Simply Skin Saturday! Luscious Lashes!

Simply Skin Saturday, Favorite Product!

Question of the day?? What the heck happens to our lashes as we age??? I remember when I was young people would comment on what nice long lashes I had. I look at my 3 girls and wish I too had long, dark, thickly layers lashes. What many people don't know is we actually start with about 3+ layers of lashes, as we age, they start to thin out. When do these things happen?? One day you're lucious and the next skimpy??? So frustrating!!! So in January of 2008 my search for my lost lashes began,
Option #1: Lash Extensions! Cost $150-200 (for a good set)
I first tried "lash extensions" last year, but it suddenly turned what the company claimed to be a never before seen allergic reaction (of course I'm the first) and that inturn resulted in a trip to the Derm office(on New Years Eve no less, hence no party for me) and a Rx for Prednisone and a topical cream. It took at least 3 long weeks until my eyes returned to almost normal and I was able to wear any type of eye makeup again. I did take photos, but they are too gruesome to post and I do want you to return to my blog again! So my quest for lucious lashes continued.

Option #2: Fake Lashes!
But, I don't know....sometimes they don't seem so natural and I don't want to be TOO luscious! I am already married! Plus, what happen if one starts to hang off your eye!

Option #3: Lash Enhancers! $120-$160
I was first introduced to a lash conditioner by a friend who used to have what we called "stumps" for lashes. After using a lash enhancer, she now looked like the result of lash extensions, but perfectly natural. She used a Jan Marini product and after about 3 months, looked amazing. The problem??? $160 (Ouch) I know compared to the cost and the upkeep of lash extensions, this was a good deal, but please keep in mind, I'm a huge budge!!
RevitaLash has a lash enhancer on the market as well, same type of results as the Jan Marini but only $150 (wow a $10 savings, but still too pricey for the likes of me) Keep in mind most of these products can be found on the web for cheaper, just be careful and alway research before buying, don't buy from just "anyone"!

Today at the Esthetics school where I work, the makers of Botox came in to do an educational class and shared their new lash product available for sale. It is available by Rx only by a Botox doc and it is $120 (getting bettter and better) This product is call "Latisse" and just launched this month!! (So new, I can't even find a photo!)
Option #4: Double Lash! $24
But of course I saved the best for last....I started using this product 2 months ago, it is a lash conditioner/growth simulater. It is manufactored in Switerland and the best part $24.00, hellloooo!!! After about 1 month I noticed my lashes getting longer and now 2 months later my lashes are defintiely getting thicker. I am noticing new lashes growing!
How do lash enhancers work?? We constantly are losing lashes as they reach the end of their growing cycle, they slough off and therefore there are always new lashes growing. So the Double Lash allows the growing cycle of the lash to last longer, since the growing cycle is longer the lashes grow longer and at the same time, we are still growing new lashes, so our lashes are also thicker!!! We actually have more lashes. The most important RESULT...ME...VERY HAPPY!!! If you decide you can't live w/out Double Lash...email me...I'll get you some!!! Finally I am on the road to Luscious Lashes!!!!
But for those of you that want something special for that night on the town....I did find this...
ENJOY!!!

Cupcake of the Month!

One of my favorite blogs to visit is Prudence Pennywise, she is a fabulous cook and always has great recipes on her blog. Every recipe I've tried, I've loved! Well she is having a "Cupcake of the Month" this year and I thought I'd do the same. The thing is, I am really just making what she makes and passing it on. Maybe some months I'll be creative and come up w/my own cupcake! But sorry, this is not the month!

(I couldn't decide which pic looked better, so I posted both)
So here is my attempt at "Janurary Cupcakes", I thought I'd better hurry since today is January 29th....ahhhh!
I used a box cake mix (let's get real), but Prudy's tip was to sub buttermilk for the water and butter for the oil! Love it! Then we frosted the cupcakes w/Cream Cheese frosting and made white chocolate snowflakes to put on top! I place them on a footed cake plate and my family was soooo impressed at dessert time! All 3 girls insisted on taking a "home lunch" the next day to school so they could show the cute winter cupcakes off! That will always make a mom feel good.

When making the white chocolate snowflakes, we melted white choc chips in the microwave and then using a plastic bag w/a small hole, tried to mimic Prudy's snowflakes onto wax paper and let them cool in the fride for awhile. Since then, on another fun blog I like to visit, they suggested using a plastic bottle, I will pick one up for next time! I promise not to wait too long for my Feb Cupcakes!!! Happy Baking and Eating!

Valentine Projects!!!

