July #ipsy Bag Review

It's that time again (already!) for my #ipsy Glam Bag review for July. I've spent the past few weeks using these products and I'm ready to let you know what I think (a hit or a miss?!) and if I would re-purchase.

#1 Too Faced Hangover Primer - Miss!
Not a huge fan of this one. It claims that it moisturizes, but it didn't moisturize for me. Actually, it didn't really feel like a primer to me either. It has good reviews online so I'm super confused about why it didn't work for me. The formula is thinner so maybe that's why? I don't know. Disappointed because I love Too Faced.

#2 Revlon Travel Brush - Hit!
I love this little brush! It really picks up powder and blush. It is amazing!! I put it in my work makeup kit since it's so small. I kinda wish I had another!!

#3 ModelCo Powerlash - Hit!
I really like this little mascara! It really defines my lashes and makes them look a bit fuller also. This was a win for me this month! And now I have 3 mascaras open. Ooops....

#4 Mr. Write Now Liner in Jac - Miss!
Not a fan! I don't like these types of eyeliners anyway because I'm terrible at using them. I'm guessing it is a personal issue (lol), but I am always breaking them even when I try to be gentle. Also, I never feel like they are opaque enough. I feel like you can always see through them. Regardless, this one did not work for me AT ALL. After I spent five minutes wrestling the plastic off of it and attempted to use it, it broke off multiple times. Also not a fan of this color. I was really hoping for the dark purple. Regardless, I don't think I would have liked it anyway!!

#5 Palmetto Antioxidant Face Mask - Meh!
I like this mask and my face did feel cleaner afterward, but I personally didn't feel like my face felt super different afterward. I didn't leave it on for a long time because there were a lot of warnings that there could be a reaction. Maybe I'll leave it on a bit longer next time, but I've liked some of my others masks better. I also didn't care for the scent. Nice to try, but I definitely won't be repurchasing.

What did you get in your #ipsy bag this month?! If you aren't a member and want to check it out, please feel free to use this link. (Disclaimer: It is my referral link and I will get points from it if you use it. :-)

Our Top 5 Crockpot Recipes

I have become somewhat of a Crockpot Queen this year. I work late on Mondays and Thursdays so it makes my life way easier if on those days, I throw something in the crockpot for dinner. My husband has dinner when he comes home (our kids are super picky) and then I do too! Everyone (except the picky kids) wins!!

Here are our top five favorite recipes (all images are from the respective linked websites):


#5 Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
We aren't BBQ fans so we just don't add the sauce. It is fantastic on it's own!!! SO GOOD.




#4 Easiest Slow Cooker Pork Chops
So delicious!! I try to mix it up from just chicken, and when we get bored I always make these. Our oldest (M) will actually eat these as well.




#3 Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos
My favorite thing to do with this chicken is to put it in a tortilla, spray the tortilla with some spray butter and then bake it in the oven with the cheese inside already for a few minutes. It makes the tortilla just a little bit crunchy which I love!!



#2 Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Due to diet restrictions for my husband, we don't eat a lot of carbs or breads around here. So I made this soup and it's perfect. No extra bread or anything like that and it's delicious. It's like having just the filling of a chicken pot pie!




#1 Slow Cooker Everything Chicken
We use this chicken on sandwiches and wraps mostly. It is so good!! Super easy to throw together too.




Share your favorite crock pot recipes with me below!! I'd love to try some new things!!

Five Drugstore Favs: July Edition

I'm starting a new series here on the ol blog called Five Drugstore Favs. It'll be a once a month deal where I tell you about five things I've tried and am loving!

Lately I've been shopping it up in the makeup departments across town! I was honestly a little out of control this month, but it is what it is! I love me some makeup. Here's what I am currently loving this month:

I am obsessed with this Loreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation. I purchased this is the lightest shade that was made (because PALE) and it is amazing!! It is Classic Ivory. It gives me the perfect amount of coverage and glow, but it doesn't make me look like I'm glittery or anything. It lasts me through the work day just fine. It is a very thin formula, reminds me a lot of the consistency of Maybelline's old BB cream. But I just dot it on my face and use a foundation brush and I'm good to go. Be sure to shake it up before you use it! :-)

I'm also loving the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer. I got this one in the lightest shade available  and it is just as amazing as all the YouTubers I watch suggested it was. Coverage is excellent, and I'm hoping it helps with my under eye area. They are getting darker and more wrinkley all the time. I used a beauty blender to blend this in. 

