My Beauty Lovers Gift Guide

Better late than never, right?! You guys know I love all things BEAUTY – so I put together this guide of the products I often recommend in this space. Lucky for you, it’s dropping right before Christmas and most of these items can be found on amazon or in your local target! Check out the links below as well as descriptions for why you or any beauty lover would love to receive any of these recommended products!

Glamcor Riki Skinny Mirror : let’s first address the elephant in the room that this is definitely the biggest splurge on the list. BUT I also get asked about this item the MOST and I use this mirror every. single. day. The Riki mirror is the best quality mirror I have ever used, it has a phone mount attachment for recording videos, and it is FLAT so you can literally take it anywhere with you while traveling. I have wasted so many $$ on cheap makeup mirrors, it’s worth just investing in a great mirror to use every single day! Anyone I have ever recommended this mirror to, loves it!

Eva NYC Dry Shampoo : About a year ago, I worked with Eva NYC and fell in love with some of their products and hot tools. Ever since, I have been obsessed with this dry shampoo… I’ve tried a TON and this is my favorite. It is afforable, light, leaves no white residue, and really does absorb oils while leaving hair feeling fresh. You won’t regret trying this dry shampoo!

Real Techniques Everyday Essentials : you cannot go wrong with real techniques makeup brushes! I specifically love their shadow/eye brushes best, but if you are looking for a good, affordable, set of brushes with a good mix of face and eye tools, this is your best option!

The Original Makeup Eraser : I was totally late to the game on trying this makeup eraser, but everyone has great things to say about it! It’s literally a re-usable washcloth that basically removes all your makeup (even waterproof!) with just water. So underheard of, and so sustainable. Give this a try or drop in your sisters stocking!

Sonia Kashuk™ Weekender Bag : this is my very favorite makeup & toiletries travel bag. It holds SO MUCH product, lays flat in your suitcase, and has different pockets for different categories of toiletries. I have it in two colors and they have lasted me forever. This is a must have!

Sincerely Jules Clips : no long explanation here – I just love these hair barrettes and you get 3 sets for just $7.99 (gold, silver, and rose gold.) I wear these allll the time to take my “do” up a notch.

Hot Tools 1.25in Iron : Hot Tools makes amazing hot tools – imagine that. 🙂 This is the best curling iron and the size I most often recommend! The clamp is great, the quality is great, and my curls always stay when using it. It’ll last forever and is a classic must have.

The Billie Razor : Have you heard of this razor subscription yet? The quality of this razor is LEGIT and comes with refills for just $9. You put in how often you shave and it tells you how often it’ll send refills. No more spending $25 at the drugstore on refills. If you’re like me, you’ll only get sent a $9 every few months. Freaking awesome.

Sonia Kashuk Dry Brush Spray : this stuff is the bomb. You spray it on your makeup brushes and then swipe on a towel – it leaves behind a clean, dry brush. It is honestly the strangest thing ever but SO amazing! I’ve tried other dry brush cleaners and they often are very expensive or leave behind a funky smell. This one is awesome and lasts forever! You have to give it a try.

Amazon BS-Mall Brushes : these makeup brushes are so afforable and can be found on amazon. I’m not THRILLED about the eye brushes that come with this set, but I love the face brushes. At just $10, it is worth buying for those. If you want great eye brushes, check out real techniques. I have had this set for over 18 months and I am SHOCKED at the great quality!

I hope this list was helpful and that you find some items to either gift to another or add to your line-up …let me know if you choose to grab any of these and what you think!

 

 

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Essential Maternity Basics You’ll Love

It’s true – I’m a creature of habit with the clothing items I love! Especially when I am pregnant, and even more so when I have found the perfect level of comfort! After two pregnancies, I can confirm that these items are my very favorite go-to’s. Most of the items are shown in black but most do come in other colors as well – I just tend to wear a lot of black when pregnant! Black tends to be a bit more slimming while lighter colors and patterns add to the cause. 🙂 All items are linked below, trust me, these are the very best – I wouldn’t steer you wrong!