Okay...I'll try my hand at a project post! At my house, it's no secret that I love holidays. Of course I have my favorites, but lets get real, any holiday is a good day, be it Christmas or Ground Hog Day. (Okay, I do like Christmas better than Ground Hog Day!)
Top 10 Reasons I love a Holiday!!!
1. A great opportunity to liven up the boring same old stuff at the house with holiday decor.
2. A fab excuse to make lots of treats!
3. They sell wonderfully wrapped candies for just about all holidays now.
4. An good reason to have a pot-luck at work and take an extra long lunch.
5. Cookies cutters come in about every holiday shape!
6. Holiday crafts!
7. Getting to check out all those fun blogs out there w/great holiday projects, recipes and decor ideas.
8. Makes magazine covers look so enticing we want to buy them all!
9. Something to blog about!
10. My Mom always sends the kids fun cards in the mail!!

Valentine Project #1:
We have had a magnet board for Kate's room that has been waiting to be painted for about 2-3 months in the garage! Since Kate's room just happens to be red, black and white, so I thought it only appropriate to include it in our Valentine Project list!

It is only logical if you have a magnet board, you'll obviously also need magnets. So what would be better than "Valentine Magnets!"

Valentine Project #2:


So cute and since everyone has magnet boards in their rooms, who can't use Valentine Magnets!
Supplies: Roberts Crafts
Heart Shaped Marbles: $2.49 ($1.50 if using 40% coupon), qty 20
Red Glitter Glue: : $0.99
Magnets: $1.49 qty 10
So about $5.50 for 20 magnets! Not bad!
Directions:
1. We spread red glitter glue on the back of the heart marble (flat side)& let dry.
2. Using super glue, we glued a magnet onto back of heart marble on top of dried glitter.
3. Viola...that's it, you're done! My kind of project!
They look cute on the fridge too....

Valentine Day Project #3:

Every year a good family friend of ours gives us a Amarylis bulb. We plant it, place in a room w/a South or West facing window and by Valentine's Day we have a beautiful red blooming plant. Tyler is a good planter and helps me water our bulb and watch it grow. With outside looking like this:



The growing flower is a great reminder that someday Spring will return! We'll post a photo when it blooms!

Super Fab Give-Aways!!!

I just found a GREAT new blog...I added it to my "Favorite Blogs to Check Out" list. It is www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com!

The first give-away is a Quasar Light-Therapy Give-Away!
Do you struggle w/acne or aging issues? Okay, let's be honest, who doesn't deal w/these issues in their household? Well, I just found a great website and they are having a give a-way for a hand-held light therapy unit, Baby Quasar and Baby Blue Quasar. This give-away includes both the red(anti-aging) and blue (acne)units and together they retail for over $700!
As a Master Esthetician, I am here to say, this is a HUGE must have!!! If you love your skin, you need to link to this site and register to win! Click here to enter sweetlifeinthevalley.com/
Or you can click on the Sweet Life in the Valley button to link to the site! Good luck! If you have any questions on light therapy and how it can help you, please let me know, I'd love to help! Hurry and enter, deadline is Jan 29th! Anyone can enter!


The second Give-Away just posted tonight and it is a Layers Give-Away!
Click here to find out how to sign-up to win!! I just love Give-Aways!!! Layers has some super cute things right now too!The deadline on the blog is posted as 1/22/09, but it only posted on 1/26/09, so I think that is an error. So don't think you have missed out, just hurry and signup!

Men are from Mars, Women from Venus....Sugar Cookies!

Men are from Mars...Women are from Venus!!!
Okay, I have A LOT to say on this topic! This is going to have to be a monthly or maybe semi-monthly post. So I guess this will be my "first edition"!
I'm starting w/Sugar Cookies!
Sugar Cookies....are there any better type of cookies. Okay, we all like the classic chocolate chip, the oatmeal, peanut butter, blah, blah, blah.

But really, when someone gives you a homemade sugar cookie w/butter cream frosting, I mean, can you beat that????? Maybe it is so tasty because this cookie is one we don't make everyday, we always seem to save the sugar cookie for the "special holidays"! So when you sink your teeth into that luscious piece of heaven, your feeling pretty special, cuz the cookie itself is special.
Well, my question is....are sugar cookies just a girl thing?
Well, apparently, my husband isn't "ga ga" over the sugar cookie. The other night the girls and I decided to make sugar cookies, when I asked him if he wanted one, his response..."not really". Are you kidding me...you are offered a homemade sugar cookie and you say "not really"??!! Are you human, how did I not notice this in the 20 years I've known him. How can he not love the sugar cookie????

Speaking of, here's the recipe for my fav and of course fab sugar cookies:
2/3 C butter
2/3 C shortening
4 C flour
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 T. milk
2 t. baking powder
2 t. vanilla
Dash salt

Cream butter and shortening, add half of the flour and all of the sugar, egg, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat til well mixed. Beat in the remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.


Roll out and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 375* for 7-8 min. After cooling, frost w/fav homemade buttercream frosting! Soooooo yummy!

