Early to bed...early to rise!

Remember this post from about five and a half years ago?!?!  Well, a lot has changed since then.  For one, I am married now.  For two, I am a mother now!!  HA!  A lot has changed!  There are times now when I miss out on sleep because the baby is teething and not sleeping well,  my mind is wondering, or I just stay up too late because I'm an adult and think I can stay up late and get by with it.

Frankly though, missing out on sleep really affects me negatively.  I have been thinking a lot lately about how not getting to bed at a timely hour means I sleep late, therefore I get my day started later than it should.  Getting up later, usually when Jacob wakes up about 7:30, means I don't get a jump start on the day like I need to.  

This, of course, this means no shower first thing, nor having time with the Lord in the morning.  That leads me to having to wait until Jacob naps.  After he wakes up, I still have so much to do before my husband gets home and we have dinner.  There's laundry, cleaning, taking care of a sweet boy.  Needless to say, by the time the four o'clock rolls around, I feel like I have hardly anything done and this momma is SPENT....and needs a nap!

I stumbled across this blog.  Stew says he would come down stairs at 10 AM and his dad would say "the day is half-over."  The older I get, the more I realize it's true!!  So much can be done earlier in the day.  The key is getting into bed earlier so you can be refreshed and ready for the day the next morning.

So...with all that being said, we are both working hard on going to bed earlier.  We've been saying that for years.  Every night we have been saying "We need to get to bed earlier tomorrow."  Well, tomorrow rolls around and its the same old thing.  I can honestly say that we are getting much better.

See (by my screenshot)?  I'm working on it!  Our goal is to be in bed by 10:30 (at least) nightly.  It's a start, as I'm sure this seems late to some of you, but we'll get there.  If I can't sleep, I'll go old school and read a book!   

Revitalizing Day-Old Mascara!

If you've ever completely washed your face to "start-over" your make-up routine in the evening because you've been wearing your eye makeup since morning.....never again!

Simply dab a little face moisturizer on your index finger and rub together with your thumb. 

Then carefully (not to get into your eye) run the moisturizer across your eyelashes as if you were curling them with your fingers. 

Next, apply your favorite mascara!  The moisturizer softens your lashes making them ready for a fresh coat!

Throw it Away Challenge: Old Nail Polish

Let's face it. Polish that is old and lumpy, or that you haven't warn in years (that is probably old and lumpy anyways) really needs to be thrown away.

Go ahead, throw it away! I did (and I'm a pack rat)! AH! I feel much better!

Why You Should Clean Out Your Beauty Stash!

Today I've been in the organizing mood....cleaning out my supply of beauty, hair, and health products.

I stumbled upon this......a free sample of insect repellent!

I couldn't find the expiration date on it.....

Ah.....but here is a coupon!

I'm afraid this answers my expiration date question!


I was only nine years old (Thanks, Husband) when this coupon expired! Oh my!

If I wanted to kill small animals, along with repelling AND killing inspects....I might consider using it!

Another reason to use it, or toss it! :D Maybe I should stop saving my free samples.....

Sore and Achy?

Try Blue Goo! I love this product! Though it is not blue, and not exactly gooey (which I could do without anyways), it does stay true to its "Maximum Strength" claim. Every time I feel sore and my neck or shoulders ache, I smooth some on and within seconds it starts warming. I love putting some on before heading out for a walk!

Purchased from: Wal-Mart near the Pharmacy
Cost: Inexpensive (don't remember how much exactly), there are two kinds.
Warning: Do not apply within 15 minutes from getting in or out of shower. Because your pores are wide open while showering and soon after showering, the heating element can lead to intense burning sensation (I did it!)
Added Perk: To me, it smells like Sweetheart Conversation Hearts, but maybe that's just me ;)

Free Samples Got You Overwhelmed?

Put your free samples to good use! A Lady Beautiful reader had a wonderful suggestion (please come forward as I've missed placed the message)! Use all your tiny samples for quick and light packing! Over the past year I've managed to accumulate a lot of free samples, especially from Olay. So now, I keep some in my travel bag for quick packing! Samples size containers save space and money, and allow you to try something new!

Clean, Clean, Clean Your Ears! (to the tune of Row Row Row Your boat)

One of the very things I neglect to clean often is my ears. Before I started my new ear cleaning routine I use to clean my ears using a Q-tip. I've never been a fan of soap on a washcloth, so a Q-tip seemed best for me, only not safest as sometimes I would hurt the inside of my ears!

Nowadays, this is how I clean my ears:

First I use a dry Q-tip and run it throughout my outer ear, being careful not to enter the ear canal. The head of the Q-tip should never be out-of-site. What this means is, when cleaning your ear, as a rule of thumb, the cotton head should always be in site. If you can't see the cotton, you've got too far into the canal. What is in your ear canal needs to stay there unless a doctor removes it.

Did you know that the outer part of your ears have pores? These pores can get clogged, leaving you with a pimple-like sore. Yuck! Try using an astringent to clean your ears:

-Wet a Q-tip with an astringent like my favorite, Sea Breeze for Sensitive Skin*.

-Run the saturated, but not dripping Q-tip around in the nooks and crannies in your ears. (Sounds funny doesn't it). Astringent will help get rid of the dirt and grime that you can't ready see.

-Next clean the backside of your ear using a saturated cotton swab.

That's it! Now you have refreshed ears, hehe! Seriously, try it! Let me know how it works!

***I seriously love using Sea Breeze for my face too. I love being able to see all the dirt I removed afterwards. And you can't bet that tingling, refreshing feel!