Lily's 1 Years Old!!!

Hi My Loves!!!

Tomorrow is a huge day in the Schuerman home ;) Our beautiful little baby girl Lily is turning one. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. You think your life goes by so fast and then you have kids and it goes by 100 times faster. I feel like I just brought her home from the hospital and now look at her.... laughing, smiling, crawling, standing. It's unbelievable to me. It's making me tear up as I write this. I no longer have a tiny baby but a beautiful little toddler in the making. 

At this time last year, I was in labor in complete agony (literally) waiting for the arrival of our first daughter. I had wished for a daughter ever since we decided we wanted kids and when we found out we were having a girl, we were so excited. I instantly started planning all of the fun girly things we could do together. Lily had always been my favorite name for a girl especially with it being one of my Mom's favorite flowers and a dear friends name who had passed away and who I had loved so much. It was the perfect name for my daughter. That is how we decided on the name Lily :)

I will be doing a video dedicated to Lily on my Mommy channel, that I'm hoping to get up for her birthday tomorrow. We have been so busy getting prepared for her birthday and then with the kids both getting sick (worst timing ever) I haven't had the chance to make the elaborate video I wanted but I'm going to work on it tonight until my eyes won't stay open :) So be sure you are subscribed to that channel so you don't miss it!

I will also be doing a 12 month update once we have been to the doctors and gotten her measurements etc, so stay tuned for that.

Let's get on to some of my favorite moments that happened in the last month or so before she turns 1 year. I still can't believe I have a 1 year old and a 2 1/2 year old!! Seems so crazy that they are so big already. I swear I was just pregnant with Phoenix ;)

Here's Lily helping me inspect my Glossybox.... this girl sure takes after her Mama and loves her makeup!

She also LOVES the camera :) If there is a camera nearby you can be sure that she will give you a beautiful smile.

Lily and Phoenix love to color, she enjoys being a big girl and hanging out with her brother no matter what he's doing. 

Look how cute that face is!!

What an artist :) She is OBSESSED with chalk. I was so surprised the first time we gave it to her because she immediately starting coloring with it. Quite impressive I think :)

Sharing with her Mama :)

Last month we visited our Uncle in our old stomping grounds where Phoenix was born. Lily had so much fun watching his chickens and playing in the dirt. Here's his impressive corn.

She had so much fun at our friends birthday party, playing in the pool. Lily is a major water baby. ANy kind of water whether it's bath time or at the pool she is all for it :)

We went and visited my hometown where I grew up, South Lake Tahoe, CA. It was so nice to be back in the town where my Mom was still alive and healthy and go and visit all of the places I loved. Having our little family back there made me feel so happy to see how far I've come and how blessed I am to have such healthy, beautiful children, an amazing husband and of course my lovely little Moo.

Lily LOVED the beach.... like I said she's a water baby. We don't have beaches where we live so it was so nice for the kids to play in the sand and water. Lily had the best time in this little area just splashing away.

We went to a children discovery center which was so much fun. Lily loved looking at everything and playing in the little kids room. 

Her little hair wings are the cutest in this picture!!

We went up to Virginia City, NV which was a great time. I used to go up there all the time as a child with my Mom & Dad and of course Brad & BS. It was so nice taking our babies up there with Uncle Rob. Lily loved this horsey :)

I think she loved taking her picture with Daddy even more ;)

11 months old and she's already been to jail..... haha!! Well, pretend jail that is ;) She didn't seem impressed. 

Lily is such a happy baby. She is always smiling and playing with Phoenix. She loves her big brother and any chance she gets to do what he's doing, she takes. She laughs hard and it's like music to my ears. There is nothing a Mother wants to hear more than the laughter of her babies. It's like heaven.

Lily has such a fun personality. She's silly and fun and so curious ;) She was dying to wipe her toothbrush on my face mask.

Lily loves getting her teeth brushed. I think she would let me do it forever if I wanted. She sits there so still with her little mouth open just waiting for me to brush. When I ask her if she wants to brush her teeth, she lets out a chuckle and a huge grin... every time :)

She also loves to climb all over me ;)

And on the bouncy castle too!

