Our Seven Year Anniversary!!

When my husband and I started dating, we instantly connected. We could talk for hours about everything, we knew right away that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together!
And on March 6th, 7 years ago we got married!

I thank God everyday for the wonderful husband and best friend he has given me. Without him, I would not have any of this!


Hubby got me my favorite flowers:




Hubby took me out for an amazing dinner at the Chart House
(they even printed special menus for us:)

We had some amazing food:



Enjoying one of my favorites (molten lava cake)
I must apologize for the lighting on these cell phone photos (it was dim in the restaurant and I did not want to disturb others with the flash)



(Again, bad lighting)
But here we are, 7 years married!


The best part was coming home to these little guys waiting for us :)




Thanks for visiting :)

Thrifting, two great finds!

I went thrifting on Sunday and found some great things I wanted to share with you.
(the goodwill near me is great, I have found some great things there in the past, and this time did not disappoint either)



A beautiful Nordstrom clutch and a Micheal Kors wallet, both in perfect condition!
Best part was that both were only $4.99 each!!



I have wanted a smaller wallet for a while now (I have a huge check book wallet)
This was a amazing find!


$4.99!!



Now, I don't go out much, so buying a clutch full price seems like a waste of money.
But for only $4.99, I couldn't pass it by.





Thank you to whoever donated these items, you made my day :)


What have you found at the thrift store this week?


This week in pictures...

We had so much fun this week!

Saturday:

We went out to eat on Saturday night:

After a lot of consideration, I finally decided to buy myself a clarisonic! (well, I guess I should say I had the hubby buy me a clarisonic) I have been using it close to a week now and already see a difference in my skin. (I will tell you more about it once a use it for longer)

Do you use a clarisonic? Do you like it/not like it? leave a comment :)


We decided to stop by and grab doughnuts (only 6) We haven't had Krispy Kreme in so long, we let ourselves have 2 each :)



Sunday:

Lunch


Sunday was a lazy day for us. We lounged at home and finally decided to get out of the house around 4 pm. We went to check out a new health food store (well it has been open for a while, we just never went there since there are so many health food stores next to us). Little Em was in love with the little shopping carts.
I let her shop and had her choose healthy things that she wanted.

Want to know what she picked?

Strawberries
bananas
Orange/strawberry/banana juice
yogurt
Annie's mac and cheese

That's it! She didn't want anything else in her cart!
It was so cute how she unloaded her cart all by herself and asked me to pay for her food, because she left her money at home in her piggy bank. What a doll!!!



Picked up some rice noodles and veggies at the health food store and threw together dinner.
I don't know what to call it, but I know it was delicious!




Monday:

It actually stopped raining and the sun came out!
That is rare here in the NW, so we took advantage of it and went to the park

My lunch


Tuesday:

We went to a cafe which caters to kids and moms/dads

It has a guarded area for the kids to play in (for a small fee) and adults to have coffee or grab lunch

We had so much fun. Little Em made lots of new friends.


Wednesday:

We went to Barnes and Noble for story time
It was our first time at Barnes and Noble for story time, Little Em told me she liked it "much more" then the library because here they gave out cookies :)


Thursday:

It snowed!
Yep, on March 1st it snowed.

brr... I am so ready for spring!!


After the snow melted, we went to the grocery store and picked up some things to get us through another week. As you can see I bought more rice noodles!! :


Friday:

This is little man's new thing. As soon as he sees me turn the kitchen faucet on, he runs to the bathroom and grabs the step stool and brings it into the kitchen to "wash" the dishes with me.
And not just the dishes, when I chop things on the counter, he moves the stool next to me. Then I move to the sink again, he moves the stool over again. He is so adorable!!!



That wraps our week up!!

Thank you so much for visiting.

Finished Products- Reviews


Here's the deal, I love buying and trying out new beauty and health products. Usually as soon as I start using something I think it is the best thing in the world, but then after a few weeks some of the things make it under my sink and I stop using them for one reason or another.

In a hopes to organize my vanity in my bathroom, I am trying to use up all of my products, or if for some reason I do not want to use them anymore, I will tell you why and throw them out.


Let me tell you a little about my skin first. I have oily, acne prone skin with dry patches on my cheeks which the doctor diagnosed as eczema. I have never had perfect skin, so I have been on the mission to find the perfect regimen that will keep my skin clean. This is why I try out so many things.

So lets get started!




