Baby Blackburn, 27 weeks

Published by Grace | Filed under Pregnancy

I’ve slacked off quite a bit with my blog, but for great reason. In June, my husband and I found out that we are pregnant! After a few months of trying to conceive, our little boy surprised us and we’ve been preoccupied with him and the many new aspects of our new journey. As I was cleaning our kitchen tonight, I thought, well now that I’ve apparently got more energy, it’s probably a great time to start blogging the rest of my experience as a mommy-to-be. I’ve been wanting to write letters to our son, so here goes our first one

- Grace

-/-

Dear Baby Boy,

My little one, you are getting stronger and stronger everyday. You would think I’d get used to the feeling of you moving around in there, but you almost always catch me by surprise, especially when you throw one of your best punches or kicks! It still makes your daddy laugh every time he feels you move, it’s such an exciting feeling, and hasn’t gotten old. Even though you’re not here yet, I’m already so proud of you for growing so healthy in there and for being so active. I love that we get to go everywhere together, and when people see you, their faces just light up. At first, it was kind of strange, how the moment when friends (even people I’ve just met) see me, they approach me with their hands ready to cup my baby bump. Now, it’s kind of a great thing. It’s part of what makes pregnancy such a joy, and although some would disagree, I’ve really grown to love being pregnant with you. For being so self-conscious and pretty vain for most of my adult life, nothing has changed the way I feel about my body the way you do. Everything that’s happening to me is for you, and who could want anything else?

Your daddy and I are so excited to meet you, and with the holidays coming up, we’ve got a lot of work cut out for us as we get your room ready! I started clearing out your room last weekend, and with the help of your daddy and who will soon become your favorite Auntie, we’ll start putting together your aviator-themed nursery in the coming weeks. Daddy picked out this theme just for you, so we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy setting it up!

Well, it’s time to go to bed, baby. Daddy is hard at work on his homework, but you and I need to get our beauty rest – Thanksgiving starts off with a morning cardio workout

Lots of Love,
Mama

Before & After: Jessica’s Makeup Party

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne, Makeup Tools, Stuff

Brooke and I were honored to hook up Jessica with one of the few Bridal Makeovers given away at the Bridal Faire this past October. Her and her family were such a pleasure! We started her makeover process with a Makeup session, to glam the girls up for Mom and Dad’s anniversary reception later that night. Check out their looks:

Before

After

Before & After: Mom’s Mini Makeover

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne, Makeup Tools

Before

After

Here’s what we used for overall coverage: Read the rest of this entry »

October Newsletter is Here

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne

It’s a little late this month, but it’s here! My October newsletter is jam packed and highlights the importance of detoxifying, new Arbonne Products, a Holiday Showcase at mi casa, and a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness month. I’ve also mentioned a few blog posts to look out for in the upcoming weeks. And as always, there are specials for the month, featuring the new face masks and holiday products

Pump Up Flat Hair

Published by Grace | Filed under Stuff

Over the weekend, I went to my hairdresser for a cut and an updo for an evening out. I always love what she does with my hair, and love any new product that she introduces to me that I can actually use myself. To add volume to my roots and some texture to my slippery, flat hair, she dusted on this Osis+ Dust It Mattifying Powder on my roots. Super easy! I worked it into my hair this morning and it only took a few seconds to make my hair look styled.

You can purchase it at salons or retail stores for $20-$22, or get it on Amazon for half the price. I’ve read that it’ll last about 2 1/2 months with regular use. For the fraction of the cost of a salon visit, you can get a salon finished look as often as you want. I love a deal!

This Week’s Fave: Skin Support Dietary Supplement

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne, Healthy Living

Last week, I wrote a post on comparing salicylic acid products to benzoyl peroxide products, which means of course that I’ve been trying out some of Arbonne’s Clear Advantage line, and is the reason why this week their Skin Support supplement has become one of my faves. I’ve used up a whole 30-day supply of the Clear Advantage Skin Support Dietary Supplement and I must say that I have seen an improvement. It’s a little difficult to see the drastic difference, since my acne seems to be pretty hormonal, but I’ve noticed that when I do break out, the blemishes are smaller. I’m always a little skeptical when it comes to acne treatments, so I was pleasantly surprised at how effective adding a dietary supplement was. It contains zinc, botanical extracts, and anti-oxidant vitamins C and E, which not only promote healthy skin, but also help to build up your immune system.

