Hello Everyone, Anyone? Miss blogging and you! #Giveaway Poll for Next #Prize-

Hey readers and friends! I still hope I have some readers out there – and if you may have left, I hope you come back! As most of you know, I took the summer ‘off’ from blogging to take care of 3 very active kids (13, 9, and 2 years old- all girls! Help me!)- I totally intended to come back in the fall at the start of the school year—- aaaaand then I never came back…..but remained pretty active on fb and IG. Good news is- I ended up growing my IG quite a big 🙂 If you’re not following me my handle is @budgetbeautysite_cstone412cs

I have been wanting to come back- I have been wanting to blog. I just have been having some issues. Life just isn’t easy sometimes but I try to make the best of it. I like to try to stay positive but sometimes I feel like besides my wonderful little girls, there isn’t much to be positive about- I am in a big funk. Every had one of those?

There’s something that I have never really shared with my readers-but I will share now- (another blogger shared her struggle and I found it comforting to know that someone so beautiful and successful also has the same issues that I do)- So maybe by me admitting my issues, I hope to help someone get through their tough times. —- I struggle badly with anxiety- general anxiety and really bad social anxiety…..It’s actually really hard for me to work or sometimes I don’t even want to leave the house to go to the mall. I find people of any social status, money status- scary. Especially people that are ‘better than me’- I always feel like people are looking down on me and judging me.

Because of the issues with anxiety, sometimes I end up in a depressed state for weeks. Sometimes my body hurts from being depressed and not getting the endorphins that I need. That’s pretty much what I have been battling for months. And that is why I have not been blogging- I haven’t been inspired. I have been very down and unmotivated. The lack of sun and too much cold doesn’t help either- I definitely have Season Affective Disorder (SAD). Do you have that or have you heard of it? It is definitely a real thing. I have had it since I was a teen. We live in Massachusetts where after the clocks change in October, it is dark all the time. And cold for 6+months out of the year. If I could move, I would!

A bunch of stuff also happened where I was working- I lost my job – basically because the new store manager didn’t like me. Which really brought me down because I found out everyone in that place who I was so nice to and did nice stuff for, were all two faced and against me, etc. But I am obviously better off without people like that in my life.

–One key to happiness and a way to keep positive is to surround yourself with people who are positive and happy and actually care for you! And they are glad that you care for them.

I live in a small town and on the outskirts of another small town- where everyone self-medicates- a lot of them don’t work and the highlight of their life or day is to gossip. —-Do any of you live in towns like that? I had never lived anywhere so bad until I moved here.  I am shocked at how mean and cruel people can be. ——Isn’t the golden rule- do unto others as you want to be done to you? Does anyone even care about the rule anymore- I know some people do, I do-but not enough people do around these parts.

 

Well, anyway, I am back. I WANT to be back! But I hope I still have readers out there. If I have to- I will start at the beginning again. Those who are still out there- thank you and I truly appreciate you!

Please feel free to leave any type of comments- questions, tips, criticism (if you’d like), anything-

I was trying to get a few reader giveaways going with some really cool companies but since I haven’t written in so long they wanted to wait a little while. So I will still work at it. I have a great list of shops that I would love to introduce you to and would love to bring you giveaways from! So stay tuned, hopefully we can do something soon! (if not, to get the blog back up and people reading again, I may do my own giveaway- bought from me!

 

Let’s take a poll in the comments- comment with the number of the perfume you’d like to win- the most votes will be the giveaway prize-

If I did a perfume giveaway which one would you like to win-

1–Yves Saint Laurent- Opium -Women Eau de Toilette Natural Spray 50ml/1.6 fl oz-worth about $77-100

2—Dolce and Gabbana – Light Blue -(worth about $80+)

3—Gucci – Premiere- 1.6 fl oz- worth about $80+

4- I also have 2 Coach ones and a Juicy Couture (I believe the Original)

5- CRABTREE & EVELYN – CITRON Honey & Coriander – 4 PIECE GIFT SET W/ PINK PETAL NAIL POLISH- $26 (sold out, hard to find)

 

Please Vote, I know I may not get a lot of votes or comments but it’s a start- The first steps in getting something done is- Visualize it, work on it/start it, (try to) finish it, and be brave enough to post it. No one may respond but at least you are getting back out there! And starting somewhere is better than not starting at all, right?

one last note is I have been sharing fashion, beauty, mama, and techie giveaways to the Budget Beauty Facebook page- so check that out-

the link is http://www.facebook.com/BudgetBeauty

and IG http://www.instagram.com/budgetbeautysite_cstone412cs

 

 

$200 Target Giveaway (+another $200 Target Giveaway linked to it!)- Good luck! Ends 9/10 – OPEN WORDWIDE!

