FFF: What's Got My Summer Going

I'm looking forward to a good old fashioned Independence Day holiday close to home. Stay safe and have fun with your family!

{This post contains affiliate links.}
::ONE:: Cozi Family Organizer

Back in the fall, Mr. G and I were looking for a joint calendar that we could put all our appointments in, along with a working to do list, and grocery list. This app is exactly what we needed. So far, I haven't upgraded to Cozi Gold, but even that cost is less than the amount of money I usually spent on a paper calendar each year. I didn't even realize how awesome the shared grocery list would be. No more forgetting the list at home, and Mr. G is always great about adding the little things to the list that I would try to remember off the top of my head, then of course, forget to purchase.

::TWO:: Eagle Creek Black Pack-It Folders

I attempted to pack small for camp (details on that here), which led me to these Eagle Creek Pack-It folders. I grabbed one in the medium size, as it's the perfect footprint for my rollaboard suitcase. If you take the time to fold your clothes correctly using the included guide, you will be amazed at how wrinkle-free your clothes remain, as well as how many outfits you can stuff in there! I'm now considering grabbing the smaller size for smaller sized trips--it's that good. Found here.

::THREE:: Elta MD Tinted Moisturizing Facial Sunscreen

found here
I blogged about this tinted moisturizing sunscreen a few weeks ago, but I've really put it through its paces since then, with a day on the Guadalupe River and another full day at a water park. My goal was to come home as pale as I left, and this stuff worked wonders. It is my new favorite and worth every dollar.

::FOUR:: Pure Barre

After being out of pocket for around 3 weeks, I'm attempting to do my own personal 20 in 30 (20 classes in 30 days) this month, starting TODAY. I always see results when I get back to business with Pure Barre, and this is a great month to make it happen since I have a birthday coming up in August. If I think about it again today, I might even take my measurements. I ♥ Pure Barre and can't say enough good things about it! I've been taking for over three years now, have been an instructor for a little over one year, and it is the longest I've ever loved a workout. Take 10 classes, and you will not believe how quickly your body changes.

::FIVE:: Lululemon Running Skirts

found here
Whether it's the Pleat to Street (on sale here) or the Pace Rival (not on sale, but here) these are a great way to beat the heat and look cute doing it. I wrote a post a long time ago (found here) where I detailed my angst over the running skirt as part of my mom-athleisure wardrobe, and obviously, the running skirt won.

Inexpensive Quality Disney Princess Costumes

Back last February/March, my little lady had some birthday money to spend, and I thought she would have fun traipsing around the house with a Disney princess dress. As I started searching (Disney Store first because that seemed like the spot), I couldn't believe the price tag of something made of such seemingly cheap and scratchy materials.

As I kept googling my way into different corners of the internet, I came across the Disney Collection for JCPenney concept. It's basically a pop-up Disney Store, with merchandise designed by the same group that designs for Disney theme parks and stores. And we have one in our local JCPenney! I grabbed the kids after naps one afternoon, and we headed for over for the ladybug to try on a few. After donning the entire Disney princess wardrobe, we both agreed on Cinderella. Most of them are regularly priced $38, but usually they're on sale for around $25. The quality is better than the big box stores, but about $35 less than THE Disney Store.

Elsa | Anna | Snow White | Cinderella | Rapunzel
I was inspired to share this little find because I haven't heard anyone mention these. I popped in our newly reopened Disney Store this week, and another mom was looking through dresses for Halloween. I mentioned the JCPenney dresses. She had no idea! Currently, I think the Frozen costumes at JCP are the cutest outside of the actual Magic Kingdom.

As you're searching for Halloween costumes, or even starting your Christmas shopping, check Disney Collection for JCPenney out. I've washed and hung ours to dry a few times with success. It's even made it through a whole day at the Magic Kingdom and is still kicking. We found the dresses true to size.

This is not a paid ad, just a mom find I wanted to pass along. Happy shopping!

