Tattooed Homemaker

How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2014-05-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

There is a history about us that Joshua and I don't really talk about much, but we miss aspects of it dearly. (In hind sight) We used to garden. We shared almost an acre lot filled with many, many, MANY fruits and veggies galore. Chickens and even a sickly goat that eventually bit the dust. We had a huge, nasty compost pile out back that overgrown rats loved, even thought we never saw them, we always heard them. I cooked most meals for everyone, and after church, we used Sunday afternoons as community garden day and we stayed out there for hours. Weeding. Planting. Harvesting. Transplanting. It was hard, and we silently complained but it was beautiful and rewarding to eat from our own garden.

Fast forward, after moving a handful of times since then, many years later with THREE men in the house, we eat a lot of food and are constantly running out of fruits and veggies, mid-week. I've found it's better for us to make multiple trips to purchase the freshest foods rather than once a week buying in bulk.

So I decided to try and alleviate our grocery bill and put my extremely dormant green thumb back to work again. In the past few months I've planted 2 kinds of salad mixes, snap peas, around 20 tomato plants, blueberry, multiple strawberry, random flowers, swiss chard, carrots and squash. I had to have a sweet friend take my 5 watermelon seedlings because I honestly didn't expect them to sprout and she offered to take them and transplant them into her beautiful acre garden. Our tomato plants are finally bearing fruit and I have harvested our salad plots a few times. Waiting on carrots to pop up is almost unbearable, and the squash leaves just grow bigger every day!

Growing your own food, has so many benefits beyond what we are told.

Slacker & Rambler

2014-04-29T13:34:00.002-07:00

Lots and lots have happened since my last post a few months back! I've really been trying to disconnect myself from social media a bit in order to focus on my sweet treasures. Being a SAHM, I never want my phone to have my attention or priority over my children. I'm sure we all know what that feels like...unfortunately.
Any how, in my absence online we've celebrated THREE birthdays, mournfully gained weight(winter will do that), garden planning and harvesting, made probably hundreds of grocery store runs when we've ran out of fruit mid-week, crafting up the house, made friends, and have had the AC turned on during what was supposed to be winter.
I have a few minutes because it's lunch time now and I'm typing this out while watching my eldest jump on his indoor trampoline, listening to Rescue Bots play in the background, and watching my youngest joyfully run all over the house while dropping multiple toys and food everywhere.

I love my life.

Anyone who is in our community of friends knows that our life is a messy and sometimes difficult one. Messy from messes, messy from being transparent and raw with those we encounter, but through it all, there is a joy that encompasses us all around telling us that He holds our imperfect but precious lives in His hands. Don't compare your life to those whom seem to have the prefect kids, or those who have enough money, time and resources to go all organic OR paleo. It's better to trust in God than to trust a thought, feeling, or circumstance, no matter how right or familiar it feels. Our hearts ~~may~~ will always fail us, but Jesus is our Constant when we may not see Hope. (Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Homemade "Pedialyte" Recipe

2014-01-28T18:06:00.002-08:00

So my precious family has been fighting the stuffy, head cold sickies off and on for awhile, and I just ran out of Pedialyte. I was about to head to the store to pick up more along with some other much needed health based kitchen staples.
Quick detour- I have been on a slow transition to a more healthy life with my family by way of DIY to also help save money. It's hard. I crave chocolate donuts, I thoroughly enjoy frozen Nutterbutter Bars. I like to eat out. You get the point, NOT eating junk can be difficult, however I want to take care of this temple God has given me and I want to see my Grandchildren grow up. So I have been finding recipes to make my own everyday household essentials. I.E. laundry soap, foam hand soap, BBQ sauce, sprouting beans and grains, healthy batch freezer meals, ect.

So I remembered that I still had an empty box of Pedialyte frozen pops, and I was blown away with how many nonessential ingredients they contain. Sugar, dyes and the like. Now it has worked for us in the past but again, I desire a simpler diet for my family and self. So I got to looking around the net, and found a ton of different recipes. I chose Raising Vintage Kids in a Modern World, because it was straight to the point ingredients without all the extras. I tweaked it a little to my liking and knowing that my eldest would be the one to consume it the most.

