Just Life

I know I have a couple of regulars who check here every now and then, but I don't really post that much. So, this one is for you! (And hello to some of you who may have wandered from my home building posts.) Warning: this is a pretty random post.

--Our lives are pretty stable right now. Carter is playing youth sports, Sadie is going to start her first dance lessons, and I'm still working full-time.

--Graham has been working hard on a project at work. In fact, he recently got a huge bonus for his hard work. He is applying for a new position that will allow him to work on this project long-term (fingers crossed).

--Yeah, that huge bonus I mentioned? Spent. We just bought Leaf Guard gutters. That is expenssssive. But, where we live with all the trees and rain--we needed them desperately.

--I'll do an update on our new house, but I do have one recommendation: don't get Samsung appliances. Our dishwasher was already replaced in less than one year.

--Social anxiety. Do you have it? I do, and always have. I could literally write a whole blog post about this...

Using technology makes it better, but I can sit and analyze every comment and text message that I have written for hours. I will also STILL cringe about things that I have said over a decade ago. I not only replay past conversations in my head, but I will constantly prepare myself for future conversations and think of multiple scenarios and possible things to say in every day life. It's mentally exhausting thinking of every thing a person might say and what I would say in response, but hey.. that's what social anxiety is to me.

--Does this give me mom butt? I bought a new pair of pants and literally stared at my butt in the mirror for about 10 minutes. Normally I can make up my mind pretty quick, but this pair of pants had me stumped. I had to wait until Graham got home to help me decide. Seeing that my age is creeping up closer to 40, I must avoid mom butt as much as possible.

--Workouts and exercise. I'm on the "don't miss a day" schedule. Even when I was sick, I got my butt up at 5:30 AM and exercised. It's one of the beauties of working out at home. I also did a barre-style workout one day at work. I thought it wouldn't be too noticeable, but I was freaking sweaty by the time I was done. I am feeling good because I can finally fit into my pre-Sadie pants (my pre-Carter pants are too big). I can also feel and see some good muscle changes happening in my legs, booty, and arms from adding more barre workouts in my life.

Anyways, here's my most recent progress pictures (comparing April to August):

Look, a little bit of muscle definition!

--Youth sports. Carter is playing soccer again. He is somewhat athletic, but he is not aggressive. He is learning some skills, but you can't teach someone how to be aggressive. I just don't foresee team sports like this in his future. We tried gymnastics, and while he is athletic and could hold a handstand longer than any boy or girl in the class, he could still barely do a cartwheel after 4-5 months. So, we will try taekwondo and maybe even rock climbing at the local Y when soccer is done...

--Lash extensions. I have had them sporadically in the past, but they cost too much to maintain. I love the convenience of waking up and looking good, but I didn't have the extra money to keep it up. However, this summer, I decided to try them again. I found a good deal on Groupon, and I've been getting them filled every 3 weeks. I love the length and look of them, but with my makeup addiction, I find them to be annoying. My eyeliner and eye shadow both get gunked up in the lashes. So, if you are an eye shadow addict like me, lash extensions may not be for you.

--Makeup. My purchases have slowed down a lot. I have too many eyeshadows to use them all in a realistic time frame. I keep up on my standard products, such as foundation, powders, etc, and I've invested in a couple more items that I love. If you want an update on my favorite makeup products, let me know.

FabFitFun Summer 2014 Review + $15 Coupon Code

So I've tried only two subscription boxes before: Birchbox and StitchFix (see my old reviews here). I've seen other lifestyle boxes before, like Wantables, PopSugar Must Have, Fancy Box, etc, so I wanted to try one out. You can almost always find coupon codes online, making these pretty affordable (Birchbox is only $8-10/month, depending on your coupon). You can try new stuff and feel like you're getting a present in the mail. I love that!

Anyways, I decided to try FabFitFun VIP out. It's a quarterly box, meaning you receive a new box every season. If you get a coupon code, it makes the box about $35, which is less than $12/month. You receive full-sized items in the fitness, beauty, and lifestyle arena.

Spoiler Alert: 

This is what I received this month (here's a link with a list of all the received items):

They say this box is valued at over $225, but that all depends on how you, as the consumer, would value these items. For example, the Thursday Friday canvas clutch is valued at $35, but I honestly wouldn't buy it at all. I don't know who I'd even give this to, other than my 12 year-old niece. Who wants a clutch with a picture of a cuter purse on it?! Anyways, this is now my new bag for makeup samples I haven't used yet (i.e. it's hidden away in my bathroom where nobody can see it). UPDATE: Someone on Instagram saw my picture and wanted to buy my bag. Score! She paid $10 minus shipping, so that made my box even more worthit!

