Soooo a couple months ago, I found this store called Ulta and I came across this blog. I love the blog-it has really awesome hair tutorials and the very sweet lady behind it who is a stylist reviews make-up and puts together some pretty cute outfits. Normal things for some people who know how to do that stuff and for others like me who can't blow dry their own hair right, a saving grace.  Then there's Ulta, the best of beauty supply stores (kicks Sephora's butt), it carries everything from Revlon to expensive brands.  I got a facial in there for $20!  They are all so nice, will recommend products, put them on you...I have to go with a sponsor!!!  So, I've become a quite the product trying queen.  Don't mistake, I am a pretty low maintainence girl.  I just got my hair cut yesterday after 7 months.  But as I get older (I just turned 37 gulp!) I am appreciating good makeup, skincare and haircare products.  So I thought I would share my favorite items, it always helps hearing what other people use and what they think of it.

1. BirchBox: this is a subscription that you pay $10 a month for.  Every month I get a super cute box full of sample sized beauty products.  I really hate buying a big bottle or full size of something and then not liking and being stuck with it and out the $$$.  So they send makeup, skincare, & fragrance samples that are pretty good sized that I can try before buying.  Genius!  It's like getting a gift every month and I love all the packaging and pink lined box.

June's box contained dry shampoo, lipstick, free cute postcards, orange nail polish, hair tie and perfume sample.

2. The BEST foundation: my skintone has always been uneven (pink cheeks, pale skin and dark circles) and combined with new sun spots (yuck) I decided to venture out of the Bare Minerals and try something with a little more coverage.  Urban Decay, Naked Skin was pricey, $32, but I only use a little bit, it covers amazing, but it feels like I have nothing on.  Lasts all day.  I've tried many brands and this one is the BEST!  I also broke down and bought a really nice foundation brush.  I had never heard of the thing but again, LOVE it.  It is much better than using your fingers and apply it evenly.

This foundation will transform the way you think about foundation...or you will just like it a lot.

About three months ago, I started pondering when the last time Mike and I had gone off for a weekend or a trip by ourselves.  I couldn't come up with the answer so I decided that needed to change!  I scored a great deal at a hotel in a town near Sun Valley, and kept it a secret from Mike.  I just had him take a Friday off. The kids got to stay with Mom and Mike and I enjoyed a weekend to ourselves. It was wonderful!

Mike has had a really big project at work that he is the lead on and we haven't seen much of him for a month.  Some nights after a 12 hour day at work, he comes home and does homework.  So I thought he really needed some down time.

We drove 2.5 hours to the town of Hailey.  Perfect timing, there weren't many other tourists and we had the hotel pool to ourselves, restaurants weren't packed and we even walked around Sun Valley Resort and it was pretty empty.  Our hotel had free bikes, so we went on a ride, did some shopping in Ketchum and went on a fabulous hike.  We had no agenda, no schedule and did what we wanted. It's such a beautiful area there with wildflowers and mountains and the sky was so blue.   I've decided that we deserve a weekend like this at least 1-2 times a year.  Doesn't have to be fancy, just an opportunity to relax, laugh and enjoy.

We Face-Timed with the kids every night though :-)

We are having fun!!

Sawtooth Botanical Garden

Tranquility garden with Buddhist prayer wheel from when the Dalai Lama visited in 2005.

Those are some big boots!

Delicious drinks at Sun Valley Resort Lodge

Look at that sky.  The view was beautiful from our hike, the air smelled so good!

We hiked right up that hill!

Sculpture made from sticks and branches-very cool!

 The kids got free passes to the little aquarium in Boise.  We all enjoyed it, they had quite a few fish and assorted sea life.  We got to feed the little sharks and pet the sea rays.  There was a huge iguana that Hannah tried to feed.  We had a good time.

I am so behind!  I wrote this post after Memorial Day Weekend.  Better late than never, it took forever to get the pics with it!

A three day weekend couldn't have come at a better time!  So much work lately, especially for Mr. Case that we don't see him much.  So we had three nice long days stretched out in front of us.  Instead of relax too much, we got busy.  We organized and cleaned the garage.  I feel much better when things are clean and in their correct places.  Had to get rid of the rocking chair (that's been in garage for 6 months) I had since before Hannah was born, but the good news is it went to my sweet neighbor who is expecting a new baby.  Feels much better than donating it.

Mike built me a garden box so Hannah and I can be vegetable growers.  So after spending too much money at home depot on building supplies, and mulch for the flower beds, and flowers for the flower pots and LOTS of top soil, compost and garden soil, we began.  I really love doing projects with the family but for some reason after all that shopping, we were all ready to pull our hair out.  So I took everyone out to lunch and then made them get to work!  I got to hang my bird feeder I got for Mother's Day and I made the hummingbird nectar and got that up too.

Hannah cut grass and leaves and Harley was like a horse eating it.  Weird dog.

So proud of their work!

The girl and Meggie

Hannah did a great job at the end of year music program.

Tree climbing!

I definintely don't have the green thumb/gardening bug my Grandma, Mom and sister have, or maybe mine is just smaller.  Either way, it was enough gardening for me.  Hannah and I look forward to seeing if we can grow anything.

