I will admit it: I am a make-up junkie. I probably have more make-up than most women I know combined. I love experimenting with new looks, and I have a wide variety of makeup with different colors and finished that I love to "play" with. I love experimenting with different color combinations and different effects. Right now I am loving the whole smoky eye look, whether it be with darker colors or brighter, more shimmery colors.

And of course, different times of the year call for different looks! Since it's winter right now, I am doing a lot of neutral colors like raisins, browns, and even some muted greens. I will even use darker colors like burgundy in the fall and winter.

Spring and summer are an entirely different story, though. For me, the warmer months are all about fun. In the spring, I love warm pinks and peaches, along with a little hint of shimmer. In the summer, I love spicing things up with some golds and bronzes, but I also love corals and reds. And of course, I love the shimmery look in the summer as well, and love to kick my look up a notch with a good bronzer!

I love the warmer months the most, so of course I am looking forward to welcoming the spring. One thing I am truly excited about is being able to totally ditch my setting powder. I have never been a huge fan of powders, since they can appear overly cakey and settle into creases. Not an attractive look, that's for sure! How can I ditch my powder and still be able to "set" my make-up? With SKINDINAVIA's Makeup Finishing Spray!

You know the old saying, "True beauty comes from the inside"? Well, this statement is true in more than one way. Of course a kind heart and loving personality make a person beautiful. Attitude is everything, and genuine kindness is one of the most attractive qualities a person can possess, and it's one that generally radiates from the inside out.

Another way to enhance physical beauty from the inside is to take one's cellular health into account. A healthy inside makes for a more radiant and beautiful outside. There are many wonderful supplements that can be taken to improve overall health and wellness, and many of these products can be found in nature. Things like Fish Collagen, Blueberries, and Pomegranates have amazing restorative properties that can help improve the elasticity of the skin, help slow hair loss, and even help promote the healing of wounds! And these are just a few of the many benefits that can be found in these natural substances!

The folks at Neocell have taken these wonderful ingredients and created a wonderful 3 Step anti-aging beauty regimen that addresses many common concerns that women have as they get older. Who is Neocell? They are a small, research grounded family owned business that had the goal of introducing to the world the anti-aging and overall health benefits of a naturally- sourced collagen based supplement line. All of Neocell’s health, wellness and anti-aging products are doctor-formulated and offer the highest quality and precise combination of ingredients to maximize health and wellness benefits for consumers of all ages.  Neocell’s products are manufactured in their own GMP certified facility in California and guarantee the highest quality and safety manufacturing standards, meeting the needs of regulators world-wide.

Today, NeoCell is one of the top-selling brands in health food stores, and a leader in the fields of nutritional science and methods development. And while the company has grown considerably over the 13 years, one thing has never changed – their commitment to finding innovative and effective anti-aging nutraceutical supplements.

Walt Disney's newest animated film, "The Secret World of Arriety" is scheduled to be released in theaters on February 17,2012. This movie is based off of the award-winning novel "The Borrowers". This is one of my all-time favorite children's stories, so I am quite excited about taking my kids to see this film!

Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. The English language version of “The Secret World of Arrietty” was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and directed by Gary Rydstrom. The film hits theaters Feb. 17, 2012.

You can learn more about The Secret World of Arrietty by becoming a fan on Facebook.

Check out the official trailer as well as these free, printable coloring sheets!

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Do you have any plans for the big game? We all know this day is more than just about football, it’s the second-largest day for food consumption in the U.S., next to Thanksgiving.  Chips, wings, guacamole, chili – sounds like a good time right? It should be! But for many people this snack-filled day will end in food poisoning (i.e. salmonella, e.coli)…and in some cases even death – CDC estimates that approximately 1 in 6 Americans suffer from food poisoning each year and that 3,000 people die from it.

Food poisoning has lots of causes, including leaving food out too long, but with four easy steps, Clean – Separate – Cook – Chill, you can make sure you don’t become part of this statistic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services have teamed up with the Ad Council to launch the “Food Safe Families” campaign (http://www.foodsafety.gov/) and has critical tips to share with you to ensure they enjoy the big game between New York and New England, and all the good eats that come with it! 

Fun Fact: More than 1.25 billion wing portions will be consumed during Super Bowl weekend in 2012, totaling more than 100 million pounds of wings, according to the National Chicken Council’s (NCC) 2012 Wing Report.

