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reviews

a few of my favorite face masks

by Kaylah Stroup January 30, 2018

face mask review

One of my favorite little rituals here in the Dainty Squid household (less than 135 days until I can call it ‘The Stroup household’! Ah!) is doing face masks with Jeff a couple times a week. I grew up with two brothers and a dad who were basically deeply offended by ‘girly’ products like lotion so when I met Jeff and learned that he liked beauty products just as much as I did I could not have been more excited. Doing face masks by yourself is fun, but sharing that with someone else is the best! It’s also great because it’s how I justify buying so many. “Oh, I think Jeff would really like this one. I should buy that for him…”

Needless to say, I’ve found a handful that I really really enjoy! I’m always trying new masks (I even found another fave after writing up this post – 7th Heaven’s charcoal peel-off mask!) so I thought it’d be fun to share a little round up of a few of my recent favorites…

face mask round up!

A few of my favorite face masks, in no particular order…

▴ Elizavecca Milky Piggy hell-pore clean up mask. Other people’s review photos are what sold me on this. Honestly, so gross! While my results aren’t as dramatic, I can still see a handful of blackheads it pulls out each time. I recommend using it right after you get out of the shower so your pores are open. I apply only to my blackhead prone areas – chin and nose. I find that it comes off easily, with no pain whatsoever. It’s satisfying to use and makes my face feel very clean. This one is my favorite of the six listed!

▴ Queen Helene mint julep masque. Smells great, leaves my face smooth, and clean but not overly tight. What more could you ask for? I like to use this one when my face is oily. Definitely not a mask you’d want to use if you were dealing with dry skin though.

▴ Freeman renewing cucumber peel-off gel mask. Unlike the other peel off mask listed in this post, this one is gentle enough to apply to my whole face. It comes off easily, often in one piece, with no discomfort at all. It smells nice and fresh, and leaves my face feeling the same way. This is Jeff’s favorite of the bunch!

▴ Snowfox arctic breeze detox cooling mask. Despite this being the only one this list, I’m a big fan of sheet masks. Snowfox’s cooling mask is especially relaxing. It smells great and leaves my face feeling hydrated and supple. If I had to choose one word to describe how this makes my skin feel it would be ‘calm.’ I wish I could do this one every single day!

▴ Freeman cleansing apple cider vinegar clay mask + scrub. This product can be used both as a mask and a scrub. Best for those times your face really needs a good clean! I like to use it when I get dry patches on my chin (winter, man!) because it does a great job exfoliating. My favorite time to use this one is right before hopping in the shower so that it washes off easily. I enjoy following up with a moisturizing sheet mask (like this banana milk bomb one) but it’s definitely not necessary.

▴ Elizavecca Milky Piggy carbonated bubble clay mask. Another mask where the review photos are what sold me. If you couldn’t tell by the photos below, this mask is bubbly! It applies like a normal mask but quickly begins to bubble. Half the reason I LOVE this mask is because it’s so funny to see yourself with a fluffy cloud face but it truly does leave my face feeling clean, refreshed and baby smooth! My only complaint is that washing it off can be a time consuming – although I must admit I enjoy ‘shaving’ off the bubbles with my finger.

Elizavecca Milky Piggy carbonated bubble clay mask review

What are some of your favorite face masks? We’re always looking for new ones!
xoxo

eight things I started using in 2017 that rule!

by Kaylah Stroup December 21, 2017

1. Paper Mate InkJoy pens. I have found THE pen of all pens. To be honest, I only bought one of these because I went into a store and felt dumb leaving without buying something (please, tell me I’m not the only person who does this!) Turns out these pens are amazing so for once my anxiety worked in my favor. They write so smooth! I’m hooked.

2. Smart home devices. This year we acquired both an Echo Dot and a Google Home Mini. I like both of them. We have one in the kitchen (Echo), and one in the living room (Google Home). I think if I had to choose a favorite I’d lean toward the Google Home Mini simply because we have it hooked up to the televsion via Chromecast and being able to say “Hey Google, turn on ~whatever show~” is the bee’s knees! Definitely one of those things you don’t need but once you have one you kind of wonder what in the world you did without it.

3. iDevices Switch. My brothers got us one of these for Christmas last year and it was basically the start of us going nuts about smart home things. You plug it into the wall, plug a lamp or whatever into that and then you’re able to control it from your phone. It’s also compatible with the smart devices listed above so you can say “Alexa, lamps on!” and boom! There are the lights! We currently have two of these (one for the living room lamps, and another in the bedroom.) I probably won’t be satisfied until I have one in every plug! It’s super nice to be able to turn on everything you want with just the tap of a button or a single command.

4. Thayers witch hazel. First of all, holy smokes, this smells amazing. Basically I bought witch hazel because I read multiple places that tea tree oil shouldn’t be used by itself on your skin since its so strong. I could have chosen any number of products to use it with but witch hazel was definitely the right choice. Its known to be calming, help tighten pores, and smooth all without drying. Every night I squirt a little witch hazel on a cotton pad, add a few drops of tea tree oil and run that over my face and neck. My skin feels so amazing afterward.

5. Stash. Stash is an investment app that aims to make finding and selecting investments easy and approachable for beginners. Prior to this year I had zero investments, and quite honestly, no interest whatsoever in investing. Jeff bugged me for a while before I finally signed up and now I’m way into it! I never thought I’d be someone who enjoyed watching the market but here I am!

It’s just a minium of five dollars to start investing, and if you sign up before Christmas through the link in this post, you get your first year free (only $1 per month after that for accounts under $5k) Seriously, even with zero previous knowledge of the stock market Stash makes it easy to grasp everything thats going on. Love watching my money grow!

6. Bissell 1940 PowerFresh Steam Mop. At the beginning of the year I moved into an apartment with a big, open kitchen with gorgeous white and gray faux marble flooring. For the first five months we cleaned it on hands and knees. I got sick of doing that and hated how infrequently I did it because I hated it so much so I finally bit the bullet and ordered a steam mop. HOLY SMOKES. If you don’t already own one, go buy this bad boy now. It gets up everything and leaves the whole room feeling so much cleaner. I actually enjoy using it so much that I look forward to cleaning the floor! The water tank is big enough I can do both the kitchen and bathroom without refilling it too! I honestly have nothing but good things to say! $90 well spent! A steam mop changes everything!

7. Aveda Damage Remedy. I have already found my holy grail hair product (hask placenta!) but I still like to test out other hair products. Aveda Damage Remedy quickly became my second favorite hair product! It repairs damage, protects from heat styling, and detangles. I’m normally not a fan of leave in products like this since they tend to leave my hair greasy but suprisingly this one doesn’t! It makes my hair feel so soft, and look so shiny.

8. MagicLight Bluetooth Smart Light Bulbs. Last smart thing, I swear. We have two of these in the living room, one on each side of the couch and I could not love them more. Controlled from an easy to use app, we’re able to change the color of the lights, the brightness, and even set up silly things like syncing it to the music that is playing.

At around 30 dollars per bulb they’re not exactly cheap but they do seem to be the best option if you’re looking for smart bulbs, especially since they don’t require you to purchase a hub. You just need the bulb, and the app (which is free.)

PS. If you’re into fun lighting – I recommend checking out this post from earlier in the year. You knooow your bathroom would be so much cooler with a toilet light!

Did you find any products this year that are off the hook? I wanna hear all about them.
xoxo

Check out six things I started in using 2016 that rule here.

amazon handmade – a few of my favorite picks!

by Kaylah Stroup December 7, 2017

This post was sponsored by Amazon Handmade as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Did you guys know that Amazon Handmade is ~a thing~? This is fairly recent news to me so when the opportunity to partner up and show you a few of my favorite picks popped up, I jumped at the chance! Amazon Handmade gives you the convience and everything else you’ve come to love about Amazon to the world of handmade items. (Including two-day Prime shipping in some cases!) You can support artists of all sizes from the comfort your couch! Woo! Over half of the items are customizable and made to order so you’re sure to find something for everyone on your list. Can’t forget to mention that they even have a handmade wedding section which I’ll be spending lots of time lurking around over the next few months!

Since basically everyone I’m buying for this year reads my blog I decided to go a different route with the items I showcased in this post. I bought for the cats (which you could also consider a present to you as well since I know Professor has a few admirers!) and a little something for myself.

The first thing I chose was a precious bandana from Icecreamtree Studio. I specifically went for this pattern, over my top choice of black and white plaid, because I thought it’d really make his eye color pop. As you can see from the photos – IT DOES! Every time I think he can’t get any darn cuter I am proven wrong. I probably should have opted for a smaller size (this is a small but it appears they also have a ‘mini’) but I kind of love that it’s big on him. It makes him look even smaller than he already is.

Squid is not one for wearing things or else I would have gotten her one as well. I did buy donut shaped catnip toy with both cats in mind though. I kept it sealed up in a baggie until I was ready to shoot photos for this post. As soon as I got it out, and laid everything down the cats came running! I tried a few different locations around the house, trying to get a feel for what are would make the best backdrop and had to fight off little theives each spot. The donut is impeccibly made. It’s such a simple design but seriously just perfect! Aaaand holy smokes, seeing your kitty play with a donut is precious.

For myself I grabbed a trio of lip balms by Kaya. I am a lip balm addict and I love all things lavender so obviously I was stoked to recieve these. I wasn’t expecting to be completely blown away by rose though. It quickly became my favorite. It smells absolutely incredible. She has rose candles, and even a rose face mask. I’m gonna need them all!

Obviously these three things are a super tiny sampling of the goods you can find. I encourage you to keep Amazon Handmade in mind this year while doing your holiday shopping.
xoxo

Professor doing a happy dance about Amazon Handmade.

getting spooky with BarkBox

by Kaylah Stroup October 30, 2017

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BarkBox. All opinions are 100% mine.

Back in April Klaus got a chance to try out BarkBox for the first time. He was in loooove. (Check out the first post here!) He’s always been super into toys, unlike the cats, so it’s really fun to buy him presents. Needless to say, I was stoked for another opportunity to work together. Klaus even dressed up for the occasion.

In case you’re not familiar, let’s do a quick run down of what BarkBox is and what they offer; BarkBox is a monthly subscription box for dogs of all sizes (boxes are tailored to your pup’s size!) Each box comes with two bags of treats, one chew, and two toys. The best part, in my opinion, is that everything is tied together with a theme. All treats are always wheat, corn, and soy free. BarkBox is billed monthly, and decreases in price if you commit to 6 or 12 month plan. You also have the option to join the Extra Toy Club (an upgrade so you get three toys instead of the standard two!) for an additional $9 per month. The first box ships right away and subsequent boxes ship on the 15th of each month. They also have the really rad guarantee that if your dog doesn’t like something from the box, they’ll send you something they’ll love for free!

I’m going to be real with you here for a second, I was a little disappointed when I first opened the box and didn’t see any pumpkins or skulls. That’s really what I was excepting from a Halloween box, ya know? Then I thought about it a second and realized, HOLY COW, this theme is a thousand times better. Making toys based on items dogs are afraid of is so clever. Anyone can throw together a box of treats and toys to ship to you each month but BarkBox really really goes the extra mile with their ideas. It’s just so thought out! They’re not just giving you a theme, it’s a story!

If you sign up in October, you’ll receive the ‘Household Horror’ box, similar to the one shown here! In our box was ‘rain of terror‘ which is a cloud that housed two rain drop toys inside. (I love toys inside of toys! It’s basically a three for one. Multi-part toys are fairly common in Barkboxes.) As well as a firecracker, and a tombstone toy. Klaus is terrified of both fireworks and thunderstorms in real life but when they’re cute and have squeakers inside he couldn’t l0ve them more. That pile of toys he’s sitting in in the photo below? He gathered those all himself. I melllllllt!

We seriously couldn’t love BarkBox more in this house. Jeff loves opening the box with Klaus. Klaus obviously loves getting presents. The cats enjoy trying to steal treats, and I just love watching it all go down. I’m a huge fan of BarkBox, and how much love they put into each box, I think you will be too! So, bury the bone and the hatchet with the mailman by getting a BarkBox, they’re running a pretty rad limited time offer that ends 11/2!
xoxo

#FreshWithYourPet

by Kaylah Stroup October 25, 2017

Thank you Freshpet for sponsoring this post. Check out Freshpet refrigerated pet food, made with fresh, all natural ingredients and no artificial preservatives, truly making a difference you can see and your pet will feel!

At the beginning of the month I shared how we’d be trying out the #FreshWithYourPet meal plan. (Read here) Freshpet, makers of really amazing pet food, teamed up with HelloFresh, a meal kit delivery service, to see if they could change your perception of how easy it is to cook delicious and easy meals at home as well as bring the same benfits of a fresh and well-balanced diet to your pet. To say that we were impressed would be an understatement.

Freshpet is real, all natural pet food, fresh from the fridge. They never use pre-processed meat powders, ‘chicken meals’, or by-products nor do they add any additives or preservatives.

As I mentioned in the first post, it smells amazing. Klaus was even more excited than normal about eating. At the risk of being gross, I honestly think one of the biggest differences since making the switch is in his poop. Hear me out here. He’s going SO much less because what he’s consuming isn’t just a bunch of filler his body can’t do anything with. This is real food! (It resembles actual food too, as opposed to being weird dry pellets.)

I felt a bit guilty feeding just Klaus Freshpet since I had seen they also make a cat food. Midmonth I picked Squid and Professor up a bag to see how they’d like it. They were just as stoked as Klaus about it. It feels really good to feed my babies something that’s actually real, something I’m not grossed out by.

Do your cats do this too? Slam their little bodies into food and water when you try to give it to them. Can’t tell you how many times Squid has had her water dish spilled on her accidentally because she decided to push herself into it as I was kneeling down.

Same thing on the HellloFresh front, nothing but great things to say! One of the most enjoyable things for me was to be pushed out of my food comfort zone. I think a great example of this would be spagetti. That was already one of the meals we regularly make so I was little skeptical to see a recipe that called for zuchinni and soy sauce to be added. Had I simply been reading that recipe on the internet, I would have definitely left those two things out. Since it was already right in front of me, we made it exactly as it was written. It was DELICIOUS! HelloFresh definitely helped us out of the rut of making the same three or four meals on repeat.

Jeff and I cooked more consistently in the month of October than we ever have. Having the food already measured out, and waiting for us in the fridge was so so so awesome. Even on nights where cooking was the last thing either of us wanted to do, we ended up being SO happy after we “had to” cook. It was a great push to get into the kitchen instead of just ordering out. We actually liked HelloFresh so much that we’re highly considering continuing our subscription after returning from vacation.

So, yeah, seriously, no complaints here! This has honestly been one of the most enjoyable campaigns I’ve ever worked on. It feels really great to know I’m feeding my animals well thanks to Freshpet, and HelloFresh has been… wait for it… life-changing. It sounds dramatic but as a couple that always kind of struggled with finding the time and motivation to cook, HelloFresh has made it easy!
xoxo

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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grow light review

by Kaylah Stroup October 12, 2017

In 2016, I reached peak plant lady status. With an outdoor space all to myself for the first time since moving to the city, I went wild with plants. I learned to propagate, and my plant count was through the roof.

Then in the time between learning about my new apartment and finally moving in on January 1st of this year, I gave away most of my collection except for my absolute favorites. I knew I’d be moving to a space without a deck and indoor plant real estate would be limited. I didn’t think I’d be able to provide my plants with enough light. So many people say they have black thumbs but honestly, I think a lot of people just underestimate how much light their plants really need.

Even though I had done my best to weed out anything in my collection that needed lots of light, and kept the majority of my plants right near the window I could still tell they needed more. While browsing Amazon I spotted this grow lamp. For under thirty dollars, it seemed worth the risk. I really love having as many plants as possible around the house so this is a very small price to pay.

When I posted photos right after getting the lamps lots of people asked for more details and to be updated on how well they worked so that’s what I’m doing here today. I know that previous to purchasing this lamp, when I looked into artifical lights for my plants I just came out of my search more confused than ever. Just like propagation, aaaand every single other thing on Earth, everyone has their favorite way to do things, and thinks their way is best. I’m not saying this is the best grow light out there but it’s working really well for me so I thought I’d share a little bit about what I like about it.

I’ve been using the grow lamp for just around a month now and can definitely see a difference in the plants I have placed near it. They reach for the lamp and in general, just look a lot perkier. My century plant (top right corner of the left photo below) went from just surviving to actually growing again which is a huge deal in my book. I was really sad to see the life starting to fade away from that guy after not being outside anymore.

The thing that really drew me to this lamp as opposed to some of the others available is that I didn’t need to hang it from anything. There are lots of lights available for shelving units but thats not how I have my plants displayed. This one simply clips on which works out really nicely since I have a bunch of plants on a little side table in my office.

The lights can be put on a timer, choose between 3 hr, 6 hr or 12 hr. The amount I choose depends on how sunny it is outside. If it’s super sunny, just three hours. Rainy, cloudy weather and they get the full day with the lamps on. It’s super easy to use, and requires barely any effort on my part – I just hit a button each morning and my plants love me for it!

rainbow, grow lamps, succulents, grow light

Plant lady tip –

Download the app ‘GardenAnswers‘ to help you identify plants. (It’s free!) You simply take a photo of your plant and it will try to match it to plants in their database. Knowing what you actually have is obviously super helpful in properly taking care of your babies!!

house plants, grow light, purple lamp

All in all, thirty bucks well spent on this grow lamp. My plants are so much happier with the extra light they’re receiving these days. I’m even thinking about picking up a second lamp for some of my other plants. I highly recommend considering an extra light source for your plants, especially with the days getting shorter and shorter as the seasons change.
xoxo

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eating fresh with HelloFresh + Freshpet

by Kaylah Stroup October 11, 2017

If you’ve been following The Dainty Squid for some time you may recall how over the past three years I’ve shed my title of ‘picky eater’. I was previously someone who literally only ate because they had to. I didn’t enjoy food, and I certainly didn’t like cooking. Jeff changed me. He learned all the things I did like and slowly introduced me to other things he thought we similar enough that I might like. His patience showed me that maybe I wasn’t actually a picky eater after all.

These days I am all about trying new foods. I don’t really think there is anything I wouldn’t try, at least a few times. This new-found love of food meant I tried really, really hard to like cooking. The thing is I’m not good at it. Let me rephrase that, I’m decent at cooking but I’m bad at grocery shopping, and I have a really hard time choosing what to make. I excel at browsing food blogs but can never actually decide on what to make. This leads to us, more often than not, going out to eat or just eating a freezer pizza.

Jeff and I both really love to cook though. Before we moved in together we talked all the time about how living together would change our eating habits but alas, they might be even worse. Enter HelloFresh! When this opportunity arose I couldn’t jump fast enough…

HelloFresh delivers step-by-step recipes and all the fresh ingredients you need to make them. They offer plans for families of two or four and have vegetarian based meals as well as ones with meat and fish. HelloFresh covering the shopping, planning and delivery for you means you can actually take the time to enjoy cooking.

We are currently two and a half weeks in to a month long journey of eating better thanks to HelloFresh, and honestly, couldn’t be happier. After Jeff gets home from work in the evening the last thing either of us wants to do is head into the kitchen but knowing that there is fresh food waiting to be cooked up has been an awesome motivation. Each one of their recipes take just around a half hour so there are basically no excuses. We have been having such a blast spending time in the kitchen together. One of my favorite things about this whole experience so far is that the recipes have been things we probably wouldn’t have chosen on our own. (You guys, I ate shrimp and it was AMAZING.)

Klaus is also embarking on this month long journey to eat better along with us. I’ve switched out his old food for Freshpet. My first impression? This stuff smells amazing. It’s kind of amazing to be able to feed him something that I honestly wouldn’t mind eating myself. It smells that tasty! His first impression? Well, it was gone in a matter of seconds. That boy is always excited about food but I’ve never seen him enjoy it this much.

Freshpet is real, all-natural pet food. They don’t use any additives or preservatives. It just needs to be refrigerated. They don’t use pre-processed meat powders, ‘chicken meals’ or by-products – just real meat as the #1 ingredient. I feel really good feeding this to him.

The kitties were also super interested in his new food. You spotted Squid in the photo below, right? Hehe! Freshpet makes a few different cats foods as well so I’m thinking we’ll have to check those out for them! I will definitely update you in part two of this series if the kitties try out some Freshpet.

