My top 12 Favorite Beauty Products AND some Hair Care TIPS

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post.  I have NOT been compensated to share my love about these favorite beauty products! ;)

Ever since I started blogging,  I've wanted to write a blog post about my can't-live-without, crazy-about, all time favorite beauty products!  However, there was ALWAYS something more important to blog about in this housewife's life so this idea just got pushed down the list.  Since I'm not blogging as often these days, I thought it would be a perfect time to share about this frivolous beauty product stuff.

Click on this flipbook below to see my 12 double love, favorite, tried and true beauty products!

*please see links below for all photo credits in the flipbook

1) BARE MINERALS MAKE UP

I switched to Bare Minerals make up over 8 years ago and haven't turned back!  I appreciate the light, soft, smooth effects of mineral makeup vs the heavy look of liquid make up.  

2)  Aveda Damage Remedy Hair Treatment

Long hair, especially, needs a lot of TLC.  This product heals the ends of your lovely locks, sealing in moisture without a heavy residue! 

3)  Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

My collection would feel naked without this!  I've been using this moisturizer for my face since I was 13 years old.  It is lightweight and effective. 

4)  Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Make your real face look photoshopped. This make up primer is my all time favorite.  

5)  Mason Pearson Hairbrush

These classic and quality brushes from England are still handmade!  I've been using mine for about 2 years and I appreciate how gentle it is on my hair.  

6) They're Real by Benefits Mascara

When I want to amp up the drama, I wear this mascara on a night out.  They instantly make your eyelashes look twice as long with one swipe. 

7) Lancome Definicils Mascara

This is another TRIED AND TRUE product I've used since I was a teenager!  I'll never be without it.   This mascara celebrates natural, smooth, fresh, healthy lashes.

8)  Philosophy Grace Perfumes

The entire line of Philosophy Grace perfumes is amazing.  The scents are  subtle, peaceful, and clean.  ...my kind of scent!

9)  Batiste Dry Shampoo

To keep my hair healthier, I only wash it about 3 times a week.  This dry shampoo is my lifesaver between washes.  It gives instantly clean hair without a shower! Batiste doesn't leave a white residue like other dry shampoos do.

10)  L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

This world famous hand cream is an absolute winner! It has a gentle scent and the quality is instantly noticeable.

11)  Melaleuca Renew Lotion

My best friend gave me this lotion and I'm hooked!  I've always lived in a dry climate and my skin needs moisturizer.  I've used a lot of different products and this is by far the best.  It heals instantly and is a lightweight lotion.  Plus, all of the products from this company are healthy for your home!

12)  Handmade Soap

If you know me, you know I'm all about the handmade soap! It's one of my lil life loves.   Handmade soap is a true treat that is good to my skin and I'll never go back to store bought.

lashes, lashes...little lady lashes

Lancome Definicils makes your lashes look long and natural.

Okay...my favorite beauty focus is HAIR.  In a house full of boys, I'm still a girly girl.  Finding new styles and figuring out how to have healthy locks, has been something I've loved since I was young.

Hair care has always been a passion of mine!  Because of health conditions I've had, my hair has suffered the last few years.   However, hair care is something I value a lot, so I've done a few things to help heal my hair.  

-  First, I invested in Mason Pearson brushes and combs.  The combs are better than any I've ever tried!  They easily work through hair, smoothly and gently.  The brush makes my hair super shiny too.  

A Mason Pearson hair brush was on my wish list for awhile! Because every lil lady needs a Mason Pearson.  These brushes from England are still handmade!  Anthropologie stores also sell Mason Pearsons if you prefer to see them in person rather than ordering.  

-  Second, I take Biosil Biotin vitamin supplement every day. 

- Third, I do deep conditioning hair treatments to my hair twice a month.  

I've been using coconut oil to treat my hair this year instead of store bought hair treatments.   Wet your hair and work a small amount of coconut oil into the hair down to the ends.  Put extra focus on the ends and avoid the scalp.  Wrap your hair up in a bun and cover with a shower cap to seal from the air.  Leave in hair for about an hour. Rinse a few times then shampoo and condition as usual.  

Girly pretties...

I'm always down to hear NEW tips and ideas.

Share, share your favorite beauty products!

via

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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Snap Creativity, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday 

Summer Fun: Lucky Day SURPRISE Cash Bottles

This post was first shared on Design Dazzle's Summer Camp Series.

Last year I took my middle son out on a special "Mom and Me" day.  While walking out by the river, watching a lot of people float by on tubes and rafts, we spontaneously decided to stick some cash in an empty water bottle and toss it into the river for the river rafters to discover!

We loved it so much that we decided to do it again this summer, with all of the boys.  We live in big, beautiful Colorado, surrounded by outdoor enthusiasts.  We chose to celebrate them this summer by creating "lucky day cash bottles" for the adventurous people to discover while they're out recreating.

Once that giant, glorious, beaming sunshine is out, our land is covered like ants on a hill with people on bikes, hikers with packs strapped on, cars loaded with kayaks,  runners in all directions, and a camp trailer behind every truck.  I appreciate those who celebrate life, those who gratefully use their bodies, and those who stretch their arms open to this beautiful world.  These bottles are just a tiny way we could say, "Hey, I think you're cool.  Keep doing what you're doing."

We made a handful of bottles and decided to leave them in TWO spots: on the river and on a popular hiking trail.  The river was the most fun!  As we were about to leave them, I thought back on last summer when we tubed the river, bobbing up and down, all in a row.  Then I imagined how fun it would be to be spinning along in the river, spy a bottle, pick it up, and find cash inside!  Oh yes! We were excited to spread these bottles around. ;)

The HOW TO:

Okay, just a handful of easy steps and you're ready to spread some lucky days all over your town!

1) Gather empty plastic bottles and lids in good condition with no cracks or holes.
2) Get some cash out of your piggy bank or ATM
3) Write playful, mysterious notes on brightly colored paper so the bottles will be eye-catching.
4) Fill the bottles with cash and the note and twist on the lid!

    Supplies:

I used bright neon notes so the bottles would be easily spotted. 

Then they are ready to go!

We went to the river for our first drop

We walked along the river trail until we reached a

 popular area for rafters and tubers.

The boys were so excited to toss the money into the water!

One by one, we put our lucky day cash bottles in the rapids.

It was so fun to watch them float away, 

bobbing down the river.

Each boy got excited to spot their bottles in the waves.

They watched until the neon color was out of sight.

Next, we went to a favorite hiking trail.  We hiked around some windy trails, trying to find the perfect spot to leave our lucky day cash bottles.

We saw incredible wildlife on our hike! 

We left a bottle here...

And a bottle there...

A few bottles everywhere.

 On the drive home, all the boys chatted at once, wondering who would find the bottles and when they would find them!  Would it be the leader of the hiking pack, or the tiny child straggler who tries to keep up with the bigger hikers?  Or would it be a couple on a date?  Or would it be someone on an early morning run with their dog?  And what about the river?  Would it be a big group of boisterous rafters, with lots of arms stretching out of the raft as they reached for the bottle?  Or would it be a single person on a kayak, speeding along?  We will never know, but it certainly is fun to guess.

photo via Instagram

Creating the Lucky Day Cash Bottles 

was our little way 

to bless others, 

 to celebrate life, 

and  to give a happy kudos to those

 who use their bodies

 to be active in the summertime. 

 

For more summer fun ideas for kids, click image below!

MooreMinutes is on Facebook too! 

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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Snap Creativity, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday 

Documenting our Days and Creating Summer Fun for Kids 2013

I love to document thoughts, memories, and ideas.  That is why this whole blogging thing is such a passion of mine!  When I was growing up, I made SUMMER JOURNALS, recording my favorite moments of my childhood summer days.

These are a couple of my summer journals that I made when I was a little girl:

Apparently, I've been "blogging" since 1989!  

Here is a tutorial I drew when I was 7 years old

 showing how to make pom pom ball faces lol.

Every summer I plan a line up of classic summer fun to sprinkle into our hot days.  Each year the plan is a bit different.  On the blog I've shared our Summer Fun & Gratitude Bucket, Family Library with Surprise Cups, and the Summer Sticker Reward System.

This year, I wanted to keep it nostalgic and basic, so we are doing simple SUMMER JOURNALS for our summer events plan.  We've done SUMMER JOURNALS in previous years too!

We rode scooters out to our park and I presented their new journals and explained the PLAN.

The boys are getting older, so I wanted them to be more interactive and have an influence in what we planned for this summer, instead of being surprised as I typically do for them.  It's important for them to feel that they have a voice and that their input matters.

Because of that, the first blank page of their journals was just labeled IDEAS, a blank white space for them to brainstorm and jot down all their creative ideas they wanted to do this summer!

It was entertaining to my heart to read their ideas:  "Go on a world tour" to "relax on a long-sih trip".  Their writing makes me smile.

They found a square patch of shade in the hot sun to think of ideas...

And they started scribbling down their wishes.

I wrote each of them a quick note on the inside page of their journals.

On random pages, scattered throughout, 

I taped in special notes 

from me 

to them. 

I also jotted a few things on other blank pages throughout their journals:

This first one is a special day for each of them.  I believe reserving planned ONE ON ONE time is so important to growing healthy relationships with anyone.  Planning moments with each of my boys, individually, is something we all look forward to!  I call them Mom and Me days.  Chris has a tradition of taking them on ONE ON ONE summer camp trips too. 

On this page, they jot down what they hope to do on their special day!

On, the last page of the journals, I outlined a game of Hangman, which will reveal our big Grand Finale Trip of the summer 2013!  They beg for a letter every morning. ;)

When their undivided attention expired, they ditched the journals and monkeyed around on the playground.  We have our arms wide open to this SUMMER 2013!!

In the end, 

it's all about never taking for granted the beautiful moments 

we've been gifted with.

  So, we embrace the minutes, 

live in excitement, 

and always keep our hearts grateful. 

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This post is linked to: Under the Table & Dreamin, Nifty Thrifty,  Made by You Monday, Met Monday, Tuesday Tutorials and Tips, HOMEWORK: Be Inspired, Tip Junkie, Get Your Craft On, Works for Me Wednesday, Snap Creativity, Organize and Decorate Everything, Transformation Thursday, Tablescape Thursday, Strut Your Stuff, 36th Ave, Foodie Friday, I'm Lovin It, Tickled Pink, Friday Flair, Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, Weekend Wrap Up, Six Sisters Saturday