I'm going to take back what I said about the Chubby Sticks by Clinique. Ignoring the fact that it has a terrible name, and ignoring the fact that I still am not in love- I found mine and actually have been using it like a chap stick. It is semi moisturizing and the color is natural, although not long lasting. I change my review and give it 3/5 lippies. It still doesn't last and it is not as moisturizing as lip balm. Give me lip balm and give me lipstick!

God Has Blessed Me

Let me ask you if this ever happens to you:

Life gets a little busy. Maybe the kids get sick, the hubby gets crabby, you can't find your favorite jeans, and your best friend calls you and vents about her bad day. At the end of the week, you feel like you got hit by a bus. You're too afraid to go to date night because your body is tired.

Then it happens. Someone experiences something much worse. In my case, a dear friend lost an adult child. It's like a GIANT wake up call! The lord has reminded me how lucky I really am.

Who cares if my toddler daughters are fighting non stop? They are alive and well and I should be thanking my lucky stars.

Who cares if my hubby gets tired and crabby after a long day's work? The lord has blessed him with good work, a solid career, and a roof over our heads.

Who cares if a friendship becomes more needy than helpful? Friendship has it's ups and downs. I am blessed to have people that value my opinion.

Thank you lord, for opening my eyes. I am forever grateful for my christian husband and our family. I am forever thankful for our faith in Jesus.

This may not be about makeup... it's about much more.

Live your life to the fullest and be thankful!

Super Bowl 2012: Ranked #2 in eating after Thanksgiving

We are having a party at our house and I can't wait to eat the food! Should I try the artichoke dip first or the jimmy johns subs? We have various chocolate bars from award winning Linda's Bakery and chocolate chip cookies. Ultimate football food! Nothing too stuffy today. Just plain old good grub.

Cheers to you and your favorite team! Go Giants!!

Beautiful Mother of the Month: My Mom

The Ivy Spa: Minneapolis, a Disappointment

Bekah and I had the opportunity to go to the Ivy in November for another spa weekend. We were excited to go to Minneapolis's top rated spa. As far as the hotel went, it was GORGEOUS and contemporary. We stayed in a suite that was expensive and a little uninviting for my taste. But we were happy. Then we went to the spa and I had the worst massage of my life. The masseuse was awkward and kept the lights on the entire time. She rushed with the rubbing part and slapped lotion on my back. It was such a disappointment, I had to report to management. Ultimately, they credited us for the massage and ended up offering us a discount to come back. But I have not taken them up on the offer, simply because there are so many lovely spas who get it right.

Anyone else have a better experience? I'd love to hear about it. Comments are great!

Here is a picture of my manicured hand after the trip... my only lovely memory!

Clinique's Chubby Sticks

I just don't get it. It's like when they came out with chubby eye liners.. This really doesn't do anything. No color. No shine. No reason to purchase. Ever.

My Rating 1/5

I HEART Nick Arrojo!

This is a picture of me and my lovely friend Rebekah with the one and only NICK ARROJO! My hubby (bless his heart) surprised me for my 29th birthday and sent us lucky girls to NYC! Not only did he put us in an AMAZING suite on the 38th floor in the Mandarin Oriental, he sent us chocolate cake, champagne, and made hair cut appointments for us with Nick.

My hubby must be tired of watching TLC's What Not To Wear.

Anyway, Nick was so friendly! He is MUCH more handsome in person than he is on TV. He gave us great cuts, and took some serious time on our hair. He gave Bekah bangs and he gave me a cute bob. Each hair cut costed around $150. Pretty reasonable for him, IMO.

My husband tried to get us appointments with Carmindy, but she was out of town. Bummer!

Looking for a Hair Cure? Wen by Chaz Dean delivers!

You get for what you pay for. This is a REALLY awesome product! I love it, my husband loves it, my daughters ages 4 and 2 love it. (believe it or not my four year old has hair like an adult, and it leaves her thick hair slippery and tangle free)
This is so nice. I would have never tried it but I stayed at my SIL's and she had it in her shower. I was so excited to try it and was blown away by the result I got in just the first use. Loved it so much I bought it on QVC in the large gallon size.
This is my favorite beauty product of 2011.

My rating 5/5

Rimmel's Lasting Finish- Barely Lasting!

I'm going to spoil all the good reviews! Sorry but there is nothing lasting about Lasting Finish Foundation by Rimmel. Plus the warm ivory in 102 is too dark for my ivory skin. So the combination of the two equals a bad match for me.
While this is a thicker consistency, it does not cover as well as other similar drugstore formulas such as Revlon's Colorstay or even CG's clean makeup.

My rating 3/5

Clinique- Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad

I'm really becoming a Clinique Girl! Great combination of pinky browns. Love the shimmer in the pink and how all the colors gradually work together to make my blue eyes pop.

My rating 5/5

Blistex Complete Moisture

I own this in an updated version in a blue squeezable tube. I really like this during the winter and wear it underneath my lipstick or gloss. I like this MUCH better than Burt's Bees lip balm.

My Rating 4/5

Estee Lauder- Nutritious Vita-Mineral SPF 10

Purchased this at the end of the summer because my Double Wear was gettng too heavy.
There is nothing positive to say about this foundation.
I was matched the lightest shade, but it appeared to darken dramatically after wearing only an hour or two. Also started off looking cool but warmed up on my skin making my face appear pink.
The coverage was minimal.
If you are looking for light to medium coverage, I recommend the Double Wear Light. The color stays true. Double Wear is always good, but definitely more coverage.

Rating: 2/5

Clinique Brow Shaper

Love Love Love! Own this in 03 Wheat shade which matches my naturally blonde brows perfectly! I used to use a pencil, but I found this powder looks more natural and the brush that it comes with is VERY nice and handy.

My rating 5/5

What a great day!

So I'm really excited for a few reasons...

1. Lilly is finally wearing underwear out in public. ( No more diapers!)

2. I found a new favorite ice cream at my local co-op... Organic Blackberry by Alden's.

3. I used coupons

for the first time today!

4. I became a food co-op member.

So besides all of that running around today, I managed to take Lilly to the library and get a little one on one time. She used the potty (so exciting!!)

and then we picked up Sophie at her preschool.

Life is moving along so beautifully... I know this could be easily disturbed by sisterly fights and brother having hormonal crisis, but for now things are really feeling good.

I also did all the dishes and laundry and vacuumed. (GASP)

Here is a picture of what I bought at Walgreen's today with my coupons. I saved $20.

Cle de Peau Refining Fluid Foundation

Yes ladies, this is expensive and exclusive. You can only purchase it at Barneys or Neiman Marcus and I won't even tell you what this costs until the end of the review.

I read Dr. Phil's wife's book "55" and just loved it, even though I'm in my 20's. Robin McGraw is insightful and graceful, and let's face it she looks AMAZING for her age. She says she owes that to excercise and healthy eating habits, but she also recommends a few beauty products. One of them is Cle de Peau cosmetics. Yes, they are very very pricey. I am sure L'Oreal makes just as good quality products. BUT I love this foundation. It makes my skin dewy, fresh and smooth. It has reflecting qualities that really help add a glow to your skin. It's thickness is in between a tinted moisturizer and a medium coverage foundation. It will cover imperfections. It will come with an SPF 24. It will cost you around $120. YES I typed it correctly!! If your wallet can't meet that need, I recommend L'Oreal Visible Lift Foundation for only $18, a very nice foundation that I will be posting about soon!

What to do with all the Easter Candy?

My Tips Following Easter

Tonight, now that the kids are in bed and have enjoyed eating their Easter goodies, place all the candy in ziploc baggies and name them per child. Place candy away in food pantry.
Tomorrow as the children ask for candy, allow them to enjoy a piece before or after school or both.

Over the course of a couple of days the children will forget about the candy. Throw it away!! A healthy family is a happy family. Do not feel guilty, either. If the kids complain explain to them that it is unhealthy to eat chocolates and candies every day, and plus if we did Easter wouldn't be so special!

Happy Easter!

Spring Cleaning Pics!

After...

And Before....

Guess my office really needed it!

My Children are Sick but I'm Staying Motivated

On Friday my baby girl got a fever and it continued through the weekend. Now my 3 year old daughter has a fever as well, so far no vomiting thank goodness!

We all are just a little under the weather here! The house is quiet which is a nice change. I know I should be cooking or cleaning, but it has been near impossible to do. I did do the dishes this morning, only to find new dishes in the sink by noon. :(

Sometimes I feel I will never catch up! My office has looked like a bomb went off in it since February. It is the last room that gets cleaned in the house. Clearly, I need a new plan. My closet is in serious need for organization, again I seriously need a new plan. I purchased new books on fashion and organization and all it was was a procrastination technique. I thought I was being smart but all I was doing was buying time.

I guess I need to start small and make a few goals to stick to. My goals are to: Finish my closet and work for a few hours on the office. I will upload before and after photos!

Cheers,

Rebecca

Masters to Men as Housewives to Women?

Don't pretend like you haven't watched them. You know who I'm talking about! Those women who call themselves "Real Housewives" even though they really resemble aliens. And they act like them too. The more ridiculous they get, the more we can't possibly shift our eyes away.

Meanwhile, our men are watching golf five days straight as they contemplate if Tiger will reinvent himself or remain under the loser category. Sure, we may get frustrated with our husbands for their pure obsession with ESPN, including and not limited to endless NFL games. And let's not forget we just got over March Madness. Yet, I am so proud of my husband because at least you can look at these athletes with respect. Maybe not for Tiger, but even he is wearing a nice polo shirt and smiles with respect, which we cannot say for virtually any of the "Real Housewives".

Bravo makes it so easy for us to get hooked on the sleezy show. All you have to do is tune in on a Sunday and you can get caught up on all drama in about a couple of hours. YIKES! Why do I waste my time watching this trash? I'm supposed to be a mother and a role model, but sometimes it's fun to watch a little junk just to feel like a normal woman. It's the same reason why I go for the People magazine while getting a pedicure. Sure, I'm bored, but more importantly I'm looking for an escape. Now, I don't think that this is too terrible, as long as we as women are real with ourselves and know that THIS ISN'T REAL LIFE! These women actually are miserable and alone. They are hell bent on showing their assets to everyone when in fact all they want is love and acceptance. Don't we all?

My girls are toddlers now, but soon they will be well aware of shows like Housewives. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it, but I know it's my job to explain to them that these women are not something I'm modeling after. I hope by my representation they will be able to see that. Maybe I'm an optimist, but my prediction is that America will get real sick of reality TV. It's a joke and while amusing, at the end of the day it is garbage. I do believe we are what we think, and as women we need to shift our focus to something healthy and positive. What can replace the activity, you ask? How about getting on the ground and playing with my beautiful children. Who knows, maybe I'll learn a thing or two from real women I call my daughters.