What do we do while we wait for the dough to chill, the cookies to bake and then to cool? Well, here you have it:
Kate is on the computer...probably on "FaceBook"

Ty is playing her DS!

And of course Mom is texting! (I'm sure it's work related!)

So...give me your feedback on my first edition of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus", Sugar Cookie Edition!

Are you a fan of the sugar cookie??? Are sugar cookies just a "girl thing"?
Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on this!!!

Island Give-Away

My good friend Jenn is in Hawaii right now w/her husband Jeff. She is such a loyal blogger that she is not only posting blogs from her tropical vacation, but she is also having a great "Island Give-Away" on her blog. Go check it out and good luck!
You can click here to link to her site!

Hope you're having a great time Jenn!!! Aloha~

Award Time!!!!

I just received this fun "Triple Blog Award" from my great friend Jenn! Thanks Jenn,you're the BEST!

Here are the rules for the recipients:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!***
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Okay, this one is a little tuff for me since I'm new to this blogging thing!!! So I may fall short of the 10 blogs!

Here are my favorites!!!

1. Marie
Marie just started her blog this weekend, I'm so excited to have her join the fun!
2. Katie
Katie is a busy mom with 4 kids (1 year twins)! I so admire you, I couldn't do it!!!
3. Anna
Anna is my niece living in So. Cal and should be giving birth anyday, good luck!
4. Jamie
I met Jamie about 20 years ago and we've just reconnected through blogging!
5. Chelsey
Chelsey is my "fab" niece living in San Diego who needs to get her butt in gear and UPDATE her blog!!!!

Have a great day and keep blogging!!!

Monday Blah!!! (Oh no, it'sTuesday)

Don't you hate it when it feels like a Monday, but it's Tuesday???? Almost as bad as waking up thinking it's Friday and it's only Thursday!
As I look out the window at work this morning this is what I see....

I get cold just looking at it!!! Yep, lots of fog...iced trees and snow. I guess it wouldn't seem so bad if a mere 36 hours earlier I hadn't just left this.......

I was sitting in the sun, toasty warm in 81* weather! And yes, of course I was wearing my SPF 30! I went to So Cal to visit my family for the weekend and it was so fab! I'll post more on that later...just waiting for my family to send me pics (hint, hint, and please hurry!)
But here's the good news...new snow is expected this weekend and that is good for my snowboarding family members. As I told my husband I thought I was ready to move to the OC for a few years, he called me on Monday from Sundance to remind me how lucky we are to live only a mere 20 minutes from a great ski resort. It's true, I do love the 4 seasons... Funny thing...while he was up at Sundance, some people thought he was Robert Redford, I hope they are thinking of the "Young Robert Redford",ha ha, anyways, I guess altitude can do funny things to your brain!
P.S. Marcus took Alex and her "boyfriend" up for the day...what a DAD!

P.S. The Birthday Gift

I guess I almost forgot the most important part....the big 14 year old gift.

Apparently when you turn 14 at our house it means you get a cell phone...news to me! What do I know, I'm just the Mom! Well, Alex has her new phone and more importantly, her new phone rules. So, lets just say, from now on Alex will always be.....

* On time for school
* Have a perfectly clean room
* All school assignments turned in
* A smile for Mom

Or sadly, Mom will have 2 cell phones!!! Ha, Ha, Happy Bday Alex!

Alex Turns 14!

Happy Birthday Alex! Wow...Alex is 14! That went fast, that also means we have been in our house for 13 years. We moved to Lindon the day before Alex's 1st birthday.
We went to dinner for Alex's bday, her choice...anyplace that served "Grilled Cheese Sandwiches", since it was the snowiest day of the year so far (and I'm not kidding), the roads were too bad to drive very far from the house. Luckily one of our favorite places to eat, "Kneaders" makes a mean grilled cheese. And lucky for Ty they also have pretty good sugar cookies! (I'll elaborate more on sugar cookies tomorrow)



Alex is just happy she is turning 14 and not as old as her Mom, since old people can hardly make it through dinner before they fall asleep!


After dinner, Alex had one of her favorite desserts, mint brownies and icecream. And after dessert...we all got into our jammies to watch a "chick-flick"!

Happy Birthday Alex, we love you!

Bird on the Lawn Giveaway

Act FAST!!!

I just found this give-away through one of my favorite students that just graduated! Thanks Ashley! Go to www.birdonthelawn.com they are having a give-away for 9 days in January. The give-away ends at midnight on January 11th and winners are announced on the 12th! You can register for all 9 give-aways by just leaving a comment. Winners are randomly picked! What's better than free cute stuff!!!

Simply Skin Saturday! Winter Sun!

