I Moved!

That's right...I have a new home...in blog land! It is oh so pretty and shiny new. Thank you to everyone who has followed me over the past few years. I love the whole thought process of coming up with new posts to share and then my favorite part, writing! I love when my words come to life, it is such a joy. I am migrating everything over to my new space...thanks to my sister for the design and my brother in law for building my new place. It is pretty much up and running. I have a few items to transfer over, but that's for me to figure out. For now, please come on over and stay for awhile. My new address is:

www.thedaysofsummer.com

Natural Product Favorites

My favorites this week may not appear too amazing, but they are all products that I have tried out and love. They have passed the test. All of the products are natural products (minus the candle). They can all be found at Vitacost! If you love natural products for your home this is the place to order them from. As I have mentioned before I am slowly switching all my cleaners over to more natural products. I have also started my son on a daily vitamin and probiotic routine. We are all trying to take our health more serious. Shane, my son, has not been sick in such a long time(knock on wood). I attribute it to this healthier lifestyle. We still have such a long way to go, but I am enjoying the little changes we have made so far. Click on this link: Vitacost and you can get 10.00 off your first order. I do get 10.00 as well but I would recommend this site even if I received nothing.You can buy many of these items at Sprouts, but at a much higher price. You do have to pay for shipping (which comes super quick). I just wait until I need to place a big order and get free shipping when I spend over 49.00 or if I spend 25.00 on Vitacost brand products. They have a ton of great food items too. I really should just make this into a post all about the products I order from them....but I had to share that Bath and Body Works Candle!!!! It is so amazing! Hope you all are having a great week. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts. I love doing this and I hope you enjoy reading. I have some exciting news concerning my blog so stay tuned!

NutriBiotic Skin Cleanser- I am an Olay girl. I have been for years. I was on the search for something more natural though. Everything I tried made me have a horrible reaction, so I kept returning to my beloved Olay skin cleanser. I stumbled upon this natural cleanser for sensitive skin and it is awesome! It is a large bottle and is a great price(40% off right now). It is paraben free and also there is no soap in it. It is awesome!**Update-I wrote this post two weeks ago and decided to hold off on posting This cleanser ended up not working for my skin:(. I am back to my beloved Olay!

Sunset Beach Candle-Ok so this product is not like the others, but Bath and Body Works was having their huge sale and so I picked up a few of the 3 wick candles for 9.00. I never pay full price but thankfully they are on sale quite often. Anyways, this scent is so yummy! It is made of pineapple, papaya and sugarcane scents! It is perfect for summer as it is super tropical. 

Ecover Dish Soap- I know dish soap is boring, but I have a thing for scents and this one smells really good. It is grapefruit and green tea scented. Which doesn't seem like it would smell good but it does! The green teas is known for deodorizing. It uses plant based ingredients so it is safe for your hands. 

Children's Probiotic-If your child is not taking a probiotic I high recommend this one. It promotes a healthy gut. I also take a probiotic each day. They are great way to bring in healthy bacteria into your gut.

Children's Vitamins-I was so happy to find this multi-vitamin for Shane. Have you noticed most children's vitamins have sugar in them? Yeah, my child does not need any more sugar, especially in a vitamin! This one is sugar free(sweetened with XYLITOL), gluten free and vegan. 

Ecos Laundry Detergent-Finding a good natural laundry detergent has proven to be difficult. Many of them do not smell so well either. I really like this one. It cleans my clothes really well. It is 100% natural which is awesome. If you have any natural detergents you like let me know. I have tried making my own and it didn't clean too well. 

Happy Friday! Stay tuned...on Monday I have some exciting news about my blog:)

I'm Bringing Modesty Back

I live in Southern California. This year we did not see too many days of cold weather. I was really bummed that my boots, sweaters and scarfs barely made an appearance this past fall and winter. Now, that summer is upon us, it is a scorcher. This type of heat wave brings out the skimpy clothing. With it being so hot, I sometimes wish I could walk around in my skivvies, but that would be a scary sight and totally not appropriate. I am overweight..no surprise.. so summer time is not so fun for me in SoCal. I do not own one pair of shorts...I do not like capris and so dresses and maxi-skirts are my best friend in the summer. However, I ask myself, "self.. if you were a skinny mini, how would you dress"? 

Now, before I get in too deep. I am not coming from the mind set that wearing a bikini is Unchristian like behavior. There are even some one pieces that show more skin than a two-piece. I do find it weird that we wouldn't walk around in our bra and underwear, but we do walk around in a bikini. Where I am coming from is a place of concern for my fellow Christian brothers and sisters. 

My concern is the image we portray through the clothes we wear. Also, I am concerned about what we are causing men and women to think. Many times we leave nothing to the imagination, because we have it all hanging out to see. I definitely would dress differently if I was in shape. I would wear the heck out of some shorts right now! But, have you seen some of the shorts that are in style? Holy butt checks! Seriously, some of these shorts look like they got caught in a lawn mower and girls are still wearing them. I was with Shane at Target the other day. I needed a new dress so, I wandered into the women's section. Shane noticed some of the crop tops hanging and asked why the little girl's shirts were in the adult section!!! Oh, how I love his innocence. I told him big girls wear those shirts and he said "well, they shouldn't". He thought they were silly. I think he is right. Crop tops combined with short little shorts were once reserved for hookers but now your 12 year old can wear them too! The Hubs and I are so disgusted when we go to the mall and see these little girls wearing some pretty mature clothing. Sometimes they are even there with their parents and we just shake our heads. What type of image are they portraying? It's no wonder kids are having sex so young. Those poor boys have a lot going on in their brain and other areas at that age and then their little classmates are wearing clothes like that! 

Our boys are tempted at such an early age. Our men our tempted, by these young girls as well and by older women who know better. Honestly, I would like to lock my husband up or maybe just blind him, but that would be a bit much. Modesty, is so hard to find. I feel so bad for women. It is such a competition at all ages to look good and to get every one's attention. It really is a cry for more. More love, acceptance and attention. As Christian's we get that from our loving Heavenly Father and from other great people in our lives. Many of these girls do not have that from the people in their lives and are looking for it in all the wrong places.  I read an article as I was preparing for this post. It was amazing! Here is a little blurb from it that was so wise:

"Men in this world will always need to guard their own hearts from women who unintentionally lure their eyes,as much as from women who intentionally dress and speak to lure lustful hearts". 

Dress is not the only way we lure men. As Christian women we need to be mindful of this. What we say is also another way we can cause men to struggle. We need to respect not only our brothers in Christ, but also our sisters. It is so disrespectful to wear a low cut top around someone's man. I have to be honest I struggle with being modest. I like attention and I let that get in the way of being a woman who is glorifying to God. So, for every one finger I am pointing at you...I am pointing three more back at me. In everything, we are to glorify God. These bodies were given to us by Him, not to be used to lure men sexually or to make anyone stumble. They were given to us to be a light in this dark world. They were given to us to spread His word. We need to share love with others, not every inch of our bodies. 

I will leave you with another excerpt from this awesome article I mention earlier. I will also leave the link because it is worth the read and is far better than my blog post. I was struggling getting these words out without sounding too judgmental. 

"Men and women serve each other here. A godly Christian man refuses to treat women as objects of lust, humanizes them, and shows respect to his sisters in Christ as fellow heirs (Romans 8:17). A Christian woman, modestly dressed, serves her brothers in Christ, honors her husband (1 Peter 3:1-6), and removes unnecessary obstruction from her testimony of personal godliness in society and the church". (1 Timothy 2:8-15).