How to use: take one supplement daily with food. Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

I also use the spot treatment which works wonders, and I’ve just ordered the rest of the Clear Advantage line to see its effectiveness on acne in comparison to the RE9 ant-aging line. I’m excited that Clear Advantage uses Salicylic Acid as their acne-fighting ingredient because I found out that most spas use products that contain Salicylic Acid to treat acne. As a spa-going junkie, that’s muy bueno news!

Benzoyl Peroxide vs. Salicylic Acid for Acne

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne

As someone who has dealt with acne practically her whole life, this comparison was super important to me. When I was younger, I tried everything to help clear my skin, and there was really nothing out there to help control my acne. I tried every over-the-counter solution and even tried several different products from my dermatologist, and no bueno. I’ve decided now that I’ve found something that works for me, it’s time to do some research and provide some information that everyone could use, because it would be incredibly selfish of me to not share answers that my friends and family need.

I came upon this article when researching Arbonne’s Clear Advantage line (it uses Salicylic Acid) which talks about the differences between 2 popular acne-fighting ingredients, Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Read the rest of this entry »

Replace that Potato with a Sweet Potato

Published by Grace | Filed under Healthy Living

Although we really only enjoy these during the holidays, sweet potatoes are actually great to eat year round (not candied, of course). This root veggie is packed with vitamins A, C, and B6 as well as other healing anti-oxidants that help eliminate free radicals. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, which is great for those that suffer from asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The sweet potato is a better alternative to the regular potato, and offers a bit of sweetness. It’s a starch, but quite a healthy one. It’s a great complex carbohydrate that helps to rebuild those muscles after intense workouts. As with anything, consume these in moderation. They are filling and do have a substantial amount of calories compared to leafy green veggies.

For more information on the sweet potato and preparation tips, check out this article. I usually do a baked sweet potato, and have it as an afternoon snack, or on the side of a light lunch to help keep me satisfied. You can also make sweet potato fries instead of regular fries as another healthier alternative. Happy eating!

August Newsletter

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne, Healthy Living

Here’s this month’s newsletter! In this month’s edition, I talk about the pH level of our skin and nutrients that we can eat to help give our skin a healthy boost. There are also some great hostess rewards, like $50 of products, and awesome savings for current retail and Preferred clients. Have a great August!

This Week’s Fave: RE9 Intensive Renewal Serum

Published by Grace | Filed under Arbonne

OMG I love this! I have to admit that when I used the NutriminC Serum, my skin did break out, so I stopped using it. Then one day, after noticing how much some of my acne scars had really bothered me, I started to use the new RE9 Advanced Intensive Renewal Serum. I had much better results this time. I used just the smallest amount on my chin where some of my stubborn acne had left a few scars. I was shocked at how smooth that part of my face felt, and how the little acne scar bumps started to minimize. So then I started to use small amounts on the rest of my face, and now I’m noticing smaller pores and more even skin texture.

Because it is exactly what it’s named, intense, I switched from morning/night use to just every other night use, and sparingly at that. The renewal serum is eager to dig into your skin and drudge up anything that doesn’t belong there, so if you have oily skin, DO NOT use twice a day. Just use a little bit every other night (or even just a couple times a week) where you feel you need some tightening and lightening, and then work your way up to every night and go from there. This is actually great for acne because of the Salicylic Acid in it, but like any other product for acne prone skin, you have to build up your skin’s tolerance to its intensity. Its initial reaction will be to make your skin oilier, and we don’t want that.

The only thing is that the dark spots left behind from acne are taking a while to go away, so I just started using the Revelage Age Spot Minimizer to treat that. The serum has done great things, it’s just the scars that leave me looking like I still have lots of acne when I’m not wearing makeup. I’ve got high hopes that the Age Spot Minimizer will be my next fave