We've been busy enjoying the last little bit of summer over here lately.  Last weekend, Jason's sister and her family came to visit and I feel like we haven't stopped to catch our breath since then. 

We've been to the Zoo, Six Flags, the pool, on a hike, back to the Zoo, back to the pool, spent waaay too much time at the local frozen yogurt place, and to the Muny.  Katherine also finished her summer reading at the library and got a super sweet yard sign to put in front of the house. 








I've literally waited 10 years for Aida to come back to the Muny.  It was so worth it.  I was introduced to Aida by my college friend and roommate.  I would highly recommend this show.  It's amazing. 




I read Hope Unfolding this summer and absolutely loved it.  It's a great book for all of the Mamas out there.  I've already preordered Becky Thompson's next book Love Unending, which comes out in January. 

Can I just say, I love the Olympics!  I've always loved watching them, but this year I've been almost obsessed.  I feel like I know the athletes personally, and I'm fixated on their every event, and feel so happy for them when they win.  I remember watching the 2012 Summer Olympics, in my first trimester with Katherine.  I was sooooo sick all the time, and I remember watching the gymnasts bouncing around and wishing I felt as good as they did.  I also thought it was crazy that when the next Summer Games came around, I'd have a three-year-old.  And yet, here we are.

Here's one of favorite moments so far from the Summer Olympics:

I'm always sad to see Summer go, but I'm also excited for Fall and all that cooler weather brings!

I'll admit that I'm new to the world of face primers, and I'll also admit that I'm no expert on make-up or skin care.  With that being said, I want to share a couple of products I've been using and how they've been working for me. 

I got the Smashbox primer as a sample at Sephora a while back.  I later found the Benefit POREfessional primer at Ulta and decided to try it to see which product I liked better. 

First up is Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer:

This clear, silky product may seem like it's going to be greasy, but it's really not.  It feels so light on my skin that I can't even tell it's there.  It was easy to apply and felt very lightweight.  Also, my make-up stays in place all day.  It is on the pricy side, which is a major downfall for me.

Next up is Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer:

This primer, while it still feels silky, almost has a look of a BB cream or tinted moisturizer.  It also felt super light and was easy to apply.  It blends well and was long lasting.  This primer is slightly cheaper than Smashbox. 

The result: 

With both products, a little goes a long way.  I used about a pea size amount each application.  I'm no stranger to Benefit products. I use several of their products and love them.  This was my first product to try from Smashbox.  Overall, I love them both.  I'll probably stick with Benefit due to it being slightly cheaper and because I love Benefit products in general. 

Do you use a face primer?  What product do you use?

While my blog posts have been scarce recently, I'm still here and still trying to come up with fun and interesting content to share.  It's been a little challenging lately, but alas I'm sharing some of my current favorite links with you today:

1.  I Dressed Like Rachel Green From 'Friends' For A Week & Here's What Happened  I would totally try this! 

2.  The All-Time Best Rom-Coms To Stream Now  Perfect for when Katherine's in bed for the night and Jason is at work.  

3.  The 15 Best Beauty Finds at Whole Foods  I'd be willing to try a couple.  

4.  Froggy Fresh - Dunked On  This is Jason and Katherine's favorite thing to watch on YouTube.  They watch it constantly and know all the words.  It's probably the dumbest song/video ever.  Like, ever.  


I'm currently looking for TV shows to stream/binge watch this summer.  Any suggestions?

Happy Monday!

This last week has been hard.  I've almost throat-punched two different punk four-year-olds on two separate occasions for pushing my two-year-old around while their parents sit idly by on their phones, we've seen several houses but purchased zero, we're still living with my parents, and my nerves are about shot.  So de-stressing via web browsing has been key to my sanity this week.  

Here's a list of links I'm loving right now:

1.  The 6 Cult-Classic Films Every Fashion Girl Should See  I still love Clueless but my favorite movie quote (almost of all time) is from The Devil Wears Prada.  