The big ticket items were the clutch (which, I'm sorry, is kind of fugly), a flash facial exfoliator, and a moisturizer with 30 SPF. I was really excited about the exfoliator, which is reported to have $95 value (again, there is no way I would pay that for anything beauty-related). I tried it last night--I didn't really notice a huge difference, but then again, my face isn't as dry as it normally is. I'm sure this will do good for my skin in the winter. I used the moisturizer this morning. It's nice to have one with 30 SPF, but the consistency and smell of the formula reminded me of the normal Coppertone sunscreen lotion. Maybe it was just me thinking about the SPF.

The other smaller, un-sponsored items included nail polish, a water infuser bottle, popchips, and hair oil. The nail polish color is kind of a orange, pinky-red, so it'll be fun for summer. I'm going to use the water bottle today at work, and I used the hair oil this morning. We'll see if it does anything for my frizz. I ate the popchips last night. I've eaten them a couple of times at work. Meh, nothing special.

Also, there's flavored chapstick with complementary flavors (I received lemonade and strawberry) called KissTix. I would be excited about that if I were like 10 years-old. I made my husband try them last night and he was like, what the hell are you doing? He was obviously less than thrilled about it, although he was a little disappointed to find out I was kissing him just to try out the chapstick.

The big stink about this box is the presence of three sponsored items: pantyliners, shaving cream, and a slimfast bar. They do this to cover some costs of the box, so I understand that, but really.. pantyliners?! There is nothing fab fit or fun about pantyliners (or shaving cream for that matter)! If I don't want to use these items, however, I'll just donate them to a women's shelter. I ate the slimfast bar this morning. I used to eat the chocolate ones, and yuck.. I can't believe I used to do that. They are so chemical tasting. The birthday cake flavor I received was definitely different than the old chocolate one I used to eat, but no, I would not purchase it again.

My overall feelings: I am a little underwhelmed by this box. I think I will definitely use the big items and it was worth the $40 I spent on it. However, I feel like the big ticket items were over-valued. Also, there was nothing summer-related in here. It could have been a box for any season! Also, I think a water infuser bottle as a fitness item is kind of lame. In the past, they (and other boxes) have included videos or online subscriptions to workout videos. I may try this box subscription again if I get a good coupon code for the fall. If they fail again, I am out.

If you are interested in trying this out, use the coupon code 3475994 at FabFitFun's website. This coupon gives you $15 off, and gives me a referral credit as well.

Just a reminder, I bought this with my own money. FabFitFun has no idea who I am. I just thought it'd be fun to blog about this.

Yeah, about that...

I am left alone for the weekend again. Carter and Graham went down to Portland for his brother's baby blessing this morning, but I had to work today and tomorrow. So, I'm bored and watching Hulu all by myself tonight, and I felt inspired to blog.

I guess I feel like I don't really have much to blog about, just some random things. So, I'll do one of my old-fashioned mind dumps.

1) We just got back from a road trip to my hometown in California. It's about 800 miles to my parent's house, so we drove through the night on the way there so Carter would sleep through the night.  We listened to an audiobook of Divergent on the way down while he slept. It worked out really well, but neither Graham nor I slept very well in the car. We were BEAT when we got to their house. Let's just say I slept very well the whole time we were there because I was making up for the lack of sleep. We didn't do anything big, we just played in the pool (my mom got Carter shark fin floaties--he loved them and swam all over the pool in them), played with cousins, and shopped a little bit (I found an awesome swim cover-up dress from Athleta). Can I just mention really quick how great Carter was? Seriously, this kid is such a blessing. He's so easygoing and mild-mannered, and yet adorable and hilarious. He was amazing on the drive home (he only slept for a little bit on the way). He had a little LeapFrog reader, some trucks, and some other random toys, but he mostly sat there in silence, looking at the window. He didn't complain and only had to go potty quickly once. I guess this means we can take more road trips if he's going to be so awesome!

2) Speaking of swim dresses.. Guess who's going to Hawaii in October?? We are! My parents have a timeshare on Oahu, and we are going for a full week with them and my sister. We are so excited. We haven't been on a real vacation since our honeymoon to Kauai in 2008. But now, Graham will probably have to work Thanksgiving in exchange for not working a full week in October.

3) I hosted a girl's night a couple of weeks ago with some friends. We were trying to think of ideas, including going shopping, hiking, eating at the Melting Pot, mani/pedis, etc, and I volunteered to host a fondue night to save money. Not thinking it all the way through, I chose to make a traditional Swiss fondue (with a white wine base). I only realized this mistake when the ladies asked me for the recipe. Number one ooops: I didn't ask if they'd be ok with having white wine base (we're all Mormon and don't drink alcohol). The cheese fondues at Melting Pot all have an alcoholic beverage in it, so I didn't think anything of it. Number two ooops: one of my friends is pregnant and shouldn't consume alcohol (the alcohol doesn't all cook out, sorry). Yeah, I felt like an idiot...

4) I am really loving my barre-style workouts right now. I downloaded the Barre3 app on my phone for like $5, and they have free 10-minute workout videos available on the app. I've been picking and choosing different little sections for do a 60-70 minute workout, and it's been nice to kind of switch up the routine a little bit.

