Chicks And Salsa is fortunate and have been on the radar for this brand for a while. My little sister Shelly was sneaky and ‘borrowed’ my trèStiQue lipsticks on her last visit to Georgia, so I was grateful when I received some new goodies from the brand. (Check out all of our beauty posts here.)
trèStiQue is best known for making makeup that is easy to use and carry! For example, their eyeliner has a sharpener BUILT INTO the pencil, how convenient is that! I know that I have been frustrated by not having a sharpener when I needed it SO MANY TIMES. It’s the double duty that all their products include that make them truly unique.
“I created trèStiQue to solve a problem. In the midst of building a career, traveling and starting a family, my beauty routine just couldn’t keep up – my makeup bag was messy and heavy to carry, full of complicated products that didn’t perform the way I wanted them to. It was time to reevaluate the way we use, carry + apply makeup.”
All three of these products have a buttery soft application that required little to no pressure to apply. Its creamy texture makes it effortlessly fall onto the skin in a way that looks natural yet glamorous. The color of the lip crayon is STUNNING and, as you can see in the video, it is the red that dreams are made of.
So often we hear about going off the grid for a bit to re-discover what life is really all about. With the hustle and bustle of my daily life between juggling google classrooms and social media with Digital Chicks, going off the grid has not been on my mind. But a few weeks ago, that changed.
Even though I have lived in Georgia for eight years now, I had yet to visit Tybee Island – a short three hours away from my home. Boy, have I been missing out! We went recently on a family vacation/reunion and stayed at the home of author Mary Kay Andrews.
I should have known that the author of The High Tide Club, Sunset Beach, and The Weekenders would know what being present and living in the moment is all about! Every inch of the massive 7 bedroom house is meticulously decorated with reminders of what is important. The house reflected the elements of the earth: air, water, fire, and wind. Each can be felt at every moment when you are in the house or at the beach – which is a short one minute walk away.
With so much to do and see, it was easy to go hours without a worry, so I left my phone on the charger and stepped out for some fresh air. I was fortunate to have gone with A LOT of family. We sat for hours talking, playing, laughing, and reminiscing.
Tybee Island has clean, un-crowded, soft sandy beaches that I am ALREADY missing. The lighthouse and pier are hard to miss and easy to visit. As someone who has been to Savannah several time, I was surprised to learn that Tybee was so close by. Next time you are in Savannah, drive out another twenty minutes to Tybee, you won’t regret it!
Not too long ago, I visited another quaint place called Put In Bay, see that post here.
Thank you fashion pundits for making this seasons HOTTEST trend, totally affordable!! One little detail was seen from runway to runway, did you catch it? Embellished bobby pins and barrettes! As a mom of two daughters, I have always had a weakness for cute hair ties and clips, but these accessories made me do a double take.
See Ways To Style on Instagram #BobbyPin
Check out these super affordable affordable sets from $3-$20, how can you go wrong?
Dress them up or dress them down- this easy little touch can elevate your #OOTD!
Sonia and I, not surprisingly, talk every day. That is EVERY SINGLE DAY for the last 36 years — minus those few times in college where all sisters fight, of course.
She is my lifeline and through her, I have learned so much about life. When you have someone to bounce ideas, feelings, and circumstances off of, it can be a humbling experience. Exchanging notes with my sister and all of our Chicks over the years has taught us one thing:
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now. “
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
We Dress Up For Date Nights
We Practice Self Care
Realizing that we all have common human experiences like relationships, work, family, and responsibilities, is the secret to happiness. Sonia lives in downtown Chicago and I live in a small town in middle Georgia. It is easy for me to sometimes think that the grass is greener on the other side, but let me make my case otherwise. I often joke that Monday through Friday, my rural Georgia life and Sonia’s city life look exactly the same. The main difference is that she has better restaurant options on the weekends. Through my frequent talks with her, I see how the details of our lives are actually so similarly aligned. But the similarity of our human experience has been muddled in the recent years… thanks to the internet.
Social media can spread truth, but it can also be misleading. It makes you think that you’re supposed to be leading a certain lifestyle and meeting certain measures. But l let me tell you that behind all the photos, there is a lot of sacrifice. As Mothers we all have to wake our kids up, hope that they are in a good mood, get them ready and shipped off to school, go to work or to the gym, pick up the kids, bus them around to after school activities, get dinner ready, and then wind down at night just to do it all over again the next day. On top of the daily activities, we are trying to put our best foot forward to be our best and most beautiful selves, and think of creative ways to truthfully and meaningfully connect on social media platforms, arrange the meetings, attend the conferences, and organize the photo shoots. I could go on forever.
Chicks And Salsa has a network of almost 15,000 women strong and we all agree that the struggle is real. If you are lucky, you can carve out a few minutes to catch your breath, throw on a face mask and put your best foot forward every day. And remember, the emphasis on the ‘few minutes’.
This post has been a long time coming, a reminder that you are living your best life and that finding the silver lining in everything you do is a matter of perspective. In my experience, Mother’s are the glue that holds everything together. It is our responsibility to also share what we are going through with each other and keep it real — because we are all going through it. We also need to be there for each other because if we truly are the same, then the thoughts and feelings we experience in this journey through marriage, maturing, and parenthood is also the same.
We Make Time For Our ChicksWe Get Our Stuff Done
Over the years we have tackled all kinds of issues with our friends and families, everything from divorce, counseling, death, illness, and bullying. But sometimes the ‘sisterhood’ and support is lacking when you see women criticize others or amplify each other’s shortcomings. This is our chance to unite and lift each other up. We each have good days and we each have bad days. Especially as Mother’s, Sonia and I can both attest to the strength it requires to remain a stable force in a constant moving stream that is family. I just wanted to remind you that before you wish you had someone else’s life, learn to love what you have and where you live — your every day is amazing, I promise. I recently wrote a reflective piece about a local place that means a lot to me and my family. Find your special corner in this world and make it yours!
