Arbonne, Arbonne, Arbonne!

If you’ve talked to me recently, you’ll know that’s all I can talk about. Arbonne, Arbonne, Arbonne. And with good reason, might I add. ;)

I am so, so, so in love with every single product I have used. Let me tell you why I decided to become an Arbonne Consultant.

I mentioned in my last post that I’ve been struggling with my skin a lot. It’s a battle still. I have to WORK to have good skin. Once I started using some Arbonne products, I started noticing a difference. My forehead was smoother, my breakouts were less severe. I was finally feeling comfortable with my skin.

One night, I told Jon that I was running out of my moisturizers. I told him that my mom had given them to me for Christmas and my birthday and that there were no more Christmases or birthdays coming up anytime soon. We talked a bit and I gushed about how much I loved them and how I couldn’t stop using them. They were working and I didn’t want to mess up my skin. His response, “Why don’t you sell it?”

Hmm… why? I couldn’t come up with a reason not to. I decided to email Traci. My mom gets all of her Arbonne products (my mom is Arbonne obsessed!) from Traci, so I figured that’s where I should go. Traci sent me back some info and then asked if I would be willing to chat on the phone a bit. Sure, why not?

We did a three-way call with Heather. Heather does very well with Arbonne. Hello, she’s driving a white Mercedes right now. Yes! We chatted for a  while and I knew when I hung up that this was the job for me. This is what I need to do. I’m passionate about these products and have a testimony to go along with it. I signed up later that week and cannot wait to get my business going.

Now, what you’ve been waiting for, right? My favorite products so far!

drumroll please……

First up, is the Arbonne Intelligence Rejuvenating Cream. My skin is so, so, dry in the winter. This stuff is for your whole body, wherever needs it, but I’ve used it as a moisturizer for my face. LOVE.

Next, Arbonne Intelligence Nightly Resurfacing Pads.

What It Is
Outsmart your skin in just 2 weeks. Genius is clinically proven to improve skin moisture, elasticity and firmness. The resurfacing pads work with our proprietary solution to reduce the look of dark spots and fine lines for skin that feels smooth, even-toned and beautiful. 60-day supply of Nightly Resurfacing Pads, 2 fl. oz. Resurfacing Solution.
What It Does
The proprietary solution and resurfacing pads work together to reduce the look of dark spots and fine lines for smooth, even-toned, beautiful skin. It’s the perfect addition to your nightly skincare regimen.
The Arbonne Promise
In just 2 weeks, 100% of study participants showed Genius improved the appearance of skin moisture, firmness and elasticity.* Be one of the first to experience the incredible results! Some shipping restrictions may apply. Please contact customer service if you have any questions.
*Based on a clinical instrumental study of 50 subjects - See more at: https://www.arbonne.com/shop_online/showitem.asp?ProductId=4317&menuId=56&withLinks=1#sthash.vrQb4kpx.dpuf

Third, RE9 Advanced Night Repair Crème. This stuff smells so heavenly and makes my skin feel amazing!

This is one of my favorite favorites. ABC Arbonne Baby Care® Set. As parents, we want what’s best for our babies and kids. I now feel 100% safe in what I’m putting on my kids’ skin. I’ve used this set in the past, so I knew how great it was.

Last, but definitely not least. Fizz Sticks. I’m not able to cut down on my cups of coffee and still able to keep up my energy as needed! I had tried the pomegranate in the past, but recently tried the citrus. SO YUMMY!

 

 

I’ve got some other products coming that I can’t wait to try! I’ll report back ;)

Let me know if you’re interested in anything or if you have any questions!

Flickr Tags: arbonne,skincare,arbonne consultant

My Skin Story

Holy moly! I have totally neglected this blog. I'm sorry for that. It was so neglected that it gave me the runaround when trying to login.

I had to come here today to post some things I'm very, very excited about.

I have a lot to say and not a ton of pictures for it, so I'll add random photos throughout the post ;) 

just to keep it visually entertaining.

For the last 18 months, since Norah was born, I have struggled with my skin. It's oily when it has always been extremely dry. I'm breaking out like a teenager, but I never broke out as a teenager. It's so embarrassing. I have tried COUNTLESS OTC  products. Things would seem to help for a bit, but then it just got out of control again. I would have decent skin for 2 days only to battle another month with it to get two more good days. It's neverending.

At least she's cute. Maybe bad skin was worth it...

I'm a Mary Kay consultant because I love their makeup. I'm thankful for that makeup because for a year and a half, I've needed it every single day. I'd give my skin a makeup break if I were staying home, but had to apply makeup if I left the house. I was so, so, so embarrassed.

In August, I went to a dermatologist. She prescribed a cream used for Rosacea that was also supposed to help acne. I told her multiple times that I was still  nursing. She told me I was fine. I believed her. I used it a couple days before I randomly started reading the packaging. There was a section for nursing mothers that concluded with, "Nevertheless, a decision should be made to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Um, what? I immediately stopped using it. Then I thought, if it's not good for baby while breastfeeding, how is it even safe for me period?

This is when I started looking into more natural ways to treat my skin. I even found a local place to buy homemade soap to use. It definitely helped and it was cheap!

In the fall, my mom gave me some Arbonne products. All I  knew is they were out of my budget and I used them sparingly. I loved them, but didn't want to fall in love with them and not be able to afford them. ;)

Fast forward to December. My mom gave me some more Arbonne products as a Christmas gift and I began using them daily and nightly. I started noticing a difference in my skin right away. My forehead was getting smooth, my breakouts were not as bad. I became a believer.

January 8th, I decided to challenge myself to drink more water. I decided to drink a gallon a day for an entire month. I think 20 out of the 30 days I drank the full gallon. The other 10 or so days, I drank 3/4+. A lot of water. I was, prior to this, drinking 2 cups of coffee each morning, maybe a glass or 2 of water, and the rest was sweet (not crazy sweet) tea. I'm still not enjoying drinking water, but I am LOVING my skin!

iphone photo, so quality not the best

Can you see the difference? Yes, I've still got a ways to go before I'd consider saying I have good skin, but for the first time in 18 months, I'm comfortable with my skin.

I'm still drinking tons of water (this challenge ended Feb 8) and continuing my Arbonne products. I love Arbonne so much! How much? Enough that I believe in the products and have decided to become a consultant. More on that and the products I love in  my next post!

Six Months

That's right, six months. Six months since our little Norah joined our family. That means it's six months until we celebrate her first birthday. Time needs to slow down.

It's crazy  how our 5lb 10.9oz. peanut has grown.

Six month stats:

13lbs. 13oz.   -  9%

26 inches  -  53%

Head circumference 15.75 inches - 1% (small noggin)

Tall and skinny. Where did she get that? ;)

She's working on her crawling skills.  (ignore the puke on the lip)

She grabs her feet, which is my favorite baby milestone.

She's not sleeping as well as she used to, but she'll get there eventually.

She loves to eat! Not a huge fan of baby food, but wants whatever we are eating. 

She rolls all over the place and gets whatever she wants. 

She's just so fun!

I finally busted out the pink seamless and girly things and took her six month photos. I couldn't be more in love with them! Now, which ones to print?

Happy six months, sweet peanut. 

A little fun with gifs

Jon was playing around with my camera and saw the photos I took of Norah today. (her 6 month photos!)

We decided they needed put into gif form ;)

First, dancing Norah :)

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Finally, she can now say "mom"

Happy Friday, friends!

Hello, 2014!

Wow, 2014. That's just crazy. Before I post anything new and exciting, let's recap 2013. Shall we?

January: We announced we were expecting #3. We all (minus Jon) had a horrific stomach bug, but we lived to tell about it. ;)
February: Gavin turned 5! We got a ton of snow and now he thinks it will always snow on his bday. 

March: It's a girl! Words I never thought we'd hear. I'm so glad we did!
April: The beginning of t-ball. Oh, t-ball. Gavin is SO good at baseball, but he wasn't a fan of all the standing around. Maybe this year we will do soccer instead.

May: Big, busy month. My bros graduated (high school and college) and Trey and Carol got married. The little dudes were the cutest ring bearers I've ever seen.

June: I was beginning to get large and uncomfortable. Went to Columbus for last pre-Norah photo sessions. Snuck in photos of the boys.

July: HUGE month! First Royals game as a family, soooo hot. Norah was born, surprise! Brock turned three! No big party for him in 2013, but his 4th bday will be a HUGE party!
August: Gavin started school. Kindergarten. How is that possible?
September: My mom got re-married.
October: Pumpkin patch and Halloween! Gavin was Capt. America. Brock was Ironman. Norah was the cutest kitty ever.
November: Took a trip to western Kansas to spend Thanksgiving with my gpa. He had a rough year and it was so good to spend some time with him. 

December: Norah's first Christmas! Our elf, Snowball, returned. The kids love searching for him everyday. Don't worry, they still know we celebrate Christmas because baby Jesus was born :)

Whew! What a year!

What will 2014 bring for us? Hopefully it'll just be a good, fun year. No more babies ;)

My goal for the  year is to take out the big camera more and quit relying on the iphone all the time. I still want a new iphone with a better camera though ;)

Day 2 and I've already stayed on track! 

Okay, the first few photos of Norah are from NYE, but I had to share them. She's too cute.

And.... I promise to not make this the blog of Norah. She just happens to be around all the time. 

This one is from January 1. Brock stayed up partying with us adults all night NYE. Only one who made it to midnight. So, he fell asleep on the couch at 7:15 the next night. Sweet boy.

So, hold me to it. Ask me where photos are, if I don't post for a while. Also, remind me to print some every once in a while. I'm a slacker.

Happy New Year!

Hello, Kindergarten!

Well, it’s here. The day I knew would come, but hoped it wouldn’t. You know, people really should warn you that babies grow and turn into big kids.

Gavin was BEYOND ready for kindergarten. I know he’ll do so well, but I just wasn’t ready to let go. Yes, he was in preschool for 2 years, but this is just different. It is the official start of his school career. From here on out, he will be going to school. He will be growing up.

I just can’t believe how fast we went from this

to this

Oh, Gavin. I pray that you have the best kindergarten year ever. I pray you make some fabulous new friends. I pray that your teacher makes a lasting impression and you’re still talking about how awesome she was 20 years from now. I know you will do so well. You’re a smarty pants. I love you, dude.