Amazon It List

 {Top to Bottom; Right to Left: 

Dress, Earrings, Lace Swim Cover Up, Headbands, Bamboo Purse, Pink Crocodile Clips, Marble Tray, Sunscreen, Hair Clips, Workout Leggings, Stripe Shirt, White Slides, Swimsuit}

  My Amazon IT list of what I'm feeling and loving right now. That prime gets me everytime. Here are the fashion, accessory and other random items I recommend:
Cute totes and purses for summer are great to find for cheaper on Amazon! I love this round wicker purse for under $30, this popular bamboo tote and this black/white stripe beach tote for under $25.
All the things you need for summer at the pool or beach are on Amazon! My favorite sunscreen, this cute and flattering strapless swimsuit, these birkenstock knock-off and waterproof slip on sandals, and a lace swimsuit coverup that can double as a summer layer to an outfit (worn here).

I get a lot of my everyday hair tools and products, as well as fun trendy pieces from Amazon. I have been using this hot tools curling iron for 10+ years. It's inexpensive and works like a charm.  And I use these crocodile clips to keep pieces of hair back while I style my hair.
I am loving the fun hair clip trend and have picked up these pearl ones (seen on Nora and I above) and geometric/tortoise shell ones. Nora and I share these clips - she still thinks it's fun to match. :)  I've also just ordered these knot headbands for under $15.

My closet isn't hurting either - I love Amazon's workout pants (worn above) for workout classes or shorter/cooler workouts (they just don't breath as well as more expensive versions, but at $25 and a ton of fun colors - worth it!). I also love stocking up on summer dresses - like this stripe short-sleeve dress.
And what's a closet without a million stripe shirts? This one is under $18, and I love how it's longer in the back - perfect for wearing with leggings.
Some of my current favorite shoes I've scored recently are these cream sneakers and these white slides:

A light weight and fun earring to add to your summer rotation are these tortoise shell hoops.
And probably one of the most popular buys from previous Amazon posts over on my Like2Know.it account, and that I also love myself is this faux-marble tray that I use as a sink caddy for my soaps and, another favorite item, this soap dispenser that suds up in the dish with the brush.

SHOP IT ALL HERE:

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Untangling my daughter's massive tangles

  Nora's hair is super prone to tangles. So much so that we dread the post shower brush-out and it's a huge fight from her to let me finish brushing her hair out. Her hair is semi-curly (seems to be getting less curly as she gets older, which makes me sad...) doesn't seem coarse or anything, but it just catches against itself, I guess.
So, after a lot of trial and error - I have found a product routine that has taken the struggle out of brushing her hair and I had to share in case anyone else out there is chasing their kid trying to brush their hair.
1. Recently, I got this new Dove ultracare repair conditioner that is legit. Not only does it smell good, but really gets her hair silky (I use it, too, to repair my ends!). Her tangley hair above looks 10x better than it did getting out of the shower before this stuff.
2. While rinsing the conditioner out, I have her brush hair with this hair scalp massager. (bonus - feels great!)
3. After the shower, we dry her hair with a cotton t-shirt instead of a towel (there is also this anti-frizz hair towel if you don't want to use a t-shirt). I do this with my own hair, and Nora wanted to wrap a t-shirt around her head like mama. But I actually think this has helped! The terry cloth of the towel roughs up her hair too much as she dries it.
4. After her hair is t-shirt dried a bit, I use this hair detangling spray (but I'm sure you could use any kind) and this de-frizz leave-in conditioner and styling cream (this was seriously a game-changer). Then I brush with short strokes - use the wet brush and tangle teaser hairbrush (just whichever one is around, they both are great).
5. In addition, she has silk-like pillowcases that she sleeps on each night. This helps her hair stay smoother longer (since we don't wash her hair every night). I have these same pillowcases (in white). 

This marble tray is my favorite way to corral products (hand soap, lotion, hair products) in a bathroom/near a sink.
Shop the products to no-tangles:

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My 10 Favorite Beauty Products/Tools Under $10!

  In the last few years, I've started to splurge on higher end skin care and beauty products, but I only want to pay for quality when I needed it, and not all products need to cost that much to be quality.  I've rounded up my favorite products that are $10 or under!  

