Mary Kay Top Five Favorites

Yesterday marked my tenth anniversary as a Mary Kay consultant.

WHAT?  Yes, you read that right!  I'm a Mary Kay lady.  And many of my closest friends don't even know.  It's not that I'm ashamed, it's just not a huge part of my life.  I've never wanted to be pushy and peddle my wares to friends, so it almost seems like I've spilled a secret when people find out.

But in the mail last week, I received a small gold pin from Mary Kay, Inc. to celebrate my ten years with the company.

Ten years ago, I was still kind of a newlywed, didn't have any kids, and went all gung-ho pink with Mary Kay.  I attended Seminar.  I didn't miss a single meeting.  I recruited other consultants.  I held regular facials and parties.  That pink cadillac was going to be MINE! Well... not really.  I would've taken the money option instead.

Ten years and four (five) kids later, it's just something I do for personal use, and for friends and family who also love the product.  In fact, I haven't hosted a party or facial since Emma was born, 7 1/2 years ago.  I only place orders about twice a year, which explains why it can take weeks or months for me to get an order to the few people who order from me.  Customer service?  Not my forte.  (Which is why I offer a standing 25% discount if you're ever interested.)

I've realized that while cultivating a booming Mary Kay business isn't for me, I do love the product.  For ten years, I've used nothing but Mary Kay and love it all.  And so without further ado, I present to you my top five Mary Kay favorites!

5.  Mary Kay Eyeliner

I love how easily it glides on without tugging at my eyelids!  Plus, it doesn't smear easily and it's waterproof.  The BEST eyeliner I've tried!  My favorite colors are Steely and Bronze.

4.  TimeWise Miracle Set

This cleanser and moisturizer set makes my skin feel so soft and smooth!  It's quick and easy to use and I love it.  The Day Solution goes on right after cleansing with the 3-in-1 cleanser, and is SPF 15!  People, that is a MUST.  You should be using sunscreen as part of your daily skin care regimen!  I admit that I don't always use the Night Solution (which completes the Miracle Set), but it feels like a luxury when I do.

3.  Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Hands-down the very best stuff to use to get all that gunk off your eyes.  ("Gunk" is an awesome selling point, right?)  LOVE this stuff.

2.  Mary Kay Eye Primer

On days I forget to use this, I see a HUGE difference!  Eye Primer is a primer for your eyeshadow.  Just a teensy bit goes a long way!  I just rub a small dot on my eyelid before applying eyeshadow.  It makes my eyeshadow last a lot longer, making the color more vivid and NO CREASING!  Seriously, I see women all the time with eyeshadow creases and want to tell them about the wonders of MK Eye Primer.  I should be a consultant.  Oh wait...

I'll share my #1 Mary Kay product with you tomorrow.  This Mary Kay product changed my life!  Tune in tomorrow...

Schoooooooool's Out For Summer!

We had two last days of school in as many weeks, which means I now have a Kindergartner and a 2nd grader.

How did that happen???

Addie was happy to oblige me with a mini-photo shoot on her last day.

In typical Addie fashion, she struck pose after pose after pose.  She was really torn up on this day about ending her preschool career.

Emma's last day was a pajama day, which seemed the perfect start to a long, lazy summer. I foresee a lot of pajama days in our near future.

Last week also marked Emma's first Field Day.  We had so much fun!

Emma's favorite event was the tug-of-war, which she cannot pronounce correctly no matter how many times I correct her.  She was thrilled that the girls beat the boys at tug-a-whore.  *sigh*

Addie was thrilled because she got to join in the fun and participate with Emma's class.  I was so proud of how Emma took her under her wing and included her.  

Despite not having an athletic bone in my body, I remember so many great Field Days in elementary school.  Some of my more vivid memories include:

1. Failing every. single. time. to fling my shoe forward in the shoe kick.  It always went behind me.  Good thing we weren't graded for that.
2. Mr. Chuck (the custodian) and Mr. Mac (the principal) grilling hot dogs out on the blacktop.  Yum.  And for some reason I remember Mr. Mac wearing a visor.
3. Getting clotheslined playing Red Rover and seeing stars.  
4. Not caring what team I was on, what game I was playing, or whether we won or lost, as long as I was on Logan Breed's team.  Nothing else mattered.
5. Wearing shorts combined with a sweatshirt for the first time in 6th grade.  I got the outfit idea from my older cousin, Tara, and I felt so cool.
6. Winning the three-legged race with my VBFF Kathleen EVERY SINGLE YEAR.  Domination, baby.  I betcha we'd still win today.