Natural Electrolyte juice (makes 64 fl oz/1.89L)

- 8 Cups of water
(I used bottled so I wouldn't have to boil it.)
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- Juice 4-5 lemons, 1-2 lime included
(concentrated juice OR fruit from your LOVELY friend's garden tastes beautifully, thanks Mary!)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt(Thanks Mary again!) or Himalayan salt

Combine water, salt and honey in a pot on low. Stir as your squeezing the citrus juice into the pot. You'll want to taste it to make sure it is sweet enough for your liking, but make sure to either wash the spoon or use a new one so you won't introduce bacteria(from your mouth) into it. Allow time to cool then poor into a pitcher/glass milk jugs ect and store in the fridge. Will keep up to 1 week.
Enjoy!

My little kitchen helper!

Seasonal Remedies

2014-01-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

If you've ever wondered what we take to help our bodies to regain health again... Within the past few years, I've really taken towards the "homeopath" route. Essentially these are herbal mixtures that help your body heal itself as opposed to pharmaceutical means that mostly mask symptoms. Now don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate what the medical world has been able to advance in, however, I also am aware that the Western culture is also extremely over drugged.

So without further adieu, may I present...

Sick Babies

2014-01-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

So Moses has been sick on and off for awhile, and I'm taking him to the Dr. office tomorrow because today his symptoms have been worse than usual. Even though I've got an appointment tomorrow, I'm still educating myself on other possibilities. Is it an ear infection, food intolerance, common cold or something more. All these swirl around in your head when your baby isn't feeling 100%, and while I was reading some articles from one of my absolute FAVORITE informational breastfeeding/Momma sites, KellyMom, I discovered it may in fact be a food reaction.
I was reminding myself of yesterday's meals when it struck me that he had peanut butter and bananas as a tiny snack yesterday. I didn't think anything of it because months ago, when he was about 8-9 months old, he got ahold of Big Brother's food which was of course peanut butter. So I really thought there was no correlation between his sickly symptoms and food.

Have any of you dealt with something similar? Because I've never experienced this firsthand, it's unfortunately easy for me to write it off as overly critical analysis and blame shifting through possibilities. But I do not want to just accept antibiotics as the end all solution to every problem because the medical world no matter how wonderful and well intended motives are, America is unneccessarily drugged.

I pray whatever it is that's attacking his poor little system will pass quickly.

Avon Samples {GIVEAWAY!}

2013-11-23T23:24:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I am an Avon/Mark Make-up Rep, and for the holidays I've decided to have a little giveaway! I've put together a handful of my fave Avon/Mark products, and have decided that one lucky winner will win! Please follow the link to fill out the required info for your chance to win! One winner will be picked and will be contacted by way of email! U.S. eligible only!

Enter Here!

Date night with Thor.

2013-11-18T15:41:00.001-08:00

Thank GOD for Grammas! Our date nights wouldn't be possible without a free babysitter! Gramma came with pizza and plenty of hugs and kisses.

Isaac has recently become emotional for example when we take him to Sunday school or leave him with Gramma for date night. It's definitely sad, but he obviously forgets about it the second we leave and he's back to his wildly excited life!

Once Gramma showed up we skedaddled out the door with baby Brother in tow and headed to dinner. Last minute we decided on sushi and was half glad we did. The food was fresh but the service all around was aweful. I think I've received better service in a Waffle House!

So after consuming large amounts of sushi, we got our movie tickets and headed for Old Navy. We were a little bummed that we weren't able to clear out the clearance racks but did leave with a little handsome knit pullover for Isaac under $8! As we got a little caught up in window shopping, we booked it for the movie and got mildly soaked by misting rain drops as my Husband pulled out his roll of tickets for the ticket ripper guy to rip our tickets. We hurried past the concession stand slightly saddened that no gum drops, chocolates or popped-corn would be dancing with joy as they slide down my esophagus into the "party in my tummy" because we were both feeling the harsh physical effects of what entering a new Winter-y Season is like.

After we rushed into the theater, there is always that slightly elevated elation over getting to pick the choicest seats in the house, however this was not one of those times. Was it snacking on Gramma's pizza before we left? Possibly. Was it because we went into Old Navy with high hope of scoring and needing to go down virtually every aisle to make sure we didn't miss any well hidden deal? Most assuredly. So we quietly creeped near the front and chose the seats closest to the doors in case of an emergency poopy diaper, screaming kid or random explosion.

Now I know what you're thinking...,"how dare they bring a baby into a theater packed with others commencing their date nights as well!" Well we can and will with this one! Our second little one is so chill...he's currently working on 5 teeth, YES FIVE and barely ever cries let alone whines about it. So knowing that we've had great experiences bringing him into movies before, we thought," what's the big deal?!". Even so, I still dread those looks at the back of my head whenever he does squeak, thinking they may question our motives. Well bringing one kid with us IS the best we can do right now!

