Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Totally Obsessed Tuesdays

So, in an effort to make this blog have a little bit more structure (cause we all know how much I love order and symmetry and structure), I've decided to make posting on Tuesdays a "thing."  And this "thing" is going to be Totally Obsessed Tuesdays.  For one, it will force me to post at least once a week (I'm aiming for twice--once on Tuesdays and one more random blog throughout the week).  And, it will introduce all you lovely people to all the awesome things that exist out there that you don't have time to find because you're busy having real lives, which I don't.

So, for my first Totally Obsessed Tuesday, I will discuss three things I've become Totally Obsessed with: Ipsy, Mom Blogs, and Down unStoppables.

Ipsy

A quick explanation:  Ipsy is a beauty service.  You take a quiz about your style/makeup preferences etc, pay ten dollars a month and BAM.  They send you a cute little makeup bag filled with three or four products tailored to you.  EVERY MONTH.   For ten dollars!!!  (Also, you cancel at any time if you're not happy with it.)  Who could feel guilty about blowing ten measly dollars a month on themselves? Not me, and I bet my budget is even smaller than yours.

I didn't discover Ipsy myself.  My friendboss Courtney introduced me to it, via her Mom Blog (see what I did there?), Adulthood Redefined.  It's not JUST a Mom Blog, but she's a Mom who blogs, so that's what I'm going to call it.  Anyways, she recently did an excellent review of Ipsy and Birchbox (another similar service) on her blog.  Go read her review.  (And then the rest of her blog, cause it's awesome.)  She explains Ipsy way better than I did in the five sentences above.  In fact, her review was so excellent that I went out and bought one of the products she received in the Ipsy bag, and then went and signed up for Ipsy myself. I'm currently on the waitlist, but I can't WAIT to get my first bag. 

If Courtney's review is not enough to convince you to go sign up ASAP, I'll add one last tidbit.  One of the products she received and reviewed in July was Weatherproof by Big Sexy Hair.  I don't know how I LIVED in the South, with curly hair, without this product, for an entire year.  It's amazing.  It's basically a spray that keeps your hair from getting poofy and frizzy in the heat and humidity.  I showered Friday afternoon and put it in my hair.  Went to a beer pong party, where my hair remained fabulous all night.  Went to bed.  Woke up Saturday morning... and my hair STILL looked amazing.  Seriously.  You need this in your life.

This product costs $20 at Wal-mart (although I got it at the Post Exchange for $12.50).  Courtney got it and FOUR other products for $10 in her Ipsy bag (plus the bag itself).  If that's not awesome value, I don't know what is.  For real.  Go sign up.

Mom Blogs

Ever since I started my job as a nanny, I've been obsessed with Mom Blogs.  Some of them I found through Facebook (those are the funny ones), some through Pinterest (the crafty ones), and some through other blogs.  I can't get enough!  Some of them I follow for practical purposes; rainy day craft ideas for me and Gavin, picky eater recipes, etc.  Some I follow just because it's interesting to see how the other half lives (I'm looking at you, Mommy Shorts!)  And others because I need to know that it's not just me that sometimes needs a Valium, a stiff drink and a hot bath after a three-hour-long screaming temper tantrum.  (Yes, I said three hours.  And yes, that actually happened.)

I read a lot of blogs, and they're all listed on my blog roll.  You should go check them out.  But I do have a few favorites, that I immediately drop everything and read the moment they hit my email.

Mommy Shorts

Ilana is kind of my hero.  This woman has a job, two ridiculously photogenic children, a hot husband, takes amazing pictures (WITH HER CELL PHONE), and is a fabulous writer.  Oh, and her daughters are always wearing the most adorable shit.  Like, magazine worthy clothes.  ALL THE TIME. I would so be her nanny/slave/unpaid intern if I lived in NYC.  Which I can't.  Cause we're poor and I'm so not a city girl.  But whatevs.  She's awesome.  You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and her actual blog.  She's fabulous.

 Baby Sideburns

Karen is effing hysterical.  This is why I follow her on Facebook and read her blog.  For the hilarity factor.  Because she says, out loud and on the internet, the things that almost every mom and caregiver feels guilty even thinking (but we all think it so I don't know why we feel guilty and don't just say it.)  For example, the other day she caused me to spit coffee on my laptop: "ZOEY:  'Sometimes when I pick a booger I put it back in my nose.' The really F'ed up part of this is that I was all psyched and praised her for it. I'm like hells yeah, then I won't find your booger on the arm of my chair later."  For real.  She will make you giggle and feel like you're not a horrible parent/aunt/uncle/babysitter for all those things you think about the tiny humans in your life when they get on your nerves.

One Good Thing

Jillee is the ultimate crafty mom, which is why I follow her.  This woan makes her own cloth NAPKINS, okay?  That's how you know she's legit.  #1 she uses cloth napkins in her house (and she has four kids), and #2 SHE MADE THEM HERSELF.  I can't even CUT in a straight line, let alone SEW.  She has tons of homemade products, from cleaners to beauty stuff to laundry hacks. (I found her via Pinterest through her homemade dryer ball tutorial, which has been a godsend for our crappy, previously inefficient dryer). She has adorable crafts as well, and of course, the recipes.  One of the best things (in my opinion) about Jillee? She posts EVERY DAY.  Every single solitary day, there can be a little bit of awesomeness in your inbox.  If you have a single crafty or DIY bone in your body, you should go check her out.

Downy Unstoppables

Whew!  This has been a way longer post than I intended. Thanks for sticking with me, guys.  One last thing before I sign off for the day.  Downy Unstoppables.

Oh. My. Freaking. Word.

I was skeptical.  I won't lie.  Twelve weeks of freshness?  Who needs any laundry to be fresh for twelve weeks?  What can you get away without washing for twelve weeks?

That is so not even the point, guys.  The point is that your laundry room will smell like heaven.  If you leave the door open, your whole house will smell like heaven.  Your sheets, towels, socks and underwear (yes, even your husband’s) will smell like heaven. You will WANT to do laundry.  You will want to re-do every piece of laundry in your house that was done before this lovely product came into your life.  You will want to put your couch, your husband and possibly your dog in the washing machine (disclaimer--please do not try to put anything living or anything that is not laundry in your washer.  It won't end well).

This is the scent I used: 


The others smelled great too, this one was just my personal preference.  Don't believe me yet?

http://distilleryimage2.ak.instagram.com/7dfcd194fedc11e2ae7f22000ae912b7_7.jpg

This is me and Caitlyn, texting about how amazing her house smells after I lent her our new favorite household product to try it out before she bought it. As I state in the  text, the unstoppables are about a dollar more expensive than regular fabric softener.  Last time I went shopping, I had a coupon for a dollar off any Downy, and I'd had my eye on the unstoppables for a while, so I decided to give it a go.  I'm now a convert and will never go back.

Alright, my lovelies.  I think that's quite enough for one day.  Jimmy is home and I think it's time to get my butt in gear and make some dinner.  I'm thinking Pesto Chicken and Creamy Rice... Maybe if you're all nice to me and leave some comments, I'll post a recipe later this week. :)

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