Sponsored Posts Archives - Page 3 of 3

A weekend away… what will you need?

September 9, 2014 by Susan Leave a Comment

{This post is sponsored by U by Kotex.}When I pulled out of my driveway, Saturday morning at 7AM, I realized that for the next three weeks I will really only be home for 2.5 days. How crazy is that?! And, lucky for me, it is a for a great ratio of fun and work! {Gotta love when the fun balances out, or *gasp* outweighs the work!} As a wedding planner and marketing consultant {oh and let’s not forget about the blogger hat too!} when I pack to get out of town, I need to pack a ton of random odds and ends. Who else do you know that has to pack everything from cake servers to a yoga mat to a full size pillow to emergency supplies?! This girl. {Please envision that cheesy pose with my thumbs up, pointing back at me.} My long-time friend Caitlin needed a co-pilot for her move to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After spending the last couple of days in their entirety, in an overstuffed car on I-95, with two beagles and all of her belongings, I feel like I am a semi-expert in how to pack and what to pack when leaving town for a couple of days. I wanted to give you a little glimpse into my popup office and my must have traveling supplies with you today! While my bag is always over stuffed and full of random odds and ends, these are my weekend away/popup office faves:A large tote and/or bag with wheels, preferably one with sequins and/or glitter. I am absolutely loving both my sequined canvas tote and my brand new zebra print rolly bag! Comfy, yet stylish clothes. I can’t go anywhere without my hat, sunnies, and sandals.
A spill proof travel mug. If you haven’t experienced the amazingness of Contigo Mugs yet… you need to get on that. They won’t spill. Even if they are upside down in your bag. Basic office supplies. With all the jobs I have, unfortunately as weekends away aren’t complete without my popup office. I typically keep scissors, tape, a notebook, post-its, pens and at least one planner with me at all times.

Toiletries. You know you need the essentials like hair products, makeup and a toothbrush. But let’s not forget about the unmentionables that need to be mentioned. U by Kotex® offers a full line of feminine care products for periods including pads, liners and tampons. Outstanding protection that keeps you one step ahead. U by Kotex® has a bunch of new products that not only take care of the job, but they have brilliant and colorful packaging that you will love! Try the U by Ultra Kotex® Thin Pads with 3D Capture Core, a one-of-a-kind center that locks away wetness to help stop leaks. U by Kotex is also giving away FREE SAMPLES so you can prepare for your weekend away! Try them out for yourself by clicking here!

Food. I don’t care who you are, but when you are traveling you need to be prepared with snacks. Especially if you are like me and you have a weird and specific diet. I am always prepared with lara bars, fruit and water. And I always know where the nearest Chipotle is!

Pack your yoga mat. Or running shoes. Whatever your outlet is, be prepared. I am currently on a PiYo kick. And even if it is the middle of a vacation, it is worth waking up and doing a few minutes of your favorite exercise to stay on track and keep up with your fitness routines.

Outwear gear. Whether you are going somewhere at the end of the summer or beginning of fall {I am in Ft. Lauderdale, FL this week and the Outer Banks of NC this weekend for work} be prepared with appropriate outer gear. The first half of my week I will be needing tank tops during the day. This weekend I will need a sweater as the temps are dropping on the Carolina beaches in the evenings.

So what do you think? What else do you pack when you head out of town for a weekend? Do you work from home or on the road? What do you have in your popup office?

Many thanks to U by Kotex for sponsoring this post! Now pack your bags, get out there and have a lovely few days away from home!

10 Dorm Room Must Haves!

August 26, 2014 by Susan Leave a Comment

I am still in shock that this is the last week of summer for everyone in my area. My boss has taken off to spend time with her kids. The teenagers across the street are spending every single free moment working on their tans and playing in the pool. My teacher friends all reported their dreaded return to school on Facebook yesterday. Where in the world did summer go? Seriously… hello September?! My brain is still stuck in spring, while my calendar is telling me we are entering fall and it’s Back-to-School Glory. I don’t care who you are… there is something exciting about “Back to School” time. Go ahead and call me a nerd, but personally, entering the stores and seeing the fresh notebooks, new pens, and colorful planners brings me joy. So when Kleenex and Walmart reached out to 2 cats & chloe, asking me to write a little piece on the Top 10 Dorm Must-Haves I was a little pumped. I mean, who doesn’t want to pretend that they are packing up and heading back to college! This post brought back a lot of fun JMU college memories! Memories of Freshman year, on the 8th floor of the tallest building in Harrisonburg, with no AC. Memories of hiliarous times with my roomies, who became friends for life. Memories of riding the bus to the old Walmart in Harrisonburg… and then waiting for that same bus to come back hours later while we lugged all of our purchases {and a few betta fish} back to the dorm.

