My Honest Opinion

A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of Ellen and Jessica Alba was one of her guests.  Looking back, I can't even remember what exactly she was promoting but I do know she spoke about her new venture - The Honest Company - a company that produces chemical-free products for babies and families.  Since she spoke about baby products, I was instantly intrigued and got online to find out more.
The Honest Co.'s website is very appealing with it's clean and simple look with really great information that is visible in a clear manner.  One of the first things that caught my eye were the words "Free Trial."  I clicked on the tab and was taken to a page with a series of a few short questions regarding my household.  I was then given the option to choose the Honest Diapers and Wipes bundle and/or the Family Essentials bundle.  Seeing as both options were FREE (all I had to pay was $4.95 for shipping), I chose both bundles.  In just 4 short days, our package arrived.  

Isn't this just the cutest packaging ever?! I loved it right away :)

The diapers and wipes bundle included 7 biodegradable disposable diapers and a pack of 10 biodegradable wipes.  One note worth mentioning, you have the option to select some really cute and modern patterns for the color of the diapers you order - no more boring white!  The Family Essentials bundle included sample size bottles of laundry detergent, shampoo & body wash, healing balm, face & body lotion, and hand soap.
My absolute favorite item was......the.....diapers!!  These diapers are amazing!  For starters, they're biodegradable, 100% non-toxic, chlorine-free, sustainable, and made of plant-based materials; all of which,  make them super safe for baby.  But also, they held up great and did their job fantastically too! I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about trying out a new diaper since our tried and true Pampers Sensitive diapers have never failed us - no leaks, no rash, no nothing for 17 months.  Therefore, my approach to trying out these new diapers was to gradually do so.  At first, we only used them during the day when I knew that Nick was only going to pee.  Then I got brave and put one on Nick after he ate a complete meal fully loaded with fiber and protein!  The Honest diaper passed that test too! Now came one more challenge - the overnight diaper.  Since Nicholas can sleep overnight anywhere between 10 to 12 hours, a diaper needs to be really absorbent.  And sure enough, the Honest diaper held it's own there too.  
When I first put the diaper on Nicholas, I noticed that the elastic inside the diaper (the part that touches the inside of the leg) looked a little tight.  I was afraid that Nick would get red and irritated there, but nope, they're apparently a lot more comfortable than they seem because there was no chaffing.  The backside around the waist area has a small "elastic band" that helps prevent gaping and seems to make the diaper fit just right all the way around.  Also, I quickly noticed that these diapers don't have that medicinal type of smell that regular diapers have - that's a major plus for me.  The only downside to this diaper is that it seems to be really noisy.  You know your baby is wearing a diaper with these diapers on.  But for me, all the pros definitely outweighed this one downside.

Cutest baby bum ever!

My next favorite products were the samples of the laundry detergent, hand soap, and face & body lotion.  All these products did their job well and have the added perks of being safe and non-toxic.  The Honest Company does not use any harmful or health compromising chemicals in any of their products.  I liked that all these products did not have an overwhelmingly obvious scent and that the hand soap did not dry out my hands.  The lotion was also good because you could feel it sink into your skin and soothe any dryness.  I strongly dislike lotions that are runny and/or sticky.  This one was the exact opposite.  Great products!
Unfortunately, there were a few items that I wasn't all that excited about.  For starters, the wipes.  When Nicholas was 6 months and started eating solid foods, we had to switch from the Pampers Sensitive Wipes to the Pampers Sensitive Thick Care Wipes.  Let's just say I needed a wipe that could handle a lot more during diaper changes!  I love my son, but it's pretty gross when you can feel what you're wiping.    Sadly, the Honest wipes are quite thin in comparison to the wipes we currently use so I wasn't sold on this product.  The shampoo & body wash wasn't terrible, but for Nicholas' fine yet curly hair, it seemed to make it feel dry and frizzy.  Nicholas' hair is usually pretty shiny on it's own, but the morning following his evening bath, his hair just looked dull and messy.  And yes, he did have bed head, but usually once I re-wet it and comb it, it settles down.  However, that wasn't happening this time.  Lastly, the healing balm just seemed like regular Vaseline.  I'm fortunate to not have to deal with diaper rash a whole lot with Nicholas, but when I read "healing balm" on the tube, I expected a cream-like substance comparative to Desitin.  I can see how this Healing Balm can help protect babies' bums from getting a rash, but I don't see it healing any redness or discomfort.  But, since Nicholas didn't have any kind of diaper rash to treat while we were testing out these products, I don't know for sure.
And now, for how all this works.  Should you decide you only want to try out the samples, you have until 7 days after you receive your trial package to cancel your membership.  If you do not call to cancel, the bundle you selected will automatically be shipped out to you and you will be charged for your first monthly subscription.  Since I wasn't ready to receive more diapers because we had just purchased some, I simply called the Customer Service line and had my membership inactivated.  The process was really simple and the Customer Service rep was extremely polite and willing to help me.  You don't see that very often anymore! The rep also informed me that they are flexible and willing to work with the customer when it comes to how often the bundles get shipped out.  
All in all, I was extremely impressed with this great line of products.  Another great thing to note is that with every purchase you (and I) make, Honest will donate diapers to children in poverty.  I love shopping and supporting companies that pay it forward and help those in need.  
Thanks for stopping by,

