Life lately: Christmas with the Smiths

 We're kinda Christmas procrastinators.  I did a lot of our Christmas shopping the week of Christmas and we didn't go do Christmas-y things until about two weeks before.  We had a lot of fun seeing Jackson's reaction to everything.  Some things he really loved (like the decorations) and other things he wasn't as excited about (like opening presents).

The first Christmas thing we did this year was go to Christmas Village in Ogden.  It was so weird this year because there was absolutely no snow and no ice.  I mean, it's not Christmas Village if you're not slipping around and having to hold your date's hand right?

My favorite thing is watching these two together!  Steve is such a great dad and Jackson has so much fun with him.

I love the clouds on the mountains in this picture!  We went up to my little sister's dance recital and really enjoyed watching her dance.  She did so good!

On Christmas Eve we went to my Aunt's and visited with my cousins and we did the Nativity.  We have done this for years and it gets funner every year as we all get older.
This year my favorite part was making Jackson a sheep.  We finally got him to say "Ahhh!" (his version of Baa) right before we started and then he randomly said it throughout the Nativity (just like a real sheep would have).

I had to take the pen and shoe away from him to try to get him to open his present.  We only got him one big present and everyone else spoiled him.  We thought that would probably happen and I'm glad we just got him the dump truck.

This last picture is a very tame version of the mess our house was in for about a week post-Christmas.  Christmas is so much fun, but I am so glad it is only once a year!  We've finally got everything all put away and are back to normal life.  
I hope everyone else had a great time and has recuperated as well :)

Gift Guide 2014 for the Beauty Obsessed

I love all of the beauty gift sets that come out around this time of year!  There are so many affordable options for sampling high cost brands.  I found a few that really intrigued me, and that had high reviews, to put together this post.

Two years ago I bought a benefit gift set at a great price and I was so excited about it.  I actually ended up hating all of the products, but I was so glad that I was able to try them at well below full price.  After that experience I have started looking at reviews closer and trying to find products that will work for me.

All of the products above had high reviews :)

1. Too Faced Bronzer Wardrobe Collection $22 Sephora

This set comes with four bronzer shades, including two of Too Faced's famous chocolate bronzers and a brush for applying.  It has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on sephora.com the most common complaint is that the packaging is cardboard.  I don't really care what it's in as long as it is amazing :)

2.  Benefit The Real Steal $24 Ulta

The Real Steal features the cult favorites They're Real mascara and Push Up liner and They're Real remover, the liner has an amazing applicator for precise liner.  The set is rated 4 out of 5 stars on Ulta.com.

3.  Caviar Stone Bracelet $14 Vanity

I know this isn't technically a beauty item, but I wanted to include some pretty jewelry too.  This bracelet is from Vanity.com and I think it is stunning.

4.  EOS. A Ray of Holiday Sunshine Rachel Roy $6 Ulta

I can't get over this price for 3 EOS balms!  The trendy balm's moisturizing properties are up for debate in the review section, but they still earned a 4.5 out of 5 rating.  At this price it would be a great way to try them.

5.  Sephora Favorites Spray of Sunshine Fragrance Sampler For Her $24 Sephora

I read about what a great deal these samplers were over and over again last holiday season.  The set includes samples of multiple high end fragrances.  You use the samples and determine which is your favorite, you then turn in a card that is in the sampler for a rollerball of your chosen fragrance.  The reviews were favorable with the exception that you can only get the rollerball at a Sephora store that is not in JCP.

6.  Tarte Golden Days and Sultry Nights Amazonian Clay Collector's Shadow Palette $24 Sephora

The colors in this palette are so gorgeous!  They apply as more of a sheer shade and are not as dramatic as they appear in the palette.  The palette itself is gorgeous and contains full size shadows.

7.  Gem Stone Head Wrap $9 Vanity

This wrap has some nice chunky stones that would be gorgeous for any dressy look.

8.  Sexy Hair Voluptuous Volume $16 Ulta

Pump up the volume in your hair with Spray and Play hairspray and Root Pump Plus, this kit has a perfect 5 out of 5 stars rating with two rave reviews.

9.  Beaded Dream Catcher Earrings $7 Forever21

These are the most gorgeous earrings in my book!  They have beautiful details and are perfect mini dream catchers.  There are a lot of other pretty jewelry options on F21's site.

10.  Sephora Collection Bronzed and Blushing Face Palette $15

A large mirror and three decent sized powders come in this kit.  The blushes and bronzers are super pigmented and a little goes a long way.  This set has a 4.1 out of 5 star rating on Sephora.com.

11.  NYX Butter Lip Gloss Sugar Rush Set $10 Ulta

These lip glosses are very hydrating and non-sticky and come in three yummy flavors.  This set has a 5 out of 5 star rating on Ulta and the Butter Lip Glosses have a 4.5 rating.

12.  BareMinerals Beauty Obsessed $25 Ulta

This kit comes with trial sized eyeliner, mascara, bronzer and blush duo, and lipgloss.  The set has a 4.5 out of 5 star average rating on Ulta.com.

13.  Faux Crystal and Feather Pendant Necklace $5 Forever 21

I really like the look of these stacked single pendant necklaces that is trendy right now.  I also love the boho feel of the crystal and the feather on this one.

14.  Lorac Party Eyeshadow Palette $24 Ulta

This palette is so pretty!  The shades are super pigmented and shimmery.  Perfect for a party!  It is brand, spankin' new so there are no reviews on Ulta, but searching online I found a rave review and it was enough to convince me to keep it in this guide.

Do you have a beauty wish list this holiday season?  Let me know in the comments below.

Take a Trip Thursday: Packing tips and Hawaii Pics

Napali Coast Kauai

You know how some people have the most gorgeous, coordinated, well put together outfits when they travel?  I am not one of those people.  At all.  I have made a lot of packing blunders in the past.  I'm still not the perfect packer, but I thought I could share what I have learned so far. :)

1.  Plan ahead:  Waiting until the last minute results in grabbing many miscellaneous items that may or may not go well together.  I have learned this the hard way.  Also it is hard to pack the right amount when you are in a hurry.
2.  Plan multiple outfits with your pieces:  As you decide what pieces you want to take lay them all out and start putting together potential outfits.  You want clothes that you feel comfortable in and that work well together.  I am very bad at grabbing a bunch of my favorites and then finding out on the trip that I only can make a few outfits and that some pieces don't match with anything :(
3.  Dress for your activities:  Take your itinerary and decide, based on what you are doing each day, what you should plan on wearing.  You don't have to plan everything out to a T, but if you are going to be doing a ton of hiking (like we did in HI), you will want multiple outfits that work for that activity and less outfits for other activities.  

We brought old shoes for hiking.  Thank goodness!

Our trip consisted mainly of hiking with a side of driving and beaching :)

Waimea Canyon

4.  Bring at least one "fancy" outfit:  It is nice on vacation to go out to a nice dinner or do some shopping at least once.  It isn't as much fun when you feel like the frumpy tourist.
5.  Don't under or over pack:  I have decided that slightly over packing is better than under packing.  I tend to under pack, but I am getting better :)  Once again look at your activities and then how many days you will be gone.  Plan maybe one extra just in case outfit, but not three. :)

You can't tell from the picture but there is a nice swimming hole right here...

see we're actually standing up in this pic.

We hiked, waded, and kayaked to get to the swimming hole.

Maliuhi Road

Poipu Beach 

I bet you want to go to Kauai now ;)  It was a fun trip!

Thanks so much for reading!!  Comment if I should do a post about traveling cheaply.  Also if you have any packing tips I would love to hear them!

linking up with: BeYoutiful Link Party

Summer Makeup Kit

Summer makeup is a bit of a different animal.  You don't particularly want to look made up, but you want to look radiantly gorgeous.  You want to look like your absolute best self.  Like, "Hey!  Look how good the sun and this gorgeous summer weather has been to me."  

These are some of my favorite products to help you get this kind of a look and to make it last through sweat and summertime adventures.

e.l.f. Studio BB Cream $6- This BB cream has the best coverage out of the BB creams I have tried so far.  It is still lighter and more moisturizing though than foundation, which makes it great for Summertime :)  Also it has SPF 20. e.l.f. Essential All Over Color Stick in Persimmon $1- This is great as a blush and you can use it as eyeshadow, I really like it best for blush though, and I tried it on my lips once and it wasn't cute at all.  Ha ha!  Pink Lemonade or Golden Peach would also be great shades for Summer. e.l.f. Complexion Brush $3- This brush works great for powder for setting your foundation, for blush, and for bronzer.  It is very soft and dense and has a great shape. NYC Mosaic Face Powder in Pink Cheeky Glow $3- This is an amazing matte (not sparkly) pink blush that is very flattering on all skin tones.  It has great color payoff and because it is a mosaic you can very your color slightly depending on where you sweep your brush.  Applying this over the apples of your cheeks over the color stick helps your makeup set and last even longer. e.l.f. Studio Baked Bronzer in St. Lucia $3- I love this bronzer for adding a touch of warmth, I used to contour my jaw line and everything with it but realized it's not quite the right shade for that.  Use the complexion brush with this and apply it just below and slightly on the bottom of where you applied your blush.  Then around the top of you forehead, a bit on the bottom of your chin and along the sides of your nose and a bit down the sides of your neck if your face is looking darker than your neck.  So use it kinda as a contour and kinda as a bronzer and it will be great :) e.l.f. Mineral Eye Shadow Primer $3- This is a great primer for eye makeup.  Apply it all over your eyelids and it will keep makeup from creasing and help it last longer.  For Summer proof makeup apply this then your eye  e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot in Cruisin' Chic $3- You can use this for a one color eye look that is multidimensional and perfect for Summer.  Just use your fingertip to pat it onto your lower lid from inner corner to outer corner then smudge into your crease. Avon Kohl Eyeliner in Intense Brown or True Black $3.99 (on sale)- This eyeliner is so easy to apply.  It glides on smoothly and you can smudge it out a bit for a great almost smokey eye look.  It does not smudge or smear throughout the day though. Maybelline Define-A-Lash Waterproof Mascara $7- This is a great lengthening, defining mascara.  It gives more of a natural look that I love for Summer.  The waterproof formula is great for a pool day. e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit $3- Gorgeous defined brows will take your makeup to the next level.  This brow gel and powder will make perfecting your brows easy-peasy. I did not include it in the picture, but a great setting material for your makeup in summer is cornstarch.  So if you are not a fan of the dewy look that this BB cream may leave you with, use that same complexion brush and dip it in a bit of cornstarch and tap, tap, tap the excess off and then apply sparingly to your t-zone and wherever else.  Sparingly is the key here.  See more here.

Thanks so much for reading!! Comment below with your favorite Summer makeup products. Linking up with Makeup Monday here, and #MondayFunday here, and Peacoats and Plaid here.

Fall Fabulousness

There are so many amazing things to love about fall.  Crunchy leaves, boots, sweaters, the trees changing colors, cooler weather, hot cocoa, pumpkin flavored everything, Halloween and fall decorations--it's just a very comfy, cozy season.

This fall I can't really plan on making a leaf pile and jumping in it like I have loved doing with friends in past falls.  But I do want to do some cute fall maternity pictures.  I think it would be cool to maybe be in a leaf pile, go to a pumpkin patch, or if nothing else just have beautiful fall leaves in the back drop.

Here's some fun photos from past falls :)

 Steve and I made this huge leaf pile when we were dating and had so much fun jumping into it.  We also carved pumpkins with my family that fall.  Last fall we did family pictures with my family up along the Ogden River Parkway and by the Timbermine.