Tacori Jewelry

I love jewelry! I am a such a girlie girl and will always be a romantic at heart. When we go on vacation, usually I choose a piece of jewelry as a souvenir to remind me of the trip. I have collected jewelry from everywhere. I love finding beautiful pieces at antique stores or estate sales and always have my eye out for a beautiful piece. What is my favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring, of course!

I still remember my engagement and choosing out my ring as if it were yesterday and not 15 years ago. The giddiness, excitement and all the fun of choosing the ring you'll wear every day for the rest of your life is a big part of planning the perfect wedding. Even though I'm happily married and love my own beautiful ring, it's still so much fun to look at all the beautiful new designs out there. Tacori engagement rings are beautifully crafted rings. I really like this design:





If you are a single mom who is ring shopping or if you know someone who will be soon, Tacori rings are beautiful as well as being a great value. They have other beautiful pieces for us married ladies as well. You can find them at JR Dunn.

Skin MD Natural

My skin has always been on the dry side and midwest winters only make it worse. I love going to the spa and having moisturizing facials and I am a lotion addict-my bathroom closet looks like a Bath and Body Works store. Needless to say, I was excited to have the opportunity to review the new Skin MD lotion, a natural skin care product that creates an invisible shield to lock in moisture.

When I received the lotion, the first thing I noticed was that it passed my "smell test". I don't like lotions that have strong or medicinal smells that overpower my perfume. The scent of Skin MD had a very light, pleasant scent.

The other thing that I noticed about this lotion is that a little goes a long way. If you use too much at one time, as my daughter and I both found out, it feels greasy and hard to absorb. But when just a small amount is used it does not feel greasy at all and absorbs much better. If you feel you need more lotion, it's best to just apply one small layer at a time.

As I stated earlier, the lotion creates an invisible shield over your skin. Why is this beneficial, you may wonder?

"Shielding Lotions are a new type of skin care product based on years of research into how skin heals. They form a protective shield with the outer layer of skin and help keep out irritants. They allow the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better and they're light in texture so they go on without a greasy mess. Your skin needs help to keep out these moisture-robbing irritants.

A fundamental difference between Shielding Lotions and traditional skin care lotions is that Shielding Lotions enhance the skin's own natural protective abilities by turning the outer layer of skin into what could be described as a hydrating invisible shield making them many times more effective than mere protective lotions and moisturizing creams."

~Dr. Brian Zogg, board certified dermatologist

This is a high quality lotion that I would recommend for dry skin, it really made my skin feel soft and hydrated. It would also be helpful for skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. If you'd like to find out more information or would like to order a bottle, you can check out their website. The lotion sells for $18 a bottle, but as you only need to use a small amount, 1 bottle will last a long time. If you have dry skin, this is definitely one to try!

Great Book for Moms of Girls

One of my gifts that I asked for and received this year is the book Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney. I was so excited to read this, I actually read it all in one night! I highly recommend this book for anyone who has a daughter, no matter what her age. The book covers these topics of conversation:

1. You are more than the sum of your parts.
2. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up.
3. Sex is great and worth the wait.
4. It's OK to dream about marriage and motherhood.
5. Girls gone wild are a dime a dozen-dare to be virtuous.

These are all important lessons that I want my daughter to remember and even though we have had some of these conversations already, it's nice to have different ideas for ways to approach difficult subjects. My daughter feels comfortable talking to me about everything right now and it's very important for me to keep that going as she enters the teen years. A great feature of the book is that it is linked to online bonus features that have tips for moms of daughters at every stage. If you want to find out more about this book as well as Vicki Courtney's other books, you can visit her website.