For All My Ladies

There was a time when I would've loved to ask every woman I met, "What brand of makeup are you wearing?"  I always felt like everybody else had such flawless, even-toned skin while maintaining a fresh, natural look.  I longed to have that same complexion.  My biggest insecurity has been and continues to be my skin (on my face).  I struggled with acne as a teenager and as a last resort after using practically everything my dermatologist prescribed was Acutane.  Those 8 months were amazing!  No breakouts, no shiny/oily T-zone, nothing!  However, after all the creams and peels and medications I had used, I still had redness on my face and acne scars.  There was no way I would ever leave my house without makeup on because I was (and still am) extremely self-conscious about my non-perfect skin.  
Over the past 12 years that I've been using makeup, I've used so many different brands - Estee Lauder, Lancome, Chanel, Christian Dior, MAC, Origins, Smashbox, Bare Minerals, Stila, Laura Mercier, and a few others I'm sure.  I never stuck with one particular brand because I never loved the way my skin looked, it was always just OK.  But one fine day, as I was just perusing the makeup counter at Nordstrom, these sparkly little bottles caught my eye.  I didn't even notice when the associate came up and asked if I was looking for something in particular and I honestly wasn't, but when she asked if I wanted to test out a makeup, I figured "Sure, why not?" 
Well folks, I can FINALLY say I LOVE my makeup because it makes my skin look fantastic!  After a long, hot and humid South Texas day my makeup isn't melting off or creasing.  With the help of the non-silicone primer I started using, my makeup stays in place and gives a very natural and soft finish - nothing cake-y.  I personally don't like to see when women wear makeup that's super thick and obvious.  So fortunately, this makeup allows you to wear as little or as much as you'd like.  Another important note, my makeup routine takes only about 10 minutes - max.  With a toddler either waiting for me to get dressed or still sleeping while I'm getting ready, I obviously don't have tons of time.  

Although you can't see it so well in this photo, the green/black sparkly canister of the Prep+Prime bottle is what initially caught my eye :)

I've used other makeup primers before but never really liked how they felt on my skin, particularly the silicone-based ones.  I could instantly feel my pores getting clogged with those! The Prep+Primer Skin Base Visage is creamy yet airy and fluffy and glides right onto my skin, leaving it feeling extremely smooth and surprisingly hydrated.  After that, I apply the Matchmaster foundation using a foundation brush and then dust on a little of the Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder.  I love this stuff! It's very much like the Makeup Forever HD Powder.  It has no color so it simply mattifies the skin.  I usually only use it on the areas of my face where I know I have shine.  
More recently I've started getting facials and microdermabrasion procedures a little more frequently.  I have seen a lot of improvement in my skin but it's still not where I'd love for it to be.  I'm waiting for the day where I'm blemish free and can walk out the door for quick errands without worrying about my face.  Until then, I'm so grateful for that super sweet associate that tried out this new makeup on me.  I couldn't be happier :) 

Pergola Update:
Over the weekend my husband was able to squeeze in two days to work on the pergola.  Unfortunately, these pictures don't really show all the time and labor put into this project plus the fact that it was a steamy and humid 90+ degrees for those two days.  

Since the 6x6 cedar posts were already installed, the next step was to work on the frame for the roof.  Eight 18ft cedar boards had to be cut and painted in order to build the 13'x16' frame

Here are 2 out of the 8 18ft boards cut and getting painted

Ta-da!  And the frame is complete!  Next up, the 2x6 beams need to be cut, painted, and installed above the frame.

 Stay tuned & thanks for stopping by!