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Morning Beauty Routine
I am a natural and simplistic mama. I don’t have a lot of time…well maybe I do…but, I just don’t care to spend a lot of time on my looks in the morning. I have super sensitive skin and it doesn’t help that I have been diagnosed with KP (Keratosis Pilaris). I can’t tell you how many times a week I hear, ‘hey, did you know you have a rash.’ It’s extremely aggravating. P.S. I am still on the hunt for the best product to help defeat my KP. But, since I do have sensitive skin, I need to be mindful of what I am using. Here are a few of the products that I use on a day-to-day
basis :Acure – Brightening Day Cream (Affiliate Link: I do have an affiliate agreement with Target, meaning I do receive money if you choose to purchase the product via the link, at no extra cost to you!) I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this cream. First, I love the fact that it’s cruelty-free and sulfate-free. Secondly, I have been using this cream for about 3 months now and I can definitely tell the difference. It has made my skin softer and younger-looking. Although it doesn’t quite help with the wrinkles, it does work well in giving my skin a younger appearance. I have blotchy dark patches so this has helped even out my skin tone a bit. My skin is more on the dry side so using the Day Cream alone doesn’t work for me. In addition to the Day Cream, I use:
Acure – Seriously Soothing Cloud Cream (Affiliate Link: I do have an affiliate agreement with Target, meaning I do receive money if you choose to purchase the product via the link, at no extra cost to you!) Like all Acure products, they are cruelty-free, sulfate-free, and paraben-free. I’ll be honest, at first, I didn’t realize this was a ‘night’ cream. I mean, I guess it makes sense…Cloud Cream. I only use this in the morning, along with the Brightening Day Cream. This provides the additional moisture my skin needs. With this product, I have noticed…a little goes a long way. I try to only use a dime-size amount or I have noticed that I tend to break out a little.
Acure – Seriously Soothing Eye Serum (Affiliate Link: I do have an affiliate agreement with Target, meaning I do receive money if you choose to purchase the product via the link, at no extra cost to you!) Well, let’s see…I am a mom, enough said. I am overly tired and bags under my eyes were a thing prior to using this product. I am in love with this product. It has dramatically reduced the appearance of bags under my eyes. At times, though, clumps of the serum come out at a time. It seems as though, no matter if I thought I got it all rubbed in, it still leaves crusties on the corners of your eyes.
R+Co – SAIL Soft Wave Spray (Although I have no affiliation with R+Co, I did provide the link). Let me just start by saying that I am super lazy when it comes to hair. I have natural wavy/curly hair. At times it looks like a bird’s nest, no joke! This product does not require a lot of effort. After washing and brushing my hair, I spray this in and scrunch up my hair a little…and that’s it! Nothing else, I do not blow dry/diffuse my hair. I let it dry naturally. Now that the humidity is coming to end for the season, this product is definitely one that I use everyday!
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Week One Update…
Sorry, I am a little late with posting my update. I haven’t found the right words to express my frustration. I thought since I would be jobless after 10/9 that I could focus on me more. I will say though, my heart rate has gone down significantly since my last day
of employment! I need to be honest with myself and stop making excuses so here it goes…10/7/19 – Weighed in at 171.7 lbs. I didn’t have a plan set in place, which is where I think I went wrong.
10/14/19 – weighed in at 175.0 lbs. Yep, you read that right…175! A gain of 3.3 lbs., all in a week’s time. I increased my physical activity but I wasn’t as cautious about the foods I was putting into my body. That’s what I am focusing on this week. Watching what and how much I eat. I am going to try and incorporate more vegetables and protein and fewer carbs. I have a FitBit Versa and that has helped me in staying physically active every day. My daughter and I have a Workweek Hustle going on this week. Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.
A friend of mine sent a picture of my husband and me from almost a month ago. That was definitely a reminder of how much weight I have gained…and the sad part is since that picture was taken, I have probably gained another 5lbs. Seriously though…no more excuses! I could come up with at least 12 of them, but I won’t! Please send some good vibes for the upcoming week đ
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Let’s talk about weight loss
I never realized how impossible it would be to lose weight after having a baby in your 30s. I had my first child when I was in my early 20s. I had no issues losing weight after I had her. But damn…the second time around is different. Does your metabolism really slow down that much after you hit 30? Or is it that we are too tired to do anything? Having a baby after 30 was rough, not only mentally but physically. I have tried almost every new fad and/or diet out there. I know what I need to do, just trying to find the motivation to do it, that’s the problem I am having. I am also extremely cheap and can’t stand to pay any money for someone to tell me what to do. And let’s talk about how easy it is for men to lose weight. They stop drinking beer and eat healthy for like a week and lose pounds…whereas women just look at a candy bar and instantly gain weight. Women have to work so much harder to get the same results, it’s not fair at all. I am tired of wearing black pants and hooded sweatshirts, just to feel semi-comfortable in my own clothes.
What? I didn’t know I was pregnant again, lol…J/K 
Short and stocky…thanks Dad đ Why is that I feel guilty for by working out, for spending time on myself? But honestly, I would rather be spending time with kids, then working out. The truth is though…if I don’t start taking the time to invest in my health I probably won’t have as much time with them as I would like. It is so heartbreaking to think about. Seriously, I want to be here for my kids…and myself. I need to do this and I can! Coming soon…a week by week of my weight loss journey!
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Letâs be honest…Aging sucks!
All women carry a pair of tweezers in their purse to pluck those annoying black hairs that you can only see in the sunlight! But why is it that I’ve only noticed that since I have gotten older? Is this really an aging thing?
I can tell you what are signs of aging…let’s start with the undeniable gray hairs. Gray hairs and dark hair don’t mix well together when you are trying to “look” younger than your true age. I try to get my hair colored professionally every 8 weeks by my wonderful hairdresser Randi (follow her on Instagram at randiwisecarver), but 8 weeks is a stretch. I have even started to wash my hair every other day to make the color last longer…but I’ll be honest with you, I am not a fan of the dry shampoo. So after 2 weeks I start washing it everyday. It gets super greasy, no matter how much dry shampoo I use…I now am to the point where I color it myself about 4 weeks later. Yes Randi, with an over the counter box…sorry, but I just have to! I can’t afford to get my hair colored every 4 weeks…that…and I am not sure I want to submit my hair to all those chemicals! Baseball hats and the color coverup spray are my life savers!
Now let’s talk about those wrinkles. No joke a couple of months ago I just noticed the wrinkles on my forehead. Not just the ones that are there when you wrinkle up your nose, the ones that are there to stay…forever. But anyways, between the bad lighting and we’ll say state of denial…I legitimately thought I had a bruise on my forehead. I asked my son if it looked like a bruise. He assured me it was not a bruise, but just wrinkles. Thanks for the brutal honesty. The very next day I did lots of research. I ended up buying some firming cream from Amazon. Here is the link Fresh Black Tea Firming Corset Cream. (I HAVE NO AFFILIATION AND WILL NOT GET PAID IF YOU OPT TO PURCHASE FROM THE LINK). have super sensitive skin so I am always reluctant to spend a ton of money on face creams, especially $95.00!!!! I only use this at night and so far I have not been disappointed. I never broke out once! This stuff has definitely helped the fine lines from getting worse. It also has helped smooth out the fine lines that were previously there! You can see a few lines…which I am okay with đ
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I am someone who canât wait to…
Start my new adventures (whatever they may be). I was recently âlaidâ off. My last day is Oct. 9th…and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for me.
I am a strong advocate for helpless, innocent children and animals. I am highly considering creating a non-profit organization. This organization would accept donations to supply the first responders with items needed to tend for children/animals that they come across on their day to day calls. Anything from books, toys, blankets, clothes, leashes, collars, etc. I cannot wait to start this new adventure and offer our first responders the ability to care for the immediate needs of the innocent. Stayed tuned for more info…đ
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Death sucks
I lost my dad 2 years ago this June. He had been sick for about 6 months before he passed away. He was diabetic, fighting a nasty infection, and just had a below the knee amputation. He had a lot going against him so I knew he had probably less than a year left with us. I was never expecting him to leave us without final goodbyes. Death sucks no matter the circumstances, but I feel like when it happens unexpectedly, it makes you appreciate life more and not to take things for granted. To always say âI love youâ to your loved ones. Never go to bed angry…live life to the fullest…and make bountiful memories. As I am sitting here writing this, we are watching one of his favorite movies, âSpaceballsâ. I have a new found love for this movie, thanks to my dad! Missing him isnât the problem…itâs knowing that he will never come back thatâs killing me.
The hardest part of all of this is trying to explain to my kids that he isnât coming back…but on the same hand trying to have them understand that he will always be with us. My six year old son is struggling with this. Some nights he cries himself to sleep because he misses his grandpa. Almost daily he talks about how much he misses him. Breaks my heart…but some of the stuff he says makes me laugh. A couple of weeks ago, he and another boy (whom he had just met seconds before) were talking about bugs as they were walking. Out of nowhere, my son tells this kid that his grandpa died because he ate too much pepper and had to have his leg cut off. Pepper, really?!? Lol, I mean he did eat a lot pepper. He would put pepper on anything and everything! But that definitely didnât cause his death. It made me laugh but also broke my heart because it was seriously out of nowhere that he said this. It just made me think…how often does he really think of his grandpa.
My son is the young one wearing the bright green shirt and rain boots. My daughter is the one…well…the only girl in the picture đ We had my dad cremated. At that time I had 2 necklaces made for my daughter and I.
Glass blown necklace with some of my Dadâs ashes I wasnât sure what to do for my son until just recently! Unfortunately my mom didnât keep much of his shirts, but I was able to find some fabric and a shirt that represents him. I cannot wait to see it finished, but most importantly I hope my son finds comfort in it! Stayed tuned for an update of the final product!
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I am someone who loves…
Spending as much time with my kids as I can. I want them to know what unconditional love is. I want them to know itâs okay to be different, itâs okay to be yourself.
I am someone who loves to make memories!
Oh and I am also someone who loves pizza, Mexican food, and good music đ
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I am someone who hates…
Spiders! Absolutely hates them. I am one of those that will scream while trying to kill one, thatâs if I canât find anybody to kill it for me. I don’t like spiders, no matter the size. I am all for animal rights, except when it comes to those 8 legged creatures…or how many ever legs they have and their buggy eyes. Just talking about it makes me feel all itchy and like I need to take a shower. If you are my insurance agent, and you are reading this…it wasn’t me. I didn’t burn down my house because of a spider đ
Now was not the time for this asshole to make an appearance…didnât he know that I was in the middle of school pick up. As soon as we got in the car, I told the kids to buckle up because I will go fast in hopes that it would fly off. Well letâs just say that didnât work as planned. Only can go so fast when you have to drive 10 blocks in a school zone to pick up your other kid from another school. As I was in the pick up lane at my daughters school, this guy decided to jump from my review mirror to my windshield. I tried to spray it but it was smarter than I thought because it kept moving. Now I canât find it. Guess I wonât be parking my car in the garage!
On a more serious note (not that a spider apocalypse isn’t important), but working outside the home has made me realize how much I hate poor leadership within a company. Leaders are supposed to coach you, inspire you, develop you. They should want you to succeed. Poor leadership definitely damages the overall success of a company. I have seen my fair share of this, unfortunately. Good ole’ corporate life…NOT.
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Baseball Life
Well fall baseball season is amongst us. Every Saturday will be spent at the ball park. Not too mention college football season is here. The sacrifices we make for our kids, lol. Wouldn’t have it any other way! Can’t wait to watch my kiddos play. So…I have two kids, both who play baseball. My son is six years old and my daughter is thirteen, yup…I said daughter!!! My daughter has been playing baseball, not softball, for about 5 years now. She loves it! The team and parents have been super welcoming to having a girl on the team. I happened to catch some of the Little League Series and noticed there were some girl baseball players, it was awesome to see! Girl Power!!
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Labor Day Weekend
I was talking to my son about the things we were going to do over Labor Day weekend, he said we won’t do any of it because “everyone will be in labor”. Love the mind of six year olds, cracks me up! Hubby and I went out for a date night, got in some good laughs. That was much needed! We did a movie night outside…and…um why didn’t I use bug spray?! I have 22 bug bites between the back of my thighs, butt cheeks and butt CRACK! Talk about uncomfortable. We got in a quick trip in to the Wild Life Safari. Always a good time! Hit up a winery….yummy! Then topped it off with sitting in the exhausting heat watching the final game of our MILB baseball team! Couldn’t have asked for a better weekend!
