Why I started Blogging

Hey Guys,

It wasn't untill a few weeks ago that i realized i have been blogging for a little over a year. I couldn't believe it. I started blogging during a tough time in my life. My boyfriend wasn't working and we were counting pennies. He started a job where he worked night shifts, so our schedules were opposite. I spent many nights alone, and barely saw him. Even when he was off, he slept all day ( i cant blame him).
A lot of people would ask me for advice/ my opinion on products. I decided to put my opinions to good use and start a blog. I will admit early on, it was a complete disaster. I copied other peoples structure and blogging schedule. This made me put out poor content and i felt forced to blog. This was suppose to be a hobby and something i was doing for myself, and it was slowly turning into a chore. Once my boyfriend started working ' regular hours' i took a break. I will admit i thought about whether or not it was a good idea, and my friend told me to get back to it. She made a good point, it was a little part of my day that i was doing fir myself. I decided to change up my content and how often i posted. I would post once a week about topics that were popular and ones i was passionate about.
What i love about posting once a week was i able to take my time. I would do a little but everyday. If i ended up being busy, who cares.
Blogging is great for me, because i am and English major. There is so many ways i can apply this in my everyday life, but i feel like i am able to use my creative writing skills in a positive way. I love reading blogs, and seeing what everyone is passionate about, and the different writing styles.
I love being able to feel as though my voice is being heard, and most importantly i feel valued. It is not about how many views i get (but just for the record, i would love to get more) or how much money i am making, but feeling as though i am more then a mother. I know that may sound odd, but it is so easy to loose yourself once you become a mom. Your life revolves around your family, and it is so easy to put yourself on the back burner. I love feeling like i have a job and a purpose in life. Lets face it, Kayden is going to be in school soon, and i would hate it if i felt lost and sat at home twiddling my thumbs.
After blogging for a little over a year I see my blog growing. It has taken me awhile to find my niche, but i am so excited to see where this endeavor takes me.

Tips to get you through those rainy days

Hey Guys,

With Kayden getting older, it is becoming more important to keep him occupied during the day. With the warmer weather here, we are loving spending our days outdoors, but mother nature likes to change it up a bit and give us rain. This keeps us indoors, which can get boring and depressing.
Here are a few of my go to rainy day activities:

Movies
Kayden wont sit down for a whole movie, but it will keep him occupied for about an hour if he is into it. We have Curious George DVD's and some popular Pixar and Disney movies. It is always fun to curl up under the covers, and make some popcorn. Kayden absolutely loves popcorn, so any excuse to eat it, he is down!

Crafts
I usually save painting for fridays and rainy days. As you parents know it takes a lot of effort and your full attention when your toddler paints. Since we rarely do it, Kayden always has a blast doing it. I have some wooden letters and Kayden picks a letter and paints it. It helps him work on the alphabet which is great as well! Kayden loves coloring and drawing. Nothing beats a classic coloring book or plain paper. I have tried crafts in the oast but Kayden didn't have the patience for it. If your child(ren) can ( I envy you) , that is a great way for them to do something creative, while working on their motor skills. We also have playdoh in about every color you can imagine. Kayden loves squishing it and rolling small balls.

Reading books
Kayden loves reading books, and he is even more in love with the library. I cant stress how happy i am that this is one of his joys. Whenever there is some quiet time in the house, he goes and grabs some books from his room and flips through them. On rainy days, we go in his room, sit on a chair and go through a few books. Kayden loves picking the books we read (he has his favorites) and can sit for a good 30 minutes. Since Kayden is close to 3, he points everything out in books and relates it to his life.

Rough housing
Some parents think you shouldn't rough house (my mom being one of them) but there are some things that come with being a mom to a toddler boy. Kayden loves to rough house. I don't let him knock me out or bruise me up. We have limits, and whether or not i like it, its going to happen. It is usually something he does with his dad (since i am such a wimp) but once in awhile i jump in. We always do it on a soft surface (like a bed) and he jumps and falls and it exhausts him. Its a great alternative to running outside.

Pull out 'special toys'
Remember back when your toddler was a baby? You had those special toys that you pulled out when you went out, and wanted to keep them quiet? This is great for rainy day activities. Kayden has 2 toy bins. One with blocks, cars, balls and interactive toys. We have another bin for the big toys. He doesnt often remember what's in there so when i open it, kayden gets excited. Its great because it is like he got a new toy all over again, and as he gets older he rediscovers new ways to play with them.

Since we live in apartment, (as you all know) there isn't a lot of room for us to play. These ideas work great, regardless of how big or small your house is.

How to clean your makeup brushes in 1 minute

Hey Guys,

Awhile ago i did a post about how I clean my makeup brushes. It was my go to method but I felt like something was missing. While it did clean my brushes, i didnt feel as though my makeup sponge was clean. I use quo instead of the beauty blender ( im not about spending that kind of cash) and i always felt as though there was leftover residue. On top of that I would use Kayden's baby shampoo to clean my makeup brushes and he has outgrown it. I needed a new DIY cleaning solution asap.
This is where Pinterest comes in handy. I searched and they answered. The cleaning method i am going to mention came up constantly and it was all ingredients that i had in my house on a constant basis.

1 cup if water
1tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp dish soap

After cleaning my brushes with this solution a few times i would recommend doubling up on the dish soap. There is a mild vinegar scent that is leftover, but if you can look past it, then don't worry about it. This method has left ALL my brushes spotless. I am the type of person who loves seeing all the dirt and makeup leave my brushes and i have never seen so much in my life.
I use a clean cool whip container, combine all the ingredients and run my brushes through for about 10 seconds. I then rinse under luke warm water and lay flat to dry. I have seen recommendations of putting the bristles back in their shape, but I have never had that issue. My brushes dry within a few hours and look brand new.