The Verdict {BeautyMint Review}

**This post is not sponsored in any way, just my own personal review of a product I decided to try out.**

A few weeks ago, I began trying out Jessica Simpson's skin care project Beautymint.  Today, I want to give you my thoughts on it and why I won't be continuing to use it.

The initial attractive selling points for BeautyMint:

• Created by a Beverly Hills Celebrity Skincare Expert 
• Visibly reduce the appearance of forehead wrinkles
• Patented technology and premium ingredients
• Low Monthly cost

I am looking for a product that will improve my skin all around, but specifically address the fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead, while minimizing breakouts.

Before / No Make-Up

I was very hopeful that BeautyMint would work, and did notice the following after a few weeks of use:

• Improved texture of skin
• Smaller pores
• Dry skin patches around nose gone!

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing to use BeautyMint because:

• Breakouts - I had an increase in breakouts, as well as tiny pimples
• Forehead skin became very dry and itchy, possibly an allergic reaction to the product?
• No real noticeable improvement of the areas I was hoping to address
• Skin seemed more red and uneven

 After - Skin is More Red, Breakout

I took a close up and you can really see the redness/irritation from the product.

I wouldn't necessarily discourage anyone from using BeautyMint, especially because it is hard to tell whether or not I had a particular sensitivity to one or more of their ingredients.  I'd definitely be interested in hearing from others who have used this product to see if they had any kind of itching/redness occur.

"Pinning!" {wk.10} Take Me Away

Welcome to the "Pinning!"!!!

First timer?  Check out the RULES, then link up below!

This week's theme: Take Me Away!

If you could go anywhere right now…where would you go?

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I'd definitely take the nook…although the Tree house looks like an adventure!

THANK YOU for Linking up last week!  

The Award for Pinning-est Goes to:
This week I just couldn't decide on a winner, 
both Joanna & Kimberly deserve it for their very different and stylish boot collections!

Are you "Pinning"?  

Come on, everyone is doing it.  

Join me MONDAYS for weekly sharing of Pinterest finds.  

After all, together we are "Pinning!"

{Rules}

January 30th: Take Me Away! (If you could go anywhere right now…)

February 6th: Partytime (Plan a party, any party!)

February 13th: RED (Cause, you know, V-day is tomorrow!)

February 20th: P.S. I Love You (Be Creative!)

February 27th: This is My Style (Define your style!)

The Weekly Wrap {1.28.12}

Zion is becoming more and more humorous every day.  

She will do anything to get a good laugh out of us.

 

We have about 5-10 of these tea parties a day.

I'm proud of this close-up shot of my hair this week!

A very dear friend of mine, came to NYC for her work, and visited me.

We had such a great time catching up over coffee.

I never get tired of the sunsets from our neighborhood.

 

Zion is currently obsessed with pockets…and enjoys stashing things in them.

Even in Winter, with the trees bare, beauty can be found.

She sure loves to pick up sticks.

I had fun teaching Zion some exercises this week:

Above was just after she broke a plank position,

below is her practicing a squat.

How was your week lovelies?

Unscripted: Somethings Got To Give

Something has to give.  Something always has to give.  It seems like just when I get a bit of balance in my life, some major flaw reveals itself and my energy has to be redirected in tackling it.  

Currently, I'm struggling with the reality of my attitude toward money.  I know it may be taboo to speak openly about personal financial struggles, but I'm seriously having issues and I will take any help I can get.  You see, I'm a spender.  

My husband, sincere thanks to God, is the polar opposite of me financially.  He is wise, conservative, and conscious of each and every financial decision he makes and how it will impact us.  

I may as well be declared financially blind.  I have the head knowledge and the smarts to manage money well.  I have tools at my disposal to make it easy and efficient to tend our household budget.  But, I just can't seem to stay within the boundaries we've set.

I'm trying to get to the root of the issue.  Don't get the wrong idea…I'm not going on shopping sprees and running up our credit cards frivolously.  I want more than anything to be debt-free this year.  I just seem to have this attitude about money that lacks proper respect.  

When I think about money, I think of the control it has on our lives.  I hate being controlled…by anything/anyone.  I have this rebellion that stirs in me when living in the confines of a budget or a spending cap and it sees every opportunity to use justification as a way of excusing my choices to overspend the amounts we have agreed upon each month.

This mindset is getting me in big trouble.  Its false.  Complete lies.  I am actually giving money more control by letting it wreak havoc in my life {and marriage} as well as keeping myself in bondage by overspending {each dollar overspent could be another dollar towards financial freedom!}

So what do I do?  I need to carve out the false beliefs I have about money and truly make it work for me.  I need to put more weight on each and every financial decision I make.  I need to get back to what has worked for me, until I break the habits.  So that means, I need to use cash again.