So now for the part I’m sure you’ve been waiting for – a giveaway! Between now and October 16th, you have a shot to win one of ten free HelloFresh boxes and $39 worth of Freshpet manufacturer coupons! Winners will be randomly selected and notified by CLEVER by October 17, 2017. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

rainbows in my home pt. 2

by Kaylah Stroup September 13, 2017

rainbows inside, apartment rainbow

Toward the beggining of the year I discovered the magical world of rainbows in my apartment. I purchased a suncatcher that attached to the window with a suction cup. It changed my world. That sounds so ridiculous and dramatic but truly having rainbows fill my apartment daily is so relaxing. I can’t imagine not having them now.

Because I have the type of personality where when I like something I’m OBSESSED I’ve been looking for even more ways to make my apartment magical. I basically have a suncatcher in each window that gets direct sunlight but I wanted more. I was poking around Amazon, clicking through suggested similar items from the suncatcher listing, and ended up stumbling upon a set of two crystal ball pendants for under ten bucks. They had significantly less reviews than the suncatcher but figured they were worth a shot. The very fact I’m writing a post solely about them should tell you exactly how I feel. But first, some photos…

the dainty squid, rainbow, suncatcher, rainbow maker

The photo above shows rainbows from both the suncatcher (long skinny rainbows) and the crystal balls (short round rainbows.)

The crystal balls come with pre-drilled holes but without any way to hang them. At first I had some string, as pictured below, but later realized how much nicer looking fishing line is. I have them currently have them hanging from the lock on my office window but they’re obviously very easy to move around. With the fishling line, you can’t even see how they’re attached.

If I had to choose between the suncatcher and the crystal balls, I think I would choose the suncatcher because those rainbows take up a lot more space. That’s 100% not to say these aren’t awesome though, like I said I definitely wouldn’t be dedicating a whole post to them if they didn’t completely wow me! I love the way rainbows dance around the room when the wind blows. The small rainbows are a lot less cheesy looking of a rainbow, if that makes any sense to you. I guess what I’m trying to say is that they look like a happy accident instead of a giant rainbow stripe.

For the price, I kind of want to line my window with them! In my opinion, this is definitely a case where more is more. Bring on allll the color. I can’t emphasize enough how wonderful having rainbows in your home is. Like I mentioned, I have some sort of rainbow maker in each of the windows in my apartment that receives direct sunlight but I think my favorite has to be in my bathroom. The timing always seems to work out so that when the sun is hitting it perfectly, that’s the time I’m going in there to shower. I have a clear shower curtain so rainbows cover my body each day while I get cleaned up. It’s the best way to start the day.

He finally caught the rainbow!

For more rainbow photos be sure to check out my first post about the suncatchers here & for even more magic, try a disco ball.

Updated 8/17 – I found an even better deal on the crystals! A set of 10 for just a few bucks more than I paid for the original set of two. In the year since this post, I’ve filled my window with crystals. It’s THE BEST.

fun lighting must-haves!

by Kaylah Stroup August 24, 2017

Over the last year I’ve developed a bit of a lighting obsession. I think it may have started with the lights my landlord installed under the kitchen cabinets. One strand and it just adds so much to the entire room. They were apologetic because they thought it would look cooler but I LOVED it.

Since the beginning of the year I’ve slowly but surely been adding to our little collection of neat-o lights. One purchase last week just completed the living room. I knew immediately I needed to do a little round up of what we’ve got going on over here, and show off my favorites!

cheap lighting, light solutions, LED strip for tv

I feel like I shouldn’t be starting with my favorite first but I am honestly just over the moon about this purchase – LED light strips for behind my television! There hasn’t been one night since I bought these that I didn’t say “OH MY GOSH, our living room is amaaaazing!” Twenty bucks well spents for sure.

We have a 55 inch televeision, and I bought two strands of the LED strips. I started each strip in the middle of the television and ran them down their own side. They reach a little bit past half way. I was worried it would be obvious and look like we skimped but it puts off the perfect amount of lighting! You can’t even tell it doesn’t reach the bottom of the tv. If your tv is much bigger I’d probably recommend getting a third strip though.