1. I have gotten to the point where I only wash my hair every 5 (or so) days, which saves me so much time and my hair feels healthier. But on day 3, 4 and 5... I definitely need some extra help to perk my locks up and, especially in the summer, rid extra oil. I've used a lot of dry shampoos - but my favorite is Dove Dry Shampoo.  It smells great, doesn't leave any residue and works!
P.S. Not under $10, but my favorite curling iron for the last 10 years.

2. My new favorite hair tool is this scalp massager that I use in the shower to really work my shampoo into my scalp. It feels so good, and since I've been using it, I feel like my hair has grown more than typical.

3. In the winter, my skin get so dry - and even more so when I'm traveling (which is a lot). I've recently started carrying around this Olay Hydrating Face Mist to add moisture to my face when needed most (on the go), and I love it.  This would be great to keep in your car, purse, travel carry-on, desk at work, gym bag... on and on!
4. And speaking of winter... my skin is needs tons of extra love these days! After many different seasons of winter, I've landed on Vaseline Essential Healing lotion as my go-to.
5. Ever since my kids were babies with diaper rash, I found Bag Balm to be the best for their chapped bums. Because it's not explicitly for bums, I started using it on all their chapped skin - and even mine! It is the best, hands down, treatment for dry and chapped skin.  Every household must have a tin of this at home.

6. I use a ton of different wipes - keeping them in my bedside drawer, my gym bag and even in my car. You never know when you will need to clean up!  The one I love for my face (and I use it everywhere else, too) is Aveeno Positively Radiant wipes because they don't sting or dry out my face.  
7. Ever since becoming a mom, my under eyes have been suffering.  I've tried a ton of products to combat the dark moody color, and thus far (for the past 7 years) my favorite is this Maybelline dark circle eraser and brightener.

8. I love, love this green BB cream that helps smooth out my skin tone. My skin tends to pull out red, and the green counteracts that, plus the BB cream goes on smooth to allow for me to either build upon that (like with foundation for extra coverage) or just run with that (when I don't need as much coverage).

9. I replaced my standard loofah after reading about what could be growing and lingering in all those nooks and crannies with a silicone body wash brush - and haven't looked back. It took a few showers to get used to it, but I love it now, and don't worry about the cleanliness. Plus, the brush like structure helps exfoliate!

10. I have always loved Dove body wash, because it doesn't strip my skin, but I especially love the foaming body wash with my silicone body brush. The suds up great, and I can cover my full-body (with shaving) with 2-3 pumps!  More importantly, I feel hydrated after the shower instead of stripped dry.
You can shop all these products here:

What are YOUR favorite $10 or under beauty products?

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Prepping for the Holidays at Beauty Brands

 
The holidays are full of to-dos - mostly fun like parties and reuniting with friends and family, but it can be stressful to fit in all this extra (even if it is fun) stuff into an already busy schedule (do we still have to work...??!).  I've been using some of my remaining vacation days from work to prep and pamper for the busy holiday season, and my favorite place to show myself a little extra love is in the Beauty Brands salon. 
It's also a wonderful place for a girls day or afternoon!  Sarah (of Sarah Scoop) and I met there a couple of weekends ago for a full morning of relaxing. We each selected different services, but left feeling equally pampered.  First I went with a relaxing "Luxury Facial" that was 90 minutes long - in this time, they also included massage, too (depedning on what facial features you need/add ons you get, this was a seriously the cherry on top).  It was heavenly and totally relaxing - just what my fazzle mind and broken out skin needed.

Beauty Brands uses all the best professional grade products and top of the line equiptment in their facial.  The private rooms are in the back of the salon, so super relaxing and quiet. The table was warm and comfortable, and the esthetician was wonderful!

I always love the post-facial dazed look and crazy hair from all the scalp massage and product!  Good thing I had a hair appointment next!  
I love getting my hair did! A simple wash and blow dry/style (no cut/color) is so relaxing and saves me from having to do my hair for days! Plus, a good hair wash by someone else (more scalp massage.... my favorite) is a real treat, and after already feeling relaxed from my facial, I was floating.

After my services, I couldn't leave the salon, without doing some holiday shopping for gifts!  Beauty Brands has special beauty/skin/hair gift packages for the holidays to make it really easy, plus the staples that always make good gifts, like perfumes/colognes! I personally always love visiting Beauty Brand's perfume lit up table display.  It's so pretty!

How are you staying sane this holiday season? Let Beauty Brands help you keep yourself together or put you together for your big holiday parties!
This post is in partnership with Beauty Brands! Thanks for having me for such a wonderful day in the salon, Beauty Brands!  

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My Hairstyles & Colors Over the Years!

If you look through the hair archives of this blog, you'll see so many hairstyles and shades that I've donned over the years. Some good, some not so good... but regardless of the good or bad, I still think it's so important to have had these trial and errors.  The variety helped me to figure out what is more my style, what suits me best and, if nothing else, what to avoid.

But to me, that still doesn't mean I have to stick with one thing - reinventing myself, my hair and trying new things is one of the fun things about being a girl (or anyone who has hair). So, just as I switch out my closet season after season, and clean out my drawers year after year - I also like to take inventory of my beauty and hair care products.  Determine what is working, what isn't, and try new innovations, like the NEW Dove Hair Regenerative Nourishment Collection.  

Oh... but the love/hate relationship I've had with my locks over the years. Starting as a kiddo. It was curly and super thick - I had no idea how to do it as a teen, and I cursed it everyday.  But every adult told me how much they loved my hair and how they wished their hair was like mine (the grass is always greener, eh?). 

{Here's a baby me... taking it way back}

And since those kid into teenage days, I figured out how to work with my hair - and I even liked it at times (gasp!).  I enjoyed playing with the color, cuts and styles... from long hairstyles to short hairstyles, color treated and up-dos, here's a snapshot of the last 6 years (or so):

With so much change, there is bound to be a little damage, too... So especially important to use products that let you keep being you.  Products that are for color treated hair and soothe (and smooth!) my locks are especially important for me.

 Today my hair is in transition actually. It's freshly blonde(r) for the upcoming spring, but I'm growing it out.  Ever since having kids, my hair has been falling out, breaking and slow to catch length.  But over the last year, I've paid special and close attention to it like no other year - taking vitamins, trying new products (like Dove!) and washing it less.  I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere - and excited to see how this new Dove Hair Regenerative Nourishment Shampoo, Conditioner and Serum in Oil will continue to help!

Next time you are at Target, grab the new Dove Hair Regenerative Nourishment Shampoo, Conditioner and Serum in Oil.  Your hair will thank you!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Dove Hair, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #MyHairStory #DovePartner http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

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Hair Recovery with Living Proof

I'm in, what I like to call, hair-transition. I'm trying to grow it out, so it's lacking any shape or style and I'm trying to heal the split ends and dry, damaged strands, so using less heat.  So, I have also been trying different products to see what might do the trick - I feel like I have so many hair issues, I don't even know what to concentrate on.  There are so many products out there for one specific thing (like frizz!), but I have several concerns (frizz being just one of them!).
So, I was really excited to try out Living Proof's product selector tool that helped guide me to the products I most needed, and then also help me purchase a complete hair care system that answers all my hair concerns! I might have done the quick quiz-like program several times just to see different options for different needs - they have lots of great options for all kinds of hair issues!
Want to know what I ended up with?
Well, I'm most excited about the Restore Mask Treatment that is for dry and/or damaged hair (ding, ding, ding).  It smells really good and after one use, my hair felt softer!  I'm excited to keep using it and see how it can help me further through this hair-transition of mine.
I also got the No Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner.
Perfect hair Day Nightcap and Dry Shampoo.  
I'm am now a new user of Living Proof, which is co-owned by Jennifer Aniston (and her hair always looks dang-good).  I love that they don't use conventional materials to coat your hair - like silicone and oils, but their own, developed and patented molecules.  Their system creates an invisible and thin layer around each strand - which allows your hair to become healthier over time. You can read all about their science here.

I don't even have to forgo my hair-routine while I'm traveling, which has been too much lately - and where I think some of my current hair issues have come from.  I picked up Living Proof's No Frizz Travel Kit and got it just in time for last week's work trip. 

And here's how my hair is looking after only a few weeks!

I can already seen a reduction in broken hairs that stand up off my head.  Like 85% less! And my ends are looking less frayed. I'm excited about the progress already.

{Outfit Details: Cardigan, Pant, Booties}
I'm only a couple weeks in to using these new Living Proof products, but I'm already feeling my hair respond!  It's definitely less frizzier,  but it also doesn't feel as dry and looks a ton smoother!
This post is in partnership with Living Proof, but all opinions are my own - and I'm so excited to share this hair-transforming product with you guys!

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