The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

Give Yourself a Makeover with e.l.f. Cosmetics

2009-12-03T09:19:22-05:00

I love buying makeup. There's just something, I don't know, luxurious about it. That's not to say that I wear a ton (I sooo don't) or that I spend hours and thousands choosing and buying makeup, but every now and then, I like to treat myself to a fresh lip gloss or blush. Sometimes all it takes is a new set of brushes to give me my fix. But since makeup and accessories don't come cheap, I'm limited to a few pieces every so often.

Until now.

While at BlogHer this past July, I was introduced to a new line of beautiful makeup. Affordable, beautiful makeup (yes, it does exist!). And I'm not talking about tiny pots of sub-par quality makeup, I'm talking prettily packaged, fabulous quality stuff. I'm talking e.l.f makeup.

e.l.f. (which stands for eyes lips face) is a complete line of beauty products ranging from basic blush and eye shadow to brush sets and tweezers. But the only basic thing about this company are their prices ($1 lip-gloss anyone?) e.l.f. also offers a line of natural mineral based makeup which contains no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes. Just a fancy way of being nice to your face.

And by fancy I mean $3 eyeshadow, lipstick for $5, $5 concealer. Sound too good to be true? It's not. Actually e.l.f. offers the same quality makeup as your favorite luxury brands, but trading in that fancy packaging for sturdy and attractive packages makes e.l.f. the. best. value. around. And nobody, not even the FTC, can argue with the truth to this. ;)

I have tried just about everything made by e.l.f.. I love the blush and bronzing set, especially during these pale, winter months. The lipsticks are light and feel great. I love the idea of the different tones in the corrective concealer kit, but found the lighter shades a bit thin for my skin. And for brushes, these cannot be beat for quality and value. But my favorite item is the Mini Makeup Collection that I received as a gift at BlogHer. The colors are fantastic and it includes a little bit of everything. If you have a makeup enthusiast on your gift list, this is $15!! Serious value.

Win it! Thanks to the nice folks at e.l.f., one lucky reader is going to win a bundle of makeup just in time for party season. The gift includes so much stuff including samples of e.l.f.'s mineral makeup, a lip gloss, concealer palette, blushes, lipstick, and more. You'll even get a cute little case to organize it all! To enter, simply visit e.l.f.'s websiteand let us know your favorite item AND your best makeup tip. For a second entry, hit the Tweet This! button under this post. Contest will close on Monday, December 7th at midnight. Only one entry per person please! Open to US residents.

All products reviewed were provided to me at no cost by e.l.f.. All views and opinions reflected on this blog are my own and were in no way influenced by any outside party.

Why Celebs & Public Figures Should Never Cheat

2009-12-02T12:39:04-05:00

Humor me for a minute: When you think about the "perfect" life, what comes to mind? It doesn't have to be your version of the perfect scenario, just what you might envision somebody's ideal situation to be.

Let me go first -

How about tall, good-looking, extraordinarily rich beyond my wildest dreams, enjoying the ultimate success in my chosen field, a beautiful spouse & great kids, blah blah blah.

Sounds nice, right?

So why isn't it ever enough? I mean, this seems like the golden life.

No one knows what goes on behind closed doors. No one knows the reasons why people step-out on their spouses. And while I don't believe that everyone who cheats is necessarily a serial cheater, I do believe that there are often deeper reasons as to why one feels the need to fill a space outside of their marriage.

But I also believe that public figures have a different set of rules than the rest of us.

Double standard? Maybe. But if I go out and pursue fame and fortune, it means I'm making a choice that puts me as well as my family in the spotlight. With that comes certain responsibilities. I feel like public figures should take an oath much like doctors swear to practice ethics in medicine, so should public people practice ethics in well, their lives.

Because unfortunately, celebs and public figures do not have private lives. I don't endorse it, I just deliver the facts. It's just how it is.

