This and That: Life Update

Hi friends! I thought I'd just chit chat with y'all today and give a little bit of life updates. I feel like we have so much going on but at the same time, not much at all. Do you ever feel like that?

Moving on, it's LOVE WEEK! I know that Valentine's is a made up holiday, but I really do love it so much. Nothing makes me happier than seeing all the pink and red candies, flowers, balloons, and cards. But please...leave the stuffed teddy bears alone. HA! You don't have to have a significant other to celebrate...honest. There's always galentines! Last year, B and I hit up In&Out for our Valentine's dinner. Yes, you read that right. We went and got cheeseburgers and fries. It couldn't have been more us if you tried. And guess what, we are going to keep this 'tradition' and do it again this year. Ain't no shame in our game! I don't need steak and lobster (ew!!). And I really don't care to be dressing up at this point in my pregnancy. Sooooo cheeseburgers and fries are our choice. Do y'all do anything low key? Or is Valentine's an over the top holiday for you? BTW, did you see my Valentine's dessert post?

This past weekend (Friday) to be exact...I think I temporarily lost my mind. I for some reason freaked myself out (for no good reason at all) that this baby was coming any day. Y'all, I'll be 35 weeks on Thursday. He could very well come at any time (but let's be real, we have a few weeks), but I had myself in a straight up panic and started throwing everything into a suitcase. I wasn't even happy with it because it wasn't organized, and I didn't have time to plan everything out. And GOD FORBID, I didn't have my own going home outfit -- don't worry, I ordered it, and it will be here Thursday. I can't even begin to tell you how crazy my mind works. Of course, B set me straight once he got home and told me to take a chill pill. We made lists of what we have left to do and pack. I have him packed as well as baby. I just have a few last minute things coming in/things I need to put together (nurse gifts!).

I guess the fact that my next appointment starts my series of weekly visits. How did I get here so fast? I have constantly gone over things in my head...do we have everything? Am I ready? Is B ready? What about Gopher? Is he going to even like the baby? Will we know what to do? Is B going to pass out in the delivery room? It's hard to anticipate the unexpected...truly. Especially for quite a monumental event in one's life. I think we are as 'ready' as we'll ever be.

Does anyone else like the new snapchat? I think it's AWFUL. I hardly get on it anymore and mainly just watch InstaStories. I feel like everyone is migrating there and away from snapchat. Now, if Instagram would just go back to the regular scheduled programming and not this STUPID algorithm, we'd be in business. If you aren't following me on Insta, be sure to find me! I post there mostly.

This Wednesday starts Lent. Is anyone out there giving up anything or taking on anything? B always does a better job at this than me. He is giving up quite a bit this year (alcohol in general being one). A podcast he listens to suggested doing an almsgiving which we already do with our snack packs. I think giving back to those in need is so important. Why not incorporate both almsgiving and volunteering to your Lenten season? Junior League of Austin and helping those we pass on Austin street corners has been eye opening. I highly suggest getting out of your comfort zone and helping. I promise you have the time...sacrificing that show or sleeping in, you can be helping. You just don't really know, until you know. I know that we will so encourage this once baby is old enough. Just a challenge. :)

And I can't leave y'all on too much of a serious note so here are some recent purchases of mine. Some aren't here yet so I'm patiently waiting stalking the delivery man. Anybody else this way? I'm also refusing to buy any real Spring clothes (even though it's about to kill me) because I want to see just how much weight is left over after baby and where I stand on sizing.

Happy Fat Tuesday!!

 

Battle of Beauty: Drugstore Foundations

We all know the wide range of beauty products out there -- some good, some not so good. Some people spend a lot on their make up, and some choose not to. And that's okay. I get it. Especially if you aren't someone who wears a lot to begin with or doesn't wear it on a daily basis (work from homers --- raising my hand). This is going to be the first part of my beauty series: drugstore foundations!

A couple weeks ago, I hit Ulta and headed straight over to the drugstore area. Literally, I had no method to picking up the foundations that I did other than choosing more well known brands that could be found no matter where you go, CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, etc etc. I was actually pretty surprised with my findings...honest. To be totally transparent, I did no prior research to buying these, and I applied these all the SAME way. I used my Beauty Blender and the same primer (I got this as a sample and I am OBSESSED!).

Here are the four that I chose to test.

1. COVERGIRL Clean Liquid Foundation  This was my least favorite. First thing being is that it doesn't have any type of dispenser. You twist of the cap and then what? Carefully pour it on the back of your hand? Pour it on your beauty blender? No thanks. Also, it had a weird smell. Coverage was eh. Color range was about 12 different ones. Not bad but not great. It was also the cheapest of all 4 foundations. {$}

2. NYX Total Control Drop Foundation  This was in my top 2. You use a dropper to dispense which I liked. It also is very liquid-y but goes on great. The finish is powdery/matte. Coverage was wonderful, and I likened this to my not so cost friendly Laura Mercier foundation that I LOVE. One thing I will say about the NYX....do NOT use a mattifying primer. First time I tried to apply it, I used this primer (which I love ESP for the summertime). While it is a great primer, it does not match well with this foundation. Use something a bit more hydrating (like this one), and it will go on flawlessly. Shade range is phenomenal on this one with a total of 29 colors. {$$}

3. L'OREAL True Match Lumi Foundation This foundation is very nice. It does give a luminescent finish if that's what you are looking for. I would say this may not be the best foundation for someone who has super oily skin (especially during the summer); however, it is great for winter/spring in my personal opinion. I tend to run on the oily side so while I still liked this, it wasn't at the top of my list because I know it would be sliding off my face once this Texas heat hits. The shade range is decent with a total of 15 colors. It also has a pump for dispensing which I really like. Also contains a broad spectrum SPF of 20. {$$}

4. REVLON PhotoReady Airbrush Effect Foundation  This was a great foundation. It is described as medium to full coverage which I completely agree with. It, too, is a pump dispenser like the L'Oreal foundation. The consistency is thicker on this one however on the skin, it does not feel heavy/cakey. It also has a broad spectrum SPF of 20. It gives a bit of a luminescent finish but nothing like the L'Oreal. The one drawback to this one is that the overall shade range is less to be desired with only 6 colors (WHAT?!). Luckily, they had a shade that worked for me. {$$}

Overall, the Revlon and NYX foundations were my favorites. They stayed on. They covered well. And the price points were not bad at all. Neither of these 2 products caused any breakouts when wearing them. And I have worn both multiple times because I do like them so much. Be sure to let me know if you have tried or currently use these or are going to try. Are there any others out there that are off the charts? Send me your recs!!