5) Work is going to be kind of crazy this summer. First of all,one of my co-workers is getting married and got another job in Seattle. Friday was her last day. Ordinarily, it wouldn't be too terrible, but my other co-worker is on vacation this next week. So, I will be working by myself for 4 days next week. Super excited. Plus, our hospital is getting a new electronic medical record system in like 3 weeks. so, double suck. Short staffed and new system=recipe for disaster. But, the silver lining is that I don't have to work any more weekends this summer unless I get called in. Woohoo!

6) Some newer beauty products I've tried is a men's shaving cream from Sephora and a body wash gel from LUSH. The shaving cream is the bomb. I mean seriously, Graham's face stays soft for 2 days when he uses it, when normally his beard is all scratchy by the end of day 1. So, I had to try it myself, and it works wonders on me too! This means less shaving, softer skin, and less overall product used. The body wash I got is in a citrus scent and it really helps wake me up and feel fresh in the morning. I would highly recommend it, but my favorite one is still Foam Call wash from Sephora. That one is my favorite scent ever and I feel like it's really moisturizing.

7) My mom totally spoiled me when I visited her. She surprised me with eyelash extensions! They're a little more fragile than the ones I got for my 30th birthday, but they're lovely. I'll have to take a picture and post it on Instagram.

8) Carter's personality is really like a mini-me. He's kind of a contrarian sometimes and likes to argue just to go against the flow. For example, I would not wear flip flops in high school because everybody else did, and everyone wore the ones from Old Navy. I think I got a pair from J.Crew literally the week after I graduated. Anyways, my mom was talking to Carter about making good choices in life and to CTR ("choose the right" she explained), when he responded with "No, I C-L. I Choose the Left." He really is clever, that one.

Anyways, we don't have anything really planned over the next month, so who knows what the heck I'll blog about. I mean, I shouldn't complain about my life not being eventful. I've definitely had enough fodder over the past year to keep my blog entries plentiful.

My Anti-Aging Skincare Routine (Part 2)

This is part two of a two-part series about my skincare routine. My daytime routine was described a few days ago. My night-time skincare routine has recently evolved into the following steps. Carter even has my routine down and hands me a cotton ball every night while he brushes his teeth so I can remove my eye makeup. I received some makeup removing towlettes in my stocking for Christmas, which makes my night-time routine much quicker. Anyways, let's get straight to it.

Makeup Removal:

Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

I was using Neutogena's eye makeup remover before this, and I received a sample from Sephora. This stuff is hardcore and works really well. If I'm wearing more than one coat of mascara, it won't get all of it, but it's still way better than most of the ones I've tried.

Kirkland Brand Facial Cleansing Towlettes

Great value, does its job, and easily removes my makeup with any leftover eye makeup.. Can't complain. I will repurchase these again (but not anytime soon, because I now have a million).

Eye Cream:

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye

This is also a recent change in my skincare regimen. I was previously just putting on my bareMinerals eye cream at night, but I recently got this as it claims to help with dark under eye circles. We'll see if it works.. It's pretty moisturizing, though, so I like it.

Facial Moisturizer:

I have received so many samples of beauty oils through Sephora that I started making this a nightly thing after cleaning my face. I think this step, in combination with a great exfoliator, has been what's made my dry patches go away. These are the samples I've been using that I've liked the best. I don't know which one I'll buy when I'm all done (the Tarte sample lasts FOREVER and I just started using my second bottle).

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate



Tarte's Maracuja Oil

Weekly Mask:

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask

This is something else that I've received as a sample, and I love it! It smells citrusy, and I feel like it helps with my skin's overall tone and texture. I use it once a week. I might buy this when I'm done with the sample.

Lip Balm/Moisturizer:

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips

I received this through Birchbox, and I didn't really like it that much with the first few uses. It's super thick and kind of goopy. However, my lips were kind of patchy and dry with the cold weather, so I started using this at night as a super moisturizer, and the dry patches are gone! I would not recommend this as a daytime lip balm, as it's way too thick and difficult to apply, especially if you're applying any lip gloss or lipstick. But, if you put it on at night, or perhaps in the morning after a shower to give it time to soak in before applying any lip products, it works great to moisturize dry lips!

Summary:

Anyways, that is basically it. Yes, it's a lot of products. It may seem a little crazy to you non-obsessed people, but my regimen has really improved the texture of my skin and helped my makeup go on smoother. Yay--no more dry and flaky patches on my skin! I also hope that taking care of my skin will help prevent premature signs of aging.

My Anti-Aging Skincare Routine (Part 1)

Loyal readers (oh, maybe 10 of you, hi mom!), again, I'm switching up my blog style a little bit. I have a lot of different topics to cover over this next month, including my two-year anniversary of fitness, an update about our family, and some personal thoughts about life.

But now? I'm talking about beauty. This is part one of a two-part series. Today, I'll talk about my daytime products. Part 2 will be about my night-time skincare routine.

