30-something and fabulous! part two

I gotta say, I like makeup! But mostly when it's for fun dressing up in costume, winged eyeliner, jewel tone eyeshadow, super fake lashes! 
I have yet to master the night out smokey eye or even a basic daytime look, and don't even get me started on this contouring face with three colors of foundation then powder ... that is way too much!! 

I keep it simple and basic and I like the products I like, for example I have been a tired and true Bare Minerals customer for a LONG time now. Even with all their new products they come up with, I stick with the tinted foundation powder and mineral veil. I love how light it is and blends so well and softens the overall appearance of my skin, beautiful! I also use Maybeline Instant Age Rewind Eraser to battle darkness under my eyes, and the two products together are great!

There are only a few colors of lipstick in my makeup bag because I have never found one that doesn't get sticky weird and isn't super expensive. I usually just put on lip moisturizer, Softlips and Nivea are the best!  But when I do toss a lipstick into my purse for a night out, Cover Girl Lip Slicks or Maybeline Baby Lips are what I like! For the best nude lipstick, I have found e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick to be the best choice of colors. Each only have a few shades, not the entire hue and tone of reds, pinks, or nudes to choose from, I guess that's why I like each one of those too, your not bombarded with tons of choices of colors. With these, I have soft and creamy lips in great neutral shades that wear well (but not all) through the day!

If the eyes are the window to the soul, then mine are a simple two pane framed window with simple sheer drapery that does not compete with the sole! I can not leave the house with out mascara, that is my simple sheer drapery that is needed everyday, and it has taken me some time to find the perfect lash enhancer. I have picked mascara from lots of different brands, flat and curved brush, all natural ingredients to sky high length, and have settled on Cover Girl Clump Crusher Curved Brush for many years now. Cover Girl has always had choices in mascara that work well, and I'm a curved brush girl, nothing else will do!

As far as eyeshadow goes, I tend towards neutrals or soft pinks with a bit of sheen to them, not sparkly and not too matte. No blending, no four shades on each eye to create an "effect", I brush it on, highlight my brow bone with an angled brush and I'm good to go. Speaking of brushes, look for a great variety of tools from e.l.f. at Target, reasonably priced and study. I do look up the best colors for blue eyes every now and then,  but those colors seem too bizarre for me! If I want some color, I put on nail polish! I buy whatever color I'm looking for, I don't check labels or ingredients, but I recently cam across an article about why you should care what is in your nail polish and I must say, I'll be rethinking some of my colors. Check out the whole article here!
What about eyeliner? Well, liquid liner evades me, I have no idea how to use it with out looking like a kindergartners art project! I prefer a good pencil or crayon-like that glides over the lid easily and can be smudged nicely. Sonia Kashuk brand is my favorite one I have right now, others that are great are Maybeline, Cover Girl, and Bare Minerals. A lot of times my eyeliner ends up being a free gift with purchase, I don't spend much thought or money on it, but I do need it to be a charcoal in between black and grey color! If I want to change it up a bit, plum or navy are excellent choices as far as I'm concerned!

Now let's talk brows. A very important topic to me because mine are very light mousy brown, patchy, and over plucked, sounds wonderful, I know! I have tried pencils, creamy products you paint on, powders that you apply with a bristle brush and FINALLY after all these years came across a great one that does the job and stays on all day! Have you heard of Wunder Brow? This is a semi permanent  gel that brushes on and blends to be the appearance of tiny brow hairs! It has been a life saver and the best product for my brow problem I have ever found! It takes a few tries to get the hang of and can be cleaned off with their formulated remover (or as I found, vitamin E oil that I bought at Target) if you have any mistakes or to remove for the day. It does not transfer off or peel off, it's waterproof and makes my brows look hoe they are suppose to look! I would recommend Wunder Brow to anyone and everyone!

Under that not-so-much-makeup, my skin is a bit of an issue that I'm working on, but to pamper myself after washing my face {I love my face wash, read my part one!} I like a sheet mask or an eye mask! So luxurious and relaxing at the end of the day, and my skin feels wonderful, what not to love! 
I went into Sephora and found so many different kinds for each problem area but ended up getting Sephora Collection orchid sheet mask for even skin tone and the pearl eye mask for brightening. Both did the job but not a dramatic change that I noticed. Next trip for a mask was to Target, where I found a couple brands with lots of different treatments, and great prices too! Yes to Tomatos sheet mask (the entire line of Yes To brand has sheet, mud, and eye masks!), Masque Bar sheet mask, Que Bella eye mask, Miss Spa sheet mask ... what to choose, what to choose! After using the Miss Spa oxygenating sheet mask, I felt so invigorated and the next morning my skin was refreshed and so smooth! For a little pampering that goes a long way, I would definitely recommend checking out your local Target, or online, to find one that fits your needs!

