Skin Care Steals Under $20

I don't know how many products I use in a week, but when I look at all the products in my bathroom I realized I may have a few too many. I also realized I have some really great ones that I use all the time that are essential to keep me sane and not looking like a hot mess. 

Today I thought I'd share my top skin care items that I love and use religiously plus they're affordable... nothing over $20. 

Aquaphor Healing Ointment $5.60

I use this stuff, literally, ever day. It sits on my nightstand and I put it on my dry lips, cracked hands, and scrapes/cuts. Plus a jar lasts a long time. I just bought a new one after the one I've had for over three years finally ran out. 

Derma Beauty Microneedle Roller $11.99

I use mine about once a week. If you haven't discovered the magic of the derma-roller you can read about it here. This one from Amazon is the same one I use. It works great and is a bargain. 

Biore Deep Cleansing Nose Strips $5.99

Gotta love these nose strips. They work great and it's so satisfying to rip it off and see all the gunk it pulls out. Ewww!

St. Ives Even and Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub $3.29

I like to exfoliate once to twice a week. This scrub smells great and exfoliates without being too rough.

Biore Deep Charcoal Cleanser $5.99

I like this cleanser because it does a great job and is truly a deep cleanser. I feel like a lot of face washes don't clean well and leave dirt behind. Not so with this one. It leaves your skin feeling cool, tingly, and squeaky clean. 

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer w/ Retinal $16.98

Since I'm over 30 I've got to try and do all I can to slow down the presence of wrinkles and repair where I can, that's where this comes in. It's affordable price and results make it worth the trying.

L'Oreal Detox & Brighten Pure-Clay Mask $9.79

I love a good face mask. The charcoal in this mask draws out impurities and cleans pores leaving your skin brighter and healthier looking. 

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel- Cream $6.29

After I shower I always apply this gel cream to my face. It makes my skin feel so refreshed and moisturized. It is one of my daily must-haves. 

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Skin Creme $8.99

Again, got to try and keep the wrinkles away. This face creme is great for day or night plus there's a sensitive skin version available as well.

L'Oreal Collagen Moisture Filler Day Lotion w/ SPF $10.74

With my fair skin, SPF is a must. This moisturizer has SPF 15 and can be worn under makeup without feeling too heavy or greasy. 

Burt's Bees Lip Balm Beeswax $3.29

Again, this is another daily must-have. I keep one in my purse at all times. It made with natural ingredients, feels good on and stays on for quite a while.

Eucerin In Shower Moisturizer $10.99

As a mom who is in high demand by her littles, I don't get a long time to get ready so anything I can do to make the most of my time is a winner. This in-shower moisturizer is a quick and effective. Gotta love that!

What's your favorite budget skin products that didn't make my list? I'm always down to try something new. 

Bye bye January, Hello February!

So as I said at the beginning of January, instead of having yearly goals, I am making monthly goals and now it's checkin time for January. So how did I do on my two goals? 

1. Hit the gym 3x a week- Failed 👎🏻 

I don't have any excuse for this other than life got in the way. I have to pick up the baby early or get something from the store. Lunch breaks are the best time for me to workout but they are also the best time for me to get stuff done sans kids. No excuse but that's what happened. 

I did workout at least twice a week but that was not the goal. At a minimum I wanted to workout 3 times. 

2. Use my facial scrubber every day for 30 days with before and after pictures- Succeeded 👍🏻 

I used the Conair True Glow Sonic Cleansing Brush every night after washing my face. I'd put a little face wash onto the pad and scrub for a minute. The scrubber has a built in timer and beeps every 10 seconds to let you know to move onto the next section of you face. This feature was really nice and I think it helped me get a good even overall cleaning. 

Results: I don't know if my wrinkles were reduced but my skin has a nice luminous glow to it now. My face feels tighter after using it as well. Some of my coworkers commented on my skin and asked me what I was doing differently because i looked refreshed and my eyes seemed brighter. I'll take that as a win!! Glowing skin and looking more refreshed are always positives for this tired mama. I'll keep using the scrubber and let you know if I see any changes on the wrinkle front. 

You'll have to excuse the lighting on the January shots, it's too harsh... oh, well. 

February Goals:

1. Go to the gym/workout for 35 to 45 minutes a minimum of 3x per week. For real this time. 

2. Get my reading nook completed. I've got the space painted, inspiration found, and a wishlist a mile long, so now I need is follow through and get it done. I can't wait to get this space done with all our books on a proper bookshelf and out of our guest room dresser. 

3. Get in a date night with the husband. Within 28 days I should be able to find the time and a babysitter so that Pierce and I can get one evening to ourselves. 

Here's a little inspiration to keep my February goals on track:

I think this is the bookcase I want, I'm just waiting for it to go on sale. Find it HERE. 

