my skincare routine

my skincare routine.

i have been asked several times to show what i use on my face on a daily basis.  this is pretty much my entire skincare routine for morning & nite.  some of these are new products for me and others are ones i have been using for an eternity. 

 here is what i use to cleanse my face in the morning & nite.  when it comes to cleansers, i am not particular to a certain brand or type, so these are all rather new in the lineup as it seems i always change things up. 

* the eye makeup remover is something i have used for a couple of years now.  it is by far my favorite because it's not oily whatsoever and removes every bit of makeup with one cotton ball.

* i picked up these pond's towelettes a couple weeks ago when i saw they were on sale.  i use these at nite a couple of times a week when i'm lazy and don't feel like putting too much effort into removing the makeup.  i add some water to make them later a bit more and i like the result.

* the foamingly clean by benefit is pretty new to me because i had asked santa for it this past year and i got it.  i use it at nite to remove my makeup and i like the way it works, plus it has be best scent i've ever had in a product.

* the aveeno daily scrub is one i have been using for about 6 months now and i use it in the shower every morning.  it's gentle enough to use daily and i feel it wipes off all the oil that's accumulated overnite, along with my heavier face and eye creams that i used last nite.

the next set are the products i use for prevention and protection.  i have been using these products for years, literally.   

* this mask is one of my favorite facial products, ever.  you can read my review here on why i am obsessed.  i use this about twice a week or so after i shower and my face is clean, or any time i am lazy and don't remove my make up before bed.

* i also did a review on the day & nite solution by mary kay that you can read, and also find out why i am so partial to these two.  i don't plan on ever not using these because they keep my face protected from the sun and also repair what the weather's elements have done while i sleep.  both are amazing. 

and, finally, probably the most important aspect of all is the moisturizing step.

* the aloe soothing day cream is the moisturizer i use every day.  i have been using for several years now and love it.  the vitamin E nite cream has been a god send for me.  i also did a spotlight on it because it's so amazing.

* this danielle laroche eye cream is something that i picked up at marshall's a while back and i like it fairly well.  like the cleansers, i'm not too partial on eye creams so i will probably get something else when this runs out.  i like it, but i'm still on a mission to find the perfect one!

* any burt's bees lip balm is a given when it comes to keeping lips nice and soft. i use this every nite before bed, but i also have some others that i use in the morning and throughout the day. this is just always in my bathroom, so i swipe it on.

so that is basically my skincare routine in a nutshell.  if you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask or tell away.  when it comes to beauty, i'm pretty much a fanatic and a beauty product hoarder so i have a lot and have used a lot.

 hope this helped!

pineapple strawberry yogurt smoothie

it seems like smoothies are quite the craze these days and you see recipes popping up everywhere.  i was looking at a magazine at work a couple of weeks ago and found a recipe that sounded pretty good so i tweaked it a bit and made one the next morning. 

pretty tasty if i do say so and it was rather filling!  it's a bit tart because of the yogurt, but all that protein really keeps the belly full, so it's worth it.  and, if you're turned off by the thought of spinach, it's hidden away so there is absolutely no flavor of it.

blend all of these together.

1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
handful of spinach
1/2 pack of splenda

a cheerful monday!

{source}

today i am cheerful.

after not having a job since september, E finally starts a new one today!  we are so thankful because it's been a pretty rough few months living on one income.

i worked all weekend so today is my saturday and i'm going to thoroughly enjoy it.  i've got the place to myself and a bit of sunshine, so i will definitely be taking advantage of the time.

happy monday, friends!

bare toenails for a year? then why so much polish...

i painted my nails today and it's something i do like, oh maybe like a couple times a month or so.  today's color is pretty and i love it, but i've always been more of a sucker for painting my toenails.

did you know i have not painted my toenails in over a year!  ugly, i know.  i never had bare toenails in the summer but i decided that i needed to let them air out for a while and i probably won't be painting them this summer either. polish really makes them yellow and my poor nails needed to be natural for a while. a long while at that.

well, enter my polish collection.  for someone who doesn't use it that often, i sure have a large stockpile. just the other day i asked my mom if she wanted any because i need to part with over half of it.  she said no, so i'm still stuck with it.  if any of you want some, just let me know.  i think i will sell some of it at our yardsale this summer. people go nuts for beauty products, even if they are used.

most of mine are either o.p.i or china glaze and the rest are drug store brands.  some i bought because i needed it just for one evening or something and lots i buy when they are running deals, but i need to quit!  i don't even use it much so why do i buy?  i haven't purchased any for probably several months now, but still.  i have every color under the rainbow so i think i'm good for now.

i have other obnoxious collections of beauty products, but this one to me is silly since it's one i use probably the least.

on a side note, this is how i've been wearing my hair a lot lately.  i love it because it's styled, but so simple and can be worn both casual or out on the town.  it takes 10 mins to do with hot-rollers and then i just pin the front back and it's done.  super simple and pretty quick, too.

strawberry shortcake, heart healthy!

i bought a box of heart smart bisquick a couple sundays ago thinking i would be full of energy to bake up a storm, but sadly i was not, and the bisquick sat in the pantry until today.

i had been wanting to make a yummy strawberry shortcake recipe for some time now and noticed the back of the box contained one.
s c o r e!

i love this recipe because i did not feel guilty eating it {ok, maybe a little because of the processed whipped topping - in the future i am reverting to my own concoction!}.  this uses heart healthy ingredients and is lower in cholesterol and fat.  being a heart nurse and having high cholesterol myself, i try to be mindful of how much fat i eat.

tomorrow cannot come soon enough because i am ready for my second helping.  everything together was so amazingly delicious! the shortcakes have a nice sweet flavor with a dense consistency.  love them.  my only regret is not eating them warm out of the oven and waiting a couple of hours.

I N G R E D I E N T S  &  D I R E C T I O N S

1 pint of sliced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup bisquick heart smart mix
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup skim milk
whipped topping

> stir strawberries and 1/4 cup of sugar. {i did this earlier in the day so the strawberries had time to make juice}

> heat oven to 425 degrees.  stir bisquick mix, 2 tbsp sugar, and milk together until a soft dough forms.  drop by 4 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

>bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.  split warm shortcakes and fill with strawberries and topping.
makes 4 shortcakes.

.firmoo eyewear.

i was so delighted when firmoo contacted me about trying out a pair of glasses.  i don't need to wear prescription glasses, but luckily they offer non-prescription & sunglasses as well, so i knew it would be easy to find something i liked. i have been wanting to get a pair of glasses to wear around with certain outfits, so firmoo got a hold of me at the perfect time!

it was so much fun to pick out what i wanted {and overwhelming at the same time} because there are so many different colors and styles to choose from.  unfortunately i'm not too into the big dorky glasses or black rimmed so i chose this beautiful pair of tortoise shell frames. plus, brown just goes better with my skin tone than black does and also with more of my outfits.

one cool thing about choosing the glasses is that they offer a virtual try-on.  they have models to use or you can even upload a picture of yourself.  unfortunately i didn't do either, but i should have at least checked it out just to see how it worked.  fail on my part.

another cool thing is their new program called, first pair free, because like it says, your first pair of prescription or non-prescription is FREE!  they also offer free shipping world wide - really, how often does that happen with online shopping. 

the consensus:  the glasses are way too big for my face.  like i said above, i should have utilized the virtual try-on and then i would have chosen smaller glasses.  i was so impressed with the quality of the glasses because for being non-prescription, they were sturdy and not that flimsy plastic you get with other style glasses.  they even came with a nice, soft cleaning cloth in a durable, lovely case. firmoo was super easy to work with and the service i used was great. for all the dream tree readers, firmoo is offering their first pair free program, so go snatch up a pair of prescription, non-prescription, or sunglasses in tons of different styles like the dork, aviator, square, or even oval frames!
 

the glasses actually fit him a lot better than they did me, so who knows, we can get double action with these!

if you have any questions about anything, let me know or contact firmoo by clicking here.

** this was obviously a sponsored post by firmoo.

be grateful!

photo

I am on this Saturday because:

- the sun is shining
- i just found out my cousin is having a baby
- i'm spending time with family tonite
- for my anxiety meds
- true blood is ready to be picked up at the library
- my car is getting new brakes today
- i'm coloring my hair tomorrow
- my husband loves me very much

:: five things ::

i found this over at courtney's blog and wanted to do this because i love filling out Q&A things, plus i think it's fun to learn a little bit about each other.

so, here it goes.

five things ...

.... you'll find in my purse
* hand sanitizer
* a small bag filled with lipsticks, bobby pins, perfume samples, pepto, and a bunch of other junk
* medicine bottle
* a book of blank pages to jot down thoughts & notes
* gum

.... you'll find in my bedroom
* dog hair
* dreamcatchers
* books
* lotion
* humidifier

.... i've always wanted to do
* travel europe
* mardi gras in new orleans
* speak fluent spanish
* study abroad
* make a stained glass window for home

.... i'm currently loving
* my hair color
* living where i do
* planning our anniversary trip
* purple eyes
* i got garbage tickets

.... quirks i have
* being nosey
* a strong 6th sense
* always have to have music on
* i get along way better with guys than girls
* sleeping with a heated rice filled cow every nite

link up if you decide to do the Q&A so i can read yours as well.  i think you should!

- pay it forward -

over the weekend as i was doing my daily blog browsing, i stumbled across a pay it forward post by someone.  [so sorry, but i cannot remember from whose blog it was].  i thought this was a very cool idea and i wanted to do the same.

i don't think anyone has ever really paid it forward to me, and that's fine, but i want to take this opportunity to do it for some of you! 

for the first 5 people that leave your email in the comments section, i will send you something in the mail, out of the blue, within the next year.  we all like little surprises in the mail, right?!

you know, nothing fancy-schmancy, but something fun.

ready, set, go!

garbage, you say?

yes!!  my favorite band ever, ever, ever.

i have loved this band since i was 15, starting way back in 1997.  the following year i got to see them in concert and that is the last time i have seen them. 

yep, that is a super long time. 

last year they came out with a new album and began touring.  never did they stop in st. louis.  there were a couple concerts in the midwest that i thought about going to, but of course, work got in the way and i couldn't. 

then just last week, they announced a new spring tour in the US and listed their first 4 cities.  st. louis wasn't one, but i knew the rest were going to be announced in the days ahead.  so i stalked their facebook page everyday waiting, and lo and behold this evening i saw that st. louis is one of the stops!

that, my friends, is the best news i've heard yet this year! {very selfish of me because there have been a couple other pieces of good news as well}

i am beyond ecstatic.  i'm seriously at a loss for words.

music is such a part of who i am and i live for concerts.  this concert is going to be fantastic.  if you haven't ever heard garbage's music, i highly recommend it.  shirley's voice is amazing and she's beautiful.  the guys are so talented and create such amazing sounds.

although my favorite kind of music is electronic, garbage will always be my favorite band, by far.  i feel like they have been such a huge part of my life - well they have been with me now for over half of my life, so it's justified in saying that i guess.

ahhh.  i am just such a happy girl tonite!

* all images via google.