With my face feeling fresh, I need to pep up the rest of me, and with summer days long gone, I like to use a self tanner. I've been wanting to try one of those sunless tanning towelettes but instead I had the opportunity to try out Roden+Fields Sunless Tanning Foam. The foam products are a bit intimidating and I wore gloves just in case of a mishap, but the foam was easy to put on, smelled nice and the result was awesome! I didn't have any problems aound my knees and ankles, which is the intimidating part for me, and it was even all over. I looked like I had been on the beach all week and I loved it! Another product that has been a go to for sunless tanning is Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. This one I have no fear about streaking and I don't use gloves, the "tan" is not as dark but its a warm boost of color for your skin, nice and subtle!

If only I had known what I know now about make up and skin care 12 years ago, I would be better off! Maybe, maybe not. I do know the products that suite me best and I do know how to be comfortable in my skin, so that might be the best lesson learned!

SHE HAS FIRE IN HER SOUL AND A KILLER PAIR OF BROWS

xo

how to create a command center

I find being organized, peaceful. But, the path to get there can be crazy!
We have created tiny office near the kitchen so we don't have to keep running up and down the stairs to the office and it has been the best organized space ever! It is small and has the basics of what we need everyday, and it was made with items I already had around the house {even better}!

A few basic tips ...
Find an out of the way space that is not in the path of everyone, kitchen to garage, dining room to backyard, etc.

Decide what you fell is necessary to make life easier, hooks for keys, hooks for backpack, space for shoes, charging station, etc.

Important papers that need to be accessed but don't hold personal info like school calendars, gift cards/coupons, workout/stretching for medical reasons schedule, etc.

Emergency contact info for the babysitter is part of our command center too. I have hours for the ice rink, pools, museums, zoo special events printed out as well. 

Supplies such as mini stapler, batteries, rubber bands, pen, paperclips all reside in drawers along with a basket of kid's activities the little things they need help with or messy projects they need help with.

Speaking of supplies ...
A lot of the command center has containers that I have had for years of stuff from my parents house, the amount of office supplies they have hoarded over the years was enormous! Other things were simple and cheap enough to buy.

TV Tray that we wedding registered for at Bed Bath and Beyond as a desk fit quit nice in the space I chose, and had space underneath for rain boots and flip flops for any stepping outside we need to do. I placed plants in front to hide them just enough (and it's the only place in the house with nice light to keep them alive!)

Baskets are from my own stash of stuff I have held on to, and lo and behold they now have a purpose! One is from Dollar Tree and the other I found at a garage sale. Check out garage sales, Savers, or goodwill for baskets before you go buying new!

Folder Holders are sturdy and this one is from my parent's office supplies, that I painted. I've seen the diy from a cereal box and would not recommend going that route, too flimsy. All the folders are from the back to schools sales in August, they contain medical info, school info, and projects around the house info! I also have a first aid book which I feel is the best place to shelve, easy to grab if needed! Next to that is a random cup full of pens and highlighters for easy planning and color coding your life!

Mini 3 Drawers I had for years and years for art supplies! Art supplies grew and it was moved around many times and now has landed here with batteries, staplers, matches, etc, your typical junk drawer just minimized! Try The Container Store for a product like this or any odd size container you might need! On top of that we keep phones since the outlet for the charger is right there. My husband keeps his phone, keys, wallet upstairs on the dresser since he uses the phone as an alarm and it is the last place he stops before heading out the garage door, but my wallet, keys, phone are kept together at the command center so I can grab and go out the door.

Wall Hanging Baskets are great for odds and ends, I found these ones at Target, backside of the aisles are where mark downs are kept and I had great luck finding these when I needed them! Coupons, menus, gift cards are all kept here along with sunglasses. These baskets work so well as hooks for sunglasses!

Cork Board is another item that has been passed around my family, you never toss a bulletin cork board or a dry erase white board, those are expensive, but if you do need one, Office Depot might be a good starting point! I clip together park and museum info, sporting event tickets and info, emergency contact sheet and a monthly activity calendar.  Check out Quill and  Yoobi for some fun supplies and other office things to make your space unique! Between the monthly activity calendar and my phone calendar, I never miss an appointment, plus it helps when the kids are bored and I jotted activity ideas down on each date!

Friends of mine add their meal prep lists and meal calendar too, but for me, that works better on the fridge next to the grocery list and blender bottles. Right now we don't need individual stations but I've seen some great ideas on personalizing each space for each family member! 
At the end of each month I sit down and go through calendars, coordinate nights out with meals, timing of activities and school pick up, appointments, meet ups with friends and all that crazy stuff that makes life flow easier! All these are, for me, are reminders so I can just go, be at peace, and  have fun and not be consumed with who needs what next and where I need to be, or running up and down the stairs to the office {although, I would get in my steps and leg workout for the day ...}

Add a few wall prints or photos and you have yourself a nice little space for all your office needs! 

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN IT'S PLACE

xo

autumn leaves and pumpkin please!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Fall comes in a close second to summer as my favorite time of year ... crisp weather, festivals, apple and pumpkin picking, Halloween! What's not to love?!

The fall festivals are in full swing, and in our area there are many to choose from, I came across these great lists of fun fall events in the St. Louis County area,

Explore St. Louis
50 Fantastic Missouri Fall Festivals
funtober

My top picks are The Great Forest Park Balloon Race that was on Art Hill at the Art Museum this year and St. Charles Oktoberfest! Easy parking with just a bit of a walk, relaxing outside with your snacks or dinner, great drinks, lots to see and great music! Sadly, both events have come and gone, but they are about the same weekends each year, so mark your calendar for 2018.
Not only are the festivals bringing out the crowds, there are the high school homecoming activities for the little kids too. Check your local listings for high schools in your area!

Each year we find a great place to pick apples or pumpkins, and this year there happens to be a new player in the game, Chesterfield Valley Pumpkin Patch. After the closing of Rombachs, I kept hearing about another Chesterfield area spot opening, and then drove by it as they were getting ready for opening weekend. It looks great, it's right by the St. Louis Premium Outlets, easy to get to, and lots of parking! A few other favorites are,

Stuckmeyers Farms
Eckert's Farm
Centennial Farm
Eagle Fork Farms

Another top pick for fall fun are the Halloween light displays. Some houses go all out for Christmas, but now there are homes that have great displays for Halloween, and this site has some mapped out! We go to a little house in Dardenne Praire, he has an update on his facebook page and you can check out his site for playlist and other fun stuff!

I try to find trick or treating opportunities all over town for my little monsters, since they don't need to be out late into the night! I also find that the early evenings have less super scary costume clad people that could really put a damper on this fun holiday for them. The malls have never been our scene, and I used to work at the mall and I hated to be there on Halloween because of the rowdy kids that parents would bring INTO the store after grabbing some candy! So, need less to say why they are not what we do! The best place to be on Halloween for trick or treating, if your neighborhood isn't great, is St. Charles Main Street. The cobblestone street is blocked off, each store has someone out in front handing out treats, it starts at 3PM, and the open park by the river has activities! It's just great!! They also have a fun pumpkin glow the weekend of or before, glowing pumpkins up and down the cobblestone block with a pumpkin spice latte, a nice night indeed!
Our friends live over in Edwardsville IL, and I've been told they have a pretty big Halloween event every year, we might have venture out that way and check it out for ourselves!
Look at all the other fun event this year,

Costume ice skating at Creve Coeur and Brentwood

Boo at the Zoo
Grants Farm Halloween Nights
Westport Plaza Halloween Parade
Town & Country event
Chesterfield Eat and Treat
Kirkwood Farmer's Market
Valley Park event
St. Charles Community College
St. Louis Community College-Wildwood
Whole Foods event
St. Peter's Halloween Carnival
Eureka Halloween Parade
Eureka Halloween
Fenton Trunk or Treat
Traubman Prestige Outlets
St. Louis Science Center
Missouri History Museum
Webster Groves event
World Bird Sanctuary

Don't forget to look up St. Louis County Library activities at all the branches, and your local churches or schools for more trick or treating! Want more fall ideas? Check out my Pinterest page!

Did you know there are candy "buy back" events around town? Check these out HERE,  HERE, and HERE!

An all hallows eve movie, for after a days worth of tricks, is my favorite way to spend time with the hubby this season. The lists out there are awesome and full of good movies! Here are some of our {not so horrifying} favorites!

LET'S GET SPOOKY!

xo