Do you ever feel like this year is not going to end? I mean with so many ups and downs, the pandemic, constant changes and challenges most families are going through right now, it’s a wonder we have our heads on our shoulders at all.

Last week I endured a medical emergency. I suffer from IBS and have been on a journey to figure it out for years. It decided to tear its ugly head and make lower bowel issues for me as if I needed that! I’ll leave the gory details out, but I can tell you, it’s made it difficult to walk, breathe and freakin sit down. I am one tough cookie and this made even me want to cry!!

Fast forward a week. A week of being off with my kiddos again, overseeing their school work, meals and time for hugs...time to actually hug my fiancé and thank him for helping out. (We work opposite shifts and rarely see each other).

I started having that weird feeling of sadness come over me like when I went back to work for the first time when my kids were little. A tug of ole “Mom guilt” that I can’t be there to give them a ride to work or school, or be around for breakfast together. That bit of annoyance because life is always so busy and what am I really busy with these days?

Here are some tips for us Mom’s who struggle with a bit of “Mom’s Guilt” as we return to work. Whether it’s for medical leave like my case, or you’re returning to work after Covid or even maternity leave.

1. Take time to care for yourself.

I can’t stress this enough. If there’s one thing I want you to gain here it’s that We can’t pour from an empty cup, so to speak and being a Mom or Dad is no joke. Our radar must always be on.
So plan some time to just sit, reflect, journal your feelings and maybe eat a little sweet treat. All those “things” in life can wait.

2. Pin point what is creating this guilt.

​Is it past issues, or trauma? Do you feel like because you’re Mom was a SAHM you have to as well? Do you feel bad because you don’t have time to cook great meals or take your kids on fun adventures? Ask yourself those questions.

​3. Go back and revisit your Core Values.
We all get sidetracked with life. We really do!! That is ok. When you can, review what makes you tick as a parent and see if you can re-establish your values. Homemade snacks, earlier bedtimes, night night stories? Whatever it is, make time for at least one of those things.

​4. Find your Tribe.
​Find Moms that really get you. Yes our family is a great support at times, but when your well meaning Auntie starts questioning you and you feel attacked for your families choices, it’s time to find a new circle of support.
This includes well meaning strangers too.

A great place to look would be Moms Groups on Facebook, or even Instagram. Use a quick hashtag search to find working Moms to connect with. Just don’t let yourself get into the comparison game. You are special too ya know?!

​5. Listen to Your Gut

You know your kids and you get a gut instinct as a Mother. We just know what’s working with them and not, MOST of the time. If you’re little One is extra whiny Because they have an earache , don’t feel bad about not going in to work. It’s ok for us to figure out how to get them well. If your teen is having a moment of acting out, you take that time to figure out how to get them back on track.

You do what works best for you and most of all because you know your kids the best.

My ending thoughts:

Time slips by so so quickly, especially with our kiddos. Give yourself permission to enjoy that time with them, don’t give in to guilt for working. Just be sure to schedule in “date nights “ with the kiddos too!
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Hi there! It has been a minute since I've been on here. I hope you have had a good start to your summer so far. Things definitely have been different in terms of summer activities, haven't they? I'm not sure where you are located, but here in Southern Pennsylvania lots of things are still closed down. We are fortunate enough to belong to a camp ground where we can social distance, hike around and go to the pool. They limit the hours you can swim, and there's "social distance seating"..ie bring your own chair, etc. I am thankful for the little things, and just happy that we can still go at all. All community pools here are closed this year, and let me tell you it has been HOT! 90's most days. 

I put together a few summery pieces that have been on rotation for me in my wardrobe. I love a nice swim suit cover up. Something to keep the sun off my shoulders, and they just look classy!! I've also been using it as a kimono to go along with everyday outfits as well. So versatile! 
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The lace cover up is from Walmart, very affordable and the quality is pretty good too. It can be worn so many ways, with swimsuits, cutoffs and a tank like I did, over a maxi dress or even a mini dress too. I have to keep snagging it back from my daughter because she likes it as well! 

I found one on Amazon that is almost identical to mine, and theirs is also available in black, which is great too.

I am loving this black side lace swimsuit  from Amazon as well. I think the textured fabric really kicks it up a notch. This one comes in black, burgundy and a couple blue variations. The sizing also goes up to XXL.

Hey there, how are you? How's your week going so far? I'm still in shock that we are in July NOW!
I spent the better part of my week organizing some of my Poshmark items I’ve picked up and working on revamping my website here! I still have some tweaking to do, but progress is good right?!

Today I wanted to tell you about my new hair care journey. A quick back story about my hair..ugh, where to begin? Well, about a year and a half ago I got sick of my long red,curly dry hair and cut it off into a wedge. That was a huge mistake for me. It was an adorable cut, but for my lifestyle as a Mom and School Bus Driver it didn’t work for me.
As my hair has grown out, I have noticed just how much thinner it has gotten, and it scared me!! I've always had very thick curly hair and it seriously felt like I had a tiny baby pony tail at this point!

There are a number of factors that can contribute to hair loss. For me, it’s menopause. I’d say the last 6 years my body has been all over the place with the hormones, and it’s taken it’s toll on my hair, as well as lightening it to this blonde shade. If you are concerned about hairloss too, whether you are going through the change of life or something else, just touch base with your Doctor to make sure that you are in good health!

I had heard of Monat from other You-tubers but was skeptical to try it. Finally I found a distributor on Instagram and thought I’d give it a try.
I chose the Renew Shampoo for Medium dry hair. It smells really wonderful. A nice light floral scent. It helps hydrate and thicken my hair!
I picked up the Intense Repair Conditioner too. It has a great menthol tea tree smell. Both are infused with Rejuvenique. One major factor that made me decide to try Monat is that their products non toxic and cruelty free as well as Paraben, SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) and Phthalate free.
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Though it’s only been a month of me using this line, I’d definitely say from day 1 my hair has felt fuller to the touch, shinier and cleaner too. Often times two days after a wash my hair is looking greasy at the scalp. Curly hair can’t be washed everyday or it will become a dry mess.
Here’s some pictures of my thin hairline, and what I'm working with...don’t mind those gray hairs hahaha!!

I decided to join Monat VIP program so that I could benefit from their awesome discounts. Plus in my order I received a full size Lash and Brow Serum for FREE, and I believe it is valued at $59, that's a steal!

I will be updating you here and there on my hair journey. Let me know what you think, if you've experienced hair loss and if you have products you would like to recommend. If you would like to experience Monat for yourself I have a code for you to use when you sign up as a VIP you can get $20. off your next order. 

​https://mymonat.com/corp/refer-a-friend?nextbee=true&sponsor_id=8295444

I know that Spring is here, or supposed to be anyhow. Spring trends for makeup tend to go on the light side, with lots of pinks and bright colors, but today's look is more of a soft burgundy with a bold lip. You can totally pull this type of look off all year round, but by going in light handed on your eye look, you can still rock these colors now.

So continuing on to Day 2 with the #gwenstefanioneweekone palette challenge, here's what I used to achieve this look.

Brows: Chocolate Shadow from Morphe brushes 35O palette.
Eyes: Primed first with Mica Beauty Cosmetics eye primer
Brow bone is Skimp, Transition for upper crease are Stark and Anaheim, then for crease is Punk and Zone Blended together. Lid shade is Baby. I lined my eyes with Serious. Bottom lash line in Punk and Zone buffed out.
Lashes: Kiss lashes in style 110.
Foundation: TemptuPro Airbrush in Alabaster and Beige.
Blush: Elf Cosmetics Blush Quad
Lips: WetnWild Mochalicious and Bare Minerals gloss in Maverick

There you have it! Let me know, would you try this look for Spring?

Day 1 of the Gwen Stefani One Palette One Week Challenge I'm doing with Instagrammer Makeup_addict_bi_law! I chose a soft  and neutral Spring Makeup look for today. I mean it's Monday, no need for lashes and over the top contouring right?

 For this eye look I blended Stark on the upper brow bone, Anaheim in upper crease, Zone in the Crease. For the inner lid I used my finger and lightly dabbed Steady, outer corner V I blended Serious. Brow bone highlight is Skimp. I also lined my upper and lower lash line with Serious. I finished the look off with a nude lip by UD x Gwen collection called Ex Girlfriend.  Blush and Bronzer is an Elf Cosmetics blush quad to warm up my face a bit.

I hope you enjoyed this simple everyday eye look, it's super easy to do, and gives you a nice polished look for errands or work! If you have any questions on my look, feel free to ask.

This week I am excited to announce that I'll be participating in a collaboration with Teri Lawler of the blog
www.makeupaddictbilaw.wordpress.com. She created a great challenge for us to use our Gwen Stefani Palette from Urban Decay for our looks for the week! Do you think we can do it with out using any other palettes to complete our looks? Stay tuned for looks and details this week!

It has been forever and a day since I have blogged here, and I felt it was high time to post some content! Today was brush cleaning day as I have a bridal trial coming up this weekend, so I thought I'd make a quick video showing you the product I use to clean my brushes. I am currently using the Zote laundry bar to clean them, and have for about a year. You can purchase these at Wal-Mart for about 97 cents, and they are huge and last forever. I had to go on a wild goose chase to find them in a store near me, so best believe I stocked up!

Pro Tips:

Be sure not to let your brushes soak in the water as you're washing them, this causes the brush handles to swell and the bristles to fall out!
Rinse very well, then lay on clean towel to dry, or use a brush drying rack with brushes pointing down.
If you have stubborn stains, you can use a bit of Dawn Dish Soap or Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner to remove them. Once I am finished, I wipe the handles down with 70% alcohol and spritz the bristles down to sanitize them as well. Using 70% alcohol is recommended, as 99% alcohol dries too quickly, and does not allow enough time for the brushes to be sanitized.

Let me know if you have any questions!

This is a little bit of a different for me, as usually I post all makeup and beauty related items. But it's fun to do other posts as well featuring new and up coming products from time to time. I joined Influenster about a year ago, and this is my second "Mommy goodies box". Influenster sends you complimentary products for testing purposes. They have categories for everyone from the outdoorsy type to beauty queen! Let's check out the things they sent me, shall we?


Hada Labo Tokyo Ultimate Anti-Aging Facial Mask

As a gal who loves skin care, I just had to start with this product first! This face mask is a one time use 100% cotton mask that hydrates your skin with anti aging serum to increase hydration, and smooth fine lines. You can wear it for about 10-15 minutes and remove the mask and massage in the excess serum on the skin. It contains Super Hyaluronic Acid, Soy Peptides, Collagen and Vitamin E for quick results. Everyone in my house thought I looked like a creepy ghost, but it felt amazing on my skin, and left it super soft!



Uncle Ben's Flavored Grain

I don't tend to eat rice or carbs for that matter as much as I used to, I am primarily a Paleo diet person. But this will be a perfect item to keep handy in my pantry for family gatherings, or when I need a quick side dish. I love that they have expanded their line to include Quinoa and other grains. Give me Quinoa and I'm a happy girl!!



Blue Lizard Australia Sensitive and Sport Sunscreen

I am a super pale gal, and I am a sunscreen junkie!  I seriously have at least 5 bottles around my house at any given time during the summer! Protection against sunburn is no joke to me as I know several people that have had skin cancer removed over the years. I've not tried Blue Lizard Sunscreen before so I was excited to try a new brand. Check out the neat feature that the bottle has! The cap on the 3oz bottle has a UV photo-sensitive cap that changes from clear to blue, indicating when you need to apply your sunscreen! How cool is that? The lotions do not have a scent, nor a real strong sunscreen smell. It goes on creamy, and not overly oily. So far I like both of these lotions, though I have not tested them in intense sun situations to see if I burn, honestly I hate sunburn, so for daily use this has been just fine for me.



Dramamine Non-Drowsy Naturals

I have only used Dramamine once when I went on a cruise years ago, as you can image the tossing and up and down motion on a cruise ship making you feel ill as anything! As I've gotten older I only experience that nauseous feeling when I am a passenger. For some reason when I am not the one driving, my stomach seizes up and I feel sick to my stomach. You better believe this will be going in my purse for our road trip this summer.



Red Vines Candy

I remember as a kid my Mom used to get licorice or the strawberry licorice, this just brings back memories of childhood. This brand uses only 5 ingredients and is fat free, making it a semi guilt free snack. My kiddos loved these candies, to me they have a hint of vanilla flavor and mint.  Different combination of flavors, I think I will stick to Dark Chocolate!



Ore-Ida Extra Chrispy Easy Golden Crinkle Fries

As you can already see, I pretty much don't eat a lot of processed foods, if I was to make fries for my family I use a whole potato and bake them up. These fries boast that you can make them in the microwave in just 4 minutes. Great for a quick snack. I'll be passing on this one and give this coupon to a friend instead.



Attitude Hair Care

Lastly, I tried out this Attitude brand Shampoo.  This is an all natural shampoo with "worry free" ingredients. It looks to be paraben free but still contains sodium benzoate as a preservative. It claims that it is also a Vegan Product and Septic Tank safe shampoo. It does leave the hair feeling soft and looking shiny. Overall I rate it a 8/10, as it still contains preservatives.


That wraps up this lengthy review of goodies from Influenster! What do you think, have you tried any of these products before? Leave me a comment below!

The fine print: This was a sponsored post which means  I was sent these items complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.