Ashley, Author at Embracing Beauty

Back to School Skin Care with Healthy Essentials

September 9, 2014 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This post is part of the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS® 2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own, and I hope you enjoy them.

Back to school is a great time to reevaluate your schedules, priorities, habits,….and skin care routine. Back to skin care! A good skin care regimen determines how your face glows or doesn’t glow, how your make up lays, and more importantly how you feel in your skin.

Welcome to Skin Care 101! I’ll help you get your skin back in shape just in time for fall.

– Let’s start with the basics, moisturizing your hands. Anyone can get botox but your hands will always show your age if you don’t moisturize well. Keep a pump bottle of lotion near all of your sinks as a visual reminder to moisturize every time you wash your hands.
– Wash your pillowcases at least once a week. All of that oil, dirt, make up, and drool that is on your pillow ends up back on your face.
– Wash your make up brushes at least weekly. Daily is even better.

– Use a killer night cream. I’ve recently given RoC Deep Wrinkle Cream a try and I’m in love. It’s very light weight but leaves my skin feeling very moisturized.

– Beauty rest may sound like something out of a fairy-tale but it’s far from it. Getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night will help keep your skin looking clear and refreshed.
– Even if you don’t shower immediately after a workout it’s important to wash the dirt, sweat, and oil from your pores. Try Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash with Pink Grapefruit. It’s refreshing, especially in the morning or after a workout!
– Gently exfoliate. Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Scrub is effective but gentle enough to use every day.
– When you get a spot or two of acne, keep calm and use Clean & Clear to well, clean and clear your skin.

If you want to check out some of the items I mentioned above click here for $40 in coupons to save on them! Give them a try and I bet you’ll like them as well as I do.

Class dismissed!

Filed Under: Body, Skincare Tagged With: Aveeno, Neutrogena, RoC, The Motherhood

Confidence With Dove Advanced Care

September 5, 2014 by Ashley 24 Comments

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence Central for Dove Advanced Care Deodorant. I received a promotional item to facilitate my review. #MC #Sponsored

This summer I’ve been enjoying sleeveless shirts and dressed thanks to Dove Advanced Care Deodorant with NutriumMoisture. Thanks to Dove I’ve felt confident and haven’t had to worry about sweat or odor.

Dove Advanced Care Deodorant with NutriumMoisture keeps you dry and odor-free for a long-lasting 48 hours. Not only that but it’s also clinically proven to reduce irritation from shaving and provides softer, smoother skin in just three days. I’ve been trying out this new Dove deodorant for a month now since I first posted about it here. I also shared a sample with my grandmother to try. She has always been faithful to another brand so I was curious if she liked it as much as I did. She tried it for a few weeks before getting back to me and as I expected, she loved it.

My favorite thing about this deodorant is that it makes my underarm feel smooth. Some other brands that I’ve tried in the past left me feeling a bit itchy through the day. Your underarm area isn’t something that you want to think about every day so it’s nice to know that you can put this deodorant on in the morning and forget about it. Your skin isn’t irritated and it won’t keep bugging you through the day…and you don’t have to reapply midday either. Dove Advanced Care Deodorant NutriumMoisture will keep you smooth and dry all day.

Do you want to know a silly secret? All of my life I used to pull and tug on the protective cap covering Dove deodorant. Not the outside cap but the inside one that you throw away. It wasn’t until I was married and complaining about it that my husband said, “Why don’t you roll it up?” This was ground breaking, people! Earth-shattering! Why I had never thought of that, I’ll never know. Now I can remove the cap with ease. {By the way, Dove, if you’re reading this I miss the little Dove impression on my deodorant. I always thought it was a cute touch.} Just for kicks I made this #LifeHack image in case there are more people who struggle with removing deodorant’s protective cap. I really doubt there are but you know, just in case. : )

Erin Walsh is an A-List Hollywood stylist and the new spokeswoman for Dove. She has shared a lot of advice on how to help women look and feel their best and I have included two of my favorite tips below.

– Our clothes will always look better if you feel beautiful and confident in them. As a fashion stylist, I know that sleeveless can often feel scary and make women feel vulnerable or exposed; however the Dove Advanced Care product line provides softer, smoother underarms in just 3 days, so that all women can feel confident going sleeveless.
– Lightweight cardigans and summer scarves are my best friend during this season. I always have them with me when I am traveling. I prefer to buy them in semi-neutral colors, such as ivory.

Filed Under: Body Tagged With: Dove, Influence Central

Healthy Habits Booklets from Girl Scouts and Together Counts

September 5, 2014 by Ashley 8 Comments

This is a sponsored post with Mom It Forward. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I was in high school my best friend convinced me into volunteering for the Girl Scouts with her. I had no idea what a troop was or what to do with it. Ha! We had a lot of fun together teaching the girls, encouraging them, and being active with them. When I look back on my time with those girls my heart smiles. There’s nothing like pouring your life into kids…giving them self confidence, being real with them, and teaching them how to be responsible. It’s the best!

Have you heard that Together Counts and Girl Scouts are partnering together? Yep, they are! This Together Counts Program is active nationwide and provided by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation to inspire active and healthy living via physical activity and nutrition, a fundamental underpinning of efforts to reduce obesity. The principle behind the program is called Energy Balance, which just means balancing the calories we consume with the calories we expend. That makes sense, doesn’t it?

– Energy In: the calories you get from eating and drinking.
– Energy Out: the calories you burn from physical activities

Free Healthy Habits Journey Booklets

There are now three Healthy Habits Journey booklets available for download here which include the following titles:

– Between Earth and Sky with Healthy Habits
– WOW! Wonders of Water with Healthy Habits
– Get Moving! with Healthy Habits

My daughter is too young for the Girl Scouts now but it’s never too early to begin teaching her healthy habits. By the way, the picture at the top of the page is my daughter (in green) and her friends. Boys are not part of Girl Scouts and I didn’t want there to be any confusion. : )

Be sure you join in on the #gno (girl’s night out) Twitter Party with Mom It Forward happening September 9. If you’ve never been party of a #gno Twitter party then you’re missing out. They’re so much fun! Follow the hashtags #HealthyHabits and #gno. I hope to see you there!

Would you like more information on these great programs? Here is a handful of useful resources.

– Healthy Habits Journey booklets download: Here you’ll be able to download three free booklets for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors, Girl Scout volunteers and families can guide girls in fun, easy ways to achieve “energy balance.”
– Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital Twitter: On Twitter, GSNC shares council information including awards, resources, highlights from council events and volunteering opportunities.
– Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital Facebook: Similar to Twitter, the GSNC Facebook page shares photo albums of troop activities, news from around the region, and partner content from Together Counts.
– Together Counts Website –The website is consumer friendly—aimed at parents and educators and provides resources, tips, recipes and more.
– Together Counts Blog – The Together Counts blog is the main source of all consumer-friendly news including HWCF campaigns, announcements and content from HWCF partners around the topic of healthy eating habits and incorporating more physical activity.
– Together Counts Twitter – On Twitter, Together Counts shares everything from digital assets (video, infographics) to industry or conference news related to food in addition to campaign and partner news.
– Together Counts Pinterest – Together Counts’ resource for sharing recipe inspiration from across the network, family activity ideas and pins from partners that relate to family eating and activity including Girl Scouts, Healthy Dining Finders, etc.

I’ll see you at the party on the 9th, right?

Filed Under: Body

Look Good Feel Better #Simple Giving

September 3, 2014 by Ashley 3 Comments

This post is on behalf of the Motherhood and Look Good Feel Better.

Women love to feel beautiful, don’t they? I know I do. When I feel put together I have a bounce in my step. The sun seems to shine brighter and the birds sing louder.

On not so great days, when I’ve feel as rough as I look, I don’t have that bounce and I’m doing all it takes to drag myself around. What do you do to renew that energized, “I’m a woman and I look great!” feeling? Sometimes a work out will do it for me. Other times I need a hair cut or a new out fit.

Life is all about balance and rolling with the punches that come our way but what if we get hit by a blow so hard that it knocks us down? Out cold. A blow that is so devastating that we need the help of our family and friends to make it back to our feet. What I’m talking about is the blow of cancer.

Women fighting cancer need all the love and support that they can get just so they can function. Think back to the last time you didn’t feel great about yourself and needed a change. Maybe it was after a stressful week at work, after a time of making unhealthy choices, or maybe it was shortly after having a baby. We’ve all been there. We’ve all had to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and do something to make us feel good about ourselves. Getting back up and feeling good about yourself while battling cancer is a much harder task. That’s where Look Good Feel Better is there to help.

Look Good Feel Better is a 25 year strong public service dedicated to helping women battling cancer to manage the appearance side effects of cancer treatment and help improve their self-esteem. The program is developed by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) Foundation, and delivered through a collaboration among the PCPC Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Professional Beauty Association. They offer free workshops and resources to teach beauty and styling techniques to cancer patients.

During its 25th anniversary, Look Good Feel Better is encouraging women to Reimagine Beauty and the importance of beauty in a woman’s life who is undergoing cancer treatment. They’re encouraging women to take a fresh look at the impact of beauty and a positive self-image can have on a woman. They don’t have to tell me twice, I think beauty is a powerful thing!

While how you look might not seem like a big of a deal in the grand scheme of things it is. Not merely for appearances sake but for how you feel when you look good. How you look effects how you feel, which effects your self-esteem, your courage, and your confidence. Every woman who gets a new outfit for a job interview understands this. There are countless studies that can relate how you look (because of how it makes you feel!) to your success.

Look Good Feel Better is partnering with women’s fashion retailer C. Wonder and Fashion Project {the leading online clothing donation and resale destination!} to raise awareness and funds for Look Good Feel Better.

The promotion runs through Thursday, September 18, 2014 at eleven C. Wonder stores nationwide and online at FashionProject.com/CWonder.

How YOU can get involved:
• During the month-long clothing drive, consumers are encouraged to donate their gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories in a donation bin at participating C. Wonder locations or online at www.fashionproject.com/cwonder.
o Customers who participate by donating items in-store or online will receive 20% off a C. Wonder purchase of $100 or more.
• The donated items will then be sold online by Fashion Project and 55% of the proceeds from each online sale will be donated to Look Good Feel Better.

In the United States alone, more than 900,000 women have participated in the program, which now offers 15,800 group workshops nationwide in 2,400 locations! Go search your closet for clothes, shoes, and accessories you don’t wear anymore and donate them online to help encourage other women. It will give you a good feeling!

Visit lookgoodfeelbetter.org, follow @LGFB on Twitter, and like Look Good Feel Better on Facebook to learn more and help spread the word.

Filed Under: Fashion, Skincare Tagged With: The Motherhood, True Beauty

September Photo a Day Challenge

September 3, 2014 by Ashley 4 Comments

It’s time to begin our monthly Photo a Day Challenge! Whether you’re new or returning, welcome to our September Photo a Day Challenge!

Did you play along with us before or are you a photo-a-day newbie? If you’re a regular photo-a-day’er or if this is your first challenge we welcome you to join us and jump right in! This is all for fun so if you skip a day or two or ten you can make them up later or just forget about them. There is absolutely no pressure! Really. This is just a fun way to slow down and focus on the beauty in life. Every day moments in life are beautiful!

Each month I enjoy looking at all of your fun pictures and get to know some of you better. Ya’ll are getting really creative with your photos and I just love it! I try and make my way around and comment or like everyone’s pictures every day or so but this group is getting too big so please don’t be offended if I miss yours. Also, if you participate, take just a moment and try to encourage another fellow photo-a-day’er by commenting or liking their photo. I’m sure they would appreciate a follow too!

How to participate:

All it takes to join in is to simply take a photo and post it on a social media site with the hashtag #EmbracingBeauty. I’m using Instagram and sometimes I’ll post them on Twitter and Facebook too. When you tag your photos with the #EmbracingBeauty hashtag they’ll join the list of photos under the #EmbracingBeauty hashtag (Facebook now allows hashtags so don’t forget to tag the photos you post on there too!).

If you’re stuck on a day and can’t think of a picture to do for it you can email me and ask me if I have any ideas or take a look at the pictures of others who are participating. I’m always amazed at how the same word can mean so many different things to different people; it’s great! To see the photos of everyone who is playing along simply click on the “#EmbracingBeauty” on your given site. This is so much fun!!

Who’s ready to join me?

Filed Under: Photo A Day, Photo a Day

Life Lately

August 31, 2014 by Ashley 2 Comments

This past week, has been full of fun. My kiddos and I went on a few shopping outings, made some beautiful artwork with chalk, and had a blast creating silly photos to enter in an online contest. We’ve been enjoying the slightly cooler weather and we’re excited about fall coming. My husband is ready to watch some football {UGA plays their first game today!} and I’m excited about breaking out my fall decorations and attempting to create the best apple pie there is. I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend and I’ll be back here on Tuesday morning!