Trends will change and so will the weather(unless you live in SoCal then it will always be hot). One thing I know, we will always be faced with the issue of modesty. Girls are starting younger and younger dressing in skimpy attire, many times mimicking their mothers or other women in their life. Parents are allowing their girls to dress like adults and then wonder why their children are participating in adult like behavior. 

I pray for us women to simply cover up. To know we are better than that. That we are loved by God. We are not objects and that finding a man who respects that is worth so much more than meaningless relationships built on lust. I pray for our men that their eyes would be guarded. That they would respect women/girls enough to let them know that a beautiful heart is a way to get their attention. Modesty is not just about clothing, it is a heart issue. I pray girls who are craving attention find it in Christ alone. 

Is this a struggle for you? Whether you are a man who struggles looking at other women or are a woman who struggles with dressing appropriately I pray this helps you in some way! Let's bring modesty back!

Updated Boy's Room: MCM Shelving

My little guy will be starting Kindergarten in September...gulp! So, with the start of the school year,comes homework. I wanted to find a desk and a bookshelf for his room, where he could work on said homework. He actually has a large room for a five year old and for an old house he has a ton of storage,so we had the space to add a few large pieces. I jumped on Craigslist and searched for a desk first. To my surprise I see this Mid Century Modern desk and bookshelf combo! It had been added to Craigslist about 18 hours prior to my search so I was certain it was gone. I quickly emailed the seller, knowing I probably missed out on it and to my surprise he said it was available. Then I told him I could come take a look and he said there was actually one person in front of me!!! Ugghhh...it technically was available but I was certain the other person would snag it up...but they never showed up. Long story short the unit now lives with us! Now, the seller did say it was from the 70's but it was like IKEA quality. Which to me isn't horrible but, I knew he meant there wasn't any extraordinary craftsmanship going on. He actually threw in an extra shelving piece that was a match , he and his wife found after they had already purchased the whole unit(which is three pieces). So, I basically used that for parts! It was pretty wobbly and needed some loving. It serves it purpose for now and I won't mind if it gets a few nicks and scratches over the next few years. 

We do not have any bookshelves in any other areas in our home. We really don't have a whole lot of knick knacks in our home as the MCM look is very minimal. I was super excited I could finally style some shelving! I searched all around for items that I already had and then I went Antiquing at my favorite little shops near my house. I scored some unique items that I can not wait to share with you. So, enough talking let's look at some pics:

Here is the before. I set a few things that he already had in his room to get an idea of what I needed. I was so pleased that I could keep his table and chairs in the room with plenty of space around it. I also used the chair I bought awhile back from a now friend on Craigslist. 

I started to add a few things like a jar full of marbles my Aunt gave me and a vintage book I picked up a few months back. The dump truck belonged to The Hubs when he was a little guy. 

This metal caddy I found at Marshalls after watching Fixer Upper(have you seen this show??...you need to). She found a vintage caddy to hold her client's crayons. It was so adorable I had to do something similar for my little guy. I couldn't find anything vintage but this cleaning caddy worked great! I simply added some mason jars and filled them up with crayons, markers, pens and scissors. 

I had previously painted some chalkboard designs on his wall and got this "S" at a Flea Market. I also had this fabric covered canvas in another area of his room and though it was better suited for this area. I love this fabric from Joann. It is a Marvel Retro Comic print.  It simply adds some color and brings in a bit of Superhero, which Shane loves. 

I found this G.I. Joe wooden box at my local Antique Store. It said it was from the 60s! I love the graphics inside of the box. This was 17.00...a little more than I wanted to spend on one item for the bookshelf but, I couldn't pass it up!

 I found these items at a little shop in the same area I found the wooden box above. The owner always has such unique things. I got a large jack, old wooden ruler and this amazing light bulb. It was fun to go around the store and collect different items that were out of the ordinary, but fit in a boys room. Shane wasn't too impressed with the light bulb. I think it's awesome...boys...hmmpppfff????!!!

