Now, I won't normally blog about makeup. Mainly because I am a cheapskate and the only makeup I will buy must be found at a drugstore. Everyone likes to spend their extra money on different things...and for me, that is travel, wine and food. Beauty products take a waaaay backseat in my life. I have never even entered Sephora, M.A.C., or shopped at a department store makeup counter. I color my own hair. I wax/pluck my own eyebrows. I can count the number of mani/pedis I get per year on one hand finger. I will leave the hard-core beauty blogging to those who really know.
However, my blog friend Christi over at Between 3 Sisters recommended Maybelline Falsies mascara in this post. I was intrigued {Christi's makeup always looks amazing!} so when I was at my local Walgreens I picked up a tube of Falsies. My verdict: LOVE. Of course. That is why I am posting it as Love #5. :) Plus, I paid only 7.99!
I really did get great volume on my meager lashes. The "spoon brush" is something I've never seen before, and seemed to really coat the lashes without getting clumpy. I tested it Friday night before going out to a girlfriend's birthday celebration. I used three coats. Not sure what is normal/correct???
my eyes not really that blue. fun with saturation!
The latest Sarah Jessica Parker movie I Don't Know How She Does It{based on the bestselling novel by Allison Pearson} falls under the category of: "Movies That are More Fun to Watch Alone than Make Hubby Watch With Me." Here is a taste, if you haven't seen it {remember to pause my music player at the bottom of this page before you hit play}:
While it may not be a cinematic masterpiece - more like a fluffy chick flick - I really enjoyed this movie. I think it has some interesting messages about the modern role of "woman as mother."
I guess as a stay-at-home-mom I could be insulted by this movie. It humorously pokes fun at mamas like me, painting a picture of SAHM's as rich, self-centered, and annoying. As gym rats, yoga junkies, organic cookie-baking "Momsters" with posh lives of ease.
"Working moms" {an interesting term in itself...pretty sure we all "work"} are depicted as "Jugglers" - women who "do it all." They have high-powered careers, plan elaborate birthday parties, travel, and create to-do lists in their head while laying awake at night. Sure, they rush around, forget to pluck their eyebrows {because SAHM's have soooo much time to do that} and miss out on things with their kids (ie first haircuts) but they manage do be great moms and great employees.
I loved this movie -- simply because I am a new mom and it made me think about these stereotypes. I don't really believe them, as I think whether you "work outside the home" or are "stay at home" or "work from home" you are still "working" your most important job: "Mom." Each version has it's own challenges and perks.
I stay at home. I miss my paycheck. Having extra money for vacations and clothing and home furnishings was kind of nice. I miss the peace of my office, the adult conversations, and having time in my car when I can listen to the radio and not have to sing "You are My Sunshine" over, and over, and over to prevent my baby from screaming.
Then again, sometimes I get to stay in my pajamas until noon. I make my own schedule, have time to keep the house clean, and really don't have to miss any moment of my baby's life. Oh, and I am able to work out, whether it is a yoga class at the gym, or running with the baby in the jogging stroller.
Sure, I have a huge Rubbermaid bin of cute Express work pants and tailored button-down shirts that I will never wear again. Also, a ton of sassy high heels that, now, hardly get worn. Oh, and the only time I get a latte that doesn't get cold before I'm able to finish drinking it is when I am grocery shopping on Sunday nights sans baby, which I sip while I shop.
Like I said, no matter what type of "working mama" you are - there is the good and the bad.
The important thing is that you are happy with the choice you make. A happy woman makes a happy mama.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
This was a day late due to the nasty cold I've been nursing the past three days...ugh.
PS -- Would love to hear other mamas' reactions to this movie/book!
My throat hurts. I guess that means I'm sick for the first time since I was about 14 weeks pregnant. Not a bad run. Anyway, I don't have any other symptoms but I bad sore throat. So I'm skipping my morning cup cups of joe for some delicious hot herbal tea.
My pick for today? London Fruit & Herb's black tea. With a spoonful of honey added, for good measure.
Like many, if I am drinking tea, I choose the blend by the time of day. I will drink a black tea in the morning, green tea in the afternoon, and chamomile in the evening. I love Bigelow's Cozy Chamomile when I am snuggled in bed with a good book.
{we are really creative with naming toys around here...the zebra is "Zebby"...the frog is "Roger Ribbit"...the duck is "Duckie Doo"...you get the idea. welcome to parenthood.}
Girry has four different sound settings and is an essential part of the bedtime routine.
After 'baby massage', pajama time, songs, reading books, and prayers, we lay Cormac in his crib and after a few cries of protest he immediately grabs Girry and sticks the poor giraffe's head in his mouth.
Who needs a thumb to self-soothe with when you have a fuzzy giraffe head?
After the biting and chewing of the head ends, they cuddle and settle into a blissful sleep...
...which is whyI love Girry. (Girry purchased at Target, in case you want one of your own.)
{From now until Valentine's Day I will be posting one thing each day I "love" right now - in addition to my regular posts. Enjoy!}
Love for Day #1: Bumble and Bumble 'Surf Spray'
I have always hesitated to buy these salty surf sprays because I thought they would make my hair sticky and gooey. My hair is prone to get oily anyway, so I don't want make matters worse. However, my stylist convinced me when I recently chopped 10 inches off my hair that my new haircut would require a little product. Product. I never like to hear that word uttered by my stylist as I always feel like I'm being pressured to buy stuff I don't need. As you probably know, I am really cheap. So I usually listen to the spiel and then politely say, "Um, I'll think about it." even though I don't really need to.
But my recent haircut, named "the shab" by the fashion mags because it is a cross between a "shag" and a "bob"
(apparently "the slob" didn't sound as cute) had me feeling like I needed something. My stylist convinced me that all I would need was this Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. A couple of spritzes, whether my hair is wet or dry, and a few "scrunches" with my fingers was all it would take...
And she was right. I don't blow dry. I don't curl. I don't flat iron. I don't even need hairspray or dry shampoo.
Sure, it does look a little disheveled...but it's supposed to!
Plus, this is on my third day of styling (as I only wash every 3rd day.) Not too "shabby." :)
I love it. It's easy, modern, and did I mention easy? Perfectly easy for a new mama stayin' at home...and sassy enough for a night out. And I only need one fabulous product.
This is by far my favorite stir-fry {and Hubby's.}
I found it a couple years ago on Prevention.com. It is drool-worthy. There is no part of this that isn't good. Plus, it's healthy...which is the best part. Salmon has Omega-3 fats, which are awesome for your brain. And let's face it...we could all use a little boost. ;)
You will need:
1 lb fresh skinless salmon - cut into bite-size pieces {have your meat person cut the skin off...don't try to be a hero. not worth the effort.}
1 med red onion, thinly sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3 cups mung bean sprouts {I just used a whole package, about 8 oz.}
1 Tb fresh chopped ginger {sometimes it gets expensive getting fresh when you could just use dried...but with ginger it is cheap, so don't skimp! I actually use twice as much ginger in this. Ginger is my middle name. Not really.}
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil {if you are a stir-fry fanatic this is a staple in your pantry}
3 Tb packed brown sugar
2 Tb soy sauce {I use dark aged Tamari}
2 tsp rice wine vinegar {another stir-fry staple!}
1. Heat your sesame oil in your wok - of course, on high heat for a stir fry.
2. Add onion and stir-fry 2 minutes until your onions are a delicious golden brown.
3. Stir in tomatoes, brown sugar, soy sauce and vinegar, stirring for 3 minutes.
4. Add sprouts, salmon and ginger. Cook three minutes, stirring often. Salmon should be slightly pink in the center. No need to overcook.
5. Serve on a bed of rice and sprinkle with cilantro.
Whoever you are serving this to will want to kiss you...so be careful who it is.
I paired the meal with an amazing shiraz {The Formula, Robert's Shiraz - 2004}
A fresh herb chopping knife - not sure if that is the technical name - is an awesome gift for the cook in your house. just sayin'. Hubby got me the one above at Sur La Table.
Fresh ingredients make me glow with happiness. Is that odd?
if you don't like onions...well, then I don't know if I can help you. ;)
The smell in your kitchen at this point should be a.maz.ing.
Don't omit these bean sprouts. Please. I beg you. They add a bite/crispness to the texture.
All of this = good stuff.
Serve and enjoy the "ooooohs" and "mmmmms" from the loves that you serve it to.
you are smack in the middle of your high-school-years, and yes, I know, these are not your favorite years. please try to make the best of it by focusing on school and getting good grades. believe me, each A will give you a feeling of success and self-worth that you can't get anywhere else. don't wait until college to find this out. stick it to mr. o in composition class and turn everything in "on time," so he has no excuse to take your A-quality writing to a C.
go to prom...even if it is with "just a friend." even if it sucks. at least it will be a story to tell.
try out for every single play. you love the stage, so just keep doing it. even if you keep getting cast as forest animals or, in this case, as a dwarf. someone has to be the goofy dwarf.
please grow your hair out to it's natural, dark color...brunette looks best on you. blonde is not your thing. yikes. {ps: neither is long hair. double yikes.}
{"One of these things is not like the other..."}
I know you love your part time job...but don't work quite so much. and save all your money...except what you spend on the trip to Europe. that is worth it.
work on your friendships even more. your love for solitude is good...but there are such benefits from female friendships.
{I still love these girls}
before choosing a college and major, evaluate what you love. definitely live in St. Paul, though. a part of your heart will always be there.
join the soccer team! and the track team! you are a strong runner.
speaking of strength...you are a strong woman, both in physical endurance and conviction. remember it. don't let other females ever cut you down. they will try your entire life. maybe they are just mean. maybe someone else said mean things to them. maybe because of their own insecurity. maybe because they may think that one body type is "better" than another. it doesn't matter. always stand up for yourself and other women, as you do now. and keep working out. you will need those strong arms when you are thirty.
don't cry about that breakup. really, there is someone much better for you out there. God is listening to all your prayers. you will fall in love, and it will be every bit as romantic and beautiful and poetic and you imagine.
oh, and finally: don't waste time stressing about not being able to have babies someday. you will. after years of fun and adventures. with the right man. at the right time.
love, you...the older and wiser {and less blonde} version
:o)
