Five for Friday: Summertime Halle

Good Morning! I am so happy to finally have some free time to link up with Doodle Bugs. I love this linky, but I was D-R-A-G-G-I-N-G those last few weeks of school and couldn’t muster the energy to link up.  Well Summertime Halle is here and in full effect!!  

Summertime Halle loves linkies!



Boy, my first full week of summer has been hard.



1} I hung out by my dad’s pool and tried to tan these pasty legs of mine. 





2} I took this girl to get a hair cut. Whoa, was she lookin’ scruffy or what? Do you have a dog that gets really scruffy then really, really small after he/she gets their haircut? I honestly feel like I own two different dogs: Scruffy Georgie is pretty lazy {she has a lot of fur to carry around} and so super adorable!  Tiny Georgie {or Georgie II as we refer to her} has a lot more spunk, but I carry her around a lot more because I feel like she’s a delicate little baby.  In between Georgie gets the best of both worlds!  That lucky girl!



Due to the outrageous humidity, I perfected my sock bun.  Read about how I do it here, then link up!



I actually stepped away from the pool and bobby pins long enough to upload this fun activity to TpT! Check it out here.



I let all my Facebook followers know how much they mean to me by starting my “Summer of Fun” on Facebook.  If you haven’t “liked” me yet {and why haven’t you ;)}, you’ve missed out on one flash sale and a giveaway, but there’s still time to get my “Facebook Fan Freebie”!!!!

“Like” me on Facebook here.  I also talk about it on Instagram.  Does that make me narcissistic? I sure hope not!  Follow me on Instagram too {halleacrossthehall}.

And those are my 5 random things from this week!  Don’t forget to link up with Doodle Bugs.  Then if you’d like, come link up with me for my Favorite Things Linky :)

~Halle

Favorite Things Linky: Beauty Basics

It’s Thursday and you know what that means! I’m here with my favorite things and waiting for you to join me :)

This week’s topic is “Beauty Basics”.  Now, I’m a bit of an oxymoron when it comes to beauty.  I’m 30 years old and I still feel like I can’t apply make-up correctly or fix my hair up right, BUT I’m a little bit of a snob when it comes to buying make-up.  I love going into Sephora and Ulta and wandering around, and I am on the hunt for the perfect summer red/pink/orange for my lips.

I’m hoping to find some new beauty favorites with your link-ups, especially for my super-thick, frizzy in the summer, hair!

My Beauty Favorites:

Let's start with my mug:


About a year ago my mom took me to Nordstrom’s for my birthday to finally get me some big girl make-up.  I have so many friends who are addicted to MAC, so we headed straight to that counter.  Although I have sausage fingers, short legs and frizzy hair, I’ve been blessed in the skin department.  I can literally count on one hand the amount of pimples I’ve had in my life. I am extremely blessed that way.  Because of that, my new make-up consultant suggested a combo of a primer and tinted moisturizer because they would do the trick on my skin.  She brought over these two Smashbox ones and I was hooked.  Primer changed my life!! Your make-up stays on so much longer!! Now this make-up isn’t cheap, but I usually wait until I have a 20% off coupon at Ulta and stock up then!



My make-up snobbery continues in the “eye area”.  I’ve had my Naked Palette for 7 months and it’s still going strong.  This is probably because I rarely, rarely wear eye-shadow, but still, I ‘m in love with this rectangular case.  I also like Urban Decay’s mascara, Big Fatty, probably mostly because of it’s name ;)



When it comes to my lips, I’m not too picky.  I usually have about 6 lip glosses in my purse at any given time and most are Bonne Bell. 

Now, onto my hair:



I have to have leave-in conditioner otherwise I would probably break my comb in my hair. It’s just that tangly.  I’m not partial to any brand because I haven’t found one that seems to work better than any others.



I need to apply heat to my hair in one manner or another for taming purposes.  I usually straighten it to about my ears to get the kinks out, then curl the bottom.  I use Hot Tools curling irons, but I’m wondering if there is another brand out there that gets hotter…if so point me in the right direction, please!



Put me down as one of those people that hope sock buns stay in style forever.  In the summer, they’re my best friend.  I’m actually getting pretty good at them {especially for someone who is “hair styling challenged”}.

Exhibit A:



And last, but not least...

When I’m feeling adventurous, or when I have to actually make myself look really nice, I love a good You Tube tutorial.  My hair and make-up rarely turns out the same as the friendly demonstrator, but it usually looks a lot better than when I’m left to my own devices!

And there you have it, Halle’s Guide to Beauty!

What are your Beauty Faves? Link up!

Next week’s topic is “A Festive 4th”…link up with your BBQ favorites!

Thanks for playing along!

Halle

Up and At ‘Em {plus giveaway news!}

Good Morning!

Today’s post goes down in history. It is the first time I have blogged besides my “Favorite Things” Linky in foreverrrrrrr. So sorry about that!

I recently added this little gem to my TpT shop:



I became pretty obsessed with “Read the Room” activities this past year.  Except in 2nd Grade, my guys and gals have a little more freedom…they read the room and the hallway. We're super adventerous like that!

