I've been thinking lately about some favorite things I use and I wanted to share them on my blog. I've seen a lot of people do videos about favorites or blog posts so I thought why not! Here are a few items I'm loving right now. They range from beauty items, baby items, apps...a little mix of everything.
Hope in a Jar by Philosophy
This stuff has worked wonders on my face! It is a little pricey, $40 but I think it's worth every penny. I was nervous about using it because I've always heard never to mix facial products (I wash my face with an Olay face wash) and whether or not that's true I'll never know but what I do know is that for me that rumor isn't true. I wash my face then put on an under eye cream and lastly use the hope in a jar. It's the right amount of moisture my face needs. My t-zone is usually very dry so whenever I would put an all over foundation on my face it would flake off in those areas and that got old. So I got a sample of hope in a jar and started using it. I noticed a difference within a week. My skin felt smoother, my t-zone had just enough oil in it to keep it moisturized through out the day and it went on really light so I didn't feel like I was wearing a heavy lotion on my face. I love it! The sample has actually lasted me a few months so when it's gone I will be out right away buying a new jar!
Clinique Even Better Foundation
I've used this only a few times but enough to know that it makes a difference in the way my skin looks. The point of this foundation is that over time it makes your skin "even better." The more you wear it the less you will eventually need to wear it. I actually don't wear foundation a lot anyway so I'm not sure if that benefit will ever help me but when I've worn it I've noticed how it covers red areas on my face really well and how it doesn't make my face look caked with make up. It goes on light and stays on. Like I said, I don't wear foundation every day but every time I put this on I wonder why I don't use it every day, it's great!
Erase Paste by Benefit
I use this concealer under my eyes and on any spots I may have and it works amazing. Most days this is all I use on my face and I love the way it works. I also love that I don't have to use much to get the coverage I want and I feel like the little jar of it I have will last me a long time. I don't have a ton to say about this except that I heard it was good and I bought it and I'm really glad I did!
Moby Wrap
This picture was taken offline...no, it's not me. Anyway, this thing is amazing and I'm sure any mom that has one out there can testify to that! I went for a walk tonight and had my son all wrapped up in it and it was great. I got my walk in, he slept and we were both happy. I had a couple come up to me when we were leaving and asked me about it. I told them it's $50 but totally worth it. I'm able to get things done around the house, I'm able to pay attention to my daughter, go on walks, it helps if he gets cranky, it just works! I told the couple I highly recommend they get one because it makes things easier. It does get a little warm but I don't think it's unbearable.
MyFitnessPal App
I am loving this app! I've had it for years but I'm finally using it. I can honestly say I've used it for a week straight. Counting calories and remembering to put them in can be tough but this app is great. It has a bar code scanner so you can scan whatever you may be eating if you can't find it but they do have a lot to choose from. I went to Sake for lunch today and they actually had my meal in there and I was able to record what I ate and the calories I had. I'm not allowed to exercise for another few weeks so I figured I would keep track of my calories and get started with that healthy habit because really, eating bad is my downfall when it comes to wanting to lose weight. The app is free so it's perfect and once you get it, find me! Meremannier is my username. I'd love to have the accountability!
Caroline G Shop Necklaces
I am obsessed with these Bubble Necklaces. I was reading a blog one day and the girl mentioned wanting a bubble statement necklace from J. Crew. I loved the look and went to the website...yeah, they were $180. I thought, nope, no way will I ever get that. I then ran across Caroline G. Shop and I've loved every necklace I've got and the prices are perfect! I have the one pictured above (grey), I have black and coral and then I have a white three stone and a mint three stone. These necklaces are great for dressing up any outfit. I'm not a huge jewelry fan but I love having these necklaces. She has other colors, other necklace types and earrings and even hair accessories. You have to check her out, she's got amazing things! I'm fairly certain she makes them all herself and she is always sending out Facebook deals so you should grab those up whenever you can. She's also really great with customer service. I've never had an issue with delivery or ordering and when you have a question she is quick to reply. Check her out at www.carolinegshop.com and find her on Facebook too! You won't regret having one of these necklaces or six!
