Review: Makeup Brush Cleaner

Morning Everyone, 

Today I thought I would share an awesome product review with you all!

As you all probably know I am a makeup addict. I love it all and I have a massive collection. 

The one downside to loving makeup? 

Cleaning Dirty Brushes. 

I clean my brushes fairly regularly and it is always a hassle. It takes a long time especially if you want to be sure they are super clean. 

Now there are many different types of brush cleaner available but usually they are pretty pricey. Also I have done a DIY one that worked for a few months but eventually gave out on me. 

Then I stumbled upon this little item while shopping at Marshall's. 

It looks VERY similar to the Sigma brush cleaning mat however it was only $5.99. Since that is more in my budget range I thought I would pick it up and give it a go. *Side Note- I did a quick review on SnapChat and that is where the pics are from so if you are wondering why they are formatted that way...well that is why.


First off- It is smaller that ones I have seen before but I have a fairly small sink so I don't think that is a big issue. 

Now for the brushes. 

I am currently using Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap to clean my brushes to make sure they are getting a deep clean. More often than not I use Baby Shampoo though. 

Now for the scrub test. 

Oh Yeah! Super Clean! Great Success!

Before

 After

 I was really surprised by how well this worked! It cleaned my brushes so quickly and I had to use less soap than I normally would have since I just dispensed a dime size on the mat itself and scrubbed until the brush ran clear. It took WAY less time to do and I felt like they got a deeper clean than when I just scrub by hand. I also loved that the mat had suction cups on the bottom to keep it still in the sink while scrubbing the brushes. 

This mat gets a ten out of ten from me! If you happy to find one at Marshall's or T.J. Maxx I would HIGHLY recommend picking one up if you are a makeup lover like myself! 

*Note- I was not paid for this review and I purchased this myself. I just wanted to share my awesome find with you all! 



 

Weekend Recap: Fall is Coming!

Saturday: We decided to get out of the house for a bit and headed up north to check out the "McDonald's of the Future". It was pretty nice all in all. The touch screen order system was cool but the Mom in me kept thinking about germs....and while they are currently offering unlimited fries we did not partake in that. Kyra really enjoyed the play place, which was pretty cool. 

She is so cute. Seriously.

After that we stopped by T.J. Maxx to do some searching. I didn't find what I was looking for but I did find a pretty awesome Headless Horseman to add to my Halloween decor! 

He is pretty awesome.

Then we stopped by Michael's and got my favorite purchase of the weekend. 

This is Thaddeus. I Adore him.

He is huge. Kyra LOVES him, but insists his name is Toad.

Then it was time to do some thrift shopping and that meant more Halloween fun and goofing around. 

She was so excited to take this picture.

Epic Halloween Thrift Store finds!

After playing around we finally hit up the grocery store for necessities and then headed home. Honestly by the time we made it home we only had the energy to make some sandwiches for dinner and then it was bath time bed time! 


Sunday: Kyra and I woke up extra early for some reason and we spent the morning playing Peppa Pig and Little Charmers. Then Robert took over for playtime and I did I few chores. I knew we were going to my parents' for the afternoon so I wanted to make sure the house was at least decent before we left. 

Sunday dinner at my parents' is always fun. Also my mom and I are of the same mind. BRING ON FALL. 

I swear she is like Martha Stewart of the Midwest. Everything is so nicely decorated and of course the dinner table looked lovely. 

We stayed and visited for a long while and then headed home. I wasn't feeling super awesome at this point so we decided to just watch movies and relax. We ended up watching Heart of the Sea which was surprisingly really interesting. I had thought it might be a bit boring but honestly I was completely into the story. Also...Chris Hemsworth. YUM. 

That was our weekend! What did you all get up to? Anyone else over eager for Fall???

More Things I Believe This Week

It is okay to un-follow/ un-friend those who no longer help you thrive.You don't need that negativity. 

It is okay to step back and reevaluate your goals. This is not giving up, it is growing up. 

Your Day Dream is important. 

Tell your story, even the ugly bits. You are real and that is wonderful. 

It's never too early to start prep for Halloween and Christmas. 

Being creative/creating things is the key to happiness. 

Purging old clothes is therapeutic and freeing. 

When it comes to blog posts it is always better late than never! 



What do you believe this week?

