We can all use a little pep talk sometime

It's true, we could all use a little encouragement every now and then.  You know what I'm talking about, a few encouraging words from a friend to help you get over a hump or out of a slump.  Today was one of those days for me.  Faced with a massive "to-do" list that is about as long as the state of California, I was feeling a little overwhelmed and just didn't know where to begin.  So I did the next best thing, I started surfing the internet.  Well it seemed like the most logical thing to do at the time.  And boy am I glad I did, otherwise I wouldn't have stumbled upon this little gem.

Meet Kid President and he's here to give me (and whoever else needs it) a kick in the right direction.  I'm sure this video will have you smiling (I know I was when I was watching) and I'm sure it will get you pumped up to take on the world.  Or in my case ready to start crossing  off things on my "to-do" list.

I hope you enjoy!  Oh and if you liked it, feel free to pass it on to a friend.  Because according to Kid President, "It's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance."

Out and about | Big Rich Atlanta Premier

This past week I was invited by my friend Sabrina "Brie" Rowe to attend the premier of Style Network's newest reality show Big Rich Atlanta.  Sabrina and her twin sister and business partner Sharlinda Rowe-Parker,along with Sharlinda's daughter Kahdijiha Rowe are among the women that make up this new reality show.  This newest installment in reality TV is set in Georgia and gives it's viewers an inside peek into the world of an exclusive Georgia country club where some of the Atlanta's socialites and their daughters will do whatever it takes to be at the top of the local social scene and in control of all of the action.

I had an opportunity to meet Sabrina and Sharlinda when I first moved to the "A" back in 2004 and started going for my bi-weekly manicures at their posh nail salon Tu La 2 Nails located in the trendy Buckhead area of Atlanta.  Actually now that I think about it. they were some of the first people that I met in the city.  At the time, I was getting my then event planning business off the ground and Sabrina was very instrumental in providing me with some great contacts in the area.  Aside from that she also kept my hands and feet looking uber good, speaking of which now that I'm looking at my nails, I am in desperate need of a manicure.  {Ladies, I will be giving you a call soon!}

The private premier was held at Buckhead Bottle Bar & Bistro and some of who's who in Atlanta were there as we watched the show and cheered for the ladies.  Some of the people spotted at the event were Derek J from RHOA, Mama Dee from Love and Hip Hop Atlanta, Q Parker from the hit R&B group 112 {he's also the husband of Sharlinda} and Carl Payne best known as Cole from the popular show Martin was in the house.  The event was sponsored by Remy Martin and yes the drinks were yummy.  My favorite was the Ms. Kahdijiha - The Sweet & Sour Lemon Drop. {can you say yum!}

My longtime friend Kortne was my date for the evening and we had a great time, chatting with other guests and admiring some of the styles people were wearing that evening.  Everyone was dressed to kill in true ATL fashion.  It was definitely a great night!

Oh and before the show was GREAT!  There is already quite a bit of tension between Kahdijiha and fellow castmate Ashley that I'm sure will only escalate as the season continues.  My advice to Ashley...don't mistake the sweet face and southern charm of Kahdijiha as weakness.  Because if she is anything like her mother and aunt, she is a force to be reckoned with if you come at her the wrong way.  Well, if you haven't already guessed it I am loving the show and am on Team Brie, Sharlinda and Kahdijiha!



Here are some additional photos from the evening...

Make sure you tune in every Wednesday at 8|7c on Style Network for a good old dose of southern charm and hospitality on Big Rich Atlanta.

My Favorite Skincare Products

Recently I have been experiencing some skin problems, particularly breakouts on my face and dry skin patches on the rest of my body.  I’m sure a lot has to do with the weather (it’s colder and dryer during the winter) as well as what I’m eating and drinking (time to drink more water and reduce the amount of dairy in my diet).  Also making sure I use the “right” products for my skin type.  After lots of trial and error I think I have come up with the right mix of products.

For my body

Because I am a bust mom of 3, I have to keep my grooming routine simple.  You know, get in, wash up and get out.  I’m talking 20 minutes tops and that includes hair and make-up.  Okay who am I lying to; I’m slow so let’s say 30 minutes.     Shower time, I like to keep it simple and use the least amount of products possible and that is just what I have done.  My two favs right now are Dove soap; it’s gentle for my sensitive skin and it gets the job done.  It have a nice clean smell and doesn’t dry out my skin.  After my shower, I use good old Coconut Oil as my all over moisturizer.  Right now I am using the Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil that you can find at your local health food or grocery store.  You can also find this brand at Walmart.  Before getting into the shower, I will place the oil in a bowl of extremely hot water to liquefy the oil and then use it in its liquid form on damp skin to seal in the moisture.  Can you say soft, smooth skin?

Bye- bye dry patches and hello softness! (I also use Coconut Oil for my hair which I will go into in a later post.)

For my face

As I mentioned earlier, lately I have been experiencing quite a few breakouts.  You would think at 40+ I would be past that phase in my life, but noooooo.  So trying to find the “right” products for my skin has been a challenge. Oh and did I mention that I also have extremely oily skin?  Plus don’t forget I don’t have a lot of time for a 10 step skincare system (I have 3 kids that I have to get ready and out the door by 8:30 am). In total I use 6 products; 3 in the morning and 4 as a part of my night time routine.  Here is the breakdown.

Morning Skincare Routine

In the morning, after my shower, I wash my face with Olay’s Regenerist cream cleanser using cool water.  This is a creamy cleanser that helps exfoliates, detoxify and speeds up my cells natural regeneration process.  Next I use good old Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel as my toner; it helps clean and condition my pores as well as helps control my oily skin.  I follow up with my moisturizer which is just Olay’s Complete moisturizer with a broad spectrum, SPF of 15.  And that is it.

If I have some extra time I will throw on some make-up and then I’m done for the day.

Nighttime Skincare Routine

In the evening, I use Neutrogena Clear Pore cleanser/mask to wash my face.  I like it because it is a dual product, you can use it as a daily cleanser or you can leave it on your face as a mask.  I also like it because it has benzoyl peroxide in it and this helps me control my breakouts.  I will also find myself using it as a spot treatment leaving it on overnight on those pesky little breakouts.  After I clean my face, I then use the Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel again, followed up by the pure Aloe Vera juice.  The Aloe Vera juice is good for soothing skin irritations and helps keep my skin moisturized.  The kind that I’m using right now has lemon juice in it which is good for getting rid of the blemish scars and helps even out my skin tone.  I then follow up my routine with a good night cream.  Right now I’m using Olay’s Age Defying night cream and I like it.

So those are my favorite skin care products for the winter.  What are yours?  Feel free to share your favorite products for skin and face in the comments section below.

Erika

Product Review | January curlBOX

This past summer, I decided after wearing my hair straight for all of my adult life, to put down my flat iron and embrace my curly hair.  Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't like my curly hair, I just didn't know how to maintain it (i.e. how to stop it from making me look like a big frizz ball).  It wasn't until I stumbled on a YouTuber by the name of Mahogany Curls that I learned about the curly girl method and how using regular conditioner as a leave in will help you define and preserve my curly locks.  Who knew? After watching all of her videos on YouTube, I wanted to know more (boy there is a LOT of great info on YouTube), so I watched video after video and read blog after blog; learning about hair type, different styling techniques and how shampoo is not a curly girls friend.  It was also during my research that I found out about the great subscription service called CurlBOX.

   

CurlBOX is an affordable and easy way to explore new hair care products delivered to your door every month.  The subscription service is $20/month, which wasn't too much and well worth giving it a try.  Plus I had heard so many good things about the service that I couldn't wait to sign up.  Lucky for me, I was able to snag a subscription when they became available in December for the January 2013 box.  I received mt first box this weekend and baybee I was NOT disappointed.

This is what came in my January box:

• First Line Deep Stimulating Brush made from 100% boar bristles.  Since I wear my hair curly I try to stay away from using a comb and a brush, but I will use this on my daughter's hair or when I pull my hair back in a sleek style.
• Creme Of Nature's Sulfate Free Shampoo, Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment and Perfect Edges 
• Elentee Soy Organics Anti-Breakage Moisturizer
• Mizani Supreme Oil
• Oyin Handmade Hair Dew

This couldn't have come at a better time too, because I was planning on deep conditioning my hair this week.     I am happy with my overall experience with curlBOX and the quantity of products in the January box.  Now it's time for me to try them all!  Check back later with my thoughts on each of the products.

Your curly hair friend!

Erika

A little something to get your week started

When I saw this on my friend's Facebook page I knew immediately that I would have to share it.  This is just too cute and the perfect way to start yet another busy week.

So here's to Monday and being a parent!

Photo A Day | Jan 2 - Something New

 

Last year I bought this really cute and really expensive (can you say $50) planner to use.  Yes, it was cute and yes, I liked it but no it wasn't worth the money I paid for it.  On top of that, I didn't use it nearly as much as I should have, in the end it was just money wasted.  Some of the bloggers that I follow were opting to create custom planners, however I just didn't have the time nor the desire to try and create my own.  If I was going to do that I would have needed to start back in November in order for it to be complete by the first of the year.  So still needing a planner for the new year, and seeing that I had some 50% off Staples coupons for the Martha Stewart line of products, this is what I decided to go with for 2013.  I know it's a little plain, however I plan to spruce it up with some of my scrapbooking embellishments to make it more *me*.  I guess this will be my pseudo DIY planner.  I'll share the process and final product in a later post.

 

What is your something new?  Feel free to share in the comments section below.

Photo A Day | Jan 1 - Today

Happy New Year!  On this first day of the New Year it was all about taking down holiday decorations and cleaning.  One of my goals for 2013 is to finally get organized; to remove all the clutter (both things and people) that add no joy or value to my life.  It's amazing how much "stuff" I hold on to and how all this extra "stuff" contributes to the stress and ciaos in my life.  First stop was the master bedroom and bathroom.  For some strange reason those two rooms seem to be hot spots for extra items (like the kids clothes and toys) the really shouldn't be there in the first place.  Armed with a large garage bag and two plastic storage containers, I started the de-cluttering process.  For each item that was not in it's "place" in the room there were three options - (1) put away (in it's correct location); (2) give away; or (3) throw away.  For me the process had to go quick in order for it to get done.  It took roughly an hour to get through both rooms (this includes vacuuming, dusting and moping) but boy was it well worth it.  After tackling those two rooms it was on to the kitchen and family room, which included taking down the Christmas tree and taking down the remaining holiday decor.    My plan is to have the whole house clutter free by the end of the week. 

 

So what did you do on the first day of the year?  What are some of your goals for 2013? 

 

Here's to an amazing 2013!

Happy New Year!

Looking forward to what the new year has to offer!