Aerie Real Me Boybrief Undie

Comfort Slip On Memory Foam Slippers

Surplice Front Jumpsuit

Full Busted Seamless Nursing Bra

Play Real Me High Waisted Legging

Pure Body V-Neck Long Sleeve

Pure Body V-Neck Short Sleeve

Maternity Tank Dress

Maternity 3/4 Sleeve Dress

Ruched Waist Sleep Shorts

Secret Fit Shaping Panty

Jill & Joey Maternity Belt 

Here are some images of me wearing these items over the past 9 months:

I’m so basic 🙂

Which items will be you be grabbing? What am I missing from this list? Let me know which items you try!

Winter Styling Must Haves {with Eva Hair NYC!}

**this post is sponsored by Eva NYC but all thoughts are my own**

* girl power + world domination…one strand at a time *

…now that’s a tag line I can get behind!

I recently got the opportunity to work with and try several styling tools and styling products from from Eva NYC. They are just entering the midwest (specifically in Meijer) and I am happy to help them spread the good news. The ladies from the Eva team that I chatted with were so sweet and I love what the company stands for.

“Eva NYC represents the duality found in real women. We stand for a community that embraces a (beauty) lifestyle that is un-regimented, fun and free.”

The premium Ingredients found in their products that are meant to encourage stronger, healthier hair:

Keravis™ protein complex

Argan oil

omegas 3, 6 & 9

vitamin C

natural rice starch

zeolite

My personal favorite characteristic of the styling products is the GLORIOUS SMELL and the soft finish that they leave behind – so so good!

Eva NYC Mane Magic 10-in-1 Primer 

I spray on my damp hair as a primer and heat protectant before blow drying! Has a super light misting bottle and leaves a silky finish after using the hot tools.

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask

Deeply conditions, repairs, and strengthens. Leave on hair in shower for 5ish minutes!

Eva NYC Freshen Up Dry Shampoo

Every girls best friend. I love this dry shampoo because it is so LIGHT, but it still is powerful enough to work. No white residue, no crunchy hair! Absorbs excess oils in the root.

Eva NYC Skip the Spa Thermal Hair Wrap

Kween Glitter Spray

Super subtle hair and body glitter – perfect for the holidays or NYE!

Eva NYC Healthy Heat Ceramic Styling Iron – 1 1/4″

This heavy duty ceramic iron gets the job done and is healthier for your hair than your typical metal tool.

mini healthy heat ceramic styling iron 

Eva NYC Healthy Heat Digital Clip-Free Curler – 1″

This wand is LEGIT. And so powerful! My favorite feature is that you can adjust the heat – I had never used a wand where you could adjust the temp! These waves lasted me 5-7 days with no wash – seriously!

healthy heat pro-power dryer

This dryer has replaced my old hair dryer for good. It left my hair feeling smoother and shinier, and I love the attachment on the end which helps to cut dry time in half.

mini healthy heat pro-power dryer

My very favorite of the products listed are the 10in1 Primer, the Dry Shampoo, and the Healthy Heat Dryer!

*Products used for straight hair below: 10in1 Primer, Healthy Heat Dryer, Healthy Heat Ceramic Iron

*Products used for wavy hair below: 10in1 Primer, Healthy Heat Dryer, Healthy Heat Ceramic Wand, Freshen Up Dry Shampoo

Which products would you be interested in trying? It was a pleasure working with Eva Hair NYC – expect to see much more of them in the midwest soon! Let me know if you decide to pick any of these up!

Diaper Bags for the Cool Mom {Part 2!}

Hey mamas! How are we!? Anyone getting winter depression/anxious from being cooped up in this horrid weather!? It’s a thing… LOL I certainly am! I was just in CA for 5 days and came back to a blizzard – not exactly my idea of enjoyable BUT I am glad to be back with my guys! Hopefully only 6ish more weeks left of winter…we can so do it!!

Last year I posted a list of “diaper bags for the cool mom” and got a great response on the suggestions, so here I am to do part 2! I’ve tried a ton of diaper bags and definitely prefer the backpack style OR a bag that can convert to both an over the shoulder and a backpack. You already have enough things to carry as a Mom – your diaper bag should make your life easier and allow you to be hands free.

