Janssen Cosmetics Skin Regeneration Giveaway

Today, I've got a great giveaway from a company that was new to me until a few weeks ago.  Janssen Cosmetics sent me a skin tonic and a cleansing mousse to try, and they are generously giving a full size set to one of my lucky readers.  Keep reading to learn more about Janssen Cosmetics and their products.

Summer 2016 Fashion Trends

It's almost Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer.  One thing that is on my to do list for next week is to go shopping.  I went shopping for a dress a few weeks ago, and I fell in love with the new summer styles.  Summer 2016 fashion trends are inspired by the 80s and 90s, but they have an updated look.  This must be the year for comfort too because all of these styles are comfortable, especially for the hot summer.  I can't wait to go shopping next week!

Summer 2016 Fashion Trends

Cold Shoulder Tops and Dresses - Summer 2016 fashion trends include cold shoulder tops and dresses.  These are very comfortable and look great for casual or dressier events.

Checkered, Strips, and Spots - Floral prints are out.  Checks are in!

Frayed Denim Shorts - Are denim shorts ever not in style?  This year, the frayed, relaxed look is popular.  

Slip Dresses - Summer 2016 is all about being comfortable!  Slip dresses are light, airy, and perfect for the hot summer months.

Denim with Patches - Something old is new again.

Knit Wear - Personally, I love this trend because they are so light and airy, perfect for a summer day!  Bonus, you can pair one knit top with several tanks that you already own for completely different looks.

Slipper Mules - These shoes will pair with your frayed denim shorts or a slip dress.

Citrus Colors - Citrus colors have been popular for a few years, so you probably have some pieces in your closet.  With the fun greens, oranges, and yellows, it's no surprise they've become the official color of summer.

Ruffled Tops - These feminine tops can be dressed up or down.

Lace Up Flats - Comfortable and cute. 

What's your favorite summer 2016 fashion trend?

8 Great Infused Water Recipes

We all know that drinking water is essential for our bodies.  Getting enough water helps every system in our body, and I noticed that my skin looks a lot better when I get enough water.  I don't mind the taste of plain water, but sometimes I need a change to keep it interesting.  My kids also drink a lot of water, but they do prefer the fruit infused water recipes over plain water.  Fruit infused water does have some nutritional benefits as well, and I'll explain those below.

How to Save Money With Groupon Coupons

This post is sponsored by Groupon.  As always, all enthusiasm is my own.  

I love to shop, but I love saving money even more.  I try to never pay full price for clothing or my makeup because I'm usually getting things that I want and not that I need.  I like to shop sales, use coupons, and use sites like Groupon to help save money.  Until recently, I thought Groupon was just to buy things or gift certificates at a reduced rate, but it's so much more!  Groupon Coupons help you save money at many national chains.  Keep reading to see how and where I save.

10 Best Curl Defining Products

Spring in Ohio.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  It's been raining almost every day for a week, so I gave up on straightening my hair.  My hair is naturally curly, but I still struggle with getting my curls to stay in place and not have my hair looking wild.  I like my hair to be styled, yet soft.  I don't want it to be stiff or crunchy to the touch.  These are the best curl defining products that I've found, and all of them will hold your curls for hours without giving you crunchy hair.  Even though I love these curl definers, all hair is different.  I wish I could tell you that they will all work equally as well for you, but it is trial and error, unfortunately.  I really suggest reading the reviews before purchasing and don't be afraid to try new products if you haven't found one that you love.

Mixed Berry, Yogurt, and Granola Pops

Summer is coming, and we go through a lot of frozen treats when the weather gets warmer.  I make my kids pops so we can avoid extra sugar, dyes, and high fructose corn syrup.  One of my sons can't have dyes or HFCS, so we can't have most pops.  I usually make our summer treats from juice or dye-free drink mixes, or yogurt.  I love this recipe because it's a little more filling for a mid-day snack, and it's fairly healthy with yogurt, berries, and granola.  It does have some sugar in it, but you might find that you can use less after you make it and adjust to your taste.

Dry Oil Perfume Spray Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #ShareMemories #CollectiveBias

When I saw the new Coca-Cola™ Share a Coke and a Song cans, I had to pick some up because I love music.  I have specific playlists on my computer and on my phone so I can select the right music for my mood and the situation.  I have lists for working out, writing, cleaning, and relaxing.  Music not only sets the mood, but it also triggers powerful memories and emotions.  For me, smells are also powerful in evoking my emotions, so that's why I made this dry oil perfume spray, because it also helps me remember happy memories.

How Dryel Saved Mother's Day

This post is brought to you by Dryel, but as always, all enthusiasm is my own.  

Last weekend was Mother's Day.  I usually just relax on Mother's Day and maybe go out for breakfast and spend the rest of the day enjoying doing nothing.  This year, my daughter and I went to a high pink tea at a historic home with Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln.  The house is a historic icon in our area, so I was really excited to see it.  My daughter loves historic fiction, so she was also very eager to tour the home and "meet" Mrs. Lincoln.  Neither one of us has ever been to a high tea, so we were also really excited to go to tea.  My daughter had several dresses to choose from, but being a work at home mom, I didn't have anything to wear.  Luckily, Dryel saved the day for both of us!

My daughter's dress is dry clean only.  If you've read more than a few posts here, you know that I live in the middle of nowhere.  Dropping off the dry cleaning is never a quick trip.  It would take me an hour to drop it off and another hour to pick it up a few days later.  I don't have time for that!  Luckily, I have Dryel.  

Since she wore her dress a few times, I wanted to deep clean it.  With Dryel, that only took 30 minutes in the dryer.  And during that time, I could work on other things and didn't have to wait in the car or kill time at a store.  

Dryel also saved my outfit for Mother's Day.  I am very picky when it comes to my clothes.  I don't have a lot of clothes, but what I do have are pieces that I love and that flatter me.  In the past, I stayed away from dry clean only clothes because I knew I would never make it to the dry cleaners.  When I went shopping last week, it felt so liberating to be able to choose anything I wanted and not be stuck with certain fabrics.  I ended up with a skirt and long shirt, and the shirt has to be dry cleaned.  The shirt looks great on me, and I loved the print, so I was so happy to be able to get exactly what I wanted without worrying about how to find time to clean it.  If you need new clothes too, here are some tips from Dryel to help you update your wardrobe.

And our Mother's Day tea?  It was a lot of fun.  There were 10 other women there, so we got to meet new people.  Mrs. Lincoln was fascinating, and the house was gorgeous.  We enjoyed good food, fine tea, and look great thanks to Dryel.

Want to learn more about Dryel?  Follow them on social media.

https://www.facebook.com/dryel

https://www.instagram.com/dryelbrand/

https://twitter.com/dryel

https://www.pinterest.com/dryel/

Introduction to Dryel

DIY Clarifying Shampoo Recipe

This DIY clarifying shampoo removes product buildup naturally for better looking hair.

If your hair is dull and flat, it could be from your shampoo, conditioner, and styling products.  All of these products can build up on your hair over time.   As they build up and create a layer of gunk, it starts to weigh down your hair.

To keep your hair looking great, use a clarifying shampoo once a week to gently cleanse your hair without stripping away your natural oils.  After you use this DIY clarifying shampoo recipe, your hair will be shiny and beautiful.

Not only is this recipe great for your hair, but it also helps soothe and protect your scalp.  This is a two step process, but it is worth it for naturally clean hair.

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

I've got a bonus giveaway for my readers this week!  I have a $100 Amazon gift card up for grabs for one lucky reader.  If you like my giveaways, be sure to sign up for my newsletter so you don't miss one.  Good luck!

My Arthritis Journey + Free Printable Journal & Weekly Goals

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WhatInconvenience #CollectiveBias

When I hit my mid-20s, I started experiencing almost daily pain.  The pain was so severe that there were days that I couldn't get off the couch.  There were times that the pain was so severe that I would lie down and shake uncontrollably from the excruciating pain.  Since I was young, the doctor really wasn't sure what was happening, so he ordered tests.  He could tell from the results that I had a lot of inflammation, so he sent me to a specialist where I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  He suggested that I take Advil to help me with the pain.  I made some lifestyle changes to help me reduce my overall pain, and I'm very thankful for anti-inflammatory medications for take care of the rest of my pain.  Thanks to Advil, I can do things that I couldn't do a few years ago.  I'm not alone in my arthritis pain; 53 million Americans have are affected my arthritis!  May is National Arthritis Month, so I'm sharing my story and how I find relief.    

Tria Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser With Before and After Photos

This post is sponsored by PRIMP and Tria Beauty.  As always, all enthusiasm is my own.  

If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, then you've no doubt seen my posts about the Tria Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser in the last two months.  I've been posting FAQs as well as my experience, including a before shot and after shots at two and four weeks.  Luckily, my eye area isn't too bad.  I've been pretty blessed in that I don't have a lot of fine lines.  I do get some puffiness, especially if I'm tired or not eat well and not drinking enough water.  Don't be too jealous; I definitely have some other aging issues going on elsewhere.  Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I got the device.  Keep reading for my review and before and after shots after using the Tria Eye Wrinkle Correcting Laser.

