Holiday Feature | Circle of Friends - Rosa's Raspberry Shampoo & Conditioner

Rosa's Raspberry Shampoo $11.40 for 10oz ♥

Rosa's Raspberry Conditioner  $11.40 for 10oz ♥

Both are available at cofbath.com and at these retail locations

(Silas's foot not included)

Comes in several different scents: Pineapple, Banana, and Boy-mix Fragrances! 

The set (above) is a limited-time only holiday gift set that comes with a free pairs of antlers for your child! :)

(The set has a $24.20 SRP)

As crazy as it sounds - Christmas is right around the corner. Seriously, where did 2013 go y'all? It has been kinda a crappy year (w/ the exception of baby Miri being born) for my family...so I say good riddance. 0_0 November is quickly approaching, and this means...(dun-dun-dun) holiday shopping. (Don't most people start Christmas shopping in November?) Any-who...if you have lots of friends with kiddos. (Like we do) I have a pretty stinkin' cute holiday feature to share with you tonight. It's made by people over at "Circle of Friends." 

Circle of Friends was founded by Moms! How awesome is that? :) They have made it their personal mission to create a professional hair-care, bath, and body line for children. All while introducing them to different styles and cultures. (Ooo educational!) Each product in the hair line is represented by a cute character from a different part of the world. (This set introduced us to Rosa! She lives in Spain) So your child can shampoo and learn something new at the same time! (Huzzahh!) 

Silas and I absolutely love this stuff. I was a bit worried when I read that the formula is "low sudsing." I didn't find that to be to case at all. It actually foamed up quite nicely! Silas really likes that the shampoo and conditioner are both "tearless." No kid likes soap that stings the eyes - these details are important! Personally - my favorite thing about this line is the raspberry scent, it's simply amazing. (The whole bathroom smells nice after we use it)  The raspberry reminds me of a shampoo that I used to use when I was little. (Oh-so-fond memories) I can't remember what is was called though? Hmmm.

I'm sure many of you are aware that Silas has flaming red hair lol. It's really gorgeous...but it's also very dry. This shampoo/conditioner set makes it much more manageable to deal with! It seems to be significantly improving the amount of frizz that I have to deal with each morning. (Johnson & Johnson products tend to be very drying) We have to try and tame his wild hair or Ya-Ya get's very fussy with me when I drop him off. (Haha) Both of these products are safe and gentle, packed full of vitamins and proteins, and they are never tested on animals. A detangler is also available in this scent! :)

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A cute photo from Silas' birthday party on this past Sunday. :)

July | Empties (Late)

I'm so sorry this post is being published so late! I am still in the process of learning how to balance a full-time job, my family, and the blog - all at the same time. It's tricky y'all! I will say this...being a stay at home mama is a lot harder than being a working mama. (People never liked to give me credit, I did it for 4 years) Yes, it is physically tiring to work 40 hours a week and be taking care of kids at the same time. But - it is mentally and physically tiring to be a stay at home mama 24/7. (And sell things on eBay and Etsy/ship them) Especially when you have a wee-one with a bad case of Colic. I am not saying that I do not love my kids! I adore them with every fiber of my being! It is just nice to have one on one time with other adults for a change. :) Ok enough with that mini speech lol. Let's take a look at the products I used up. 

NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in the shade CW01 Porcelain

$4.99 at ULTA

Awww how sad, I ran out of my favorite concealer again! But - thanks to the Spatty I got to use every last drop. (For the first time ever) This is my very favorite concealer...it has unbeatable coverage. Right now I am using a different brand that I grabbed at Target on clearance. It barely covers at all and it just really makes me angry. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo "floral & flirty blush scent"

$10.94 on Amazon ♥

Matt and I both love this stuff. You can read my review here. This scent is hard to find online. I did notice for the first time that they sell travel size cans of Batiste. I think I need to run on down to ULTA this weekend and see if they have some. :) 

H2Ocean Mouthwash "Artic Ocean"

$13.11 on Amazon

Exactly 7 days ago today I got a monroe piercing. It is looking pretty fantastic thanks to the H2ocean line. I used this mouthwash and their H2ocean piercing after-care spray and it started healing immediately. This stuff doesn't taste too great - salty with a hint of mint lol. It's worth getting over the taste because it works so well. I highly recommend it for oral piercings or ulcers. Now that I am out of the mouthwash, I am just spraying the back of the jewelry with the after-care spray. I have not been able to find this locally and I am unwilling to pay shipping costs again. (So it looks like this won't be a re-purchase unless my new bling gets infected for some reason) I promise I will post some photos soon! 

Pacific Chai "Spice Chai Latte"

$10.75 on Soap.com

My tin was purchased from Kroger, if I remember correctly - it was under $5 for 10 ounces. My favorite chai mix in the whole wide world is Big Train's raspberry chai! The only place I have been able to find it is at Fresh Market in Montgomery. (They used to sell it at The Coffee Bean) I always grab Pacific Chai as my substitute...it doesn't really compare but it does the job. 

x2 e.l.f. studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

$3 on eyeslipsface.com

These are pretty much the only makeup remover wipes that I purchase. You just can't beat the price, three bucks for 20 wipes. They quickly remove eye makeup in a snap. Plus - they are very moisturizing. You can read my review on these babies here. I will definitely be repurchasing these. 

Review | Spatty & Spatty Daddy

Spatty & Spatty Daddy 

$10.99 on thespatty.com ♥

I'm going to be talking about a nifty little gadget today. :) Actually - "two" nifty little gadgets. 

They are both tools to help you get the most out of the products (makeup etc.) that you purchase and put money back in your pocket. They are called the Spatty & the Spatty Daddy! You may have seen these featured on the Shark Tank!

Here we have a perfect example of bad packaging. I adore this concealer by NYX - it is my absolute favorite. But - sadly, I'm about to have to re-purchase it for a 3rd time. I always seem to be running out...but I can always see a bit more concealer in the container. The Spatty made it very easy to retrieve the concealer that I so desperately wanted out of the bottle, unlike the doe foot applicator that is included. 

How magnificent is that? I mean - come on. Then I just swiped the concealer off the Spatty with the normal applicator. I love that it comes in two convenient sizes. I plan on keeping the Spatty in my makeup drawer and the Spatty Daddy in our kitchen drawer. The larger tool is going to be perfect for ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, hot sauces, etc. (You could also use it for shampoo, conditioners, tanning lotions, etc) I cannot find any other word to describe the Spatty and the Spatty Daddy other than nifty...they are just stinkin' nifty.

---------->Money saving?<----------

Think about it, if you spend $20 on a bottle of fancy shampoo and you can't retrieve the 16% of the product left in the bottle. You could either throw it away...losing $3.20 in the process. Or you could use the Spatty Daddy and get to enjoy almost every penny you spent on the stuff. It's pretty much a no-brainer folks. I highly recommend it. (They dishwasher safe and food safe)

Dimensions:

Spatty: 6" long & 5/8" x 3/8" tip

Spatty Daddy: 12" long & 1 7/16" x 5/8" tip

I would like to add that the glue that is attached on the back of these is terribly hard to remove. I was told that the packaging has been changed recently...so maybe this isn't a problem anymore. 

Like The Spatty on Facebook

Follow Cheryl Rigdon - the creator of the Spatty on Twitter

Visit their YouTube channel 

and while you're at it...you can Like Silas & Miri on Facebook too. ;)

 

Review | Batiste Dry Shampoo

Believe it or not people, my first time trying this particular dry shampoo was just last week. I know! I'm totally behind on the times. Most beauty bloggers are no stranger to Batiste. Just search for it on YouTube to see the amount of rave reviews it has. Well, I'm about to add another one to the mix. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Floral & Flirty Blush) ♥

THIS STUFF IS INCREDIBLE.

I currently have about 2-3 different kinds of dry shampoo in my bathroom. When I get home from North Carolina I'm throwing them all away lol. The link above takes you to a page where you can find all the locations that sell Batiste. My can is the "Floral & Flirty Blush" scent. When I run out of this bottle I will probably grab a more gender neutral can from Ulta, only because this stuff is so great that my husband is freaking out over it too lol! 

Something I would definitely like to note is the cooling sensation that I experienced when I first sprayed it. I have not used another dry shampoo that does this. It feels fantastic, especially after I exercise and I need to fix my hair. Batiste delivers everything you want in a dry shampoo and more. You can literally watch the grease disappear after you spray it. I just cannot get over how it trumps everything else I have used. Do me a favor folks - go out and buy a can right now. It's $7.99 a can at Ulta, and worth every penny! It has been the perfect addition to our trip this weekend. I mean sometimes you just want to be a lazy hippie and not wash your hair! :P

My Current Hair Care Routine

Hola everyone! Today I'm going to be talking about my current hair care routine. (Hence the title) If you are a close acquaintance of mine you know all about my hair drama. It's been several years since my hair was this length. (See current photo below) Why, you ask? Because I can never leave it the hell alone.

My poor locks have been through it all. The most recent trauma was a hair melting perm last July. (Don't get a perm at the Ulta in Opelika, AL...or just don't get a perm at all.) My hair stylist friend Mallory was pretty unhappy with me about that. After all the disaster induced pixie cuts - I have finally learned my lesson, and I'm growing it out. (For reals this time) My hair recovery journey started off with pretty expensive brands. Firstly, I went with the Redken Extreme line. (Shampoo, conditioner, Etreme CAT, and Extreme Anti-Snap.) I was a pretty big fan of all the Redken stuff for a few months. Secondly, I moved to Pureology. The price was a initially a big turn-off for me at $27 for a 8.5 oz bottle. We are talking about $54 for shampoo and conditioner. (Ugh) I used the Pureology Essential Repair shampoo and conditioner till I ran out. Pureology has so many different ranges available, check it out. On to my current products - get ready for a huge drop in price lol. 

Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo

$3.99 at CVS

&

Aussie Deeeeep 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Treatment

$4.29 at CVS

I'm positive that both of these products are cheaper at Wal-mart or Target, so check there first. Isn't it funny how when you have healthy hair you can use a cheap shampoo? Suave is usually a curse word when it comes to caring for my hair. Anytime I have tried it the end result has been super dry hair. Not this time! I picked up a trial bottle of this shampoo at Wal-mart a couple of weeks ago. My husband and I both actually like it. :) It makes my hair so soft and super manageable. So first I shampoo with the Suave and then I move on to conditioner. I've been using this product off and on for years now. Lately, I've only been coating the ends of my hair. (Just to avoid the greasy look) I let it sit on my hair while I shave/exfoliate/etc then I rinse. It smells fantastic and the australian aloe and jojoba oil in the ingredients really work their magic. After I get out of the shower I wrap my hair in a Turbie Towel. I read in a magazine somewhere that rubbing your wet hair with a regular towel is horrible for it. After it has been up in the wrap for a while I take it off and I go through my hair with a Tangle Teezer. Don't even get me started on the Tangle Teezer, everybody knows how fantastic they are. After I've completed all the steps above - I use this really old hairdryer-roll-brush-thing and I'm done. :) 

So there you have it, my current hair care routine. Before I go - here are some snapshots of Miri from our beach trip this past weekend. 

I hope everybody has a great week! I will have another post up soon.