Tag: Beauty Secrets

Shampoo: John Freida Radiant Red....my stylist never ceases to be amazed that a "store brand" shampoo keeps my color looking so good!
Conditioner: The same...but for deep conditioning (2-3 times per week), I use Loreal Nature's Therapy Mega Moisture.

Body Wash: Amazing Grace by Philosophy, or Moonlight Path by Bath and Body Works

Face Wash: Purity Made Simple by Philosophy...

Handsoap: In the kitchen Midnight Pomegranate, in the Bathrooms Moonlight Path

Deodorant: Degree for Women clear...the only clear deodorant I have ever found that keeps up with both my sweaty and stinky girl genes....

Foundation: I'm a Bare Escentuals devotee, so my foundation is Bare Minerals in "Fair"
Eye shadow: Bare Minerals, my fav shades (I use at least one of them every day for a base on my eyelids) are Cultured Pearl and Bikini
Eye liner: I ususally use Bare Minerals shadows as liners...right now my 2 favs are Nice Rock (a sparkly brown) and Soul Sister (an amethyst)
Mascara: Sephora Lash Plumper in black. It was a sample I got when I ordered, and I love it!
Lipstick: I'm not a lipstick girl.
Lipgloss: Buxom Lips by Bare Escentuals....or Clinique Superbalm is pretty good too.
Blush: Bare Escentuals (again) complexion boosters...Clear Radiance or Pure Radiance..or NARS in Orgasm....
Tampons: OB...no applicator, easy to transport.
Pads: Eww...only when I've just given birth.

Lotion: Eucerin Daily Replenishing lotion...I need a lotion that gives lots of moisture in a light formulation, or my skin breaks out.

Gel: no gel, but I do use Curl Rocks products on my hair when I do it curly, and a straightening balm on my hair when I straighten it. And an anti-frizz serum by Garnier.
Hairspray: Aussie Mega Volume or Sprunch Spray (depending on curly or straight hair)
Body Spray/Perfume: Very Sexy by Victoria's Secret (the red bottle)


**** All of the makeup products mentioned are available at the new Sephora store in JC Penney's in Riverdale...I went in last week for something else, and found myself in heaven...I didn't know that our JC Penney's was getting a Sephora so soon, and now I keep trying to find excuses to go to Riverdale!!!

I'm so excited....

So, when I weighed myself this morning (it's still the same day for me, because I haven't been to sleep yet), I had dropped down to the next 10 pound range. I currently weigh the least that I have weighed since before I was pregnant with Alec. It's exciting...it makes me want to go buy more clothes. And honestly, when I was posting pics the last few days, I could tell a huge difference in myself. The fact that all my jeans are falling off doesn't hurt either. :).

I just need to keep working at it.

Tag...A (Yester)Day in Pictures...

I woke up yesterday early, a few minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off, and went into the kitchen/family room...and heard a little stirring....and found my Alec on the couch, in the dark, curled up under his blanket. As soon as I turned the light on, he decided it was OK to turn on his gameboy, but he didn't want to wake me (little sweetheart!) I baked muffins for Kyle, and had my own morning necessity...it was caffeine free Diet Dr Pepper yesterday, but sometimes it's Diet Pepsi, and sometimes it's caffeinated.
Can you say "bedhead"...Talia is always so happy to see us in the morning....

Kyle eats his muffins and chocolate milk, and Talia had a muffin and some fruit...(Alec rarely eats breakfast)
I dug in, folded Talia's clean clothes, cleaned all the too small sizes out of her drawers and closet, and bagged it all for the DI.
This is how I drove Alec to school this morning...Talia took a morning nap today, which threw me and put me behind schedule. I was getting out of the shower as I should have been loading the kids in the car...so I threw on some clothes, hurried and dried and dressed Talia, and with my hair wrapped in the towel and Talia hair still wet, we barely made it to school on time....

Lunch...Egg salad for me, (the best part of Easter is the supply of hard boiled eggs after...and the candy, of course!)
Then I made a DI run...all the clothes I had filled the back of my Aztek....

I went to my Brother's and Sister in Law's, and got to hold my new nephew Hunter for awhile...I helped Brenda (my SIL) to do footprints and handprints of the baby, and gave Parker and Gracie (my nephew and niece) their big brother and sister presents...a spiderman frisbee, sidewalk chalk, and the bracelet I made for Gracie that matches Talia's...she wanted me to put it right on her, which made me happy!

I actually cooked dinner (Hamburgers and diced potatoes), but forgot to take a pic until I was getting ready to clean up....

Talia gets really impatient for her nighttime bottle between 7:45 and 8:00..so she's usually crying when we get her all changed and ready for bed.
The last bottle of the night...we only have a few more of these, because we take away the bottle at 1 year. She already drinks well from a cup, so I'm hoping it won't be too hard on any of us.

These next 2 pics are taken from the TV...from a commercial that had Cole laughing hysterically (and it takes a lot to make that happen). It's from a Careerbuilder.com commercial...the girl is unhappy in her job, and her heart jumps out of her chest, lands on her computer, waddles into her boss's office, holds up a sign that says "I Quit" in what appears to be blood...then waddles out of the building, while the voice over says, "Follow your heart". It's a funny commercial, but it had Cole rolling....

And since Cole walked around in his underclothes almost from the moment he got home yesterday, there are no pics of him.
Putting the boys to bed....
The cat is all curled up on the bottom bunk in Alec's room....
Goodnight!

Focusing on the Positive

After all the grief I've felt over the last couple of days, over a boy I barely knew, but knew as a nice, good kid...and for his family, who I know as amazing and wonderful too...I'm trying to focus on the positive. It was this boy's father and older brother who saved me that day last February when Talia was sick and I had 2 feet of snow in my driveway...they shoveled and plowed out my driveway, and I haven't forgotton how much it meant to me. Situations like these really make you think about where you are and what you are doing in your own life. And to be extra sure to thank Heavenly Father for the gift of life he's given us and our children. It's hard to make sense of the death of a 12 year old boy...


So, focusing on the positive...this is my first solo effort at bracelet making...I made matching bracelets for Talia and my niece Gracie. This is Gracie's, Tali's is already on her.

I have been taking pictures for the "Day in Pictures Tag"...so expect that later tonight.

Thank goodness for good weather...

Spring, Spring at last!!! With the boys being off school today, thank goodness for the good weather. The boys were able to spend a good portion of the day outdoors, which made everyone happier. Cole got the tramp all fixed up over the weekend. Funny story...we needed 15 new springs, and a ladder (because Santa never brought the ladder). On friday, when my new nephew Hunter was born, I went out shopping and did some errands...and realized on my way home that I had the carseat, so Cole couldn't go buy the springs like he had planned. So I stopped at Pitchers on the way home, and bought what I needed. I went home, told Cole, and he said "Crap! I tried to call you..." he just put the next size carseat in the car (the one I've had sitting out, waiting to wash the cover) and went down there and bought what we needed. So, I had to go and return my purchase...Oh well.

We had a really fun Easter, despite the fact that I was exhausted...I took my parents to the airport in the morning, and I was really going to go to church, I was so excited to wear my new Easter dress...but I just couldn't do it. I went back to bed after I did Talia's hair and got her dressed...but the kids turned out so cute!! Later, we went to my "in-laws" for dinner...MIL did a great job with the food, all my kids ate (a minor miracle), and there was almost no tense moments...a good day at the Gilbert clan.

After we came home, I played the playstation for awhile, and Cole zonked out on the couch...then I read for awhile, because although my body was tired, my brain was wired. I had to go wake Cole up twice...and he finally stumbled in to bed around 11. This morning was nice, because I didn't have to get up at 7 to get the kids up and ready for school, so I slept until Talia woke up at 8:10. I am not a morning person, so this was wonderful for me....

Back to work....

Egg-citing happenings....

Meet our new nephew, born on March 21st at 11:40 am. 8 lbs, 4 oz, 20 inches. He still didn't have a name last time I talked to his momma...There are 3 or 4 contenders. My favorite is Cannon or Kannon...so I'll put my vote in again, in writing. He's really cute...he does have a blood vessel that burst in the corner of his eye during delivery, so his left eye is a bit swollen.

So, we dyed Eggs Friday night, because I had to work on Saturday. The kids did really, really well this year. This is the first year I can remember that there wasn't any fighting for who got which color next, or who did the most eggs, etc. They boys had a ball, and we only let Talia look at the finished product, because she'd probably try to drink all the colors.

I can't wait until Easter Morning...to see Talia's face, and this year we've asked the "Easter Bunny" to hide the boy's Eggs outside, so it will be interesting to see how that goes. I won't get much sleep...first Easter, then taking my parents to the airport (I love you guys!), then church, then dinner at Cole's Mom and Dad's...it will be a crazy day, but I'm excited.

Why wait to be Tagged????

So, although I wasn't specifically tagged....I thought this was too good of a tag to pass up.

**One Word**
you’re feeling: Content
to your left: Diet Dr Pepper
on your mind: Primary
last meal included: Steak
something you find it hard to do: Let go.
the weather: Beautiful!
something you have a collection of: Books
a smell that cheers you up: Baking
a smell that can ruin your mood: Green (as in any green vegetable, raw or cooked)
how long since you last shaved: 8 hours
the current state of your hair: Curly
the largest item on your desk/workspace right now (not computer): Printer
your skill with chopsticks: nada
which section you head to first in the bookstore: Fantasy
and after that?: Romance
something you’re craving: chocolate (as always)
your general thoughts on the presidential race: unsettled
how many times you’ve been hospitalized this Year: Once (technically, since Talia's not a year old for another 10 days)
a favorite place to go for quiet time: Bathroom
you’ve always secretly thought you’d be a good: Doctor
something that freaks you out a little: Spiders
something you’ve eaten too much of lately: Chocolate
you have never: drank (alcohol)
you never want to: Move (I have to go with Mindy on this one, We live in a very special place).

I tag... Dani, and anyone else who would like to

A few of my favorite things...

So, Dani tagged me for this one....

The smell of freshly washed sheets and blankets, while I'm snuggling under them.

The smell of my babies, fresh from the bath.

Chocolate, but right now, especially Cadbury Mini Eggs.

The first real snowfall of winter, when everything is covered by snow.
The first real warm day of spring, when everything seems fresh and new.

The sound of my children laughing.

My husband letting me sleep after I've worked, when I'm going to work, or when he just realizes that I need to.

Scrapbooking.

Hot rolls with butter (real butter, not the margarine stuff), Mom's mashed potatoes and gravy.

Chocolate chip cookie dough, again, Mom's recipe.

Music at my fingertips, courtesy of my ipod.

Taking pictures of my family to scrapbook.

Reading.

Shopping for clothes (for me, the kids, it really doesn't matter).

A Sephora store, right here in our JC Penney in Riverdale. I went in yesterday, and found myself in a personal heaven zone...I've bought almost all my makeup from Sephora.com for years, and now having one here, so close and convenient...I'm thrilled.

Homemade chocolate milkshakes, brownies with frosting (my mother is the best baker in the universe :) )

Watching my kids acquire new skills, and how proud they are when they learn something new.

The expression on Talia's face when I get her out of her crib in the morning...so excited, so ready to start the day...it's untouched by the outside world, and a little piece of heaven right in my own house. (my boy's were like that when they were babies too...oh, the sweetness and innocence they have when they're so young...)

An Update on my back...

So, yesterday after I posted, I remembered that I should have some percocet that hasn't expired...left over from when I had my tubal ligation. I went and found it in the linen closet. Then I had a dilemma...you see, percocet makes me loopy, and sometimes it makes me nauseous. So, finally, when I laid Talia down for her nap yesterday, I gave in and took one. Then I laid down...and I didn't really sleep. I dozed, but I kept getting head rushes where I could actually feel the blood rushing to my brain...I did get a little nausea also, but not bad because I took it with food. By the time Talia woke up, I only felt a little lightheaded from the meds, and Kyle was home from school so I knew he could help me if I needed it. The up side was...it made moving around the house tolerable. I was still having some pain, but it was much more manageable, and allowed me to relax my muscles enough to deal with homework and lifting my baby up and down without tears.

Then, after the kids went to bed, I took another percocet, let it kick in, and then Cole used his bodyworking skills to fix my back...somehow I'd thrown my left hip out of alignment. He noticed it the minute I laid down on the floor for him to work on me. I'm pretty sure he's fixed it...today I am sore, but more the muscles around the injury (the ones he had to massage and manipulate) are sore rather than the injury itself. I can walk without pain, and mostly lift Talia without pain. I'm just having to be really careful with everything I do. And I'm still taking the Advil for the anti-inflammatory effects.

So a little background on my back...I usually hurt my back about once a year. It goes back to my second quarter in college...I didn't have school for whatever reason, and I had plans to go over to spend the morning at Cole's house before he had to go to work. He called me at about 10:30..I was a half hour late. The phone had woken me up...I had overslept. He was mad at me, and yelled at me (now, I realized he had been worried that something had happened to me, but still...) and I was furious both with him and myself. I got in the shower, and was trying to hurry, and slipped and fell. I hurt my back, and ever since, about once a year, I re-injure my back in some way. It's normally about a 4 day process...a day of mild pain, a day of intense, incredible pain, and 2 days of soreness and healing. So, for this round, we're on day 3, and hopefully I will feel all better by friday.