With Valentine's Day only a couple of short weeks away, many of us are scrambling to find those perfect Valentine's Day gifts  for our significant other. It can be difficult, since men in general aren't into flowers or big teddy bears holding a heart. As a matter of fact, men aren't very concerned with sentimental knick-knacks as a whole. (At least not any men that I personally know!) This makes men rather tricky to shop for. To a guy, nothing says "I love you" better than a cold beer and a shiny new tool of some kind. But that's not very romantic, therefore it defeats the whole purpose of the occasion.

For my husband, chocolate is always a safe bet, but it lasts all of 2 seconds and then it's gone forever. One year I got him a 5lb Hershey's Bar, and he ate the whole darn thing in a matter of hours. I foolishly thought that he's savor the treat over the period of a couple of weeks, but that didn't happen. My hubby is the biggest chocoholic I have ever met. You could stick him in a room full of pregnant and PMS-ing women, and he would still put away more chocolate than the rest of them combined. Hopefully, they wouldn't maul him to death as he hogged the chocolate and he'd live to tell about it! Obviously, while he loves chocolate, I am not going there this year, since it tends to disappear far too quickly.

So this year, after a lot of head-scratching and deliberation,I intend to give him the gift that keeps on giving: Valentine's Day lingerie! No, hubby isn't a cross-dresser. It might be amusing to see him in a teddy, but he would never go for it, since he is a "manly man". I will be giving him ME, wearing some new enticing lingerie. Hey, what guy doesn't love to see his wife in something sexy? With 3 kids in the house, 2 of which are active toddlers, I don't dress up for him as often as I should. I usually wear PJ pants and a t-shirt or my so-not-sexy footie pajamas. (Hey, they're super comfy!) So when I greet him at the door in that cute little number you see above, I know that his jaw will hit the floor!

I recently received the cute little dress you see pictured above from my favorite place for sexy lingerie: Yandy.com. Yandy is an online retailer that offers hundreds...no, thousands of the best lingerie styles that are sure to get his blood pumping and make you feel like the sexy vixen you are underneath all of the spilt milk stains and baby food splatters! Trust me, she's in there somewhere! Motherhood does not mean we're not the same beautiful women our guys fell in love with. He just may need a little reminder! Yandy can help do just that! They have everything, from mild and demure to wild and totally kinky, as well as everything in-between. They also feature some of the best brands out there, such as Coquette, Dreamgirl, and Leg Avenue, just to mention a few.

One of my favorite things about shopping with Yandy, other than their ginormous selection, is the fact that many of their products feature videos that show how a garment looks on a person as they move. It's often hard to tell that from just a stock photo. Of course many photos feature what I like to call "lollipop ladies." You know what I mean...Impossibly beautiful models whose bodies have never seem the havoc that pregnancy and childbirth can often cause. They have no "wobbly bits" and their tatas are always pointing skyward. Sure, Yandy has these models, too. After all, they are selling lingerie, and these items look best on these models. But being able to see video of a product does help an average woman decipher how a product will look on her own body, how it will fall, and if it will be flattering or not. Nothing is worse than getting some frilly little garment, putting it on, and feeling like a stuffed sausage waiting to be thrown onto a grill. With their video options, this traumatic experience can likely be avoided.

I have also found that Yandy's size charts are very accurate, so you can be sure to get the right size with little guess-work. This is extremely helpful, since most brands' sizes tend to run a little differently. Yandy even carries some awesome plus size lingerie for the curvier gals out there! While I am a size 6 now, I did spent most of my teen and adult life between a 14-16, so I can definitely appreciate the fact that Yandy also caters to more voluptuous body types!

Check out some of my favorite Valentine's Day offerings from this fantastic shop!

I love to cook. I usually end up in the kitchen for a few hours a day, since I prefer making things from scratch. I generally try and avoid prepackaged foods if at all possible. Well, with the exception of instant mashed potatoes. My family actually prefers them to the "real deal", and I always doctor them up with cheese, roasted garlic, and other goodies to take them from blah to WOW!

