After the beautiful weather last weekend, I have definitely caught spring fever! Being that it is Friday I thought it would be a great day to share some hot heels that won’t break the bank. Whether you are in the mood for a sexy date night sandal or a great wedge for those maxi dresses, there are some great options in the market this spring. As always, there is a link attached to each photo for your time saving shopping.
Strappy High Heel Sandal by Zara $89.90
Everyday it seems that there is a new product on the market that is going to make us look younger, brighter, more radiant, while we are constantly told as you get older, wear less makeup. One product that I have recently fallen in love with is Spackle, an under make up primer, by Laura Geller ($27). A few months ago I received a sample and have since become addicted. I layer the primer on after my moisturizer has set in and before my foundation. As you apply it, you can easily see how it retexturizes your skin giving a smoother more polished finish. I also love that when I use Spackle, my face feels a little extra moisutrized throughout the day. Since this is an extra step in your make up routine, I like to keep this product for those occasions when you want to add a little extra hotness to your look. As always, if you click on the highlighted text, it will direct you to a website where you can purchase it.
Having been born a “sun lover”, it is safe to say that I have done some damage over the years to my décolleté. Recently I noticed where I used to have soft smooth skin, was now more reminiscent of snake skin rather than a baby’s bottom. I set out in search for a resolution. After trying many creams and lotions that didn’t help improve the appearance of my quickly aging skin, a friend of mine introduced me to RE 9 Advanced Age-Defying Neck Cream by Arbonne. The instructions recommend you apply this twice a day but, being a mother of twins, I was lucky to slather this on once a day after my shower. After just a few weeks, I noticed a remarkable difference. My skin was no longer crackled and many of the fine lines that once had bothered me had now vanished. I can now feel comfortable that when wearing lower necklines my age is not tattooed across my chest.
Happy New Year! I was lucky to begin the year with my mom at one of my favorite places in NYC. For years, I have been going for facials at Mario Badescu, 320 E. 52nd St. Nestled in a non-descript NYC apartment building, this no frills spa offers the best deep cleansing facials that I have found. The team of expert aestheticians will have you steamed, cleansed, lightly massaged and out the door for a mere $65.00. They also offer some great facial add-ons depending on your skin type. My favorite is the Vitamin C mask ($35 additional) which provides great hydration and helps fight against loss of tone and elasticity in your skin. I seem not to be the only one in NYC that has discovered Mario Badescu as their walls are covered in photos of celebrities that also enjoy their facials. You will find pictures of Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlize Theron just to name a few beauties that share my favorite secret spot. Who wants to join me for a “girls’ day”?
I am excited to have my 1st guest blogger today, Rogan Kane. My son Rogan is home with me recovering from a little bug so I thought it would be helpful for him to give his perspective on his favorite toys that are on the market this season. Below you will see his top 5 picks and why he thinks they are awesome toys! Hope this helps with your last minute shopping!
Spy Gear Spy Video Car
I love the Spy Gear Video Car because I can spy on my parents and sister and see what they are doing!
Micro Chargers
Micro Chargers are on my list because when you press the button, you can make the car go lightening fast.
Skylanders Giants Starter Pack
I added Skylanders Giants to my list because I like the idea of having action figures work with video games.
Huffy Green Machine
I love the shifters on the Huffy Green Machine. It looks cool!
The Bat Cave 6860 by LEGO
I love Legoes! The Bat Cave is cool because it has all of Batman’s gadgets.
Last year during the holiday season, I was shopping in Bloomingdales on 59th St. in NYC. As always, whenever I am in that store, I feel the need to browse through the cosmetic area. I don’t know why I do this because no matter how great you think you may look when you enter the store, once you hit the beauty department, it is as if anything you had applied to your skin earlier, magically vanishes. With that said, after lunch and wine with friends, a long afternoon of shopping and not drinking nearly enough water, my skin was looking rather sad. Lucky for the ladies in the Space K vignette, I was an easy target. It was here that I was introduced to the Mia and the Opal by Clarisonic. After a short presentation by these ladies, I was sold. I went home with the Mia, a little Christmas gift to me, and passed on the info about the Opal to Matt. I’m not sure why but he claims I am hard to buy for and is always open to new gift ideas.
Once I started using the Mia, there was no looking back. After my first use, my pores had never felt so clean. I think 30+ years of crud had been removed from my skin and it had never felt so soft. The Opal is a tool that takes a little more use than 1 time to see results. It helps to infuse your eye serum into your skin and allows your eye cream to actually soak into your skin without just sitting on top. When I am consistent in my use, I easily see a difference in the fine lines around my eyes. One of the other benefits…using both of these tools takes a total of 2 minutes in your day.
This afternoon I had a few minutes to spare before meeting the kids at the bus stop so I decided to take a little stroll through Anthropology. I love their housewares area of the store, I could get lost for hours. During my quick trip today, I noticed they had some great hostess gifts. Everyone needs a couple of these during the holiday season so I decided to whip out my phone and have some fun with Instagram. To help me narrow done the selection, I kept my picks to under $20.00.
These candles by Boulangerie smelled delicious and I loved the cute ceramic cups with metal lids they are packaged in.
These cute ceramic berry containers would be great filled with homemade granola or cookies.
I am addicted to cookbooks!
Fun smelling hand lotions are a great gift at holiday time. Horrible dry skin season is upon us.
With the holidays upon us, I thought it would be a good time to share some fun gift ideas that you can find for $50 or less. I know for me, this is when it starts to get tricky with gift giving. You have probably done all of the easy gifts and now you are struggling with what to get for the people that “have everything” already. Here are 8 ideas for you with links at the bottom:
1. Post Savasana Tote by Lululemon $48.00
2. Crystal Venus Fly Trap Earrings by J. Crew $50.00
3. Wool Angora Glittens by J. Crew $29.50
4. Kate Spade New York “Say the Word” plates at Nordstrom $50.00
5. Customized Note Cards by May Designs $30.00
6. All is Bright Holiday Lip Glaze Set by Stila $25.00
7. Monogrammable Purse Silver Plated Jewelry Box by Pottery Barn $34.00
As a “mom blogger”, I feel part of my responsibility is to pass on information that I come across that can help make other Mom’s lives easier. I am stepping aside from my usual style & beauty topics today so that I can share with you something that I feel is very important. Living in the northeast and having just experienced the disaster that Sandy has brought into our area, it made me think about how we as Moms need to be prepared for future devastating events. Before the hurricane hit, we all scrambled to our local supermarkets and big box stores to gather what we thought were essentials. Filling our carts with bottles of water, batteries, cans of soup but when we watched the videos of the aftermath of Sandy, is this really what we would need if we were the ones that lost our home? Read more »
I love to entertain for the holidays. Creating menus of delicious delectables, decorating a fabulous dinner table, and of course dressing in a festive outfit. However, after years of hosting the holidays, I know how much my feet will kill by the end of the day having spent a large amount of time in the kitchen. Thankfully flats have become so popular. Around this time every year, I like to pick up a fresh pair of flats for the holiday season. Here are a few darling styles that I currently have my eye on.
For easy shopping, here are the links:
Norella by Kate Spade ~ Alyssa Bow Flat by Banana Republic ~ Suede Tassel Slipper Loafer by C. Wonder ~ Cassady by Kate Spade ~ Collection Viv Calf Hair by J. Crew