Hey guys-

I pretty much took the summer off from blogging- BUT I have not forgotten about you guys!!!

If you remember, I did the $200 Free People Giveaway- and now I’m doing another one but this one is HUGE—- and there’s 2 CHANCES TO WIN!

I am C0-Hosting a $200 Target #giveaway with Oh My Gosh Beck!

It’s an Instagram giveaway- meaning you must have an IG account. Second, you must follow, like, and/or comment (depending on what level the blogger chose) for entries.

People that aren’t cohosts only need likes or comments. There are a few different ways to enter if you don’t want to follow a bunch of new people.

*****But if you already follow me on IG-    @budgetbeautysite_cstone412cs

—–you have one entry already! Every daily like and comment you make are more entries!

*Also, there was such a huge response of bloggers that wanted to participate in the giveaway, that she had to split us up into two groups so there are

2 chances to win $200 to Target!

Fill out/Take a look at the Rafflecopter that I provide you with and toward the end, there’s an entry option for “enter our other Target giveaway” and that will bring you to the next $200 giveaway! (and you get and entry for my giveaway just for entering the other giveaway, cool huh?)

Great right!?!  (I almost wish that I wasn’t part of it so I could enter LOL!)

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $200 Target Gift Card

Giveaway Starts ===> August 20th @  6 PM EST / 3 PM PST (SORRY- Posting a few hours late!)

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck!

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 9/10 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Good Luck!

Thanks for sticking around.

I will be having a Review and Giveaway of a BLASTZONE BOUNCY CASTLE within the next week…. So you may want to keep an eye out for that! I am hoping to have it posted by Sunday night. So I will have the giveaway for the bouncy castle posted hopefully Sunday! (it’s my first really, really big giveaway! it’s worth over $300!

Who Doesn’t LOVE Cute (and Affordable) Workout Clothes? Fabletics Review- 50% discount code

Hey ya’ll! It’s been a hella long time since I’ve blogged. I have been on IG daily…I am really bad at keeping a “blogging schedule” anyway, but I hadn’t been sick in years and then BAM- all of a sudden, me and the baby have been super sick- we were at doctor like 2x a week for the last month. I had an ear infection and my ear drum burst! She had a head cold, then a chest cold and needed nebulizer treatments again, then when it looked like she was getting better she got a tumy bug and got hives everywhere!

Anyway, I haven’t been working out much since the end of May, other than long walks with the kiddos, but I love cute workout clothes! I love workout clothes for home for an actual workout–But I Really love cute workout clothes for the neighbors (or whomever) to see me walking in lol. We live about a 15-20 minute walk from our town jungle gym & sprinkler park/splash pad so we walk there a lot …..

Some of the best and highest quality workout/athletic clothes, especially for price, are from Fabletics! I’ve ordered from them 3 times. The first time was about two years ago- I got a 3 piece outfit (sweatshirt, bra, Lima capri) for $25. The same fall I ordered another 3 piece outfit (jacket, bra, Lima capri) and I did it under a different email so I could get the new member discount of $25 again lol. I cancelled both monthly accounts after because I couldn’t afford the monthly price and was afraid I would forget to skip.

I continue to get their emails, which I highly recommend doing because about 3 weeks ago, I saw an AMAZING sale (that they rarely do.)   I got a 3 piece outfit for around $18!!!!!! (And included shipping)! I think instead of the normal 50% off (making outfits $25), the sale was like 70% off, making outfits around $17-18!!!

Seriously. How could I not take up that offer?

River of Grass Outfit

I got the cutest outfit! I got a black and white sports bra (with cups because I’m super flat and deflated from breastfeeding two kiddos lol  I’m only an A cup/small B). I also got a super soft black tank top that looks awesome over the black and white bra. The tank leaves just a little bit of room to see a little of the black/white bra but not so much that it looks trashy because I love modest clothing…..

And—–I finally got my hands on some camo leggings! I had wanted a pair of Fabletics’ camo leggings for like 6 months when they launched! (One thing that ‘stinks’ about Fabletics is if you don’t buy a popular item and it sells fast (like all their camo stuff sold fast) you’re most likely not going to get it …..so act fast if you see something that you like! But you can put your email on a restock list and supposedly the more people who want it restocked, the more likely it will come back….