So we thoroughly enjoyed the movie with its twists and turns and loved how they dove deeper into background character traits. Great stuff.

After unwinding with Thor, we decided to snag a photo with him. Sorry for the horrid quality, I guess that's what you get for taking it yourself! Eek

We came home to extra leftover pizza and Gramma enjoying a Halmark Christmas movie.

THANKS GRAMMA, let's do this again real soon!

Here are the boys playing sweetly together before we left!

Joshua was so excited to consume his sashimi, his hands were shaking.

My handsome bow-tie man!

Thor was so happy to meet us, he kissed Joshua's head. (Of course)

Park Day

2013-11-12T19:41:00.001-08:00

We spent the early part of Veteran's Day at a beautifully big park surrounded by lush greenery and towering trees with swings and two separate playgrounds. Joshua and I switched on and off between boys and while enjoying the incredible blessing of our freedom, I was able to capture these precious moments that I normally am not able to grab between a wild man and an excited crawling baby.

Mid-Morning Activities

2013-10-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to do a morning activity a couple of times a week and so far Isaac has had a blast. I am really starting to enjoy them as well which is less than what could be said of last years attempt! We have a very bright and highly active boy and with me being a cranky pants and pregnant last year wasn't a good time too try and do crafts!

So Fall seemed like a good time to try again and guess what?! He took too it and even though having a newborn stretches me in many different directions, I would say God has granted me more patience to endure another activity!

Check out my previous posts about seasonal crafts that not only add warmth and smiles to your home but double as a coveted gift to the Grandparents

My supplies again came from Target in the Dollar section and I couldn't be more pleased to know that I could do my home shopping AND craft shopping all in one stop!

Fun "ANYTIME" Craft

- fuzzy pipe cleaners (make sure to bend the d ends so they won't accidentally cause harm)

- beads/gems/jewelry

- bowl (so the beads will not spill)

I started out making bracelets but then thought a better idea would be a keychain so I could send them to the Grandparents. You could also totally use them in a supervised color sensory play. Such as having them sort through the beads and matching them to the same colored pipe cleaner. Make colored shapes or even letters out of them! So many possibilities with these little pokey metal sticks!

We will be mailing these out with our Fall family photos early next week!

My TOP TEN Favorite Products!

2013-10-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

In about a month I will be comin up on my one year anniversary that I've been selling Avon and Mark products. In this time, I've have been excitedly exposed to many of the tried and true products that has made Avon a household name such as Skin So Soft and have also been in line to use revolutionary never before seen products such as, Mega Effects Masacara.

So without further adu, here is my list! I will include where you can purchase any of these treasures after each product is named!

1. Mega Effects Mascara

(Years of research in the making this mascara is a first of its kind and has gotten many raves reviews from fashion and beauty magazines! I love that it can be applied 12 different ways and has 40% more mascara on the brush so there is less double dipping which means the mascara will last a whole lot longer from not getting dried out by oxygen constantly being pushed in.

2. Lipgloss hook-ups (Sun Luxe)

(A must have for any day running errands or a date night on the town. Lovely minty scent and is just as gorgoues if not more than any of Mac Cosmetics lipgloss-in my opinion. These are not tacky or overpowering with sparkles at all, they really know how to create make-up! Also- you can purchase just one, however purchasing two gets you a free connector hook-up. The entire Hook-Up line has lipgloss, mascara, brow, eyeliner and beauty tools that can be mixed so you always have it for touch ups!!)

3. Moisture Therapy Lotion

(Being a Mom with CONSTANTLY dry, cracked hands, this is the ONLY lotion I have found that does not burn, instantly softens and dissolves quickly into my skin without greasy was. This lotion was actually the whole reason I started selling Avon, just so I could purchase multiples of this! Always on sale and ALWAYS makes a great add in gift for anyone!)

4. Kids Natural bath and body wash (Strawberry, Mango)

(Isaac loves these scents and they do not smell artificial which is a nice bonus. The bubbles carry the scent nicely and the bottles are fun for him to look at. He actually likes to pour the soap in himself and watch the bubbles grow!)

5. Any Mark Jewelry

(Hand crafted well and looks exactly how it's advertised. I bought my Mother-In-Law a lovely statement bib necklace as a thank you gift and it was perfect! She wears it all the time and best of all thinks of me whenever she puts it on!)

