Beauty Holiday Gift Guide

I wanted to share my top beauty picks for the season with you any of which would make fabulous holiday gifts.  I, like most girls love anything that makes me feel beautiful.  As I'm getting older I'm also having to work harder on looking my best:(  So several of these products counteract the aging process and help us ladies with the youthful look we want.

Do you want an eye-popping look this holiday season?  Who doesn't?!?!  You've got to try Rodan +Fields' Bright Eye Gift set to do just that.  The first product, Lash Boost grants you lush, longer lashes in as little as four weeks.  A nightly application of the serum is super easy just like applying eyeliner.  The Bright Eye Complex is the second product which brightens and revitalizes your eyes.  It reduces dark circles, puffiness and dullness.  The last item is the studded eye lash curler that you're totally going to need once your lashes lengthen.  You can get this amazing set HERE from the sweetest and most knowledgeable R+F consultant, Hannah Janz.

  

Anyone else terrified from the fine lines and wrinkles creeping up?!?!  I am all about prevention and tackling the lines that are already there.  The Obagi Professional C Serum 10% does just that with a concentrated formula with 10% L-absorbic acid (Vitamin C).  It's a daily serum you apply after cleansing in the morning.

I feel like my look is only complete with lipstick but I was always to lazy to reapply throughout the day.  LipSense was life changing for me in the makeup department.  The colors are so vibrant and amazing and they actually do last ALL DAY!  You apply 2-3 coats in the morning and top with a gloss.  Usually I have to reapply the clear gloss a few times a day but the color lasts from morning to night.  My favorite holiday color is Fly Girl!

What's the most important beauty tool?  SLEEP!  Beauty sleep is the best product you can get, am I right?  I have the hardest time with sleep because I can never turn my brain off.  However, I found an essential oil from Sis & Oil that I rub on my wrists and in very little time it relaxes me and soothes me to sleep.  The aroma is heavenly as well.

LipSense opened the door for me to the parent company Senegence and I started trying some of their other products.  There are two others that I'm obsessed with and wanted to include on my beauty guide.  The ShadowSense is an eyeshadow that you apply with a wand (almost like LipSense) that stays in place all day long; no smudging or creasing.  I love the colors and the way it wears.  My absolute fave color is Mocha Java Shimmer!  I also recommend the LashSense with UnderSense.  The first step is applying UnderSense which is like a primer to coat and lengthen your lashes.  You finish up with the mascara.  Between this and the Lash Boost you will be using you will have the most gorgeous lashes!

Rodan + Fields Bright Eye Set
Obagi Professional C Serum
LipSense
ShadowSense
LashSense with UnderSense
Sis & Oil Essential Oils

For all my Fresno peeps several of these items are sold by local consultants and when I can I love supporting local.

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are honest and my own.

Cyber Monday

Although I braved the stores for Black Friday I'm trying to do the rest of my Christmas shopping online.  It saves me so much time avoiding driving from store to store.  I've updated all the codes for Cyber Monday below so that you have a one stop resource for all the best deals.  Most of these deals are the best of the year so stock up now.  Happy Saving!

Target

Extra 15% off. No code needed.

Old Navy

50% off Everything plus free cozy socks! Code: COZY

Gigi New York

20%-35% Off.  No code needed.

Victoria's Secret

Codes: BOGOBRAS, BOGOSLEEP, BOGOBEAUTY

Free $20 Holiday Reward Card when you spend $40 until 11/27. Free Shipping on $30+. 20% Off over $125

Macy's

Extra 20% and Free Shipping at $25 with code CYBER

SheIn

Up to 90% Off, free gift with any purchase.
Codes: LIS10, LIS15, LIS30

Holiday Cards with Minted

Is it just me or do Holiday Cards make you giddy?!?!  I love checking the mail during the holidays and seeing what cards we receive each day.  I equally enjoy planning out our Christmas cards each year.  It can seem like a lot of work but I have some tips for you to make the whole process simple.

Don't wait until the last minute to start planning or you will stress yourself out.  Book a photographer several months in advance and start thinking about a theme.  In the past we've done The Polar Express and No Place Like Home but this year I didn't do an overall theme just holiday colors and outdoor scenery.  Once you have the idea or theme in mind start shopping for your looks.  In the interest of saving money I always start in our closets and see what I can use that we already have then I buy to fill in.  I suggest using a variety of colors that coordinate; I stray away from matchy-matchy clothing.  You can see more of my suggestions on styling family photos here.

If you're looking for a new photographer look at their past body of work and ask for referrals.  Don't forget to discuss ahead of time what you are looking for: theme, style, poses, etc.  For example, do you want everyone looking at the camera and smiling or do you want action shots?  If you have young kids you should ask if the photographer has experience with children and getting them to engage.  We used the beautiful and extremely sweet Melissa Gotelli to take our family photos this year.  She's so patient and great with little ones!  

Next you need to pick a location.  If you have a theme pick something that compliments it.  If not, find a spot that you love.  Feel free to ask your photographer for a suggestion.  The night before picture day lay everything out pressed and ready.  Take a tide pen with you to the shoot and bring hairspray and a comb if you have little girls.  I may or may not bring some bribing candy!

The suspense of waiting for the photos just about kills me.  Once you receive them make your selections and decide which ones will make the cut for your Holiday Cards.  I used Minted to print our cards and I am so happy with the process and the final product.  There are countless options and great search options so you don't get overwhelmed.  The customization options will delight you. My favorite are printed envelopes including return address and/or mailing address.  The worst part of sending out cards is addressing them so this benefit is huge!  It makes the process so easy; they arrive in the mail and you just add postage and send.  However, Minted even gives you the option of buying postage so you literally have nothing to do once you hit order.  If you want you can receive a proof or even get guidance from a designer.  Minted has something for everyone and you'll be sure to find exactly what you can dream up.

Don't miss out on Minted's amazing sale going on right now (this is the best sale I've seen).  Click the banner to start looking for the perfect card:

Update: Don't fret if you missed Cyber Monday.  Click on banner to still get a discount.

Here are my favorite photos from our shoot with Melissa Gotelli:

Cards received in exchange for this review.  As always all opinions expressed are honest and my own. 

Making a List, Checking Twice...Christmas Bucket List

Is it the decorations, the music, the parties, the chill in the air???  I don't know what it is but the Christmas season is the most magical time of the year.  I try to slow down at work this time of year so that I can soak in all the fun with my girls.  I'm sharing our Christmas Bucket List and would love to hear what you look forward to this time of year:

Black Friday Deals & Steals

It's the best shopping of the year!!! Happy Black Friday (and Black Friday Eve otherwise known as Thanksgiving)!  I'm all set and ready to go!  I know I can avoid the chaos and do most of my shopping online which I will do but I actually get a thrill from the real deal.  It's also a tradition for my mom and I.  A crossbody bag is an essential for some serious shopping so I always have both hands free.  I have some SERIOUS good news.... Gigi New York is giving one of you this exact bag!  See below for details to enter.

I'm sharing my favorite sales items from my favorite places.  These items are already in my shopping cart or on my wish list (family feel free to grab any of these for me, lol).  I've also included coupon codes so you can get the best deals.

Target

Friday only if you spend $50 or more you get 20% off one shopping trip between 11/28 and 12/10.

Save 40% on Home with code TURKEY

Old Navy

50% off Everything! No code needed.

Gigi New York

Spend $150+ Receive a striped wristlet, Spend $250+ Received a striped pouch, Spend $350+ Receive both.

Victoria's Secret

Codes: BOGOBRAS, BOGOSLEEP, 15OFF10, SHIP40, PJBONUS, BOGOBEAUTY

Free $20 Holiday Reward Card when you spend $40 until 11/27

Macy's

Extra 20% and Free Shipping at $49 with code HURRY

SheIn

Codes: CBT15, CBT5, LIS30, SNOW20

Friday Favorites 11/17

Woo-Hoo to Friday and vacation!  I'm so excited for the girls to have a week off.  We have relaxing on the books and little fun too.  Here's my favorites from the past few weeks:

We took our boat out to our family ranch to store it for the Winter and so we took the girls for the first time to see the ranch and dairy.  The ranch was my all time favorite place in the whole world and it's where I spent most of my summers and weekends as a little girl.  It's quite sad that we haven't taken the girls out before but I was so excited to take them.  We fed the cows, climbed the hay stacks, and explored the dairy.  Both the girls were absolutely in love and it made my heart so happy to show the girls a part of my childhood.  

We are far from the clean living household but as I've shared in the past I am trying to make small steps in the right direction.  Don't get me wrong I don't see us ever living chemical free and eating all organic but making some changes for all our health are in order.  I've heard so much about essential oils so I've decided to give them a try.  Not only do the oils excite me but the sisters behind the company are equally awesome.  Sis & Oil was started about a year ago by two sisters, Megan and Shelby when they were looking for a path of wellness.  Essential oils of course have a beautiful fragrance but their benefits far exceed the scents including better sleep, clearer skin, better digestion and better mood.  Sis & Oil use oils from Young Living which can be used in three ways: topically, aromatically or through ingestion.  Oils offer an option that is far less toxic for us and still improve wellness.  If you have questions or would like to try some essential oils please contact Sis & Oil.

Sweet Emily Turns 6!

Emily awoke on her birthday and proudly stated that she was taller now that she was 6 and by golly I think she actually was.  I stared at my beautiful girl and saw a taller and more mature little girl.  Kevin and I can not begin to fathom where the time went and how we have a six year old (who's going on 26).  Emily started her day off with a donut cake followed by a day of spoiling in her class and finished with a pizza party with the grandparents at home.  I think its safe to say that Emily had a fun and blessed day.

Styling Holiday Card Outfits

I get so excited about Holiday cards; I love receiving them and I love planning ours!  I will be sharing my Holiday Card guide in the next few weeks but today I'm sharing how to style your family outfits.  I suggest that you buy a few options and photograph them to see how they pair and what they look like on camera.  I've done that here and would love to hear your opinions.

When picking out your looks keep in mind if you have a theme or what your background will be.  You don't want to clash with your surroundings.  Also please don't be matchy matchy!  Gone are the days where everyone wears a white shirt and jeans.  I have two girls and although they frequently match, when it comes to photographs I prefer that they coordinate rather than match.  When looking at options I highly recommend mixing patterns and textures to give variety and depth.  I frequently love adding layers as well although I'm not doing that this year.  I suggest at least one pop of color for greater impact.  When I'm weighing my options I like to make small changes like just changing out one person's shirt to see how that makes a difference.  As you can see those small changes create lots of options for you.  When trying to narrow it down first decide which color scheme you want.  For example I have a red and blue option and a wine, orange, yellow and blue option.  From there make your final selection.  

Make sure to have everything cleaned, steamed and ready to go the night before.  Don't forget to lay out accessories and shoes as well.  Bring a tide pen with you and a backup option in case anything happens during your shoot.  Happy planning!

Option 1:

Home for the Holidays-Holiday Decor

The clock strikes midnight on Halloween and BAM it's Christmas everywhere (I heard Christmas songs in a store this morning)!  I have to admit that it makes me sad that we jump straight from Halloween to Christmas and breeze over Thanksgiving.  Even though I ban Christmas carols until Black Friday I do start prepping for Christmas early on.  It's such a magical time of year and since you work so hard on the decor and fun you might as well enjoy it as long as possible.  My tradition every year is to do a little Black Friday shopping early in the morning and then spend the rest of day decorating like a mad woman.  My husband does the exterior lights and puts up the trees and I go wild with the decor.  Every year I feel a little like pulling my hair out during the chaos but feel so festive and satisfied when it's all done.  There's nothing like a home at Christmas.

If you're like me and convert to Christmas immediately following Thanksgiving then it's already time to start shopping and prepping.  For me I decorate each area of the house a little differently.  Our formal dining room and living room are white, champagne and silver.  Whereas our family room is traditional red and kelly green.  The girls have a tree in their room and we decorate with shades of pink.  I like keeping everything outside classic and simple so clear lights, wreaths and pillows on our porch bench.  No yard art for this house, lol!