Here are a few random thoughts bouncing around in my brain tonight…if you care to know…

The newest item on my wish list is this Canon EOS 70D Digital SLR Camera. It’s a hard to justify the expense but I’d love to have it. Well, maybe I’ll settle for a new lens for the camera I have now (Cannon T1i).

My son’s lovie bit the dust, or more accurately, was beheaded during a recent run through the washer and I’ve been in search of a sweet looking, super soft security blanket/lovie. Do you have a favorite that you would recommend? I’m looking for something along the lines of a grey, deep navy, latte, or mocha colored lovie. I’ve been checking out the Little Giraffe line of lovies but there are so many options that all sound great!

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!!! My littlest one got his first tooth, said “mama”, and a few days later said “dada.” He said my name first -Woot! I win!

Have a great weekend, ya’ll!

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: Camera, kids

Easy Back-to-School Lunches with Del Monte

August 18, 2014 by Ashley 49 Comments

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Del Monte, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #DelMonteBTS http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

As I opened my eyes this morning, the realization that my daughter is starting school this year gripped my heart. Of course I worry what she’ll study, how she’ll socialize, and a million little things but what really has me troubled is that my little girl is growing up. My baby. My daughter who just learned how to sit up on her own yesterday…or so it seems. While writing this I see a carousel of photographs twirling in my mind. This gallery of memories brings burning tears to my eyes. I can’t believe she’s growing up so fast! Cherish each day. That’s this mama’s motto.

While I can’t slow her down, and I don’t want to {entirely}, I can do my best to make sure she gets all that she needs to succeed. Starting today, I’m going to be more purposeful in working with her. We’ll have a set time to study and have structured play. Not only will I get to help her learn but I’m excited about this one on one quality time with her.

In addition to purposeful activities I’m going to be more intentional with the meals I provide. Before now it’s been easy to eat leftovers for lunch and throw together a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I want to take the time to provide more nutritious meals for her. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while actually and back-to-school time seems like a great time to reevaluate and make changes. I’m thinking of a dozen different ways to make crock pot oatmeal for busy mornings and a handful of different fruit combinations for lunch.

While at Walmart the other day I noticed these fruit cups were on sale on the end cap of the aisle. I love a sale and fruit cups happen to hold a tiny space in my heart. Every single time I eat them I’m reminded of eating canned fruit with my dad. It was a special childhood memory that I look back on fondly. It seemed that all the back-to-school shoppers had flooded Walmart at once so I ventured down the aisle to browse the fruit cups without the fear of being trampled. There I found something pretty amazing! No really, amazing! Fruit Burst Squeezers by Del Monte have a pack with fruit AND vegetables inside.

These are great for on the go, a quick snack when Mommy has her hands full with the baby, and for back-to-school lunches! There. are. vegetables. hidden. inside. This is every mom’s dream come true. {Okay, maybe mom’s that need to get out more – myself included.}

Girl With Fruit Squeezer

She gave them her seal of approval – Success!!

Right now, while supplies last, you can get a free back-to-school photo offer from select Walmart Super Store Print Shops with purchase from August 1 – September 13 while supplies last. If your store is offering the promo, and if you participate in the free back-to-school photo they offer you’ll receive $1 off the purchase of (2) Del Monte 4-pack Fruit Cups or (2) Fruit Burst Squeezers.

Are you having back-to-school woes like me? Do you have any coping techniques or back-to-school lunch wisdom you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it if you do!

Filed Under: Life Lately Tagged With: kids, Pollinate Media

Five Beauty Habits to Break for Fall

August 14, 2014 by Ashley 1 Comment

Skipping a few hours of sleep, forgetting to wash your face before bed, not apply sunscreen everyday all seem so innocent right? But odds are, at least one of these habits in your daily routine are the cause of those dreadful breakouts, crow’s feet and flakey or discolored skin. Fortunately, the fixes are simple! By nixing these everyday habits you can take years off your complexion, and leave skin protected, balanced and refreshed:

Mistake #1: Forgetting Sunscreen We know, we know – you hear this a million times but 90% of premature skin aging and discoloration is caused by exposure to sunlight! Applying sunscreen daily is the easiest way to prevent sun damage, protect your skin, and not to mention – look younger. Try using products that offer Broad-Spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection, an SPF of 30 or greater, and are water resistant.

