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Kole

Trick #347

The ol’ blog is off to a slow start this week my friends.  You see, lately my organized spaces aren’t looking so organized…

And I am feeling a bit… hmm… how should I put it?
Oh yes.
 Exhausted.    
 It seems a certain someone…

 has been up to his usual tricks.  

 And is wearing his mommy OUT.  
All I can say is it’s a good thing he has learned to say “love you” and blow kisses my way at bedtime.
[Trick #347 – act sweet to mom at night before bed in an attempt to make up for the complete and utter chaos and destruction I created throughout the day.]
If I don’t post again until this boy of mine starts Kindergarten, (or if I die from exhaustion before we get to that point) you’ll know why.  
I have a feeling a few of you out there can relate.  
Enjoy your day!

And with the help of some extra strength tylenol, I’ll enjoy mine.

:)

xoxo, Erin
fashion2

Fashion Friday – favorite make-up!

It’s Friday!  And we’re talking make-up today!  Can I get a WOOT WOOT!!  So.  I’ve had these pictures ready to post for months now.  And I kept putting off posting them because I was going to try to take some pictures of what this make-up actually looks like on my face.  But I have been wearing very little make-up this summer and on the days that I am getting completely ready, I’m too busy getting everyone in this house ready to stop and take pictures.  But by now you’ve seen enough pictures of me on this blog to get an idea of what my make-up looks like anyway.  :)  And really it’s nothing that special.  I’m not an expert on this subject, but I do like to try out new make-up.  After years of sampling lots of different brands and colors, these are my favorites!  My go-to’s that I wear every day.  Every day that I actually venture out of my gym clothes and get ready that is.  :)
**Quick tip before we start:  Make-up can be really expensive once you leave places like Target and Wal-Mart.  If you want to splurge on some nice make-up but don’t know where to start or what to buy, the best thing to do is to make an appointment to get a makeover.  The makeover is usually free as long as you buy some make-up so if I know I need some new make-up anyway, I love to get a makeover to try out new products.  (I’ve always done this at Nordstroms but you can get makeovers at most big department stores.)  And DO NOT feel like you need to buy everything the make-up artist tries on you.  They work pretty hard to sell you as much as possible, so hold your ground and only purchase the stuff you really love and know you will use.  One thing I’ve gotten really good at over the years when it comes to make-up is learning to say “thanks, but no thanks.”  :)  I’ve linked to most of my favorite products if you’re interested in checking them out.   So here we go!
My two favorite brands of make-up are MAC and BOBBI BROWN.  I’m slightly partial to BOBBI BROWN, but love both brands and would absolutely recommend their products.

My make-up brushes are a mix of both brands.  It’s a pain to pay for make-up brushes, but I would highly recommend buying some nice ones.  They make a big difference when you are applying your make-up and as long as you take care of them, they will last for years.  (Post on washing make-up brushes here.)

First thing I apply on my face everyday is sunscreen (I’ll share my favorite sunscreen at some point!  I forget to take a picture of it).  Next is foundation.  I LOVE Bobbi Brown foundation.  I’ve tried lots of different brands and this one is my absolute favorite.  Aside from great coverage, it just seems to give my face a nice even glow.  “Sand 2” is the shade that looks the best on me.  I have very fair skin, so obviously find the shade that matches your complexion.  This stuff isn’t cheap, but a little bit goes a long way and this bottle lasts quite a while.  I once made the mistake of asking Kenny to pick me up some new foundation on his lunch hour because I didn’t have time.  He came home that night and said “ERIN!  Is that how much you’re paying for this stuff!!?”  So now I ask for new make-up a lot for my birthday, Christmas, etc. Takes the sting out if it’s a gift.  ;)

I also really like Bobbi Brown’s tinted moisturizer.  It’s a lighter foundation (not as good of coverage as the foundation above) but it still gives your skin a glow and offers a little sun protection.  I use this the most in the summertime.  (For some reason the Amazon price was a lot higher than I paid for this in Nordstroms so check out your department store first if you want to try this.)

Switching over to MAC, this is their Strobe Cream.  I got this in my stocking last Christmas and have really enjoyed it.  It’s a cream you apply over your foundation and it sort of brightens your skin giving it a little extra pizazz.  I don’t wear this every day, but it’s fun to apply for special occasions/date nights.

This is probably my favorite product hands down.  It’s Bobbi Brown’s eye concealer and it’s FABULOUS.  You have probably noticed from my blog post times that I’m a bit of a night owl.  You also know that I’ve had a baby or toddler for the past eight years.  Sleep deprivation has become my norm.  I have learned how to function on little sleep (it’s the only way I get anything done!) but my eyes have paid the price.  I wake up to terrible, dark circles under my eyes every morning.  Bobbi Brown concealer to the rescue!  I just apply a bit of the cream under my eyes and then cover it with the powder and wa-la!  I suddenly look like my pre-kid self!

If you decide to try this I would totally recommend getting the touch-up brush that goes with it.  It applies the cream so evenly.  I love it!

In my last Favorites on Friday post I shared my love for “Painterly” by Mac.  Foundation for your eyelids.

Just use your finger to rub a little on your eyelid and it keeps your eyeshadow looking great all day long.  No more creases!

This is Bobbi Brown’s “Graphite Shimmer Ink” gel eyeliner.  It is dark black and I wear this under my eyes and on my top eye lid. I would have never bought this on my own, but the last time I got a makeover at Bobbi Brown they put it on me and I was surprised by how much I liked it.  It has more of a dramatic effect so I don’t wear it everyday.  Just for special occasions when I’m really trying to clean up.  You have to have a small, thin brush to apply it.  It goes on so smoothly and it’s easy to create a thin or thick line (whatever you prefer).  I think this would look good on everyone!

For everyday eyeliner, I use either “Prunella” by Mac (it’s a dark brownish purple color) OR I just apply some of my eyeshadow in a really thin line below my eye with a special “eye definer” brush.  I tend to use the Prunella the most often because I can put it on so fast.  I love the way my shadow looks, but it takes more time to apply.  I usually have 5 minutes or less to put my make-up on so I tend to stay away from anything that slows me down!

My all time favorite eye shadows are the two to the right in this picture:  “Satin Taupe” and “Shroom” by Mac.  I have been wearing these colors for YEARS.  I try new colors all the time, but I keep coming back to these.  I put the Satin Taupe on my bottom eye lid and the Shroom on the top.  These are both really neutral colors that would look good on a lot of skin types.  I bought them for my mom and she has been wearing the same colors and loving them ever since too!  Mac eyeshadow has such a fun sparkle to it.  I was trying to find a picture of me that shows these colors and remembered I have a close up of my eyes closed in this scrapbook layout:

Not the best picture, but we’re all about the eyeshadow today.  :)  You can see how the Mac eyeshadow has a bit of a sparkle/shine in it.

My blush is “Cubic” by Mac.  I like it, but I’m not in love with it.  I want to try something new as soon as I use it all, but this stuff won’t go away!  I do love Mac’s blush brush though and have used it for years.

This is another fun Mac product that I LOVE.  It’s their clear brow set gel and it keeps your eyebrows nice and neat.  Crazy eyebrows drive me nuts!  I love applying a bit of this each morning.  My eyebrows stay looking perfect in place all day long!

 

Let’s talk Mascara!  YES!  Use an eyelash curler!  I know a lot of people don’t, but this makes the biggest difference for me and my eyelashes.  Just ten seconds on each eye with an eye lash curler and my eyelashes are curled up and SO long.  Sometimes if I’m really rushed, I just curl my lashes and don’t even put on the mascara and they still look so much better.  My favorite eye last curler is the top silver one by Mac.  You can buy one that looks the same and is cheaper in Target, but the Mac curler has more of a spring in it or something.  It works better and is totally worth the extra 10 bucks.  I also love this lash curler by Laura Mercier.  I read about it in a magazine (it was voted the best eye lash curler in a contest).  But again, it takes me a little longer to use so I find that I grab my silver Mac eyelash curler most days.

