Books, Books, Books!

I've always been a bookworm. Can I get all braggy for a sec? Ok, great. I taught myself to read when I was barely three. I mean, I'm not sayin' I was a child genius or anything {cuz I think the Montessori background had a lot to do with it} but you know, I've been reading for over two decades. ;)
And I haven't been reading piddly books.

I like novels.
Classics. {Oh, Jane Eyre!}
Fiction.
Non-fiction.
Mystery has been of interest lately.
Oh, and Fifty Shades. Oh, that's for sure been of interest!

I used to stay up late and read until after my parents went to bed. I'd finish a book in one night. I loved {and still do!} how you can get lost in a book - and when it ends you're sad because there's nothing left to read. The characters of the book seemed so real to you while you're reading them that you miss them when the book is over. And then it takes some time to come back to reality...

Now, I still do stay up late and read - but not as often. If I stay up until 1am reading, that means I get less than 4 hours of sleep to fuel me to work a 13 hour day. You can imagine how that goes. So when I have a couple days off in a row, I'll sometimes choose to read to my little heart's content.

What am I reading these days?

I love Jodi Picoult. Her writing style makes it easy to get tied up in everything - plus, it seems that there is a courtroom in every book of hers. Law is interesting to me, so it works.
I read the Hunger Games Trilogy in as many days over Winter break. I loved the first book, thought the second was good, and kind of really didn't like the last one. I hate when that happens.
I've also read Fifty Shades recently. I thought the same thing about this trilogy as I did with the Hunger Games: the first book was my favorite. I was kind of glad that the sex scenes became less frequent in the third book because I was totally into the story. What kind of freak reads that kind of book for the story line? Psh, this girl, that's who.
Laura Hildebrand's Unbroken was a great book, too. I'm not usually into historical stuff {because the dates get all jumbled in my head} but I really enjoyed it.
Shauna Niequist was recommended to me and while I've had a hard time finding time to read it {I have to read her short stories in a certain mindset}, there have been a couple stories that I've dog-earred and will be coming back to again and again.

I also enjoy books from Charlaine Harris and Nicholas Sparks. Something about their writing style is appealing and easy for me to read.

Why don't you take a peek at a couple of my bookshelves and see what's there?

Told you I liked Jodi Picoult! 

I also have a NOOKcolor from Barnes and Noble. I have quite a few books on there, too. It's nice to have an e-reader to take to work, to travel with, and to buy books quickly, but I also prefer to read books in bed when they're hard copies. I'll read off the NOOK if I have a good book on there, but I like the book-in-bed experience.

What have you been reading lately? Share some good reads with me; I'm ALWAYS looking for good books to read!

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Dream Home {but first an announcement}

Before I get to the prompt, I'd like to explain why I didn't have a Summer Blog Challenge post yesterday. See, I've come to the conclusion to write them less often. I first started the challenge to give my readers a lot of information about me, so that they could get to know me better. After doing forty three days of Challenge posts without a day off, I think you guys have a better idea of who I am than when I started this back in June. At the same time, I think that the Summer Blog Challenge posts were starting to take over your GFC feeds and my other content - the posts with lots of meat- was falling through the cracks. So, the last four weeks of the Challenge is going to be a little different around here: you'll still see posts that are being prompted {like this one!} but you'll also start seeing other posts. I've got a few more people for you to meet and some great things I want to share with you. It's change, but it's a good change! Keep reading; stick around :) It's only going to get better!

August 2 - What's one feature you would love to have in your dream home?

My dream home is something I know quite well. I know what I like for finishes and what kind of features I want the home to have. I can't share just one - I've got a list of dreams for my home!

I love dark hardwood floors {or floors that look like dark hardwood}.

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I love a beautiful, yet functional, white kitchen. Oh, that farmhouse sink! Be still my heart.

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I love a shower that make me feel like I'm in a spa.

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And I love a gorgeous foyer.

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Check out my Future Home Wish List board on Pinterest to see what other home features I'm lusting over.

What are some must-haves in your dream home? And, hey, while you're down there commenting, let me know what you think about me reducing the amount of Summer Blog Challenge posts. Are you happy about it? Sad? I'd love to hear what you think, lovelies!

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. 
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Black & White

July 31- Post a black and white photo you've taken.


Blog friends, meet Apollo - cutest little dog known to man.

I love black and white photos of landscapes but this little gem worked out pretty nicely, too!

Update:
Adding the same photo in color by request! It's straight out of the camera - no edits except rounding of the corners and adding YAMAW the the corner.

Do you like black and white photos or color photos?

P.S. Don't forget to pop over to Facebook and 'like' You.And.Me.Are.We's page!

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

I'm No Artist!

July 30- Are you an artist? Show some artwork or doodling you've done. Don't do art? Share something you like then.


I'm no artist, that's for sure. I'm all about stick people, smiley face sunshines, and babies with the little curly cue of hair on their head. Yeah, I'm that bad.

I do appreciate art, though! My favorite is VanGogh's Starry Night... something about the colors, the shapes, the emotion...

I have a print of this in our guest room/office. The colors go perfectly with the blues/teals that we have for the bedding and other decor!

There are so many VanGogh pieces that I like:

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Are you an artist? If so, I am definitely jealous! What have you created?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

I Always Said...

July 29- How does your life measure up to the vision you had when you were younger? Submitted by Sarah-Jayne @ Keep Up With the Jones Family


When I was younger, I never thought that I'd be married to a guy I went to high school with nor did I think I'd be married in my mid-twenties! I always imagined myself living in a bigger city, enjoying life until I was older and finally settle down closer to 30.


I also never thought I'd end up working in health care! It is such a different type of field than I thought I'd like. Turns out, I love it! I love my patients, I love my co-workers, I love the passion, and I love that we are helping people live better.


The university that I graduated from had always been the university that I swore I'd never go to. I was never a fan of the city that it's located in and now I work there {but still definitely hate the city itself}.


How ironic is it that my life is nothing like I envisioned it to be like when I was young?!


Oh well, it's my life and I am loving that I married my high school sweetheart, that we live so close to our families and not in a bigger city, and that I work in a hospital! I wouldn't change it for anything!


Is your life close to or nothing like what you thought it would be like when you were younger?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Roughing It

July 28- When was the last time you "roughed it"? Submitted by Kristen @ KtMoxie


Yeahhhhh. I'm not the "roughing it" type...


...so the last time I roughed it was probably the last time I was forced to go camping with my little brother and my dad. I'd guess I was around 15.


The "roughest" that I now get is sleeping in a crappy hotel... which has only happened once. It was the first night of our honeymoon and we were forced to find a hotel near the airport to try and sleep for 3 hours before our flight left at 5am. The hotel we were supposed to stay at lost our reservation and wasn't willing to work with us to right it... so we had to stay at another place.


Hey, on the bright side, we didn't get any bedbugs from the crappy hotel!


When was the last time you roughed it?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Wind Farms

July 27- Write up something about an alternative energy source.


A little known fact about Wisconsin is that our energy companies are required to have at least 10% of the energy they sell come from renewable sources by 2015. I'm all in favor of renewable energy - so much so that I think the 10% is too low! I'd love to see 40-50% of the energy come from renewable sources in the next few years - heck, how about ALL of it coming from renewable sources?!


There are a few areas within day-trip driving distance of our home that have "wind farms". That is, where there are communities in the country that have tens of windmills {more precisely, 168 in six towns in one county} strategically placed out of the flight paths of birds and bats. The energy is piped into the grid and sold to homes and businesses just like non-renewable energy.

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I've always agreed with green energy, specifically wind energy. Using wind to create energy seems like one of our best options for a sustainable future because wind is not taken away when it is used to make energy. Therefore, the same wind can be used to turn many, many wind turbines and create more energy than a finite resource like coal or natural gas.


What are your thoughts about renewable energies? How do you feel about windmills and wind-produced power?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Super Powers

July 26 - If you could have a super power, what would it be? - Submitted by Sarah-Jayne @ Keep Up With the Jones Family


As I mentioned in this beaut of a post, I would love to be able to read minds.

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One of my biggest pet peeves is being left out and with that comes the feeling that sometimes people are talking about me right in front of me without me knowing or are thinking nasty thoughts without saying them aloud.


If I could read minds, I'd be able to know exactly what people think of me and what they're thinking in general.


If you were a fly on the wall of our house, you'd know that I often say to Trevor "I'm not a mind reader, you know" because of an assumption on my part or his part about what we expected from a situation. It can lead to disappointment and hurt feelings and we always try to avoid that!


Sometimes people will have such a look of bliss on their face and I wonder what is going on in their heads. Other times, people get so angry due to lack of communication and expectations. If they would have just been honest about how they really feel or think, so many issues would have been non-issues.


I'm all about transparency... I guess that's why mind reading would be my super power of choice!


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Healthy Eating for Kids

July 25 - Give us 3 easy healthy meals or snacks for young kids & toddlers.

I was brought up eating lots of vegetables and not a lot of sugar {uh, duh, I grew up on an organic farm!}. I got to go with my mom or dad to the grocery store every weekend and pick out one sugary treat for the week. Then, I had to ration it {that was the hard part} so that it lasted me until the next weekend when I was allowed to get more. Maybe that's why I have such a sweet tooth, but that's besides the point. What I'm really trying to say here is that it's important for kids to eat healthy food!

Kids will eat when they're hungry. And if you teach them to make smart food decisions, they will - maybe not when they're 3 or 4, but when they're 33 or 34.

Any type of veggie is a good option for young kids and toddlers. As long as the pieces are small enough so they won't choke, all is well. Cut up bell peppers, carrots, and cucumbers for the kids to snack on!

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On the same note, encourage your kids to eat fruit. I've known plenty of young children who love to eat strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, and bananas. Again, cut them small enough so there is no choking hazard and let them feed themselves.

And finally, as a general tip, make food fun! Make kabobs, dip fruit in greek yogurt, allow your children to be a part of the meal planning/making process, cube up eggs and low-fat cheese and squish them between your fingers before eating, and theme your meals {I can still remember the Halloween dinners my dad used to make: witches hair (spaghetti), eyeballs (grapes), swamp water (water with food coloring in it), fingernails (almonds), etc.}. Whatever you do, enjoy your food together!

Nourish their bodies with healthy food and if they're anything like me, they will grow up craving salads and fresh fruit!


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Music, Lately

July 24 - What's a band that you've been listening to and liking lately?

Well, I talked about my love for Adam Hambrick's music in this post but in case you needed to be reminded, here's one of the most beautiful songs I've heard:


Pretty great, right?

I love the lyrics, the melody, Adam's voice, the guitar, everything!

I don't usually venture into country music teritory, but once I heard this song I couldn't help myself!

Also, this next song is from a group that's from Wisconsin. We caught them on Letterman the other night and I've been enjoying their music since! Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons:


So, what do you think? Do we have similar taste in music?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Beat the Summer Heat

July 23 - How do you beat the summer heat?

Honestly? I go to work. Pathetic, I know.
But hospitals always have to be cool enough for their patients... and it's their dime to cool the place, not mine! Perks of the job, I suppose.

We don't have central air at home - only a window unit that cools our bedroom - so when it's hot out we spend 99% of our time at home in our room. We set up a card table to eat dinner, we chat, we do homework, and we try not to get too sweaty. We're lazy bumps on logs when it's hot out!

Besides staying indoors where it's air conditioned, I enjoy eating really, really cold watermelon. Have you ever tried almost-frozen watermelon? You should! It's so refreshing.

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Another favorite is to head to our nearest lake on a hot day. Even if the water is warm, it's still great to hang out in the water especially if there's a nearby tree who's shadow we can hide under.

Trevor and I also like to use the heat as an excuse to eat ice cream but let's be honest - we never need an excuse to eat ice cream!

What do you do to stay cool when it's hot out?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. 
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

The Secret to Happy Plants

July 22 - What's your best gardening tip?

Well, you've seen the beginning of my garden here but it's grown quite a bit since then. We've had some Roma tomatoes, some peas, beans, and lots of lettuce already; all which were delicious!

Recently a little cucumber has started growing and I'm already looking forward to making pickles once I have enough cucs to keep me busy in the kitchen for an afternoon!

I can't say I'm a professional gardener but I do think I have a little bit of green on my thumb ;) It hasn't always been that way, but it's getting there!

The best tip I can give you {and I'm not joking here} is to water your plants.

Ok, I'll wait for you to stop laughing.

Better? Great. As I was saying, you want to make sure your plants aren't drying out!

When I first started trying to keep something alive {other than myself}, I couldn't figure out why my plants weren't thriving. They weren't dying but they sure as heck weren't really growing much!

I was a busy college student and didn't exactly put "watering the plants" at the top of my to-do list everyday. Heck, the plants were lucky if they got watered once a week! It wasn't that I was thinking plants only needed water on Sundays, it was more because I just plain didn't have time between taking classes for two degrees, working a paid job, an unpaid internship, and trying to do homework.

When life settled down and I was able to bust out my watering can more frequently, I noticed the plants perked up and actually grew. {Huh, who knew, you water plants and they grow!}

Now I water my outdoor plants depending on the weather. If it's going to rain, I hold off. But if it's supposed to be sunny I try and water my plants before work. I usually water them about 5 times a week.

My indoor plants are mostly outdoors for the summer but I do have two low-water, low-light plants that stay in. They get watered once a week, sometimes once every two weeks. It just depends on how moist the soil is.

If you're anything like I was and didn't realize just how much water plants need to thrive try adding another day or two to your watering schedule every week. You may be surprised just how nice they grow!
{and if all else fails just add some Miracle Gro to that baby and watch it go!}

What are your gardening tips?


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. 
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Summer Fun With Kids

July 21 - Talk about a free activity to do with children.

 A few summers ago, I spent 10 weeks teaching at a college prep school. I taught some math catch up classes for students who were to be attending the school in the fall and needed some help to get caught up to their peers but mostly I taught fun summer school classes. I taught a photography class, a cooking class, lots and lots of science classes, a nature class, and a 'let's get outside and run around so we fall asleep at the dinner table' class.
Ok, maybe the falling asleep at the dinner table was what I did - not what the kids did.

Anyways, I found that kids love the weirdest stuff. They don't care if you go out and buy super expensive water toys - they just want to throw sponges at each other. They don't care if you buy all the fixin's for ice cream sundaes - they just want to pour the chocolate sauce in their mouths. They don't care if you spent three hours the night before cutting out objects for your lesson plan - they just want to fold them up and make paper airplanes out of them.

I'm making it sound like I have no classroom management skills at all - which is not true in the slightest; I'm pretty decent at using my "teacher voice" and getting a classroom under control - but my point is that kids are going to be kids and that they just want to have enjoy their summers and have fun! They don't care if you spend all kinds of money on something because most likely they just want to spend time with you & their friends while having a great time!

My students loved a lot of free activities - here are just a few:

1) Go to the library and get as many books as you can carry. When it's rainy out or the kids aren't feeling well, books can be a wonderful alternative to movies and TV.

2) Cut up sponges and tie them together to make "water bombs".

3) Get out a hose and let the kids go wild. Pair this with #2 and you've got a water fight!

4) Head to the park and let the kids run until they can't run anymore. You'll thank yourself for doing it when they're in bed by 8 with no complaints :)

5) Go fishing, go camping, go exploring in your local state/county parks. Kids can collect leaves/stones/whatever to make their own "collections". If you want to get educational, have them figure out what each kind of rock is/what kind of tree each leaf is from/etc.

6) Start a garden. Flowers or vegetables - your choice! {looking for gardening tips? check back tomorrow! there's a whole post about gardening scheduled!}

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. 
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Winning the Lottery

July 20 - What would you do with the money if you won the lottery? - from Sara-Jayne at Keep Up With the Jones Family

Oh how I have thought about this question many, many times.

Trevor and I talk about it all the time.

Let's just say we won... oh, I don't know, $1,000,000... just for fun. That's not asking too much, right?! PowerBall jackpots get up into the tens of millions of dollars all the time so one measly million isn't crazy :)

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First, we'd pay off all of our student loans. We've got a hefty chunk of money coming out of our accounts every month just for school payments. It'd be great to get out of debt!

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Then, we'd buy new cars since ours aren't from the past decade. They run just fine, but I'd like something that I could drive without wondering the back of my head if it's going to make it through the winter.

We'd also buy a house. Nothing too big or anything - just something we could be comfortable in a raise a family in without having to move when we have kids and need more room.

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Next, we'd take a vacation. I wasn't kidding when I said I need to get my butt back to Jamaica! Maybe we'd even go to my dream destination to mix it up a little!

Finally, the rest of the money would go straight into our bank accounts and collect interest.

We've got a plan... now we just need to win the money!


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

President for a Day: Honesty About Politics

July 19 - If you were president for a day, what is one law you would change? - from Hannah at Baby Knows Best

Ok peeps, it's time to get honest. Sorry if this isn't pretty...

I really, really, really don't want to bring politics into You.And.Me.Are.We. Why, you ask? Well, as you know I'm from the great state of Wisconsin. If you've been tuned into American politics at all in the last year and a half there's a good chance you've heard about the crap our state has been dealing with. Here's a short story: we elected a governor, early last year he began taking away collective bargaining rights from state workers (think: teachers, DNR, etc.), this led to major protests at our state capitol (in Madison) and around the state {both of which lasted for weeks} because people were pissed, and a group collected enough signatures from citizens {around a million} to hold a recall election. The recall election was in early June and the current governor was not voted out.

Wisconsin protests (via)

What does this lame back story have to do with being president for a day? Well, the political turmoil in our state literally put neighbors at odds with neighbors, sisters are not speaking to brothers, jobs have been lost over opinions, and we have had enough political TV ads to last us a lifetime. {No, really, we've had constant political attack ads running on our TVs since last February - 17 months ago!}

I'm sick of politics. I'm sick of people getting their undies in a bunch because they aren't getting their way {this goes both ways}. I'm sick of politicians lying. I'm sick of backhanded, downright mean attack ads. I'm sick of it all.

And because of this, I'm afraid to share what I'd do if I were the POTUS for a day. What if I said I wanted to cut taxes? Then you'd all think I vote leaning right. What if I said I wanted to make sure there was enough money to take care of the mothers and children who don't have a place to call home? Then you'd all think I vote leaning left.

So I'm going to leave you with what I'd do that I think everyone can agree on: I'd make a law that forced both sides of the aisle to work together. I'd make a law that forbid Big Money from getting their paws all mixed up in Washington DC so that our politicians could work on healing our country by addressing the needs of our citizens. I'd make a law that wouldn't allow lawmakers to hide behind decisions - so that we could see exactly what our elected officials do.

Sorry for turning today's prompt into a little bit of a rant and for throwing in that little run-around. Outside of Blogging World, I enjoy discussing politics and come from a family that discusses that sort of thing around the dinner table. Normally, I'd have no problems telling you what I think because part of life is agreeing to disagree. But I've chosen to keep politics out of You.And.Me.Are.We for the most part because they are so polarizing and can cause huge rifts in relationships that were meant to be unbreakable.

I hope you understand and that you'll come back to read another {more positive post} tomorrow. I promise I won't be such a Debbie Downer!

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. 
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

When the Power Goes Out

July 18 - 5 things to do when the power goes out. - from Janelle at Domestically Seasoned

We've been pretty lucky where I live this summer. The power has gone out once - and that was during a big storm. It came back on in time for us to make dinner, so it hardly even counts!

However, my parents's house has had the power out a few more times than we have - and for much longer. The same night that our power went out because of the big storm, theirs went out for the whole night.

I can't even begin to imagine what it was like on the East Coast earlier this summer when they didn't have power for days upon days. Can you imagine how horrible fridges must have smelled after that? Intense heat with no power is not something I'd like to experience, thank you very much.

Is it just me or does time seem to go slower when there's no power? Here are five things I like to do when the power is out to make time pass quicker.

1) If it's not too hot out, get outside and go for a walk! Trev and I have tried running together and it wasn't so awesome. Now, we walk so that we can talk about our days while getting exercise.

2) Read a book. A REAL book. Not a textbook for school, not a magazine, not an e-book. A book with pages and ink and story line that just sucks you in!

3) Take a nap... or go to sleep altogether. There is never enough sleep in my daily routine. I'll take a couple extra hours if I can get them!

4) Play cards by candlelight. Trevor and I like to play Uno in bed. Don't ask me why; we'll play it sitting in the living room, too, but for some reason the cards always end up back in the nightstand. It's a nice way to wind down before bed and the game is simple enough that we can carry on a discussion while we play.

5) If all else fails and you're still bored out of your skull, make a fort. You are NEVER too old to rearrange the living room, drape sheets and blankets over everything, and sleep on the floor. Never too old!


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Random Act of Kindness

July 17 - Write about a random act of kindness. - from Janelle at Domestically Seasoned

We've all heard about people paying for other people's coffee or highway tolls but I still don't think there's enough kindness in the world. Sure, they may have good intentions but I think sometimes people perform random acts of kindness in a selfish way {to make themselves feel good} rather than fully embracing the idea behind the act - being kind to strangers for no reason except to be kind!

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Last Christmas Eve, Trevor and I ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I think we were en route to a family gathering after having just been at another. It just so happened that the Chinese place was one of the only places open!

It was a delicious meal and we were surprised at how busy the restaurant was! As we were getting ready to leave, an older couple came in and started eating. They were seated near us but kept to themselves. On our way out the door, I bought a gift certificate that covered their lunch. While Trevor went to pull the car up to the door, I dropped the gift certificate on their table, wished them a Merry Christmas, and left.

