Beauty Truth Tuesday

I feel like we can be so hard on ourselves sometimes, especially when it comes to our appearance.  As I get older, I am trying to become more comfortable in my skin.  

It’s incredibly hard.

If you haven't already figured this out, I love all things beauty, fashion, etc. – I’m a girly girl, after all – so a lot of what comes with that is having fun with make-up, testing new hair products, trying new fashion trends.  

But the fact remains that there are things about me that I just don’t like, have never liked, and probably never will like. 

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It’s funny, though, because I feel slightly MORE comfortable with my body since having my son, even though I know it’s changed it for the worse.  I try to think of all those changes as battle scars, in a sense, you know?  I think we all have our own “battle scars” that come from a multitude of things – genetics, health issues, operations… even stress.

I’ve read so many articles and watched so many programs where women talk about how, once they hit a certain age (usually around 40), they feel the best they ever have.  I think learning to accept ourselves for who we are is one of the biggest challenges in our lives, don’t you?  One blog I read not too long ago was about a mom who decided to wear a bikini on her vacation even though her body was much different than it had ever been.  To her, though, she figured that this is as good as it gets, so she may as well show it off now because it will only get worse.  That made me chuckle.  Probably because it's true!

Sometimes that means first acknowledging our personal battle scars, whether they be physical or emotional or both.  So today I’m going to share with you some of my "beauty battle scars."

• I have a birthmark smack dab in the middle of my back.  I tried to get it removed when I was in high school, but the removal process made it look ten times worse.  I’ve always been embarrassed by it, especially when I wear a dress or swimsuit, and one time at the beach, a woman asked me what happened to my back because, she said, it looked like someone burned a cigarette on it.  That made me feel GREAT, let me tell you.
• I am a super hairy person (thanks to my mom’s Italian family tree!).  I swear – I have the hair of a family of gorillas.  The hair removal process for me is long and exhausting.  Thank God for razors and tweezers.
• I was not blessed with beautiful olive skin, though, from my Italian ancestors.  Oh, no -  I have pasty, white, glow-in-the-dark skin.  Self-tanner is my BFF.
• I have man feet, so I keep my toenails painted year round in an attempt to make them look more feminine.
• I have lots of gray hair.  It started in college, increased when I was pregnant, and hasn’t stopped since.  Needless to say, I will be coloring my hair for a long time.
• I have horrible dark circles under my eyes.  I hate them, and even when I get a lot of sleep, they're still there.
• I have a short torso but super long arms and legs.  I'm very "Amazonian," if you will.  Tarzan-like.  Very disproportionate.

I could go on - believe me - but I'll spare you, because now that those are out there, I am going to take a deep breath and do my best to stop focusing so much on them.  I will continue my beauty routines for them, like my concealer, hair color, etc., but I am tired of focusing on them so much.

I need to remind myself that beauty is more than what's in the mirror.  We are more than what we look like.  We are more than we think we are.  So here are some new thoughts I'm adopting:

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Jumbars and Jumpsuits

We have been so, so busy in the last week or so.  I'm finally back to fill you in on what's been going on!

First and foremost, we are all happy and healthy - - I just needed to take a few days off while we were on vacation (and I didn't think posting that we were gone was a smart or safe idea!).

This past week, we went to Williamsburg, VA, to spend a few days at Busch Gardens and then we stopped in Annapolis, MD, for a night on our way home.  It was incredibly hot; in fact, one day it was 100 degrees when we were in the park, so we are thankful for the rain we had all weekend here at home.  I spent most of the weekend catching up on laundry, cleaning the house a bit, and cooking for one of my husband's old friends and his family who will be visiting us today.  Nothing too exciting, but I needed some "slowed down" time after a busy week.

Before we get to anything else, there is one thing I have to share.  This happened a few days ago:

In case you can't tell, IT'S NEGATIVE.  We had a bit of a scare before leaving on our trip.  Needless to say, I was freaking out... A LOT.  Oh, and when I was buying the pregnancy test, I ran into one of my former students in line.  Awesome.

I'll share more about my vacation later this week, but I thought today I should get back to a “Meal Monday” post – at least somewhat!  

There’s a great breakfast/lunch/brunch place not too far from where we live called “Jumbars.”  It’s super tiny and tucked away in a neighborhood.  In fact, if you didn’t know it was there, you’d probably never know about it!  (I love places like that.)

