First Impression // New Skincare Products!

     *This post is in partnership with OZ Naturals & Imagine Dermatology. I only work with brands that I truly love! Thanks for reading along!*

     I'm back with another skincare post! I have really been loving  incorporating more beauty posts into my blog and I hope you are enjoying it as well! I've always been enamored by the idea of taking care of  + protecting my skin and love experimenting with different products. All of the products in this post were sent to me to try out and review and it was so fun to get my hands on a few new things that I hadn't heard of yet!

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     I was really excited to receive this Vitamen C + AHA Facial Serum from OZNaturals. I did some stalking on the OZNaturals website and I absolutely loved learning about their philosophy for natural skincare. Their motto is "Natural Skincare that Truly Works." OZNaturals products are free from GMOs, sulfate, parabens, fragrances, phthalates + petro chemicals. 

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     This Vitamin C Facial Serum boasts of two powerful ingredients: Vitamin C + Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA). The combination of these ingredients is meant to fight against wrinkles while also working on brighter, more radiant skin.

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     I have honestly never tried a serum so I was really excited to add this to my skincare routine. I love the packaging and the fact that this product comes in a glass dropper bottle. It has a very refreshing but subtle citrusy scent and putting this on makes me feel like I've just squeezed an orange right on my face and I love it! Maybe that sounds weird but it just feels very refreshing and natural... 

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     Vitamin C is such a powerful natural skincare component and can even help prevent future damage to the skin by fighting against free radicals! I'm hooked on this serum and am planning to use it going into spring to help even out my skin tone and protect my skin as I start getting outside more.

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     Imagine Dermatology reached out to me about their new skincare line and I was definitely intrigued since they claim to have branched off from a well-known skincare company. They sent me two products to try out: their Smoother Skin anti-aging renewal complex + their Instant Lifting wrinkle fighter. My philosophy on anti-aging products is that it is never too early to start using them if you want to keep your skin looking youthful! I remember reading this when I was a teenager somewhere and I would use the samples of eye cream that my Grandma would get for free at the department store beauty counters! :)

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     Both of these Imagine Dermatology products oddly smell very similar to the OZNaturals serum - light and citrusy! I am really happy with these products and have been using them at night following my face cleansing routine. They feel nice and fresh and haven't irritated my skin. Both of these products contain hyaluronic acid which helps retain moisture in the skin and after a dry Colorado winter, my skin is loving this extra boost! 

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     The Instant Lifting wrinkle fighter contains acmella olerecea extract, an ingredient that I've never heard of but claims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles in a method similar to Botox! Crazy, right? 

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     I was also impressed that Imagine Dermatology products are paraben, phtalate and sulfate free and are not tested on animals!

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Overall, I'm very happy with all of these products and am happy to have some new skincare products to put into my routine for Spring!

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Which skincare products are you loving right now? I have just recently completely switched up my skin cleansing routine also and will share those products with you all soon!

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Sharing a Few Summer PR Packages!

The world of blogging is a weird and wonderful place that I've become part of within the past 6 (eek!) years. Being an Influencer is kind of a misunderstood place to be right now and I'm constantly analyzing and figuring out my feelings about it and the direction I want to go.

Some people think that bloggers will just do anything for free stuff when in reality there is a lot more behind blogging than that for a lot of us. Free stuff can certainly be a perk but simply trying to get a ton of free products isn't really the end goal in blogging. I turn down offers constantly from companies that want to send me things. I've been focusing my efforts more on paid opportunities that allow me to put in my time and creativity with brands that I admire while being able to support my family!

Having said that, sometimes I do get boxes of "free stuff" which gives me a chance to try out new products and share them with you all - and yes, it's fun!

I don't often see bloggers do a post strictly about PR packages but I thought it would be fun to show you a few boxes I've received lately and share my truthful feelings on the products inside! I was not required by any of these brands to do this blog post. :)



Imagine Dermatology

You may remember Imagine Dermatology from this skincare post where I talked about some of their anti-aging products that I tried. They sent along this bubbling charcoal mask recently and you guys, I AM OBSESSED WITH IT. I'm not kidding; this is a staple in my skincare now. It tingles and feels extremely relaxing. Also, it actually works + pulls out blackheads like you wouldn't believe. I will definitely repurchase this, can't live without it!


Pacifica

I was so excited to receive a PR package from Pacifica, because well, Pacifica- duh! The box is the prettiest thing I've ever seen and I feel like I need to keep it forever. They sent along a couple packs of their new cleansing wipes. 

I am a big believer in removing your makeup at night and I actually like to double or triple cleanse my face to really get everything off. I love to have  wipes on hand though for nights that I'm just too tired for my normal skincare routine. I usually use baby wipes so these seemed extra luxurious + they are really reasonably priced at $6 each!

To be honest, the face wipes stung a little. I have been having some seriously sensitive skin lately though so this may be a personal problem? They smelled fruity and fun and of course the packaging was adorable. 

The Cherry Kisses Hydrating Lipstick Wipes surprised me though. I honestly didn't know lipstick wipes existed and didn't fully understand the point until I read that these also hydrate + exfoliate your lips! My lips felt so soft and smooth after using these and I will definitely use them again! (Both of these products are sulfate + paraben free and Pacifica is a cruelty free brand-yay!)

Derma E

I was also pumped to receive something from Derma E, another totally awesome company that defines themselves as "Ethical Skincare". Derma E sent along two of their cleansing products. 

The Vitamin C Micellar Cleansing Water, again, stung my face! What is the deal with my sensitive skin right now guys? Micellar water is the bomb though and I've used another one happily in the past. 

However, winner winner- I LOVE the Nourishing Rose Cleansing Oil that they also sent me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved using an oil cleanser. Like the name says, this stuff felt extremely nourishing. It has argan + jojoba oils as well as vitamin E; such wonderful natural skincare ingredients. Pick some of this stuff up guys, you won't regret it. (Side note, I have recently switched completely to the oil cleansing method of face cleansing. I'll share more about that soon but this would be a great product to try out first if you are interested in using oils to wash your face!)

So there ya go, a few favorite packages that I've received over the past few months! Did you enjoy seeing what was inside? Also, I'd love to know if you use any of these products or brands! 

xoxo, gillian 

life right now.

we started roman's first year of homeschool preschool. it has been hectic, but special to see him learn and grow. asher is in love with his "busy bees". he cracks us up as he lays under them and smiles away. he also likes his animal mobile now, but not as much as the bees of course.

 roman loves to makes us "presents" which consist of various set ups of his toys placed somewhere in the house for us to admire. i love having little boys. i'm always saying that to aaron. when i was first pregnant with roman, i couldn't imagine having a boy. now, i can't imagine it any other way.

we've spent the end of our summer taking lots of drives out to the country and painting at our new house. there she is, complete with massive bushes and a crooked little address post.

happy thoughts.

some happy thoughts of late:

the sweet things about this little boy:

when he plays "baby",

when he acts all dramatically adorable during the times when he actually lets me photograph him,

early mornings when he is all sticky sweet and rolls all over me squeaking, "hi mama"s at me.

when he is sad in his car seat and all he wants is to "cuggle" (cuddle) and kiss and hug.
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finding old mama/baby photos like these.

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photo shoots that turn out all dreamy and wonderful.

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freshly washed baby hair and finally fitting into a thrifted treasure that i bought for him when i still couldn't imagine him ever growing this big.

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many mountain adventures with these guys. :)
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an early morning starbucks and cloudy park date with my littles.
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soft skin, natural light, his favorite shirt.
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roman taking to heart and showing off to us after i keep telling him how adventurous he is.
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and these brothers, of course. always trying to make me grow as a person, even when i don't feel up for it. :)

World Breastfeeding Week + Why I Don't Find Judgement "Natural"

This is a blog post I originally wrote in 2013 and wanted to revisit and share this year during World Breastfeeding Week. I hope you enjoy. :)

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i’m having a lot of conflicting feelings this year during world breastfeeding week. i feel like it might be safe to say that i am as or more passionate about breastfeeding as anyone. i have been breastfeeding for the past 5 years of my life which isn’t much to some people but to most people i’d say it is. that’s a lot of breastfeeding.

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breastfeeding is something that has become such a way of life for me. personally, i always knew i would breastfeed. and now, i  feel like maybe i have a million different breastfeeding topics that i could expand upon such as the many benefits of breastfeeding, my journey and struggles breastfeeding a tongue tied baby, my experience with extended breastfeeding, breastfeeding a second time around, breastfeeding + the nicu, breastfeeding + co-sleeping… and so-on and so-forth.

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breastfeeding is something that i am passionate about. that i love. that is part of me. that is part of my children. but, this year breastfeeding is bringing up a lot of of other feelings for me and one of those is the feeling of exclusion.

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in my life, i have definitely felt a lot of “exclusion” from other people when it comes to my beliefs and parenting practices. and heck, also my lifestyle in general. the list includes: getting married young, having babies young, breastfeeding, breastfeeding (albeit modestly) in public (GASP), breastfeeding my toddlers (FAINT),  sleeping with my babies, sleeping with my toddlers, delayed vaccinations/opting out of vaccinations, homeschooling, etc. sometimes this bothers me a lot. it bothers me that people feel that they can say whatever they want to say to me about my choices when i haven't said anything to them. this really bothers me in any situation. i cannot imagine opening my mouth and judging someone so openly. so harshly. i’m sure all mothers can relate to me here.  there is just something about becoming a mother that opens you up to this world of everyone telling you what to do and most importantly what you are doing wrong. I will never understand this. never, never  - never.

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and then there is the exclusion on the other side. i attended a breastfeeding event recently in my new town which is where this observation really stood out to me. one part of me was very happy to be attending this event. it was something special that i had planned to do with my littlest son. it was fun to be around a lot of people who shared in my beliefs and to be in a place where i did not have to feel excluded. however, it also made me feel uneasy. it made me feel uneasy to be in a place where women who don’t breastfeed or can’t breastfeed wouldn’t feel welcome.  a place where you would feel guilty if you planned a natural childbirth but ended up with a c-section. a place where you might want to run and hide before whipping out the disposable diapers from your bag when all the other babies were wearing cloth.

.

i know that we “hippie” moms like to think of ourselves as being so “natural”. i am pretty obsessed with the word natural come to think of it. but i never want judgement to come "naturally" to me either. that's when i know something is wrong with the way i'm viewing motherhood.

.
obviously,  i am passionate about breastfeeding and i believe that “breast milk is best". i would love to inspire other women and help them to be able to feel that they too can choose breastfeeding for their families. however, i do not believe it is the end all. i do not believe that i am the best mother. not at all. i have so many limitations and weaknesses as a mother.
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i guess what i'm trying to say, is that even though people have definitely made me feel excluded because of my parenting choices, i never want to make someone else feel that way. i’m so thankful that i have been able to connect with mothers out there who are doing things all different ways and i’m thankful that they have felt that they could connect with me as well. each one of these mothers i admire for different reasons. i am thankful for their kind comments to me, and i am thankful that they have never made me feel excluded. let’s all please continue to be friends and build each other up. that is what i want most of all.

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i have a lot of work to do to become more of the person that i want to be and of course i'm not sure what the answer is. i'm not saying that the event i attended was a "bad thing" or that i will never attend an event like that again. these are just the thoughts that are accompanying my mind as i celebrating nursing and what it has meant for my babies and myself.

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we all have a different story as it relates to feeding our babies. for me, it has been exclusive breastfeeding at birth and extended breastfeeding against societal norms for both of my boys. there have been great joys and also struggles. this year, during world breastfeeding week,  i would love to hear what role breastfeeding has played in your life, if any, and what it has meant for you :)
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(asher, breastfeeding, november 2012)

portraits of papaw.

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we traveled to ohio in september for my grandpa's 80th surprise birthday party. we had no intentions on going back to ohio for a while, but when i heard about papaw's party that my family was planning it just kept festering inside me that i needed to be there. this man means so much to me; i can't even begin to put it into words.

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we celebrated at "sligo" which is a very special place to our family. my grandmother grew up on this farm and later my grandparents built a house there where we would all gather and spend time together. as a kid i spent a lot of time at sligo; picking berries with my grandma, playing with my friend next store, having birthday party slumber parties, and the most story book thanksgivings you could ever imagine. i have so many memories there and i probably haven't been back in about 10 years since my grandparents sold the land to the family that lived next door to our farm who became close family friends.

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there are just so many things i could say about my grandpa, about this place, about this trip. i'm so glad that i went. i had to be there for him, for my family, for me and also for my dad. i knew that my dad would love that i made it and i felt close to him with my presence. my papaw is truly the glue that holds my family together. he is a strong and gentle man. he has always been the sweet grandpa to give us hugs and call me, "gillian claire". he was also there for my dad in the best of ways until the very end and he was there for me in the hardest moments of my life just over a year ago. when i couldn't bear to make decisions and process the pain, my grandpa was there for me, as usual. steady and calm as ever. telling me that hard things happen in life but that we have to make those difficult choices and keep waking up and going. i'm so glad that i got these special portraits that preserve a piece of this wonderful man that i'm lucky to call "papaw" forever. <3

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zero.

just some photos from asher's last day of being "zero", the day before his first birthday. the birthdays of my little boys always stress me to no end. i don't like that they are getting older, i don't like it one bit. the evening before asher turned one, i tried reasoning myself. i know that his first birthday is a good milestone. asher came into my world with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and his lungs filled with fluid. he was taken from me and no one could tell me that he would be okay. but now he is more than okay, he is wonderful and perfect and i cannot imagine him not being with me. so thank God that he is one, i know that is a good thing. but it's just hard for me to see these days passing away. i want to hold onto them so hard, i never want to let them go. i know that these moments will be the best in my life.

world breastfeeding week + why i don't find judgement "natural"

( just a couple recent favorite photos of me + my current and former nurslings )

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i’m having a lot of conflicting feelings this year during world breastfeeding week. i feel like it might be safe to say that i am as or more passionate about breastfeeding as anyone. i have been breastfeeding for the past 5 years of my life which isn’t much to some people but to most people i’d say it is. that’s a lot of breastfeeding.

.

breastfeeding is something that has become such a way of life for me. personally, i always knew i would breastfeed. and now, i  feel like maybe i have a million different breastfeeding topics that i could expand upon such as the many benefits of breastfeeding, my journey and struggles breastfeeding a tongue tied baby, my experience with extended breastfeeding, breastfeeding a second time around, breastfeeding + the nicu, breastfeeding + co-sleeping… and so-on and so-forth.

.

breastfeeding is something that i am passionate about. that i love. that is part of me. that is part of my children. but, this year breastfeeding is bringing up a lot of of other feelings for me and one of those is the feeling of exclusion.

.

in my life, i have definitely felt a lot of “exclusion” from other people when it comes to my beliefs and parenting practices. and heck, also my lifestyle in general. the list includes: getting married young, having babies young, breastfeeding, breastfeeding (albeit modestly) in public (GASP), breastfeeding my toddlers (FAINT),  sleeping with my babies, sleeping with my toddlers, delayed vaccinations/opting out of vaccinations, homeschooling, etc. sometimes this bothers me a lot. it bothers me that people feel that they can say whatever they want to say to me about my choices when i haven't said anything to them. this really bothers me in any situation. i cannot imagine opening my mouth and judging someone so openly. so harshly. i’m sure all mothers can relate to me here.  there is just something about becoming a mother that opens you up to this world of everyone telling you what to do and most importantly what you are doing wrong. I will never understand this. never, never  - never.

.

and then there is the exclusion on the other side. i attended a breastfeeding event recently in my new town which is where this observation really stood out to me. one part of me was very happy to be attending this event. it was something special that i had planned to do with my littlest son. it was fun to be around a lot of people who shared in my beliefs and to be in a place where i did not have to feel excluded. however, it also made me feel uneasy. it made me feel uneasy to be in a place where women who don’t breastfeed or can’t breastfeed wouldn’t feel welcome.  a place where you would feel guilty if you planned a natural childbirth but ended up with a c-section. a place where you might want to run and hide before whipping out the disposable diapers from your bag when all the other babies were wearing cloth.

.

i know that we “hippie” moms like to think of ourselves as being so “natural”. i am pretty obsessed with the word natural come to think of it. but i never want judgement to come "naturally" to me either. that's when i know something is wrong with the way i'm viewing motherhood.

.
obviously,  i am passionate about breastfeeding and i believe that “breast milk is best". i would love to inspire other women and help them to be able to feel that they too can choose breastfeeding for their families. however, i do not believe it is the end all. i do not believe that i am the best mother. not at all. i have so many limitations and weaknesses as a mother.
.

i guess what i'm trying to say, is that even though people have definitely made me feel excluded because of my parenting choices, i never want to make someone else feel that way. i’m so thankful that i have been able to connect with mothers out there who are doing things all different ways and i’m thankful that they have felt that they could connect with me as well. each one of these mothers i admire for different reasons. i am thankful for their kind comments to me, and i am thankful that they have never made me feel excluded. let’s all please continue to be friends and build each other up. that is what i want most of all.

.

i have a lot of work to do to become more of the person that i want to be and of course i'm not sure what the answer is. i'm not saying that the event i attended was a "bad thing" or that i will never attend an event like that again. these are just the thoughts that are accompanying my mind as i celebrating nursing and what it has meant for my babies and myself.

.
we all have a different story as it relates to feeding our babies. for me, it has been exclusive breastfeeding at birth and extended breastfeeding against societal norms for both of my boys. there have been great joys and also struggles. this year, during world breastfeeding week,  i would love to hear what role breastfeeding has played in your life, if any, and what it has meant for you :)
.

(asher, breastfeeding, november 2012)

happy things.

i feel like i have much to write about and many pictures to sort through and share.

not to mention lots of things to do; like organize my house + figure things out for the fall.

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for now i just want to share a few of the happy things in my life right now:

witnessing my baby discover two. i have never actually felt happy about either of my boys turning a year older, but i am genuinely so pleased and proud to watch asher become two :)

watching this brother relationship grow.

it's still rough waters over here between these two a lot of the time. but with all the change in our family and with asher getting just a little bit older, i have seen so much goodness + closeness between these two lately :)

i have to remind myself during the frustrating moments, that being able to see love unfold between my children is wonderful and worth it.

finishing up this session on my photography blog.

because i absolutely adore these portraits + because finally seeing the finished product of a photo shoot does an artist's soul good.

(photo from our trip to the smokey mountains before the move)
when asher sleeps in the car! with all the traveling + driving that we've done lately - you can only imagine how wonderful it is when this wild and spunky little boy is fast asleep in the backseat.
bliss.
 asher sleeping, roman playing quietly, starbucks in hand + the radio turned up: these have been some of the best moments in my life lately.
worst moment you ask? driving to find something on a craigslist ad, getting lost, asher screaming bloodly murder because he wants "out", roman screaming because asher is screaming... and basically many variations on that theme that have played themselves out in our car over the past month ;)

all the new beauty out here. mountains, wildflowers, rainbows, and big skies. i love being able to live right by the foothills of the mountains ;)

this husband of mine - who always works hard to make our lives cushy and comfortable.

i can always depend on him :)

i have known aaron for thirteen years now, and it's just plain crazy.
here's to many more years + many more adventures + many more happy things to have
and cherish together. :)
what are your happy things right now?