UseItUpByApril - Finale

Hey there!

I decided in January that I'd dig through my makeup, beauty and bath stash and decide which products I'd try my hardest to use up by my birthday (UseItUpByApril post). I saw some other folks trying it and I thought it might be easy to do.

Nope. Not as easy as it looks. I even did an update post in March (UseItUpByApril - Update post). That should have given us a clue!

I apparently did not find enough random strangers to help me power through the Maybelline Baby Lips. I did finish 1 of them. The other is in my purse and about halfway finished. I used this at least once a day and it's still going strong (and the other 5 or 6 are still hanging around the house). That should be a testament that Maybelline Baby Lips products will last you a good, long time. But, I really think it's a testament that I have too many lip products in rotation.

In my update post I told you that I had used my Lancôme Bienfait Teinté once since the project started. Well, now I've used it twice. I have to say that in my defense...ummm...I don't know. I love it during the summer but I have really been going powder only and ALL of my foundation-like liquids have gotten almost no love. I have never been a huge fan of liquid foundation and I guess this BB Cream got caught up in that.

Well, the Make Up Forever HD Primer made it into the empties post. But, it made it in because it went super liquidy and rancid. Because I don't do much in the way of foundation, I don't worry too much about my powder wandering away. The Benefit Watts Up Soft Focus Highlighter is still in play. It gets used when I do my eyebrows and need them to be on point. I'll be honest...Sasquatch has been in the building this winter and my eyebrows have been untamed, hairy beasts. I'll do better next time, I promise.

ALL of the perfume samples have been sampled! And only 1 of them got to stay. Yep! Out of all of the perfume samples that have darkened my doorway, only one was good enough to stay and that one was only just good enough to stay. I didn't run out and buy anything. When the J'Adore runs out, it just runs out. I discovered that I like a sweet, sugary scent. I love my Pink Sugar Scents and my Body Fantasies Cotton Candy scent. That's about all I want on my body. Is that too childish for a 43 year old? I mean, I'm asking the question but there is a big, fat, "I don't care if it is" right at the end so feel free not to answer.

I touched the Coastal Scents Bright Eyed Brightener once this entire time. I just couldn't make it work. I really tried but it's way too bright and it creased like crap under my eye. This product is going in the Big Green Empties Bucket.

Two. That's how many of the eight shower gels that I used up. It's hard to use up shower gel when you have about 25 in various stages of use. It sounds excessive I know but you have to understand...I like bubble baths and shower gels! I like smelling good. Sometimes you change it up (like every day). This portion of the project was a big fail but it was a great smelling fail.

I have learned a lot though this project though. One, I have acquired (through samples, gifts or purchases) a lot of stuff that I don't like and still try to use it up. I can' keep doing that. If I don't like it, I just don't like it.

Two, I like bath stuff and I don't care who knows!

Bath & Body Works Car Scents

Hey there!

It's not my fault! It's my car's fault.

I've been going back and forth on whether or not I was going to a new car freshener and every time I went into Bath and Body Works I'd see those car clip on thingies.

I got a coupon and decided that I needed a Mason Jar Scentportable Holder. I peeked at them with my sister about a month ago with my sister and decided to leave them. But each time I left them in the store. Then, my car hanging fragrance thing stopped working. Reason enough.

I picked up 4 scents for $10. I didn't get really fragrant ones but ones that I thought would work in the closed confines of my vehicle. It's about to get hot and I don't want it to get too fragrant.

Yes, I said a Mason Jar holder. I had to choose from a sparkling purple holder or a beaded appliqué holder or a coral dragonfly flower or...well you've seen them. You know all the cuteness I had to look through. In the end I decided to go with summer drinking cute.

Once I decided on a Mason Jar holder, I had to pick 4 smellies for my car. I picked Watermelon Lemonade, Cinnamon Caramel Swirl, Island Margarita and Peach Bellini.

Yes! I know that they are all food scents. I don't need you to point that out to me. I don't need your judgment!

Besides, it means my car is gonna smell better than your car.

Or at least you'll get thirsty for a delicious summer beverage.

Let's Enjoy 43

Borrowed (with absolute love) from madebysteffie.sendasmile.com

Hey there!

Just a warning -- this is not about makeup or home goods. I turned 43 yesterday so today I get to talk about life. I get to have a real moment on my blog. If that's not for you, you may want to check back in tomorrow. But, if you want to give me a birthday gift, you can let me have this moment and be ok with it. There's some babbling and some tears, but it will ok.

I told you yesterday that I'd probably write about how fantastical turning 43 is. Well, it is pretty fantastical but that has very little to do with me. It has everything to do with the kiddo and lifestyle.

You see, I've been a single mom for quite a bit and raising kids is hard (you know that!). I've mentioned the kiddo and I've mentioned how magically wonderful she is. She is AMAZING! I am a lucky momma. But, the kiddo is graduating in less than 30 days. When she graduates, we get to shift from kiddo to young lady and we get to shift from teenage lifestyle to adult young lady lifestyle.

That's a big leap for me and her! We both are about to see some changes! We're moving to a different area. We're getting rid of old, childish furniture and we're getting new, adult people furniture. We're transitioning from mommie and child to mother and daughter. That doesn't seem like anything big, but any mommie getting ready to turn to a mother because their child is graduating high school or college or joining the service or getting a big girl/boy job knows that it is major! Life is about to shift.

And I'm excited about it.

43 is going to be a new adventure because it really will be new. The kiddo (and we will have to find a new name in 28 days -- help me with that please) will have a different set of rules. Those high school rules and regulations will change to college permissions and restrictions. No, neither of us knows what they are just yet, but there will be some and we are both excited about it.

So what does that mean for me? Well, major thing, I'm moving to a city (about 20 miles from where I am now) that is structured around a work/play lifestyle that I enjoy. When I researched the city I didn't ask one damned question about the nearest school. I didn't ask where the local park was and I didn't look to see if a daycare center was near me. Nope! I wanted to know where shopping was and if I could grab a bottle of wine on the way home from work. Priority shift.

I also have begun the process of not running home after work. Sometimes I meet co-workers or friends for a drink or bite to eat after work and sometimes I just go shopping. Yes, there is a bit of guilt associated with it but that's a mom thing. I've been told by the best "moms of post college kids" that it never goes away but it does dull a bit.

I can also travel a bit more. Not Disney Land type travel -- touring wine country or ladies spa weekend type travel. I don't have to check in with the kiddo to make sure she locked the door, warmed up her dinner, did homework, etc. I simply tell her I'm going out of town, I left you food and snacks, deuces. The only time she calls me is if she can't find the pop tarts or ran out of toothpaste (both are true phone calls, recently!). She is learning to be independent and find her way in the world. That mean's I'm learning to do the same thing!

So I'm ready 43! While the kiddo is blossoming into a great, responsible, beautiful, young lady, I'm blossoming into me. I'm able to take off my mommie hat (hold it in my hand or sit it right next to me -- you know keep it near in case of emergencies) and be me. I haven't been me in 25 years. I've been wifey and mommie but I haven't been me.

I'm going to enjoy the hell outta 43! If you want to see it, take a peek at my Instagram (<-- that's the link) and you can see what fun and exciting things I'm up to. On my blog, I'm going to do some new, fun stuff too! You get a the same birthday gift that I get!

Only I get to wear it, eat it, touch it, smell it and you get to read about what I thought about wearing it, eating it, touching it, smelling it.

That's almost the same thing!

Enjoy 43 with me.