I know that I am, along with many of my girlfriends. Improving how I look on the outside really helps me feel better, whether I am recovering from a cold, having a woe-is-me moment, or even suffering from a raging hangover.

This past year, being the primary caretaker of two kids — and thus often being afflicted with fatigue, frustration, and weariness — I have found myself putting on makeup more often than not.

And I’ve gotten pretty good at doing it quickly and efficiently, the whole routine within just 3 minutes. What’s more, the products I use have been tested by yours truly to last the entire day, so this routine is ideal for anyone who’s short on time, lazy, or both, like me.

First, the before-and-after shots, so you can see the difference:

Before I start slapping any makeup on my face, I cleanse with Shiseido Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam and moisturize with Philosophy Hope in a Jar. Just recently, I have also started to dab some Philosophy Total Matteness Mattifying Pore Eraser serum on my t-zone after moisturizing, and I love it! It’s been savior for my combination skin as the heat and humidity continues to rise.

(You will see that most of the products mentioned in this post were listed among my fav beauty products last year. And OOPS! I had forgotten to factor in the cleansing and moisturizing part of the routine in the total time — they would add another minute or two.)

Now, let’s go on to the makeup. First up is my HG foundation: the Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation. (And yes, I’m still using the same bottle I bought in September last year!) Numerous people have asked me if I apply primer before applying the Maestro, and my answer is no. The couple of times I tried using the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, my skin didn’t seem to absorb the foundation as well. I’ve also found that applying the Maestro with my fingers is far superior to using a foundation brush.

Next, I fill in my eyebrows and use an eyebrow brush to smooth them out. I know I have thick eyebrows to start with, but I prefer the look of darker, neater brows. I don’t use a brow pencil — pencil eyeliners with long-lasting formulas work better for me. (I think the one I’m using right now is the Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Black Brown.)

I then use my La Mer The Powder Brush, while it’s still retracted so that the brush is denser, and pat some La Mer The Powder over my eyelids and undereye area. I do this in lieu of an eyelid primer and a concealer — it’s much faster and works almost as well.

The brush is so old that the casing is peeling. I’ll need to get a new one when I get a new jar of powder.

This next step is the most time-consuming part, but I’ve gotten so good at it that it only takes a minute for me. I take my MAC 266 Brush and carefully dab it along the bottom part of the MAC Liquidast Eyeliner applicator brush, nearest to the handle. (This is where the “goopy” part of the eyeliner resides.) I then draw a line along the top AND bottom lash lines of ONE eye.

I blot SOME of the excess with a cotton swab.

Then QUICKLY, before everything dries, I take an old angled brush (I bought it when I was in high school, so I don’t even know what brand it is. All I remember is that I got it from a drugstore.) and use it to blend the edges so it creates a slightly smudged effect.

Repeat with the other eye.

Next, I apply the CoverGirl Outlast All-Day Lipcolor in Canyon. It almost looks garishly orange in the tube, but it’s a nice brownish-pink color on me.

Holy lens distortion, Batman!

SMILE for the blush! I’m not too particular on cheek color. The blush I’m using now is about six years old; it’s the Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in Light Rose. While it’s a very nice blush, it’s nothing spectacular — it’s an expensive purchase I let a salesperson talk me into. However, I do LOVE the Face Brush I bought with it. (It’s the one in the picture, and it’s the best blush brush I’ve ever tried.)

In the picture below, I’ve only applied makeup to the right half of my face, so you can more clearly see the difference. Polished, yet natural, right?

I then spritz on some Urban Decay All-Nighter. (For the purposes of the final picture, I applied makeup to the other half of my face too.)

And set everything in place with the La Mer The Powder (this time, with the brush fully extended):

Finally, a dab of some Smith’s Minted Rose Balm.

That may seem like a lot of steps, but everything seriously takes me just 3 minutes! Here’s the final product:

If I have more time, I will add eyelid primer, eyeshadow, mascara, and bronzer.

And if I have less? I’ll substitute Benefit’s Hello Flawless! for the Maestro foundation, and forgo the liquid eyeliner for just the Revlon Colorstay liner. This way, I can have everything done in just a minute!

