photo home-56.png photo about-48.png photo perfect-reads.png photo networks.png photo contact-47.png photo videos-4.png

Friday, February 27, 2015

Five on Friday :: Beauty Haul

What a long week this has been!  My weeks are crazy enough just going to work everyday, but this week in particular has been hard because we've been juggling Jason's school and tutoring schedule in the evenings with some things I've had in the evenings too.  Wednesday night we were double-booked and had to get childcare which I hate doing on weeknights since Jack is already away from us during the day and last night I didn't get home until after 11:30...whoa!  That's life though and we all are surviving.

Despite being tired and feeling guilty for my lack of time at home, I'm still super excited to attend the Thrive Blog Conference tomorrow.  I originally planned to attend the Friday evening portion and even had a hotel room at the conference hotel, but I decided to do a little compromise and spend Friday evening at home wit my family.  I will be cursing this decision come Saturday morning when I'm leaving my house super early.  

Today I wanted to share a few beauty products that I've recently added to my collection!  What's more fun than beauty products on a Friday???

  

ONE

The item that I actually on my Sephora shopping list was the Nars Audacious Lipstick in Michiyo.  Although pricey, I've hearrd nothing but good things about this line of lipstick.  I saw someone with similar coloring to me wearing this shade on Instagram  so I wanted to give it a shot - plus I thought it might work for my upcoming HMB photoshoot. 

This lipstick is beautiful.  It's very creamy, feels great and the color payoff is amazing.  It doesn't dry out even after hours of wear!  I will say that once you put it on, it's on for awhile so I hope you like it.  I sampled it last night around 8pm and it was still somewhat on the next morning - and that was after washing my face and scrubbing.  I finally got the rest off using eye makeup remover. 

TWO

The next two items were not on my radar until I read about them on Shay's blog earlier this week

I picked up the Dr. Dennis Gross Glow Pads at Sephora (the regular version, not extra strength).  I have only used them once so far, but I'm really happy with this purchase.  I put this on at night before going to bed {just a tip...if you have white pillowcases, lay a towel down before going to sleep}.  So happy I remembered to do that!

Anyway, the next day you could definitely see a difference!  I felt a little orange with a few streaks on my neck, however I used a little face scrub in the shower and the streaks were gone.  Once I had my makeup on, I was very pleased with the results.  I will probably only apply this once a week so I don't become an oompa loompa.  

THREE

I also wanted to try the DryBar's Triple Sec since I read it triples as a volumizer, texturizer and dry shampoo.  Yes, yes, and yes!  The smell is amazing and it delivers as promised.  Love this stuff and am a convert!

FOUR

While I was in the DryBar section of Sephora, I noticed that had a huge shower cap so I picked this up too on a whim.  I was in major need of a new shower cap as mine is a few years old and starting to get funky despite washing it often.  I guess it had seen too many dirty hair days.  I haven't used this item yet, but it looks awesome after pulling it out of the box.  This does have mixed reviews online so I will report back after I've used it for a few weeks.

FIVE

Last, I picked up the Laura Mercier eyelash curler the last time I was at Nordstrom because of a great recommendation from Ashley.  I actually haven't even tried this one yet, but I will let you know what I think, most likely via Instagram.

I hope you have a great weekend!  I'm sure I will be posting pictures like crazy tomorrow at the conference on Instagram {@ChelseaPurifoy}

xoxo


--
Linking up:


Momfessionals

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Weight Watchers Wednesday :: Raw Cacao Brownie


Happy Wednesday!  I wanted to share a yummy recipe for all of you fellow chocoholics.  It's not low calorie, but is "clean" and in moderation is a great chocolate treat after a strict diet day.  This was actually one of the desserts during my three day juice cleanse.

This recipe makes 2-4 servings.  Don't eat the whole thing and think you are doing good - ha!  But, it's actually very rich so one serving is all you want.  Last time I made this I got three servings out of it. 

Raw Cacao Brownie
Recipe via Define Foods


Ingredients:
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup dates, pitted
3 Tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tsp pure maple syrup
pinch Celtic sea salt

Directions:

1.  Place the nuts in a mini food processor and blend until finely ground.  I don't own a food processor (gasp) but my blender worked great.

2.  Add the cacao powder and sea salt and pulse to combine.  Add the dates one at a time (I added them altogether), followed by the maple.  Process until the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers and the dates are well processed.  The mix should appear to be "cake-like" crumbs.

3.  Press the mixture into a small bowl or pan and press down firmly with your hands.  Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.  

Okay, so not the prettiest, but it's good!
 Hope you are having a great week!  Be sure and leave and comment or linkup and let me know some of your successes!


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Weekend Recap :: Our Nanny's Wedding

Back in January we loaded up for Galveston, TX for Jack's nanny's wedding!  Galveston is only about 1.5 hours away, but we decided to make a weekend of it just for fun.  It helps that Jason's company has a hotel there!

We left with plenty of time to arrive early since Jack has the important job of being the ringbearer...and we had the rings!  I was terrified we would be late.  But of course all went smoothly.  Jack napped in the car and we had about an hour to kill.  There was a McDonalds right down the street from the chapel and on the beach so we pulled in the parking lot, grabbed some fries and a coffee for me and let Jack feed the seagulls.  He loved it...and it gave me a chance to take a selfie.  I've come to realize that selfies are the only way to get a pic of myself these days!


When we got to the chapel we were able to get Jack dressed in the bride's room before the bride arrived.  It was hilarious because as soon as his suit was on, he wouldn't stop admiring himself in the mirror.  Precious!  He practiced holding his ring pillow and was ecstatic when "Nana" arrived.  So much so that he didn't want to leave the bride's room to let her get ready. 




We mixed and mingled before the ceremony.  Everyone wanted to meet "Captain Cutie" as his nanny calls Jack.




Finally, it was the big moment.  Jack walked down the aisle like a champ (with a little assist from me) and then threw the pillow at the groom when he got to the end of the aisle.  Maybe someone was a little jealous of the groom.  Unfortunately, we had to walk out of the ceremony because as soon as Nana walked in Jack just wanted her to hold him.  His nanny is so sweet I think she even considered it for a minute and then realized she needed to be focusing on her groom! 

Luckily we brought Mickey with us so Jack was happy and we were able to watch the vows from the back of the chapel. 


The rest of the afternoon was wonderful.  I can't believe what an angel Jack was {the iPad certainly helped}.  He lasted through pictures, a venue change, sitting at the restaurant for an extended period and an entire meal.  By 5:00 he was pretty much done, but wow, were we proud of him. 



We headed to the hotel that was just a block from the reception and immediately got in our comfies.  We stayed at the Tremont House and it was AMAZING.  It is located on the Strand and I would definitely want to stay again. 

The original plan was to rest and then go to dinner, but I was so comfortable in our room (and in my jammies) that I was thrilled when Jason said he was fine with just ordering in.  And that we did!  We ordered wine, dinner AND dessert.  Jack was in heaven playing in the room and bouncing on the beds.  What is it about hotel beds that is so fun to bounce on?



After putting Jack to sleep we rented Night Crawler with Jake Gyllenhal and then went to sleep ourselves! 

Jack woke up EARLY on Sunday, probably just scared of waking up in a new place.  He wouldn't go back to sleep, but we still lounged around for a while sipping coffee and ordering breakfast.  We were in no hurry to race off.  After breakfast Jack and I walked around the hotel with Yuly before she left on her honeymoon - they were going on a cruise out of Galveston later that day and her hubby had to drive back to Houston quickly to get their passports they forgot!  We were happy to keep her company, but Jack was so sad to say goodbye.  And no, we did not plan to dress the same!


That evening once we were back in Houston we attended Jack's preschool's open house.  He won't start until August, but we wanted him to start becoming familiar with the space.  It was wonderful to meet his teacher and talk to other parents.

Weekend Recap :: Getaway to Frederiscksburg, TX

Jason and I decided this past Christmas that instead of gifts for each other we would do a long weekend getaway to Fredericksburg - our first trip away without Jack.  We really wanted to do Vegas again, but decided that Fredericksburg was a good way to ease into things.  I felt better knowing I could hop in the car and head home at any moment just in case.

We left the Thursday morning before Valentine's Day for the Hill Country.  Fredericksburg is between San Antonio and Austin and is the cutest little town in Texas known for their wineries, Main Street shopping, Bed & Breakfasts and lavender.  We've been there together several times and I've visited a few other times once on a girls trip and another time for work.

We rolled into town on Thursday around 2:30 and immediately checked into our really cute cabin {Town Creek Log Cabin}.  Jason researched a ton of houses managed by All Seasons Bed and Breakfast and this was his favorite because of it's privacy and rustic feel.  It was really nice, spacious, had a gorgeous porch and view and was just a short walk from Main Street.  And they had a huge apple pastry waiting for us when we arrived!  They sure do know the way to my heart. 





We went into town to get a quick snack (by snack I mean a huge tray of chips and dips) and walk through some shops before dinner.  I love Circle E Candles that are made in Fredericksburg and we also found a few things for Jack at a cute toyshop.




We headed back to the house to get ready for dinner and have a glass of wine on the porch.  For dinner we headed to our favorite restaurant, Cabernet Grill.  It really is the best.  We both had steak and salad.  We also splurged on the most amazing three cheese grits I've ever had!  We also got dessert to go - yum!

I'm so mad that we did not get a picture together that night since we were all dressed up.  We were in our own little world that night, being childless, and just focused on each other.  There are worse things that can happen :)

We slept in as late as we could (8:30) on Friday, and lazed around the house enjoying our coffee and breakfast before getting ready and heading to Hondo's for an early lunch.   I wanted a hearty lunch since we planned on hitting the wineries so we both splurged on burgers and fries - the best I've had in years.




Then it was off to the wineries!  We hit Four Point Cellars first - a new one we hadn't been to before.  Loved the space and we got lucky in that it was not very busy.  I found a rose I loved and another white wine I liked.  We just did a tasting and then headed to the next stop...


Grape Creek - Jason's favorite.  This one was a lot busier, but we still got excellent attention and enjoyed the tasting.  Jason found several wines he loved and onto the next stop...

Torre di Pietra - we actually didn't do any tastings at this one, although we have in the past.  I'm just in love with a lemon artichoke spread that I buy every time we are in Fredericksburg.  Since it is right next door to Grape Creek, we ran in and sure enough they had it!  Needless to say, I stocked up.


Our last winery of the day was Becker Vineyards.  I love this one because aside from wine, they have amazing lavender products and a great patio.  Their bar was crazy so we did not do a tasting at this one.  We just purchased some lavender stuff and had a glass of wine and cheese on the patio.

After a little break we headed to Luckenbach to enjoy some more outdoor time.  It was packed that day because Dale Watson was playing that evening.  It was fun people watching though!  And rooster watching too.


Since we had already had a full day we headed back to the house to rest before dinner.  We had dinner reservations at 7pm at a place we've been dying to try (August E's), but totally woke up from our naps later than we planned.  We could have made it happen, but neither one of us felt like getting all dressed up again as we did the night before.  We cancelled the reservation, went one block up for some pizza and great people watching and then ended the night at the cabin watching Dateline and an early bedtime.  That is just so us and I love it!


The next morning I slept in until 9 - heaven!  We slowly got ready and checked out before heading to breakfast at Sunset Grill.  This one we learned about through good reviews on Yelp and once we arrived it was clearly the place to be.  Although the service was a little slow since they were so busy it was worth it because the food and coffee were both amazing.

Before heading out of town we ran into a few more shops that we didn't want to miss.  Since it was Valentine's Day we decided to get each other little gifts at the shops - a new pocket knife for Jason and some new Kendra for me!

Then we hit the road for home!  Anxious to get back to Jack, but sad to get back to work and the real world.  We had an amazing getaway trip and it was so needed to spend some alone time with my husband.  Plus we can home with lots of great loot...Merry Christmas to us!


And just for fun, if you are planning a trip to Fredericksburg, you can read more about my past trips there:

Couples Trip 2011
Girls Trip 2011

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Weight Watchers Wednesday :: A Little Derailment


Happy middle of the week!  I'm sad to report today that because of our little getaway mixed with a long weekend, Girl Scout Cookie deliveries and stress from catching up from said vacation - I've gotten a little derailed!

Starting Weight:  158
Current Weight:   155.2



I have no good news to post on my weight and no great tips to share.  Basically this is the worst Weight Watchers linkup that ever lived, but I'm nothing if not honest!  

