Dry, Cracked Hands??

My hands are a wreck this time of year. They are always so dry and cracked and chapped that they sometimes hurt, especially my cuticles which are always ghastly. I even pull on my hang nails and make them bleed they are so chapped. It doesn’t help that they are always in water, either wiping up messes, washing them after changing diapers, or washing them to keep from spreading germs. I’ve been trying to find a lotion that feels good on, isn’t too greasy or heavy, but can save my poor hands from winter’s abuses. Well I have to say I have been very impressed with Vaseline’s new Clinical Therapy lotion. It feels so light on but yet does a great job of moisturizing my alligator hands. I even like the smell, it isn’t too perfumey, but still has a light scent that I really like.
I remember Vaseline when I was a little girl. My mother always had that tell tale yellow bottle of Vaseline on the bathroom vanity. Even my dad used it on his dry, cracked hands in the winter time. He worked outside with his hands and often couldn’t use gloves so he really had some badly abused hands. He swore by Vaseline Intensive Care lotion.

Fast forward to 2009 and where Vaseline is now. I can honestly say that there are so many lotions and moisturizing creams on the market that Vaseline isn’t always what I think of when I think of lotion. But now that I have discovered Vaseline Clinical Therapy lotion, I can honestly say that my hands have felt much softer and my hang nails are definitely getting much better. I keep a bottle by my computer, by the kitchen sink and by my bed so I can slather some on my hands right before I go to bed.

My hands couldn’t be happier! Vaseline – keeping skin amazing!®

WORDFUL WEDNESDAY

This is Sentinel peak in South Africa. It is the entrance to Hout Bay, where we stayed when we were in South Africa two years ago. This picture was taken from Chapman's Peak drive which leads to the Southwestern most point of Africa. This is one of my favorite pictures that I took on our trip there. One of the reasons I fell in love with South Africa was because of the beautiful scenery.

This just makes me happy looking at it - Enjoy!

Be sure to check out Wordful Wednesday at:

INAUGURATION DAY

Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday afternoon, banishing forever more than 200 years of history during which the office passed from white hands to white hands and promising a new era of “hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." - MSNBC.com

Inauguration Week

What an exciting week it is going to be in the District with the Inauguration of President-elect Obama! I’m so excited to live so near the capitol and I was so hopeful that we were going to be able to attend the Inauguration of the 44th President. He gives me so much hope. I finally have such faith in our country again. I feel so strongly about his abilities to lead us out of this mess and I truly feel he genuinely cares about me (us) and wants to change the course of the country, so we are The United States again, rather than a bunch of red states and blue states. I haven’t had this much pride in my country in quite some time.

Every day we have been hearing news about the Inauguration and wondering how this would affect our abilities to attend. Well I’m sad to say that it doesn’t look it’s going to be possible. There are just too many road closures and bridge closures which will certainly make it impossible to drive into the District. If it were just my husband and myself we would definitely fight the crowds and the deal with the extremely long waits at the Metro (subway station). Unfortunately having a 2 yr old makes it extremely difficult. We also cannot have strollers or framed backpacks in certain areas. Add to that the possibility of snow tonight and a wind chill of 20 degrees and I think the sofa sounds better. My husband and I joke that the only people that will be able to attend are the people from out of town because they are staying in hotels in DC.

However, we were able to attend the “We Are One” concert on the National Mall on Sunday and it was an amazing experience. I stood there looking up at the sky as our new President was addressing the crowd and I couldn’t help feeling overcome with emotion. How amazing is it that this special man will become our next President. Whatever your political leanings, you cannot not be inspired by Obama’s intelligence and idealism. I think idealism is what we have been missing for some time. But it’s not ignorant idealism, it’s the audacity to hope that we CAN make a difference in the history of our country. We must get involved in being stewards of this planet, for the well being of every living creature. I’m so glad my son was able to make history by being in the crowd on this cold and blustery winter day. I felt so connected to the people that braved the cold and the crowd to be one of the hundred of thousands that made it to the welcome festivities for the Inauguration of the President.

I’m was so inspired and truly feel like anything is possible!

Yes We Can!!!

Wordful Wednesday

Are there even any words to describe this? I found this picture when I was cleaning out my wallet. Got to love the '80's!

I teased it, permed it, highlighted it, ironed it, cemented it (with hairspray)................contrast that to me today. Now my hair is so short, I think it's even shorter than my husband's. Ah.....nostalgia..... Happy WW all!!

Be sure to check out Wordful Wednesday at:

Handmade Watches

My watch battery died the other day and I was totally thrown for a loop. I can’t stand not having my watch on my wrist, I feel naked without it. But I really don’t like that I don’t know what time it is. I miss checking my watch wherever I am and knowing what time it is. I know I have the time on my cell phone but nothing will ever replace my watch.

I have always loved watches. Not only are they functional, but they are also a great fashion accessory. Recently I have fallen in love with the cuff type of watches that I have seen at some recent art shows. I came across Mistura and fell in love with the design of their watches. I thought you might be interested in seeing what I have uncovered.

Love my new Lipstain!!