I see posts daily on Facebook or in the groups I’m apart of where Moms are constantly asking for diaper bag suggestions. Why is a diaper bag so important? WELL – once you become a mom, your diaper bag is essentially your purse. It’s your sanity for getting from place to place in a prepared manner. No more designer or cute handbags being used on a daily basis – unless you have 3 hands to carry both, which you don’t. Your diaper bag is now your fashion identity (I wish I was kidding!) Don’t feel like your diaper bag needs to be juvenile or have puppy print and hearts on it because it is being used for your child. You can see below that I am a huge fan of the classy neutrals/solids only, in the bags I carry. I also 100% think it is worth investing in a great diaper bag – you will use it DAILY and you need to feel like it’s comfortable, efficient, easy to carry, and easy to pack. Without further ado, here are my 2018 recos:

Skip Hop Greenwich Simply Chic

Fawn Design Backpack

Skip Hop Greenwich Simply Chic Diaper Tote

JJ Cole Backpack Diaper Bag

Freshly Picked Convertible Diaper Backpack

Highbury Hill Diaper Backpack

Honest City Backpack

Itzy Ritzy® Backpack Diaper Bag

JJ Cole Arrington Tote Diaper Bag

Skip Hop Suite 6 Piece Backpack

The bag I am using in these photos is the Fawn Design original in PLUM. Unfortunately the plum is SOLD OUT right now 😦 but it does come in 4 additional colors. I really love that this bag is spacious and can convert from an over the shoulder, to a cross body, to a backpack.

^mean muggin

Does anyone have one of these bags? I’d love to hear how you like it! If anyone purchases a bag above, please let me know – would also love to see a photo! Hope this helps!

 

Affordable & Fashionable FALL Lenses {with the Glasses Shop}

Hey hey hey babes! How is it going? I’m trying to figure out where the Summer went, but I’m also veryyy excited for fall. It is my favorite time of the year, and this year, it is also the season of my WEDDING!

 I am ALSO very excited to share my best kept online shopping secret with you all: The Glasses Shop. I first wrote about this site here last year and am so thrilled to be working with them again. I mean, how CUTE are these purple frames? I’m seriously obsessed – and they are perfect for all my fellow green eyed beauties.

I am always shocked when people remind me how expensive frames and lenses are at your typical brick & mortar stores…and most of the time they are not fully covered by insurance. Ain’t nobody got time OR money for that! Insert: The Glasses Shop. Your online shop for affordable, functional, and convenient frames & lenses. The tag line is technically: “budget buy eyewear site.” Like, really affordable:

• Frames are BOGO with code GSBOGO

• And your whole order is 30% off with my code GSHOT30!!

Update: here is a holiday 2019 deal for you as well:

Your next question may be – what about the quality? I was SHOCKED when I received my first pair of glasses last year. The lenses were immaculate, the frames were sturdy, and they came with both a case and cleansing cloth. I would 100% recommend this (hence why I’m doing a full blog post!) site to anyone looking for glasses!

Because they are so affordable, I like choosing a few pairs as “fashion” pieces. When lenses & frames are typically costing you $300+ at other locations, you want to get the most basic, “go with everything” pair. When you buy from The Glasses Shop you can afford to do a black, a brown, a clear, and even a PURPLE pair if you’d like! I have a feeling that glasses will be my #1 FALL FASHION staple at this price!

Here is the easiest way to order:

• Call your eye doctor and have them email over your prescription and PD (papillary distance) which is essentially the distance between your eyes to fit the glasses – you will need these for placing the order

• Find a pair of glasses that you like & upload a picture of yourself so that you can virtually try them on – this is a really cool feature of the site!

• Order a few pairs and wait for them to arrive!

• Enjoy!

A few more pairs that are in my cart from The Glasses Shop:

 

Douglas Oval – TortoiseFlynn Round – Black

Park Oval – Crystal 

Kimberley Rectangle Purple Frames

Lace-Up Hoodie

Lancer Sneaker (want in every color!)

Lexie Beary + Kiss for a Cause LipSense

I hope you all have an amazing weekend – please share photos with me if you purchase a pair of eyeglasses off this site! love ya!

An Exciting New Opportunity + Why I Joined!

Hi, Friends! I hope you all are having a great start to your June…it finally is starting to feel like SUMMERTIME!

I’m sure some of you have noticed that over the last 12 weeks or so, my blog posts have been few & far between. Where I used to post once a week no matter what, I have only posted a handful of times in the past few months. I promise it’s for good reason and I will get back to regular posting SOON!

