DIY Facial

In response to the overwhelming number of people who have recently been complementing my skin, I thought I would share my at-home facial/cleansing routine. It is fantastic.

First, I start with eye make up remover. I use Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. It is about $15 a bottle, but is TOTALLY worth it.

Next, I use a cleanser. I use Mary Kay Timewise 3 in 1 cleanser for combination to oily skin. Yes, you will continue to see a trend in my products. All of my skin care products are Mary Kay. They are more expensive than the drug store brands, but I have been more than pleased with the results.

Next, a moisturizer. Yes, it is Mary Kay Timewise Lightweight Moisturizer. You are probably also seeing a trend in the type of Mary Kay product. I am only 26, but have been using Timewise products since I was about 22. They (they being the Mary Kay reps) recommend you start in your early 20s with the Timewise line. It truly is fantastic.

Next, I use an under eye firming cream. Mary Kay, of course!

Finally, I finish with my Satin Lips Balm. It is part of Satin Lips set that includes a mask and a balm. About once a week I use the mask to exfoliate any dry skin from my lips, and use the balm daily at the end of my cleansing routine.

Okay, I don't even want to tell you what retail prices for all these items are. I have been incredibly lucky in that I have always had a friend selling Mary Kay and was able to get things at a discount. I also just had a friend's mom stop selling Mary Kay and got a lot of my refills for these products absolutely free. Just 'cuz she loves me like that!

Basically, whatever the routine is, do it. I read somewhere that for every night you sleep in your makeup, your skin ages 7 days. So at 30, you could look 37. YIKES!! (FYI, 30 is so right around the corner for me!)

In honor of the woman who made all these products a reality:

"Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve." - Mary Kay Ash

I'm Back

So to start off, sorry I have been absent for a while. I have had a whole lot going on. First, we bought a new car. I know I havealrady posted a little about this but, it totally deserves more love!! Next, I have applied for and interviewed for a new job. In Statesboro, GA. That's about an hour from Savannah and is also where Billy has applied for his doctoral program. I'm super excited about it, and have been praying that God will put us where we are supposed to be. Third, I am totally re-doing my look. By that I mean my hair. Last night, my mom put a solid color on my hair. It is medium reddish brown. Tonight, my baby sister is highlighting and cutting my hair! I'm going to work tomorrow with a whole new look thanks to the super cool fam jam!! Last, I realize I didn't end last post with a quote... So here's too. "If you don't like what you see in the mirror, change what you do with your body" -don't know if anybody ever said this, but it is kinda my motivation right now. "nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels" I believe Marilyn Monroe said this

Busy Busy

So, we bought a new car. Like NEW car. It's a 2012 Nissan Altima and it literally had 7 miles on it when I first drove it. (Apparently that's as few as it can have because it has to go through the course making sure all the specs check out, just an FYI) Okay, so I LOVE THIS CAR. It is awesome. It has push button start, with a smart key. I literally NEVER get my keys out of my purse. Kinda show-boaty now, but super convenient once we have little ones. I don't want to be fumbling with keys while I am balancing everything else. Plus, it's just pretty. And it smells fantastic!! :)

And the best news of the day?!?!? Paul came home yesterday. For those of you who don't know, Paul is my nephew (My husband's brother's son), and he has been in the hospital since Novemeber 7, 2011. His first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's were all spent under the watchful eye of physicians and nurse quite literally all over the US. He started here in Columbus, GA, then travelled to CHOA in Atlanta, GA, then on to Philadelphia, PA. I know his parents are so happy to be back together (Tonya has been with Paul while Bud has been here working), so we are giving them the week to spend alone, and then this weekend wild horses couldn't keep me away! I can't wait to hold him and love on him.

Last, I saw a truly inspirational movie last night. Courageous. Now, I'm not a parent (yet), but I was literally in tears bawling at this movie. It is so moving, and I know that it helped  both me and Billy realize God's meaning of the word parent. If you haven't seen it, I totally give it 5 stars, and two thumbs up!! Also, see its "sister" movie, Fireproof. It is also fantastic.

I totally have a case of the Mondays

So as you know, I have been car searching. I thought this would be fun, exciting, exhilerating even. I don't think I've ever been more wrong about anything in my life.

See the thing is, I'm pretty fresh out of college. And while I was in college, I did some pretty stupid things with my credit. So it sucks. Like bad. And I'm ashamed to admit it. I wish I knew then what I know now. It really is a lot easier to get yourself into a world of credit hurt than it is to climb out of that hole.

Now that I'm married - have I mentioned how wonderful my husband is? - I know it is time to buckle down and straighten up. Not like I didn't know it before, just that he deserves me at my best. He certainly gives me more than I could ever imagine.

Okay, sorry for the diversion, I will get back to my point. I am probably going to get royally screwed on a car interest rate. Does it suck? H!%# yes! Am I going to put on my big girl panties and deal with it? Yep. Because the way I see it, I can't do anything about the past. All I can do is move forward and continue rebuilding my credit from the ground up.

And just a quick side-note to all you early 20 somethings out there. When mom and dad tell you that credit cards are dangerous, listen. And if you don't have parents that ever told you, I'm telling you now. Use them to build credit (it is the fastest way afterall), but learn self restraint early. Thankfully, my little sister is smart when it comes to her credit card, and I'm proud of her for that.