Seeing your baby pull them self up and stand for the first time is such a beautiful moment. It's so happy yet sad at the same time because you know that little tiny baby that you feel like you just brought home is now becoming a big girl and growing up so fast. Soon enough they won't fall asleep in your arms so peacefully and sweet. Cherish the moments you have with your babies. You will never get it back.

We haven't quite mastered stacking blocks but she's very good at throwing them on the floor and giving them to me :)

And to her brother.... or anyone really :)

That smile is worth 1000 words. It's what makes my life complete. Our babies are the best thing that has ever and will ever happen to us in our lifetime. They have changed our lives, our everything and for that I am truly grateful to them, for they have made us better people.

Look at those standing skills!!

So this is for Lily, my angel, my beautiful little baby girl. I am so blessed and thankful to have you in my life. I have always wanted a daughter to share everything that I didn't get to share with my Mom and I hope I can be the best Mommy to you that you could ever dream of. I love you with all of my heart and couldn't imagine a more perfect daughter. You are beautiful, smart, sweet, loving and the best little snuggle bunny. You make my days full of laughter and love. You teach me things, I could never have known without you and you've made me a better person. Daddy, Phoenix and Moo love you so much and we hope you have the best first birthday! Thank you for blessing our lives and making our family complete. You and your brother are my true angels and I can't express the love I feel for you both. 

I love you.

Mommy

xx

Now that my snots running down my face and tears have soaked my hair and shirt..... I think I shall go and work on that video and peek in on my peacefully sleeping little angels :) I didn't think Lily turning one would be so emotional for me but I'm sitting here crying like a baby. Jay saw me crying and came and asked what was wrong and I said I just can't believe my baby is one. He's smiled and said I was sweet and that's what makes me such a great Mom, because I love them so much. At the end of the day, we all mistakes parenting.... but if you can show your babies all the love in the world and let them know each and every day how important and special they are to you, well then I think you are doing pretty good. I'm sure your kids would agree :) No child ever looked back and said, "Well, my parents loved me too much!" When Phoenix comes up and tells me he loves me and Lily snuggles her head into my shoulder with a sweet little smile.... that is what life is about. I LIVE for those moments of pure joy and love.

Thanks so much for reading!

False Lashes Haul!

Hi My Loves!

I recently ordered a bunch of false lashes for the upcoming holiday season. With Halloween right around the corner, Thanksgiving and of course family Christmas pictures etc, I thought I'd better stock up! I love the way false lashes look but I find that I really only have a couple of pairs in my collection due to the fact that I always have problems with lash glue. I end up not wearing any in my tutorials because I until this haul, I hadn't found a glue that didn't irritate my sensitive eyes. Luckily I have finally found one that doesn't bother me!! Hooray!!! So prepare for some new looks with eyelashes and please start sending your requests for Halloween tutorials that you would like to see ;)

WATCH MY LATEST VIDEO ON HOW I APPLY MY LASHES:

I ordered all of the stuff shown below from iKateHouse. The shipping was super quick and it's free if you spend over $39. Other wise it's $2.95. Also they are having a sale for 20% off of all the lashes right now. 

Here's everything I ordered. 

I'm wearing these today and I love them for my shape of eyes. They are the perfect length and just look so pretty!! 

Here's the lash glue I was telling you about. The Sassi one in the straight tube. It has a brush which is super easy to use and not messy at all. It's the best lash glue I've used so far. Dries quickly and holds the lashes down really well ;) I also picked up two others to try as well.

I was super impressed with their prices as well as their selection. They have so many lashes to choose from that it honestly took me about 30 minutes to pick out the ones I wanted haha! If you want affordable lashes with tons of different styles to choose form as well as different options of glue (so excited I finally found one that I'm not allergic to) then definitely check this website out :) I think the most expensive pair I ordered was $3.99 and most of them were $1.49 to $2.99.

Hope this has helped :)

Check out what we did yesterday here:

Thanks for reading/watching!

Gel Nail Polish At Home: Is It Worth It?

Hi My Loves!!!

Today I'm going to be doing a review I've been meaning to do for months. I have had this Gel Nail Polish kit for so long now and kept on saying ok I will review it tomorrow and then tomorrow never came. After being so frustrated by my constant chipped nails, I decided to try some press on nails which were great for the whole 6-7 hours they lasted until 2 popped off when I took a shower. 

