We're home!

Hey everybody, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We were out of town for almost a week and I didn't quite have the internet access I thought I would have. I'm going to get some unpacking done and then will be back tomorrow for the fun Mary Kay giveaway post!

And now a guest post!

Hi! I'm Marina's younger sister Andrea. I'm a college student and one my biggest passions is fashion and the whole beauty world. Since college life doesn't exactly give me the freedom to spend unlimited amounts of money, I try to find simple, easy, and cheaper way to still look fantastic. Marina wanted me to share some tips with you on how to not break the bank when it comes to looking your best.

One of the greatest tools I've found for saving money is online shopping. That might be a bit unexpected with shipping and everything but you can find some great deals on awesome stuff. First off, NEVER buy anything online without searching for coupon codes. You know those annoying little emails that every store seems to send out about 50 times a week? Well people post the codes online so with a little use of Google, you can generally find 10-20% off codes or even free shipping! It's a great tool that not everyone knows about, so before you make that order, make sure you look for some codes. Also make sure you browse online stores frequently, especially the sale section. Most of the time, the good deals go fast.

One of my favorite ways to be fashionable on a smaller budget is with the website Hautelook.com. They have 48 hour sales on all types of clothing for the whole family, beauty products, things for the home and more. Most of the items are anywhere from 20-75% off! The trick is to check it daily because the best sales go fast. Here's a link where you can sign up for the site if you'd like to check it out.

Another great tool that I've discovered is the beauty and fashion community on YouTube. There are tons of beauty gurus that frequently post videos on all kinds of beauty and fashion topics. You can learn a lot too from them, like a certain way to curl your hair or apply makeup. It's great because it's free and there's a lot of knowledge to be learned. I've even stopped buying fashion and beauty magazines because it's so much easier to learn from a video instead of reading an article. My favorite makeup artist to watch is Lisa Eldridge. She does the covers of Vogue, Glamour, etc. and has some really great tips on doing your makeup. Here's a link to her YouTube channel.
Overall, you don't have to spend money on looking great. You just have to be wise about how you spend it. There's a lot of great information and savings out there, you just have to know where to find it. I try to share these tricks I discover with everyone on my blog, so come check me out!

www.prettyandpenniless.blogspot.com


Have a fantastic Thanksgiving and Holiday season!
Andrea :)

You're making me blush!

Today's "Fall into Beauty" post is again brought to you by Mary Kay! I had the chance to review one of the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Colors (basically the same idea as the mineral eye colors, but as a cheek color) and like the other mineral products, I really love the cheek colors. They also snap into place in the Mary Kay Compact. One thing I've grown to love about the mineral cheek colors is that you can make them as subtle or as bold as you'd like. I personally prefer a more subtle look when it comes to blushes and bronzers, so it's nice that I can easily control my look by using more or less of the mineral color.

The mineral cheek colors retail for $10 and there are many different shades to choose from, making it easy to find something that compliments your skin tone. I also want to point out that if you go to the Mary Kay website there is a fun section called "Beauty on a Budget" where you can browse through 90 different products that retail for $10 or less! Especially in our rough economy, and as penny-pinching mommies, that is something that is very important to us. You will also find some great gift and stocking stuffer ideas for the Holidays as well! See you for tomorrow's "Fall into Beauty" post!

Eeek!

Tonight's "Fall into Beauty" post has been postponed until tomorrow due to the fact that we had a bit of a pregnancy-related scare today! Everything checked out okay and it was a false alarm, but unfortunately I did not quite have the time to finish up today's post amidst the craziness of the day. It will come tomorrow, I promise!

It's all about the eyes!

Ok ladies, today's post is like the title suggests, all about the eyes! My favorite makeup products have always been those for the eyes, so I was very excited when I got to review more of the Mary Kay Mineral Eye Colors!

I have personally been a fan of the mineral eye colors ever since I reviewed them for the first time last fall. For one thing, I can't believe how long the eye color stays put on my eyelids after it's applied. I have tried many eye shadows on the market (that cost more than the Mary Kay ones) that simply do not have the staying power that these do. They also last for a very long time once you start using them, making them a bit more cost effective than other brands that seem to get worn down after only a few applications.

Another aspect that I LOVE LOVE LOVE (did I mention I love them?) is that the color choices are amazing! There are so many colors to choose from, and it really has made me a bit more adventurous in trying new looks. It's really fun to experiment with different color combinations, and there are endless possibilities.

Lastly, my favorite feature of the mineral eye colors is how they work with the Mary Kay Compacts. The mineral eye colors snap right into place and are held in place magnetically, so you don't have to worry about them falling out and breaking. The compact has worked wonders in scaling back the size of my makeup bag, especially when traveling. It's really simple to just pop the colors into place, add some of my other products into it, and throw it in my bag.

Retailing at just $6.50 per eye shadow, these mineral eye colors won't break the bank, and you can add a new one every once in a while to help change up your look. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post to hear about another fun Mary Kay product, and then on Saturday you can look forward to the finale post which will feature the unveiling of the awesome prize package you can win if you enter the giveaway!

The Blessing of Dirty Dishes!

For the last few weeks, our dishwasher has been acting up. Nothing comes out clean, and it's been a bit frustrating. Our new dishwasher is going to take 2-3 weeks to arrive. My first thought was to grumble about hand washing dishes in our tiny sink, but then I realized that it is a blessing to have dirty dishes. Dirty dishes means we have plenty of food to eat, and running water to wash them with, things that many people around the world do not have. I am not disappointed about the dishwasher now. Thank you God for dirty dishes. Having to wash our dishes by hand will give me ample time to thank God for all of the blessings that we have, especially during this time of year. Dirty dishes really are a blessing. What are you thankful for?

CSN stores!

One of my favorite new stores online is CSN. They have anything and everything you could ever desire! Lately, I've especially been interested in their suitcase and luggage selections. We travel a lot, and with the holidays coming up we could definitely use some new luggage to cart all of our gear around in.

My daughter has been begging for her own set of luggage (God only knows what she would try to pack in it... probably her entire room!). This Disney Princess suitcase would be perfect for her, since she loves anything with princesses!

As for my hubby, I know he would LOVE this Samsonite hard shell luggage, because it's extra sturdy, perfect for him to lug around and not have to worry about damaging!

And last but not least, my favorite pick for new luggage for myself would definitely be this luggage set from International Traveller! The bright pink color would make the suitcases super easy to spot in baggage claim at the airport!


No matter what luggage choices you make from CSN in gearing up for the Holiday travel rush, you are sure to find so much of a selection that everyone in your family will be happy!

Hey Mommy, this is what you look like!

So in honor of this week's beauty theme, I thought I'd take a moment to remind all of you (and myself) that we need to be extra mindful about how we talk about beauty and makeup in front of our children, especially our daughters. My daughter is only 3 and she is already obsessed with everything hair and makeup! You'd think that I spend all day in front of the mirror, but truth be told, I'm lucky if I get 5 minutes in front of the mirror in the morning!

The other day my daughter had to get 2 shots in her leg, and she was a bit sore and cranky from them, so when she asked if I would FINALLY let her play with my makeup, I gave in and let her experiment with some of my old makeup products. When she was done applying her makeup, she looked at me and said, "Hey Mommy, this is what you look like"! Judging by the picture, hopefully none of you will believe that I ever leave the house looking like my makeup was applied in the dark, but what she said really struck me. Even though I rarely have time to put a "whole face" on of makeup, she thinks I put tons and tons on, and already at such a young age, my daughter sees the "value" in makeup. It really reminded me that I need to be very careful about how I talk about myself and makeup in front of my daughter, because I would hate to think that she ever got the idea that she is anything but the beautiful makeup-less little girl that she is. I want her to understand to that beauty comes from within, and though makeup is a very fun thing to put on, at the end of the day, it's not what makes us beautiful.

The Sweet Smell of Mommy!

Let's face it, as moms we deal with messes all day long. With the diaper changes, sippy cup spills, spagetti sauce splatters, and laundry disasters, we don't exactly deal with the most delightful things everyday. Sometimes we're lucky if we even get to shower before noon! Moms deserve a special little something to cheer up their days, not that we don't love what we do everyday, but sometimes we forget that we need to take the time to pamper or take care of ourselves along with everyone else.

One easy way that we can perk ourselves up each day is by adding something special to our beauty routine (let's face it, we don't always have the time, so quick and easy things are best). Spritzing yourself with a sweet smelling fragrance is one fast way to cheer yourself up each day, giving you a little bit of added confidence and flair, especially amidst the messes of mommyhood. I had the fun experience of reviewing one of the new fragrances from Mary Kay, and let me tell you, I wish this blog had smell-o-vision or something so you could smell how amazing the new Thinking of You fragrance is! Mary Kay describes the scent by saying, "The message in this bottle is all about relationships and celebrating them with a gift that turns a moment into a memory. This feel-good fruity floriental fragrance also features a keepsake heart charm that can be removed and added to jewelry and unique packaging that allows you to handwrite a note inside."

When the fragrance first arrived, I was very impressed with the chic packaging. It comes sealed up in a pretty little box, all tied up with a bow. The fold out box features a special place where you can write a personalized message to the person receiving it as a gift. I really like the colors of the packaging, the blue and brown design is a nice choice compared to some perfumes that are on the girlier side. The light, breezy scent is so easy to wear, and it isn't overpowering like many other perfumes I've tried. I'm a bit sensitive to some perfumes, I think I'm a little allergic to them sometimes, but this one was perfect everytime I tried it.

The new Thinking of You fragrance is sure to be a hit not only as a gift for yourself, but also a gift for a special friend, mother, grandmother, or anyone else on your holiday shopping list this year. It also works great as a "just because" gift! No matter who you give this gift to this year, they are going to LOVE it.

Check back later in the week to try your hand at winning your own bottle of Thinking of You ! It will be featured in a great prize package with some other amazing products from Mary Kay!

It's "Fall into Beauty" Week!

Special Announcement... It's "Fall into Beauty" week here at TMH! I am so excited to be bringing you all tips, tricks, and some fun reviews and giveaways from Mary Kay! As busy moms, I know it can be difficult to find time to take care of ourselves, especially when it comes to make-up and pampering. That's why I hope you stop by everyday this week to learn all about some new Mary Kay products, some tips and tricks, and a special guest post by my very own sister (and fellow blogger)! She blogs about anything and everything beauty related, and you should definitely check her blog out, it's called Pretty and Penniless! She's a college student, so funds for beauty products and services are limited, which I know that as moms who usually like to pinch pennies, we can appreciate her advice! Check back each day for the next week to see what each new day brings!

Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

I have a confession to make. It snowed about 3 flakes of snow last week, and when I saw those tiny little flakes, out came the Christmas music! I know it's super early to start listening to Christmas music, but it's never too early to start planning your family's Christmas cards!

I am super excited to be ordering our Christmas cards from Shutterfly this year. I've ordered photo prints from them before, and I've always been extremely satisfied, not only with the quality and inexpensive cost, but also with the speedy delivery!

There are so many great choices for you to choose from this year, including Photo cards, Religious cards, and even beautiful Christmas invitation cards!

With so many choices, I'm not sure which one I'll decide on, but I do know that I want something super festive, since Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year! Some of my favorites are the Nativity Blessing card, the Top Ten Moments card, and the Hip and Happy Holiday card!

No matter which holiday card you choose this year, if you choose Shutterfly, it's sure to be a hit!
***Bloggers, click here to learn how you can receive 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly!***