Sherri's Favorite Things

So, I had a bit of nostalgia today and was looking at my old posts from my first year of marriage in 2008. Oh my gosh life has changed. Have I changed? Hmmmmmm, difficult question.. Probably. I'm still slightly cynical, even tempered, working full-time, witty, and sometimes sarcastic. Otherwise I guess I am different. Marriage and motherhood does that to you.

Anyways, I found an old blog post about some of my favorite things in 2008.. and now I want to update my list. It was mostly kitchen stuff back then. So, here we go 10 years later...

Favorite Food Items:

Crystal Lite Pure Energy
Stevia-sweetened drink with caffeine. Delicious.

Kirkland brand protein bars.
It took a while to get used to the taste, but they have actual chunks of chocolate and are a good source of fiber.

Favorite Kitchen Items:

KitchenAid mixer..
You'll be my baby for always and forever.

Swissmar peeler.
This thing is CHEAP but freaking amazing.

Favorite Electronic Items:

Orbi wi-fi router
We got this for our new bigger house, but started using it already. It is wayyyy better than a wi-fi extender.

Qustodio app
It helps with internet safety on mobile devices and gives me peace of mind.

Favorite Home Items:

Ecobee Smart Thermostat
I'm so excited to use this in the new house for energy efficiency and the programmable/smart options!

Frigidaire upright deep freezer
We had to replace our old one in October, and this freezer has a ton of storage and keeps food super cold without frostbite. FYI, not my freezer. I mostly freeze my own meals and food I make, and of course the giant bags of vegetables from Costco.

Favorite Clothing Items:

Athleta hybrid tights
This are beyond comfortable and have a lot of support for my post-baby belly. I got the ankle-length tights, and guess what, they're exactly the right length for my stumpy legs.

Bandolino velvet flat wedges with bow
Again, super comfy, pointy-toe shoes with a little bit of a heel. Totally my kind of shoe.

Favorite TV Shows:

Black Mirror by Netflix/BBC
Dark, astute, relevant, creepy.. We love this show (although Season 4 was really lacking).

The Great British Baking Show by BBC
So relaxing--I love the things they bake and I love that it's not the typical ridiculous competition shows that are on Food Network.

Makeup Items:

MAC Matchmaster foundation
Nothing else compares on my face, and I mean it. I've been around, and now I've found that it's the only one for me. I've been wearing it for almost five years now.

CoverFX Highlighting palette
I couldn't pick just one eyeshadow palette, so I decided on one for my face. This thing is amazing and gives me all kind of glow.

Anyways, I thought this was kind of fun. Maybe I won't wait 10 years next time to update.

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).

Stitch Fix Review #4

 All right folks, here comes the Stitch Fix review! It arrived around 9:30 AM today (I was actually still in bed), and I quickly ran downstairs after the FedEx guy rang my doorbell. I peeked online previously, so I knew what was coming.. Let's get to it. Warning: this was done with my nice camera, but it was self-timing, so some of the pictures and quality may be a little off. Plus, the lighting SUCKS in my house.

Here are the options.I think it's awesome that my stylist remembered that I really wanted colored skinny jeans! All in all, a nice, rounded out box of clothing.

#1: Mystree Phoebe Dot & Stripe Sweater Dress ($28)

Ok, so I looked this up online and pretty much everyone who has received this dress has hated it. I was really not excited to try this one, especially since it's a sweater dress (am I the only one who thinks they're unflattering?).. But, this wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. If the polka dot section was little lower on my chest, and the dress a little longer, I might've considered it for the low price. Personally, I think they lowered the price to get rid of it! Anyways, it's too short, not flattering for my midsection, with awkwardly placed dots, so I will be sending it back. I showed my husband these pictures, and he actually really liked this dress on me (surprise, surprise--it's short).
Verdict: PASS

#2 & #3: TCEC Glendale Embellished Hi-Lo tank  ($48) and Sanctuary Sarah Striped French Terry Mini Skirt ($58)

I was really exited to try on this tank because it's a fun, bright pink color! However, it is VERY sheer (like, hello, want to see what brand bra I wear?), and the hi-lo aspect of it is a little weird. But, the color is great and I love the details around the neckline.  Sorry about the awkward pose. I was trying to show just how LONG this shirt is in the back.

The skirt is comfortable as well. I was a little hesitant about it because it's described as a miniskirt (for who--models??), so I thought it'd be too short. Luckily, it's the perfect length for my little stumpy legs. Because it's terry cloth, it's super comfortable. It is black and white, though, just like the houndstooth skirt I received in Stitch Fix #2, and I have another skirt very similar to it that I love:

I get so many compliments when I wear this skirt.. But do I really need two knee-length black and white striped skirts?
Verdict:
Tank: KEEP
Skirt: UNDECIDED (help me!)

#4 & #5: Just Black Adora Skinny Jean in Army Green ($88) and Kut From The Kloth Callie Denim Jacket ($78)

 That awkward moment when you realize your pocket is sticking out when you're taking a timed photo...

So, the jacket isn't bad. It has a little stretch to it, which is nice for my beast shoulders. I even debated buying this very jean jacket from Nordstrom about a year ago! However, I decided against it because, I don't know, jean jackets were so '00's (what is that decade named, anyways?).. I had one in college from GAP, and I don't know if I'm ready to wear one again.

The skinny jeans... I just don't know. The fabric is thin, so it looks almost like leggings on me. My thighs are muscular, so I'm not a huge fan of these. The army green color.. I could do it if they looked a little bit better. And, the ultimate test.. does it look like I have mommy butt???? 

 I tried them on with knee-high wedge boots, that obviously you can't see in this photo. Dangit. Still didn't help me decide. What do you think? My husband really liked this outfit on me. He said it made me look younger..?
Verdict: Undecided (help me!)

In summary, I thought that this Stitch Fix box worked very well with my style and body type (except for the sweater dress, although it really wasn't that bad).. And I especially appreciated that they remembered my previous requests. Even though I only ended up keeping one item, I still really liked this one.

On a random side note, have any of you tried Lay's new flavors that they're testing out? I saw these advertised last year, but I wasn't able to find this one specifically in stores until now. Lay's Chicken & Waffles chips!! I was undecided after the first bite, but I kept reaching for them. They're sweet and salty with a hint of maple. Very interesting. I know I'm a Dietitian and all that, but it was fun to try these. Don't worry, I moderated my portion size..

And one more thing.. I decided to put on false lashes today because I had work off. I used Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette on my eyes with a beautiful look from Zabrena of My Eyeshadow Consultant website (or known on YouTube as macshadowcombos). If you've never heard of this website, she has made up over 1000+ eyeshadow combos using MAC, Urban Decay, Stila, etc. If you're like me and have a ton of random unused eyeshadows laying around, this is a great resource!

Is it safe to work out with false eyelashes? If not, I will find out tonight!

Here are my other Stitch Fix reviews:

1st Review

2nd Review

3rd Review

5th Review

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!