Day nine doing just fine!

I am behind again! And not looking so hot in these pictures. I wish I had a good excuse for either of those statements but sometimes you have a bad hair day and bad make-up day and sometimes you are crazy busy. Sorry for being lame but that is my story and I am sticking to it!

My pics YO!:

Close up that should have been farther away! Am I being too negative? Well I am new at this and still learning how to be fabulous!

Not sure what is up with the goofy grin. I may not look all that great but I obviously have a great personality! HAHA!! I have a sweet spirit. Okie-dokie.... I am done with the self bashing!

On to the tip of the day!

Tip #9

Okay this tip is stemming from the fact that I am in desperate need of a shave!! Instead of using expensive shave cream I use cheap conditioner. Like suave cheap! It moisturizes and smells good and is crazy inexpensive. Plus you don't have to use a lot. I have a girlfriend who uses lotion instead of shave cream too. Also shave at the end of your shower because the warm water helps soften the hair letting you get a closer shave. I saw a tip on a blog (can't remember which one- if any one knows please leave me a comment! I want to give credit where credit is due!) that if you dry your razor by rubbing it upwards on a towel it makes it last longer. And who wouldn't love that?! Razor refills are too expensive to mistreat. SO rub away! Not the direction that cuts but the opposite! Does that make sense? You don't want to shave your towel. Ruins the towel and dulls the blade!

Day 8 is crazy late!!

Any one miss me?! I am back and blogging it up! I am re-committing to my 30 day challenge. I found out that posting everyday can be hard! And all I am doing is taking my picture and posting. However, I will be doing some tutorials this week. Tutorials are a lot of work I found out- even simple ones. Putting every step into pictures and writing it up takes 2 or 3 times longer than making the stuff! They are crazy easy even- that is how I roll! I hope you all like them. Speaking of liking stuff! Here are day 8's pictures:

This is my favorite dress! And my chucks! Who doesn't love chucks? I am not sure if I am really wearing them appropriately but there you go!

Yeah that spot on my nose is what happens if you go crazy trying to get a black head out! I do not recommend it! I have issues! LOL!

Here is Tip #8

Again these tips are totally for me so you can take from them what you will! I need to remember to think outside the box with my clothing choices. Hence the Chucks with a black dress. Wear a scarf as a belt or wrapped up in your hair! Use brooches to dress up your hair! Wear a color that is totally off the wall for you. Pair colors that you wouldn't normally put together. I like to wear bright colored socks with my black ballet flats and jeans. Usually I don't even match the color of socks to my clothing. I don't want to lose what personal style I have but I need to incorporate things that I love but wouldn't normally wear. It is sad that I haven't worn things that I love because I am too fat or too skinny (HA!) or too short or people might look at me funny. I need to remember that as long as it makes me happy then I should do it! That is what matters! Well that and not totally embarrassing my husband and kids. HAHA!

Day seven! I am in heaven!

I am almost caught up! WOOT! This post is my seventh. One whole week down three more to go! I thought this 30 Day from Frumptown challenge that I made for myself was going to be officially over after three days. I have surprised myself! Oh how I long for my loungey yoga pants though! I will persevere and keep it up! I need this challenge so so bad. It should be a habit after 30 days right?!

One thing I love about this challenge is that I forced myself to look in my jewelry box and see what pretties are hiding in there! Now when I say jewelry box I mean a paper covered card board box. I think that I need to find a new way to display my stuff. Maybe if I can see it I will actually get some wear out of my jewelry!

You know what else I love? Peoples hand me downs! I loved that sweater when we first got it in at work but I couldn't justify buying it and now it is mine all thanks to my sister! Gotta love that!

Tip #7

Wear jewelry!!! Even just a pair of earrings can complete your outfit and take your look from drab to fab! I love love costume jewelry! It can get rather expensive though. I buy most of mine at Target or Stein Mart. Both places have great costume jewelry that is pretty inexpensive. Plus clearance jewelry RULES! Stein Mart will often have coupons on clearance so it is even cheaper! (I have a confession to make! I work at Stein Mart. That is not why I am plugging them. I am plugging them because they really actually do have some great prices! On clothes and jewelry and shoes and house wares.)

Day five and six check out my pics!

Okay so I must explain for the lack of the last two posts! I would say apologize but I had very good reason for the delay! On Saturday I chose to go on a hot date with Big Papa instead of posting. Yeah yeah I know but we rarely ever get to go out without the kiddos! It was way fun and we laughed a ton! Thanks for the date baby! As for Sunday? I had to work. So when I wasn't at work I had guilt about ignoring my kids to post. But I am back today with a weekend catch up post!

On to the 30 day from Frumptown Challenge!

These first two are Saturdays pics:

Am I the only one who loves these sunglasses? Maybe yes! HA!

They cover my whole face but I swear I am wearing make-up! At least mascara and a swipe of eye shadow!

I love my jeans! I turned them from 70's style huge bell bottoms into skinny jeans. They are far from perfect but they were my first try! And for sure not my last!

These bad boys are my Sunday Pics:

My girl baby! Isn't the back of her head adorable?! And her skirt that is way waaay too short. I need to retire it or add a little ruffle. I think she needed a diaper! Oh man I am mother of the year!

Self portrait close up!

On to the tips!

Tip #5

Buy a flat iron! Even a cheap one. They come in so handy! You can smooth your hair and make it look a little more sleek. Or you can use it to do curls. I may have to have my niece teach my how to do that! I am not hip and happening like her! The flat iron I am currently using was a hand me down and only one plate heats up! Oh yeah it is a delight to use. But it gets the job done! I may need to replace it. When I have money.

Tip #6

This tip is a reminder to myself of how to treat my jeans. I have read that you should wear them 3 to 5 times in between washings. Well unless you do some major stuff like yard work, hiking or things that get them grimy. Plus they say (who is they? yeah I don't know either!) you should turn them inside out when washing and then hang to dry. Jeans that are air dried feel like you are pulling sand paper on so throw them in the dryer for ten or so minutes and it softens them. To be totally honest though I dry them about 90% of the time. Hang drying definitely extends the life and prevents the shrinking though. So maybe I will be trying to that in the future!

Day four! SCORE!

Day four is upon me. The pictures aren't great today. It was bright outside. I should have put on my rad sunglasses! They are huge and pretty space like. Any whoo! I only have 26 days to go. Not even the downward slope yet but I already feel like I have accomplished a lot. I am wearing mascara people!! That is a big step for me. Lets take a look at the pictures, shall we?

Bright sun! I had a vest on but my children goobered me before we even got out the front door today. So typical. Momma is a human napkin.

Another self portrait. This one is not so great. OH well! HAHA!

So my tip of the day includes a crazy easy recipe!

Tip #4

Use a sugar scrub to exfoliate your skin! Oh man it feels luxurious! The sugar exfoliates and the oil moisturizes! I hate lotion so this is a perfect solution for me!

The recipe is:

about a cup of any kind of sugar

(I like turbinado sugar for a body scrub and brown sugar for my face however you can use whatever you have on hand)

And about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup olive oil. EVOO as the Rachel Ray says.

Mix well and use.

It keeps for about a week in your shower or a bit longer in the fridge. That is why you make so little. You don't want to be rubbing rancid oil on your body! Could you imagine? I have also added essential oils before too. You just add a few drops at a time until you get the strength of scent that you want. I like orange oil- it invigorates you. Or lavender- it relaxes. Make sure you research the oils though because some burn really bad when put directly on skin. It is great just like it is though.

I think I might do this as Christmas gifts for my girlfriends!

Day three! Look at me!

It is a bit late today! I had a pretty full day. Full does not necessarily mean fun I found out! I had to work. 'Nuff said! I shouldn't be like that really. I only work 20 or 25 hours a week. So not too bad and I work with great people mostly but I still hate leaving the kids. They boy baby came and sat in my lap before I went to work and when I told him I had to leave to head to work he said no. I waited a few more minutes and then told him again that I have to go and he again said no. Finally the third time I said it he said "no momma!". Well that may not seem like a big deal to anyone else but he doesn't speak. He is a three year old who speaks gibberish that sounds an awful lot like Korean! But usually not a lick of English. So when he said "no momma" it broke my heart to leave him. It was a rough day for this me.

Lets move on to happier thoughts! It is day three yo! To tell the truth though all I did when I came home was change my shoes and pants. I usually don't wear my work clothes at home but they are some of my prettiest clothes. My play clothes need a make over! I need them to be half way between work and scruffy clothes.

Self portrait time! I need to try something new with my makeup. I need a refresher!

I just loved this picture! I am vain! HAHA!

Being a little more serious and not quite so vampy!

Tip of the day!

Tip #3

I need to learn how to do this better actually so my tip for myself is to layer! I did a little today. Not a whole lot but some. Did you know that layering is really chic and in style in Australia right now? Well now you do. Lol! The thing I like most about layering is that you can take pieces off if you get too hot. (being too hot is a common theme for me!) I feel like it also brings more dimension to your outfit. It takes it to a whole other level! So I will make the effort to remember to layer it up!

Ninja Power!!

You have to enter this give- away! These little ninjas are so flipping cute!! Enter at link below!

http://www.radseams.com/blog/?p=112

Day two woo woo!!

Hiedi ho! Day two has arrived. I am showered (its a miracle!!) and ready for the day. I let my hair do its own thing today with the help of a 2 inch curling iron just to smooth out and define some of the waves. The surprising thing is that my hair is down! That is huge for me! I never wear it down purely for the fact that I get so blooming hot! Here are my pictures of the day!

Extreme close up!! Please excuse the blemish on my chin. I have never figured out a good way to cover them. Any tips?

My outfit! A little boring but not sweats! I heart that I was able to roll my pants up because of this beautiful weather! WOOT!

And so comes my tip of the day!

Tip #2

I love flip flops! So so much that I have been wearing them everyday so this is a kick in the pants to stop with the flip flops everyday and wear the million pairs of flats I own! I won't ever stop wearing flip flops totally but I think that ballet flats look a little more polished and are just as comfortable. A little side tip- Target clearance is the best way to buy flats! I buy tons there for 6-8 dollars! Oh and thrifting them! Just make sure you smell the thrift shoes before buying them. If there is a funk then put them back!

Oh a little side story- I picked up my sister from work yesterday and she said Oh where you going all dressed up! Yeah I was wearing a t-shirt, jeans and a vesty thing. Definitely not dressed up! Maybe my little 30 day from Frumptown challenge was a little late coming!

Day one is so fun!

Welcome to day one of my 30 days from frumptown challenge! I almost didn't get up this morning and get dressed! I quickly remembered this blog and the challenge I committed myself to and got up and got dressed. Before you look at the pictures just keep in mind that I am not trying to be a diva or be all glammed up. I am simply trying to get the motivation to get out of my sweats and ratty t-shirts. Also I am a mother so please be forgiving when you see the greasy hair and messy bun. Yeah a bun! No awful rats nest ponytail! So without further adieu here are some pictures!

We love the self portraits around these parts!!

I might need to work on my posing! HAHA!

I swear that I actual enjoyed getting dressed in spite of the awful look on my face!

Now on to tip #1:

Wear Mascara!!!

This may seem simple to most of you but not to me! I am stuck in such a rut that I have to be reminded! So this is my reminder! It is such an easy thing and it makes such a huge difference. It only takes two minutes so I will be pulling out my magic mascara wand and brushing on!

Frumptown USA

There is a little place that is known as Frumptown! I am the mayor and only citizen of this place!! You all know what I am tallking about.

I have become a frumpy frump lady. I allowed myself to get like this because I figured I had already caught my man and I have a couple kids under my belt so what is the point of putting in the effort of being attractive and sexy. What is wrong with me?! It should be the exact opposite. I got so involved in cooking, cleaning, changing diapers and all the day in and day out job of being a wife and mother that I let myself fall to the wayside. Well no more!! I am saying no to mom jeans and messy ponytails with stickers and cheerios stuck all up in it! No longer will I go out in public sans mascara and wearing my husnbands old sweats!!

Thus begins my 30 day from frumptown challenge! For the next 30 days I will make every effort to be chic (or at least more presentable! HAHA!). I will be posting a daily picture of what I am looking like so there is proof! PLus I will be posting an anti- frumptown tip daily. I also have some fun easy tutuorials that I am pretty excited about. SO check back and give me some love! I will definitely need it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

This is one of my favorite recipes to kick off fall! They turn out just like store bought ones but with much better flavor!! I wish I had a picture but we ate them too fast! *edit- we found a picture!!


4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1 16 oz solid pack pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl combine flour, both sugars, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs, milk and beat on medium speed until mixed well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased (I use parchment sheets instead of greasing the cookie sheet) cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 13-14 minutes or until edges start to brown a bit. Let them sit on cookie sheet for two minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

So easy! They are great the first day and a million times better the next day!

Sunday songs #3. Death Cab for Cutie

This song is a favorite of Big Papa and mine. We love Death Cab for Cutie and totally love this song!