mommy make up routine

Most days I have very little reason to really get ready, but I still do it because it makes me feel better. Something about putting a little make-up on gets me ready to start my day, even if it only consists of working out, going to the grocery store, and changing diapers. I thought I'd share some of my tried and true favorites with y'all today. Most of these are drug store finds with a couple of "high end" products thrown in.

CoverGirl BB Cream--Do we all love BB cream? I know it's a definite favorite of mine! Honestly, this is the first and only one I have even tried. I got a free sample of CG many months ago, loved it, and have never bought another brand for fear of it breaking me out or something. Is there another brand I should try??

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear--I have used this mineral powder for YEARS. I absolutely love it; it provides great coverage and wears well. It's a little more expensive than other drugstore options, but one container lasts me quite awhile! The brush it comes with is way too stiff, in my opinion, so I use THIS one.

e.l.f. Blush, Twinkle Pink--I picked this $3 blush up one day at Target, and I really have liked it. It has a little bit of shimmer to it which I like and always want in a blush, and the color is great for my skin tone. My only complaint is that it has some fall-out, but HELLO...it's 3 bucks! That's to be expected.

e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder--Yet another e.l.f. product and another one I love, too! This powder really gives a flawless finish and kind of works to "set" your make-up. I use the translucent for daytime, but the shimmer one is perfect for night!

Benefit Cosmetics Erase Paste--This product is new to me. After hearing people rave about it, I put it on my birthday wish list, and my mom got it for me. NOW I see what everyone is raving about...this is THE BEST concealer ever. It literally "erases" every little thing and stays put all day!

Stila Rockin' in Rio Palette--I recently won this palette in a blog giveaway and have been using it almost daily ever since. I love the neutral colors, but it also has a bright blue shadow-liner in the palette which is perfect to add a little POP when you're feeling crazy ;) The lip color included is also great for a little change-up from my usual EOS lip balm! Ha.

Maybelline Clear Mascara--I have a confession: my eyebrows be CRAZY. I swear I have the eyebrows of a 70 year old man, but this stuff helps to tame the strays. Lucky for my peers, I do my best to stay on top of my grooming, but I still need a little help, and clear mascara is the ticket! Keeps those bad boys in line.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara--I've tried many a mascara, but this is the one I always go back to. Frankly, I don't see the need to spend the big bucks on mascara when there are tons of great options at Target. I love the shape of the wand, too!

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There you have it, those are my SAHM make-up picks!

Are there any others than I'm missing out on and HAVE to try? Please, do share!

Five on Friday

Ahhh, Friday, we meet again! This was officially the first week of Summer vacation for Rob, and it has been glorious! This time of year makes up for all the long hours in the Fall/Spring :) Anyhow, I'm linking up with the adorable Darci & her "Five on Friday" co-hosts again today...this is such a fun little link-up and a great way to round out the week!

  

1. Have you girl-moms heard of Fallen Star Couture Inc. on Etsy? Well if not, let me just tell you, these are the BEST little clip-in bows for baby and little girls. Their 3 inch bows are just the right size to sweep hair to the side or even to double up and use for pigtails. They come in every color of the rainbow, and let me not leave out the fact that they're ONE DOLLAR. Yep. ONE. Crazy, huh? I ordered 10 recently, and when they arrived one of them was broken, so I emailed Shannen, and she immediately sent a replacement as well as a few bonus bows to make things right. Talk about awesome customer service! I can't say enough good things about these bows...go get some for the little girls in your life! :)

Here's Jaqs in one of her bows...

2. Our trip to Punta Cana is rapidly approaching, and I'm getting more and more excited by the day! I'm also getting more and more anxious about leaving Jaqs. I know she'll be well taken care of, loved on, and played with non-stop, but I just don't want her to be confused or mad {for lack of a better word} at us for leaving her. Wah!! I'm sure it will all be fine, and I need to stop worrying about it.

