Wedding Talk: Skincare

I'm the girl you all hate.

The one that goes to bed with a full face of makeup on and wakes up with no acne.

I don't know what having cystic acne feels like.

I don't have acne scaring.

I don't have oily skin.

And I never had to carry blotting sheets in my purse because I don't get shiny.

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But I am human and I'm not perfect, the issues I worry about are just different. I worry about the types of lotions I can buy and the detergent I can use that won't leave a rash on my skin.

Both my grandpa and dad have bad cases of Psoriasis. Lucky me, I've naturally inherited that red, dry, flaky skin type. While I don't have Psoriasis yet I'm convinced that I will sooner than later as my dad got it in his 20's.

One of my best friends from college secretly hates me. She hates me because she's that girl that has to remove her makeup as soon as she gets home and even when she does she will still breakout. She has suffered with cystic acne for years and has tried just about every product and dermatologist recommended procedure known to man kind. In college our bathroom was FILLED with expensive face products of hers and there was my knock off Target brand face wash, barely touched.

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I do get the occasional breakout here and there but pimples are really the last thing on my mind. I usually am worrying about how dry my skin is and if I look like a lizard with foundation slopped on top. It starts with my scalp, I pray no one thinks I'm some dirty girl with a head full of dandruff. This was my constant concern when I had black hair. Moving down from my hairline I stare directly at my nose. The redness and extreme dry patches around my nostrils are what stressed me out. As we move down my face my chin is the same deal, no matter how much moisturizer I put on these two places, nothing has worked for years.

My cheeks look like I am blind when applying blush, they are red and blotchy, defiantly not a color you'd find at Sephora. My face is covered in freckles with some larger sun spots. I spent years working in a tanning salon which also led me to those dreaded beds day after day, months and months. Years I'll never get back. Don't do drugs kids and don't lay in tanning beds! {yes mom, YOU WERE RIGHT....AGAIN}

If you watch my videos on Youtube you'll see I am barefaced a great deal of the time, I have zero shame in my no makeup game. But I love makeup, I love the different looks I can create, trying new products and giving advice when asked on what works or doesn't work for me. As I enter my last 442 days in my 20's {yup, did the math} and with a wedding coming up it made me really start to think about my overall skincare. Things I want to change, things I want to start taking care of and things I want to start investing in.

Last week I talked about how my wardrobe is changing and I'm attempting to buy quality pieces that will last me longer than a weekend out with my friends. This is true for my skincare game, or lack there of. While I do have face wash, makeup remover, toners and face lotion nothing seems to be hydrating my skin. My makeup seems to be laying funny, the weather is drying it out and I'm getting really irritated.

In the recent year or so I started seeing people talk about Rodan & Fields. When I heard that they were the dermatologist that had created Proactiv I though oh that's nice, a line now for adult acne and kept on with my daily life. Then one day my girlfriend that hated me told me she has partnered up with Rodan & Fields. I can't lie, I rolled my eyes and asked if she really thought it was going to help her skin, I mean she's been through a lot. Below I asked her to tell me everything she's used or procedure she's done to give you an idea. Grab a glass of wine, it's a long one:

Product lines used:
1. Proactiv (on and off for 8+ years)
2. Glytone (face wash, toner, serums, eye cream)
3. Skinceuticals (2 different serums, SPF product)
4. Avene (face wash, toner, serum, moisturizer)
5. Obagi (face wash, toner)
6. Neutrogena (face wash)
7. Dermalogica (serum, moisturizer)
8. Glam Glow (face mask)
9. NeuCutis (eye cream)
10. Epionce (face moisturizer and serum)
11. Vivant Skin Care (acid skin peels at home)
12. Make Up Artists Choice (wash, serum, toner, peels)
13. Clarisonic-face cleaning brush, have had 2 of these, $200 and $300

**Microdermabrasion at derm office-$150 p/ treatment (10-15 times)
**The Pearl Fractional Laser-$1200 with 7 day down time
**Clear + Brilliant Laser-$2000 total (4 times)
**Permea Laser-$400/laser (once)
**Genesis Laser-$400/laser (3 times)

(Have had several of the below chemical peels)

**Mandelic acid chemical peel-$100 in office cost
**Salicylic acid chemical peel-$100 in office cost
**Gycolic acid chemical peel-$100 in office cost

-Many different types of facials to clear pores.

