4500 miles of travel....

May has been a month of travels for us. I can honestly say I am thankful the month is over so I can relax a little before our next trips.

I started the month in Texas for my SUPERSTAR weekend, then headed to San Diego for my sister's birthday, next stop was Winslow for a Mary Kay business debut and graduation parties, last was our 6 day trip to Colorado. We visited my mom and dads family and I also had a Mary Kay party for a friend who I went to Junior High with. Nothing like a good reason to write a trip off!!

My mom's mom got out her jewelry box with old pieces in it from her mother and her grand mother. She let us girls go through it and pick out the pieces we wanted. All of it was gold...so not sure how much I will wear it, but just to have it I feel lucky!

We took a trip to Garden of the Gods. If you ever visit Colorado Springs it is a MUST that you visit here. There are hiking trails, a beautiful visitors center and cafe, and views that are breathtaking.

My dad's parents celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on June 1st, so we all went out for a fabulous lunch. I got to see my cousin Rachel and meet her fiance Nick. I also got to see my Aunt and Uncle's that I have not seen in years.

The last night we were there us 4 girls made a trip to the Cinemark to spend a little time with our best gal pals!! Sex and the City 2 was amazing!!

Wrapping up the month of May and putting 4500 miles of travel under my belt in one month has exhausted me, but at the same time got me ready to "bring on the 30", continue planning Miss Morgan's 2nd birthday party, plan an few camping trips and one last trip to San Diego. What a BUSY summer we have in store for us! 

Wednesday's Wedding Must Haves....

As a beauty consultant and trained make-up artist. I want to share with you some Wedding Must Haves for your big day. Every bride wants to make sure their face in in the best picture perfect shape for their wedding day and Mary Kay has just the right stuff. With the use of the Ultimate Miracle Set and your wonderful beauty consultants help, we can make everyday as special as your wedding day.

The Ultimate Miracle Set consists of a premium collection of age-fighting products. There are 11, yes 11 benefits to this collection.

1. Cleanses to remove makeup and impurities

2. Exfoliates to remove dead surface cells that dull skin

3. Freshens to tone the skin and refine pores

4. Moisturizes to hydrate for soft, smooth skin

5. Protects the skin from sun and environmental damages

6. Smooths

7. Helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles

8. Firms

9. Softens

10. Energizes

11. Rebuilds

The products are:

3-1 cleanser

Day Solution sunscreen SPF 25 & Night Solution

Age-Fighting Moisturizer

Microdermabrasion Set (voted #1 at home set)

Firming Eye Cream

With the use of each of these products you will have instant results. When I demo these products on guests we only use them on half our face so each of the girls can see the actual instant results.

To prepare for your big day I recommend getting started at least 2 months before your wedding. This will ensure that the product is right for you. If you or someone you know is getting married I would LOVE for you to pass my information on to them.

Have a beautiful blessed Wednesday!

Mary Kay Monday

Today is Mary Kay Monday. Now that summer is approaching and our swimming days are getting closer we need to be sure that our skin is protected. Mary Kay has all the essentials you need to keep your skin protected from the harmful rays. Mary Kay's sunscreen products are "recommended as an effective sunscreen" by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

The first product is Mary Kay SPF 30 Sunscreen: This product is waterproof, sweat proof. It protects against the harmful UVA/UVB rays and it also helps prevent premature aging. 

Next, is Mary Kay After-Sun Replenishing Gel. The sun robs your skin of vital moisture. With the help of botanicals and antioxidants in this product you can get all of that back.

Third, Mary Kay Tinted Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 15. The thin skin on your lips is vulnerable to the sun's harmful rays. Protect, moisturize and add a sheer tine of color to keep them beautiful. 

or

If your not one for much color on your lips you can try Mary Kay Lip Protector Sunscreen SPF 15. This simple lip balm with an SPF of 15 can be worn under any lip look to keep your pout perfectly protected.  

I am here for all you Mary Kay needs. You can also check out my website at www.marykay.com/chrissyshero.

Stop by every Monday for more Mary Kay Product Essentials.

Kitchen Make-Over

Today I will begin to share pictures of our new home. It has been a long process buying, fixing up, and moving into this home...but when all is said and done this is truly my home with the "white picket fence" around it. I am taking my time in decorating each and every room so it is done to my satisfaction. Also I am one to re-do rooms over and over and over and...well you get it, so I want to make each room so that I do not want to re-do them. (hahaha...well see how long that lasts)

Here are a few before pics of the kitchen...

 

 

We were VERY overwhelmed by this kitchen when we first looked at the home, but here are the now photos... 

 

 I used black and white fabrics and prints with accents of pink in our kitchen. 

 

I just LOVE the plant shelves above my cabinets. And the Tulips are my FAVORITE flower, so a kitchen without flowers, to me just isn't a kitchen at all. 

 

I found the letters for our last name in black and white prints...I thought it was a perfect place for them.  

 

I had some bottles shaped as shoes with different vinegar and spices in them...I decided to paint them black and place them on my counter next to my black and white book of Shoes and under a few plates that I had with shoes and purses on them.

I took my clear canisters and added some black and pink stickers and ribbon to label them as flour, sugar and of course candy. Next to it I have my scrapbook on display from the 3-day, 60 mile Breast Cancer Walk I participated in a few years ago.

