Family Fun March 2013

Here is the round up-

FamilyFun declares March - “Month of Fun” and most of the articles have this theme. I wonder if I can I take the month of work in honor of this “holiday”? Here are some other fun facts for March - March 1st is World Compliment Day [ You look amazing! Did you get a haircut? ]. The literary genius Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 2nd and it is also Read Across America Day. Also, if you are in Burlington, Wisconsin on March 2 be sure to take part of the International Tongue Twister Contest. And guess who turns 52 on March 13th, 1961? Ken, Barbie’s better half. If I look that good at 52, then again he is full of plastic.

Have trees around your area that look a bit drab? Soak some sidewalk chalk in water for a couple of hours to soften it. Using the sides of the chalk -- go to town on the bark of the tree. I would probably use a younger tree as the bark usually “smoother”. To even out the color, FamilyFun recommends using a large paintbrush dipped in water to smooth the colors. The color is temporary and doesn’t harm the tree.

If you are in NY and have kids or you are a kid at heart, there is a New York International Children Festival during March 1 - 24, 2013. It wasn’t an article but advertisement and it look interesting. To buy tickets and see full schedule please visit www.gkids.com

In keeping up with the “Fun” theme, they showcased some toys under $20.

A Cute Train Puzzle, Photo Credit -  Chronicle Books

Photo Credit - Kids Prefferred

This wasn’t featured in the article but I thought it was cute [another product from their Konnichiwa collectible line was featured]

On March 10th, daylight savings begin. Here are some tips to adjust -

a. Reset  everyone’s internal clock ahead of time. Gradually, “shift your schedule by getting up and going to bed 15 minutes earlier each day”.

b. Let there be light … in the morning, that is.  “Start your day in a more wakeful state, switch on a bright light as soon as they wake up”.

c. Encourage z’s. “To set the mood for swifter sleep, dim the lights an hour before daytime.”

Hopefully, I can try to follow this myself. I am horrible sleeper. I go to bed early but I toss and turn.

Pick up the issue to learn, “7 Secrets of a Happy Family”,  neat tips for an easy “Easter Brunch” and amazing DIY cakes.  As always, I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback!

L’Occitane Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap – Milk

Photo Source - L'Occitane

I love this sweet scented soap. The creamy soap gives a generous lather and leaves skin feeling soft to the touch. It is a treat to use this in the shower as the scent wafts through the air and  leaves a delicate scent on your skin. The soap is 100% vegetable based and is packed with wholesome shea butter. You can also feel good while cleansing as the company works with women operated Shea processing collectives in West Africa.

Country Living March 2013 Vol.36 No.3

This is the first time I finished reading a magazine while it was still on the newsstands. Although, I still have some issues that need to be read dating from 2010. I like reading this magazine because of the decorating tips, cool vintage finds, and the occasional recipe.


Here are some of the roundups from this issue [AKA stuff I thought was cool] -

Decorating -
1. They had some really cute rabbit lamps. They reminded me of Peter Rabbit. Remember the good old days, where there was still snack and nap time?
 
This one was my favorite -

Photo Credit - Land of Nod

They also had some industrial looking lamps which equally exciting-

Photo Credit - RH Baby and Child

RH Baby and Child has a excellent selection of decorating stuff [look at the interior designer in me] I was thinking of buying a couple of lamps but I already have 6...and none are plugged in or being used.

2. I loved the interview of Maura Grace Ambrose. She was talking about how she started to hand stitched quilts. It was refreshing to hear how  Maura was struggling to find herself and then one day decided to take a leap and send a message to a blogger she liked which lead to the creation of her business. Did you know it takes 70 hours of work to create one of her quilts? Take a look at some of the quilts available folkfibers.com

3. I love the showcasing of actors Corbin Bernsen and Amanda Pays’ house. I would think for celebrities their houses would be a bit more exorbitant but it was actually antique and modest looking. Los Angeles decorator Sasha Emerson’s cottage was quite eclectic. I love how she blew up 1960s supermarket ad to pay homage to Andy Warhol’s soup can. Artist Priscilla Caldwell’s Connecticut home looks quaint and modern. I love how she incorporated different artwork with each part of her house. I like to imagine when I own my house [not with this economy] I would  paint something different or have a different theme for each room.

