Makeup Essentials (The Travel Version)

If I haven't talked about it enough yet, I am going on vacation on Thursday (I'm completely excited, but at the same time I'm scared to leave my baby for the first time). I always have my travel essentials ready to go!

Lately, I've been getting some emails asking me what makeup I love and what I use. I thought I would do a quick post on some of my favorite products I HAVE to have when I travel.

So........here ya go:

1--NARS EYESHADOW (Bohemian Gold is my fave). They have MAJOR staying power. When it's humid, it stays put...which is a MUST!
2--KATE SOMERVILLE TAN TOWELETTES. I am white as a ghost most of the year, but when I go on vacay, I like to put a little tanner on before (because I don't tan in the sun) I go. These don't streak, and are super easy to apply!
3--BOBBI BROWN BRONZER (Medium is my shade). I have used this bronzer for-EVER! I love it, it never looks orange, and just gives a nice glow.
4--BOBBI BROWN LIP BALM SPF 15. I think I have four jars of this stuff laying around my house. I never run out! I love love love it! It's smooth, but not sticky and has SPF!

5--LAURA MERCIER TINTED MOISTURIZER. The BEST tinted moisturizer in my opinion. It stays put, doesn't slide, and gives just the right amount of coverage (and  has SPF!).

6--KATE SOMERVILLE EXFOLIKATE. Ok, if you have dry skin, bumpy skin, texture issues, etc..THIS is for you. I can't explain it, but it does amazing things for my skin in the winter. I always travel with it!

7--MAYBELLINE THE FALSIES MASCARA (Waterproof). Ok, I won't go on and on about this, because I've probably said I love this stuff a million times. You get it (but if you haven't tried it yet..DO!)

So, there you have it! What are YOUR favorite Travel Makeup Essentials? Any that I should go get before I leave? Let me know!

Also, two of my favorite bloggy people (Courtney & Kylee) nominated me for a Liebster Award!! I am so thrilled, because it couldn't have come from two more awesome girls (GO CHECK OUT THEIR FANTASTIC BLOGS)! 

This award is given to a blogger with less than 200 followers and is a fantastic way to promote and encourage new friendships within the blogging community.  

I promise I haven't forgotten about it (just a little crazy right now)! I will nominate some people when I get back! 

Jenna, The Wife

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The Last Thing Thursdays

What do you guys think about me starting a Thursday Link-Up? I have been hemming and hawing over this one for a while. I want to call it:

"THE LAST THING THURSDAYS" 
(I haven't made up a pic for it or anything yet..but my mind was racing and I had to write about it!)

So, to give you an idea of what the heck I'm talking about...here is the first post!

The Last Thing I....

Ate:
A deliciously juicy clementine. Then another. And one more. Yum!

Bought:
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara. I might be a little obsessed with this mascara. It's just so amazing..and so CHEAP!

Read:
InStyle Magazine. Well, I didn't really read it so much as flipped through it. I just like the pretty pictures. HA. That counts right?

Cried At:
Sharing a sad moment with my sister.



Laughed At: 
My baby (of course) laughing at me making crazy animal noises at him. His "human" laugh is the best!

Cooked:
Lemon Garlic Pasta & Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats for dinner last night. Both were DE-LISH!
(via here)

Crafted: 
A wreath for Valentine's Day (still crafting it)


Drooled Over:
This linen chair from Anthropologie. At $1,698 I can TOTALLY afford it. NOT. Oh and I want TWO of them. Ha.

via here

So what do you think? Would you link-up with me every week? 

Happy Thursday, people!

Jenna, The Wife

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Sponsor Love

I am all about the love. Paying it forward, showing some gratitude, feeling some warm & fuzzies...all that jazz (sincere, no?). For REAL though, sometimes you need to spread the love. These girls are some of my most favorite people in the Blogosphere World, and you just HAVE to get to know them. 


Without further ado....I'll let them introduce themselves!


My Lovely Sponsors (Part 1)


First up...the gorgeous & super sweet...
Miss Lindsay from Lindsay Nicole

Hey There! So first a quick thanks to the awesome Jenna for having me on this Sponsor Swap. This is my first time so please go easy on me! My name is Lindsay, pleased to meet you!~ I'm from the good 'ol southern state of Georgia and am in love with life. I am extremely family oriented, graduated last year, landed and am working my first big girl job, am in my first apartment, and learning to live an awesome life on a budget. Whew. I know I know, alot to take in. But I would just LOVE the chance to meet you. You can find me at Lindsay Nicole where I put in a little bit of everything. Hope to see you soon!

Follow & Show her some love here:

BLOG
TWITTER

Next Up we have the hilarious and oh-so-darling... 

Miss Ashley from 5ohWifey

First things first, I am a Christian and amazed every day by what God is doing in my life. I am the wife of 5ohHubby who is a police officer and wonderful man (and no that's not mutually exclusive), stay at home mom to an amazing little girl (5ohBaby) and we have probably the cutest, ugly dog out there (5ohPup). I love to blog about faith, life as a police wife, parenting, mommy style and fashion, DIY projects and recipes. Come stop by and see what's going on in this 5ohFamily!

Follow & show her some love here:

BLOG
TWITTER

Last (but obviously not least) up we have the seriously cute & one of my fellow Utah Bloggers...

Miss Stephanie from Stephanie & Such

Hi friends, I am Stephanie @Stephanie and Such! Jenna asked me to come on over and introduce myself and since she is the cutest thing ever (seriously), I had to take the opportunity! Let me introduce myself by saying a few random things things.

 I AM:

+ A lover of Diet Coke

+ From Spokane, Washington

+ A believer in taking (a lot ) of naps

+ The type of girl that ALWAYS has lip gloss on hand

+ The Queen of blind dates. I've only had ONE be successful (so far)

+ A college graduate from BYU-Idaho, who studied Elementary Education (best major EVER!)

 + and most importantly, I AM taking one day at a time in life right now. I am the type that usually has my life planned six months in advance, but have realized that plans change and that is just okay :) Just roll with it!

Now come visit me and introduce yourself!

Follow & show her some love here:

Blog

Facebook 

Twitter 

I hope you go give ALL of these girls some serious LOVE like you show me! They deserve it!

Jenna, The Wife

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My Week: Via Instagram

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm just a TAD obsessed with taking pictures. More importantly, I'm a LOT obsessed with Instagram! I don't think I have had so much fun with one app in...well, ever!

So, today I'm linking up with my cute friend, Jenni from Story of My Life for the Best of Instagram!

1--The uber-talented Jenni (Story of My Life) made me a beautiful new button. Love it!
2--I got my highest score EVER on Temple Run (DON'T download that game..it is a complete time-waster)!

1--The pic says it all. Boredom at it's finest.
2--Playdate with Baby James (they are 4 days apart).

1--This day my day consisted of Flowers from the Hubby, a Horrible Dentist appt. (me trying to smile whilst numb), a very weird Sunny day and Davis on his new horse.
2--D loves chewing on Mama's fingers!

1--He holds his own bottle now! Yay! 
2--Date Night with my love. Sushi, Arcade Games (we might be a BIT competitive) and a great Night Out!

1--Davis & Mama time
2--Shopping with my Sista!

Have a great rest of the week!

Jenna, The Wife

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Dear Davis

Today you are 7 months old and I honestly can't believe how time has flown! Everyone kept telling me when I was pregnant with you to 'enjoy the moments & to take in everything I can because it goes by so quickly'..and it really has.

Daddy & I can't believe how lucky we are that you came into our lives. We love watching you grow and become a little person. You are talking a TON, and squealing with delight (and sometimes with grumpiness). You can say "ba-ba-ba, da-da-da and hi-hi-hi" so far. I think you're a little genius, but I might be a tad biased. You still hate tummy time, but you roll over and sit up like a champ. You grab my hair all the time and try to yank it out (good thing I have a lot to spare). You love when we make silly noises at you, and sing songs. You are a pretty happy baby, and I can't get ENOUGH of you!!

Oh and your little Human Laugh is the best sound in the ENTIRE world. I would act like a crazy monkey and throw bananas if it would get you to laugh forever.

I love that I get to stay home with you and watch each precious thing you do and say. You make my life so full of joy. I can't wait to see what type of person you are going to grow up to be (an awesome one, most likely) and how your personality is going to develop.

Thank you for coming into our lives when we needed you the most. You brighten our lives every single day.

I Love You Monkey!

Mama

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Raspberry Lemonade Cake

Recently, I have strayed away from the sweets that I crave so much. Simply because I am trying to be healthier this year, and because I'm going to Hawaii in t-minus 2 weeks (that whole fear of "me-being-self-conscious-about-body-after-baby-thing" scares me)! Eek!

Then I saw this cake. I just couldn't resist. I tweaked it a little bit and made my version with Raspberries. It was pretty delish! Not too heavy, and not too sweet! In fact, I don't think there was actually ANY calories in it at ALL (ha, a girl can dream)!

Ingredients:
For Cake:

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice (from fresh squeezed lemon)
• 3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup Raspberries
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 large egg whites 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• For Frosting:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened 
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (squeezed from fresh lemon)
• 2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1--Preheat oven to 350°.
• 2--For cake, mix first 6 ingredients together (Sugar, Butter, Lemon Juice, Lemon Concentrate, Raspberries & Vanilla) in a bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). 
• 3--Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 
• 4--Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. 
• 5--Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture. Beat well after you add.
• 6--Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
• 7--To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter (room temp) in mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar slowly as butter softens. Add milk to make more creamy. Then add lemon & vanilla. Mix well. (Do not over-beat).
• 8--Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.
• 9--EAT & ENJOY!

He kept grabbing the Lemons to taste..so I gave him a lick, but I think he regretted it! :)

Happy Cake-Baking!

Jenna, The Wife

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Happiness Inducers

I'm announcing the winner of the Thrifty & Fabulous Giveaway at the bottom of the post, so if you're just here to read that (ha..hopefully not) scroll down.

Hey! Are you still with me? :)

I'm feeling a little off today. Maybe it's the crummy weather, or the quiet lull after all the Holiday Hubbub, but I'm just not feeling myself. I am having to say, "SNAP OUT OF IT, JENNA!" Whenever I get in a weird funk like this, there are a couple of fail-safe ways I get myself back to normal! I would assume we all have some, right?

Numero Uno: Taking a long, hot bath while reading a good book (if my hubby will watch my babe in the meantime)! My current read: The Happiness Project (ironic, no?). If you haven't heard of it, go check it out! I love it so far..it makes me really want to stop and appreciate the little things in life (which is my goal this year)!

Numero Dos: Putting on some tunes and having a dance party in my living room (with my baby in my arms). There is something about dancing just for the fun of it that makes me feel like a kid. Especially when my baby is giggling and smiling up at me (probably thinking I look crazy, but still).

What songs are on my Ipod right now (that get me in the mood to dance):

• Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye)
• Fire Burning (Sean Kingston)
• Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons)
• Lots of Lady Gaga :)
• Break Your Heart (Taio Cruz)
• Forget You (Cee-Lo)

Numero Tres: Online "Wish" Shopping. Ok, I might be the only one that does this. I go to my favorite stores online (J.Crew, Ruche, Nordstrom) and just put everything I want in my cart like I actually have the money to buy it. I obviously know I can't buy ALL of it, but it's fake retail therapy for me. You would think it would depress me even more, but it has the opposite effect. When I'm done "carting" all the things I want, I think to myself, I don't actually need all this stuff...and I feel content with what I have. Weird, I know. 

What's currently in my "cart:" 

*I might actually BUY this one. I mean, it's called the "Jenna Bracelet" for pete's sake!

Numero Cuatro: Doing anything creative. My favorite loves include painting, drawing, and recently, I have started making jewelry. I don't know how I got into it, I just decided..hey I could make that $100 bracelet!

What do you think? Like it? I am kind of in love with them!!

Numero Cinco: Do something NICE for someone ELSE. When I'm getting down about something or in a bad mood, it's usually because I'm focusing too much on myself. So today, I wrote a note to one of my sweet friend, sent it in the mail, and hope it gives her a little joy today.

*PS I LOOOOOVED reading all the nice things you have done for other people on the Giveaway post. LOVED it!!

What do YOU do to give yourself a little "Happiness Shot" (I'm not talking about druggies here, people, so relax)?
______________________________________________________________________________

DRUM ROLL.....................
The Winner of the Thrift & Fabulous Giveaway is.......

Britney @ The Twenty-Something Wife! Congrats Brit!! (EMAIL ME TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE, DARLING!)
**And SORRY..but I deleted the Random.Org Widget on accident! You'll just have to trust me :)


Love you all! Get HAPPY TODAY WILL YA!?

Jenna, The Wife Pin It

Things I'm Loving Thursday

I'm feeling wishful today. It's super cold and super yucky outside right now. I need some inspiration and some excitement!! So, where do I go? PINTEREST of course. If you haven't heard of Pinterest yet..wait..you must be joking, right??

Are you over Pinterest yet? I'm not. I could spend waaaay too much time pinning everything! Here are my current loves....

THINGS I HAVE MADE AND LOVED 
(and WANT TO MAKE AGAIN):

This is my Morning Smoothie. I add flaxseed too.
Via Here

This is SO DANG GOOD! Seriously.
Via Here

This PB/Yogurt dip is YUMMERS!
Via Here

I made these last night and they are a DE-LISH, but healthy snack!
Via Here

FOR MY CRAFT ROOM RE-DO:

(Help! Which Color Palette should I use?!)

THINGS I WANT IN MY CLOSET:

I might be a TAD in love with anything striped!
And I might I have a whole Board dedicated to Stripes :)
Via Here

I love the layers and the COLORS to make me happy in Winter
via HERE

Love the Stripes (of course) and the pop of color
Via Here

Stacking bracelets is my new favorite thing to do to spice up my plain white -T!
Via Here

Isn't this the most gorgeous Mustard coat ever?!
Via Here 

Now go Pin some things..you know you want to!

Jenna, The Wife

P.S. DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY! YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT TO ENTER!

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