January Beauty Favorites

Hey girls,
  I thought I would share a few things that I have discovered and am enjoying lately.  There are several things that I have loved so much that I had to pass it along.
Enjoy and I hope you all are having a wonderful week!




This heel scrubber has revolutionized my feet.  I HATE when my feet are all gross and need a good scrubbing.  It drives me crazy and makes me pick at them which makes it worse.  Gross, I know!  I don't want to have to pay for a pedicure every couple weeks so I figured I would take a chance on one of these.  Let me just say, it works!  I use it in the shower while my feet are wet.  Then afterwards, I dry them, put on a good ointment (like aquaphor) with some socks and in the morning, my feet are almost new!  They feel amazing and I am hooked.






  This is my new favorite tanning lotion.  It provides awesome color in a short amount of time without streaking or being blotchy.  I especially love to mix it with a regular lotion and use it all over for a soft, smooth, uniform color.  I even use this stuff on my face and it doesn't make me break out.  Definitely mix it if you use it on your face and just concentrate on the outsides of the face.






  I actually got a sample of this stuff in my Glam Ipsy bag and I totally love it!  This mascara lengthens and volumizes at the same time.  I was so impressed with it that I had to tell you all.  It will make your eyes pop!





  Bold, defined eyebrows are all the rage right now and are the perfect touch to defining your eyes.  This brow pencil will help achieve that while looking natural (use a light hand when applying and use the correct strokes).  Plus it comes with a brow brush and a corrector in case you mess up!

XOXO

Joy

Achieving a Flawless Complexion

Okay, girls,
  I have found the secret to an amazingly flawless complexion.

  You know how I did a post a while ago on foundation and how I was becoming a believer in it?  Well, I now have something else that I can not live without because of the HUGE difference it makes in my overall look.  It's the difference in looking nice verses amazing.  Actually, I would say that it's the difference in looking airbrushed without needing an airbrush system.

How to achieve all that you might ask?  With one, simple, step: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer




I picked up this primer when I was waiting in line at Sephora and immediately loved the way it felt on my skin.
Initially I decided to try a primer because my skin has been different lately - I don't know if it's pregnancy or the fact that it's winter (or age!) but my pores seem bigger and easier for my foundation to accentuate rather than conceal.
This primer does not disappoint!  It's lightweight but silky smooth and will make any foundation just glide over your skin without settling into any lines or pores.  Every time I wear it, I LOVE the way my entire complexion looks smooth, soft and completely blended.  You still look like you have makeup on but it makes it less noticeable and more like you just have amazing skin.

Just like it took me a while to become a believer in foundation, I never spent money on primer because I thought it was just an extra way to blow money.  But primer isn't just about extending the life of your makeup (it will make it stay on longer).  It lays the perfect foundation and canvas for the rest of your makeup to sit on.  It will also cause you to need less foundation because it will spread way more easily.

This primer can be used with any kind of foundation although I am partial to using it with liquid foundation because the primer is a liquid and I think they blend the best together.

I promise you will not be disappointed!

XOXO

Joy

Simon's 2nd Birthday

For Simon's 2nd birthday we decided to go all out and throw a big party.  We didn't really give him one for his first birthday because we knew he wouldn't really get to enjoy it like he would if he was older.  He probably still didn't get into it as much at age 2 but oh well, we had fun and he seemed to have a good time.

  He is in the beloved train stage right now so we went with that as a theme but I wanted more the vintage look and not a specific look like Thomas.  There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest that we were able to incorporate and it turned out pretty cute.  Fortunately we had some outside help that made it a lot easier to pull off a party like this because if it was all up to me, it definitely would not have turned out this cute!

Coloring pages for the kids

Photo booth hanging up for pics

Train tracks that led upstairs to the playroom

Party favors: a train whistle, bandanna and stickers

Food table

Drink station

Getting his ticket punched...

Photo booth time!

Opening presents

Thank you to everyone who came and made his day so special!  It is a really fun memory that we will treasure for a long time.

