Serum, body wash, Luna

Cosmetic opinion part 2!

Body Wash - ya know, for me, body wash is body wash. As long as it doesn't break me out, I'm ok. It smells good.. the morning after I still feel moisturized (but I'm also oily).. I think I would rather stick with taking advantage of Bath and Body works mondo sales for my body wash. 

Joanna Vargas Daily Serum - it's very nice, and I think it's something that is good to include in one's routine. However, I am not willing to pay $85 for a tube. I'll find something cheaper. I may do some checking around at Ulta or Sephora for something similar but easier on my checking account.

Luna fiber - we are getting a case of these the next time we go to SAMs club :) I let Shannon take a bite and we both really enjoyed the bar! It's a softer bar, which was a nice change from our normal granola bars. From reading the packaging, lots of good stuff in a bar. It's something great to grab on the go when I'm running late. 

If I had to rank my items from this month here's my list, favorites first:
Luna Bar
Lip Gloss
Serum
Body Wash
Essie nail polish

Until next month! 

Nail polish and lip gloss

I recently started to get a Birchbox. If you have no idea what a Birchbox is, let me tell you - it's an amazing box that comes to your home once a month with 5-6 sample items to try. It's a $10 monthly subscription, but I am loving it! I love trying something new, plus it helps keep my checking account at a higher balance :)

My husband has gently told me my blog tends to be on the darker side.. It happens. I have too many thoughts rolling in my head and those thoughts have to come out. So, in an effort to look at the happier things in life I am going to try to blog about other aspects of my life - cosmetics, knitting, crochet, beading... and who knows what else! 

From my October box, I have only tried 2 of my 5 items - a nail polish from Essie and lip gloss from Naked Princess. The nail polish - ugh. Let me start by saying for over a year I have been using gelish polish and I LOVE it. I can have a nice manicure for at least a week if not longer (depending on the shade). Because of that I have turned into a nail polish snob. I like my polish to last at least a day. The Essie didn't :( I may not have done a decent application but it started to chip later the same day. Boo. It has a nice application, I like the color, but it just didn't last for me. I'm always washing my hands, washing dishes, cleaning up messy faces/hands... 

BUT... the lip gloss... oh man, did I like the lip gloss! Naked Princess Naked Shine Luscious Lip Gloss. O-M-G. It's soft, it's moisturizing, it's NOT sticky.. It's a light color with some plumping (that I really don't need, but whatever) benefits as well. This may be something that goes into my cart! REALLY liked it. 

So, there are 3 items still waiting to be used.. Stay tuned :) (photos to come. I'm too lazy to take the pictures right now and post!)

Woah, heavy.

So, my last two posts have been a tad on the heavy side.. It's about time for a family update :)

Shannon - still in Harrisburg, loving football season and making as many pumpkin pies as he can :) I love that man. He is the peanut butter to my Nutella (or jelly if you prefer!).

Audrey & Shannon

My beautiful girl

Audrey  - This girl LOVES preschool! If she could, she would go 7 days a week instead of 3. She loves being social, feeling like a big girl and learning new things. Preschool has been very good for her.

Two adorable pumpkins :)

Landon's 9 month stats

Landon - Oh my soul, do I love this boy! He is on the move now. He's army crawling to whatever he wants (usually, his momma) This past week he had his first tooth crack through his gums, and the second is soon to follow. He's getting so big, so fast! Kiddos - They get along so well together. I am truly blessed with great kiddos. They love each other and I can see those two growing up and being great friends (I hope!)
 

Sock hat for toddler girl

Crochet flower

Last, but certainly not least, myself. I have been busy and I love it! I have been making all kinds of crafts, learning how to knit, dipping my hands, and camera, into various forms of photography and spending time with my family and friends. So, first - crafts! I so enjoy making all kinds of things and seeing it actually come together, and not just the visions in my head! I have made some things I am comfortable with - hats, scarves.. But, I'm also branching out into things I'm unsure of, like fingerless mittens, and I love them! I'm also learning how to use scraps of yarn to make poms, flowers, etc. I've wanted to learn how to knit for a while. Bought a kit, watched videos and FAILED. It's amazing what a class with a real person can do for me! I've almost finished my first knitting project (photo to come) and the next project is socks! I'm so excited!!!

Crochet fingerless gloves

 I so enjoy the art of photography and capturing life moments. I am still learning, but I am so in love with the art! I am totally going to toot my own horn here -- I think I'm pretty decent at it too! Always room for improvement, but I enjoy it and I'm learning the artsy side of editing. Regardless, I took photos for a benefit over the weekend and so enjoyed capturing moments, accomplishments, feelings and emotions of the event. 

Good person.... Bad stuff.

I've been very thoughtful the past 24 hours. This is probably the most productive way for me to expel my thoughts into words, as well  as actions. 

Faith. How do I describe what faith is to someone? Specifically someone who may not have faith. I have faith in God.. but I think I may rely more on the hope than anything else. Why? I've had a lot of shit in my 30 years of life, but I'm still vertical. I'm in the process of making sure I am doing what I believe and am commanded to do. It's been a change, and it will be a touch, but so rewarding road. 

Today I was talking to a friend who has had similar life experiences. (Total shout out to her, Trish, right now. Check out her blog --- http://cherrysocks.wordpress.com/ --- it's funny, honest, raw, and inspiring.) Why do we keep things we are going through, went through, experienced to ourselves? Do we have any idea how theraputic it could be to another who is currently going through tough times? I'm challenging myself to live each day as if it were my last. That may mean saying the tough, honest, raw things about my life to another. 

So, back to faith, hope... Life is never easy. Where is the challenge in something that's EASY? We ALL have our hardships. Some are at varying degrees of difficulty, but everyone experiences pain, difficulty, and death. However, how one may process those seasons of life .... well, that's what can make all of us different. I'm not going to go through my laundry list of pain, difficulty and death. It's there. It's happened. It's my story. It's part of what makes me, me. However, I am trying my darndest to make the best of those difficult times. 

I know if I had been raised differently, wow.. things would be ... I'm actually scared to think of how my life may have been if some of the bad things hadn't happened to me. I am sad and wonder what kind of a relationship I would have had with my birth parents, and if I would have had siblings... But, I have friends and family that I wouldn't have in my life if their tragedy hadn't happen almost 30 years ago. The older I become the more I miss my daddy (technically my grandfather) and I wish he could have seen and met his (great) grandchildren. He would have loved them. But, I am able to tell my kiddos about their grandfather, his garden, his heart, and Heaven. If we hadn't experienced our miscarriages I don't think I'd be as thankful for my kiddos as I am. Audrey is learning so much at preschool and she LOVES it. Landon is such a happy baby and he has been such a beautiful blessing to our family. I almost forgot someone super important to me -- if my life had been different, I'm 100% sure I wouldn't have such an amazing husband. Shannon, I love you. I am so thankful for you. You and your family have been such a blessing to me. 

That being said, there is a song we sing at church that I think sums up how life is for all of us. 

Beautiful Things - Gungor 

All this pain  

I wonder if I'll ever find my way? 

I wonder if my life could really change at all?  

All this earth  

Could all that is lost ever be found?  

Could a garden come up from this ground at all?

 
You make beautiful things 

 You make beautiful things out of the dust  

You make beautiful things  

You make beautiful things out of us

 
All around  

Hope is springing up from this old ground  

Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things 

 You make beautiful things out of the dust  

You make beautiful things  

You make beautiful things out of us

 
Oh, you make beautiful things  

You make beautiful things out of the dust  

You make beautiful things  

 You make beautiful things out of us

 
You make me new, 

You are making me new  

You make me new, 

You are making me new  

Making me new

 

Golden Rule

So, we all know the golden rule -- 

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

But, what if we lived each day that way? And took it a step further -- live life as if it were your last. What would you do? Who would you want to spend your time with? Seriously, what would you do if you knew today was your last day on earth? Take another step -- what if we also treated OTHERS as if today was THEIR last day? Imagine how DIFFERENT the world would be if we actually lived this way?

My brain has been swimming today -- thinking a lot about how I live my life. This blog may be short, but there may be a part 2 at a later date.