I Am Taken Aback by my Domestic-ness

I baked that bread y'all. Yup, I sure did. And it was easy-peasy as The Politician would say.

My friend Beth (who I really need to move from Friends in My Head to Friends In Real Life since we've totally text-messaged, and that qualifies us to be real friends right?) has blogged about her love of the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and after reading all her posts about it and wiping drool off my keyboard, I finally decided to take the jump and order the book.

And my family is so glad I did. Nothing tastes better than fresh-out-of-the-oven-and-holy-crap-I-made-this-myself bread.

You can read more info in this blog post the book authors wrote, including step-by-step pictures to help you visualize the process.

Thanks Beth for all the help getting started! I am loving my new hobby!

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

Up for Grabs: $100 Chase Bonus

In the mail I got a flyer that offers a $100 bonus if you sign up for a new Chase Checking account and set up direct deposit.

Mr. Sasha and I used one for $125 last year and I set up a little money to go there each payroll as a direct deposit and it worked! We got our $125 just a few weeks later!

This code can be used to set up an account online, so I'll be glad to share this month's code with the first person to leave me a comment with their email address! It expires February 26, 2010, so you'll have to hurry!

Please comment only if you will truly use this code- I'd hate for it to go to waste!

Stipulations:

•First direct deposit must be made within 60 days
•Account must stay open for 6 months
•Must deposit $100 of new money (money not currently held up Chase of its affiliates)
•Limit one personal checking account-related reward/premium per customer per year
•$100 will be deposited in your account 10 days after initial direct deposit is made
•Reward is considered interest and will be reported to the IRS on IRS Form 1099-INT

Shopping Roundup

Being born in the early '70s, of course I had some little outfits like this when I was little. But I found this OP romper in Walmart on Saturday and snatched it up for WC- I think my mom will go crazy and think it's adorable. I seriously think I had one is this same stripe, so I'm going to have my mom look thru some pics to see. How cute will WC look in that? And it is only $8 to boot.

And my new friend Ashley from Sassy Gal Glamour pointed me in the direction of a new bible for The Politician, who is 6.5, and good golly, I'm learning a lot with him! We had read his first children's bible cover to cover about 5 times, and he was asking some questions about some left-out details, so I knew it was time for something more. I read one of Ashley's posts where she recommended this one, so I picked it up and it is fabulous! Read just 7 minutes a day (it's broken up for you) and you'll be done in a year. Perfect bedtime story!

How was your weekend?

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon referral link.

Smashbox Cosmetics

Smashbox Cosmetics is coming to Rue La La tomorrow!

Get registered and ready, so you'll get the email when the boutique opens!

Can't wait to see what they have available for discounted prices.... good thing I didn't give up buying makeup for Lent!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link.

My Skincare Routine

Y'all. I'm getting old! I turned 36 in December- hard to believe!

The past few years I've really been trying to take good care of my skin and I've found that I absolutely love Avon skincare products. Let me also get this out of the way and say that I've been purchasing these products I am recommending myself- no free items are being discussed here.

Avon has a line called Anew Rejuvenate that is marketed specifically for women in their 30s. It's made for women experiencing the first signs of aging, including fine lines, uneven skin tone, dullness, rough texture and tone and visible pores.

Right now they have the cutest set of all the products in the core line (pictured above) available for $17 ($58 value) when you spend $10 on select skincare. These products are all the perfect size for travel since they are all under the TSA ounce requirements. The website shows a price of $34 but it will change to $17 once you add another $10 in select skincare to your cart.

The eye cream itself (both a day and night cream in one package) is a full-sized product and is a $28 value.

Really, this is a must buy! In order to qualify to buy the special set, I purchased a full-sized Rejuvenate gel cleanser for $7 and a trial size of each of the day and night Reversalist cream (meant for age 40+) for $1.99 each.

My rep Valeri is always so nice to let Sasha Says readers use a free shipping code! Please follow these steps so you can use the code and give Valeri credit.

1. Visit Valeri's site to make her your default rep

2. Log into ebates to get 5% back by going through them to get to the Avon site

3. Once the Avon site pulls up again, you should see Valeri's name near the top of the site

4. Choose your products and then use code FSANY or REPFS to get free shipping

Happy Shopping!

disclosure: This post contains my ebates affiliate link, but readers will also get $5 if they sign up under my link. Avon links are not affiliate links and I receive no compensation for sales of Avon products.

