1. Bare minerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream - So this whole BB, CC and tinted moisturizer is new to me. I wear very minimal makeup - eyeliner. mascara, lip gloss and the occasional dark lip that rarely makes it out of the house. I have been getting blemishes lately that seem to take forever to fade away so...I head to Sephora because someone recommended Bare Minerals bareSkin® Pure Brightening Serum Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20 (why are these names so freakin long???). I liked it a lot but because I am not used to having stuff on my face, any time I touched my face (which yes, I know I really shouldn't be doing) I got brown stuff all over - not cute. The coverage was great but it didn’t look like my actual skin. So then while at dinner with a friend I commented on her skin and she recommend the Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. So much better - blemishes covered and my skin looked like my actual skin. Dewey (this is the best part because my skin sometimes looked dry with the other product), smooth and even kinda radiant (I love when my skin looks a little sun kissed). When I touch my face (which I have gotten better at not doing) yeah sure stuff still comes off but its no where like the other product. Would definitely recommend it!!!

www.sephora.com

2. Duolingo - Ok, yes, the shit is free so how does that make this a splurge? Its my list thats how. I am racking my brain trying to remember who told me about this app but its FABULOUS!!! I am obsessed with everything French - have been since I was in high school. My high school was half Americian and half French - one would think I would be fluent but...nah! Took classes in colege as well but...Also on and off I might sign up for classes but still. Between finding the time and the means to pay for classes it just hasn’t worked out just yet. So this app is perfect. They offer French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portugese, Dutch, Irish, Danish and Swedish. You can plug in how often you want to practice and even have it set up to remind you to pactice. My brother even set up a little challenge between myself, him and my mother on who would actually get in the most practice time (I’m in last place - whatever!). Its super addictive and because the lessons are short - its totally doable. Each lesson includes a mixture of speaking, listening, translating and multiple choice questions. Get the question right and...you earn points for each correct answer and then level up. Get a certain amount of question wrong and..you start over and try again. The apps also motivates you to keep up with the challenges by recording how often you practice. Genius is all I have to say and did I also mention how super addictive it is???

www.duolingo.com

3. Gristle Tattoo - I did it, I did it, I finally did it!!! I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for about the last 3 or 4 years. What to get was my first debate and then I read something in my Daily Word that totally resonated with me “peace be still”. Then it was what font? Then it was do I just get the words or do I want a picture with it? Then from there other ideas popped into my mind. Finally I decided okay I’m gonna do this but then there was the where? I got a few recommendations and reached out to the shops and...who knew it was such a process but thinking about it why wouldn’t it be? This is something that is going to be on my body for like ever so...makes sense. I finally found a shop and a tattoo artist - made my appointment and it was official. Now to deal with tne nerves. Ooooohhhhh man! Is it possible to pass out or die of fright? Could I bleed out? Those were my thoughts. Got there and my stomach was literally doing flips but John O put me at ease - not really by what he said but really just by his calmness. We spoke - he showed me his ideas - I showed him mine - I asked him TONS of questions - none of wheich he thought were stupid - we joked - we laughed and...he tattooed both my arms. “Peace be still” on my left forearm (near the wrist) - with 1 dot on both sides of the words - a reminder to calm the fuck down and go with the flow more. An arrow on the right forearm (also near the wrist) - 3 dots at the tip of the arrow and one at the back end of the arrow - a reminder to keep moving forward and not let my doubts or fears hold me back.. And on my 4th knuckle on my left hand I got a “d” - with 4 dots which made the stem of the “d” - hard to explain but...10 dots in all - the number of completion, nothing lacking and everything in proper order. After he finished he told me to go to the mirror and take a good look at everything. I swear I did a lil dance. That night in Williamsburg was hands down one of the best nights I have had in a while - HAPPY!!!

www.gristletattoo.com