Once again, the before-and-after:

I know — primping oneself is a luxury for most mothers. But doing my makeup every morning helps me remember that I still have some semblance of control over my hectic life. Even if I’m feeling like I’m about to go batshit crazy from my hysterically-crying daughters, crayon-covered furniture and the cyclone of toys overtaking the entire house, I can at least look like I have it all together as I’m pushing the girls in the double stroller, hair carefully tousled and my face made up…right?

I wanted to do something nice in honor of his birth, so I’ve updated my SIL’s blog header to include him:

A big congratulations to A&W! You guys have been waiting for this for so long and I know that you’ll make be fantastic parents!

Please hop on over to Anniegurumi.com and wish them congratulations!

Taking advantage of today’s popularity of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice novels — as well as the Game of Thrones television show! — they have taken six of the Great Houses of Westeros, took into account their strengths and cultures, and transformed them into modern corporations with their own distinct brandings.

What’s more, they did this using stock photographs from its extensive database.

Take a look below — I’m especially loving Air Targaryen! (But then again, I may be biased because Daenerys is my favorite character from the series.)

Arryn Communications

Baratheon Security

Greyjoy Cruises

Lannister Investment Group

Stark Outfitters

Air Targaryen

Don’t you think more companies should take a cue from Shutterstock while promoting their ideas and products? After all, which other group has as much clout as geeks and die-hard fanatics when it comes to spreading ideas through the web?

Be sure to check out Shutterstock’s original blog post to read more about this project, learn how they arrived at each modern-day equivalent, and see the original stock photos!

Last week, while taking a walk with the girls, I came across a small playground that seemed intent on being kept hidden. Located on an overlooked side street and tucked between two tall buildings, it’s large enough for basic playground equipment and picnic tables, but small enough to easily keep an eye on your kids whilst sitting down and taking a break.

I also love that it’s guarded by a heavy gate, so I don’t need to worry about the kiddos running into the street. The crowd that visits is friendly, and perhaps the best part is that it’s a lot closer to our house than my previous favorite playground. Suffice it to say, we’ve been there a lot lately.

Those who follow me on Instagram may have seen this already: a product called “Squeezy Bubbles”— gently squeeze the bottle and the bubble wand pops up, “pre-loaded” and ready to use! It seems to be the perfect little invention for those like Claire who love to blow bubbles but hate getting their hands dirty.

I picked it up at our local grocery store for about $3, and I see that a similar product called Squeeze n Blow Pop-Up Bubbles is available online on Amazon for $10. (It seems to be a much larger bottle than the one we have.)

Last weekend, we met up with friends and family for a mega-playdate at the Liberty Science Center. Similar to what happened during our last time at LSC, the battery on our camera died so we missed out on some major photo ops (this time, it was me who forgot to charge the battery…doh!). However, the kids all had a blast and that’s all that counts, right?

The Saturday we attended fell on the last weekend of the Curious George exhibit, so it was undoubtedly crowded. (I overheard a security guard saying that he’s never seen the line for the entrance that long!) The girls watch Curious George occasionally, so they joyfully explored and played. Claire really seemed to like golf — she got 2 hole-in-one’s in a row! (And I immediately texted my father with the news, with accompanying pictures, since he’s a golf fanatic.)

Here’s a fun side-by-side of Claire entranced by the same exhibition, the left from a year ago.

Lastly, because I have been wondering this to myself and out-loud to J:

He says it’s probably more so because of the latter. Do you agree?

Created by Etckt, this periodic chart includes all characters from Episodes VI, V, and VI. Each character is categorized by allegiance, and their order of appearance and movies are numbered in each cell (in Aurebesh).

Be sure to check out Etckt to read more about how the chart was developed!

Via Neatorama.

So here it is, the top 5 things that have been keeping me busy…

(Cue deep announcer voice)

Number 5…

The NBA Playoffs. The Knicks haven’t made it to round 2 in THIRTEEN YEARS.  And while they still have some kinks to work out (and they shouldn’t be partying the night before games…ahem Smith!), my boys are looking pretty good. Just check out numbers 3 and 1 of last night’s top plays!

Number 4…

My site was hacked. It was a pharma hack, so it’s likely that you didn’t notice anything off about this blog. (And don’t worry. It doesn’t harm visitors to the site.)  But since I didn’t notice it for months, it led to some decrease in my web ranking and traffic. 

The good news is that I think I’ve gotten it sorted out now. Let’s just hope that I’m right.

Number 3…

Dead Ever After, the final book of the Sookie Stackhouse (otherwise known as the Southern Vampire) series. The quality of the books have definitely declined over the years, but I feel the need to read the last one to get some closure.

I’m not holding my breath, though, as most early reviews are far from glowing.

Number 2…

I actually had 4, not 5 items on this list. But since 5 is a much better number than 4, I’ve decided to share with you the following clip of Jimmy Fallon and John Krasinski having a lip-sync battle:

Who knew John Krasinski had so much swagger?!! I’m sorry Jimmy, my imaginary boyfriend kicked your ass on this!

And now, for number 1…

Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.

It rained today. We’re expecting more through the weekend. And as any mother knows, keeping young kids entertained through long bouts of inclement weather is akin to pulling teeth.

Did you notice heroin is not on the list? It’s because heroin doesn’t need a video game to represent it; it already has Heroin Hero. 

(from the Guitar Queer-O episode of South Park)

Via Dorkly.

Last Thursday, April 25 2013, was the national Bring Your Child to Work Day. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that J’s company goes all out for this event (he only joined this company last summer) — not only do they arrange food, games, and activities, they also hire outside entertainment and provide nap rooms!

J happily brought Claire along for the ride…

She undoubtedly had a blast; she came home with a swag bag full of his company’s promotional materials (i.e., slinky, stickers, playing cards, etc) and even received her own ID badge! I was afraid that this is what she thinks her dad does at work all day and that she would want to go with him every morning. 

We had believed Aerin to be too young to participate, but J told me that the office was full of kids of all ages that day. Many spouses also accompanied the young visitors, so you can be sure that the entire family will be attending next year!

The next set of pictures are from a playdate we had with cousins Rachel & Ethan. 7-year-old Rachel adores the girls and they all had fun playing dress-up, doing arts & crafts, and chasing each other around the house.

Lastly, a trip we made to the park yesterday. Our building’s elevator was out that morning, so I had quite an adventure bringing both girls, the diaper bag, my purse, and the double stroller down 4 flights of stairs by myself.

But it was sooo worth it, if for the weather alone. I’m usually not able to take pictures of the girls when it’s just me watching over them outdoors, but I was able to snap some shots when the playground was empty and I was able to better keep track of them.

Those who follow me on Instagram may have seen this picture of Claire verrrryyyy carefully pushing her little sister on the swing:

Unfortunately, Aerin was more interested in the flower I had picked
for her. (You can see a bit of the yellow on her lap.)

We were having so much fun at the park that the only way I could get Claire to agree to come back home for their naps was to promise her some ice cream. So there we were, sharing ice cream at Baskin Robbins when Aerin refused to have any more after just a few bites. Claire then said to me, “엄마, 베이비 아이스크림 안먹어. 베이비 이상해.” (“Umma, the baby’s not eating ice cream. Baby’s weird.”)

Why yes, refusing ice cream would mean you’re weird. 

Lastly, a snapshot my mom took of Claire while she was visiting her last weekend. What a little model! (You can’t tell from this picture, but that’s a Hello Kitty umbrella she picked out herself. She wants to go out whenever it rains now.)

And, because squinting at an image is probably not your thing…

GAME OF THRONES By Parks and Recreation co-creator/exec producer Michael Schur (and exec producer Dan Goor)

Act 1 Daenerys Stormborn rides her Khalasar and the 8,000 Unsullied out of Astapor. Looking out at the vast emptiness of the desert, she declares: “I will build a park here!” Ser Jorah: “Who the hell’s gonna come to a park in frigging Astapor?” She refuses to get discouraged.

Joffrey wants to try out his new crossbow by firing it at prostitutes. Tyrion: “Your Grace, whores are not used for target practice. They are used as distractions during plot exposition. Second, you need a government permit to use that crossbow.” As Tyrion and Varys explain the bureaucratic permit process, the prostitutes start having sex with each other.

Act 2 Daenerys holds a public forum to discuss the park. The Starks think the park should have a wolf run, the Targaryens want more fire pits, the Lannisters don’t want to pay for it. Also, Daenerys didn’t get enough snacks, and a bunch of White Walkers start eating everyone’s flesh.

Meanwhile, Joffrey goes to Hodor to apply for a crossbow license.

“Hodor,” says Hodor.

Joffrey, confused: “So I can’t get the permit?”

Hodor: “Hodor.”

Joffrey storms out. “Dammit, Hodor!”

Hodor, to the camera: “Man, that guy’s the worst.”

Act 3 Daenerys loses the vote 300–1. Things look bleak. Then her dragons fly around the room and set everyone on fire. She takes another vote and wins, 1–0.

Daenerys, to the camera: “You can accomplish anything with good ol’-fashioned hard work. And three dragons.”

Joffrey is bummed that he can’t use his crossbow. Then he remembers that he’s a sadistic sociopath, and has everyone murdered and puts Hodor’s head on a spike. But in a funny way.

PARKS AND RECREATION By Game of Thrones exec producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

The Pawnee Avian Society, led by Councilman Jamm, strong-arms Leslie into building a park for Pawnee’s official bird, the Grizzled-Neck Pigeon. April, the Pale Woman, presides over the dedication, complete with burning garbage pyres. Ron sees a ghost (or a Tammy?) just as his handcrafted birdcage SPLINTERS, slicing Jean-Ralphio in half, breaking Tom’s legs, and rendering Jerry mute, save for his own name… “Jerry… Jerry…” Meanwhile, in Eagleton, Ann amasses a fleet of her own Grizzled-Necks, the Pigeon from the ceremony perched on her shoulder.

Back in Pawnee: Ron sinks into a single-malt depression, questioning his craftsmanship/purpose… He retreats to Brandi Maxxxx’s newest brothel. Leslie presides over the Small City Council, where she accuses Jerry of sabotage. His punishment: He must piggyback handicapped Tom. Ben recognizes the Thrones takeover and insists Andy is the one true Hodor. Tom bribes the Sun to report that his “Jerry-Rig” is the latest “throwback slave couture.” Rent-A-Swag is immediately shut down.

The episode climaxes at Jean-Ralphio’s funeral, kicked off by Mona–Lisa’s twincest-laden eulogy. The Avian Society mercifully interrupts her with what Ron saw before: THE TAMMY WALKER, a Two-Headed Ice-Tammy riding a rotting Li’l Sebastian. Ben prays for a Thronesian miracle… and a flaming yardstick careens into Jamm’s (surprisingly flammable) afro. Cut to Donna, thumbs-up. Everything burns fast — but the Tammy rises from the ashes… right as Ann and her Pigeon Fleet emerge from the Eagleton Highlands, raining down a majestic s—storm, extinguishing her for good.

The gang buries Jean-Ralphio’s tastefully swagged halves, each in its own custom Swanson casket.

Credits: Chris admits he’s a eunuch.

(And in case you’re wondering, I didn’t type out the article — I was able to find a version online. ) 

At $295, the Stuart Weitzman Dubonnet is the most expensive pair of shoes I own. (I may love heels but most of my shoes were under $100.) I only wore them a handful of times: during wedding dress fittings, practices for our first dance, and — duh — on the wedding day itself.

I am so glad I decided to splurge on these shoes, because they’re probably the most comfortable pair of high heels I own. Even with a 4½” heel, I was able to start my day at 8am, stand around, make my way through Central Park, walk down the aisle and be part of a 30-minute wedding ceremony, greet guests, and dance my tooshie off until 10pm without my feet ever being in pain.

Needless to say, these shoes are no longer in pristine condition. But they are still certainly wearable and hold with them many fond memories.

See that red spot at the bottom of the sole? Since we had red flowers in my bouquet, my bridesmaids’ bouquets, and in our centerpieces, I can safely assume that it’s a remainder from our wedding day.

(I also just remembered that I had gotten them re-soled before the big day, for better traction.)

The question remains now as to what to do with them. I can have them cleaned and stored, but I generally don’t like unused items lying around the house. (My wedding dress is at my parents’ house, and although it currently sits unused, I have no problem allowing my girls to play dress-up with it when they get older.)

I asked my sister, who is getting married next month (!), if she would like to borrow them, but she says that the heels are too high. (She was blessed with the better genes by standing 4″ taller than me.)

I could sell them, but is there a market for used wedding shoes? Could they even be sold for a third of the original purchase price?

I’ve also thought about dyeing them a more practical color like black or brown so that I can wear them at future events, but the idea seems so…permanent.

What would you do? What did you do with your wedding shoes?