Editor's Choice Awards: Nail Products

Welcome to the Sasha Says Editor's Choice Awards! We'll be sharing with you our favorite products in many different categories.

(Please know that this is very tongue-in-cheek. "We" is just me, and it's actually just a list of *my* favorite products. There's no nomination process, voting, or scoring. Just a simple list of things I like and use myself.)

So without further ado, here are my favorite nail products, shown in order of use for the perfect salon-quality mani:

1. Sally Hanson Instant Cuticle Remover. I apply this all around my cuticles, 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- it overrides any oily residue on 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 as a basecoat. Watch for CVS/Wags to have their BOGO or BOGO half off on SH products and stock up.


5. 2 coats of color. OPI polish is one of my favorite brands.

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!





7. Creative Nail Design Cuticle Eraser. Keeping your cuticles neat and clean is one of the keys to making your manicure last longer. This product is fabulous and I massage this into my cuticles a few times a day to prevent hangnails and prevent cuticle buildup.

Also, I love nail polish so much that I've got a separate blog just for my nail polish review and pictures! Visit me at http://www.manicuremommas.com/ if you like nail polish as much as I do!


Any other suggestions for categories for the Sasha Says Editor's Choice Awards?

PSA: Tattoo Removal

Saturday night was the local Daddy/Daughter dance and WC was SO excited.

About 2 pm, I told her we'd better get her bath done and hair washed so we could have time to get it dried and curled.

She undressed, climbed into the bathtub and I did a double-take...... there was a giant pirate tattoo on her forearm, and since her dress was short-sleeved, that was a problem! (I had no idea the tattoo was there, since she is quite skilled at applying them herself and often does it on the downlow.)

(note this is not a pic from Saturday, just a prior pic showing an illustration of her love of tattoos)

We usually just let them wear off, so I don't have much experience with removal..... I knew that baby oil worked, but we don't have any of that around. I tried some eye makeup remover, shampoo, conditioner.... all to no avail.

I finally smeared some Aquaphor on there and scrubbed with a washcloth- and eureka! it worked. Phew. Crisis averted. File that info away for later use- you'll need it sometime.

Can you imagine this pretty dress with a giant pirate tattoo? Me neither!

I love that she's a tomboy and a girly-girl rolled into one. She talked me into letting her wear a bit of Stila Kitten eyeshadow, Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush, and some Too Faced Mood Swing lip gloss. It's certainly no Toddlers and Tiaras, and I'll argue it was age-appropriate.

Review: L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Skincare

L'Oreal Youth Code Skincare

I wanted to like this, I really did. But I have tried it twice (with a few weeks separating the trials) and have gotten terrible, painful breakouts both times- in strange places, like my cheeks. So it's a no-go for me.

I purchased a kit containing three of the products (Day/Night cream, Day Lotion, and Eye cream) for about $25 at Walgreen's.

I suspect it was the Day Lotion that broke me out. But I also found the Eye cream to be absolutely useless- the cream was not moisturizing at all, and actually settled in my lines under my eye and dried white without soaking in. I actually had to wipe off the dried product with a tissue.

I am back to my beloved Avon Rejuvenate line- I just don't think there is anything better for those of us in our 30s.

Snowpocalypse Now!

We've been snowed in for days, although we did make it out for P's eye muscle surgery this morning. It went well and he is resting in our bed with a milkshake and Disney channel. His eyes are swollen and very red, but they assure us he'll feel fine tomorrow. Of course, I doubt there is school tomorrow anyway- the roads are getting no better and we are only having high temps in the teens. And you know it was 70 on Saturday, right? Oh, the joy of Oklahoma living!

But the REAL problem with this weather we've been having?

My copy of The Pioneer Woman's new book wasn't delivered on Tuesday (the release date) like it was supposed to be!

January in Review

IT'S FEBRUARY? The horror. I still haven't finished up '11 in 11! Well, let's take a look at January and where it went.....



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

On My Nightstand: My new Beth Moore bible study: Breaking Free. Because I need to. (from mommy guilt specifically)

TV Show Worth Watching: I am *finally* caught up on Greek (all of the sudden Beaver is my favorite character) and am slowly catching up on Glee. Also so excited to see that the cowboys will be on the new seasons of The Amazing Race in February- my hometown boys!

Movie I've Seen (in or out of the theater): Holy crap I have an answer for this this month! The kids and I saw Megamind on Friday at the dollar movie and it was great. Of course, any movie that's $1 would have to be pretty bad for me to complain about it!

