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Monday, October 3, 2011

Carpe Viem!










Ahh…Fall is FINALLY in the air here in Florida. And for me, that means I finally get to dig out my cold weather running gear. Alright, maybe not cold weather, but at least colder weather! And it also means crisp clear mornings that most runners live to run. Did I mention I'm a bit of a run-aholic too? Okay, it is probably not so much due to the actual rolling my butt out of bed at the crack of dawn to exercise as it is the endorphins and how my bum eventually looks in my jeans!





But this year I have a new running partner, and she is kicking said bum! It is not a new neighbor, or even a new puppy, but someone right under my own roof: my 13 year old daughter! Eldest yard monkey has played soccer for the past 5 years, but it has only been thisyear, as the competition and size of the field increased, that endurance training became a necessity. And up until this weekend, when cooler weather moved in, we have had no problem matching pace. But this weekend-holy cow! Either she is drastically improving (which I am sure is partially the case) or the cold weather is like an adrenalin shot to her young veins! Either way, my old bones have got to get moving or I am quickly going to be outpaced and in the market for another running buddy!





Now I am by no means a professional runner, but I do two marathons under my belt so I am not a complete novice either. And after years of running, I must admit-she has definitely been my best motivation and inspiration. 5:20am three days a week, my energetic little running buddy is at my bedside asking me if I am ready to run! Talk about accountability! If I slack off on a run, there she is, across the dinner table, with her knowing eyes. And I am literally not just hurting myself if I miss a run. Since I certainly will not allow her to run alone, especially at 5:30 in the morning, she too is missing out on her critical training sessions. So I guess it's time to pick up my game and position myself as a true fitness role model. Maybe I'll even sign up with her for her first 10 k….So Carpe Viem ladies, see you out there!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Extreme Couponing? Or Extremely Annoying?












Alright, I am going to get up on my high horse a bit here and vent. With the seemingly never ending recession, it is understandable that more and more families are being cost conscious. I myself have taken to couponing, BOGO shopping and bulk shopping. While there are some fabulous sites that help you get the most for your money, TLC has created an Extremely Annoying monster with its new series "Extreme Couponing." Or rather it has created thousands of extremely annoying, coupon carrying, shelf clearing, grocery hoarding and price increasing monsters.



It didn't bother me initially. In fact, I have a number of friends who are self-proclaimed coupon maniacs. But with all of the new couponers hitting the aisles spurred on by the idea that they too can get something for nothing, even those couponing friends are getting annoyed. While the prospect of getting thousands of dollars worth of groceries for nearly nothing sounds tempting; the fact is, someone is paying for it. And it is usually me, and in more ways than one.



Just Monday I went to pick up milk at the grocery store. I was surprised to see that BOTH of my local grocers were not only each left with 1 and 2 gallons of skim milk, but the shelf that held the cereal that was on sale for $1.99 (General Mills Brand) was nearly gone as well. It was only when I noticed the coupon machine next to the milk that I understood what happened. We had been hit by couponers. Like I said, I am all for a good deal, but after seeing "Extreme Couponing" I am fully aware that there are a number of my neighbors who likely are sitting with 20-30 new boxes of cereal in their cupboards and just as many gallons of milk in their refrigerators. Seriously, these deals go on all of the time. Why is it necessary to clear the shelves??? Now if I am lucky, I MIGHT be able to get one or two of the boxes for the same deal. Thanks. Speaks so closely to the gluttonous and selfish society we have become…



Anyhow, to cost #2… Because of the clearing of the shelves and the consequent (and I am guessing here) loss of revenue to the stores, I have noticed not only a dramatic increase in prices, but too a dramatic decrease in the fantastic sales. Additionally, our local grocery store no longer is lenient on their coupon policy. They used to accept expired coupons, (up to a month) competitors coupons, and multiple coupons. Guess what? Yep, because of (and this came from a cashier) "individuals who were taking advantage of the coupon policy, such as trying to use warehouse coupons, pet store coupons etc, we have had to discontinue our program." Now they ONLY accept coupons from the store up the street (who incidentally uses a discount card program instead of coupons.) Excellent.