I had to throw in some baseball items too. The bat was from his baseball party that all his guests signed. Filled a wire basket with old and new baseballs and used a baseball helmet Shane had from a Minor League game we attended. 

This is how it all came together. It is going to be a great space for Shane to do his homework or work on some art. I can switch out some of the pieces as he gets older and his interests change.

Summer Lovin:Friday Favorites

Now that summer is officially here I am feeling the need for a beach trip. Since, I do not know when I will be able to make it... I am getting my fix by looking at all the cute beach day necessities on the world wide web! I also included a lil' beach bum board! Surf's Up!

Boho Braid-Emily at The Freckled Fox has the prettiest hair tutorials. I wish I could braid my hair! It is the perfect hairstyle for the beach.

Wildfox Maxi-This reminded me of Hawaii. I love this for walking on the pier after a long day in the sun.

NYC Bronzer in Sunny-I don't like to wear a whole lot of makeup at the beach. I just put on a bit of bronzer and blush and I am all set...after my sunscreen of course.

Sunset Beach Candle-Ahhhhhh!!! I love this scent. It is such a beach scent with pineapple and papaya. 

Roxy Hat-Gotta cover that face. You mind as well do it in style. I love anything ROXY. When I was younger I dreamed of living at the beach and being a surfer girl...still do dream about this:)

Makeup Geek in Head Over Heels-this is a great blush to add just a touch of color to your face. I love Makeup Geek. Their products are all affordable and very high quality. Reminds me of MAC!

Roxy Hoodie-One of my favorite parts of a beach day is when the sun begins to set and it starts to cool down. Love throwing on a hoodie and enjoying a bonfire. 

Beach Chair-I need to head over to World Market and pick this up. It is on sale and I am in need of a bright and comfy beach chair. 

Kid's Beach Chair-How cute is this? A personalized child's beach chair. They come with umbrellas too!

Beckett's Threads Shirt-This is my friends' company. I love this design...kinda want one for myself:)

Rash guard-My little guy loves wearing a rash guard. It is great for a little extra protection from the sun too. 

Surfboard Trainer- Since I did not end up being a surfer girl...I could get this surfboard trainer for Shane and see if he can be a cute little surfer boy.

Old Navy Cover Up-Terry cloth is so great for a cover up. Your little girl would be so adorable in this!

Boat Shoes-Someone with a little girl seriously needs to buy these boat shoes! They are one sale too!

Anyone planning a beach day? I just may need to go tomorrow. I have beach fever!

Happy Friday!

Easy to Make: Children's Daily Routine Chalkboard

I have something to admit. I do not have it all together. In fact most days I am lucky if I remember to brush my teeth and feed myself. I have a little human that I am responsible for. He does many things himself now(yay) but still needs reminding. Lately, I found myself feeling like a failure as a Mama and I needed to come up with a fun idea to write out Shane's daily morning and nightly routines. Of course I started with Pinterest and saw this idea. I loved it because I knew I had a clipboard and chalkboard paint, so it was free!

I loved this because it wasn't a printable and I could customize it to my child's daily routine. I simply painted the clipboard with two coats of chalkboard paint(Valspar's is great). After it dried I used a chalk maker to list all of the items Shane needs to do each day.I also added little drawing of each task as he doesn't read yet and can simply look at each picture and know what to do all by himself! You can use anything in place of the clipboard, but I think this is great, as you can hang it on a wall in your child's room or bathroom. We just purchased Shane a desk so I have it sitting on there. This has been so helpful to Mommy and my little man loves it. He can also check off each item as he completes them, with chalk if he wanted. Now, I may need to make one for Mommy:).

Summer Lovin: Friday Favorites

My list this week is so random... but full of lots of great finds. Shane has had swimming lessons and VBS all week and it has been a blast! He is taking swimming lessons where I did at his age. It is so weird to look around and remember being in the pool as a little one. It hasn't changed much. I am so glad it is Friday and am looking forward to playing outside and getting projects done around the house. Happy Friday Friends!

