The Next Adventure...

Well, this next adventure has arrived rather quickly compared to the last few. We are moving back to South Carolina! While I am ready for our time in Mississippi to come to an end, I have met some great friends here and strengthened a few other friendships along the way. It’s hard to believe 2 different projects and 19 months here is coming to an end.

Trust me there were times it felt like it was going to be never ending.  But we all survived.

This move to South Carolina is going to happen in a new way for us. Typically when we move, we rent a U-Haul and a car trailer, pack one house up and move in 5 days or less to the new house. This time we decided to go with a POD, we do not have a new house to move into yet. So our stuff will have a place to be stored until we find a new place to have it delivered.

We have some other traveling to do in the midst of finding a new place to live and actually moving in. The POD gave us the option to load everything up, get to the new town and find a place to rent without having to rush and try to do it in a day. It gave us some extra time to travel home to visit family and then head further north for a friend’s wedding that my husband and I are both in.

My goal is to have a place to move right into when we get back from the visit home and the wedding. So we can have the POD delivered the day we move in. Right now there will be about 3 weeks in between loading it up and it being delivered. So I have to pack slightly different than normal. All the clothes, toiletries and makeup I might want over the next few weeks have to travel with us. All the housewares and furniture that we won’t need will be waiting in the POD for the next house.

I am going to be color coding boxes for an easy unload, since I will probably forget what things are in over the next month. I am going to have a file box with important papers: car insurance, pet records, check book, etc. that travels with me in the car. I am also going to plan for a first day box with things we will need the last day in our house here and the first day in our new house. I have been scanning blogs and Pinterest for things that should go in there, so far: Bedding, TP, paper towels, paper plates, cups, plastic flatware, bath towels, shower curtain/rings, trash bags, cleaning products for quick cleaning, scissors/box cutter, hand soap and dish soap.

I am hoping for a smooth transition from one house to the next, but it could get bumpy with a new dog that isn’t sure what might be happening. Luckily, we have some wonderful friends who do not live to far from our new town. So the dogs and I will stay with them for a few days, while my husband heads to work and finds a new house.

Wish us luck in this next adventure, the moving routine is changing slightly and we might need it along the way.

The adventure continues…number 10…maybe we will stop at 11…maybe…

How quickly a year passes...

Well, you are probably wondering where I have been the last year and maybe why I abandoned my blog. If you are just keep reading.

In the last year, I went back to work with my husband for a full time project. I was asked to be in 2 weddings, one of them as the Matron of Honor. I became an aunt for the first time. We found another dog, well, more like he found us. With the joy of a new dog, came the struggle of all his health problems but he is on his way to being perfectly healthy. 

Rachel's Wedding

Now with the end of this project nearing and another move on the horizon, I think I might have the time to pick up blogging again. Well, I am done thinking about starting up again; I AM going to do it. When I started blogging last year it was something I had thought about for so long and wasn’t sure how it was going to go. While this last year, has been full of ups and downs, one thing I have really missed is sharing things along the way.

Mr Rocky, the guy that showed up one day

Over this past year I have had plenty of time to delve into my hobbies like beauty products and fashion, finding a new style along the way. I have been reminded of the joys and struggles of puppy hood.  I learned how to handle dogs with health issues and the extra battles along the way, but the extra love is always worth it. We even had the dogs DNA tested because we are crazy people, but love them too much to not find out what they are.

Hopefully over the upcoming weeks and months, I can continue to grow the love and passion I have for blogging. I always decide to pick back up when my life seems to be getting busier, but I always work best under pressure.

After all this time, my hope is that you all will still enjoy the laughter, the information and the fun that this lifestyle blog has in store.

They do love each other most of the time.

And as always…

The adventure continues…

9 moves and counting...

The ninth move for this little family is officially over, well, sorta. 

With every move into a new place comes a new list of things to find to make the house work for us. That includes new ways to organize and new routines. This means unpacking the kitchen first thing when you get in the new place, living with it for 2 weeks and deciding how it should really be organized. I'm currently in this kitchen process, again.