Cash only spending has a huge impact on me.  When I leave my debit card at home, I know that I have no choice but to stay within the boundaries of the cash in my wallet.  I can't be tempted to buy that extra box of hot cocoa when I didn't plan ahead of time for it.  And if that means I get to the checkout of the grocery store with more than I intended, I will have to face the embarrassment of putting something back.  This kind of money management also forces me to make a good meal plan and stick to it, something I've sort of stopped doing over the last couple of months.

I think that another part of my struggle is with just being able to say, "no."  Even if it is just a "no" for now, so that I can say "yes" later.  I've been a "Yes" person most of my life, and this ties right into breaking that habit.  

Money, I'm done giving you the keys to our kingdom.  

Toddler Mealtime Magic! {Tommee Tippee Tableware Review!}

Does this look familiar?

If you have a toddler, like me, this might be all too familiar!

I have been so frustrated teaching my daughter mealtime manners, and cleaning up monumental messes.  I've been searching for a solution for a while, so when I was given the opportunity to try out a few items from the tommee tippee explora tableware line, I was really excited and hopeful!  

We received several different items to try out, including those pictured above, as well as spoons that I will share with you later in this post.  One of the things I love about the tommee tippee brand is that they have a science behind everything they make, and it really shows.  I'm going to share a little info on each of the products I received and then I'll share my thoughts on them!

   

The explora easi-roll bibs are made from a soft and light material, totally BPA free and roll-up for convenient storage!  They are the easiest to clean bibs I have ever used, plus they don't retain the smell of food or get mildewy like some of the other bibs we have.  The wide catch-all at the bottom of the bib is great and does a fantastic job of catching most food.  These bibs are best for tray-free/booster seat eating and restaurants because high-chair trays can decrease the effectiveness of the bib's catch all, depending on how they line up.

The explora section plates are designed with deeper sections and are angled for easy self-feeding.  I especially love that they keep food separate … great for my picky toddler.  One other fun thing about these plates is that you can make mealtime fun by using the side sections for "ears" and the center section to design a little "face" out of whatever food you are serving up.  With little effort these plates can make meal-time fun-time!  These plates fit perfectly on my new favorite toddler tool:

The explora easi-mat is pure magic.  If there was one tool I'd say you need to rush out and by from this collection, it would be the easi-mat.  This soft silicone mat sticks to almost any flat surface, and features a special suction circle that holds smooth bottom tableware securely in place.  In order to release the tableware you have to pull the special tab to release the suction, a trick most kids cannot figure out!  This means NO more plates and bowls tossed over the edge or dumped over on the table!  I was most excited to try this out and I've been very pleased with the result.  I would say that 95% of the time Zion cannot break the suction.  We use the easi-mat on our high-chair tray and I think the surface is not completely level which allows for the occasional break of the suction if it isn't optimally lined up. Overall, I have to say this is one of the most genius eating tools I've ever used!

A note about the explora tableware from tommee tippee's website:

All our products are made from hardwearing materials that can be put in the dishwasher, freezer or microwave. None of our products contain PVC and are all BPA free, so you can have complete confidence that your baby’s wellbeing is looked after. For less stress and mess at mealtimes, the tommee tippee® explora® tableware range has been created with both mum and baby in mind, and has those little extra touches that help make feeding an enjoyable experience.

The explora heat sensing spoons are soft, flexible and easy for small hands to use.  The special curved design makes learning to self--feed easy, while the shape of the head measures out the perfect bite size portions!  The coolest feature of this spoon is the heat sensing technology.  Remember those hyper-color t-shirts from back in the day?  That is exactly what this spoon reminds me of.  When food is hot, the color changes to let you know…and it doesn't just change one color…you can tell how hot it is by the intensity of the color.  When the pink changes to an orange-ish color food is warm, when the color changes to a bright yellow the food is hot.  Either way, any color change will let you know to test the food to make sure it is not too hot for you toddler to eat!  

We are very happy with our tommee tippee tableware, and hope you enjoyed learning about them!  For more information you can visit tommee tippee on the web or head out to Babies R Us/Toys R Us where they are sold exclusively!

The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  I received several product samples from the explora tableware line by tommee tippee to review.  Disclosure Policy

Link ♥

Have you heard of the fundraising website Kickstarter?  Well, here is a new and interesting concept: post artistic nude images to raise money?  I can't see myself personally taking advantage, but I can see this becoming a big deal.

I'm in mourning for the loss of Picnik happening in April…but I am sure that some awesome and amazing new website will pop up to fill-in the gap.  Here are a couple free photo editing sites (not nearly as complete) for you to try out:  Collages? Photovisi  Fun Filters? Picfull

Looking for some new ipad/iphone apps to keep the kiddos occupied?  Here are ten that have good reviews.

Did you know you could win some serious real estate on my blog this week?  Enter to win here!

If I was pregnant right now…I'd definitely consider this racy material! {via Itsalovething}

I thought I should warn you all now, that TBB {top baby blogs} will be resetting their votes on 1.31.12.  Yep, get ready for a week of posts asking for your votes.  Yes I'm listed, and no, I am not going to post about the reset, but I do want to share a great non-competitive fair directory of parenting/baby/life blogs in case you'd like to escape the popularity contest.

Want to know what is inside a toddler's brain?

It is always good to be reminded that the Internet is hardly a harmless place to share info…I'd like to give a shout out to this great dad for the reminder.

A little delivery room freestyle…cracked up watching this! {via Here and Now}

Are you a NYC parent/writer? If so, here is your chance to showcase your talent.

Muffintop Meltdown {v.4}

Progress, Points & Free Workouts
 
 
 
Progress Report:

Weight Lost This Week: 3 pounds

Total Weight Lost: 8 pounds

Inches Lost This Week: 4 inches

Total Inches Lost: 10.5 inches

Points Earned:

This Week: 97

Points Balance: 283!

Today, I thought I'd share a bit of how I'm burning extra calories each day, and how you can take advantage of some excellent free workout programs.

1.  Pilates: Pilates is my ninja workout strategy.  In order to have better form and strength in all of your other exercises, you need to have good core muscles.  Your core pulls everything else in tighter.  I recently had a chance to participate in a small group Pilates class with an awesome instructor, who taught me a few tricks that have improved my pilates workouts immensely.  Of course I'm going to share one with you: while you are lying on your back doing a pilates workout, imagine you have a large bowl filled with water resting between your hips/on your pelvis.  If your pelvis is tilted back or forward too much, that water is going to go everywhere, your goal is to prevent that from happening.  This helps you to keep your hips and pelvis in the right position to utilize your abdominal muscles fully…I was absolutely amazed at the difference this makes.  I use this free Pilates video by Denise Austin on Hulu.  It will work every inch of your body, targeting muscles you didn't even know you had!

2.  Strength Training/Toning: A lot of women I know are afraid to do lifting, thinking that it will cause their muscles to be bulky.  This just isn't true!  You don't have to lift heavy weights, but adding toning/strength building workouts to your routine will give you more muscle which burns more calories at rest than fat.  Did you catch that?  More muscle=more calories burned with less effort.  I have one set of 3 lb. hand-weights, that is it.  You don't even have to have that to get started, in fact, for the first couple of weeks that I started working out, I used only my body's natural resistance, and was still sore!  I try to do at least 2 sessions a week, but plan on increasing it as I get stronger.  I will eventually add heavier weights when the current ones get too easy.  My favorite free toning workouts are about 20 minutes each and focus on different body workouts, not to mention these ladies are in fantastic (motivating) shape: Envy Girls: Arms, Buns, Legs, Body.

3.  Cardio:  Cardio is the biggest challenge during the winter…mostly because my number one choice for cardio is distance running.  I have to huge setbacks right now with running, first: I don't own a jogging stroller, and second: I don't run in the dark.  If you are blessed with an in-home elliptical machine or treadmill…you have no excuse! Ha!  Because I don't have the best opportunity for cardio, yet I have vowed no excuses this year, I had to find a solution.  So, there are a couple things I do: first, the Body workout listed above by the Envy Girls is a great choice…it is a superset workout, so your heart does get pumping.  I own Shawn T's Hip Hop Abs DVD so that is one way I can get a 45 minute cardio workout done.  I also count brisk walking, especially pushing my daughter in her stroller for a mile or two.  A couple of other good cardio workouts I like: Self: Dance Your Way Slim, Bikini Ready, Fast! and Slim & Sleek Fast. 

Another thing you can try is a basic calisthenics workout (think P.E. exercises from your school days), like this one:

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One last note…I believe that exercise is very important, but I've learned that eating is even more important!  So even if you can only get in 1-2 exercise sessions a week, as long as you stick to eating well, you will continue to see a loss!

**I am not a certified expert on nutrition or exercise, so please, do your homework/research, and as always consult your physician before making major lifestyle changes that include diet/exercise!**

This Week:

I'm proud of these choices:

Birthday Brownie Bites: I made chocolate fudge brownies for Jerry's birthday with applesauce and egg whites, eliminating virtually all of the fat…best part, they were DELICIOUS and still fudgy/chewy!  {Okay, I admit they weren't entirely innocent, cause I added a few Reese's pieces to them! :)} 

Consistent workouts: I've been really staying focused and on target with my almost daily exercise routines.  I look forward to getting sweaty, and I'm starting to see my form and strength improve!

I'd like to work more on:

Water consumption: I slacked a bit this week.

Eating breakfast within the first hour of waking up, preferably before my first cup of coffee.

Doing my physical therapy exercises a minimum of once per day.

Cutting down to 1 cup of coffee a day {am I kidding myself here?}.

I totally cheated when:

I have been a little more tired so I've been chugging coffee like its beer at a frat party.  I'm pretty sure chugging either is not a very healthy habit.

My One-For-One this week is: Water instead of my 2nd and 3rd cups of coffee!!

How did you do this week?  I'd love to follow your success!  Feel free to link up below!

Missed the last update? V.3, V.2, V.1