Fruity summer cupcakes by Trophy Cupcakes-I saw these on TheTomKatStudio(another fav) and fell in love. These would be so cute at a summer BBQ!

Floral Doddle at Land of Nod-Apparently, I have a thing for flowers. Bright florals are all the rage(I even wrote a post about them this week). This would be super cute in a little girls room or a craft room. 

Floral Chiffon Top by Forever 21-Speaking about my bright floral post. This top was one of my favorite finds. I love the black with the colorful flowers together. 

Sam Smith -ahhhhhhh. I love him. His voice is perfection. His CD came out this week. If you are in the mood for some good love songs I highly recommend this CD, especially #10: Lay Me Down.

Girl's Room by The Lilypad Cottage-I couldn't stop staring at this wallpaper in this little girl's room. And that bed! I can picture my little niece enjoying a room like this. 

On Trend: Bright Florals:Dark Backgrounds

I am in love with this trend of bright florals and dark backgrounds. Typically the background is either black or navy. I first saw it on stationary, but now I see it in fashion as well. I love it because even though in spring and summer you typically don't see a lot of dark colors; the mix of bright florals makes it feel lighter. Here are a few items I have spotted. 

In Fashion and Beauty:

In Paper Goods and Web Design:

In the Home:

ALDO Sandals-The print is a little hard to see in this picture but I saw these in person and believe me the print is such a cute addition to these sandals.

Forever 21 Floral Chiffon Top-I need this shirt! The pattern continues part way down the back and then is sheer. Such a great price too!

ASOS Kimono-My mission today is to find a pretty floral kimono. They are great if you want a little cover up over your tank top this summer. 

Indigo Perfume by NEST- Even this perfume bottle got in on this trend. I would love to display this bottle on my vanity.

Cocorrina Wallpaper and Screen Savers-This wallpaper for your computer screen is what started it all. I absolutely love her design. These are available for download and you can even choose one for your phone.

Sparkle and Sparrow Gift Tags-Aren't these so cute? Perfect to add to a friend's bday present(my bday is next month btw). 

Paper n Peonies Save the Date Card-You have to check out this girl's Esty Shop! It is a new favorite. Her designs are so cute and I love this Save the Date card.

Furbish Studio Pillow- Pillows are a great way to introduce any trend in your home without having to spend a ton. 

Blue Poppy Design Abstract Painting-If you are daring, adding this painting to your home would be amazing I love the use of the navy IKAT and the bright florals.

So, what do you think? Is it a trend you could introduce in your home or in your wardrobe. I think The Hubs would not like this trend in our home so, I am going to pick up a few of those under the fashion section:).

Citrus Lane Unboxing

I recently was made aware of a new monthly subscription box for kids called Citrus Lane. I think it is a great way to introduce mommies and kiddos to new products. I have to admit something. I am not a very creative or imaginative mom. I am not the type to make my own playdough or use creative ways to teach my son things. I lean on Pinterest and my friends like, Munchkins and Moms to show me the way. So, I was exited to see this monthly box full of new products(to me).

We received the box today, which if we continue, it will come around the middle of each month. This is more of a first impression post as we haven't tried all of the products. I was pleasantly surprised about how much was in the box. Here is a breakdown about what we received:

1. Melissa & Doug Reusable Puffy Sticker Pad- Shane took that out first and loves it! He has already set up his pirate ship with all his stickers. I think this would be the best product in the box. 
2. Two-sided Puzzles by Crocodile Creek- Three puzzles came in the box. Each puzzle is double-sided, so that is nice. Nothing super exciting but we did need some new puzzles!
3. Wet Bag by Bumkins-I was a little confused because I thought wet bags were only for babies and each box is geared toward your child's age and gender. Since Shane did start swimming lessons this week, I thought I could use it for his wet clothes. Plus, it was Mickey Mouse print and that made it super cute!
4. Bandages by Ouchies Jr.-These bandages are great. They come in a super cute tin and kids are always in need of bandages, 
5. Go Bars by Plum Organics-As I am typing this we actually already sampled each bar(it was all in the name of a good blog post). They are pretty good. I thought they were going to be more of a granola bar texture but are more of a dry brownie texture. That may sound horrible but they are pretty good. Shane did not like the Chocolate Brownie flavor but liked the Chocolate Chip one. They claim to be organic and they are but, they have a lot of natural sugars so I am not a huge fan. 

Overall, I liked the box. I used a special promo code for 50% off my first box. After reviewing all the products I would totally pay the 15.00 I paid but... not 29.99. Now, this is the price you pay if you just do a month to month plan. If you subscribe for a year you get it for 19.00 a month. There are also 3 month and 6 month plans. For our family that would not be too bad of a deal because we only have one child. I thought about my other mommies who have young babies and toddlers who would not enjoy or be able to share a box and they would need to order a box for each child. If you are interested I would definitely just get a box for either your infant or one just for your toddler(up to age 6). You do get discounts on any additional products you would like that you received in your box. Also, you can add items to your box from their website and enjoy free shipping. Shane loved receiving the box today and I think I will keep it up throughout the summer. I will keep you posted on anymore boxes we receive and if Shane gives them a thumbs up! 

Summer Lovin: Friday Favorites

Rimmel Lasting Finish Mineral by Kate Moss Lipstick, 09- I recently purchased this lipstick and it is so bright and perfect for summer! It is long wearing and is a super smooth formula. Plus, it smells really good!

Nautical Two-Toned Fedora- I love wearing hats this time of year. They are super cute and protect your face from the sun. This one is from Forever 21 so you know it is affordable!

Jacquard Tank -I purchased this tank from Target a few days ago and I love it! I think I am going to go back for a few more colors. It is hard to tell in this pic but if you click on the link, zoom in on the tank and take a look at the pattern it is so pretty. 

Athena Tab Strand Necklace-Have you heard of Baubble Bar? If not, I apologize in advance. It is an online accessory shop that has the pretties bracelets, necklaces, rings and other accessories. I am loving statement necklaces right now and anything pink, so this was a favorite. 

Be Brave Print-This is very random, but I was tempted to redecorate Shane's room again this week. I so desperately want to decorate a camping/lodge/hunting room. Wouldn't that be fun? I started collecting whatever I had and collected ideas online(like this print). I then realized I needed to paint and get a new bed spread and so then I said, "Summer, STOP"! It was fun dreaming but he has a great room and I need to be content. I did purchase a desk and shelving unit for his room which I will be sharing soon!

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad Recipe

During the summer I find myself wanting fresh foods(lets face it...it is summer time already here in Southern California). I put away all the soup recipes from winter and am on the look out for recipes I can whip up quickly. I also love recipes that I can cook on the grill. So, when I saw a few recipes on Pinterest for Mexican Grilled Corn Salad I was sold. Fresh grilled corn....need I say more? This recipe was inspired by the Mexican Grilled Corn made with a whole ear of corn, mayo, Parmesan and cilantro. I tweaked it a tad. There are many different versions of this recipe on the web so, I took a little from each one and made it work for my family. 

Mexican Grilled Corn Salad
Serves 4-6

4 Ears of Corn
1/4 cup Butter

1/2 Lime

1/4 cup of Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees. While the grill is heating up melt 1/4 cup of butter and brush on shucked corn. Grill for around 10-12 minutes. You want some charring on all sides, so turn every few minutes. While the corn cools, chop up the cilantro. Next, cut the corn off of the cob and then squeeze half of a lime over the warm corn. Then add the cilantro and the crumbled Cotija cheese. Finally, season with a little salt and pepper and you have a fresh and delicious summer time salad. 

This would be great if you used Parmesan cheese instead of the Cotija. Or you could spice it up and add some paprika. One recipe I saw used mayo instead of the butter, which is what is used in the traditional Grilled Mexican Corn you can find sold by many street vendors. The Hubs and I aren't too fond of mayo so we went the butter route. 

Happy Grilling!

Summer Lovin:Friday Favorites

Father's Day is quickly approaching and I gathered some items I know the Fathers in my life will love. 

Adidas Seeley Shoes- I spied these in the mall the other day and loved the look of these for my guy.

Cast Iron Oyster Pan-The Hubs recently has fallen in love with oysters(so have I). This pan would be awesome for summer dinners outside. 

Etsy Printable-This printable would be great for a father's desk. Love that my little guy thinks his daddy is a Superhero!

Wash, Wheel and Tire Cleaning Kit-a go-to gift for those car lovers in your life

Dollar Shave Club-The Hubs has this monthly razor subscription. It ranges from 1.00 to 9.00(depending on which blade you choose). It is a great monthly subscription service that delivers new blades each month. I love not having to buy expensive blades. The blades are geat quality and they have a shaving butter that The Hubs love.

Summer Lovin: Friday Favorites

It's Friday Favorites time! I am a Pinterest junkie. Seriously...I have 118 boards and I am just a few pins short of  6,000. It is such an inspirational site for me. I realized though... that I need to physically do more projects and not just stare at all the pretty things all day. Friday Favorites are great for me, because I can share all the goodness of Pinterest and other sites I spied great finds on during the week. 

Arrow Finials-You guys.... these are sold out! They were not earlier this week, but I am sure this pic went around Pinterest and everyone fell in love, as I did. The curtain is what really caught my eye. It is so bohemian and lovely. I have been contemplating changing up my little guys room. There is nothing wrong with it now... but I so want to redecorate it in a woodsy/cabin/hunting/lodge kinda feel. I thought these arrow finials would be great. 

Wet Brush-This brush is so great! I have long and very tangled hair. My scalp is also super sensitive, so this brush is great for painlessly brushing through my tangled wet hair. I don't know how it works, but it is magic!

Thayers Peach Witch Hazel- I had to have this, of course, because it is peach scented. I was running low on my witch hazel(which I use as a facial toner) and saw this on Vitacost and put that guy right into my cart. It smells so good and gets rid of any extra dirt and/or makeup leftover on my face after I cleanse. It also adds a bit of moisture. 

Smashbox BB Cream- This is one of those products that I got a sample of and fell in love with and then realized it was a little pricey but I didn't care because it is so good! I use this all Summer long. I don't like to put on a bunch of face makeup during the Summer. This is great because it is a BB cream. So , basically it is a primer, concealer and foundation all in one. It is also wonderful because it has SPF35 in it so, I also don't have to use a sunscreen on my face. I can't say enough about this product. 

Zara Frilly Sleeve Top- I recently discovered Zara. Zara is one of the biggest international fashion companies. Their clothes are so unique. I saw my favorite Makeup Guru wearing this top and I fell in love. I really want to buy it but, I am hesitant to buy clothes online. The closest store to me is about an hour away so, I may venture out there and try it on. 

St. Tropez Tanning Mousse-This is another product that is a bit pricey, but nothing compares to it. It is a self tanning mouse that you use a mitt to apply. The mitt allows for a even coat every time. It is a gradual tanning mousse, so after about 4 hours you can rinse it off in the shower and it leaves you with a perfect tan. There is a darker bronzing mousse if you have a darker skin tone. This one is perfect for me and my fair skin.

Have a wonderful weekend! I have some fun posts coming up next week and I am excited to share them with you!

Home Is Where My Heart Is

I love all things to do with the home. I remember as a young girl my family would bring my dad lunch at his job sites(he is a Carpenter). I would collect all of the nail gun droppings and any other hardware I found. I would walk around the freshly framed up walls and try to envision the finished product. I loved the smell of sawdust. It will always remind me of my dad. Once the homes my dad was framing up were completed, we would always visit the model homes and it was the best family outing ever.  I actually remember these times more than Disneyland trips! Home is where my heart is.

When I was old enough to have my own place, whether it was an apartment or a house, I continued  the love for all things home. Our wedding registry was another amazing moment in my life. I was choosing things that would fill up my home. Things that The Hubs and I chose together...or things I sneaked on the list without approval:). Our first place, like many, was a small space. It was filled with so much love though. It was the first time The Hubs and I could make our own stamp on a space. Apparently, our stamp was palm trees. I recently just got rid of the last bit of our palm tree items from almost 11 years ago!

The Hubs shares my love for the home. He is a Realtor and so we both geek out on going to Open Houses. We love seeing how other people live. It is so inspiring. A home is where your personality shines. It is also an indicator of what is going on. If you came over before this past 3 day weekend you would notice that I needed a three day weekend. I was a bit overwhelmed and the clutter was a dead give away that I have been too busy.

Yard sales and thrift stores always make me happy. An old painting can enjoy another decade in a new home. What once served a purpose in someones home can bring joy to another.

But, this is all just the physical stuff that fills a home. I appreciate the structure of my home and the items I have chose to fill my home, but the people inside and the memories we make are my favorite. We move a lot. I actually love it. It is a chance to fill a new home with our personality. I love the traditions that we make in our home and others home. My parents have lived in the same home for 25 years! So I can still go to my old bedroom and remember memories from age 7-21. Every Christmas we all pile together at The Hubs parents' home. We wake up and make more memories. Now we share that with our children.

Home is where my heart is. It isn't the wood that frames up my home, the newest decor or the old treasures found for my home but the traditions, memories and love that fill up the home.

                                                                      Home Sweet Home.

Field Trip: Cedros Avenue Design District

Having a day off is glorious. Especially when The Hubs agrees to go to San Diego and take a walk around Cedros Avenue. We have been here a few times in the past but, we discovered a lot of great new(to us) stores this time. Cedros Avenue is located in Solana Beach, CA. Every time I go to San Diego I ask myself why I don't live there. It is my happy place. The people are so friendly(unlike another nearby beach community). The weather was perfect and there was a beautiful ocean breeze....ahhhh. 

One of the first stores we visited was Leaping Lotus. We have been to this 21,000 square foot store before. It is one of my favorites. It has 130 shops all under one roof. Each vendor is in their own booth and each shop is unique. From cute beach decor, art and stationary, they have it all.

Next stop was Solo. This store also features different merchant shops within one large building. I was in awe of all the design books they had! There was the largest selection of Mid Century Modern books I have ever seen! The Hubs and I were totally geeking out. I ended up picking up a design book on different bloggers' home and tricks they share about blogging about interior design(see link below). I can't wait to dig in. 

Design Bloggers at Home

Aren't these awesome! They have a ton of ads from the 50's and 60's!

Finally, we stopped in a new store to us but, I believe it has been there for awhile. It is called the Antique Warehouse. It was filled with different antique vendors. Of course, you know what we were looking for....anything Mid Century Modern and boy did we score. They had about 3-4 spaces with MCM decor and furniture. The last space we checked out had a painting that was amazing and we bought it. Unfortunately, we were overcome with excitement and it clouded our brain with MCM goodness and left no room for thinking about measuring it to make sure it fit in our car. It didn't fit and they are closed on Tuesdays. So, we have to let the painting stay at its' old home until Wednesday. We will be forced to be apart, but the good news is we HAVE to go back to Solana Beach! We even debated tying it to our roof rack but we envisioned it flying off and getting destroyed on the way home. Anyways, this place was awesome and we will definitely be back...on Wednesday.

There she is!!!!! Look at all that other goodness!

What a fun day! I highly suggest checking Cedros Avenue out. 

Sundays they have a Farmers Market from 1-5.