How to Use Tracking IDs For Amazon Associates To Increase Sales And Revenue

I've been blogging for a long time now, and I want to share some secrets with my fellow bloggers.  For those who know me from groups, you know that I pay close attention to what I do, and I use data to see if it's working.  Like you, I'm busy, and I just don't have the time to devote to things that don't work.  I try not to change anything in my blog plan unless I can see with numbers that it's working or not working.  Keep reading to learn how to use tracking IDs for Amazon associates and how to use them.

$200 Target Gift Card Giveaway

This week's giveaway is a little different than most of my giveaways because I've teamed up with several other bloggers to for a much larger prize.  This week we are giving away a $200 Target gift card to one lucky winner!  Ladies, you can buy a lot of makeup with that!  Sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a giveaway.  I have some good ones coming up in the next month.  

Your Guide to Melt and Pour Additives

Learn how to customize melt and pour soap with various additives.  This is your guide to melt and pour additives and what's safe and what isn't to add to your soap.

Melt and pour soap is a fun craft to make for yourself, for sale, or for gifts. It's inexpensive, especially compared to making cold process or hot process soap, and you don't have to use lye.

 Lye can cause serious injuries if not used properly. I didn't use it or keep it in the house until my kids were older because I was worried about an accident or getting distracted.

Melt and pour soap, by contrast, is easy to make. You just need a microwave and a knife to cut the soap, and you can make a custom bar of soap in about 10 minutes. Older kids can even help with adult supervision.

With so many melt and pour additives, you can customize your bar of soap, too.

With traditional soap recipes, you have to be very careful about the amount of oils and other additives that you use or your soap may be a fail. You don't have to be nearly as careful about adding things to melt and pour soap.

But you can't add just anything to melt and pour because it can irritate your skin - and some natural herbs are even poisonous. After you've made a few tried and true recipes, you might want to start experimenting with different additives.

 Here is a list of safe melt and pour additives. You'll want to make small batches the first time and test them to make sure they work well so you don't waste a lot of product.

Makeup For Oily Eyelids

I've struggled with eyeliner for a long time.  My eyes would look perfect for an hour, but then my eye makeup with start to slide off.  Worse, my eyeliner would turn in to raccoon eyes after just a few hours.  Short of carrying eye makeup remover with me and reapplying constantly, I wasn't sure what to do.  I kept buying different eyeliners because I was blaming them for not staying.  Then I used one of my liners on my daughter for a play that she was in, and I couldn't get it to come off.  Why would it run on me but be stuck to her?  Oily eyelids is why.  If your eye makeup keep sliding, creasing, or disappearing, follow these tips to keep your makeup on fleek all day long.

Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission from sales

Tips for Oily Eyelids

Your oily eyelids might be caused by genetics, or they might be because of the products that you use.  I have oily skin, so I'm pretty sure that is what's causing my makeup problems.  If your skin generally isn't oily, it could be your skin care products.  Try switching to an oil-free gel eye cream formula to see if that helps 

Prep Your Eyes

You want to be sure that you're starting with a clean canvas, so be sure to remove any residual oil from your eyelids before you start applying your makeup.  I really like Almay's oil-free eye makeup removing pads.  Whatever you use, make sure that it is oil-free  

Next, use an eye makeup primer.  This will help absorb excess oil and help your makeup last longer.  MAC Prep + Prime is sweat resistant and humidity resistant, so it's a great summer primer even if you don't have oil problems.

You may also want to add some powder to absorb excess oil.  I'm a huge fan of Tarte's products because they have clay to absorb excess oil.  Use a brush to dab some Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder over your lids after you use primer.  If you have oily skin, this stuff is amazing all over, too.

Products for Oily Eyelids

Now that your lids are prepped and primed, it's time to apply your eye makeup. It's very important to use the right products on your lids.  You want to use lighter formulas and gradually build color rather than use a heavy formula.  For your eyeshadow, look for long-lasting products.  A great drugstore option is Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo.

Shiseido Cream Eye Colors are also a great choice because they last.  They go on as a cream, but they dry to a beautiful finish that will stay put for hours.

For eyeliner, try using a gel formula because they last longer than pencils do. I really love my pencil liners, so I'm using Tarte SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay liner.  The clay helps absorb excess oil from my skin, and the pencil glides on like a great.  This doesn't always make it 6-8 hours for me, but it's the best that I've ever used.  

 I've also heard great things about Urban Decay eyeliner for oily eyelids.  I was going to pick one up, but I opted for the Tarte because it has the clay.  

Do you have any makeup for oily eyelids that you love?