Merry Christmas, 80s Style

My BIL, SIL, and I wish you a Merry Christmas, 80s Style!

Getting ready for the party was so much fun! I am a bit concerned that I was able to turn my 2010 hairstyle into a 80s hairstyle so easily...... For a point of reference, here's my drill team pic from 1989 or so.
Mr. Sasha had been hunting, so he met us at the party and said, "Wow! You look just like you did when we first started dating!" which is true, because it was 1993 and I was somewhat behind the times, but I did tell him that back then I wasn't quite as good with the Donna Mills (of Knots Landing fame) eye makeup, but since I have watched The Eyes Have It on youtube multiple times recently, I am now able to do it perfectly!

Just Another Saturday

Bella still doesn't like her Christmas dress.....

(notice the back legs, frozen, and also the half snarl)

We found Mater at our local Christmas parade.

(How cute is that?????)

And The Wild Child has a message for Santa......

Hope you are having a good weekend too!

I'm off to get ready for my BIL and SIL's joint 30th birthday party- it's an 80s Christmas sweater party! I will be doing some old magic on my hair, and have the makeup planned too: dark lip liner with Revlon Silver City Pink on my lips, and lots of blue eye liner.

I'll French roll my jeans and I actually tried very hard to find an Eagle's Eye Christmas sweater, to no avail, but I think I've got something lined up to borrow. I am also not sure about shoes..... I just don't have any Dexters, Keds or high-top Reeboks.....

iBand Christmas

You have absolutely got to see this..... Buford Betty posted this vid of some Christmas tunes done completely with iPhone and iPad apps at her church. I am amazed!

If you don't have time to watch it all, FF to the 5:00 mark and watch Feliz Navidad!

The Only Eye Shadow Palette You'll Ever Need

Yeah, yeah, we all know this won't be the last eye shadow palette I'll ever buy..... but it is awesome!

I recently purchased the Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection from Sephora during their 20% off sale (retail price is $35) and I couldn't be happier with it.

There are nine shadows in the neutral shade family, and I am so happy to see that the color they suggest using as a base color are a little larger size than the accent/contour colors. I always use more of the lightest shade in a palette so this is a fabulous idea.

The set also comes with the cards showing you three separate looks- one for Classic, Day, and Fashion.

Pixi Nude Shade Wardrobe

I recently had the opportunity to try out a fabulous product from Petra Strand's line Pixi, carried at Target. Petra is a makeup artist and mom, and she created the line of multipurpose products "to help busy women look like themselves, only more gorgeous."

Who can argue with that?

I tried the Nude Shade Wardrobe, and it is actually the second Pixi product I have tried, and both times I have been impressed with both the quality and value. Even though at first glace this product might seem expensive at $26 (currently on sale online for $22), once you realize that the left side can be used as a blusher, and the right side is 9 individual eye shadows, it's actually quite a good value and great for travel.

The nude shades worked perfectly for me to do a day-time eye for work, and I found the blusher to be very flattering for my somewhat pale skin.

In this photo I took, you can also see the embossing on several of the color blocks- it adds a fancy touch.

In this video, Petra shares some tips and shows how she uses the product.

Target Beauty - Pixi Holiday 2010 from LaForce Stevens on Vimeo.

Disclosure: This product was provided to me for review purposes.

GDA: Champion Coat at Target $18 free shipping

Champion 3 in 1 Ladies Coat for $17.99 at Target with free shipping.
List price is $59.99
Enter code JUH5H3OD for another 10% off.
If you use your target card, you get an additional 5% off (I did and got two for $36.78)

Don't forget to go thru ebates for 3% more off!

Raindrops on Roses

and whiskers on kittens..... these are a few of my favorite things.

Right now I am loving Maybelline's Eye Studio™ Lasting Drama™ Gel Eyeliner in brown. This product was my first try in gel/brush eyeliner, and it's fabulous. Seriously, super-easy and very affordable. It even comes with a brush that's perfect for applying it. It's available at mass-market retailers like Target and Walmart, and I think I paid around $8 for it.

This Olay Regenerist Anti Aging Eye Roller is my newest skincare find, and I am singing it's praises from the rooftop. I got this last week at CVS for $18.99 and it's amazing. You click the end and roll it over your undereye area, and it dispenses and massages in a fabulous gel that really does "banish puffiness and soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles". Right now there is an Olay rebate for $20 back when you purchase $50 in Olay products. Such a great deal if you are taking advantage of my Amazon Regenerist deal in the post below.

I think we've discussed my problem with fragrance before, haven't we? I am so sensitive to smells that I have a hard time finding something that doesn't make me feel sick to my stomach. The new Celebrate fragrance from Mark is so light and pretty and I have no problems wearing it. It's available online from Avon and retails for $25.

Disclosure: All items in this post were purchased by me.

Forty Before Forty: Update

In September, I posted a 40 Before 40 list and promised to keep it updated. Since I ran a half-marathon this weekend with Beth (more on that later!), it's time to update the list and see what else I can mark off.

1. Have a picnic at the lake with the husband & kids.
2. Take a road trip with no specific plans (heads Carolina, tails California etc).
3. Read a book, just for pleasure (no parenting topics allowed!).
4. Go to the zoo. DONE Fall 2010
5. Get a massage.
6. Have girl’s night. DONE
7. Have a TV series marathon weekend.
8. Make brunch for friends.
9. Invest in a vacation home.
10. Have date night with the husband. DONE during Parent's Night Out at church
11. Have board game night.
12. Get together with local bloggers.
13. Get a mani/pedi with a girlfriend.
14. Lose 25 pounds.
15. Go to the State Fair. DONE- Disney on Ice Fall 2010
16. Host a dinner party for friends, no kids allowed. DONE- Neighborhood Chili Cookoff Fall 2010
17. Redecorate.
18. Sleep in.
19. Play rock band.
20. Get a makeover.
21. Frame photos for around the house.
22. Have a family portrait taken. DONE Fall 2010
23. Cook the husband a delicious dinner.
24. Go to the movies- and see a new release.
25. Donate my time to a good cause.
26. Go see live local music.
27. Go for a stroll with my family.
28. Have a glass of wine on the patio.
29. Go out to eat and only have dessert.
30. Buy produce at the farmers market.
31. Go out and get my hands dirty and plant something. DONE - pansies Fall 2010
32. Take a class of some kind. DONE- photography class Fall 2010
33. Travel to a different country.
34. Run a half marathon. DONE 12-5-10
35. Go through all of my clothes and get rid of any I haven't worn in the last year or two.
36. Try a new food.
37. Get a pet. DONE- Bella! Nov 2010
38. Go to a drive-in movie theater.
39. Learn a new craft.
40. Have boudoir pictures made.

The Best Lip Balm EVER

Last week when we traveled to Branson for the Thanksgiving holiday, we spent two days at Silver Dollar City and had a great time!

But I made a huge error and forgot to stick any lip balm in my purse before we left town. And I made an even bigger error by not picking something up in Branson to wear while we were outside those two days in the very cold weather.

So I came home with the worst chapped lips I have ever had. Seriously, they hurt!

When we returned home I remembered that I had recently purchased a tube of Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm at Sephora and I was so glad I easily found it in my mountain of lippies.

Almost overnight, my lips were back to normal.

I paid $7 for this product at Sephora, and although I first thought it was a little pricey for a tube of lip balm, I know now it's very worth it. I chose the Lemon & Chamomile version and it's divine. It's marketed as a men's product, but us girls can use it too!

Here's what Sephora has to say about it:

What it is:
A conditioning lip balm that protects lips from sun and wind, with soothing effects.

What it is formulated to do:
Field tested in extreme conditions, this hydrating balm contains antioxidants and superior moisturizers to provide lasting treatment benefits. It provides broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

What else you need to know:
Shea butter and avocado oil deliver moisture while vitamin E and green tea contribute antioxidant fortification. For powerful sun protection, PARSOL and Octinoxate team up to block both UVA and UVB rays.

Are You Getting Into the Holiday Spirit?

The kids and I on Saturday at SDC

I am! Silver Dollar City really did it for me last week- the decorations were just gorgeous and their beautiful giant Christmas tree light show was amazing! Our house is almost done- the outside lights and blow-ups look great and hopefully we'll finish decorating the tree in our living room tonight.

I am recording The Santa Clause tonight on ABC Family for the kiddos- they have never seen it, and I think they will love it.


I've already devoured a bag of Dove Peppermint Bark (all by myself, shhhh) and need to make a trip to our local candy store for some Sugar Plums this week.



I also picked up some Hershey's Bliss Hot Cocoa Mix in Milk Chocolate with Raspberry, and also White Chocolate.

On my to-do list: watch Love Actually, The Holiday, and of course, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.


What are some of the movies you watch to get you in the holiday spirit?

November in Review

Can you believe it's almost the end of November? Lord help me, I am not ready for December! Along with the holidays, which I will never be ready for, I have to count another birthday in December, one that puts me even further down the late-30s road.....

My beautiful in-real-life friend Megan at Sorta Crunchy does a month in review post and it's something I've been enjoying doing as well.

On My Nightstand: individual vials of eye drops (my dry eye problem is really bothering me at night right now), ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas schedule (the Sashas are counting down the days until Prep and Landing is on) , and Susan Branch's Days from the Heart of the Home - I am going to start using it on December 1st as a prayer/gratitude journal

Want To Read: the next chapter in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (tonight we're on chapter 3), and Christmas cards from family and friends! Can't wait for them to start arriving.

TV Show Worth Watching: I am so very sad the new season of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is coming to an end. Love that show!

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): none in the theater, but I got to listen to The Sandlot a zillion times on our Thanksgiving trip to Branson since that's all the kids wanted to watch, over and over

In My Kitchen: the ingredients for Betty Crocker's Red Velvet Cookies - they look delightful and might just be my next dessert contest entry!

In My Ears: the Christmas music playlist on my ipod, consisting of Curious George's A Very Monkey Christmas, the Glee Christmas CD, the Lady Antebellum Christmas CD, a little Mariah (All I Want For Christmas is You of course!) - I LOVE Christmas music!

Three Favorite Blog Reads:

• Kelly's Korner- Kelly is just darling and such a classy lady to boot. I love reading about her daughter Harper and she's pregnant with another daughter as well.
• Katy Shops- Katy is a shopaholic like me and loves to share her finds. She posts lots of coupons and freebies as well. I know we'd be fast friends IRL!
• Buford Betty- Amanda is going down the IVF road, sharing the details of her path. I say a little prayer for her every day because I know she'll make a fabulous mother and am anxious for her to begin that part of the journey.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: spending time with friends and family, celebrating and keeping in mind the reason for the season

I love what Megan says at the end of her posts like that, and I'll ditto it: NOW then. Your turn! What are YOU into this month? Fill up the comment space or borrow this for inspiration on your own blog.

Our Non-Traditional Thanksgiving

We decided to do something a little different this Thanksgiving, so we drove to Branson with my parents and enjoyed the holiday break there. We actually ate Thanksgiving dinner at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, and wouldn't you know Mr. Sasha and I were chosen to go down and be in the show. The kids thought it was hilarious and loved that we were in a stick-horse race. Too funny! Shame that they don't allow photos during the show or I'd have proof for you!

We did Silver Dollar City on Friday and Saturday and had a blast. We always take a "jail" photo and I am loving that the kids got in the spirit and made faces. Of course, WC looks awfully happy to be in jail..... hope that's not a sign of things to come!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

I'll be stuck in continuing ed all day, but hopefully I can sneak away from time to time to search for some Cyber Monday deals to post..... it's going to kill me to be away from a computer today!

The Pioneer Woman Live

Ree Drummond - The Pioneer Woman

(photo by ME!)

Last night I had a perma-smile going on, because after I got off work, I got to go hear The Pioneer Woman speak live!

Guys, she is just as she seems on her blog- down-to-earth, funny, smart, talented, and just an all-around amazing gal!

At the end of her talk, she opened the floor for a question and answer session, and although I couldn't really think of a great question to ask, I did stand up and say:

I wanted you to know that I have your cookbook on my nightstand and I read it all the time. My husband asked me, "Are you ever going to make anything out of it?" and I told him, well, I'm a busy working mom of two with little time to cook, so I'm actually just *reading* it!

$20 bucks that she thought I was a loon!

Dear Coach,

Is the jewlery designer at Coach a Chi Omega?

Such a shame I can't wear anything but gold post earrings!

I think I may need that skull necklace!

Stila Lip Product Giveaway

I'm hosting a giveaway for a Stila Lip Glaze and coordinating Lip Liner at my giveaway blog. Stop by and enter!

Dear Yopait,

I've had something on my mind for a while, but have hesitated to mention it because I don't want to seem uncaring on insensitive.

From your website: You can mail up to 12 Yoplait® yogurt cup lids with one First Class or regular-sized envelope with U.S. postage stamp.

Why would I want to spend 44 cents on a stamp and clog up the mail, for you to donate $1.20?

Why can't we just leave the postal system out of it?

Why can't you create some sort of a system where consumes enter code off our yogurt packages online to make donations????

Why, why, why?

Meet Bella

Meet Bella, the 9 month old Havanese we got this weekend. She's full-grown at 10 pounds.

She's quite a sweetie, and really loving. And bonus- already potty trained!

I spent the weekend making sure The Wild Child didn't smother her with too much lovin'.

Tonight at Rue La La

Rue La La has a Saucony boutique tonight, and I just picked these up, not for running, just for wearing around. I love the style of Saucony, although I cannot run in them. They are just $35, and I had a $10 credit, so it was a nice price for cute shoes.

They are also having a Villeroy & Boch boutique, and even have my china pattern (French Garden) but I don't think I really need anything since we never get around to using the fancy stuff anyways.....

Saturday Shortcut

"I'm always running late on work mornings, so I shave one leg one day -- and the other the next." Lindsay Aprilante, 28, Hoboken, NJ

from Redbook Magazine

And I thought I was the only one who did that!

Fancy Nancy Fantastic Fan Photo Contest

Just a quick reminder to vote for Reese (The Wild Child) in the Fancy Nancy Fantastic Fan Photo Contest. Right now she is #142 out of almost 400 with just 18 votes- imagine how far she can move up with a few more!

Could you take a second to vote for her?

I absolutely love that she dressed herself for the pool, and also love that she wore a football jersey to school the next day- she's a bit prissy, a bit of a tomboy, and I love her just the way she is!

Attn Chocoholics

A few weeks ago, I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes for a celebration at work, modifying a recipe I saw at the blog Kevin and Amanda. They were beyond fabulous and I was instantly famous at work with everyone stopping by my office to ask about them. I loudly professed my love for Betty Crocker Whipped Butter Cream frosting. I immediately created a blog post for them to spread the word. I was going to be The Blogger Who Made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes Easily (a la Becky Brandon).

Not long after that, Amanda posted about making Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes, so I knew I had to give them a whirl. That I wouldn't be able to sleep until I did. But I also knew that I'd be buying Betty Crocker Whipped frosting rather than tackle Amanda's complicated frosting recipe, which looked like it might be my nemesis.

The fact that it has been a week and a half since I made these and I am just now getting around to posting about them is telling.

They were good, just not as good.

The Cookie Dough cupcakes are so good, I'm afraid I'll be measuring all dessert hence forward against them. And that's really not fair to the rest of the desserts in the world.....

But anyway, if you happen to be a chocoholic, you will love these- they *are* mighty tasty.

To make the brownie batter:

1/4 cup Parkay, melted
1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup milk (left out of the picture! I used skim)
1 (18.25 oz) box Pillsbury Moist Supreme Devil’s Food cake mix

Combine all in a bowl and mix.


I used my Pampered Chef scoop and made balls of dough that I froze overnight on parchment paper.



The next day I made my cupcake batter.

1 (18.25 oz) box Pillsbury Moist Supreme Devil’s Food cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg Jello instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil (how much do you love the new Crisco container? No mess!)
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips into a large bowl and mix. Stir in chocolate chips.

I again used my Pampered Chef scoop to drop batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 2/3rds full.

Next, take frozen brownie batter balls and press into the cupcake batter. Bake for about 25 minutes.



Once cooled, I used this Betty Crocker Whipped Chocolate Frosting to frost the cupcakes, and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. This whipped frosting is genius- so creamy and good!

Here what they looked like frosted.

And here's what they looked like right before I polished off my first one. The brownie batter does not sink to the bottom like in the cookie dough cupcakes, but stays at the top.

They were delightful- and very very chocolate-y!

An informal poll at my office resulted as such: These were good, but I have a better chance of winning the Thanksgiving Dessert Contest with the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes....

GDA: Womens New Balance Running Shoes $26.99, free shipping

Joe's New Balance Outlet (love them, have used them for years) has these women's running shoes for $26.99 with free shipping.

Edited to add: Looks like this shoe sold out!

And don't forget to go thru ebates for 4% back!

Febreze Set and Refresh- My New Love!

I have often professed my love for Febreze products, especially the candles, and I swear to you this is a totally un-biased rave because Febreze doesn't know me and I purchased these products with my own hard-earned cash.

Last week I purchased one of their newest products, Set & Refresh, in the Apple Spice & Delight fragrance and it's devine! Described as "The warm scent of fresh baked Red Delicious apples with fragrant notes of cinnamon and sugar", it's perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

The 2 pack I purchased at Walmart was $4.99, and I had a coupon for $1 off from the P&G coupon insert from the Sunday paper.

You insert a little plastic packet of fragrance oil into the container and pull up on the base unit to snap it into place. Absolutely no mess!

And it's pretty cute too!

Hopefully they will come out with more fragrance options for the Set & Refresh. I'd love to get Cinnamon Sugar & Home, Winds & Springtime, Pumpkin Harvest & Fall, and my newest find, Sweet Citrus & Zest.

She's Crafty

On Friday, P and Mr. Sasha were at a birthday party, so I decide that WC and I would venture out to the mall and see if we could find some cool-weather clothes, since it's FINALLY getting cooler here.

As I was getting her in her carseat, she said, "I want to get a face mask. You know, the kind you wear when you sleep."

I thought that was a strange thing to be shopping for, but we've been reading a lot of Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day so I assume that's where the request came from.

We go to the mall, went in thru Dillard's, worked our way around to Gymboree, GAP, and finally Old Navy. I had some GAP Card reward certificates to use, so I picked out some Hello Kitty tshirts for her (they are darling!) and we made our way to the checkout.

Lo and behold, look what we found by the register.

Yup, a sleeping mask. I swear, she has ESP.

And the next day, she traced the mask on paper and made her own version, although she wanted eye holes in this one! Too funny!

Stila Friday Happy Hour

Stila is offering FREE SHIPPING- no minimum- this weekend.

Use code CHRCV3PFFH and don't forget to go thru ebates for 6% back.

Fabulous Build a Bear Groupon!

This Groupon is good at any location- it's $10 for a $20 coupon to Build-A-Bear.

If you've never done Groupon before, sign up and refer your friends using your unique referral code to get $10 per referral. I've purchased quite a few Groupons and it's been a great experience.

1. Click here to sign up

2. Then click here to get the Build-A-Bear deal.

Artwork by P: Quite Telling

A few weeks ago at play therapy, our therapist had P and WC do some artwork, and she said to me under her breath, "You can get a lot of info out of what they draw."

So I sat back and chatted with her about various discipline methods while they worked on their pictures.

Once they were done and handed them to the therapist, she looked at me and said, "See?"

P had drawn our family WITHOUT NOSES.

Remember his over-sensitivity to smells? And how he used to throw up when he smelled fruit like apples, oranges and bananas?????????????????????????? Although listening therapy helped tremendously, he simply prefers not to smell things like that- so no noses. Isn't that interesting?

By the way, the grey hair on drawings of Mr. Sasha never gets old.

It's a Halloween Miracle

Both kids, in costumes (sans mask for P, but oh well), looking pleasantly at the camera!

One pic and we're done.

October in Review

Can you believe it's November 1st? I cannot!

My beautiful in-real-life friend Megan at Sorta Crunchy sometimes does a month in review post and I'd thought I'd join in.

On My Nightstand: my crochet hook- I've taken back up this wonderful hobby and am finding it a wonderful way to unwind before sleep

Want To Read: the subscription to US Magazine I just ordered from DiscountMags.com - 3 years for $60- almost makes my celeb gossip habit seem not-so-bad (I think that deal is dead BTW)

TV Show Worth Watching: We are so happy that DirecTV is showing the new season of Friday Night Lights early again- this is the last season and we will be sorry to see them go- such a great show!

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): Sadly, none! How to Train Your Dragon has been on repeat so I guess I'll have to count that one.

In My Kitchen: The first step (frozen balls of brownie dough) for the Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes I will be making tonight.

In My Ears: I'm almost done with Mini Shopaholic Audiobook and it totally got me through that 9 mile run on Saturday. Audiobooks are the only way to go for long runs if you ask me.

Three Newest Blog Reads:

• Felt So Cute- A life of crafting, decorating, party planning and some cute little girlies!
• I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar- My name is Cheri and I am a mother of two boys. When I am not wiping butts and noses I love to take pictures, sew and refashion, write music, decorate, craft, paint, and eat.
• Nicole Marie Portraits- photographer specializing in natural light portraits

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: Still cooler weather! I am so ready for fall, and it's finally here!

I love what Megan says at the end of her posts like that, and I'll ditto it: NOW then. Your turn! What are YOU into this month? Fill up the comment space or borrow this for inspiration on your own blog.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon referral links.

Couch to 5K

I got a great email from a Sasha Says reader the other day:

Hi Sasha-

You clued me in to Couch to 5k a few years ago and even were kind enough to send me your spreadsheet. I stopped and started a few times but finally followed through. I ran my first 5k today and owe it in large part to you.

Thanks!
Ellen

That little spreadsheet has been emailed around hundreds of times and I love love love hearing about other moms who have followed the plan (taken from http://www.coolrunning.com/) and ran a 5K.

When I started the plan on my treadmill about 7 years ago, I had a rough time keeping track of when I was supposed to run and when I was supposed to take a walk break. So the accountant in me created a spreadsheet to help me keep track.

This week I uploaded the spreadsheet, which shows the 9 week plan detailed with stop/start times for running versus walking, to a google doc to make it easier to access.

Couch to 5K Spreadsheet

If you've used the Couch to 5K plan, I'd love to hear your story! I am planning on running my first half marathon in December with Beth from C. Beth Blog, and I am so excited to have come so far on my running journey. If you've got some motivation for me, leave it in the comments.