This brings me to cost #3. The cost of my time. Now before this lovely new show, I hardly ever saw crazy couponers. That is because the original couponers were considerate enough to go "off hours." Over the past few weeks I have found myself, at 5:00 in the afternoon, stuck behind these new couponers. Arguing obscure coupons (including those mentioned above) and arguing with the cashiers on each and every item. Cashiers and customers alike were SUPER annoyed.



Unless these people are extremely phillathropic and donate all of their spoils (though none that I have seen on the show are,) or are feeding a family of 50 on a weekly basis, I have to wonder how they are able to use everything before it expires. Even then, they must be using a significant amount of their storage space to keep everything. It makes me beg the question, is TLC trying to drive us crazy, or simply securing their future seasons of "Hoarders?"





~Leximom

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Bio-Oil-Oh my Godsend!




Seriously how many scar/stretch mark/skin anti-aging products are there out there? You could spend thousands trying out the latest and greatest. And many (including myself) have done just that! Now, aging for me is not a super huge issue yet, but I am obsessive about being as preventative as possible! And not that any of us have stretchmarks or anything to worry about (ahem) but I am sure we each have a scar or two that we wouldn't mind eliminating! Especially Grace (moi) here who finds a new bruise or cut every other day! Unfortunately, my poor love muffins have inherited their mama's coordination (as you have likely witnessed if you have read any of my previous posts!), so we have a whole houseful of scars.







Anyhow....back to the task at hand....my eldest child, up until recently, had the mother of all scars. Two years ago my now 13 year old had a nasty accident. You know, one of those, "I told you so" moments only you don't tell them so because they actually got hurt? In an effort to reach something in her closet, she climbed up on her cheapy particle board shoe cube. Needless to say, they collapsed and on her way down, left a nasty cut up the length of her thigh. It was shallow and wide that stitches would not help so we were left with a huge ugly scar. We were told that we would likely need to just have some cosmetic surgery when she got a little older to fix it. Awesome.





Fast forward 24 months. My daughter went to visit her father in Colorado and began telling me about this amazing stuff he bought for her to use on her scar. Honestly, I didn't believe her (well, to the degree that it was working.) We had tried nearly every super expensive scar cream on the market to no avail so how in the world would some crap from Walmart do any better? I should've known as soon as I had gotten up on my high horse (which I do from time to time;) ). When I picked her up after her vaca, I was shocked. The scar was nearly gone. The bottle says that you need to use it for at least 3 mos two times a day. She did a fraction of that and received amazing results. I know I know, I sound like an infomercial, but unfortunately they aren't paying for this review! I have to share it though because it is the most obscure product and I definitely wouldn't have picked it up myself. Now, I didn't have the wherewithal to take a before picture of her scar, but I do have a halfway through picture so you can sorta see what I am talking about For $11 you bet your tail I am going to get a bought bottle for myself and have started to use it to to attack my "aging" or otherwise imperfect skinJ.





Two weeks in and I have noticed my feet, elbows and legs feel A-M-A-Zing…BUT I do want to give you a few disclaimers. I have suuuppper sensitive skin. Some reviews of Bio-Oil indicate it has caused people to break out. When I used too much, my face did break out, but no other area of my body did. I would HIGHLY recommend testing it on a small area of your skin before you use at all-and check the ingredients for any allergens you may have! Dab a very small amount on problem areas. It IS an oil-based product so you do NOT want to cover your face with it. And a little goes a long way. If you use too much, it will be greasy (duh.) Also-make sure you read the bottles instructions and recommendations (will get slippery in the shower etc., all liabilities and warnings etc.). And finally-I was able to find mine at Walgreens but it is available online and at Walmart as well. Good luck and here's to smooth skin!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Fall Shopping? Yes Please!!!



I have a slight obsession with Kate Spade. One of the few design houses who I feel can do no wrong. Perhaps it is my seriously ridiculous infatuation with stripes, or similarly ridiculous love of color, but to me it doesn't matter if it is shoes, jewelry, or simply the design of the store, I love it all. They also partner with one of my favorite organizations, Women for Women International. Okay, enough of my love affair. How happy was I this morning to wake up to not only a tweet of their new handbags, but a blog update as well! I guess that means it is time to shop!
