Weekend 8/20-8/21

Saturday: We decided to take Kyra to the movies and have a little family fun time. We saw Kubo and the Two Strings and it was really enjoyable. I love that they showed some of the animation process at the end of the film. So much work goes into stop animation but it was really beautiful to watch and the story was good. 

After the movie we headed home and Robert's brother came over. We were planning on gaming for a bit but my father in law called and some friends of the family had come into town so we all headed downtown to enjoy the unusually nice weather. We had a really nice visit and even got some of my favorite Lavender Lemonade. 

Sunday: We were up and out early the the store to get some necessary items i.e. Milk, Bread, Dog Food and we wanted to beat all the Sunday crowds. We stopped by the Dollar Tree to get a few things and I couldn't resist the Halloween aisles. It is no secret that I love Halloween and I love a good deal so decor for a dollar is a double score! 

After the Dollar Tree it was the dreaded Walmart run but I am happy to say that we were in and out in just a few moments. Thank goodness too because when we were checking out the crowd was starting to get thick and I could feel the collective stress. 

Don't mind the grumpy face. She was really having a blast she just didn't want her picture taken.

After shopping we headed out to my parents' place to just relax and visit for the afternoon. Kyra could not have been happier. It had been a couple days since we had seen them and she was in desperate need for grandparent time. They actually kept her for the evening when Robert and I headed home so that we could take care of chores and walk the pups. So we got an evening to ourselves which we mostly spent getting the house back in order and reading books but it was still nice. 

Then Mum brought Kyra home and it was time for bed! 


All in all it was a pretty standard weekend. How was yours? Did anyone else see Kubo? What did you think of it?

My small mountain

 

Today would have been my due date. 

I wasn't sure what I should do about the date. It feels like a small mountain I have to climb and get past. Part of me wants to just let it slip by but it is going to be on my mind anyhow....honestly it is always on my mind. 

The baby that isn't. 

The thing is, after a miscarriage everyone is supportive....until they are over it. Then they expect you to be over it as well.

 It just doesn't happen like that. 

I still think about it daily. I still cry once in a while. I still grieve though I do so more often than not on my own. 

My husband grieves but mostly because he hates to see me hurting. He endured a lot that night too and I know he supports me in every way...but it isn't the same thing for him. 

I still ache. 

I really try not to talk about it but sometimes it slips past my lips and I can see how uncomfortable it makes people. I know they don't want to think about it. I know they want me to get over it and move past it.

I get that but it still makes me angry too. I lost a baby...I'm allowed to be sad. I'm allowed to talk if I need to....
 
So today I'm just a little sadder. I wish there was a birthday to celebrate instead of a loss. But I will carry on, that's what mother's do. 

Things I believe this week

 I need to work on my self care more. Yesterday I spent the day on the couch with a heating pad due to a pulled muscle in my back. I keep telling myself I need to get in a massage to take care of the stress I am carrying around in my back but I also keep putting it off. 

Mani/Pedi should start becoming a more important part of my weekly routines. My toes look fine but my fingernails are a hot mess. 


I need to get over my body issues. Looking at pictures from high school was a huge awakening. I wasted SO MUCH TIME convinced that I was ugly and fat and gross in high school and I look like a perfectly normal teen. I spend so much time hating my body and I need to get over it and let it go. 


Face Masks are my skin's saving grace. I had posted about getting the Peter Thomas Roth masks at Sephora and I am honestly in love. Actually I might do an entire post on them! 


That taking a day off to heal is not a weakness nor is it laziness. If you get hurt you need to take it easy and heal. There is no shame in that. 


Time spent snuggled up reading the same book over and over again with Kyra is never time wasted. 

Her current favorite book.

Musical Confessions

I confess that pretty much anything musical will get stuck in my head.....for years.

I confess that while driving the other day I suddenly remembered all the words to Walker Texas Ranger's opening theme. What is that? WHY?

I confess that because of setting it to a musical rhythm I can say the alphabet backwards without any trouble at all.

I confess that I was in several musicals in high school. I remember all my songs....and all my lines.

I confess that stage makeup and costumes always look slightly frightening....

Little Shop of Horrors Do-Wop Girl---I was Crystal.

I confess that I know the preamble due to School House Rock. Seriously I wish I would have set all my homework to music...I would have had no trouble remembering then.

I confess that musicals are what I prefer to watch while I'm sick. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is my favorite sick day musical.

I confess that I actually got my first part in a musical without trying out. They had a girl quit and they needed a high soprano...so I got a phone call at home that night and they asked if I would be willing to participate. I was pretty flattered and thought Why Not? And thus my school musical career began. 