So, I took turning 30 really hard. I still can't even believe that I'm 31--I even forgot the other day that I'm actually 31, and that realization made me sad. I don't feel that old, at all.. unless perhaps I'm anywhere near teenage girls. Then I feel like a grumpy grandma. I don't feel like I look 30, nor do I actually want to look like I'm in my 30's. I want people to think that I'm mid 20's, I guess.. 25 doesn't sound nearly as old as 31! I had a makeup lady tell me that I look like I'm 19, but I talk like I'm much older. It was the best compliment I've had a in a while (although a guy at work asked me if I'd lost weight recently--I haven't). 

Anyways, due to this desire to appear younger than I am, I've had to invest some money in skincare products. I don't expect miracles here, just some good quality products. My skin has changed a little bit since I've gotten older. I used to be able to get away with just some light powder (I used MAC's Studio Fix powder) and some concealer. Now, with my combination skin (my cheeks get SUPER dry in the winter, so a powder would just cling to my dry spots, and my forehead gets oily during the day), I need heavier coverage like a liquid foundation (I use MAC's Matchmaster in 1.5, which is lightweight and a perfect color match for me) and a heavy duty exfoliator and moisturizer. I was a big Kiehl's fan in college, as my motto was, I don't care about products for my body, but my face deserves much better. However, after we got married and budget constraints came into play, I settled for more economical Aveeno products, feeling like it didn't make much of a difference. It didn't use to make a difference what products I used, but now it does.

Let me preface this by saying that a little over a year ago, I did NOT take good care of my skin. I left my makeup on every night (gasp, I know), and I used a gentle cleanser and lotion every morning. That's it, yet still, I never broke out. But, after I had an aesthetician tell me that I had dry skin over a year ago, I decided to invest in a better exfoliator, which has become extremely necessary with my dry winter skin.

So, here are the products I use on a daily basis:

Cleansing:

Kiehl's Ultra  Facial Cleanser

I find that it's not too drying, but leaves my skin feeling clean. I also throw in First Aid Beauty's Skin Rescue Cleanser with Red Clay in the rotation. I received a sample of this from Sephora, and it's ok too. I should also mention that I use a little silicone cleansing pad from Sephora to scrub my face with cleanser and exfoliator in the shower. Since I started using it, I NEVER get pimples (not that I ever got many anyways).

Exfoliating:

I'd been using Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Skin Brightening Exfoliator every other day, with fairly good results, until I got the following product as a sample from Birchbox. It is now my Holy Grail facial exfoliator!

Vasanti Brighten Up! - Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator

I use this every other day for my dry skin, and it has helped the dry patches disappear.

Toning:

This has been a neglected step in my routine, but I recently started using this product:

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner

I literally just started using this, so I'm undecided on if this will be a necessary step in my skincare routine.

Moisturizing:

I've been trying to find the best heavy duty moisturizer for my dry cheeks.. I've used FRESH's Lotus Youth Face Cream for the past 7-9 months, but haven't found it to be spectacular or anything. I used a sample of Shiseido's Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream, and I actually liked it, but it's a bit too expensive for me to purchase. I'm now trying this one out:

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

I actually really like this so far. It moisturizes without being too greasy, and it has helped my dry patches go away.

Eye Cream:

I've been using bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream for the past 7-9 months, and it's just so-so. I don't see much of a difference, but I'm still going to finish it anyways. Now, I'm trying out this one:

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treament with Avocado

So, I'm just using this one sporadically until I run out of my old one, but I love it so far. Way more moisturizing than my old one.

Summary:

With this treatment so far, the dryness on my cheeks is under much better control, although it may be related to my night-time routine as well. I'm really loving my Kiehl's products again! My skin looks hydrated, I'm trying to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging, and preventing pimples like a pro. Stay tuned for my next part.

Makeup Organization Project

So, if any of you follow me on Instagram, or noticed the picture of my cute little Chevron boxes from Target, I have decided to embark on a house project: organizing my makeup.

This is my chaotic mess. It has caused some friction between Graham and me in the morning, especially when I dig through the bag and rattle everything around in the morning. It was much worse before I got the little boxes for my brushes.

 My makeup bag holds all of my daily essentials, such as mascara, concealer, bronzer, highlighter, etc. I haven't found something better to organize those things yet. As you can see, I like to do my makeup at my desk in the morning. I used to stand up and do my makeup in the bathroom, but I found it's much better doing it at my desk, much to Graham's frustration at the makeup all over it every day.

 My Urban Decay and Too Faced eyeshadow palettes. I just realized I have 2 MAC ones hidden somewhere..

My 3-drawer makeup Tupperware holder that I've had since college (?maybe). It's been working for me, but has not been very efficient. I can never find the things I need quickly, so it drives me crazy. Also, my eyeshadow drawer looked like this:

 Yikes.

