Lynds in Real Life

A Lifestyle Blog

Fashion

DIY Fashion Tips for the Fashionista in All of Us

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Let me guess, you’re the sort of person who likes to look your best when out on the town, but you’re definitely not averse to some DIY tips in the home? It’s not surprising,.some of the life hacks and DIY fashion tips make so much sense, especially when you consider how effective they are and the savings you can make. Below are some of our favorites for a night out on the town!

Sparkle and Shine 

Do you have jewelry that’s somewhat worn and in need or refreshing? Sometimes, restoring your precious stones can be just as good as buying an entirely new set of bracelets and necklaces – it’s how it makes you feel as well as how it looks. 

With this ammonia recipe you can bring old jewelry up like new again. It’s very simple. You mix together some ammonia with washing up liquid and warm water. Put your stones in for just ten minutes and they will come up like new. 

Wrinkle Release

Picture the scene. You had decided to stay in for the evening, drink some glasses of wine, watch a movie with your cat. Then you get a phone call from a friend and things change. You consider swapping the wine for prosecco and putting on the favorite dress. 

But when you fish it out it’s wrinkled. This garment is the perfect thing to wear for the evening but there’s no way to wash it and iron it in time. Fortunately you can wear it with this quick tip. Run the hot water in your shower and close the door. Hang the garment in the shower room and let the steam get to work. 

Breaking in 

With your best friend’s wedding in only a few days you curse yourself that you didn’t try on your outfit sooner. You’re in the middle of a how to make a fresh flower crown video when you consider how long you’ll be standing around for, suddenly you remember those shoes being somewhat tight.

If there’s no time to buy a new pair or break them in, consider this quick fix DIY fashion solution. Fill a plastic bag with water and place it into the tow of the shoe. Put the shoe in the freezer for 24 hours. This will gently expand the shoe for a more comfortable fit. 

A Quick Hem 

On a night out what do you have in your purse? Lipstick, a phone, double sided tape, some perfume … wait! Did you say double sided tape? That’s right, if you’re smart and care about your fashionable image you’ll take some with you wherever you go. 

So what does it do and why is it so useful? Let’s say you’re wearing a garment with a hem, it might be a skirt or a pair of trousers. If the hem comes loose your garment will likely start dragging on the floor. It will become dirty or irreparable damaged – but not if you have double-sided tape. 

The Bedtime Trick 

Your night was a blast but now it’s over. You get back to your home weary and a little drunk. You don’t want to wake up with runny makeup on so what’s the best thing to do? Dab some cotton swabs in olive oil and wipe off the make up. It will take it off easily and rehydrate your skin simultaneously. Time for some ZzZzZzs. 

Thank you for reading!

Beauty Fashion

The Surefire Way To Make Your Legs Rock In Any Outfit

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Pixabay – CC0 License

With spring just a few weeks away, the time will soon arrive for you to get your legs out. Before you know it, you’ll be wearing skirts, dresses, shorts and open-toed shoes. 

Many of you worry, though, about how your legs look. Winter is great because you can cover yourself up with trousers and nobody will say a thing. Come the warmer weather, however, and all of a sudden, the pressure is on to get them out. 

Are you worried about how your legs look? Please take a look at these fashion tips to give them an instant lift!

Use Heels For Extra Height

Pixabay – CC0 License

One of the best ways to make legs look better is to give them a little extra height. When you wear heels, you automatically elongate the legs, creating a more flattering figure. You can either use traditional heels or, for a more comfortable experience, wedges instead. These shoe options create an optical illusion that makes your legs look longer and more slender. 

Exfoliate Your Legs Once Per Week

Have you ever wondered how celebrities always seem to have shimmering, glossy legs? Mostly, it comes down to their exfoliation routine. 

Pimples and blemishes aren’t limited to your face and neck. They affect your legs too. And when they do, they can create discoloration and even dryness. 

The best defense is exfoliation once per week. This practice helps to unblock pores and keep everything fresh and clean. Plus, when you exfoliate, you encourage younger, healthier skin to come through. 

Pull Your Socks Up

If you take a look at any retailer, like Vim & Vigr, you’ll immediately notice something: they always market their socks pulled up. The reason they do this has to do with the way it flatters the legs. Pulling your socks a third of the way up your legs immediately achieves the “golden ratio.” The sock is in a ratio of 1:1.6 with the rest of your leg, creating a more beautiful appearance. 

Plus, besides the mathematics of aesthetics, you can buy socks these days that look fab – instantly enhancing your figure. 

Don’t Wear Ankle Straps With Wide Calves

If you have wide calves, try to avoid wearing ankle straps. While straps are currently in fashion, they have an annoying habit of enhancing the width of your lower legs – and that might not be something you want!

Skip the straps and wear traditional pumps, heels, or sandals instead. If you’re in the mood for spending money on your feet, go for a pedicure – it’ll enhance your look AND make you feel great. 

Opt For High-Waist Shorts

If you’re in the mood for shorts but don’t want to bare it all, then choose shorts with a high waist that fit around your middle. These garments have the effect of lengthening the legs and body, creating a more flattering appearance. 

Don’t choose shorts with narrow cut holes just because that’s what your friends wear. Make sure that they’re wide enough to show off your legs in style. 

Thank you for reading!

This post was a collaboration.

Fashion

Where Entertainment Influences Fashion

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Many of us spend a lot of time keeping up with modern entertainment, films, and TV shows that we love. Quite often, there will be a celebrity or TV character who sets the trend in the fashion world. The obvious Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Featured heavily with the rich and famous, and we would all love to be able to keep up with the style icons. But how do celebrities and entertainers, and even pop stars influence fashion? And what can we learn from the efforts they make?

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Unusual choices

Many a-listers turn up on a red carpet with fabulous and unusual outfits, which are accessorized to the max, we all love to look at these and try and emulate their style. Many companies look at these choices and pick up the style to replicate for the general public. Very occasionally, a celebrity will pick something off the high street, and this helps to keep the trends Accessible for everyone. But it’s really the catwalk styles and the red carpet creations that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood museum that we love to look at and feel inspired by.

Amazing Creative

Celebrities generally have photoshoots set up on style sets and share phenomenal photography, that we can all admire. This really helps people enjoy fashion, and effort that goes into their style, there are also creations explicitly made for TV shows or films that become iconic and appreciated by people around the world. Slight influences on styles, and the trends that follow these styles

Social Media

Social media has become a style and fashion platform in its own right. Not only are movie stars and famous people sharing their clothing choices, but there are bloggers, bloggers, and influences regularly sharing the thoughts and opinions on the latest fashion. Many brands choose to work with influences, and celebrities pushy clothing with the world. Many influencers and famous people have a massive following on social media, which is highly valuable to these brands. For those of us who really enjoy following the famous and their lives on social media, there is no end to the content we get to see. It’s interesting to see how trends are changing over time, and there doesn’t seem to be one particular style that dominates for very long. Social media is taking over as the most lucrative way to share information and advertising. So it only makes sense for entertainers to share this type of content with the world, and enjoy seeing how the public follow! 

We are living in a time where the rules around fashion aren’t necessarily set in stone. It’s exciting since everyone gets to choose what they love and run with it. Of course, we are always going to see specific trends, and some of them even came from the past to reawaken, but having fun with fashion and style can be just the distraction we need from our busy lives. Entertainment in the form of programs, box sets and films are essential in our current culture! 

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Fashion Reviews

Wood Watches for The Modern Millennial + Giveaway

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There are two things that are very important to me: being on time, and looking good while doing it!

Between my various jobs, my days are busy. Basically nonstop. I have specific times I need to be here and there and everywhere, plus deadlines to meet. I need a watch to get through my days. Sure, I have a cell phone that shows the time, but there is nothing quite like the look and feel of a watch on my wrist. The elegance and style, and the warm nostalgia I feel when reading an analog clock/watch; there’s nothing quite like it.

 

 

Disclosure: I received a watch as part of a collaboration/partnership with JORD Watches. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and words are my own.

JORD Watches (pronounced Yode) carefully create beautiful wood watches for the modern person. There are also watches made with other earthly materials to accommodate all styles (like mine, which you’ll see below)! JORD watches have functionality and beauty, with a touch of sustainability.

 

 

 Browsing through the user-friendly website, the watch that spoke to me was the Sier Arcadia; though honestly, it was REALLY hard to choose! Created with real, rough cut white marble (hand polished to a stunning luster) and rose gold, the Sier Arcadia is classic minimalism at its finest. I am all about clean lines and simple styles, and I knew this watch would pair perfectly with any outfit.

 

 

 The watch arrived in the most beautiful packaging:

 

 

I’ve owned watches before, but nothing quite like this. You can see and feel the quality of the Sier Arcadia. It has weight, but not too much. The white leather band is thick enough to not break apart, but thin enough to not feel bulky. The rose gold metal mesh band is comfortable, sleek, and doesn’t fade like other mesh bands I’ve had. The bands are easily interchangeable, which I really like!

One thing I surprisingly enjoy is that the watch face doesn’t have any numbers or marks. Without the numbers, it’s especially sleek and minimalist. Clutter is stressful, and there’s no clutter in this watch! I also like being able to tell the time without the numbers. It reminds me of my childhood (you know, the 90s, before electronic technology ruled the world).

 

 

It’s really lovely and convenient to have such a unique watch that matches everything! I can go from work to dinner, or a light workout to brunch, and never have to worry if my accessories match my outfit. And with this watch, I’ll always be on time (which is an issue for me). 😉

 

 

It’s funny (& maybe weird?): when I wear my JORD watch, I feel fancier. I feel confident and pretty, and like I know a thing or two about accessorizing. My watch makes it SO EASY to make any outfit look great. I even stopped wearing my fitness tracker so I can wear this!

I’m so happy to have incorporated this beautiful watch into my lifestyle; thank you JORD for my gorgeous watch!

 

 

GIVEAWAY

To win $100 off a JORD watch of your own, enter my giveaway here! Everyone who enters will receive 10% off just for trying!

 

Check out JORD Watches on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

Wooden Wrist Watch

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Ambassador Fashion Fitness Reviews

Live The Luxx Life With Live Well 360 + Discount

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I have a confession to make.

I am obsessed with bags. Totes, clutches, shoulder purses, messenger bags, gym bags.. even the reusable bags from the grocery store. You should see my closet. I love it (boyfriend hates it)!

So when Fit Approach offered me the opportunity (as a #sweatpink ambassador) to use and review a Live Well 360 fitness bag, I said yes as quickly as I could! Seriously, I had poor internet at the time, but I was determined to hit reply.  Disclosure: **I received a Luxx bag from Live Well 360 at no cost to review on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.**

Live Well 360 Active Bag Luxx 4

Live Well 360 is a Santa Monica-based company that has reinvented fitness bags.

“Getting yourself to the gym is complicated enough. You want a quality fitness bag that knows what you need before you do and will stand up to your active lifestyle. Live Well 360 bags simplify your routine and your life” (website).

They currently offer four different bags:

I have the Luxx bag, so that’s the one I am going to focus on in this post.

Live Well 360 Active Bag Luxx 2

I am IN LOVE with my Luxx bag!! It comes in black, grey, or purple (I have grey). It has 11 compartments, which includes a fleece-lined pocket for your phone and keys, mesh compartment for your shoes, and a padded compartment for your laptop. Along with that, it has a mesh holder for your water bottle and straps on the front for a yoga mat.

Live Well 360 Active Bag Yoga Mat  Live Well 360 Active Bag Luxx Yoga

It doesn’t stop there. You can wear the Luxx as a short shoulder bag or a long shoulder bag (there is a removable long strap).  Plus, the inside is lined with inspirational words!

Live Well 360 Active Bag Luxx 5  Live Well 360 Active Bag Luxx 3

(Please disregard the excessive blurriness of this photo- I use my iPhone 4S!)

It wasn’t long before I took my bag everywhere with me. My first stop? The gym. I packed that baby with everything I could potentially use. There was A LOT in there, but it didn’t feel too heavy or uncomfortable!

Live Well 360 Active Bag Luxx   Live Well 360 Active Bag Reebok

This past weekend, my boyfriend (Tim) and I went hiking for our two year anniversary, and we took our puppy Archie. The hike through Eaton Canyon was going to be a little over 3 miles (we were also completing our #definebrave virtual 5k with Katie K Active), but we needed essentials for Tim, myself, and Archie. So we took the Luxx bag – packed with snacks, water, Archie’s food and potty bags, our phones, etc. – on our hike, and it was perfect!!

Live Well 360 Active Bag Hiking  Live Well 360 Active Bag Hiking Luxx

Again, it didn’t feel too heavy or uncomfortable. I was able to adjust the length of the strap, which was really helpful because Tim carried the bag a bit, too, and he is taller than me. It worked out great!

All in all, I am VERY satisfied with my Live Well 360 Luxx bag! It honestly exceeded my expectations. I didn’t realize how much easier certain aspects of my life would become with this bag.

Live Well 360 Active Bag Selfie

So here’s the deal:

Live Well 360 has partnered with Fit Approach (for this campaign) to offer a 15% discount on your purchase at livewell360.com! Whether you want something simple like the Tote, or something more “complex” like the Luxx, you’ll automatically get 15% off! You must go through this link to get the discount.

By the way, Archie says you should get a Live Well 360 fitness bag:

Live Well 360 Active Bag Dog

  • Do you have a Live Well 360 bag? If not, which one would you want the most?

  • What are your “must-haves” for a fitness bag? Comment below!

Want to keep up with Live Well 360 on social media? You can follow them on their website, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Thank you for checking out my blog! If you would like to follow my future posts, you can subscribe here:

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Fashion Fitness Reviews

Uberfit Fitness Apparel Review + Giveaway

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If you’re anything like me, you love fitness apparel possibly more than you love fitness itself. You want quality clothes that aren’t going to ride up or fall down. And possibly some inspirational phrases to keep you motivated!

So when I was contacted by Uberfit, I jumped at the opportunity!

Disclosure: I received a free tank top from Uberfit in the hopes that I would review it on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Uberfit is considered an expression apparel brand. They have tank tops, shorts, pants, compression socks, and more! Here are a few options you can find on their website:

uberfit fitness apparel

I love the colors! I was sent a tank top to try out. Here are some pictures:

uberfit fitness apparel selfie 2

There are a few things I really enjoyed about this tank:

  • It’s SUPER soft.
  • It’s very form-flattering.
  • I love the inspirational “u strong” phrase.
  • The black pattern.

uberfit fitness apparel selfie 3

I definitely recommend Uberfit apparel. It’s great for working out or lounging around; whichever you prefer!

 

GIVEAWAY!

Uberfit has graciously offered to give away a tank top to one lucky reader of The Balanced Brunette!

Details:

  1. You must be 18 years of age & live in the U.S.
  2. Uberfit will send the tank top directly to the winner.
  3. Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below!
  4. The winner will receive an email from me.
  5. The giveaway ends Wednesday, November 12, 2014.  Good luck!!

    6. a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Oh, and if you don’t want to wait for the giveaway, you can get 15% off your order by signing up for Uberfit’s mailing list (on their website)! 😉

     

    Check out Uberfit on their various social media channels to see what they’re up to (and their wonderful fitness clothes):

    Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to receive new posts straight to your inbox, subscribe here:

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    XO

    Lyndsay

    Twitter | Instagram

Fashion Fitness Reviews

8 Reasons Why Owl Be Sweatin Headbands Rock + Discount Code

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Disclosure: I received two free headbands from Owl Be Sweatin in the hopes that I would review them on my blog. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

It’s been hot and humid in SoCal, and let me tell you, my hair does not agree. It gets frizzy, my bangs get oily, and it’s way too hot to have my hair touching my neck. So I decided to try out Owl Be Sweatin headbands, and I am OBSESSED!! It’s so easy to get ready every morning now, because I leave my hair wet, put on a headband, and let it air dry. It saves me tons of time, plus my hair is totally thanking me for it!

Headband Owl Be Sweatin Blog 4These are my 3 Owl Be Sweatin headbands. The skinny chevron/gray, nautical by nature, and woven celtic knot. [I purchased the gray chevron on my own; the other two were sent to me for review].

To make this simple, I wanted to give you 10 reasons why Owl Be Sweatin headbands totally rock:

  1. They’re adjustable. This is surprisingly uncommon! We all have different shaped heads, so being able to adjust the headband is amazing. If I’m getting a headache, I’m able to loosen it. If my hair isn’t staying put, I can tighten it. Win win! (Image courtesy of Owl Be Sweatin’s website)Headband Owl Be Sweatin Blog
  2. There are tons of cute designs!! Seriously, check out their store and try to pick just one. You can’t! There are so many adorable, chic headbands.. and they’re all amazing.
  3. The headbands are great quality!  They use grosgrain fabric on the outside, silk screen printing, and velvet lining on the inside to help it stay in place. There’s also a woven option.
  4. Owl Be Sweatin is a family-owned business. It was founded by sister-in-laws K.C. and Mallory DeBra.
  5. You can get a custom design. There’s a minimum of 50 to get a custom design, but it includes free artwork upon request. So whether you have an organization or sports team, you can get the design you want!
  6. The prices are great! They’re anywhere from $12 to $16 USD. Plus, I have a discount code for you (scroll to the bottom)! 😉
  7. Owl Be Sweatin was founded and based out of my home state, Ohio! They’re in Cincinnati (South), and I’m from Cleveland (North).
  8. You can find them in various retailers, and if you own a shop, you can carry them as well!

Headband Owl Be Sweatin Blog 5 Headband Owl Be Sweatin Blog 3 Headband Owl Be Sweatin Blog 2

In order: woven celtic knot, nautical by nature, and skinny chevron/gray (I had a mini photo shoot in my bathroom haha good times).

Discount Code:

Mallory from Owl Be Sweatin has graciously offered my readers a 15% discount on any Owl Be Sweatin purchase through October 15th! Simply visit owlbesweatin.com, and enter coupon code TBB15 at checkout. Take advantage of this amazing offer before October 15th, and tag myself (@thebalancedbrunette) and @owlbesweatin on Instagram so we can see which headband(s) you chose!

You can follow Owl Be Sweatin on these platforms:

Headband Owl Be Sweatin Blog Cover

  •  Do you use headbands? For what purposes? What do you look for in a headband?
  • Have you tried Owl Be Sweatin headbands? If so, which ones do you have?

Thank you Owl Be Sweatin for the opportunity to review your amazing headbands!

XO, Lyndsay

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Fashion Fitness Nutrition SoCal

My New Favorite Store: Athleta at Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks

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I have never had the desire to buy high-end fitness apparel, and hadn’t even heard of brands like Athleta or Lululemon until I moved to Los Angeles. Where I grew up (just West of Cleveland, OH), that just wasn’t a thing. Then I moved to LA, and realized I am worth the more luxurious athletic wear! I heard of a brand new opening of Athleta at Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, and after seeing their super cute clothes online, I decided to check out the store in person.

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(Source)

I AM IN LOVE!!!

I was greeted by two of the most wonderful women, Tatiana and Kara. They were both energetic, positive, beautiful, and excited to help me find what I was looking for. Shortly after, I met the store manager, Samantha. She was wonderful, too! I was the only person in the store at the beginning, and I felt so special, because they really paid attention to me and what my needs/wants were. Various customers came and left while I was shopping, and I still received amazing customer service! That doesn’t seem to happen very often anywhere else.

My favorite fitness is yoga, but I don’t have a lot of great yoga clothes, and needed help picking out an outfit. Kara was AMAZING! She showed me her favorites, customer favorites, what would flatter me most, and so on. They even have super cute, quality swimwear! Kara set up a dressing room for me, and even put a few pieces in there that she thought I might like! I felt like royalty, as silly as that sounds. It feels good to be taken care of, even if it’s for a short period of time in a store!

When I was walking into Fashion Square to find Athleta, I actually saw a display of mannequins sporting Athleta wear. I realized as I was leaving that those were some of the pieces I had tried on!

Image  Image

I have a really hard time finding sports bras that fit well because I am pretty well-endowed (haha, but seriously). I tried on the exact sports bra in the picture above, and it fit me better than any other sports bra I’ve ever worn! I tried on the exact same shirt, too, and it was so incredibly comfortable! The shirt is more for sizes A-C cup though, so unfortunately it wouldn’t be able to hold me without wearing something else with it.

Another amazing thing about this specific location is that they host free workouts in the store! On Saturday mornings from 9-10 am, they have black dog yoga and/or pure barre. On Sunday mornings, they have zumba from 10-11 am! The schedule changes though, so you can check out May’s schedule here.

I was so pleased with my experience at this location, I even told my boyfriend I wanted to apply for a job there! The atmosphere was awesome, the store itself was super chic, and I could go on and on about the amazing clothes. I mean, what’s better than an outfit that you can wear to yoga or zumba, and then be able to wear out in public and still look amazing?!

By the way, this is me rocking my new Athleta Fast Track Half Zip:

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I also have the Revelation Capri and Breathe Tee.

I highly recommend checking out Athleta’s new location in Sherman Oaks! It’s only a 20 minute drive from Culver City. You’ll get more than a shopping trip, you’ll get a luxury experience, at least in my opinion! A store that looks great (modern, chic, clean), has a great staff (happy, positive, helpful, energetic), and a great product (the most comfortable/cute active wear ever) is a store that I will definitely be spending a lot of time at! And again, free workouts?! Done deal.

You can check out Athleta at Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks at this address:

14006 Riverside Dr. Suite 227
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818-285-0228

During these hours:

Mon: 10 am – 9 pm
Tue: 10 am – 9 pm
Wed: 10 am – 9 pm
Thu: 10 am – 9 pm
Fri: 10 am – 9 pm
Sat: 10 am – 9 pm
Sun: 11 am – 7 pm

Tell them Lyndsay from getfitwithlynds sent you! (If you want to, of course) 🙂

***I want to thank Samantha, Tatiana, and Kara for a wonderful experience, and for taking the time to help me find my worth through high-end active wear. THANK YOU! <3

Disclosure: I was invited by the general manager at Athleta Fashion Square to help promote this location by writing about it here on this blog. In exchange for writing this post, I received a $50 gift card toward Athleta active wear. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

 

Fashion

Mieroglyphs Inspirational Bracelets

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Mieroglyphs Inspirational Bracelets

I just loveeee these bracelets! I want every single one haha. They’re from a company called Mieroglyphs; The Mindset Brand.

Not only are they super cute, but you can customize them so that the inside says whatever you want! Perfect for gifts, or for yourself! A daily reminder- it’s what’s on the inside that counts. I’m excited to get the hot pink one- not sure what I want it to say yet though.. I really like “live life aggressively.” So perfect!

Check out their website & see the different bracelets they have (made of cork and woven threads). Use promo code: getfitwithlynds and get 10% off your purchase!! 🙂

You can find Mieroglyphs on Instagram and Twitter, as well!