Inside, it’s like a little cozy coffee place you’d find in the New England states (or at least that’s what I imagine it as... especially considering I’ve never been in the New England states).  It’s a little escape for us, though, and the food is amazing.  They serve their food on colored Fiestaware and their tablecloths change with the seasons.  They have everything from scones to homemade biscuits to omelets to quiche to the fluffiest pancakes you’ve ever eaten.

I always, ALWAYS start with a cup of coffee there because

a) I love coffee,

b) their coffee is strong – just the way I like it – and

c) it's always hot.

(Tepid coffee is a deal-breaker for me.)  

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My go-to breakfast there is usually pancakes, even though I am not really a pancake person.  Theirs are so, so delicious.  It's like you're eating air... really good air.  But I took a risk and switched it up this last time and tried the “South of the Border” omelet.  Holy moly… it’s my new favorite.  It’s stuffed with organic salsa, guacamole, pepper jack cheese, and tortilla strips and is served with a side of homemade, home fried potatoes and toast.  I am obsessed with Mexican food and so this omelet was perfect for me.

(And, of course, I completely forgot to photograph our food before we dug in, so sorry about the half-eaten food pictures.  We were hungry.  But at least you can see our zest for eating!)

My husband always gets the same thing – the French toast.  They use French bread with lots of cinnamon, and their syrup is spot-on… not too thick, not too liquid-y, not too sweet… just right.  It's like the Goldilocks of syrup.

We had our son with us on this visit and he opted for the pancakes, which was fine by me since I didn’t get them and I knew he wouldn’t finish them all! 

We started by sharing a homemade, grilled banana bran muffin.  Yummy.

On a completely different note, the second topic I wanted to touch on today is jumpsuits.  I was on the hunt for one for the past few weeks since they’re popular this year.  I struggled to find one that fit well, didn’t have a baggy crotch area, was comfortable, was flattering, and was reasonably priced.  Well, those requirements are hard to meet all at the same time – let me tell you!

Here’s one I tried on several times at Target.  I kept trying it on every visit, thinking that eventually I’d just buy it.  But I didn’t.  There was just something not right about it.  It had even gone to clearance and was $14 at one point, but I still couldn’t pull the trigger.

I kept checking places for other options, but there was always at least one of my requirements not met… until I stumbled upon one at Marshall’s when I was there getting a gift.  (Why is it that every time I go somewhere for one thing I end up walking out with something else?)

It's a Calvin Klein jumpsuit that retails for $89.  I got it for about $20.  My husband thinks the print is entirely too loud, but that's how I roll.  Loud.  And I love it.  I wore it to a baptism recently with a bright coral and gold necklace, gold earrings, and gold sandals.  I was cool and comfortable.  My only complaint is when I had to go to the bathroom.  I had to basically strip down, which was a pain.

Oh, one more thing.  It was our anniversary this past Friday.  We've been married for seven years and have been together for a total of eleven.  We had just returned from vacation, so we were incredibly tired and worn down, but we decided to go out for a quick dinner together.  I wore a maxi from Old Navy with some new jewelry I scored on our trip, and - when my husband saw me dressed - he told me I looked mature.

WHAT?!?!?!?!

I promptly informed him that "mature" is much more of an insult than a compliment.  After all, I think of Helen Mirren and Judy Dench when I hear the word "mature."

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So then he tried to redeem himself by saying I looked distinguished.

WHAT, AGAIN?!?!?!?!

I'm sorry, am I Richard Gere in Pretty Woman?  

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I told him that his comments were despicable.  I mean, who says that?!  Needless to say, I was NOT happy.  I was going more for the trendy, edgy, fashionable look, after all.  How rude.

Okay - your turn.  I have a few questions as I leave you today:

1)  Do you eat breakfast and love it as much as I do?  What are your favorite breakfast foods?  
2)  What do you think of the jumpsuit trend?
3)  What do you think of my husband's "compliments"?

Be Back Monday, June 29

Won't be back until Monday, June 29.  Will explain why then!

Funny Friday - Chelsea & Kristin

Sorry for the late post today!  I am VERY behind!

Anyway, today's "Funny Friday" clip is of two of my favorite women -- Chelsea Handler and Kristin Chenoweth.  This is from 2012 when Kristin was a guest on "Chelsea Lately."  I know some people find Kristin annoying because of her voice, but I just love her.  I think she is absolutely adorable, and her talent is out of this world!  I actually recently read Kristin's autobiography, A Little Bit Wicked,  and it made me like her even more.