All this for $18- Yes, Please!

^^^^^^here is a pic of the outfit that I got^^^^^^

You can see all the options that the shirt and leggings come in besides what I ordered. So many choices for the leggings!

I love Fabletics because all the leggings I have from them have been worn tons of times over the last 2.5 years- working out or doing errands after working out- and are still like new. My black pair with red lines are the oldest and most worn, but you’d never know! The only worn area is where upper/inner thighs rub but people really can’t see it, only I know it. I’ve also worn my Fabletics sports bras quite a bit and they are like I just bought them! My jacket has only been worn a handful of times because it’s tight and not my style but is still like new. And my teal sweatshirt is so soft and other than the stain that is from me, is still soft and amazing!  So for $25 – the outfits will last you at least 1-3 years, possibly more I just haven’t gotten there yet! That’s money well spent!

My ‘secret’ to keep lots of things like new is- I wash them (either by machine or hand) but DON’T dry them! I hang over shower curtain or lay flat to dry! Bras (sports or regular), workout pants, leggings (regular or workout)- I never dry because it messes with the elasticity and will wreck it eventually!

If you use the new member discount and get the outfits for $20-25 you really can’t beat that. I don’t really want to spend $50+ on their clothes (even though they are worth it!) but you can do the first time buyer discount, get your outfit, and then cancel or skip as many months as you want. Just remember to skip by the 5th of every month!  Their clothes are worth the $45-55 that they charge after your first month but I just can’t afford it.

Currently, they’re not having the super sale that I lucked out on getting but if you sign up now you can get your first outfit for $25 with free shipping and returns. Or sign up for emails and watch for the emails that say “save 70%” (they just had a 70% one day sale over this weekend that I missed!)

 

http://www.fabletics.com/invite/budgetbeautysite/

If you use my invite link/code it should be automatically set up for the $25  outfit (which is basically half off the full price of the outfit). And after you get 3 or 2 awesome pieces for way cheap, you can either keep your membership and just remember to skip by the 5th of every month or you can just cancel it (I beleive you have to call or live chat to cancel, although one time I did cancel via email but I don’t know if that’s changed).

I would just either create an account or sign up for emails and then maybe you will see an awesome sale pop up again soon. But I had never saw them do anything that cheap before that’s why I acted super fast!

They also just launched their first capsule collection called Fly- which I think is pretty ‘fly’! Haha…. FLY. Is designed to be a capsule collection of pieces you can wear for working out or going out. And since it is a capsule collection (for those who don’t know what that is. I didn’t until about 5 months ago) every piece could be worn with another and they all match …..

They also just launched a men’s collection, which could be a good Father’s Day goft for the active Dad in your life. I have been seeing some emails offering some pretty good sales on the men’s collections to promote it.

If you didn’t know, Fabletics is founded and created by Kate Hudson (who I love)….she does a really good job putting the outfits together. Fabletics has pictures on their site and Facebook and IG of her, and other super stars, wearing Fabletics clothes out in public and ‘in real life’.

Between the men’s launch and the Fly capsule collection launch it seems like they’re really branching out. They’re obviously doing well. But when you sell great quality stuff at great prices, you go places! Their customer service used to get a lot of complaints on the fb page but I have never had a issue. They’ve always let me fix my issues. My only complaint is they are hard to understand most of the time.

So check em out, if you haven’t yet! Obviously, I would love if you use my link so I could get $10 off another outfit lol.

 

http://www.fabletics.com/invite/budgetbeautysite/

*******update june 23 2015—- so just to amuse myself I clicked my own referral link and I see that this outfit is still available! If you’re interested- it’s toward the bottom of the page where it says “popular women’s” and it shows/scrolls a bunch of different outfits, one of which is the River of Grass! But it is $25. But that’s pretty great for a 3 piece outfit that I know will last a while!

Amazing Hair Savior- Pura D’or Argan Oil- Organic Shampoo and Conditioner for Thinning Hair or Hair loss— Review

Sponsored by BrandBacker

If you follow me on Instagram, which I hope you do, you may have saw pics of me and my very thin hair. I also have issues with losing clumps, like handfuls of it whenever I wash it. Scary stuff no matter what age you are!

(If you do not follow me on IG my handle is @budgetbeautysite_cstone412cs I post a lot about fitness, motivation, pics of my toddler, and if you’re interested in giveaways- I do a lot of reposting and info about giveaways! Later today I will be posting a big Target giveaway that I’m a part of which requires following me, and a daily like and comment on a different pic daily! More info on that on the next post later today. If you’d like to check out some of my Instagram posts, I have my account linked so some of my pics are located alllll the way at the bottom of my blog.)

So for starters, it’s organic which is great! Their shampoos and conditioners are free from SLS, Parabens and Gluten!

**Info from the brand page- For more than four years, Pura d’or has been growing a culture planted on a natural set of values and beliefs. But when all is said and done it comes down to one unified mission—to create organic personal care solutions that naturally work. All our ingredients are grown on trees, not in test tubes. Our products are artisanally handcrafted by a hybrid team of artists and scientists, not by machines. Some say that this is a step backward, but we believe that this is a step in the direction of how things should be. Pura d’or creates better beauty products from ingredients that are not only naturally beneficial, but are also sustainably grown and raised with respect for the animals that eat them and the people who produce them.

We are animal cruelty free, USDA biobased certified and Dr. Trusted.

We are #1 on Amazon for Shampoos and conditioners. We know that you will fall head over heels with Pura d’or!

For more information on Pura d’or check out our website at http://www.purador.com

We offer free shipping to anywhere in the continental U.S. ******

I thought there was no help for me. Thanks to Brandbacker I got to try a shampoo and conditioner from Pura D’or which is organic! The real names for shampoo and conditioner on the bottles are- Pura D’or, Argan Oil, Premium Organic Shampoo, Hair loss prevention therapy (then it lists some info and benefits which I will list later in post. The conditioner bottle says- Pura D’or, Argan Oil, Premium Oranic Conditioner, Lavender Vanilla. I love the smell- it is more vanilla than lavender (I dislike lavender a lot.)

So I started using this shampoo about a month and a half ago….I have seen huge, huge improvements! It is a hair loss prevention set so it has really helped with hair loss! I went from losing clumps and handfuls of hair to losing none or a few strands with every wash. Amazing stuff.
Obviously it does contain Argan Oil which is in there to help make your hair healthier. I am assuming that they put the Argan oil in there because a lot of females (maybe even males) lose hair due to breakage, not because they have a hair loss issue. I wear a top knot or bun almost daily and fall asleep with it in a lot. I have started working on that bad habit because I had so much breakage there were huge patches near my ears that were like I had a bob haircut!

So anyway, this stuff is awesome.
The shampoo does smell not so hot- it is very ‘herb-y’ smelling but after you put the conditioner in, it totally masks the smell of the shampoo (which was good for me because I really disliked that herb smell)!

The benefits listed on the Shampoo bottle are:
– 12 Advanced DHT blockers to stop premature hair loss
– For thinning hair, receding hair lines, and excessive shedding (I had thinning hair and excessive shedding in the shower and out.)
– For all hair types, Men, Women, even Color Treated (I just got my hair colored and I’m not sure I want to test if it really is ok for color treated. I am sure it is because all their other statements turned out to be true.

The Benefits listed on the amazing smelling conditioner bottle are:
– Enhance shine, manageability, and control
– Gentle, natural, and nourishing
– Made from 99% vegetable ingredients (how cool is that?!)
Plus again, it smells so great!
My experience with the conditioner- it is thick but sometimes I have to use a lot or even a squirt from a thicker one to get all the tangles out. For the most part it is great, and now that I got a trim, maybe it will work fine by itself.

The shampoo works awesome for the thinning and hair loss part. My only complaints are: like I said before, the herb smell. 2nd) for an Argan Oil shampoo I kinda figured that it would be more ‘nourishing’ or conditioning….after I use it, my hair feels sooooo dry! But once I use the conditioner it is ‘comb-able’. (I just got a haircut so now that the dead ends are gone I may have no issues.)

On top of this set of hair products I have been taking the max amount of Biotin for 2 months and I’m pretty sure that has helped too.

So I definitely reccomend these products which can be purchased on Amazon.

Thanks for reading and there will be another post today with the Instagram giveaway info. I usually don’t post twice in 1 day but only today because the giveaway started at Noon!

Tomorrow or next day I will be writing about some hair vitamins I tried!
I’ve been on a “save my hair” kick for the last two months lol….

Thanks for reading!

Free Sample of Urban Decay’s New Perversion Mascara!

Hey ladies- I just got an email saying that we can be the first to get a sample of Urban Decays’s new mascara called Perversion.

ill post the link below

https://www.udperversion.com/perversionsample

 

All you have to do is tell them in 3 words, no more, no less, about why you deserve the sample and them send the tweet. The link I provided will walk you through it. Then you give your name and address.

it is unclear to me if they’re picking everyone that tweets while supplies last or just the tweets that are good….. I’ll have to try to read the fine print somewhere.

but I wanted to give you guys a heads up.

good luck!

Trying New Things & My Wrinkles and Acne Routine

How’s everyone’s week going? Good I hope. I’m so busy, I feel like I don’t know which way is up or whatever…. I have a sub box review that’s just sitting on my table and I have 2 more reviews just waiting to be typed. Having a Tarzan Monkey child is really hard. I don’t want to say I get no help because no help isn’t correct. Hubs works 2nd shift so his sleep schedule is different so I don’t get much help.

Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with my issues! I’ve never done a ‘favorites’ post of any kind. I was leaving a comment on a blogger friend’s blog last night when I realized that there’s blog posts out there about acne treatments/products and there’s ones about wrinkle/aging products but not usually don’t together. I am one of those “fortunate” individuals that has been blessed with wrinkles at a pretty early age (from smoking and sun damage) and I also get breakouts on the sides of my mouth/chin area. Anytime I wear makeup, which you know is quite a bit, I breakout worse or it starts a breakout. I shouldn’t say just makeup, because it’s not all makeup, it’s mostly foundations, CC creams etc. It’s just face makeup that will mess me up.

I’m going to warn you now that this is where the post gets LONG but interesting, so stick around! Here is my list of products that I’ve found really work for my aging and breakout prone skin. I’ll tell you how long I’ve been using them too.

One of my most favorite products is Peter Thomas Roth- Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel. It’s a great foaming cleanser and it has Salicylic Acid in it which is great for breakouts and treating wrinkles. I’ve been using this for about six months and have not found a better cleanser yet, and I’ve tried quite a bit! I got it as a deluxe sample and loved it and continue to buy it from Ebay because I can’t afford Peter’s prices!

I had been using the cleanser with a Konjac sponge. I am in LOVE with my black charcoal Konjac sponge from Japanese Konjac Sponge company. That is one of the reviews that’s actually waiting to be done. I received a couple types of Konjac sponges and just love them. They make my skin so smooth. I mean really smooth. I say had been using because I did pick up a new toy lately- one of those battery powered facial cleansers (like Clarisonic Mia but generic). I bought the CVS brand for about $19 and had a $5 coupon. When I use it, it does take up some time. I love it though. It’s so relaxing! This also makes my skin feel amazing.

Once I’m cleansed I use a toner. Actually, I’m a freak and have been using 2 toners, one for acne on my chin and Tzone and one for wrinkles on my forehead. I like, but don’t love and a still searching for better, Neautrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control triple-Action Toner. I use a deluxe sample of La Prairie, from the La Prairie Glossybox, on my forehead.

Next is my wrinkle cream step which I’m also still looking for a better one but I’ve been using Roc for about six months also and it works pretty good on my forehead and awesome on my neck! I use Roc Retinol Correction Deep Wrinkle Serum which doesn’t do much for my forehead but makes the wrinkles on my neck look amazing! I don’t know why it works in one and not the other. I also just added Roc Retinol Correction Deep Wrinkle Filler which also could be better on my deep wrinkles but it’s the best I’ve found so far. I was using a deluxe sample of Murad for a while and loved it, I had the age spot fader and some kind of wrinkle/age corrector and both were great.

That’s pretty much it for my face. After the Roc I don’t feel I need a moisturizer.

At this point I would like to mention a few more things that I’ve added within the last month and totally love.

I just added Colgates new toothbrush that has the white it pen- Colgate Optic White. It’s amazing. It has stain removing pads on the toothbrush and the whitening pen is great. Then I use Crest 3D White Luxe- Glamorous White mouthwash. These two products make your teeth so, so white you won’t even believe it. The Toothbrush from Colgate is like $12-18 and cheapest at Walmart.  I won the Toothbrush in a giveaway but I did go thru the whitening pen pretty fast. It says to use one click for all the etch but I use at least one on top then another on the bottom.

I hope this post wasn’t too long for most of you!  Like I said, I’ve never done a ‘Favorites’ post before so I apologize if it’s not up to par.

Also, don’t forget to enter (or daily entry) into my current giveaway for Valleau Apparel. The winner gets a sports bra of their choice! They stay out and are really cute!

My #FabFItJourney Contest Entry—-Please Vote for Me—

As you all know I LOVE a good giveaway! I have been lucky enough to win an Ipad mini, a trampoline (Belicon Rebounder), a $250 DSW gift card just recently…. but I just still love to enter. It’s almost and addiction. I’ve won lots of other smaller prizes too!

I entered a contest recently from Fabletics called #FabFitJourney (which is a weird name because it makes me think of the FabFitFun box lol). I am in like 13th place but I need to make top ten to be eligible to win a prize. Basically, in the fine print, it says Fabletics will choose 3 winners from the top ten people with the most votes to win shopping sprees/money to Fabletics.

It stinks when you are so close that you feel like you could win but still are so far away.

Anyway, I am trying to rally for as many votes as I can so if  you are reading this feel free to click the link I will provide. The link will take you to Fabletics Facebook page where I have my picture and my ‘story’. I”m currently at 197 votes but I need like 244 to beat the person in the ten spot.

This was a daily vote thing but I didn’t enter until a little later than most people. The top lady has something like over 600! Craziness. And my friend Brandy told me that there are actual ‘voting’ exchange sites that people can join to get more votes. That stinks and I would love to do it but it’s basically cheating.

Here is the link that will bring you to my picture

http://bit.ly/1gir6O7

Once  you get there you will  be asked to like Fabletics, unless you already do. Then when you hit vote it will ask you to post to your wall (all it posts to your wall is that you voted for me which you can later delete. I already tried hitting ‘not now’ or ‘dont’ allow’ and if you do that then it does not let you vote…. so please hit allow and then fix it later).

The voting closes Sunday June 1 at midnight. (which is later tonight).

This is the pic you will see when you click  my link——

Thanks so much for helping!

Valleau Apparel Photos, Review, and a Giveaway for You!

As you know I have been trying to lose like 40 pounds through diet and exercise. I mostly power-walk with the stroller but there are days when I jog. I have 2 Fabletics outfits and I love the 2 pairs of pants that I have. But both bras that I got from them, well, sucked. One was padded (which I am really small chested so I love padded bras) but the cups were in an odd position for me so that got returned. The 2nd bra that goes with my black/red stripe pants that you see me in a lot is OK but lacks in support and makes me bounce when I am running. It is more of a low impact bra.

Anyway, if you’re looking for GREAT sports bras let me tell you about Valleau Apparel. They don’t just have bras, either, they have pants and tank tops and a few other things.  All the colors and designs are so cute and amazing too. There are many styles to choose from and I will show a few pics so you get the idea. All pictures that I provide that are not of me, are from the Valleau Apparel site with their permission.

Here are a few pics of their gorgeous bras-

The Mermaid (back view)

Firework (back view)

Cute Pants- Many colors to choose from

 

They just started a line of workout headbands as well!

First of all,  the company was founded by Katie Valleau- who’s that you say (or maybe you know)- she’s an NCAA gymnast. So she knows what it’s like to want her ‘girls’ in the right places at the right times and she knows that having the right support makes your workout (and life) so much easier!  She designs each bra with it’s own ‘story’ and uniqueness, probably making them the most unique bras on the market.  And wait till you see the backs on these babies! So gorgeous! The detail is amazing. Not only is the detail and design amazing but the fabric is awesome. I only walk and jog but I do get pretty sweaty and these felt like they help absorb a lot and keep me from dripping.

Me in the Valleau Apparel Starfish Bra

What a Model Looks Like In the Starfish 🙂

Speaking of fabric- I mentioned that I like cups in my bras. The only ‘downside’ currently of Valleau is that they don’t offer cups in their bras- Yet. I’m sure she is working on it! But the bras are double lined. And since they’re double lined, I don’t feel so ‘exposed’ and I feel it gives a little extra padding without the padding. Does that make any sense?  And since they are double lined it also definitely helps support the ‘girls’. I am usually a 36B (ish) and range from a medium to large depending on the brand. (I was a large in Fabletics). I was going to order a Medium but I was told that they run a little on the tight side so I got a large. The large fit pretty good but still gave me some armpit fat (but that’s not their fault. Once, I lose some weight I’m sure it will be fine!). I would say I would try an XL but I’m pretty sure it would be way to big and then not give me any support or cleavage.

So what have we covered- cups, support, fabric, details- oh and all the colors are so cute and amazing too. And their are a lot of styles to choose from and I will show a few pics so you get the idea. All pictures that I provide that are not of me, are from the Valleau Apparel site with their permission.

Speaking of pictures- I chose to finally take the TERRIFYING plunge and actually take a picture of me in the Valleau bra and post it on the blog! EEEEK. Sorry, if it hurts your eyes but I wanted to show you guys that I did wear the bra and how it fit. Unfortunately, I did not have anyone around to help me take a pic of the gorgeous back of the bra  but I will also provide that pic from their site.

Me in Starfish Bra

Model showing gorgeous back of Starfish Bra

I chose to get the black and teal “Starfish” bra. I wear A LOT of black and teal is my FAVORITE color EVER. So that was a given. Although, I did have to think twice because they do have the same bra in the ‘color of the year- Radiant Orchid’. But I knew the black would match with more.

Radiant Orchid- Starfish Bra

Not only do they have the ‘regular’ bra collection, they have a “Sexy” collection as well. Sexy collection meaning it’s more low cut in the front. I did want to try this but since I am 30 and a Mommy I wanted to keep it casual. Maybe next time though!

This is the Sexy Starfish that is low cut in front

I am very happy that I got to try out this bra and I highly, highly recommend checking them out and maybe even taking the plunge and trying something.

In fact- Right now they are having their “Spring Sale” and you can get some bras for $32! as well as pants for $45 instead of their normal $55 price.

I really want to grab this top while it’s available on sale- it is $40 though… So I will have to check the budget.

Their website is- http://www.valleauapparel.com

Their Pinterest is- http://www.pinterest.com/valleauapparel/

Their Facebook is- https://www.facebook.com/ValleauApparel

Their Instagram is- http://instagram.com/valleauapparel#

They are also on Tumblr- http://valleauapparel.tumblr.com/

Definitely scoop up a bra while you can at that price! But for those of you who don’t have the extra money or just feel lucky we are hosting a giveaway!

Valleau Apparel will giveaway one bra of the winner’s choice! Great right? I wish I could enter and I’d get the radiant orchid one or the Sexy Starfish!

Rafflecopter to be posted on the FB page

http://www.facebook.com/BudgetBeauty

Here is the link to the Rafflecopter entry-

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Obsessed with Contests

I have entered a few contests lately and I will share them with you= Mostly in hopes that you will vote for me but also so if you want to enter, you can.

The first and most important one to me is the one from Fabletics.

The link to vote for me is here-

http://bit.ly/1gir6O7

once there you must like Fabletics *which is workout clothing line sponsored by Kate Hudson. If you like at a later date you can  unlike them. They don’t clutter up my fb feed so I don’t mind them. Anyway, after you like them you have to hit ‘vote’. I think a lot of my friends hit like and not vote. hit both if you want. It says I have something like 78 likes on my pic  but only 21 votes…. so that stinks. The most votes I have seen is like 80-100 so I’m really losing lol. So please help! Also this is a daily voting contest. so you can do it once to help or if you really love me you can do it daily. Also, another thing that you must do is they ask you to allow to post to your wall.  you must hit yes othewise it wont let you vote for me. All they post to your wall is that you voted for me *or whomever else you choose to vote for. You can also undo this at a later date. And thanks in advance for your help!

If you enter, let me know and I will return the favor.

The next one that I would like your help for and like you to enter yourself is the IT Cosmetics #ItsGotYouCovered contest. You can enter on Ig or FB. All you have to do is post a pic of you wearing your It cosmetics and share with the hashtage #itsgotyoucovered why It cosmetics is great for you. I have a lot of votes on this one but I would love to be one of the finalists picked to win a grand prize! I have 34 votes currently but more is always better 🙂

I believe this link will take you to my pic. it is of me and my baby 🙂 who just had her first  bday today 🙂 but she has a double ear infection so it wasn’t a very happy few days.

https://www.facebook.com/itcosmetics?sk=app_451684954848385&brandloc=DISABLE&app_data=view-vote%2Cfor-2755228

again, if you enter let me know and I will return the favor. If you want more info just to go their FB page.

And check out my birchbox post bc that offer ends 5-26

Mother Lover

I have an 8 year old girl and I just started all over with my new baby who is going to be one this month. I was 21 when I got pregnant and just turned 22 when I had my first. I didn’t get it back then. I didn’t want to get it-that being a mother meant it wasn’t about me anymore. I still wanted and needed way too much attention. I have some really bad guilt over things I did, things I didn’t do, how things ended up, etc. I was a SAHM for the first year with my first daughter. Then when she was around 16 months me and her dad had a huge falling out and he kicked me out… he kicked me out and I had no where to go and so I couldn’t take my baby with me. That’s another post for another day though. We ended up getting back together about a  year later and breaking up again many more times.