You all know that I love a good product and love to promote something when I feel strongly about it here on the blog! I won’t accept a partnership or promote a brand if I don’t actually use it and believe in it myself.

When LipSense (made by the company Senegence) started becoming increasingly popular over the past 6-8 months, I had to try it. LipSense is a lip color that molecularly bonds to the lip and lasts anywhere from 4-18 hours! It is smudge proof, waterproof, transfer proof and baby proof…I know what you’re thinking…a Mom’s dream…NEED!!!

One of my favorite Instagram influencers was selling, so I bought my first color BELLA back in October, to try. I liked the color and staying power, but didn’t think anything else of the product or opportunity until months later. I started to see amazing Women having success with LipSense as a business opportunity, I heard rumblings of friends & acquaintances loving the product and then it hit me like a ton of bricks in March — I too, could find success in this opportunity, so I became an independent distributor! My business name is “Running with Colors” – get it?!? 🙂

  In just under 10 weeks I have done over $5000 in product sales, have begun growing my team of women, have fallen in love with the other Senegence products, and have realized how fun it is to promote & play with makeup and skincare as my “side gig.” We all promote products every day via social media (especially bloggers) but it is nice to do this with products I believe in, and actually make some income while doing so!

There are dozens of opportunities flying around out there – so WHY SENEGENCE?

*Senegence has LIPSENSE and there nothing else like this niche product in the market!

*Senegence has amazing anti-aging skincare and a full cosmetics line

*A generous compensation plan and only 168,000 total distributors – this means we are JUST getting started and about to hit our momentum phase of growth!

*Proven upline support and resources from your sponsors

*Only $55 to join & no minimums on purchases or product sales each month – you can work at your own pace!

I am invested in this and want to experience all of the benefits that come along with being a distributor (car, trips, friendships, leadership opportunities, personal growth, monetary pay-off + much more) for the long haul! LipSense starter kits are $55+tax OR you can join my team and experience these same distributor benefits for the same price! If you are interested in products, or joining my growing team, you can find me here:

Email me!

Follow Me on Instagram!

Join my Facebook Group!

I also added a “Running with Colors” drop down on my home page if you’d like to see the display of colors and some of my other favorite products!

OR sign up on the Senegence Site using distributor ID #330104

As always, thank you thank you for all the support you have given me in both my LipSense & blogging adventures ❤

See you at the top, babes!

Rompers are a Mom’s Best Friend!

Hi Guys! Happy Tuesday. I hope you all had an amazing long weekend<3

I posted earlier last week that I took about a week off of posting on Instagram, and that sometimes real life needs you more than social media does. Do you agree? This is not to say that social media isn’t real life, but it is only PARTS of a person’s life, and that’s okay. It felt good to take a break from posting but …I am back because I have wayyy too many blog drafts started for my own good – time to crank out some shiz just in time for the warmer weather!

Let’s start with a discussion on my favorite Spring/Summer fashion necessity: ROMPERS. Are they not a Mom’s best friend? I’ll tell you why.

Have you ever tried chasing a toddler in a dress? The amount of bending over, squatting, and running around just does not mix well –enter: Romper. Still flowy and loose, but with built in shorts! I also feel as if choosing one piece to wear is easier than choosing two. Lastly, there is something so comforting to me about having something around my waist. Is that weird? I was like that before Calvin, but feel like a waist band (or at least spanx) are 100% necessary after having a child. Makes me feel more…secure? lol

Gimme all the affordable MOMpers in the world.

I found this affordable and gorgeous romper at no other than a Mom’s 2nd best friend…Target! I am obsessed with both the color and the sleeve cut.

I’m not a huge clothing shopper to begin with, but when life gets crazy, I don’t shop hardly AT ALL! It’s nice to find something affordable and quick for the weekend when stopping for diapers, groceries, or running errands. I highly suggest checking out Target for more affordable romper finds such as these:

Aztec Queen Ruffle Cold Shoulder Romper

Women’s Double Stripe Romper

Women’s High Neck Lace Romper

Women’s Off-the-shoulder Romper

What is your summer go-to? Where can I find? Please catch me up – need to get my mama style together! 🙂

Feeling Peachy in Pink Blush {+another giveaway!}

HI BABES – HOW WAS THE WEEKEND?! It’s been a MINUTE since I posted – will share where I have been (& why) later this week<3

You all should know by now that I am a huge PINK BLUSH fan – this is my 3rd time working with them and I could not be more excited!

I received this beautiful peachy/coral off the shoulder shirt earlier this month and fell in love immediately – I love the unique details on the straps and off the shoulder draping. It is an amazing color, flattering, perfect for Spring, and comfortable – what more could a girl want?

Pink Blush is NOT just maternity wear – they carry a full women’s, accessory & shoe line – and every item is adorable! Many of the items in the shop will take you from pre-pregnancy, through pregnancy and post-pregnancy as they are flattering and made for all stages of a women’s life.

I want to gift this shirt or any item you choose this week to one follower – so I teamed up with Pink Blush to give away a $50 gift card! I just announced the giveaway and entry rules on my instagram so head on over to enter! Winner will be choosen on Friday, May 12th.

I hope you have an amazing week – kick some ass & take some names!

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PS — Can we please talk about my new Cincinnati photographer Hyun Ah Perez Photography? I posted back in March that I was looking for an awesome new photographer to work with after our move back to OH and in the midst of LIFE I started to fall behind on my posts because I was running low on time to find someone great that would just “get” what I was looking for. Through the fate of the universe Hyan (Hannah) found ME on Facebook and here we are! I highly recommend her services – you will be seeing a lot more of her work in the future on Running with Strollers 🙂

 

 

 

 

The Perfect Gift for the Bride-to-Be {+ a Giveaway with The Ring Boxes!}

 The Bride-to-Be…hey, that’s me!!!

So I have NOT been in engaged mode lately – once we picked our date and venue last fall, I pretty much paused on doing anything else. The end of last year was consumed with baby, work & blogging and then the beginning of this year was all about our move and figuring out where we would be living. Now that we are semi-settled in our new place in Cincinnati, it’s officially go-time on wedding planning! I just found my wedding dress (!!!) and our engagement pictures are next month.

Holy shit, it’s starting to feel real.

Thankfully, I have discovered THE coolest and most adorable subscription box around from The Ring Boxes to officially make me feel like a true bride-to-be.

Each box is filled with hand-picked items such as apparel, drinkware, paperware, countdowns, coozies, planning tools, toppers, soaps, etc!

^the above is an example of an assortment you could recieve and not reflective of the March box I recieved^

My favorite things about this subscription service:

The boxes come in monthly, 3 month, 6 month, etc. discounted subscriptions – can freeze at any time and be shipped worldwide

All items are purchased from and to support small businesses

Perfect gift to yourself or a friend that has been recently engaged

You can build a selection of adorable items in time for your shower, bachelorette party or wedding day!

The March box I received contains 2 recipe cards, an adorable tank from Perf Shirts, a BRIDE champagne glass from Custom for Less Boutique , a pad for putting together a seating chart from Future Mrs Planner, an all-natural bar of lemony soap from Lizush, and 2 cake diamond cake toppers from Paper Mail Party…seriously love all of these items!

Watch my unboxing video below to see me poppin’ bottles and checking out my new items up close and personal 🙂

Like I said in the video, I’m so excited to be giving one of YOU an April Box! I just announced the giveaway on my instagram here so head on over to enter. It’s super easy – just like the photo, follow me @runningwithstrollers and @theringboxes, and tag 2 friends who would want to win the box either for themselves or to gift to a friend! Let’s be honest, we ALL have friends that are engaged (or will be soon!)

I hope you love this service as much as I do! Stay tuned for more wedding planning updates. Do you have any “8 months out” advice for this mama?

Don’t forget to follow me on instagram, facebook, and enter your email below to subscribe to RwS so you’ll never miss a post again!

V-Day Chill Mode + February Favorite Gift Picks!

Hi Guys! We’re well into the month of love and I’m pretty sure we’ll be celebrating this on the blog until March. A lot of people say February isn’t a great month for them but I love it because it is a month for a few special birthdays, including mine and Calvin’s! Also, it’s my first V-Day with two Baes and that’s a pretty cool thing. We don’t typically do anything too special and this year won’t be much different…especially since Calvin is tucked in by 7:30pm each night and we won’t have a babysitter.

