Pottery Barn Fairy are you listening?

Oh how I love this!!! I would really cry if it mysteriously ended up on my doorstop, I am just sayin!

Oh and I want these in ivory, two of them please!!!

Cause if you are I really really really want these!!!! The "can't get them out of my mind" want them. They would be perfect on my cold leather couch for the long winter months coming up!!! Plus they would go well with my all white -ish color scheme that I am trying to pull off. I am wanting to bring a lighter feel to my dark furniture. I think these would really help. Oh and I stood in Pottery Barn the other day rubbing that blanket and, oh my, is it the softest blanket that I have ever seen (or felt)! And if I have to keep going back to get my soft blanket fix they are going to start looking at me like I am a strange PB stalker or something.

Lotions and Potions

I have been trying some new products lately and thought that I would share my new found favorites with you. I will preface all of this by saying that I am really trying to take a more natural approach with my face, body and home cleaning lately. I know the benefits for the planet are probably the reason many of these companies created their products but I am finding the benefits for my skin to be my main reason, keeping the planet beautiful is still special to me don't get me wrong! Actually my skin has become very sensitive over the past few years. And after Myah came along I realized that her skin has very different needs as well. I have been reduced to using Gold Bond Medicated Lotion Extra Strength for my skin issues(yes I smell like an old person), I have severe itching, I mean to the point where I will bleed, especially my legs. So I have spent my fair share of moola on tubs of stuff and tubes of goo that have eventually found themselves sitting on a shelf in my linen closet, just not strong enough for me to find relief. I have recently found the Lush Cosemetics line. I think I am in love. I heard about these from another blogger, I learned that the products are all freshly made and mostly all natural some even vegan. I even bought a face mask so fresh that it comes in a small pot that needs to be refrigerated and then expires in 3 weeks. I actually told my family not to eat it, it looks that yummy!!! The best part is this super funky little boutique in the mall has the most funnest ( I know it is not a word but it fits the bill) staff, who are so willing to massage your arms and hand and are very helpful. They even give me tons of freebies!!! Honestly, I told the young lady that I have had a bad week, (ok year) and she told me that I needed a bath tub cocktail. She gave me a few bath fizzies adding up to about $14!! It smells wonderful, like hot cocoa!! I also told her that I was just coming in for one specific product and didn't want to spend any more this visit than that and she cut off a sample for me to take home. They want you to feel good, not matter what!! You must go and visit, don't let it scare you!!!

I just started using this Mrs. Meyers soap to do my dishes, keeps my hand from getting irritated, the Basil scent is my favorite!

This is another new lotion that I have sampled and finally broke down and bought it after smelling my hands constantly after trying it. It is another natural product from Naked Bee, the orange blossom honey scent reminds me of sweet tarts!!

This Buff Body Butter scrubby was something that she cut me a sample of and it is amazing!!

This is my bath cocktail combo, love it!! These fizzies are so much fun.. She mixed the Floatin Island bath melt with teh Butterball bath bomb (below). How nice of her!!

Ok, this is a must used with many of their products, The ocean salt scrub, I bought the small tub to see how I like it, I will upgrade as soon as I am done with this one! It actually has some vodka in it so I could scrub and get tipsy!!!

I saved the best for last....this has saved me let me tell you, they said in the ads for this one that many people who will only use prescription strength products on their sensitive skin have found this to be the only lotion that will help. So I tried it after reading that and I agree! It is called Dream Cream. I really was skeptical but it has been wonderful for my skin!!

So that is it, hope you will try at least one of these great products!