So this is why I think it should be against the law for celebrities to cheat. For real. They are paid more money for less work than 99% of the much harder-working population (16 hour days on the set? BOO FRICKIN HOO). They have at their disposal PLENTY of cash to put toward therapy if they're feeling a little despondent. I mean, aren't there better ways of dealing with problems than to go out and embarrass your entire family (not to mention yourself) by having sex with someone else?

So based on the simple fact that when you're being watched, you should behave, my advice to celebs is simple:

You're being watched! Behave!

I mean, even a child knows this...

It's a Small Blogosphere After All

2009-11-30T10:22:37-05:00

I took some time away from my computer over the long holiday weekend to spend some good time with my girls. We did all kinds of fun things, including eating, shopping, eating, going to the park, eating, taking walks, and eating.

Last night once they were in bed, I returned to my desk to catch up on my reader and see what I'd missed over the weekend. Seems I'd entered back into the blogosphere just after all hell had broken loose stemming from an unpopular post written by a controversial blogger. Since this mama-drama means nothing more to me than sideline entertainment (much like a very low-end cat-fight), I won't bore you with details, but there is a point to this story.

So I was following all these links to blogs and message boards to see just how wide-spread this blog-fire had gotten, when I happened upon a link to a blog I'd never read nor heard of. With no real reason or explanation as to why, I clicked the link and started reading this new post about this blogger's thoughts on the bloggy shit-storm as well as her thoughts on mommy-bloggers in general.

You see, this blogger is not involved in the day-to-day dramatics that seem to encompass many bloggers. She simply took a chance and joined the blogosphere, and as such, won herself a trip to BlogHer last July. In her post, she talks about her shock and awe at many of the attitudes that surround blogging and that were present at BlogHer. For most of us, we are so entrenched in the bad that comes with the good in blogging, the ubiquitous "bad apples" that seem to try to ruin the whole bunch. Most of us know who we are interested in learning from, who we wish to keep our distance from, and who we might like to form relationships with. In all, it is a very convoluted business. (Sounds crazy, right?)

AANNYYWWAAYY...

I continued reading her post until I came to a story of an experience this rookie blogger took away with her:

'...I stopped at one break-out where one Mommy blogger was complaining that she had been told that she would be test driving a new dishwasher but after waiting for almost a month the sponsor asked if she would please accept a new washer and dryer instead. She sighed that sigh of those who feel they have been incredibly inconvenienced and said, "I agreed but I think they should give me the dishwasher too for the inconvenience I have suffered." WHAT?'

I stopped in my tracks. This anecdote sounded eerily familiar. Hadn't I had an impromptu meeting outside of a conference room about the status of my Frigidaire appliances for review and hadn't I casually mentioned to the PR person I was working with that the company should throw in an extra something for my trouble?

But see here's the kicker - I WAS JOKING.

And unfortunately, this blogging newbie had to walk away from what was a wonderful conference experience for some of us, with this distaste for bloggers. And I had contributed to this.

I subsequently sent the blogger an email, letting her know that I was completely joking around with the PR rep and that I was incredibly grateful for my role in the Frigidaire Test Drive. And as "uncool" and unpopular as my attitude might be - I am grateful for any and every opportunity I choose to accept to participate in. Sure, there are many frustrations that come with this gig, but for the most part, I feel really lucky to be part of it.

There will always be crap and ugliness associated to everything, every job, every gig, but there is also good. I've met some AWESOME people in my bloggy-travels and am sure there's more to come.

Oh, and this seems like a good time to reach out to my readers and say - THANK YOU.

XOXO

Black Friday - Cyber Monday SALE at Alex Casey Baby

2009-11-27T09:06:14-05:00

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What I'm Thankful For...

2009-11-25T11:17:35-05:00

Despite the fact that I'm Canadian, my American kids make it necessary to begin new traditions in our home. Last year we practiced, since our kids were too young to understand the concept of Thanksgiving. But when my three-and-a-half year old daughter came home from preschool last week proclaiming that we'd need to buy a "big fat turkey" (thus dashing my dreams of getting away with more graceful cornish hen for three adults & two kids), I realized that the need for tradition was imminent. So while my turkey is brined, the pie is ready to bake (I know, seriously), and the other stuff waits to be prepped and cooked, I'm thinking about what I'm grateful for this year.

I want to have a numbered list, but this year, I just don't. This year, my list pretty much begins and ends at 1). Here it is:

And there you have it. Two mini princesses with messy hair. Quality beats quanity, any day.

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

2009-11-23T11:30:34-05:00

I know - we haven't even eaten our turkey and stuffing yet, and already we're talking Christmas. But the fact of the matter is, the holiday season is upon us and there's no time like the present to jump on the spirit bandwagon. And even if you're not yet ready to battle the crowds and start planning holiday feasts, you can bet that it's never too early for your kids to start enjoying the fun.

Everyone has childhood memories that involve a favorite holiday movie or television special. My kids recently watched Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas and they loved it. Ok, so maybe we are Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas. But who doesn't love the lights? The beautiful decorations? The music? And the awesome programming that arrives just in time to get in the mood!

So, not a moment too soon came this brand-new Curious George movie. It is a very George-esque story complete with all the trimmings: Christmas trees, lists, decorations, music, and of course - gift buying! It's a one-hour episode that is actually appealing to kids and their parents (seriously - Curious George is one of the shows that my adult ears can actually handle). And if your kids already love George (like mine do), they'll love this longer version of their favorite TV show, no doubt.

This special episode of Curious George will premiere the day before Thanksgiving and continue to replay throughout December on your local PBS station. But we are giving one lucky family a chance to Win It! The Daily Grind, along with PBS, is giving you the chance to win a fun holiday bundle, including:

A copy of Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas on DVD;
A copy of Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, A CD of music from the movie; and
A bag of microwave popcorn so you can make a party out of it!

To enter, simply comment below with your favorite holiday movie. One winner will be selected on Friday, November 27th at midnight. Sorry, open only to US residents!

An ADORABLE Gift - Adorable Kinders

2009-11-20T06:58:00-05:00

We have a lot of dolls. With two girls under the age of four, dolls are a staple in our house. But one thing I learned early on - all dolls are NOT created equal.

My children recently received an Adorable Kinders to check out. An Adorable Kinder is a rag-doll'esque type of doll without the frail composition you'd expect from a rag doll. Matter of fact, we found "Brittany" (as she is called) to be extremely well made and rather sturdy. She is also larger than we expected, measuring at about 18" tall.

Adorable Kinders were designed around a central theme of a group of Kindergarten friends. There are 26 dolls to choose from, one named for each letter of the alphabet. While the girls are beautiful and representative of a great variety of physical characteristics, we loved the fact that there are boy Adorable Kinders to choose from as well. We have yet to try this feature but each doll comes with a key-code that can be used to register it on the website, and access educational games according to "grade levels." The child can "graduate" as they complete the games, but like I said, we still have yet to try it out.

All Adorable Kinders are made in the US and are soft and cuddly and perfect for playing with or snoozing with. They're sort of reminiscent of Raggedy Ann! The best way to describe these soft rag dolls is to say that they're not your baby's dolly. They're definitely appropriate for a preschooler+ since they are larger than your average doll, and really made with intricate detail. Each doll is dressed like a preschooler or kindergartner, and have hair-styles to match. My older daughter of three-and-a-half fell in love with "Brittany" because I think she felt it was a "big-girl doll." And I'd have to agree.

Here's Brittany chillin' on our couch:

Isn't she cute?

Win it! One lucky reader will win an Adorable Kinder for a special child in their life! Simply visit the Adorable Kinders catalog and tell us which doll is your favorite and why. A winner will be selected on Monday, November 23rd. One entry per person please!

All products reviewed were provided to me at no cost by Adorable Kinders. All views and opinions reflected on this blog are my own and were in no way influenced by any outside party.

And Sometimes We Do Use Our Powers For Good...

2009-11-19T10:25:39-05:00

On Tuesday, November 17th, a fellow blogger, mom, and woman named Anissa Mayhew had a stroke that sent her to the ICU. Anissa has 3 kids and a family and, clearly, has had a very strong impact on this community.

Because everywhere I click, whether it be a blog in my feed or Twitter, there's something about Anissa's condition or someone inquiring about it. It's apparent Anissa is not a person who lives in a bubble because everyone knows her. And, it seems, everyone cares.

Hundreds of bloggers are directing readers to Anissa's CaringBridge.org page where they can read updates on her condition as well as help out her family. A Paypal account has been set-up so people can give a little to her family, if they want to. The bottom line is, bloggers are using their powers for good. Just when I'd about given up hope.

I had the pleasure of meeting Anissa a few weeks ago, when she and her Aiming Low team visited Boston and spread some good cheer by throwing a party and inviting local bloggers. Thanks to Anissa and her party, many bloggers, who are otherwise chained to their families and houses, were treated to a fun night out. Thanks to Anissa, I won an awesome HP printer that night! Thanks to Anissa, I had a few great laughs that night, during a time in my life when great laughs are not as frequent as I'd like them to be.

So here I am, jumping on the blogwagon as I like to say. I'm directing you to the CaringBridge.org page where you can follow Anissa's progress and support her family in several different ways. Or, you can leave here thinking about a woman who is laying unconscious in ICU today, while her family exists in a what I can only imagine to be a state of terror as they wait for their loved one to wake up.

Today is a great day to give an extra squeeze to your kids, your spouse, your mom, or whoever it is you love. Because this woman, who was cracking joke after joke on a stage in front of a hundred or so people a few weeks ago, today lays in a coma.

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2009-11-18T10:18:36-05:00

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Bloggers: Use Your Powers For Good, Not Evil!

2009-11-17T18:58:18-05:00

It seems like all I read these days are posts about the new FTC regulations, or about bloggers who are all "SQUEE!" and "!!!" and "OMGLIKEIT'STHEBESTTHINGEVAHHH!" And while I agree that the blogging community is saturated with review posts positively glowing about crappy second-rate products, I wonder if we pay as much attention to the opposite.

Calling out a brand/company/product/employee on our blogs.

I've done it. I called out a company after an employee stole my information and used it to her own benefit (ie, signed me up for a store credit card and helped herself to my credit). I publicly disclosed my story because I was infuriated by a situation that I felt was out of my control. I was angry that I would now be faced with dealings including credit card companies, the idiosyncrasies of corporate bureaucracy, and other annoying things. I had no other means of retribution other than to blog, multiple times, and demand that I be heard. I wanted everyone to hear the story. And I used my power to disseminate information and partied with it like it was 1999.

But I'm not sure I accomplished anything by putting this information out there. I'm not sure I helped anyone, since my experience was likely the exception - not the rule - to any experience typical of this company. It was likely an aberration and could have been handled offline.

With more grace, admittedly.

I see posts like mine all the time. Posts in which a blogger, who may or may not be influential, goes off on a tangent about an awful experience they had with a store/brand/employee. And I know while I read the post, I often think, "wow, this person might need to get out of their own way." Because posting an employee or store manager (or whoever wronged the blogger)'s name on your website says nothing about anyone other than the author. It says they're angry. And it says that they have a certain amount of power, and they might be abusing it.

I'm just not sure blogging with disdain about one employee within a whole corporation is compatible with blogging with integrity. In fact, blogging with integrity includes a pledge to "treat others respectfully, attacking ideas and not people." And posting the name and location of a store manager who did not treat you the way in which you expected definitely does not adhere to this stipulation.

Who cares, right? I mean, it's my blog - I can say what I want on it. You don't like it, don't read it. True. However, like it or not, we bloggers represent an entire community. We're a LOUD community and we don't like it when we're trash talked, when we're looked down upon by traditional media and others. So let's not earn their disrespect. We have a certain amount of power, we know that. So let's use our powers for good, and not for evil.

M'kay?