November is OVER. Christmas season is 100% here! I am so excited to get my Christmas tree, decorate cookies, listen to holiday music, and just be surrounded by people I love. November was a wild month that happened in the blink of an eye. Here are my five favorite things from November!

Best Beauty Product:
Bioclarity is a face treatment I have been using the past couple weeks that cleanses, treats, and restores the skin. The products use chlorophyll to clean and rejuvenate the skin and it is a natural way to detox the skin. I noticed an immediate change within the first week and it keeps looking better and better. Be sure to return next week for my holiday gift guide that will have a 50% coupon code off Bioclarity!

I still can't believe my blog turned 4 years old!!!
I would like to congratulate the winner of the Starbucks gift card, Amber B.

Amber is a newlywed, soon to be mama to a sweet little boy, and a creative genius. Growing up I remember Amber always having perfect handwriting and the most creative art projects. Now she is implementing that creativity into her Etsy shop, AB Creative. She is currently running a Black Friday sale, offering 25% off purchases of $5 or more!

When I was in college I loved receiving care packages. Whether it was a card with a little extra cash from my parents, or homemade cookies overnighted from my bestie's mom, it always left me feeling extra special. While I am no longer far from home living in the dorms, I still love mystery packages arriving full of fun treats. Enter Dot Boxx.

Dot Boxx is a monthly care package for women of all ages. It includes beauty products, accessories, skin care products, feminine hygiene products, and all sorts of essentials for your time of the month! The type and amount of products vary dependent on what type of box you choose: Basic, Mini, I Want It All!, or Teen.



Dot Boxx also offers care packages for college students! All packages are themed with goodies to fit, including the Sickie Ickie Care Package, the Exam Cram Care Package, and the Happy Birthday! Care Package.

Their website is full of a magnitude of other objects that will make PERFECT stocking stuffers that are currently on sale. Some of these products include Kylie Jenner lip gloss, wine glasses, and scarves.

The best part? Dot Boxx is having a HUGE Black Friday SALE!
From 11/23-11/25 use the promo code HAPPY when you purchase a 3 month subscription and get the 3rd month FREE!

Black Friday has a reputation of being purely chaotic. Three years ago was the first (and probably last) year I have ever tackled it and ironically, there were ZERO crowds. I did not wait for parking for hours, I did not even wait in line when buying at the stores. That being said, I did not think there were any overly satisfying deals. I think it is a great day if you are making a big purchase or buying electronics, but for cosmetics, clothing, and smaller items, Black Friday makes no big difference.

If you are going to trek out shopping this weekend, here are a few tips:

1. Have a plan. Know what you are shopping for so that you do not overspend on unnecessary items or spend more time than needed at the mall.
2. Compare prices ahead of time. Many websites, such as Price Grabber and Shop Advisor, will tell you which store will have the best price for what you are looking for. This will cut out any pain of purchasing immediately at Nordstrom's, then finding the jeans $20 cheaper at Macy's.
3. Get a good night's rest. When you are sleep deprived you are likely to overeat and overspend. Being sure you got 6-8 hours of sleep (the tryptophan in the turkey should help!) could prevent you from binge eating Wetzel's Pretzels at the food court and buying the same sweater in eight different colors.
4. Read the fine print. A lot of stores will mark up the "original" price, to make the discount look greater than it really is. Be sure you know that you are really getting a discount before you purchase.
5. Do not limit yourself to Black Friday. Many stores seem to be doing "Black November" and bargains are already out. Cyber Monday is another great way to get fabulous deals without even having to leave your bed.

Next week this blog turns 4 years old! When I started this blog I was a month away from graduating college and completely lost. I had no clue what was to come after graduation and was scared. One of my roommates encouraged me to start writing about it, and Kick Back With Cate was born. I never dreamed it would turn into this. 4 years later this blog is my baby, my biggest passion, and my creative outlet. Thank you to everyone who has supported my blog along the way. I love you.

As a token of gratitude to my loyal readers, friends, and family over the past 4 years, I am hosting a $20 Starbucks gift card GIVEAWAY!

To Enter:
Click HERE.

There is a lot of new music out this month that I am loving. Between Taylor Swift's new album, Niall Horan's new album, and all the miscellaneous singles that dropped in the past couple weeks, I thought it would be appropriate to compile a list of the new music I am loving. Here are ten newly released songs that I can't get enough of lately.

Call It What You Want by Taylor Swift
I Hate Love Songs by Kelsea Ballerini
When the Wine Wears Off by Blake Shelton
Diane by Cam
Hold the Light by Dierks Bentley
Leave Me Wanting More by Chris Young
Seeing Blind by Niall Horan & Maren Morris
Hide the Wine by Carly Pearce
Eyes on You by Chase Rice
The Best Part of Me by Lee Brice

What songs are you loving lately?

Each month I receive a box of love and encouragement on my front porch. The theme of this month's Loved + Blessed Box is WAITING. It focuses on being patient and trusting that God has something good in store for you in the periods when he has you waiting.

Recently I learned about the benefits of hydrogen in skin products. Hydrogen can make the skin feel neutralized, hydrated, and youthful. The release of oxygen when using the products removes toxins, cleanses the skin, and tightens the pores.

Lisse is a skin company that uses hydrogen as the main ingredient in their skin care products to allow individuals a natural way to perfect their skin. They kindly sent me a moisturizing cream and a rejuvenating mask to sample the benefits of hydrogen on my sensitive, acne-prone skin and I was impressed!


The Real Hydrogen Yuza Snow Ice Cooling Cream resembles ice cream, but is healthy for the skin! It soothes and hydrates the skin, chalking it full of antioxidants and sebum control. One scoop on the skin and you will be filling soft and tight. It is made of natural ingredients including yuza extract, which tightens the pores and brightens the skin, and papaya extract, which removes dead skin cells.

The Real Hydrogen Rejuvenate Mask is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and moisturizing. It detoxes the skin and eliminates swelling. It is made from natural ingredients including scutellaria baicalensis extract, which is anti-inflammatory and anti allergenic, tea tree leaf extract, which is used to treat wounds, and yersba mate leaf extract, which speeds up the metabolism. This sheet mask has ear tags to help lift the skin and remove swelling and chin fat.

After using the cream and mask my skin felt more hydrated in an hour than it had in a year. My skin felt milky and vibrant for the next couple days following use. These are perfect to purchase with winter fast approaching. Skin will be dryer and needs extra TLC this season!

Today we salute those who have served our nation. Thank you to those who have put their lives on the line for the rest of us. I admire your bravery, hard work, and honor. Today I encourage you to sit down with a veteran, thank them, and get to know them and their story more. God bless.

October has come and gone and we are entering the holiday season. I am really excited for the holidays this year because I will have my own place to decorate and call my own. The most exciting thing to happen to me in October was signing a lease on a new place. I have always rented rooms from people, so this is a big step in my life. I can't wait to have a Christmas tree to decorate, be able to have friends over to bake gingerbread cookies, and to be able to binge watch Hallmark movies whenever I choose.

Here are 5 other things I loved in October:

1.) Dean Unglert's Halloween costume: Dean and his roommate Jackson dressed up as Arnold and Gerald from Hey Arnold. It was my favorite costume I saw this season.


What were your favorite things in October?