I confess that while writing this I was listening the the Little Shop of Horrors Soundtrack. I can still nail the soprano! 

Happy Humpday Everyone!

Tag it Tuesday: Who's That Guy?

Today I am stealing borrowing a post from Erin! This post has been in the archives for a while now and it just felt like time to post it!  So today I'm going to share with you all a little about my husband aka Bobby aka Robert aka

So without further ado....here you go:


Socks with sandals: yes or no?
Only if you're hiding a foot fungus
 
Where is your dream vacation?
The Orient



Which of the Seven Dwarfs do you most identify with?
Right now it is a combo of Grumpy and Sneezey (He has a head cold)

Which Disney princess do you think is the hottest?
Belle
 
What are five of your favorite movies?
Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Princess Bride, Goonies, Ghostbusters

If you could drive any exotic car, what would it be?
The Ecto-One


If you were to pack up and move somewhere new without worrying about work or finances, where would you go?
Caribbean
 
If you were to start a blog, what would you write about?
Nerd Stuff

What item on your bucket list do you most look forward to crossing off?
Light a match with a .22 bullet

If you could be a member of any band, what would you play and who would you join?
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Electric Violin

What do you remember about our first date?
Him: Everything
Me: Not an answer
Him: The light coming on on your front porch (aka time for me to go inside)

What has been the most memorable thing we’ve done together?
Had Kyra
What is your favorite thing about me?
You make me laugh

What is one thing you want people to know about you?
I'm Awesome. 


The answers seem pretty simple but this took a pretty long time for him to answer because he has a hard time deciding on things like favorite movies and places to go....also he usually cracks up because he thought of something hilariously inappropriate first before giving me a direct answer!

Creature Comforts

I saw this post last week on Steph's blog and I thought it was just really fun and I love reading about the things that people enjoy just because they enjoy them. Self care is so important and I see nothing wrong with being just a little selfish and just plain liking STUFF! 

Here's a few of my little comforts....

Makeup- yes you all saw this one coming but seriously makeup makes me happy. I love watching people apply it, I love applying it, I love the colors and the way you can completely just change your look. Makeup is my thing. 

Nail polish (no matter how many shades I have)


Geeky/Nerdy stuff- I fully embrace my geek/nerd status. I love ALL. OF. THE. THINGS. 

Journals- Whenever I see a new one I just can't help myself. 


Thrifted books- I love the thrill of collecting series via the thrift store. It just makes my heart happy to pick up books for super cheap! 

Super Fancy Bellami Curling Wand- Robert actually bought this for me for Christmas one year and honestly I LOVE it. It works so well on my hair and I love all the different attachments for different styles. 

Also Love my Chi Flat Iron

Cute Shoes

Movies- whether it is going to the theater, streaming, or just buying DVDs...movies are our thing. 

Trips to Comic Con and Renaissance Festivals- I live for these trips. I love dressing up, I love the people and their enthusiasm. I just feel like I am with MY people when I attend these events! 

 

I am still super proud of my fairy house!

So what are your creature comforts? 

Thursday Thoughts 8/11

1. I had an awesome confessions post for yesterday but then I couldn't find the picture I needed and thus never got it finished and in a fit of childish tantrum just decided to wait until next week since the post wasn't "perfect". Sometimes I am a brat.

2. I have been behind on emails and blogs all week and am spending the morning trying to get caught up on all of them. There were 50 linkups in the book linkup this week and I'm trying to work through them all. Still 50! How cool is that?? 

3. The changing of Doritos to "Fire Chips" is in full swing. Kyra keeps calling them that whenever we see them in stores and now other children are picking up on the trend. Someday I will see #Firechips on Twitter and will know that my kiddo started it. 

4. My insomnia has been at an all time high this week. I haven't gotten to sleep before 4 am any time this week and Kyra is bright eyed and ready to go by 7am. I'm tired but yet sleep is still not forthcoming. 


5. I have walked around my downtown area more this past month than I have ever in my life. Yes I've been playing Pokemon while walking but it has really been fun to see my little town change...even just over a few weeks. Apparently we have a Free Little Library here! Basically you take a book and leave a book. It's all honor system based and just really awesome!

Short and sweet thoughts today since I'm tired and also trying to get through all my emails and blog posts. Happy Thursday Everyone.