Winter Skincare Routine

I’ve never been great at taking care of my skin. I’m still not the best about it. I won’t lie. However, it’s one of the many things I’ve been working on improving. I am doing my best to create healthy habits so my daughter can see me doing them, do them with me, and hopefully have less of a hard time doing them when she’s my age. I know I say this often, but it’s my thought process behind almost everything I do. I want to be a role model for my kids.

Well, in the spirit of taking better care of my skin, I have decided to try a new skincare routine for the fall and winter months. That’s why I was really excited when Derma E Gifted me with their Collagen products and Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Oil.

Before getting into it all, I guess I should start by saying that I have combination, sensitive skin, and am prone to breakouts. This is why I gravitate towards natural skincare products, like Derma E. And while I prefer top quality, let’s face it, I don’t have the money to go spending $50 on one small thing of moisturizer which is why I appreciate how affordable their products are as well.

The Advanced Peptides and Collagen Moisturizer is a double-action peptide cream made to visibly soften and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. Thank goodness because I swear my children are aging me at a ridiculously fast rate. The moisturizer is a bit creamier than what I’m used to putting on my face, but it’s not too heavy and absorbs well.

My favorite is the Advanced Peptides and Collagen Eye Cream. Because the racoon eyes be real. Honestly, you would think I have an eight month old who doesn’t consistently sleep through the night and drains me of energy… oh wait, I do… At least with this cream, I feel like it’s a little harder to tell now. Hehe. The double-action eye cream visibly smooths the look of even the deepest wrinkles and crow’s feet for more youthful eyes. And I personally believe it helps lighten the under eye area well.

Next, I apply the Advanced Peptides and Collagen Serum. The light-weight serum can be applied to the skin and neck to promote smoother, younger-looking skin.

Last is the Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Oil. It is a potent concentration of Vitamins A and Be to keep skin youthful and vibrant. Though I didn’t see it listed as an ingredient, and it is fragrance free, it smells like pine to me. The oil is a bit thick and doesn’t feel well on my face, but that could just be because I already have oily skin. Instead, I prefer to apply this to my neck.

Overall, I really enjoy adding all the products to my skin care routine. I still mix and match sometimes using my acne treatments, but I feel like my skin has been smoother and more vibrant since using these.

What are your favorite skincare products? Have you used Derma E before? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments.

#miscarriageawareness Part Two

After my first miscarriage, I decided to really focus on my health again. I had gone through a few jobs and worked weird hours, but I was at the point where I could make fitness a constant part of my routine again, so I did. Before my wedding PIIT28 got me in shape, and I knew it could do it again.

Even after the move from South Carolina to Virginia, I made fitness a part of my daily routine. I was eating healthy meals, getting in my workouts, and fitting in additional exercise by walking around the lake. Even though it was a fun Spring, it was still very hard getting used to living in a new place and not having any friends. I was still trying to understand my feelings about the miscarriage, and was biding time until we could try for a baby again. I knew we had to wait. We wanted to wait. Until Kyle and I both had jobs.

Then, it was great lights.

Pages: 1 2

#miscarriageawareness Part One

Did you know that 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage? Does that number seem low to you? Because it does to me. In fact, if I was someone who never experienced a miscarriage I would look at those statistics and think, well that’s never going to happen to me!

Here’s another statistic for you, there are 3 million reported miscarriages in the US a year. Now that number is scary.

Miscarriage is something that is not talked about enough considering how many women it effects. I’m willing to bet you know someone, or maybe a couple of people who have had to deal with the loss of an unborn baby; whether you knew about it or not.

I had an aunt who had a miscarriage. One of my best friends had a miscarriage. When they each went through that loss, both times I said, “I can’t imagine what she’s going through. That’s my worst nightmare.”

Then, on December 2016, my worst nightmare came true.

#dontshamethebump

Can we take an honest moment to talk about body shaming? We all know body shaming is a thing, whether it’s body shaming oneself or someone else. Whether the person being shamed is “fat” or “too skinny” people can’t seem to keep their opinions to themselves. Some people even think that their opinions of how other people look will bully them into making a change, when in fact it could have extremely detrimental effects on a person’s health. Here are some terrifying statistics for you from an article, “Shutting Down Body Shaming,” by Allison Abrams. “Multiple studies have shown the negative impact of the media on body image. Exposure to photoshopped images of unrealistic body ideals has been linked to low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), at least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S., resulting in at least one death every 62 minutes.”

For Every Mom on the Go: Dr. Scholl’s

As a mom, it’s no secret I’m always running around. Errands, doctor’s appointments, chasing Kiara outside, trying to get a workout in, and all life’s moments in between. That is why I’m so glad to have partnered up with Dr. Scholl’s® to try out their Stylish Step® insoles.

Guilt-Less Chicken & Waffles

If you follow me on instagram @mermaidfitnessbump or watch my stories, it’s clear that I am IN LOVE with Pamcakes Pancake mixes. And if you do not follow me, or missed what I’m talking about… Pamcakes are pancake mixes that are low in carbs, NO added sugar, high in protein, GF, and safe for the whole family!

Once I tried and fell in love with Pamcakes, there was one meal I knew I HAD to try right away… a healthier take on a southern favorite – Chicken and Waffles. The waffles part was easy. Just add water to the pancake mix and put in the waffle maker and bam! I used the pumpkin, but I imagine any flavor would taste great with this combo.

BabyLum Car Mirror – A review

Since the day we took Kiara home from the hospital, I have wanted a backseat car mirror so I could see her. So I could see if she was OK, if she was breathing, or if she was awake or asleep. You know, the usual mom worries. The problem was all the car mirrors we saw went over the headrest of the back seat and there are only headrests on the passenger and driver’s side back seats. Not over the middle seat where Kiara’s car seat rested.

When I received the car mirror from BabyLum, I was both excited and nervous that it wasn’t going to work for us right now, but at least it could work for us when the new baby arrived and the car seats would be moved to the passenger and driver side back seats. I honestly, could not have been any more pleasantly surprised.

Infant Potty Training Part 1: Why We Introduced the Potty Early

When we started Infant Potty Training, I didn’t even know there was a word for it. I didn’t even research it. It was something we talked about doing before Kiara was born. I had said something about sitting her on the potty as soon as she could hold her own head up or could sit on her own. Little did I know, she would be holding her head up so soon and we’d be ordering a potty for her before she was three months old!

So… What even is Infant Potty Training?

Food Sensitivity Test Results with EverlyWell

How a simple test saved me from another long road of suffering.

Untitled design

Before I get into my test results from my at-home food sensitivity test with Everlywell (watch the unboxing & finger pricking video here), I want to dive into my experience with food sensitivities prior to and confirmed by this test. I’ll also talk about how this test saved me from another long road of suffering, trying to find the cause of my next big issue.

Postpartum Confessions: I stopped loving my cat

When my husband and I moved to South Carolina, we were still just dating. Not only that but we had just started dating about 6 months prior. Kyle knew getting into a relationship with me that SC was my end goal. I just don’t think either of us expected it to be so quick. When we went down to Folly Beach on vacation, I had a job interview and when they offered it to me, I took it and we moved down a month later. It was insane.

It was around 3 months after the move that I got a job at a publishing agency. At that time we were able to get into a nicer place. A townhouse. With the odd hours we worked, Kyle would drive me into work early in the morning. Then, he would meet me at my job and I would take a break to run him to work before driving back to work myself. I’d go pick him up late at night, early in the morning, we’d drive home and do it all again. We didn’t see much of each other this way. We mostly were just struggling to make it work. And somehow, we did.

Nights were lonely. I remember one evening, Kyle must have had the day off. He was waiting to pick me up from work and went over to the pet store. He picked me up and told me of the small black kitten he had found. She’s so sweet, he had said. We went back together. We played with this cute, outgoing kitty cat. We liked her. We sat on it for the night and went back for her the next day. Her name is Natasha, and years later, she is still ours.

Mercedes Moore

Honest motherhood

motherhood