March Ipsy Glam Bag Review

March Ipsy Glam Bag Review

Another month; another great bag. I have been subscribed to Ipsy  for about a year now, and I have to say; it is my favorite subscription service! Makeup is expensive and I hate when I buy a product, get it home, and it doesn’t turn out the way I wanted. I mean, I like it in the store, but when I get it home and actually use it on my face… well, turns out it’s not for me. With Ipsy  the samples aren’t tiny little ones you can only use once. A lot of them are full sized products. I looked up the cost of one of the brushes I received and the eye shadow brush retails at $16.00. The subscription is only $10.00 a month and you get 5 products per glam bag! And no, Ipsy  is not paying me or even sending me free products for this post. I just really love getting my glam bag each month. Ok, moving on to the actual review…. At first glance, I wasn’t that impressed. Then I started trying the products out and completely changed my mind.

#1: Global Beauty Care Dead Sea Wash Off Mask

I have used a lot of different masks before, but I truly enjoyed this one. It went on nice and smooth, not too thick, and it didn’t make me feel like I couldn’t move my face when it dried like some masks do. When I rinsed it off it washed off easily and left my face feeling extremely smooth and moisturized. Wonderful product!

#2: NoTS 28 Remedy Balancing Toner

The consistency of this toner is more of a gel than a liquid. After applying, my face felt sticky and my skin was very dry. I am used to a liquid toner that makes my skin feel cool and refreshed. I definitely did not feel refreshed with this product. In my opinion… this one was a dud. 

#3: NUDESTIX Lip + Cheek Pencil in Mystic

Normally, I am not a fan of the lip pencils. This one however, I love! It’s creamy and has just the right amount of shine. I LOVE the color (and so did my husband). It goes perfect with my skin tone and my everyday natural look. This one was definitely a winner and went straight into my purse so I can have it on hand at all times.

#4: OFRA Cosmetics Green Go Eyeliner

I rarely use pencils to line my eyes except for white or nude in my waterline, but I gave this a shot and I don’t hate it. It looked good and it didn’t run at all (BIG plus there!). Since I have it I’ll use it, but it’s just not something I would ever buy. The product itself is pretty good so if you like using pencil liners this is a great brand.

 

#5: NYX Cosmetics Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in

OMG!!! I am already a big fan of NYX products, but this lipstick is the shit! I love it! This lipstick actually stays on for hours and even through a full meal. I love the matte finish with the super bright color. The pictures don’t do the color justice. It’s almost a neon pink. This one takes the cake and is by far my favorite product in this month’s glam bag!

If you want to start getting amazing beauty products every month follow the link below and subscribe! It’s worth it! And let me know if you would like to see more beauty posts!

https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=tzrke

5 things NOT to say to an infertile couple

 My husband and I are currently facing this extremely stressful hurdle in our life right now. Since we have been very open about this issue with our friends and family, we have had a lot of "advice" and comments made with good intentions. Below are the most common things we have been told that just really should never be said to an infertile couple, along with what I'd really like to say when we hear them. Don't mind the sarcasm, that's just part of my sparkling personality. 

1.     “Just relax and it will happen.”

This is not going to help us; in fact, it can actually bring on more anxiety by making us feel like we are doing something wrong. Infertility is a medical condition and the last I checked; those can’t be cured by relaxing. Please do your research before trying to offer advice like this.

2.   “You can always do IVF/adopt.”

Oh how I wish it were only that easy! I mean, do you have twenty to sixty thousand dollars you are willing to take a gamble with? IVF cycles are not only extremely expensive, but they are also hard on your mind, body, and marriage. And in the end, they may never work. Adoption fees are outrageous and so is the screening. Even if we could afford to adopt, there is no guarantee that we would be “approved” to actually adopt. Health records, credit scores, and job history are just a few other things that are put under scrutiny. It’s extremely frustrating to hear “Just adopt”, when you know that it’s just not an option for you.

3.   “Trying is the fun part!”

Obviously you have never tried to get pregnant. I’m sorry, but

“trying” for 4 months and getting pregnant does not count. Using 7-10 expensive ovulation tests every month, taking hormones to try to make your body do what it should do naturally, planning times for sex, and getting a BIG FAT NEGATIVE pregnancy test every month for at least a year….  Please tell me again how fun that is. And that’s just the beginning.

4.   “You can have my kids.”

We do not find this funny or amusing in any way. We may give you a small laugh, but on the inside we are struggling not to slap you. Offer me your kid one more time and I’ll call a lawyer to draw up the adoption papers. We would give anything for those sleepless nights and kool-aid stains you take for granted every day.

5.   “Maybe it’s just not in God’s plan.”

I’m sorry, but I find it hard to believe that it’s “God’s plan” for us to be childless when a prostitute has had 5 crack addicted babies she forgets to feed. Those are the most hurtful words anyone has ever said to me. It may be meant to be comforting, but in fact it does the opposite. Like why is someone who doesn’t love or want their children more worthy of them than we are in God’s eyes? What kind of logic is that?

Don’t offer advice about what your mother’s cousin’s neighbor’s sister did and it got her pregnant. If there is some crazy thing to try, we have probably already tried it. If you want to offer a couple comfort, you can always let them know you are there for them if they ever want to talk or vent. You can always say a prayer for the couple too. Just let them know you care and ask if there is anything you can do. Most likely there isn’t, but they will appreciate the offer. 

9 things I want my little sisters to know…..

Being an older sister is not always easy. Most days I am the no fun, bossy, judgmental one in the eyes of my littles. I know it may seem that way, but I just love them so much that maybe sometimes I am a little hard on them. After a recent "disagreement" with the youngest I realized that there are so many things I hope that they know. That got me thinking.... what a great post idea! Now, whenever my baby girls need to, they can look back and read this post and know that their sister loves them very much. I'm sure there are so many big sisters out there that feel exactly the same way! So here are 9 things I want my little sisters to know...

1.   I love you.

Unconditionally. I loved you before I knew you. No matter what life throws our way I will always love you. I know that I don’t say it enough.

2.  I am proud of you.

You have accomplished so much and you continue to inspire me every day. You show so much discipline and drive and I know you can do anything you put your mind to.

3.  You can really work my nerves.

Ugh. You irritate the hell out of me sometimes, but please know that it doesn’t ever mean that I don’t love you or want you around anymore. I will always need you.

4.  He will never be good enough for you.

It doesn’t matter if he’s a neurosurgeon or an astronaut, there will never be a man good enough for one of my sisters. Even if I like him, I will always second guess his motives and worry if he’ll break your heart. Heaven forbid if that day comes, I hope youo know you can always count on me to hide his body or be a shoulder to cry on.

5.  I hope you learn from my mistakes.

Lord knows I have made so many of them. And, you can always talk to me about them. I am an open book. Anything to keep you from the heartaches that I have put myself through.

6.   You are beautiful and you are worthy.

I know there are days you won’t feel like this is true, but I promise you it is.

7.  I’ve got your back.

We may not always see eye to eye, but when push comes to shove, I’m here for you. I will give you advice whenever you ask for it or just be a good listener for those times that you don’t. All of the  uncertainties in this world can really wear on you, I know, I’ve been there. Shit, most days I’m still there. Point is, whatever you need from me, you’ve got it.

8.  You are stronger than you know.

When your world comes crashing in on you understand that you WILL be just fine. I know that it’s overwhelming sometimes. I also know what a strong and powerful young woman you are. The world is not going to end and neither are you. You will get through it, maybe not with “beauty and grace”, but you will get through it all the same.

9.   I look up to you.

Don’t laugh…I’m being serious. You are so wise beyond your years and a lot more mature than I ever was at your age. You have goals and ambitions and you are kicking ass to make sure you reach them. I know I can always count on you, no matter how long it’s been since the last time I saw you. You are so amazing and I love you so much.

DIY Date Night Idea Jar

    DIY Date Night Idea Jar        

        Life is way too busy sometimes. We are always running here, then there, and even though we don’t mean to, we forget to spend time with our spouses. Not just time, but real quality time. I think it’s important that no matter how long you have been married to always keep dating each other.

            Now, even though my husband and I are still in the “newlywed phase” we are guilty of major slacking in this department. Between working on updating the house, my medical problems, and him traveling for work dating just seems to get pushed to the back burner. Even when we do have the time and energy, what do we want to do? Do we really want to go to that same restaurant again? That’s why I decided to put together a “Date Jar”. Depending on how much time and/or money we are planning on spending we can draw a stick from the jar according to its color code.

                Off to Michael's I went! I grabbed some chalkboard paint ($2.29) and markers ($7.49), popsicle sticks ($4.99), and a piece of card stock ($0.99). I already had the mason jar glass plus some tulle and ribbon to decorate it with at home. I started by making a list on notebook paper of different date I thought would be good. I sorted them into 3 categories: At home/$, Night Out/$$, Requires Planning/$$$. I then painted all of the sticks, wrote the dates in the corresponding color, and made a guide out of the piece of card stock. After that I just decorated it with tulle and ribbon and viola! Now we can just draw from the jar for our weekly date night. 

Brass Chandelier Makeover

Brass Chandelier Makeover

            Last summer we bought our first home together. It was built in 1981 and extremely outdated. We looked past the gross carpet and horrible design choices of the previous owner and were so excited about all of the wonderful potential we knew it had. Turns out, tapping in to all of that potential also puts a little strain on your bank account. I have had to get pretty thrifty when it comes to decor to help save as much as possible.

            I found this old ugly chandelier in my dad’s garage one day and asked him if he’d mind letting me have it. I headed to Lowes and grabbed a can of Rust-Oleum metallic spray paint in Oil Rubbed Bronze. Once I got home I hung the chandelier from a tree branch outside, removed socket sleeves, then covered sockets with painters' tape.

               Once I had it taped I gave the brass a good scrubbing. (You want to make sure you get all of the built up dirt and dust off so the paint will adhere properly.) Now I was ready for the fun part! Starting with can about 8 inches from the surface I lightly sprayed chandelier using controlled pressure on handle, being careful not to spray one area for too long. Allow paint to fully dry for about an hour between coats. After final coat had dried, I slipped on the socket covers and replaced bulbs. Can you say EASY? The best part is the whole project cost me less than $10!!!

DIY Dyed Drop Cloth Curtains

DIY Dyed Drop Cloth Curtains

  So I have this big glass sliding door leading to my backyard and as wonderful as all the natural light is; it makes it very difficult to watch TV during the day. I looked into getting some pre-made curtains from different places, but they are so expensive and I’m a girl on a budget! I am currently without a functioning sewing machine so buying fabric and sewing them myself was out. After doing a little research online on different no-sew options I decided to attempt to just dye some drop cloths and hope for the best. If I failed miserably at least I wouldn’t be out too much money (only about $50) and I’d have an interesting DIY fail to share.

Here’s the supplies I used:

 6 of Rit Dye Liquid Fabric Dye, 8-Ounce, Black - $4.19 each on Amazon 

(1 bottle/lb of dry fabric for light colors or 2 bottles/lb for darker colors)

 2 Canvas Drop Cloth, 6 x 9-Feet, Natural - $11.95 each on Amazon

2 cups salt

Since I'm clumsy and uncoordinated, I decided the best option for me would be to use my top loading washing machine to dye the drop cloths. You can use your tub, but there is always the possibility that it will stain and why use the manual labor if a machine will do it for you, right?

First thing first, I had to wash the drop cloths! When I first opened the package I was hit with this awful smell. (Don’t worry, it goes away after you wash all those nasty chemicals off. Just don’t dry them, you will need them to be wet.) Once they were washed I set them aside and filled my washer with HOT water. Next I added 1 cup of the salt and 3 of the bottles of fabric dye. The directions say to agitate to mix so I just took a pole off one of my brooms and used that to stir it all together until the water looked consistent throughout. Once that was done I added ONE of the wet, unfolded drop cloths to the water. I didn’t want to add both at once and all of the dye since the bottle warns that any more than 4 bottles at once will just go to waste in the washer.

                           

As I put it in, I could see how well the dye was already taking. I extended the wash cycle for an extra 30 minutes, just like the bottle told me to. After that I did have to run the rinse cycle about 3 times before the water came out clear. Then I sat that one aside and repeated the process for the next panel. Once both were done and rinsed, I washed them together on warm with my regular detergent and threw them in the dryer. That was it! So easy! I just hung them with a couple packages of cheap drapery clips from Walmart. They didn’t get as dark as I originally wanted and you can tell there is a blue/purple undertone, but I actually like this color better. Even if I didn’t, I could always get more dye and run it through the process again.