Comfort

I am a person who loves to feel comfortable. Whether it is with my warm jammies and my fuzzy socks, or snuggled under a warm blanket sipping hot cocoa, I love to feel warm and cozy. This time of year I bring out the down comforters for our beds, adding another layer of warmth on these chilly nights. I enjoy the cooler weather, where I can turn on the furnace and hibernate during the winter months. Don't get me wrong, I love the hot weather, I was born in July, I am a summer baby, the hotter the better, but the summer months for us are just jammed packed with activities. Baseball games just about every night, boating, yard work, trips to the zoo, etc... we take advantage of every nice day around here. Sometimes I feel that at the end of summer I am ready for the winter months so that I can get caught up again on my chores indoors and veg a little bit. The kids are in school now, Dayton started high school and sweet little Myah started preschool, affording this momma a few hours to herself 3 times a week....priceless! I feel like I am getting control back into my life again. This has been a very difficult year for our family, with losing my Dad, Mark's step dad, and 2 weeks ago my beloved Grandma. Every time I think I am getting ahead around here, another crisis arises and I am needed there. I am hoping and praying that we have had our fair share for a while. With the holidays approaching I am a bit worried about how we are all going to get through them, so many changes this year. It is a new normal I guess. So you see, comfort is becoming something that I am seeking very often, whether it be a dip in my hot tub on the deck to enjoy the fall colors, sitting down to watch my favorite shows at night, or lighting a scented candles, it helps me feel better and relax. We love taking walks as a family to see the horses, just a little one on one time with my family helps me feel re-connected with them. We are all juggling so many different schedules and committments, it is nice to have a few times a week where we are all together. I am going to try very hard over the next few months to make our home a place that we can all feel comfortable, warm and welcome. I love having a clean house, I feel like we all breathe better and staying organized keeps me sane, I have been working hard the past few days to give every room its proper attention and scrub and shine every surface. I have cleaned our closets out, I don't like to have unneccesary clutter laying around and I have no problem donating things we don't use to those who need it. I am trying to better my photography skills, I love to take pictures and it is something I find enjoyable, I have some new lenses and software to play with, I have a lot to learn in that area!! I am also trying new recipes and trying to feed my family better, more nutritious meals than what I usually make because we are on the go. I have a list a mile long of things I would like to get done but I am not pressuring myself if I don't, I am taking time to just enjoy the little things in life and not stress about them. My children are growing up before my very eyes and I want them to look back on these times with fondness and I want them to feel comfortable each and every time they walk into our home. Our home is our safe haven, our place to just be us and not be judged, a place where they can put their feet up and relax away from all of the stresses of life, a place where they can laugh or cry and know that they are loved. A place where we all can be ourselves. I have been trying to make our bedrooms our own little havens, Dayton is a teenager, he is spending way more time in his room than he ever used to, he needs a certain "feel" to his room, his comfort items are his ipod, cell phone and x-box, but as his mom I know he needs a big bed ( we bought him a queen bed last year to keep up with our growing boy), warm blankets, lot of pillows, a fan for noise and I don't mind making his bed for him, something he loves, he will tell me, "mom I just love it when you make my bed". He knows how to make his own bed, but he is very busy with school and activities, I like having his room tidy for him when he gets home. Myah is the same, she likes to wear a "softie" shirt to sleep in, I don't think she had any comfort items when she lived in the orphanage so I think she rubbed her little shirt while she sucked her thumb to put herself to sleep. She loves having pictures of her friends in her room, she wants a nightlight on when it is dark and she loves having a baby doll to snuggle up to. I try to keep toys at a minimum in their rooms because they have small rooms and it just gets cluttered up very fast. In our bedroom, I have painted the walls a very warm cocoa mud color (doesn't that sound so attractive), I have lots of pillows, warms blankets, soft lighting, a big oversized chair, good books and an all white pallate on the bed to keep it simple, we also sleep with a small fan blowing, we can't sleep in complete silence and Mark is going to midnights again soon, so it helps to drown out the noise while he sleeps during the day. We also have room darkening drapes, we are masters when it comes to creating an environment for a good nights sleep.

I am not looking forward to the long winter months but I do feel a bit better about it when I am prepared. With the holidays arriving I am even thinking about putting nice heated mattress pads and flannel sheets on Santa's list. Ahhhhhhh.......

A Few Tag Sale Finds

The jury is still out on this one! I truly think I got a real LV purse, the markings look real and all, does anyone know how to tell. I have a real serial number that matches a real LV bag just like this, it is from 2003, I paid $5, a new one to replace it is $1030.00! I bought it at a really nice home, one of the straps needs some work but I love it any ways!

At the same sale the lady had this old typewriter still in its cool old box for $3!

Really crummy picture I know but I am short on time, this golf bag was crying for me to take it home, isn't she pretty! Now I really need to learn how to golf better, it even has the fancy embroidered number club covers! It is a nice tanish color with white toile-ish flowers on it!

My friend has one of these, she has something like 30 nieces and nephews so it was a neat way for her to display all of their pictures, I found this one still in its box for $1 and luckily I have 5 nieces and nephews so it was a perfect fit for me!

Now this big bad piece of coral almost caused a blood bash between me and my neighbor Pam who was shopping with me that day. It is beautiful and a nice size for $5 it was a super good deal or should I say steal! I wish I had more of these!

Not sure what you call this but I have wanted one forever and this one was only $2 so I finally gave into temptation and brought it home.

Love this frame! I hit another jackpot of a sale, my favorite children's boutique closed a few months ago, the owner had a sale at her house trying to get rid of the rest of her loot, I had looked at this frame before but she wanted $40 for it, I got it for a dollar!! Hee hee! I also got and old shutter, some Cath Kidson bath salts, some adorable pillows for my porch swing and a few other incidentals for next to nothing!

I had no intention of being gone so long! Life just got so busy! Today is Dayton's first day of high school as a Freshman, boo hoo!!! We had a great summer ( it could have been warmer!) and crammed lots of activity into each day. I am not sure why but always on the first day of school I clean both of the kids rooms out. Maybe it is because during the summer we are so busy that stuff just gets ignored and I let things slide. So I have spent most of today cleaning out Myah's room, boy that girl is a pack rat! It feels so good to have their clothes organized and their gadgets put away for a while. I love to be organized and my household runs so much better when we are. I totally had a great time going to tag sales this summer ( I decided that it sounds so much more sophisticated to say tag sale instead of yard or garage) , I hit some great ones let me tell ya! I have become much more selective in what I bring into my home so I did pass up some great stuff just because I don't need it or have a place for it, I hate buying things and then never using them. I actually did a happy dance at one in particular, you know it is bad when you leave and then go to the atm and go back! I found a gorgeous Horchow chenille bedding set for Myah's room. The lady said she paid over $600 for it! It is like new, she actually had 2 because she had 2 little girls but I only needed the one. I will have to show you that later, I don't have any pictures of it yet. I also found a mirror there by an artist that I love but could never afford for $15.00!

Well, here are a few photos that I found for your viewing pleasure, nothing too interesting but treasures nonetheless!

My Summer Must Haves

There are a few things that I use daily in the summer, thought you might like to give them a try too! A few that I forgot to list were Taco Be*ll's Fruitista, I love the mango strawberry! I also could not live without a case of water from Cos*tco, something like 48 bottles for 4 bucks! Can't go wrong! I also love lip gloss, makes me look more fresh with a summer tan. I live in flip flops from May to September
What did we do before these chairs were invented? I carry them to baseball games weekly!

I love the Scentports at Bath and Body Works, these clip on your visor, my favorite is the Sweet Pea, and they are only 5 dollars!

This is my sunscreen of choice, not sure why, but we bought it in Florida for the first time years ago and it kept me from burning, it must work! I use the spf 30 and get a golden tan but never burn.

A summer read, this is next on my list, I love Lisa See's other books and this is her newest, it is on my birthday wish list!

After I am in the sun I love putting this lotion on, it smells wonderful!

This is our new favorite family game. Laddergolf. So much fun and easy for all ages.

I love these water bottles, I can reuse them over and over again. I found mine at Di*cks sporting goods for $12.

Don't ask me why, I have not had one of these in years and now I am addicted again! Yikes!

This new "Daughtry" cd has been playing in the background of our life ever since we bought it this week, love him and love this cd!

I really want to thank the person who made a cooler like a tote bag. Saves my back and with all of the ball games I am at it is so easy to haul it around!

My neighbor got me hooked on Arnold Palmers, half lemonade and half iced tea. Who would have thunk it?

**my garage sale finds are coming next, I carry a change purse around with me all summer for this reason! ***

Coming soon, I promise!

I have been getting some awesome things at garage sales this summer! I am working on posting them for you soon!

Our 16th Wedding Anniversary!

Today is our 16th Wedding Anniversary! I love this picture, it was taken from the balcony of the church. This church stands way out in the country, is very old and so special to our family. Mark's grandparents were married here as well as his parents, aunts and uncles and many cousins as well, Mark was baptized here as a tiny baby! I remember walking down the aisle on my dad's arm and felt such a warm feeling as I smiled at our friends and family, we had waited 7 years for this day and everyone was so genuinely happy for us. It was a wonderful day for our families and we cherish the memories of that day. Almost every family member from the first two rows have since passed away, we have surely been through alot in our 16 married years together but I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful man to stand beside me through it all. I love you sweetie! Happy Anniversary!