I came up with calling these activities “Walk Abouts” in my room and it stuck!  My kids are always all, “Can we make this a walk-about activity, pleeeeeeease.”

Usually I say, “Yes!  That was the plan”.  I love to get them up and moving. And the sneaky side of me loves that I’m making them do all the same work they’d normally do at their seats, only disguised as fun. 

I’m going to get them moving right off the bat this year with my “Back to School Walk-About: R/LA Edition”.  It’s 4 activities in 1, so I can spread out the skills as we progress throughout the year. Or I can differentiate based on the range of needs of my little ones. I haven’t decided yet. I still have about 2 1/2 months before any hard core decision making needs to take place!



The skills covered in the Walk About include: Name the Picture, ABC Order, Categories, and Plural vs. Singular Nouns.  The Name the Picture activity was added at a suggestion of a blogging buddy who teaches Kindergarten…a fun activity my 2nd grade brain doesn’t even think about.  All in all, this unit is great for grades K-3.  Since it’s “school themed” {as opposed to holiday themed} you can use it all year, as the skills of your guys and gals progress.

You can win this “Walk About” by heading over to my Facebook page and entering there.  Of course if you’re impatient, you can grab it from TpT by clicking here.

And that reminds me, I’ll be doing Flash Sales, Giveaways, and Freebies all summer long via Facebook, so make sure to click the button below and “like” me!

{Click the picture to head on over and click like!}

Have a great day!

Halle Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Favorite Things Linky: Gettin’ Fit

Happy Thursday!

I am officially on Summer Break!  Can you believe with the exception of this linky I haven’t so much as looked at my blog, or anyone else's, for about a month?  I was just so tired and busy the last month or so of the school-year I couldn’t even muster up the energy to turn my laptop on.  Suffice to say, I have some major catching up to do over the next few days!

This week’s Favorite Things topic is Gettin’ Fit.

Now I must admit, I am not the most fit person there is {not even close}!!  I would say I am a “moderate exerciser”, but that there’s definitely room for improvement when it comes to getting my fit on.  I am so anxious to read your posts on this topic to get me inspired and excited about getting in shape!

Without further ado, here is Halle’s guide to being moderately fit:


Yoga, Zumba, and Hiking are the 3 main ways I get exercise in {if you don’t count brisk walks with Georgie}.  I love yoga because I feel the effects immediately.  I have less neck pain and it definitely helps with stress management.  I’m not getting my sweat on, but the overall effect of yoga is awesome for me.

Now, if I want to get my sweat on, Zumba is the place for me.  I love it because it goes by really fast, and I’m drenched in sweat almost the whole time.  I used to take classes regularly, now I just take them here and there. I need to get back into it!

I love to hike.  We go to Asheville, North Carolina every summer and hike the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Definitely a work out, but the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.  Plus, I love the feeling of accomplishment you get when you reach the top of the mountain.  Hiking in New Jersey is a little less strenuous and a little less breathtaking, but still something I love to do.




Obviously water.  If I get overheated I get a nasty headache.  Water definitely keeps those headaches at bay.




Anything cropped really…yoga capris or shorts.  I can’t stand long toga pants for exercising, even in the dead of winter!



Music is a must for me for almost everything, and working out is no exception.  Gotta stay motivated!

And there you have my “Getting’ Fit” Favorites!

~Halle

What are your “Getting’ Fit Favorites?”

Link Up Below…Just Be Sure to…
1} Use the pink linky button above
2} Link back here with your specific blog post {not your general blog URL}
3} Come back and find a few new, or favorite blogs, and stop by and see their favorite things and leave a sweet comment or two!  Everyone loves a comment! {Me too…hint, hint}

Check out the schedule below for upcoming “Favorite Topics”:

I’m {Blog} Lovin’ It

Hi Friends!

Happy Wednesday :)

I just wanted to pop in really quick and let you know that if you use Google Reader to follow blogs you need to make a switch to a different reader, as Google Reader will be “no more” come July 1st. I don’t want you to miss out on any giveaways, freebies, or important news, so I’m here to help you learn how to stay up to date!

{Please know that if you don’t currently use a reader to read your blog {like me, gasp!}, all of this won’t effect you}

So many bloggers have really great tutorials on how to set up an account on Blog Lovin’ and import all of the blogs you currently follow through Google Reader, so I’m gonna spare you the details and send you over to Melissa at Common Core and So Much More…she has a wonderful tutorial {with pictures}on how to set up an account. It’s easy! Click her button to head over.

And don’t forget, my “Favorite Things” Linky starts tomorrow.  This week’s topic is “Getting’ Fit”. Get your posts ready… I can’t wait to see what you all link up with!

Have a great night!

Halle

Favorite Things Linky: Beach {or Pool} Day!

I was so excited and giddy over how many of you linked up for the first week of my “favorite things” linky!!!!  I enjoyed hopping from blog to blog to read everyone’s “Morning Must-Haves”. I definitely found a few new favorites of my own!

One very important thing I figured out: I am not alone in my “snoozing struggles”…a lot of you are Snoozers! Snoozers Unite!

I hope you’ll link up with me again {or for the first time} with your Beach {or Pool} Day Favorites.  I’m a  Jersey Shore Girl so I love me some time at the beach.  Lucky for me it’s only about an hour away.  Even luckier for me is that my dad’s pool is only about 25 minutes away, so I get the best of both worlds all summer long!

Whether I’m at the pool or the beach I need a good sunscreen.

I recently read about this sunscreen and decided to give it a shot. LOVE!  Honestly, until a few years ago, I had no idea there was such a thing as sunscreen that didn’t make me feel like a glazed donut, and this stuff definitely does not.

I have quite a few beach bags, but my favorite is one that looks a lot like this that I got at B&N last summer.  In fact, you can get this bag at B&N right now! It’s only $9.95 if you buy four or more books.  Love it!

Speaking of B&N, a good book is a MUST whether I’m poolside or lounging on the beach.  I tend to read a lot of easy reads {read: James Patterson thrillers} in the summer, but also take advantage of the lazy summer days to read through some meatier ones. {Lovely Bones is one of my Top 5 of all time, btw}.  I’d love to hear any recommendations you have for me to read this summer!


If I’m at the beach, I need a chair.  I’m not a lay on the towel kind of girl, and I don’t have to chase after any kids {yet}!  My chair is just like this one, with a head rest and cup holder.  Deluxe Baby!  My chair is planted in the sun half the time and under a huge beach umbrella whenever I get too hot!

If I’m in the pool, I love a good float after I’m done swimming around and challenging my sister in underwater hand-stand contests.

My husband’s family has a shore house in Long Beach Island, so that’s where I spend most of my summer.  I do get away to Ocean City one week a year though with my friends.  I love Ocean City because it has a boardwalk.  I love boardwalks because they have delicious food.  My favorite thing to eat on the boardwalk is Mack and Manco’s Pizza.  It’s an Ocean City staple.  It’s actually called Manco & Manco’s now, but I’m going old school.  Their pizza is thin and always made some really cute guys {not as cute as the Mr., of course}! If you go, sit at the counter for the full experience.

Have to  have my iPhone to listen to music and stalk Instagram and Facebook of course. No games! I refuse to download Candy Crush!

Last, but certainly not least…a margarita, with salt, on the rocks, please.
It looks like I have a lot of beach favorites…must be because I LOVE THE WATER, SUN, AND SUMMER!

I can’t wait to see what favorites you share…I know I’m bound to find a few new beach must-haves!

Link Up Below…Just Be Sure to…
1} Use the pink linky button above
2} Link back here with your specific blog post {not your general blog URL}
3} Come back and find a few new, or favorite blogs, and stop by and see their favorite things and leave a sweet comment or two!  Everyone loves a comment! {Me too…hint, hint}

Check out the schedule below for upcoming “Favorite Topics”


Thanks for playing along!

~Halle

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things: Morning Must-Haves

Well, hi!

I am so excited to kick off my Summer Linky: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.  

Although, just so you know, I’m still in school! I have another week and a half to go until I’m sleepin’ in and layin’ out :)



The first Favorite Things topic is “Morning Must-Haves”.  I have quite a few things that help my mornings go smoothly, so without further ado…

The first thing I reach for in the morning are my face wipes.  I wash my face every night before bed, but I feel like there’s always a trace of mascara or bronzer left over.  Plus, these are sooo easy and they make me feel fresh and clean. {So fresh and so clean, clean ;)}

I used to watch the news while I got ready, and I watch the Today show all summer long, but during the school year I get ready to music instead.  I pop my iPhone in the dock and go about getting ready.  Music always puts me in a better mood, and it’s much less distracting {and depressing} than local news.

It doesn’t have to come from Starbucks, but I love me an iced latte or caramel macchiato.  I NEED caffeine in the morning.  I’m sure it’s mostly mental, but caffeine is a must-have or my day just.isn’t.right!

I’m a faithful listener of the Preston & Steve Show on WMMR.  I literally laugh out loud on my way to work every morning. Belly laughs and an iced caramel macchiato…is there a better way to start out a morning? I don’t think so!

or

Once I get to school I have to eat and I’m all about convenience.  I pretty much alternate between Jimmy Dean turkey sausage sandwiches and Quaker Real Medley’s in Apple Walnut.

So there you have it! My morning must-haves “school-year edition”.  I hope that maybe you found a few new favorite things to try.

I can’t wait to read about your “Morning Must-Haves”. 

Link up below!

Please be sure to…
1} Use the pink linky button above
2} Link back here with your specific blog post {not your general blog URL}
3} Come back and find a few new, or favorite blogs, and stop by and see their favorite things and leave a sweet comment or two!  Everyone loves a comment! {Me too…hint, hint}

And a reminder…next Thursday’s topic is “Beach {or Pool Day}”!!!

Thanks so much for playing along!

~Halle

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Currently: June

It’s about that time!

Short and Sweet this time around!

Make sure you link up with Farley!

And don’t forget…my “Favorite Things” Linky starts THIS Thursday! I so hope you’ll link up!
Grab the button while you’re here by right clicking it and saving it to your computer.





See you there!

~Halle