3. I went out for some shopping when Rob got home yesterday afternoon in hopes of finding a few new things for our trip. Wouldn't you know that I couldn't find ONE dang dress that I liked well enough to bring home with me? What's up with THAT?! I did, however, come home with some new tennies that I totally scored on at Kohl's! With discounts, coupons, and Kohl's cash, these babies only cost me $32! Not bad.

4. Have y'all tried L'Oreal's new sunscreen products? I've been using this SPF 50 spray, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with it. It does feel slightly greasier than I might prefer, but it doesn't really bother me. I like this spray vs the aerosol cans because it lasts so much longer and seems to cover a little better as well. This is a must have for my pale skin on vacation!

5. I made copy-cat P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps one night last week, and OMG, they were so yummy. I will definitely be putting these on the dinner rotation for awhile! I based them off of this recipe, but of course made a few changes/additions as well.

 2 lbs. ground chicken breast

8 oz. chopped mushrooms

1/2 an onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, peeled & grated

1 zucchini, grated

4 oz. water chestnuts, chopped

Brown the chicken in a couple tablespoons of sesame oil, and break up as finely as you can. In another pan, saute all the veggies together in sesame oil until tender. Combine the two pans.

Sauce:

4 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon ginger (minced or dry)

Siracha hot sauce---to your taste

Combine the ingredients for the sauce and add to the chicken/veggie mixture. I also made a little extra to serve on the side like they do at P.F. Chang's & Pei Wei. Let the sauce cook into the chicken mixture for 10 or so minutes, then scoop it into iceberg lettuce cups & devour!

Whew, this ended up being a little longer than I intended, so thanks for hanging around if you made it this far ;) Hope you have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

teething must-haves

I mentioned in Jaqsy baby's 8 month post that she got her first 2 teeth, and I'm sure we'll have more on the way in no time. She did take the first go-round of teething pretty well, but I think there were definitely some things that made it easier for all of us. I feel like it's my mom-friend-duty to share them with those of you who might be coming up on the whole teething thing, too. Obviously we've only done this once, but here are a few things that worked for Jaqs!

• Aden & Anais Security Blankets: These have absolutely nothing to do with teething, but Jaqs just loves hers, and I think they give her a little comfort throughout the night.
• Bibs: There will likely be lots of drool to be soaked up, so be sure to get some with some absorbency!
• Little Fevers: (or baby Tylenol) We had one night that J was up on and off ALL night long. In our fog, we didn't even think about giving her some pain reliever, but she probably would have been able to rest had we thought of it sooner. We gave it to her the next 2 nights until the tooth broke through, and she slept fine. I know all moms may not be on board with this, but we were okay with giving it to her for a couple nights to help her rest.
• Summer Infant Finger Toothbrush: Once those toofies break through, they'll need to be brushed regularly, so I think it's a good idea to get baby used to it early on. Jaqs LOVES to have her teeth and gums brushed every night.
• Sophie the Giraffe and Teething Keys: Or whatever other teething toys your baby likes the best! These are J's favorites. Actually, she prefers my real keys over anything else...people always look at me with horror on their faces when we're in public ;) Whoops. #momoftheyear
• Hyland's Teething Tablets: To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if I'm 100% sold on these yet, but we definitely did use them, and I'm sure we'll use them again. LOVE that their completely safe & natural! After seeing THIS about using Baby Orajel, I threw ours right in the trash. No thank you!
• Baby Wash Cloths: Another great thing for baby to gnaw on and even to clean baby's teeth with.

What are your tried and true remedies?

just a little list...

My 24th birthday is THREE short weeks away, so I figured I'd put together a little ol' wish-list. This may be slightly premature, but it's never too soon to start wishing, right?

In no particular order...

Blue Leopard Tom's...how cute would these be for Wildcat football games?! Presh.

Gift Cards are always appreciated. I feel like I need to start adding dressier clothes to my wardrobe for when I do start working, so any department store would be fab!

Just a little Canon EOS Rebel. No biggie!

I think I'll be waiting a little while longer on this one ;)

Love this Michael Kors iPhone wristlet...it would be so perfect for going out or for a dinner date with my main man!

I've been wanting a dainty gold necklace for awhile now, but I haven't come across the right one. This adorable monogrammed one is pretty darn cute! Wouldn't mind owning it!

NEED this full-length mirror from Ikea to lean against an empty wall in our bedroom.

That's all I've got for now, but I'm sure I can always find more that I 'need' on Pinterest!

organic beauty...

In the last couple years, I've been making conscious efforts to be more green every day.

I generally put a lot of thought into meals, my grocery list, the energy we use, using reusable supplies, etc. But lately, I've been thinking more about what I put on my body instead of focusing only on what I put in my body. I've got incredibly sensitive skin, and lately my back has had some serious rashy (tmi?) issues, and I can't help but wonder if it's something I'm putting on it that causes that problem? The verdict is still out on that. I'm currently working on a process of elimination, and it's getting better already! Hallelujah!

Anyway, in my ever-expanding attempts to go green, I decided that I needed to start using organic lip balm. I mean, I probably ingest quite a bit of the stuff, so it shouldn't be some sort of crazy concoction, right? Enter EOS. Have you used it? I love it! It feels so smooth and so good. Plus, it's fruity and comes in an adorable sphere! Definitely recommend it!

I haven't tried Organix Shampoos yet, but they catch my eye EVERY time I go to the store. The coconut milk one smells SO yummy. Have you tried it? I'd love some feedback!

Of course, there's also the moroccan and argan oil craze right now, so this one always catches my eye too. I'm very curious as to whether these oils work all the magic I read about online. What do you think? Miracle workers?

thoughts for thursday...

First of all, Blogger is giving me a lot of grief today, so this will not be my prettiest post ever...please forgive.

And moving on...I love Jennifer Aniston. Always have, always will. According to her hair and the Today show (my primary source for health and beauty tips...and news for that matter) the "shag" is back in. This brings me great joy because I HATE blow-drying my hair! Especially in the summertime. Unfortunately, my hair is kinda crazy, so my shag is more of a frizzy wave, but whatever. It's getting longer, so maybe it'll look cuter the longer it gets! :)



Have y'all ever used Mario Badescu skin care products? I picked up this drying lotion the other day, and it's wonderful! Literally dries those nasty spots up over-night...or maybe over two nights! I also got a gentle exfoliate, and I'm loving it too! Even better, it's almond and honey scented...mmm.



Good news - I'm finally back on the work-out wagon! I've been going to a step-aerobics type class with my mom, and I'm loving it! I love having someone to go with because it keeps me accountable. I'm planning on mixing in some Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred in the near future...ouch. Wish me luck...homegirl is TOUGH.



BUT I gotta keep with it because swimsuit season is quickly approaching! I certainly don't want to be a blubber booty if we happen to go on vacation...




Ahhh, a girl can DREAM...



Hopefully Blogger will go back to normal soon, so I can post some pictures and recipes I've been wanting to share.

All images via Google Images; I couldn't insert a hyper-link either...shocking.



Happy Thursday!!!

Tuesday shopping...

When I got off work this afternoon, it was about 80 degrees, so I was wanting to get out and enjoy it....and what better way to do that than a little shopping?

I might have a problem.

First I went to Michael's in search of cute cupcake topper supplies, but I got seriously distracted by the dollar aisle. I got those orange reusable gift bags and tags...which, of course, made me think of a certain boy mom blogger! I also got the "G" notecards because I always need them for "thank-yous" and "thinking-of-yous."

Michael's also got me thinking about a friend of mine who has had a rough few days, so I decided I'd try to lift her spirits a little! Not tooting my own horn here, just wanted to show how easy {and inexpensive} it can be to brighten someone's day. Hope she loves her little goodie pail of happiness!

Then I went to Ross. Always a dangerous place in the kitchen department for me. This little green trivet jumped out at me and said "LEXI!," so I got it for her. SURPRISE, bestie! Hope you like it :) I got one for myself too...because besties always have to match, right?

Also at Ross...this crystal decanter set with glasses. Rob has been wanting one of these since he first saw it at a friend's house, so I decided to get it for him since it was a whopping $9.99! Happy belated lover's day, Bobert!

Who can resist 50% off Valentine candy? Not me.

So PCOS {ugh} has left me with some unwanted, blonde peach fuzz on my jaw line {TMI?}, so when I saw the Smooth Away at Target, I decided I'd give it ago. I reaaaaally didn't want to wax, so I figured I'd gamble the $4 and try it. I'm happy to announce that it actually worked! YAY! Fuzz be gone.

Ulta has an awesome bonus going on right now, so I stopped by there as well. I bought the 2 nail-polishes and eyeliner on the left {spent $18} and got everything to the right for free! Yippee! A cute bag, 2 brush sets, compact, lipstick, polish, blush, 2 quad-eyeshadows, lip gloss duo, 2 eyeliner duos and mascara. Can't beat that.

All in all, I'd say Tuesday shopping was a great success, but it's a good thing this doesn't happen every Tuesday ;)

Love, Love.

Nail Obsession & Other Things

I've mentioned before how much I love to have "seasonal" toes, and I've now decided that I like to have festive fingers as well! Don't worry, I'm not getting little snowmen on my fingers or anything...at least not yet ;) Since glitter is all the rage this season, I had to get in on that action! Here's what I found: Pink Rockstar by Sally Hansen...

I layered it on top of a deep plum polish, and I love the result, so I just had to share!

And although I may not be getting snowmen on my fingers, I certainly have no qualms with getting ornaments on my toes! I'm cheesy. I'm okay with it.

In other, un-nail related, news...I'm graduating tomorrow! I'm sure most of you will be thankful for this, so I will QUIT complaining blogging about school/studying!

We're also doing "Christmas" with my family this weekend! I'm really excited but also kinda sad about it. I'm excited because HELLO?! Christmas if fun! But I'm kinda sad because this will be the first year in my entire life I won't see any of my immediate family on Christmas day.

Thank goodness for the Galusha's!! :)

And last, but certainly not least....we close on our NEW HOUSE on Monday!! Woohoo! Again, this is another bitter-sweet occasion. It is SO sweet because I (we!) LOVE our new house, and we will have plenty of room to grow in the future! It's going to be sad leaving "our first house" though. We got a contract on it yesterday, so it's starting to set in that we'll be leaving this adorable abode behind soon. Ahhh. I have to fight tears every time I pull into the driveway because I know it will be one of the last times I do so...why do I have to be so sentimental?! Rob thinks I'm a crazy person. Maybe he's right.

I'll be back to blog about all of these happenings soon :)

Have a great weekend, y'all!

GIVEAWAY!

Since it's "Cyber-Monday" I thought today would be the

perfect day to tell y'all about my second giveaway!

The kind people over at CSN Stores have offered up a

$35 gift-card/code to one of my lucky readers

...and just in time for Christmas shopping!

Here are just a few things I'd love to have from their stores...

new bedding!

Rachael Ray's lasagna dish...

and her "lazy spoons"...actually, I love everything in her line!

The possibilities are endless at CSN Stores!

To Enter:

1. Simply leave a comment (with your name, of course) - 1 entry

2. Become a follower (& let me know :))

OR

Let me know you already are a follower - 2 entries

3. Blog or tweet about this giveaway & leave the link in a comment - 3 entries

The giveaway will end Thursday, December 2 @ 11:59 p.m.,

and I will announce the winner Friday, December 3rd!

Good Luck

&

Thanks for playing along!

Saturday Ramblings

The Cooper Cougars won their first play-off game last night! We played Arlington Lamar on our home field and won 41-6!! We are excited to be Bi-District Champs and will be playing in round 2 Friday night against Amarillo Tascosa! The Coogs are rockin', and we could not be more proud! I love how excited Rob is right now; he told me last night that "this is the BEST time of the year!" It really is, babe!

There are plenty of reasons why this is the best time of the year! I love the anticipation and excitement for the holidays! The holiday Coffee-mates are out, and it's kinda silly how happy they make me! I'm like an old lady looking forward to coffee every chilly morning :)

Don't get me wrong, I love sweatpants & comfy jammies, but have y'all seen these things?! They look ridiculous...I can't imagine someone seriously wearing these out of the house. To each their own, I suppose.