My utensil holder in a large glass jar and I added some pink and black ribbon to that as well.

My previous kitchen was decorated with a vineyard decor...so I took this cabinet and re-covered it to make it match my new kitchen. Above is before...below is after...

My chairs had not been re-covered since my kitchen in my home up north...so I decided now was the best time...above is before...below is after...

Lastly, after re-covering my chairs I decided my front window needed a valance of some sort...so I took the left over scraps of fabric and cut them into strips and tied them onto the rod to make a valance.

I just LOVE my new kitchen. We had to re-paint all of the cabinets in the kitchen as the previous white on them was not really white anymore. The flooring was vinyl and we had tile put in place of it. We now have a great place to sit down and eat together or gather around the table with our friends. My kitchen make-over was a success...and the best part is everything I did was under $100.00.

Vemma Next

What is Vemma Next you ask...well I am going to share that with you now...

(There is SO much great information that I have mostly copied and pasted this information straight from the website).

Vemma NEXT™ is ideal for children 2 to 12. It includes a full ounce of the Vemma formula along with an enhanced nutrient blend unique for children's nutritional needs.

Add to that an amazing, kid-friendly creamy orange flavor with no preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, and you've got the makings of a "superjuice" for "super kids."

Vemma NEXT helps your child stay healthy, because it contains antioxidants and nutrients that help support the body's immune system.* This includes:
• Vitamin C – Found in citrus fruits, broccoli, bell peppers, kale, cauliflower, green leafy vegetables


• Vitamin D – Found in salmon, tuna fish, milk, eggs, liver, beef, and even direct sunlight

• Beta carotene – Found in sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, collard greens, squash

Vemma NEXT also includes new ingredients targeted specifically for children:

• DHA – an all natural, vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acid known for brain and eye support.* Choline also aids in brain development.*

• Quercetin – a group of flavonoids that give many fruits and vegetables their coloring. An antioxidant perfect for growing bodies.*

• Phytonutrient extracts of 14 organic fruits and veggies for those children who don't get enough.

Things You Didn't Know!

Today, children's nutritional health is being impacted more than ever. Many children have poor eating habits, often eating junk foods and skipping meals; the result is a severely depleted nutritional intake. Vemma NEXT can give parents peace of mind with an enhanced full spectrum of vitamins, antioxidants and over 65 plant-sourced minerals. Below are just a few of the reasons Vemma NEXT was created:

• A recent study showed that 20% of 4-year-olds are obese1.

• The Kaiser Family Foundation found that more than a third of children and teen ads featured candy and snacks2.

• A considerable number of children drastically under-consume vitamin C, fruits and vegetables3.

• According to a recent article, 40% of infants and toddlers had vitamin D levels below those optimal for bone health4.

• By the age of 3, a child's brain is twice as active as an adult's5.

With Vemma NEXT, the goal is to intervene and improve these alarming child nutrition statistics. We hope you are as excited as we are to help shape the future of the NEXT Generation.

We'll Give A Gift YOU Can Be Proud Of

Here at Vemma we wanted to take NEXT a step further.

For every month's supply purchased, Vemma will donate a month's supply of NEXT on your behalf to a child in need. Vemma is also a proud partner of Children's Miracle Network®, a non-profit organization that is saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for 170 children's hospitals. For three months of each year a portion of the proceeds from every purchase of Vemma NEXT will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network. Awareness of the important work Children's Miracle Network is doing will be highlighted with co-branded packaging featuring the iconic red and yellow Miracle balloon icons on the Vemma NEXT packaging.

Now you can help your child to stay healthy and help millions of children supported by the Children's Miracle Network too!

For more information on this product and to see a detailed comparison between Vemma Next and other children's vitamins please visit http://birkelo25.vemma.com/next/ .

Vemma also has a line for adults that I personally take and just LOVE. It makes me feel more energized throughout the day and I know my body is getting more of the vitamins I am taking through the liquid rather than a pill form. The best part about this product for me is I rarely, rarely take any Advil, Tylenol, or other related medicines anymore.

My sister is a brand partner with Vemma. She has given even her dog this product and saved Princess's life! My sister and her dog are well known with this company because of what the product did for Princess. If it works for dogs and its made for humans then it must be good. My sisters website is http://birkelo25.vemma.com/ Feel free to contact her with any questions you may have regarding this product.

Happy Birthday Mel!

Over the weekend we took our first trip to the beach. We packed up the toy hauler and headed to San Diego with my parents, sister, and our friends. Today my sister is celebrating her 28 birthday and she chose San Diego as her celebrating spot. We camped on Mission Bay in an RV park and our spot was not even a minute walk to the ocean. The kids LOVED it and so did we. This has started a trend now...we already have our next 2 trips planned for the summer.

From left to right; Melissa, Morgan, my dad, my mom, Shawn, Zach, Me, Jen, and Chloe

 

Morgan and "mamas"

 

Zach and Grandpa

 

A little fun competition on the bay.

 

Jen and Mel walking back from the pier.

 

A friendly game of catch on the beach.

 

Building Sand Castles

 

Bath time after playing at the sandy beach!!

We are so excited to head back next month!!

A few must haves for the beach!

As I pack for our trip I am filling my beach bag with a few necessities...

My sunblock

 

My wonderful sunglasses

 

Flip flops

 

and most important...toys to build sand castles

 

What's in your beach bag??