Stormy Night

Goodness, it has been a long time since I did a post. Oops. I guess life just got in the way.

Have you seen this new Revlon Colorstay polish? If not, go buy a bottle this weekend.

I read some online reviews of it and the 3 step system is supposed to give you a "gel like finish" that will last up to 11 days. (I've tried out the gel manicure and I was not a fan.) I did my toes the other day and my fingers today and so far, so good. It dries quickly and stays super shiny. My fingers always seem to chip within a day or so, so it ywill be interesting to see how this wears. My toes still look perfect and I am on day 4.

I am going to pick up another color next time I am at the store.... This stuff seems to be just that good.

These are my own thoughts... This is not a compensated review.

New Skincare Prodcts

Whenever I travel abroad, I love to check out the local drugstores. You can find some of the best lotions, potions and creams this way. Depending on the packaging, I may not always know what I am buying, but I still end up using it. Plus, you can sometimes find stuff that is not even sold in the states. I am still on the hunt for a vial of cortisone, but don't think I will ever be able to find that.... except on the black market in Mexico, but I will pass on that.

So, when I was picking up some cheap produce last week, I grabbed some Lacura anti-wrinkle night cream to test out. And I loved it! The best part - it is German, so I don't have to travel abroad to buy it AND it is cheap.

I have been using it for almost 2 weeks now and I have been pleased. Now, I am not going to say that I look 10 years younger (because then I would be on an episode of Teen Mom) but it is hopefully helping to slow down some of those wrinkles I am bound to get as a result of my sun worshiper days.

I have also started using the Q10 day cream, Revitalizing Eye Gel and Milk and Honey Lip Balm and have liked everything so far. If you google Lacura, you will find that lots and lots of women in Europe love this brand.

What are some of your cheap beauty products that you love? Share your secrets.

**I bought all of these products with my own dimes and pennies.**

I hate carpet

Carpet is nasty.

There is no way around it.... you walk on it. You spill things on it. Animals pee on it. Toddlers do all sorts of things to it. It is full of dust and dirt. All sorts of stuff just seeps down into those fibers and lingers. And eventually it ends of looking like crap.

Our house is about half carpet. If it were up to me, we would rip that stuff out and replace it with polished concrete or something cool. I don't even want wood - too many things can mess up wood. Anyway, back to the disgusting carpet. Our master bedroom is carpeted as well as the entire upstairs.... including the bathroom - genius idea - right? I hate this carpet. It was brand new when we moved into the house 2 years ago, but I want it gone. I have horrible allergies and I don't even want to think about the amount of dust mites that are shacking up throughout my house.

The master bedroom is the baaad.... basically, Jake used our room as his puppy training area. I have tried zillions of cleaners and none of them really worked. So, the other day The Foundary had a Bissell sale. I snatched a Little Green Machine and it arrived on my front porch yesterday.

As soon as Miss A went down for her nap I went to town in that room.

I used ALL of the cleaning solution that came with the machine and that was not enough. I am pretty sure this is only supposed to be used to clean small areas, but I did the entire room. I won't go as far as to say that the carpet is as good as new, BUT it looks a heck of a lot better.

Want a glimpse as to what the crap looked like that came out of the carpet? Heck no will I show you what came out of MY carpet. But, I will show you a picture of someone elses nasty carpet water.

When you adopt a puppy or become a parent, you should automatically be given one of these. And, one of these just for good measure. I use our steam mop every couple of days and love it.

**I was NOT paid or compensated for this review.

Christmas Cards

I do this every year.... think I should be crafty and Martha-esque with our Christmas cards. I make one too many trips to the craft store, spend way more than I thought I would spend and the entire project takes entirely too long. I always end up saying "next year, I am just going to order our cards." Yet, when the next November rolls around I fall back into my old habits.

BUT, not this November. I have finally learned! This year, I will be ordering our Christmas cards from Shutterfly. And I might even get extra fancy and order the coordinating address labels.

I should also say that I am super picky when it comes to our Christmas cards. I want the design of the card to match the look and feel of the picture and I want it to not be too cheesy or trendy. Or one that everyone else might have. And, I don't want our card to be the one that ends up on the bottom of the pile. Heck, I am sending you a picture with a super cute toddler - keep the card on the top! Lucky for me, Shutterfly has about a zillion choices for me to pick from.

I have yet to decide which family picture we are going to use, but I am pretty sure I will be ordering one of the designs below.

Aren't they nice?

As much as I already love Shutterfly, they sweetened the deal by giving me 50 free cards for this post. And since our Christmas card list has more than 50 people on it, I will be ordering even more cards from Shutterfly. Are you a blogger? Would you like to get some free holiday cards or invitations? Just go here.

In my next life

I am going to come back as a dermatologist. I think I missed my calling. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to pick at stuff, pop stuff and mess with things that should not be messed with. And I am a product junkie, so it is the best of both worlds. (yes, I know there is much more to that field of medicine..)

Right now my medicine cabinet is full of potions from my dermatologist.

