Hello Friday: summer recap!
Horray for Friday!
First of all THANK YOU for the overwhelming response regarding our 10th Anniversary. It is really crazy to think about the time that has passed and how different our lives our now. We went out to eat at a restaurant in Asheville, NC, where we were visiting my sister, and we chatted and walked down memory lane a little. Our experiences really make us appreciate our life together. We squeeze our kiddos and I swear, we just cannot believe how lucky we are.
Thank you also for the compliments on the dress. It is from Lulus and SO comfortable! You can find it here!
I am dedicating this week to tying up some of the other blog ideas I have had. Each time I wrote about something I was working on or doing, someone would make a recommendation or tell me to try something new, so I am responding to you all!
Sunscreen!
My blog about summer mom hacks and sunscreen got a lot of responses, emails, texts, etc. It turns out that I am not the only one worried about the chemical composition of sunscreen. The hunt for the chemical oxybenzone in all of my products was kind of disheartening. I found it in a lot of my makeup and skincare products.
Since that time I have tried some new things that are free of oxybenzone. I got this BB cream from the Coola brand since I truly LOVE their sunscreen. I wrote about it back a few weeks ago here.
The reason I picked this is because the active ingredient for sunscreen is titanium dioxide. A lot of the BB and CC creams I looked at contained oxybenzone and I wanted to get something as natural as possible since I wear this daily. I really don't use foundation, I just use the BB cream and then spot treat any "problem areas" with concealer. I have never been a big fan of heavy makeup on my face. You won't catch me using a beauty blender or contouring no matter how popular it is. I do have a history of acne so my skin is not perfect. I wear this to work with other makeup over it or I wear it just by alone if I am running to Target on the weekend and I don't want to run into a client looking like I splashed my face with a bacon grease cleanser.
I linked to it above and you can click on the photo of the backside to open the link as well.
You will also note that it is non-comedogenic so it is not supposed to clog pores. A must for me. I use it over the Mary Kay primer - which thankfully is oxybenxone free! I blogged about that before also.
Next, I took advantage of the Nordstrom anniversary sale and got myself a combo pack of the large and small Coola sunscreen spray. Sunscreen spray is indispensable for kiddos and I frequently use it on myself before I head out for a run. I have been using it for the past couple of weeks and I really like it. It smells like a beach-y cocktail and it works. Coola is a brand I am really coming to love.
You can also see in the photo the Supergoop Sunscreen Mousse. I was intrigued by this. My kids absolutely despise putting on the sunscreen lotion, but on days when we are in the sun for a long time, I feel like it is a necessary first step. The spray is good for re-applying on those days but I need to cover every single millimeter of surface area and I feel like lotion is by far the best tried and true way to do it. The problem is that the kids HATE it.
My kids squirm and whine about sunscreen like they're being tortured. So this mousse seems like an awesome idea because it cuts down on the freezing cold lotion shenanigans. I tried it out and it is something I will definitely be buying more of, and possibly even replacing lotion with. It comes out like hair mousse but it has a thicker consistency. You just rub it in and that's it. I like it because it's not freezing cold and more pleasant to apply. It doesn't have a fragrance and it's not greasy like sunscreen typically is. You can find it here.
I also took advantage of the Anniversary Sale deal at Nordstrom and picked up another Super Goop Invincible setting powder set. They changed the design so the bottle is smaller and fits more conveniently into a purse. Plus the set comes with two inserts which are normally like $25 or so each. It is a really good deal and I love this product for extra sun coverage on the go. I also use it on my kids' faces after applying regular sunscreen and in our HAIRLINES. Hello? How many times have you gotten burned in your hairline but you HATE to put greasy sunscreen up there! This is perfect for the hairline and parts.
Anniversary sale find!
Speaking of the Anniversary Sale, I noticed that one my favorite pairs of boots is on sale! I got these last year after Christmas during a sale and I LOVE them! They go perfectly over jeans or they are wonderful to wear to work with a skirt! They're suede so don't forget your suede protector!
Sunless tanner
Way back when spring was still full of snow I wrote about sunless tanner. Since that time, thanks to friends, I have tried two more based on their recommendation. The first is made by Coola and it was actually the first Coola product that I tried. Like everything else they make it is light and smells really nice. I mix one pump in with sunscreen or moisturizer when I am wanting a little extra glow. It is a gradual developer so you don't have to worry about turning orange like the old days (someone should tell a certain politician about this - ahem!) Apparently it's also an anti-aging face serum? I didn't even realize until I was looking it up to link to it. You can find it at Sephora here.
The second is this Mary Kay gradual tanning lotion. Let me just say that the smell of this is unrivaled. Most sunless tanning lotions have "that smell" and I really am not a fan. This smells amazing! It is fresh and citrus-y and I honestly love it! The color is very, very light. It would be ideal for anyone who is fair. I am not as fair but I like the subtle color and I like to mix it with a pump of regular body lotion and apply it to my arms and legs. You can find it from my sweet Mary Kay rep here.
More Anniversary Sale finds!
I really try to use this big sale to buy things that I know I will need during the upcoming year or years. I buy work shirts for Terry because he ALWAYS needs them, I buy Christmas presents for my family, I try to get ahead of life since the school year and holidays always seem to hit us like whiplash.
I think I have bought most of my favorite boots during this sale in July and August. Nice brands like Frye, Cole Haan, Vince Camuto, etc., that are known for quality have boots on sale during this time and I have saved HUNDREDS of dollars on the kinds of boots I needed anyway. I have had some of these boots for five or ten years and I am still wearing them and thankful that I got them on sale.
This year I also picked up a pair of nude pumps. I have had a lot of nude pumps and I wear them to work often. They go with everything! I have had some crummy nude pumps over the years, like really uncomfortable, just to save money I did not get shoes that my feet deserved. So when I saw these on sale I was really excited. I wore them to work this week already and they are so nice. Quality leather that stretches just the right amount to fit my feet. I didn't want to hack off my legs at the ankles by 5pm when I was leaving the office. I even picked up both kids without really thinking about the fact that I had been wearing heals since 8am! Definitely a worth while purchase.
Aaaaaannnnnd .... a little something fun for the fall and winter holidays. I can't help a cute dress on sale! I love the sleeve and back detail of this dress. You can find it on sale here! Please excuse my makeup free pictures!
Finally the weekend!
This is what awaits me today. I feel like I am constantly catching up after we spend a weekend out of town. It is almost like working two weeks back to back with no break. I am really excited though because we are going to make a lot of progress on our DIY paver patio this weekend and possibly even get to use our new fire pit for the first time! Stay tuned for pics!
Happy weekend, everyone!