In My Kitchen: The recipe for Picky Palate's Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookie Sandwiches..... my next dessert contest entry! Stay tuned for Feb 15.....

In My Ears: Met a friend at a local brewhouse a few weeks ago and saw Kylie Morgan.... at 15, she is unbelievably talented. Of course I purchased a CD and can't quit listening to "Saturday Night" (It's Saturday night, the time is 1 am, we're already missing curfew again.......oh the memories!)

Three Newest Blog Reads:

1. Nouveau Cheap. Tagline: You don't have to compromise on beauty just because you're on a budget.


2. Centsational Girl. She has a cool style!


3. Crazy Running Legs. My long-lost sister- shes runs, and loves Veronica Mars and Alias- we were meant to be friends!

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: This crazy snow to melt! Our town is at a standstill today.

$50 at Beauty.com for $25 at Plum District

I've been under a rock and didn't know about Plum District, but I joined today so I could get $50 at Beauty.com for $25! Beauty.com carries some of my favorite makeup brands, like Urban Decay, Too Faced and theBalm. I've talked incesseantly about those brands in my makeup reviews..... so sorry for that!

At any rate, if you sign up today and get in on the deal, Plum District says you'll "get $5 Plum Dollars towards your first Plum purchase".

More Blush!

I ordered the Stila Make Me Blush Palette and it is just darling. I read a few reviews that said the gold hearts you see in the promo pic above are just an overspray..... so I wiped the gold off with a cotton ball before I used it- you can see that in my pic above. This does lean pretty coral, but is so so pretty.

The code STILAVIP will get it to you for $12.12, shipped free!

By the way, if you ever order from Stila online, remember that they are on ebates and you get 6% back...... here's my referral link- you get $5, I get $5.

And I found the other Physician Formula Happy Booster blush- Rose is on the left and Natural on the right- both are GORGEOUS! Locals, the Brookhaven CVS has them right now, and there are two things that make this a great deal. First, there's a $3 peelie sticker on them, AND CVS has a great ExtraBuck deal.... spend $10 on PF cosmetics, and get $7 back. Basically, you get it for $3 out of pocket.

Any other new beauty products I need to try? (Remember, I'm on a lippie no-buy for 2011!)

Editor's Choice Awards: Mascara

Welcome to the Sasha Says Editor's Choice Awards! We'll be sharing with you our favorite products in many different categories.

(Please know that this is very tongue-in-cheek. "We" is just me, and it's actually just a list of *my* favorite products. There's no nomination process, voting, or scoring. Just a simple list of things I like and use myself.)

Maybelline Full N' Soft

Maybelline Full N' Soft ($6.50 or so) is definitely my top drugstore mascara. No clumps and it builds full, soft, thick lashes just as promised.

MAKE UP FOR EVER's Smoky Lash


For a higher-end product, I love MAKE UP FOR EVER's Smoky Lash ($22)! Thickening, lengthening, it's one fabulous package. I will say the tube doesn't last very long before it starts feeling sort of clumpy- maybe a little over a month? At any rate, there have been times that it's been worth it to me, that's how much I love this mascara.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash

A slightly less expensive higher-end mascara that is also love is Buxom Lash ($18 at Sephora). Absolutely no flakiness, this darkens, lengthens, and thickens just as Sephora promises.

Bargain Eyeshadow

Revlon CustomEyes Shadow and Liner in Naturally Glamorous

Picked this up at the Walmarts the other day for $7.48 and I'm in love!

I left the pic big so you can enlarge it and see the fabulous texture on each shade- so cool! The four shades on the right are the shadows, and the one on the far left is the liner. I actually used one end of the foam applicator (the pointed end) to apply the liner and I loved the look.

For those of us who have trouble knowing where to put each color, there's a helpful diagram on the back.

This palette was definitely the most neutral of the bunch, but it looks like there are about 5 other choices with some very pretty shades.

I'd definitely recommend this product if you are in the market for some new eye shadows- this is a can't-go-wrong purchase.

It's Been a Long Strange Day

PSA: If your gut tells you something isn't right with your kids, light a fire under yourself and get after it.

P, who is in first grade this year, has been having difficulties learning to read, and has been downright frustrated while trying.

Although my first suspicion was that it was related to his sensory processing disorder, I just knew in my heart that it wasn't a learning disability..... there was just something wrong. I had noticed that his eyes didn't seem to track just right, and from time to time when he'd look at me, his eyes just didn't look lined up right.

So this morning I called the pediatric opthamologist who did his tear duct probing when he was an infant and they got us in today. (Love that office BTW. If you are local and need a rec, holler.)

And surgery is scheduled for next Thursday to correct Exotropia, which, in the simplest explanation, is the opposite of crossed eyes.

His eyes turn out intermittently and cause him to have double vision. Basically, he just can't focus. He has perfect vision, but the muscles in his eyes aren't letting him see correctly.

Thank goodness I trusted my gut and got him in.

Please do the same if you ever think something isn't right with your kiddos.

Review: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Powder and Blush

I have been scouring the town for the past 2 weeks, looking high and low for the new Physicians Formula Happy Booster products. I finally scored on Sunday at my local Super Walmart.

Happy Booster Face Powder in Translucent ($12.67 at Walmart)

Happy Booster Blush in Rose ($10.63 at Walmart)

These are just darling! So glad I purchased them.

Both products have a slight Violet scent that disappears when you apply them. You know how sensitive I am to smells, and it did not bother me at all.

The powder has a very slight shimmer to it, and I'm using it as more of a highlighter than an all-over finishing powder.

The blush is just gorgeous, but is very very pigmented, so I have a brush application recommendation for you.

I first tried it with a normal, slanted, rather dense blush brush, shown above. This applied it way too heavily and I had to tone it down quite a bit with another lighter product before I was satisfied with the look.


The next day I tried my Sonia Kaskuk skunk brush from Target and the application was much much better. This type of brush picks up less product, and is perfect with a highly pigmented product.

Part of my love for these products may be directly related to the cuteness factor, but hell, they are just darling I'm not ashamed to love them.

By the way, I am doing fab on my resolution to purchase absolutely no new lip products in 2011!

Muffin Tin Italian Meatloafs

In the comments the other day, Amy from Do You Know the Muffin Pan? said she didn't have a muffin tin meatloaf recipe! The horror! :-)

Thought I'd share my recipe for Muffin Tin Italian Meatloafs. Made these last night and made the husband swoon. The way to his heart *is* through his stomach!

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce of choice (we lurve Prego Three Cheese)
• 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella (just how much do you like cheese??????)
• 1 egg
• Italian seasoning (I use 6 tbsp Homemade Gourmet's Italian Mozzarella Mix, but I think any Italian seasoning mixed with with crushed up crackers would do)
  

Heat oven to 350 and spray your muffin cups with Pam. Fill them with your mixture- I usually get about 9 out of a pound of ground beef.

This part is optional- but we like cheese, so I add some cheese to the top.

Annnnnnnd then I spoon on some more sauce.... love the sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes.

And voila! You've got perfectly cooked mini meatloafs! A serving is about 2, or 3 if you are a husband who really loves these!

Better Late Than Never: White Rock Half Race Report

I had grand plans for writing my race report much sooner than almost 2 months after the race.... but, well, you know me. Terrible turn-around time, blah blah blah.

Sometime in mid-2010 I was chatting on twitter with my friend Beth, who was finishing up the oh-so-fabulous Couch to 5K plan.

"Hey Beth!" I said. "Let meet up in Dallas (about mid-way between the two of us) and run the White Rock Half together!"

FF to December 4, 2010, and the hubs and I were heading down to Dallas to meet Beth! Beth and I had plans to meet Elaine for dinner that evening. Elaine's a runner too and might have been running with us if she wasn't pregnant.

Beth, Elaine and I "met" almost 5 years ago on an online message board for our daughters, Chickie, Big Sis, and WC, who are the same age. Elaine and I have gotten together in person a few times over the years, but it was the first time that either of us had gotten to meet Beth in person.

Elaine, me, and Beth at dinner the night before the half

We had a fabulous time at a great local Italian restaurant, and Beth and I headed in early to get a good night's sleep.

The next morning my friend Jennifer joined us at the hotel bright and early and about 7 we headed to the metro stop that would take us right into Fair Park for the start of the race.

I was so glad we didn't rush to the race earlier- due to the number of people running in the full, half, and relay, saying it was crowded is an understatement. We were in one of the back corrals due to our predicted finish time and we actually didn't take off until 8:55, almost an hour after the race started! It was pretty cold, around 30, but if you know me you know I have boiling blood and am so hot natured that it really didn't bother me.

I wore all C9 gear from Target - running capris (recommended to me by Chic Runner!), mesh shorts, a dry-fit shell and a light jacket with a hood. I had my ipod all charged up and ready to go with Can You Keep a Secret?by Sophie Kinsella, and of course I had my trusty Garmin Forerunner 205 on.

I typically follow the run-a-mile-walk-a-minute routine, but I was so jazzed when we finally started that I actually went ahead and ran 3 miles without stopping. A little after mile 3 I stopped to go to the bathroom (mouse bladder alert!). I think that's about when I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist.

After miles 4 and 5, I walked for a minute, and after mile 6 I stopped and walked for about 7 minutes and ate my Luna Moons (OMG, are they discontinued????) and drank some water. (Note: I had planned all along to take this longer break- during my training, on most of my long runs I started out with a 6 mile loop and stopped off at the house to eat my snack and go to the bathroom.)

Feeling recharged, I started back up and continued stopping at each mile marker and walking for a minute. Around mile 10 I knew that even with my half-point break I was going to make my goal of 2:20, no problem. That felt good!

I took my headphone out a few times to listen to the bands that were playing as I passed by them- especially when I heard a little Led Zeppelin! So cool.

I started looking for the hubs during the last mile, and sure enough I saw him right before the finish line! He was cheering and I was so glad to see him!

I finished in 2:18 and couldn't have been happier with my time.

I found Jennifer right after I finished, and we ran into Beth not long after. Amazing that we easily found each other with so many people there!

It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again- I'm hoping to do the Dallas Rock 'n' Roll Half in March- any takers?

Editor's Choice Awards: Haircare

Welcome to the Sasha Says Editor's Choice Awards! We'll be sharing with you our favorite products in many different categories, beginning with Haircare.

(Please know that this is very tongue-in-cheek. "We" is just me, and it's actually just a list of *my* favorite products. There's no nomination process, voting, or scoring. Just a simple list of things I like and use every day.)

L'Oreal EverPure Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

I've been gradually taking my haircolor darker and darker, trying to get a little closer to my natural color (note that I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it's definitely darker than the bleach blonde I'd been sporting for years).

My stylist recommended I use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to preserve the color. I found this L'Oreal product line (each is about $6, but there are frequently $2 off coupons in the Sunday paper) that fit the bill and settled on the Moisture formula. I absolutely love it.

John Frieda Root Awakening Strength Boosting Leave In Spray

(that's a mouthful, huh?)

My hair is pretty fine, and it gets very tangly in the shower. This spray helps gets all those wet tangles out without any breakage and smells nice too. I also use this in WC if she gets tangles, since her hair texture is a lot like mine. It's about $6, although there are frequently coupons for $1 or so off that you can find.

Right after I get out of the shower I spray a liberal amount of this in my hair (about 10 sprays) and comb it out with a wide-toothed comb. Then I wrap my hair in a towel for a few minutes to get some of the moisture out while I apply my eye cream and facial SPF moisturizer.

Dove Frizz Control Therapy Taming Cream

(sadly, Dove's website is crap and although I managed to find a pic of this product in a newer white bottle on their website, it's not possible to link to it or get more info about it, because the "get more info" link just leads you to the general product page, where you are in an endless loop of trying to find the product....)

After I unwrap my hair from the towel, I squirt some of this in my hair and spread it through before I blow dry. I have slightly frizzy hair and this really helps keep it smooth and straight. It's around $5-6 dollars, and again, you can usually find a coupon for $1 or so off in the coupon inserts.

Preserving My Christmas Cards

Earlier this month Angry Julie had a fabulous tutorial for preserving your Christmas cards. I was so excited to find a way to keep them all together because I love getting them back out each year and seeing how our friends kids have grown.

If you've been around Sasha for any length of time at all, you know my turn-around time is just not good. I've been carrying around those notebook rings I got at the office supply store in my purse for over two weeks, and last week I broke down and purchased another hole punch because mine was MIA. But I just hadn't taken that final step and actually done the project. Yeah, I'm a slacker. I've made peace with it.

Poor P has been sick all week, and I was home with him yesterday afternoon, so I took the opportunity to get it done! It turned out great, and I even found my 2009 stack of cards and did the same with them.

Feels good to have my craft for the month done. :-)

Two New Reads

This is Skinny Runner. How cute is she? I want to be her. Somehow she manages to look so fashionable even when doing a marathon! I am devouring her blog and loving it. Love her humor!

For comparison, this is what I look like when I run. (That's me on the left along with my friends Beth and Jennifer.) I have a giant forehead and a widow's peak, and I hate myself without bangs, but I also hate wet sweaty hair against my skin, so back those bangs go.

WAITJUSTAMINUTE.... did I not do a race report for MY FIRST HALF in December?????? WTF? Report to come soon......

I am also loving Do You Know the Muffin Pan- she bakes everything in her muffin tin- genius! I do not, however, see a recipe for muffin tin meatloafs on her blog, so I might just have to share mine with her!

Living Social- $20 Amazon gift card for $10

Are you signed up for Living Social yet? Today they have a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card for only $10- jump on it! You know I love my Amazon.com!

https://livingsocial.com/deals/21336?ref=conf-jp&rpi=4036199

The deal is only available for 21 more hours, so check it out and get in while you still have the chance!

Mascara: Giving One Another Chance

Last month I purchased L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes.

Because Eva Longoria (not Parker) told me to. And at $9, it seemed like a good bargain beauty product to try.

I tried it one morning and promptly decided I didn't like it. It didn't seem to do much, and it definitely didn't give me a million voluminous lashes.

But this week I decided to give is just one more try before I trashed it.

And all of the sudden it's fabulous!

I have this memory of my mom leaving her new tubes of Great Lash open on the counter for a few hours, telling me that letting it dry out a bit made it better...... so maybe using it last month and letting some time pass let it thicken up a bit?

At any rate, it's one of my new faves and now in the rotation. Moral of the story: Don't let your first experience with a makeup product decide its fate... give it another shot!

What mascara are you using right now?

Makeup Bags

You've seen how many lippies I have, right? Rest assured that I also own quite a bit of other cosmetics as well- blushers, eye shadows, mascaras..... I definitely have lots of makeup and always need something to keep it all in!


So when I got the opportunity to review a new monogrammed makeup bag, I was so excited!


Simply Bags sent me this bag and monogrammed it for me and I think it's just adorable.

I thought they did an excellent job with the monogram- pink is my favorite color and I just love it.

The bag retails for $17.99 and comes with a second bag in a slightly smaller size. The large makeup bag measures 12”W x 7”H x 3”, and the medium makeup bag measures 10”W x 6”H. The exterior is cotton duck cloth, and the inside is satin fuchsia easy-clean interior with zipper closure.

When Parents Text

Am I the last one to know about When Parents Text? Shame on your for not telling me.

11 in '11: Goal Nine

Goal Nine:

Have Better Handwriting

(yes, sadly, that's my handwriting pictured above.....)


O M G - I have absolutely terrible handwriting. Sometimes I look at what I wrote and think, "What the hell does that say??????"

Last year I stumbled upon some handwriting fonts, made from other people's honest-to-goodness handwriting samples by Amanda.

I want to be Bhea and have her handwriting.... how pretty is that?

So for Goal Nine, I'm going to stive to have readable handwriting, just like Bhea.

Missed goals my other goals? Catch up here.

Also, feel free to snag my 11 in '11 button above and join in.

11 in '11: Goal Eight

Goal Eight:

Join in the "Wear a Dress Tuesday" Movement

If you know me in real life, you know I'm not much of a dresser-upper. I am all about the comfy, and am lucky enough that my job allows jeans as long as we wear company-logoed shirts.

However, I stumbled upon the Wear a Dress Tuesday movement today at A Blonde Ambition and was moved by the idea! Sarah from The Strength of Faith came up with the concept and it's taking off.

Here's what Sarah says:

Here's the thing: Dresses make a girl feel special. They have the ability to take an ordinary day and make it extraordinary. Life can get to be pretty mundane and it's nice to have a reason to get dressed up. Life can get pretty stressful and it's nice to have a reason to pamper yourself. You take more time to think about what you are wearing and are able to have some fun accessorizing. You can take one dress and change the way it looks by adding scarves, earrings and a pair of killer heels. People notice and tell you that you look nice! Who doesn't like to be told that they look nice?

Starting next week (*whispers* I have jeans on today....) I'm joining in! What a neat idea and a way to have a little pick-me-up.
Missed goals my other goals? Catch up here.
Also, feel free to snag my 11 in '11 button above and join in.

11 in '11: Goal Seven

Goal Seven:

Purchase *Zero* Lip Products in 2011

I've shown you this before, and I must admit this pic is at least a year old. The bucket is even more full, and this is not the only one......

So I resolve to make my way thru it, weed out the products that don't work for me, and use the ones that do! And not purchase any more lip products in 2011.

Well, except one.

I am a big fan of Stila's various colors of lipstains.... and a new one called Coconut Crush *just* came out and I totally need it.

But nothing after that. Pinky swear.

Target Deal of the Day

Target has a great "Deal of the Day" today. These darling rain boots are $20 with free shipping! Quite a few places in the US are getting snow right now and these would be perfect.

Don't forget to go thru ebates for 3% back! (And if you are new to ebates, we both get a $5 referral bonus!)