Makeup I'm Loving

Before you do ANYTHING, check out my guest post over at Julie's fabulous blog for her breastfeeding series!  And while you're there, check out her adorable son, Hudson! 

Today I'm going to share some drugstore make-up that I use practically every day.  I'm one of those people that likes the natural look.  Even when I try to go dramatic, my husband still "can't tell" I'm wearing make-up.  Since I don't do dramatic looks, I don't like spending a lot on my make-up.  These are some of my favorite drugstore finds!

1. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara.  I've been using this stuff for YEARS (obviously not the same tube) and it never gets old.  It gives my lashes volume without clumps and it's easy to wash off!  You can find this for under $6 at Target.

2. Rimmel Volume Max Bold Curves.  Even though I love my L'Oreal, I have to switch it up sometimes and this is my alternative.  It goes on a little thicker and is more of a dramatic look.  Sometimes I layer this over my Voluminous.  This is usually about $7 at CVS and Target.

3. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter.  I'm not a big lipstick person, but this stuff is amazing! It's like chapstick, lipsitck, and lip gloss all mixed into one!  My favorite shades are Peach Parfait and Pink Truffle.  Under $7 at Target!

4. Almay Intense I-Color Eyeliner.  This eyeliner goes on SO smooth and one application lasts me all day.  I like the Black Pearl shade because it has a hint of shimmer.  Under $5 at Target!

5. Nivea Kiss of Moisture Lip Balm.  Lip balm is essential even for no make-up days. If I went through my purses, diaper bag, and house I would probably find about 40 different kinds but this is one of my favs.  It's smooth (not sticky) and I don't have to reapply it very often.  You can find this anywhere, even the grocery store!

6. Milani Baked Blush.  I bought this blush in "Luminous" (also known as "Luminoso") after reading about it on another blog.  It's supposed to be a great dupe for Nars Orgasm.  The Nars blush runs about $28....definitely out of my beauty budget!  I don't wear blush every day, but when I do, I like this light pink with a slight shimmer.  It's great for pale winter skin or tanned summer skin! :)  I found it at Meijer for about $8 and CVS also carries the Milani line.  Saving $20?  Win.

8. Physicians Formula Bronzer.  In the winter, bronzer makes me feel like I have that healthy glow from the (non-existent) sun!  In the summer, this blush highlights my suntan.  It's good all year and a little goes a long way!  The shade I use is called Blushing Mocha.  This usually is about $10-11 but like I said, a little goes a long way!

I don't wear foundation, base, or powder so I don't have any recommendations for those, sorry!

**I was not in any way compensated for reviewing these products, they're just my favs.  If anyone would like to send me free samples, that's fine with me!

I'm linking up with Jamie for WILW!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups

Any time I used to go to an Italian restaurant, I would order fettuccine alfredo.  Seriously, I never got ANYTHING different.  I even started to convince myself I didn't like red sauce.  I'm not sure what the obsession was, but I think I overdosed on Alfredo sauce.  Years later, I am finally willing to make dishes with alfredo sauce again!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups

What You Need:
9 lasagna noodles (I used 8)
2 ½ cups alfredo sauce (I used a combination of light alfredo and sun dried tomato alfredo)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
oregano
garlic salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella, or cheese of your choice

How To Make:
Cook your lasagna noodles according to the directions on the box. I had actually never cooked lasagna noodles before so I'm not sure if I used the right type of pot, but it worked! The original recipe suggested cooking 1-2 extra noodles in case any break and one of mine did break!

While your noodles are cooking, preheat your oven to 350°. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and pour some alfredo sauce in the bottom (just enough to cover the bottom of the dish).  **I used the light alfredo sauce for this step.

When your noodles are fully cooked, rinse them in cool water. This helps to keep the noodles from sticking to each other! Once they are rinsed, gently pat dry using some paper towels.

Next spread an even layer of sauce on each noodle. Next, sprinkle on some oregano and garlic salt. Then add your chicken and top with shredded mozzarella. Be careful not to add too much toppings because it will make your lasagna hard to roll! **I used the sun dried tomato alfredo sauce for this step.

Carefully roll up your lasagna noodles. Be very careful and roll loosely! Place your roll-ups in your prepared baking dish.

Cover the roll-ups with your remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella. I didn't put as much mozzarella as the orginal recipe called for and I think it turned out totally fine!

Stick your pasta dish in the prejeated oven for 30 minutes. Let the pasta cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

I'm linking up with these lovely ladies:

Here is the original pin (I modified the recipe a bit):

Source: mmmcafe.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

Carson Anthony: 9 Months!

Carson is officially 9 months (as of Monday!)!  This seriously all needs to slow down!  Carson has now been an "outside baby" longer than he was in my belly.  Sappy sap sap over here right now!  

Carson is literally ALL over the place now.  He's been crawling for 2 months now (hard to believe) but now he's SPEEDY.

Weight: Carson finally hit 20lbs!  His official weight at the pediatrician was 20lbs 8oz.  

Height: 28.5"...which is the same measurement we got last month.  I'm guessing we were off either last month or this month because I doubt he didn't grow at all!  The pediatrician said maybe the nurse was off a bit because C is usually in the 75-90 percentile for height and 28.5" only puts him in the 60th.  Either way, he's creeping up on his growth chart!

Hair: Carson's hair hasn't changed much in the past month besides getting longer.  It's still a medium brown color and straight.  I thought he was developing a wave for a while but it's gone now!  He's due for another haircut but I'm putting it off (again) because it's one more thing that means he's growing up!  

Eyes: I still don't know how to answer when people ask what color Carson's eyes are!  The best answer I can come up with is usually hazel, but they still are constantly changing.  It really depends on what he's wearing, what the lighting is like, and I guess the lighting around us.  It's really unique though and very similar to my eyes!

Diapers: Carson's growth has slowed down and he's still in size 4 diapers (thank goodness)!  I normally use Target diapers, but I got a box of Pampers Cruisers during a sale and we like those a lot, too!  

Clothes: Carson is still in his 12 month clothes.  His shirts are fitting pretty much perfect.  His sleepers aren't tight yet, but the sleeves are sometimes a bit short.  (Maybe he will have monkey arms like Momma!)  I've started to pick up a few 18 month pieces here and there when I see a good deal, but I'm honestly not sure when he'll move up sizes!  

Eating: Carson is nursing about 4 times a day now (sometimes 5) and we're trying to bump him up to 3 meals of solids.  Since he nurses first thing in the morning, it's hard to fit in breakfast and playtime before he's ready for his nap!  So far I offer a small meal (usually a fruit, pancake, or puffs) and sometimes he isn't even hungry!  He does love his oatmeal for lunch and fruit/veggies for dinner!  We now offer finger foods at every solid meal and he loves it!  Some of the new foods he has tried include blueberries, shredded cheese, and pancakes!  

Sleeping: Carson is still doing a great job with sleep.  When I say "great", don't be jealous!  It's not like I set him in his crib awake and he puts himself to sleep.  Sometimes he naps less than 30 minutes in an entire day (help me!) and sometimes he takes super long naps.  It's hard to predict with this kid!  His current schedule looks a little like this: wake up at 8, nap at 10, nap at 3, bedtime at 9.  This is all "loose" and depends on when he wakes up for the day and how long he naps.  I always turn on his lullaby CD and rock him for a few minutes before putting him down in his crib.  Sometimes I put him down asleep, sometimes just drowsy.  He doesn't seem to need his paci anymore but I usually leave it in his crib and sometimes he'll grab it in the middle of the night or the morning.  Did I mention he sleeps on his tummy with his bum in the air?  Possibly the cutest way ever to sleep!

Nicknames: This doesn't change much from month to month but the nicknames I use the most are C, Cars, and Snickerdoodle.  I've also been calling him "Bubby" a lot.  I call him Sugar, but Nick said that's too girly, ha!  Oops :)

Here's Carson on a few playdates:

Favorite Toys: Carson is still loving a lot of the same toys from last month!  You can also check out some of Carson's current favs from my post earlier this week.  We did get out an elephant shape sorter that we received a while ago as a gift and he really likes it!  He also has fell back in love with his o-ball!  He loves pushing it across the floor and chasing after it (so cute)!  He also likes that it's easy to carry around while he crawls.  His musical instruments are becoming more popular around here, too!  We even got out my old keyboard from the 90's (so vintage!) and he LOVES it!  He'll turn on the demo song (Venus) and dance...it's adorable!  His walker is also still super popular and he walks ALL AROUND the house with it!  He loves taking his walker from room to room and exploring! 

