Monthly Archives

October 2017

Fall Home Decor Favorites

I want to be that mom who decorates for every season and holiday, I really do. But the truth is, I don’t really decorate much at all. I just don’t have time, or motivation after 40-hour work weeks and driving all over for school/daycare pick-ups…I’m also lazy, because often times on weekends or in the evenings (especially in the fall) I just want to sit on my couch with a warm blanket and some coffee…On the other hand, I adore seasons and holidays and often spend a lot of time browsing others’ decor via Pinterest or Instagram, and even browsing lots of stores for ideas (that never come to fruition because by the time I remember to order/buy stuff, the timeframe is already lost!)

I hope to start getting my act together and collecting things here and there, so I can be set for holidays and seasons to come. I have a small Halloween collection started…small is the key word here (just don’t ask if I’ve put any of it out yet…hey, I still have 4 days until Halloween!), but I’d love to pick up some more items for fall because it’s my favorite season! I love the crisp weather, the leaves, cozy sweaters and scarves! And oh how I love the colors! Reds, oranges, burgundy! It’s such a wonderful season and I want to be able to celebrate it more in our home.

I’ve been doing some browsing online as of late and I found a few favorites that I’m loving for fall right now! I’m notorious for traveling the web and filling shopping carts, only to leave them abandoned on every website imaginable, until my inbox is inundated with emails and subject lines reading “Items in your cart are ready to purchase!” But alas, it’s what I do…From pillows to cozy throws, and even a copper pumpkin mug to sip your adult apple cider mules from (here is a GREAT recipe) are all cute and whimsical touches that will make you feel cozy all through the weather changes. I also love a good deal and found some really cute stuff at great prices! Now I just need to remember to order!

Happy fall, y’all!

Halloween Cat Luminaries • Pottery Barn Kids • $8.99
Etsy Fall Table Centerpiece,Fall Decor,Seasonal,Thanksgiving Table Decor,Mantle Decor,Rustic Planter With • $38
Soft Touch Throws • west elm • $44–59
Pumpkin Moscow Mule Cup with Straw • Pier 1 Imports • $19.98
Faux Magnolia Leaves 22″ Wreath • Pier 1 Imports • $37.38
Illume Harvest Rustic Pumpkin Ceramic Candle • $24
14×26 Velvet Be Thankful Pillow • $19.99
Signature Soy Jar Candle – 15.2oz – Cozy Flannel • $10
Clay Art Camper Mug 15oz Stoneware – “Warm & Cozy” • $5.99
Threshold Wood Rectangular Milk Crate • Threshold • $34.99
Harvest Wooden Wreath With Felt Leaf Garland • $10
Harvest Hanging Direction Wooden Sign • $7

October 27, 2017 0 comment

Beauty Review Style

So I Finally Tried LipSense {Review}

LipSense has literally been the talk of the town (or social media, anyway) for months! I’d been eager to try it, but at the $55 price tag for a starter kit I was hesitant, for fear that I might hate it. I don’t know anyone nearby who sells it so I can try it out, so I was ecstatic when the sweet Sonya from Redgate Beauty reached out to me to try out LipSense! It was so generous of her and she’s even given me a coupon code for you guys, so stick around for that…

So the idea of LipSense, if you’ve never heard of it, is a long-lasting lip color that isn’t a lipstick. I carefully crafted this description for you…nah, I totally pulled it from the LipSense website because I wasn’t even sure how exactly to explain it, but ultimately, it’s this:

This unique product is waterproof and does not kiss off, smear off, rub off, or budge off! And, just as important it does not dry out your lips. In fact, it restores the moisture content of your lips when used properly. LipSense Liquid Lip Color can last anywhere between 4 and 18 hours.