Red-Orange Lipstick: You Should Try It

I'm fairly conservative on fashion trends, so I tend to stick to neutral tones for makeup. However, a few years ago I came across this online article from Glamour regarding a shade of red lipstick that supposedly "looks good on everyone."

"A likely story," I thought. But go ahead and click out on that article! There's a picture with a bunch of interns, all looking different and wearing the lipstick. The blonde convinced me I should try it.

The color is Nars Heatwave. It's a semi-matte, but I find it creamy and not drying.


A very close drugstore match is Revlon Super Lustrous Fire and Ice. It's got more moisture to it, and it's a great, less expensive option.

I have both and like them equally. When I'm wearing an all black outfit, I tend to add this lip color to give it a little something extra, otherwise I feel a little dull. Who wants to feel like that? No one! I especially love it contrasted with a navy outfit.

Even though it'll continue to be summer for the next 3 months here in Texas, everyone's shifting into fall, so it's a great time to change it up a bit. Have some fun with red-orange lipstick!

Taking My Pure Barre Hobby to the Next Level

Back in April I attended Pure Barre Instructor Training in Denver and have been officially teaching at Pure Barre Fort Worth since mid-May. That's one little reason I've been sparse in this space lately.

My love for Pure Barre is well documented here and here. I especially mention it a lot on instagram, although I try not to be obnoxious about it.

This is the longest I've ever stuck with one workout. It has changed my body in ways that I didn't think possible. When paired with healthy eating, I notice results in my biggest problem areas. Then of course, something comes along like a birthday, an anniversary, spring, summer, fall, winter, or a day ending in 'y' that I fall off of the wagon and start over again on the good eating. But Pure Barre is always there, assisting my big, long work in progress.

Teaching has changed my class taking a little. I'm taking less classes because I teach during some of the times I normally would've have been working out. But it's made me more accountable to challenge myself when I am working out, and that's a great thing.

Last 🔥before the 4th! 🇺🇸💥💁

A photo posted by purebarreftw (@purebarreftworth) on Jul 3, 2015 at 11:04am PDT

Regency Reading: Author Julie Klassen

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books. Sometimes I wish I hadn't read it just so I could read it anew, if that makes any sense. I even read Jane Austen fan fiction because I can't get enough. Here's what I love about it: the misunderstanding, witty dialogue, longing, love, a strong female main character, and a happy ending. That's probably my favorite formula for any story.

Last year, one of my Facebook friends mentioned that the Kindle version of author Julie Klassen's book The Girl in the Gatehouse was on sale at Amazon. She went on to say that if you like Pride & Prejudice, you would probably like this book. I downloaded it, then promptly forgot about it.


Image via Amazon
About a week ago, I read it and LOVED IT! If you love Regency novels, I think you would enjoy this. I've now read a second book of Ms. Klassen's called The Secret of Pembrooke Park, and I stayed up until 2 am finishing it. It has a mystery element about it that I had to solve!

Ms. Klassen is a Christian author, and there is a thread of redemption throughout both of these works--complementary to the storyline. For me, these were a great example of how we are in the world, but not of the world. I guess what I'm saying is: this is not cheesy Christian romance fiction. As a Christian reading it, the mentions of faith in Christ and walking in the ways of the Lord seemed a natural fit, i.e. "for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

Amazon one-click may get me into trouble because I can't wait to start downloading more of her titles. Definitely add these to your summer reading list!

Thankful: Easy (Delicious) Teacher Gift

Just like at your house I'm sure, our preschool teachers are high on our list of things we're thankful for. While this may not be the most original idea for a teacher gift, nor is it the most pinterestingly cute thing you may see on the internet, it's sent with a grateful heart from a preschooler (and his mama) who helped pick out treats for some of his favorite ladies.


I like buying from Nothing Bundt Cakes because they're delicious, it's a clever concept/name, and they'll package each cake for the occasion. You can't beat one-stop shopping, and the bundtlets are a great price point. Chocolate chocolate chip is my personal favorite although we tried the white chocolate today, and it came very close to grabbing the top spot. I love a good plain birthday cake flavor, and that's how it tasted.