"This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff."
-Miranda Priestly 

Mic drop.

2.  How Well Do You Know These Minor Details From "Friends?" Because gum is perfection.  

3.  9 Common Household Items Everyone Forgets To Clean   Yuck.  

4.  Snap + Style   For a little fashion advise on the go.  

5.  15 Things A Registered Dietitian Always Keeps In Her Pantry  Because #goals. 


Keeping with the theme of this post, this face sums up our house search so far:

I'm super hopeful for a better week and a new house soon.

I got brave a few months ago and cut my hair.  I maintained that length for a while, but this past week I cut it a little shorter.  While I liked having longer hair, the change has been exactly what I needed.  I've been looking for some products to make my hair look like "Pinterest Hair," and I think I've found a few new bottles to add to my hair care collection.  

I got a couple of gift cards from Beauty Brands for Christmas, and it was literally the perfect gift because I love this store.  So with my new haircut, I decided to try to some products.
amika Touchable Hairspray - While I've been a loyal Big Sexy hairspray customer for years and years, I love this hairspray from amika because it's not as heavy as Big Sexy and is great to use if you want some movement with a flexible hold.  I've become a huge fan of amika products lately, continually using their dry shampoo, texture spray, and straightening balm.  

Moroccanoil Shampoo and Conditioner - I don't usually do the "expensive shampoo" thing because, after all, it's just soap for your hair.  However, I've learned over the years that the better the shampoo, the better your hair looks and feels after washing it.  I had heard great things about the Moroccanoil line and decided to try out a shampoo and conditioner in the travel size (because who wants to try a bottle of shampoo at $28 a pop).  After using the shampoo and conditioner my hair has felt great, and hasn't had any "winter frizz."  I'll probably invest in the regular size bottles soon.

With no new house on the horizon yet, it's nice to have a change.  Even if it is just my hair.  Look for my perfect Pinterest hair coming to a pin near you soon!

 I love holiday teas, but this Celestial Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Holiday Tea is my favorite this year.  Usually I go for peppermint tea around the holidays, but this one tastes exactly like sugar cookies and is the perfect Christmas tea.  And because it's caffeine free, I can drink it any time of day. (Mug: The Pioneer Woman Collection)





I bought this candle by Panda Bear Candles at a craft show a few weeks ago, and it smells so much like Christmas.  I love it.  You can find more of these candles here.  (Mine is called "Christmas Tree.")





I'm once again adding Angie's popcorn to the list this month.  I bought two bags of different flavored holidrizzle popcorn during my latest trip to Target, and they're delicious.  Plus, I love anything dark chocolate or peppermint flavored.





Holiday baking has always been one of my favorite things to do during Christmas time, but it's been so much more fun this year now that Katherine can help.  She gets so excited about helping mix the dough and watching cookies bake in the oven.

December is such a fun month, even with it's often hectic schedule.  This December has been extra crazy with our impending move.  Like I said, it will be a Christmas miracle if I make it through.

After an almost three week hiatus, I'm back.  I didn't actually go anywhere.  Each day I had every intention of posting to the blog, but one day ran in to another and before I knew it weeks had passed.  Our house is officially on the market, and if you've ever tried to sell your house (and buy another one....with a child(ren) at home), you know that it is both time consuming and mentally exhausting.  Que the violins.  While I didn't want to try to sell our house over the holidays, it is what it is.  Speaking of which...

Where has the year gone?  It's already time for Thanksgiving!  As the holiday season approaches, I'm happy to share some of my favorite things about this time of year, starting with November favorites.






Topping my list of favorites this time of year, are the holiday movies on The Hallmark Channel.  With Christmas movies playing all day, every day, it's always easy to find something Christmasy to watch while we bake cookies or decorate for Christmas.





November is also Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection month.  This is our second year to pack and send a shoebox with Katherine.  Last year, she "helped," but only being 21 months old, she wasn't really sure what she was doing.  This year, I showed her a video from the Samaritan's Purse website and explained to her that some kids in other countries don't get Christmas gifts, and we can help them have a nice Christmas by filling a shoebox with goodies and sending it to them.  She immediately got on board with the project and decided she would send a shoebox to a little girl.  So off to Target we went, filling our basket with lots of goodies.  She helped pack the shoebox once we got back home, and proudly dropped it off at church on Sunday.




Can I say that I'm super excited about Adele's new album coming out today?  Love her.  Love her new album.  Love it all.




And last but certainly not least, since November is officially the month of thankfulness, being thankful is obviously a favorite thing this month.  While I try to be thankful every single day of the year, I'm reminded of how blessed I really am around this time of year.  We are so very blessed and I'm so thankful for that.

Ah, October.  My favorite month of the year.  I could go on and on about the things I love about this month, but I won't.  You're welcome.  

I don't have to tell you that October is the Halloween month, and I love all things Halloween.  So this month's list may just be called "What I'm Loving about Halloween."  Fun fact:  I'm listening to Thriller as I write this.  




I'm loving this vintage Halloween decoration I found at the Best of Missouri Market a couple of weeks ago.  It's the perfect addition to my festive Halloween mantel.




We've been doing lots of Halloween activities around our house this month.  One of Katherine's favorites was making monsters.  I found this craft kit at Hobby Lobby and it was the perfect indoor activity when the temperatures dropped a couple of weeks ago.




Speaking of crafting, I got pretty ambitious for this year's Halloween costume(s).  I posted a teaser photo on Instagram a week ago and I've been busy working ever since.  I'll be lucky if I get it done in time for Halloween.  Stay tuned.....





Due to unforeseen circumstances, we weren't able to go to my annual family reunion last month, so I was glad my mom had a fall break from school that allowed us to go visit my grandmothers in Arkansas last week.  It's always a fun time for Katherine and she was able to fit some coloring and tree climbing in while we were there.  I remember watching my older cousins climb this same tree in my grandmother's back yard when I was about Katherine's age.

We've got some cool things planned for the rest of October, including a spooky visit to the zoo and a pumpkin glow.  I can't wait!

October is also when the Delta Children's Home Auction takes place in my hometown of Kennett, Missouri.  This year's auction will be on October 25, and if you're in the area you'll be able to bid on these three scarves from my Etsy shop.  

Happy October!

Happy first day of Fall!  We're entering my absolute favorite time of the year and I couldn't be more excited.  Speaking of the start of fall, it's actually one of my favorite things about September.






Topping this month's list is, of course, the start of fall.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this photo last week.  I love fall weather (aka boot weather).






I couldn't mention the return of fall weather without giving a shout-out to the return of everything pumpkin.  I do love that very first pumpkin latte of the season, although I usually hold off until the start of October.  I did buy some pumpkin butter at Trader Joe's the other day, just to kick off the pumpkin season.






September is also the month of my family's annual reunion.  This photo is from last year's gathering and I can't believe how much Katherine has grown.  It's always a fun time and it's one of the only times in the year when Katherine gets to see many of her Arkansas family members.





Last Tuesday, I went to get my hair cut and before I left the salon to come home, I sent Jason this photo.
Every time I go to get my hair cut I always get "just a trim," but this time I wanted a change.  With all of the changes going on around our house, I decided to be brave and go for it at the salon.  I cut off between 5-6 inches and I couldn't be happier with the new cut.





Since I have a new haircut, I went all out and bought a texture spray I had been eyeing.  I was using a drugstore brand of texture spray, just to try out the concept.  While the drugstore brand did the job, this Amika UnDone spray is so much lighter and smells great.  Adding some texture spray to my styled hair gives it so much body and helps the style last longer.

I'm so excited about fall and our Halloween costumes are already in the works.  Yes, costumes.  We are dressing up as a family again.   Details soon....

August marks the end of summer but also the beginning of fall, my favorite season.  August also means the start of a new school year, and even though I don't go to school anymore and don't have school aged children, I'm always tempted to buy a brand new shiny notebook and pack of pencils every August.

{amazon.com}

Which is why the school supply aisle is one of my favorite things about August.  I'm also tempted to buy a box of crayons because who doesn't love brand new, never used crayons?





One thing I always do in the summer is binge watch a TV show on Netflix.  Every summer, I pick a show (either that I've seen or haven't seen) and watch it start to finish.  This year, it was That 70's Show.  I used to watch this show with my parents all the time when I was living at home.  I don't know why, but I always loved this show.  So I chose to re-watch it this summer.  In the actual 70's, I'm pretty sure my dad was Hyde and my mom was Donna.  Oh, that Fez.  He cracks me up.

{hercampus.com}

Speaking of TV shows, one show I love to watch in the summer is Pretty Little Liars.  I've probably mentioned this show before, but I love it.  I love how dark and twisted it is.  The summer finale aired a couple of weeks ago and I'm still obsessing over it.  I still don't know how I actually feel about the "real A" being revealed.  I may have to get back on Netflix and re-watch the series completely.

My August list is pretty short this month because I've been busy trying to squeeze every last ounce of summer out of each day before the weather gets cooler and things get busier.

I'm still super excited about fall though.

It's time for my monthly favorites list!  I can't believe we're nearing the end of June.  It's been a weird month, with the constant rain and steamy temperatures.  I can remember a day when by the end of June, my skin tone was four shades darker.  To date, I still don't have a visible tan line.  We'll hopefully make it to the pool soon, in between rain showers.  

{Photo credit:  Andie Case//YouTube.com}

{Photo credit:  Cupcakes and Cashmere}

It's time for my May favorites list and I'm excited to share this one with you!  I'm so so glad to finally be in the warmer months and can't wait for summer, but in the meantime I'm going to enjoy every last bit of spring I possibly can.



One of my favorite events to go to in May is the Greater St. Louis Book Fair.  My mom and I stumbled upon this little gem several years ago when we were in town for a music competition, and we've tried to go back each year since.  Each spring, thousands of used books take over the Macy's parking garage and are priced to move with proceeds going to non-profit education and literacy programs.  People literally line up to get first dibs on these books and you have to fight the crowds all weekend.  It's fantastic!




Speaking of books, May is also the start of the summer reading program at our library.  I signed Katherine and myself up again this year with hopes that I'll actually get through mine.  Katherine completed her program in record time because we read books to her constantly and go to weekly story time.  While I started strong last year, I only finished 4.5 of 6 books.  I got stuck on book 5 and never recovered.  It's a lot harder to read once you have a child.  If only they'd let adults count the number of books we read to our kids.  Anyway, I'm hoping to complete my program this summer.  Are you trying to decide what to read this summer?  Here's a fun quiz to take to help you decide!  





I recently started using products from The Honest Co. and I'll have to say, this is probably my new favorite product line.  I first bought the bubble bath for Katherine because I wanted a bubble bath that wasn't too fragrant and wouldn't irritate her skin.  I loved it and went back to buy other bath products for her.  Then I started using the multi-surface cleaner.  These products smell great, but don't have a strong fake scent.  I'll also say that the organic healing balm is great for really dry skin.  My hands are always super dry and putting the healing balm on them at night before bed has helped tremendously.  


 

Angie's has done it again with Boom Chicka Puff cheese puffs.  I've mentioned Angie's popcorn a few times before in different posts, but this is the first non-popcorn product I've tried.  I'm not really a cheese puff fan, but on a whim I picked up a bag of Boom Chicka Puff (nacho cheese) at Target the other day.  They are really, really good.  They don't have a heavy "Cheetos" flavor and no harsh fake "cheese" color that sticks to your hands.  Katherine loved them too so that's even better.  She literally couldn't stop smiling when she was eating them.

What is your favorite thing about spring?