I JUST discovered the loveliness that is Bath & Body Works wallflowers! They are awesome! I have creamy nutmeg in my house right now, and it smells like something is baking 24/7. I guess that could be good or bad...you decide. I think it's great.

One more ridiculous thing...this show. Bridal-Plasty. Why would we encourage cat-fights and nonsense all in the name of having head to toe plastic surgery? So stupid. It gets under my skin (no pun intended) every time I see the trailer for it.

And back to something happy: Cardi Uggs. I love 'em. So cozy!

I graduate in less than a month! Woohooooo! I can hardly wait.

All images via Google Images.

And last, but CERTAINLY not least, the kind people over at CSN stores have contacted me to do another fun giveaway! And just in time for Christmas shopping!! If you've ever looked at their site, you know that you can get ANYTHING over there....from bar tables and stools to baby gear to kitchen necessities! So stay tuned for that!

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Thank you ladies for your kind words & encouragement on my last post! I appreciate it more than you know! Y'all are awesome :)

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Happy Weekend!!

Gotta try it!

Have you seen this product by Sephora?

My mom saw it on the Today show recently and ordered both of us a tube. It is AMAZING! It's a make-up primer designed to camouflage fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tones. It seriously makes your skin look and feel like satin, and I really can tell a difference in mine and my mom's skin. It makes your make-up go on so smoothly and you don't need as much of it. I would definitely recommend trying this product!

My new BFF...

I was at HEB last week, and this little beauty popped right out at me from the bottom shelf...

Oh my goodness, I got ridiculously excited about it! I've already told everyone I know via Facebook & Twitter ;)

GF Bisquick gives me lots of possibilities to easily make things I've been missing.

I really love the flavors of fall, so of course pumpkin spice lattes are one of my faves!

Hubs got up before me Sunday morning and woke me up with one...such a sweetheart! I really love when he does stuff like that. I don't really care about getting flowers and jewelry, ((although I like both of those things too ;)) I just like to know I'm being thought of! He knows the way to my heart is through food and lattes...ha!

Anyway, tonight I decided to combine two delicious things...pumpkin spice lattes and pancakes! They turned out so good! I'll definitely be making these again soon! And you should too ;)

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Make plain pancakes following the recipe found on the back of your box of Bisquick.

Add to the plain batter:

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 (heaping) cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

Cook according to package directions & enjoy!

**The back of my Bisquick box makes about 10 pancakes, so if yours makes more, you'll probably want to add more sugar, spice & pumpkin puree**

I want.

Look at what my hubby put together for me last weekend...

A composter! I'm really excited about it! I've been wanting one for awhile, so Rob's grandparents got it for me for my birthday :) Hopefully I'll have some nice, organic soil for planting season next year!

Another thing that's been on my wish list are some tall, light brown leather, riding-style boots. I love to wear boots throughout fall/winter/early spring, so I'd like to add to my collection ;)

I'm thinking something like these...

love.

maybe a little too tall?

loving the studs.

love the color.

not crazy about the bulky buckle.

interesting heal.

all images found here.

So my question is, do you own a pair similar to these? Where did you get them? I'm pretty cheap, so I don't want to spend a ton, but I also know that quality costs. Help me out, girls! :) Please?

I'm loving the cooler temps we've had lately! It feels so good to be able to open the windows at night and actually wake up chilly. To celebrate fall's arrival, I made gluten-free pumpkin muffins tonight! I used this recipe, and they turned out SO yummy and moist. Mmmm.

I did make a few adjustments to the recipe though:

-I used an all-purpose GF flour mix (1.5 cups)

-I added about a 1/4 cup of extra sugar (the batter wasn't sweet enough to me)

-Squirted in about a Tbs. of honey

-I used only cinnamon & ginger because I didn't have pumpkin pie spice

my wrist looks weird.

Happy Hump Day, friends!