She's the cutest in this clip, too, and had me giggling the whole time!  Enjoy and have a great weekend!  (We're expecting more rain, but that's fine by me.  I love it!)

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Thankful Thursday - Quiet Time, Alone Time, Whatever You Call It...

The sun is barely up and I'm sitting in my living room looking out the window at the rain.  It's misty but steady.  I have my cup of coffee and "The Real Housewives of New York City" I TiVo'd earlier this week is playing on the TV.  It's early so my husband and son are still in bed.  This is my version of quiet time.

For those of you who don't get a lot of alone time, you know how precious it is when you do.  Whether you have long work hours or tons of commitments or multiple children - - whatever it is... we all have something...

I'm so thankful that I get these little pockets of time that are just mine.  It's rare and doesn't happen often, but - when they do - I'll take it.

I hope you get some quiet time in the near future.  And, if you don't, there's always this:

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Show Us Your Yard!

(Today's topic, "Show Us Your Yard," is part of a link-up on http://www.momfessionals.com/.)

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I love our yard.  And I say that because I really don't do much to take care of it.  My husband does!!  That makes me happy since I'm not really the "outdoorsy" type.  That's not to say I don't love nature - - I do - - but digging around in dirt, mowing the lawn, planting flowers... not my things (sunsets, sunrises, walks, etc. are what I enjoy).  However, I always think yards are important to keep nice and neat since it's the first thing people truly see when they see your house.  It's like dressing, in a sense.  Your appearance makes a first impression on others, so it's important to take care in what you wear and always, always accessorize!

My husband ALWAYS wanted a big yard, even before we were married.  We lived in a townhouse with no front yard and the smallest backyard ever.  So when we went house hunting, we purposely looked for houses that had some land accompanying them.  We always wanted to build, but building is expensive, obviously -- and so is land.  How can just a plot of land be so much money?  It's crazy.  Then, if you want flat land in a nice area, you're paying even more.  It's just nuts.

We've been in our house seven years now, so we've (well, he's) done a lot of work around here with the help of his dad.  I do help somewhat.  I'll mow the grass sometimes (though I'm usually only allowed to do the back because people can't see it from the road - haha), and I'll water the plants.  Oh, yeah, and I'll pick out the flowers and tell him where to put them.  That's the "accessorizer" in me.  Plus, I'm good at being in charge.  I'm the project manager, if you will.  I will, thankyouverymuch.

Before you see the pictures, allow me to apologize for the heavy fog in these.  I had good intentions of taking pictures bright and early this morning, but I didn't realize it would be so foggy.  Sorry about that!  I also realized, after uploading, that I couldn't make these pics any bigger for some reason today.  It's just a hot mess all around, people.

Okay - now, without further ado, here's our yard!

This is our front porch. 

We recently put out some hanging baskets and we have an American flag in the front corner.

 

Here's another pic looking out from our front porch.  I love this tree, but it's taken a beating over the past few years.  We think it's dying, but I don't want to lose it yet!!

This is the other side of our front yard.

(Our driveway goes down the middle of our yard.)

 

Here's the side part of the porch leading towards the backyard. 

I love sitting here during a thunderstorm and watching the lightening move across the sky.

 

Here's our pool in the backyard.  Please excuse the hanging life vest. 

It's smack dab in the middle of the picture!  Whoops.

And we have yet to put out any of our outside furniture aside from the rockers on the porch. 

We'll get there... eventually!

This is our tree line behind the pool.  See how foggy it was this morning?

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you have a good Tuesday!

Our Summer "Schedule" & Some Awesome Warehouse Finds!

So, I have two main topics today as you can probably tell from the post's title.  However, I first want to tell you that I use the term "schedule" very loosely - hence the quotation marks. 

Speaking of quotation marks, remember how Joey from Friends could never understand how to correctly use air quotes?  Here's a quick reminder.

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Sorry... I get easily distracted. 

Anyway, the reason I used quotation marks with the word "schedule" is because we don't really have much of one in the summer.  I've been reading on a lot of blogs some great ideas to create a summer schedule so as to not waste the days away and to stick to a routine - especially for the kiddos - but it's SO hard for us.  Every time I try to do this, it doesn't work.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm glad it works for some families, but we've learned that we are much more "go with the flow" summer people.  (Oh, no - now I feel like Joey with all these quotes.)