It is hard to believe that I need to really get my fall gear in order as the south is still engulfed in 90+ degree heat; however, it is the middle of September so cooler weather is just around the corner! And so my shopping must begin (oh darn;)) And what says fall better than a chic new bag! Check out the Kate Spade's new Kennedy Bag. Using the super hot trend of color blocking they have created a fantastic and versatile piece while maintaining the touch of fun I love so much!









Another great addition this fall is their Watercolor Rose Lauren Trench (above.) I love a great trench coat anyhow, but this beautiful trench combines sophistication and style with just the right touch of sass!
And of course, along with fall weather comes the opportunity for one of my favorite topics: shoes.J While I absolutely love all of their heels, there has recently been some debate as to whether or not one should wear tights with open-toed shoes, I am going to the rare thing, bite my tongue and instead focus on another fall/winter staple. Born in Colorado, I am definitely a boot girl, but with a little more style these days! Whether you like a bootie or a heel, traditional or embellished, Kate has a great selection! My favorite right now is the Keane, but I will likely pick up a pair of the heeled Randi Too rain boots as it is hurricane season for just a bit longer.





Happy Shopping Ladies!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

WHHYYY do they NOT believe me?




















They believe me when I told them Santa put those gifts under the tree-despite the fact that I am generally a ragged mess with tape and tinsel in my hair Christmas morning. They also believe me when I tell them that the Tooth Fairy sprained her wing and would make it up to them “tomorrow night.” They also know that I am an educated woman. They come to me for help with their “super hard” homework problems and vocabulary words. They come to me whenever something needs fixed or they need help deciding what to get their dad or other family members gifts. But do they listen when I specifically tell them NOT to do something and the potential consequences of not listening to me?





Yes folks, it was another “I told you so” moment in the Leximom’s home this afternoon. After specifically telling my oldest yard monkey not to bring her brand new iTouch 4 (that her FATHER bought her for her 13th birthday) to our friends POOL this afternoon, what does she do? Now, I didn’t only tell her it could get wet, and that she wouldn’t have time to listen to it anyway, AND I really didn’t want her using her $250.00 iTouch outside of the house until I picked up her case (which incidentally I was planning on picking up tomorrow.) Guess who sneaks it along anyway? And guess what happened.





While her new toy managed to not get wet (as it sat on the table unused) the day did not end without incident. As she was showing off her new toy to our friend’s younger girls, little yard monkey brother hit her hand, hand dropped the iTouch, iTouch hit the drive, and the brand new screen shattered. Yep, completely shattered. Hysterics from teenage yard monkey, tears from little yard monkey, and littlest yard monkey hid in the back seat. Awesome. At this point my sympathy was non-existent. And she knew it. She knew she had messed up, and even though little brother shared in the blame, she knew she could not take it out completely on him. So we will cross our fingers as I head to the Apple store tomorrow and hope that it costs less than either my arm or leg to fix the screen. I guess this is a too be continued…Sigh…





Thursday, May 19, 2011

Summer Dress

Summer, summer what to wear? Something flirty and fun and as I have said before semi-age appropriate. Ugh, I know but come on, do you really want to look like "one of those women" who are trying to hard to desperately hang on to their youth? Moving on :-)

I found this site called YOOX.COM and found a really cute summer dress. Perfect for a day out with the friends shopping or lunch. I think the color would be great on any skin tone and especially skin with a little tan :-)

Not sure I like the shoes they have on this model. I personally would go with a higher heel and a very nude color with a little sparkle of some sort. Make your legs look longer! I am short so I need all the help I can get.

Shop around on this site. They have some really cute and sassy items.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Dior, make me look younger!

So I recently went to the mall in a mad rage to find the latest and greatest products to make me look younger. I have been feeling REALLY old and slumpish (believe me it is not pretty).

Went strolling into Macy's, that is about the most luxurious store that I am closest to right now, and this lady with big ol' black and purple eyes, black roots and what should be blonde hair grabs me and says "do you have time for a make over"? I look at her like, do bears sh** in the woods? Seriously I had no kids with me and HELL YA I have time for a make over. The question is do YOU have time to make ME over?!

Well she begins to tell me lets just do your eyes and see what we can do. I then tell her you just better do the whole face cause I am not walking around looking like I just got tossed out of a car after a hard night of partying. So off all my make up goes and away she begins.

To make a long story short I looked "better" but the tone of my make-up was WAY off. Ya know how in high school you would see girls with that line around their chin, they looked like The Mask only brown/orange instead of green, well that was me. But, to her defense the cremes she used were fab and the best part is she made my under eye look AMAZING!!!! I seriously wanted to kiss her, but didn't! She was wearing so much make-up I was afraid of getting toxic poisoning from her if I came into contact with her. Ok, I am being a little harsh on the make-up lady. She was seriously the nicest make-up lady.

Ok, back to the EYES! I looked 5 years younger. It was all because of the under eye creme and a magic concealer pen. These two products now live amongst the greats in my make-up zoo. Let me tell you what I bought:







SkinFlash Radiance Booster Pen. LLLLAAAAA, did you hear the angels sing? You will when you put this on.

But you have to put the eye cream on first or else you will have a big dang mess of crap hangin on your wrinkles under your eyes. 

So put this eye creme on first, your eyes will thank you! Hydra Life Sorbet Eye Creme.

You now have been exposed to one of my shopping trips. Try these products out, tell me what you think. The eye creme, of course, will take about 4-6 weeks before you start seeing a hugh difference. I assure you using this creme then the Booster Pen will make you feel and look amazing!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Bring On Spring!

Who is ready for spring? Some of you may already be enjoying spring! I was chatting with "I'm lounging by my pool" Stacy the other day and was very JEALOUS!!!!!!!!!! Love you girl, just don't love you sitting by the pool when I am wading through rain puddles over here in the Pacific Northwest, HATE IT!!

Anyways, back to something fashionable for spring/summer. Wes Gordon is a new designer who just released his first collection and for the life of me I can not find where to buy his clothing. I have read his line is at Saks and at Nordstroms but when I go to either site I can not find his clothing. FruStrAtInG!

So here is a little eye candy from his Spring 2011 collection. If my thighs did not look like they have been blown up with a hot air machine then I would so wear this with SOOOO much attitude. But my thunder thighs will have to stay hidden.

I hope you enjoy and good luck finding this outfit online. If anyone finds it, PLEASE post a comment. Maybe.....one day..... my thunder thighs will go away (with the help of Zerona)  :-)

Army Stretch Cotton Double Breasted Vest
White Stretch Cotton Mesh Flare Tennis Dress


Saturday, April 9, 2011

Clinique Free Gift from Macy's!

I'm in heaven, I'm in heaven! Can you hear the song? Well let me tell you why I am singing and so happy. It is gift time from Clinique at Macy's! There are only a few skin care lines I will rave about and Clinique is one of them, love, love these products. I always have at least one product from their skin care line and love their Almost Make-Up foundation.
So needless to say I am in heaven! Free stuff when you buy something you already buy, OH-MY-GOSH, can't stand it. LOL, I sound like a childish little girl but not much is free these days :-)

So I urge you to try their Zero Gravity Repairwear Lift Firming Cream, it has retinol in it so it will help with those tiny lines and bring some life back into your skin, only wear at night  because the retinol reacts to sunlight and can cause dark spots. Besides these types of creams are best for your sleeping skin. Your skin actually soaks up the moisturizers best at night time.

So there you have it! A little advice and some encouragement to try Clinique. Let Metro-Mama know what your favorite skin care products are, share some of your secrets.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Style of the Day

So I am strolling around some websites and ran across InStyle's Look of the Day. They are featuring Eva Longoria in a Reem Acra dress headed off to celebrate her birthday. Ok, seriously look at those Ta-Ta's can we say fake!

I could not resist adding in a few arrows just in case you could not see those smooshed fun bags, lol. I am all for showing it if you got it but I also believe in semi-age appropriate dresses. I wonder how she sits? If I put this dress on there would be junk fallin' out of my trunk!!