6. Lipclicks by Mark (Cha-Cha)

(gorgeous red shade and smells of lovely mint not your average generic fruity scent.)

7. Anew Clinical Duo Eye Lift Pro

(2-in-1 eye cream and gel for eye crease/eyebrow and under eyes. I love this because I can use it DAY and NIGHT.)

8. Tiny Tillia's entire Kid line

(Avon created a line specifically for Moms and children of all ages and I love that they carry anything from blankets, fashion diaper bags, shoes, pants, toys and more.)

9. Avon 3-in-1 Make-up pencil Sharpener

(Let me tell you, I've collected many a shapener over the years because they either to dull, never worked to begin with or aren't the correct size to fit certain lip/eye crayons. I found this in one of AVON's catalogs and decided to try it, because at $1.99 with the deal it was on I couldn't pass it up if it turned out to be a winner. So it made the list and its fantastic. It fits all of my different brands of make-up perfectly and it actually has a small plastic inner fitting that can be easily removed to fit even the most largest of crayons. I was so excited to see that I didn't have to purchase an expensive brand specific shapener because of this great feature!

10. Nail Strips

(Love the designs and love the price! They are another customer fave and last forever!)

Money Saver- Leftover Freezer Sauce

2013-10-05T19:50:00.001-07:00

I always seem to have leftover spaghetti sauce and throw it in the fridge and then forget about it. Every jar I've seen has always said consume within 3-5 days after being opened and almost a month later and it's still in my fridge but has migrated all the way to the back of the fridge.

I was tired of wasting perfectly good sauce due to negligence! I actually got the idea from my Mom, while visiting them over the latter half of the Summer. I stumbled upon half a jar right in her freezer and thought it was pure genius, however I did not have the space so I figured I could just put the leftovers in ice cube trays.

*Word to the wise* I highly recommend to not freeze in baby food trays. They will leave a stench and it is really hard too get rid of.

*Easy Peasy* Freezer Sauce

- Any jarred or homemade sauce.(Alfredo would work seeing as you can freeze milk, butter and really any dairy product. Not sure how thawed gravy would taste, you might need to add some cornstarch to make it less watery once you prepare it.)

- Ice cube trays

- 2 hours for freezing

- Freezer safe plastic zip top bags. (Got to many leftover breastmilk bags? USE THOSE! I can not tell you how wonderfully they keep frozen items! I store my baby food in them and I've never once had air get in there mysteriously!)

Super Fun Fall DIY Gift

2013-09-30T19:59:00.001-07:00

This is a super easy and fun little craft that can double as a gift for someone!

We made them last year and they were a hit with the Grandparents!

The entire project cost me under $5 and will actually last me about 50 other activities as well!

I got everything at Target, make sure you hit up all the clearance spots throughout their store to find the best deals! You can use anything to decorate your card, but I used what was easiest for my very active 3yo boy, plus who doesn't like stickers? I was a Lisa Frank fanatic growing up!

Supplies-

- construction paper/card stock

- themed stickers

- markers/ crayons

I just let him go to town on it, poor kid had 4 to make so I made sure that I was very involved to keep him focused!

Can't wait too mail them out to the Grandparents and he loved making an extra one so Papa can have one at work!

I had him "sign" his name and "write" Happy Fall on the inside after I folded the card. It's the cute extra touches that make it more personable!

It's Fall Y'all!

2013-09-28T23:49:00.004-07:00

Just kidding, I'm not a Southern Belle, although I day dream about living in the South a lot!
We went to Bates Nut Farm for their opening weekend and we had a blast! For the past 3 years we've been visiting when their pumpkin patch is open and it just keeps getting better the older our kids grow! The memories of pony rides, shopping at their old fashioned general store, hay rides and so much more! The absolute BEST part about it all is that it is totally FREE to get in! Sure all of the rides and animal feed dispensers are available for a nominal fee, but there is nothing greater than seeing your little boys' face light up with excitation at all of the diverse things too do!

If you are EVER in San Diego, I highly recommend going for a great time, and don't forget to scavenge through the acres of bountiful pumpkins to find the perfect one for you!

Fabulous Quick Greek Salsa

2013-09-24T22:33:00.001-07:00

I'm not Greek, but I do adore the food. I LOVE vinegar and so whenever we visit a restaurant, naturally I enjoy chicken salad doused with "Greek dressing". It's like consuming liquid salt and vinegar chips only ahem way better. Sorry if that leaves you with a bad picture, I guess you've really got to enjoy vinegar in different forms.

