What I Wore: Rain, Rain

Don't worry guys, I'm sufficiently calmed down from my picture day-related tantrum, thanks to a relaxed weekend. My husband took our son camping, so my daughter and I went out shopping and stayed up till like, 2 am watching Freaky Friday (see what I did there, though?) and sleeping in. Then, Saturday was rainy. Like, all day. My husband calls that "Toronto rain" because usually, Utah will get a psychotic 10-minute downpour and then be sunny for the rest of the day, unlike Toronto, where it will drizzle and rain all day until your hair is ruined. That was what it was like yesterday. 

Since it was rainy, there was nothing to do but nap while my husband and his dad installed our new range hood. And with that, our little kitchen makeover is officially finished, hallelujah. 

We also saw a movie and grabbed a bite to eat, all while running to and from the car because it didn't stop raining until like, midnight. 

Apparently, I dressed to match (and was pretty excited to finally wear some of my fall clothes).

Sweater: Calvin Klein (here) (similar) (similar)

Pants: Calvin Klein (here) (similar) (love these)

Boots: Frye (here) These boots were an investment, but I love them more every time I put them on. No regrets here. (similar) (pretty!)

Watch

This whole week is supposed to be cold and drizzly (yaaassssssss) so I might finally be able to take the tags off of my fall clothes, which excites me more than anything really should. Seriously, if I could set the thermostat for the entire world, it would be 65, partly cloudy and a smidge rainy. Hey, once a Torontonian, always a Torontonian. 

Freaky Friday... on a Thursday

I'm forgoing a traditional Freaky Friday to tell you all about my hellish morning yesterday. It was true freakiness and resulted in me crying at Downton Abbey reruns for no reason at all, except that I was tired and things weren't going my way,

So, I'm a person who doesn't do well with changes to her schedule. I like things to be verrrrrry predictable, so when something is changed, I'm kind of like: 

And this can mean any minor change. Like, I don't even like it when someone rings my doorbell and it wasn't scheduled in my phone. Picture day at school is one of these minor changes that I fail at. Because it's not part of my regular schedule, I always end up forgetting or sending my kids in weird clothes or last year, missing them completely and then having to do makeup day and the pictures were horrible with a capital H. 

But this year? This year would be different. I would finally prove myself to be the capable adult that I play on TV. So I saved the date in my phone. I set alarms to remind me the day before and then one hour and 30 minutes pre-picture day so there was no freaking way I would ever forget.

The night before, per my reminder, I started getting the kids ready. They both got baths, and not the kind where I make them get in the shower because they're being annoying and I need like, five minutes and I don't care how clean they really get. Like, head-to-toe, scrubbing the toes with loofahs and such to get them clean. And my daughter has roughly 43 pounds of hair, so it takes forever to wash.

But you know what? I had planned for this. I knew what I was doing. I was CONFIDENT. 

I then commenced the process of blowdrying my Muppet daughter's hair, flat ironing and using rollers to give it bounce, which we discussed at length. I also pressed and starched their clothes, which never ever happens ever. 

Thursday morning I let the kids sleep in because no one wants to see a baggy-eyed kindergartner. I got them up, got them dressed, re-flat ironed hair, added gel for perfect spikes: You name it. I even got myself dressed and had cut up muffins to eat in the car on the way and gave myself the exact amount of time needed to get them to school five minutes in advance of the bell. Look at me go. 

.

Aaaaaand that's when all hell broke loose. I sent the kids out to the car. When I went to grab my keys out of my purse, they weren't there. That's fine, that's why key hooks were invented. Except they weren't there. I ran upstairs to check the bedside table, my desk, everywhere, No keys. This is a problem for me. 

I had just grabbed my phone to call Justin when my daughter came back in the house and said the words that no mother who has just taken her children out of school for two weeks wants to hear. 

"I think I'm going to throw up." 

So I'm trying to talk her into feeling better with a bottle of water while frantically typing out text messages to Justin that say things like "KEYS!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" and "I'm freaking out right now" and "ANSWER YOUR PHONE" liked a crazed girlfriend. He answers and lets me know that my keys are in his pocket, and his pocket is currently in a meeting at work.

Luckily, Justin knows that I lose my everloving mind when stuff like this happens, so as I'm literally barking at him over the phone, he's already in his car to come home and drive my kindergartner (who has been waiting on the porch this entire time) to school. In the meantime, I shriek unintelligibly about Addie being sick at the worst possible time because I had to go to the store to buy goat cheese.

When Justin comes home, I naturally apologize profusely because I'm seriously an animal when I stress out. I hand him Andrew's backpack and give him strict instructions to check in at the school office and let his teacher know I won't be there to help today. Crisis averted. 

Five minutes later, Justin calls, asking where the picture day money. In all of my fastidious picture day planning, I had forgotten that you have to have a way to PAY FOR THEM. And wouldn't you know it? They only take cheques or cash, neither of which he has. 

This caused me to burst into tears. HOW DID THINGS GO SO WRONG? And, because I lack the life skills to remember that I could just pay online, I sent my husband to the gas station to get cash. 

But there was no cash back option.

So he had to go to an ATM. 

And then back to the gas station to break two $20 bills.

And then back to the school to hand the photographer the envelope, which was stuffed with bills and a few quarters because it turns out, the gas station wasn't great at making change.

In the meantime, my mom FaceTimed me to talk about a graphic design project she needed help on. She said, and I quote "I waited a couple days to call you because last time we talked you were grouchy and I wanted you to be in a good mood." 

I tell her to hang on, so I can commence calling Justin frantically every five minutes, because when I get worked up about something, there's a very small part of me saying "Jae, this doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things" and I suppress it and instead act like the money for picture day is now akin to transporting a live organ from the donor to the recipient. IT MUST BE DONE IN TIME.

And guess what? Everything was totally fine. My husband got the (completely unnecessary) cash there on time, my keys are safely in my purse, my daughter never barfed (and was in fact, fine after two episodes of Power Rangers) and I got my goat cheese.

Later, after my son got home from school, I drove to a treat store nearby and ordered 12 sugar cookies from the drive-thru for some stress-eating. The guy taking my order was like "What a world we live in, huh? You can get sugar cookies from the drive-thru. What could be better than that?" and I was like "Thanks for that insight, Cookie Yoda." 

After I have a stress episode like that, I kind of feel like The Hulk after he's like, destroyed a building. I wake up and am like "What happened? Did I do that? OMG I'm so sorry." 

I'm happy to report, however, that today, all of my plans have been executed perfectly, such as:

Showering

Eating a cookie

Looking up funny sloth gifs

Napping 

Moral of the story? Simplify. And next year, skip $@&# picture day. 

Best (and Worst) Beauty Buys

I've been writing about beauty products all morning for another site (I'll post the link when it goes live) and so I might as well review some products while I'm at it, right? I am such a beauty junky, it's really bad. So at least reap the benefits from my utter lack of self control so you know what (and what not) to buy. As always, click the pic to follow through if you want to be exactly like me and who doesn't I mean honestly.

Let's do it.

Avalon Organics CoQ10 Repair Cleansing Milk ($11.99)

I swapped my usual facial wash out for this stuff when my skin started getting dry over the summer. I also felt like after turning 30, it was time to up my game a little skin-wise. And I freaking love this stuff. It makes my skin uber-smooth and when I don't use it for a couple of days, I can totally tell in the texture. It also smells like oranges and takes of my makeup, so it's earned a permanent spot near my sink. And my heart.

But mostly my sink. My heart is full of dog videos and the last episode of Outlander. Tell me I'm not the only one.

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss Stick ($19)

At first, this color seemed waaaaaaaaay too dark. But after putting it on, I was pleasantly surprised. The color is very sheer, and ended up being a cross between rose and berry. Wanna see it on me? OK.


















See? Not overwhelming, but just enough color for fall. It's been my go-to for the last week.

Maybelline Define-a-Brow Pencil ($7.99)

Usually I'm all about brow powder for when I want to clean up my Groucho Marx face. But when I'm in a hurry, I don't have time to do the whole routine. I use this pencil instead when I'm rushing now. Yes, brow pencils can be too severe, so I always draw once, and smooth it over with my finger twice. It'll reduce the harsh lines and look more natural that way. This has been an "OMG, I totally forgot I was supposed to be at the school today" lifesaver.

Vintage Glam Texturizing Powder (I got it for $8 at Sally)

Hellllllo nurse! This stuff is such a well-kept secret in hair land. You know when people magically have flawless, volumized hair and you're like "WTH I honestly can't even stand her right now"? It's this powder. It puts a little grip and substance in thin hair so you can do an updo or just sprinkle a little at your roots for lift. Seriously. I love it. I know BigSexyHair also has one called Powder Play that I liked as well, but this one had a prettier package so it won and I'm shallow.

e.l.f. Pout Perfector ($2.99)

Yeah this wasn't one of the most exciting things I've ever gotten from e.l.f. (Seriously, the HD Lifting Concealer comes with me everywhere). It's just a glittery lip gloss that looks OK over lipstick or whatever. Ehhhh. Not great. I do have to buy more concealer though, so if you have a fave e.l.f. product, I would super love to hear about it because I am incapable of just ordering one thing.

Tints and Sass (stupid name) Lip and Cheek Stain ($23)

For $23, this stuff should literally transform me into Charlize Theron. But alas, while it was passable on the lip side, the cheeks were like, negative 12 on the blendability factor and I ended up looking a demented Raggedy Ann.

Reviva Glycolic Acid Toner ($6.59)

I have used Glycolix pads  for about a year and I love them, but they required militant-like sun protection, which is annoying during the summer. So I swapped 'em out for this toner, which I use with the cleansing milk above. So soft. Want to touch the hiney.

Except I obviously use this on my face. Makes it super smooth and has even help reduce my aggressive forehead wrinkle, which I never shut up about.

L'Oreal Glossy Balm ($7.99)

I bought this at Walgreens while having immigration photos done because I felt awkward about *just* buying pictures. And it's OK. I love the texture. It's really more on the lip gloss side of things, despite clearly looking like a crayon. But the color kind of intensified as I wore it, which resulted in like, a saturated bubble gum. I wouldn't be adverse to trying a new color, because I really did like the way it feels. But me and Babydoll here are consciously uncoupling.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara Mini ($10)

If you're really into long lashes, this stuff definitely does the job. I'm more of a fat lash gal myself, but I've been reaching for this and popping it into my overnight bag a lot lately, because this gives a lot of drama and impact without having to add a lot of eyeliner, eyeshadow, etc, etc. Worth the $10 for the mini? Totally. I'll probably buy more when it runs out.




Alright, I've divulged my secret shame and purchases. Your turn. Anything you've loved or hated lately? Wanna steer me in a direction to funnel my online shopping addiction? Feel free, totally.

What I Wore: Cleaned Up

My weekend ended up being bananas. Purchasing appliances has somehow turned into a minor kitchen reno (let's add pendant lights! and a new hood! and new decor!), so my house has been a total construction zone. Luckily, everything is now in its place and we're just waiting for the range hood to show up and get installed and we should be done with it.

It's been eight years since we built our home (seriously, we were baby fetuses when we built and had no idea what we were getting ourselves into) and we've always talked about doing it again, but in a dishwasher-ignited rage, I reminded my husband that we are never, EVER building again. Ugh, I'll put up with anything if it means I don't have to go searching for a screwdriver again. Our house is very quirky (thanks, logs) and nothing is standard, so we spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make things work. Yesterday, all the guys in my husbands family had to come over and lift our new fridge over our bar because the honkin' huge load-bearing log by the kitchen meant we couldn't just roll it in. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

After a weekend spent covered in dust and impatience, it's nice to see myself all cleaned up, even if it's just a super simple outfit. I have, however, been rocking my specs all weekend as well. Sometimes, contacts (or in my case, a contact) just isn't in the cards.

Shirt: Calvin Klein - (They don't have this print anymore, but this is the fit. (Similar) (love this)

Skirt: Calvin Klein ugh I need to stop shopping CK this is getting ridiculous. (Here) (OMG they have it in pleated) (Cheap!)

Shoes: MIA (here) (similar) (in red? I die) These shoes have been so versatile it's not even funny.

Watch: (here)

Now it's time to dig my poor house out of this haze of dust and broken glass shards. So it's back to messy clothes and an artfully arranged bun. At least until tomorrow anyway. Ah, the life of chronic DIYer's wife. 

Freaky Friday

You guys, I'm excited about grownup things today. Not *that* grownup. Get your mind out of the gutter. But finally, after a forever-long wait, my appliances are being installed. And after my new gas range was popped into place last night, I realized that I now need to go buy grownup cooking utensils. Sadly, the $50 pots and pans I got for my wedding shower 11 years ago won't cut it anymore (plus they're all dented and missing the lids somehow and I just can't shame my pretty new range with that garbage).

So that's on my list today: Buying pots and a new microwave. And I'm actually excited about that, so I guess I'm officially 30 now.

I also have a fun night with my hospital volunteer friends planned: Once a year we get together and prep stuff for the holidays and order in food and work into the wee hours of the morning and are just generally ridiculous.

Ugh Friday, you never disappoint.

So THAT'S what I'm missing from my workouts: Disco!

(Also, is it me or does this model look like a less coked-out Lindsay Lohan? Oh, she would have been so pretty). 

 Rebecca was boot shopping and sent over these beauties, which look like a stoner poncho but for feet, so even your shoes look like your life is going nowhere. 

 Bethany sent over this super special billiards dress, which is not two words I would usually put together. But my favorite part is the search term in the screenshot: Bethany, you must explain yourself immediately. 

 I've been lazily keeping track of the Fashion Week(s) hubbub and I feel like every blogger ever is shoving lace-up heels in my face. I'm sorry, but I've never seen someone wearing these shoes and thought "Wow, she sure doesn't look like a hooker." I haaaaate them. And this is coming from a diehard shoe lover. 

 Kim and Kanye: When your faces are emblazoned on what appears to be a child's macaroni-based Mother's Day present for her mom, you know you've finally made it. 

 Party in the front. But also party in the back? And party in the boobs. So basically wear this if you want to appear intellectual.

Also, this dress is called "Do Not Attempt," which I feel like is sending me really mixed messages. So wait, I shouldn't buy this dress? So we agree then. 

Dear Sperry:

I don't know what the crap this boot, boat shoe, leopard hybrid is, but it stops now. 

 Now at Chicos: Sassy clown pants for the over 60 set. 

Beth sent me these shoes, which are apparently trying to out-ugly Crocs and doing a stupendous job, really. 

Alright, I still have to get through a workout before I can throw my hands in the air like I just don't care and go shopping for kitchen supplies like a boss. Hope your Friday is equally as scintillating!

Stuff I Bought (Fall 2014 Edition)

Ah, back to blogging. I think I've finally caught up on all the craziness that was left in the wake of two weeks off. But I really do love sitting down and pecking away at my computer all morning.

I tend to head up to my hometown in fall for a few different reasons: Ontario really knows how to do the "fall" thing, whereas Utah will remain firmly ensconced in the devil's armpit for another month. But also, I like to do a crapload of fall shopping up there. And while (believe it or not) Utah does have some pretty good shopping, my parents live just outside of Toronto, which is kind of a shopping mecca.

I went three times.

I've been studiously building out my fall wardrobe with dark colors, thicker textures (read: leather everything) and boots, so I thought I'd share some of the latest stuff I've picked up.

First, this dress:

It's super on sale and while the sizes are limited, I was able to size down like, three sizes for this one (WHBM does the most ridiculous vanity sizing in the industry). I can't wait to pair it with my red and gold Guess heels around the holidays.

I also grabbed a bunch or shirts. I mainly focused on easy tops I could throw on with a pair of jeans or boots, but also wear with a skirt.

(here)

(here)

PS I bought that black shirt in gray too. Because you know, moderation and such. I also got this sweater to wear with skinny jeans and flats. Or my Fryes. Either way.

Now, some stuff that I bought in Canada I can't find online. Because it's Canadian. So I took some low-quality pictures and you can find similar stateside options below:

 You know I had to force some leopard in there. But this is exaggerated, so it's not as obvious. So I had to buy it. 

(Similar, similar)

I bought this shirt solely because it had a zipper front.  

(Similar, similar, similar)

This kensie bomber jacket looks super cool with skinny black pants and the sleeves pushed up. I die. (Similar, similar, similar)

 Love these with a cuffed dark skinny. I actually wore that with the red top up there for a dinner out with my cousins in Canada. Aaaaand it started pouring rain and I got these soaking wet. There's the advantage to not buying real suede, folks. They dried off totally fine.

(Similar, similar, similar)  

I also got these babies in the mail today, which I plan to wear with my leather pants and gray jeans so I can act like I'm the cool mom. I am sorely tempted to buy them in stone too. Arg. 

I filled in my shopping binge with a couple of pairs of pants, which aren't interesting at all. I feel like there was a clear trend in my shopping this fall: I'm into black and gray, with moto-style influences right now. Because really, who wants to wear hot pink in November? 

Other than Betsey Johnson.

I'm still on the hunt for some T-strap heels and I'd like a pair of moto pants, so if you have any ideas you could point me toward, I'd love you forever.

What are you looking for this fall? 

Extreme Vacationing 2014

I was so anxious to get home yesterday -- I'm a girl who loves routines and schedules -- that my husband and I decided it was a good thing. Hey, I like my regular life enough to crave it when I'm gone, so that's an awesome sign right?

After spending a week in Canada with my family, I flew my kids home in the wee hours of the morning, we packed up the boat and we left to Lake Powell the very same day and it was insane. LP is four hours away and it isn't exactly stress-free on the first day: I had to launch the boat solo, which isn't exactly my forte in life. Luckily, being tired didn't hit until like, two days into the trip that the tiredness set in, after which I spent hours sleeping and reading while floating around. Seriously, I read three books in the space of four days. 

I also did a ton of wakeboarding, which is totally my favorite, despite the fact that I injured myself repeatedly. What is wrong with me? I'm like "Wow, that felt like dying. Let's go one more time." 

For now, I have a long catch-up list and a couple of conference calls scheduled, so I'll work on that before I start posting again tomorrow. Let's just say I've done a lot of shopping lately and that needs to be addressed in a post. 

You can check out my travels (and my new fave shirt) on Instagram. 

Basically, I'm deliriously happy to be home and in my own bed after two weeks away. I'm also happy to be done with the guilt that came from taking my kids out of school and feeling their teachers' disapproval as well. When I told my daughter that one of her classmates was also on vacation for a week, she said "Oh, so you're not the only bad mom?"

She's eight. 

And no, I am not. Take that, education!