So for my quote:

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - Anonymous

New Car Exhaustion

I'm not sure if anyone has shopped for a new car lately, but it is exhausting. What features do you want? What features are excessive? What make? Model? Year? Miles? (because when I say new, I mean new to me, but slightly used) I think I have decided on an Altima, but I have to find one with a price my husband and I agree on. This is fun! **insert sarcasm here** On a different note, I'm super excited that my older sister Mallor has found a new "friend". The quotes are because I I was excited she was talking to someone and she said (very quickly I might add) that they are just friends getting to know each others. That's cool... It's gotta start somewhere. She really deserves to be happy, and I hope this guy makes her happy! Another different note, I want a baby. I know, I know... Billy and I just got married, we are both in school, now really isn't the perfect time, but let's face it, we aren't getting any younger. Now this doesn't mean I am trying to get pregnant, just not really preventing. If it is supposed to happen, it certainly will. In the meantime, I will mention that it is nice to play with babies and give them back to their parents so I can get a full night's sleep!! For my husband: Go 49ers!!!! "A man does not ask a woman to marry her because he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He asks her to marry him because he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life without her." - Richard Easton

Super Delicious Goodness

So I realized that I created this super fantastic page (Recipe Fun) and I haven't added anything to it. So here goes nothing... ****SIDE NOTE**** AFTER MANY UNSUCCESSFUL TRIES AT UPLOADING THIS TO MY RECIPE FUN PAGE, I AM SURRENDERING AND LOADING I TO MY REGULAR BLOG. FAIL. MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL USE MY INTELLIGENCE FOR SOMETHING.

I haven't even actually tried this, it just sounds (and looks) super delish!!

You Need:
2 cans of any type biscuit
syrup
butter
brown sugar

Notice there are no amount of syrup, butter, or brown sugar....it's because you can never have too much of any of those things. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, thinking like that IS what has me enrolled in Weight Watchers.

Back to the recipe:

You also need a bundt (sp??) pan, and some non-stick spray.

First, preheat your oven to 350.
Next, melt some butter. Contrary to my statement ^^ up there, don't get crazy you just need a couple tablespoons.

Take your bundt (sp?? I need to Google that word to make sure I'm spelling it right :/ ) pan and spray it with non-stick spray. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with some syrup and brown sugar.

Next, arrannge your biscuits in circular motion pattern around the center of the pan.

Sprinkle more brown sugar and syrup on top. Along with your melted butter.

Then bake. 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

I imagine myself flipping the biscuit ring-o-goodness onto a pretty plate for decorative serving, but it would probably be just as delish out of the pan. Also, try cutting your biscuits into bite size chunks, coating them in the butter/brown sugar/syrup combo and baking them in the b-word pan. I don't know if you folks know this or not, but those canned biscuits have a funny way of not sticking to other biscuits when they cook, so you have super delish (I assume) pull-apart bread.

Now that I have told all of you how to make this creation I have never crafted, I feel better. I promise next time I'll try it before I buy type it.

And now, for all the fellow math-letes out there....

"Life is a math equation. In order to gain the most, you have to know how to convert the negative to positive." - Unknown

The Sad is outweighing the Happy

Wow, it has been an emotional week. I started my week Monday night with a fantastic football game. None other than my amazing Crimson Tide boys eliminated the possibility of a split championship by shutting out LSU!!! Fantastic!!

Today brought the rain. Not literally. Literally speaking, it is the first day all week that it hasn't rained. But figuratively? Boy oh boy.

My nephew Paul is almost 6 months old (sidenote - he was born on my parents anniversary awwww), and has been in and out of the hospital for all of those six months. He was originally diagnosed with Hyperinsulinism in Infants, and was told it was managable by medication and would eventually grow out of it. That hasn't exactly gone as planned.

For medical reasons and diagnosis(es) I do not know, Paul  had to  have 95% of his pancreas removed today. He will now be insulin dependent for the rest of his life, have to take medicinal enzymes to help digest his food, and runs the risk of having to have the remaining 5% removed in the future.

Bud and Tonya (his parents) are in miraculously good spirits. They are thankful that their sweet (and he is oh-so-sweet) baby boy is going to be coming home in approximately two weeks. They are aware of the challenges they face, and are stepping toe-to-toe with them, daring those challenges to test their abilities as parents.

This is where I get upset....

Neither Bud nor Tonya have a strong faith, or any faith really, but here I am, considering myself to have a strong faith, and I'M questioning things. I want to know why so many babies are born healthy every day and my nephew has had all these complications. It's like he can't catch a break. Then I get selfish, and wonder "what if this happens to my children". Since Bud is a carrier of that awful gene that is supposed to lay dormant, what if Billy is? We have both decided we are going to be tested for the gene prior to deciding to get pregnant. Not saying that we will not have children, just so we can be aware.

Okay, that was quite a ramble. I have determined that I will have a positive outlook, and I will enjoy loving on that sweet little baby (did I mention how sweet he is?) as soon as he gets home.

For now.....

"If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it"