While I definitely don't mind making elaborate, labor intensive meals, there are some days that I wish there were a quicker, more convenient option available, without sacrificing flavor or quality. Sounds like a pretty tall order, right? I thought so too! And then I was introduced to Bertolli's new line of Premium Meal Soups. I admit, I am not normally a soup person, since most of the canned varieties lack flavor or substance. There's nothing worse than opening up a can of soup to find mushy, bland veggies in a tasteless broth. Yuck! But much to my delight, Bertolli Meal Soups are different.

First of all, the most notable difference is that these soups are found in the freezer section. Why are they frozen? To ensure freshness and maintain the wonderful quality that Bertolli is known for. The veggies are hearty and remain crisp, the meat is moist and flavorful, and the broth isn't stale-tasting or one-noted. These are restaurant quality soups that can be prepared effortlessly in the comfort of your own kitchen! These meal soups come in 4 crave-worthy varieties, including Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef & Vegetables.

He just might turn into the Cookie Monster! It's official: Xander REALLY likes Oreos....To wear AND eat, apparently! Thank God for wet-wipes!

I am SUPER excited to announce my wonderful sponsor for the upcoming Lots of Love Giveaway Event. First of all, I have been drooling over Diono's revolutionary car seats ever since they were known as Sunshine Kids. I tried for over a year to win one by entering hundreds of giveaways and other promotions, and I never got lucky. Just the name Diono gets me excited! Well, I guess my time has come and after a year of hard work, I finally got the opportunity to review one. I literally did a happy dance when Kathy agreed to send me a RadianRXT Convertible Car Seat to review. My husband thought I had just won the lottery or something! Yes, I was really that excited to try this product.

You might ask why I, a 30 year old woman of sound mind and body,  would leap up off of the couch, knocking my laptop over in the process, and do the Carlton dance over a car seat? You may think I'm a bit crazy for being that enthusiastic. My hubby certainly did! He asked what happened, and when I told him, I got a snicker and an eye-roll. No, he doesn't get as excited over baby gear as I do. He, being a man, will never fully understand. Let me tell you, those mamas out there that are familiar with Diono and their very high quality standards would definitely "get it". Diono is second to none when it comes to safety, versatility, and functionality. Not to mention, they offer some of the most visually appealing car seats on the market today! And let's be honest: Looks DO matter, especially when it comes to things for our little ones!

Good looks aside, as a mom, the most important factor when considering car seats is safety. Something can be gold-plated, blinged-out and gorgeous, but if it's not safe, it's not going into MY shopping cart! After all, car seats carry the most precious cargo around, my babies. Their safety is paramount. The Diono RadianRXT Convertible Car Seat is among the safest on the market, and has been rigorously tested, passing NCAP crash tests, and is even approved by the FAA for aircraft use.

As you all know, I am a huge fan of using natural products in my household. I cloth-diaper, eat largely organic and natural foods, use natural cleaning supplies, buy organic clothing, and I even use "safe" cosmetics. I am always on the lookout for great new naturally derived products. I think most work just as well as conventional products, but have the added benefit of being chemical free. With so many nasty and potentially harmful substances in products nowadays, I'd rather be safe than sorry, particularly where my kids are concerned.

I recently discovered a line of dental hygiene products that are not only effective and clinically proven, they're also recommended by dentists! Natural Dentist offers an entire line of all-natural products that are safe for the whole family. If you’d rather not put unnecessary chemicals into your mouth, consider products that carry The Natural Dentist name. Developed by a dentist determined to offer his patients rinses and toothpastes that were natural, effective, and safe to use, The Natural Dentist offers a full line of products free from alcohol and ingredients like SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate).

I received the Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Rinse in Peppermint Twist for my review. Normally, I use a very popular antiseptic mouthwash that is full of alcohol and can burn m mouth. You know the one I'm talking about, right? While it works well, I have never liked the stinging sensation or the amount of ingredients listed that I cannot pronounce. I have been very leery about allowing my kids to use the product, too, since it may be harmful if they swallow it.  With Natural Dentist, that's no longer a concern. The original and best-selling Natural Dentist mouth rinse is safe, tastes great without the burn, and is effective in helping to heal common dental conditions.  A unique blend of herbal extracts, Natural Dentist Healthy Gums has been subjected to numerous clinical studies and is considered effective treatment for serious conditions by periodontists and dentists. What's the active ingredient? Aloe Vera! Aloe has been known for centuries for its healing properties, so naturally, this is a wonderful addition to this mouth rinse.