Any who, I originally used the recipe from Martha Stewart's Tabbouleh salad whenever I make it and tweaked it just enough for my liking. Needless to say, Joshua and I eat SO much of this, that there is barely enough leftover for the next day! Perfect for parties it's packed full of flavor and freshness!
Another side note- I can not stand raw tomatoes...like really, they gross me out, so the fact that I can eat this minutes after chopping up these itty bitty cherry tomatoes has got to say something about how delicious this truly is!

Greek Salsa

(3-4 people, 7-10 min ready to eat!)

- 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar

- 1 cup of feta cheese

- 12-15 cherrie tomatoes, diced

- 3-4 grinds of fresh pepper/shakes

- 2 tablespoons of dried parsley

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 tablespoon dried onion

I like to chop the tomatoes then pour on the feta and mix in the red wine vinegar, that way the vinegar has a chance to soak through before adding the seasoning.

THOROUGHLY ENJOY with pita chips, flatbread or even cheese quesadilla!

Instagram Downgrade

2013-08-21T23:13:00.002-07:00

I have had my account private for I don't know how long, and USUALLY only accept followers who are Moms. However, because I haven't sifted through my friends in probably over a year, I've accumulated random people here and there, and I know that I didn't really need 400+ people looking at photos of my family that I didn't even know. I guess what really sparked my solidification of it was the need for more privacy, especially when I had recently read of creepers making fake accounts and "stealing" photos of children. So the final result after over 2 hours and deleting/blocking over 200 people, my account now feels safer and lighter.

Here are some recent photos from the past few weeks!

My 6mo BIG BOY!

Meet our newest member, Bavinck(after Joshua's fave Reformed Theologian!)

Together Forever Whatever the Weather

2013-08-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated our 7th anniversary! We've been through much toil and bliss that we feel almost cheated, like we have the experience of a deserving 15 years of marriage. We will get there soon enough, so anyhow Joshua decided we would share our special day with our babies so the whole family came! I loved the idea of having our kids involved, so we made sure it would be a good one!

We started out by going to a special park for Isaac so he could get at least some play time in. This was Joshua's idea and my heart just about melted when he told me that he wanted to do that for Isaac! So the boys were playing around while I was hanging out with Moses. We happened to go on an extremely busy Saturday when what seemed like every Day Camp in the San Diego county decided to go to the SAME EXACT park. I was frustrated because sometimes Isaac gets super excited about the circumstances around hime and goes a little wild on the other kids, which in turn sometimes causes unfortunate action on Momma or Papa's part. Although, as he is growing, we are trying to teach him how to express his emotions in a more appropriate and loving way to those around him, and by golly he did FANTASTIC at the park. We were so proud of him that of course there were lots of high-fives and praise as we commenced the rest of the day!

So after a good hour of working on a tan, we decided it was time to head down to Downtown. We stopped at McDonald's so I could get a quick meal because I hadn't eaten Breakfast and exclusively breastfeeding makes for a REALLY hungry Momma. One of the funnest things about celebrating beloved days together is reminiscing about previous ones spent together! Which is exactly what we did, from jokes, to the music we listened too and even where Joshua took us to go eat Lunch!

Enter POINT LOMA SEAFOOD. Fresher than Fresh seafood. They have their own market of every kind of fish and crustacean you can think of. It overlooks a beautiful Harbor that we had the pleasure of taking a stroll afterward. I just adored watching my Hunny and little man walk together, hand-in-hand down the pier, gazing at all the boats, birds and hands on decks.

After our scrumptious Lunch, we headed directly to Mission Beach where the plan was to ride bikes, but unfortunately they didn't have accommodations for a 6mo and Isaac was heartbroken. Thank GOD, almost directly across the street was an ongoing fair with rides, fair food and prize booths. Isaac saw the ferris wheel and couldn't wait to get on it! We spent a few $ and let him play some arcade games, crammed in a photo booth and ate the world's most annoyingly huge and messy ice-cream cone! We had a blast! The plan was to then hit up some Thrift stores but by that time it was nap time, and as we drove home, the kids got to rest.

When we got home, Joshua and I of course unwound to some Doctor Who and I ran out and go Chinese take-out. we ended the night with obviously MORE Doctor Who while Joshua make wonderful malt ball kahluas!

Happy many more babe!

Together forever whatever the weather!!!