My New Mascara Combo

I have one million mascaras (practically) yet I still find myself buying more. It's nutty and I can't explain it, but how about if I share some new ones I bought that I really like? Note that I always buy black mascara. At some point my mom probably told me I should get brown so I got black and that's still what I do to this day. My hair's not really blonde you know!

I've been hearing great things about Maybelline Full N' Soft so I picked some up at Target the other day. I'm so glad I did! What a great drugstore mascara! No clumps and it built full, soft, thick lashes just as promised.


Oh, but I didn't stop there. I love long lashes, so I added a coat of Clinique's new offering- High Lengths. Look at that cool brush! I ordered this from Sephora recently and was so excited when it arrived. The curved, fine-toothed comb really grabbed each lash and added some nice length.

I typically don't layer mascaras but I felt quite fancy doing it, and don't we all want to feel fancy?

Disclosure: I actually paid for these out of my own little Coach wallet. Promise.

Where's Waldo?

Can you find me?

Couganns Drill Team 90-91

StarStruck

Will you still be my friend if I tell you that The Politician and I watched StarStruck on Disney last night? And I loved it..... And while we were watching, I saw a commercial for Camp Rock 2 and got super-excited?

These days I almost prefer Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny With a Chance to adult programming. I think maybe my brain cells are tied up dealing with real-life stuff and it feels nice to watch some brain-candy with my son and laugh together.

We still friends?

Sensory Processing Disorder- Our Story

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. - SPD Foundation website

You know, I'm often asked how I knew that my daughter (The Wild Child) had Sensory Processing Disorder (also called Sensory Integration Disorder). How did I know that something was off?

That's a loaded question. It wasn't something that just "hit" me. And honestly, we didn't get to that diagnosis quickly.

WC was born with a hemangioma, which ulcerated after a few weeks. This wound was open for about 2 1/2 months, and she was in great pain. So from the beginning, there was rage and we were unable to comfort her. You can read more about that here.

Of course the hemangioma did eventually heal, but we were left with what we thought were behavior issues. She became a biter (others and even herself!) and was quite aggressive around 18 months. There was a one-week suspension from daycare and many many many phone calls and meetings.

Right after her second birthday, I stumbled into a biting workshop at our local county health department and they mentioned SPD and it absolutely snowballed from there. Evaluations, more meetings, referrals, and we found our dream OT who finally helped us reach and slowly get a handle on our girl.

It's been about 2 years since our diagnosis, and we've come a long way. We're still doing maintenance listening therapy and seeing a behavior therapist that offices with out OT, but WC has become so much easier to be around- her teachers even describe her as delightful at times!

Many, many books were recommended to me but one that hit home on our journey was The Out-of-Sync Child. I checked it out from our local library and flipped through it on my way out the door. After a few seconds of flipping, I felt my eyes fill up with tears and I moved towards the wall so I could lean against it for a second.

I found it. I found a paragraph that I should print out and give to everyone that knows WC.

From page 193:

A mother wrote me this letter: "By the time Rob was two, I felt he had a special need, but I couldn't figure out what it was. He required constant attention. Time-outs didn't work because I couldn't contain him. He was defiant, disobedient, disrespectful, and demanding. He was always busy, always talking (great verbal skills!), strong willed, contrary, and easily frustrated. I felt blessed to have Rob, and wouldn't trade him for the world, of course, but he constantly tested and rejected me."
And more on the next page.

"What was the reason for his behavior? How could I regain control? What method of discipline would get through to him? If his behavior was an attempt to get my attention, how could I supply it in a way that would satisfy him? How could I help a high-energy child channel his energy in a positive direction? I was desperate for answers."

If you replaced Rob's name with WC's and switched out them hes and hims for shes and hers, I could have written that, word for word.

You don't know how good it feels to know that you are not alone.

To read more about our Sensory Processing Disorder journey, click here.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

I Don't Know Where Your Luggage Is

Last night at bible study one of the ladies shared a story that really hit home for me. I try to live my life as someone who can be described as "non-judgemental", but sometimes I hear those voices in my head saying things that don't quite qualify.

Her story:

On a cruise ship to several small remote islands, she couldn't help notice a group of young ladies swimming in what could only be their undergarments. They were certainly "covered" but what they were wearing was NOT swimwear. She was appalled that they would wear that in public!

The next day she saw them again and couldn't help herself- she leaned over to the stranger next to her and said, "I can't believe what they are wearing! I would never allow my daughter to swim in that!"

The stranger leaned back and said "I believe their luggage was lost....."

She said she was dumbstruck. She realized they were making the best of the hand they had been dealt, enjoying their vacation the best they could.

So the next time you find yourself judging, remember,

You don't know where their luggage is.

My Affair With Red Velvet Cake Continues

Hungry Girl told me about the new Yoplait Light Red Velvet Cake flavor and I am on the lookout for it. How yummy does that sound?

And I told myself about the new Little Debbie offering- Petites Red Velvet- when I saw them at the grocery store last night and they jumped into my cart. Debbie almost didn't catch my eye because she didn't put anything about 100 Calories on the package and I was a little scared to look because sometimes her yummiest stuff has a zillion calories.... but turns out, they *are* 100 calories.

Have you tried either of these?

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Saturday night was the local Daddy/Daughter Dance and look how cute/handsome my pair looked!

WD even let me paint her nails and curl the ends of her hair under! I had so much fun getting her ready and she was so excited all day.

I am so glad my little tomboy likes getting dressed up too....

Oh how I wish I was artistic

because WC would love it if I could paint her face like this everyday!

Friday night was Family Bingo night at P's school and they had a face-painting artists there and she was fabulous.

WC and I were sad to wash this off before bed that night!

Show Us Your Life Friday: My Nail Polish Routine

Now, you and I both know that I don't have a lot of free time. But I've found that if I follow this routine, I can paint my nails at 9 pm, go to sleep at 10, and not have any sheet marks at all. Plus, my mani will last 4-5 days with no chips- I usually just have to repaint because of new growth.

So without further ado, my nail routine:


1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover. I apply this all around my nails, wait a bit (you can wait longer that it says), then use the thumbnail of my opposite hand to push back/scrape the cuticles. I typically do this twice.

2. Wash your hands and dry them well.


3. Orly Bonder. This is fab- takes any oily residue off your nails and gives your polish something to stick to. Key to a long-lasting mani.

4. Sally Hanson Nailgrowth Miracle in the gold bottle. Love this basecoat. Watch for CVS to have their BOGO or BOGO half off on Sally products and stock up.


5. OPI polish (2 coats). In my non-professional opinion, the best polish there is. One of my faves is I'm Not Really a Waitress.

Or my all time fave, Chile O Caliente (discontinued, of course!)

6. Seche Vite top coat. I won't use any other top coat. This is a super-fast dry topcoat with a fab shine. Expensive, but worth it!

Now why don't you let me in on your nail or beauty secrets!

So Far Today

I started a roast in the crock pot before I left for work. The hubs picked up a 2 pound pork loin at Wal-Mart last week before the ice hit, and we hadn't used it yet. I flipped through my new crock pot cookbook and found a recipe called 3 Packet Pot Roast that looked pretty cool, and somehow, hold onto your hats, I had all the ingredients in my pantry. Crazy! Things like this just don't happen to me.

So I was all proud of myself for getting that started and I headed out to load up the van for the day. I was getting my flavored water, my Vitatop muffin, Lipton Diet Iced Tea and a Lean Cuisine out of the outside fridge to take with me to work, and I noticed that the headphones the kids use for their listening therapy were still in the van. I was headed to the other side to get them..... when I took a spill and landed head-and-shoulder-first into the fridge.

I laid there crunched up on the garage floor for a few minutes, planning what to do if there was blood..... the hubs was in the shower and the kids were asleep.... so I thought I'd call a coworker to come get me to go get stitches.

That's how crazy I was being.

But turns out I'm fine. It's only been 26 minutes and I'm already a bit sore, so I'm for to take some Motrin. My coworker promised not to let me fall asleep for fear of a concussion. :-)

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

For the Love of Chocolate

I think you guys know I have the biggest sweet tooth ever and my love for chocolate is unparalleled.

So I was so excited when Sucre, a New Orleans-based confectioner, sent me a box of chocolates to try!

The box I was received was the For Love of Chocolate Collection. These were rich dark chocolate ganache blended with sweet red raspberries in a shimmery heart shell. Not only were they gorgeous, they were absolutely yummy!

The box above retails for $30 and I think it would make a fabulous Valentine's Day gift. Of course, there are many other flavors available to suit any tastes.

Disclosure: I was sent this box of chocolate from Sucre for review purposes. However, the opinions stated in this post were my own and I was not compensated for this review.

Recommendation: Avon Gloss Gorgeous

Last week I got a nice little surprise in the mail from my Avon rep, Valeri. She sent me a few of the Gorgeous Lip Glosses to try. These glosses are so cute and are on sale, 3 for $9 right now. I've got Bloom stashed in my purse for when I need a quick swipe of gloss over my lip stain.

Valeri is always so nice to let Sasha Says readers use a free shipping code! Please follow these steps so you can use the code and give Valeri credit.

1. Visit Valeri's site to make her your default rep

2. Log into ebates to get 5% back by going through them to get to the Avon site

3. Once the Avon site pulls up again, you should see Valeri's name near the top of the site

4. Choose your products and then use code FSANY or REPFS to get free shipping

Happy Shopping!

disclosure: I was sent this product by my Avon rep to try and review. The value of the product I received was $9. This post contains my ebates affiliate link, but readers will also get $5 if they sign up under my link. The Avon link is not an affiliate link and I receive no compensation for sales of Avon products.

Tonight I Am Drinking: Pink Beerade

Pink Lemonde Cocktail

renamed Pink Beerade by my SIL and I this evening

Ingredients

1 (12-oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 (12-oz.) bottles beer (not dark), chilled
3/4 cup vodka, chilled
Ice

Garnishes: fresh cranberries, citrus slices

Preparation
Stir together first 3 ingredients. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

Cami Perry, Birmingham, Alabama, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

Very. Fabulous. I am thinking about modifying it and using Crystal Light to save some calories....

Look what came in the mail!

Yup, I ordered it.

Some Swatches for The Muse

One of my favorite blog finds is Musings of a Muse. She's totally adorable and even more obsessed with new makeup than me! I love reading her posts and seeing her swatches.

Last month, she posted about theBalm's new collection and their fabulous new lip stains called For Keeps Watercolor Lip Stains that I just had to have. You know all about my lip problems- lipstick/gloss tends to run into the little lines around my mouth, so I prefer a stain. I snatch them up whenever I see them.

But this little beauty really had me curious- it brought back a memory of a neat lip product I had back in the late 80s. I think it was Cover Girl, and it was a little compact with a powder lip color on one side, and a clear gloss on the other. It came with an eye-shadow type application to apply the powder (no water was needed), and a little brush for the gloss. I remember that I loved this!

Moving on.... today the Muse posted her swatches and mentioned she was scared silly of the stain that actually looks almost black in the Plum Berry/Brown Sugar compact. Not to worry Muse- it's plum!

I have no idea why it looks so dark in the compact, but it's actually a really nice shade if you like strong lip.

Right Now I Am Listening To

Miranda Lambert - White Liar

Such a great song- I just adore her and anything she sings. Makes me smile!

The One Where I Wish I Had a Sibling

Because

this....

makes my heart melt.

(photo by Trina Gibbins Photography)

Dear ABC,

It's been done before.

crossed with

equals

last night's Bachelor episode. WTF????????

Dinner Last Night: BBQ Chicken Biscuits

Barbecue Filled Biscuits

The original recipe called for ground beef, but I had a package of Tyson Refrigerated Fully Cooked Southwestern Chicken Breast Strips in my refrigerator that I needed to use, so I used that instead.

What You Need

• 1 bag Refrigerated Fully Cooked Southwestern Chicken Breast Strips, chopped up
• barbecue sauce (enough to coat chicken well)
• 1 can (7.5 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (there's 10 in the package)
• shredded cheese

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

SEPARATE biscuits. Press 1 biscuit onto bottom and up side of each muffin cup. (I sprayed my muffin tin with Pam first.)

MIX chicken and BBQ sauce together and spoon into biscuit cups.

BAKE 10 min. or until biscuits are lightly browned. Top with cheese; bake 3 to 4 min. or until melted

We really liked this and it was a hit with The Politician as well. You most likely needed a side to go with this as they are pretty small, but I was quite a slacker last night and didn't make one. Bad mommy.

Moisturizer Find

Poor WC. She has the worst skin ever. It's so sensitive, and she's very prone to random rashes on her bottom and legs. I use All Free and Clear and Downy Free and Sensitive, but she still has itchy spots and sometimes Cetaphil doesn't cut it. I've been using hydrocortisone cream on some of the worst spots, but I just don't like to do that very often because it can thin the skin over time.

So I was excited when I was contacted by Skin MD Natural a few months ago. They asked if I'd like to try their Shielding Lotion and of course I said yes with WC in mind. I have been using it for about two months now on WC when she gets a rash and have been amazed at how well it works to clear it up. Typically, when I apply Cetaphil to her rashy area, she complains that it stings, but when I use the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion ($18 value), she doesn't complain at all!

Head over to my giveaway blog for a chance to win a bottle for yourself! Hurry- giveaway ends tomorrow!

Disclosure: I was provided a free bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. The value of this is $18.

The General Mood Around Here

Yeah, I know it hasn't been the same. Last week I was taken aback by an anonymous commenter who said....

remember when you used to write about stuff and not just post advertisements? those were the days. i miss your writing!!!

Advertisement issue aside (let it be known that the GDA posts are simply me sharing good deals with my friends- I make absolutely nothing off them, except for a very small percentage off of Amazon click-thrus), I started thinking about it, and yes, I agree I haven't been "writing" much. And I miss my writing too!

I am sure you know that P started K this past fall, and he hasn't settled in very well. His behavior has not been stellar, and his poor teacher, who is a family friend, has tried everything she can think of to motivate him to behave better, but we just aren't getting there. He seems intent on being the "class clown" which may be great for a career choice later in life, but it is distracting to the other kids and is causing disruptions in class.

To complicate matters, he was officially diagnosed with a Sensory Processing Disorder, like WC, but his issues are a bit different than hers. Some of his issues cause challenges in class. He's pretty much unable to sit still and keep his hands to himself due to him being a sensory seeker. We started OT visits and listening therapy at home around Thanksgiving, and it's been a rocky road for me. I wonder sometimes (most of the time actually) what I did wrong for both my kids to have these issues.......

I'm super-tired of living in a war zone and waiting for little bombs to drop. I've always suffered from some level of anxiety, but never felt the need to do something about it until we started dealing with WC's issues and now it just seems MORE complicated. I think the Lexapro helps, but I'm tired, I'm fat, and I cut my bangs a little too short last week.

But I'll make it through, that I know. So I hope you can be patient with me while I wait for things to settle and hopefully return to normal.

Ski Trip 2010

I am so glad no one took a pic of me in my ski gear because I am 99% sure I would have passed for the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. All those layers did nothing for my figure. But I did get some cute shots of the kiddos.

After a 3 hour session of Snow Monster school, P caught on quite well and had a fab time.

WC loved the helmet and ski boots but found skiing to be quite a bit of work. She tuckered out pretty quickly and enjoyed getting Skittles at the snack bar.

Awww... look at that face!

We had a wonderful time at the little resort in Missouri this weekend. It was a great place to take the kids and introduce them to skiing. I will warn you that they have tow ropes on the learning slope and also on the smallest regular slope, and that was a new concept for me and my unmuscled arms. To say it was rough would be an understatement. I just didn't have enough strength to hold on to the rope and make it to the top.

And please please please put helmets on your kids if you take them skiing. One of the 5 year old boys in our group actually got hit in the head by a snowboard, and if he hadn't had on a helmet.... well, I don't want to think about that. Thank goodness he did.

133.0

Yup, I weigh 133.0 today. I need to put it all out there, publicly, if I'm going to do something about it. Isn't that terrible? I know it's all due to the choices I've been making, which have been unwise and have included quite a bit of beer, Buffalo Chex Mix and Aunt Luanne's Christmas sugar cookies, which thank God are almost all gone.

My Weight Watchers goal weight is 109 and by golly I'm going to get there. 24 damn pounds are coming off.

And Jay Johnson is going to help me get there. I posted a few weeks ago about a video of his I had purchased from Amazon and how much I loved it. I loved it so much that I purchased his 9 week home boot camp package.

I paid $79.90 plus shipping and it came in the mail this weekend and I am starting tomorrow (because it's always better to start tomorrow, right?). You get one DVD for each week and an awesome chart that shows you what workout to do each of the 5 days you are supposed to use the DVD each week.

Jay sent me a message on twitter with a code I can offer my readers for 15% off! (Too bad I had already ordered at the full price myself!) To redeem the code enter this coupon at checkout: JJBC15LY9

I'm going to post my progress here each week and I may even post my measurements, as embarrassing as that may be. I don't know about that part yet- I have to take them and see how bad they are.....

Did you know?

That you can snow ski in Missouri????? I didn't, but do now!