They have flags for almost every occasion: holiday, thank you, congrats, etc. If you purchase 12 bundlets at once, you receive one for free, the sales girl informed me when I picked these up. One year my manager gave these out to our Team at Christmas. Mine was gone by mid-morning.


A plain little card is included too. I'll write a note of thanks on it and let Jack sign his name. We purchased for his two teachers, the preschool director, and her assistant. They're all so great to us!

You may not have a Nothing Bundt Cakes near you, but you probably have a bakery that bakes up delicious treats. Who doesn't love baked goods?!?

If you're looking for more teacher gift ideas as Christmas is drawing near, I posted at Fort Worth Moms Blog back at the end of school last year on teacher gifts and what teachers really want. I polled a group of teachers in my life and got the scoop! A gift doesn't have to be complicated or expensive to be thoughtful.

This post was not sponsored by Nothing Bundt Cakes. I just love their product!

The Running Skirt as Casual Wear

So I have all these thoughts running through my head during the day that prior to staying at home, I would throw out to my co-workers (the female ones). Now they are all bottled up seeing as my preschoolers could care less about them, so eventually some of them make their way to the blog. That's the case with today's randomness.

Today I'm thinking about the running skirt as casual wear. Every trip I make to the Zoo or the big park, I see more than one mom in the running skirt. I have tried on about 10 of them over time, have sent as many embarrassing dressing room selfies to several trusted individuals in this contraption, and finally pulled the plug on one last week. I mean, I don't run, so really do I need a running skirt?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

I decided that the answer is yes, I do. For a myriad of reasons. One, they're cute. Two, Target, which all ladies love, had a sign up in store last week calling it an athletic skirt which opens it up to quite a few other activities, thereby reducing my guilt for wearing and not running. And three, despite the fact that it is exactly like throwing on a pair of running shorts which I also do not run in, somehow it looks like you reached a little further/tried a little harder. Maybe not on that one?

The first 9 skirts I tried on I couldn't do it because they just seemed too short. My modesty was getting the better of me, although they all have shorts underneath and are probably the same length as running shorts. I finally tried on Lululemon's TALL length, despite the fact that I'm every inch of 5'2" and decided that's what would work for me.

I don't think I've been this conflicted about a clothing item since the poncho craze of 2003.

So tell me, what are your feelings on the running skirt?

Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of Style

Last Friday, I headed east to Dallas with my friend Ashley to visit the Bush Center (President George W. Bush's Library) and to view the current special exhibit called Oscar de la Renta: Five Decades of Style.


The exhibit showcases dresses from First Ladies Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Reagan, along with Jenna Bush Hager's wedding dress, dresses from de la Renta's archives, and from the collections of two other Texas ladies. And if the First Ladies aren't enough celebrity, there is a dress worn by Taylor Swift and Jennifer Garner's 2014 Oscar dress.

The hot pink dress above was from the de la Renta archives. It was absolutely breathtaking in person and was definitely my favorite. Also, there was a dress of Mrs. Reagan's from 1981 that looked like someone could have worn it to a special event that evening. So many of the designs were classic. Simply timeless! And the artistry was phenomenal.

It was the first visit to the Bush Center for the both of us, and I'll admit that we took an abbreviated trip through the permanent collection, knowing we'll be coming back with our families at some point. On a summer Friday afternoon, that section was somewhat crowded.

A little girl time was the perfect way to kick off my birthday month. If you're in the DFW area, gather your girlfriends and go check it out!

Pure Barre 250 Club

Last week I made the 250 Club at Pure Barre Fort Worth!


Pic courtesy of the lovely Alexandra @ PBFW
Crops: Splits59 Nova in Monaco || Top: Beyond Yoga drape (similar)

The 250 Club is when you've attended 250 classes. 13,750 minutes of Pure Barre. That's a lot of Pure Barre!

