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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Birchbox Favorites (Nov-Feb)

I've gotten way behind on Birchbox goodies so I decided to give a "favorites recap" for my top picks in the November-February boxes. I have loved almost every product so it was difficult to narrow the list down. Getting these boxes is always the highlight of my week day; I owe my sis-in-law Scarlett such a huge thank you for giving me a year's worth of Birchbox. Love you, Scarlett!
 
If you've never heard of Birchbox, here's the lowdown. It's pretty awesome.
 
 
And the favorites are....
 
Skin & Co Roma Body Gel: cleansing body gel with olive and sicilian orange extracts (full size, $17.50)
Zach and I went to Rome on our honeymoon so I'm naturally drawn to anything Italian, plus they have such beautiful skin there that I trust their beauty products! This shower gel is packed with antioxidants and leaves my skin feels refreshed and smelling divine. Zach even asked me what perfume I was wearing a few hours after my shower. I usually smell like sour milk these days so he was pleasantly surprised.
 
Color Club: Wild Cactus (full size, $8)
I am in serious love with this color. Jewel tones are really in right now and while this looks teal in the bottle, it goes on as more of an emerald. The great thing is it's appropriate for any season and can be worn year round. If you'd like to see this color on, I'm wearing it in this post.
 
Lancome Bi-Facil: eye makeup remover (full size, $28)
I've always been a Mary Kay eye makeup remover kinda girl, but Lancome has pretty much won me over. It takes off waterproof mascara in an instant without any irritation whatsoever. I normally wouldn't pay $28 for a bottle of makeup remover, but a little goes such a long way in this case that I think one bottle would last for months.
 
Oscar Blandi Hairspray: pronto texture and volume spray (full size, $25)
I've never been one to spend much on hairspray, or even use it much for that matter, but in Houston our weather is so humid that I need some major hold if I expect curls to stay in for more than three minutes. They call this spray "nonsticky" and I didn't believe it until I witnessed the miracle myself. Hairspray always leaves my hands (and often hair!) feeling sticky and icky and with a baby, I despise that. Not anymore! This spray is so light and smells like a salon. You know what I mean, that really yummy salon smell. Now we're on to their secret....
 
Mox Botanicals Lip Butter: pomegranate & fig lip rub (full size, $16)
This stuff feels like heaven on my lips...I am obsessed. The only down-side is that you rub it on using your finger; I usually prefer Chap Stick and products that don't get on your hands. It just seems unnecessarily messy. I use this in the mornings when getting ready; it's the perfect base for lipstick or gloss. I find it's better for using at home than on-the-go. Bonus: it's eco-friendly!
 
 Harvey Prince Skinny Chic: perfume (full size, $55)
I've heard several Birchbox subscribers complain about perfume samples since you can get them many places for free (and I hear ya!) but I actually enjoy getting the little sample tubes because they're ideal for travel. We're always taking weekend trips and I learned the hard way not to pack full-size perfume bottles so these samples are the perfect fix. Skinny Chic smells flirty and fun; I'm planning on packing it for a bachelorette party in May. This perfume just feels like something to wear with the girls....like "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" should be it's theme song.
 
Caldrea Hand Soap: (full size, $10.50)
I'm a plain ol' Softsoap kinda gal normally but these sweet soaps smell absolutely amazing and I want to put them by every water orifice in our home. I feel so fancy when I use them, plus they leave my hands smelling heavenly for hours. I'm going to order some just for gifts; they'd be a special treat for all the sweet germaphobes in your life :).
 
 
 What products are you currently loving? Have you tried any of these? Would love to hear your current beauty obsessions!
 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Baby Baby Baby (Bieber Style)

 
We tried a yummy, one-of-a-kind restaurant in Old Town Spring Saturday night (not sure the name...fail on my part); it was delicious! Great live music and the best chocolate chip pie we've ever eaten.
 
Bear wasn't too impressed....
 
Can't get enough of these cheeks.
 
Bear and I joined a Mommy and Me group and loved our first official playdate Monday! So many sweet mommas and babies that we are really going to enjoy getting to know.
 
 We enjoyed it so much that we met up with Jagger (and his mommy, Cris) for playdates again yesterday and today!
 
Cris informed me that Godiva offers free chocolate once a month to those who sign up for their mailing list...two minutes later I was downing a red velvet truffle.
 
Free panties! Felt like I was stealing from all these stores...but why not take advantage of promotions?!
 
Bear enjoyed all the freebies, too.
 
While I took pictures for this post, someone was a little poser himself...
 
Happy Hump Day!
 

Monday, February 25, 2013

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Momma Style: Gold, White & Blue

 
 
 
 
top/shoes/ring:F21, skinnies:Home Goods, necklace:Urban Outfitters, watch:Kohl's, bracelet:J.Crew (gift), polish:Color Club "wild cactus"
 
 
 I've always been a big fan of cobalt blue; there's something so vibrant and fun yet "grown-up" about the rich blue shade. It also compliments every skin-tone and adds a pop of color to any outfit.
 
Three inch heels are about as high as I'll venture these days since I'm usually seen toting around a 16 pound baby or lugging a giant carseat on my arm. I keep an extra pair of flats in our diaper bag at all times for comfort reasons; I kept them in my purse even before Bear was born. Have you ever had a heel snap on the cereal aisle of the grocery store? 'Cause I have. Not fun. Maybe that's the universe sending me a sign to lay off the Cap'n Crunch.
 
What's your favorite color to "pop"?!
 

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Lately...

 
Bear and I color coordinated for our family dinner date this evening...
 
the Target dollar section provided goodies for Bear's in-the-works Easter basket
 
 
flowers in our backyard are teasing that spring is around the corner
 
socks come off to let chubby piggies get fresh air
 
someone turned 3 months old on Monday...a bittersweet occasion for this Momma
 overalls/plaid onesie: OshKosh (gift from my sweet bro/sis-in-law), boat shoes: Old Navy (gift from my sweet parents)
 
Bear wears his sunglasses at night

The weather was perfect in Houston today and we enjoyed a laid-back, relaxing Saturday. Zach got all fifty shades of crafty in the garage this afternoon; I can't wait to show you guys what he made!
 
Hope you're soaking up this beautiful weekend!
 

Friday, February 22, 2013

3 Months

 I tried to narrow it down to 2-3 pictures but just couldn't bear to erase any...
 
 
"Mom, if you put this bowtie in my face, I'm gonna eat it"
overalls: Old Navy, bowtie: Target
 

 Height: 26-27 in.
Weight: 16 lb.
 
 
Things to Remember:
-You have started to take a real interest in watching Mommy and Daddy eat. You watch intently as we take each bite as if to say "Give me some cheeseburger!". Soon enough, Baby, soon enough.
-You still aren't napping much but are sleeping great at night so we can't complain. Just last night you slept from 12am-12pm only waking up for 3 feedings in between and going right back to sleep each time.
-You smile all the time, especially in the mornings when you first wake up. You must've gotten that from your Daddy because Momma does not wake up happy. I'm glad you do!
-You do not like getting dressed. At all. You never cry, but you certainly look displeased and would much rather stay a naked baby all day.
-You kick and pull your legs up toward your chest when laying on your back; you just started this a couple days ago. One day soon you're gonna reach up and grab those chubby toesies!
-The only toy you'll hold onto so far is Sophie the Giraffe; you love her! Chewing on Sophie is one of your favorite pastimes these days. (New/expecting mommies: Sophie is amazing and came highly recommended to us. Now I see why! She's made of all natural rubber & food paint so Baby can safely chew away all he/she wants.)
-You fully support your head (and have for several weeks now).
-You try to stand up all the time. Anytime we hold you on our laps, you're pushing up and tighting your legs. It's so cute! Daddy thinks you're going to walk before you crawl.
 
 
To our Baby Bear:
The past 3 months have been the best, most rewarding months of our lives. Watching you grow from a sleepy, curled-in-a-ball newborn to the alert, happy little boy you are now has truly been amazing. We are blessed to call you our son and you are, and always will be, our "greatest accomplishment". We love you.
 

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Quick & Easy Banana Bread

 A few weeks ago my friend Ada over at Elegance Personified asked me to guest post so I shared this recipe; I'd hate for you all to feel left out so I'm sharing it here, too :).
 

This is seriously the easiest, yummiest banana bread you'll ever eat. We didn't have any nuts at the time so I left them out, but you can always throw some in if you choose. Chocolate chips would be a great add-in, too.
 
The crust is the best part! It's crispy in a sugary sort of way and is the perfect compliment to the moist center of the bread.
 
This is our favorite breakfast treat; Zach loves taking a few slices to work and sharing with co-workers. An added bonus is that the recipe makes two loaves so you can always freeze one and save it for a rainy (hungry!) day. We've found the bread's just as good after freezing and is great for pulling out when you have company but don't feel like getting up early and making anything for breakfast. Pretty much the perfect excuse to eat cake (disguised as bread) for breakfast.
 
 
You'll need:
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 bananas, mashed
 
 
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar together then add eggs. Mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with mashed bananas to the creamed mixture. Add vanilla. Bake in 2 loaf pans at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
(recipe from Fourth & Elm Church of Christ Family Favorites cookbook)

 
Happy baking!
 
 
p.s. Thank you for your movie tips on the previous post; think we're gonna watch Safe Haven. Fingers crossed little Bear finds it boring and decides to nap!