Winter Skin Routine

If you're anything like me, your skin can be dryer in the winter. I always need some much needed skin care, and I try to be good and do at least half of this routine every night. Some nights, I only get a few of these products on, and other nights, I do a full routine. #busymomlife

I will be 40 in a few months, and I am working hard to take care of my skin naturally without botox, fillers, chemical peels, etc. First, I don't want those things on my skin or in my body, and 2nd, I'm cheap and I'm not spending my money on that! 

Every night without fail, I use Orange Blossom Face Wash from Young Living. This is actually great for teen skin and Gretchen uses it too! 

Once a week, I use the charcoal mask. It is one of my favorite skin care products! Charcoal can reduce the appearance of pores, which I so greatly need. A little bit of this goes a long way. In fact, I think this is the only tube I've ordered and it's lasted several months. I will also spot treat pimples with this mask, and Gretchen uses it too ;) 

I think one thing I love about Young Living's skin care is that it's great for all ages! And I really want to teach the girls the importance of a good skin care regime when they're young! 

Awe, these oils on my face nightly. 

Tea Tree is great for pimples. Who knew that at nearly 40 I would still have breakouts. Sigh. I put a few drops on my fingers, spot treat the breakouts, and that's it- and yes, Gretchen uses this one too!

Frankincense is an oil I wish I could bathe in. It's seriously so good. It's great for moisturizing and fine lines, and those lines that come with age. I just dump several drops on to my hands and rub it all over. 

Patchouli is another oil that I just dump and rub all over. It's another one that is great for moisturizing skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines. 

I'll follow up those oils by using a gua sha stone. You can find videos on You Tube on how to use these, but I use it along my neck and jaw line, my cheek bones, and around my eyes. 

Young Living's bloom moisturizer is another favorite! If I use this at night, I find that I don't need to re-moisturize in the morning. The entire Bloom line is formulated for aging skin, and I guess since I'm almost 40, my skin is aging. 

This hydrosol is what's left over after essential oils are distilled. It's basically water with left over essential oils. I spritz this on my face, but it's also great for your hair! 

And finally, if I need a glow, I'll add these tanning drops to my lotion and apply to my arms and legs.

I have been so happy with the skin care routine I've found. I don't dry out, my skin feels dewy, and my makeup applies easily in the morning and stays on all day.

Click here to shop my favorite skincare products :)  

 

Wednesday What?!

Happy Wednesday. I feel like I have finally had a moment to sit and breathe for the first time in several weeks. I have a random assortment of Wednesday What?! for you today, so grab a cozy cup of coffee, and enjoy. 

First up, Young Living's free gifts with purchase this month, are incredible. If you're a member, just log in and place your qualifying order. If you aren't a member, you can click here and make a purchase; orders at 100 PV (that's basically $100.00) ship free, and at 190 PV, you start earning free oils, and this month you can ear up to 8 free oils! I say all the time that I've stopped buying oils from Young Living because I literally get them for free. So, I'll buy make up, shampoo, and supplements, and then get my oils free. 

 I randomly picked up this mascara from Ulta after a hair cut, and I'm loving it. My old mascara would rub off during the day and smear underneath, so I definitely needed something new. This one is so good. 

I had heard great things about this eye balm, and I grabbed it too! 

While we were traveling over Christmas, I placed a Thrive Market order so we would have a few groceries and snacks when we got home. My girls love the Good Chips, Adalyn loves the Turtle Splash cereal, and I found some gluten free ramen for Gretchen! I love that I can search by grocery category and diet specific, if you haven't tried Thrive Market before you can click here and get 40% off your first order and a free gift! 

And, if you haven't heard, I started a new Instagram account because, I just can't get enough. The Welte House documents are home, decorating, and some updates we have planned for 2022.  I can't wait to share all we have planned and our home updates with y'all! My style is a mix of farmhouse, traditional, boho, and antiques mixed in. It's such a hodge podge that works, and it's home decor on a budget. 

The weather here has been a bit up and down. We'll have 2 warm days, and then a few colder days. I live for those warm days. Last week, I went on a walk near the lake, and then sat and did my Bible study and it did my heart so good. 

Lastly, Adalyn had her tonsils out yesterday, so my mom is in town ( I couldn't do it without her!) and we plan on giving her lots of cuddles this week. 

Happy Wednesday!

Tell me WHAT has been going on with you in the comments; and if you're on the gram, I'd love to connect with you there. 

 

My Evening Skin Care Routine

Skincare isn't something I really thought about until my 30s. I think when you're young it's just not something you want to mess with, but once you start seeing fine lines and age spots appear, you're like "woah! I should take care of this." 

I change up my skincare routine every once in a while, so today, I'm sharing my current skin care routine for the evenigs. 

I use Young Living's Orange Blossom Face Wash right now. I just need 2 squirts and it cleans my entire face. I usually shower at night, so that's when I wash my face. It just makes it easy to remember to take all of my makeup off then. 

The Orange Blossom face wash is made from 100% naturally derived ingredients and it's really gentle. It doesn't dry out my skin at all! It's also great for teen skin, so I have Gretchen using this as well. 

Right now I have a few little breakouts along my chin. I'm not quite sure if it's hormone related or from wearing a mask, but I spot treat with Tea Tree essential oil. 

In June, Young Living released a new skin care line, Bloom. I still have the Brightening Essence from when the collection was released. You shake this, and put a drop on your hands and apply to your face. I have used this for 6 months, and used the other Bloom products as well and overall really like the entire line. I just haven't bought the face wash and moisturizer again, because I'm waiting to run out of this and then buy the set again. 

The brightening essence infuses moisture in to your skin and creates brighter, more luminous skin. 

True Botanicals reached out to me on Instagram asking if I'd like to try their Pure Radiance Oil. I researched the company and ingredients before saying yes, because I wanted to stay true to the products that I use and promote. I will only share clean ingredient products with y'all, because that's important to me! 

I'm using their Pure Radiance Oil after the bloom essence. The Pure Radiance Oil contains essential oils and again, it's made with clean ingredients. It's a thicker oil, and it provides a lot of moisture to my skin! You can use the code AUSTIN15, for 15% off any purchase on their website through April. 

I'd love to know what products you're using for skin care and if you're in the habit of having a good skin care routine! 

 

Amazon Lately

I don't know about y'all, but having a 3 day weekend sure was nice! I know I'll be playing lots of catch up this week, and then we have our first football game Saturday! (#hookem)

 As always, I've been placing random Amazon orders, and I'm so thankful for that easy button. Sometimes, I feel guilty because it's a little too easy, but here's what we've been priming lately. 

A new stopper for the sink. I had noticed that the outside ring of ours was falling off, and had been for several uses, and I was getting tired of fitting it back in, so I just ordered a new one. I loved the look of this stainless one.  Also, this may have been the most random thing I've ever ordered on Amazon. 

Face shields.... I need to be wearing some sort of PPE for work, and the cloth masks are super hard to wear when you're a speech therapist; so I ordered 2 face shields, which basically remind me of a welding helmet. 

My favorite shave gel has been super hard to find, so I'm working on finding another clean brand that I love just as much as my original. I ordered this brand, and so far, I'm liking it, and it's a close 2nd to my favorite. Plus, the price point is perfect. 

My favorite yoga pants are from Amazon.... I actually found them years ago at Marshalls and TJ Max, but I've had a harder time finding them at the store. So, I've been ordering them from Amazon. I had someone tell me they thought I was wearing LuluLemon, so I'll take that as a plus without the price tag. Also, these hold your tummy in and don't ride down. 

We are really focusing on encouraging Adalyn to love reading.... math is her strong suit, and reading is more difficult. She's fine if we read to her, but she just doesn't enjoy it. She asked if she could have the Magic Treehouse books (her teacher read them last year, but didn't finish them because of COVID) so, I ordered her the 1st 4 sets. We also did a fun activity with the 1st book, and I'm hoping to find more activities we can do together based on the books. 

I ordered a package of pom poms to use as the girls reward system with school, per Adalyn's request. We are down for all of the positive reinforcement and each day, the girls earn fuzzies. They'll be able to redeem them for special prizes or even for money. #becauseitworks #whateverittakes

I also ordered one of these tablets and the girls are loving it! It's perfect for working on math, spelling, phonics, handwriting, drawing. I actually need to order a few more- we started with 1, but I think each of the girls would love having one of their own, and y'all, this would be the perfect birthday present or Christmas gift! 

And finally, a set of bicycle lights. Two of our neighbors have these, and they're perfect for lighting up bicycles in the dark.... we've been playing outside well past dark during these Summer nights, so I loved the idea of having the girls be more visible on their bicycles. You receive 4 colors (8 lights) so we actually had 1 leftover, and it comes with replaceable batteries, and a little bag to store them in. These are a hit! 

 

Beauty Review: Younique

Several weeks ago, Sarah contacted me about review Younique Fiberlash Mascara for y'all! I love beauty products (What girl doesn't?), and jumped at the chance!

She also included several eye shadow pigments, the Uplift Eye Serum, and a blush sample! I have heard of
3-D mascara before, but it had been a while since I had tried it. I had forgotten how fabulous the mascara is!

So many of the teachers that I work with have lash extensions, put in place by a stylist, but it's just not in this momma's budget. I'm so grateful for this alternative, which is very budget friendly!

This is the first day I tried it. I was super excited about my lash length that I didn't even bother drying my hair before taking the picture! Ha!

 

I'm also wearing two of the eye shadow pigments that she sent me! Sarah, sent me "curious", and I used it all over my eyelids. Then, I used "glamorous" in the crease!

Here's a better view of the length. Seriously, with only two coats it TRIPLED the length of my eyelashes!

 

The eyeshadow pigments are gorgeous! I chose a few shades of purple (for spring). The eyeshadows are in a powder form, and they go on easily and stay put all day! Sarah recommended that I use a primer for a longer lasting wear, but I tried an eyeshadow "base" (that I had just bought from Target) and did not love it! I just swipe a bit of my foundation over my eyelids because my foundation has a primer, use an all over swipe of a shimmer eyeshadow, and then use the Younique eye pigment on top.

 

In the photo above, you can see how short my lashes are before the mascara and how long they are afterwards!

 

After a few coats of the Younique and I'm good to go!

 

Now, I know what you're all thinking, because this was my first thought too. If it goes on so easily, then does it come off just as easy? The answer is YES! I use coconut oil to wash my face, each night, and the fiber lash mascara comes right off!

Here's how I apply the mascara: If I'm not in a hurry, I use a coat of my regular mascara, if I am short on time, I just skip it! The fiberlash mascara comes in two tubes. The first tube you'll use is the gel. Apply it right on top of your mascara or just your eyelashes. After you apply the gel, you'll apply the fibers, They're kept in a regular looking mascara bottle, and you apply them with a wand, so it's just like how you always apply your mascara! Once you apply the fibers, you'll add another coat of the gel to seal the fibers in place.

 

I typically use two coats of the fiberlash mascara. For date nights or events, I use three coats.

Voila'! Long, full, lengthy lashes and beautiful eye shadow!

Sarah, let me know yesterday the April Kudos, and I was super excited to share them!

Buy a $74.00 bundle, which includes the fiber mascara, 4 pigments, and get free make up remover towels of a $20.00 value!

 

You can find Sarah's Facebook Page here, or check out her website here. You can also host an online party and earn free product!

 

Thanks Sarah for sending me these products to review! I can't wait to try more of the Younique brand!

WIWW And a Little Pink Drink!

I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy for WIWW, Get Your Pretty On, and Because Shanna Said So today.

 

Now that summer is here, i'll probably spend most of my days in my swimsuit, comfy clothes or my pj's! Some days, I just think it's too hot to get dressed!

 

But, let's wrap up with a few outfits I wore over the last few weeks of school!

We had jean days every day the very last week! This girl was excited!

 

I paired my skinny jeans, with a navy tank from loft, a cream and black sweater, and gold wedges.

I have had this black and white maxi skirt for a very long time and I've loved it because it can be worn as a skirt, or as a strapless dress! I even wore it when I was pregnant with Adalyn because it was so stretchy! But, I think it's stretched out so much, that this will likely be the last time I wear it! It tends to wiggle down during the day.

 

I paired it as a skirt with a simple black tank and my personalized moon necklace.

Yay for shorts! I paired a flowly grey stripe tank from Target with a pair of denim shorts, a cuff bracelet and simple sandals from Target.

I wanted comfy on this next to last day of school, so I paired my GAP bootcut jeans (cuffed) with a stripe tee from GAP and a cuff bracelet!

And, another shorts day! I wore black linen shorts (Old Navy) with a grey favorite tee from GAP, and my ash wedges (TOMS.

 

I keep looking at these pictures and thinking, "man, I need a tan!"

 

#bringonsummer

#anddaysatthepool

 

I also wanted to share with y'all today about a little pink drink that is starting to take over my Facebook newsfeed! I have at least 5 friends who have started using Plexus! Kristine is a teacher friend of mine, and y'all, she is stunning!

 

I started teaching at my new school back in November. This spring, I noticed that one of the teachers was loosing a ton of weight, and we slowly started getting to know each other better, and I finally had to ask her what she was doing!

 

She looked amazing.

 

She still looks amazing!

 

Seriously, every day, she looked skinnier and skinnier!

 

Her secret.... Plexus Slim.

Okay, so it wasn't really a secret, because she was shouting from the roof tops about how great she felt and how wonderful she looked.

 

The change is dramatic!

I asked her if I could have a three day trial so I could see what all the fuss was about with the little pink drink.

 

I was shocked with the flavor. I don't know why, but I thought diet drink = yuck. I much prefer chocolate protein smoothies, or fruit smoothies, and I hate anything that taste like sugary high fructose corn syrup and that is what I thought this would taste like.

 

You mix in one little tube of the plexus pink powder into 12 ounces. (I used a 16 ounce glass.) and the taste is like a smooth fruit punch without the sugary kick! It was so good! Typically, it can take me an hour or more to drink one cup of water. I literally have to force myself.

 

But, not with Plexus. It tastes so good, that my water was gone in about 15-20 minutes! Then, I just kept drinking more water throughout the morning. Following my plexus drink, I drank about 5 more glasses of water. Followed my regular "diet" plan and that was it.

 

On day 2, I had last TWO POUNDS. In 2 day's y'all!

 

After day three, I weighed myself again, and I did gain one pound back. But, even that felt great! I have been hovering around the same number for MONTHS, and to finally get below that number felt fabulous!  

 

Here are a few pictures of Kristine on her journey!

Um hello! HOT MOMMA!

She's going on a cruise this summer, and this is the first time every that Kristine has bought a strapless dress!

 

Y'all, she is stunningly beautiful! Both, before and after, but now she feels great too!

 

If you'd like more information about this product, please get in touch with Kristine!

 

 

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WIWW & Younique Review

Today I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for WIWW, Get Your Pretty On, and Because Shanna Said So for What I Wore Wednesday! 

I have two outfits to show you today and I'm so excited to share a new product I've found! So, I'm glad you've stopped by!

Yesterday was a little cool, and looking back, I probably should've worn pants to work, but when I love to wear dresses in the spring! No ironing, easy to throw and I can still look put together even if I was in a hurry! 

I bought this shirt dress from Loft last spring. I've worn it with leggings in the winter and it's perfect for fall and spring! I paired the dress with a distressed denim jacket and my Toms wedges. 

Monday was rainy, but it was also jeans day, so that makes a girl happy! 

I paired my Hunter boots with skinny jeans and a cream tunic from Loft. 

I don't wear this tunic enough, but I love it! 

My friend Hannah, recently started selling Younique mascara, and I've been so impressed with the pictures she's shared via Facebook! 

Hannah sent me the 3D Fiber Lashes to try, and y'all, I cannot put this stuff down! When I first tried the product, I told myself that it would be fabulous for date nights, football events, church, or for pictures. I had no idea that I would be wearing the product every single day and loving it more and more!

I took a few before and after pictures to show y'all!

Above: My eye make up is done, but I haven't added any mascara. I've just curled my lashes. I think my lashes have grown a little on their own over the last year, because I wash my face with coconut oil, and supposedly CO helps your lashes grow. But, they're still very light.

The picture on the left shows my lashes with no mascara, and on the right, my lashes with the Younique mascara. 

I was raving about the mascara last week to my neighbors, and one of them mentioned how she'd love to see a side by side of my lashes with regular mascara and then with the younique mascara, so I did just that!

On the left, I have on my regular mascara. On the right, the Younique 3D Fiber Lashes. I have on two coats of the Younique Fiber Lashes and my lashes are so much fuller and longer!

The great thing about Younique is that you can use as many coats as you need in order to achieve a longer, fuller lash! I've been sticking with two coats for every day wear, but I'll definitely go with at least three for date nights! 

I have heard some people talking about having little black specks fall on their face throughout the day, but I haven't had that problem at all! You just have to make sure that you've sealed the mascara well. 

The mascara washes off easily! I've continued to use coconut oil to wash my face and remove my eye make up, and I've had no problems at all!

The Fiber Lashes cost $29.00, but the even better part is that they are paraben and chemical free with NO chemicals or preservatives! For a wanna-be crunchy girl like myself, that's so important!

To learn more, check out Hannah's Younique page, or 'like' her Facebook page!  

Y'all have a great day and join me back tomorrow for #weltegram2014!