ENTER: CHILL MODE

Chill Mode is my favorite mode since becoming a Mom and Feb 14th will be no different. I’m not going to lie, besides seeing Calvin’s sweet face after work, my 2nd favorite part of the day is when he’s finally asleep and I get a moment to just take a deep breath and TAKE. A. BREAK.

Chill Mode often translate to my style as well…I love this comfy, V-Day inspired look. I’m not typically a “pink” girl but this cable knit sweater is the comfiest (#1 priority) – and it’s so festive for Feb!

Sweater

Charcoal Leggings

Chill Mode on V-day for us will probably be dinner at home (maybe we’ll even get crazy and get some Chipotle), a glass of wine (haven’t really been drinking much more than that lately), and probably a netflix movie (we watched finding Dory this week, without Calvin, because we’re really cool.) It’s the little things, you guys. Do you have any other ideas? What are parents supposed to do on Vday? How else do we chill?

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I feel like most people don’t do much more than a card, chocolate, and/or flowers for Vday so you should probably ask for one of these blush picks (or just get it for yourself, duh!) I own all of these items and they are my current February Favorites! 

1 – Burts Lip Gloss

Love how all Burt’s products are 100% natural!

2 – Hearts Mug

Less than $10 and THE CUTEST!

3 – Blush Sneakers

On sale for $20! More colors available. Same pair I am wearing in the photos.

4 – Kindred Goods

This is Old Navy’s new beauty line – Orange Blossom scent is amazing! Pick up in the checkout line in your local store.

5 – Rose Gold/Blush Aviators (similar)

The ones I am wearing in the photo are actually from Forever 21, but I cannot find online. Check out these or find in store @forever.

 Splurge! – Rose Gold iwatch 

I got an iwatch for my birthday and it is helping me so much to stay on track with my workouts! I have gold but love this ROSE gold for the holiday!

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The Best Winter Bargain Beauty Buys (under $10!)

 Hi Hi! How is everyone doing?! What a crazy start to the year it is been (I feel like I’m always saying this) – filled with chasing our WALKING baby, lots of work, a few sickies, traveling for my job, and it goes on! We are almost out of my least fave month (bye, Jan!) & into mine AND Calvin’s bday month…I can’t believe it! I’m expecting an amazing February full of changes, birthday celebrations, successes and more blog posts than I was able to produce creatively this month.

With all the craziness, I have, however, had the time to try some new products! If you’re like me, you find things you love and buy them over and over – but every once and a while it’s just time to mix it up. The winter can be so rough on your skin, hair, and look over all, so it’s important to take extra care. Here are the affordable drugstore beauty faves that I’ve been trying (and loving) for the past 4-6 weeks:

Simple ‘Kind to Skin’ Facial Cleanser

 I had never bought the Simple brand before but I was looking for a new cleanser and this one caught my eye. I love a good foaming cleanser and there are no artificial perfumes, dyes, or harsh chemicals. It does a good job removing even my eye makeup and my skin just feels super CLEAN after I rinse. The cleanser doesn’t leave behind a bunch of residue or excess product that I’m wiping away with a towel, it truly feels like I’m washing everything off and am left with a squeaky clean fresh face.

Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner

Even though I feel the Simple cleanser does a great job and I don’t wear a TON of face makeup every day, I like to use a toner to get off anything that may be left behind. Most toner’s are very harsh and contain astringents/alcohols as the main ingredient and tend to strip out all moisture, which actually causes more breakouts in the long run. This alcohol-free toner is light, fresh, and doesn’t dry out my skin. Just apply a small amount to a cotton ball or cotton pad and gently scrub face to feel like an angel before bed

Coconut Oil

I know, I know I am LATE to the coconut oil game. I have been using it religiously as a face moisturizer twice a day -once in the morning and then once at night right before bed. In the morning, I will put it on after I wash my face and then put my foundation on right away, which is a total game changer. My makeup goes on so so much better, is so much more even, and leaves almost a dewy (not oily) look behind. I would seriously take a bath in coconut oil if I could. Or maybe a shower of coconut oil to be more efficient. When traveling for work this month, I obviously couldn’t take my whole jar with me so I didn’t take it at all and I had withdrawals (and a peely face.) Plus, it’s 100% organic!

