2020

May 22, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Alright, we are officially at a huge weekend sale! Happy Memorial Day! I do want to start this post off on a serious note. Please don’t feel like you need to buy new things if you are happy and or money is tight. Please don’t feel like you need any of these, you are still loved and welcomed regardless of what you choose to buy.

Personally I am slowly looking for more patio furniture. After spending three weeks in Hilton Head I am loving this tan I am rocking and I’m looking forward to spending more time outside when I get back to Michigan!

Here are the weekly sales for this weekend beginning on 5/22.

Clothing:
◦ American Eagle 25-60% off everything!
◦ Aerie 25-60% off everything and buy one get one free on all bikini tops and bottoms.
◦ Loft 60% off everything for members and 50% off everything for nonmembers with code FRIEND.
◦ Old Navy all tees, tanks, shorts and swim 50% off.
◦ Anthropologie 25% off all clothing, shoes and accessories.
◦ Macy’s up to 20% off with Code MEMDAY.
◦ Torrid 30% off all dresses.
◦ Target buy one get one free swimsuits.
◦ Altar’d State Semi Annual Sale 30% off.
◦ Madewell 30% off all dresses and sandals.
◦ Tory Burch 25% off select styles with code TOGETHER.

Accessories:
◦ COACH up tp 50% off.
◦ Michael Kors up tp 50% off.
◦ Kate Spade up tp 40% off with code SUNNYDAYS.
◦ Kendra Scott 20% off everything!

Beauty:
◦ Ulta Gorgeous Hair Event Sale.
◦ Sephora spend $75 get 15% off later.

Shoes:
◦ Steve Madden up tp 60% off.
◦ Famous Footlocker buy one, get one 1/2 off.
◦ Adidas up to 50% off.
◦ DSW free umbrella and reusable bag with $39 purchase.

Home:
◦ Pottery Barn up to 25% off with code SAVEMORE.
◦ Target 25% off select patio furniture.
◦ Bed Bath and Beyond up to 40% off Memorial Day Sale, 25% off select patio furniture and $30 off select small appliances.
◦ Kohl’s 20% off furniture, patio and mattresses with code REFRESH20. Plus an additional $10 off your purchase of $25 of more with code SERVICE10.

Lifestyle

Books: Real or E-Book

May 20, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Alright, I want your opinions. Do you prefer a paper book or an E-Book? I am 100% a paper book kinda girl. I love the weight in my hands, the way the page feels when I flip it and even the smell of books! (Yes, books have a smell and if I could get that in a candle I would without a doubt.) However, I respect that online reading has a place. When we were going to Hilton Head for a few weeks I packed my kindle (its an original one so it doesn’t have apps, it has a standard look of a book) and with space being limited I wanted to maximize my book abilities while packing the least amount of things.

I’m okay with my kindle because it isn’t a tablet. I can read in the sun and it won’t make it miserable to try to read or have to watch out for the glare. Don’t get me wrong, I am a dedicated iPad fan (I’m actually working on this post from my iPad) but you can’t read very well in the sun with it. I know you can switch the screen to black and the writing in white but it still is just miserable to read on for me. I need the original devices to make sure that I can actually read and not spend the entire time squinting at my screen.

As I mentioned previously my Kindle is a first generation Amazon Kindle. This is actually my second, I stole mine from Grant who never used it and I’ve had his since maybe 2014. He never used it and I needed one. It was a match made in heaven, his kindle got use and I got a new to me book reader. That book reader has been to Canada, Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. I still preferred paper books but when I traveled this was my go to packing strategy.

However, the unthinkable happened… I was lounging out by the pool when I went to turn my kindle off it looked kinda funky. I thought, oh well, I’m sure its nothing. I’ll charge it and reset it when I get back inside. I went in to charge it, reset it and put Grant to work on fixing it. About thirty minutes later he gave me the news…. It was dead. I honestly was really torn since we are away we couldn’t hit up the library and everything is closed still. I could read on my iPad but I hate doing that; it just doesn’t work as well.