Carson loves anything that rolls.  He pushes his o-ball and this little basketball around our kitchen and chases after it.  It seriously keeps him entertained forever (which equals about 5 minutes in baby time).  

Milestones: I'm not joking when I say this kid is ALL over the place!  I never would have guessed he would be so mobile by 9 months!  Like I said, he uses his walker to walk all around the house (and he goes pretty fast, too)!  He also has become quite the speedy crawler!  He does this crab walk thing now where he "crawls" with his knees off the ground and walks with his feet.  It's super cute and super fast, ha!  As soon as he reaches something when crawling, he stands up!  He hasn't stood up in the middle of the room yet (thank goodness) but he has stood without support (only for a few brief seconds) a few times!  He'll let go and not realize that he's not supported.  Once he realizes, it's so cute because he has a look of panic and then just sits down, ha!    He is still cruising along anything and everything.  Did I mention he climbs stairs?  He started doing this just after he turned 8 months!  He can climb our entire staircase (14 stairs) plus 2 more after the landing!  He's crazy.

Also, Carson now has TWO TEETH!  Last month he only had one but he now has both of his bottom teeth.  I think I'll definitely cry when he gets his top teeth - that makes babies look like unbabies. :( :(

Carson's speech is also continuing to develop.  I still don't know how I'll ever decide when he's officially said his first word because he does a TON of babbling!  

We're still working on waving, clapping, and kissing.  He will give me a kiss (open mouth and slobbery!) if I ask, but not on a consistent basis.  He also knows how to wave now, but still not consistently.  As far as clapping, it's a no go!  He loves to watch me clap, but he can't quite figure it out.  He does this thing where he clasps his hands together and brings them up and down when I ask him to clap.  Here it is on video: 

New Feature!

 

I know this is so 2005, but I finally got a blog button!  I had one on my old blog and kind of forgot about it until recently.  What do you think?  I'm thinking I might need to make the text a bit bigger, but I haven't decided.  You can grab my button by copying and pasting the code in my sidebar. ----> 

 

Carson's Current Favs

I'm linking up with Jamie again.  This week I'm going to share what CARSON is currently loving at 9 months old.

Carson is loving... his Razberry teether.  We bought this forever ago because we thought it would be easy for him to hold when he was little.  He had no interest in it for the longest time and now he's all about it!  I think he likes the bumpy texture and the fact that it's not hard like some of his other teethers.

Carson is loving... Touch & Feel books!  He just recently got into these.  He loves animals so we've been reading "Farm" and "Animals" lately.  He LOVES to play with the sheep dog's fur in the farm book!

Carson is loving... his Baby Einstein Roller Pillar balls!  These were one of his stocking stuffers for Christmas and he loves to bang them together, put them in and out of boxes, and roll them and chase after them.  The one downfall I found is that these balls do not come with any sort of case so it could be easy to misplace one.  I keep Carson's in an old wipe case and it works perfect!

Carson is loving... puffs!  When I put some of these on his high chair tray he goes NUTS and tries to grab them all.  It's adorable. :)  I buy the Plum Organics brand and Carson's favorite (so far) is the super purples!

Carson is loving... his foam bath "stickers"!  We are still bathing him in his little infant tub (no judging) so he doesn't need many toys, but he loves these!  His infant tub goes in the big tub so he can still stick these on the walls of the tub and he also likes to chew on them.  [In case you're wondering, we bathe him in the infant tub to save water!  He fits in there fine, but I am shopping around for something else to continue saving water...maybe an inflatable tub?]

 Carson is loving... his walker!  We bought this V-tech Sit to Stand Learning Walker for Christmas.  He has always liked it but has recently become obsessed!  The front activity panel comes off so that younger babies can play with it on the floor (or you can lock the walker wheels).  

Disclaimer: I was not in any way compensated for promoting these products.  However, I wouldn't mind if these companies decided to send me some free products to review.  Ha! :)

3 (or 4) Ingredient PB Cookies! [Tasty Tuesday]

I'm one of those people that loves recipes with minimal ingredients.  If I see a recipe that looks good and find out it has 10+ random ingredients, I immediately keep scrolling.  That is why these 3 ingredient cookies are ideal!  I was craving dessert and whipped these up in literally less than 5 minutes!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

What You Need:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
[optional] handful of Reese's Pieces or chocolate chips

How to Make:
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Using an electric mixer, combine all ingredients.  Do not over mix!  (If adding candies, add those last and fold in gently.)
Using a cookie scoop, drop rounded spoonfuls onto your cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes.  Next allow cookies to cool on wire racks.

This recipe makes about 15 medium-large cookies.

Note: I have talked to a few people who made this recipe and their cookies turned out greasy.  Mine seemed that way before sticking them back in the oven.  I've heard that using natural peanut butter can remedy this problem.  For me, putting them in the oven a bit longer crisped them up more.


I'm linking up with AP!

Social Sunday!

Last week I really embarrassed myself so this week let's take it easy. :)


Before I answer these questions, let me just say that Valentine's Day isn't my favorite holiday.  That's not to say I don't like it or think it's a "Hallmark holiday".  Remember my Valentine's decorations?  Obviously I like the holiday!  It just isn't a holiday that I always go to great lengths to celebrate.  Maybe some candy or flowers, but I never expect anything outrageous!  


1. Best Valentines Day you’ve ever had: Any of the Valentine's Days with my husband!  We've been celebrating together since 2003.  Each year he does something special for me ...usually fresh flowers.  :)  I always try to bake him a special dessert and for the past few years I've made him something red velvet.  This year I switched it up and went with a double chocolate cake with Valentine's M&M's!  Here are some of our Valentine's past: 

Out to a fancy romantical dinner! 

Gift from the hubby, super thoughtful! :)

I'm always super serious. 

2007 Valentine's dinner....my cooking skills have improved and  our house is SO different! 

2. Worst Valentines Day you’ve ever had: February 14, 1995.  That's the day my sweet sweet Grandma Cathy left to be with God and watch over us.  I miss her dearly and can't even begin to describe how much I wish she could miss Carson.  Her maiden name was Love and her passing on Valentine's Day just seemed so meaningful.  She was definitely full of love, that's for sure!  

3. What do you plan on doing for Valentines this year? Since Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday we didn't do anything ON the day.  I actually met up with a friend and her daughter to go to a story time at a local bookstore then walk around the mall!  That evening we had a nice dinner (heart shaped pizza...you may have seen on my Instagram!) and the cake I mentioned in #1.  We did go on a date on Friday night though!  We don't go on many dates without Carson so we were pretty excited!  It was also my mother-in-law's first time babysitting.  We just went out to a quick dinner close to home, nothing fancy.  Oh, and on Valentine's Day Nick surprised me with flowers, chocolate, and a card in my car while I was at the bookstore!  <3

4. Best Valentines Idea if you’re single: Go buy some delicious candy, a bottle of wine and hang out with friends!  Is that a good idea?  I haven't been single during Valentine's Day since 2001 (I think I was single then?) so I'm a little rusty!  :)

5. Favorite Valentines Candy? This is hard.  I LOVE those Reese's Valentine's hearts.  YUM.  Nick usually buys me Lindt Lindor Truffles for special occassions too and I love those...especially white chocolate!  This year he bought me a bag of milk chocolate and a bag of white chocolate!

6. Favorite Valentines Memory from your childhood: My parents were divorced so I usually didn't get to see my Dad for Valentine's Day.  When I was little he always stopped by my mom's early in the morning and would leave flowers and a card on the porch for me.  It was such a nice thing to look forward to each year and everyone knows girls love getting flowers!  

Valentine's Manicure

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!  We had heart shaped pizza and double chocolate cake!  I wanted to share my festive Valentine's Day manicure with you all.  This week I chose Sinful Colors in "Easy Going" for my main color.  It's a VERY pale pink (almost white).  For my accent nail I used one of my favorite deep reds: OPI's "Quarter of a Cent-cherry".

In order to create my accent nail I cut a little heart out of the sticky part of a post-it note.  I used that as a template after my base color dried.  It didn't work as well as I had hoped, but it's good enough!  It bothers me that the heart is upside down in these pictures, but it bothers me more if the heart is upside down every time I look at my hands! ;)

As always, I'm linking up with Tara & Vicki: