Neutrogena Bzz Agent Review

I'm a bit of a makeup junkie. I love to try new things, so when I was invited to a Neutrogena Bzz Agent campaign, I eagerly accepted! I didn't expect the amount of makeup that arrived. It felt a bit like having a Birthday, opening my Bzz Kit (which contained about $45 worth of FREE makeup!)

 Happy Day!!

The Revitalizing Lip Balm does just what it says. It makes my lips softer with each use and adds a bit of color. I love the light color and the non-lipstick feel to these lip balms. They're just right! The only thing I'd change would possibly be the shape of the container. I thought they were a bit tricky to apply at first (since I'm used to used to the average, rounded chapstick container). But these little gems are worth the effort and I used the coupons to buy another one to give as a gift. Good. Stuff.

The Brightening Skin Perfector will be a new staple in my makeup bag. It retails for about $12 (excellent) and really packs a punch at any under eye circles or signs of sleep deprivation. The "paintbrush" applicator makes it easy to apply. I realize I should have taken a BEFORE picture, but then it wouldn't be good to scare away people that check my blog, eh? Here's me after a night of going to bed late and getting up early...I think the Brightening Skin Perfector makes me look more rested. ;)

I'm also wearing the nourishing eyeliner in this photo. My Bzz Kit had the black in it. It's perfect for me and doesn't pull or tug at the sensitive eye area when applied. I already owned another color so was excited that I now have 2 in my collection!

So, in summary...I'm definitely a fan of Neutrogena. If you'd like to try any of the above Neutrogena products, click HERE for a digital coupon.

Warning

We were sitting in the van on Saturday and Joel was putting gas in it. While we were waiting, Mr. P observed this "important warning" and took note. He said, "Do not lean back...and squish your little one." I laughed, looking at the graphic because I could kind of understand where he got his interpretation. Life is so much more interesting when viewed through the lenses of a 6 year old.

Kindergarten

This school year is winding down and I'm super excited that we'll have more time in our days to play and get things done. It has been a good year. Challenging and fruitful. P-man learned a lot and is very much looking forward to this Summer and "100 days off!"

Here's a glimpse at our year via the book I created on Shutterfly :

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.

Goosebumps

It's that time again...FrIdAy!! Friday's make this Mama very happy. Even though the weekends go by in a blur, weekends are a reprieve from our normal routine. Weekends usually mean : a little extra time with Daddy. And a chance to get things done around the house & yard. AND weekends usually mean that Joel and I will get a bit of rest & relaxation together. Yay!!

One morning this week, I commented to Mr. P that he must be cold because he had goosebumps! He didn't say much about it, and then later mentioned to me that he DID get bit by a duck, so maybe that is where the goosebumps came from? It took me a minute, and then I started laughing (which he didn't find amusing.) It cracks me up that his 6 year old rationale told him that his goosebumps must be from the time he got bit by his finger by a duck (LAST SUMMER). I love that boy!!

We went to the Children's museum this week to pick up Birthday presents for my nephews at the gift shop they have there. Of course, we needed to play while we were there. I was glad my Mom was able to come with us. It's always fun for me to have another adult with us, when we go! :)

 The kids enjoyed playing on this giant piano! 

It was from a projector, and when you touch the keys, it makes music. So fun!

 Preston enjoyed his first ride on the carousel that they have upstairs. Giddyup!

And since my Mom arrived in time for lunch, I made us some fruit-n-yogurt parfaits. They're strawberries, layered with vanilla greek yogurt and gluten-free cranberry granola. Yum!!

Gearing Up for the Weekend!

We're having my In-Law's over tonight to celebrate my Mother-in-Law's Birthday, yay! I've been working on food prep and the house but I thought I'd take a break and do some blogging.

I love this pic of the kids from this past Wednesday. Gotta love it when grocery stores have shopping carts with steering wheels. I've found that is a huge help at entertaining kids while shopping. I also used the free cookies at the bakery for the first time ever. I was only about half-way through my list and the troops were getting restless! Cookies=Help. ;-)

Rad Racers

Kenzie is sugar & spice!! She'll wack Mr. P in the head, and then give him a kiss the next time. He usually laughs at her, but sometimes she actually hurts him...You just never know what you're going to get!! She has also given me a kiss before and then slapped me in the face. Yikes!! She looks so sweet though! I guess looks can be deceiving. ;-)

This is the Life

Today we're getting our carpets cleaned!! It's been a year since we've had it done and I'm so excited to have them cleaned again. It's amazing how much they need it, with kids & life in general getting them dirty. :)

This weekend Joel and I are going on a little getaway. Friday night, we get to hear the Christian comedian Tim Hawkins perform in Lincoln. We need some "funny" in our lives. I think it will be great! Then, we're staying the night at our favorite B&B, the Atwood House. Saturday, we get to see friends and then have dinner Saturday evening at a wonderful Thai food restaurant that we enjoy. The restaurant is giving away an iPad for a customer appreciation event. I'm sure we won't win, but at least we can try!

Kids/life/homeschooling have been good. Fulfilling and challenging and a complete blessing! However, we're very excited to have some one on one time to reconnect. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of who this person is that you married! At least that's been my experience. It will be great to have a weekend date with my best friend.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Tough Stuff

Last Friday, after a week that included feeling yucky and severe abdominal pain that came in waves and took my breath away, I finally went to the Dr. I don't really have a "primary care" physician, so I saw an internal medicine doctor that my midwife had referred me to. She was super nice. She drew blood & did an exam...but I really didn't get any answers as to what it was. She did however, rule some things out for me. We found out it wasn't kidney stones!

P-man and I had fun with my computer's Photo Booth today. :)

We then bought a used vehicle on Craigslist Friday afternoon. It only has 72,000 miles!! This is huge for us. :-)

Then, Saturday struck. We arrived home MUCH later than expected from our errands because our new (to us) vehicle broke down and we were stranded at a gas station. For about 3 hours. I have to say, I never liked this particular gas station before and now I certainly am not fond of it. Finally the tow truck came, and the kids and I took a $32 cab ride home because the littles were not allowed to ride in the cab of the tow truck. But, we made it...praise God! And supper was in the crockpot, welcoming us back home.

After we ate, my abdomen just seemed so...swollen! (And no, it's not because I ate too much salad earlier in the day, like P-man suggested.) I finally called the on-call nurse line to inquire about what I should do. After the crazy week I'd had with nausea, abdominal pains, etc...I was getting worried! The Dr. that I saw the previous day was actually on call Saturday night, so she called me right back. After checking my labs, she told me that everything was normal with my blood-draw, except my pancreas was a bit elevated. AND...I was pregnant!! I was shocked. We had tried to get pregnant the previous month...but this month, it would just be too soon to know.

She told me to get to the E.R. So...we did. The ultrasound showed 2 cysts. One was a hemorragic ovarian cyst and the other they weren't sure about. The hemorragic cyst is where the severe pain had come from!! And the "fullness" in my abdomen could also be attributed to the cyst, according to the E.R. Dr. I was relieved to hear that they didn't see a problem with the pregnancy. Everything appeared normal. It was a wonderfully surprising ending to a very long day.

Monday the 27th, I went back to the Dr. to get my HCG (pregnancy hormone) level checked. The midwife mentioned that it might be twins...so maybe that's why we were seeing something this early on. At about 5 pm, Monday night...my midwife called. She said my level was 415. Since it had been 761 in the E.R. on Saturday, she told me it was a miscarriage. I was sad to realize we were losing this baby.

There were SO many emotions over this past feel week. I still feel drained. Saturday night, when we thought things were "fine" with this pregnancy, I told Joel that I already loved this baby! I thought for sure that when we were on our way to the E.R. that we had already lost it, either because of a tubal, or SOME thing being horribly wrong (because of how awful I had felt.)

My midwife agreed that it made sense that this baby would have been from the previous month (although I took two pregnancy tests...and they were both negative.) She said that when I got what seemed to be my normal period...it could have actually been the start of a miscarriage. Even though this baby did not get to live long inside my womb, I miss it. And it is loved.

I return to my midwife's office on Thursday to make sure my HCG has returned to normal. Through the midst of all of this...the Lord has reminded me that : Even when I feel like my life hates me...HE loves me. I'm so thankful. Even though my attitude has stunk royally at times this past week...I'm greatful for my Father's faithfulness. Through His grace, we made it. And here's to a NEW weekend. So far it's off to a good start. My Sister and her family came over for supper tonight. AND Joel's got his vehicle running now...hooray!

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9