Five on Friday - Skin Care, Text Messages, and Corduroy Dress Review

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Hello, hello, and happy Friday!  We are ready for a Friday evening do-over since last week’s was spent at the emergency room with Olivia after she fell and fractured her elbow.  Thankfully, the fracture was super mild, and we got a good report at the doctor this week!  I’ll be talking more about that on Monday so be sure to come back here for the update.

Now for some favorites…

O N E – Neutrogena Hydro Boost Line

I mentioned a couple of months ago that I was going to revamp my skin care routine.  At that time, I was still using the same facial cleaner and moisturizer that I had been using since I was a young teenager, so it was beyond overdue.  I’ve never been one to spend loads of money on makeup and skin care products, so as always, I went in search of a reliable drugstore brand.  I’ve always loved Neutrogena products, and I was immediately drawn to their new Hydro Boost line, and now that I’ve been using it for a couple of months, I thought I’d do a little review because…

I love it! 

My skin has always been very dry, especially on my face, so I need all the extra moisture I can get.  I bought the hydrating cleansing gel, the hydrating serum, and the gel-cream moisturizer and I am loving all three so very much.

Each night before bed, I use the cleansing gel to wash my face and remove all of my makeup.  It has a nice, clean scent that smells SO good, and it easily removes all of my makeup including my eyeliner and mascara.  After I rinse clean with cool water and pat my face dry with a towel, I then apply a pea size amount of the serum to my face.  I let that set for a few minutes while I brush my teeth and finish getting ready for bed, and then I apply the gel-cream moisturizer right over the serum.

In the morning, I wash my face with the cleanser, and I apply the gel-cream moisturizer before I apply my makeup, and the moisturizer provides a great base for my foundation.  Without it, my skin is dry and tight and sometimes flaky, but this moisturizer hydrates my skin and smooths it right out.  The very best part about the gel-cream moisturizer, though, is that it moisturizes my face really well, but it doesn’t leave a greasy residue, so my makeup stays in place all day and I don’t have to use as much powder as I used to.

That’s the bad thing about having dry skin and needing a strong moisturizer… the moisturizers are usually very heavy, and they can make your face greasy or sticky or shiny, and that makes it really hard to keep your makeup looking good all day.  Prior to this, I was using Cetaphil (which I loooove), but it makes my face really wet and shiny, and it doesn’t provide a good base for my makeup.  My makeup always seems to melt off of my face by the end of the day, especially on my nose.  The Hydro Boost gel-cream moisturizer gives me that deep hydration that I need without the shiny wetness.

All three of these products feel light on my face and they smell fantastic.  They are also incredibly gentle on skin which is exactly what I need since I have rosacea flareups quite often.  All three contain hyaluronic acid, which is something that is found naturally in your skin, and that helps lock in moisture to keep your skin hydrated and supple.

I’m so glad I made the switch and I’m sure I’ll be using this line for a long time!  If you’re looking to make a change, and you want something affordable, this entire line is great… and much cheaper than some of the alternatives you would find at Sephora or any of the high-end department stores.  There are also many more products in the line including an exfoliating cleanser, a mask, sunscreen, and much more, so they have everything you need right there in one line.  I highly recommend!

T W O – Bachelorette Girls Group Text

B and I have been watching the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise ever since Jason Mesnick’s season aired in 2009.  It’s obviously a guilty pleasure, but it provides a little escape from reality each week, which has been especially welcomed during this crazy weird year. 

My aunt and cousin (who also watch it) started a group text along with another one of my cousins plus her girlfriend, and the five of us text during the shows to discuss.  We mostly just send snarky stuff and funny gifs back-and-forth, but it’s always a nice way to connect with my extended family, which I’ve been especially grateful for these last seven months since we’ve barely been able to see each other. 

The Bachelorette just fired up last week for its new season, so our group text is back in action, and it’s definitely been a highlight these last two weeks. 

T H R E E – Meme Swapping with My Uncle

My Uncle Billy (with whom I’ve always been very close) and I haven’t been able to see each other much because of Covid, so he and I have taken to swapping memes back-and-forth via text message.  He knows how much I love Baby Yoda and that dang hilarious cat from earlier this year, so most of what we send back-and-forth are one of those two.

The memes always give me a good laugh, and the texts keep me in constant contact with him, so it’s just another little thing that’s been bringing me joy lately.  As a matter of fact, half of the memes y’all see in my Friday Funnies each week come from him!  Ha!

F O U R – Lunchbox Notes

I’ve been putting these lunchbox notes in the kids’ lunches every day for the last couple of years, and the other morning, this one popped up.  The joke itself is kind of dumb, but Jacob thought it was cool that his name was on one of them!  The kids look forward to these every day, and it’s an easy and cheap way to add a little something fun to their lunches to let them know that Mommy is thinking about them even when I’m not there.  :o)

F I V E – Girls Corduroy Dress with Pockets

I promised I’d review this dress when it arrived, and I’m happy to report that we absolutely LOVE it!  The corduroy is thick and sturdy, and the quality is high-end... it could have easily come from an upscale boutique! 

The straps attach and detach with buttons, so it can be worn three different ways – as a dress with the straps criss-crossed in the back, as a dress with the straps worn straight, or as a skirt.  There are two sets of buttons on the straps which makes them adjustable… that way the dress can grow with your child as they get taller. 

The color we selected is so rich and beautiful, and the fit is perfect.  Most of the reviews on Amazon say to size up one whole size, which is exactly what we did, and it ended up being the right thing to do for Olivia.  When the skirt first arrived, I took one look at it and thought it was going to be way too big, but it ended up being perfect, with a little bit of room to grow.  I still have it in my head that she’s a toddler, so it’s always shocking to be reminded just how big she actually is… time just flies! 

Delivery was supposed to take a couple of weeks, but it ended up arriving more than a week early, so Olivia will be able to wear this for our family pictures and we won’t have to delay them!  Woo hoo! 

This dress comes in several different colors and styles and it’s available in all sizes from infants to older girls, so if you’re looking for something cute and fall-ish for your little girl, this is it!

Friday Funnies

Literally my family every. single. time.

The only way to keep it clean is for y'all to get out.

Yep, I'm probably just as scared as you are.  Lol.

Me, every single Friday night.

On the Blog This Week

2020 Mountain Trip – Days 1 & 2

Our Week – The One with Quarantine, Week 31 (Voting and Olivia’s Broken Elbow)

2020 Mountain Trip – Days 3, 4, & 5

Happy Friday, y’all! 

*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.