That 'summer glow'.

My oh my how I love me some spring and summer.  The smell of the air, the newness of the world waking up around me and that beautiful, gorgeous sun that I always wish I could bottle.  My whole life I have been a sun junkie and a beach babe.  My Dad would forever try to get us to go to new places on family vacations but my sisters, Mom and I always chose the beach (sorry Dad!).  We would lay out slathered in oil getting bronzed to perfection right before we went back to school.

As I get older, the more I regret those decisions.  I am very fair, and thinking about the torture that I put my skin through when I was younger makes me shudder.  Mom and Dad always cautioned us against it, but hey, we wanted to be the sun kissed sisters.  (It was also totally unfair that our Mom could sit under the umbrella all.day.long and end up more bronzed than us!!  We totally got our Dad's Irish skin that burned first, not the Italian skin that bronzes!)

So now that I am in my ::gulp:: later twenties, I really really do not want to do that to my skin anymore.  I have always wanted to try sunless tanners on my face but I am super-duper sensitive skinned, so trying ANYTHING new on my face is extremely rare, especially if it's not skincare products.  I bit the bullet a few weeks ago though and bought this:

source

Well.  Let me tell you.  I absolutely LOVE this stuff.  I'm pretty much a Clinique girl anyways with my skincare routine, so I really trust their brand so I figured I would give it a whirl.  It applies really easily, it's not streaky and it's not orange!  I exfoliate with one of their masks first and then put this on and leave it for a few hours.  It lasts about 3-5 days, which is fine for me.  I would rather buy something that isn't super heavy and obvious on the face and just reapply every few days.  Being as fair as I am, it's more natural looking anyhow.

So far, so good!  No breakouts from it and I have applied round two tonight.  I am really glad that I found something I like that works for me that won't require me torturing my skin with sun every year.  And for $22, it's really not a bad deal at all.  The tube should get me through a few months, at least.  Since this works so well, I just may have to try the body tanner they have, too!  Man it feels good to get my summer glow going again!

**I was not compensated for this post, I just really like the product and wanted to share! :)**

Trying New Things.

I can't believe I am actually saying this but I have started running!  For the longest time I have abhorred the thought of running, thinking that it was a boring form of exercise and, if I'm being completely honest? Too hard.  Then, this past winter hit.  I have never felt so suffocated by the weather.  It was long, bitterly cold and it snowed…and snowed…AND SNOWED.  I know that most of the nation was dealing with junk weather all winter long but in Michigan it.was.rough.  -25* temps make everyone go stir crazy.

So. Running.  I started off slow with my husband.  He has always been a runner, and for the longest time I couldn't see why it appealed to him.  He always felt so good after a run, and I was starting to feel like I needed to do something to make me feel better and more active.  I tried it and thought that I would be done after one run because of how badly I would hurt afterwards, but you know what?  I didn't!  I was actually surprised at how much better I felt after only one run.  I kept pushing myself every day to get myself out there.  I alternated training on the elliptical on days where the weather wasn't the best.

Yesterday hubby and I went for another run, AND I RAN ALMOST 2 MILES!  I just kept going, and was able to keep up with him!  That runner's high feeling is so real, and so addictive.  Joey pushed me to do some sprints in between, and I was even able to keep up with that!  I know that so many people run, and to them, this probably isn't a big deal, but to me it is, because I never thought I would want to do this.  I have missed setting exercise goals like that, and it's strange how my body feels like I need do a different form of exercise now to get that 'accomplished' feeling.

I'm definitely going to keep up with this, but not time myself.  I'm not into keeping track of how long my runs are because I'm not training for a 5K or half marathon or anything.  I just want to go when I feel like it and enjoy hearing my feet crush the pavement and keep going until I can't anymore.  Maybe eventually I will be ambitious and sign up for something like that but for right now, I just want to run with my babe.

 

Weekly Happies.

So I know everyone does the Five for Friday thing, so in my neck of the woods I am going to start listing my Weekly Happies...all the things this week that brought beauty, love and happiness to my soul.  And I will probably go past 5 :)

1.) My husband, Joey.  He is seriously the greatest thing to ever happen to me.  He deserves to have the first place on this list.  I am the luckiest girl to have a man that is my best friend.  The gratitude and love I feel towards him is immeasurable.

2.) 66* weather!  Holy cow, guys, does that feel good to have.  It hasn't stuck around but those fleeting days where it does peek gives me hope that May will bring a sunshine and warm filled month!  (And I would like to see some green outside, yes? ENOUGH with the brown!)

3.)  My powder room.  I did a little sprucing of it the past few weeks to add some personality.  I found the CUTEST little stand at Home Goods which fit perfectly and then I added a lantern, a lotus flower tealight, a little rock that says 'Relax' and some orchids.  I don't know why, but that little corner in my house makes me so happy.  I will put pictures up one day!

4.) Our elliptical.  I have been using that thing every night before I shower and go to bed and it has made sleep SO much better for me.

5.) Spartan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  This stuff is the BEST.  No other brand tops Spartan on this one in my book.  My parents had a gallon and I had to go over and inhale some.

6.) My new flats.  This goes along with #2.  I bought the cutest little lace flats that are the most comfortable things to boot.  It just has to stop raining so I can wear them more.

7.) Walking the dogs.  Joey and I love to do this in our sub.  It's so peaceful and it's awesome when we see some deer!

Well, those are my Happies of the week...It's Easter weekend so we will be all over the place, but it should be a good time.  Let's have some warm weather to celebrate, please!