Kleenex Expressions Oval Facial Tissue Chevron Designs //

Headphones // Coffee Maker // Travel Mug // Colorful Mini Fridge // Vacuum // Fun Curtains // A Bathroom Caddy // Disk Chair // Chevron Towel Set

I had no clue how colorful the Back-to-School gear has gotten. Seriously! They have colorful mini refrigerators now?! Personally, I think everything on the list above is great - but I want to give a couple of shout outs… First of all, the disk chair. This may seem like a silly looking chair, but when you have a ton of friends stopping in to your tiny dorm room, this chair will be perfect. OR, let’s say that you buy one, like I did, that has a slight squeak to it… it is exactly what you need to drive your roomie crazy! {Amanda - wink wink} Or maybe you will be blessed with a loud typing roommate. {It’s a condition, I swear!} You are going to thoroughly thank me for recommending headphones. Some of us just cannot help our typing volume.

The Kleenex Expressions Oval Facial Tissues in Chevron Designs… You are going to get sick. It’s college. It’s germy. And you may be just like me and have a roommate who forces you to wash your hands all the time, who sprays the television remote with cleaner, and who teaches you the proper way to cough. She will make you use tissues, so you may as well buy these. The design and pattern of the box makes them cute enough to leave on your desk all the time. Heck, I am well beyond a dorm room but these Kleenex tissues are sitting on my desk!

What memories do you have of your college dorm? Do you have any tips for must-have items? What are your favorite roommate memories? Thank you Walmart and Kleenex for sponsoring today’s post, and bring back some fun dorm room memories!

#WhatSuzieWears: to an outdoor {summer} event

August 10, 2014 by Susan 4 Comments

As I am wrapping up another whole30 - I am struggling to find clothes that fit me “just right” in my closet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining… but I am. I’m pumped to be getting healthy, but no one likes having clothes that just don’t fit right? Am I right? August seems like a great time of year to begin clearing out the things I didn’t wear all summer long and start finding items that fit me perfectly. Even if I am continuing to lose weight. {And boy, I am losing it in weird places. Does anyone else struggle with losing weight in their wrists before they lose it anywhere else?! Pretty sure each wrist is down 3 pounds!} While I need to alter half my clothes, why not just find a company who will make them to fit my weird measurements?! Which is exactly what eShakti.com will do. Have you heard of them before? This company sells adorable {and affordable} clothes that they customize and sew just for you! {And not just to your size, but custom lengths, necklines, sleeves, everything!} How cool is that?!
I am always on the hunt for dresses that are cute and fun, but also something I could wear when I’m working a wedding. A dress that allows me to pair it with a belt, flats or wedges, AND has pockets is exactly what a wedding planner looks for. I found this green gingham dress on eShakti.com and thought it would be perfect for a more-casual but still dressy outdoor wedding.

gingham green dress for summer outdoor event

2 cats and chloe fashion post - gingham green eshakti

Unfortunately I gave eShakti.com my dimensions prior to this whole30 {I’m down 8 pounds in the last 26 days!} so this lovely dress is just a tad bit too big for me now. But this is all my fault. This dress is comfortable and light weight. Again, perfect for a summer outdoor event! I love the fact that it has pockets too… do you know how much stuff a wedding planner totes around with her?! A lot.
Once my weight lose journey stabilizes a bit more, I will definitely be ordering a couple more custom dresses from eShakti, because let’s be real, I don’t know the first thing about sewing and altering my current wardrobe.
Dress: gifted by eShakti.com, Belt: Target {old, but similar}, Earrings: gifted, Necklace: gifted, Wedges: Target {old, but similar}

Spur of the Moment Trip to Charleston and a Vacation for YOU!

August 4, 2014 by Susan 3 Comments

Oh hey, Monday… You really snuck up on my out of no where this go round. I wish I had a weekend recap for you. Sadly, my weekend only consisted of work and rain. As a writer, who dabbles in event coordinating, marketing and real estate, I am consistently trying to convince myself that I live a wicked, awesome life. Only, I’ve yet to find the balance between work, life, and relaxation. Saturday night after I wrapped up an appointment with a bride, followed by dinner with the hubs, I decided I needed to do something fun before I wrap up summer. I mean, summer is supposed to be all about relaxation, right? Sunday morning, bright and early, I got a text from my mother. And then, within five minutes, I got another text, but this time from my sister. These two crazies have decided to throw together an extremely last minute glamping vacation getaway. They were both texting me their best sales pitches, trying to convince me to drop everything THIS WEEK and head to Charleston, SC with them. Seriously, who does this?! With 48 hours notice, the proposed plan was for the three of us to leave Tuesday morning. {As in tomorrow!} I explained to both of them that it’s a huge week for me at work, at which my mom reminded me that I work from home. My pop-up office can pop up anywhere! Even at a campsite in Charleston!

Morris Island, Charleston - Summer of Go!

Still being on the fence about this, but in dire need for a couple of days filled with chillaxing, my mom decided to invite Chloe. At which point I pondered it a bit more… and said yes. {Let’s be real - Charleston is one of my all time favorite cities to visit anyway! Why wouldn’t I want to go back?!}

Vacation in Charleston, SC! Tommy Bahama Summer of Go!

So tomorrow, myself, my dog and my pop-up office will be heading to South Carolina with my mom and my sister. Thank goodness for iPhone hotspots and campgrounds with wifi - making this trip a possibility! Who is ready for some family bonding and relaxation!? Pray for us. No, but seriously. I have decided that I need to start embracing all the perks of working from home. Especially in the summer when the definition of summer is basically sunshine and relaxation. And clocking in from a remote, but fresh and new location may be exactly the relaxation I need. Since I can’t take you with me on this spur of the moment vacation to Charleston, how about you go on your own vacay? No, Seriously! Tommy Bahama is here to help all of us relax. Not only are they giving away some awesome prizes but they are ready to help us celebrate National Relaxation Day on August 15. Who knew such a day even existed?! And why haven’t we all been celebrating this every single year?!

National Relaxation Day 2014 with Tommy Bahama

Did you say something about winning a vacation? Yup, I and I don’t kid around about winning vacations! Tommy Bahama is giving away quite the vacation with the “Summer of Go” Sweepstakes! There will be weekly giveaways between now and August 18th, as well as a Grand Prize Giveaway on National Relaxation Day weekend August 15th-18th. Weekly Prizing:1) Air Transportation for 2 anywhere Alaska Airlines flies2) 3 night stay at select Fairmont Hotels and Resorts locations3) $500 Tommy Bahama Gift Card4) “Summer of Go” Travel Pack5) $50 Uber Credit Grand Prize:1) Air Transportation for 4 anywhere Alaska Airlines flies2) 7 night stay for 4 at the Fairmont Orchid Hawaii 3) $1000 Tommy Bahama Gift Card4) Dinner at the Tommy Bahama Restaurant on Mauna Lani5) $200 Uber Credit6) Summer of Go Travel Pack

Like I said, unfortunately I cannot take you with me tomorrow for our 7 hour road trip and glamping adventure! While I’m on the road you should start planning your Summer of Go vacation! Tell me, if you could plan a #summerofgo trip to wrap up this summer, where would YOU go?
Ponder it and tell me below in the comment section. {Because I may just have to try squeezing in another trip before fall!} In the mean time I need to get packing… Sigh. Being spontaneous just takes so much planning! Oh, and I have to pick up my first baby purchase later this afternoon before we leave!

Many thanks to Tommy Bahama for the crazy timing and the sponsorship of this post! I honestly had no clue about my spur-of-the-moment vacation OR this post sponsorship! Timing is everything!

Wedding Wednesday: Aunt Flo Wasn’t Invited (Plus a Free Sample!)

July 23, 2014 by Susan 4 Comments

Happy Wednesday Girls! I am on the road for work this week but wanted to stop in for a little Wedding Wednesday action! But there’s a catch. Since I’m not at home {and was almost hotel-less last night! A story I will share another day…} I decided I would do a Wildcard Wedding Wednesday post rather than just simply dragging you down good ole memory lane, recollecting my day full of love and glitter. So today, I’m letting you in on a little secret: Me, the crazy, OCD wedding planner that I am… I was even concerned with *GASP* my undies (!!) on my wedding day! But seriously?! Who isn’t!? Of all days in your life… you may really want to put some thought into your wedding undies. I know, I know. TMI right? But let’s be real. There’s a lot of planning that goes into your wedding day… And we can’t forget what to wear, under there! I was super thankful that my bachelorette gals threw me a mini lingerie bash. I stocked up and I didn’t even have to go shopping! {Because bra and underwear shopping is almost as bad as spending the day at the DMV. Am I right?}

Cute and Comfy, via Target.

Getting ready, Lounge Worthy. Via Target.

Or something lacy and sexy? Again, via Target. The whole point {other than saying our i do’s and marrying the man we love, of course} is that we want to look our finest, feel the prettiest we can possibly feel, and spend our wedding day on cloud nine as a confident, married lady, who is ready to party! That doesn’t just happen with the gown. It includes the earrings, the veil, the garter, and the undies.

I would like to introduce you to the new U by Kotex® Ultra Thin Pads with 3D Capture Core. What does all that mean?! It means that these pads have a one-of-a-kind center that locks away wetness to help stop leaks. They are perfect for protecting your wedding white undies, not to mention your wedding gown! They allow you to spend your day having fun and tying the knot without worrying about your crazy ole Aunt Flo crashing the reception.

U by Kotex® would like to help you SAVE YOUR {wedding} UNDIES! So how about a free sample to toss into your bridal bag? Just click over here: Free Sample of U by Kotex Pads

And as a social media junkie, I can’t wrap up this blog post without mentioning that I’m pretty obsessed with their witty hashtag: #savetheundies So gals, answer me this - what did you, or what will you be wearing {under there} on your wedding day? {Or do I not want to know?!} I promise I will be back next Wednesday with some of my favorite reception photos for you! If you want to catch up on some of the past, glitter filled, Wedding Wednesday Posts you can see them here. As always, I’m linking up with these lovely gals: