Birchbox August 2014

It's Birchbox time! Just a quick what is it. Birchbox is a monthly subscription service. For ten dollars a month you get 4-5 beauty samples delivered to your mailbox. Birchbox has a rocking rewards and points system. If you review the products you receive you get 10 points for each review. When you reach 100 points you get 10 bucks to spend in the store. It's really the best out there. I usually get 10 dollars every other month and I'll either save it up for that big purchase I have my eye on or I'll use it to replenish an old favorite.

This month's box contained Noir Cosmetics Long-Wear Eyeliner, Vasanti Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser, Nexxus Color Assure Sulfate-Free System, and an Exclusive Model Co Bronzer. I already have and love the shampoo system. I'm excited to try the rest.

If you would like to see what was in my previous Birchboxes, you can click here. 
If you would like to subscribe to Birchbox and try it out for yourself, you can sign up here.

Ipsy August 2014

My Ipsy bag is here! Last month, I was less than thrilled about the makeup bag but my daughter loved it. My youngest fell in love with this cute little bag of which she is now the proud owner. Ipsy is a monthly subscription service. For ten dollars a month you get 4-5 deluxe beauty samples to try. Ipsy also comes with a cute little cosmetic bag every month.

In this month's bag I got Absolute Lip Balm in Green Applie, Dr. Brandy Pores No More Pore Refiner, Urban Decay Perversion Mascara, Coast Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo, and a Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil. I was most excited about the Urban Decay Mascara. I have already tried it and I love it as a layering Mascara over my Maybelline Rocket Volume Waterproof. The Lip Balm is yummy and hydrating as well.

If you would like to see what I have gotten in past Ipsy bags you can here. 
If you would like to get on the list to try Ipsy yourself you can sign up by clicking here.

The One on the First Day of School

I'm pretty sure it's a tradition for every family with kids. Those first day of school photos. It's a repeat occurrence in our house once a year. So much so, that the kids remind me before I can even pull out my camera. They're a pretty (and handsome) trio. It's bittersweet. The anticipation of a new year mixed with the realization that my kids are growing up so fast. When people say they grow up before your eyes, they aren't kidding. My kids have been in Washington the last three school years so they didn't start school until after Labor Day. It seems strange to be starting already but we just add it onto our list of new adventures that comes with a new duty station. 

This year is going to be an exciting one and very busy. I start my first semester at Kansas State and because of the big D*, the kids will be in an after school program for the first time since, well, ever. It's going to be an adjustment for all of us for sure. I have been incredibly blessed to be able to stay at home with my children but as they grow up, so must I and I'm looking forward to continuing my education. It's almost fall and that means cheerleading, high school football games and holidays. Oh and for Kansas, apparently very cold winters and snow. Who wouldn't be excited for that? (Not this girl!) 

I should be back to blogging fairly regularly now. I took the last two weeks off to enjoy those last days of summer. Bring on the school year!  Hope all your kiddos have a great first day too whenever that may be! 

It Stops With You

I was on my way to bed tonight and I did what I always do. Glance at my Facebook news feed. Usually I see various posts from friends and family saying how their day was, funny photos and cute cat videos. Tonight was different because tonight there on my news feed was a photo that a friend shared. This photo brought tears to my eyes and sadness to my heart. Why you ask? She shared a photo of her and her husband that had been posted to a site on Facebook that bashes military spouses.

Let me tell you about my friend. She is a loving mother and fellow army wife. She is kind and friendly to everyone I know. She is five months pregnant and going to school. She is just like you and me. She supports her husband who is a soldier and raises her family. Because they are not your Hollywood stereotypical military couple, they were photographed solely to be made fun of on the internet. 

The comments on the photo were deplorable. I won't repeat them here. People sit behind their keyboards and think they can say or do anything. They don't care about the impact their words might have on someone. Cyber bullying is a real thing but that is not all that gets me. I have been a part of this military family for almost 16 years. I know there are people that abuse military privileges and expect things that aren't due them. But assuming these things based on how something appears without knowing should be a hate crime. I will never understand why other spouses and even soldiers harass and bash other military families. We should be supporting each other and lifting each other up because no one knows better than us the challenges we face every day. 

To those people that frequent these sites for a few laughs at other people's expense, you should be ashamed of yourself. There is a line and you crossed it tonight. To the person that submitted that photo, you will probably never realize the harm you have done but karma will get you. 

To my friend. You hold your head high. You are beautiful and more special than any of those people. Your family, your husband, your children and your friends love you. I know words can hurt, but look at who is beside you and know that they are what you live for. What anyone else thinks of you does not matter. Words are just words. They may hurt but they don't define you. You set your worth. Not some coward behind a keyboard. This world is harsh. I have seen it. I have lived it. But I have survived and you will too. 

*image credit  Codie Prevost and Stephen Maguire  and  their “Imagine No Bullying” campaign.