XOXO

Joy

From Nursery to Big Boy Look: Simon's Room Grows Up

When we were expecting Simon, we didn't really have a room to make into a nursery and then by the time we moved, I just used what had been given to me to put something together.  We were so thankful that so many people generously gave us what they no longer needed - it truly saved us a lot of money!  And, of course, it all just happened to match!

Oak colored furniture is not my first choice but we were happy to be given such great stuff that we went with it.  Here is his nursery before (I had not put anything up on the walls since we moved in):

Now that we are expecting #2, I decided to do a "big boy" room for Simon and it turned out so cute that I had to share.  I am not one of those people that can just put something together without seeing it first.  I know what I like when I see it but it usually takes me a while to really know what I want.

 Naturally it took me 2 years to figure out what I wanted to do for Simon.  I knew that I didn't want a juvenile theme and I really didn't want to do sports so what did that leave me?  Modern. Western.

Bed:  Bunkbed from Pacific Lifestyle Furniture (Beaverton)
Quilt:  Redrainbootshandmade.bigcartel.com

Teepee:  Etsy (The Cuckoo Clock store)

Cowhide:  Ikea

Curtains:  Pottery Barn Kids

Moose:  The Orchard Store

Porcelain Deerhead:  The Land of Nod (online)

Pillowcases:  H&M (online)

 It didn't turn out perfectly - there are a lot of little tweaks that I'm going to do once we have purchased a house and aren't in a rental.  But the things that I got I am really happy with and will use for years.

He absolutely loves it and thinks it is so neat that he has his own big bed with pillows on it.  He helps to pick them up and put them back on the bed after he gets up which is so cute.

One thing I have to mention is the amazing, custom quilt that my sister made me for his bed.  It is one of my favorite pieces about his new room and is such great quality that it will last him forever!  You guys seriously have to check out her store and her amazing handmade stuff @ www.redrainbootshandmade.bigcartel.com/.

XOXO

Joy

Holiday Glow Makeup

Hey girls,
  I thought I would share a great little tip with you all for achieving that extra glow in your makeup look during the holidays.  You'll notice that winter makeup is very different than summer makeup and part of that is because your skin is different during the seasons.  During the winter your skin will need more help in looking less sallow and flat.  To help with this, use an illuminator to glow and soften everything up.  It's really that simple.  Another term you will hear for this is "dewey".  Here is a picture as an example:

Notice the light on her cheeks and above her eyebrows?  That is because of illuminator. It catches beautifully in the light and is just gorgeous.  It looks amazing in evening lighting and with all those Christmas lights everywhere you will never want for a great spotlight.  ;)

 I did a makeup tutorial to show you how to use one and where to use it on your face.  Sorry my lighting isn't the best so it's hard to see but you'll get the general idea.

XOXO

Joy

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Another year has passed and this week always makes me reflective on how much has changed and how thankful I am for so many things in my life. Because we celebrate Simon's birthday a few days after Thanksgiving, I'm more reflective than usual, thinking about another year with him.
I feel so incredibly thankful and blessed to have Simon and Peter in my life (and baby #2!). They are my biggest blessings aside from my salvation.  When I married Peter, I knew that I wanted to spend my life on an adventure with him but I had no idea how happy I would be as Simon's mother.  Being his mom has given me such a sense of purpose, peace and fulfillment.  I've honestly never been happier.
This past year has been surprising, adventurous, hard and fulfilling.  We have had an amazing support system of our family, friends and our church and for that I am extremely grateful.
I decided to do a few pictures from our last year so I hope you enjoy them.  =)

Enjoying lunch

Celebrating our 4th Anniversary

Cousins Axel and Simon

With Cousin Jordan

Bike ride

Road trips!

Lots of Spartan Races =)

Camping

Adventures with Daddy

Plane Ride

First time at the fair

First Carousel ride

Sitting on top of the Hill

Tea Parties!

Visiting Grandad and Mum-Mum

Sweating our the Heat

Exploring the piano

New Favorite Hat

Potty Training!

Pumpkin Patch

Happy Thanksgiving, Dolls!

XOXO

Joy