Fashion-
1. They showcased a new trend of fabric necklaces. My favorite and the most “affordable” [not for me though] and uniquely designed one -

Photo Credit - Poketo

Beauty-
1.  I have dyed my hair at home at  random occasions [usually when I am bored and it looks really bad most of the time :) ]. It was nice to see a wide range of sulfate free shampoos being reviewed.
I have tried the L’Oreal EverStrong Sulfate-Free Fortify System Shampoo that promises to repair split ends and strengthen strands. I haven’t noticed much of a difference after two uses but I will probably continue using it for a bit longer before I decide. I am quite interested in the Kiehl’s Sunflower Color Preserving Shampoo which shields against UV rays. That seems really would be great to use during the summer. I have heard great things about the Bumble and Bumble Straight Shampoo and can’t wait to try it to see if actually does smooth out my frizzy hair.

Photo Credit - Kiehls

Photo Credit - Bumble and Bumble

 
If anything sparks your interest, be sure to pick up the issue. Let me know your thoughts and comments.

St. Ives Vitamin E Body Wash

During the harsh winter months, my skin becomes dry and starts resembling the desert [not a pretty sight, I assure you]. This soft sweet scented body wash replenishes the lost moisture in my skin. My skin feels so soft and doesn’t feel as dry, thanks to the vitamin E. Vitamin E helps fight signs of aging and helps regulate moisture in your skin making this an ideal body wash for the cold months. The creamy body wash is softly fragranced and lathers well.  I tend to buy this body wash in bulk during the winter as it doesn’t leaving my skin feeling rough or dry.

Anastasia Hydrafull Gloss in Bellini

The gloss is a creamy orange pink with a hint of shimmer. The company claims it is clinically proven to maximize and maintain lip hydration and fullness. The gloss is packed with brown algae and Balkan Botanical infusion to promote healthy lips. The gloss promises to smooth, firm, hydrate and improve the appearance of the skin. The color went on sheer and lasted for 15 to 20 minutes.  It made my lips a bit soft for an hour and wore after that. Also, be sure to exfoliate otherwise the color might pool up on dry flaky skin. Overall, it is a mediocre gloss for $21.

Burt's Bees Radiance Night Crème

Photo Credit - Burt's Bees

The creamy lightweight formula was god send. I recently ran out and bought more.  But I noticed I wasn’t getting the same results as before. After reading some reviews, it turns out a lot of people were upset about the reformulation. I agree, why mess with something so good and make it so bad. The old formula left my skin smooth, soft, dewy and hydrated The new formula barely moisturizes my face. It doesn’t leave my face looking radiant but mediocre [I am not sure if I should refer to my face as mediocre]. I am sorely disappointed at this and I will no longer will be purchasing this once great night crème.

Yves Saint Laurent – Instant Eye Make-Up Remover

Photo Credit - Sephora

Almost every night I try to use my Clarisonic brush to remove my makeup, but there are some nights where all I want is my bed [or I am just lazy].  The YSL Instant Eye Makeup remover works exceptionally well at removing both waterproof and non-waterproof mascara and makeup.  It is very gentle, effective and not greasy.  It doesn’t leave a trace of makeup behind or film from the remover. Best part of using this make up remover is that you don’t have to tug or pull or rub roughly against your skin to remove the makeup. My skin was left feeling silky smooth and soft after using the makeup remover.

Stila Lip Glaze – Apricot

Photo Credit - Sephora

I love the pen type applicator. It is easy to use and clean, along with allowing you to distributes the product nice and evenly.  The only downside of this type of applicator is that you only get a small amount of product and sometimes you can over-twist and too much product comes out. This sweet scented lip glaze is slightly sticky upon application and last for a bit. The gloss is a soft peach nude tint with shimmer. The glossy shine last about 10 minutes after application and then disappears. Overall, it is a nice gloss to wear over a stain/lipstick or by itself.

