Reality Based Structure and Systems (for the win!)
If you’ve been thinking about trying out the hot new 10-step Korean Skincare Routine, but you’re wondering if it’s really worth all of that extra effort (not to mention all of the different products!), I’ve done my best to make your decision more simple.
I’ve gathered the best Korean skincare before and after posts that I could find all over the internet.
One of my friends recently asked me how I deal with the issue of looking presentable always and daily style while still engaging in life…life that is sometimes messy and sweaty.
How do you reconcile keeping a capsule wardrobe with the needs of an active lifestyle? You’re not going to want to wear your nice, high-quality clothes outside doing yard work, or taking care of animals, or exercising.
But if you’re like me, you still want to look cute while you’re doing all of your messy, sweaty activities.
I have a few ways that I’ve made it all work.
I have a secret confession to make. I have *always* been a beauty queen wannabe.
If you ask any of my closest friends, they will tell you that I have an unhealthy obsession with the Miss Universe Crown (the diamond and pearl one!).
Why is this a problem? Well, I haven’t been a Miss in over 16 years, I’m 35 years awesome, I’m 5’5 with short legs, and I’ve had nine children. So that crown is completely out of reach!
I talk to so many moms of young children, and overwhelmingly, I hear the same problems over and over. You’re throwing yourself into your role as mother, sacrificing everything, and you’re tired, worn out, frazzled, and you feel like you’ve lost yourself.
If you are anything like me (which I bet your are, because you’re here!) you enjoy pretty things. Our style may not be the same, but I’m willing to bet that you have an idea in your head about what looks pretty to you.
And if you are worn-out, frazzled, and laying it all on the alter of motherhood, you may not feel like you have the energy for being pretty.
When I had five children under the age of 8, my life was busier than it has ever been (and probably will be again).
The sheer amount of work that went into just the basics of food, clothing, and keeping the children alive was absolutely overwhelming.
And let me assure you, I was totally overwhelmed. I was drowning.
But you know what? One day I woke up and I decided that I could not stand to look in the mirror and see a woman who looked like she had the life sucked out of her. That wasn’t who I was!
I was a beauty queen wanna-be!!! But I wasn’t acting like one.
So like the rational beauty queen wanna-be that I was, I took a shower, got out, and put on some lipstick. I didn’t feel like I had time for anything other than lipstick, so lipstick would have to be enough.
After I had my lipstick on, I changed my clothes into something a little more polished. Then, I realized, that if I hurried, I could get on a little bit of foundation, blush and mascara.
Five minutes later, I looked 500% better, and as a result, I had energy that I hadn’t experienced in probably over a year. More importantly, I felt happy when I looked in the mirror.
There was that pretty girl! I thought I had lost her forever. After that day, I slowly started pulling it all together, and little by little I climbed out of the pit of being overwhelmed.
I started implementing household systems, taking better care of myself, being a better mother in general because I had something to give…
And it all started with lipstick!
Up until just recently, I still hadn’t found a favorite lipstick. I had a favorite color (Mac’s Ruby Woo!), but I never was able to find a formula that I didn’t have to worry about:
1. Kissing off on my kids
2. Kissing off on my husband
3. Getting all over my chin when I tried to eat a sandwich
4. Getting smudged by the slightest movement
5. Touching up after an hour or so
Well, I’m happy to say, I’ve finally found it!
If you haven’t heard of LipSense yet, let me just tell you a few things. Yesterday, I:
1. Ate a sandwich
2. Drank two cups of coffee, 2 sparkling waters, and 4 glasses of plain water
3. Took a shower (with my LipSense on)
4. Kissed more kids than I can keep track of
5. Kissed my husband every time I could grab him
6. As an experiment, I also slept in it!
And ladies…my lipstick still looks flawless! Just as important, my lips don’t feel like they are about to peel off!
If you have ever felt like you couldn’t wear lipstick daily for any of the reasons that I mentioned, I’d love to introduce you to a fantastic product. It may be just what you need!
And don’t feel like you need to be a beauty queen wanna-be like me and wear red lipstick daily! LipSense has plenty of everyday colors that would look fantastic on any skin-tone.
If this sounds like a product you would be interested in, I would love to invite you to my LipSense Facebook Party.
Please take a quick second and click this link which will take you over to the Facebook group for the party. Go ahead and Like the page, and watch the videos.
There’s even a video up that I made talking about my experience. So, if you’ve ever wondered what I sound like, go check it out!
Click Here to get to the Party Page!
I would SO love it if you joined us! This will be the first time I have ever posted a video online, so I am nervous as all get-out. But this will be great practice for me, just in case I ever find a beauty pageant for middle-aged moms who still have a dream (Cue the song from Tangled)!
If you have any questions at all about the product or about the party, just leave a comment below.
Tell me which one of the lipsticks above would be your perfect everyday lipstick?
For the last two weeks, I have gotten off track with my meal planning. We’ve just been so busy!
Busy times are when I should be making SURE to get my meal plan done though, otherwise, what happens?
You guessed it. Fast food, convenience food, or hastily slapped together meals that don’t go over very well.
If I am struggling with my own meal planning, maybe a few of you are as well, so I figured, in the interest of being helpful, that I would go ahead and post my meal plan for the next week, with links to recipes when I have them.
Ryan and I are going on a date on Tuesday, so the babysitter will be fixing convenience food, otherwise, I think I have a solid plan here!
Monday-Crockpot Pot Roast, Dinner rolls, Mixed veggies, Salad
Tuesday– Chicken Nuggets, Tater tots, Salad
Wednesday– Pasta and Meat Sauce, Salad, Garlic bread
Thursday– Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, broccoli, rice
Friday– BBQ Chicken Pizza, salad, fruit
Saturday– Grilled boneless skinless thighs, Roasted potatoes, Salad, Rolls
Sunday– Taco Lentils and Rice, Tortilla Chips, Salad
The most important thing to remember when you are meal planning is to keep it simple. You can have the most amazing looking plan, but if it’s not practical, it’s not going to happen, and you just wasted five minutes.
Instead, pick simple meals, and add something extra to it if you end up with extra time that evening!
Have you been struggling with your meal planning? This little Kindle book will get you on the right track and quick! It’s short, sweet, and right to the point (meaning it won’t take you a whole week just to read it!
Half the battle is having a plan!
If you have been skipping meal planning lately, what’s the one thing holding you back? Let me know in the comments.
We all to have a more inviting home atmosphere. We want home to be the place our children long to be, our husbands look forward to at the end of a long, hard day, and the place where we can bring guests to offer a respite from the world.
Over the last few years, every time I have been gone into an inviting home, I have tried to pinpoint the one thing that is responsible for the atmosphere. Iʼve come to the conclusion though that itʼs not just one thing.
Itʼs a combination of many things, done well. Read on for my formula for creating a more inviting atmosphere in your own home.