You can adjust the brightness, as well as choose from different colors and patterns. I absolutely love the smooth fade pattern that cycles between colors so that’s all we’ve had going on over here. At first we were like “Oh no, we can’t have it on the color cycling option because they won’t match up” which is true. Randomly they will match up for a handful of colors but then each strip goes it’s separate way. Luckily, I actually like it even more with each strip doing it’s own thing.

When I sent my mom a video of the lights in motion she asked if they were distracting. I don’t think so at all. If anything, they’re very relaxing. When I’m actually concentrating on what I’m watching I don’t even notice them. Don’t quote me, I’m just a lighting obsessed blogger, but I feel like they also reduce eye strain. You’re not just staring at this bright white tv. There is ambient light while the room still has that perfect cozy evening movie watching vibe.

I already want more of them. I don’t know where I’ll put them but I know I need more of these in my apartment… that’s how much I love them.

PS. A lot of the reviews mention the adhesive on the back of the strips isn’t strong enough to actually hold them up but so far we haven’t had any issues. Make sure to clean whatever surface you’re applying them to first, and press them down hard!

green light bulb, wifi bulb, smart bulb, smart lights smart lights, smart bulbs, colored living room lights

MagicLight Bluetooth LED bulbs. We have two of these that are in the lamps on each side of the couch. Just another fun little thing to add some color to the room. Controlled via the MagicLight app, they work just like regular bulbs except way cooler. You can make them any color on the color wheel shown above, dim them or turn the brightness all the way up. From the app you’re able to schedule the bulbs to turn on or off at certain times. You can even have them pulse to your music, and display different patterns, among many other silly little options I never actually use. If you have more than one you can control them seperately or together.

The bulbs and the app were easy to set up. At around 30 dollars per bulb they’re not exactly cheap but they do seem to be the best option if you’re looking for smart bulbs, especially since they don’t require you to purchase a hub. You just need the bulb, and the app (which is free.) We’ve had these since January with zero issues. For the longest time we basically just used them as regular bulbs, on the warm white setting. Now that we have the tv lights, the lamps are usually set to a shade of blue and green. It’s really neat because of the small mirror we have hanging above the television, as seen in the first photo in this post, it reflects whatever is on the lamps.

color changing toilet lamp, green toilet, led lights

Never thought I’d be posting a photo of my toilet on this blog but here we are! I bought this motion activated toilet night light for Jeff as joke for this birthday. Well… we both ended up loving it. You can set it to a single color or have it cycle through the colors. We always have it set to cycle through. It’s one of my favorite little thing, such a cheap way to add something fun to your bathroom. The first time anyone came over after we got it they heard “go look at the toilet!!” Nearly eight full months and it’s still going strong. If this one were to break or otherwise quit working, I would absolutely repurchase.

Other fun lights around my apartment…

String light lamp. It doesn’t put off much light at all. It’s really just for decoration but I absolutely love it. It’s battery operated and has an on/off switch on the bottom so it’s best placed somewhere easy to access.

Another light just for decor purposes, vintage exit sign. Just a fun garage sale find that fits in perfectly with the rest of my weird stuff. There are lots of light up exit signs to be found online – like this one that also comes in green letters! They’re pretty affordable too.

Oversized light bulb. My parents got me this for my birthday and it probably couldn’t have come at a more perfect time since we had just gotten the tv lights. This oversized bulb hangs above the bookcase in a corner of the room that otherwise has no lighting. It puts off the perfect amount of light where it can be on at the same time as the television LED strips and not be overwhelming.

I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to hang it since I’d never had something this like this before but I just purchased this 15-foot hanging lantern cord and it actually came with all the supplies I needed. Easy peasy, and it looks awesome!

Marble and gold desk lamp. Out of all of the lights, this is easily the one I turn on the least. It’s very bright, and where I have it placed makes it more of a decorative piece than one that actually serves a purpose. When turned on it’s basically just a huge ball of light. It would look a lot nicer somewhere the light was able to be dispersed. I just really like it where it is, fits in perfectly with the rest of the items on my bookshelf.

So basically, I’m obsessed with my apartment. It’s funny how much lighting can change the whole vibe of a place. Safe to say, I’m hooked. I can’t imagine this place without them now. Probably time to start adding some cool lights to my bedroom now…
xoxo

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