Nighttime Beauty Routine

I'm not even going to pretend that this is a long-standing routine. About a week ago, I started seeing these video clips of celebrity nighttime beauty routines pop up on my computer at the top of articles. I only watched one of them all the way through, and although I have none of the supplies they use, I thought it was a smart idea to have an actual routine that signified "going to bed" and that I should take better care of my skin. 

So without further amblings, here's my routine. 

-brush teeth 

-floss 

-wash off my makeup with a Makeup Eraser.  I was buying lots of lots of make-up removing wipes and would struggle to fully remove my make-up with a washcloth if I ran out of wipes, so I'm very happy with this make-up remover since it only uses water to get off all make-up! Every few days I'll put it in a lingerie bag and throw it in the washing machine with a regular load of clothes.  It launders really well. One side is to remove make-up and one side is to exfoliate.  To be honest, I'm pretty sure I used it incorrectly for the first three months, and I had to look up which side is supposed to do what.  Even today, though, I really can't tell much of a difference between sides. But regardless of that, I use hot water to get the eraser cloth wet, then I use one side to fully remove my make up, rinse the eraser, then use the other side and wipe it all over my face for whatever exfoliating benefit it's supposed to provide. I found mine at a local boutique (it's the mini version), but here's a similar one. 

I recently bought this face wash bar for Michael, but decided I'd try it out from time to time as well.  I don't use it every night, but I might choose to incorporate it more as I decide whether I like how it works.  So far, it's gentle and has a nice light scent.  When I wash my face with this, I use cold water. 

Traditionally, I do not do a good job of moisturizing, so I decided I really wanted to do better about that. To really lock in moisture after washing my face, I'll apply a little bit of this tarte Drink of H2O.  I love that it's a gel-like consistency and it absorbs really well. 

I use just a small amount for my whole face & neck. 

Today, I felt like I needed a little spot treatment assistance, so I pulled out my Mario Badescu drying lotion and applied where I needed. 

Several months ago, I saw a blogger use the Colleen Rothschild cleansing balm on her heels overnight. I tried it out and was impressed with how soft my feet were, but I didn't do it again. I decided to start doing this as part of the nighttime routine to help soften my heels with more consistency. After I rub this on both heels, I put on a pair of socks to hold in the moisture for a few hours or all the way overnight. 

I love to use this lotion on my legs after shaving, and sometimes I'll put some on just because it smells great and really moisturizes well. 

After all of that, I'm ready to relax!

One final step is to put on some lip gloss before bed.  I like this kind because it's not sticky at all. Apparently, it's Berry flavored, but I don't think it smells nor tastes like anything. After it's finished, I'll probably just put a good quality tube of lip gloss or chapstick-esque product by my bed. Although I love that this one is not sticky, I'm not sure it's worth the price tag. 

Going through these steps has helped me wind down in the evenings and feel better about how I'm treating my skin. 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

My Anti- Covid Protocol

Since I'm around roughly 100 different kids every day (plus additional kids that I'm around in the hallways), I figured I needed to stick to a consistent vitamin routine this year. I get most of my vitamins from Costco (the Kirkland Signature brand) but the same vitamin type can be found at other stores or on Amazon. If it doesn't say Kirkland Signature then I ordered from Amazon or bought at Walmart. 

Everyday I pack a combination of these tablets and I take them at lunch time. I take one of everything, but 2 of the elderberry tablets. 

When I get to school, I use part of a water bottle to fill up my Keurig (priorities) and I use the rest for a packet of Emergen-C vitamin C powder. 

At bedtime I add an acid reducer (Pepcid AC) to combat acid reflux during the night. Apparently this also helps decrease the ability of covid cells to latch on to cells inside the body, so it's killing two birds with one stone. Even people without acid reflux are taking this in order to lessen the security of covid symptoms (obviously I'm not a doctor, so check with your Healthcare professional before adding it to your routine). 

My kiddos take gummy vitamins each day (the boys take two and Avery takes one since she's not four years old yet). I also add in one elderberry gummy for the boys. I don't give one of those to Avery since the label says it's for ages 4 & up, and because she's not in a daycare setting around lots of kids. 

This is just our basic routine. I know others add in more things but this is what works for us for now. 

Until Next Time,

Much Love, Reba

Makeup Routine With A Mask

These days since we're all wearing a mask when we leave our homes, I've switched up my makeup routine in order not to over stress my skin.  Every day that I'm in the classroom, I have to wear a mask when entering & exiting the building, walking the halls, and anytime I'm within 6 feet of others. So basically all day unless I'm in my room alone or if I'm more than 6 feet when lecturing during a lesson.  At church on Sundays, I do not have to mask since our building is so large & since we don't have many people attending right now. Therefore on Sundays I usually apply more makeup than I do during weekdays. 

Anytime that I'll be wearing a mask at all, I do not apply makeup on my cheeks or chin. I swipe a very minimal amount of mineral powder foundation & bronzer to my forehead and I do my eye routine the way I described in my post from October. Sometimes, I'll also apply some of the lightest eye shadow shade (the one I use at the base) to my discolored spot on my right cheek (leftover from my first pregnancy).  I'll also apply a lip stain (I use this instead of a lip stick because it doesn't rub off inside the mask). My favorite is Forever Peach lip & cheek stain by Jane Iredale. This makeup line is clean, so I feel comfortable using it. You can find this lip stain on the brand's website and also on Amazon. I'm using a trial size but I'll be buying the regular size later this month when I'm hoping it goes on sale. I also always clean off my face with a makeup removing face wipe. My favorite right now is Burt's Bees in the grapefruit scent. 

On Sundays, I do a fuller make up routine that includes applying the mineral foundation powder all over my face and following it with mineral bronzer powder with an angled brush & dusting my cheeks with mineral powder blush in a peach shade using a kabuki brush. I'm using the Savvy Minerals makeup until I run out and then I'll find some other mineral makeup from a more reasonably priced brand in a drugstore. 

I always keep my hair back from my face. This helps keep off excess oil from my hair from touching my face. I switch between pulling my hair in a bun, pinning it back with clips or Bobby pins or using a hairband (I found a great set on Amazon). (I have this set too.) Another thing I do to combat excess oil and germs is to wash my mask everyday. My aunt sewed several cloth masks for my family & I wear a different one every single day. When I get home, I immediately put my daily mask into a lingerie laundry bag & wash it with the day's load of laundry. I keep clean masks in a gallon bag on top of my pie safe & I pick out one each day. 

So that's that!  How are you combating the mask and skincare?

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Egg Cooker Review

 For a few years now, I've been seeing blog posts about a rapid egg cooker.  I previously have brushed off the idea that this might be a useful tool and instead convinced myself that it was much better to just boil eggs on the stovetop.  Even after getting an InstaPot and an airfryer and hearing about how people use those appliances to cook eggs, I did not bother looking up how to do so myself.  My main problem with this line of thinking is that I actually do not know how to boil eggs on the stove.  Yes, my mom has told me 73 times, and I've looked up the recipe on Google about 14 times, but still... it doesn't stick and  becomes a chore to always ask or look it up.  This means that I never boil eggs in my home.  Never.  Which also means that we do not receive the benefits of the easy protein-filled snack that is the hard-boiled egg. 

Just last week, Michael asked for a hard boiled egg and I happened to be reading a blog post by someone raving about their egg cooker.  Although I thought I had looked up the price on this appliance years ago, I was shocked to see how affordable it really was!  I also did not know that it could cook poached eggs and omelets as well.  I chose the white color although it was very tempting to choose the mint shade. It arrived a couple days later and we put it right to work!  It's much smaller than I thought it would be, which is nice because it doesn't take up too much counter space and I'll be able to store it in the cabinets without rearranging too many things around it.  Right now, we've used it at least once a day, so I've kept it on my counter. 

It's quite compact and comes with all the pieces tucked neatly underneath the lid. 

Inside the lid, it has the boiling-plate handle, the poaching plate, the omelet plate, and the boiling-plate stacked in one another. 

When boiling eggs, just attach the boiling-plate handle to the boiling plate.  The handle allows me to pick up the eggs when they're finished cooking, and place them in ice water without burning my hand.

 

If choosing to poach or make an omelet, those specialized plates need to sit on top of the boiler-plate so they don't get burned by the metal piece underneath the boiling plate. 

The lid locks in place to store it, but when cooking, the lid must be set on top of the device without actually locking it into place.  

When storing, you can slide the locking tabs under the handles of the egg cooker. 

It also came with a measuring cup to show proper water amounts for various levels of "doneness" for boiled eggs. I always choose hard boiled for myself or the kids.  Aaron prefers medium boiled for himself.  And whenever I choose to do a "Day in the Life of Downton Abbey,"  I'll choose soft boiled. :)  On the opposite side of this measuring cup are lines showing the water level needed for poached eggs and omelets. 

Underneath the measuring cup is a little push-pin like device.  This is to poke the rounded bottom of the egg before placing it bottoms up on the boiling plate. 

I placed it next to my 24 ounce cup to show the size of the egg cooker.  It's really compact and everything fits neatly under the lid when not in use. 

I'm really impressed by the egg cooker and am glad we got it when we did!  When it's done cooking, it sings a little song as its timer rather than just beeping, etc.  Avery LOVES the song it plays and frequently asks me to "play that song" even when the cooker is not in use!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Preparing for School

I gave myself the month of June off of school mode.  This was not a 100% abstinence since I checked my school email during this time, but didn't spend any time actively planning or adjusting lesson plans.  I knew I'd wait til July to really get started with the whole "preparing for school" thing.  Now that it's July, I'm gearing myself up for spending a couple evenings (possibly a couple evenings each week) reviewing and tweaking my lesson plans.  Working in the evenings is better for me.  That way, I don't feel like my morning with a cup of coffee is ruined by having to exert mental energy.  Also, trying to do any type of lesson planning while my kiddos are awake is a difficult feat.  If I wait til the evening, Aaron can oversee everyone while I retreat to the office and have a few minutes of quiet and structured mental tasks.

In getting myself ready for school, I thought I'd share a few things that will make the start of school just a bit easier.

My Bogg Bag:

I have the Baby Bogg in the blush color and I love love love it!  It's the perfect teacher bag.  I bought it last fall when it was half-off and if I ever catch a half-off sale again, I'm going to stock up for all of my sons' teachers, aides, and nurses.  The bag almost has like a tire-tread pattern on the bottom, which provides grip.  It also stands up on its own.  It's made of material that can be hosed down if dirty.  This was great for our Memorial Day Beach trip-- I used the bag to carry our supplies to the sand and I could just wipe everything down once we were finished!  I love anything blush colored, so this bag is perfect on so many levels.  I can fit my school planner, a clipboard, extra spiral notebooks, a drink,  my lunch box, a pencil bag, and my purse in the bag and carry it all into my classroom from the car each morning.

My Flair Pens:

These pens are great for planning out lessons in my calendar planner.  They're like fine point markers but they don't bleed through the pages.  I like to designate a color for each class type (Honors, Standard, etc.) and then I like to have a color for my own personal To-Do list items, and a color for things my kiddos have going on.  Right now on Amazon, it looks like the pack is $10 which is about half off!

Academic Planner:

For planners, I like having one that I can see the whole month at a glance, and then I like to have a weekly view too.  For the weekly view, I prefer to have all of the days of the week listed down the left side of the left-hand page, with the whole right page left to leave notes for myself (and to jot down the To-Do list for my kids and myself).   The page styles that I like are the ones shown in the link above, but the outer cover is the bicycle cover shown here.  Usually, I take a ruler and draw a few vertical lines down the page showing the days of the week.  That way, I can create columns for each class that I teach.  Having the days of the week down the side and the headings of the classes at the top, allows me to quickly see what each week is supposed to look like at a glance.  I also absolutely prefer white pages so that I can use White Out tape for any scheduling changes that need to take place.

Lunch Bag:

Again, blush makes an appearance in my school supplies! :)  I like this lunch bag because it's tall and narrow rather than wide and bulky.  This type of bag fits into my Bogg bag easily, which is a definite plus.  It also has an expandable zipper to accommodate those days where my leftovers container is a bigger size, etc. I buy slim freezer packs, and with the insulation of the bag I have never had my lunch not be cold by the time I'm ready to eat.

Jump Drive:

I'm not exactly sure what size file my jump drive can hold, but it's similar to the one listed above, except mine is blue.  I save all of my lesson plans and PowerPoints, etc. to the jump drive, then I'm easily able to transfer these files between my desk computer and the computer at the front of my classroom which is hooked up to the projector.  I also bring the jump drive home with me everyday so I can add things to my lessons at home if I need to.

That is a basic overview of things that I keep handy for the beginning of the school year and getting myself mentally prepared to go back to a full-time away-from-home type of job starting up in the next few weeks. When I have things planned out and ready to use, I feel more at ease.  With all of the uncertainty about schools starting back despite the continuation of Covid, I know I'll rest better once I have my lessons ready and my supplies gathered in one place.

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba

Hair Treatment

My hair type is normal to oily, which means I can't go two weeks between washing my hair, despite that length of time being a trend right now.  Even with dry shampoo, I make it just about two days before I need to re-wash.  I've never colored or dyed my hair, it's naturally wavy/curly and it's relatively thin so I try to find shampoos that are designed for adding volume or smoothness or clarifying.

(How it naturally looks:)

I use the Redken All Soft shampoo and conditioner which I either buy from JC Penney or on Amazon.  About every 5 washes or so, or after swimming in the summer, I try to use Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo.


I bought these Pantene Intense Rescue Shots from Publix several months ago and I use just a dab from a tube every few washes.  I apply it from the middle of my hair to the ends.  I really focus on the right side of my hair which is oddly the most curly/wavy side, and the most likely to become frizzy and out of control.  The directions on the package say to use a whole tube, but I imagine that would make my hair look too greasy.


I have gone back and forth with several products trying to tame my frizz.  Most recently, I've used the Color Wow Supernatural Spray.  My hair stylist gave me the rest of this bottle when I got my hair cut in January.  It works pretty well.  It lasts for about four shampoos, and I don't use it religiously since I'm trying to bide my time before I get more.  It's fairly pricey at $28.00 on Amazon.  I intend to buy this from my hair stylist though once salons open back up in our state.  She was kind enough to give me the rest of the bottle, so I'd like to support her rather than buying it from Amazon.

I bought this Mirah Hair Oil several months ago and wasn't too sure how to use it, so for a while, it just sat.  I periodically applied it to my hair after styling, but if I was over-zealous (read: two or three drops rubbed all over my hair), my hair looked greasy and I felt like I defeated the whole purpose of washing, drying, and styling my hair that day and it guaranteed that I'd have to wash it the next day.
However, this past week, I tried applying one to two drops when my hair is air drying and still damp.  This has seemed to work well and it has helped in the styling process.

I also use this Crack hair creme from Amazon.  It's a leave-in conditioner that I apply when my hair is damp.  I usually apply this at the same time as the hair oil.  Then I let my hair air dry and I straighten it or pull it into a bun after it's dry.

This combo of hair oil and Crack creme seem to be the best combo.  I'm excited to see how this holds up in the summer when the humidity arrives.

So far, it's doing well. This is how I looked after grocery shopping in 80 degree weather. Trust me, its usually way more frizzy!

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba