what i'm loving lately: for my summer feet

I walk around barefoot pretty much all summer long.  Yes, even outside.  I wear shoes to go in public, don't worry.  So my feet can get pretty rough if I just let them go.  I mean ROUGH.  Like my heels could slice bread rough.  Gross, I know.  But!  I have the solution!  About once a week (or more if necessary) I have come up with a little ritual that keeps my feet (and heels) baby soft.  Here it is, if you too have bread slicing heels.

1.  Soak your feet in epsom salt for at least 20 minutes.  You can use the cheap non-scented epsom salt for sure, but I'm a sucker for Eucalyptus, and I love the scent of the Dr. Teal's. 

2.  After your feet have soaked, gently scrub with a pumice stone, or file.  I concentrate on my heels and the sides of my feet. 

3.  Slather Amlactin Body Lotion on your feet, and cover with a pair of socks to help the lotion sink in for at least 2 hours.  Amlactin is a bit pricey, but it is awesome stuff.  They also make a foot cream, but I like the body lotion, because then I can use it all over.

I know, this is pretty much common sense, but I really enjoy these specific brands, so I wanted to share!  Hope your feet are baby soft this summer, too.

*update* I forgot to add that I was not compensated in any way for this post, and Mr. Teal's and Amlactin have NO idea who I am! 

what i'm loving lately: for my summer face

Here's a peek into my teenage years: I was obsessed with NOT getting wrinkles.  Yes, as a teenager.  I've also always been very pale, and I don't really tan.  I pink up a little, but no tan.  So while my friends were all laying out, worshipping the sun for a nice bronze glow, I was, uh, wearing a hat.  Don't get me wrong.  I tried.  I would try for a bronze glow, but it was definitely more a pink glow.  And never on my face.  I always kept my face covered.  Flash forward (a LOT) of years, and here I am, still wearing a hat.  And I know you're in suspense: I've got the beginnings of wrinkles anyway.  But I know it would be way worse if I had left that hat off! 

Now that the sun is so intense, and my children won't always stay in during the brightest part of the day, I've added some new products to my makeup line-up this summer.  And I like them so much, I wanted to share them with you! 

First I put on the L'Oreal Sublime Sun on after my daily moisturizer.  It is very silky and lightweight for a sunscreen, and blends right in.  When you pour it into your hand, it's very liquidy instead of creamy like most sunscreens.  And on top of that, in place of a foundation (which I don't wear normally) I use Neutrogena's Glow Sheers.  It's a tinted moisturizer, so you could definitely skip your regular moisturizer if you'd like.  I have dry skin, so I just layer it on up.  It provides just a bit of coverage foundation-wise.  I only use a small amount, because I don't normally wear foundation.  If you didn't notice in the picture, the Sublime Sun is SPF 50, and the Glow Sheers is SPF 30.  So I feel pretty covered when I wear these.  And I've gotten some compliments on my skin lately, even a comment on my skin being "perfect." Which it is NOT.  So I'm laying the blame on these products! 

Happy sun-worshipping!  I still wear a hat.

*I received no compensation for this post.  L'Oreal and Neutrogena have no idea who I am.

what i'm loving lately: Gyo Fujikawa

For Rowan's first birthday, her godparents (hi, Jo + Chris!) sent her a beautiful book of poems illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa.  I really have a thing for children's illustrations from the 60's and 70's, but I wasn't familiar with her work.  Well, now I am!  We really pore over the book, looking at every little detail and enjoying the wonderful poems by Wordsworth, Blake, Rosetti... and lots more!  I've since googled Fujikawa, and found she was a pretty prolific illustrator and has many more books out there for us to own!  This particular gem was originally published in 1969, and this is a reprint from 2007.

Rowan loves to point out all the beautiful pictures that she loves best.

I have my favorites, too.

And I really love all the poems that are included in the book.

I can't wait to order more of her beautiful books!

what i'm loving lately: this mascara

Ok, we're about to get a bit too close for comfort.  You've probably noticed I don't post many pictures of myself, mostly because I hold the camera, people!  I do!  And maybe just slightly because of girly vain critical stuff.  But.  I have to share this with you, vanity be damned.  You will thank me later. 

I am a bit of a mascara lover.  It has always been my favorite of all the make-up family, and I would forsake all other make-up for it.  If I had to.  We're talking desert island stuff.  No, that would be fresh water and Nutella.  Nevermind.  But I have tried preeetty much every kind out there- from cheapy drug store mascaras to expensive beauty counter brands.  I have ok lashes as far as length is concerned, but they are pretty wimpy in width.   So since I've tried everything, you can believe me when I tell you that this mascara is the BEST I've ever tried!

For the record:  L'Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes.  Nice short and sweet name, eh?  Anyway, I always like my mascara the blackiest black black that you can get since my eyelashes are somewhat blond.  What makes this mascara oh so awesome are the weird little fibers that attach to your lashes, making them look looooong and wiiiide.  When you pull the wand out, it looks a little strange, like you stuck your mascara wand in a pile of lint.  You can kinda see that here.

Do not try and wipe them off, they are your friends!  Ok, here we go, a little before and after action.

Um, sorry about looking up my nose.  Luckily, no boogies!  So are you convinced yet?  Well, then, let me just say that this was ONE coat.  You can really vamp it up if you're invested in doing multiple coats.  But I had one very patient husband taking pictures of my eyeballs while littles clung to our ankles, so time was of the essence here. 

Oh man.  Another up the nose shot.  Sorry!

what i'm loving lately: yellow

I have become slightly obsessed with the color yellow.  I was never a huge fan before, so this is a new love affair.  I love it from a pale lemon all the way to a dusky gold.  With an emphasis on mustard. 

{birdy tablecloth: old dwellstudio; cardigan, tank, & bracelet: Target; shoes: converse hand painted- tutorial soon!; tulips: from the love of my life}

I've been wearing it A LOT lately, too, which I've never done before.  I thought as a lily-white person, yellow just wouldn't look so great.  But I've learned that I was wrong, wrong!  I just had to find the right shade for me.  The tank, cardigan and bracelet above just jumped into my cart all at once the last time I was at Target.  True story. 

{stained glass piece: hand-me-down vintage; lamp: old Target; wreath tutorial here; afghan: hand-me-down made by Brian's great-grandma}

I have yellow in lots of decorations around the house, and it's been growing a bit.  I love to find something yellow that will fit into our home.  It's like sunshine on the inside.  And it does tend to leak over into the little's toys and Rowan's wardrobe, too!

{motorcycle toy: (my own) vintage Fisher Price; barrette: hand-me-down from me to Rowan; print: Notre Dame football slogan; mod shapes: on B toy}

It catches my eye everywhere I go!  And when it's combined with turquoise and/or olive green?  It's pure gold for me. 

What has been your color crush lately?  Or are you true to the colors you've loved best since childhood?

what i'm loving lately: winning the epic battle of winter dryness

Oh yes.  I am not being dramatic at ALL.  For me, winter dryness has always been an epic battle.  And now I think I have found the winning combination to battle those dry itchies.

In the arsenal:

1. Scrub towel.  I was introduced to these while living in Korea.  They are long enough to grab both ends and scrub your own back!  They have the texture of something you would scrub your pots and pans with, and leaves you with sparkly, raw, red skin.  Which actually isn't that great UNTIL you combine it with #2.  {we had been using our stock from Korea, but I recently found them at Target!  Hooah, Target. Hooah.}

2.  Eucerin Calming Body Wash.  Holy moly, I'm not sure how I've ever gone a winter without this stuff.  It is a cleanser AND body oil in one.  Used with the scrub towel (you could probably use a brush or a loofah if you must) it leaves your skin so silky and soft.  Very, very necessary. 

3.  Moroccan Oil.  I have long, wavy, thick hair.  I know.  It's the one blessing mother nature bestowed.  And one more thing.  It may come as a shock, but I dye my hair.  Mother nature also "blessed" me with dishwater blond/mousy light brown locks.  No, my hair isn't naturally a buttery yellow.  Shocking, I KNOW.  So combining the long, wavy, and dyed, my hair can become straw-like in the winter.  This has been a saving grace!  I use about twice the directed amount on the bottom half of my (still damp) hair, comb it through, and I'm good to go!  I rub the excess on my hands into my cuticles and on my elbows, and it does double duty.  I am not particular to any brand of moroccan oil, but you can find this brand at (where else?) Target.  It really keeps my hair soft and keeps that static winter hair dryness at bay. 

4. Curel Itch Defense Lotion. Full disclosure: if you worry about these things, this lotion DOES contain parabens. But my skin! My skin NEEDS it! And it works soooo much better than anything paraben free that I have found. I slather this stuff on, and my skin stays nice and soft for up to 24 hours. Seriously life changing.

What do you use for those winter itchies?  I'm always open to new suggestions!

p.s.  Not a one of these companies have any idea who I am, and I certainly was not compensated in any way for this post. 

what i'm loving lately: star wars pancakes {200}

This is my 200th post!  Can you believe that I've had that much to say?  Ok, that was a loaded question.  Thanks for sticking with me, my dozen or so readers.  You are my heroes for reading my ramblings and coming back for more. 

Onto what I'm loving lately~ Star Wars Pancakes!  I gave these pancake molds to Brian as an early Valentine's present, and he's been whipping up some pretty awesome pancakes on the weekends.

They are pretty much the perfect gift for the geek in your life.

The littles watch papa make their pancakes, not quite patiently.  But it's worth the wait!

My favorite is Yoda.  He's so cute, right?

I also ordered the Darth Vader spatula, but it was on back order.  But I'm sure my geek will love that, too, when it gets here.  If you'd like to get a set for your favorite nerd, you can find them here, at Williams Sonoma.  They have a great Star Wars line, so shop around if your geek doesn't make pancakes! 

May the force be with your breakfast.  Sorry.  I had to do it.

what i'm loving lately: sunglasses

I am not very cool.  No, no.  Don't try to argue with me.  Oh, you were agreeing?  Ok then.  We're on the same page.  So when I saw these sunglasses at Target, I was a little bit afraid that they were a little too hipster/cool for me to pull off, but I bought the light greenish yellow pair.  And then I wore them once before Rowan broke them.  It was a sad day.  Brian, in his infinite wisdom of "if mama ain't happy..." brought home the dark green and mauve colored pairs.  And then fixed the light green pair, which are my favorite.  He is pretty much the best husband ever.  Ever.

And I feel pretty comfortable wearing these.  In other words, I don't feel ridiculous for trying to be more cool than I actually am! 

Cause if I were really that cool, I'd buy ACTUAL ray-bans instead of Target knock-offs.  But, uh, you DID hear about Rowan breaking them, right?  Not as tragic when you've spent $12.99 rather than ray-ban prices.  Both the littles like to try on mama's sunglasses.  So spending a fortune on them just doesn't make good sense. 

And how can I say no when they look so very cool?  If you'd like your own pair of really cool sunglasses, you'll have to go to Target, because I couldn't find them on their website.

what i'm loving lately: measuring matryoshkas

I have a small collection of matryoshka stacking dolls that I have been given by my parents.  I love their charm and the surprise they hold inside.  Brian gave me these matryoshka stacking dolls for Christmas.  But they aren't what they appear to be at first!

They are actually measuring cups.  Such a cute packaging for something so useful!  The top halves are one size, and the bottom another, to make a total of 6 measuring cups, 1/8 cup to 1 cup!

And here is where she lives in my kitchen.  She makes me smile while I'm cooking.

If you'd like your own, you can find them here.  I'm a big fan of mine, and you can't beat the price at less than 10 bucks!