So, with all of my makeup tutorial views on YouTube, I noticed that lots of the women had removed the eyeshadows from their separate pots into magnetic palettes. With Graham's permission, I purchased these Z Pro Palettes from Amazon. For reference: one of the pro palettes holds about 28 MAC eyeshadows. If you have multiple brands of eyeshadows, this is definitely a good palette to buy. You can also fit in blush and stuff, so I just may have to get another one.. If you notice below, I have multiple sizes and shapes, so it fit all of them just fine. I watched several YouTube videos on how to "de-pot" eyeshadows, with and without heat, and I got to work. This is my station at the kitchen table.

P.S. I'm not really into the zebra print, it was just the cheapest online.

I tried to remove the eyeshadows and loosen the glue without heat to no avail. So, I busted out my Bath and Body Works candle and set those babies on fire (not really, but there were definitely carcinogenic chemicals in the air).

This was a labor of love, my friends. First, you have to pry the eyeshadow out of its pot, then, you use wire cutters to snap off the plastic ends. Then, you heat up the bottom to loosen the glue. Then, I used part of nail clippers to loosen the pan from the pot. Then, I had to clean the glue off with nail polish remover and/or rubbing alcohol. Lastly, because MAC eyeshadows aren't magnetic, I had to place sticker magnets on the back and label each eyeshadow. 

This was incredibly tedious. Beyond tedious. If you know me well, you'd know I can't stand doing things by hand that require a large amount of detail work (i.e. cake pops, decorating cupcakes, doing nail polish, or any crafts in general). In college, I actually got marked down in a foodservice lab because I didn't decorate the desserts well enough and didn't clean smudges off of a plate (for reals). Cleaning off the glue off every.single.eyeshadow. was the worst part. I kept saying, kill me now. Honestly. Ugh. 

Here's the finished product. Only 3 shadows were damaged in the process, which is amazing, considering the fact that I hated every moment of this and my lack of dexterity.

Eyeshadows pictured:
Row 1 (left to right): Stila Grace, Stila Pewter, Stila Diamond Lil, MAC Pink Venus, MAC Purple Haze, Benefit Fancy Roper
Row 2: Stila Posie, Stila Azur, MAC Prose and Fancy with MAC Humid right below, MAC Passionate, MAC Li'Lily, Benefit Lazy Boy
Row 3: Stila Wisteria, Cargo Budapest below, Stila Poppy, Urban Decay Blackout in between, MAC Femme Noir, MAC Laven-dah, Benefit Working the Room
Row 4 (kinda): MAC Velvet Moss, Benefit Trust Fund Baby, MAC Shadowy Lady, and Sephora Collection white

Eyeshadows pictured (all from MAC):
Row 1: Sketch, Mythology, Expensive Pink, Espresso, Shroom, Fineshine, Electra
Row 2: Trax, Cranberry, Amber Lights, Soft Brown, Dazzlelight, Print, Greystone
Row 3: Seedy Pearl, Antiqued, Woodwinked, Ricepaper, Motif, Club, Wonder Full
Row 4: Shale, Haux, Honeylust, Tempting, Mylar, Bark, Contrast

My new eyeshadow palettes. Woo hoo!

Not pictured: 2 MAC limited edition palettes, as well as 3 MAC eyeshadows that are almost gone, and not worth the work to de-pot them (Jest, Satin Taupe and Embark).

Now, MAC has a "Back to MAC" program, that if you turn in 6 of their empty products, you can get a free lipstick. So, right now I have enough to get 6 free lipsticks. I'm not a huge lipstick wearer, as I much prefer a more natural, glossy lip, but I can manage free lipstick for sure. Anyways, if any of you plan on doing this, just be prepared. It's not for the person who's easily frustrated (i.e. me). Also, if you like eyeshadows other than MAC, just know that Stila makes it very easy to de-pot their shadows, plus they're huge and magnetic, making them really easy to put into a palette like this (and have any of you used their eyeshadow Kitten before? It's the best simple shimmery champagne color!). Another major benefit to these palettes that I can better utilize some of my ignored eyeshadows (*cough cough* green eyeshadows).

On to my next project: organizing the rest of my makeup to get rid of the hideous Tupperware beast (this is Graham's goal as well).

2014 Family Update

So, I got home from work today at 4:15 PM or so.. It is 5:15, and Carter is still napping. I know he's due to wake up any time now, so I'm tip-toeing around the house, hoping Carter will stay asleep a little bit longer..

Anyways, I've been posting about some superficial things lately, like makeup, shopping, wedding gifts, etc, and I haven't really blogged about the more real things in my life. (But can I mention one more thing--the MAC makeup lady at the counter introduced me to this product called Prep+Prime Skin Enhancer in Neutralize, and it is amazing. As many of you know, or don't know, I was blessed with very good skin. It's a family thing. We may not be thin, but we have awesome skin. Anyways, even though I have good skin, I don't usually go makeup free because my skin's color is a little uneven. Without wearing a heavy foundation, which is cakeface gross to me and would totally cover up my freckles, I couldn't seem to improve the uneven skin tone. So yeah, this product totally evens out my red cheeks and makes me look like I hardly even need makeup. It is my new dream product!)

