Mike had this entire weekend off...
We were all in heaven.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Almay Color and a $100 Visa Giftcard Giveaway!
Mike and I are completely obsessed with date nights. We both work a lot, so we have a rule that one day a week we will go on a date, just the two of us, so we can spend time together. Our dates range from nice dinners to hikes to a simple bike ride to get ice cream. On the nights that we go out to dinner I try to actually get ready to look good for him. I work from home so most days I throw my hair up and hardly put any makeup on.
ALMAY has an eye color kit that I just got my hands on called intense i-color bold nudes kit. Sometimes my eye makeup doesn't come out exactly how I want it to, but the way ALMAY has set up their kit is absolutely perfect. Each kit has 3 colors that you will use for your eye color. It's all in an eye-shaped palette so you know exactly where each color goes on your eye! The nude look really amps up my eyes.
For my skin, I have been using ALMAY smart shade mousse makeup. The mousse instantly transforms into your ideal shade. When you first take it out of the packaging it doesn't look like your color, and then when you start rubbing it onto your face it matches your skin perfectly and makes your skin look really smooth. This is my new go-to date night look.
I absolutely love these makeup products! My favorite part is how easy they are to use.
Check out Almay's website for more information about their products and don't forget to like Almay on Facebook!
One of you will win a $100 Visa Gift Card by answering the following question,
“What is your go-to Date Night look?”
Let us know in the comments below!
Rules
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
- Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
- Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
- For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/16/13-6/16/13.
Be sure to visit the Almay brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Add Some Color to Your Life, and Win a $100 Visa Gift Card!
Spring and summer have to be my favorite seasons. Okay, well maybe not weather wise because Phoenix is so hot I could just melt, but style wise there's nothing better to me than bright colors that bring out an outfit. I often get asked questions from readers how they can add in color or dress more boldly when it's not something they are used to doing.
Adding more vibrancy to your wardrobe can be really easy! For this outfit, I used Crystal Light Liquid as an inspiration for what color I was going to use to make my outfit pop. I chose to match my outfit to the flavor Pomtini. I have found that using fruits, drinks, etc, to gain color schemes from can actually be really inspiring and fun. Check out the NEW Crystal Light Liquid website for some inspiration of your own!
Here are 3 more tips on how to be bold with color:
1- If you're afraid to be too bold, use color accents in your accessories and shoes. A little pop of color goes a really long way.
2- Tone a bright top down with solid pants, and vice versa. If you want to be a little more bold, find neutral pants that have a pattern on them and pair it with a bright top.
3- Choose colors that bring out your eyes or hair. Sometimes people don't think they like wearing bright colors, but it's usually because they are choosing colors that just don't look good on them! Find colors that bring out your features, and experiment with those.
Now to the fun stuff.
One of you will be winning a $100 Visa gift card! Woohooo!
To enter, answer the question in the comments below,
"How do you find your style inspiration?"
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/14 - 6/4.
Be sure to visit the Crystal Light page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
My Current Thoughts on Motherhood.
(My momma and I- circa 1987)
"Mommy! I mean, I mean Ash-aley. Momm.. Ash-aley can I have some water please?"
And so it goes, the start to every day the past three weeks, or the end to a meal or a time right before bath, it's all passed in and out the same. I'm a mother, to two kids who already have one. To two babies who know and love and miss their mom who gave them birth and yet love me so much they could burst; but are trying so hard to be loyal... so, so loyal to the mom they've known since they were born.
My Facebook post last night said, "The moment I am about to pull out my hair because being a parent is so dang hard... And Shiloh says the night prayer "...and please let Ashley have a great mothers day tomorrow and let her be so happy all day and I hope she loves all the things we do for her and things we made her." ....God throws little nuggets right when I need em."
This morning I woke up with those last words in my heart and an excitement for my "first mother's day." As I sat getting ready for church I took a deep breath life is so different now. But different is good.. you're fulfilling your life and your purpose and you can't stay selfish forever.
I heard Shiloh wake up. I got the biggest smile and ran out to squeeze him. I knew he'd been making me little flower cut outs all week so I thought he'd have them in hand. Good morning baby.
With a grumpy look he gave me the courtesy of looking my way and said Where's daddy Mike? I want to see Mike. Where is he.
Zoe woke up a few minutes later. She had actually woken up a few hours before and opened the blinds, got dressed for church and fixed up the couch pillows. Before anyone even knew about it she was back asleep. Good morning baby.
Where's daddy? DADDY!!!
Then came screams and giggles as she ran around the corner to find him.
They've needed a father figure, and they have taken to Mike like you wouldn't believe.
I went back into the room and kept getting ready for church.
This is so hard, God. Help me. At least help me keep in tears because quite frankly I'm over having a headache and black circles under my eyes before I even make it out of the house today.
In church I heard uplifting talks about motherhood and womanhood and our purpose, and yet I felt them slide right through me. What is wrong with me! I'm fighting to have this motherly compassion and feelings that people say makes "it" all worth it.
And then the speakers started talking to all women. The ones who have no children but are mothers in their sphere to kids that need guidance, or nieces and nephews that need to be taught truth and love, or who reach out to those who just need nurturing.
As I tried to swallow those words I couldn't help but think but to those women, there's no immediate reward. There's no little pieces of love that get thrown out every now and then because they're not the woman who goes through life with the child. They have lasting affects on the people they touch, but they might not ever know it... those women also need to be praised beyond words. The ones who guide and sacrifice and serve, to never gain a reward for it.
I had a conversation later in the day about finding our purpose in life. And if you can figure out who you are, and know your purpose goes beyond this life, that you could be happy cleaning toilets if you did it with that of a servant's heart. Having a servant's heart changes everything. When you have a servant's heart you do things completely out of love. You do things because you do them for the God who gave you life and you want to build His kingdom and you take on the tasks He gives you with gratitude and humility.
There's nothing glamorous about a servant's heart.
There's no card or holiday or gift that could give justice to something that is so intangible.
A heart full of love is what makes someone a mother.
And a servant's heart is what makes a mother successful.
These past three weeks I've really started to understand just how much my own mom did for me. How much moms around the world do for their babies, and how much those who take on the role of a mother, and don't have to, do for the lives they touch.
I'm battling this stage where I'm in between "Ash-aley" and "mom". Some nights when the kids are in bed I just cry. Because I'm overwhelmed and tired and yet grateful. Sometimes I feel just as confused as the kids are about my role and I have to hit my knees and pray to God to just guide me.
But today I realized it just doesn't matter.
Today I realized what I need to better grasp is that of a servant's heart.
And just give the rest to God.
Happy mother's day to all of you. To those of you who not only mother, but who take on hard and painful and challenging motherhood roles. You do it because that's just who you are, and despite of the challenge and the battle, you do it because you could never imagine turning your back and walking the other way. So whether you got papers with butterflies and hearts and smiley faces drawn on them today, or you didn't hear a word of praise, I praise you. I seriously praise the snot out of you and thank you for helping show people like me that it's not only possible, but it's worth it.
Motherhood is selflessness, and I think that's why God gives us the blessing to give it a try. We'd never amount to what He wants us to be if we focused our whole lives on ourselves.
Tonight on the way to my parents house Shiloh said
I'm just going to call you Mommy for now on, okay?
Okay, baby.
Just taking the little nuggets God throws out at me as they come.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