Latisse – I am in love. Being the mascara lover that I am, this is a dream come true. I have been using it for about 2 months now and my lashes are almost touching my eye brows.

Ziana – This is just like RetinA. I have only been using this for a couple of weeks, so I cannot tell a difference yet. I have heard great things about retinoids, so I had to try one. Hopefully this can help undo some of the sun damage I experienced in my yunger years and prevent some of those pesky fine lines and wrinkles. Right now, my face is sloughing off like a snake shedding its skin…. But I know this can’t last forever.

Melasma cream – My brown spots are almost gone! Yipee!

In the past, I have had things lasered off. I have had zits shot full of cortisone. But, I think if I had free reign to all of the dermatological goodness, I might go overboard. I want Botox in my forehead/between my eye brows. I would get rid of the annoying veins on my legs. I would use every cream, laser, peel, injection, plumper and filler out there.

One area where I need some guidance is the order in which to use this stuff.

Ziana, melasma cream, sun screen, moisturizer?
Melasma cream, Ziana, moisturizer, sun screen?
Moisturiser in the am or just the pm?

Baby Steals & Deals

The Preppy Baby posted this site the other day and I have become addicted to it!

Baby Earth is a great site, but what I love most is the GaGa Deal. Every hour a new item is posted and for every second the item remains unsold, the price drops. They only offer a certain number of items at this price, because at any point the product can sell out. It is exciting to see how low the prices can get.

The Maclaren Quest sale just ended and yesterday there was a Britax sale. Both items ended up selling for MUCH LESS than what we paid for them at Babies R Us.

Latisse

I have been using Latisse for 3 weeks now and I love it.

The first time I used it, my eyes were red for a couple of days. Nothing major, and it went away after 3 days or so. Occasionally, my eye lids itch after I use it, but since I am about to go to bed it does not bother me. And, I have not noticed that my eyes are getting any darker.

Baby 101

In the past 5 months I have learned some useful stuff:

• Cute burp cloths are a necessity. Check out these super cute ones from A.Tierney... I always use one that coordinates with her outfit. These are durable, cute and a great price!


• Test out baby equipment before you register. I made a rookie mistake – I wanted something that was not too big, plus looked nice. That blew up in my face. Our Maxi Cosi car seat and stroller system was a disaster from day one. The straps were constantly getting twisted, the car seat would sometimes not latch properly into the base, the stroller was very tricky to get collapsed and once collapsed was huge…. This stuff was expensive AND ended up getting recalled.


• We now have a Maclaren Quest stroller and LOVE it. The only thing I would change would be to add a cup holder.


• We also have a Britax Marathon and love it, thus far. Easy to get her in and out, plus she sits up higher so she can look out of the window.


• I want Miss A to be a spokesperson for Janie and Jack. Seriously… that store is insane. I want to buy everything in the entire store, but I will settle for their sales OR getting it at local baby resale shops.


• Baby Einstein is baby porn.


• I still do not have a diaper bag that I really like. I have 1 large one and 2 smaller ones, but I am not crazy about any of them. Someone needs to send me one of these**:

** If you sent me the Not Rational - Berry Hansel Diaper Bag I would talk and talk and talk about it. Promise.

Latisse - Before

Every time Brooke Shields comes on TV talking about 'longer, fuller lashes...' I get excited. I am a complete mascara junkie, so Latisse was right up my alley. Pretty in Pink Megan has been using it for a while now and she has had great results, so I had to try it. My optometrist wrote me a script for it yesterday and last night was my first time using it.

Here are my before shots:

If my lashes grow according to this chart -- WOW! That would be crazy long and I would love it.

It is really easy to use... you just put a drop on the wand and brush it over your lash line.

Looking at these pictures makes me realize how I need to go get my brows waxed.... looks like I know what I will be doing during lunch.

I am going to post updates weekly.

Things I Like....

9 weeks into this parenting thing, I have found some products that I really like...for Miss A and for me.

Pampers Swaddlers - These are wonderful... not only do they have a yellow stripe that turns green when the diaper is wet, but it is the only brand (of the ones we have tried) that prevents blowouts. Plus, they are helping vaccinate kids around the world.

Dr.Smith's Diaper Ointment and Boudreaux's Butt Paste - I had to take an antibiotic a couple weeks after she was born and as a result, she developed severe diaper rash. Dr. Smith's has the largest percentage of zinc oxide and did a wonderful job of clearing up her bum. Most places keep this behind the pharmacy counter... not sure why. I also use Boudreaux's and love it. All the other brands that we tried out were too drying.

My Brest Friend - I initially used a Boppy, but my lactation consultant recommended this and I love it! You can adjust the straps to make it tighter (as you get smaller) and it makes for a great spot for the baby to take a nap, if they fall asleep while feeding.

SaraBear Diaper Caddy - Our room is downstairs and her nursery is upstairs, therefore we rarely change her in her nursery. Most of the time, I put a plastic pad down and change her on our bed. This cute basket keeps all of the necessary changing stuff organized. Plus, you can get it monogrammed.