2014 has started out a little rocky. As I've said and hinted at, I've had some major stress and drama from work that has spilled over into my personal life. It's been giving me some major anxiety. I stopped eating for like a week, and I even got down to my lowest weight since Graham and I separated. It's been rough, to say the least. I hate that I can't share more, but it's pretty personal. I know what you're thinking--what the hell, Sherri. You blogged about your separation.. what's the big deal? But, because this is the Internet with all kinds of people reading my blog, I never know who or where this story could reach. Plus, I didn't share many details of my separation. Anyways, this has made life kind of miserable at the moment.. and I can't even resolve it now.

Despite this drama, however, I haven't been this happy at home in a LOOOOOONG time. Honestly, like a year and a half long time. When Graham moved back home, it was a little strange because we had both been living "single" lives and were only accountable to ourselves at night. It's like, I wanted to watch YouTube makeup tutorials and put on makeup before I went to bed without anyone judging me (*cough cough* Graham). He was going to school, working, etc, only coming home to be a husband and dad on the weekends. He didn't want me judging his routines or activities either. So, we needed to adjust to life together again. It was weird. I just can't describe it. Almost like being newly married again. So, the first few weeks, including Christmas vacation, required an attitude adjustment from both of us.

Now, we are finally getting into a groove. Graham got a real job (he was working full-time as a taxi driver at nights until he found a real one) as an attendant/assistant at a group home for mentally disabled handicapped adolescents. It will be a challenging job for sure, but it allows him to work 3-10 PM. I will be working early, from 6 AM - 2:30 PM. Ugh.. but it's all for our good. We'll finally be able to pay off debts. AND, we're still saving money on daycare! So, with all of this going well, and with true honesty and transparency in our home between the both of us, we are getting to a good spot in our relationship. We have our challenging moments (like today when Graham was hangry and responded rudely when I bugged him about his school), but overall, things are great between us. I am happy. There, I said it. It's hard to believe where we've ended up.. and I couldn't be more grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.

Oh, and now here comes Carter.. at 5:45. Good timing!

Favorites

So, I'm a little bored, and I figured I'd blog about something random.

Anyways, I was thinking about this the other day when I got out my waffle maker on Saturday morning.. We've had it for over 6 years now, and we use it frequently, and it's still going strong. It is one of my favorite appliances, and one of my favorite wedding gifts.. So, I got to thinking about what my favorite wedding gifts were...

Favorites:
Hotel Collection bath towels from Macy's
Wusthof knives from Macy's
My Waterford china (just because it's so pretty)
Swarovski picture frame
Villaware waffle maker (which they no longer make)

Least Favorites:
Quesadilla maker (this went right back to the store)
Rice cooker (mushy, nasty rice)
Ebelskiver pan (seriously, who has the patience to make these?)

Some of my most favorite things this month:
Chocolate Chip Cheeseball from Mel's Kitchen Cafe with Nilla Wafers
Diet Dr. Pepper (always)
MAC's Prep+prime products (finally got rid of my undereye circles!)
Spigen iPhone case
My Banana Republic Sloan slim fit pants for work (I have them in a maroon color, teal, royal blue and pink, as well as tan, black and a textured navy blue. They are THE perfect fit for someone like me with no waist and no hips.)
Pride and Prejudice DVD (always a relaxing, happy movie in our house.. at least for me)
The new perfume I got (Balenciaga Rosabotanica). It is my new fave.
And, finally, the new lipstick/lipliner combo I got from Urban Decay in Native (so creamy, and such a beautiful color)

Hope you all are having a good month. So far, 2014 isn't starting off so great, but it only can get better from here, right?

Stress Shopping

Does anybody else do this? Some people binge eat, some people exercise like crazy, others drink themselves into oblivion..

But, no.. I stress shop. I can't divulge how much money I spent on stuff when Graham was gone, but it wasn't wise of me to do so. However, try telling my nerves that I don't need a pair of teal pants for work from Banana...

Anyways, Santa got me a gift card from Sephora that I just so happened to use today.. I bought an Urban Decay lipstick  in Native (because I need more makeup right?), matching lipliner, and a new perfume to try (yeah, good idea, right, since I work in a perfume-free workplace..?). With the gift card, the damage wasn't that bad, fortunately. I'll round out the night with a good workout and some fudge-covered Ritz crackers.

20 Looks Using Urban Decay Naked 3

So, I compiled a list of 20 different looks using Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette, using my initial list of my favorite tutorials. I've written down every eyeshadow they use, where (and sometimes how) they apply the eyeshadow, and the type and color of eyeliner they have used. I've also credited each YouTube beauty guru with the looks. I printed this out, and I keep it out on my desk for everyday use. I also have these 20-look sheets for all three Naked palettes.

