Snow, Update, Snow, Infusion, Snow, Workouts, Snow, Food, Snow

I had my infusion on Friday. It was a long day-we left the house at 4:00 am (it was snowing so we wanted to leave a bit earlier than normal) and didn't get home until 9:30 pm. I slept on the way back, and then pretty much all weekend. I slept all weekend-my biggest side effect after infusion is always fatigue. By Monday morning, I felt a lot better, and by yesterday I was feeling like myself again. I went to the gym yesterday and did 20 minutes of cardio & 30 minutes of strength training. Oh, and 45 minutes of shoveling snow. Here I am after shoveling:




Whoa...we have had FOUR big snow storms in the past week. There is another storm on it's way tonight.


Seriously. SO MUCH SNOW!

The girls have had 4 school cancellations and 1 delay start due to storms. At this rate, they will be in school until July!

I went to the gym again this morning and did 30 minutes of cardio-proof:





I picked up coffee for a friend & I for an impromptu coffee date! I haven't seen my buddy Freda for awhile and I missed her. We had a nice chat and then I went through the car wash:





The girls had swim lessons at the Y, and then I took a Toning class-I've been taking this class on Wednesdays since it immediately follows their swim lessons. They join in and love it too!

Other than this past weekend (infusion), I have been eating really well. I have been tracking on the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone consistently for the past 20 days. Here are a couple of meals I snapped pics of-

I made a batch of cauliflower rice and had it for lunch yesterday along with sliced cucumber and some leftover chicken breast:


Not the best pic, but this was some cod that I baked with sundried tomato & capers. I chopped up half a jicama and mixed it with a mashed avocado, salt and the juice of half a lime-fantastic!



Tonight, I had baked wild salmon and sautéed green beans & mushrooms (forgot to take a picture). For breakfasts, I've been having hard-boiled eggs with sugar snap peas. I'm eating lots of veggies and protein with limited carbs. I'm feeling great!

Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, thought I'd give a product rave. I have been looking for a new eye cream. I have a Clarisonic Opal that I absolutely love, but hadn't been using it. I started using it again and was reminded how much I love it, but needed a new eye cream. I need something that is really moisturizing, but gentle due to my eye disease. After reading a bunch of reviews, I decided to try this:





LOVE! it is so moisturizing and gentle. I absolutely love it! It works great with the Opal as well...Winner! I got it on Amazon for $11.00!

That is all for now...have a great evening!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Birchbox & Ipsy-April 2013

Both BIRCHBOX & IPSY were AMAZING this month!

When I heard that Birchbox was partnering with Women's Health, I knew it would be a good one and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I had planned on cancelling after this month's box, but this one was so good I may just hang on for another month. The theme was "tiny tweaks, BIG RESULTS".

Here is what I got:

(MALIN + GOETZ) Bergamot Body Wash: A natural antiseptic, the bergamot in this glycerin-packed cleanser keeps limbs soft and soothed.
This smells heavenly. I love anything bergamot, so this is right up my alley.

Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate: With a hefty 10.5 percent pure vitamin C, this targeted antiaging serum brightens skin, protects against free radical damage, and softens wrinkles.
I am all about anything skincare related. I am obsessed with skincare and have loved all the Kiehl's products I've tried so I look forward to using this. 

Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir: It's not just your skin that needs anti-aging help. This new shine-boosting serum cures dry strands and reduces the odds of age-related breakage.
I haven't tried any "anti-aging" hair products, but why not?

Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF 35 CC Cream: This next-generation CC cream provides corrective coverage and triple protects against UVA, UVB, and infrared -A rays.
I have been on the lookout for a good SPF for my face. I have to be really careful due to the medication I'm on, so I'm looking forward to trying this. 

There was also a bonus one year subscription to Women's Health Magazine! I used to get this magazine, but I think my subscription expired. Yay!
All in all, this was a GREAT box. GO BIRCHBOX!

Now onto Ipsy!

The Ipsy theme this month was "Pretty in Pink". Well, I love pretty and I love pink, so they hit the nail on the head for me! :)



(pic from IPSY)

The bag was adorable! There was a full size "Be a Bombshell" blush, a full-size Duo eyeshadow from TWO Cosmetics, a pretty peach Sation Nail Lacquer from Miss Professional Nail, , and Sexy Hair volumizing Powder from Big Sexy hair.

I really love Ipsy because they knock it out of the park with the cute little bags that you can reuse and full sized products! I'll definitely be keeping Ipsy around for a while!

Birchbox & Ipsy-March 2013

The Birchbox theme for March 2013 is "March Madness".

Here is what was inside:

Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream
I LOVE trying new eye creams, so look forward to this one! 

Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Shampoo
I don't use dry shampoos that often, but of the ones I've tried I'm pretty partial to the Suave drugstore one. It smells lemony and works great! This little one will go perfectly in my gym bag!

Stella Cadente Miss Me Eau de Parfum
My favorite perfume right now is Prada Candy. I'll give this a try, but I'm pretty particular with scents. 

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
I'm a sucker for cleansers and just skin care in general, so I'm looking forward to trying this one! 

Beauty Extra:
Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board
This is a cute emery board. I'll put it in with my nail stuff. :)


The Ipsy theme for March is "The Great Escape".

Here is what is inside the adorable little bag (Ipsy definitely has an edge over Birchbox with packaging-I love getting a cute little bag I can reuse every month instead of a cardboard box that I throw away.):

GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette
This little palette is great! It has a mirror and a magnetic area where you can put eye shadow pots! GREAT idea! 

Yaby Eyeshadow Refill
I got two little eye shadow refills to put in my palette! Super cute and great colors! 

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist
I LOVE hydrating mists. As I mentioned above, I'm a sucker for all skincare products. This is going to go in my travel bag. 

LA Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Removing Wipes
I carry these little makeup wipes in my gym bag and also keep them in my travel bag. And the packaging is pink which makes me even more happy. :)

Ipsy is definitely my favorite of the two boxes this month. I was going to cancel Birchbox, but found out that the April box is sponsored by Women's Fitness magazine, so I'll keep it for one more month. 

Birchbox & Ipsy

I got both of my "beauty sample boxes" on the same day! Double the fun!

First up is my BIRCHBOX:

This month's theme was "Red Carpet Ready".

Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle: Great for all hair types, this nourishing elixir performs seven hair-healing functions. Among them: locking in color, adding shine, and instantly detangling.
I love trying new hair treatments, so looking forward to trying this one. 

Color Club Nail Polish in Wild Cactus: Shoo away winter blues with this on-trend emerald polish.
Pretty color! 

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm: From the brand that brought BB creams to the US, this gold-standard formulation has mineral SPF 25 and a satiny, matte finish.
I'm excited to try this because skincare products are my favorite! I doubt it will compare to my beloved Urban Decay BB, but who knows? Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

Juicy Couture Couture La La: Roll out the red carpet for this new scent, a stunning mix of mandarin, red currant, lily and orange blossom.
Oops-I forgot to try this! I loved the last Juicy sample I tried, so I bet I'll like this one. 

TREAT:
A treat from Ghirardelli. You deserve a little sweetness. Try Ghirardelli's Milk & Caramel Square solo or experiment-s'mores or baked into a cookie. Who says you can't riff on decadence?
I put this in my daughter's (the one with the sweet tooth) lunchbox as a little surprise. She was thrilled :)



Onto IPSY:
The theme for this month was the same as Birchbox-"Red Carpet Ready"!

The bag was an adorable patent black with red lining-reminded me of those iconic Louboutins! 

Inside I found: 

The most adorable little eye palette you've ever seen from Coastal Scents. I've never tried this brand before, but have heard of it. They were blue & gray shades which I don't have so will give them a try. 

Pixi Flawless and Poreless- As I said above, I love trying skincare products, so will definitely try this!

POP Smoky Lash Kapow Mascara I'm always on the search for the perfect mascara, so look forward to trying this. 

MicaBeauty Gel EyeLiner I prefer eyeliner pencils as I tend to have a shaky hand when applying liner, so we'll see about this one...

LashCards I received these before in a Birchbox. Definitely a great idea...and I would use them for a special night out, but probably not an every day kind of thing. 

So there we have it...Birchbox & Ipsy for February! Let's see what March brings...

Move over, Birchbox!

You all know my love for BIRCHBOX. I love it. Well, I started seeing reviews on another beauty sample subscription, IPSY. The concept is the same-every month you pay $10 and Ipsy sends you a "Glamour Bag" full of beauty samples (and some full-size products!). I decided to give it a try. Well, I'm waiting for one more month and if my February glam bag is as good as my January one, I just may cancel Birchbox and keep Ipsy! It's that good! The first thing that I LOVE about IPSY is that they send you an actual bag that can be used over and over again. Is it the best quality ever? No, but it can be reused as a make-up bag, or something to stash stuff in your purse, whatever. It's much more useful to me than the cardboard box that Birchbox uses. Here is my January Glam Bag:

Oh, and did I mention the pretty pink packaging it came in?!

The card had a great quote on one side: "A true star will always shine", and on the back there are discounts for all featured brands if you purchase on the ipsy website. This month's "Super Stars" were:

A SOHO Crease Brush. A full-sized crease brush! Love this!

2.5 oz Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter This is the perfect size to keep in my purse, or at my desk at work. Pacifica is a great brand and this scent is fabulous!

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil  This was a decent sized-bottle with a dropper. The oil is fantastic and doesn't smell "fake" like some other brands I have tried. My husband especially loved this one!

Full-sized bottle of Nailtini Straight Up Nail Laquer in "Bloody Mary". This is a perfect shade to try for Valentine's Day!

Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Spray This is a perfect travel size of hairspray!

I have a make-up bag, 2 full-sized products and 2 great travel-sized products all for $10 in this month's Ipsy Glam Bag. Worth it! I can't wait to see my February bag!

Birchbox-January 2013!

This month's theme was "Best Year Ever"-sounds great to me! 

amika Color pHerfection Shampoo: This gentle shampoo contains fortifying omega acids and healing sea buckthorn berry oil to keep your hair color bright and shiny. 

I have used the amika hair oil from my previous boxes and loved it so much I purchased it, so I'm looking forward to trying this. 

Harvey Prince Skinny Chic: Get a glass-half-full disposition with this optimistic blend of juicy Meyer lemon, white grapefruit, and pink plumeria. 

This perfume smells delicious! So fresh and fruity! 

My Multi-purpose Mattifying Moisturizer: Rich with pili and moringa oils, this healthy moisturizer gives skin a velvety matte finish that lasts all day.

I'm looking forward to trying this as I love trying new moisturizers. I'll save it until the weather gets warmer and my skin is feeling shiny. 

theBalm cosmetics Hot Mama: How cute is this two-in-one blush and highlighter? The universally flattering pigment is laced with golden shimmer to warm up your complexion. 

This is the CUTEST thing ever! Teeny, tiny little blush & highlighter. I currently use a Sephora bronzer, so I'll try this out to see how it compares. It definitely gains points for cute name and packaging :)

Beauty Extra:

Deborah Lippman the Stripper to go: These sweetly scented nail polish remover mitts make changing lacquer a breeze. 

I've heard raving reviews about Deborah Lippman nail polish. The colors are gorgeous and I especially love all the glittery ones! I've used Butter London's scented polish remover and loved it so I'm sure this will be a love as well!

I'm very happy with the January Birchbox! It has a nice little mix of all of my favorite things to try. Click on the "Birchbox" label to see more of the boxes I've received in the past. 

(I am not affiliated with Birchbox in any way and pay for my subscription with my own money. I just love trying new products!)

Urban Decay LOVE!

My love for Urban Decay, the Naked collection in particular, is pretty well documented here. I have all three Naked eye palettes, which I use daily.







The 24/7 eye liner is the holy grail of eyeliners:




The Naked Eyeliner collection is great:



The Deluxe Shadow Box is lots of fun!



The Smoked Palette is great because it has a booklet with it that shows you how to make several different smoky eye looks:



The eyeshadow primer potion will hold your shadow for days:



The Supercurl Mascara lengthens your lashes:



The Naked Skin Foundation is the BEST foundation I have ever used:



Especially when used with the Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush. It's seriously the BEST foundation brush!



I use the complexion primer occasionally, but have found I don't even need it with the Naked Skin.


Sephora recently had a special item for VIBs that I ordered-a Naked Nail Set. I ordered that and it should be arriving today-can't wait to try it as I haven't tried any UD nail polishes.





Anyway, my point is there is not a single Urban Decay product I've tried that I haven't loved. So, when I saw that Urban Decay had a new BB (Beauty Balm), I knew I had to try it. Basically, this BB has SPF, it moisturizes, minimizes pores and evens skin tone. It also has ingredients that will improve your skin over time. Sounds great to me! Yesterday, I got the email from Urban Decay that it was available. I jumped on it and ordered immediately!



I also ordered a new mascara to try. I love the Supercurl for how it lengthens lashes, but I want them to be fuller as well, so I thought I'd give this one a try:



I also noticed a few other products I would like to try eventually, but I'll hold off for now :)

Naked Flushed (bronzer/highlighter/blush):



Smoked Eyeliner Set:




And the Brow Box::






*I have no affiliation with Urban Decay at all-just LOVE their products!

Christmas Fun!

Me with my Kiddos!

We had a really nice couple of days spending time with family. It all started out at work on Friday. We had our little department party and had fun, as always :)

I brought in mustaches for us all to wear.

Over the weekend, we had a family birthday party for Maya & Suri. They are now SIX years old! (post to follow)

On Sunday, we started the day of with a cup of coffee in my new mugs that Stacy & Paul got me for my birthday:

After coffee, Anand took the girls Christmas shopping for me (YAY!), so that gave me a few hours to wrap gifts and watch sappy Christmas movies on Netflix! Relaxation! :)

This is a picture he sent of the three of them having lunch at Panera:

I worked half a day on Monday. After work, I came home and made Fennel with Almonds, Grapes, Dried Figs and Cheese, Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Gorgonzola and Pomegranate Vinaigrette, and Quinoa Pizza Bites for Christmas Eve at my parents' house. We got ready and headed to my parents' to celebrate!  We stopped in at Stacy & Paul's on the way to open gifts with them. They got us these really cool bowls:

and a Texas Roadhouse Gift Card!


Then, we all headed next door to Mom & Dad's for the party. We had a really great time! Here are a few pictures:

Mom & Dad (I LOVE this picture!):




Sage & Shelbie:





My grandmother with her three little angels. (notice the serious faces LOL!):



Grammie & the Girls:



 Hangin' with Stacy & Paul:



Me & Stacy being, well, Me & Stacy!:



The "Girls" (minus Shelbie, who had run out with Sage to get some Benadryl for Maya who got hives for some reason-she was fine by the time I gave it to her):



My Aunt:



My nephew, Conner,  won the "Great pickle search of 2012":

We opened gifts with Mom & Dad later on. They got us this sweet Margarita set to go with our Margaritaville machine that we haven't used for far too long:

Margaritas for New Year's Eve?!

They also got me this gorgeous wrap that I can't wait to wear:

I got these little cuties for my birthday for my birthday from my grandmother & aunt-do they know me or what?!  :)

The girls got lots of fun goodies as well. After getting into their "Christmas pajamas" (a tradition in our family where my mother buys all of the grandchildren pajamas for Christmas Eve), we headed home to await Santa's arrival!

I woke up at 5:00 on Christmas morning and WAITED for everyone else to wake up. What is wrong with my family?! Don't they know you're supposed to get up early on Christmas?! Sage texted me around 6:00 after seeing my post on facebook. :) Anand woke up around 6:30, then Suri got up. We had to wake Maya up! My dreams came true when we I mean, the girls, discovered what Santa brought for us them:

A Barbie Dream House!!



SO MUCH FUN! They loved it (almost as much as I do!). Santa also brought them a Elf on the Shelf for next year.

Sage & Shelbie came over later on and we opened stockings & gifts with them. They got us a wine rack!

Anand got me everything on my Ulta Wish List!

I got:

Clarisonic Opal (I have the Clarisonic Cleansing System and use it every single night-LOVE it!)

Deep Pore Refill brush for my original Clarisonic

Urban Decay Naked The Basics Eye Palette (because I love my Naked and Naked 2 palettes so much)

Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Blush (to apply my Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation with)

Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Liner in Perversion (these are THE best eyeliners!)

Prada Candy  perfume (LOVE this!)

Zoya Nail Polish Remover  (this remover is great and the bottle with the flipper is awesome!)

Seche Vite Fast Drying Topcoat (this dries polish instantly and has a glossy finish)

Maybelline The Mega Plush Mascara (I have yet to find a mascara that I love so thought I'd give this one a try)

The Opal came with a travel bag and another refill brush head for my original Clarisonic as well so that was a great! surprise!

It was a great holiday! We're supposed to be getting 14-18 inches of snow tomorrow, so my only wish now is to have a "SNOW DAY" tomorrow and to spend it with my family at home! :)

Merry Christmas!