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.....