Now, I didn't do it to make me feel good - I did it to be kind - but it definitely made me feel like I brightened someone's holiday and maybe even inspired them to pass the kindness along.

Maybe, just maybe, I've inspired you to do something similar. Try paying for someone's newspaper, coffee, ice cream, or toll next time you pay for it yourself. It's a small price to pay for spreading kindness to others!

Still need to be inspired? Check out 366 Random Acts of Kindness and this great blog post!

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge.
To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!


Sharing at Domestically Seasoned!

Interior Designing

July 16 - Favorite room in your house. - from Carrie at Frugal Foodie Mama

Sorry to tell you that you aren't going to be seeing a room in my own home for this writing prompt today. The one room that I would show you {may} be part of an upcoming DIY post and I want to do a little room tour then... so for today you get to read all about my dream room!

I love the idea of having a serene bedroom. I'd fill it with relaxing elements and photos of my loved ones so that it would be a great escape from the crazy world that we all live in!

First, I'd paint my walls this color:

Benjamin Moore - Smoke Embers

Have hardwood floors that look like this:

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Throw down a rug or two:

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Add some furniture:

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Some bedding:

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And top it off with some fresh peonies:

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Ta-da! Relaxing, not too busy, and classic - my little oasis!


This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

You Put WHAT on Your WHAT?!

July 15 - Share any makeup routine tips. - from Libby

Ever have those days where your makeup just melts off of you?
By noon it looks like you have nothing on?

I have fairly oily skin. Even though I'm in my mid-20s, my skin is worse now than it was when I was in high school. Go figure. Anyway, I know all too well about makeup melting off my face!

One year, for a birthday gift, my mother-in-law bought me a bunch of Smashbox primers. There was an eyelid primer, a lip primer, an eyelash primer, and {my favorite} Photofinish foundation primer.

Man, I used that stuff all the time. And it worked. And I was happy.
Until the little tube ran out.

So I hopped online hoping to buy another tube of it... and my jaw dropped. Because they wanted me to pay $40 for an ounce. One single ounce. I didn't realize that it was like liquid gold!

Being my little super sleuth self, I started doing some digging online looking for a place I could buy it for cheaper. I noticed a couple forums mentioned an alternative... but I thought they must be kidding... because, no, you wouldn't put THAT on your FACE...

Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. And I'm glad it did! Because one trip to Target later I had found a tube of makeup primer for one eighth of the cost and 1.5 ounces of the Smashbox stuff... and it worked even better than the Photofinish!

So I bet you wanna know what it is...

Don't go thinking I'm a weirdo because I tried this.

In fact, you should be trying this too.
Really. You should.

I put Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel on my face and it worked better than the name brand liquid gold. Yeah. I said Monistat. You know, like the yeast infection people... yeah. But it's important to know that you're not putting yeast infection medication on your face - you're putting a skin protectant on that helps keep your makeup from melting off. It goes on as a clear gel and quickly dries into a powdery finish.

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You need to get to Target and try this yourself. Or click on the link up there and order it from Amazon.
You're going to regret it if you don't!

It's summer which means it's hot which means that your makeup doesn't stay on as well which means you're feeling self conscious which means you may not be 'wowing' your boss which means you may not get a raise {even though you totally deserve one} which means you probably should be saving money where ever you can which means you shouldn't spend $40 on makeup primer which means you need to buy the Monistat. Stat.

Try it! Then let me know what you think, I'd love to hear from you!

This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!

Shared at A Pinch of Joy, & My 1929 Charmer!

Advice for a Child

July 14 - One piece of advice you want to give to your child. - submitted by me :)

As you know, hubby and I don't have any kids {yet} but we do have a nephew that's 19 months old.

When we do have kids, I have so many things I want to teach them but as young kids I want to impress upon them to be kind to others. There is not enough kindness in the world and it's such an important trait to have. It will make a world of difference in how others treat them.

(buy the 'be kind' decal here)

As they get older, I hope they understand how to be graceful. That means taking the high road and not responding with snarky comments to those who are bitter. That means to be respectful to their grandparents and great-grandparents. That means to appreciate the small things in life and not to take "stuff" for granted.

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This post is part of the Summer Blog Challenge. To see more posts inspired by the challenge visit my Summer Blog Challenge page!