Top Five Beauty Favorites

Happy Thursday!  That means the weekend is in sight which is always a good thing.  Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite beauty products.  I'm not a big makeup girl, and now that I'm getting older I have been trying to focus more on taking care of my skin and just keeping my daily routine easy.  I work part time, so the majority of the time my makeup is minimal since most days I'm running errands and carpooling kids around to baseball fields, gyms, etc.  But I have found a few products that have worked really well for me and thought I would share.

One -- Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo.  This is a new one for me and I actually never, ever thought I would use this.  I've heard others talk about dry shampoo, but never thought it would be something for my very oily scalp.  Here's how it works well for me.  It doesn't replace a wet shampoo by no means, but works so great for me about 24 hours after I've washed my hair.  I especially love using it if I've worked all day and then plan to work out or run a few errands in the morning, but don't feel like washing it.  I'll spray a little on my roots and work it into my hair before bed and it makes such a difference when I get up in the morning.  Definitely errand worthy hair.

Two -- Burt's Bees Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Blush 020.  I love having a good lip gloss to keep my lips from drying out, but also don't want a gloss that is a really bright color.  I love that this particular one adds a little touch of color to my lips while keeping them moisturized at the same time.

Three -- Tokoyo Milk Petit No.2 Lotion.  Love, love, love this lotion!  Silky, smooth and smells amazing!  It adds a little fragrance, but isn't overwhelming like a perfume.  And it also makes a great gift!

Four -- Rodan + Fields Eye Cream.  I'll be 39 in December, so anti-aging has become part of my daily skin care.  This under eye cream is my favorite.  I add a small dab every morning and night which brightens as well as helps fight the fine lines and wrinkles.

Five -- Ceptaphil.  I've washed both morning and night with this for years.  Love the smooth, gentle cleansing I get from it.

I'm really picky about my products, so these recommendations are ones I truly, truly love.  Have a great day!!

Halloween Cupcakes

 

Hi there!  Can you believe Saturday is Halloween?  My kids are super excited!  And since we were stuck inside all weekend because of all the rain in our area, it gave us the perfect opportunity to make our monster cupcakes!  These were really so easy, and lots of fun for everyone.

 

Knowing we were in for a rainy weekend, I picked up a yellow box cake mix, candy corn, chocolate and vanilla icing, candy eyes and colored icing writers.  I made the cupcakes as directed on the box, and after they cooled we got creative.

You can see from the pictures how to make the designs, but here are a few tips.  To make the hairy yellow and green monsters, I used the small colored icing writers and drew lines back and forth until the cupcake was covered.  Then I simply add the eyes and horns (candy corns).  For the blue monster cupcake I used the blue squirt can icing (see picture above).  It came with four different tips, and I used the star-shaped tip to cover the cupcake.  I added the candy eyes and my fury blue monster was done.  To make the mummy, I put vanilla icing in a quart size Ziploc bag and cut a tiny piece from the corner.  Then I went back and forth with the icing to make the gauze.

 

And here are my helpers and the cupcakes they created.  Sometimes I'm surprised how excited they get about doing simple activities like this.  I loved listening to them talk with one another about their ideas.

 

We are usually so busy on the weekends, that it was nice to have a little time to just hang out and relax together.

 

Have a beautiful day!

  

Instastyle | Black and White Check

Black and white buffalo check was a print I loved last Fall, and my love for it this year is just as strong!  I posted these two pictures recently on Instagram and found that lots of you guys love it too :)

 

weekender bag similar here and here | denim top similar | white jeans | belt | booties | watch

 

I picked up this buffalo check weekender bag yesterday at Old Navy for $38 and absolutely love it!  Both my husband's family and my family live about 2 hours away, so we do lots of 1 and 2 night trips.  Pulling out even our smallest rolling suitcase is so bulky and has no cutest factor :)  So I know this bag will definitely get lots of use!  When I went to look for it on-line to link for you guys, I can find the same bag, but a different print.  So pop in your local store if you like the buffalo check.  This one is super cute too if you like stripes.

 

And buffalo plaid's baby sister, gingham, is another favorite of mine!  I love that the black and white pairs so well with my basics.

gingham shirt exact and similar | jeans and similar jeans | watch and another favorite watch | booties and cute with these boots too

 

There seemed to be lots of interest in this gingham shirt, so here's the story on it.  It has been a popular one!  When I bought it, it was fully stocked in all sizes and then it went on sale ($23) and it sold out quickly.  Since then, I've checked back for a some IG friends who inquired about it, and they do restock select sizes, so just keep checking (que Dory :) and jump on it when you see your size.  I'm wearing a medium.

My fashion style is definitely very similar to my home décor style...simple, classic pieces.  I really am draw to basics and clothes that I know will withstand the latest fashion trend.  What about you...are you more of a classic fashion girl (or guy) or a trendsetter?

 

Happy Weekend Friends!

XO