LipSense is a non-wax liquid lip color that stays on your skin. LipSense provides a natural shield from the sun. The proprietary formulations and color pigments in LipSense help create a mechanical covering for the lips. That means the skin on your lips are protected from the sun’s rays by the color pigments, therefore your lips are more protected from harmful rays. That is just one of the reasons your lips become so smooth and soft with consistent use of LipSense.:

You can read more about it on Sonya’s site, but you get the gist of it…in my own words, it’s sort of like a stain but sort of like a liquid lipstick…at any rate, I was really excited to try it out! I tend to stick to neutral colors, though I do love a bold lip on rare occasions. I’m usually sticking to the cool neutrals category of mauves and nudes. It’s hard to choose a color by photos, because as I found out, they weren’t exact representations. I have a hard time anyway because with a complexion as pale as mine, colors are never accurate. I ended up choosing the color Bella, because it looked like a perfect shade for my tastes. It wasn’t a good match because, no surprise, it was too dark, but I’ll tell you how I made it work…

My first run with it was an absolute disaster. It ended in red, raw lips from too much scrubbing to get it off. I applied it all wrong and ended up going to watch a video about it on YouTube to see what I needed to do differently. They all made it seem easier than it actually is. My first application was patchy, uneven and just plain awful. Directions also say to apply three layers for best application, but that was way too dark for everyday use on me. I also didn’t have the Oops! Remover they sell to easily remove it, so it was a bit of a mess trying to get the stuff off! I tried oils, makeup remover wipes, baby wipes! It wasn’t coming off! Which, in theory, is good because it’s supposed to be long-wearing…in the end, I used an exfoliating bar of soap to gently buff it off, then followed up with a lip oil. For those that may ask, they’re from Perfectly Posh and my husband’s cousin sells it if you’re interested in checking it out here.

I kind of set it aside for a day or two and came back to it a couple of evenings later. And by trial and error, I got it to work perfectly! You MUST shake the tube really well. It’s sort of like paint in that there’s a little ball inside to mix the product up. I also found that I was using too much product. It literally dries within seconds, so if you have too much product, it will goop up and just dry in patches. You also need to apply quickly because of this, like DO NOT hesitate in swiping it! Practice is key, so you don’t end up looking like you got into a fist fight, like me! I find that wiping excess off the sponge applicator helps a ton! Sort of like you would with nail polish. I then only apply one coat of product to get my perfect shade. It’s harder to hide mistakes with only one coat, but it’s doable! It also stings a bit on application, which I’ve read is normal because of the alcohol content (DISCLAIMER: this is not a ‘natural’ beauty product, by any means) and also has a bit of an alcohol smell but neither lasts long. I apply one coat and let it dry, then do spot touch-ups where necessary. I chose the standard Glossy Gloss as its companion and after the color dries apply the gloss and you’re good to go! The gloss keeps some moisture on your lips, because they can feel dried out during the day.

So my final thoughts, once I got through the kinks, are that LipSense colors are awesome! The staying power is unbelievable! Literally, it stays ALL DAY! Through coffee, meals, everything! You can reapply the gloss as needed to “freshen it up,” but it’s great and does exactly what SeneGence says it does. I also really like their gloss because it’s not sticky and has no flavor or scent. I typically apply a layer in the morning and then again early afternoon. I also liked it too because my favorite lip color by MAC that is similar contains Sesame oil, which Lark is allergic to, so I can use this and still be able to kiss my daughter without a reaction.

If you’re looking for a long-lasting lip color, I’d highly recommend LipSense! If you’re into more natural and organic products, I’d say this isn’t for you. I only point that out because I often share more ‘natural’ options because of my family’s allergy and skin issues, so I feel a bit obligated to tell my readers this. It’s a fun product and I love makeup, so it was a no-brainer that I was going to try it out. I feel like the price is still a bit high, but for the amount of product you get with it (a little goes a long way), they’re a bit more manageable. And I can help with that too, because Sonya has offered my readers 15% off their LipSense purchase through her website with code BLOGGER15. If you have questions about colors, I’d shoot her an email and she will be more than helpful!

October 23, 2017 0 comment

Arlo Fox Food Allergies Health & Wellness

Is Corn our new enemy?

We were at our final stop light before getting to daycare on a typical weekday. The light was red and we were stopped, waiting for our turn to get on with our journey. Typical small town morning. There was probably a song from Moana playing through my phone into the radio…then I heard it…a sound that can make anyone turn on a dime and put everything into slow motion…Arlo was gagging, coughing and puking. It wasn’t just a bit of vomit, it was projectile liquid, spewing everywhere. Only missing the rest of the car because the seat in front of him acted as a shield as the liquid just kept coming. Eventually he was literally choking on it and I was panicking because I was behind the wheel, as the light finally turned green, trying to just get up the road to the daycare where I could stop the car and help him. I had no towels, tissues and of course, no wipes, because they didn’t get back into the diaper bag that morning. I was able to one-handed toss his blanket onto him, which helped catch the chunks (ew).

We finally got up to the daycare and I jumped out of the car after throwing it into park violently. He wasn’t gagging anymore, but he was crying and startled. I opened the back seat to the carnage that was dinner from the night before. I ran in and got almost an entire roll’s worth of paper towels from our daycare provider, a towel and some plastic bags. I cleaned up what I could, but Arlo and the car seat were soaked and covered in bits of meat and corn…and that’s when the pieces started coming together.

Why am I going into such graphic detail? Because the life of food allergies is often graphic and these details are what allowed me to piece things together. As I cleaned everything up I was mumbling to myself, “why does it always have to be chunks of corn! They get stuck everywhere?” It was later that I realized the last time this happened (Arlo has episodes of motion sickness in the car) we were also scraping corn out of my backseat on a 6-hour road trip and actually just went to the nearest Target and bought an entirely new car seat. That Chipotle lunch had covered my car in record time.

Back to this day though, I cleaned what I could, calmed Arlo down, packed everything back up and headed back home, since it’s not recommended to leave a vomiting child at daycare, even though I was certain it was motion sickness. He slept for a bit when we got home, while I disassembled the car seat to wash it (pain-in-the-ass), and in that process I thought to myself again, “why is it always corn?!” And then I started to pieces of the pattern that has been Arlo’s infancy and toddlerhood. His food allergies have always been digestive in nature, causing severe upset and horrendous diapers. Don’t you love this blog post!

I started thinking about simple things he eats, like corn chips or the occasional gummy bears, that are often followed by a day or two of awful diapers, which we usually write off to this sensitive stomach in general, like when he eats too many tomatoes or oranges. But this was different, because we now had multiple occasions of vomiting after meals containing corn. Lark has always vomited during episodes of anaphylaxis, so it’s no surprise that I felt a rush of panic come over me.

We had hoped he was on the up-and-up when it came to his allergies, mainly because he’s yet to exhibit any signs of anaphylaxis and can even tolerate some soy nowadays (we haven’t tested dairy with him yet). But life would throw us another curveball with the latest development. And it turns out corn is in SO MANY THINGS! I mean, I’m fully aware of how bad things like corn syrup can be for people, but it’s literally in everything, hiding in words like:

Baking powder
Caramel color (can be made from corn syrup)
Confectioners’ sugar
Cornmeal, cornstarch (may also be called food starch), corn syrup
Dextrin, Dextrose, Fructose
Maltodextrins, Sorbitol, Mannitol

In addition to corn and maize…

Awesome. Another allergen that’s not required to be called out on labels, due to it not being considered a top allergen. I’ve read up on it a lot already and it’s argued often as to whether or not to even consider it an “allergy,” as opposed to an “intolerance,” since an intolerance to corn is recognized in some health circles, acting similarly to gluten intolerance, which isn’t a true allergy either (unless you have celiac disease, but that’s another story). Corn is a grain and doesn’t contain similar proteins as other top allergens, classifying it differently and behaving differently in individual cases. I’ve been wanting to get back to a more grain-free diet as is, so I guess this is my push.