I'm often asked what it is I love about Pure Barre. Let me tell you that I'm not an athlete. I'm not flexible. I've never been able to do the splits in my life. I do good just to be somewhat coordinated.

I love Pure Barre because the community of girls/women there are encouraging and kind and hard-working! The workout never gets easier since there is always another way to challenge yourself in each position. My core post-childbearing is stronger than it's ever been in my life. The health benefits have been amazing, and that short 55 minutes a day caring for myself, I think, has helped make me a better wife and mother. It's worth it to me to get up before daylight to make it happen.

If you've been thinking about trying it, you should just do it. You'll be glad you did!

{Read about my beginnings with Pure Barre here and my 100 Club post here.}

Our Day on the Texas State Railroad

One of the most fun things about having children is the ability to revisit parts of your childhood that you loved without anyone questioning your maturity. If you lived anywhere in east-central Texas growing up, you've probably ridden the Texas State Railroad at least once. When I called to purchase our tickets, the customer service agent asked how I had heard of it. I can't remember how old I was the first time my family rode it, or there was that time we went on our 3rd grade field trip, or when my brother was old enough to be into trains.

We caught the train out of Palestine, but there are also departures from Rusk. As I mentioned in our Easter recap, this was Jack's 3rd birthday gift from us, and we took a crew along. It was so fun!

They are in the process of restoring the old steam engines, so for now, they're running diesel engines instead. And of course, this gives us a reason to go again!


It's an hour and a half one-way to Rusk from Palestine, leaving at 11:20 and arriving back around 4 PM. We rode in the enclosed car with windows we could adjust to keep the wind at our liking. The weather has been so unpredictable lately, but the day was nice enough that we kept the windows all the way open both ways.

Right behind the engine as we were going out, the open air car had an open air deck/porch area where you could go and see what was going on. The engineer turned around and waved at us, and of course that made the trip.


On the deck watching the action
Once we pulled into the Rusk Depot, we picnicked under the tall East Texas trees. It was such a perfect day to be outside. We couldn't have asked for better weather! Jack was flipping out with excitement as they turned the engine around and attached it to the other end of the train to take us back to Palestine.


We're so proud of this big little guy, and it's a blast to be his mom.

This is a great day trip from the DFW area. They offer box lunches for $10, but we packed our own lunch which was just as fun. I think the non-climate controlled cars are where it's at. Not only are they significantly cheaper than the climate controlled car, the seats are not assigned, and you feel a little more at ease roaming around if you need to stretch your legs.

Also--there were quite a few "adults only" parties checking out the scenery that day. As they say, "All aboard!"

Smocked Auctions Spring Warehouse Sale

The week of my kids' birthdays, Smocked Auctions had a warehouse sale over in Dallas. If you're not familiar with Smocked Auctions, it started as a children's clothing company that primarily held an "auction" on Facebook each Thursday night starting at 8:30 PM. They expanded into Instagram selling, and during their warehouse sale, they announced the launch of their website, which now offers cute kids' clothes 24/7. So you can get your smocking fix anytime, of course.

Back to the warehouse sale. Smocking? On sale? Local?

What time should I be there?!?

My sweetie girl and I headed over to Big D on the second day of the sale because that's when we were free. They didn't allow strollers in so she sat on my hip in her sling, leaving me mostly hands-free to shop. There were quite a few kids running around, so kids were definitely not prohibited, just the strollers.

Even though it was the second day, I found plenty of cute things. Smocked items were $29.99 and non-smocked were $19.99. They also had a few fine children's brands such as Florence Eiseman and Feltman Brothers priced separately (i.e. more than $29.99). I didn't come across any of these in our size.

But we did manage to score some cute spring and summer dresses for my girl! I was actually looking at the Petit Ami sailor suit on another site, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it here for around twenty bucks. We grabbed a couple of bubbles, one of them for Easter (please warm up, Texas), and one other very sweet dress that she wore on her actual birthday. She felt very sassy and cute in it, and she showed it throughout the day (in a good way, I promise!)


