{2012 Birchbox Favorites}

I found so many products that I fell in love with this past year thanks to Birchbox!  If you haven't joined yet, you are missing out.  And in case you have no clue what Birchbox is....here is a little description straight from their website:
"Birchbox delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch."

Basically, for $10 a month you will get a box filled with beauty product samples delivered to you....everything from hair products, makeup products to tea and mints.  Most of the products will be in small, trial sizes but every once in awhile they throw in a full size product.  If you find a product you love, you can go to the Birchbox website and buy the full size. 

So, I am here to share with you my 7 favorite products from the past year.  I tried the sample sizes that I received in the box and loved them so much that I bought full sizes of each one.

1.  Kerastase Elixir Ultime

This is probably my most favorite of all 7.  I am obsessed with this stuff.  After I dry and straighten my hair this is the product I use to tame the random fly aways, make my hair super shiny and soft.  And it smells amazing.  One full size bottle will last a good 9-10 months probably. 
$54 for a full size bottle

        2.  Mox Botanicals Lip Butter This sheer lip butter smells yummy and leaves my lips super soft.  Ever since I got pregnant I have noticed my lips have been more dry than normal but this stuff really helps! $16 for full size     

  3.  Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss in Charm Best.lipgloss.ever.   I love the color and love the way it makes my lips feel.  It is not one of those sticky lip glosses, which I hate.  A little pricey for a lip gloss but it's been worth it. $33 for full size    

        4.  Harvey Prince "Hello" Perfume Made with eco-friendly ingredients and smells light and fresh...like citrus and floral.  It lasts all day and I have gotten a lot of compliments on it when I have worn it. $55 for 50 ml  

5.  Orofluido Elixir

The Kerastase Elixir is my #1 go to product for my hair but every once in awhile when I feel like switching it up, this is what I use. I mainly use it when I want to wear my hair wavy.  It helps keep the frizz away and gives it a soft, tousled look.  It smells awesome too!

$29.99 for full size

  

  6.  Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment This is another lip product I use when my lips need some serious moisture.  Some have a tint to them and others are sheer, so you have a choice.  I have loved this product for a couple years! $22.50 for full size  

7.  Yes to Blueberries Brightening Face Towels

Looooove these!  Sometimes I use them at night before I go to sleep and other times I use them in the morning after I shower and before I put on my makeup.  My face feels extra clean and bright after using them.

They are made with real blueberry extracts and they have a yummy, sweet smell.

$7.99 for a full size pack

          Do you have any favorite products that you found thru Birchbox?   Happy Friday, friends!! Have a great weekend! :)    

Bump Update- 16 Weeks!

    How far along?  16 weeks!   How big is baby?  About the size of an avocado...4 1/2 inches long.   Total weight gain/loss:  As of a week ago, I was back to the weight I was when I found out I was pregnant at 6 weeks.  Between 6 weeks and 13 weeks I actually lost close to 5 lbs.  But I am pretty sure that I have gained several lbs in the past week thanks to some major calories consumed over the Thanksgiving holiday. :)  My doctor says for my body weight and how sick I was at the beginning, that this is completely normal and me and baby are healthy.     Maternity clothes?I can still wear some non-maternity shirts but they just aren't as comfortable some I am wearing mostly maternity these days.   Stretch marks? I noticed spots on my sides yesterday and had my husband look at them and he said they look like tiny stretch marks.  Boo.  But, I am continuing to bathe myself in Palmer's lotion every morning and night so hopefully it helps!
  Sleep: I try to get 8-10 hours of sleep (or at least bed rest) every night but I have started tossing and turning A LOT so I wake up a lot. 
  Best moment this week: Spending Thanksgiving with family, eating way too much yummy food and enjoying a 5 day break from work!  
  Miss Anything? Energy and Advil. 
  Movement: Not yet but I hope soon!! A lot of my girlfriends who are pregnant said they felt little movmements at 16 weeks, so I am hoping!
  Food cravings: Nothing really...everything sounds good these days except for meat.   
  Anything making you queasy or sick: Red meat (mainly steak).     
  Have you started to show yet: Oh yes, definitely have a bump now, and I love it :)
  Gender: BOY!!
  Labor Signs: Nope
  Belly Button in or out? In
  Wedding rings on or off? On
  Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy and excited for the month of December!  
Symptoms:  My heartburn is under control because I take my prescription every morning.  Something new-  lower back pain and some pains in my lower stomach every once in awhile (ligament stretching is what my doc and the books say)  Last night the back pain was pretty terrible for a couple hours but a little yoga and some time on the heating pad helped.  I am getting my first pregnancy massage this weekend so hopefully that will help too.   Looking forward to:  Our first Christmas party of the season on Friday night!        Here is what Alpha Mom has to say about week 16:   (her updates are my favorite part about Tuesday mornings...if you are pregnant, you need to check out her week by week pregnancy calendar)  

  Your Baby:

• Is a little over four inches long and weighs a little over 2.5 ounces. The chocolate bunny that I swiped from my toddler’s Easter basket weighed 3.5 ounces. But considering I shared it with my fetus, I am a good mom AND a responsible eater.
• Has fingernails and toenails, all of which will be flesh-tearing talons by the time the baby is born. For serious, pack a teensy nail file in your hospital bag if you’d rather your baby’s first pictures NOT include giant face scratches.
• Is covered with fine, downy hair called lanugo. THIS will mostly fall out by birth, so rest assured you will not deliver a giant razor-taloned gorilla baby, or something.

You:

• Are leaving the more miserable symptoms behind in the dust, more or less. My gag reflex and appetite remained extremely sensitive until about week 16 last time, and the same held true this time around.
• Can feel your rock-hard uterus about three inches below your belly button (especially when you lie on your back). As your baby grows your uterus will continue to inch upwards out of your pelvis. Translation: YOU WON’T HAVE TO PEE SO DAMN MUCH.
• May be having very vivid but bizarre dreams. Some will be obviously pregnancy-related (the usual ones involve breastfeeding something other than a human baby or putting an animal or your baby in the oven or microwave to “cook” awhile longer), and others will be just plain weird or upsetting, like your childhood nightmares. They should be interpreted as nothing more than dreams stemming from nerves, hormones and your constant thoughts about the future. (In other words, you aren’t really going to give birth to a turtle with a full set of human teeth.)

   

a whole lot of catching up to do.....

Once again I have gone 2 weeks without blogging...Opps!  Things have been a little crazy around here.  Here is a little of what has been going on...     1.  Spent a weekend in North Carolina celebrating my nephew's 2nd birthday  

      2.  Enjoyed a 5 day weekend that consisted of 2 giant Thanksgiving meals, lunch with one of my best friend's and her family, a wedding and celebrating my husband's 31st birthday!     Now it's back to working a normal schedule for the next month, Christmas shopping and decorating, starting to work on Baby C's nursery and some overall holiday craziness!   Speaking of Christmas shopping and decorating....am I the only one who has not even started yet?!?  Eeeek.  I am usually done shopping by now and always get my decorating done immediately after Thanksgiving.... not this year though.  I blame it on being pregnant ;)     And among other things that I am behind on, I will be back tomorrow with a 16 week bump update and picture!  I had really good intentions of sticking with doing those every week, but did that happen??  Nope!    Hope you all had a fun Thanksgiving holiday!  Now let's get ready for Christmas!! :)     

Monday Happenings!

Usually I am not OK with Monday's, but this one is different!

Here's why-

I am only in the office 2 days this week, then my boss and I are heading to Lafayette, LA for 2 days and Friday I am working from home because I have baby's next doctor appointment.   Any week where I am not working in my cube 9 hours a day and driving 2+ hours a day, is a good week!

On a side note....

Happy LATE Veteran's Day!!  Thank you to all who serve our country, past and present....especially all my family and friends who have served! Thank you for the sacrifices you make for our freedom and country! God Bless the USA!



Now for a few other things going on and making me happy....

On Saturday morning I am heading to North Carolina for my nephew's 2nd birthday and to spend the weekend with family.  And I can't wait.  I may be a little partial, but I have the cutest nephew in the entire world. :)

I finished reading 2 new really good but really sad books over the weekend.  That makes almost 60 books for the whole year.  Whohoo!

So, if you need a new book to read, definitely check these out...just have a box or 2 of tissues ready.

I could care less about football most of the time, but holy cow, did you see or hear about the Texas A&M game on Saturday.  I sure did....I had my husband and 5 other guys (all Aggies)  in the living room screaming at the TV for 4 hours.  I have to say it was an awesome game!  AND the Houston Texans won too...I had one happy husband this weekend!

My husband is probably turning in his resignation letter at his company as I type this....  He has accepted a management position at a brand new start up company and they made him a deal that was impossible to pass up.  I am so proud of him and excited for what this new opportunity is going to bring to him and our growing family!!  But I know today is going to be hard for him so I have being praying for him all morning...

And last but not least....we are booking our Baby Moon this week!!!! After much thought and research we have made a decision where we are going to go and I am so, so, so happy!!  It is one of my favorite vacation spots I have ever been to and hubby knows how much I have been dying to go back so we are making it happen!  More details to come. :)

Hope y'all have a great Monday!

Bump Update- 13 Weeks!

via Alpha Mom

( no bump picture last week or this week! I have been too lazy to update my chalk board and I keep forgetting to have hubby take a picture.)

How far along? 13 weeks and 1 day

Total weight gain/loss:  I have not really been weighing myself at home.  But, I will find out at my doctor appt next Friday.

 

Maternity clothes? Some of both, but definitely beinning to need more maternity.

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Still sleeping a lot at night, but never feel rested.  The past few nights I woke up 5 TIMES (yikes) to use the bathroom.

Best moment this week: Finding out we are having a BOY, and telling our family and friends!  AND making it to the 2nd trimester!

Miss Anything? Energy!

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: Nothing new...still fruits and pasta.  I pretty much want Spaghetti for every meal these days.  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Red meat (mainly steak).  It grossed me out sometimes before I was pregnant so now it is so much worse.  I honestly don't know that I will ever want to eat a steak again.  

Have you started to show yet: YES!  In Target over the weekend, this sweet, elderly lady stopped me in the frames aisle and asked when I was due.  It made my day!  Then she wanted to know where my maternity top was from that I was wearing. haha 

Gender: BOY!!

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, thankful and sleepy :)

Symptoms:  Holy heartburn!  That really is my only negative symptom right now.  But, the medicine my doctor prescribed helps alot as long as I take it every day and never miss a day.  I made the mistake of skipping it on Sunday.  BIG mistake. I paid for it for 2 days.   

Looking forward to:  Staring to shop for Baby and plan his nursery and booking our baby moon this week!  

     

Tasty Tuesday: Crunchy Peanut Butter Fall Mix

 

  What you will need:   4 cups Golden Grahams Cereal 2 cups Cocoa Puffs Cereal 2 cups think pretzel sticks 1 cup Reece's Pieces 1 cup dry roasted peanuts 10 oz white chocolate baking bars, chopped 2 tbsps butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar   What to do:   In large bowl, mix cereals, pretzels, Reece's Pieces and peanuts.  Set aside.   In microwaveable bowl, microwave white chocolate and butter on high for about 1 minute, stirring once, until melted and chocolate can be stirred smooth.  Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until coated evenly.   In large, resealable food storage bags, toss half of the cereal mixture with 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar.  Spread on wax paper to cool.  Repeat with the remaining cereal mixture and powdered sugar.   Store tightly covered.   Makes about 20 servings, so it is great for gifts!   ENJOY!!    

It's a.........

 

    My husband and I are SO excited to be having a baby BOY!!!!!  I feel so blessed that God choose us to be this baby's parents...   I am terrible at keeping secrets so I am going to go ahead and announce his name and what we are thinking for his nursery too....... Connor Christopher will be his name :)   And for his room, we originally planned on Grey, Light Blue and White with some lake and/or ocean accessories.  BUT, as of yesterday we have totally changed....now we are thinking of doing a golf theme.  My husband is a BIG golfer and we have always joked that if we have a boy, as soon as he can walk, we will put him in golf lessons.  So, it only seems fitting for him to have a golf themed room. :)   Watch out, Tiger Woods ( err...maybe not the best example...let's use Phil Mickleson instead )  So, far I am thinking navy, green, grey and white but that is about as far as I have gotten.  Let the shopping and planning begin!!  

Boy or Girl?

Hello, Helloooooo!  Happy Friday and Happy November!  This week has been insane so I could not be happier that it is almost the weekend.    Let's start with the important things....   We officially know the sex of Baby C!!!!!!  Whohoooo!! If you are wondering how the heck we know the sex at 12 1/2 weeks, please refer back to this post.  But, I am going to hold out a bit longer and not share the news until Monday.  SORRY!  We are having gender reveal pictures taken this afternoon with our awesome photographer, Kaleigh from Kaleigh Karin Photography, so once we have the pictures back we will make the big announcement.  In the meantime, I am curious what everyone thinks!  Boy or Girl?  Most of our friends and family think girl.  Hubby and I started out thinking boy, then switched to girl.  What do you think??   Just for fun, here are some old wives tales.....   - Is the heartbeat more than 140?  YES (girl) - Do you sleep on your left side or right side?  LEFT (boy) (I am still able to sleep on my stomach but I make sure I sleep on my side too, just to get ready for when the stomach is not an option.)  - Do you have morning sickness?  YES (girl)  (not any more though!) - Is your skin breaking out or clear?  CLEAR (boy) - Is your skin dry or soft?  DRY (boy) - Are you having headaches?  YES (boy)   Chinese Calender-  Girl   Make sure to check back on Monday for the big reveal!! :)   And for some other randomness going on....   - Did you watch the CMA's last night?  I only watched about an hour of them but can we talk about Carrie Underwood and how amazing she looks ALL.THE.TIME?!  

    And Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are just the cutest couple ever.  I definitely sat there and cried like a baby when they won Song of the Year and gave their speech.   

      -  I found out my identity has been stolen this week.  Awesome.  Long story short, it was someone in West Palm Beach, FL where I lived for 6 years and they filed taxes back in May on my behalf and got back a rather large refund.  So, now the IRS is going to be investigating, hopefully find the person that did it and throw them in jail.   

    -  It's November and that means it is my favorite month!  It's time for all the holiday fun to start..... Houston's Nutcracker Market, The Woodlands JL Holiday Market, Thanksgiving, a trip to NC for my nephew's 2nd birthday, moving into the 2nd trimester and Christmas decorating and music!  Lots to be thankful for and excited about! It would be even more perfect if it was not 90 degrees here the past couple of days.  Ugh.