As most of you know, I'm a "Master Esthetician", that's right, please do not make the mistake of calling me just an "Esthetician", I might have to hurt you, or at least wax off one of your eyebrows. LOL! Anyways, since my I have been doing a very poor job of developing my "spa blog", I decided to start, "Simply Skin Saturday".
Winter Sun Fact #1:
Winter Sun! Did you pack away your sun screen with the swimsuits and beach bag? Well drag it back out! What most people don't know is that the sun in the winter is actually more damaging to the skin than the sun in the summer. One main reason being...it's reflective.
Sun Fact #2:
50% of the sun we receive is through glass(i.e.driving in your car/working in your office by the window). Also, skin damage due to sun exposure is cumulative. Think of all those years doing simple things like; going to class, the supermarket, picking up the kids from school, it all counts and it all adds up!
Sun Fact #3
90% of aging and wrinkles come from sun damage. Ouch, okay so that means all those years of slathering myself w/baby oil and going to the beach have now returned to bite me in the butt or more appropriately in the face(and chest and hands and so on and so on)! I'm not saying we can never leave our homes again, we just need to protect ourselves...even in January!!!
My Solution

My very, very, very, favorite sunscreen for the face is Ayur-Medic Tinted SPF 30! Reasons I love this sunscreen: It doesn't feel or smell like sunscreen. It has a tint that works with most skin tones. I apply it after moisturizing and I don't need to use any foundation. Only a light dusting of my favorite mineral make-up. My skin looks natural, it evens out my skin tone and most importantly, it protects my skin from (even more) premature aging due to UV light! If you have sensitive skin, it won't cause you to break out.
I recommend it to all my clients and once they try it, they are hooked!!!

Ayur-Medic Products are developed by two plastic surgeons located in Westlake Village, CA. If you now are thinking this is a product you can't live w/out...you can email me at simplyskinds@yahoo.com, I sell it for $26+ shipping or you can order from www.ayur-medic.com, it is $34+shipping

If you already have skin damage from the sun or age spots...have a professional give you a microdermabrasion or chemical peel to help reverse aging and keep it from getting worse. But remember after receiving one of these treatments, it is even more important to use sunblock! If you live near me and want to schedule an appointment...email me at simplyskindayspa@yahoo.com!!!

simplyskindayspa@yahoo.com

Trashy Thursday!!!

Okay...so I found a piece of furniture that was being thrown out and it had been
reduced to mere pieces. At one time it was some type of ornate shelf thing. Of course the thrifty one in me said, "I can make that work!" So, I took it home to my husband who looked at me like I was crazy! My first plan was to reassemble it and put into Tyler's room for books and toys! But as I reassessed the pieces when I got home, I realized some were missing, hence the "heading to the garbage"!
But to my relief my doubting husband had an idea....a nightstand!!! I have been w/out a nightstand for forever and there is always a pile of "stuff" next to my bed and usually a glass of water too!!! So there you have it....my "Trashy Treasure"...check out the pic...it looks great! At least I think so!


Okay, for those of you with dirty minds that thought "Trashy Thursday" meant something else, I don't want you going away disappointed, so here you go...
A Furry 70's Dream!!


Alright, now my once family rated G blog just turned PG-13, are you happy?

I found this delicious photo on one of my favorite blogs, wordtoyourmother-mindi.blogspot.com, if you haven't checked out this blog, you are missing out, Mindi is the funniest! I would love to meet this girl!

Pay It Forward Give-Away!!!

Okay, so I was on my one of my favorite blogs today and noticed my favorite friend Jen was having a "pay it forward" contest. I was one of the three lucky winners!!!



Here's how it works:
Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, and you win a handmade item from me. What could be better?

Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count! So if you win, please be kind when you receive your gift!!!

When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!

If you don't have a blog and are just checking out my fab life....I so encourage you to start one!!! I started this blog barely 2 weeks ago and I am having soooo much fun, I'm addicted!!!! I told my husband I'm ready to quit my job so I can be a stay at home Mom again and have more blogging time!!! He thinks I'm crazy, but there's nothing new with that! I probably would have been a much more sane Mother to my young children if I'd of been a blogger years ago!!!

Okay....so now take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! This is going to be fun!!!

Have a fab day and keep on bloggin'!!!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2009!

We are ready to begin a New Year! We wish you and yours a year blessed with happiness, much love and prosperity!!!

Alex received a snowboard for Christmas and she is ready to start 2009 as a "boarder girl!" Good thing Sundance is only about 20 minutes away.



I in turn, am ready to be a "lounge in the lodge and have a hot cocoa mom"! I am not a fan of falling or of being cold. But I do love the beautiful scenery and views that Sundance offers.



Tyler is happy to go along for the ride (for now), but she is thinking next time her Dad needs to take her snowboarding as well.


Alex did great! She is planning to go up again on Monday... it's her birthday and she is turning 14!