Anyways enough sassin'. The dress is actually cute and she does look very beautiful AND what better time to look young and amazing than on your birthday. So over all I give her a thumbs up for looking so great!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Posting pics online SAFELY from your Smartphone

Before you post another pic online, go into your phone SETTINGS, where GPS is controlled is called Location Services (SETTINGS>GENERAL>LOCATION SERVICES on the iPhone, might be different for other Smartphones like Blackberries and Droids), And turn the CAMERA to OFF. This will make all photos you take "safe" and without any GPS secret tracking stamped to the picture...



Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Oh My, I am in heaven!

Alright all you hot mommas, or those who want to be hot mommas I have got some news for you. I am stinkin excited to have found this and it is silly really because you can find ANYTHING on the internet but this is so fab!

If you don't watch American Idol then you have been missing out on how AMAZING Jennifer Lopez looks. I know what your saying, "if I had that much money I would look that good too". Trust me I say it all the time. Well now is your chance to have what she has to look more than fabulous. I found her make-up artist. This may be old news to some but new news to me. Lovin' it.

Scott Barnes has been Jennifer Lopez' make-up artist for quite some time. She is on the cover of one of his books. And not to mention he is super sexy! Y-U-M-M-Y!
Look at what this man creates, seriously I would sell my soul to look this beautiful (not really, just a joke)!




You can find a store here to buy his products and darn the luck there is not one in my area :-(

So happy shopping ladies, get dewey, get beautiful and do it like the pros!




Monday, March 7, 2011

Love This Hat!

So I was shopping around on Macy's and found the cutest hat EVER! I usually do not look at hats but this one looks so fun, I want one. Can you just imaging yourself sitting on the beach somewhere looking at beautiful palm trees and blue water while sipping a yummy drink with one of those little umbrellas. OH YES! I totally see myself there.
You can pick up this Nine West Hat, Packable Straw Flower Super Floppy at Macy's and while you are there it is gift time at Estee Lauder.

I really like Estee Lauder's products and I LOVE gift time. I did not catch a date of when this will be over so head in there soon if you want some free stuff. I waited to long once and they ran out of supplies, just about cried, lol! Anyways happy shopping and if any of you get that super cute hat, take a pic and share.


Monday, February 21, 2011

From Drab to Fab

Since I am now done having babies it is time to start thinking about getting rid of some baby fat and back to looking like me! Now this may be a ways down the road but this dress is fabulous. I am not a big Kardashian follower so never mind it is on Kim Kardashian, but look at the dress. I love it! Simple enough but it makes a pretty big statement. Red is not usually not my first choice but let me tell you since I have not had the bod to wear stylish clothes I have chosen darker colors so not to draw attention to problem areas. You all know what I mean and you all have done it, unless your not a mom in which case I don't want to hear about it:) So the red is a fitting color to reclaim my independence from motherhood and start feeling like me again, that super sexy 116 lb. brunette with perky ta-ta's. Ok, you got me the perky ta-ta's might be a stretch but that is why I shop at Victoria's Secret.

If you admire retro vintage style clothing, as I do, then I have found the website for you. It is called Stop Staring!, oh my gosh I love it. I have always had a fascination with sexy retro style dresses, I just have never found the guts to wear it and have never been able to find a good place to buy them. On Stop Staring! you will find every style of sexy you are wanting including this dress. I also found it on Amazon here. Love Amazon and free shipping. Anyways take a look and if I do buy this dress, which as I sit here and look at it more I am getting even more tempted, I will have to take some pics and post them.

Why don't you share some of you sexy outfits with us. Tell us where you got it. We love finding new items, anything to reclaim sexiness!


Thursday, February 10, 2011

LOVE this chair!!

Spring Home Fashion, YAY!

