Sunday, December 30, 2012

Sunday Snapshot: Toddler activity: paint your own magnets

0 comments
One of the things I got Brayden for Christmas is something I just stumbled onto in Walmart. It's a paint your own magnet kit. It comes with paint, a brush and six ceramic animal magnets. I'm sure you could make your own ceramic magnets but I think it may cost more than the kit plus it's much easier. The kit only costs $5 so, I got it for him and a couple days ago I let him paint the magnets. He LOVED painting them. They also dried very quickly so he got to put them on the fridge within an hour. I am going to be on the lookout for more fun kits like this or more activities like this. Stay tuned for those. ;)

REPIN THIS.












Ni Hao Yall

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Paula's Choice skin care review!

0 comments
Since being pregnant I still have crazy hormones running through my body and inevitably messing with my skin. Paula's Choice is a company that contacted me about their skin care and make up line.

Paula Begoun is the founder and innovative force behind Paula's Choice skin care and cosmetics. She is the author of 20 best-selling books on skin care, makeup, and hair care including: Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, The Original Beauty Bible, Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal (out of print) and Don't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me (out of print). Paula's books have sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide. Each member of her  Research Team is personally trained by Paula to honestly and scientifically analyze thousands of product formulations. The team is dedicated to helping you find the absolute best products for your skin. The Paula’s Choice Research Team is the resourceful and dynamic group behind CosmeticsCop.com. All of their products are clinically proven non-irritating and not tested on animals.



What I thought:

Lip Exfoliant: This is like a micro scrub for your lips. It's perfect for those who get chapped lips. I don't but I do some times chew at my lip when I'm bored/nervous. The scrub gets rid of all the dead skin and makes your lips really smooth. I really like it. I use it every time my lips feel rough.

Anti-Feather Lip Liner: This is colorless lip liner. It forms an invisible border around your mouth to prevent lipstick bleeding or feathering into lines. It's one of Paula's secrets to long-wearing lip color. It definitely works! I put on a light pink lipstick. It didn't bleed or run at all. I also love that it's a twist-up, retractable pencil so it never needs sharpening.

RESIST BHA 9 for Stubborn Imperfections: This is a gel that works on ALL types of imperfections! This is includes acne breakouts, anti-aging, blackheads, brown spots, enlarged pores, Keratosis Pilaris, redness, Rosacea, clogged pores, enlarged pores, white bumps (milia), flesh-colored bumps (sebaceous hyperplasia), redness, rough/dry/flaky skin, marks from past breakouts and wrinkles. I really liked this gel. It absorbed into my skin perfectly. I have blackheads on the tip of my nose and they have reduce greatly in amount since using Paula's Choice products. The only complaint I have with this product is that you have to get a full pump of the gel. You can't get any less than that so, it's hard to just treat certain spots.

Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel: This gel is effective for acne breakouts, anti-aging, blackheads, enlarged pores, and wrinkles. It stimulates collagen, refines pore size, reduces wrinkles on face & eye area. It says it hydrates without feeling greasy or slick. Now it did make my face feel a little greasy. It felt like my skin didn't absorb it all. Perhaps I use too much. It has anti-irritants reduce redness and signs of Rosacea. The antioxidants help repair damage and stimulate collagen production. It's ideal for use around the eyes so, no need for a separate eye cream. I am absolutely amazed by all that this gel can do. Wow!

Shine Stopper Instant Matte Finish with Microsponge® Technology: This products controls oil, minimizes the appearance of pores  and keeps skin perfectly matte for at least 6 hours. This is perfect for people with very oily skin. It leaves a silky, powder-soft finish, smooths minor skin imperfections and increases makeup's staying power. I don't have oily skin but I do live in South East Georgia, 3 miles from Florida so it's very humid here. Yes, it's even hot/humid some times in December. I also work as a server so I am always running around, and lately, next to a fireplace. My face tends to get sweaty and red. The shine stopper completely stopped that from happening. My skin stayed perfectly matte. This is my favorite product out of all them. Amazing! 

CLEAR blemish control kit: This is a skin care system that reduces breakouts, unclogs pores and
calms redness. I really liked this system! It made my skin feel smooth and clean. It reduced a breakout of little bumps that I had on my chin. 

Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant: This creates an even tone while getting rid of blemishes. This product dried my skin out. I think the strength was too strong for my skin. My skin isn't oily at all and it's not dry/flaky. I have good skin with an occasional break out. This made my skin dry and itchy. I think this product would work perfectly on those with oily or combination skin. I think the 1% would be better for my face.

Great Big Lashes Mascara: I hate to say it because I love all of their other products but I am not a fan of this mascara. It says it doesn't clump but mine did. I tried to do two layers on my lashes and all of my lashes stuck together. I cleaned the make up off and tried only one layer. It was better but still not what I expected. It also stayed wet for a little bit. I blinked too hard and it went onto my face.

 Me wearing no other make up than the mascara and I used the skin care products.



You can find them on Facebook and Twitter!

*Disclaimer* I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Your experience with the product may differ from mine.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas 2012!

0 comments
Hey, everyone! We hope you had a great Christmas/holiday season like we did! We had Christmas at 4 places (my mother-in-laws on Christmas Eve, and one Christmas day: our house, my father-in-laws house, then, my mom's house). So, needless to say this post will be very photo heavy! ;) 

MIL's:

 Brayden's uncle Jonathan. 






 His comforter for his twin bed he will have soon.


 Playing with his grandma's presents.

 Linc's first gift.

 Cassandra. I made everyone with dogs dog treats.





 Jonathan and Patience.

Our house:

Our baby's first Christmas!




 I think his Lego Duplo blocks are his favorite gift. He loves building.

My FILS:
 Rj had to "polar plunge" before getting his gift.




 We didn't stay too long because Brayden got INSANELY grumpy so, we headed to my mom's. He calmed down in the car.

My mom's:


 He said "WOW! Car!"


 Aw, Linc's stuff.
 A photo album with lots of pictures of all of us. :) Next to me is a hat my sister crocheted. She's amazing at it. She made a hat for both boys. 

 Grandma made him cupcakes. His favorite!

 Our card. 
 Sleepy butt.



We had a long but great day. We hung out a lot, watched tv/some holiday shows and enjoyed our family. Then, we came home and watched Brave (a movie we got for B). It was an amazing holiday. I hope you guys had an great day too!