Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, and at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission. I only recommend products that I personally love.
Girl, no matter your size, you can find your inner confidence. I know it, I trust it. And while my story is about a former bushy-eyebrowed, unfashionable chubby girl, this is for any girl that may lack in self confidence.
Y’all, life is so crazy right now. If you follow me on Instagram you know I decided to take a last minute trip to Dallas with my toddler. My parents were gracious enough to invite us to stay in their suite while my dad worked all week. With my husband traveling so much it was an easy decision….no cooking, cleaning or staging and REST? Sign me up!
Life is so crazy right now, but even though I am beyond busy I have had a lot of time to think. Probably because I’m spending a lot of time sitting in my car during last minute house showings and Mi Amor has been traveling a lot.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how life changes. Particularly, how crazy mine is from just 10 years ago (and even more wild, 20 years…of course!). I thought it would be fun to do a little comparison between circa 2008 and the present. (Thanks, This is Us).
I had a conversation with someone the other day about our relocation and it made me start to ponder why I put such an importance on moving to one city versus another. It boils down to diversity.
I do not come from the mindset of not seeing color – I absolutely see color, culture, gender, and everything in between. I do, however, believe in diversity and it is important to me. I embrace the uniqueness in us all.
But I have a hard time wrapping my mind around how people use diversity. I once worked for a company that made the employees take multiple staged photos just to try to get one that showcased enough diversity so they didn’t look biased. Diversity in our workplace is such a PC thing…and can be super annoying when you are one that gets called for every staged photo. Read More
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, and at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission. I only recommend products that I personally love.
Whether your BFF is miles away (like mine), or just next door, I’ve put together this awesome and affordable list of gift ideas for your girl-friend. They arrive in 2 days or less (if you are an Amazon Prime user!).
My “person” is more than 1,100 miles away in Florida, and she has a birthday coming up!
I had the opportunity to try 3 colors from the L’Oréal Colour Riche® Matte Lipstick line and am totally a fan. While the experience wasn’t perfect, I am happy with these lippies and will totally purchase more colors.
Speaking of the colors….the rich, vibrant hues are great! My favorite of the 3 shades is Blake’s red, even though I don’t wear red often. I get so many compliments when I wear this color, and it lasts much longer than the nude colors in the same line. Read More
I was really excited when I received L’Oreal Revitalift Triple Power™ Deep-Acting Moisturizer complimentary from Influenster – a special platform for product discovery and reviews. I’ve formed an on-again love for L’Oreal when I decided to try some drugstore products again. L’Oreal has become one of favorites, but I have mixed feelings about this moisturizer.
So, let’s be real here. I don’t have a lot of wrinkles or age spots, however, I do have uneven skin tone, dark circles under my eyes and my skin isn’t as young as it once was. I’ve seen quite a difference in my skin texture in just 14 days of using Revitalift. My makeup applies smoother, my under-eye circles have really brightened up and my skin is overall healthier looking…except for the zits.
The moisturizer felt a little heavy on me and took some getting used to. It also has a strong scent – not a bad one, but it is very distinctive. I have preferred the moisturizer for evening use, but hesitate for daytime because of the heaviness. When I used it paired with my L’Oreal Magic BB Cream, I loved it! It held my BB cream really well and the shine wasn’t too bad by the afternoon. I really liked how well it made it glide on. Now, with my full coverage foundation, it was a little too heavy and by mid-day there was a lot more slickness.
Then there was the BAD…I broke out three times since using Revitalift for just 14 days, twice a day. And it wasn’t one here-or-there, it has been big breakouts all around my jawline. Breaking out does not happen often for me, except for the occasional single zit.
Before & After
Because of the good and the bad, I wouldn’t purchase Revitalift for my self, however I would recommend it as the breakouts are the only thing keeping me from purchasing. I was impressed with it overall and will probably try another L’Oreal product line soon.
Last week a girl from my church’s Bible study organized a care calendar for a family in need. Their sweet 5-year-old daughter was in and out of the hospital, and we rallied together to support the family. So, I signed up to leave dinner on Friday.
What you don’t know about me is I don’t cook. In fact, when I first met my husband I told him, “Just so you know, I went to college so I never have to cook.” Little did I know that I would eventually be home with our kiddo, slaving over a stove 3 times a day! Seriously though, it brings me joy to prepare meals for BabyCoolJ…key word: prepare. As in, toss together and heat up. I am still no cook.
My heart broke for this family, especially the mom – I can’t imagine what she’s going through or how difficult life must be. She should not have to spend any time worrying about food. So, even though I knew it would be tough, I signed up for the meal proudly. Then, Friday came.
Whoa, what had I gotten myself into! It’s funny because, while I never felt disappointed for signing up, I sure did feel anxious about getting it right. I made two batches of Million Dollar Spaghetti – easy enough, right? Well – I ran 45 minutes behind, layered the stuff incorrectly, and at one point when I was boiling, stirring and pouring 3 different items simultaneously, my toddler decided to sneeze on me…with a mouth full of crackers. That’s right – my legs and dress were full of snot and snack, while my hands were full of sauce and spaghetti. (And yes, I was in a dress because I went to a scam interview and still hadn’t changed – remember I was behind!!)
I didn’t get to capture my mess, so you get this cute kitchen shot instead!
But I didn’t give up. I wiped my legs, washed up and kept going. I made it the family’s house an hour after I said I would, but I am so glad I didn’t give up. The look on their faces…the appreciation…and their daughter’s excitement! What a blessing. They don’t even know that THEY blessed ME in this whole scenario!
And, because we all know Satan loves to attack when we’re working for Christ, I had a rough drive back, including a big truck cutting me off and making me swerve and slam on my breaks. In that moment, I prayed. I prayed instead of cursing, I thanked God that I was driving home to a happy and healthy toddler instead of hating on the truck driver. And that, my friends, is why we should never give up. Not just on a project or recipe, but on our faith.
I discovered a few years ago what I always pretty much knew – gifts are my love language. The good thing is it is not just receiving (although I love that too!). I love to give – I find true joy in finding a thoughtful, perfect gift for those I love. So it was a super easy decision to give my husband 40 gifts for his big milestone of turning 40!