Product name: Burts Bees Acne Spot Treament
Where did I purchase: Target
Cost: $9.99
What the product claims to do: This natural spot treatment is clinically proven to help reduce and improve the appearance of blemishes without irritating skin. Formulated with Tea Tree, Calendula, Yarrow, and Parsley Extracts to help soothe skin and reduce redness and Borage Extract to promote healthy skin resulting in clear and smooth skin, naturally.
My thoughts: This product is very hard to apply, If you use a cotton ball, I feel that it wastes to much product (the bottle being so small as it is already) It stings when you apply (which does not bother me) However, I did not notice any difference by using this product. I feel that the blemish goes away on its own without using anything in the same time as using this product.
Will I repurchase? NO


Product name: Burts Bees Citrus Facial Scrub
Where did I purchase:Target
Cost: $7.14
What the product claims to do: Uncover a pristine complexion with Citrus Facial Scrub. This blend of almonds, orange peel, and rose petals gently exfoliates and leaves skin clean and clear. 99.4% natural.
My thoughts: I am in love with this facial scrub. I used to use it every day to scrub of all of my makeup at the end of the day. Now that I got myself a clarisonic, I use this scrub about 2-3 times a week. It smells amazing and just melts all of your makeup off.
Will I repurchase? Yes! I am already on my second jar!


Product name: Clinique Acne Solutions Clear Skin System
Where did I purchase: Nordstrom
Cost: $34.00
What the product claims to do: Three simple steps that effectively work together to treat acne and help prevent future breakouts. The system starts to work immediately and you can begin to see results within days.
My thoughts: As much as I wanted this system to work for me, it did not. It irritated my skin even more, using a salicylic acid cleanser and clarifying lotion followed by a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment was to much for my sensitive skin to handle. But because I wanted so badly for this system to work, I made myself finish the whole regimen. I still had many breakout and irritated red skin when I was done using this regimen.
Will I repurchase? NO


Product name: LUSH Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask
Where did I purchase: LUSH In Store only
Cost: $6.00
What the product claims to do: Cosmetic Warrior is kind to problem laden faces thanks to moisturizing egg whites and honey, but effectively cleans and disinfects spots with antiseptic garlic and tea tree oil.
My thoughts: I really like the cosmetic warrior, I was afraid that it would smell like garlic, but it smells like tea tree oil. It is a fresh face mask, you need to use it up within 2-3 weeks. This little jar is enough for about 2-3 masks a week, so a total of 6-7 masks. It soothes my face, leaving my face soft and pores tightened, I also feel that it reduces redness.
Will I repurchase? YES


Product name: Burts Bees Radiance Day Creme With Royal Jelly
Where did I purchase: Target
Cost: $17.99
What the product claims to do:This wonderfully natural moisturizer is specially formulated with the most powerful nutrient in nature, Royal Jelly, that helps increase cell, renewal, significantly enhance radiance, and minimize the appearance of fine lines. With Bee Pollen to maintain essential moisture, Cherry Bark extract to calm and soothe, and Burdock and Birch extracts in increase elasticity and circulation, you'll get naturally radiant, younger looking skin.
99.02% Natural. Paraben Free/ Phthalate Free
My thoughts: Oh my goodness! This is the best moisturizer I have ever tried. It made my dry patches disappear (which my doctor told me was eczema) It made my skin seem radiant. almost glowy, It must be the royal jelly. At $17.99, It is more on a expensive side for me, but after throwing away money on so many moisturizers which did not do my face any good, I am so glad I decided to try this moisturizer out. Now that I ran out, my dry patches reappeared, So I need to pick more up ASAP.
Will I repurchase? YES


Product name: Covergirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara
Where did I purchase:Walmart
Cost: $7.98
What the product claims to do:Use Lash Blast Fusion to get a blast of volume plus incredible length! It's the perfect fusion of Lash Blast's super-volumizing brush and a buildable fiber-stretch lengthening formula that work together for dense, long-looking lashes!
My thoughts: This is my go to mascara when I am in a rush and do not want to curl my lashes. I love it and have been using it for years.
Will I repurchase? YES


Product name: Acne Free Scar Fade & Erase
Where did I purchase: Amazon
Cost: $11.33
What the product claims to do: Oil free scar fade and erase lotion evens out red, discolored post acne marks left behind by acne.
My Thoughts: I bought this product last year, I used it then for a few weeks and noticed blotches on my skin where it was "lightened" I stopped using it right away. The blochiness faded, but the hyper pigmentation was still there. I found this in my bathroom and decided to try it out again, this time spreading it evenly all over my face. The next morning after using this product, it looked like my face was burned. It was red and blotchy. I am not going to be using this product. I am going to toss it.
Will I repurchase? No


Product name: Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub
Where did I purchase: Walmart
Cost: $12.97
What the product claims to do: This great smelling body sugar scrub exfoliates your skin and removes all the dead skin to reveal healthy glowing skin. You can relax and rewind as the luxurious blend of deliciously sweet cranberry seeds, pomegranate oil, natural sugar crystals and Shea butter work to gently polish and condition your skin. Regular use of this natural sugar scrub will leave your skin feeling silky and soft, naturally. 100 % natural.
My Thoughts: This is my first body scrub I have ever used. This stuff smells amazing! It's funny that on the container it says DO NOT EAT! Ha ha!! It smells so good that you would want to eat it!
I usually take quick showers, but at least once a week, I have my hubby watch the kids so I can pamper myself (masks, deep conditioning, scrubs, doing my nails). I use this on my elbow and knees. However, I feel that it leaves my skin oily. I need to use a washcloth to wash the slippery feeling off. Probably defeating the whole purpose, I just don't like the oily feeling. I think next, I will try a salt scrub.
Will I repurchase? No


Product name: Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment
Where did I purchase: Walgreens
Cost: $6.00
What the product claims to do: This on-the-spot acne treatment stocks Benzoyl Peroxide, the hardworking pimple fighter, in a moderate, 2.5-percent solution. Just enough to clear up your blemishes, but not so much that skin is left red, dry or irritated.
My Thoughts: I used to use this product all the time whenever I had a blemish. However I got a lot of breakouts in the beginning of January, so I generously rubbed this onto my forehead at night and woke up the next morning with swollen eyes, I discontinued the use of this, and my eyes went back to normal. Next time I dotted this on my blemishes and my eyes got irritated again. I do not know what changed in my skin, I never got these kind of reactions to this product, but decided I will not be buying anymore benzoyl peroxide products. Since I stopped using this, I have not had any more reactions.
Will I repurchase? No



Product name: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Spot Gel
Where did I purchase: Walgreens
Cost: $6.00
What the product claims to do: A maximum strength acne treatment for breakout emergencies that clears breakouts fast and helps prevent emerging breakouts even before they become visible.
My Thoughts: I have changed up my face regimen and my face is doing so much better. This is a new thing I have added to my face routine and I can see it helping me.
Will I repurchase? Yes, I have already repurchased this.



That's all of my used up products for right now. I can now throw these containers out!! Yippee!

Have you used any of these products? What did you think of them?
Do you have any recent product reviews? leave a link in the comments, I would love to check it out. :)

Package Pals @ C.R.A.F.T.


I was thrilled to participate in Jamie's Package Pals @ C.R.A.F.T.

She will be doing this every other month, so if you missed it this time, you can participate next time.

Basically, here is how it works, I signed up to participate in the package pals, Jamie went through all of the participators and matched us with a "Pal"
We got a brief description on what our pal likes and we were given the email/blog of our pal.

So basically, we became package pal's, kind of like pen pals :)


Here is what I made for my package pal.


Make up bag:


Leather cuff bracelet:


Bow necklace:


Infinity Scarf:


Felt flower Pin:


Felt flower shoe clips:


I packaged it up like this:



I had such a fun time with this, I can not wait until the next time around.

If you haven't participated in this, You should consider it, who knows, maybe we can become package pals :)

Double Layer Knit Skirt



Ok, before I talk about my latest project, I want to put something out there.

I am a BAD shopper, If I see something on sale and I think its "cute" I grab it, usually without trying it on (because I have two little kidos with me and it is too much of a hassle)
so, I usually end up returning a lot of things.

I was at the fabric store buying something for a completely different project, I saw this knit cheetah print on sale ( I usually do NOT wear cheetah print), I thought "ohh, It's so cute! I am going to get this" I paid $16 for 2 yards. Anyways, when I got home I examined the fabric closely, I saw it was a thin sweater knit (something cardigans are made from) I thought oh shoot! What am I going to do with this? Well, I can't return fabric. So It has been sitting in my craft room for about a month now. I never got the courage to make anything out of it, first of all, I am not a seamstress, I can sew a simple skirt and a pillow case, but that's it!

So on a rainy day, I finally mustered up the courage to use some of the fabric to make something.
I used one yard for this project, so I still need to figure out what to make with the rest :) Which is good, It makes me get out of my comfort zone.

I decided to make a double layer knit pencil skirt, It took me about a half an hour to make!

If you want to see how I made it, then read on :)




First, I took my knit fabric and folded it in half and used a knit skirt which fit me well as a pattern.

I traced and cut

I cut two pieces like so:


I put the right sides together and sewed the sides together

When I turned it inside out, it looks like so:


Then I pulled one end inside, and it formed a skirt like this
(I think this would be super cute with two different fabrics for a reversible skirt )



Then I cut some elastic the same length as the waist.
(mine looks a little ghetto, since I didn't have enough of one and had to piece two pieces together, Its all good, It works :)


On one of the ends, I sewed the elastic on like so, and then folded it in:


Then I folded the second fabric in, as well:


Pinned all around:


Then I sewed all around the edge like this:


All done!



I am loving this comfy skirt!

It is cute and still comfortable to move around in while chasing my little man :)



I added a thin belt for a added detail