The actual birthday day dress. Perfect for spring and summer.
I didn't shop far out of our current sizes (18 or 24 months, depending on the brand) since it was primarily spring and summer items, but I noticed they had quite a bit for older girls too (like through kinder-sized).

I think they have a fall sale as well. It was definitely worth the drive to find cute boutique outfits for a deal. I would go again.

A successful shopping mission for my girl and me!

Five on Friday: In Search of Mom Shorts

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I would use personally! Happy shopping!

I'm linking up with April, Christina, and Natasha, again today for another Five on Friday.

Somewhere around the time I turned 30 and had children, the shorts I wore in my 20s all of sudden became gauche for the stage of life I'm in. One day they were totally respectable and modest, and the next day they were too short. Somewhere in there, I had two kids and just bought some simple basics to get me through that time period. I was either working or a few months post-partum and didn't give it much thought.

Last summer's shorts don't fit, all for good reasons. Now here I am, figuring this out: in search of mom shorts.

And actually, all of these shorts I picked out today are just great modest length shorts. If you're not a mom, don't run away.


Lightweight Bermuda Short
These seem incredibly long on the model, however, I do have a pair of them from pre-children. They were perfect for work events where a casual dress was too dressy, capris too granny, and a shorter in-seam was out of the question. They are truly light weight, and that's a bonus for the Texas heat that I'm praying comes SOON. This is such a happy color.


Boyfriend Roll Up
I lived in these the last two summers, but my pairs are all too big. (Yay!) The nice thing about these is that they are loose to begin with, so you most likely can size down. Who doesn't love some good vanity sizing? They come in a bunch of colors, plus they go through the washer and dryer well.


Boyfriend Roll Up Stripe
This is the same short, with stripes drawn across it and $5 more. Definitely cute if I decide I can handle stripes across the backside. That's where I will have to consult my mom. She'll give it to me straight.


Floral Knit Shorts
These are a little shorter, but I thought they were so cute, and KNIT! They sound so comfy. Very lightweight. I can imagine these would be good on days where we play outside a lot.


5" Chino Short
(25% off with code: WARM)
I bought two pairs of these last summer before going to church camp with our students because I thought they were a good length. And they were, but they shrink a bit, so buyer beware. Lightweight, great price point, many color options.


Nike Tempo Track Short
A little bonus to my five, for my mommy friends who like to spend their summer days in these Nike Tempos. Who wouldn't? They dry quickly when someone spills bubbles all over you (again). This site has great prices on them!

Must Make Cut Out Cookies

Nearly every time I make cut out cookies, I use a different recipe. My favorite cookies in Fort Worth are by a bakery called J. Rae's, and I'm always comparing to theirs because they are delicious! The best part is their frosting, which has the perfect amount of almond flavoring in it. But I digress.

I make frosted sugar cookies every year for Valentine's Day. I think I've documented them on here every year too. I even had a former co-worker message me last week saying she was missing them. So sweet of her!


My helper
This year I used a recipe from All Recipes called "The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies." The are delicious. Couldn't get enough of them delicious. Diet was on hold until they were gone delicious.

You will notice that the first step is to cream 3 sticks of butter with two cups of sugar, so that's probably the secret duo of ingredients right there. They are decadently sweet, but worth it for a special sweet occasion. I used canned strawberry frosting because I love it.


My not fancy frosting job
I would put these close to J. Rae's in terms of deliciousness of the actual cookie. Now if I could just figure out their frosting!

Rodan+Fields Multi Function Eye Cream Review

Have you heard of Rodan+Fields? It's a skin care line that is sweeping the nation (or at least, my part of the nation) that was created by the dermatologists that also brought the ProActiv to the masses.

They are back with their namesake Rodan+Fields line, which is totally just showing off at this point, with all their skincare magician ways. I have friends that are swearing by the changes these different product lines have made on their faces.

My long-time friend Deanna is an R+F Consultant, and knowing what a product junkie I am, sent me a mini-facial quite a few months ago. I was beside myself over how the Night Renewing Serum made my skin feel. (Mr. G will attest. I marched into the living room and made him pet my cheek. He was very confused about the whole incident.)

So Deanna did it again and sent me a full size of the Multi-Function Eye Cream to try out. It's another product from the REDEFINE line, which is for any ladies who might be attempting to keep time from marching across their faces.


Immediately, I noticed that my eyes were brighter. I wasn't sure what kind of voodoo this might be, but I read on the packaging that it indeed had something that would perk dark circles up immediately. I've been using it after I wash my face at night, and again in the morning. Any makeup counter will encourage you to put an eye cream on first before applying concealer. This one works awesome for that purpose! My small jar is about halfway empty, and I've been using it generously for two months.

Deanna is offering up a great deal for readers of my blog right now. For anyone who signs up as a Preferred Customer (a way to receive regular product discounts), she'll give you a full size Daily Body Moisturizer. Just
e-mail her and tell her you read it here for your gift. They offer this great Solutions Tool to help you find just the right product line for you.

And if you're a gadget girl, the end of year R+F Corporate special is a free AMP MD Roller with the purchase of the entire REDEFINE line, available here until 12/31/2013. You need to read up on the roller. It has great reviews from beauty bloggers who've tried it.

Do yourself a favor as you close out this year and make it a commitment to take better care of your skin in 2014! (This is mine every year. Only now it involves defying gravity as well.)

(Disclaimer: I did receive a full size eye cream to review, but opinions, as always, are my own!)

Don't Leave Cash on the Table This Christmas

I couldn't let Black Friday pass us by without mentioning Ebates this year.

You've probably heard of Ebates. If you haven't or if you're a skeptic, let me tell you, somehow it's NOT too good to be true.


If you shop through Ebates you earn cash back at most of your favorite online destinations. They offer cash back at GAP, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, J. Crew, Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply (I know this because I was just shopping for Carhartt overalls, random), Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Dillard's, Carter's, Land's End, Neiman's, to name a few.

It's easy. You sign up, do a little search on their website for the retailer you want to shop for, then a new browser tab or window is launched for you to shop, along with a tracking ticket to keep a record of your purchase. This is where you will be skeptical until they notify you a few days later that you've earned $x amount from Ebates.


How it Works info graphic is straight from Ebates.
Once a quarter, you'll get a check in the mail with your total Ebates. It's that simple. You receive cash back in the form of a check for purchases that you were going to make anyway. I've endorsed the checks and cashed them myself. They are real.

They even have a friend referral program, so if you click here to sign up and then use the site to make a purchase, I'll actually get a little bonus cash in my next check!

When you receive your first check in the mail with money back on all those things you were going to buy anyway, you'll feel like a power shopper. Because you ARE a power shopper!

Sign up and start earning cash back!

Pure Barre 100 Club

I'm proud to say that I officially hit my 100th class at Pure Barre on Monday!


From the Pure Barre Fort Worth Instagram feed
With super cute owner, Kelsey
Being a stay at home mom, I can't measure a lot of my successes these days. Parenting children has no end in sight. (My mom and yours would say amen to this.) The laundry basket is emptied to be filled the next hour, the toys are picked up to be scattered about the floor again, and meals are cooked for dishes to be washed to cook more meals. These are not complaints. I feel absolutely blessed to spend my time in this manner, but it's the reality of my current days.

It's nice to have something that's mine with benchmarked goals, and that's what Pure Barre is for me right now. I try each week to pick a new challenge for myself in class, whether it's making it through the abs section without needing support for my lower back (check!), actually picking my feet up in flat back (still working on this one), or making it through warm up and arms without breaking form (most of the time!)

Somewhere in the 100 classes (now 101!), I've lost weight, quite a few inches, and as you can imagine I'm loving those results. It's been worth the investment in myself, and now I have a wardrobe of clothes that fit again. Amazing how that happens when you work hard.

It's About Time: The Mama VoxBox Post

Several weeks ago I received a VoxBox from Influenster, and I'm just now sitting down to let you know how I feel about it. Free products? I guess I feel pretty good about that, in particular.

Influenster is a social network of sorts, where you sign on to take surveys about your product usage, review items and services, and on occasion, if you meet the demographic, they send out something called a VoxBox with free products for you to try. I've heard some equate this to a BirchBox or something like that--it's definitely not that at all. You never know what interesting combination might included in these boxes. For example...

This particular VoxBox contained things that moms might be interested in.

Pond's Luminous Finish BB+ Cream, Annie's Microwaveable Mac and Cheese,
Dr. Scholl's For Her Comfort Insoles, belVita Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Breakfast Biscuit


Annie's Microwaveable Mac and Cheese: I haven't heated this one up yet, but my kid loves mac and cheese. If it comes back with a thumbs down, I'll let you know. A multipack retails for $3.29. ETA: Meh.

Dr. Scholl's For Her Comfort Insoles: I tried this in a variety of shoes. I wasn't impressed at all when I put them in my heels, but I loved them in my tall riding boots, which are flat and have no support in them. I also tried them in a new pair of non-stretching, unforgiving patent flats, and because they raised my foot up, the stiff elastic in the back hit my heel differently, making them much more comfortable. I'll keep trying these.

I'm deducting points for the hard plastic packaging that I cut my finger on while try to open them. It's 2013. We can do better. Retails for $12.49.

belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits: Jack and I ripped that sucker open as soon as we saw it. We both agreed we wish we hadn't had to share it, but I'm not sure even the whole thing would be enough for me for breakfast. I might buy them again. But at 5 WW pp, I might rather have a real cookie. (For comparison, a Great American Cookie Co. original only has 6 points.) Retails for $3.69.

Pond's BB+ Cream: I'll admit that I've been a make up snob. I don't buy it at the drugstore. I've even tried to like drugstore mascara, but just never found a good one. Within a few days of using the Pond's BB+ Cream, I raved about it on Instagram. I had even gotten several out of the blue compliments on my makeup. I definitely recommend this to my friends. One of my young friends bought it, told me she was skeptical because she thought Pond's was an old lady brand, and then told me how much she loved it.

It includes SPF 15, covers well, and the light shade is perfect for my pale self. It takes a minute to dry well, but that usually happens to me on products with SPF. I would compare this to a tinted moisturizer. Great for days when you don't want to put on heavy foundation. Retails for $9.99.

I would not lie about something as critical as your face, ladies. This one's a winner.

Pure Barre Review Update!

I've mentioned going to Pure Barre several times since I did my original review, but I thought it was about time I did another update!


Pure Barre is my very favorite workout. Ever. I'm seeing amazing results that are the combined product of that old adage "decrease input, increase output," but they are great results. I'm within 3 pounds of my pre-Jack weight, a number on the scale I've not seen since approximately June 2010. I'm not big on before and after pics, but that stat speaks for itself.

I still have quite a way to go, but I know I'll get there. My three month baby bounce back package expired, but I just renewed and kept right on going. Right now my studio is having an October 20 classes in 30 day challenge, and I'm already 12 classes in on the 15th of the month. In a couple of weeks, I'll be joining what is called the "100 Club" which is Pure Barre speak for people who've been to 100 classes. You get fancy 100 Club sticky socks and everything! (Sticky socks are what you wear on your feet to keep them from sliding around on the carpet. You probably already figured that out, but just in case, there you have it.)

It's a really fun, challenging, and empowering workout. I highly recommend it if you have one in your area!

That Baby in the Bonnet...

...belongs to me!

Facial expression not indicative of our feelings toward our bonnet.

Also, I could squeeze those cheeks all day long.
I was probably about 7 months pregnant with Annabelle when I came across the Beaufort Bonnet Company. I "liked" them on Facebook, and within a day, my mom had called and said, "I saw the bonnet company you liked, and Annabelle will have one of those."

