out, leave it feeling greasy, irritated or tight, and all have caused more acne. A few of my co-workers kept raving about Origins Checks and Balances, so of course I had nothing to loose and tried it. It has done wonders to my skin! I have combination skin, which is tricky when using cleansers or any other type of facial product, but Checks and Balances is made for my skin type.  It leaves my face feeling soft, thoroughly cleaned, and has cleared my acne. I use it in the mornings, right after I work out, and evenings before I go to bed. It’s a little expensive but worth it for the results!
Here is the silver lining for living through hurricane Sandy: Bliss Lemon + Sage Body Butter Lotion. Since I did not have running water during the week, I had to shower everyday at the gym. This is where I was introduced to Bliss products and I never looked back. Lemon + Sage lotion is amazing! I pretty much bath in it now.  It does not make me feel clammy or greasy. My skin feels moisturized and smells like lemon–and who doesn’t want to smell like lemons?! Don’t worry the scent is light and the cream is light as well. I can really tell the difference when I use it and use other products. 
Remember my dreaded case of AA and combination skin? Yeah I try to forget about it too. Well guess what, finding the perfect facial lotion was also a challenge. In general I  really like Neutrogena products because they work well with my skin. I have been using their Combination Skin Facial Moisturizer for a while now and absolutely love it! It is oil-free and does not clog my pores. My face feels smooth, moisturized, and never greasy or too dry and uncomfortable. It absorbs into my skin pretty quickly but I never have it apply it more than once. When my skin was irritated from using the wrong cleansers, this really worked like a charm to calm the areas. If you do not have combination skin, I have tried their other facial lotions (sensitive skin and regular) and have been pretty pleased with the results.  
Would love to hear what products (even home remedies) you all use and love! I am always in the market to try new things and share information. You can either leave a comment below or email me at blushandblooms@gmail.com.

I may not have mentioned this before, but my sister and her fiance really are the best! They are getting married this year and I can not wait to celebrate their big day! Two weeks ago they took me out to lunch at Hubbard Grille to welcome me home. Side note: if you are in Columbus, Ohio, I highly suggest eating there–so delicious!
The lunch itself was a very sweet gesture and like always it was lots of fun hanging out with the two of them. Just as lunch was finishing up they surprised me with a mini ipad as a welcome home/congratulations on your blog gift! It was so sweet of them! I was in tears from how grateful  and how blessed I felt! Since I am traveling back and forth between NYC and Ohio for the next few months it will come as a blessing to travel light (as if I could actually pull that off) and still work on my blog. Now all I need is some thing cute and chic to cover it. This is something I do not take lightly and will spend days and days searching for the perfect cover. So far these are my top picks!

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Books that feed my soul.

1) I have fallen in love with every beautiful poem this man has written. This one completely captures how I feel now 🙂

2) Love this top and it’s an extra 30% off! 

3) Fun gifts to give to your friends or give to the hostess with the mostess!

4) Someone please teach me how to do this to my hair.

5) A bar cart for my next apartment or home. Would be so great for entertaining or pretending I am Don Draper….

6) Once I get a bar cart I will have to purchase these glasses. And you know how much I love a good monogram 😉

7) Don’t forget tomorrow is National Wear Your Lilly Day!

8) 29 Tasty Vegetarian Paleo Recipes. I can’t wait to make them!

9) 8 tips for throwing a great BYOB party.

10) Jason Barger: “Where you look is where you go.” I have the honor of personally knowing Jason and have been listening to him speak for many years! This video is a good reminder to those of us who inspire to be leaders and entrepreneurs.

11) Get to know the girl behind Blush and Blooms.

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