Mistake #2: Applying Makeup with Dirty Brushes This may seem innocent, but applying makeup with the same brush month after month causes dirt and bacteria to buildup which can lead to breakouts. It’s important you wash brushes every two to three weeks (if not daily). An easy DIY quick fix is to mix a couple of drops of gentle facial cleanser or shampoo with lukewarm water in a cup. Then swish your brushes around, rinse with lukewarm water, pat dry, and lay flat on a clean towel to air dry. {By the way, I’m totally loving my new Sigma brushes!}

Mistake #3: Skimping on Sleep Your skin and body go into repair mode when asleep. This is why sticking to a regular sleeping routine will not only keep you well rested, but will help to renew and regenerate new skin cells. For an extra boost, try incorporating just a glass a day of soy milk into your daily routine as this can help improve the structure and firmness of your skin, as well as soften those crow’s feet.

Mistake #4: Not Cleansing Daily Going to bed without washing your face is one of the biggest skin care no-no’s. Leaving makeup and dirt on skin doesn’t just clog pores and cause breakouts, it can also lead to excessive dryness and even skin dandruff. To clear out the gunk without drying out skin, opt for a soap-free cleanser like Sebamed Clear Face Cleansing Foam and start cleansing on a daily basis! The cleanser is soap and alkali-free wash that gently cleanses pores to eliminate pimples and blackheads, with a coconut oil-based antibacterial active ingredient that removes bacteria to prevent the formation of new pimples.

Mistake #5: Waiting To Moisturize Most creams and lotions have key ingredients that create a protective barrier on the surface of the skin to lock in moisture to maintain a healthy pH balance of 5.5. For optimum moisture, slather on your moisturizer immediately after cleansing or a hot shower, before the skin cools and your pores begin to close.

Filed Under: Makeup, Skincare Tagged With: Cleansers, Makeup, Moisturizers, Skin care, Sunscreen

Dove Advanced Care Deodorant + Sweepstakes

August 12, 2014 by Ashley 17 Comments

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence Central for Dove Advanced Care Deodorant. I received a promotional item to facilitate my review. #Sponsored #MC #SleevelessSummerSweeps

Let’s see a raise of hands…how many of you moms of young kids occasionally skip taking a shower some days? It’s not that you WANT to but you do. Oh good, I’m not alone! Dove has some good news to share with us. Those of you who are totally on top of things all the time and are rolling your eyes at me right now you can continue reading if you want or you can click away. It’s okay, this deodorant will still work great for you while you’re running around being awesome but if you have other things that you need to do now I understand.

Dove Advanced Care Deodorant with NutriumMoisture helps keeps you dry and odor-free for a long-lasting 48 hours!

48 hours! Yea, it’s okay to do a little happy dance, it’s allowed! Just don’t raise your smelly arms up too high until you try this deodorant. : )

Dove Advanced Care Deodorant is clinically proven to reduce irritation from shaving and provides softer, smoother skin in just three days. What more could you ask for? A lovely scent? Oh yea, it has that too. You can choose from their three available scents.

But….there’s more!

Dove is challenging women across the U.S. to ditch their sleeves for a chance to win a trip to New York City Fashion week and a VIP styling session with A-List Hollywood stylist, Erin Walsh! Woot Woot!!

Click here to participate in The Sleeveless Summer Challenge for your chance to win!

Have you tried Dove’s Advanced Care Deodorant? I’m excited to be trying it. I’ll be back here in a few weeks to tell you what I think of it.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Skincare Tagged With: Dove

Nail Wraps Compared – Sally Hansen, Jamberry + More

August 6, 2014 by Ashley 62 Comments

I’ve been thinking about doing this post for a while and I’m excited to finally be doing it!! I’m currently reviewing five different nail wrap (stickers, decals, shields, or whatever name you call them).

I’m only on day two and they look the same as they did on day one, pictured above. I’m going to be wearing these for a full week and I’ll report back to you with the results. I’ll be judging them based on the following aspects:

– Style/design
– Ease of application
– Durability
– Ease of removal
– Chemical components
– Shape of wraps
– Cost

Do I have a dog in the fight or am I pulling for a specific brand? No, not really. When I post my full review I’ll have affiliate links to all of the wraps so you can buy them if you’d like {except for Jamberry and that will link to my friend’s site where I make no profit at all}. You’ll be getting my full, honest, 100% authentic opinion, just like always but sometimes I feel that it’s important to point that out.

I’m anxious to see how they’ll hold up! Are you? Which design is your favorite?

UPDATE: You can now go and see our Nail Wrap Review!