So there ya have it...just some items I'm loving at the moment. I'm sure there are more but I won't overwhelm you all today. I will save it for next month's favorites blog.
*I was not compensated in any way by any of these companies and these are solely my opinions. I just love these products and hope you will too!
I can officially say I am a stay at home mom. After my maternity through work is over I won't be returning. It's bittersweet actually. I was all set to lose my job in January but my boss at the time worked things out for me to stay until the baby came and even gave me maternity, after these 8 weeks are over, I won't have a job to return to. I worked there for 7 years and it was a great job...I definitely had the Lord's favor at that place. So here begins a new chapter...hence the name of my blog! Also, since I last wrote my husband passed his nursing boards exam and is on his way to finding a job! I'm so proud of him!
I've wanted to be a stay at home mom for as long as I can remember and it's finally happening but let me tell ya...it's not easy. I think anyone that's done it can attest to that. Taking care of just my daughter was, obviously, never bad but now throw a newborn into the mix and things are getting crazy! My son is great...he sleeps a lot which is helpful but he does most of his sleeping during the day so my husband and I are up every two hours with him at night...he does fall right back to sleep which is nice, my daughter used to stay up after she was fed and it took awhile to get her to fall back to sleep. I know I probably should work on getting my son to sleep less during the day but it's nice to be able to spend some time with my daughter so she doesn't get jealous. I'm working on the whole dividing up my time thing...I don't know how people do it!! The other night I put my daughter to bed and she was screaming crying for water or something and my son was screaming crying too...someone has to wait but it breaks my heart to hear it! I finally got it figured out but goodness...it was pretty intense for a few minutes there.
My son will be two weeks old on Wednesday and so far I've not met any goals that I've set for myself. I didn't really expect to yet, I'm still trying to figure things out so it's safe to say my goals are on hold. I did work on setting up routines for the kids. His routine is simple...eat every 2-3 hours, sleep, change diapers, bath every other day...nothing special for him but my daughter on the other hand has a whole new daily routine. Her TV time has been drastically reduced. She only gets to watch a movie or her shows for about an hour and a half...still may seem like a lot to some people, I don't know...she was watching TV or movies all day so I think it's pretty good she's down to that amount. Most of the day we watch "Mommy's shows" as she calls it (Price is Right, the news, HGTV...the usual stuff!) and she plays. After breakfast I try to get playing time in with her because my son usually sleeps so I'm able to get the time with her. Night time is more tough because he's more awake and she is starting to get antsy. We usually play outside or walk if it's nice or try to keep her entertained with her books and such inside. Then of course it's bath time and bed time...my daughter could stay up all hours of the night and still wake up at 7:30...I don't know how she does it but I'm at least getting her to bed by 8:30 so she gets some good sleep in...she was going to bed about 9, 9:30 but I need to get things done and get some sleep in now before my son wakes up for his midnight feeding. All in all I'm pretty excited for these routines. I guess that's one goal I can cross off my list.
I'm down to my pre pregnancy weight already....but before anyone cheers that's not really anything to be excited about. I didn't gain as much with this baby as I did my first plus I am pretty sure I was mostly baby this time...that helps but I have a long way to go in the weight department. I'm going to the store tonight and getting some healthier options for breakfasts and lunches so I can get started on eating right...I can't exercise yet except for walking but I need to start doing something. I'm also going to try giving up pop and only drink water or milk...don't hold me to it, I mean I guess you can but again I'm not shouting it to the world this time when it comes to weight loss. I want to do it the right way and make lifestyle changes. I'm sure I will slip up but as I said before the good thing is is that this blog is more than weight loss so I don't feel obligated to share every fact. Just wish me luck as I'm sure all us new moms want nothing more than to have our bodies into shape.
I'm excited for the new journey I've started. It's been a little rough but it's only been two weeks so I can't get too down on myself plus I have loads of help which makes things better. I love my kids and it's going to be fun to see how things change in the next few weeks and months...here's to achieving more goals!