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

I usually keep a container of facial wipes everywhere. You can use them in so many different ways from refreshing your skin to removing makeup. I usually use facial wipes when I am too lazy to use my Clarisonic brush before bed [ which is a happening a lot more lately ] .  I have used many different brands and types of facial wipes and this one is one of my favorites. It is gentle, chemical and fragrance free and vitamin b5 enriched. When I first open the packet, the fresh scent of the wipes floated into the air. The wipes themselves felt a bit dry and I was a bit concerned I would have to use two wipes for my face. Boy, was I wrong! One wipe cleaned and moisturized my entire face and it was still damp enough for me to use on my neck and chest. It also managed to remove my waterproof mascara with one swipe.  It left my skin feeling soft and smooth.

Alchimie Forever Helium Body Conditioner

Photo Credit - Dermstore

Alchimie Forever’s in - shower body conditioner promises to soften and refresh your skin using the heat from the shower steam. The body conditioner is a cocktail of antioxidant, botanical rich and packed with vitamins. While the formula was hydrating and soften my skin, it provided a poor lather. Which is why I ended up using the whole entire bottle in three uses because I kept pouring more because I wasn’t sure if it was working or not. Overall, it is an okay product but not worth the $45. I would use it only special occasions or as treat but not for everyday use.

L.A Colors Colors Craze - Candy Sprinkles

One of my many New Years resolutions was to eat healthier and exercise more. I also, sadly gave up my beloved sweets. I saw this nail polish and my mouth drooled. I thought of cotton candy, candy buttons, and other delicious diet no-no's.  The light pale pink with large hexagon purple, green, yellow and silver [or white?] glitter with tiny specs of silver, blue, green and red. Overall, it's one of my most unique nail polishes I own and I usually like wearing it during the spring with a nice spring dress [by dress, I mean T-shirt and jeans].

Tokidoki Pittura Brush Set

I recently saw these on sale on Sephora and thought they were so cute [read - went over budget to buy]! Which made very hard to resist buying [sale + cute = a battle of willpower]. I read some very good reviews about this brushes and I couldn't wait to try them. These brushes didn't disappoint, although I didn't want to use these brushes at first [sooo cute!]. The brushes are very soft for synthetic brushes. It picks enough product and distributes it evenly. I am really sad that I didn't buy more than one set.

Boots No. 7 Rebalancing Night Fluid

Photo Credit - Drugstore

 

The night cream is packed with shea butter, zinc, green tea, seaweed and Vitamin E and A. The light weight and oil free night cream promises to hydrate skin for 12 hours.  It is non-greasy and fast absorbing. Upon application, my face looks dewy and bright. My face is softer and my complexion got a bit evenier. This night fluid gives a whole new definition to beauty sleep. Apply this before going to bed and wake up to greater looking skin in the morning.

Sally Hansen Nail & Cuticle Hand Creme

The nail & cuticle hand crème promise 24 hour moisture and improve the condition of nails and cuticles. The crème is packed with shea butter and ceramides. The orange scented hand crème was fast absorbing and non-greasy. It helped smoothed my cuticles and conditioned my nails.   The crème promises to keep hands moisturized even through hand washings, but I didn’t notice any improvement on the softness of my hands.    Even with liberal and constant application of the crème my hand doesn’t ever stay moisturized.  I started using the crème as more of a treatment for my cuticles instead of hand lotion as my cuticles did look better.  

BBW Secret Wonderland Creamy Body Wash

Photo Credit - Bath and Body Works

 I love the sweet intoxicating scent of this creamy body wash and the soft lingering scent was just as delectable. It gives off a generous lather and leaves my skin silky smooth and soft. The hydrating body wash is packed with milk proteins, acai berry, and soybean and rice bran oil.  This is one of my favorite scent from Bath and Body Works.