 Sadly, there was no shoe kick, there was no Red Rover, and there was no three legged race.  What has happened to Field Day?!  

So now it's officially summer vacation.  This is the time of year I scramble for a game plan so I don't waste the summer or go crazy without a plan every day.  More on that next week!

Weekend High

My sister, who is obsessed with blogging chronologically, will be pleased with me for blogging about last weekend before blogging about more exciting events which have taken place since then, including today being the last day of school!  Hooray!

But if you're curious about what my sister did this past week, you'll have to wait a few  years.  She still has to blog about everything since November 2010 (when she last blogged), before she can blog about anything in the present.  Ha ha, just kidding, Amykins!

Anyway... now that sisterly love is out of the way...

 I live in a cute little small town that has a Town Fair every year, featuring Colorado's 2nd largest hot air balloon festival. 

  In the eight years we've lived here, this non-morning person has yet to see the balloons launch (*yawn* - I don't do mornings), but it's become a tradition to pile in the car in our jammies and drive around watching dozens of balloons float above us.  

 It's so fun!  We stalk them until they land, and watch them deflate.  The kids LOVE it.

This year, Gary recommended we get dressed (what?!) and so we did.  

And boy, are we glad!  

We watched the balloons from our car, and then got out to watch one deflate up close. 

And then we went and found another one to watch land and deflate, but got more than we bargained for...

Do the girls want to ride?  You BET they do!  

Emma and Addie had the best surprise when the pilot offered to give them an impromptu ride!  Brody was afraid of the flame's loud noise, which meant I was grounded with him.  

The girls didn't hesitate a second and were absolutely thrilled to take to the skies.  Of course, they were tethered, but I was surprised at how high they got to go!  

I admit, I was VERY jealous!

After their ride, we continued with our morning plan, which was to enjoy hot donuts right off the conveyor belt at Krispy Kreme.  Delish!

Donning their lovely donut hats, the girls sipped chocolate milk out of their cups in one hand, and delicately held a fresh donut in the other, claiming, "Oh, hi!  I work in an office!"  

"I'm at work, Mommy!  I have my coffee and my donut!"  

Umm, what?!  Where do they get this stuff?  First of all, Gary and I don't even drink coffee.  Second of all, Gary hardly has an office job, let alone a job where he sits around drinking "coffee" and eating donuts.  

My girls are hilarious.

So where do you go from there?  

Hot air balloon rides and donuts?  

How will we top it next weekend?  

If...

...my baby weren't teething
...my laundry was folded
...I didn't feel grumpy
...I could always find the remote
...my favorite pair of jeans weren't too tight
...my 2 year old would take a nap
...I had some ice cream in my freezer
...Chloe would just PLEASE take a nap right now
...I had that necklace I've had my eye on
...my baby would just EAT
...Addie wouldn't scratch her legs until they bleed
...I could find all the matches to widowed socks
...dinner were planned for tonight
...I had time to read the stack of books on my nightstand
...I were on time everywhere I go
...my friends' adoption would just go quickly without any hitches
...I quit picking my nails
...I could make it through a day without Dr. Pepper
...I had perfect vision
...I hadn't lost a baby
...I had an iPhone
...my favorite shoes didn't stink
...Chloe would sleep through the night
...my floors were spotless
...Emma would listen to me
...my mom lived closer
...I finished the curtains for Brody's room
...I had a quiet time every day
...I could get flowers planted in my yard
...Gary worked less
...I would just remember to keep my phone charged
...I could just get three stars on every level of Angry Birds
...my grandparents weren't aging so fast
...Brody were potty-trained
...I just knew how to be the perfect parent
...Emma had a best friend
...we had an extra bedroom
...I didn't have to pay that speeding ticket
...I could make a decision about school for next year
...I had more time and energy
...I weren't so tired...

THEN would life be perfect?

No.

And so today, I learn how to be content.

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
(Phil. 4:11-12)

And it's hard.  So I'll learn it again tomorrow and the next day too.

And I'll remember that none of this matters next to seeking the Lord.  And am I doing that first?  No, not always.

But what if...

...I did put God first each day?
...I made my quiet time a priority?
...I memorized scripture consistently?
...I prayed for strength and endurance and energy?
...I wanted God more than all of my own "wants"?

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  (Matt. 6:33)

Ohhhhh.

And so since my baby may not sleep through the night anytime soon, and since it's too rainy this week to plant any flowers, and since laundry is never really done and since I can probably find a way to live without Dr. Pepper, I'll take this verse to heart:

"Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you."  (Psalm 73:25)

And maybe everything else won't matter.

Just a little Old-Fashioned Stalking

Once upon a time, there was no Facebook.

And so you see,  young readers, we had to stalk people the old-fashioned way.  Finding out someone's birthday wasn't as easy as clicking on their profile.  Wondering what they did last night?  There were no status updates to check.  Are they still with their girlfriend?  If only it were as easy as checking their relationship status and finding out if that little heart icon was whole or broken.  You had to get creative.

And so we did.

The other day on Facebook, a name popped up under the "People You May Know" heading and I laughed.  Yes, silly Facebook.  I do know him.  Well, kinda.

We'll call him "Doug."  He was a little older than us, and super cute.  My friends and I were merely freshmen and were a little crazy about upperclassman "Doug."  We went to great lengths to follow him to each class and carefully marked on our spreadsheet when and where each class was.  (Yes, spreadsheet.)  We knew where his locker was and when he stopped by it each day.  We knew which routes to take to our classes so that we might pass him in the hallway.  Brushing his arm would make us giddy and forget about our pubescent zits for weeks.

He had no idea who we were.

We had one class together.  It was a rather large class... and there may have been musical instruments involved, but I won't say for sure.  One time after class, as he walked by me, he plopped a penny in my hand and casually said, "A penny for your thoughts!"  I mean, WHOA.  I had no quick or witty or thoughtful response prepared, which didn't really matter since he kept on walking and never looked back.  But I'm pretty sure I saved that penny for a very long time after that.

One weekend, a friend and I decided that knowing his class schedule just wasn't enough.  We needed more.  This is when reasonable stalking in the confines of a high school hallway slipped away, and we started to lose our grasp of reality, thus beginning our new life of stalking and creeping.  I might be exaggerating just a tad, but we sure felt dangerous.

I remember it clearly.  My friend and I were sitting at her kitchen table when we got the brilliant idea to call "Doug."  We'd just ask him a few questions to get to know him better.  But clearly, we would NOT identify ourselves.  Nope.   The conversation went something like this:

{{Ring, Ring!}}
Us:  Hello, this is Sally Smith from the Rocky Mountain News.  Is there a male in the house between the ages of 16 and 18?
Doug's Mom:  Sure, hang on...
Doug:  Hello?
Us:  DOUG!  I mean, um, hi!  This is Sally Smith from the Rocky Mountain News, and we're doing a story on local teenagers.  You've been randomly selected for our story.  Could we ask you a few questions?
Doug:  Sure.

"Sally" went on to quiz "Doug" about what kind of car he drove, what his license plate number was, his birthday, his favorite movie, and other questions that satisfied our thirst for all things "Doug."  And then we lied and gave him some line about the story being published the following week.  I'm sure it was totally believable, what with all the giggling between questions and all.

My point is, Facebook has made stalking so much easier than it used to be.  Gone are the days of posing as newspaper reporters just to find out what ice cream flavor your crush thinks is best, or to find out what class he has right after lunch because darn it if Mr. Berry always let us out too late to find out!  Nope.  Today, you're just clicks away from gaining stalker status.

I hope kids don't take that for granted.

Lately

I didn't mean not to blog this past week.  Time flew by!  I feel like it was just this morning I was waking up to the kids piling pillows on my head.  Oh yeah, that's because they tried it again today!  Ha!  But I was on to them this time.  

Plus, I had to get up and get everyone going because we had a field trip to accompany.  It turns out that a freezing cold, rainy day at the zoo where every inch of you gets soaked with no hope of warm relief, with the first graders and my own littles is not as fun as it sounds.  

But anyway, this past weekend we celebrated Mother's Day!  

We dedicated Miss Chloe to the Lord on Sunday at church.  I love this Mother's Day tradition.  Publicly acknowledging that Chloe isn't ours, but belongs to God is an honor.  Praying to raise her in the ways of the Lord in front of our family and church family is a really special thing and something we take seriously.

Talkative little Chloe was a little chatterbox the whole time and babbled away during everyone else's prayer.  But once her Daddy started praying, she was all ears.

 She's pretty cute, don't you think?

Here she is wearing a baptism dress that was worn by her great-great... Grandma?  

I don't quite remember, but we've taken pictures of each of the girls in it on their dedication days.  It's really pretty.

 Here's me with my mom, and the little girl who made me a mom.  

I love them both so very much!

 Here's our best family photo of the day:  

Brody was so sick on Sunday and the girls weren't into it.  

I'll take what I can get!

Finally, the photo shoot.  I love hanging out with my mom and sisters.  But it seems that every get-together ends the same... I'll let the photos do most of the talking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

*sigh*  

It always starts out so well.  

I think our husbands would agree that we just don't know when to stop.