Saturday, May 29, 2010

Ahhhhh Summer!




So I know summer hasn't officially started according to my calender. But for me, Memorial Day weekend signifies the start of the season. There are so many smells that remind me of the season: the beach, Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil, Coppertone, Jasmine and BBQ are just a few. 2 years ago I stumbled upon a limited edition perfume line from Estee Lauder called Bronze Goddess. It comes in the most fabulous bottle and makes me want to be either: on a yaught somewhere or in Palm Dessert (yep I love the dessert so much-I even go in June!). Looking at the bottle now just makes me happy :) The scent is summer. It smells like a mix of Coppertone meets coconut oil meets the beach meets delicious meets chic!

I found that it wasn't such a limited edition and was actually more of a seasonal item and it is back! This year I bought the Body Oil Spray(I'm OBSESSED with body oils-more on that in a future post) and it has not disappointed. I want to throw on a cute jumper or dress (anything Tory Burch, DVF, Trina Turk or Milly to be specific!), grab a mojito (virgin for me!) and spray this fantastic summer in a bottle all over myself! Have a fun holiday weekend :)

Friday, May 28, 2010

If you have a Dishwasher, you need this!


Bloggers, there is nothing better than sitting around chatting with girlfriends. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending some time with one of my besties, Leah and one of her besties, Lori (of the fabulous Paper & Thread Studio!) and one of Leah's coworkers Kylie. We were stuffing the invites for Leah's upcoming wedding (July 24th!!) and we literally discussed everything. Not exaggerating. From sex to child birth (scary!) to food to celebrities to skin care to dish washing detergent!?! Which brings me to this post. We were at Lori's house and she mentioned that her dishwasher had stopped getting her glasses sparkling clean. Leah and Kylie said they had the same thing happen. So I let them in on a little secret: Lemi Shine. It is amazing!!

I get the super concentrated kind (the one in the picture) because there are a few different kinds out there. It is a powder that you put where you would normally put your dish washing detergent and it seriously gets glasses so nice and sparkly!! It is sold at some Targets, but I recently saw it on Amazon(don't you just love Amazon-they have everything!!!) It removes hard water spots and more importantly that film that almost looks like you were drinking milk out of the glass that just came out of the washer. It great!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Cute, Soft & Cheap!


Bloggers, there is nothing I love more than a pretty, girlie nightie or chemise to sleep in. I love them-they make me feel much prettier/sexier than my flannel snowflake PJs (from 1999) that I still rock on occasion(ha ha sorry Kevin!). My problem is that I usually end up taking them off in the middle of the night because of a tag/clasp/button/zipper/something that itches me or is uncomfortable. So I end up butt naked. That's not such a problem at home, but when I'm visiting my mother in law and she comes to wake me up or bring me coffee-its always a bit...weird...if I'm nude. So Ive been on a hunt for attractrive yet super comfy sleepwear and I had to post about this great find from Target. It is by the brand Gilligan & O'Malley called Women's Fluid Knit Chemise. AND It is only $15!! Buy two!!! It comes in a couple different colors (I have black, my mom just bought the pretty periwinkle color) and isn't super girlie/frilly, but it is cute and flattering and it feels like I'm not wearing anything at all :) I suggest ordering a size up (I got a medium) because I think the key to comfort is to have it be flowy. I got it in store but they have it online too!! Happy shopping!!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Fountain of Youth??


Coconut water is all the rage right now. I completely understand why. It has more potassium than a banana, four other naturally occurring electrolytes, only 60 calories, and no fat or added sugar. It is low in acidity and high in potent antioxidants. It literally is a miracle drink. I feel better after I chug a carton of it.

I first heard about it in a magazine (did I mention I am a magazine junkie too?). I read that Gisele drinks it daily. Well, if its good enough for Gisele, its good enough for me! I went out to Whole Foods and bought a little juice box of it and YUCK! Hated it. I learned later that it is best served very cold(even over ice). Now Kevin and I drink this magical elixir all of the time. It gives me energy, makes me feel happy, makes my skin look nice and Ive grown to love the taste. Its also the best thing to drink right before bed if you are worried about a hangover!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

My 2nd Husband & Dr Perricone


Bloggers-I have a confession to make: I have a second husband. And he is HOT! Don't worry, Kevin knows all about him. I refer lovingly to him as my "corporate spouse". He is one of my dearest friends in the world (and will make the BEST uncle to our little bambino)and on top of all that, he has the best skin Ive ever seen!

A few years ago, we were in Chicago for a work convention and at the airport his carry on bag got searched by the inspections people. I was SO excited to see all the goodies that he uses to achieve the dewy, glowing skin that he has! I grabbed a pen and furiously scribbled all the products that he had on the back of my boarding pass(ha-who knew I could just ask him and he would of told me!). I will share more of his secrets weapons later but one brand kept reappearing: Dr Perricone cosmeceuticals.

So fast forward to now, my 2nd hubby and I go to Nordies and Sephora all he time together. He counseled me that I MUST buy Perricone's Ceramic Skin Smoother. I am so glad I did! It spendy ($75 for a bottle at Nordies-but it lasts forever!) but every time I wear it (over moisturizer and under make up), I get lots of compliments and my skin just looks glow-y. It amazing. I would drink this stuff if I could :)

Thanks 2nd hubby and Dr Perricone for making me look better!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Tone me up!!



Alright, I am certainly a sucker for anything that promises to tone and shape my butt and thighs! I got my 1st pair of Reebok Easy Tones last fall when they first came out. I have to admit that I was embarrassed to wear them in public for the 1st few weeks bc I think they are ugly and look like corrective shoes :( But the vision of a cute Marissa Miller butt/thighs eventually won and I started rocking these shoes all over town.

Now I am addicted to these suckers! I can't wear any other athletic-type shoes bc now they just don't feel right. Its time to purchase my next pair and thankfully Reebok has come out w/ some cuter designs! So now the million dollar question: Do they really work? I'm not sure...I generally walk 4-5 miles, 3-5 times a week and I take a barre based class. So are these shoes making a difference? That is unclear BUT I do know that they are super comfy and give me a little extra bounce when I walk. So now, when everything else is growing and expanding, Ill take whatever help I can get!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Pups need beauty products too!



Romeo and Bella are 2 sweet, cuddly, white Maltese who I have had for several years now(I got Romeo in college in 2001 and Bella in 2006). They are the ultimate in cute and I proudly walk them all over town getting attention from everyone. The #1 question that I get is "How do you keep them so clean and white?". Well, we bathe them weekly and we use a product that has literally changed their lives! It is called Angel Eyes and it is this powder that I sprinkle on their food and it completely eliminates tear stains. Brilliant! For those of you who have known me and Romeo for a long time-you know I used to really struggle with those darn disgusting tear stains. My sweet girlfriend Becky(whose mom has a bunch of little dogs) introduced me to this product and I cant thank her enough!! It is pretty cheap(best price is from Amazon.com) and I only use a teeny bit a few times a year. Its amazing! Now my biggest problem is I want to tell other dog owners about it with out insulting their pups :)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Ahhhhh the absolute best in face cleansers!




Here is another area where I splurge: my face wash. These cleansers are so great that I certainly get to save on acne treatments and on make up remover because they do it all. When I am really on top of it I use a different cleanser for morning and night: Purity Made Simple by Philosophy and Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel by La Roche Posay. If I had to choose just one, it would be the Purity Made Simple(often in the winter I just use this one). It is mild, soft, luxurious and it really washes junk off my face. The Effaclar is super cleansing-I actually came across this cleanser when I worked for a facial plastic surgeons 8 years ago(goodness time flies!). Both get nice and foamy which is a must for me because I want to feel like my face is getting really clean. You don't need to use a lot of either product-so they last a long time. I get lots of compliments on my skin and these cleansers, my addiction to sunscreen, and the crazy amount of water that I guzzle are definitely why :)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Recession Hair??


Well, being that we are tightening our belts financially, I decided that I could save some money by buying less expensive hair products...So I did, and then seemed to have nothing but bad hair days :(. Now of course there are some less expensive hair products that work well (I like Pantene Great Lengths Shampoo & Conditioner), but I didn't realize how good certain products were until I left them in search for cheaper options. Well, being preggo and not loving my body right now (I'm in the in-between stage, no bump but no waistline either), I decided that now is the time that I definitely need my hair to be on its "A game" so I sucked it up and bought my beloved expensive products! Ahhhhhh, my hair is shinier, fuller and softer already :)

My absolute #1 favorite hair product is a leave in conditioning treatment by i.c.o.n. called Cure. It comes in a pink spray bottle w/ red writing. It is amazing!!! I use it every time I wash my hair and it makes me tangle free! Love it-its worth every penny!