Happy Friday everyone! I cannot tell you how thankful l I am this week is over. It was a long week for me and a weekend is much needed. Plus I have awesome plans so be sure to follow along on instagram !

This Friday we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to present you something really cool. You may have seen a few posts lately about this teeth whitening process I have been using from Smile Brilliant. I have flirted with trying teeth whitening in the past as I am a big coffee drinker. I used to drink one big tumbler a day and since Reese was born my intake has definitely spiked. I got a busy life and I need to stay awake for it.  The downside? My teeth show it. I try my best by brushing, flossing, and rinsing but it's really never been enough. I look at my teeth and just feel kind of frustrated. Even when I wear dark lipstick, it should make them whiter but no such luck. I just want healthy looking teeth for a brighter smile.

 In the past, I have had some intermittent success with whitening programs but they also made my teeth really sensitive. This is a problem for me and definitely made me hesitant to try again. When an opportunity to try Smile Brilliant came along and I saw there was a desensitizing gel, I thought it was definitely worth a try. 

I got my kit in the mail and it was a little daunting at first, I won't lie. A lot of steps to the process and I really wanted to make sure I didn't mess it up. Thankfully they provided detailed instructions that made it super simple!

Press them in evenly on each tray and then put them over the top and bottom of your teeth. These get mailed back in an envelope, included in the kit (3 way shipping is included for domestic order and 2 way shipping is included for international orders FYI), so they can make your custom fitted teeth whitening trays. So fancy!

In a few days, I received my custom fitted teeth whitening trays. They look like clear braces essentially. What's great is that they are tailored to your teeth to ensure the whitening gel fits just right. They come in this cute little case to keep them safe and sound so the whitening can begin.

When whitening, it should be practiced over 7-14 applications. The first step is taking the whitening gel, which comes in an injection type tool, on the front part of the trays. Basically, the part that will rest on the front side of your teeth. You first brush your teeth with just water then wear the trays with the whitening gel for 1-3 hours. Since my teeth are pretty sensitive I did it for about 45-60 minutes each time. Afterward, you can brush your teeth. Then apply the desensitizing gel and wear for about 15-20 minutes. Then be sure to rinse with water so that the desensitizing gel continues to work. Really important that after you don't drink or eat for 30 minutes to prevent re-staining. 

I figured out what worked best for me was doing it right before bed. That way I wasn't tempted to eat, it's also probably the only time of day I am sitting still. Otherwise, I did it while I worked out in the morning, by the time the process was complete, I was done and then getting ready for the day. I did experience some teeth sensitivity so I just took a day off in between. I'll admit, early on when I was running out of time I skipped the desensitizing gel. In a word: don't. Just make the time. Trust me.

At the end of 10 sessions, I definitely saw a change. I just noticed my teeth to be overall brighter and the staining from coffee was basically gone. I got really excited and told D. I was met with his tepid response, but then I showed him my before and after photos:

AFTER

Then he changed his tune. Noticeably brighter, right? I could not be happier. I have felt self-conscious about my teeth for a long time and now I am not afraid to flash my pearly whites. 

   

So, good news! One of you lucky people can win one of these kits to try for yourself. You will not be disappointed. Enter below and leave a comment as well as signing up for updates on all my posts for a chance to win!

www.smilebrilliant.com/g/mymonochromaticlife

Even if you aren't the lucky winner you can get $15 off of a tray by entering my code: mymonochromaticlife15

I also would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the process and this product. I am so happy with my results. I mean, just look....

See? Happy, bright smiles! You can too :)

*product was received as part of an in-kind partnership, but all opinions are my own*

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend because I sure did. Some fun mixed with a little work, but amazing just the same. It was a good, relaxing weekend which is gonna be needed for the busy week I have ahead. I will try to keep up with posts, but may not be able to this week. A little patience with me this week :)

Friday was a gorgeous summer day. I spent most of my day in a windowless office and I just wanted to be outside. Worst part of my job is the windowless office in the summer time. When I got home I was itching for a cool drink on a warm patio. D and I have this thing where we want to give in to our vices at the same time. I danced around the dinner plan and he was talking about maybe going out somewhere and I was like "yes! a patio!" Done. We went to this local place with a huge patio and two-for-one's. Not bad, not bad. We rented a movie, The Circle, that was terrible. Then went to bed.

Saturday was Irish Fair day. Every year St. Paul holds an Irish fest and it's awesome. All day there is music, events, speakers, demonstrations, and shopping. Typically I would spend more time but I brought Reese with and was not sure how she would do. D was not interested so I went with my parents, sister and niece. It was hot as blazes with the sun out so I tried to keep her out of the sun. We listened to a speaker, saw some big wolfhound dogs, ran into some family, listened and danced to some music, drank some beer and of course shopped. I bought a little something I am featuring today :).  Seriously, if you have an Irish fair in your town go. They know how to have a good time and have a rich, cultural history. I always see something new each year. Plus it is part of my ethnic background so there's that.

Sunday was a bit more of a relaxed day. D took Reese up to his parent's house. I got done some much-needed house cleaning. Our house is always messy, always. Drives me crazy. I usually make D do his part, but sometimes it's just easier to do a quick sweep when everyone is gone. Then I ran down a local boutique for a dress for this wedding next month. I almost fit into this one dress in a size I was happy with. Like literally a hair too small. Not quite six months post-partum, and a ton of work later, I was pretty proud of myself. They did locate the right size so win-win.

This weekend's weather was all over the place. Like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Saturday was too hold, Sunday was too cold and Friday was just right. Sunday was not cold, I guess, but cooler than normal and a little rainy. After lounging around in my workout clothes and cleaning I really did not want to get all dolled up for one errand. I threw on these leggings that are cool enough to wear out and about, a plain white T and my ol'reliable anorak jacket. The standout piece though is this bag I bought at the Irish Fair. My mom and dad went on Friday night too for some bands and mom did a little shopping. She bought this bag and I knew I wanted to snag one for myself. She bought this small one and at first, I thought I wanted a slightly bigger one. I need a small purse to stick in my bigger work bag. I often run errands after and to have to carry my enormous bag into Target is so frustrating. What I loved about these too is the gold symbol. They had a few symbols like a Claddagh, thistle (Scottish symbol), and the tree of life. I have always loved the Tree of Life and what it stands for. It also happened to be what my momma had, so basically I #bitchstolemylook from my mother. What can I say? I learned from the best.

Bag| The Celtic Bag Co

Jacket| Stitch Fix (similar / similar)

Leggings| Pink Blush

Shoes| Target (similar / similar)

Tee| Target 

Happy Friday party people! I cannot tell you how excited I am for this weekend. First, it has been kind of a long and busy week so I am ready for some time off. Second, it is the St. Paul Irish Fair and I am taking Reese for her first of many years to go. Weather should be good so I look forward to that and then a relaxing Sunday. What are you up to this weekend?

I had a busy week, like I said, maybe not interesting but busy. Here are some of the highlights.

1.DUSTY SHADOWS

I posted about this on Monday, but I am looooooving this palette right now. I think when we get more deep into the fall I will like it even more, but right now I am rocking the pinks. It is a smaller palette which is both functional or my overflowing vanity and ensures I don't waste so many shadows. We all do that, right?

2. BABY UPDATE

This week we broke out the high chair. She will be 6 months at the end of this month and we have to get her used to the high chair so we can start on a few solids in a couple of weeks. She really liked it surprisingly. She used her tray as a play table banging her rattles. I think she liked that she was up with us at the counter when we were eating dinner. So success!

3. GET ORGANIZED

A friend of mine recently started at my work and she is getting all excited about decorating her office. I realized I haven't done much and it's the beginning of my third year there. I decided it was time to clean house. Target has some great desk organization stuff from Nate Berkus, Threshold, and Bluesky. I picked up a few new items and got rid of some old stuff that had just been laying around cluttering up the joint. Feels good. 

5. GET EMBROIDERED

Ok so I have a bit of an obsession with embroidery. Sue me! I just love this trend and I am not sure when I will stop loving it. I love it on shirts, I love it on jeans and I love it on accessories. Bring.it.on. 

This continues with this top from Alice + Wonder. I am not usually this boho in style but the bright red and embroidery totally sold me. I am also trying not to buy anything too summery so I can wear it into fall and the sleeves help in this capacity. It is such an easy and comfortable fit. It is a little blousy on the end so the half tuck look help create some shape for me and gives that "I'm so cool I don't have to tuck my shirt in all the way" vibe ;) You could wear this a bunch of different ways, but for summer I paired them with my Lila Ryan fringed hem jeans from my last Stitch Fix. I think the fringe has a similar ease that pairs well with the top. Top it off with my go-to block heels and the JORD watch (see giveaway above) and I am ready for the last of summer nights!

So raise your hand if you have an item you wear too much?

::raises both hands:

Super guilty of this over here. The other week I finally got these pants I bought from the Nordstrom anniversary sale and they have been on major repeat including my post just from Friday here. Last week I went a little more trendy, but this week I wanted to try a different look. This sweater has been in my closet for a while. Now it's a little short, so always somewhat of a challenge to style, but I love it. I thought it would pair well with these pants as they are high waisted and I was right. These pants add a little edge to this J.Crew top but I tipped the scales more preppy with these shoes. This is another case of 'I got these in pregnancy and forgot about them' items. I got these for Christmas when I was super pregnant and they have buckles. That was never going to happen, but now they blend this look together perfectly. I am excited to continue to find ways to make these jeans work. When I find more, I'll let you know :)