A Few of My Favorite Things

I love exchanging favorite products, beauty tips, new clothing discoveries and great accessories with all of my friends, so I was inspired by a fellow blogger to put these down on 'pen and paper' and share!  Might as well share the love with others, right? And what better time to share this mom's favorite things than right before Mother's Day.  So here goes!

I discovered this little gem of a product about 8 months ago... it's Miracle Skin Transformer by Sarah McNamara.  It a tinted moisturizer, primer, skin enhancer, and has SPF protection all in one little bottle.  It can be worn alone (for light coverage) or under your foundation for extra coverage.  It really does give you the smoothest, even, air-brushed like appearance when worn underneath your foundation.  I actually had someone tell me that my makeup looked like Kim Kardashian's on her wedding day (as in the 72 day wedding to Kris Humphries).  Now, this was at Halloween party where I was wearing more makeup than the norm... and I KNOW that I don't apply makeup comparable to the likes of Kim K's makeup artist but I'll still take that complement any day over a ruddy, uneven appearance.  It improves your skin's texture, reduces the appearance of pores, smooths and minimizes the appearance of fine lines, and reduces hyperpigmentation.  And I can vouch that IT WORKS!  And here's a little secret, a normal bottle is 1.7mL for $48 (which lasts about 3 months) HOWEVER, I just recently discovered that Sephora has smaller, travel bottles at their counter that are 0.85mL for $18.  So you can buy 2 travel bottles, which are the same amount of product for $12 less than buying the regular sized bottle.  Thank you, Sephora sales lady for sharing that little secret with me.  And you can thank me later. 



Next up on my list of must-have's is a Lenny & Eva cuff bracelet.  For someone that changes my jewelry up daily, I can admit that I wear one (sometimes both) of the 2 bracelets that I own daily.  I adore the vintage-y, rocker look of these accessories.  The bracelets are totally customizable with wide leather cuffs, skinny leather cuffs, braided wraps and more;  you can add charms, small and large sentiment plates, as well as other embellishments to your bracelet.  The plates are available in an assortment of different metals with fun and inspirational quotes.  I've lately become a fan of mixed metals and the 'homemade' jewelry look so these have climbed their way to the top of my favorite accessory list!  Locally, they can be found at Market House in Florence or you can find them online at Lenny & Eva.

{My silver braided wrap with a dove charm and brown leather wide cuff

with sentiment and butterfly charm}

I'm the first to admit, I'm no chef when it comes to the kitchen.  In fact, I really dislike cooking.  I have a few entrees that I've got down, you know, my 'go-to' meals but I'm definitely not creative with my culinary dishes.  I just recently discovered Kraft Fresh Take seasoning mixes.  They come in a variety of flavors (umm, Southwest Three Cheese mix, yum!) and can be used to spice up chicken, fish or pork.  We tested out the Chili Lime and Panko mix on Tilapia fillets and it received 4 thumbs up... as in all 4 of us scarved it down!  Especially Collier, my pickiest eater. Success! They can be found in the dairy aisle for $2.09 each (and kraft has a $0.50 coupon online for all of you couponers.)  I'm sure all of you religious PW readers and cooking show devotees can whip up seasonings and mixes like this on your own, but for mommas like me who prefer the easier method, this takes the cake! I really do aspire to become a whiz in the kitchen but for now this will have to do! 

         

My name is Whitney and I'm a Diet Coke Addict.  I can go through a 2L a day.  Seriously.  Lately, I've been trying to cut back on the Diet Coke and drink more water. But plain water just doesn't do it for me. I feel like what I'm drinking, especially when it's with a meal, needs to have a TASTE.  That's why I LOVE AdvoCare's Spark!  With Spark added to my water, I actually ENJOY drinking water.  Especially the Mandarin Orange and Grape flavors.  It's like insta-energy in a bottle.  Long, LOONNNGGG-lasting with no jittery, crazy side effects.  It's packed full of vitamins, especially B-6 and B-12, amino acid supplements and is sugar-free, with MUCH less caffeine than regular sodas, energy drinks, etc.  Coming from a girl that used to down Diet Coke all day long, I have WAY more energy from just one Spark a day than I did when I was on a Diet Coke 'binge'.  Oh and I'm a distributor for AdvoCare so message me if you are interested in trying it!

I don't think you'll be sorry. 

Being the mom to boys, you are pretty limited when choosing their clothing options.  Sure I can get away with cute jon jons and one piece appliqued outfits on Collier for now, but those days are limited.  All too soon he will join his Daddy and brother as a polo shirt and khaki shorts wearing little boy.  Not having a girl to shop for, I've never been to a Matilda Jane trunkshow, the clothing company known for their adorably matching mommy and me clothes.  I've always admired their pieces but didn't know how to acquire one without going to a trunk show (nor did I know all the lingo, with dresses called The Cupcake, Stillwater, not to mention the numerous 'Bird Dresses' and ordering through a TK?!).  I recently figured out how, got in contact with a Trunk Keeper (or TK, told 'ya I'm down with the lingo now) and I am hooked.  BAD.  It's become an addiction!  What's even crazier is there is a group on Facebook for these MJC lovin' women where they buy, sell and trade these coveted pieces.  Women treat these clothes with such TLC that they hold their value even when they've been (very, very gently) worn by someone else.  They are viewed as collector's items to these women. Even the pieces that were released seasons ago, still hold their retail value.  Some of these items sell on eBay for a hundred dollars a pop! It blows my mind!  Some things seem silly to me, such as their plain tanks.... I'm not one to purchase a plain tank for $30 JUST because it has a MJC label on it, however, I have fallen in LOVE with several dresses that I've purchased.   And I have several items that I'm looking for that I can't wait to add to my closet! My all time favorite MJC purchase (quite possibly my favorite dress all together) is my Hammond Bay Teary Bluebird dress.  Is so cute and comfy with a fun combo of navy and white polka dots and colorful floral fabrics.  It has a loose style to it so it's perfect for running errands with a pair of flip flops or can be dressed up for dinner out with friends. As silly as it all sounds, I've definitely gotten caught up in the MJC craze.  If we ever were to add a girl to our family, our checkbook would most definitely take a hit from this newfound love!

I have very thick, although fine hair and it takes FOREVER to blow dry. No lie. Ask my hair stylist; she has been trying for years to get me to wash every few days to save myself from the agony of blow drying my hair every.single.day.  My hair "holds" water thus equaling at least 25 - 30 minutes of actual drying time. Talk about annoying.  I've come to HATE getting ready, especially now that I have kids because I'm crunched for time as it is!  I've bought every different brand and feature on the market but none have made any noticeable differance in my drying time.  I've been known to blow up a blowdryer or two each year but I've never been able to bite the bullet to invest in one of those really good, stylist grade blowdryers. I recently discovered the Conair Infiniti Pro.  This thing is amazing! It's light-weight but powerful and blow dries my hair in half the time it normally takes. It comes with 2 different concentrator attachments that really work their magic in helping me to straighten my naturally curly hair.  I've only had it for a few months so I can't vouch for it's motor life but I'm a HUGE fan of it already. And the best part is that I didn't break the bank to get a great blowdryer.

So there you have it...my spring favorites!  Now I know that you may not all agree with the likes of my list, however, maybe you will feel compelled to try a new product or two out for a test run. As quickly as my tastes change, this list is sure to be full of all new things in the next few months but for now this is it. Now put your thinking caps on and share YOUR favorite things with me!