If you would like a copy of these, please leave me a comment below or e-mail me at shewi128 (at) hotmail (dot) com. I'll be sure to check my spam mail more often just in case!

Everyday Girl's Guide with YouTube Tutorials of Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette

So, I'm doing something slightly different today. I'm giving a review for the new Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. If you're not a makeup junkie like me, you may not be familiar with the big fuss over this palette. They've previously released two hugely popular palettes, which I've purchased over the past year, and this one recently came out in November. The 1st palette was bronze neutral shades, the 2nd was taupe cool-toned neutral shades, and the 3rd features rose-gold neutral shades. I know, I know.. like I need another eyeshadow, but these looked amazing. They said these shades would like good on a fair-skinned, blue-eyed gal like myself, so I went ahead and bought it for myself for my birthday. Sure, the price may seem high, but for 12 higher-end eyeshadows, the cost for each one ends up being $4.33 per eyeshadow, which is a great price for great quality (and long lasting--I've had the original Naked palette for almost a year, and I haven't even come close to using up to half of any shadow).

Disclaimer: I am no makeup expert. I do love everything related to beauty, especially makeup. I own several brands of makeup (MAC, Stila, Nars, Urban Decay, Tarte, Fresh, Bare Minerals, Benefit, Smashbox, etc), and I tend to buy more than I actually use. I am also not a creative person, so I rely on the creativity and expertise of others to help me out. So, that's why this is a guide for the everyday makeup girl like me.

This is what the palette looks like:

(I decided to use a stock photo from Sephora because my own swatches and photos turned out badly.)
                                                     

Some of my favorite shades include:

Liar:
Beautiful mauve-gold. Blends great and looks multi-dimensional.

Darkside:
This is a great rose-y taupe color. It blends amazingly and can help make a dramatic or more everyday look.

Blackheart:
This is a dramatic black matte with red sparkle. It helps make a gorgeous smokey eye. However, you must use this with a very light hand as the pigmentation is deep and the color will be placed where you put your brush. So, be careful when you use this and be ready to blend, blend, blend!

Some of my least favorite shades include:

Burnout: 

This one was a major disappointment for me. It's a great rose-champagne shimmery color. It looks beautiful in the pan and when swatched on my skin. However, the color payoff on my eyelid was not so great. I had to really pack it on to even get close to showing up. Also, it ended up looking a little orange-y on my lid. I've been trying a million different looks with this palette (everyone else on YouTube seems to love this shadow!), and I've been getting really frustrated when I have to use this shadow.. that's how much I dislike this shadow.

Buzz:

This is another great pink-rose color with glitter. However, it's not all it seems. Not only is there fallout from the glitter, but the color payoff isn't great on the eyelid. Check out my tips below for better application and color.

Dust:
A beautiful, light pink that is packed with chunky glitter. I don't mind glitter on my eyelids if it stays there. Chunky glitter on my face? Don't like that at all.

Pros to the Naked 3 palette: 

You can easily make a beautiful and soft work-appropriate look with these shades. The looks you can make can be very feminine and pretty. In my opinion, the Naked 2 palette smokey-eye looks can sometimes end up being a little aggressive or harsh. The shadows blend well and you can easily build up the color and intensity. They have included a couple of matte shadows (nooner and limit) that really help build dimension and depth of your eyes. The colors can also be appropriate for cool or warm skin. I've seen it described as both, depending on which shadows you use.

Cons to the Naked 3 palette:

Some of the colors I listed above didn't show up well on my lid. Also, depending on what colors you use and how you blend them, the eyelid can end up looking muddy without much defined color. The rose golds may also not look great on certain skin tones.

Some tips/tools I've been using to maximize the palette:

For Dust, the most glittery eyeshadow, I use Sephora's 12-hr waterproof jumbo liner in White as a base. When I apply Dust under my brow or in the inner corner, I apply some as a base, and it really picks up and emphasizes the light pink color and helps the glitter stick to my lid and inner corner.
                                                     

Urban Decay's glittery eyeshadows often have a lot of fallout on my cheeks (I'm calling you out Sidecar, Toasted and Chopper in the Naked palettes, with Buzz and Dust from Naked 3), so I invested in a glitter eyeshadow primer from Too Faced to help them stick to my lids. I usually brush on my crease color, then apply this lightly to my lid if I'm using a glittery eyeshadow to the lid.

                                                    

I've also been trying out applying eyeshadows wet on the lid, using MAC's Fix+. I get a little eyeshadow on a flat brush, spray Fix on my hand, then I dab the brush on the liquid. Then, I apply it to my lid. I find that this helps increase the color payout with lighter colors, especially with the shade Buzz.
                                                         

The eyeliners that I am partial to with these looks include:

Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
Bare Mineral's Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight and 8 PM
MAC's Eye Pencil in Coffee
Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black
*You can also easily use Blackheart eyeshadow as liner.
*Urban Decay also offers a double ended liner made specifically for each Naked palette in Darkside and Blackheart, but I haven't tried it.

Tutorials:

So, I've been searching out tutorials in blogs and YouTube videos, and writing down the shadows they use, where and how they apply the shadows, and their methods. I've decided to put them all in one place for easy access. Plus, there's a million of them available, and some of the tutorials online don't produce very good looks (trust me--I've tried a good number). I've also separated them by daytime and night-time looks. Just an FYI, I sometimes wear more dramatic looks for work that some people may not be comfortable wearing in the day. I am not one for the "no makeup look". I figure, why the heck am I putting on eyeshadow to make it look like I'm not wearing anything? I've also personally tested all of these looks and liked them enough to share. I've weeded through these as well, and didn't post the tutorials that had nearly identical looks. I will continue adding more of the links to tutorials as I keep finding and testing out more looks!

These are my favorite daytime look tutorials using the Naked 3 palette:

Soft and Smokey by MakeupByTiffanyD
Daytime Smokey Eye by Megan McTaggart (this may be more dramatic for some of you)
Easy Eye by Urban Decay
Bright and Smoked Eyes by Sona Gasparian
Soft Rose Day Look by xsparkage
Bright Look by sarahsloveaffair (this is one my favorites--really pretty and brightens your eyes!)
Simple, Coppery Eye by metaldiamondsfur (this is for those days when you don't have a lot of time to blend)
Day-to-Night Look by pursebuzz
Soft, Shimmery Look by GlammyMommy89
Everyday Smokey Rose Look by Buttaripple
Winter Spice Look by FromInsideMyCloset
Matte Eyes by Megan McTaggart
Soft and Flirty by ShadesofKassie
Romantic Rose Gold Eyes by hubombshell254
Daytime Romance by HeatherReallyHearts

These are my favorite night-time dramatic look tutorials using the Naked 3 palette:

Blackheart Look by Phyrra
Dark, Smokey Eye by Keiko Lynn
Winged Rose-Gold Eye by GlamJackie (you obviously wouldn't have to wing it out as much)
Black and Taupe Smokey Eye by CoffeeBreakwithDani
Dramatic, Holiday Look by Megan McTaggart
Rose-bronze Smokey Eye by Amber Cherie
Soft and Smokey Eye by Tarababyz
Valentine's Day Eye by macshadowcombos (my new favorite--it's even appropriate for day)


I plan on typing up a step-by-step list of every single look using these tutorials, like I previously did with the 1st and 2nd palettes, but I'm trying every single one of the looks that I've recorded, so it may take me a couple of weeks until I've tried all of the looks. Plus, there are new tutorials posted daily on YouTube using this palette, so I'll be struggling to keep up. I've even been putting on eyeshadow before bed so I can try out all of the looks. I did such a terrible one last night that I removed it immediately after. Let's just say that glittery shades are not meant to be blended people. And, don't trust every makeup "guru" on YouTube. That's why I've put together this guide for people like you (and me) who aren't possibly creative enough to think of a million different ways to wear eyeshadow, but want to try new and fun looks that have been tried and tested by a non-professional (i.e. me).

**UPDATE**

I now have Word files available with 24 different looks using each of the three Naked palettes. Please leave a comment below with your e-mail or e-mail me at shewi128 (at) hotmail (dot) com for a copy of any of the three.

My Hobbies

So, something I've had to do now is find some new hobbies. Before Graham left, I worked out after Carter went to bed at 7:30. This gave me several hours to work out, watch TV (when we had cable), shower, and spend time with my husband. Now that I'm alone, I've been searching for things to do when Carter goes to sleep. I've been working out at the Y in the evenings, so that was no longer an option.

I've always loved to read, but books are freaking expensive! I recently bought and read a great book recommended by my sister, "Wool", but that barely fit into my entertainment budget for the month. I have the Hunger Games series waiting to be re-read, but reading by myself in a quiet house kind of emphasizes how alone I am sometimes..

Some of you may know that I'm a total makeup junkie. I may not look like I wear a lot of makeup all of the time, and I also will leave the house without makeup; however, I am obsessed with makeup and I love trying new things. One of my favorite stores is Sephora, and I just love all of the different looks you can create with simple products. One of my most favorite products is Urban Decay's Naked eyeshadow palettes. I used to be a MAC girl all the way, but I seriously have not used a single other different eyeshadow for over 7 months. Anyways, I've looked up a TON of different tutorials on Pinterest, YouTube, and beauty blogs, and I've recorded the methods they used with the Naked palettes. Then, I made my own instructions for 18-24 looks with each palette, as shown below.

I've also started painting my nails.. something I have NEVER done. I used to occasionally paint my toenails in the summer, but now I have a new nail color every week. It's kind of a weird new obsession for me.. but don't worry, there's no way I can do any of the crazy nail art you see on Pinterest.

But yeah, I think I need more hobbies. Nail painting gets old after a while. Plus, it's messy.