I look at my new baby and wonder how awful it was for me to be ripped out of my baby’s life like that. Anyway, I cherish every moment. Having two kids that are two totally different ages is fun and challenging. When the baby sleeps the 8 year old wants to play and I just want to relax! I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Here are some things that “Motherhood” means to me and for me-

~Wearing stuff on my face that aren’t related to beauty- my baby loves to slap the spoon when I am feeding her. I get yogurt and many other things on my face, in my mouth, in my hair etc. She also likes to wipe her mouth on my black/dark clothes.

~Hourly and Nightly wake up calls – One reason I don’t blog too much is because I have a very active and hands on baby. She wants to be held all the time. She doesn’t nap. She doesn’t sleep in her crib. She only sleeps 2-3 hours at a time before waking up and wanting to be help or just see who is awake and what is going on. And my 8 year old and baby share a room. The 8 year old wakes her up sometimes when she goes in the room. She then plays with her and gets her all exited. Then my 8 year old leaves her with me and goes and falls asleep while I’m barely staying awake.

~Spending all your money on someone who could careless about what they look like- This is my biggest issue right now with the 8yr old. I literally spend my last dollars on outfits for her that I think she will love. She looks at me like I have 3 heads and says she hates it. OR- she wants to go to school looking like a hot mess and when I get on her case she gets mad. She doesn’t want to brush her teeth or hair but will put lipstick on.

~Hoping that I’ll be the cool mom but that she’ll still listen to me- My Mom was pretty cool for the most part. I want to be one of those Mom’s that my kid feels like they can tell me anything but yet respects me and fears me enough to not do anything stupid.

~Finally appreciating what my Mom did- For so many years from teens thru twenties me and my Mom just butted heads about everything. She was a single mom from the time I was about 6 months old and she worked her ass off to provide for me until I was 18. She always thinks she is right and looking back she usually was.

~Looking forward to grocery shopping- Not only do I look forward to grocery shopping but I look forward to grocery shopping by myself. Going with two kids is a nightmare…

~I accept that my house is a mess and it’s not even worth cleaning for the next 5 years (while the baby is a young) because everyone just shits it up anyway! I would rather spend the time playing with the kids and making a mess than I would missing out on their childhood because I feel the need to houseclean. The house cleaning can wait- their childhood doesn’t. That was one of the best tips I got at my baby shower.

~Never peeing (among other things) alone again-My older one still comes in and stands there talking to me while I go to the bathroom. It doesn’t really phase me but when I just want to eat a candy bar alone in peace she finds me.. then she asks why I’m eating in the bathroom. LOL

~Loving them more than you ever thought possible- when I was pregnant with my 2nd I used to think- how will I ever love this one as much as I love my oldest? It’s not possible I thought. It is. I love both of them more and more everyday.

 

~Hoping that if I die/when I do, they will take care of each other- I don’t have any siblings. I am an only child and only grandchild. It’s VERY lonely. It sucks. If my Mom dies I will have no one to ‘take care’ of me. I always knew I wanted at least 2 kids. I want to know that after I am gone they can look after each other.

 

 

~Giving them all I have to offer- I hope that it’s enough and I hope that they know that I love them and will do anything for them.

~Hoping that don’t make the same mistakes as me and can have the best life possible- I literally lay awake in fear every night. I know my 8 year old will probably be ok. But I worry so much about the baby. I have my reasons but I just want the best for them. I vow to do everything I can do make things possible for them but I’m still scared that it won’t be enough.

~Knowing that this is what I was put here to do- my whole life I have kind of felt like a screw up. I never finish anything. I never graduated college. I never felt quite right in any ‘career’ path. But there’s just something that feels right about  me  being a Mom. It comes natural to me. Maybe because I’m just a big kid.

 Motherhood is the single most happy, joyful, fun, exciting, scary, and most rewarding thing I have ever done. Every moment is filled with new memories. I’m not sure how many of my readers actually have children but if you do you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t then I hope someday you have the pleasure of having your own baby.

Happy Mother’s Day (A little late) to all the Mother’s, Aunts, Friends, etc. out there who in some way have been a mothering figure to someone or some fur-baby!