Thursday, September 2, 2010

Top 10 Beauty Buys for New Moms!

Hey mamas! Check out the latest article on TheBump.com: Top 10 Beauty Buys for New Moms. SweetLeighMama is featured, offering my suggestion for brightening up those sleep deprived first weeks of mommyhood.


Benefit Oh La LiftMom favorite #9: Benefit Ooh La Lift eye cream
Why it works: "After you give birth, your belly is bloated, your boobs are swollen... The last thing a new mama needs is for her eyes to be puffy too! While I may have been running on pure adrenaline postdelivery, operating on about 20 minutes of sleep took its toll on my tired eyes. Thank goodness for this eye cream. A few dabs under the eyes not only reduced puffiness, but it made my eyes look bigger and brighter too." –Erica from SweetLeighMama.Blogspot.com
What it will cost you: $22, Sephora.com

Enjoy!

Monday, August 23, 2010

To HEEL and Back

Read the title again. No, I didn't say "hell." I said "heel"... as in high heels! : ) This past weekend we drove up to a gorgeous wedding in Lake Keowee South Carolina. Of course Paige was in tow... but she did great! My big feat for the night? Getting back into a pair of heels after 12 months of flats. And let me say this... Mama's back in action! I stopped wearing heels at about 3-4 months prego out of necessity - my feet were swollen and all I felt like wearing were my Ugg boots or Crocs. And then once Paige was born, I still wore my Uggs or knit boots daily until it was "warm" enough for flip flops, which I have lived in since about March. But lately I've been yearning to throw on a pair of cute heels. The only thing that has been stopping me? Heels don't really go with sweatpants - which is what I wear on a daily basis. But just last week I decided to try and put on some of my fav old pre-prego jeans and was SHOCKED that they actually fit! But there was one issue - I got these jeans super extra long so I could wear cute heels with them. But God knows I wasn't going to get these suckers back off my booty so I cuffed them and threw on my flip flops. At the wedding this weekend I knew it was time to take the plunge... no, not into the lake (like the two mothers did post- reception! too cute!)... but into my first pair of post-prego heels. There is something about heels that make me feel so fancy : ) I was proud that I actually kept them on for the majority of the evening. But the truth is that black stilettos don't really fit into my role as Mama of the Year. Sooooo... I'm going to improvise and get these: http://www.zappos.com/dingo-sole-sister-tan-burnished Well - a version of these with a lower price tag : ) I figure I will get the "click click" of the heel I'm looking for with the comfort and security of a full shoe. Baby steps, right? And I'm kinda in love with these too: http://www.zappos.com/kenneth-cole-reaction-chip-trick-black-leather  But these would mean a complete rehash of my wardrobe... I have an idea for a new book! Here are the first few lines... (Like "If You Give a Pig a Pancake")

If you buy a mama a new pair of shoes...
She'll have to get a fun dress to go with them.
And when she puts on the dress she'll realize she needs some Spanx.
When she's in the Spanx section of the store, a bright yellow scarf will catch her eye.
After wrapping the scarf around her neck, she realizes she needs new sunglasses to complete the look
As she checks out her huge sunglasses in the mirror, she'll see handbags behind her in the reflection.
As she runs towards the new Jessica Simpson collection of bags, she sees a gorg black leather one.
But her new shoes are brown!
So back to the shoe section she goes.
And if you buy a mama a new pair of shoes...

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Just 17 and Half More Years to Save for College...

Since Paige was born, I've been trying to figure out a good way to start saving for her college education. But then life happens and those plans go on the back burner. Who can think about putting moolah in an account for "down the road" when we need to buy diapers, pay medical bills, etc right now? But I'm determined to get something set up by her first birthday/Christmas so we can ask relatives to put money there instead of towards too many toys. Good plan, huh? Well... that gives me 4 more months to get my act together on this. But when there are so many options, I just can't wrap my head around which one is best. My mother-in-law gave me a great article written by Carmen Wong Ulrich which outlines the top for ways to save for college.. I found it online and here is the link: PARADE - 4 Smart Ways to Save for College

I think I'm leaning towards a 529 Plan.. but then I have to choose which one! The Parade article reccomends this site to compare 529 Plans: www.SavingforCollege.com

Have any mamas out there figured out what they are doing yet? I know I'm already behind the eight ball on this one, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

And since this subject is kinda stressful, I decided to lift your spirits with a picture I took this morning...

When Muffin Tops Are Still Cute