I don’t like to wear makeup. In fact I rarely wear it anymore. When I was in my 20’s I wore it every day, the whole shebang: foundation, concealer, eye shadow, mascara, blush and lipstick. Just the thought of spending all that time applying makeup makes me cringe now, especially with a soon to be two year old. But one thing that I still wear no matter where I go is lipstick. Like a Visa card, I “don’t leave home without it.” I think it really gives my face color and adds a bit of finish to me without too much fuss. So with all that said, I have had a heck of a time finding a lipstick that works for me. I have tried so many different types that I have lost count. I’ve used Lancome, MAC, Lorac, Nars, and many others and I still haven’t found one that works for my needs. I’m not knocking the manufacturer’s I’ve listed above, I like their makeup a lot, they just haven’t been right for me. Then I found Covergirl Outlast Lipstain. It’s everything that I’ve been looking for.

I like my lipstick to feel as natural as it looks – less is more is my philosophy. I don’t like it when it glops up and feels sticky or tacky on my lips. In fact, I really don’t want to feel my lip color at all, but I want to give some color to my face. Well Covergirl’s Lipstain definitely does all that. The thing I like the best about Covergirl Outlast Lipstain is that it feels so good I hardly know it’s on. Covergirl Lipstain is 5 times lighter than regular lipstick. I also don’t like my lip color to bleed and fade quickly, nothing looks worse to me than kool-aid lips, as I like to call them. I can honestly say that Covergirl Lipstain does not bleed and lasts for a long time. I even ate my lunch with the lipstain on and my lips still looked good afterwards. Now that’s a true test of a lip color’s staying power if you ask me.

Outlast Lipstain uses water-based soluble colorants that instantly infuse into the top layers of your lips, rather than coating the outside, leaving them looking and feeling virtually weightless. Because your lips absorb the color, there’s no chance of smudging. I also love the fact that Outlast Lipstain does not dry out my lips like a lot of lipsticks that I’ve tried. Since Outlast Lipstain is this season's newest, hottest look, it may not be on the CoverGirl wall yet at every store. So check for the standalone Outlast Lipstain display or ask that the store order it!

Stop by covergirl.com to learn more about Outlast Lipstain, chat with a CoverGirl Beauty Consultant and get "colormatched" to find the shades which best flatter your complexion. Check it out and create your own hot CoverGirl looks!

Wordful Wednesday

These are a few pictures of our visit to the National Building Museum here in DC. One of the many Inaugural Ball's is going to be held here for President-Elect Obama. It is a beautiful building and we love to come here every chance we get. Since my husband and I both have worked (and still do from time to time), in the building industry, we try to make it to many of the great exhibits that they have here. One thing that the museum does have is a Building Zone. It is a place where you can bring your kiddles to play with building types of toys; blocks, tinker toys and the like. We took our son for the first time and he loved it. He especially liked to be pushed around in the big construction vehicles as you can see in the photos above. The space has a huge open courtyard area and there are always children running everywhere. It's a great contained space to let them play, especially when the weather is bad.

If you ever find yourself in the DC area be sure to pay a visit to the National Building Museum.

Be sure to check out Wordful Wednesday at:

Love my Muk Luks....

I just got the best pair of poochies that I’ve ever worn. Oops, don’t know what poochies are? That is my family’s slang for slippers. Something my husband used to call them when he was a child and how we’ve started referring to them with our two year old.

Oh, about the poochies……. Have you ever heard of Muk Luks? Basically they are like a sock/slipper combo. They have a hard bottom on them so they are sturdier than some other slipper/sock’s that I’ve seen. I like to have a bottom on my slippers in case I need to run out to the mailbox or take out the trash. What I really like about my Muk Luk’s is that they go up my ankle and part of my calf. In the past when I sit down my pant leg would ride up and my ankles were exposed. With my Muk Luk’s that doesn’t happen anymore.

They are available in some really fun designs and colors so they add a bit of pizzazz to your leggings too!

I'm tired......

Doing too much and pulling back, that is what I plan to do this year, and I mean it! My husband has been telling me for quite some time to “pull back” and do less but I haven’t really been listening. As a matter of fact I’ve been piling more and more on my plate and frankly I’m getting burned out big time. In addition to my eboutique, blogging and my son, I also teach full time online at an art school. It’s just too much and I’m just tired of having no time for myself and I feel like I’m short changing my son. My little guy will be two in February and I can’t believe how fast this time has gone. I know that he will grow up in the blink of an eye and I just don’t want to miss any of it. I am fortunate that I can work from home, but I still have to work and devote time to things other than him. I want to be able to take him to the park and to the library for story time but because of all the work I’ve been doing I can’t seem to find the time during the day. After having a break from school and from blogging I have come to realize that I really love this down time and that I NEED to do less. My son is the most important thing I have ever done and the best job I have ever had . I’ve done many things in my life, eboutique owner, human resources specialist, interior designer, architectural lighting designer, teacher, but the most rewarding job I have ever had is being little guy’s mom. He is the only job I’ve ever had where I can’t wait to go to work in the morning. I can’t wait to see his face first thing in the morning, I can’t wait to hear the new words he will say today, I can’t wait to teach him and show him new things, the list goes on and on. So with all that said, I really feel the need to reevaluate what is important and do more for myself. In addition to spending more time with my son, I also want to do more things for me. I have always loved making jewelry, I think I will take more jewelry making classes to learn new jewelry techniques. I love to read books but have had very little time to read, other than “Goodnight Moon”. I want to do more reading for me. I also want to write a book - I can’t tell you when the last time was that I wrote in my journal.

Do you have the same feelings? Do you want to do less in the New Year? Maybe I’m being selfish, but if I’ve learned one thing in all my years, it’s that life is WAAAAYYYY too short. The last thing I want in my life is regrets. I always remember that famous line, I’m sure most of you know it, “No one ever looks back on their life and says I wish I would have worked more”.