I'm also loving this NYC bronzer in Hamptons Radiance. I'm back into bronzing. I took a break on bronzers, but I'm "warming" up to it again though (pun intended). I have my eye on another bronzer at the drug store, but I haven't purchased it yet. I'm saving it for next month.

#4 on my list this month is this Elf Eye Primer. It was recommended to me by a friend and I was skeptical about it, but I really do like it. I notice a difference when I don't use it that my shadow doesn't stay on as well.

For a $5 primer, this Wet N Wild Coverall Primer is pretty awesome. I have been using this consistently and I really have noticed a difference in how well my makeup stays on. I actually prefer this to another high end primer I have been trying.

Mommy & Me Monday: Date Night with Cam

Cameron and I went to see The Secret Life of Pets movie last week. He had been dying to see it and was so excited when the time finally came to go. We had snacks and he got to see Chloe (the cat), which was what he was most excited for. We definitely need to do little outings like this more often with just the two of us. I enjoyed spending this time with him, it was so much fun and The Secret Life of Pets movie was super cute. I would recommend it to everyone. 

Linking up at Mommy & Me Monday over at Really, Are You Serious?

You Two

I love watching my son and step daughter together. I just had to scrapbook this photo of the two of them!! They have such a special sibling relationship and friendship. M is always watching out for Cam and being so helpful toward him. She treats him just like an older sister would a younger brother. Their relationship is so much better and just MORE than I ever could've imagined it being.

St. Louis Zoo Trip & Tips

We had another great trip to the St. Louis Zoo recently! It is seriously one of my favorite places to take our kids. We always have so much fun. We are actually zoo members and really love it. We get free passes to different places inside the zoo including the train. 

We've learned a lot since we started taking these trips. Here are some of our top tips!

#1 Take a backpack!
This is an absolute must for us. J takes a backpack and then I take one of the string backpacks as well. They especially come in handy when you are purchasing souvenirs as you go along. We collect pennies (which I am writing about soon), but there are also various gift shops throughout the zoo which have items other than the main gift shops. We have a spending allowance for souvenirs when we go (the kids know this), and they are allowed to purchase from other shops as long as it's in the budget. But ain't nobody want to carry that souvenir around the whole zoo! Enter the backpacks - we just put whatever is purchased in there and carry on. We also keep snacks and drinks in the big backpack which brings me to my next tip...

#2 Pack your own snacks!
The first time we ate at the zoo, we ran behind on time because of construction traffic (so tired of road construction, can I get an AMEN?!). We got to the zoo right at noon and ended up starving so we had to eat at the cafe. We had budgeted for that this trip, but since we learned how expensive it actually was there, we pack our own lunch, snacks and drinks. We actually have two of the Zoo sipper cups and you can get them refilled for a lower price than a normal drink at the zoo. We planned on picnicing in Forest Park, but that didn't work out because TRAFFIC!!! Which brings me to my next point...

#3 Get there EARLY!!

Getting five people out of the house?? The struggle is REAL, you guys!! The last trip we actually got out of the door at a decent hour, but we still should've left earlier. It was prime time for everyone else to get there and it took forever for us to find a parking place because we kept getting guided to overflow lots. Very frustrating for everyone involved. Take it from me and leave earlier than you think you need to!

#4 See the sea lion show!
This is a must! Even though our kids have seen it more than once, they still love it. Also, this is a great time to bust out some of those snacks you packed and rest your legs. It's a win for everyone!!

#5 Ride the train!
If you go to the zoo, you have to ride the train! You will see areas of the zoo you can't see from anywhere else. It's a blast. We rode it with the kids for the first time last time and they had such a blast. We rode it all the way around the park. You can go stop-to-stop or just ride the whole thing all the way around. I got my best photo ever of a tiger from the train!

Normally it is an all day affair and we close down the zoo when we go. It is so much fun though and we have made so many great memories with the kids. We've never had to wait a long time for anything either except the train. We waited about 15-20 minutes to board it.

Have you been to the STL Zoo? What else should I know for next time, if so? Let me know below!

School Supply Shopping On A Budget

Tis the season!! It's time to get those school supplies again. How did we get to the end of the summer already?!

As the mom/step-mom, I'm always the one that buys all three kids' school supplies in our house. Sometimes I have to ask for help because some years it gets a little ridiculous ($$$). This year, it turns out that it's not too bad, but let's be honest we are all on some sort of budget.

Here are my top tips for school supply shopping on a budget:

1. Shop early!
The early bird gets the worm. I started my school shopping a few weeks after the supplies were out, but about 6 weeks before school started. This means you get first pick of ALL supplies because no one else is shopping yet. When I went to Target, there was only one other Mom in the whole school supply section. Get out there, y'all!!!

2. Cartwheel!
I used the Target Cartwheel app this year to get some good deals also. I took advantage of a coupon they had where if you purchased $25 in supplies, you got a $5 gift card!

3. Check the ads! This seems like a no-brainer, I know, BUT you have to check the ads weekly. Some stores have better deals than others on different weeks. If you are seriously on a budget, you have to check the ads. I know it seems like a lot of work (ain't nobody got time for all of that!! at least I don't), but I was able to get Crayola crayons for 50% off at Dollar General recently by doing this. And when you have three kids to purchase for, these savings really add up!!

4. Dollar stores aren't always best.
This goes along with the above - the dollar stores don't always have the best deals! Some products are a steal for a dollar, but I actually had more success shopping at Walmart or Target. I found the supplies there were normally way under a dollar (except for pencil pouches).

5. Make sure the school supply list is right. 
This is kind of joking, but also kind of true. I had my step-son's school supplies completely purchased... OR SO I THOUGHT!!! Until a teacher let me know via Facebook that we had the wrong list. Well, that was the list they sent with the registration information so I figured it was accurate but apparently not. Real life?!!!!

What is the best school supply shopping tip you have??

June ipsy Bag Review

I'm not sure if you know this or not, but my name is Laura and I am a closet beauty freak. I love all kinds of makeup and beauty products. I could spend so. damn. much. money in Ulta, IF I was allowed to.

I had more than a few friends that were subscribing to ipsy and I just couldn't resist it any longer - I subscribed a few months ago! My first bag was the May bag. I may do a review on it just so I can talk about the products and show you the bag because it was AMAZING. It's one of my favorites and I keep it at work with a backup makeup kit in case I have an issue during the day.

BUT this review is about the June glam bag. I'm not really a fan of this bag's design - I'm not a graffiti type of gal really, but I could totally see how this would be popular. (I am currently using this bag though - I use it at work to store lady products in.)

First thing in the line up is my Urban Decay Fireball eye shadow. The info on this shadow says "is it pink or is it coral?" and honestly I have no idea, BUT I LOVE IT. I have green/hazel eyes and it looks so good. I totally see this working for anyone. It's not quite as bright as in my photo. Trust me, it is gorgeous on. I'm not sure if I would repurchase it because it's $19 and I don't know if I love it $19 worth, but I will use this until it's GONE y'all.

Next up is the hey Honey 24Seven Day & Night Moisturizing Cream. I am loving this right now! I wish the sample was bigger, but alas! This is ipsy and it's not. This retails for $38. I am considering purchasing this with my ipsy discount code because I'm in the market for a new moisturizer and it seems to be a pretty safe product (more on what I consider a "safe product" another time). And because I love how it feels! I really like this one.

Next up is Formula X nail polish in Wing Woman. I liked this polish, but I found it took a few coats before you couldn't see through it. I'm not making a lot of time for nails these days, so it was a bit more effort than I wanted to put in but I do like it and it does last on my toes.

Seraphine Botanicals blush in Happy Hibiscus is up next. They claim this is a highly pigmented product and it really is! I hardly have to use any, and I am absolutely in love with the fact that it is 99% natural. It is something I feel totally safe using and the color looks great on my fair skin. It retails for $18. I'm not sure if I will purchase this again, but I am planning on comparing it with another natural blush and we'll see what happens.

Last but not least.... Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray is a dream come true. I really love this spray! It makes the waves really come out in my hair. I'm not sure if I would re-purchase this because I have a curl cream I really love already, but I love these type of sprays. I snapped this while sitting in a parking lot on my lunch one day because I was IN LOVE with my hair when I used it.

So that is my official review of my June ipsy bag! I plan on doing another review of July's bag once I've used the products a few more weeks. I just got that bag the other day (LOVING the bag itself). What did you get in your last ipsy bag?? (Whether it be June, July, January, who cares!! I want to know!!)

Disclaimer: There is one referral link in this post and that is to the ipsy sign up. If you sign up, I do get some rewards for it. All opinions are my own and there are no other affiliate links in this post. The rest are purely for your shopping pleasure.

Cam's DIY Boy Cat-Themed Birthday Party

This year, Cameron asked for a cat themed birthday party. I wasn't exactly sure at first how I was going to do that. I was really expecting to have an Avengers party. We went over his past themes before we settled on this one:

1. Fish theme
2. Cars theme
3. Thomas theme
4. Angry Birds theme
5. Ninja turtle theme
6. Ninja theme

Obviously normally it is whatever he is into at the moment and also normally a licensed birthday theme (lol!). This was not exactly a normal request for a 7-year-old boy, but I decided if that was what he wanted, that's what we were going to do so I go to work!!

First, I knew we needed decor. I found a template for this awesome banner here and go to work. I just used construction paper from Dollar Tree and some string I already had on hand. I purchased the letter stickers from Hobby Lobby.

Next, I got to work on figuring out the decor and favors. I wanted there to be a few small items for the few kids we had coming to take home with them. 

I ended up purchasing a few cat toys at Walmart to put along with the centerpiece and I also went to work gluing yarn on Styrofoam balls I found at Walmart. (The Styrofoam balls I found at Walmart were cheaper than the ones I found in the craft section.) I also got my yarn (except for the ivory yarn I already had on hand) at Walmart. I had an idea to put them in a small hurricane vase from Dollar Tree. 

I also picked up some cat food dishes from Dollar Tree to use for decor. I ended up finding some really cute cat figurines, paw print balloons, and the paw print stamps at an online store called Party Palooza. Best price I found, and they shipped pretty quickly. (I apologize for how yellow-ish these photos are. Wrong white balance setting on my new camera. lol)

The kids didn't end up taking any of the favors, but I think that is due to the fact that they are older than Cam. They might've just though they were decor also. Wasn't a priority that day to make sure all the favors were gone. :)

I normally get Cam a special shirt to wear on his birthday and I really wanted to do that again this year since I skipped it last year. The one I purchased from SiblingSpecialtees was purr-fect (as Cam would say!). It did fade a bit when I washed it even though I followed the directions that came with it, but it still looked great for his day. Here he is with it on... this is one of his new go-to "smile" faces...

When Cam and I first starting planning his birthday he saw cat photo booth props that he really wanted me to buy from the Printable Prop Shop on Etsy. So I did and planned out how we could have a photo booth. I just used a yellow plastic table cloth and taped paw prints to it. I got wooden rods at Walmart (BIG shopping trip to Walmart was involved here lol) in the craft section and just used a piece of regular Scotch tape on the back of the props.

The day of his party, it was super humid and rainy so we had to improvise and have the photo booth inside. Not ideal at all but it worked out fine and everyone thought it was super cute! 

I happened to be super busy the week of Cam's party, so I asked my Mom if she would make Cam's cake. She did and it was based on this pin on Pinterest. It turned out very cute and Cam loved it! And I loved my Mom for making it. Brought back the days when she'd pull out all the stops to make me some awesome cakes (but that's a story for another day!). 

M, my step daughter, is super artsy, so I asked her to draw a picture on our little white board.

My stepson, C, wanted to draw Cam a picture so we put this up on the fridge for decor also. :)

I am posting this in hopes that it can help someone else. Every post I saw online for just a regular cat birthday (NOT Dr. Seuss or Pete the Cat) was for girls. It's cool that boys like cats too and I hope this helps someone else plan a perfect cat party for their son also. (If that's you, be sure leave me a comment!!)