Mega Effects Mascara VIDEO

2013-06-28T15:14:00.001-07:00

*1ST EVER* of it's kind MASCARA!

After 6 YEARS of research, 5,000 hours of science and 2,000 women whom have given input, AVON has come out with an amazing *NEW* beauty essential, the Mega Effects Mascara!

- Panoramic volume

- 40% more mascara to lash

- 12 different ways to apply

- 24 hour wear

Get it through me! www.youravon.com/laelgielow

Fair Time!

2013-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

We had loads of fun at the fair! Stuffed ourselves with fried everything with Isaac eating half a cheeseburger, 2 corn dogs and an applesauce pouch!We also checked out the Star Trek exhibit! The outfits were the coolest! My fave part is probably going through the FFA and seeing all the farm animals! Isaac even rode a horse!!! He keeps talking about riding one again!
We can't wait until next year!

Recent Life in Photos!

2013-06-20T16:26:00.003-07:00

Our live the past few weeks in of course photos!! Hope you're having a grand Thursday!

New hair cut! Haven't been since last July so it felt good!!!

Why AVON?

2013-06-19T15:21:00.002-07:00

Why shop with me?

- We're friends, you like me and I am not some big corporation that treats workers poorly or over charges for it's merchandise.

- You receive VERY competitive pricing matched by innovative products.

- You get FREE samples on our most popular products. Who doesn't love FREE??

-You will receive exclusive discounts on products you use and love the most! Birthday coming up? Yah, I'll take care of you.

- You do not have to drive anywhere! It's so nice to do all you're shopping through AVON and get it shipped to your house. And if you're local, I will deliver it to you!

- I offer 100% money back guarantee, or if you prefer, exchange.

- You have me as you're personal beauty and skin expert, to help you find the perfect shade or suggest products to help resolve skin issues.

- History. Avon has over 125 years of experience in the industry of fashion, beauty and skin health to help make your life a little bit more colorful and fun.

- Purchasing Avon/Mark/Tiny Tillia products isn't some sketchy scheme where you just blow your money on less than merchandise. Avon is the fifth LARGEST beauty company in the world and 2nd LARGEST direct sales company. We are backed by our 6.4 million employees worldwide and many, many more customers that love and trust the products they order!

Any questions??

Support me!!! Please shop with me.

My personal(secure) store!

Mini-Review MARK Lipclick Lipstick {W/ sneak preview of 1st EVER product}

2013-06-17T12:00:00.001-07:00

*Mini-review* (With special preview of the *NEWEST* MASCARA ON THE MARKET Only from AVON!!!)

Mark makeup Lipclicks has the perfect shade of red! I haven't worn red in YEARS because once going back to being my natural redheaded self, i've had the hardest time finding a great complimentary color. So when I tried AVON's virtual make-over on my site, I liked the color and ordered it! Not only am I totally rockin this color "Cha Cha", but my Husband even said he liked it!. It has a nice minty scent as well seeing as most lipsticks/lip glosses have a either a fruity flavor or taste like sunscreen so this is a present surprise! The other great thing about having this lipstick, is the little ingenious idea they had, to make a magnetic closure so it literally seals shut so it will not open in your purse. Many times i've had problems with my lipsticks opening up in my diaper bag, and i've ended up with snack crumbs, hair and the like on my lipstick tube, and it's disgusting to try and clean it off without ruining the lipstick!

You can purchase it here through my secure AVON store!

A fun little photo what I look like W/O make-up and what I look like with some basic AVON/MARK make-up essentials!

{SNEAK PEAK at an *EXCLUSIVE* AVON ONLY 1st of it's kind in the beauty industry!!!}

I am SO excited about this! I got a preview of it, and cannot wait to share it with all of you! Order through me for special, exclusive pricing before it gets to the brochure!

NEW Exciting Products!

2013-06-13T17:06:00.001-07:00

Some new and exciting products have just come out and I'm thrilled to be sharing them with you! Any of the products below can be (safely) purchased through MY STORE!

(First time shoppers can receive FREE SHIPPING- use code firstrep10. For repeat shoppers, please enjoy FREE SHIPPING w/ $30. Use code FS30REP THANK YOU!!! )

My MOM LOVES this stuff! Not only is it Skin So Soft's bug repellent against a list of nasty bugs, BUT it has SPF28 in it as well! Stock up for those SUMMER trips to the beach, mountains or trails! BUY HERE!

CHEAPER than anywhere! No chipping, cracking or flaking off! Great for breastfeeding Moms or Healthcare professionals! Buy HERE!