Thanks, Mom!


I absolutely love the backstory behind the Company: how a mother, wanting classic, beautiful bonnets for her baby girl, bought the business and is expanding it. I love to shop, love supporting momtrepreneurs, and I love classic children's clothing, especially for little girls.

Annabelle even had newborn pics made in her sweet bow swaddle from BBC. This is the exact pic I used on our announcement. I love her little Mona Lisa smile!


If you're a boy mom, they have Beaufort Buckets for you--just perfect for those first few summers to keep sun out of a little man's face. Everything we've ordered from there has come beautifully packaged and out of the box ready to carry as a gift. And the craftsmanship is perfection. Once, my mom called them to order while their website was down, and they included the sweetest handwritten note, thanking her for her purchase and patience during that time. Great customer service.


At the zoo, in our first bonnet, the Worth Ave. White with a pale pink script monogram.
We usually have one on for church on Sunday morning, and the ladies who hold the door are always cooing over "that baby in that bonnet!" If you're looking for a unique and precious gift for a new baby or young child, I highly recommend the Beaufort Bonnet Company. They even have cute things for adults: travel accessories, towels...I would take one of everything!

Super Easy Gnome Halloween Costume

It's October! Time to ready the costumes and try not to eat all the candy on the seasonal aisle. For some reason, Reese's peanut butter pumpkins are so much more enticing than Reese's any other time of the year for me.

Stop calling my name, Reese's pumpkins! I have baby weight to lose!

Last year at this time, I was working on a big project, commuting, mothering a 20-month-old, and 5 months pregnant. To say I was tired was a total understatement. Then I came down with shingles. It was a really nutso time in my life.

I really wanted to phone it in and buy a pre-made costume, but I couldn't find anything that I liked. And yeah, there is a fairly cute, pre-made gnome costume floating around the internet, but I wanted something more akin to David the Gnome (please tell me you watched that on Nickelodeon also) rather than the garden gnome variety.

So, naturally, I decided to make my own! You can too, with some strategic purchases that you'll re-wear for the rest of the year, along with some super easy cutting and stitching. You might even have these items in your little guy's wardrobe already.


I can't believe he was so small last year. It goes too fast, too fast.
I started with a pair of GAP cords that, after the fact, he wore to church all winter long. I then added a blue sweater that came from GAP, however I couldn't find one for you from there this year, so below there's a link to one from Zara, and it has elbow patches. So cute. I've had a Zara sweater for him before, and it's good quality. A blue sweater is totally re-wearable without looking like a gnome.

Those boots? $15 at Wal-mart and in all sizes. They're called "chore boots." Re-wearable!

As a matter of fact, I plan on buying the pants and boots all over again for Jack's fall wardrobe simply because they are closet staples, and he outgrew last year's.

(Links to these items are all below the collage.)

The hat is where you have to make any effort, as you can't just click "Add to shopping cart," followed by "Check out." A quick trip to Hobby Lobby yielded a yard of the stiffest red felt I could find, some fusible interfacing (don't be scared if you're not a seamstress!) to make it stiffer, and elastic. Mr. G stopped by our local costume warehouse and grabbed a white beard.

I followed this tutorial for the pattern of the hat. It tells you how to measure the head and all that technical stuff. After I cut out the felt, I ironed on the fusible interfacing (see, that's not scary), and hand stitched the hat together. The internet is so magical that I even found you a handstitching tutorial here. I then hand stitched the elastic on (it will look like a giant party hat) before tacking on the beard (more hand stitching.)

I had to trim the beard down a bit, but it was much easier than buying some fake fur or what not from Hobby Lobby. (Believe me, I tried. Don't be tempted. It was a mess.) I also cut the mustache off. We were dealing with a toddler, you understand.

I made the hat about 2 hours before we went to our church's fall festival. It took maybe 20 minutes. (Cleaning up the failed fake white fur mess took a bit longer.)

See? Super easy.

I hope this helps another crazy busy mama who's looking for a cute and unique costume!