Skin Savers

You know what might be one of my biggest regret in life? Laying in the sun and getting tan way beyond my Irish heritage should allow, until I was just brown enough to head on over to the tanning salon. At the time it felt so good and I thought looked so good (it didn't). Now I want to cry for my aging self and the battle of reversing it all. You could say this is what sparks my insane product interest and the motivation to try it all. 

Not that I do not enjoy being a bit sun kissed, because I find nothing wrong with that (in moderation of course). But only if I have slathered sunscreen on all day and somehow the sun gods have found a way. Is that wrong? (insert cringing emoji) 

After being in the sun a few weeks, I wanted to share my current arsenal. Both for me and the kids. 

1. This Coola sunscreen is made with almost all organic products and smells divine. Also comes in a SPF 50 Sport lotion. They all smell like vacation heaven. 

2. I WORSHIP this Sunscience Mineral Sunscreen Powder. First of all it is SPF 50, second it is water proof and lasts forever, and it gives you a little coverage to even out your skin. 

3. These little Neutrogena sticks for the kids face were perfect pool side. I could reapply without having to make sure they were dry. I used it fairly often as well. 

4. I starting seeing a dark line on my top lip (melasma) and thought it very uncool. This is a lip screen that can even go over lipstick from Supergoop. 

5. I have been looking for a lightweight sunscreen that doesn't leave a white mask. This one does that and it is formulated for sensitive skin and should help with redness. Elta MD

6. I went through two of these Supergoop cans in Florida. Easy to spray on the kids and not one red spot in sight. 

What do you swear by in the sun? Would love to hear! 

xo

Erin 

Homemade Chai Tea Latte

Do you drink coffee or tea? 

I have never been a coffee drinker. Think I tried for a bit in college (mostly mocha frappaccinos) and it was not my jam. I have been drinking green tea in the morning for a few years now and in the summer I drink the iced stuff all day. But when I finally was introduced to the chai latte, I feel like I finally have a beverage that I can get excited about. 

Chai is a black tea with a bit more caffeine then green (still not even as close to a cup of coffee) so it gives me a little boost in the morning. And when it is mixed with a little sugar and milk it basically becomes a meal on the go when needed. 

But a trip to Starbucks for my fix gets way more complicated with two small people to bundle up, get i the car, keep happy, and cart around town. So I have been making them at home. 

These are my ingredients, which can be switched up in many ways. I brew a bag of chai in a large mug about 3/4 of the way up. You could use loose leaf or any tea you like for that matter. I add a tablespoon of agave nectar to sweeten it up, but you could use sugar, splenda, stevia, honey, whatever you prefer. 

For the milk, I use whatever we have around. Sometimes skim, sometimes whole. You only use 1/2 cup, so calorie wise we are not talking a huge difference. You could also use soy milk or almond. We have a frother that came with our Nespresso machine and if you make lattes at home the frother is so worth it. But if you do not have one, just add warmed up milk.

I dump the the frothed milk in the tea and add extra cinnamon because apparently it is super good for you. Then I enjoy the heck out of it. If I am lucky I get to enjoy it slowly and while it is still warm. But usually I am gulping it down or drinking the last half luke warm. 

It is still good though. 

xo

Erin 

Gift Guide 2013: Sleep Tight

Giving the gift of something to get cozy in and get a good night's sleep is always a winner. It probably goes back to the traditional PJs for Christmas Eve thing. As grown ups, we want something soft, luxurious, and fun that we can actually use to get some sleep. Or at least look great trying. 

1. Loving these organic cotton blankets from Target ($30)

2. A super soft robe from Eberjay  ($100) in a pretty color 

3. Netflix so that she can snuggle up and get into Orange is the New Black. 

4. These eye masks are always on my list and perfect for a stocking gift. Mary Green ($26)

5. This organic Josie Maran Argan Oil feels so lux and is great for moisturizing at night. 

6. A super serum from Kiehl's that is a cult favorite. 

7. Polka dot fuzzy slippers from the Gap ($24) are sweet. 

8. I die for these sheets from Biscuit. They have the best patterns for adults, babies and kids. 

xo

Erin 

Check out my other gift ideas for everyone on your list here.   

Style Snapshot: Ashley

As one of the founding partners of NEAT Method, Ashley Murphy has seen a lot of closets, a ton of products, and figured out ways to keep things simple and well... neat! I am still amazed at what she was able to do in my home. This chic Chicago mama-to-be shares with us her personal style and her favorite things. 

I am originally from Ohio, but have been a Chicago girl for quite some time now.  I actually left for a brief couple of years to live in San Francisco, but always knew I would be getting back to my Midwestern roots sooner or later.

Ashley & Molly

While in San Francisco I was lucky enough to meet Molly Graves, my now business partner and lifelong friend!  We successfully launched a professional organizing company, NEAT Method and are thrilled to be officially in the Windy City! We figured since San Francisco wasn’t enough, why not take on another city…possibly even two (Minneapolis is in the works…sshhh!!)

And…on top of getting settled back in Chicago and running NEAT, I should also probably mention I am expecting my first baby this October. Ahhhh!!! Luckily, Type A people do best with a full plate!

So given my current belly situation, I am fashionably inspired by anyone who can make                pregnancy look chic.  Unfortunately, the timing of my pregnancy has aligned with celebs such as Snooki. Sooo I’m trying my best to come up with outfits that don’t make me look like I’m giving birth to a full size human. I’ve always kept my style simple and might have a slight obsession with basics. I tend to purge things that I no longer wear, so therefore I hate buying things that are too trendy to last for more than a season. I guess it’s proof that I actually practice what I preach to our NEAT Method clients.

I can always find something to impulse buy at Roslyn and Krista K in Chicago. I never online shop, because why deal with the hassle of returns? I actually only own one pair of maternity clothes: a pair of J Brand 3411 Maternity Skinny Leg Jeans. I am just having the hardest time getting into the whole maternity clothes thing. However, I might be getting to the point that a size bigger isn’t going to work for my ever-expanding belly!

Like my wardrobe, I am also fairly simple in the makeup department. If you were to see what I sported in college, you would be thanking me for getting over the makeup obsession and going with a more “natural” look. I tend to typically throw on a little eye shadow and mascara, finished with some powder and blush and call it a day. For a night on the town, I will spice it up with some eyeliner and fun gloss.

My favorites are: Laura Mercier Buttercream eye shadow, Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill mascara, custom mineral powder by Nicole Jacob (a Chicago makeup artist that you must try if you live here), and a blush by her as well. Oh and my favorite gloss is Channel #84. That’s pretty much it though!

Turns out my skincare routine isn’t quite as simple as my wardrobe.  This might be where some of my OCD tendencies shine through. It basically stems from the fact that when I moved to SF, my skin completely changed and I officially had adult acne (did I mention that I’m a bit of a drama queen??). I immediately went into panic mode thinking I would never make any new friends looking this way, which is when I discovered the most amazing medical Aesthetician in the world, Kim from Skin Salvation. I followed her advice and my skin cleared up immediately.  With a few modifications, here is what she taught me and I literally do it every morning and every night. And yes, my friends and family make fun of me…but hey, at least I have friends now!

p Use a clean washcloth to wash your face every morning and every night. No really…a new one every time.

p Rub an ice cube all over your face after every wash. Yep…I really do this too.  And in fact, I think it feels amazing.

p In the a.m. – apply eye cream and SPF

p In the p.m. – apply eye cream and a moisturizer

My favorites are: SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanse, Elta MD spf 45, A Natural Difference Phyto-Pumpkin Moisturizer, SkinCeuticals Eye Balm.

As for my fitness regime? Oh gosh…do we have to talk about fitness these days!? Does standing all day on the job for NEAT count as exercise? I never thought I would be the pregnant girl that couldn’t keep up with her regular fitness routine, but as it turns out…I just can’t. Without a baby on board, I typically am a runner and Pilates girl. For now however, let’s just call exercise on a good day: working, followed by some walking and light stretching.

And…my other interesting life choices…I swear by the Whole Foods on North Ave in Chicago.  It is the size of a small city, and I can get anything I could ever want all while enjoying a glass of wine!  Well, except in my current state…do you think a girl can grocery shop, carry a crying child, and hold a glass of wine all at the same time?  Lets hope so cause I’m only a few months away from doing so!

I’m mostly a vegetarian, but also not afraid to take a bite out of a burger from time to time. I don’t drink milk, only almond milk. I’m a little weird about taking vitamins and will only do so with a glass of juice. I also hate taking medicine, and avoid it at all costs.

If you are still reading this…I should consider you a friend! So, thank you!

Feel free to check out NEAT’s blog to learn more OCD habits! 

Au Naturale

In an effort to try to go a bit more natural with my skin care, I have been testing out some face washes with less chemicals and more plant based ingredients. I am not a person who obsesses over these things, but my skin has been in freak out mode for a few months now and I figure changing to something a bit closer to the earth could not hurt.


La Roche-Posey Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel ($22) has the most amazing foaming action. It is soft and really deep cleans. I like how it feels like it has tighten my pores a bit without the feeling of over drying.


Neutrogena Naturals Cleansing + Make Up Remover ($6) kind of feels like every other cleanser, but is the most plant based of all three. It scrubs the make up off my face really well and has a really nice fresh scent.


Fresh Umberian Clay Face Treatment ($48) is a two in one. It does not take off make up, but is great as a light cleanser. It can also be used as a mask. It seems to really calm my skin and get some of the red out when it is irritated.


I have all of these on rotation now. The La Roche-Posey is my favorite, but I think all of them are great additions to my daily routine.


What natural products have you discovered lately?


xo
Erin