Bright and poppy chevron dress with great elastic waist! Buy HERE!

Easy on/easy off stretch straps! Pretty SUMMER colors! Buy HERE!

GREAT purse! Wear it 4 ways! Paula Abdul's personal line with AVON! Buy HERE!

LOVELY dress! Beaded neckline and foil printed 100% cotton viole! All DRESSES and SHOES BUY 1 GET 1 FOR $10! BUY HERE!

Shoe SALE! buy 1 Get one for $10! SHOP ALL SHOES HERE!

Vibrating ball with berry complex and optics pearl technoligy, that gives under eyes a QUICK pick-me-up! Buy HERE!

Lightweight, oil-free after sun soothing gel. DRIES WITH NO TACKY FEEL!!! Buy Here!

MY absolute FAVE BB CREAM! 10-IN-1 BENEFITS! READ PREVIOUS POST FOR MY REVIEW! Buy Here!

SPF 15 protects from UVA and UVB rays while giving your lips gorgeous color and shine! BUY HERE!

COMPARABLE to MAC's mineralized skin finish, I love this baked bronzer! Buy Here!

My QUICK Morning (Make-up) Routine

2013-06-13T14:03:00.003-07:00

My morning routine. Some of my FAVE easy Summer makeup!

1- hook-ups lipgloss duos.$6.50 each(these colors look GREAT on any skintone)
2- Avon Beyond color clear plumping lip conditioner. $8(I apply this on at night and I wake up with super smooth and soft lips)
3- Mark Light Show baked bronzer $16(compare this to MAC's mineralized skin finish)
4- Mark For Goodness Face antioxidant face lotion SPF 30 with blueberries and dark chocolate.(so smooth with light scent. I LOVE this jar. They made the lid to be a push top so you swipe out a pre-measured amount, without sticking icky fingers in and puting bacteria in the jar!)
5- Avon BB Beauty Balm Cream with SPF 15 $10(I've said it before but this is THE BEST beauty balm I've ever used. 10-in-1 benefits and gives me full coverage for my blotchy skin when it feels like a light moisturizer is on.)
6- Avon Glimmersticks waterproof liner blackest night $7.(retractable and smooth, I use this as my eyebrow liner as well for a fine, precise point. NEVER any smearing problems like I've had in the past with others.)

IF YOU NEED SOME NEW SUMMER PRODUCTS, VISIT MY E-BOUTIQUE TO SHOP.
FREE SHIPPING w/ $30.

Also- visit my Avon FB page for new product updates and fun Avon facts!

AVON BB Beauty Balm Cream Review

2013-05-30T23:02:00.001-07:00

So you may already know I am an Avon rep and send in orders every 2 weeks. If you aren't local, you can always sign up with me to get updates on new products and discount codes for free shipping.

I just received some of my clients orders early this morning and couldn't be more excited about it.

Avon has come out with an awesome and really competitive BB (beauty balm) Cream. Why I say competitive is because its absolutely the same high quality as any BB Cream you can purchase at Ulta, Sephora and other department store brands but for half the price! It is currently on special for only $7.99 and can be viewed here.

Avon's BB Cream has 10-in-1 benefits:

•15 SPF

• lightweight coverage(great for summer wear)

• infused with Vitamin E

• packed with minerals & antioxidants

• hydrates skin

• evens out skintone

• visibly minimises redness

• concealer

• doesn't feel heavy

• smoothes skin appearance

I honestly was a skeptic at first. A little background on my skin...It's very fair and dry, freckly and has a natural rosy completion. Because of this, I've always had to wear full coverage foundation and can not do powder at all. So being that I sell Avon, I was excited to order and try out their new Summer products!

My assessment:

I applied the BB Cream at around 7:30am and then put on my usual routine of daily make-up. This consisted of the (photo below) following:

- brow liner

- eyeliner

- eyeshadow trio

- lipstick/lipgloss

- baked bronzer

All of this takes me about 10-15 minutes if My oldest babes is occupied. I loved how easily it smoothed over my skin and was super easy to blend. Immediately after, I applied my bronzer which was great. Usually you have to wait for the liquid foundation to dry, so this was a plus. I'm such a geek because every few hours I would look in the mirror to see if I needed to reapply the BB Cream and I

was pleasantly surprised that I never had to add more. With other foundations and concealers, I constantly have to reapply whether its drugstore brand or department store brand. I have already begun to tell my Avon clients about this wonderful product! I will be ordering more the next campaign, and I suggest you do the same!

My daily go to make-up regimen

(These photos were taken at naptime, around 2:30pm and my makeup still looks like I just applied it!!)

If you'd like to order, please shop through my website and leave your email in the comments for free shipping codes!

(Avon did not pay me or even ask for my opinion. I'm writing this out of my own personal interest in the product!)

New Born Babes!

2013-04-26T16:01:00.005-07:00

Writing this a tad bit late...just before he turns 3 months.

I was 12 days late which wasn't much different that the 14 days late that big brother welcomed us with. The day I went into labor I had my midwife appointment at the birth center and had been having super random contractions on and off for about 3 weeks. We were really hoping to get a surprise early baby, but as my midwife put it so accurately, "My babies like my uterus!" They had finished my movement and ultrasound checkup when I started to go into early labor. This labor was very different from what I had experienced the first time around. It started off with having massive food aversion towards my fave pregnancy food...DEL TACO and subtly moved on into full blown menstrual like cramps. Seriously you're glad when you get pregnant because then you don't have to deal with periods and then all of a sudden you've got random painful cramping similar to the worst part of the month to start off labor..what a horrible way to get the party started. As I mentioned everything about this labor was completely opposite to our first one. It was during the early afternoon and not in the wee hours of the morning. Almost all the rooms at the birth center had already taken up residency so I didn't have my pick to which room I wanted to give birth in. My labor didn't start with my water breaking and as a matter of fact, didn't break until almost 11 hours later by a hospital Doctor. I "needed" to be transferred to the hospital because of a supposed low grade fever and non progressive labor, which made for absolutely no chance of a water birth. I was not only terrified of giving birth in a hospital but also extremely bummed, but having my wonderful Husband right there to remind me that it was best for baby and to trust God in the midst of doubt and confusion.

A close friend and work colleague of my Husband's actually showed up to the hospital and pretty much acted as my Doula which was wonderful and also gave allowance for Joshua to rest during labor.
After the birth was all said and done, Joshua and I were pretty turned off by how the birthing center handled my situation and then just handed me off to the hospital staff and kind of just washed their hands of the events. The supposed fever went right back down to normal once they administered fluids and gave me tylenol. SERIOUSLY??? The birth center didn't even bother to check my charts to see that once I had started labor, they needed to give me antibiotics, during contractions I had to remind them. We were thoroughly disappointed seeing as we gave birth there before.

Once we arrived at the hospital 11 hours after my initial midwife appointment, we received outstanding care. The nurse was not only attentive but she sneaked all of us food and large glasses of water, when you are only supposed to chew on ice chips. HA yeah right...during labor with a starving mother who hadn't eaten in almost 15 hours!?! Cray cray people. So labor was still pretty slow and after babes finally decided to descend and assume the position, I gave them the okay to brake my water. There was SO MUCH fluid it literally just kept pouring out and through future contractions was still very much present. I probably lost about 7-10lbs of water immediately! Pretty soon after my water broke, I entered the next fun stage called hard labor. It was truly more intense because I wasn't laboring in a birthing tub, just quickly switching positions from lying in the bed and using my arms to push on the bed railing as counter pressure to "slow dancing" and buckling under the pain. Birthing balls also suck BTW. I just wanted the comfort of water and for some reason just couldn't find ease in other time tested, tried and true labor positions.

So after about an hour of steady progression, I instantly had the sensation to push and was very vocal about it. All of a sudden a handful of nurses slowly made their way in and were watching the show. I asked the ridiculous question if I could push because my first labor involved me feeling the need to push when i was only dilated at a 7, which is the worst feeling mentally and physically of having to force yourself for hours to not push until your fully dilated. All the nurses said, "Yes, you can push!" and of course I wanted to cry beautiful, happy tears that I was about to meet my new baby.
Within 4-5 pushes and 15 minutes after I said I needed to push, out comes my amazing, beautiful handsome boy!!!! Moses Levi Gielow was born on January 29 at 5:07am 8lbs 14oz. Tears filled the room and I squealed about having another boy! Boys are really so much fun and I couldn't wait for big brother to meet him!

I'll leave out the minute details of forced overnight stay and our f***ing $65 past due parking ticket late by just a few hours that we received WHILE I WAS GIVING BIRTH. I'm still pissed about it. But Whatever I got a beautiful little blessing and couldn't wait to leave the room. So below are of course some of the lovely photos of this blessed event!