Fabulous or Not?

Mother's Day Wish List

Here are some ideas for anyone in search of what to get for MOM for Mother's Day, which is coming up THIS WEEKEND. 

Personally, I'm asking for sleep, a lot of it, a personal trainer and time to use the personal trainer.  Since I'm not counting on getting any of those things, I'm sharing with you some ideas to help you choose the right gift to thank your mother for giving you her entire life for many many years, for changing your diapers, wiping your snot and spit, loving you when you were a pain in the ass and giving you  the beginning of who you are today.  So, you know, get Mom something nice, and sometimes, even a card, if it says the right thing, is "nice".

For starters, if you have elementary age kids, you can turn a piece of art work into whimsical one-of-a-kind jewelry with Totally Out of Hand.

If you live far away from Mom and she has absolutely everything and perhaps she is traditional, consider a gift of the floral kind.  Bouquets are excellent gifts, but they only last so long. I don't advise these for homes with cats, my cats eat flowers.

This Azalea Topiary can be kept inside or out and won't wilt like flowers. Cared for properly it will last for many years.  Found on 1800Flowers.Com for $69.95 plus shipping.

Perfect for a Mom who likes to cook with fresh herbs, or just enjoys the notion of something fresh and green growing nearby, the Aero Garden is a self watering, self-timed little all-in-one greenhouse.  It has its own water well and light on a timer. You don't need to do anything except add a water and nutrient mixture once and awhile, in a few weeks you have fresh herbs right on your kitchen counter!

 Most new mothers only get to be alone for those few precious moments twice (Heh.) a week when they get to shower.  Why not make it a totally invigorating and relaxing sensory experience. 
Mimosas! Margaritas! Daquirs!

Confessions of a Misguided Mascara Maven

I love mascara. If we were in 3rd grade and you were an asshole, you would ask me how come, if I loved it so much, why don't I just marry it? And I would tell the teacher on you because I was a total asshole, too. Plus that is a really stupid thing to ask me.

I was introduced to Lancome Definicils several years ago and with the exception of a few trials, I have stayed pretty loyal. The consistency is thin and easy to work with, the brush comes in both a round and straight wand. It lasts a long time without getting thick or clumpy. It's not cheap at $24 but it does stay put for most of the day (I reapply it to my ends if going out at night) and does not smear. Like ever.
All this being said, I also love the "Best of" displays at Sephora stores which display all the best-sellers of each kind of makeup/skin care: Best Bronzer, Best Eyeliner, Best Mascara, etc. I was intrigued over the summer when I saw Dior's sleek "DiorSHOW" had been chosen as a 'best of.' My sister had been singing it's praises for a couple weeks before I bit the bullet and bought it. The applicator brush was too cool to resist.
Once I got the stuff home, I was underwhelmed with the results. The mascara itself felt thick and when a bit touched my cheek, it was really hard to wipe off. 

I wrote about these very misadventures over at SF but now I see the error of my ways.

Fast forward to a weekend in late February when I was at a makeup counter and heard a makeup artist say to a customer, "You want to get the mascara as close the base of the lashes as possible, this will thicken the look of your lashes."

I had never heard that before. Later I read this blog post by the lovely Rebecca Wolf wherein she hooked us up with a tutorial via youtube on how she creates the gorgeous eyemakeup we see on her all the time. I had never known there could be other ways to apply mascara/liner but there are. I took note and tried out the techniques and do you know what? The DiorSHOW Iconic looked absolutely amazing when I made sure to apply it all the way to the base and ends of my lashes. It was like a totally new product.

I even took the plunge and bought some liquid liner- details on that adventure coming soon. 

Neutrogena Skin Aid

My currently 15-month old son had some questionable dry patches of skin that were sort of scaly and very red on his right knee.  I noticed it most frequently after his bath when it would especially bright red and unsightly.  He also had some dry skin that wasn't red or round and patchy looking on the sides of both thighs.  It arrived a few months ago when he began crawling and I assumed it was some sort of irritation from clothing and rubbing against the carpet.  I tried every single lotion and potion in my house and nothing worked to rid his knee of an area of red dry skin.  In fact, it was starting to look worse last week and I pondered a call to the dermatologist but thought I'd give self-diagnosis and treatment one last try.  I went to the store and decided to get something, anything that was recommended for (baby) eczema.  Or eczema, or dry skin or really anything I could find that 1) wasn't poisonous, 2) didn't require a second mortgage on the house, and 3) was something I had not already tried, like Vaseline, Neosporin, anything made by Aveeno, diaper rash cream or baby lotion.

I happened to notice this new product and its cure-all claim caught my eye.  It is indicated for pain, itch, minor cuts, scrapes, minor burns, redness, chapping, cracking, irritation, sunburn, chaffing, insect bites and stings.  I think it can also end war and solve the current mortgage crisis in America, but what do I know? 

What it is.... a skin protectant:  Glycerin, and an external analgesic.

I rubbed a little on his knee and on the sides of his thighs for two nights.  On the third night, the red mark was completely gone and the rough skin on his upper legs had completely vanished.   I wouldn't even have known where to put the cream.  The difference was that fast and that good.

I like this this is such a simple cure-all product.  The ingredients are basic and safe for most people.  I highly recommend this product for mildly dry baby skin.   But you know, I'm not an expert, so ask your doctor first.