Totally Worth It.

It started happening again.  I thought I was too old for this crazy hormone skin craptastrophe (my word).  But apparently not.  As a *ahem* thirtysomething woman, mother of two, with a major cross country move in, oh, four days, my skin began to freak out.  In fact, I think it was direct 'brain-to-skin' communication: my brain - crazy, frazzled, stressed, blah... my skin - crazy, frazzled, stressed, blah.  There was a problem.

So, a few weeks back, about a month after all this began and my usual skin care regime was clearly not cutting the mustard - or, purifying the pores, what have you, I dragged my sorry epidermis to the local skin care source.  Sephora.  I meandered around with my little silver and black mesh basket.  Casually nodded to a few black clad "beauty experts" (um...hmmmm) and basically had no idea what to try.  Which $30 -$60 SLS free cleanser?  "They're probably all the same", I told myself.  It's all a gimmick.  I'm just as well off using Dial.  *boo hoo.  Woe is me*.   But then, there it was.  The Clarisonic Mia.  Just resting on the shelf, silently, yet urgently calling to me.  "Give me a try...you've read all the reviews...I'm worth it...".

I pondered.  I stood in front of it for quite some time (well, not too much time, my mother was feeding my kids soft pretzels just outside the shop, so I had to decide somewhat quickly).
Was this ridiculously expensive device that I had scoffed at for so long actually worth it?  Several weeks of craptastrophe skin basically decided for me.  It was worth a shot.  I was seriously desperate.  I put it in my little basket and collected my Beauty Insider points...

The first week...not much happened.  In fact, I actually noticed a few rather unsightly pimples form (but go away quickly - thank you two rounds of Accutane in HS!  Spots last only a few days if I get any! Woo!)  But the cloudy, lifeless texture of my skin began to transform.  One morning, after a minute of delightful washing with the Clarisonic... I noticed my skin looked "brighter".  Sort of like when I use a highlighting cream.  I smiled at my complexion for the first time in weeks.  "This is nice", I thought.  And since then, slowly, but surely, my skin is looking better and better.  The sand papery stressed out texture is becoming smoother.  The color, more even.

Now, I do sort of feel like a total sell out for basically reviewing a beauty product on my blog.  And trust me, no one is paying me.  But as someone who has rapidly allowed her personal care to nosedive from regular haircuts, pedicures, waxing, exercise, and the like, to usually remembering to floss, I think this is worth a mention in all things mom, and definitely a "favorite thing".  So yeah, I know it's actually Father's Day this weekend, but you know, while you're out, get yourself a little something nice too, you know?

A few of my favorite things (#1, #2, #3)

Being the mom of four, I have an opinion on practically everything from sippy cups and slings, to products and diapers. Here are a few of my favorite things (note... I am not being paid for any of my opinions here... this is all me!):

1. Slings: The moby wrap and ergo baby carrier. I honestly don't think I would have survived kid 3 without the moby. Thing 3 had reflux and literally would scream if she was anywhere other than the moby. I think I kept her in there pretty much all the time for her first 4 months of life. I still love it with Thing 4. It's a great hands free sling that goes over both shoulders to distribute the weight. It's soft and stretchy. The baby feels like they are back in the womb. love love love it! When the babies get a little bigger I love the ergo (you can use this for little babies as well, but I think the moby is just better). The ergo is easy to get on, comfy for a variety of ages, and easy to transfer to person to person. It's comfortable for moms and babies and super easy to wash. I've tried a lot of different slings (Cat, you've tried more... so feel free to give your fav's as well!) but these are my favorites, and have been all around accepted by my kids. I had a pouch sling (hotsling and new native), but Hudson was the only one to really like that. All the other ones just got agitated in there after awhile.

2. Rainbow Products (this is the amazon link, but you can get it in a lot of places)

I was just giving the kids a bath tonight and I was thinking how much I loved the smell of their shampoo and conditioner. It's made by Rainbow. They have this cherry vanilla scent that is amazing, and their original scent is great too. The detangling conditioner actually works (unlike most I've tried) even on Thing 1's crazy dread head. They sell a fantastic body wash , hand soap, and bubble bath as well. Most if not all of their products are organic and they don't test on animals. LOVE IT!

3. Petit Bateau and Tea Clothing: ok, I know it's expensive (especially Petit Bateau), but I can't help it. The colors are fantastic, the clothes are soft, they wash well, make great hand-me-down's and for some reason, I am drawn to these brands in the store. I don't have a lot of them (most of the kids' clothes are from target and old navy), but if I could shop these brands all the time I would! Tea usually has great sales on their website, so I try to stick to that. It's great for mix and match clothing that the kids can put together themselves (a necessity with my kids who won't wear anything that I pick out), and for my son who at 6 years old still refuses to wear anything with a button or snap (yes, they still make elastic waist shorts for a size 7 that are cute and not your standard sweats!). I'm still searching for good sales on Petit Bateau, so if you know of any, please pass them on!