There are still boxes of pictures I haven't hung up on the walls yet. There is still a box of randomness sitting on my dresser waiting to either be displayed or tucked neatly away in closet to discover again in a year when we move. I can't seem to bring myself to take care of these items. They are always left at the end because I can't make decisions about them or I've just lost motivation. This time around its a loss of motivation. 

We have lived in this house for 2 weeks today and I am already over it. While the town is a little different than the last one we were in, I still can't seem to make it feel like home quite yet. Some places we have lived, it takes me 2 days and it feels perfect, these last two have been a struggle. It feels like that first move to Kentucky almost 4 years ago. 

Georgia always felt like home, from the second I stepped foot into that apartment, it just felt like ours. South Carolina was nice because we were so close to friends, even though it was short lived. For the life of me, I can't remember what Arizona felt like at the beginning, it was only 18 months ago after all. I know how I felt at times in the middle and I know how I felt at the end, but 6 months later I have a completely different view about going back to the desert.  

The last two moves have really left a toll on me. I find a lot of comfort in seeing Cardinals in the yard. I have seen a male and female cardinal in our new yard few times. 

Just now, while I am sitting here typing I look out the window to see the female sitting on the fence, then the male follows close behind her. They just sit there waiting for a few moments and then go on  their way. It seems every time I need some encouragement there they are again. I saw a couple of cardinals in our last yard too. 

The truth is everyone finds comfort in the things they want to see. Its a reminder for me that even this place can feel like home as long as I allow myself to see it that way.

A little bit of a ramble today but its just another reminder, that the adventure continues....

Life as the wife of a construction guy is never dull.

So in previous posts I have explained that we move a lot, well now I have a real life, real time example of how quickly moving can happen.

2 weeks ago in Nashville, right after we found out we were moving, again.

We have lived in this small southern town for just about 4 months, we are moving again. In just the past 2 weeks, my husband went out of town for work, and came home with a new project. Now this new project is great for his career, for our home life it made it a little stressful for a few days.

The new project is less than 2 hours from where we live now, but it is to far to commute every single day. He wanted to try and commute and stay in our current rental. I reminded him, "I don't move with  you, so I can never see you." The whole point of us moving around the last 3.5 years, is so 5 years from now we don't have to, unless we want too. (We seem to get pretty anxious to move after a year, so we could keep going.)

And just like that it was time to find a new rental home, just an hour away from where we are now. We got super lucky! We found a cute new little house quickly, and we are moving quickly, like in the next 10 days! Both, my husband and I, feel like we just unpacked here but at the same time, we weren't in love with it. 

This month of July has rapidly turned into a crazy one but this is where the tag line totally fits....

Let the adventure continue...our lives are certainly never dull and we will have plenty of stories to share later down the road.

Plus, I am trying out some new moving hacks, I'll let you all know if they help or hinder this process. We're pretty much pros at this point.

The adventure continues.....

Preparing Myself and Missy for boarding.

The last few days I have been struggling with the idea of boarding Missy while we travel for a few days. Usually, she comes with us or someone we know watches her. After all, she's my baby, I want her to be safe and with me whenever I can have her.

Missy used to be known as the great traveling puppy. My husband and I adopted Missy a month after I moved to Kentucky with him. We weren't married yet, I wasn't working or going to school for the first time in my life. She instantly became my companion. We joke that she is my dog and not his, but lets be real, everyone who has ever had a pet knows they pick one person to be theirs. 

Missy moved from Kentucky to Georgia, then South Carolina and Arizona, and now back to the south. She's lived in apartments on the first floor and the third floor, she stayed with her grandparents for awhile when my husband was in Missouri for 3 months, she had a yard with AstroTurf in Arizona. Missy has lived more places in her short 4 years than more people live in their lifetimes. 

One of her many trips to beach in Georgia.

She's made friends big and small, and is always able to hold her own with the big dogs but loves when her small friends come to visit.

Missy with her Uncle Cooper, the first time they met.

Instant best friends.

I was concerned when thinking about boarding her, she was owner surrendered in Kentucky at 12 weeks old. Someone paid to have her spayed and then brought her to the humane society for whatever reason. She is sweet as can be and was very timid when we first adopted her. I'll never understand why that person surrendered her, but I like to think it happened for a reason because I couldn't imagine moving all over without her. 

Missy adjusts to the changes we put her through so easily, which is what I have to remember while we board her. I, on the other hand, do not adjust easily to not seeing her everyday. When we realized that she was not going to be able to travel with us on this trip, I immediately started my own panic because I am overly attached to my animal. I kept asking myself if she could handle being boarded or if she was going to have terrible separation anxiety, I know I am going to. 

We live in a small town in the south that doesn't have doggy day care or anything super fancy, so I started researching veterinarians in the area. It is 2015 after all, I am a firm believer in a legitimate website, no matter how big or small the place and it should definitely have a Facebook page. So I found a handful online and made a list of the places I wanted to look at around town. Since veterinarians are our only option, it actually gave me a little more piece of mind, that if something happened they will be able to help her as soon as possible.

Then I obnoxiously annoyed my best friends and husband with the websites to get their opinions and if they agreed with the ones I was looking into. My best friend, who is the dog mom of a beagle rescue and a goofy little pug, gave me the reassurance I needed and said she would take her dogs there depending on customer service and the people.

So the next step to easing my anxiety was visiting the office.

This morning I was able to walk in and talk to all the people that work at the office, I took a tour of where they keep the dogs and see that they only boarded a few at a time. I even met the veterinarian and the vet techs.

When Missy was just a puppy we crate trained her for the first year. If we left, she was in the crate, when we were in bed, she was in her crate. She still loves her crate to this day, she doesn't use it as much anymore but if she's uncomfortable or nervous she will get in it, because she knows that is her space and she is safe. I think this is going to come in handy while she is boarded because she isn't afraid of it and knows it is a safe space.

The receptionist at the office told me I could bring anything I wanted her to have while we are gone. I can bring her beloved bed, her favorite blanket, toys, Nylabones and her food. Of course, I started thinking about all the things I think she will need and then reminded myself that she sleeps all day, even when I am with her.

Her current position while I wrote this post.

So I have decided to make a list for myself so I don't look like a total nut job bringing everything I have for her. I am definitely bringing her dog bed and her favorite blanket, I am going to limit myself to just 2 toys. Right now she is loving her Nylabone again and she could stay busy chewing on it for hours and just bringing one of her squeaker toys that she will play with alone. And I will bring enough food for her stay to keep her on the same thing so she won't be bothered by something else.

I think this is really more for me to move past my separation anxiety, than it is for her. We have moved this dog all over country, to countless new houses, she's traveled many hours in the back seat of the car. I know she doesn't love the car rides but she does it because she trusts us. I just hope she keeps trusting us but something tells me she will come back from her small vacation with more friends and smile on her face.



The adventure continues....

Summer Makeup - Tinted Moisturizer and BB Creams

My sister asked me a while back to do a blog post on tinted moisturizers or BB creams for summer. We all know when it comes to summer, you don't always want to paint on a full face of makeup because chances are its going to melt off your face at some point.  But you might still want a little bit of color to even out skin tone, add some SPF and moisturize.

I have 5 total, a few I've used for years, one I've been using for a few months, and the other 2 I picked up just to try out for this post.

From Left to Right:

1. Jergens Natural Glow Healthy Complexion - Daily Moisturizer Sunscreen for Medium to Tan Skin Tones
2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - in Sand
3. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue - in Natural 05
4. Rimmel BB Cream Beauty Balm - in Light/Medium
5. Physicians Formula  Super BB - Light

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer

• 2 Shades - Fair to Medium and Medium to Tan

The Jergens Natural Glow Healthy Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer I have used since high school. It has an SPF 20 and is oil free. This doesn't actually have any color but is a gradual tanner. Its nothing over the top it just adds a nice glow to your face the more you use it. I know I feel and look better with a little tan, even if its not from the sun. As I have gotten older, I am very cautious with sun exposure and coat my face and body in sunscreen. This moisturizer is nice, for when you need a little more color in your face to blend well with your body tan. However, when I first started using this moisturizer, over 10 years ago now, it was fragrance free, which I preferred. Over the last 2 years or so they have added a fragrance to it but the formula is still just as good.

I also love the Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, I have tried the original, the firming, and the 3-days to Glow, I always get the Medium to Tan shade and think it builds up nicely.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

• 15 Shades Original, 16 Shades Oil Free 

The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer I received in a Birchbox last year. The color is probably a shade too dark for me naturally but works well for me in the summer. It has SPF 20 and says "Lightweight Flawless Coverage" I definitely agree with that. Its perfect for hot summer days, either for shopping or just laying by the pool. It does provide a light amount of coverage, it will even out skin tone and add a nice glow. I think this formula can be built up a little to cover blemishes and small imperfections if you are careful. It works well with my dry skin, it says it can be used for all skin types. There is also an oil free formula, that would probably be better if you have super oily skin.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

• 10 Shades

The Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue - Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream has an SPF 30. This formula is unlike any other I have tried, gel cream is exactly what it feels like. It is super lightweight on the skin but has a nice light to medium coverage depending on how much you build it up. Its no surprise I had to try this from Bare Minerals, I just can't pass up the stuff they come out with. It works very well with my skin and doesn't make me feel like I have anything on. I did get sucked in to buying the brush that they put out with it, don't waste your money. I mean it is a nice brush but this applies best if you use your hands. Sometimes if I want to add a little more coverage with this I will use the Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil.

Tinted Mineral Veil

Rimmel BB Cream Beauty Balm

• 3 Shades - Light, Light/Medium, Medium

The Rimmel BB Cream Beauty Balm says it is a 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup. It has an SPF of 25. I bought this last week to try out for this post. I am the type of person that can tell right away if I like something and am going to keep using it. I don't think I will use this again, I think it looks a little bit patchy and it is super thick. It was difficult for me to blend onto my skin with my hands. I don't love the way it feels on my skin. I think it might work better for people with oily skin, because I think the natural oils will help blend out and melt into the skin. I think the color match is perfect but there are only 3 shades so it might be hard to find a match for others. There is a new matte version as well.

Physicians Formula Super BB 

• 2 Shades - Light and Light/Medium

The Physicians Formula Super BB - All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream has an SPF 30. This was another I got last week to try out for this post. I can say I really like this one! It blends out super fast with my hands, has light coverage but you can build up a little extra coverage on blemishes or small imperfections. It doesn't cover them perfectly but does disguise them. I have been grabbing for this over my Bare Minerals all weekend. It is nice to have something to put on quickly, when I don't want to use higher end things. I have the light shade and it matches very well, with only 2 shade choices it will be hard to find one for everyone. I wore it out to dinner Friday night with a full face, sat outside in the humid southern heat and it survived. I did use setting spray but I was still surprised it was all there when we came home.

Honorable Mention: My best friend tried the Physicians Formula Argan Wear Renew BB Cream, she was looking for something that would be quick and easy for work that would provide her with a little bit of coverage. She says it feels like a light weight moisturizer with light coverage. I wanted to try it too but none of my drugstores had it.

Now typically, when I wear a tinted moisturizer, I am not looking for a whole of coverage. I just want something that will make me feel like a better version of myself. I still want my skin to look and feel like skin. If I do feel like I might need to set any of them a little to keep it from melting off because of the southern heat and humidity, I will set my t-zone area with a little Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Transparent. This powder doesn't add color coverage but does keep things matte for quite awhile. And yes, once I found this stuff I couldn't live without it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent

I also tried the original Maybelline Dream Fresh BB, when it first came out a few years ago. It didn't agree with my skin and I broke out from it but I liked the coverage from it. I gave it to a friend with normal to oily skin and she liked it.

Hopefully, this helps your makeup bag and face get a little more summer ready! I know its already hot, humid and close to 100 degrees down here in the south, so I'm not trying to put my whole face on every single day! 

Let me know if you have another tinted moisturizer you love! I am always looking for new things to try!!!

And the adventure continues.....