Look what I Learned!!!

Ok, so I know I sound like a 5 year old...but I can't help it, I'm so excited by what I accomplished yesterday!!! My wonderful, patient and talented friend Mindy taught me to make hair bows and bracelets yesterday. I had so much fun, so thanks Mindy!!! I enjoyed it so much, I went and bought all the tools to make bracelets, and plan to buy beads online today. I will also be making more bows in the future....
I went shopping in the morning yesterday, and found the boys Easter Clothes. I had been worrying...I hadn't been able to find anything online, and I only had 1 real day off this week so time was running out. We went to the Layton mall, and I found exactly what I wanted at the Children's Place. Plus a swimsuit for Talia. I wanted to buy the boys swimsuits as well, but Kyle is old enough to pick his own, and since he was at school...We'll wait until he can go with us.
So, I put Talia's hair in sponge curlers on Sunday morning...just the front, and mostly to see if it would help keep the curls out of her eyes so that she could wear her hair down. She did really good, sat while I put them in, and didn't bother them once they were in...she even slept on them during her nap.

This is the end result...and it did last longer than just putting gel in her hair and shaping the curls with my fingers. I'd like to do the back sometime as well...and next time do smaller sections up front. But for our first time, I thought it turned out well.

So, during all my fun yesterday, I managed to hurt my back. I must have done it in my sleep night before last...I noticed twinges in my back yesterday when I was carrying Talia. I thought it would be ok this morning, but as the morning went on, and I began limping more and more...now I can't even stand up straight. I've taken as much Advil and Tylenol as I'm allowed for the moment, and am regretting that I don't have anything stronger. I had to call in sick to work, because I can't hobble around all night. It's only OK if I'm sitting or laying on my side....and lifting Talia is torture, so of course she's wanted to be up and down all day.

Thank's again Mindy, for so much fun yesterday!!!

Finally....

So, it feels like forever since I've had the chance to post...it's been a crazy week, and every time I tried to get my computer out and post, something happened to prevent it. So, this week...Talia had her first taste of chocolate donut. Needless to say, she like it a lot, and the proud Nelson family (my mom's family) Chocoholic gene is passed on. She's also doing this thing that's driving me nuts...every time we feed her anything (meaning that we give it to her by either putting a spoon in her mouth, or placing the food in her mouth) she spits it back out to look at it, then puts it back in. This gets extremely messy with baby food...so I've been frustrated...she loves to touch her hair, so every meal ends up with food everywhere. I don't remember the boys being this messy...but they both had short hair, and Alec didn't like anything, anyway. I've been mostly trying to give her more "big people food", but I don't want her to get out of the habit of eating vegetables (and heaven knows I don't cook vegetables), so I'm trying to figure out what to do. Wednesday night, she ate 5 Wendy's chicken nuggets (inhaled would be a more accurate word), and was still hungry enough to drink 4 oz of formula. Cole gave her a taste of his guacamole and spicy pepper sauce, and she loved it. There really isn't a lot she doesn't like, and we feel really blessed about this.
Speaking of her likeing everything...the above barrette is the mate to the one that Talia swallowed on Wednesday. The dime is provided for contrast to the size. Her DUMB mother...I was trying to get the kids ready to go to the dentist, and I was really tired because I had worked the night before and hadn't gotten any sleep. Talia was fighting me while I was doing her hair. So I gave her the barrettes to play with. They were brand new, still on the cardboard strip they came packaged on. Now, I don't remember if I took them and put them away, just not high enough (I keep forgetting that her reach and will to get into what she's not supposed to are incredibly strong) or if I got distracted and continued to let her play with them while I checked on Alec and got myself ready to go. We left, and when we came home, I noticed that I was missing 2 barrettes. I didn't panic...I just picked up, figuring that I would find them. And I found 1, and after all, she was crawling all over while we were getting ready...I figured the other one would turn up as well. I hoped she hadn't really swallowed it, but I figured she might have. Sure enough, when she passed her stool the next morning, it was there. I've just been thanking Heavenly Father that it passed without incident. I also intend to be more vigilant in the future with childproofing, because the child will eat ANYTHING!
She also loves the cat to pieces...and the cat is incredibly tolerant. We feel lucky...our cat doesn't like anyone else, but she loves our family very much.

It's been brought to my attention that I focus a lot of this blog on the baby...and it's true, I admit it, because babies change so much more quickly than older kids...I guess I'll have to remedy that. I'll be posting more on both the boys soon....

Thank goodness for Cole...

Because I feel very alone in my life sometimes otherwise. He and the kids are the only things that keep me from feeling completely lonely sometimes.

It's been a long day....

It's been a long, draining, emotional day.....It began when I woke to Talia at 7:15. Not too bad...Cole was off today, so he got the kids breakfast. Alec was going on a field trip today, and was beside himself with excitement....As in...."Mom, I have to be there at 8:30! What time is it?" "It's 7:40, Alec," I say. So he starts to watch the clock on the microwave. Needless to say, we got a minute by minute countdown ("Oh, it's 7:51, and we have to be there at 8:30, right Mom?")...and I'm not exaggerating. He actually looked at the clock and told us the time until we managed to distract him by telling him to go watch the fish around 8:10. And then, he and Kyle started wrestling in the "Fish room"...so they ended up sitting on the couch with their arms folded until it was time to go to school. And of course, since their mother spaced off the fact that class pictures were yesterday, I had to get dressed, take them to school, try to find a parking spot, and then go into the school to deliver picture money...in my sweats. Oh, well. Then, back home, where Cole had to do some stuff for work on his laptop...and I tried to relax a bit, but my poor baby....She's cutting molars and has a cold, and has been miserable (for her). She has so much drool, she's choking on it..and when she lays down to nap or sleep, she coughs herself awake...so she's a sad case. By the time I laid back down for a nap, I had a massive headache. Then I woke up with the headache still pounding. I got ready for work, and came here...only to have my night filled with pulled code buttons, lifeless babies, tons of meconium deliveries...and a mom who is so post-partum depressed she's a little...difficult...and her temper was focused on me tonight, so she was in tears, I was in tears, etc. We worked out her concerns...but I'm emotionally exhausted. Then came all the meconium deliveries, and I suctioned so much meconium out of the lungs of one of the babies...but thank goodness it came out. Now I just have to get through 2 more hours, and I can go home to the oblivion of my warm, cozy bed and cuddle next to my wonderful husband. Hopefully, when I wake up, I will have a positive attitude about coming back here tonight.

Medical Rant...

I'm really, really upset right now...so I guess I'll just have to go with the facts. The facts about SIDS. SIDS has decreased 50% since 1983 (source - sids.org)(Since the Back to Sleep campaign started, IIRC). Belly sleeping your baby increases the risk of death 12.9 times (same source). SIDS.org has a chart that came from a study published in the March 2000 issue of Pediatrics, that says that infants cry more and wake more on their backs, however....they are equally likely to spit up on their backs and stomachs, and equally likely to choke on their backs or stomachs. Babies who sleep on their stomachs are more likely to overheat, rebreath their own carbon dioxide, and have more apnea (apnea is the cessation of breathing).

That is the research. It's not worth the risk. Take it for what it is.

Just a Quickie post...

I don't have much time right now, I have to get stuff ready for primary this morning (that's why I'm on my computer, but every time I get on I can't help but check out all my buddies' blogs). I just had to post my great day yesterday...I went clothes shopping. I had great luck, but the best part....I fit into capri's that are a 7/8!!!!!!! I went down to the new Maurices in Riverdale first, and even though I know the Hydraulic line that I've always loved from there tends to fit a little big...I used to always have to be in a 9/10. Now I'm down a size....it's an ego boost since I've been working so hard to lose just a few more pounds. I had great luck, got several T-shirts and the capris there, then headed down to the mall. I went to American Eagle, my other favorite place for cool t-shirts that are soft and stretchy....I got a couple of other shirts and some capri sweats that are also down a size from what I bought last summer (Mediums!!! I keep wanting to pinch myself)...then ended up at Dillards where I bought new nylons (to replace the ones Alec ruined in sacrament meeting last week), and a bunch of new socks...since all my regular white socks suddenly have holes. I hate that they all wear out at exactly the same time!!!
By the time I was done at the mall, it had gone from 60 degrees outside (when I left the house) to a sleety snow...I had Talia with me, and she was just in her cute warm up suit that Grandma and Grandpa gave her for Christmas...but I had had the foresight to throw both our coats in the car with us. What is it about suddenly bad weather that makes people idiots on the road? We've had tons of snow this year, shouldn't people be used to it by now?