He or She?

It's a ....

Yay! We are so excited! And once again, so very surprised!

Strangely, when I was pregnant with Canden, I kept having dreams that it was a girl. Everything kept telling me it was going to be girl from old wives tales to the good ol' mother's "intuition." We were shocked that Canden was a boy...I mean, I was convinced, it was a girl.

This time around was no exception. The exact same thing happened. Girl dreams, wives tales predictions, and that apparently extremely inaccurate mother's "intuition." But this time I knew better. In fact, there was a part of me that because 'girl' kept appearing everywhere, that it must be a boy. But who knew really?

Regardless, we are so happy and excited to have another little man running around the house. I'm sure Canden is going to make a fantastic big brother!

Fine Motor Skill Activity

If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, this post is old news. I originally made this activity like, hmm, 6 months ago or so. But regardless, as Canden was exploring it today, it really made me realize just how important and amazing of a fine motor skill activity it is. I just must share!

I am unsure where I originally got the idea...Pinterest maybe? It would be no surprise to me if so. But the concept is simple - sticking pipe cleaners into small holes.

Now if you want to skip getting all artsy and crafty at this point, I'll let you in on a little secret that way you can get on with your day: a colander works just as well as the cute little canister I made. But, if you are like me and prefer to have your cookware available as much as possible, this craft really doesn't take much time or effort. Also, another plus side of making your own canister for this: it stores the pipe cleaners so you can keep the activity pieces together.

Here is what we are aiming for:

Here is what you will need:

 Steps:

1. Take your "Little Crunchies" can and remove the lid. Use the paper punch to punch holes around the lid. Set aside. 
2. Using whatever you wish to apply your mod podge (sponge, brush etc.), coat the sides of the "Little Crunchies" canister. 
3. Apply a layer of tissue paper so that none of the sides are showing. 
4. Apply more mod podge on top of the tissue paper to glue and seal it into place. 
5. Repeat steps 2-4 until there are enough layers of tissue paper to hide the label of the "Little Crunchies" container. 
6. Allow the mod podge to fully dry. 
7. I found that the pipe cleaners were pretty darn long, so I took four of them and cut them in half. 
8. Replace the lid and play, play, play!

Maybelline The Nudes Palette

There has been a lot of hype and talk about the Maybelline The Nudes Palette lately and frankly I can understand why. Never before has there been a palette release by a drug store brand that is quite like this. Yes, there are those JUMBO eye shadow or various makeup kits that always seem to flood the shelves around Christmas as stocking-stuffer ideas, but no one really takes those too seriously. Often cheaply made, poor quality and gimmicky because of the season.

This on the other hand, is the drug store's first serious attempt at trying to rival high end brand and quality palettes for a fraction of the price. Of course, I was sucked in immediately and had been watching the makeup shelves for it's release since I first heard about it.

Photo courtesy of Ulta.com

Overall, I was pretty darn impressed, but there is room for improvement. There is a nice mix of matte and shimmer colors, which, I always thinks is important in mixing both within an eye look. Otherwise if you use all shimmer in a look where you are supposed to have the "nude" appearance, that doesn't look too natural to me.

I found that the taupe-y colors had pretty terrible color pay-off and were hard to blend. I suppose that would be my only complaint honestly. Luckily the darker colors of the palette seem to have better pay-off and blend-ability. The last thing you want is to use that matte black in the lower left hand corner with the inability to blend out the harsh lines. Scary!

Honestly, there's not much more for me to say about this palette. I like it and I will continue to use it despite the taupe colors leaving me less than impressed. This would be a really good starter palette for someone who is just getting into makeup and is on the fence about buying high end brand palette's (which, I still think everyone should invest in a good high end palette).

If you are having trouble finding this palette at your local drug store, you will most likely have more luck shopping this little beaut on ulta.com. If you are weary about paying shipping, have no fear! They have all of your drug store essentials and after you spend $50, shipping is free. So, in other words you can just stock up on all the things that you get normally and they can come right to your door. Saves a trip to the drug store!

Have a great week!

Another Great Sensory Activity For One Year Olds

We are on a sensory activities kick.

The great thing about sensory play is that you can use just about anything. I won't say that this sensory example is the most unique in the world, but definitely one of the most simple ones to make.

I literally took some pasta and a couple random things around the house that I thought I could mix in there. It contained pasta, Q-tips, Pom-Pom balls, crayons, a couple of cookie cutters, ice cream scoop, measuring cups and a couple tuperware containers for scooping and dumping. I put down a blanket inside for our exploratory play.

When it comes to this activity I have 2 rules.
1. Nothing is allowed in the mouth.
2. Nothing leaves the blanket. (Really I'm more concerned about the pasta).

Here's why - dry pasta, q-tips, and poms are easy chewing targets, which also makes them choke hazards. I of course had Canden in my sight the whole time we played. This leads into rule number 2 - if everything stays on the blanket, I can keep track of it. Canden like to string his toys and whatever else he can get his hands on, all over the house. It is a lot harder to keep track of all the pasta bits if they leave the blanket - making a perfect opportunity for him to later find some pasta and attempt to eat it. Not happening.

So, on to the fun learning opportunities with the activity!!

Canden and I worked on "full" and "empty." He loved taking the ice cream scooper and measuring cup to scoop up some pasta and pour it into another container.

Because he was only on a blanket, we would often work on "soft" and "hard" or "rough." This didn't just involve feeling with our hands, he also loved walking on all the different textures too! Feet are very senstive and any part of the body can be used for sensory learning!

There are so many more options when you add all the other sensory items. Such as "smooth" from the crayon, "bumpy" from the pasta; "short" for the pasta, "long" for the q-tip etc. 

As mentioned, just get creative. Kids want to explore anything and everything, and they should get to within safe reason. Everything is a learning opportunity!

Sensory Activity for One Year Old's

Whenever I search online for crafty, sensory of fun activities for one year old's, I often keep finding the same limited options over and over again - finger painting, painting with sponges, water painting, painting, painting, and more painting. Then there's the occasional oats or rice sensory bins and so forth. Honestly, I was finding unique options challenging to find or come up with on my own.

I stumbled across this lovely blog on Pinterest titled "35 Activities for 18 Month Old's and Younger." Honestly I was expecting the same old same old that I've been pinning regarding young toddler activities - more painting, more rice, more bins. I was pleasently surprised as I started exploring this blog. Yes, under the art section, you'll see plenty of the same old finger paint business I was talking about. However, there is also a section called "Sensory Play," "Imaginative Play," "Motor Skills," and "Explore." I'm hooked already.

I literally found this blog this morning and have looked over all the different activities and decided to try one. Today we did the Spaghetti Sensory play. It was a hit! However I changed my process of making the spaghetti ever so slightly to hopefully make for a less messy experience.

Here is the blogs suggestion for making the spaghetti for the sensory play activity: Cook the paste al dente according to the package; prepare zip lock bags for spaghetti dying by mixing some oil and food coloring in the bag (no measurements were provided); split up the cooked paste between the bags and mix well; rinse the pasta.

To me it seemed as though the oil would make this activity pretty messy to clean up as oil isn't my favorite substance to try and get off of, well, anything. So I substituted the oil for water. I did everything the same except I added a few tablespoons (2-3) of water to each bag with the food coloring. No oil. I allowed the pasta to sit in the color water mixture for a couple minutes. The longer you allow the pasta to sit in the dye, the darker they will become.

I'm glad that I decided to put Canden in some old clothes and go outside for this. Although the picture on the blog shows a little girl in what appears to be nice clothing and indoors, this was surprisingly more messy of a project than I thought it would be. I don't know if the oil in the original recipe was present to help the noodles be more slippery, therefore, wouldn't chunk off noodle and color...??? I don't know. I figured it was kind of a trade off - either a baby covered in oil, or a baby covered in noodle bits. Also, the noodles definitely stained the sidewalk. Luckily, his clothes weren't really affected, even though we were wearing old clothes for this.

I hope you enjoy this activity as much as we did. We will be trying more activities soon!

Baby Shower Etiquette - My Views

Since I am expecting baby number two *yay!!* I have been asked on a couple of occasions whether or not I will have another baby shower. Immediately my mind started rolling. Is that appropriate with the second child? Then I started thinking about all the etiquette violations that I've seen through past showers that I've attended whether that be their first child, second, or dare I say, even their third. So, I've decided to jot down some of my own personal thoughts on what I think is appropriate etiquette for baby showers go. It's of course not an all inclusive list (believe me, if you google baby shower etiquette, you'll read for days), but random thoughts that have popped into my head. And again, this is just my opinion, by all means do whatever the heck you want when it comes to your own showers or throwing someone else a shower.

1) Let's start with what led into this thought vomit - Is it appropriate to have a shower for baby #2?
With that I give a complicated answer. You're welcome in advance :) In the case that your second baby is the opposite gender of your first, absolutely appropriate. And, really it might not be that bad to have a shower for the second baby even if they are the same gender; there are always things that you wish you would have had with the first that would make life easier. But I must say, I can justify in my mind a lot more easily have a shower for the second baby if he/she was the opposite gender than the first. Another  case in which I think it is absolutely appropriate to have a shower for the second child is if there's actually going to be more than one arriving - yes, pregnancies with multiples. I don't care how many children and showers you've had for them previously, if you are pregnant with multiples, dear god I hope you have at the very least, a diaper shower.

2) Is it appropriate to have more than one shower for the same pregnancy?
Ugh, this one frustrates me. I've heard the logic - "Well my family wants to throw me a shower and then my best friend wants to throw me one, oh and the people at work want to throw me one..." No. Just no. It is ridiculous to me to have more than one baby shower unless your family is the size of Rhode Islands population. Allow one person or persons to throw you one shower, and the invites will be sent to family, friends and co-workers. If other people want to help throw it, but all means, the more helping hands the better right? But how insanely selfish and materialistic looking is it to throw more than one party. In general, it seems as though having two showers is commonplace anymore, even though it still makes me cringe. But I know of one person at least who had three, who often like to remind me that my makeup hobby was a first world luxury and I could live without it.....You see where I'm going with this?

3) Baby Shower Games
If I go to one more shower were I have to eat melted candy bars in diapers, I'm going to scream. That's not cute. It's overdone. It's gross. Just no. Even the "guess the baby food" game is much better than that one and I'm not a fan of the baby food game either.

4) Who can throw the shower?
I would say in general most people would agree that throwing yourself (or your spouse throwing you) a shower is inappropriate. Also, asking someone to throw you a shower is inappropriate. Easy, done. Anyone else can step up to the plate.

5) Is it okay for guests to bring their babies to the shower?
Um, it's a baby shower. If you don't want babies around, maybe you should have reconsidered getting pregnant in the first place. On the other side however, if guests are bringing older children who don't know how to behave themselves, I could understand the annoyance of their presence.

6) The registry.
While I believe that the expecting parents should pick reasonable items to add to their registry, I also firmly believe that guests should pay close attention to the registry. For the parents, don't be putting ridiculously high priced items on your registry - ie. cribs, carseats, outdoor jungle gyms, etc. You get the picture. At the same time, guests, pay attention to the registry! There is a reason why the couple registered and that is because they are in need of the items on the list. When I am a guest to a baby shower, I always make sure to look over the registry and find what I want to get the couple. If what I would really like to get them (or anything similar) isn't on the list, I will buy one item off their registry, and then buy what I really wanted to get them as well. That way I know that at the very least they are getting items that we all know that they need and would appreciate not having to buy themselves. The other item that I just really wanted to get for them, is also nice because it is more from the heart. But, do both. If you are on a budget (as I always am) trust me when I say that there are just about always, cheap baby items on a baby registry. I don't think I've ever seen a registry where they didn't have a couple items that are $10 or under. It's doable.

7) For those who are throwing the baby shower - Listen to the mama! She most likely has been dreaming about what her baby shower will be like since she thought about having kids. Listen to what she wants - what is the theme she is going for? What is her style? There's the wonderful world of pinterest that has so many wonderfully decorated photos that can help translate one person's style to another if words aren't cutting it. As someone who has thrown a shower or two, I would have KILLED to have pinterest at that time. It would have been immensely helpful to have the mother show me pictures of how she envisioned her shower.  Likewise, mothers, don't be afraid to express your vision. If the person throwing you the shower asks, tell them! Also, don't sweat the small stuff. I'm not saying that showers need to be magazine picturesque. It's not about that.

8) Partner Showers
I love the idea of having a more adult themed baby shower that invites couples. Cocktails, appetizers, gifts and laughs yes! However, I recently had an experience in which I received a baby shower invitation, drove about 45 minutes to the shower, only to find out, I was the only person there without their partner. I was baffled. How did I miss this detail?! I immediately looked at the invitation and no where did it say "coed" or "couples" anywhere. Everyone else knew because they all worked together and had talked about the shower. But for some reason, that information was left out to me. I was humiliated and angry, especially since I know my husband would have loved to go as the father-to-be was one of his best friends. Um, include that MAJOR detail on the invite would ya? I can't believe I even have to point that out.

Big News!

So I've taken some time away from the blog to get my poop in a group.
Honestly, I've straight up just felt like crap....and here's why -

Yes! Baby #2 is due in January 2015!
We are very excited of course, but I've been finding getting through each day with a toddler and upset stomach/extreme exhaustion nearly debilitating. I've barely been able to keep up with him, let alone this blog.
It seems like this week I am still quite exhausted, however some of my nausea has subsided (for now!). Hopefully that means I can stop slacking and get back to my blogging hobby!

In the mean time, everyone enjoy this holiday weekend. More to come later!

Freaky Facts Tag

1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?
Wow, is it lame I don't have a nickname? I guess my husband calls me "babe" when he needs me. "Hey babe, where's the tin foil" kind of thing.....

2. What's a weird habit of yours?

I'm a knuckle popper, which isn't weird, but sometimes I have a weird way of doing it. If the hand that I would use to pop a finger on the opposite hand is occupied, I can pop that finger by bending it, and pressing it against my leg to make it pop. Unfortunately for my husband, sometimes when we are cuddling on the couch watching TV,I don't realize what I am doing, and I will use his leg to pop a finger. He absolutely hates that. 

3. Do you have any weird phobias?

Cotton-balls. I HATE the sound they make when you squish one between your fingers; likewise, the sound. That scratchy yet squeaky sound is absolutely horrendous. Cotton candy is of course, disgusting. 

4. What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone?

I love to belt out anything I know I can sing! If anyone is with me, I am silent as a door mouse. Oddly enough I don't care when I'm driving and I know other people can see me jamming out. We make what they think is awkward eye contact and I just keep doing my thing....

5. What is one of your biggest pet peeves?
I have a lot of them. I'll just name a couple. I can't stand loud eaters. Also, when at a restaurant, nothing makes me more angry than when a waitstaff comes over with a tray of drinks or hot plates and holds it above my sons head while he's sitting in the high chair. No waitstaff has gotten an ear full yet, but it's coming.

6. What's one of your nervous habits?
Twirling my hair. Or playing on my phone. 

7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

It all depends on which side of the bed is closest to the door and/or bathroom. I don't know why, but my husband and I noticed this the last time we stayed in a hotel. I am always on the side closest to the bathroom to the exit door.  Regardless of the side I sleep on, I am a bed hog. 

8. What was your first stuffed animal and it's name? 

I'm not sure if this was my first stuffed animal, but it was a big oversized dog, which I still have in storage. And I don't think it had a name! That poor animal has been through a lot though. I used to play "vet" on it all the time. Many shots, bandaids, and other things have tortured that poor thing.

9. What's the drink you always order at Starbucks?
Well let's get one thing straight, Baristas in Kearney, NE is a million times better than Starbucks, so I don't buy the Starbucks often. When I do, I usually get some sort of Frappechino type of drink. I did enjoy their salted carmel mocha last fall though. 

10. What's a beauty rule you preach, but never actually practice?
This was a hard one for me. I think for the most part I follow all my beauty rules. If I had to pick, maybe I would say that I would preach not to over-pluck your eyebrows, which I do occasionally. 

11. Which way do you face in the shower?

I spin, haha. When I'm washing my hair, I would say in general I face away from the spout just because I want to try and prevent from shampoo and conditioner getting into my eyes.

12. Do you have any 'weird' body skills?

Disappointingly, I don't think so. Back when I didn't have belly chub I could roll my abs from top to bottom and back up. Technically, I can still do that, but no one wants to see that....including me. 

13. What's your favorite comfort food that's bad but you love to eat it anyways?
When it comes to food, I don't discriminate. Refer to answer on #12. I suppose if I had to choose, I have a killer sweet tooth. Anything with chocolate is a win. 

14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?
Wow, this will most likely be wildly inappropriate. With that being said, I'm certainly working on it with a little one around. These are for excitement as well as when say, I drop a baking dish full of lasagna. We will start with the innocent and progress to the naughty. "Yaaaayyy!," "No way!," "Oh my God!," "God damn it!," and the lovely, "Fuck!" You're welcome. 

15. Time to sleep, what are you actually wearing?
In the summer, gym shorts and a tank top or sports bra. In the winter, yoga pants or sweat pants and a t-shirt or sweatshirt. 

16. What did you once wear that you thought was cool but now you realize it wasn't that hot?

Ooooo this one is tough. I guess it's not so much what I wore but I used to style my hair a certain way that was just, not cute. I would take three claw clips and section my hair with one bunch going down the middle, and two on either side on top of my head. Oh the 90's...... Sort of like this - 

Loreal Lumi Foundation Review

If you've noticed, I'm on the hunt for a new foundation. As I may have mentioned in the past, I've been using department/high end brands for several years. Now that my go to foundation no longer works for my skin, I'm on the search.

First try, MAC Matchmaster Foundation. View my review here. Since I'm still reviewing foundations, I'm sure you can guess how the MAC foundation turned out if you haven't already seen the review....

Next on the list - Loreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Foundation. 

I tried this foundation after seeing Jaclyn Hill use it on one of her get videos on Youtube. I don't remember which video it was specifically, but she said that it was great for people with normal/combination to dry skin because it would hold the luminous finish better than with those with oily skin. She described it as being one of the most natural looking foundations. So, I gave it a go.

One of the reasons I typically use department store or high end foundation is because I think it is super necessary to get professionally matched to your right shade. After working at a makeup counter, I can tell you that probably 75% of the people walking in to get matched, were previously wearing a foundation shade that was totally, TOTALLY wrong. With drug store makeup, you must buy the product, then test it, and if it isn't right, so back to the store and beg for an exchange or refund. And trust me, they don't like that. So, in an effort to try and make sure I bought the right shade the first time, I visited the Loreal website to see if they had any tips or tools for shade selection. They had this fancy tool where you can answer various questions about your skin tone and texture to help select the right foundation formula and shade. All in all, I was pretty impressed with their recommendations for formula, however the shade was definitely off. What they recommended for a shade is actually a shade darker than what I purchased, and what I purchased is actually a tad too dark for me. But if you aren't sure what type of formula of foundation is right for your skin, this tool is a handy start to figuring that out.

First impression - Luminous look, check. Blends easily, check. Color matching, eh, as mentioned I could probably use a hair lighter for a shade but summer is approaching soooo.....

If you aren't used to a foundation with a dewy finish, you will probably not like this foundation. In a way, you literally feel as though your face is tacky the whole day. And if it's tacky, I assumed that it would mean that it's staying power isn't fantastic unless set with a powder - therefore, diminishing the dewiness...which is the point of the foundation.....Quite the ugly little cycle there.

The very first day I wore the foundation, I only did a light setting of my concealer because I wanted to maintain that dewy finish. I went golfing in the morning and out to lunch with my husband. When we got back into the car and I was in natural light, I took a look in the mirror to see how it was holding up. I was still dewy, but it made me look oily....which I'm not naturally. Ok, not a big deal, I can add powder to that. Out of a random urge, I took my fingers and rubbed my face near my jawline to see it's staying power and I literally. wiped. all. the. makeup. off! SERIOUSLY!? I had a visible, noticeable difference between the area I just wiped, and the area I didn't. I didn't even push hard; just brushed my face. And again, the color matching wasn't too far off at all, but I could so obviously see where I didn't have makeup and where I did.

Wow. So, the next time I tried the foundation, I knew that I definitely needed to set it better. I took a translucence mineral powder and set my whole face. This of course took away the super luminous dewy finish, but I was actually okay with that. Since setting it, the staying power is quite a bit better, but overall, still disappointing.

Back to the drawing board I guess. I'm going to be near Lincoln for a family reunion campout at the beginning of June so I will be making a much needed run to Sephora to continue the hunt for the perfect foundation. Bare Minerals Bare Skin was just recently released and is in my sight....more on that to come!

 

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

We love our dark green veggies in this household, but asparagus is a touchy subject for me. 

I only like it one way - grilled. Add bacon, and I'll eat just about anything. 

For Mother's Day, we had twice baked potatoes, steak and bacon wrapped asparagus.

To make the bacon wrapped asparagus you'll need:

Asparagus

Bacon

Fresh Lemon Juice

Minced Garlic

Olive Oil

Lightly coat the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with minced garlic to taste. Drizzle lemon juice over the asparagus. 

Lay out two overlapped slices of bacon (we used turkey bacon, but you can use the regular, deliciously better piggy kind). Divide your aspargas into four groupings. Place one grouping onto the asparagus at one end; begin rolling until the asparagus is wrapped. Secure with a toothpick or two. 

Place onto medium high grill. Grill until the bacon is done cooking, turning occasionally. 

Easy, peasy done. Cooking times vary of course depending on the temperature of your grill. 

Seriously, this was awesome. I couldn't get enough...I had two bundles! Hope you enjoy this delicious and summer side for the grilling season. 

A Mommy Duty - Review of TheBump.com

Today I was on TheBump.com message boards community. Believe it or not, there is a lot more information on that site for after your baby is, well, no longer a baby.

I had a pretty general question that I couldn't find the answer to previously and posted it to the boards. What happened next was astonishing to me. The comments that followed insulted my intelligence as a person and as a mother, were rude, condescending, straightforward bullying, and most of all, pointless. I was shocked.

These are mothers and future mothers here. Is this what you want to represent to your children on how to treat others? I looked at other boards, not just what I posted. Same story. People attacking others; relentlessly. I've never been so disgusted. I was in utter shock. This is why people shoot up schools, malls etc. This is why people commit suicide. This is why self esteem is almost impossible to achieve in this world. THIS is a major problem.

As a mother it will be my ultimate duty to try and teach my children to have not only a thick skin to deal with the toxic environment around them, but to also, no matter how poorly they are treated by others, to ensure that they treat everyone with the utmost respect. Even if they don't appear to deserve it.

I've been a member of those boards for years - started with The Knot, then The Nest and now I'm on The Bump. After that, I'm done. What I once thought was a warm and inviting community where other mothers and those expecting can gather for support, is indeed a lie.

If you plan on using the site, by all means there is plenty of extremely valuable information and articles there. However, if I were you I would stay clear of the message boards. Over the years it has only gotten worse, and I'm afraid it's hit a level of no return at this point.

My 10 Guilty Pleasures

Being a mom and a wife, I try to put my two favorite men and their needs a head of my own. For the most part, I think I do a decent job - I hope anyway.

There are times however, where I need to embrace some selfish indulgences. Most of these I keep to myself typically, either because I don't think others would be interested, or I fear that I might be judged haha.
Here are my top 10 guilty pleasures.

1. Labor videos on Youtube. Yep. When I was pregnant with Canden, I figured I needed to better prepare myself for what was about to take place and watch some videos on the miracle of life. Uncensored, raw, full of emotion. Really I can't get enough. Once I got past the gross and fear factors, it always ended the same way. A joyful, beautiful moment in time where a little human has been brought onto this earth. I find the whole process of pregnancy and birth fascinating. Our bodies are amazing pieces of magical machinery. I tear up at the end of almost every birthing video because the best part is when the mother and father are holding their sweet child for the first time. It reminds me of the most significant moment of my life when I got to do that with Canden.

2. Bingo. HA! I just laughed out loud at myself on this one. I play Bingo Blitz on my phone. If that doesn't make me feel old, lame and as if I don't have a life, I don't know what will.

3. Bad Girls Club. If you've never seen the show Bad Girls Club on the Oxygen channel, let me tell you about it. It's a reality show full of classless, bitchy, fame thirsty women who can't act with an once of dignity in anything they do. My IQ most likely drops a few several points each time I watch it. But I can't. Get. Enough.

4. I Use WAY Too Much TP. Let's just keep it honest. I care about hygiene. A lot. And I don't skimp on the thing that is supposed to make me clean after doing my business. Late TMI alert. Sorry.

5. Makeup. Well, that one's obvious so far. I've dedicated an entire tab of my blog to beauty. My makeup collection, I must say, is quite impressive. Consists mostly of eyeshadow as that is my favorite. If you see my Coastal Scents collection post alone, you'll get the idea.

6. Shopping For Anything I Can't Realistically Afford. I love Louis Vuitton, Mark Jacobs, Michael Kors...the list goes on and on. I dream of owning so many designer things. Unfortunately my style doesn't match my wallet, which breaks my heart. It won't stop me from endlessly searching and dreaming over the items I'll never be able to buy.

7. Chocolate. Do I really have to go into detail about this. I could eat it everyday, all day. No probs. The extent of my sweet tooth is actually semi-concerning.

8. When Canden Takes a Nap. Don't get me wrong, I love that child more than anything on this earth. However, when he goes to sleep and I get a break, the heavens shine down and a full orchestra and choir is heard performing "Hallelujah." I actually count down the time until his approximate nap time.

9. Gossip. This one shouldn't be a big surprise as most people can get wrapped up into gossip. I just can't help myself but look at the Facebook pages, or ask friends/ex-workers how certain train wreck doomed individuals are doing. That wasn't nice.

10.  Never Answering Phone Calls. I can about guarantee that 95% of the phone calls I receive that aren't from my husband or immediate family, go unanswered. I HATE answering the phone, especially if it is from a number I don't know. I always let it go to voice-mail. If it's important, their leave one.

MAC Customer Service Review

This definitely isn't going to be one of the most lively of blog posts. I mean, it's customer service talk here! However, if you are anything like me, customer service is a big dang deal and I expect greatness from companies, or at least a valiant effort.

Recently I posted a review on the MAC Matchmaster foundation and mentioned that unfortunately I was going to be attempting to return it. Considering I purchased the foundation at a MAC counter that is like 200 miles away from where I live, I obviously wasn't going to drive all the way back to make a return.

I first contacted MAC through their website and used a fancy little chat box to talk with an artist. They gave me an email address to contact to get the return going. Great! Let's do this. So, I emailed. And I waited. And waited.....Then I waited some more. After about 5 days I thought, that's enough. Next step. I got back onto the MAC website and using that fancy little chat box, explained the situation to the artist. She this time provided me with a phone number. Ok, we are getting places now!

Called the number and was transferred to the corporate office (not sure why, they helped me regardless). She took down my mailing information and said that a refund in the form of a check would be sent to my house in 4 to 6 weeks. A'hem, excuse me? Four to six weeks!? Geez. Ok, that's a bit of time but at least I'm getting my money back I suppose. She then informed me that I wouldn't have to send back the foundation to the company; that I could just keep it.

Honestly, that was one of my biggest fears of this whole return process is that they were going to make me pay shipping to send the foundation back. So although I now that this foundation that I don't know what to do with since I'm not going to use it, at least I'm not paying any money to get rid of it.

Yeah, the customer service is taking quite a bit of time. That email address provided to me was obviously not helpful and it's going to take forever to get my money back. However, the end result (getting my money back) is what mattered most to me. And it looks like I'll be getting just that. So, the expected return is between June 2nd and June 16th.  If I don't get my money back within that time frame, believe me you'll (and MAC) will hear about it.

Moving on to trying new things!

Re-purposed Bookcases in 5 Steps

The bookcases that I re-purposed were my grandmothers who passed away in 2012. Here is my lovely grandmother.

We miss her dearly. She was such a sweet lady. It was a hard time to see her suffer from heart disease; it was long and drawn out. Never easy. Prior to her passing, she asked everyone in the family who wanted what of her belongings. Grandma! It doesn't matter I would say, that's not what's important. But she would insist. Anyway, no one seemed to want her set of brown bookcases, in fairly rough condition, with old hardware, etc.

I regret that I didn't take before pictures. Ugh, what was I thinking!? I searched for old family pictures taken at her house hoping that they would be in the background. I know that they exist! I just don't have any myself. I'm sure that some of my family members have some. If they are reading this, please, take a gander for me so I can attach before pictures! So, I don't know how "impressive" of a re-purpose this will be without before pictures, but I can at least give some knowledge of how we painted these old bookcases with veneer. I can assure you, these were definitely outdated even though you probably won't be able to tell in the "after" photos. I'm guessing they are from the 80's - maybe even before my time!

First - It is important to make sure that none of the veneer is peeling. Luckily for us, everything was still in tact. That's saying a lot considering the age of these bookcases! If you find that your veneer is peeling, use wood glue to affix it back to where it belongs.

Second - Clean the surface. We had layers of dust, cob webs, um, crumbs (?). Paint don't have time for that.

Third - Do some light sanding. Just enough to create a little bit of a rougher surface so that the primer and paint really adhere. After sanding, clean up all your sanding dust.

Fourth - Apply at least 2 coats of primer, allowing a full 24 hours for it to cure after the last coat.

Fifth - Paint that beaut! We didn't use anything fancy for paint. Just regular old indoor paint in an eggshell finish. Put your bookcase (or whatever you are re-purposing) back together with some new fancy hardware.

Here is our finished product.

We are still decorating, so no, not totally complete yet.
Appropriately, my grandmothers service flag sits on top. What an honor to give these bookcases new life and have her there with them. I think of her every time I see them.

I hope that this blog post has given you some inspiration to re-purpose something. If I can find before pictures I will post them. The difference is remarkable.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Big news coming soon.....

MAC MatchMaster Foundation Review

I've been on the hunt for a new foundation. For the past 8 years, I've been using Estee Lauder Double Wear Light. It's varied from different shades, but as of late, I was the 1.0 - the fairest shade available. Now my skin has a lot of olive undertones, so even at that shade, I didn't feel as though I looked super pale just because of my undertones. But believe or not, I've become even lighter than the 1.0 and need something else. Side note, I've stopped tanning purposefully about 2 years ago. Skin cancer ain't cool kids. Protect yourself. Anyway, so even with the color change and Estee Lauder not being able to accommodate, I did feel as though I don't need quite as much coverage as the DWL was providing.

Since it has been so long, I really didn't know where to begin with a foundation search. I've been following some makeup Guru's on Youtube which is helpful in a lot of areas, but when it comes to foundation, everyone's skin is different, so it's hard to really take someone's recommendation and expect it to work for you too.

Which is why I hope you take my foundation reviews with a grain of salt. What may work or not work for me, might be an entirely different situation for you based on skin differences. What I will try to do in this review is provide my observations in wearing this foundation.

Here is the MAC Matchmaster foundation: 

Here is the description of the foundation from MAC's website - Uses Shade Intelligence Technology to bring customized shades in a flawless demi-matte finish with medium, buildable coverage and broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection. Gives perfect colour purity without looking ashy or chalky, reduces shine on the skin's surface and helps to absorb excess oil. Conditions and soothes skin while minimizing the appearance of pores and imperfections.

Let's break it down. I've always been skeptical of anything that has any sort of "smart shade technology." Maybe it's just because I don't understand how it works, but I mean come on! You mean to tell me my foundation is smart enough to adjust itself to match my skin tone?! GET OUT! Yeah I'm not buying it. When I was getting matched at the MAC counter in Omaha, I was pretty frustrated with the MAC associate. She seemed in a hurry to make a sale and didn't really try any other colors on  my except for the 1.0. Her words were and I quote "it may be a shade too light for you but this foundation will adjust for you. Will that be all today?" Well, if it's a shade too light, shall we try the next shade up ma'am? As someone who used to work at a makeup counter for Estee Lauder, I couldn't imagine saying something like that to one of my clients. So, my first impression was a bit sketchy. But, benefit of the doubt right?

Demi-matte finish - Yep, I would say that is a spot on description. 

Medium, Buildable Coverage - Ooooo so close. I need something with medium and buildable coverage for sure. Lots of redness and texture on my face that I wish I could get rid of. When I would apply this foundation, I would do one coat over the whole face, then touch up and build some more foundation in areas where it needed a little more attention. I would follow up with MAC Studio Finish concealer and set with a powder. First glance, the finish and coverage looks great. A couple hours later, it's like my foundation has magically disappeared. The lasting power is absolutely terrible. I am constantly reapplying and that just doesn't make for a very nice finish when I've already applied bronzer, blush and a highlight. 

I do feel that this foundation made my skin look like skin. When freshly applied, it wasn't ashy or chalky as indicated. It felt like I wasn't wearing anything. Unfortunately a couple hours later, I wasn't. But, I digress. I was recommended this foundation because I have normal combination to dry skin. So the fact that this description says that it absorbs oil, I'm wondering what that MAC counter associate was thinking with this recommendation. It didn't further dry me out thankfully. But I wouldn't say that my skin felt any more conditioned or soothed from wearing this. And it most certainly didn't make the appearance of pores disappear after a couple hours. 

So, like I said earlier. Take this review with a grain of salt. Well, take ANY of my reviews with a grain of salt for that matter. What works for me may not work for you. I hope that I was able to provide some insight on how the foundation performed on my skin to give those of you with similar skin types, or even completely opposite skin types. 

My big hurdle now, is attempting to return this foundation to the MAC company and get my money back. I bought this at the closest MAC counter to where I live which is 200 miles away. I am most certainly not making the drive just to return it. So I am curious as to how the customer service for my predicament will be. Maybe that will be a followup review - MAC Customer Service Review!

Anyway, back to the drawing board on finding a new foundation. I will keep you posted! Sorry for the ramble! 

Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls Review

For a while now, I've been dying to achieve a makeup look that leaves a nice sheen to my cheekbones. Something that can give me a glow without being too glittery, and define my cheekbones even more than just a contour shade and blush. Like this:

Jaclyn Hill - check out her Youtube page here

Look at those cheeks. I love the look. Dewey yet not overdone. That's what I wanted.

I've seen a lot of different highlighting products that can be used on that upper cheekbone to help achieve that look. Unfortunately, a lot of them, are quite expensive. Here are a couple I've considered -

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light $45.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in either Soft and Gentle (left) or Lights Capade (right) $32

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow $30

There were a couple others, but theses were the highest contenders. Notice that not one of them is under $30. Now, don't get me wrong, I am definitely a fan of high end makeup and believe in it's magical powers. However, if I can find a dupe that works just as well but is cheaper, you can bet your ponies I'm getting that instead. All three of the products above are very different in formula and color. Those are just the ones that I have seen and touched/swatched in person. The color doesn't need to be spot on to one specific shade, no no. Just something that works for my skin.

I was determined to find something that would be a good dupe in general for a highlighting powder. And I think I found it! Let me introduce to you.....

Physicians Formula Mineralize Glow Pearls in Translucent Pearl (for all skin tones) $13.95 

I'm so stinkin' happy right now. $14 is a lot more manageable than $30...or $45 for that matter with the Hourglass Ambient Light! Now, is the texture of this formula as great as the others mentioned above, well no. Its not as smooth, maybe even a touch on the drying side. However, it's really not that bad. Definitely an acceptable alternative. I couldn't wait to try it and I'm happy I bought it. Maybe in the future when I'm a millionaire I'll go out and buy the Hourglass, but for now, this product does what it's supposed to do and I like it. So if you are interested in getting some glowy highlight on those cheeks of yours, I would definitely recommend this. It comes in a couple other shades as well for more medium skin tones. So pick obviously what you think would be best for your tone. However the one pictured above, is supposed to work on all skin tones.

Much love,

Healthy-ish Oatmeal Pancakes with a Twist!

I first saw a recipe for healthy oatmeal pancakes through Pinterest which linked me to this blog called Sally's Baking Addiction.

Looks scrumptious.

I have now made this recipe (kind of) several times since first seeing it. Honestly, not once did I follow the recipe exactly.

This recipe has all your staples when you try to think of a healthy pancake recipe - whole wheat flour, oats, egg whites, greek yogurt, etc.

I made simple changes to make the recipe my own. For example, not once did I use Greek yogurt. Not because I didn't want to or didn't like it, I didn't have it on hand. So, that's out. Also, I enjoy adding different flavors. Since there is a wonderful presence of cinnamon and brown sugar, I took Gerbers toddler apple fruit pickups (yes, that's right, I said toddler food), and mixed that into the batter. You may be thinking to yourself, "why in the world is that lady adding baby/toddler food to her pancakes?" Well, in all honesty, okay, yes, TECHNICALLY it's food for young tykes. However, it's not apple puree, it's chunks of apple. Even if it were apple puree, it's all natural apple. Anyone can eat it.  I have it on hand always for my 13 month old. These apple chunks are the perfect consistency of cooked apples, without the work of cutting and cooking. They are soaked in a grape juice and have a wonderful tang to their flavor. Let me tell you, these pancakes tasted like apple pie. My family loves it. Plus, it's different. The recipe is great on it's own, and yes, it takes like oatmeal just as described. But adding the apple sure did turn this recipe into something else for sure!

Just so you know, I have made this recipe without putting in the Greek Yogurt at all or even substituting for it and the consistency came out just fine for cooking. It wasn't too thick - it's a naturally thick batter anyway due to the oats. As another option if you don't have the Greek yogurt, you can supplement with the apple chunks that I described. If you have more time than I do, feel free to cook up your own apples. I am now thinking of what other fun yummies I can add to the mix. Delicious I tell you!

Here is the original recipe via Sally's Baking Addiction:

Ingredients:
1 cup (123g) whole wheat flour (or white whole-wheat)1/2 cup (40g) quick oats1/4 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)1 cup (240ml) milk*2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar (or light brown)1/4 cup (63g) Greek yogurt*1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 cup add-ins like chocolate chips or fruit, optional

Directions:
Toss the flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Whisk in the brown sugar and yogurt until no lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla until combined.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix the batter or your pancakes will be tough and very dense. Add any mix-ins you prefer, but again - do not overmix the batter.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with cooking spray, oil, or butter.  Once hot, drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form on the center or sides, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet again with nonstick spray for each pancake or batch of pancakes.