New Year's Resolution and #bestnine of 2015

New year, new blog goals! The second half of 2015 was a complete whirlwind for my family---Selling our house, being "homeless", building and moving into our new home, unpacking and decorating said new home---whew. I'm just glad I managed to clothe and feed my children in all that chaos. Can I get a holla from some peeps who lived through something similar!? My apologies for not posting the latter half of the year but some things had to be re-prioritized and this girl needed sleep more than she needed to share what was in her closet. However, so many of you sweet, sweet people gently commented here and there about missing my little piece of the internet called Tutor My Style. Soooo.... I resolve (I'm better at following through with resolutions than the average Joe so, have faith) to pick up posting on this blog and sharing little slices of my life with my small and lovely band of followers. In an attempt to recap 2015 and share with you a few things y'all missed due to my crazy circumstances, I am going to steal from the end of the year Instagram trend of #bestnine. If you haven't seen this or don't have Instagram, here's the skinny: A special site gathers together your best nine (most liked) photos of 2015 and puts them in an eye catchy 9 photo grid. Voila! I'm going to recap my 2015 in the same fashion and let you in on my #bestnine/favorites of 2015. I will share all nine here and then blog about three at a time over the next couple of posts. Then we can all start fresh with outfit of the days, pinterest projects, and favorite products here at Tutor My Style! C'mon!!

1. Maskcara foundation: 

I don't even know really where to begin about this foundation. I don't even like calling it foundation. It seems like it deserves more of a title. I've followed the lovely Maskcara and her amazing blog for YEARS. This past year she launched her new and improved foundation/contouring system and I am head over heels in love with it. I used to apply a liquid foundation and then add in contour, blush and highlight ON TOP. Maskcara has cleverly put together a system that eliminates steps in the process and provides a beautiful, flawless finish. The palette is magnetic so you only replace each color as needed. I highly recommend purchasing the brushes she sells as they do work perfectly with the texture of the cream products. These are my two favorite tutorials on how to use the stuff.....

Kate from The Small Things Blog has a great post and video about Maskcara foundation.

2. The Giving Key
Some of you may be in tune to the "word of the year" trend. You can go to THIS website and choose a word to inspire you and motivate you for this year (You can do it at Giving Key too!) Last year my word was RESTORE. I desired restoration in several relationships and this word kept me centered and focused on my goal. When I found  The Giving Tree through Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines (more on that later----trust me) and that they had an actual repurposed key with the word RESTORE stamped into it, I knew it would aid me in keeping restoration at the front of my mind and prayers. I wore my giving key necklace nearly everyday under or over whatever I was wearing. It was and is a constant reminder of my word and my goal. The Giving Tree company also does great, great deeds for those in need. My 2016 word----renew!

#3 Matty B Leggings
I love leggings, but I completely agree with this lady. #sorrynotsorry


Like I said, I enjoy leggings. A lot. They are comfy, stylish, and versatile. I do believe though, that you get what you pay for when it comes to leggings. Buying leggings at Target will most likely not end well for anyone. They tend to be thin and lose their stretch and slimming ability very quickly. Hence, why they cost $5. I've gone the opposite route and spent a pretty penny on leggings and enjoyed how the higher end ones feel like butter, yet still keep all my jiggly bits in their place. These were my favorite leggings by far until I stumbled upon a magical pair at COSTCO. Yes, you read that right. Costco. The brand is Matty B. Costco carried them in 5-6 colors for.....wait for it...... $14.99. I may have even snagged a few towards the end of their run for $10. Let me say I was shocked when these leggings showed amazing stretch and slimming properties. The slam dunk feature is the waistband height. They come up nice and high and tuck in my entire tummy area without letting any of it spill over the edges. Can I get an amen?! The waistband can twist on you a bit but its very easy to get back to its correct spot. Hey, to get high end leggings at a bargain price you might have to give a little!

Follow me to hear when #4-6 is on the blog!