And then I thought back to when he was strictly on Similac’s Alimentum formula because he couldn’t tolerate much else and it still was never perfect for him. I remembered a specific thread on a message board where a mother said that the liquid was better for some kids, due to corn being omitted from the ingredients in the liquid. I didn’t think much of it then, because corn was never on our radar, but looking back now and knowing that corn is a main ingredient in the powdered formula, I tend to wonder if that’s why the formula was still a problem for him ( I switched him to homemade formula and corrected all of it anyway, but was on Alimentum for about 3 months).

Enjoying what was probably his last time eating Target popcorn…

So here we are. I will have to learn to navigate in a world full of corn ingredients. He seems to be less severe with things that have corn IN them, as opposed to actual corn. I’m trying to pull it out of his diet in the obvious places, but I’m learning that it’s in some not-so-obvious places, like gummy bears, which have been a go-to treat for my dairy-allergic kids who can’t have chocolate, nuts and so many other things that are in baked goods, etc…and I’ll have to find some new recipes for things that are staples, but we will figure it out…like we always do…I’m still thankful we’ve not had life-threatening reactions with him, but it’s still not enjoyable to have to deal with, granted doing without certain corn ingredients is better for his health overall…

My sweet Arlo, the corn-on-the-cob lover…mama will try her best to keep the stomach aches at bay…

October 17, 2017 0 comment

Beauty Favorites Review

Skin Care Routine + Skinceuticals Review

I’ll be completely honest, I’m terrible about skin care. Like, I often sleep in makeup…I know, totally breaking that cardinal rule insert cringing emoji here …but in the last 4-5 years, my skin has changed drastically!

Fortunately, I’ve always had great skin, in that I haven’t struggled much acne, etc. I can’t be sure exactly why, but I do take precautions to protect my skin from things like sun and too many products. The only real issue I’ve had with my skin is that it’s very and dry and it’s very sensitive. I can’t switch up products a lot and when I find something that doesn’t irritate my skin, I have to stick with it. Which is the main reason I don’t try a lot of skin care products out, it’s just too much on my skin. I have several allergic skin conditions, which I won’t get into here, but it can be challenging. So my skin care isn’t terribly exciting or in-depth, due to the fact that I can’t use a lot of products, but I’ll share what I’ve come up with that works for me!

While pregnant with Lark, I developed oily skin, which I blame mostly on hormones (but also partly on age…sigh)…Ever since then, I’ve battled with the worst combination skin and breakouts caused by oil buildup. Prior to being pregnant with Arlo, I used the Neutrogena Grapefruit face wash or their foaming face wash, because it was the only thing that didn’t irritate my skin much, but the grapefruit smell made me sick while pregnant with him and I haven’t been able to go back. I’ve tried a few things since, but haven’t found an option I love.

Until now…

The lovely people at Skinceuticals offered to send me some of their face wash to test out and I was immediately hesitant, because I can’t trust products to not affect my skin negatively. But after reading about their company on their website, I agreed. I’m so glad I did, because this Replenishing Cream Face Wash is amazing! It’s the only thing I’ve used that controls the oil all day! Not to mention, it leaves my skin so soft! After using it for awhile now, it hasn’t irritated my skin at all and even helped clear some stress break outs from recent travel. So yes, Skinceuticals sent me the product, but these opinions are 100% my own and I wouldn’t tout it without having tried (and loved) it…

From Skinceuticals:

Replenishing Cleanser is a face wash for combination skin formulated with a rich amino acid based surfactant system and a 15% concentration of key ingredients combining ceramides, panthenol, glycerin, and essential oils to deliver deep facial cleansing while maintaining essential moisture. This creamy face wash lathers into a rich foam to remove dirt, debris, impurities, and long-wear makeup without stripping natural oils. Replenishing Cleanser rinses clear of residue while locking in hydration and priming skin for at-home cosmeceutical use.

Delivers deep facial cleansing while maintaining moisture
Removes long-wear face makeup
Paraben-, sulfate-, synthetic-fragrance-, dye- and alcohol-free
Suitable for dry, normal, oily, and combination skin

I love that it’s free from many harmful chemicals and also contains essential oils, as I’ve been trying to better about using less-damaging products on my body. I then follow up with a moisturizer, but after using this face wash, I can say that I require less moisturizer as usual, which could also contribute to the less oily nature of my skin as of late. I notice a lot of moisturizers add oil, which helps my dry patches, but doesn’t help my oily patches. I love the packaging as well, because it’s slim enough to fit in my shower caddy, since I love washing my face while in the shower. I’ve also made the switch to mineral powder foundation in an effort to let my skin breathe freely a bit more these days. I also enjoy a face mask from time-to-time, typically something clarifying that helps with blackheads, since that’s a minor issue I deal with as well. But I don’t do them often, because too much of them causes a lot of redness and red patches in my skin. I also apply coconut oil at times, if I have excessive dry patches, and it also works as a great makeup remover. I’m hoping that with this facial cleanser, my dry patches will completely clear up!

Now that I love Skinceuticals face wash, I’m anxious to try some of their other products! Especially due to their “anti-aging” philosophy, if you get my drift…I ain’t gettin’ any younger over here!

What are some of your favorite facial products? I’m curious to know what others use, since I still feel fairly out-of-the-loop when it comes to skincare since I’ve not had to put much effort forth until this point in my life…Oh, and if you have a good suggestion for shampoo and conditioner that work well with hard water, let me know! That’s the next beauty issue in plan to tackle since our hard water is so harsh on my hair…

October 11, 2017 0 comment

Favorites Motherhood Style

Mom Wardrobe Essential: The Perfect Hoodie

In my mom life, I’m all about comfort…but I also still love style. I think it’s totally acceptable to count hoodies as fashionable and stylish, but maybe that’s my lazy self talking. I use to put a little more time into my outfits when I worked a job that required more office attire, but at my current job, they let us wear jeans and I often sport my typical “momiform” of hoodie and/or cardigan with skinny jeans and cute sneakers. Plus it’s just more practical when I’m chasing kids around to be comfortable. I’m perfectly okay with this casual season of life.

We were on vacation in Vancouver, BC, Canada last week, and every time we are there, I have to grab a “souvenir” at my favorite store (and Canadian brand) Roots! They have the BEST ‘athleisure’ options and I’m basically obsessed! This trip I picked up this amazing hoodie! It literally might be the best hoodie I’ve ever owned! It’s super soft and I love the raglan style. I also love that it’s not as thick as traditional hoodies, so I can layer it under a jacket once it starts to really cool off. This exact style isn’t available online, but it’s similar to their Original Kanga Hoodie.

And since I love hoodies so much and need more for my collection, I rounded up a few more that I want to scoop up! I adore all of these so much, especially the camo one! Do you love a good hoodie?! Does comfort win over style for you?! Because it does with me lately! Not to mention, weather is taking a big turn these days and cooler temps are rushing in, so I’m reaching for anything and everything cozy and soft.

Vintage Havana Lace-Up Knit Hoodie • Vintage Havana • $19.97
Women’s Rip Curl Hotline Stripe Hoodie • Rip Curl • $54
Women’s Alternative Mottled Pullover Hoodie • Alternative • $48
Women’s Zella Let’s Explore Hoodie • Zella • $59
Free People Get It Hoodie • Free People • $54.60
Relaxed Raglan-Sleeve Hoodie for Women • Old Navy • $22.99
Lou & Grey Poncho Hoodie • LOFT • $69.50
Women’s Chaser Lace-Up Lounge Hoodie • Chaser • $51.60
Women’s Alternative Camo Print Pullover Hoodie • Alternative • $48

What’s your “mom style” essential wardrobe item?

October 6, 2017 0 comment