I know I said this week was going to be some eye candy for you fashionistas but I saw the most fab chair in a Pier 1 Imports ad and HAD to show you all!
TA-DA! What do you think? I LOVE IT! It is fun, bright with a touch of black and would brighten up any room. It is called the Josette Chair from Pier 1 Imports and I want one. And to make it even more fab add some of these pillows and some wall art to make a little sanctuary of your own.
So when you see that sun shining in and want to sit down and read a good book think about getting this chair add a few pillows and put up some dandelions ( I know sounds funny, put a weed on your wall, lol)! Anyways just wanted to share since spring is in the air.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

New Signatures

Hi folks!
I just wanted to share our new signatures!!!! How cool that we are finally gettin this blog goin! Soon I'll be posting an introduction to Gina, our newest addition to Metro-Mama who's given us some great beauty deals!


So, stay tuned to see lots of cool new "stuff"

In a metro state of mind,

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Fav Products From The Test Tube

Last week I gave away a little secret of mine by sharing The Test Tube program. LOVE IT!! I wish they would send one every month, lol. Anyways, I said I would share some of my fav products so today I will share two products of which I will NEVER live without.
Oh my gosh I see this little white bottle with the pink lid and I just smile, ha ha, silly I know but let me tell you this stuff works. Lumene Time Freeze is amazing. This is not your mamas Olay! For the bargain price of around $20.00 this fabulous, silky cream will smooth away all those nasty little lines. For me it is the ones right between my eye brows just above my nose. HATE THEM! I put a little of this on and voila they are so smooth and barely there. Seriously I hate needles so this is like my surgical procedure with out the freaking out. Give it a try. I just bought a trial size package with cleanser, toner and this cream at ULTA.com for $6.00. Ulta has some great trial size products to purchase so you can try before you buy a big jar. While your there try some of Lumenes Vitamin C+ creams, love them as well.
Next little product that makes me smile is this Volumnizing Mascara from Mally I just recently used this mascara and have fallen in love. I am a freak about my eye lashes. I am that silly girl that will spend 30 minutes making my lashes perfect. This mascara really does make your lashes thicker, no clumping, no stringy little lashes all over the place. It really does make a difference. Try it out, you'll love it.

Fashion, Fashion, Fashion next week. So all you fashionistas tune in for fabulous finds!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Best Beauty Product Sampler EVER!

How many products do you have sitting in your bathroom or storage closet unused? I have TONS! I have the solution for you. If you have not already heard there is this amazing product sampling kit that will show up at your house every 3 months with the BEST beauty magazine you will ever read. It is called New Beauty Test Tube. LOVE IT!!

This Test Tube contains several trial and full size samples of many different products from anti-wrinkle creams to full bottles of hairspray. Along with the samples is a small pamplet that tells in great detail what each product claims to do and what it is made of. Then on top of all that you get this magazine that is like a book completely full of everything you need to know about every possible beauty subject. Want to know how to get rid of those tiny fine lines around your eyes, this magazine will tell you what product is the best along with how you can change your diet to help these products work best! AND, there are discounts and coupons from several manufacturers and online stores to buy these product if you like them after you have tried them. Can I say perfect!!

I just count down the days until this box arrives with the test tube and I rip it open like a kid on Christmas morning. It is insane but let me tell you I have found some of the most amazing products that I will never live with out again from this test tube. Next week I will share some of my favs and tell you where to get them and include some coupon codes to use.

So stop getting frustrated with buying to much CRAP that does not work. Spend the measly $29.95 every 3 months and sample away. Oh and almost forgot to tell you QVC is debuting a special Test Tube right now, take a look and try it out. If you want to go for the gold and buy the program (you can cancel at any time) you can purchase it here.

Ciao!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Invisible Illness Awareness

Please put this as your social media status for at least one hour if you, or someone you know has/had an invisible illness; Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Kidney Disease, Epilepsy, Fibromylagia, MS, COPD, Lupus, or Diabetes. My one wish is that in 2011 a cure will be found for any or all of these. Do it for all who have an invisible illness!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Dance Trance "It's What You Been Waiting For" TV Spot (Youtube Version)

LOVING the new commercial for Dance Trance Fitness!!! This is my LOVE that keeps me wanting to exercise and get fit. But, why is getting fit a never ending process for me? Ummmm?!?! Because I LOVE to eat?!?!?! LOL!!!!!!! Anyway, take a look: