Five Favorites

Linking up with Hallie for Five Favorites. 

1. Once Upon A Child. I mentioned before that we like to keep things simple when it comes to baby stuff. For example, Ryan has worn one pair of jeans for the past nine months! He had another pair of pants until he outgrew them, some stretchy pants and then he was just in mostly gifted shorts for the summer. Well, that one pair of jeans (thank you, Oma, for the Christmas present!) recently started to look a bit too Hollister-ish with threadbare knees and a hole on the upper bum. Thankfully, despite their striking similarity to the distressed jeans of that dark store, they did not adopt a smothering scent of teenage cologne. So. Ryan was in need of new jeans so off we trotted to Once Upon A Child, my favorite clothing store in all of the region. It just always gives me what I need. Ryan is now set with a pair of jeans and a pair of cords to go with his hand-me-downs from Uncle Johnny that he still needs to grow into.

(I did actually buy seven! pairs of pants because I couldn't choose at the store and the ever-so-loud store-tolerance-exceeded alarm of Ryan's was going off  (Maria, if you read this, I wish I were as smart as you were to go to Once Upon a Child alone!) so I brought them all home to Chris so someone with a backbone could send some of the pants to the return pile).

2. Nerium AD. Earlier in the summer, Rachel was kind enough to send me a free ten-day trial of Nerium AD, a simple night cream. It really was so simple to use, which was pleasant for me because my only skincare involves maybe rubbing some coconut oil on my face after a shower, and I rarely wash my face (oops). I just washed my face off at the end of the night, massaged it into my skin and then rinsed it off in the morning. More than I was used to, but so easy! 

I will be the first to admit that I don't need to be banishing wrinkles at the age of twenty-four in search of the mythical fountain of youth, but Nerium is not just an a facial wrinkle releaser. It made my skin insanely soft. My before and after photos aren't perfect (should have worn my hair the same! and same outfit! should have been closer etc. etc. I am not wearing makeup in either because my drugstore brand makeup does not win against the Texas heat), but I wish you could actually feel my face in the after photo. I'm sure it made Ryan jealous since Nerium no longer made his skin the softest in all the land. I think it makes up for Chris' distaste for Nerium's scent being similar to a car air freshener (his words). I thought it smelled refreshing, but Venus and Mars and all those planets.

Not happy that Mama's face is competing with mine.

For better before and after photos, check out the real results! If you are interested in Nerium, be sure to contact Rachel here or on her Facebook page.

3. Strawberry Shortcake. My dad, mom and sister came to visit over the weekend, and it was beyond wonderful, of course. My mom and sister made strawberry shortcake on Saturday night, which was the only thing that got me through the horrific Notre Dame game. Although, looking back, once I started eating it, Notre Dame started scoring so maybe this week I need to make some and start eating it at the beginning?

Where, oh where have the other pieces gone? Where, oh where can they be?

4. Puzzles and Ears. For the past couple of weeks, Ryan wakes up wanting to do his puzzles which has offered me the chance to wash or put away the dishes from the previous night (more often the former ... ) or sit back and slowly wake up while thoroughly enjoying his concentrated pout and puzzled forehead. Ryan also has been insisting on wearing, "Ears," while doing the puzzles even though they are not connected to the music source playing Ho Hey or the Victory March on repeat (his requests). It will blow his mind (hopefully not his eardrums), when he discovers how to really use those, "Ears."

I kind of like my morning cup of not coffee. Puzzles, ears and pouts for everyone!

5. ASOS Maternity Maxi Dress. I cannot wear this maxi dress enough.  It is still on clearance in hot coral, so hop over the internet pond to the UK-based ASOS.