Thinking positive, I was super proud of myself for hitting over 13,000 steps on Sunday!  It's due to a very long walk since Jack was napping in the stroller and I didn't want to wake him.  I'm dying for another long walk but it's been a little too cold for an evening stroll this week. 

Instead of focusing on what I've done wrong, I'm going to focus on what's coming up that I want to get back on track for! 

-  Thrive Blogger Conference next week
-  Houston Moms Blog Photoshoot - early March
-  Spring Family Mini Session - mid March
-  Visiting friends at the end of March where I know a few splurges will likely occur
-  Looking and feeling good for mine and Jack's birthday in May!

So many reasons to get back on it!  And honestly it's not just about looking good, but this week I haven't FELT good either.  I've been extra tired, mopey and blah.  Some could chalk that up to post vacation blues, but I think a lot of it has to do with the extra pounds and too much sugar. 

I'm hoping some of you are having better weeks than me!  I'd love to hear about it.  What is keeping you motivated? 

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Weight Watchers Wednesday :: Catching Up + Contest Winner



Happy Wednesday!  I am so sorry that I don't have a full post today for WWW.  I have an incredibly busy day with back-to-back meetings and I'm working on a few other projects that are taking up my evenings.  I plan on being back next week.  Until then, please linkup below and catchup on past posts.  There are some great posts linked up from last week to visit too!

Weekly Stats:

Starting Weight:  158
Current Weight:  154

Catchup on Weight Watchers Wednesday:
Week Three :: Getting Healthy
Week Two :: Lululemon Workout Finds
Week Two :: Juice Cleanse
Week One :: Getting Started
Week One :: Back on Weight Watchers

Now Link-up! 
It doesn't have to be about Weight Watchers...anything related to living a healthy lifestyle would be perfect!

...And congratulations to Missy R. for winning the Cirque du Soleil Amaluna tickets!!!  I just sent you an email Missy!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

February Goals and Recap of January

I realize the month is almost halfway over, but better late then never on posting this! 

  • Biggest Goal - Appreciate the little moments with my family and NOT stress over insignificant things.  Life is too short and too precious.
  • Read one book
  • Send some VDay surprises to friends and neighbors
  • Continue on my healthy eating and WW plan
  • Get into the 140's with my weight
  • Continue Weight Watchers Wednesday each week on the blog
  • Try at least one new recipe...that's healthy!
  • Drink warm lemon water daily and do apple cider vinegar shot several times a week
  • New shoes for Jack
  • Redesign and order new blog business cards for upcoming conference
  • Limit my weekly Target runs
  • Home Improvements:
    • Find an anytime front door wreath
    • Install bottom gate for stairs and improve existing top gate
    • Pool leak repairs...the most costly!
    • Organize my makeup/beauty area in bathroom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January Goals Update:
  • Read one book - FAIL...I'll move this one to February. I'm in the middle of reading Molly Sims new book, but I have not finished and it's not a novel so doesn't count!
  • Spending freeze on buying clothes for myself - FAIL...I need to just give this one up. I bought a few tops from J.Crew that were on sale. I've already have them in heavy rotation for both work and fun so I'd say it was money well spent!
  • Try one new recipe
  • Blog a minimum of twice per week - IMPROVED
  • Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night - GETTING BETTER
  • Visit Dermatologist
  • Drink more water on a daily basis
  • Home Improvements:
    • Dress up our front door - HALFWAY {got a new welcome mat, but still looking for a great anytime wreath}
    • Dress up our living room/mantle
    • Install bottom gate for stairs and improve existing top gate - FAIL
    • Finish Jack's "Campsite" Playroom

Monday, February 9, 2015

Weekend Recap :: Shower Picture Overload

Happy Monday!  Although I'm feeling stressed for the week, I'm choosing to be positive knowing that this evening I can come home and watch the Bachelor while I do a million things on my to-do list.

And side-note, I had a dream last night that I was on The Bachelor and JJ Watt was the bachelor.  Jack was in my life, but I have no idea what happened to my husband - ha!  Sorry babe.  It doesn't matter because I was cut the very first night.  Clearly, there is too much Bachelor in my life right now! 

We had a great weekend.  The weather was amazing which made it that much sweeter.

FRIDAY

Friday was a great day because even though I was at work, I was able to turn in my current company car for a brand new model since my lease was up!  I stayed with the same type of car {Honda CRV} but switched to a white one with tan interior after much debate...and lots of texts between me and Ashley {why do we over-analyze everything}. I love it and it's fun to drive something that smells of new car!  Although it's the same car, the 2015 has some great new features {even in the basic model that I have} like keyless entry and ignition, side cameras and a touchscreen.  #spoiled

We didn't do anything exciting Friday night except catchup on our DVR, but Jason was in a great mood after a stressful week preparing for a call Friday afternoon that ended up going better than he anticipated!

SATURDAY

Saturday we showered Sara and Baby Logan - who I think will be here any day now, but two weeks at the latest.   The shower was at Ousie's Table, one of my favorite restaurants in Houston.  We reserved the coolest private wine room, that was great for our small group.  Everything turned out just perfect!








I was pretty beat after the shower from stuffing myself with amazing food and a mimosa {or two}.  I rested up and hung out with Jack before we met some friends for dinner.  We clearly need to get together more often because we ended up sitting at the restaurant, Brio, just talking for over 4 hours!  Jack had fun at home with his nanny who let him stay up and play a little later than usual :)

{Diet update:  Saturday was definitely my cheat day, but I'm proud of myself that I didn't go as crazy as I could have.  I got right back into my groove on Sunday so the scale wasn't too scary Monday morning}

SUNDAY

I wasn't able to sleep well on Saturday night so I was feeling super sluggish Sunday morning.  Jason was bogged down with homework so we skipped church.  I took Jack for a super long walk in the morning so Jason could have a quiet house while he did homework.  Jack was asleep when I came back to the house from the walk so I just kept on walking and ended up with over 13k steps total for the day!

After our long walk, I packed a picnic lunch for the three of us and and we drove to a park in the area that I love, but always forget about.  Jack had so much fun running around in the open fields, watching turtles and birds, but his favorite part was this aligator statue.  He would growl at it, but then run to it and hug it.


We took him to the shoe store after the park since I knew he had outgrown his current shoes.  I like to buy him sturdy, quality shoes after his leg accident.  I'm sure I'm being overly paranoid,but I want him to be supported as much as he can and his cute little moccs just don't cut it anymore.  #sadday

After grocery shopping, dinner and bath time, I finally settled down to watch the Grammys.  My favorite performance was Sia and my favorite red carpet moment was Gwen Stefani.  What were your favorites? 

Hope you are surviving Monday! 

Friday, February 6, 2015

Five on Friday :: Showers, Books, Watches and a Giveaway

ONE - After a doozie of a week I'm pretty excited to snuggle up with my hubby this evening and watch How To Get Away With Murder.  I'm also so excited to be hosting a shower tomorrow for my friend Sara who is due very soon with her first baby boy.  We will be showering Logan with all things Woodland Creatures at one of our favorite restaurants!  Can't wait to share pictures.  I'm sure I will be overgramming - follow along @ChelseaPurifoy

TWO - I'm so not ashamed to admit that I'm reading {and loving} former Bachelor contestant Sean Lowe's new book, For the Right Reasons.  I didn't even watch his season, but I am a fan of the show and a major fan of his sister, Shay from Mix and Match Family and Mix and Match Mama Blogs.
The book is great if you are a fan of the show because it gives you all sorts of details on how everything works behind the scenes.  I am 100% watching this season and on pins and needles for Monday night!



THREE -  I'm in need of a new watch.  The Burberry watch that I wear everyday is going on 4+ years and is super small compared to the popular oversized watches that are more on trend.  I love this Kate Spade watch {below}.  Any others I should check out?  I tend to like two-tone watches since I wear an equal amount of gold and silver and usually just keep one watch in heavy rotation.  I know Michael Kors watches like this one are super popular too.  

My dream would be to own a Michele watch like this one, but that's not gonna happen anytime soon unless a lottery is involved!



FOUR - I still need to do a full post about the wedding that Jack was in, but until then, I just die each time I look at this picture! 


FIVE - In case you missed my earlier post today, I'm giving away two tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil show coming to Houston!  If you are local be sure to go and enter!



Have a great weekend!
--
Linking up:


Momfessionals
 

Site Design by Fabulous K