We grilled a bit, got some movies in and it was a nice break.  Now for summer to begin!

Hannah and I made a list of some summer options :-)

Hannah and her 4th grade teacher.

Hannah with a few of her class friends.

The kids finished up school.  I love having them here but I have so much work this summer.  I always have a bit of guilt when I'm working away in my office and they are left to themselves.  We negotiated on the amount of "screen time" (TV, computer, iPods) they will get on summer days...currently they have 45 minutes.  They tried to bargain for three hours a day but they only got 2. I think that is realistic-I know some parents don't let their kids have any, and some let them have it all day, so I think that is a good compromise.  So I made a summer lunch menu, screen time log-in sheets and some "guidelines" for summer-helps me feel more prepared.  We finally booked our camping spot and who knows what else we will do.

Look who made me a delicious dinner for Mother's Day? It was so good, my favorites: lasagna, roasted asparagus, salad and French bread. I am one lucky mom. I got to spend the afternoon with my mom. Great day!

Amy joins us on many outings-here she is enjoying a Jimmy Johns sandwich.

Cinco De Mayo! Taylor apparently isn't too thrilled about the sombrero.

This guy outgrew his bike he's had for the last five years, so we went to REI and got him  a new one.  He LOVES it to say the least.

Hannah loves that Meggie.  We got to watch her while my Mom was out of town for 10 days.

Hannah's school had a fundraiser so I made buttermilk chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream frosting.  They were out of control good!

Enjoying birthday chocolate fondue

Birthday dinner at his favorite buffet place.

He was so excited to get a new hoodie.

birthday boarding lesson

He looks so big!

Do they look comfy or what?  We like to read in this house!

look at those pretty braces!

Old Alley Cat

Tea party with Amy (the doll)

silly kids

in which Harley likes to think he is a lap dog-all 40 pounds of him.

Cinnamon twists

silly Since I like lists, I'll just keep to one about what we are doing lately around here (in no specific order).  Note: I cannot get the pics to go in any sort of order with the list, so here you go:

1.  Recovering from a frantic month that included the collision of two big deadlines and a funeral.  That was the hard part.  The great part was seeing family I haven't seen for so long and reverting back to our child-like ways of discussing poop, eating lots of candy and laughing.  So much laughing.  I've decided since I've attended 4 funerals in the last 3 years I shall take the next year or two off.  Noboby gets to die.  Mmmkay?
2. Trying to keep up my momentum on the lovely quilt I decided to make for my Hannah.  Just a mere 391 squares for someone that is not a sewer.  I did have the delight of using my Grandma's Bernina sewing machine from 1979.  Those Swedish sure know how to make something that lasts.  It's like brand new.  It brings back such wonderful memories of sitting beside my Grandma as she sewed us clothes, pajamas, Barbie clothes, doll clothes.  She was a very gifted seamstress.
3. Celebrated Taylor turning 13!!!! I have a teenager in the house and he's beginning to smell and eat like one.  What a handsome, funny, smart, witty guy he is.  He has matured so much in the last 6 months and it's such a delight to see.  He is such an easy kid, we had a quiet dinner at home with chocolate fondue and a dinner out with the whole family at his choice of restaurants: a buffet.  Gross me out. For his gift from Grandma and grandpa Case, he got to try out a snowboarding lesson at Bogus Basin near Boise and really loved it.  He keeps asking when we can go up again.  
4. Adjusting to Mike's school schedule.  It could be a long 3 years but I'm so proud of him for going for his goal of getting his degree!  We might need a family vacation after this!
5. Hannah got braces!  They are so cute but make her look much older.  Sigh.  If Taylor ever loses all his molars, he's the next on the ortho list with braces installed this summer.
6. Got the most amazing news that I get to be an Aunt again!!! I am beyond excited to hold that little baby and love on him/her (I really don't like saying it).  But since he/she has a ways to go in utero and will be born in another country, I'll just have to be patient and keep my baby fever to myself for awhile.  So happy for my brother and his girlfriend.  What a fun time they have ahead of them!  Parenthood has a way of rocking your world completely.
7. We upgraded the TV in our bedroom. After having to switch cables back and forth when watching a movie and not having the volume button really work-we got a new one with part of Mike's yearly bonus.  It does feel frivilous to have such a big TV in our room, but I'm not complaining one little bit.
8. Upgraded to the iphone 5.  Our contract was up for renewal so I figured it was a good time.  I now have Siri to help me with my entire life, such as ask where the closest sandwich place is, ask how much a chicken leg ways and how to spell words.  The kids put her to good use with all kinds of burning questions like that.  We are so easily entertained.  
9. I got a new Kitchen Aid mixer the other day via an amazing deal through my uncle.  It is so pretty.  I can't believe how excited I can get about a kitchen appliance that's candy apple red.  But when you cook and bake as much as I do, it's a needed and appreciated item.

Here are even more pics in no order!  Happy March!!

My cousins and spouses singing at my Uncle's memorial.  It was so beautiful.

Working on the quilt for Hannah.

I love this bunch!!

candy apple red!