this is my insanely cute family 2 years ago, right before any of us were married

Kirsten did a darling spoon ring tutorial that got published in Green Craft. How cool is that?

Mindy shared a Macaroni Salad recipe with her readers. I'm not usually big on pasta but lately I've been loving it!

Kristina has been hosting a Simple Steps to Healthy Living series on her blog that I've loved.

Alynne did a great if you really knew me post that made me smile.

Brielle posted a his & hers Q&A with her husband that was so much fun. I might have to try it myself.

Nicole made these adorable vintage button rings and I want to wear them.

Kelsie did a Color Fun Run that made me jealous because I've always wanted to do one.


And last but not least, I know that I have been a hands-off blogger this month but I'm finally starting to feel a little bit better. I also have some really exciting things coming in August. If you want to do a sponsor swap in August let me know, I have a few spots left & I promise to be more hands on. I really do!

I know, I know, I've been completely MIA lately. I've been so very sick that looking at a computer screen for longer than a few minutes is such a strain lately. My mom says that moody & hormonal is the new happy & carefree and I should write anyway so I promise to do my best! Today I have a fabulous guest sharing the joy of Wanelo. Never heard of it? Read on!

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Hello loyal As It Seems readers!  Boy do I have a treat for you today.  Oh yes, introductions. That's me, Shane,  down there.

I write over at Whispering Sweet Nothings & craft jewelry at WhisperingSweetly. Please pop by and introduce yourself, I love new visitors :) Now on to the good stuff. Find unique products. And stores you've never heard of. Yes it's like pinterest, only better.  Kind of an Etsy/Pinterest mash-up of sorts. 

A mix between Pinterest and Etsy? This is too good to be true. Wanelo (a combo of "Want, Need, Love") is a social store where users post, collect, and organize products and follow people and stores they like. To use Wanelo, you post your fave product finds from any online store. You can also browse others' finds and save them. And if people like your taste (and they obviously will), they will follow you.

Ever find a darling lace skirt or accessory on pinterest but no link to buy it from? The ultimate letdown, right? Here's a few gems from my Wanelo "wishlist":

Positives about Wanelo in comparison to Pinterest

~ The focus is only on products that are for sale vs Pinterest you can post any image.  

~When you post a url it makes a unique pin, any attempts to post the same url will direct people back to the original pin. This means that all the attention gets focused on the one Wanelo page about that product, no duplicates!

~ As people repin your product it gets associated with other more popular items. People will start to see your item in others wish lists as they look at other things.

~It's perfectly okay (and encouraged) to post your own products  And in fact, (though Etsy individual shops owners don't have this feature yet), if 5 items are posted to the site then the creator of the items then gets their own "store" on Wanelo. At this time Etsy as a whole has its own shop and Wanelo developers are looking into how to separate it out for shop owners.

Just like Pinterest, your saved products will be presented in a beautiful visual grid - you won't be able to resist looking at the pretty images (or clicking "Save It" on everyone else's.)Organize your products into multiple themed collections like products for your home or cool jewelry finds. It's like a one-stop online window shopping paradise. This is truly the best kind of distraction.

My favorite things about summer:

Sunshine

Popsicles

Barbecues

Bonfires

Beaches

Flip Flops

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Chelsea from Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles is sharing this photo with us today.

Chelsea says, I love this picture because it shows the joy in my daughter's eyes and I know I've done my job of teaching her to enjoy the little things in life. My favorite thing about summer is being home with my little girl. Being a nursing student, I have summers off and it gives me unlimited time to enjoy my baby girl and have as much fun with her as I can before I have to hit the books again.

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Alyssa from Impractical Compositions loves this photo.

Alyssa says, it's my favorite right now because I just learned how to fishtail braid! I've never been able to do that before! My favorite thing about summer is going to Mexico! I love Mexico because I love being at the beach, playing in the ocean, and soaking up the sun! 

Blog - Facebook - Twitter - Etsy - Instagram

Remember how I'm the laziest person on the planet when it comes to beauty products and getting ready for the day? Well I am. If one task takes more than 5 minutes I'm most likely not going to do it. Luckily my hair does really well with wash & go styles and my skin is (usually) pretty clear so there's not a whole lot of daily upkeep. I know about beauty products (and own way too many) but I often feel like a child playing in her mother's make up bag.

I have a darling friend Abby that I think of as my beauty guru. If I have questions about a product chances are she's tried it. She's here today to share her favorite beauty tips & tricks with you. And because she is awesome she's also giving away 5 of her favorite beauty products to my lovely readers. Enjoy!

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Hi there!

I'm Abby and I write the blog Diligent Joy, which is all about me, my family (I am raising the cutest two year old that ever lived... you can go here to read my Thought on Motherhood), the things I like, the books I read, and my obsession with everything beauty related. My series, The Beauty Aisle, is where I share beauty tips, inspiration, and products that I love (new ones and long-time favorites). It's really fun to write and I know that my readers really enjoy it. Come on over to learn about makeup, hair, homemade spa treatments, and all sorts of beautyish stuff.

I recently posted about some of my favorite tips for beautifying and pampering. I thought I'd share a few of them with the readers of As It Seems (see the rest here).

1. MOISTURIZE DAILY: It is extremely important to moisturize daily. If you are having a quiet day at home or don't have time to fully get ready, you should still put moisturizer on your face (preferably one with sunscreen) every single day. It will help keep your complexion soft and glowing. It's also a great (and easy!) anti-aging tool. I have used countless moisturizers in my day. Currently, my favorite day cream is Total Effect from Oil of Olay. At bedtime, I use Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream.

2. TRY OLIVE OIL ON YOUR HAIR: If you hair is on the dry side, try an olive oil treatment. Before shampooing, apply a generous amount of olive oil to your dry hair (all over or just the ends, depending on what you need). Leave it for 20-30 minutes and then wash it out. This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways I have found to keep my hair soft and shiny. I use it on my ends before every shampoo (because crunchy ends are just gross). For even healthier hair, shampoo less (I recently wrote a series about embracing dirty hair) and be sure to invest in sulfate-free products (I prefer Pureology Color Care shampoo and conditioner).

3. WORK FROM THE INSIDE OUT: Beautify and pamper yourself from the inside out. For strong hair and nails, take a prenatal vitamin each day. For clear skin, drink lots of water and eat a healthy diet that is rich in vitamins and antioxidants (more about that here).

4. TRY NEW THINGS: Please, please, please don't ever be afraid to try new things. Bright lipstick, a new shade of eyeshadow, or a new kind of hairstyle can be so fun and can make you feel fresh and excited about your beauty routine. If you see something in a magazine or on Pinterest, don't tell yourself that it's not for you or that you can't pull it off. Go ahead and try it because chances are, you CAN pull it off. If you are sheepish about a new product or look, try it at home a few times before taking it public. I learned to love braids, skinny jeans, and red lipstick while hanging at home by myself. By the time I took each new look out and about, I was comfortable and confident.

5. DON'T OVERSPEND: Don't buy into the notion that expensive products are superior products. Hair, makeup, and skin products don't have to cost a small fortune in order to be effective and seriously, why would you want to pay a lot for a something that will just be washed down the drain? All of my favorite products are affordable (even Pureology is because it's so concentrated that I only use a tiny bit each time I wash my hair and therefore, a bottle of it lasts much longer than a bottle of regular shampoo) and the majority of them can be found at Target or in your drugstore beauty aisle.

Here are a few of them:

1. I mentioned Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream earlier in this post. I love this stuff. It feels so good to put it on every night after taking off my makeup and it keeps my skin moisturized all night (a lot of night creams haven't lasted the night for me). I wake up with soft and dewey skin every morning and I love it.


2. Maybelline's new lip product Baby Lips is my favorite thing right now. It's moisturizing and adds a little splash of color (it's summer so I prefer understated lips). I have nearly every color, but Pink Punch (far left in the photo) is my favorite.

3. When it comes to hair, I'm a big fan of air drying. It saves time and helps keep my hair on the healthy side. This Aussie Sprunch Spray is my current favorite air drying helper. It gives my hair a tousled/wavy look and enhances my daughter Harper's natural curls. It's lightweight and not sticky (I loathe sticky hair products) at all.

4. I don't leave the house without hand cream in my purse. Dry hands (well, dry skin in general) are so gross to me. Right now, I am loving this Intense Repair Hand Cream from Yes To Carrots (in truth, I have loved every single Yes To product that I've tried). It's really moisturizing and has a very subtle smell.

5. Maybelline Full N' Soft Mascara is one of my favorite products of all time (I've been using it since high school... it's been to two pageants with me... I have taken it on piano tours to Europe and Asia with and wouldn't have dreamed of getting married without it). I am always trying new mascara and nothing has ever measured up to Full N' Soft. It provides the perfect mix of length and volume. I love it and hope to never live without it.

I love each of these products and would like the chance to share them with one of you. Don't you think that sounds like fun? Me too.

One lucky winner will receive a gift basket with these five products in it. To enter, you must be a follower of both As It Seems and Diligent Joy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

just a little favorite from when I lived in Washington

Chelsea shared this adorable paint chip matching game DIY.

I LOVE avocados, so these avocado salads just went to the top of my want list.

Sara has a delish-looking recipe for coconut ginger zucchini bread. Must try!

Jane showed off her favorite couples photography shots- great to remember!

This blackened chicken & cilantro lime quinoa makes my mouth water.

Patricia wrote a fantastic post about the meaning of home. Utah is "home" to me always.

As a small side note to my wonderful readers that I love: I've been so sick that everyday life is difficult and blogging just falls to the side and I think sometimes that's okay. I'm doing my best and that's all I can do! I have a fantastic guest poster & giveaway coming later this week so be excited.

4th of July was awesome. Except there were no fireworks. I guess that's what I get for living overseas. Apparently the AF base didn't want to do them because they thought the weather would be bad- it wasn't. Aaron and I went to the "State Fair" and it was a lot of fun. Aaron got a turkey leg and loved it, I had yakisoba (one of my favorites!), and Twink just enjoyed being out with us. Plus they had a life-size angry birds game that was so much fun.

Because he loves me, Aaron grilled burgers for dinner. He thought Twink deserved one since it was a special occasion so this tiny one was made especially for him. That crazy look in Twink's eye came from his excitement when he realized he was getting the whole thing. He also snatched it before I had a chance to take a real picture and hid under the coffee table to eat it, afraid it would be taken away. 

We had such a wonderful day! And the best part? It was the first day of Aaron's leave. Two whole weeks of no work! We're going to have a blast. I'm already having a hard time finding the minutes to blog with Aaron not working but don't worry, I'll make it work! How was your 4th of July?

Life has been great. Well, for the most part. I've been incredibly sick the past few weeks and it's taken the wind out of my sails more than I knew it could. Usually I'm a great sick person, just pushing through it and pretending I'm not sick, but it's not working this time. Luckily July promises to be a wonderful month, if for no other reason than my husband has leave from work and we have some fun plans to explore Japan while he's relaxing. I'm so excited about that part! 

Friday we went to The Amazing Spiderman. This is kind of a big deal because we never get to see movies when they actually come out, let alone before they're released in the States. I barely made it through the almost three hour 3D movie but it was worth feeling sick. It was a great movie and according to my comic book nerd husband they followed the original story fairly well. I guess that's kind of a big deal.

It's been far too long since Twink's made an appearance here. He and I were waiting for Aaron the other day and he climbed into my lap to drive the car for me. You know he's adorable.

If you want to say hi to me on my friend Erika's blog go here.

the view from our hotel in Miami on the first day of our honeymoon

Abby is doing a dirty hair series on her blog that is awesome. If you're an every day washer it's a must read.

This lace ribbon top DIY looks so pretty, I have to try it out.

Jenn shared her 25 in 25 list and I love what she put on it.

This watermelon & cantaloupe agua fresco looks delish- and easy.

Shane does secrets on Sunday that I've always loved (and sometimes participate in).

Alyssa just added a new chevron blanket to her shop that is just beautiful.

And this is exactly how I feel when I get a voicemail.