Ok.  I’m stepping out of department store make-up and into Target for my ALL TIME favorite mascara.  EVER.  I have tried SO many mascaras.  Seriously. I think I’ve tried them all!  And my go to LOVE is Maybelline Define-a-lash.  I love all Maybelline mascaras, but I think this one is the best.  It makes my lashes so long and I can easily apply more and more if I’m going out and want my lashes super dramatic.  No clumping.
Here are a few other mascaras I’ve recently tried.  They aren’t as good!  I haven’t found anything I like as much as my Define-A-Lash by Maybelline!  In my opinion, even the more expensive mascaras don’t compare.

I replace it about every three to four months (3-6 months is recommended for replacing mascara).  I kept putting my old mascara in my cupboard after I bought a new one thinking that I’d keep it just in case for a back up.  Last time I cleaned out that cupboard I realized how many I had stashed away!  HA!  I tossed them after taking this picture.  :)

As far as lipstick goes, I was on a quest for years to find a shade I loved.  I tried many Mac lipsticks and they were all fine.  But my favorite?

Bobbi Brown’s “Plumberry” lipstick with their “High Shimmer Lip Gloss” (Bellini 14) on top of it (pink bottle).  The Plumberry is dark, but with the lip gloss over it, it’s such a pretty color!  Also in the above picture is my Bobbi Brown “warm sand” touch up stick (foundation in a stick).  These three things (the touch up stick, lip stick and lip gloss) are what I keep in my purse.

This picture is from a couple of years ago, but this is the lipstick combo.  It’s a fun splash of color!

Bobbi Brown’s shimmer lip gloss is super expensive, so for day to day I substitute it with other lip gloss like these from Bath and Body Works.  I especially love “Brown Sugar.”

So there you go!  My favorites!  I know these colors won’t work on everyone (if you have fair skin and freckles, you’re hooked up!), but maybe this post gave some of you an idea of something new to try next time you’re shopping for make-up.  It’s always fun to discover new products so if you have a favorite when it comes to make-up please share in the comments!

Now go forth and look fabulous!
And while you’re at it, enjoy the weekend.
:)
**affiliate links used

 

xoxo, Erin
organization2

Organizing Inspiration/Ideas!

 I’ve had so much fun dreaming up ways to organize everything in my new home!  My Pinterest “organizing” board is just brimming with fabulous ideas that I can’t wait to implement!  Here are a few of my organized spaces along with some “pinspiration” for my new home.  These are all great ideas that any of us can adapt to our homes to make life run a bit smoother.  And who doesn’t want that?

As far as my current garage goes, I’ve figured out a system to keep shoes/coats in check.

I’ve even found a way to organize all of those pesky loose nails and screws.

But. I’m loving this …

What a great way to store holiday decor and other miscellaneous items!  Plus those bikes!  Bikes take up so much room.  Hanging them like this is such a fabulous space saver.

My kids have a lot of bath toys so the best current solution for us is using clear bins that stay under the bathroom sink.

But in my next house when Kole has his own bathroom, I want to copy this fun idea!  Hang a decorative bucket to hold bathroom supplies.  I think something like this would be perfect for a handful of bath toys!  You could hang it right by the tub.  Stylish and functional.

Currently I keep all of my cooking utensils corralled in a kitchen drawer.

But I’ve always loved the look and and simplicity of keeping them close to the stove.  Especially when they are grouped with similar utensils in fun jars/pitchers on a tray.  Lovely, useful kitchen decor!

You all know I love an organized closet, but there’s one thing that my closets are missing…

a bin to hold clothes that don’t fit!  What a smart idea!  Clothes that are a bit big I will just leave hanging up, but I love the idea of having a set place in each closet for clothes that are too small that need to be passed on to another child or donated.  That way when your child puts something on in the morning and it you realize it’s getting snug, you have a place to put it.  Every few months you can round up the “too small” items from each closet and head to Goodwill or give them to a friend.  Brilliant.

