Meanest Look | Modern Life: Reveries on Parenting, Fitness, Fashion, Entertaining with a (large) Side of Foul Language

BareSkin Foundation Where The Hell Have You Been?

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Sport

Soooo. I was off the charts excited to get this sample of BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation to try out*.

As you may recall, I am a big fan of Bare Minerals. Brands: this is why you give things to the right people. We’re big mouthes.

Let’s run down some of the spec of this foundation:

Has SPF 20!
Comes in 20 different shades
The mineral pigments are actually less harsh to those with sensitive skin because that shit is coated in Jojoba oil!
So easy to apply. Shake. Drop. Buff.
The brush is luxuriously soft. Which is good, because it’s critical in application.

The formula is ultra-light. Which is amazing considering the coverage you’ll get with it. I was able to help out my problem areas (dark spots and acne) with just an extra drop of the foundation.

I’ve been wearing it for the last 6 weeks. I really wanted to test it before spouting off. So it’s endured the humidity of NYC, the scorching dry heat of Denver, sweat of biking to work, and a goddamned dude ranch.

I can honestly say, that through all the different conditions, this foundation has held up pretty well.

I won’t go on and on about it to bore you. But I’m genuinely excited about this product. Bare Essentials has done a bang up job of stepping it up. Their Moxie line of lip colors and the BareSkin foundation prove to me that this innovative brand is more than just a one trick pony. It’s a brand I can trust. Guess I found my new go-to foundation.

*Disclaimer: I received this makeup as part of a marketing campaign. No review was required. All opinions of this product are my own.

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From Rug to Room – Wayfair Saves The Day!

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Sport

This post is sponsored by Wayfair.

My friends at Wayfair let me in a on grand experiment. So I’m here today to start the process of making my multi-use room more cohesive using an area rug. Essentially, I’m taking it from rug to room!

Oh, my multi-use room.

I’ve been so frustrated with it. I’m such a proud homeowner, that I really want all my spaces to be perfect and beautiful. I clean constantly, and it’s important for me to have a house that can host company even if it’s a surprise.

That mentality is exactly what makes that room so frustrating. It is a hot mess, even when it’s picked up. I’ve been working for months to make it more cohesive while still serving all its purposes.

So those are the bones of the multi-use room. Yeah, probably way too many colors.

My husband suggested that I just scrap everything in it and start over. But I really love some of those things. Like the green – that’s an antique dresser. I don’t know yet how to make it work, but it is beautiful. That’s use number one of the room: it’s my wardrobe.

I really love my writing table. I rebelled against those uggo computer desks about 10 years ago and haven’t looked back. And the chaise! I’ve been after a luxurious grey chaise for years now. It’s like a dream to finally have one.

One of my major goals with the multi-use room is to have a nice place to read and write. My mother-in-law bought use the Life Is Beautiful pillow for our wedding celebration. I LOVE IT. It’s on the chaise. So pretty.

On top of wanting the relaxation and work space, I also work out in there. My TRX unit is currently used over the door (the yellow and black in the other colors). I’ll be installing a ceiling anchor for it soon.

I also recently painted the walls radiant orchid. It is gorgeous. Passionate and warm. I feel invigorated every time I walk in that room. The orchid color play so nicely with the while floor boards and the honey-colored hardwood floors.

Let’s recap. This room is used for my wardrobe, working, reading, writing, and working out. Wow. And it’s not a particularly large room.

So there is my dilemma. I need to bring some cohesion to this room. I’d love to pick up on some of the furniture colors and connect everything. An area rug is clearly where I need to be.

These are my colorful options!

1) Cinzia Beige Abstract Rug. This gorgeous rug touches on all the colors and plays nicely off the wall color.

2) Foreign Accents Boardwalk Off White Multi Rug. Right? I feel like this one could connect the room and still be bold and colorful.

3) Oriental Weavers Revival Teal Rug. I have a think for this color against the honey-colored floor and that orchid. It is so damn pretty.

My neutral options.

4) So elegant. The Safavieh Courtyard Anthracite Beige Outdoor Rug. Yeah, outdoor rug. They have that great backing making them non-slip, which could be fantastic for workouts.

5) I realize this rug (the Feizy Rugs Indochine Cream Rug) is a dream, but hot damn, it’s a nice dream to have. Can you even imagine the luxury? Shit, I’d probably end up clearing out the whole room and just livin on this fluffly, soft rug of dreams.

6)After really looking at everything, I like this rug the best. The Surya Nuage Black Rug is hip and arty.

What do you guys think, a colorful rug or a neutral rug to pull this room together? I know I can take this from rug to room, if I just get the right one.

Oh, and by the way kids, just because you are fabulous human beings, Wayfair has given me a promo code (which they NEVER do) for you to get 15% off your area rug purchase.

Couple rules:

This promo code is valid only from July 31- Aug. 4, 2014
and it must be used on area rugs
The code is: RUGLUV44

Be sure to comment and tell me your room struggles and what kind of rug you’d pick. Head on over!

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Sciatica, Teeth Brushing Squats and The Derby Booty

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Sport

Not ashamed. That is my derby booty coming back. There really is no booty like a derby booty. It’s magical. I’ve been battling sciatica for the last three years. I sorta went like this: I stopped playing derby, got pregnant, got super fluffy to the tune of 72lbs, got super sedentary, and got sciatica. My doctor told me “do squats and lunges.” I did not. And I suffered.

I lost most of my extra weight, but stayed way heavier than I’ve ever been before. In January, something clicked and I got focused on changing my body. I added TRX and yoga back into my daily life. And I discovered YogaCycle, which completely turned fitness classed upside down in my world. For the first time ever I seriously looked forward to working out. And the sciatica finally stopped flaring up.

On top of working out, I heard Ginger Zee of GMA, say that she does squats while she brushes her teeth. Why had I never thought of that? My husband likes to make fun of this new ritual, but it works!

Then those damn Wasatch Roller Girls gave me a sweet, sweet taste of roller derby again. And not just derby, awesome, supportive, fun derby. Cut to that ass pic above. The local Denver rec league The Wreckin’ Rebels have welcomed in into their ranks. Their sweaty, smelly, holy shit the room 114 degrees and we’re doing sprints ranks.

Three tremendous things happened:

1) I am the happiest little Sports Racer you’ll ever meet these days.

2) Ha! I actually forgot what I was going to write here. While I was typing. God damn, maybe I need an MRI.

and 3) That derby booty is commin’ back.

Awww, I missed skating. So seriously, did you welcome some type of fitness back into your life and feel completely reinvigorated?

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Get Shit Done

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Sport

I fall into the same trap that so many people do. I get overwhelmed with the massive amounts of shit I need to do and then I freeze. Like a deer in headlights. <–Is that too cliche or what?

Really, I do. I become paralyzed with the mounting tasks. Well that is simply not conducive with my job or life in general. As such, I started finding ways to manage these tasks so I can knock them out and beat back that feeling of being too overwhelmed to even start one task.

Turns out I needed a little toolkit to get thing in order to get them done. One of my big tools at work is my whiteboard. It has my short-term and long-terms tasks listed. The “Top Three” are the things I need to complete that day. Everything else is shit on the horizon and I don’t touch until my Top Three are done. And then there’s that kick ass turtle Duncan made me. Motivation.

Some of my other tools are:

Obvs- Google Apps: Gmail, Google Drive and Calendar.

#TwitterChats – I participate in at least one Twitter Chat every week. For me, this helps get out some thoughts, and gather lots of new perspectives. I always feel motivated after these chats and end up knocking out a project right quick.

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