There are, though, certain things that we seem to do every day in the summer months.  For instance, we tend to wake up between 6 and 7am (thanks to our son), and some days he wants us to play with him IMMEDIATELY while other days he's content to play with his Lego table for a little.  Unless we have to go somewhere right away, I always, always have a cup of coffee from my five-year-old Keurig. 

I bought this sucker when I was on my maternity leave.  It's the single brewer (a.k.a. the cheapest Keurig), and it's still going strong.  My husband doesn't drink coffee, so it works perfectly for me.  And my son has learned to at least let me have some coffee before we start playing or else I'm no fun.  (It's true.)  But, of course, just like many of you moms out there, I never get to finish my whole cup of coffee at once.  In fact, there are some days when I feel like I heat it up about 4,573 times before I finish it.

Then we eat some breakfast and either play outside or meet up for a playdate in the mornings before it gets too hot.  Our afternoons are spent either in the pool, running errands, or relaxing inside depending on how busy our morning was.  We typically use our grill for dinner, so I'll often put aside time in the afternoon to do some dinner prep.  I also try to work in a little bit of cleaning and some kindergarten prep with our son with some great books I picked up not too long ago.

After dinner, our son gets a bath, a little more play time, and then begins the nightly routine.  He gets to watch a show (or two) while he has a snack and winds down for bed.  We read some stories and then it's bedtime.  My husband and I stay up for another hour or two for some "adult time."  (Here I go with the quotation marks again.)  That "adult time" is not what you think.  It's used for all the things we couldn't get done with a five-year-old running around, like paying bills, checking email, watching TV or reading - uninterrupted.  That's also the time when I'll do some blog work.

We will do day trips and little vacations, so our days aren't always like this, but typical days at home are.  Nothing overly exciting, but it works for us and we like it.

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Aside from talking about schedules, I also wanted to share with you some of my newest finds from this past weekend.  My new soccer mom friend invited me to this home décor warehouse sale.  I, of course, was happy to do any kind of shopping, so we decided to get there right when it opened on Friday.  We were ready to shop 'til we dropped, and we definitely did!

I had no idea what to expect, and she warned me that it would be a madhouse.  It was!  I would say it was 99% women and 1% men (who were basically just there carrying things for their wives).  The items for sale were overstocked items from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Target, Kohl's, etc.  There was everything from mirrors to cabinets to picture frames to clocks to wall décor... such great stuff!  My friend told me that if I found something I thought I liked to just grab it because it would be gone if I went back for it later.  So I put my big girl shoes on and had at it!

Before I knew it, I had a pile of stuff and really no idea how much I was spending.  I just figured that everything was marked down so much that it would all be worth it in the end.  And it was. 

Here's what I got.  (Oh, and please excuse the background in these pictures.  They were taken in my garage!)

 

Three mirrored 5x7" picture frames

 

A standing, floating frame

A big ol' clock

A mirrored wall hanging thingy

 

 A pretty 8x10" frame with a burlap mat

A windowpane-like floating frame

 

A really big mirror with cool metal corner decorations

 

Another big clock

 

And one more... (this one's a huge one for our family room!)

I paid a total of $50.  Is that crazy or what?!  My friend paid the same amount and got a whole bunch of really great stuff, too.  Talk about a shopper's high!  Even though it was crazy, I would totally go next time. 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you had a good weekend!  We had a busy (but good) one.  Happy Monday!

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Funny Friday - Celebrity Whispers

OMG... have you guys seen these skits Jimmy Fallon does on The Tonight Show called "Celebrity Whispers"?  He imagines what celebrities are saying to one another on the red carpet(s).  This cracked me up!

 

 

Hope you enjoyed!  Have a great weekend and see you back here on Monday.  I have fun stuff to share with you!

Thankful Thursday - Questions

My five-year-old son is full of questions.  ALWAYS.  So much so that sometimes it drives me insane.  (Okay, most of the time.)