This left me with the next decision. What do I do now… I went on Amazon and read review after review for different book readers. I was torn between two, getting a new Kindle or the Kindle Paperwhite. They both have the screens I like (e-ink) that makes it look like real paper so your can read in the sun and it won’t make you need to squint. The Kindle itself is cheaper (coming in at 89.99) which is always nice, it has 4GB of storage which is plenty but it felt really small to me. I decided to go with the Paperwhite instead. It has 8GB of storage, a slightly larger screen and the best part it is waterproof and considering I’m primarily reading at the beach/pool the waterproof is a big win. It is slightly more expensive (this one costs 129.99) but not having to worry about it getting wet and replacing is really nice! The Paperwhite also is completely flush on the screen so if you get sand on it you can just wipe it off instead of having to be careful to not cram more sand into the device.

I have had my Paperwhite for about a week now and I can honestly say I really like it. I do miss the included 3G built into the device to download books directly from the reader but with WiFi pretty much everywhere its not a big deal.

Overall, I still recommend a real book first but if you don’t want to carry multiple books then I highly recommend the newer Kindles. Both the Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite. I think the Paperwhite works best for me but both are great options.

If you want to get the Kindle Paper Weight click Kindle Paperwhite below, by clicking this link and buying through my Amazon Storefront I will receive a commission. Kindle Paperwhite

If you want to get the Kindle Paper Weight click Kindle below, by clicking this link and buying through my Amazon Storefront I will receive a commission. Kindle

Uncategorized

Weekend Sales 5/1/2020

May 17, 2020May 17, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Here are the weekly sales for this weekend beginning on 5/1! ◦ American Eagle 20-50% off all AE Collection. ◦ Aerie 50% off Swim Wear and Bras ◦ Loft 40% off purchase and an extra 15% off with Code XOXO ◦ Michael Kors 25% off everything. ◦ Old Navy everything on sale $25 and under. ◦ Steve Madden 40% off with code Spring40 ◦ Anthropologie free shipping ◦ Macy’s up to 30% off with code Foryou ◦ Nordstrom up to 50% off selected styles also buy $150 in gift cards and get $25 for yourself. ◦ Famous Footlocker 25% off with code FamousTogether ◦ Adidas 30% off with code Style ◦ Torrid 30% off clearance and 2x the Torrid Cash ◦ Altar’d State 40% off everything ◦

Athleta 25% off select styles ◦ Target 30% off women’s clothing, shoes and accessories online only (ends Saturday) 20% off Women’s shoes, starts on Sunday

Fashion/Make Up · Weekly Round Up

Weekend Sales May 15, 2020

May 15, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

After a week long vacation I can easily admit I’m so not ready to go back to the real world. We have been taking long walks on the beach and just relaxing. I am feeling really recharged. This week I have been looking for cute summer tops. I’m kinda feeling Tie-Dye but I’m not ready to commit to that just yet!

Here are the weekly sales for this weekend beginning on 5/15.

Clothing:
◦ American Eagle 20-50% off all AE Collection & Tailgate Collection.
◦ Aerie 30-50% off the Aerie Collection.
◦ Loft 50% off purchase with Code SUNNY.
◦ Old Navy everything on sale $25 and under.
◦ Anthropologie 40% off their most loved dresses and shoes & 30% off furniture and Decor Event.
◦ Macy’s up to 25% off with Code REFRESH.
◦ Torrid 30% off.
◦ Altar’d State buy three, get one free on everything.

Accessories
◦ COACH 30% off select Styles with Code YAYSPRING

Shoes:
◦ Steve Madden 40% off with code Spring40
◦ Famous Footlocker buy one, get one 1/2 off.
◦ Adidas 30% off with Code SAVENOW
◦ DSW 50% off Spring’s Best Brands with Code BestSpring.

Home
◦ Pottery Barn up to 50% off with the Outdoor Event.
◦ Target 20% off select patio furniture ends May 16, 2020

Dex’s Corner · Dex’s Corner · Pupper!

Should I Stay or Should I Go? (The Ocean….)

May 8, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Alright humans I am not playing today. Go away please; this is for us Puppers only.

Okay guys I need serious help. I think I am going to have to force my mom to let me spend more time at home away from her or I am moving in with my Grandparents. I have had enough. My Mom dunking me in the Ocean was my breaking point!

It might be time for a backstory here. I am a very lucky Pup. When my parents travel then bring me with them as much as they can. With that Rona bug going around my parents talked and decided that we were going to get away from Michigan for a few weeks. The plan was to stay at a house somewhere warm. Mom calls it Hilton Head. We were going to make the drive in one day to keep stops to a minimal and keep my humans (and I). safe. Mon promised me the entire backseat of the car and that when we got there I could play in the sand. I agreed to go with them and supervise the trip.

Mom wasn’t kidding. It was a long trip, she made Dad and I get up and be in the car by 6am! Thankfully she let me nap while she and dad drove. We got there and it was dark. We literally spent the entire day in the car…

The next day when we all got up (okay fine I slept in the longest; Dad was a close second tho) mom had us put our shoes and leash on to go for a walk. Omg Mom wasn’t kidding. There was sand everywhere! I could run in it, dig, sniff it! It was all mine! I’m a very big fan of this! We walked along the beach for a long time until I got tired (Mom and Dad were too) then headed home. Man if everyday could be that good I would be a happy puppy.

Unfortunately Dad and Mom both worked on Monday so we couldn’t spend all day walking the beach but hey that’s okay right? We packed our lunch and hit the trail headed for the beach. We had lunch, drank water and basked in the sun. I admit I was feeling a little hot as my tongue was hanging from my mouth but I was okay. Well, Mom didn’t buy it and after I wouldn’t drink any more water she asked Dad what he thought about if I was too hot? Dad (the traitor) agreed with her and Mom said okay lets dip him in the water. I should have known not to trust her! (I do not like water, it is not my friend, getting my fur wet does not constitute a good time for me.)

Mom walked me down the sand towards the Ocean I was getting nervous but went along until I realized we were going in. At that point I refused to move an inch, unfortunately Mom (also known as Mean Mommy) picked me up and carried me into the water. She held me over the water and slowly put me in. We stayed in the water for a minute with her holding me in until she finally let me go at which point I took off! I swam as fast as I could. I was swimming towards dad but decided I didn’t trust him either and kept going right past him to the shore. (Full honestly Mom was only knee deep in the water so while I was miserable in that thing I wasn’t in any danger.)

Once I was back on land I didn’t look back. They could follow me if they wanted too (okay well I knew they were behind me since my leash was still on.) I laid down in the sand and wasn’t getting all nice and sandy. Once I was covered in sand I began moving towards their towels which I then covered in wet dog fur and sand. My mission had been accomplished. Nnow we were all wet and covered with sand.

Guys, I don’t know if I can forgive Mom b truth is that was really wrong, especially since after we FaceTimed my Grandpa and he said he would come get me if I wanted. I think I might need to take his offer seriously. We could swap and let my Uncle Bailey stay with my Mom by this Ocean thing and I’ll take watch over Grandma and Grandpa. Just sayin…

Fashion/Make Up · Weekly Round Up

Weekend Sales May 8, 2020

May 8, 2020May 8, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

I couldn’t be happier. Grant, Dex and I escaped the cold in Michigan (it’s snowing there in May right now…) to go to a beach house in South Carolina. As a result I have been focusing on all the cute swim wear and summer clothes! I am loving the change as summer is my favorite season!

I’ve also been on the hunt for some great Mother’s Day Sales to really thank that special Mom in your life.

Here are the weekly sales for this weekend beginning on 5/8!

Clothing:

◦ American Eagle 20-50% off all AE Collection & Tailgate Collection.

◦ Aerie all Bras and Bikinis $20! All Undies are 6 for $25 as well!

◦ Loft 40-60% off purchase with Code MORE

◦ Old Navy everything on sale $25 and under.

◦ Anthropologie 30% off clothing and free shipping

◦ Macy’s up to 30% off with code Foryou

◦ Nordstrom up to 50% off selected styles

◦ Torrid 30% off clearance and 2x the Torrid Cash plus free shipping on any purchase in the US or Canada.

◦ Altar’d State 40% off everything

◦ Target 30% off women’s clothing, shoes and accessories online only (ends Saturday) 20% off Women’s shoes, starts on Sunday

Accessories:

◦ Michael Kors 25% off everything.

◦ Anthropologie 30% off accessories and free shipping

◦ COACH 30% off select Styles with Code YAYSPRING

◦ Kendra Scott 20% off Select Styles

Shoes:

◦ Steve Madden 40% off with code Spring40

◦ Famous Footlocker 25% off with code FamousTogether

◦ Adidas 30% off with code Basics

◦ DSW 40% off clearance with Code Sunny40

◦ Target 20% off women’s shoes (ends May 9, 2020)

Home:

◦ Pottery Barn 20% off your order and free shipping with Code Summer

◦ Target 20% off select patio furniture begins May 10, 2020

Lifestyle · Traveling

Drive or Fly?

May 7, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Alright how many of you would rather fly than drive or vice versa? I’m gonna be honest with y’all. I’d much rather fly; however, I have a twenty pound Bestie who isn’t a fan of his crate. There is no way I would go without him which means we’re driving!

Recently Grant, Dex and I decided to go check out a beach house in Hilton Head his family owns. Especially with Corona going on we decided Michigan was just too high of a risk so we loaded up our civic and hit the road.

The poor boys were not necessarily my biggest fans as we were up at 5am to be on the road by 6am! I can safely admit we were in the car and on the road by 6! I’ve never been more proud of us. We got out on the highway with two boys asleep. It made it the easiest so that way when it was Grants turn to drive he would be much more rested up. I drove us through Michigan and into Findlay. At that point we pulled over to go through a drive through for breakfast.

Have y’all had Wendy’s breakfast? It’s actually really good. I love their honey and chicken biscuit. That’s what we grabbed for breakfast; then we switched drivers. Grant took over and I happily crashed in the passenger seat. We stayed like that until about Columbus where we stopped for gas. Then we got on the road again!

Our next stop in our adventure was to get lunch. We grabbed Pita Pit (Side story; this is actually my favorite pita place. It’s basically sub sandwiches wrapped in a pita. It makes it perfect for road trips!) We actually got our Pitas to go and ate over on the stairs outside of Ohio University. This might actually be my favorite pita pit in general too.

After we were all full and ready to go we hit the road again! We drove down through West Virginia, then Virginia. We did stop to get gas along that route somewhere but I don’t necessarily remember where. I know that at some point in West Virginia I took over and drove us through West Virginia, and Virginia so Grant could enjoy the views of the mountains and all the tunnels.

I did make a stop to grab us Chick-fil-A drinks because there is one thing I love about the south, they do it right! They use the baby crushed cubes not the large things we have! From there I drove us into North Carolina and eventually pulled over to walk around at a rest stop.

Grant decided he was ready and willing to take over. He drove like a champ for us through North Carolina into South Carolina and he managed to handle Dex and I both being hangry! He found us a Taco Bell with palm trees! I’ve never been so thankful for Tacos before. To say the least I was really hungry!

After that we drove the remainder of the way to the house and I’m not gonna lie. As soon as we made it we ditched our stuff and the car and walked down to the beach. It was absolute bliss!

Overall I still like flying better. It’s faster but I love these road trips with my two boys. We get to have so much fun and adventure that makes it perfect for all three of us.

Dex’s Corner · Pupper!

Mom’s Gone Crazy

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Alright it’s officially happened. My mom’s gone crazy. She is literally tracking the mailman…. I do mean it too. My mom’s been watching the window and the front door more than me…

Yesterday my mom heard the UPS truck and she literally jumped over the bed to see if he was here to see her. (He was! He dropped a big package that she left right in my space.) Thanks Mom…. I get it. You are bored but you cannot leave boxes blocking my egg chair… I did manage to get around the boxes and sit in my throne while glaring at her. She misinterpreted my glare as, oh my poor baby, you must be sleepy. Wrong Mom! You have left boxes in my way all week, this behavior is unacceptable. If you cannot clean up after your boxes I am going to steal your pillow and make it my new favorite bed.

On another note my dad has become an ally in the war of the boxes. He looked mildly concerned with the box, like, uh oh not another. I think if he and I can play our cards right we could offset the boxes or just move them all into an area that is slightly inconvenient for her. That way we could really show mom she needs to pick her boxes up.

What have your parents started doing that shouldn’t be a big deal but it is the straw that breaks the camel’s back during this quarantine?

Pupper!

Dex’s Corner “Corona Update”

April 27, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Hello humans and puppers! Humans you can skip reading below it’s mostly for my fellow puppers.

Puppers have your mums and dads stopped reading? Yes, okay good. Are any of you ready to kick your parents out of the house? (I’m a lucky pup both my parents are healthy and can work from home but they are suffocating me!) I know it can’t be just me. I love my parents; they are great. They get me the good food, the best toys and all the treats I want but I have rejuvenation needs. I need my quiet nap time. I need window gazing without someone asking me what I’m looking at or attempting to copy me. (If you have siblings I’m sorry. I’m sure they are worse with copying but I’m an only child so parents are bad enough. I can’t imagine sibs!) and as if no quiet time wasn’t bad enough my Mom has decided to clean out our house. Hello mom. Dad and I live here. We don’t have this frantic energy like you. We want peace and quiet. Stop going through my clothes and making me try them on!!! I don’t want to do a fashion show.

Plus my mom is making me exercise. No not extra fries. You read that right the first time. She is enjoying these three plus mile hikes she’s taking me on. Don’t get me wrong, I love being outside and sniffing everything but I have little legs and at some point mom needs to carry me because I’m exhausted!!!

The ultimate though is mom is constantly cleaning and changing my house! I just wanna curl up on my blanket (if she keeps this up I might have to be a little more assertive and just refuse to move.) And my sleep needs. I don’t wanna move rooms during my naps as mom cleans to avoid her. All I want is my big bed and a nice relaxing snooze.

To cope I’ve decided to annoy my parents back. Sometimes it’s helpful and other times it terrifies them. I bark when mom’s packages are delivered and I get fierce and bark at the backdoor right before bedtime to make sure we can sleep in the next morning. How are you teaching your humans to behave or are you just counting down the days until they get out of the house?

Fashion/Make Up

Gimme Beauty Ponytail Review

April 26, 2020 TherealellewoodzLeave a comment

Okay, I wanna take a moment and tell you guys about the new ponytails I’ve been using. To be brutally honest quarantine for hair has meant a lot whole lot more ponytails and dry shampoo than actual styling. Recently though I have been feeling like the ponytails I’ve been using have started to really not work with my hair. They are pulling out hair as well as kinking my hair. Considering I’m desperately trying to grow it out I figured I needed to change this up ASAP.

I rarely get influenced by the internet. I’m really more about trying something because I want to and keeping using something because I love it but I did for these. I got a promo code for a free month for GIMME and decided to go for it.

Before we go fully into the review let’s discuss my hair it’s thick. I have thicker fine hair and it’s usually straight with light wave. Since my hair is thicker I went with the any fit universal ponytails because I wanted a solid hold.

When I first got them in the mail I was a little apprehensive. They felt like the really old cloth ponytails that didn’t hold my hair and stretched out too easily. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I first tried to put my hair in a basic ponytail just to see how it held and how it felt. I did two loops. I don’t think that was enough as it didn’t hold but when I added a third loop it was a game changer. It held my hair up all night; I even slept in it and think it held my hair much butter than other ponytails I’ve used. I know what your thinking. A basic pony is hardly the test to know if these are meant to be perfect for my hair.

The next thing I did was to put my hair in a high messy bun and let it stay that way all night. It completely passed that test. I woke up looking slightly like Medusa with the fly a ways but a quick brush of my hair and it looked amazing again. I put it into a messy ballerina bun and was able to rock that all day without having to redo my ponytail multiple times. That’s truly a win in my book. When I can throw it up in a bun and not look back. That’s kinda when I knew that these ponytails were more than just a fling for me.

The last test, and I do mean the ultimate test, was when I wore them as I was walking with Dex and Grant. For a hot minute I had to chase after Dex and started to run. The ponytail didn’t slide out. It wasn’t just the mini run; it was the entire walk and my hair did get a little sweaty but the ponytail held! We took these pictures after our serious hustle and you can see it’s holding perfectly.

I’m about to tell you the best part here. I’m in the same ponytail that I’ve been using all week. It didn’t stretch or become too big. I do know a few girls who have been using them much longer and after a while they will stretch but they’ve been able to wash and dry them so they’ll be reshaped perfectly. I’ll update this when I’ve tried washing them and let you know. That being said they are made of a cloth like fabric so they should be able to just wash and dry like normal.

I can honestly say I’m really impressed with these ponytails I’m going to keep my subscription going and will probably be using these exclusively from now on. If you want a free month click the link below.

http://rwrd.io/g60yg4v?c