There are so many great restaurants in Charleston, here are few I'm dying to try:

The Obstinate Daughter

Tavern & Table

Husk

What are your favorite Charleston area restaurants? We don't go out to eat much, so when we do I want it to be wonderful and delicious so recommendations are always welcome!

Aww... Honey, Honey

You know how certain things remind you of a particular moment and memories from your past. Honey holds a special memory in mine.
Growing up my grandfather had a small farm where he and my grandma grew vegetables for themselves, friends, and family. In turn, he also had bees to pollenate the garden. He had several hives and at the end of each summer he'd harvest the honey they produced and it was delicious! We'd have quart jars of honey fresh from the hives which we'd slather on toast or stir into hot tea. My grandparents has passed but I remember times in the garden and at their home so fondly. I still love my hot tea with honey and while I was on the subject, also share some of my favorite honey products.

1. Laura Mercier Creme Brûlée Honey Bath -Drizzle a little into your bath to give it a sweet scent and leaves your skin fresh and supple.
2. Savannah Bee Beeswax Hand Cream- A rich, thick hand cream you won't leave home without. Perfect for winter when my hands are consistently dry.
3. Deep Steep Fresh Honey Hand Wash- I love the way my hands smell after using this hand soap. Just like fresh honey; pleasant but not overwhelming. You'll keep wondering what that lovely smell is until you realize it's you. 
4. Nature Nate's Organic Honey- A delicious raw honey that is very versatile, great for cooking, and in hot tea. This is a wonderful honey to buy in bulk. When substituting honey for sugar, this is my go-to. 
5. Savannah Bee Winter White- This whipped honey is my all time FAVORITE. I have a jar that is mine and rarely share. It's wonderful on butter toast or by the spoonful. 
6. Manuka Doctor Apinourish Rejuvenating Face Mask- A nourishing face mask made with bee venom and honey to leave your skin feeling firm and rejuvenated. 

Honey is better for you as a sweeter than sugar. Although it has more calories than sugar, we tend to use less of it than sugar. It has a lower glycemic index, which means it's absorbed slower into the bloodstream and a more gradual and healthier digestive process. Which mean is has less of a sugar rush on my 4 year old who loves sweets. Since sugar is heated and manufactured it loses any nutritional value and is considered empty calories. Whereas raw honey retains nutrients and enzymes along with having certain antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. I recommend choosing raw honey over processed if you have the option since it retains more enzymes, antioxidants, and flavor. 

I feel like honey is old-fashioned but with healthy and clean eating being all the rage, it is definitely making a comeback. I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't in a while. Enjoy!

Making Resolutions

Happy 2017! I hope that you are all having a great start to this new year. 

My typical New Year’s resolutions are for self-improvement (eat better, workout more, save more, spend more quality time with the family), and I have great intentions but my drive usually fizzles out after a few months. I hope that by setting monthly goals I will keep myself continuously motivated since I will be focusing on one or two manageable goals at a time rather than too many which would can be overwhelming. 

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, so rather than set lofty yearly goals that burn bright but fizzle out before spring gets here; I’ve decided I’m going to set attainable monthly goals. If they (whoever “they” are) are right, then as long as I stick to the goal I set for each month, I should be on my way to creating healthy habits.

January Goals:

**Get Moving**

Last year I had baby weight to lose and did the 12 week Bikini Body Guide. I had great results with the program and it really changed my mindset on how I should be working out. It taught me the importance of resistance and weight training along with cardio. As life would have it, I slacked off and let the chaos of life and excuses replace my workouts. Starting now I am back at it. 

Using elements I learned from BBG, I plan on doing at least 2 resistance workouts, 2 LISS (low intensity sustained state), and 1 stretching/rehab per week. No excuses, I have to do this every week. Hopefully by February it will be ingrained in me again. Working out makes me feel accomplished, strong, energized and motivated. Who doesn't what to feel that way? I sure know I do. 

Here is some workout gear I’ve been lusting over. One or two new things is sure keep me motivated, right? 😊

Yoga Commuter Mat

Cross Back Sports Bra

Kettlebell

Max Out Tank- the built in tank is awesome!!

Moisture Wicking Leggings

Nike Training Shoe- perfect for resistance workouts

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**Get Pretty**

Now that I’m in my thirties I’ve started to notice those signs of aging we all dread. They are inevitable but surely we can slow them down. I figure it’s worth a shot to try. I bought Pierce a face scrubber for Christmas that I’m going to test out. (I don’t know if your husband’s are into face products but Pierce loves a good face scrubber, peel, mask, etc., and I’m happy to ablige because then I can try them too.) 

Conner True Glow Sonic Skincare Scrubber

I’ve taken my before picture and, in 30 and 60 days, I’ll take after pictures, and we shall see if there is any validity to the claims that scrubbers help reduce lines. I sure hope so! Stay tuned. 

Thanks for reading and helping me stay motivated. 

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? I’d love to hear them.