Kiss My Face Kids **GIVEAWAY**

I've got a great giveway up and running over at Chic Critique today. It features the new Kiss My Face Kids line of bath and body care products -- all of which totally rock. Be sure to head on over and check it out! :)

Relief for Tender Tootsies

Summer is here and sandal season is in full swing.

Since moving to Georgia 10 years ago, I’ve amassed a sizable collection of adorable sandals and peep-toe shoes.

This time of year, a stroll through the shoe department at a place like Target, for example, leaves me swooning. So, many trendy, chic summer shoes at uber-affordable prices.

Problem is – some of these shoes, while I swear they were the “most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tried on” before I left the store, turn out to be not-so-comfortable once I get them home and wear them in real life. (read more at Chic Critique)

Hey, Jane Did it Again!

A few months ago I reviewed Jane Iredale’s PurePressed Base mineral foundation.

And, I pretty much fell in love with it. I still stand by that review. The PurePressed Base is foundation perfection.

As I mentioned at that time, the reason I ended up trying the PurePressed Base was because the product I was originally looking for — Jane Iredale’s Liquid Minerals Foundation — was being discontinued.

But, turns out, I was misinformed.

Shortly after my post went live, I was contacted by Jane Iredale marketing and assured that Jane has never had any intention of discontinuing her Liquid Minerals Foundation.

And, can I just say? Thank goodness.

Because y’all, I’ve been using Liquid Minerals for the past few months and I LOVE it. (read more at Chic Critique)

More Thrifty Finds

So, I fall off the face of the earth for a while and come back only to have another post about yard sales.

I'm sorry.

I just couldn't help myself.

I'm addicted.

Check out what I found this week:

I have been pining for a yellow purse for a long while now. It just seemed like such a frivolous investment. But, at $5, this Nine West purse fits the bill perfectly. I love it!

I found this little table lamp for $2. I'm on the fence about whether or not to paint it. It's perfect at night, though. It lights up a dark part of our hallway with the warmest glow.

While this bird cage isn't as elaborate as the one she found last week (which I fell in love with, btw), it's still adorable. And for $1, how could you go wrong?

This little canister set me back 50 cents. I'm using it on the counter in my revamped bathroom. Later that day I stumbled across a set of three of these canisters that retailed for $42!

But, my top find of the day was more wicker for my porch.

Y'all remember the wicker settee that I picked up and repainted for one side of the porch? Well, the other side of the porch needed some seating, as well. Imagine my delight when I walk up to this yard sale and spot this (sans cushion).

It even had a match, but another woman was laying claim to that one. So, I asked how much the seller wanted for one. When she said $5, I nearly choked. The wicker is sturdy and substantial. It was a steal at $5. I would have loved two of them, though.

So, I walked around the sale a little more and guess what comes out of the house -- another one of the wicker chairs! The seller sees me staring in disbelief and asks if I want it. Are you kidding?! $10 for the pair. The steal of the century.

I don't even think I need to paint these. I love the rustic finish.



Two matching cushions from Home Depot made them good to go.

Now, go see the treasures everyone else discovered this week over at Southern Hospitality.

Yard Sale Finds

So, I finally got around to taking a few pictures of my yard sale finds as of late -- including the famed $15 wicker settee for the front porch.


Naturally, I forgot to take a full shot of the settee before I painted it (that would have required too much advance planning), but this close-up should give you an idea of the color it was before -- kind of a light taupe:

After I cleaned it up and removed as much of the old paint as possible, I primed it and repainted it a chocolate brown. I also went ahead and added a new cushion:

And this little side table? Another yard sale find -- $7 -- which I painted to match:

Spray paint, my love for you knows no bounds.

I also mentioned that I've found some decorative accessories for my great room bookshelves. Here's a closer look:

Woven box -- 50 cents:

Cool wood tray -- $1:

Set of decorative plates -- $5:

Adorable little vase -- I love the bird detailing -- $5:

And, I bought four jars full of wine corks for 25 cents each. It probably seems like a bizarre purchase, but I saw someone do a flower arrangement with corks instead of pebbles in the vase. I might use these for that, or I might just stick them in an apothocary jar. Either way, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying all that wine and saving the corks myself. :) (That's my youngest playing Vanna White in the back, btw.)

Finally, one of the most unexpected finds. Now, I really had no intention of purchasing shoes at a yard sale. But y'all. These were brand new BCBG Girls ballet flats. For $3. And, I must say, I pink puffy heart them:

I know. I probably crossed the line with the shoes.

But they were so cute.

And, did I mention, they were only $3?

How to Choose a Sunscreen

I have a confession to make.

I only began applying sunscreen daily within the last couple of years.

I have olive skin, which means I tan without even trying. Burning has never been an issue for me. And, for years, I never gave sun damage a second thought.

Until I turned 30 and looked in the mirror.

Ah. There it was. All my hours of sun worship taking up residence on my face in the form of hyper-pigmentation and even a few wrinkles.

All that to say, I’ve been on a bit of a mission to preserve what’s left of my skin. Which brings me to the point of this post: not all sunscreens are created equal. (read more at Chic Critique)

Organizational Help for Moms

Organization has never been my strong suit.

In fact, I've spent most of my adult life in search of an organizational system that will allow me to manage all of the random details of daily life. I've tried everything from the Franklin Planner to the Palm Pilot. Each new system was met with only short-lived success.

When I became a mother, things on the organizational front went from bad to worse. I had trouble managing the details of one life -- now I'm faced with trying to juggle the details of four. My most recent attempt of tracking it all was a large wall calendar, but even that became cluttered and was impossible to carry around (making it difficult to schedule appointments when I was away from home).

But then I read about the momAgenda.

The momAgenda was created for moms by a mom. Creator Nina Restieri put over a year of research into creating an organizational tool for mothers everywhere.

I've been using the momAgenda for a few months now, and I can tell you it's the best format I've ever used. I keep it open on my desk to the week at a view layout.

Not only is there space to record the my own daily appointments, but there are blank spaces below for each child. So, I can track Jilly's school program, Josh's playdate and Grace's doctor appointment, without the day looking like a scribbled mess. (I even have a box left over and, if I'm feeling particularly spry, I can fill in blog post ideas for the week.) At the bottom of the page, there's room to write the dinner menu for each day.

The momAgenda also gives a month at a view, has space for addresses and phone numbers, even sections for party and vacation planning.

See? All the important info in one central place -- that I can also take with me if the need arises.

Organizational perfection. It's what works for me.

For more great ideas to make your life easier, head on over to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.