If you’ve read my time management binder post you know I’m a big fan of sticky notes.  Huge fan.  I use them every single day.  I love them.  I really do.  Here are a couple of similar ideas of ways to use sticky notes to stay organized. You know.  In case you are a fan too.

Keep your notebook/binder divided into two categories: things that are pressing (you need to do them immediately) and on the other side, things that can wait a week or two.  So easy to move the sticky’s from one section to the other and then toss them when you’ve completed the task!  Love it.

I also adore this idea of hanging days of the week tabs somewhere in a central location and then attaching a sticky note or piece of paper with your to-do list for the day.  Such a great way to see a week at a glance!  Is this making anyone else giddy!?  :)  Not yet?  Check out this idea:

A rotating goal or to-do list with… you guessed it!… sticky notes!  Oh the JOY!  I am so in love with this idea too.  Don’t be surprised if in my new house my scrapbook room/office is full of organized sticky notes!  I want to implement every one of these ideas!

I’ve also been thinking about how I will display my kids’ art work in my next house.  Nothing makes me happier than a wall full of artwork from my little ones.

Aside from the kitchen, I also display art in our upstairs playroom.  These boards from Pottery Barn are fun, especially for big, colorful art projects, but I want to have a place in my next house that we can rotate the daily school work my kids bring home.

This is a great idea I’m considering.  Using clipboards would make displaying and switching out school work a breeze!  A perfect way to hang that math quiz or spelling test.  I love that the clipboards make it easy to change the work weekly or even daily.  Moms know all about the insane amount of school work that comes home each day!  It would also be cool to have a clipboard for each child and he/she could decide what gets displayed and for how long.  Plus it would be a fun DIY project to spruce up the clipboards so that they coordinate with the room they are hanging in.  All sorts of ideas are popping up from this picture!

My girls’ bows and headbands are currently stored on this ribbon in their bathroom.  It’s working great except for one tiny problem…

These aren’t even half of my girls’ headbands.  Now one solution would be to get rid of some headbands and stop buying more.  But let’s not be silly.  As long as me and Addison are around that’s not going to happen.  :)  I’m hoping in my next house (which will thankfully have more storage space than my current one) I’ll have room to keep all the headbands in a drawer in the girls’ bathroom.  But if not, here’s another great solution…

CLEVER.  This is just an oatmeal container decorated in fabric.  Such a creative way to organize headbands!  Plus it would just look cute sitting on the bathroom counter.

Currently Kenny and I each have an “inbox” where I keep all of our time sensitive papers that we need to deal with.  I keep them on this shelf in a closet under our stairs.  I love that our paper mess is out of sight.  I also hate that our paper mess is out of sight!  It makes it too easy to forget about!  Here is a fun idea to keep mail and important papers in the kitchen without looking too clutter-y…

Paint the buckets or baskets to match the colors in your kitchen and now your papers are not only in sight, but you’ve also created a stylish addition to your decor!

Not long ago I shared my newly organized craft cupboard – love it!  It is working so well for us.  I’m also a fan of this system for organizing arts and crafts for kiddos…

The nice thing about setting up something like this is that you are able to keep certain items (paint comes to mind!) up high out of little ones’ hands until you can assist.  :)

Our star charts have been a fabulous way to keep behavior in check over the summer.  Once school starts, I’m going to change the goals.  They will include a lot of the same items on this fabulous back to school clipboard:

Things to complete after school!  Homework done, backpack/lunch ready for the next day, clothes laid out, bed on time.  Perfect!  What a great way to help kids be accountable for each day’s school prep.

Well!  I’m in a good mood!  First of all, this post makes me SO happy.  I love finding new, fun ways to organize my home and life.  I’m also thrilled that our darling American girl gymnasts just won the gold!  Oh my word!  I started to cry!  I’m so proud of them.

** Sidenote:  They won right about the time I was typing about sticky note organization so my tears may have been tears of joy for more than one reason.  :)

Happy Organizing!  
xoxo, Erin

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