My 10 Favorite Facial Products

Today we celebrated my son's 3rd birthday and it was exhausting. For his first two birthdays, I went ALL out with decorations, food, and fancy invitations. This year I said I would keep it simple. So I decided to just have family over for dinner, that's it, nothing special. Well our family is huge so it turned out to be just as stressful to plan a simple dinner for over twenty people as it was for the big parties.
My mom took my son for the day to hang out, have lunch, and to pick out his present. I was so thankful that she did that because I ended up spending all day in the kitchen.
Once everyone arrived, the dinner was amazing and the night went smoothly. My son had a blast opening his gifts and blowing out his candles. After everyone left and we got the kiddos to bed, I began my nightly routine which includes washing my face.
No matter how tired I get, I always wash my face. For one, I have problems with acne so if I miss a night regret will come in the form of a large, ugly pimple the next morning. Second, the whole process is like a spa treatment after a long hard day. It's like I'm literally washing the day off my face every night. It helps me to wind down and relax right before bed. As I was going through my routine tonight, I got to thinking of my favorite products  that I use night and day and I thought I would share them with you.

First up: The Cleansers

Cetaphil//Microdelivery Wash

Finding a great cleanser took me a few tries. I have very sensitive skin so I have to be very picky. I actually received a free sample of the Philosophy wash and I just fell in love!! I went out immediately to buy my own after the sample ran out. It was a little on the pricey side but it's huge and it works so well. My dermatologist recommended that it is best to use a gentle exfoliater at night and a gentle cleanser in the morning. The exfoliating wash at night is the best because it cleans my makeup off the best and leaves my skin feeling fresh and very clean.
The Cetaphil is a very gentle cleanser that I use every morning. This cleanser is great for those with sensitive skin. It also is very affordable and can be found in any drugstore, local Target, or grocery stores. I also use this as a makeup remover, especially for getting my mascara off. I highly recommend both of these daily cleansers.

Next: The Moisturizers

Eucerin//Cerave

Moisturizing is VERY important. Your skin needs that moisture to keep its elasticity. It is also very important to use separate moisturizers for day and night. For the morning, I use Eucerin Daily Protecting with 30 SPF. It is smooth, non greasy, and it keeps my skin protected all day.
I actually just recently learned that sleeping with sunscreen on is bad! It prevents your skin's natural repair cycle while you sleep and it clogs your pores which isn't good. For that reason, I love CeraVe's PM Facial Mosisturizing Lotion. It feels so good and it is a nice finishing touch to my nighttime routine.

Next: The Extra Deep Cleansers

Acid Toner//Mud Mask

These two additions to my daily routine are great for getting that extra deep clean. Toner helps completely clean the face and the pores. I love this one from Mario Badescu specifically because it has glycolic which helps brighten up the redness on my face.
This mud mask by Formula 10.0.6 is AMAZING! I love masks in general but this one is one of my favorites. My absolute favorite is extremely expensive but this one feels just as great and only $6! I use this mask once a week usually on Fridays just because by the end of the week I feel tired and this mask really makes me feel refreshed.

Next: Make Up

Lancome//DermaBlend

I seldom wear makeup but when I do these are my FAVORITE products. First, I want to talk about the foundation. I have tried countless foundations from drugstores and a even a couple designer brands but they have all left me unhappy. I have extremely oily skin and every single foundation would leave me looking so greasy after only a few hours. I had to constantly pat my face and it was annoying!! This 24 hour foundation from Lancome is a lifesaver. I can literally wear this all day and do not have to pat once. It is such a light weight formula and looks great.
My DermaBlend camo stick never leaves my side. I suffer from acne and with that acne I have received a lot of scars. This concealer stick hides all my scars and leaves my skin looking smooth. I put this on under my foundation for a nice finished look.

Last Up: The Eyes

Mascara//Eye Liner

Applying mascara and eye liner, helps my eyes to look more awake and with two little ones at home with me, I need all the help I can get in that department. Maybelline's Great Lash has been a staple in my makeup bag since sophomore year in high school. It is cheap and works great!! I have tried other mascara's to test the water but I always come back to this one.
For a few months, I was a subscriber to a monthly cosmetic box called BirchBox. I would receive a box every month with five or six samples inside. This Cynthia Rowley eye liner was in one box and I'm so glad it was because it is now my favorite eye liner ever. Before this one, I used Mac's Liquid Liner but it would make my eyes burn sometimes so I needed to switch. The switch to Cynthia Rowley's was the best decision ever.


So those are my top 10 facial products. I use all of these on a daily basis. I have learned that our faces are very important and we should take the best care of them and that means finding the best products. I have included links for all these products if you seem interested in any of them. I hope some of these products will help you as much as they have helped me.
Stay beautiful!!

DIY: Command Center

Since becoming a mother I have learned many important lessons. For instance, I have learned that I no longer have privacy privileges in the restroom, I need to pick my battles carefully, invest in a good broom, and to never trust anything on the floor that resembles a raisin. Of the many things I have learned, the MOST important to me is organization. I feel like ever since I had kids my memory has taken a permanent leave of absence. I write dates and times on whatever paper is near me but, of course, it disappears and joins my keys, favorite chapstick, and the many other things that get lost now a days. I needed something to keep me in check and I knew a command center would be the ideal solution for me. 

Lucky for me, I have the coolest friend ever who just so happened to create her own command center. She was explaining to me how she made it and sending me pictures that made me drool! I knew I needed one of those. She bought the frames bogo free and had two cork boards leftover so I got to make one with the supplies she already had. I just knew it was fate, right?! Totally! 

I decided to hang it above my desk in the office because that is usually where I plan out my day and pay bills. I also wanted a place to sort mail so I decided to pick up some baskets to hang underneath. 

To make your own command center, you need a frame (whatever size you prefer), cork board, ruler, scissors, pencil, hot glue gun, and permanent marker or paint chips. 

My friend drew out the calendar with the permanent marker but I decided to use paint chips from Home Depot for my days. I also covered my bottom cork with gold chevron fabric, which is totally optional as well. I also found the most adorable "Hey Yall" print that I just had to have. The baskets I used to sort my mail are from Home Depot as well. They were $3 each and I spray painted them gold. 

Okay y'all, I need to be honest with you here. I might have gone a little crazy with 

the spray paint. Painting the white baskets gold made them look ten times better so I might have sprayed more things in my office. I may have painted my coaster, pen pail, and a milk bottle I now use as a vase. Told you, pure crazy! I got to say I love my office space now. I share

my office with my husband so my space really needed a girlish touch. The splashes of gold and pink really gave it just that.

See for yourself........

Anyways, back to the command center :) The process for putting it together is so incredibly easy. The hardest part for us was trying to line up the paint chips evenly. We used a ruler to guide us and a hot glue gun to stick them down. Once the paint chips were glued on to the back of the paper that came in the frame, we laid the glass back on and locked everything back into place. I then glued the fabric to the cork and then stuck the cork to the side of the calendar on top on the glass. The cork comes with sticky pads but I also used gorilla glue to make sure it stays in place. After

that you are ready to hang it up and fill in your calendar. Regular expo markers work lovely on the glass/plastic! I left a space on the bottom of my calendar for my daily meal plan. My friend left that space open for notes. 

The best part about this project is that it is easy and can be customized to whatever fits your needs. I am so thankful that my friend came up with this idea because it has made things so much easier for me. My favorite parts are my large calendar so I will never forget dates and the baskets for my mail so I will never loose bills. Unfortunately, that has happened one too many times. 

If you, too, are feeling like you need a little organization in your life, let this easy DIY command center help take your stress away. Seriously, I love it! 

a little wishful thinking

November is here, finally! November is my favorite month! The weather is perfect, my birthday is near, Christmas music is finally acceptable, and of course, Thanksgiving!! My son's birthday is also this month. He is turning 3 which is very exciting! When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday or what I wanted to do, I honestly had no answer for him. I realized that I have been so focused on getting ready for Caleb's birthday that I haven't even thought about mine. So tonight I decided to think of a few things I have been drooling over for a while now. My husband likes lists to make his job easier but I figured this time I would add pictures to change it up a bit. 

I get cold so easily! Not kidding, it will be like 60 degrees out and I will be shivering so I love coats! This winter I really, really want to add this beautiful blush coat to my closet. 

After reading Gone Girl, I can't wait to start my next thriller. Sandra Brown's Mean Streak sounds like it could be my next favorite. 

Alright, so I am probably the worst at painting my nails but I love nail polish. This color by butter London just screams November to me. This month's color is topaz and with the added sparkle it is just perfect for celebrations.

My husband LOVES watches and when he found out that I didn't have one when we first got together it bothered him. So every year I have gotten a new watch. It's a tradition that I hope lasts because I now have an obsession with watches. This year I have been dreaming about this Michael Kors large gold watch. The pink face is so darling!

The white chucks are the perfect addition to anyone's wardrobe. They seriously look great in any season!

Isn't if fun to come up with a little wish list like this? I know I enjoy it! 

This month is going to be a blast for my family and I. I actually forgot to add Black Friday to the list and picking out our Christmas tree. November is seriously the best!

If you happen to like any or all of the items on my wishlist, I have provided you the links so you can shop away! Happy shopping!! :)

Blush Coat//Chucks//Butter Nail Polish//Mean Streak//Michael Kors Watch