Favorite Things Archives |

Smilelove

July 18, 2019July 18, 2019 GabbingGinger

As a mom it can be hard to find time to treat yourself. I had braces as a child but a few of my teeth have shifted and it really started to bother me in photos. Luckily, I am have began a partnership with Smilelove and I can start loving my smile again.

I haven’t really had time to get my teeth taken care over the past few years. Small children means it is hard to go to appointments and find time for myself. Those reasons are what attracted me Smilelove. We all know how important selfcare is!

What is Smilelove?

They are an at home, affordable way to straighten your teeth. They work with a Dental team and communicate with you via email, text and calls the it is convienent for you!

How Does it Work?

Impression Kit: Use the Smile Love kit to make molds of your teeth at home. It only takes about 20-30 minutes. Then you send it back to us with the included shipping label
Then the Dental Team will create a preview of what your straight teeth will look like along with an estimate for how long your treatment will be. You’ll see a before & after of your new smile from every angle!
They send you your aligners, case, and additional materials all up front in a single package. Start with wearing the first aligner and you’ll be on your way to a new, confident smile!

The process of taking and submitting my molds was easy! I texted practice molds and was given tips of how to make them perfect. Then I just mailed them off!

Stay tuned for updates on my journey! I am so excited to get started!

Want to try out Smilelove? Make sure to use my code GABBING550 for $550 off!!

XOXO Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things, Food

Coffee with Cops

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 GabbingGinger

The other day we went to our second McDonalds event. We decided to venture to a location close to where my brother lives in Dallas because we thought it would be fun to see a new [to us] McDonald’s. This latest event is called Coffee with Cops.

What is Coffee with Cops?

Coffee with Cops is a partnership between the Dallas Police Department and McDonald’s of North Texas to boost officer and community relations by providing residents with the opportunity to interact with Police Officers working in their neighborhood.The partnership began in 2013 and has continued to evolve over the past seven years. Officers of all levels – including Sergeants, Deputy Chiefs and Neighborhood Patrol Officers – will sit down with residents to answer questions, discuss public safety and build relationships with those they serve.

Community is key

It was so fun to see so many officers from all different levels talking to all different walks of life. All of the officers were so kind to answer all kinds of questions and I mean they took a picture with this crazy fool. Plus, who doesn’t love McDonald’s breakfast on a Saturday.

Tripp seriously had so much fun and tt was the icing on the cake when we arrived and saw that this McDonald’s had a playground. Coffee with Cops was so refreshing and fun. It was so cool to hear community updates and see hear the behind the scenes stories!

Stay tuned to see what McDonald’s events I end up at next.

XOXO, Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things

A Mom who Microneedles [my microneedling adventure]

May 14, 2019May 14, 2019 GabbingGinger

Why Microneedling?

As a teen, young adult and even sometimes as a women in my early thirties I have had breakouts. However, when I was younger I had painful cystic acne that left me with scarring on my face. These scars have really bothered me as I have gotten older. My makeup tends to “set” in them and make them look worse then they are and I hate how it makes my skin appear in photographs.

Here is the scarring in the sun from an Instagram story I did: I started to use vitamin c oil to try to help with the scaring about a month ago but it didn’t help much:

It wasn’t until about 6 months ago that I even really found out about microneedling when my dermatologist mentioned it to me and said that I would be a good candidate. I went and researched it, watched videos and talked to my husband about the procedure.

What is microneedling?

You might be asking what microneedling is exactly? Here is the specific type that Kalos performed on me.

The specific type of microneedling I did is called SkinPen. It encourages your skin to heal itself by making a series of microscopic openings in the skin. While harmless, your skin interprets these tiny punctures as injuries and activates the natural process of collagen production. The result is a renewed layer of skin that is smoother, healthier, and unblemished.

Results after SkinPen treatment depend on your age, skin condition, lifestyle, and other factors. Patients often experience noticeable results about 1 or 2 weeks after their procedures. Improvements continue over the following weeks and as you continue your treatment series. In general, we recommend a 3-treatment series initially, with elective follow-up SkinPen treatments every 3 or 4 months to help maintain your results. SkinPen results will typically appear more quickly when treating fine lines and discoloration, and a greater number of treatments are required for optimal results with scar treatment.

Why Kalos?

While I was thinking about the procedure I connected with Kalos Medical Spa at Kirby Plastic Surgery Center and when they wanted to partner together I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to try it out!

I want to first say how amazing the team at Kalos was when working with me. I am currently breastfeeding so we had to make adjustments to my treatment plan to ensure nothing would cross into the breastmilk. What does that mean?! For the microneedling process I was not able to use the topical numbing agent. It honestly was not as painful as I had anticipated. BUT if you can get the numbing agent they are typically able to use a higher strength for the microneedling. Also, they increase the “strength” with each treatment process because your skin cannot just automatically take on the highest setting.

I absolutely loved my experience at Kalos. They are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Their facility is top notch and the staff made me feel so comfortable throughout the whole process.

These are my results after one session:

Before:

Immediately after:

A day after:

Now with make up on:

I can’t wait to show you all the progress in my skin over my treatment plan! What treatments are you interested in hearing more about?

XOXO Gabbing Ginger

*Please know that while I am in partnership with Kalos Medical Spa at Kirby Plastic Surgery all opinions are my own and any medical information has been reviewed for accuracy.

Favorite Things

Teacher Gifts

April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 GabbingGinger

I asked over on Instagram what you wanted to see and Teacher thank you gifts won!

Yall know I love a good thank you & I with the end of the school year is coming up quickly I wanted to share some of my favorite teacher gift ideas. Some I have created others I have found on Pinterest!

If yall dont know my Mother in Law was a teacher her entire career so I always run gift ideas by her. Her advice to me is to give something I would want to receive and try to limit the candy unless it is soemthing super cute and thoughtful. Also, she reminded me to remember most will write thank you notes so make sure it is valued at more than a stamp + the time and supplies it takes them to write the note.

Anyways… my personal favorite gifts to do are gift cards on cute print outs. Canva makes making these so easy. I have attached a couple I have made before that you can keep on hand and all you have to do is stick a gift card on it! So easy and cute. And when I polled several teacher friends they ALL said gift cards were one of their favorite gifts to recieve!

Here are some of the canva gift card print out’s I have done. For any of these make sure to do a test print on regular paper. I usually print 2 per page for the gift card thank you’s and 6 per page for the round “note” cards.

Printable Download: Amazing Teacher

Printable Download: Re’marker’able year

*FYI I just do one standard print page on this one!

Printable Download: Holiday thank you

Also, here is a print out I did for a cute popcorn basket I created.

Printable Download: Popping thank you!

Here are some of my favorite Pinterest and blog post with other teacher gift ideas!

The Blessed Mess Blog

Thanks for Helping me Grow

Thanks a Latte

Teaching is your Jam

I hope you all loved and are inspired by these teacher gift ideas! What are your favorite gifts for teachers?!

XOXO, Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things

Be Bliss-full

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 GabbingGinger

As a busy mom I am always on the hunt for healthy on the go snacks that can also be a little treat. Lucky for me, Jamba Juice has introduced the perfect flavor for a little “bliss-full” treat.

Positively Pomegranate

The Pomegranate Antioxidant Smoothie and Positively Pomegranate Bowl are perfect complements of “bliss” for the daily stresses of life. Jamba Juice is helping bring balance and wellness to the spring with these new products featuring Vitamin C, potassium and protein.

No matter where you are headed or what is on your to-do list you can find your center and find balance in your busy day with these yummy flavors! I love that packed full of flavor and nutrients but taste amazing too!

I absolutely loved the pomegranate antioxidant smoothie. It was so flavorful and hit that sweet spot that I needed for a little pick me up! The best part is is that I didn’t feel guilty since I know how packed full of nutrients it is. I don’t know about you but a guilt free treat is a win in my book! And PS if you can’t tell Tripp loved it too! He was trying to steal it from me the whole time!

Since International Day of Happiness falls this month I thought what a perfect time to bring a little Happiness to someone else and giveaway a treat that brings me such happiness!

Head over to my Instagram post here to check out all the Bliss-full Jamba Juice items you could win!

XOXO, Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things

Sample Brand Pitches

March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 GabbingGinger

Hey Y’all! I am doing a series on Instagram where I help answer questions about blogging/ being an influencer. If you missed it I created a super handy calendar/planner that helps you plan content and payments. This time, I am covering Brand pitches….

The biggest question

It is one of the biggest questions I have been asked is how to pitch to brands. So, I made a super handy sample document that you can edit to work for each brand you reach out to!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ba5lNR1LuHP93FRKYSXeFzsVq7iP6_D7pnjMibNqB5M/edit?usp=sharing

My biggest advice is don’t be afraid to ask. Be aware of your worth, and also the worst thing is a brand can say no. I promise you most bloggers you know have been told no! The ones who you love and adore even! Just remember the right things will come and don’t forget to stay true to your brand!

To end, I really hope this helps and if you have questions please head over to my Instagram Highlights and ask away!

OR comment below what your biggest blogger/influencer questions are!?

XOXO, Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things

Rug Revamp

February 28, 2019February 28, 2019 GabbingGinger

A few weeks ago I polled on my instastories [See video of rugs below] about the runners in my kitchen. You see we have a pretty large kitchen and the space between the island and the range is oddly large. We had two runners and every time I saw the space I just couldn’t kick the feeling that it needed on rug over two.

After measuring the space I realized we needed a rug that was just under 5’x7′ to fill the space. I also knew that with children, pets & oh yeah it is our cooking space… that it needed to be super durable and easy to clean.

Hit the jackpot with this rug

One of my favorite rugs in our whole house is in Annabelle’s nursery and I remembered that I was so excited that it was washable. Lorena Canals rugs are seriously a game changer for mom’s and families with pets! So I went and checked out their website and found this beautiful rug and GUESS WHAT?! It was the perfect size that I needed, so I knew it was meant to be!

I was so excited to work with this company again and I LOVE how the rug looks in our kitchen. I know right now the trends tend to be neutrals but I love a little color and this blue pulls in the colors from our other rooms (we have an open concept kitchen, breakfast nook and living room.

Final Thoughts

What do you all think about how the bigger rug looks versus the two small runners?

Lorena Canals seriously has amazing pieces (not just rugs). Make sure you check out all of the amazing decor pieces you could add to your house! Thank you to them for working with me again! I can’t say enough about how great their products are!

Do you own any washable rugs?

XOXO, Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things

Influencer Calendar/ Planner

February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 GabbingGinger

Y’all know I love a good calendar or planner! I asked a week or so ago over on my Instagram stories if a downloadable calendar for bloggers/influencers would be helpful and SO many of my wonderful instafamily said they needed one!

With that being said I tried to incorporate the things that planners tend to miss out on that influencers need! Basically, the campaign and payment tracking! This has helped me so much over the last few months to stay organized and on top of my campaigns with brands and my payments.

Please feel free to download this and share! Also, if you have any features you feel should be added or something that should be changed let me know! I call this my beta edition so I am happy to adjust it along the way to help others!

Here is my FREE 2019 Influencer Calendar!

Gabbing Ginger Influencer Calendar Download

What do you do to help stay organized?

XOXO, Gabbing Ginger

Favorite Things

New Year, Clean Home with Grove

January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 GabbingGinger

A Clean Home

Please note this post may contain affiliate links!

After all the buzz and excitement of Christmas, January feels like the perfect time to wipe the slate clean. I’m craving a calm, clutter-free home with lots of space to cook a healthy meal and unroll my yoga mat.

I know I’m not the only one feeling that way! Luckily for us, Grove Collaborative has a special offer to help start the New Year with a clean home. When you place your first order of $20 from Grove using my link HERE you’ll get:Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap

A Free Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap
A Free Mrs. Meyer’s multi-surface spray
A Free Grove Collaborative caddy
Free Grove Collaborative walnut scrubber sponges

Plus Free shipping & free VIP trial

If you’re already a Grove customer, you’ll receive a free set of walnut scrubber sponges.

I’m all for anything that helps me stay organized in the New Year, which is why I’m so excited about this cleaning caddy. It’s a chic and modern way to keep my most-used cleaning supplies at my fingertips.

The caddy is big enough to hold a few bottles of cleaner, gloves, and microfiber cloths — yet compact enough that I don’t feel like I’m lugging it around the house.

By choosing versatile and effective products, you’ll have less to carry around and be able to clear some space under your sink. Mrs. Meyer’s multi-surface spray, for example, works on countertops, backsplashes, faucets, doorknobs, painted walls, and even wood floors. I can literally clean my home top to bottom with just one product!

The Best Sponge

These Grove walnut scrubber sponges are also extremely versatile. The scouring side is made from crushed walnuts (yes, walnuts!) and is perfect for scrubbing pans or tile. The soft side is made from all-natural vegetable cellulose and is great for wiping down countertops and appliances. Since you get two, you can stash one in your cleaning caddy and one next to the sink.

Along with my walnut scrubber sponge, I always keep a bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap and dish soap by my kitchen sink. After all the holiday baking, I’m tired of doing dishes and grateful that Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap makes the job that much easier.

(By the way: if you spend $39, you’ll get a beautiful stoneware tray for free! It’s perfect for holding your soaps and a sponge.)

Another thing that helps me maintain a clean home all year long is Grove Collaborative. Grove hand-selects the best green products and delivers them (carbon offset) right to my doorstep, on my schedule. I get helpful reminders when it’s time to reorder, so that’s one less thing I have to think about.

As a VIP, I also get free shipping, free gifts, price matching, exclusive sales and personal service. Once you’ve submitted your order, you’ll be signed up for the free 60 day VIP trial so you can check it out for yourself!

Here’s how it works:

Sign up for Grove Collaborative here HERE.
To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive your first box within a few days.
You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order.

What are your favorite cleaning hacks?

XOXO Gabbing Ginger

Family, Favorite Things

Holiday Cards made easy with Basic Invite

December 12, 2018 GabbingGinger

The holidays are upon us and that means it is time for Holiday Christmas Cards and updating business stationary.

Basic Invite makes designing your custom stationary and cards so easy. I know I love personally writing and receiving notes and cards in the mail. I wanted to add some that were specific to my blog because I work with so many wonderful people and love dropping random notes to them when I have the chance. It was so much fun going through all of the different color, font and design elements to find the perfect look for my cards.

While I was designing my business stationary I feel in love with all of their Holiday Cards! Basic Invite has streamlined the process and have some great functions that very few stationary sites have! Here are some of the features that made me love using their website for my business thank you notes:

Almost Unlimited Colors – Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options so you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the littlest detail. This is what we feel sets us apart from almost any other online stationery company and is what we feel is our biggest draw.

I know I am very particular about colors because I want my brand to be consistent. The instant preview was easy to use and made designing super simple!

Custom Samples – Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their actual invitation so they can see exactly how it will print as well as feel the paper quality before they ever have to place their final order.

I think this makes the perfectionist in me so happy! You can make sure everything looks and feels right in person!

Address Capturing Service – Basic Invite offers an address capturing service that allows customers to simply share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other form of social media to request their friends and family’s addresses which will be stored in the customer’s account and can then be selected during the design process. Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all Christmas card orders.

THIS IS LIKE THE ULTIMATE MOM HACK. How much easier are Holiday cards when you don’t have to deal with addresses?!?!

PS They have Over 500 Christmas card and holiday card designs!