Allow me to provide you with a snippet of our car ride conversation the other day:

D:  How many potholes are there?
Me:  I don't know.  This road has a bunch.
D:  But how many?  Like, a number?
Me:  Honey, I don't know.  Maybe 10?
D:  Why do we have roads?
Me:  To get places.
D:  Is there a baby in your belly?
Me:  Not that I know of.
D:  How do you know?
Me:  Um... well... because God didn't put one there.
D:  How did I come out of you?
Me:  What do you mean?
D:  Like, when you were in the hospital and I was born.  How did I get out of your belly?
Me:  Uh... the doctor helped you out.
D:  How?  Through your bellybutton?
Me:  Yup.  Through my bellybutton.
D:  Is this the McDonald's near our house?
Me:  No, we had to go a different way.
D:  Why?
Me:  Because there was construction on the road we usually take.
D:  Why do workers do construction?
Me:  To fix the roads.
D:  Why do they have to get fixed?
Me:  So that we don't have potholes.
D:  But there were potholes on that road near our house.  Why aren't those getting fixed?

And so on.  You get the idea. 

It's EXHAUSTING answering his questions.  I even stopped to get him frozen yogurt the other day so I could get a break on our drive home.

But guess what.  It didn't stop him. 

I was like, "Are you eating your frozen yogurt or talking?"
His response?  "I can do both."

Great.

But then I got to thinking (you know, I do that sometimes), and I realized that his curiosity is part of growing up.  He is in wonder of the world around him.  He loves learning.  He loves socializing.  And there are so many children who either do not have the ability to do this or who just can't for one reason or another. 

As I kept thinking about the positives to this "thing" that once annoyed me, I shifted from being annoyed to being grateful.  I love my son more than anything in the world and I would do anything for him.  I am thankful that his curiosity is so strong and that I get to be a part of him experiencing the world.  He is special, and so even on those days when I think I can't answer another question, I will remember this - - I am so lucky to have him.  I have so much to appreciate.

What are you thankful for today?

More Rain, Some New Finds, and a Few Old Favorites

After the rain ceased yesterday morning, the sun came out and it was the perfect day (though, for the record, I would have gladly taken a whole day of rain!).  However, right after we ate dinner, a thunderstorm started and it continued raining steadily until we went to bed.  I took these two pics from our front porch before it got too dark out. 



Isn't the rain pretty?  All I wanted to do was sit on a rocker on my porch and watch it, but we just got the rockers out and they are filthy and have to be wiped down and my son was yelling for me to come inside before I got struck by lightening and I still had to load the dishwasher and do the bedtime routine and take a shower and finish this post.  So life got in the way of my grandiose plans!  Oh, well.  I know I'll miss these crazy times one day!

 

HOWEVER... there is always time for ice cream.  If you've been reading my blog, you already know that my all-time favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry's "Phish Food."  I can't even describe how good it is in words because it turns X-rated, people.  Just trust me.  IT'S THAT GOOD.

 

But when I was at the grocery store the other day (racking up a huge bill, remember?), I figured I'd try one that seems to be new... at least new to me.  I don't ever remember seeing this one before: "Peanut Butter Fudge Core."  With that description, I mean, you just can't go wrong.  And if it IS wrong, I don't want to be right.

 

 

Holy moly is this delicious!  It's seriously right up there with Phish Food.  If you like peanut butter, RUN (don't walk) TO THE STORE.  It is sooooo good and this mamacita ate a big bowl of it.

 

Okay - shifting gears here...

 

After our playdate yesterday morning, I stopped at Old Navy to return a bunch of things.  I should have just walked up to the register and returned the bag of stuff without looking around.  But I had to pee because I had just downed a huge iced coffee, and - of course - the bathroom is all the way in the back of the store - so you know what happened.  I swear... I need blinders like horses wear.  I just can't help myself.

 

I picked up this great jacket (and it has a hood!) for my son.  It was on the clearance rack for $6.99, and then I had a coupon for an additional 25% off.  Done and done.   

 

I also got him a few pairs of shorts for around $5 each and found a black long sleeve v-neck for me for $3.99 (sorry, forgot pictures).  With my returns and my coupon, my final total came to 50 cents.  Yup.  How exciting is that?!?!

 

Keep reading because I have some beauty finds to share with you all today, too.  Some of the items are newer ones I've recently picked up, while others are some of my tried and true favorites.

 

This first item is new.  I didn't have much time at all, but I quickly ran into Bath and Body Works yesterday afternoon because it's their semi-annual sale and I LOVE their aromatherapy collection.  I was like a speed racer, though, and it was not enjoyable.  I seriously had like five minutes in there - if that - but I grabbed a few wallflower refills and this: "Tangelo Woods" aromatherapy lotion. 

I had never seen that one before, but I smelled a tester and liked it.  It was 50% off, making it around $6 and, for some reason, B&BW's aromatherapy scents seem to last on me.  This one is citrus-y and fresh.  There was another new scent next to this one - verbena vanilla or vanilla verbena or something, but I'm picky about my vanillas.  Someone once told me that she hates wearing any sort of lotion/perfume with any trace of vanilla scent because it reminds her of bathroom spray that you use after you poop.  So that ended that.  I joined her "I don't really wear vanilla" club.

Two of these next items are oldies but goodies, and one is new. 

I always have two tubes of this Neutrogena baby sunscreen on hand.  I keep one in my bathroom and one in my purse.  I put it on every morning and will touch up throughout the day if I'm outside for extended periods of time.  SPF is one of the most important things to include in your skincare regime to prevent signs of aging, after all! 

The Dove dry shampoo is a new product I picked up.  I was at the end of the can of Tresemme dry shampoo, and I had heard good things about the Dove one.  I've only used it a few days, but so far I really like it.  The scent is lighter than the Tresemme one, and it doesn't feel as heavy in my hair, either.

The e.l.f. eye primer is from Target and costs $1.  I have tried SO MANY different brands of eye primer because I have super oily eyelids and my eyeshadow would NEVER stay on.  I read on a blog (I can't remember which one) that this brand's primer is actually quite good and definitely does not break the bank, so I tried it one day. 

And I concur. 

I mean, the amount of product you get isn't as much as more expensive brands (like Urban Decay or Bare Escentuals), but you can buy a few of these for less than half of the price of a different brand!  I've been using this eye primer for several months and plan to continue.

Next up are two more eye products - and I can't live without them.  I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but I'm dramatic.  So there.

 

 

My undereye area gets incredibly dry, and Clinique's eye cream has been one of my favorites for at least ten years.  I can't be without it.  When I get close to the bottom of the jar, I start panicking because I CANNOT. BE. WITHOUT. THIS.

 

#canyousayhighmaintenance

 

It's not the most expensive eye cream on the market, but it's not as cheap as the drugstore brands.  For me, though, it all equals out because I use so many other cheap products.  This is probably my most expensive item of skincare aside from my philosophy purity made simple face wash.

 

The other item pictured is my undereye concealer.  It's by CoverGirl and is around five or six dollars.  I have a medium skintone and use the fair shade in this concealer.  I could use the light shade, but the fair really brightens up my undereye area. 

 

And bonus - it works SO well with the Clinique eye cream.  I put a light layer of the eye cream on and immediately rub some concealer over it.  They blend perfectly and make my dark undereye circles (thank you, genetics) much less noticeable and the whole area much more hydrated.

 

Alright, next...

 

In an effort to find a cheaper foundation, I've been sampling some less expensive options.  My favorite, favorite foundation is from a brand called Prescriptives.  It used to be available at Macy's and now is only available online.  The one I like by them ("Traceless") is $38, so it's not ridiculously expensive, but that 1 oz. goes fast... at least for me.

 

 

Recently, I've been using Oil of Olay's CC cream.  I like it, but it's a bit thick, so I mix it with moisturizer to blend it better.  Since I've been self-tanning my body, I'm using the medium to deep shade of this on my face because I don't self-tan my face.  I like that it includes SPF, too, and there's no funky smell.  I think it's a little less than $20 a tube, but I've been getting a ton of $5 off coupons for it and now won't buy it without one.

 

I had heard lots of good things about this e.l.f. BB cream from Target, so I grabbed a tube this past weekend on my Target haul.  I tried it yesterday and it, too, is a bit too thick for my liking, but - again - I'll mix it with some moisturizer.  For $6, it seems just as good (if not better) than the Oil of Olay one.  I'll keep you posted.

Okay -  I found this next item for $1 at Target in with the travel items.  It's Garnier Fructis' "Hydra Recharge" conditioner.  The ends of my hair have been so dry lately, so I thought I'd try this.  It smells really good and it was okay, but it didn't overly impress me.  In fact, it took a while to rinse out and I still wasn't sure I got it all.  I probably would say to skip this.

And, just for kicks, here are my son's current favs:

 

We are still missing Michaelangelo - the orange one.  Can't seem to find it anywhere.  Mikey must be popular. 

 

And since we're talking about favorites, here is one of my favorite things - - watching my son sleep.  He looks so sweet and peaceful. 

 

Take note of the Ninja Turtle pillowcase.  (I had to buy it for him.  I mean, I had a New Kids on the Block one when I was a kid, so it's only fair.)

 

Here's what's on my to-do list today:

 

Seriously, how did I let it get so bad?  Well, in fairness, we haven't been home much lately.  This is unacceptable, though!  Messes like this drive me crazy!  I'm off to get on it now.  Hope your Tuesday is more exciting than doing laundry!

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So, so true.

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend in Review - Hits & Misses

So, here we are - Monday. 

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I woke up super early this morning to rain, which I didn't expect.  I guess we were supposed to get it, but I hadn't heard the weather forecast. 

I love rain - - I just find it so relaxing.  (I want to live in the Pacific Northwest.  I really do.  Ah, one day.)  So here I am with my cup of coffee, watching QVC and watching the rain out the window before the rest of the family wakes up!  I love this quiet time, but it never lasts long.  You moms know how that goes.  I'm hoping I can drink my entire cup of coffee before this "me time" ends.  Otherwise, it'll be like every other day - heating up my coffee about 756 times before actually finishing it.  (Does this happen to any of you?)

On a whim, I've decided to do a weekend in review post, highlighting some hits and misses.  I had planned on a different post for today, but my husband hogged our computer all weekend to work on his grad classes, so it is what it is. 

Here we go...

1)  HIT: We had so much fun yesterday at a birthday party for the son of some of our closest friends.  It was a beautiful day and our son D. had THE BEST time running around outside with all of the kids.  Since he's an only child, he goes crazy any chance he gets to be around other kids.  He's in his glory because he is definitely a social butterfly.  He's going to be the social director of his kindergarten class.  I just know it.

2)  MISS:  Gone are the days of sunbathing for me.  At the birthday party, I felt like an old lady re-applying my sunscreen every so often.  And then, what's even worse - I looked down around my ankles and realized I did the worst job ever on my self-tanner.  It was really noticeable and I couldn't do anything about it then!

3)  HIT:  D. has become OBSESSED with Ninjago.  Have you heard of it?  I hadn't until he told me about it.  Apparently it was "all the rage" with the preschoolers this year.  It's a cartoon with these little Lego figurines, and it's awful.  I'd rather him watch Ninja Turtles.  Those shows at least have good characters and interesting storylines!  Anyway, D. likes to watch the Ninjago episodes on YouTube, and he came across some videos of these middle-aged men who have walls in their homes dedicated to Ninjago (think The Forty-Year-Old Virgin).  They talk about each individual Lego figurine, describe its appearance, tell about the character, etc.  It is the most boring thing ever, but he loves watching it.  Anyway, yesterday he told me that he wants to make his own video like that.  He just woke up as I was writing this and decided to go upstairs to "practice" for his video.  I snuck up to listen to him, and it is the cutest thing ever.  It melts my heart.

4)  MISS:  I made trips to the grocery store and Target over the weekend and spent a ridiculous amount of money.  I swear, our grocery bills are never less than $150 anymore.  And we only have one child.  I don't understand.  Grapes are $10, milk is $5... it's just nuts.  We eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies, so most of our bill is due to all of the fresh produce, but still.  RI-DI-CU-LOUS.  Then, at Target, I had to pick up a bunch of toiletries, two birthday gifts, and some snacks from the dry foods section.  Our bill was almost as much as the grocery bill!  How does this happen?!

5)  HIT:  I woke up this morning with my dog's nose on my hand.  He wanted to be let out and fed, of course.  When I opened my eyes, his face was right up against mine, and he was literally "huffing and puffing."  He gives me this look like, "Lady, get the hell up and feed me already," and he continues to snort until I get up.  But I love him so much and I know I'm going to miss that one day.  He's my buddy.

6)  MISS:  D.'s been going to bed so late the past few nights - we are all so off-schedule.  You'd think he'd sleep in a little the next morning.  Nope.  That kid is always ready to go.  He wakes up the way I feel after two cups of coffee.  I don't get it.  No matter when he goes to bed, he's up early - like clockwork.  He is definitely NOT a sleeper.

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Okay - I'm off to go videotape my son narrating about his Ninjago guys.  (Wow - I never thought I would write that last sentence.)

Thanks for stopping by!  Here's to a great week!