Stuff I love - beauty edition

Do you guys have the mid-winter blues too? We've had an unusually sunny winter so far and now that the rain has come back with a vengeance I'm pretty bummed. I need to see the sun - and soon! So as a distraction I thought I'd highlight a few of my favorite beauty products and there is a GIVEAWAY at the end!

BB Cream:

Have you guys been using this? It's a combination moisturizer/sunscreen/foundation product. It's seriously my favorite product ever and available at all price points. I've tried a few and Dr. Jart ($34) is my favorite but is more pricey so I tried the Garnier ($10) and it works well too! It gives my skin such a pretty glow and I even use it in place of my morning moisturizer!

Essie Polishes:

I have been trying to do more nails at home instead of at a salon and these are my favorite polishes. Right now I'm loving this copper penny color, it's kind of a rose-y gold and so pretty. I like to finish nails off with Seche Vite dry fast top coat. This is especially handy if you have girls who love to have their nails done too. I get my polishes at Target.

Naked Palletes:

Allen got me the Naked Palletes for Christmas and I cannot say enough about my love for them. The eye shadows are neutral but they are so pretty and there a ton of eye makeup tutorials out there using these. I have tried some really fun combinations and there seem to be endless options even with neutrals. He picked mine up at Ulta but I know Sephora carries these too.

Trader Joe's Honey Mango Cream Shave:

I've got to say that I generally hate shaving products. They make my skin super itchy and irritated so I have just used bar soap to shave for years and years. A couple years ago a friend recommended the TJ cream shave. I was super skeptical but since it is cheap (about $4) I thought I'd give it a shot. I LOVE this stuff!! It smells great and is super moisturizing and does not irritate my skin. What's not to love about Trader Joe's?

Foot File:

A few years ago my friend Mindy told me she'd never had a pedicure. I couldn't believe it and thought she must have some great secret to keeping her feet in good shape on her own. For my birthday that year she sent me a package that included a foot file and recommended that I use it every day after my shower. I couldn't believe it but it worked miracles on my feet. I think the key is to use it every single day. This is a very inexpensive product (about $3 at Target) that gives great results!

So there you go! A few of my current favorite go-to products. Leave a comment with a beauty product you love and I'll enter you into the Giveaway and maybe help you ward off some mid-winter blues. Included in  your package will be a bottle of the TJ shave cream, a foot file, a bottle of Essie polish, my favorite lipgloss and I'll probably sneak in some  yummy chocolate too! I'll leave comments open until Friday (Feb. 1)

Stuff I like - Spring Edition

I love recommendations from other bloggers for just about anything - recipes, entertainment, books, products,etc. I decided to put together a post about what I'm loving this spring. There's also a giveaway at the end of this post!

Books:

I'm finally back to reading! Yay! I've read a couple great books this month:

Loved this book! It's a fun, light read with a great storyline. Thanks for the recommendation Kristi!

This is a biography but it reads like a novel. It's a fascinating look at medical ethics in America.

Entertainment:

I watched this series shortly after I had Emery and was spending a lot of time at home recovering. It is a PBS series that previewed last fall. I watched it on Netflix streaming after a college friend recommended it on Facebook. Seriously FABULOUS!!! I was hooked and watched all 7 episodes in one weekend. Watch it, I promise you won't regret it!

Exercise:

So I know Zumba is all the rage right now. I LOVE it but usually can't make it to the classes in my area during the times offered. Someone suggested I try the Wii game and I was skeptical because I haven't enjoyed the other Wii workouts I have tried. THIS ONE ROCKS!!! It is a GREAT workout and tons of fun. My kids will do it with me and think we're playing a game instead of working out (sneaky!)

Other Products (aka giveaway time!):

I love a good accessory and am always on the hunt for cute pieces. I haven't been too interested in Target's jewelry offering for the past couple years but have hit the jackpot there this spring. I thought this necklace was adorable and versatile:

This has been my go-to lip balm this winter. I LOVE it. It has a slight citrus scent and is super shiny but not sticky. I can only find it at Wal-Mart and usually at the check out stand. It's cheap at about $3.50 a tube!

Favorite Easter Candy (I'd take these over Cadbury Mini Eggs ANY day):

Favorite Scent:

If you know me well at all you know I'm obsessed with my house smelling great. I have tons of candles and Scentsy scents that I'm always rotating through. I have also loved the Bath and Body Works plug-ins for years. I'm including a warmer plus my favorite Spring/Summer scent Island Margarita.

To enter leave a comment with something you're loving this spring! I'll pick a winner next Wednesday (April 20) so I can get it to you before the Easter weekend.

Slump

Uh oh. I think I'm getting in a blogging slump again. Maybe I just feel overwhelmed at all the catchup I need to do on all my friends' blogs. {Sorry, I know I owe about a zillion comments}

Oh and the insane urge I have to clean, organize, decorate, freshen up, EVERYTHING in my house. {More on that later}

So anyway, nothing like a good old GIVEAWAY to try to dig me out of the slump.

Here's what I'm giving away:

1. A custom look for your blog. I'll make you a new background and header for your bloggity blog. There are two catches. {1} I only know how to do Blogger updates AND {2} I have to have the password to your account. Before you write me off because of the password thing (because seriously, who would be dumb enough to share their password?!?), I just figured out that you can temporarily change your password for the blog makeover. Literally takes about 30 seconds. So if you win, you can change it for me and then change it back. Capiche?!

2. Some kind of cute Valentine craft/package/something or other. Valentines day is my 2nd favorite holiday (after Christmas) so I've already got some grand plans up my sleeve!

Ok, you have until Friday at midnight to comment! Back to my crazy nesting party!

{Oh and a little disclaimer: if you win and DON'T want a blog makeover, I PROMISE I won't be offended. I'll still send you the Valentines fun!}

THIS JUST IN: My mom is MAKING a cute Valentines craft to be included in the giveaway. Whoever wins is in for such a treat - my mom makes amazing, beautiful things. Just in case you need more motivation to enter :)