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara

Brow Mascara: so necessary!!! If you fill in your brow with a pencil (like I do) it’s easy to leave behind lines in the brow that can look uneven. A mascara helps to fill everything in and even out the brow. So, this is step #2 in my brow game. For reference, I use the BRUNETTE shade and it is plenty dark to match my hair. Just brush into brows from inner to outer and then slightly brush brows UP – I feel like this lifts my eyes and makes everything seem more awake. Weird?

Rimmel Scandaleyes Mascara

Out of any make-up product, I am probably most picky about my mascara. I have to have a curved brush because it helps to perfectly curl the lashes without the step of an eyelash curler (no one has time for that.) I LOVE this mascara – it is not clumpy, but enough comes out to not need a million layers and it stays all day, but it’s not hard to wash off. Oh, and it’s under $5 on amazon! So much cheaper than my normal Lorac $22 go-to!

Garnier Brazilian Smooth Flatiron Express

This Garnier heat protectant smells like heaven! It says “flat iron express” but you don’t have to be straightening your hair to use it. I use less than a dime sized amount on my ends and around my face where I have post-baby breakage to protect from the heat of the blow dryer and any other tools I use on my hair that day. In addition to using a protectant, I try to only style my hair with heat 2 times a week, max! This is really the best way to protect damaged hair. If you have to style multiple times a week, try this, I think you will love it! PS – if I’m being honest, I’ve been using this one a lot longer than 4-6 weeks and one bottle has lasted me several months!

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It’s always nice to have salon grade beauty products (and I do invest in more expensive shampoos/conditioners because of my color treated hair) but having affordable go-to drugstore options is so much more realistic for most of us. We have a wedding to pay for this year and I know all our babies take our $$$ by the second, lol! Quite literally, Calvin loves pulling things out of my purse. ANYWAYS – What are your go-tos? What do I need to try next? Would love your suggestions and recos!

Let me know if you try any of these – love ya all!

PS – I had a cute helper while trying to get a product shot: 

The New Year is for Cashmere! (+ a Pomegranate Inc. discount)

Welcome to 2017, babes! How’s it going? It’s taking me a hot minute to get back into it. After traveling for 2 weeks, coming back to reality and responsibilities is kind of kicking my ass. Going into the first full week of the year, I’m trying really hard to apply the 5 things I wrote about in my last post that can set us up for success in the new year. They really are so simple. My favorite tips are to get moving & finding something inspirational. I am going to work out tonight + have been catching up on my favorite podcasts all day.

 Another thing I did was take 1 extra day off to focus on me and play catch up. I had a dr appt, did some unpacking, caught up on some emails, and did a few other things for the blog. The break was great but one day at home, with Calvin in daycare (which he was SO HAPPY to return to) is just what the doctor and mental health gods ordered. I wrote about my advocacy for personal days here.

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In other, fashion related news – I am so excited to share this slate blue, cashmere, Zoe Fringe sweater from Pomegrante Inc – an adorable online boutique out of Lexington, Ky!

I am ALLLL about deals, discounts, and cheap buys – you know this – but have you ever owned and wore a real cashmere sweater? GAME CHANGER. Such high quality, comfort, and a piece you can wear over and over because of…well, the high quality of the material.

This fringe is amazing and it is also available in blush, natural, grey and black (you know how I feel about neutrals) but I decided to mix it up with SLATE BLUE because it looked very “January” to me. In a good way!

The sweater is currently 25% off and with my discount code RUNNINGWITHSTROLLERS – you can get an additional 30% off anything on the site! That’s 55% off all their cashmere sweaters.

Some of my other favorites are…

The Catharine

The Anorak

The Piper

My Shoes – only 24.99!

My Purse – currently available in WINE & TAN

So – now I’m spoiled and cashmere sweaters are one of my go-to’s for the 2017 winter seasons.Seriously, a must have! Us mamas deserve nice thing every once and a while too! What pieces are you loving for January 2017? 

PS – I’ve been learning so much about PINTEREST for bloggers lately and am going to be putting a ton of focus on this platform in 2017. Do you have an account?! Follow me here!

And as always – check RwS out on instagram & facebook so you’ll never miss a post again 🙂