Using up the Hot Sauce

Remember the Buffalo Chicken Dip from a few weeks ago? I am so type A that it bugs me to have a half-empty jar of something in the refrigerator with no plans for it. So when I was reading the coupon section on Sunday morning (totally the first part of the paper I read) I ran across a recipe for Buffalo Chex Mix. (By the way, Chex, not unlike Hershey, is slacking and doesn't have the recipe on their list, or at least it's not easy to find).

Moving on.... so I'll post the recipe for you. It's tasty and although it has a kick, it's certainly not too hot. I think my kids will even enjoy it as they like spicy food.

Buffalo Chex Mix

• 4 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 4 cups Wheat Chex cereal
• 2 cups Parmesan-flavored tiny fish-shaped crackers
• 2 cups pretzel twists
• 6 tbsp butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• 2 tsp celery seed (I didn't use this because I didn't have any)

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, crackers and pretzels; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in hot sauce and seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evening coated. (Note: I used a square Rubbermaid container that was microwave safe- I didn't have a bowl big enough.)

2. Microwave uncovered on high for 4-5 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Two Giveaways

I am giving away a brand-new tube of Cover Girl Lash Blast Length at Sasha Says Giveaway, and Smoochiefrog has a polish giveaway on our nail blog, Manicure Mommas.

What are you waiting for? Go enter!

Hubbies: Valentine's Gifts!

And really, this isn't just for husbands... girls, you've got to check this out!

Have you heard of Dove Chocolate Discoveries? A good friend of mine, Kristen, just signed up as a representative, and holy cow, this stuff is good! So good, it's not sold in stores- it's better than the stuff in stores! Promise! The Sea Salt Caramel Collection is TDF. I personally know this because I ate the whole box by myself last month. (I guess that's mostly because I hid it from my husband.)

Moving on from my diet transgression.... Kristen is offering a special for Sasha Says readers... 10% off your orders during the month of January. Their best deal right is the Valentine box... it's 24 chocolates in a pretty box, sent directly to your valentine for $39- including shipping.

You can email Kristen at kristen_dennis@yahoo.com or contact her through her Dove site.

One more product tip- I purchased the Mudslide Chocolatini Mix and am taking it on our ski trip this weekend along with Raspberry Vodka to make the best mudslides you have ever had.

What's For Dinner?

The Sashas are having Chicken Cordon Bleu from my new cookbook.

Stay tuned for the results!

Do you have crockpot recipes you love? We are hoping to use our more to make the evenings less stressful. I'd love your ideas!

You Need One of These

Last week I purchased one of these adorable Lego Necklaces from an etsy shop and it came today. How adorb is that?????

And you need one! They are only $6 with $2 shipping and just precious. Many many colors to choose from. I think WC may need one!

Note: If you enlarge this pic you will see a tiny brown spot on the right side of the necklace. I think it was lint because I'm no Britney Spears.

How do I Blush?

A few years ago I discovered Everyday Minerals and started wearing their foundation. I also purchased quite a few of their blushes, which I wore for a while. But I finally realized that they end up turning a very unflattering shade of orange on me, no matter what shade they start out. So I've trashed all my EDM blushes and have collected an arsenal of blushes much more flattering to me and my pretty damn pale skin.

My first love is Benefit Dandelion, which I purchased from Sephora for $28. This rocks my world and lasts forever. Promise. But throw out the brush that it comes with and use your own blush brush. This goes for all Benefit boxed powders.

I also love Benefit Thrrrob, which I also purchased from Sephora for $28. This is a bit pinker and has a bit of shimmer in it, but not too much. Thrrrob appears to be out of stock at Sephora right now.

My newest Benefit fave is Sugarbomb, which is gorgeous! Also purchased from Sephora for $28. Swirling all those colors together turns out to be a perfect flush for me.

A brand-new find for me (Thanks to the Muse) is theBalm Down Boy. This is very pigmented, so you just need a little bit, but it give me a great natural glow. I purchased this for $20 from Sephora.

And this weekend I got in my order from Too Faced and got this beauty- Le Vie En Rose, which retails for $19.50, although I only paid about $14 during their sale. It has quite a bit of shimmer, but I think it's so pretty.

What is your favorite blush?

GDA: Croc Kids Boots

Crocs has a buy one get one free promo for their Kid's Georgie Boots.

2 pair are $15 and then you can use 10% off code C6VMRVKY3ISA = $13.49 for 2 pairs with free shipping.

Note: sizes are limited

And don't forget to go through ebates for 4% back.

Genius I Say!

Friday I was at TRU picking up a birthday gift and saw these adorable reusable sacks for only $1.50 each- what a perfect sack for a present!

There are quite a few to choose from in both girl and boy designs. Isn't that a great idea? I always hate paying $3 for a gift sack that will most likely get mangled and thrown away, but I was glad to pay $1.5o for these.

Lip of the Day: Delux Beauty Tintstick in Dot

Delux Beauty Tintstick in Dot

Sadly, this is long discontinued.... but I love it so much! The shade is I have Dot, and it's sort of a cranberry wine. Unlike the Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheers, which I find way too waxy and they tend to run outside my lips into my fine lines, the Delux Tintstick stays put and feels fabulous!

Everytime I pull this out I'm sad it's no longer available. I'm on my last tube.....

Do you have a favorite product that has been discontinued?

Lip of the Day: Stila Long Wearing Lip Color In Exquisite

Stila Long Wearing Lip Color in Exquisite ($20 at Sephora)

This is really a nice lipstick- a natural look that is actually pretty long wearing. The sheen fades a bit but you are left with a nice color that doesn't bleed.

Of course, I've always found Stila a bit expensive, and this product is no different. I purchased it for $18 from Sephora, so it's a definite splurge. Stila's products are so darn cute though, and I love how this twists up.

Will I buy again? Most likely not.

Will I keep it? Yes, I like it enough to use from time to time.

Review: Jay Johnson's Boot Camp Fitness: Ultimate Body Vol. 1

Y'all. The trainer for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders just kicked my ass, but in a good way! My New Years Resolution is to get back into shape and lose the 16 pounds I've gained.

The Jay Johnson Boot Camp Fitness DVD I ordered arrived yesterday and I was so excited to try it today. "Boot Camp" workouts are a pretty big deal here, but due to my work schedule, there's really no way for me to join a class and still have time to get ready for work.

I already liked what I had seen of Jay on DCC and figured I'd give this a try. Note: the DVD was $15 when I ordered it, and know it's down to $11.50, which is a hell of a deal.

I couldn't find a detailed review online, so I thought I'd just do one myself.

Things you need to know: Jay is chit-chatty, and military. And hard-core. And his wife is the hot blonde on the cover with him. She helps lead as well.

You really don't need any equipment for this, and although some of the demonstrators do use hand weights from time to time, those of us trying to get back in shape certainly don't need them to get a good workout. Jay does want you to download his guide (I'll insert the address later, but I'm too sore to get up from this chair right now) and learn the moves before you begin, but I didn't do this and it wasn't that big of a deal. If you are fairly coordinated, you can pick it up.

The workout is divided into five sections, and there's a countdown bar at the bottom of the screen to let you know how much time is left in each section, which is GENIUS. Gave me something to look forward to.

First section: Prep. 4:45. Basically some warm up cardio-type moves. No stretching.

Second section: Abs. Around 12:00. I love that they did abs first. I always get worn out and since abs are at the end of most DVD workouts, I tend to turn off the DVD and skip that part. No chance of that here.

Third section: Legs. Around 14:00. Holy hell, this is rough. Jay does his exercises in "cadences". Like 1 2 3, 1, 1 2 3, 2, 1 2 3, 3, and he does five of them. Then he gives you 30 seconds to do as many of that move as you can. It's a little crazy up there on the screen with 4 people going at their own pace, but I just picked the super-ab-cut lady and followed her during the free-for-alls.

Fourth section: Cardio. Around 14:00. He does what he calls a "pyramid workout" and does the cadence thing again. With the first exercise, you do 20 of the cadences. 10 second break, and then you do 19 of the next exercise. 1o second break again and you do 18 and so on until you get to 10 and that's your last one.

Fifth section: Recovery. 4:00. Here he does stretches and chit chats some more.

I think Jay and I are going to be good friends. I really think this workout is going to shape me up. But it's not for the faint of heart- be ready to really work out.

Millions of Mascaras: Urban Decay Big Fatty

Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara ($20 at Sephora)

I had a mini size of this mascara that I had gotten in an Urban Decay set I purchased from Sephora. Would you believe I actually threw this out? I did not care of it at all- it was very dry and did not make my lashes big and fat. So in the trash it went.....