My daily uniform


Glamourmom Tanks - These tanks allow you to nurse while keeping your jelly belly covered up and slightly compressed. They are sleek and long and can be worn under anything.

Gillian & O'Malley Pants - Clemsongirl raves about these, so I had to try them out. They are super soft and comfy, plus they are black.... which means they are slimming. :)


Reef Sandals - My feet swelled up to the size of clown feet and flip flops were the only thing that was comfy. I still wear them everyday.



Cardigans - Short sleeve. Long sleeve. 3/4 sleeve. They make nursing a breeze, plus they can be dressed up or down.

Wrap Dresses - When I need to spruce up my daily uniform, I resort to a wrap dress. They conceal many, many flaws.

and last but not least, Spanx. Heaven. Wonderful. Fabulous. Too bad they do not make swim suits.....

The Hair Trifecta

I have expressed how I am borderline obsessed with my hair. I am not going to lie – I love my hair and I really hope that the baby gets my hair genes. (I know that is is bad to wish for your unborn child to possess certain genetic traits, but oh well….)

That being said, come October / November, my scalp gets really dry. Not everywhere, just my hairline. Combine that with dark brown hair and well, you get the picture. I think I have finally found the right combination to solve this problem.

Olive Oil. Tea Tree Oil. Plain Shampoo.

After extensive online research, I think this is the best combination. Once a week, I will smell like I salad - olive oil rubbed onto the trouble spots, then covered with a shower cap for 30 min – 1 hour. And tea tree oil shampoo is all I use now, but I make my own. I added a couple drops to a half empty bottle of Suave clarifying shampoo and voila! I have only been doing this for a couple of days, but I noticed a huge difference immediately. Flake free, plus soft and shiny!

Spotted

I love all things Gossip Girl... and Blair is my favorite! In this week's episode, so looked FABulous at her birthday party. Love the hair. Love the blouse. Love the makeup.

If you have an extra $1,990, you too can look like Blair. BUT, if you are wanting the top to look just like hers, then you have to make a trip to the tailor.

But my main question here is how she got her make-up to look that way. It is absolutely perfect. I am going to be on a quest to perfect that look.... tips or suggestions?

ecoTools

I love nice makeup brushes... You know, the kind that are super soft and you can wash them without half of the bristles falling out. (Not that I wash mine on a regular basis, but when I do...)

I was given a 6-piece set of ecoTools make-up brushes that I am going to give away to one lucky person. Just leave me a comment saying what your favorite item of make-up is and I will draw a name.

I will go first.

I love mascara. Love, love, love it. And, I have tried almost all of them. From the expensive to the cheap and my current favorite is Cover Girl Lash Blast, when paired with a primer. For primer, I just use Jane Max Lash and ditch the other half of the tube. This stuff is just as good as the more expensive primer, plus Jane is made by Estee Lauder. (You can get it at Walgreens)

You have until Monday evening at midnight to leave a comment -- I will announce the winner on Tuesday.

Smashbox vs Monistat

I found this product tip over at So Frugalicious and I had to try it out. I have used the Smashbox primer in the past, but hated to shell out the $36 for less than an ounce of the precious primer. So, when I read her post about comparison between this and this, I had to try it.

The ingredients are the same, plus you get more for less than $10! I have used it all weekend and have been pleased with the results.



Ingredient comparison:

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
Smashbox photo finish (original): Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isopropylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorium (Safflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera(Grape) Seed Extract, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Water.




Monistat Soothing Care
Dimethicone 1.2%(silicone), cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone/vinyl dimethiconecrosspolymer, silica, tocopheryl acetate, trisiloxane.

The main difference is that the Monistat does not have all of the "extras and extracts." It leaves my face smooth, non greasy, and make up stays on all day. I got mine at Wal Mart in the condom and pregnancy test aisle. (I have always thought it was funny these 2 products were paired together.....)

From Russia with Love

When I think of Russia the first thing that comes to mind is vodka and caviar. James Bond and furs. Even this comes to mind.

But, due to the creative genius over at OPI, they want us to think nail polish and all rush out to buy the new 'it' color for fall. Here we have Russian Navy.

I tried this inky blue last night and the jury is still out. Up until now, the only reason I ever had for my toes to be blue resulted from extremely cold temperatures. Let me tell you - in Dallas that does not happen often. This might never again make it out from under the sink OR it might become the Cajun Shrimp of fall. (Nothing can take the place of Cajun Shrimp -- oh how I love you.)

Also, if you are ever looking for a not too white, not too pink, not too sheer, not too streaky nude color for your fingers, try OPI Bubble Bath. Some of you may know this as the color Giada De Laurentiis wears on her shows as well as on the covers of her cookbooks. This is my favorite nude color that I have tried, thus far.

As far as wedding mani/pedi polish is concerned, I will be sporting Bubble Bath on my fingers, but should I do Cajun Shrimp on the toes? The wedding is at the end of October and there are going to be lots of coral and orange flowers. Suggestions?