*I have gone to the number one medical spa in the state of Michigan.
Most of the products listed were purchased though them and I was using
up to 10 different products a day, different regimens in the morning
and night and probably cost $1300 for all of those products for the
month!

You get my drift right, she's tried everything so when she started using R&F and swore it changed her life, I believed her. Probably one of the only people I would believe when it comes to skincare too. I was really happy and excited for her because her wedding is coming up and I know how stressful that can be on brides, your face is every picture! We talked some more and checked out the rest of the product line and she told me I should use the Soothe line (based on the Skin Care Solution Tool found here.) 

I gave in. Even though I swore I really didn't think I should since my skin wasn't "bad". I'm here to tell you I'm SO glad I did! I wasn't sure that it was working but within 2 weeks of using the system day and night, (which that was really hard for me to get use to, remember I usually went to bed with makeup on) my skin has NEVER been this hydrated and this soft! We recently had our engagement photos taken and I wasn't worried about my dry patches at all. My freckles/sun spots are fading and the redness is slowly starting to lessen as well. I'm 110% excited about the results I'm seeing! I can't thank all of you enough that have posted on Facebook about Rodan & Fields! While sometimes it can be overwhelming (IE: annoying as shit!) when people post non stop about their business ventures on social media I never felt this way whenever Sarah talked about it. Believe me, I would tell her if she was too!

If you've been on the fence about investing in skincare, because it is an investment, I won't deny that, then you should contact Sarah. I'm the last person you want answering questions because I have zero experience with this stuff but Sarah, oh Sarah knows it all! 

[Close up so you can see there are ZERO dry, flaky patches on my face!!!]

This is probably THE longest post I've ever written but if you sign up and place an order as a preferred customer, Sarah will send you a free gift as well as free shipping and 10% off all
products! Be sure to email her (sarah.snyder07@gmail.com) if you place an order so she knows that you are a East Willow Grove reader and can get your gift to you! Feel free to find her on facebook as well!

Last but not least, if interested in selling Rodan+Fields is an something you’d like to explore, now is the time. No parties, inventory, or minimum sales required. Unlimited potential and huge product discounts. For more info, including current specials on business kits, email Sarah! Ground floor opportunity to anyone living in the US or Canada with one of the top 100 global direct selling companies, and top premium skin care brands. Perfect for busy Moms or anyone looking to supplement their income.

|| Please note that this is NOT a sponsored post nor am I getting paid for anything written in here. I'm just a girl trying to work on her skin care game and with all things I recommend, I only do so when they have helped me!||

5 Product Makeup Look

Guys! It's FRIDAY! I feel like this week has been chaotic but slow but fast all at once. This weekend I'm ditching the boys and heading up to a little bed and breakfast that I went with my mom last year. Here is the vlog from that weekend if you want to get an idea of the nice little retreat we shall be on. I will be vlogging this weekend too and hopefully the wonderful mimi will join in on the fun! I need to let you know that Tuesday and Thursday I went extra hard at the gym because the amount of scrumptious food I will be inhaling over the weekend. Now that we got that out of the way lets dive into my face.

Some days I love slapping on a full face of makeup on but most days I try and look as put together as possible with the least amount of effort, that makes sense right? I've shown my everyday makeup look here but lately I've been wanting to take it even further and try only using 5 products to make this girl look great. It's taken me a few attempts but I've gotten it pretty down pat. So here is my face with just using 5 products! I honestly feel SO beautiful and it took a total of 10 minutes.

I left my eyebrows natural and loaded up on my favorite mascara.

I used my bronzer to give my face some color and then threw some in my crease.

Finishing off the look are the lips! A little brighter pink with the spring time coming.

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Lusting for Spring

The spring in Michigan is a glorious time of year. It restores peoples trust in this great state that there is always a light at the end of a very dark, dreary and cold winter tunnel. It's also the time where shopping gets the best of me. I tend to want/buy more for spring and fall then I do for summer and winter. I think this is because Spring and Fall are the seasons where the hot and the cold overlap. Where it's acceptable to wear shorts with sweatshirts at night by a glowing bonfire and it's the norm to wear a light jacket with sheer tank by day.

As it seems to have been light years since I graduated Laker territory, my wardrobe has moved on as well. My nights out are no longer spent toasting to finishing semesters with a $2 bud light on special from McFaddens. They usually are spent on the couch with take away and Netflix and I've probably removed my bra and makeup by then. BUT when I do go out on a Friday or Saturday night, assuming I don't fall asleep while getting ready, it's usually out for dinner, to catch a movie, or to celebrate someones birthday in which we have to schedule a babysitter in advance.

Over the years my wardrobe has drastically changed, for the better I would say. Since my paychecks are going towards car payments, a mortgage, utilities and daycare I'm now more than ever trying to invest in pieces that will last longer than a night out at the bar celebrating a 21st birthday. 

Since moving I've been weeding out items in my closet that are just not needed, no longer fit or scream I'm a college 21 year old, we all know what those pieces look like. I've been trying to adapt to more of a quality over quantity mentality. Buying items where I think I'll wear them in more than one way and that transition well into different seasons. With every new piece purchased I'm trying to do the one in, one out rule. If a new item comes in I either sell or donate a piece from my closet, the same goes for shoes.

|| Dress| Converse| Levi 501's| Bralette| Black Flats||

These are five items I'm dying to move into my closet to spice up my "I'm a working mommy of two that likes to brunch, eat Mexican and watch Netflix with my fiance" wardrobe. I have many different visions for each of these pieces that I really hope I can scoop them up. I'll keep you updated if they come my way, and hopefully they do, and with a major sale sticker attached to them!

Wedding Update

Yo yo yo,
are yo ready for this,
check the mic!

Roses are red
violets are blue
I have a little secret
I want to share it all with you.

While Michigan is great

we all do know,
 we're getting married next year

in beautiful MEXICO!

Alright, I'm no Eminem, that's fo sho! But do you know how long it took me to think of words that rhymed with Mexico...all I could think of was no beuno and know. So I stuck with English.

Yes friends, you read this right! I'm happy to announce I've deleted all Excel sheets with venues in Michigan and I've stopped trying to take everyone's busy lives into perspective and decided to do what WE need and want. This means the beach and sunshine with my boys, friends and family for a long vacation slash 30th birthday party slash wedding! That's a lot of slashes...

Here's how it all started...

It was the morning of New Years Eve and I was sitting at the dining room table enjoying my Starbucks while the boys were entranced by the little mouse that danced along our television. There was a bridal magazine that I had bought MONTHS ago (here's the proof) staring at me, begging me to open her. I casually started riffling through it. After I was half way through all I seemed to notice was the tropical scenery and disregarded all the "10 things every bride should know" shit that also encompassed the magazine. Jerek had mentioned a few times when I was crying talking about not finding any venues I liked that maybe we should just plan for 2016 that way we can have a date/location that we want instead of just settling somewhere to have it in 2015. So from the table I yelled 'Fine...we can have a 2016 wedding under one condition....we do a destination wedding...' That 1000 calorie egg bake he was whipping up was put on hold and in came Jerek into the room, I just kept blabbing away. After some more talking we had this great idea that we would still do something in the fall of 2015 for people that couldn't do Mexico BUT it would be more along the lines of a wedding shower/celebration and not the actual wedding, a girlfriend in the wedding biz calls these "pre-ceptions" {so using that!}

The pre-ception will be held at my moms/boyfriends house {shes probably cringing hearing that because she said shes "too old to refer to him as her boyfriend"} they have a gorgeous back yard with a pond, barn and plenty of space for there to be a bounce house! Yes a bounce house was a requirement for the party. Did your wedding shower have a bounce house...cause ours will! We will have about 20 kids invited and I know I'll be on that thing as well; growing up is for fools! We can talk style and ideas later, don't worry, we will, but basically I want the party to a vintage-chic-celebration-wedding-shower-BBQ-affair, that makes sense right? While we will be registering, I don't want to open gifts in front of people {that gives me pure anxiety!}, I want family and friends coming together for all the kids to play, eat some great food and just hang out and enjoying each others company. This will be an option for anyone that is also coming to Mexico to attend both, either or if it's just not in the books, than neither. There will be no feelings hurt of any kind if people can't make either or both functions.

A few months ago I posted a question on Facebook asking where people for wedding venue recommendations. I had some people tell me to do a destination wedding that I wouldn't regret it.While I secretly wanted this I've always just felt extremely guilty about it. While Jerek is the last to get married on his side of the family I am the first on both my mom and dad's side. I started feeling guilty looking at venues 3 hours away by the water so I started looking at huge vacation rentals in Port Huron which then led me to feel guilty again. I felt inclined to keep it local so that it was doable for all family and friends. But as the months have passed I showed less and less interest in even talking anything wedding related because I just didn't care much. I had no ambition to plan it or look at venues and was getting anxious from it all. Worst of all I know Jerek could tell and I felt horrible.

Most girls are ready to start wedding planning months, even years before they are proposed to. They know where they want to get married, who will stand with them, what type of dress they want to find and the music they want played. I've been to and worked enough weddings to know what I don't want but that was the extent of my wedding views. If you've been reading my blog for a while now you probably know that I've never fit that typical bride description. While I have been pinning things to my wedding board for years it's basically been for shits and giggles, I've never really thought 'omg, I can't wait to plan my wedding one day!' I was more like 'omg, I can't wait to take a freaking vacation!' SO! We're doing just that!

So since we've signed contracts on the resort, and spoken with all our family and friends (so they aren't just finding out now via social media!) and we have an official wedding date I'm so excited to finally share the details with everyone now!

We will be getting married on April 5, 2016 in Cancun, Mexico! 

If you've been biting your tongue about asking me for wedding details, scared that I would snap your neck, fear no longer! I am over the moon happy now! While I'm now planning two parties, which ultimately would bring more stress, I'm actually very pretty relaxed about it all and excited, which is the best part! I think the part that excites me the most is Tracen. He can not stop talking about 'when we all get married on the beach together as a family.' That kid has a heart of Mother Theresa for his family people!

While this has been extremely long winded I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know, if you even care, that I will be doing wedding Wednesdays. These will be posts on here or videos on my Youtube channel. These will be full of feelings and emotions of the wedding planning process, the dresses I'm dying over {but probably can't afford}, the DIY's for both parties, the way I ask the girls to be my bridesmaids {yeah, still haven't done that, woops!} and the list could go on. I'm just so happy to finally be excited to talk about the wedding details so bare with me if I become annoying, it's okay, I won't be offended.

Thanks again for everyone's input on things over the last 6 months. For never making me feel bad that I wasn't all mushy gushy about wedding planning and for being so supportive to all of us. And yes, everything will be vlogged by myself and HOPEFULLY by Jerek as well. Especially since I've been getting tons of texts and comments about how they loved that Jerek vlogged, I told you he's a keeper! If you're wondering what I'm talking about, here is the video.

my favorite stage is now

Michigan summer is finally within view and I'm starting to day dream of that packed calendar. One that I don't mind having in all honesty. Working full-time I don't get to see everything that the boys do, in fact I probably get to see about 60% of their lives if I'm being honest with myself. Some days that stresses me out more than others. We are very lucky to have a great daycare and family that watch the boys while we are off working. With the long summer months ahead of us I find myself always saying that I'm looking forward to this or I can't wait till that but how is it I'm never really just content with the now.

When Sky was just a wee blob Jer and I use to talk about how we couldn't wait till he was able to sit up and interact on the floor with Tracen. Then it became we couldn't wait till he could run around and play pretend and lately we've even joked about how nice it's been that Tracen's "job" is to let the dog out when asked. Flash forward from those conversations and we are here, those things are happening and my little baby is no where to be found.

Taking a step back though and realizing all that's happen in the last 5 years is crazy. Time really does fly when you're having fun as cliche as that sounds. Our weekends may be a little boring from time to time as they are filled with grocery shopping, laundry {or lack there of doing} but they are always filled with smiles and laughter and a few smart ass comments from myself to Jerek {how does he even put up with me?!}

Live for today {in German}

When Tracen was a little over a year old I went and got my second tattoo {notice the crazy dark hair!} one I had been wanting for a while. Living in the moment or the day is something I have to constantly remind myself to do, to live for the everyday, and not just the big and exciting things that we tend to always look forward to. At times we can get so caught up on the large goals, the trips we're headed on or the money we're making that we tend to forget about the small things, the everyday things that make us happy or maybe just the things that get us by.

Both boys are growing at such a rapid rate I swear some days I just can't keep up. I find myself wishing Skylor would just be done teething or instantly be potty trained. At these same moments I then realize that he's almost two and where the hell has my baby gone. There are days when they play together so well that I can cook dinner without a peep and I think, this, this is my favorite stage. Every night when I put Tracen to bed and tell him good night I hope that maybe that night will be the night he actually sleeps in his own bed. There have been a handful of mornings I wake up and he's not next to me and I start thinking maybe I should take back everything I said the night before!

No matter what stage you are in make it your favorite. The sleepless nights will pass and maybe they won't but they won't be the end of the world in the greater scheme of things. The neediness of constantly longing to be attached at your hip will subside and they will soon enough be teenagers that you will beg to have dinner with you. Regardless,

BE. HERE. NOW.

April Goals

March has been a very busy month, hence why I'm posting this a few days into April. Despite the fact that there were 31 days in the month it flew by. If my vlogs tickle your fancy you can see the last 3 weeks of March here!

Lets get this recap underway shall we!

1. Plan Jerek's birthday-  DONE! A short video should be up shortly (he vlogged his day for me!!!) I did a little gift/scavenger hunt on Tuesday followed by dinner with his sister and brother in law. Stay tuned for an announcement for what we'll be doing to celebrate his 30th birthday next year, it's very exciting!

2. Step up my gym game- I didn't really step it up but I didn't really let myself down, I kinda just did the same gym schedule that I've been doing. With that being said, I haven't noticed much change and that's something I was definitely looking for. Hopefully April brings me some motivation to start running outside again.

3. Finish kitchen refresh- DONE! Well 99.9% done! We have 2 more pieces of hardware we need to pick up from the store this weekend and THEN it's 100% done! {Post/pictures coming soon.}

4. Clean the upstairs carpets- Mega fail. We need to get our carpet cleaning machine back from our friends and I failed at attempting to even do so! Renee, if you're reading this, remind me that I need to grab it from you! HOLLA!

3 days deep into April but here we go!

1. Finish Secret Project- stay tuned for something really exciting I've been working on for a bit now! I know, I know, what a dickwad thing for me to say huh! I promise it will be worth the wait but by the end of April you will know all about it!

2. Finalize Wedding Plans- You are probably wondering what the hell is going on with the wedding plans. I basically warned people to never ask me about them in prior posts because I was so flustered with all the planning. Never you fear I came around and we've been planning planning planning! I recently just signed some contracts so stay tuned for that announcement soon too!

3. Run Outside- Still keeping my gym schedule up but I want to add at least 1 more day of working out and this needs to be running outside. I'm planning on doing the Detroit half marathon this year and want to train for it. Unlike last year when I just showed up and ran a 10k {and did pretty damn good actually!} This year I want to have a time goal to work towards.

4. Figure out a skin care routine- I'm 28 years old and still haven't really mastered anything that works for me! With a wedding coming up in the near future I want to dive full in and take care of my red, blotchy, sensitive skin. While I love me some beautiful makeup, having better skin will make my makeup look even better!

We're going to keep it at that for this month. With all these secrets I need to concentrate on I don't want to dig to deep of a hole for me to climb out of.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend and have a great holiday with friends and family!