I hate doing my nails. It's my biggest chore. I hate waiting for them to dry only to get smudged when I try to grab something for the kids or pick Lily up. I'm always so busy at night once they go to bed because I'm editing and blogging and so I end up putting off my nails. 

My whole working adult life, I had acrylic nails. I loved getting them done by someone else and knowing that when I left, they would be dry and looking snazzy for 2-3 weeks. I just really dislike chipped nails (too bad mine are ALWAYS chipped haha)...

So last night was the last straw! Lily went to bed earlier than normal (we had a busy day with our friends) and so I pulled out my Couture Gel Nail Polish and light. I absolutely love this Kit and what I love even more is that when you are done, there is no chipping or smudging. There is nothing worse than taking time to carefully paint your nails to be ruined in less than 2 minutes. It's the worst. 

The reason I don't use this more often is simply the fact that it is more time consuming. It takes about a half an hour. I know that doesn't seem much to people who don't have a toddler and a baby but to me half an hour is a huge amount of time to take time for yourself. So I usually just don't paint them at all or leave them chipped until I can't stand it anymore haha! But seeing as I had a little bit of free time last night with Lily asleep early (Phoenix is old enough to help me and he enjoys it) I decided to take the time and get snazzy nails ;)

If you haven't used gel nail polish before, it does take practice. It's a little harder to work with than I thought and you have to be really careful about not getting it on your skin or cuticles as that can create a pocket and result in lift or chipping way before it would if you did it properly. I still haven't mastered gel but each time I do it does get slightly easier and quicker. The main thing that takes the time is waiting for your nails to cure under the light.

I've used this now 3 times. It lasted 2 months on my toes (looked amazing the whole time) and the most I've gotten on my nails is 2 weeks. Hopefully this time I can get three since I feel like I've gotten a better idea of how to do it ;)

Here's some pictures of what I used and then I'll tell you the steps of how I did it ;)

Couture Gel Nail Polish Kit 

(I think they have a new light now)

WHAT YOU NEED:

Couture Gel Nail Polish Kit comes with everything you need other than the alcohol (they recommend at least 71%) and cotton balls. It comes with:

3 Gel Nail Polishes (you choose the colors)

Top Coat

Base Coat

Cleanser

Remover

Light

Cuticle Stick

Brush

File

Buffer

Toe Separators

Instructional DVD

Super Cute Carrying Case

The color I used was #35 Material Girl. It's a beautiful hot pink with small sparkles and big chunky ones occasionally :) Love this color.

STEPS:

1. File your nails in the shape you like (the longer your nails, the better this works as you can seal the edge better)

2. Buff the tops of your nails so there is no shiny part anymore

3. Remove any extra dust with nail polish remover

4. Apply a thin layer of the base coat to your right hand (thin is the key here, it will help make it last way longer)

5. Cure under the light for 2 minutes

6. Repeat on left hand (they do recommend doing the thumbs first, curing and then the fingers but I did all of them at once now that I've done it a few times)

7. Apply a thin layer of the gel nail polish of your choice to the right hand being very careful not to get on your cuticles or sides of your skin (this can be tough as the gel nail polish tends to run before you cure it so I recommend staying a little further in until you get the hang of it)

7. Cure under the light for 2 minutes

8. Repeat on left hand (they do recommend doing the thumbs first, curing and then the fingers but I did all of them at once now that I've done it a few times)

9. Apply a second coat if you want again one hand at a time and then curing again for 2 minutes (I always do 2 coats)

10. Apply a thin layer of top coat to right hand and cure for 2 minutes under the light

11. Repeat on left hand and cure

12. Get your cotton ball and get alcohol on it and rub over all of your nails.

OILA! You are finished. They will be smooth, extra shiny and dry. No waiting around for your nails to dry only to get smudged or chipped if you don't wait long enough. What I love about this is that even though it does take a bit more time initially do paint your nails, the result is beautiful, shiny and looks like you went to the salon. They make your nails appear thicker (not quite as thick as acrylic but still gives that finished, thicker effect). I love the way they look and feel when they are done and even better the fact that I don't have to worry about instantly chipping or smudging them. The first time I used this I applied way too thick of coats and they lasted for about a week. If you do it like you are supposed to and do thin layers then it claims to last 3 weeks. So far I've gotten 2 weeks at the most but I still haven't mastered the application and my hands are constantly in water, being washed, cleaning etc. 2 weeks without chips is still pretty darn good.

To remove them you are supposed to file the tops a little to create a pocket, soak your nails in acetone and scrape off. I did not do this because I didn't have acetone when it was time to remove them. I peeled them off cuz I'm crazy like that and impatient. If you peel them off like I did, it will damage your nails and make them weaker so do as the kit says and soak them :)

PROS:

Long lasting (2 -3 weeks), no waiting for nails to dry, chip and smudge free, beautiful selection of colors, stays shiny for the whole time you wear it, saves money in the long run if you normally go to the salon, feels super smooth to touch, looks professional and better than regular polish, free of harmful chemicals, don't have to leave your home.

CONS:

Takes practice, time consuming to apply, can be tricky to work with, soaking my nails in acetone to remove gives me the shivers, can damage your nails a tiny bit, if your nails are short like mine it is a little tougher to apply and get a good seal on the edge and can be a tad messy.

Overall I highly recommend getting this kit. If you are someone like me who is tired of having nails that look chipped and for a lack of a better word, crappy all the time then I suggest making the investment and getting it. It does take time to do and a lot of practice to get it looking like the pros but I LOVE that I don't have to waste time painting them to only smudge or chip in a day or less. Take the half an hour you spend applying them only every 2-3 weeks vs painting your nails every 2-3 days and waiting, wafting around for them to dry and I think you end up saving time. 

I love the way these look and I love that they stay lasting so much longer than regular polish. The colors that they have are so pretty too. I'm lusting after the #85 Million $ Tweet, #81 Tiffany's Secret, #80 Pillow Talk and #84 Sweet Cheeks.

Those are my thoughts. Hope this has helped!!!

Wanna watch Phoenix helping me paint my nails:

Here's my latest Mommy video:

And my latest Beauty video is my August Faves!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Best Perfume I've Ever Sniffed!!!

Hi My Loves!!!

I got my Ulta catalog for September in the mail today which is always an exciting moment for me because it includes samples of perfume and my $3.50 coupon haha! I knew as soon as I sniffed this sample of Marc Jacobs "Honey" ($92.50 for 3.4oz) that I had to tell you guys about it and it instantly went on my wish list.

Here's the sample I got in my Ulta catalog :) I must have sniffed it about 20 times and Phoenix sniffed it about 10, saying "Oh nice babe!"

Here's what it really looks like:

(Photo Source: Sephora)

Here's what Sephora says about the perfume:

Honey by Marc Jacobs is a sunny, delicious floral—energetic and alluring, with a sparkling, golden touch. The perfect mix of brightness and warmth. 

This buzzing fragrance energizes with the freshness of green pear and a bright splash of fruity punch and juicy mandarin. Orange blossom resides at the heart of the fragrance and mingles with the nectars of honeysuckle and peach for a note of sparkling femininity. Honey, vanilla, and smooth woods dry down to a warm, golden base. 

Notes:
Pear, Juicy Mandarin, Orange Blossom, Peach Nectar, Apricot, Honeysuckle, Honey, Golden Vanilla, Smooth Woods. 
Style:
Sweet. Sassy. Energized.

 Here's what I say about the perfume:

The scent of this is like heaven. It's feminine, subtle, sweet and floral at the same time. This is one of those scents you just can't stop sniffing and I MUST HAVE IT!! It's literally the best perfume I may have ever sniffed in my life and I've sniffed a lot! This is definitely on my MUST PURCHASE SOON list. I highly recommend the next time you are at Ulta or Sephora, get a sample or just go and have a sniffy wiffy :) Let me know how you like it. If you do have it, how does it wear? Is it one of the delightful ones that stay smelling amazing all day long?

I just had to share this with you because it is the best scent ever!

And here's a recap of my last few videos this week:

Yesterday Lily tried to beat me up...

Wanna make your teeth look pearly white without having to use whitening products???

Last but not least my favorite video of this week so far:

Still sniffing my sample on and off as I write this at midnight.....