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BABY MAGIC SKINCARE SECRET AND BIG GIVEAWAY!

November 2, 2016 & 5 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope that you are having a wonderful week so far! I am so excited to be sharing a product that I’ve been using for myself and my children for years and was happily reintroduced to when I was asked to do this post. As always, all opinions are my own and I only share products that I believe are quality items that you, my friends and readers, would like to see! I know a baby bath product company may seem like a stretch for a beauty blog, but hang in there because I will explain ; ) I was sent product for review purposes, and this is a sponsored post.

Baby Magic is celebrating 65 years of bringing families hypoallergenic, tear-free, and paragon-free Hair & Body Wash, Lotion, and other baby items. Baby Magic created a campaign called “For Every Lady In Waiting” in the 1950’s, which was incredibly forward thinking for it’s time, featuring real pregnant women in designer clothes. To celebrate 65 years, Baby Magic has decided to do something progressive for OUR time by including expectant fathers in re-creating the vintage ads which you can see on the “Dads In The Making” page. You can see the Baby Magic History to see more about this family owned business.

How I Use It

I put on lotion every day when I get out of the shower unless I am applying a sunless tanner. I don’t always use baby lotion, but I have used Baby Magic in the past because it’s gentle and doesn’t have a strong smell. I’ve been enjoying reaching for this again, and the price point is so affordable I definitely would purchase it again for myself to have on hand. Another great “skincare secret” is to use the shampoo as a shaving cream! It is affordable and makes my legs very soft. I love lathering my kids up in lotion after a bath QUICKLY, and Baby Magic does seem to soak in fast which I love! I asked my mom about her own Baby Magic memories, and she said she remembers the smell and using it as well : )

My Recreation of a Vintage Ad

Giveaway

Baby Magic is giving one of my subscribers a 1 Baby Magic Original Hair & Body Wash, 1 Baby Magic Original Baby Lotion, and a $25 Visa Gift Card!

This giveaway will end on November 16th at 11:59p.m Eastern Standard Time.

Giveaway Rules

1. Must be 18 Years Old!

2. Must be a resident of the United States

3. Must be subscribed to this blog

4. “Like” LeahTackles on Facebook

5. “Like” Baby Magic on Facebook

6. Leave a comment telling me a skincare secret that you have or any memory you have with Baby Magic!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have a great weekend : )

BAN.DO 2017 AGENDA REVIEW AND WHY I SWITCHED TO A SIMPLE PLANNER!

September 19, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a great weekend! Today Connor, our middle little love, started school! I can’t believe I now have two of three in school! Things have been crazy lately, and that inspired this life change for me and I want to share it with you today.

WHY THE CHANGE?

Lately I have been feeling completely overwhelmed and I decided that I needed to simplify my life in areas where I could, and try to cut myself a little slack. I have been an avid Erin Condren Life Planner user for years, and while I still love the Life Planner I decided it was becoming too much for me. I know, that sounds awfully dramatic because after all, it is only a planner, but the way I used the Erin Condren planner it really was too much for me at this point in my life. My Life Planner was full-on weekly sticker sheet spreads, fancy markers, and not only was that time consuming, but it was expensive. I loved it! And I still do, they’re fun and like a scrapbook or memory keeper. At some point I hope to go back to it, but it was becoming something I dreaded doing instead of something that brought me joy. If I do go back to a decorated planner, I will have two planners because I can’t imagine giving up the Ban.do style! Right now I need function and a little cute tossed in, which is what made me order the Ban.do 2017 Agenda.

THE DIFFERENCE IT HAS MADE:

The second I ordered the Ban.do planner I felt like a weight had come off my shoulders! That sounds crazy, it isn’t as if I was forced by anyone but myself to fill out my other planner in such detail, but I truly felt lighter after deciding to make the switch! The Ban.do planner is adorable, and gives me the cuteness factor I crave, but it’s also SUPER functional and easy to fill out on-the-go! I love that I can toss it into my bag and that is it! It also is way more cost effective! I spent $25 on the planner including shipping and it comes with cute little stickers, a cute “secret code” key and messages sprinkled throughout the planner, and a planner with monthly view and weekly pages that has inspirational and funny quotes! I am obsessed! I am a convert!!

BUY THE BAN.DO 17 MONTH CLASSIC AGENDA

(*Note: NOT an affiliate link!)

What planner or agenda do you use? Please let me know in the comments! Have you let go of anything that made you feel a little bit more free? Let me know that as well! Have a wonderful week! Thank you for reading : )

Labor Day 2016

September 5, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!

And if you’re in the United States or Canada, Happy Labor Day! I hope that most of you have the day off of work, and if you don’t I’m sorry! Both my husband, Stephan, and myself worked in retail management after graduating from college and we know the struggle!

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from this summer because I’m getting a little (a lot!) sad thinking about my daughter, Hailey, staring kindergarten & my son, Connor, starting pre-school because we had such a wonderful summer together! Thankfully Logan has to hang out at home with me for a couple more years ; )

I hope all of you have a wonderful Autumn! Technically I know not quite yet, but once school starts? Come on, it’s Bye bye summer!

Quick & Cute Hairstyles For Working Out! And The Best Headband Ever…with Promo Code!

August 29, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday!
I hope you had a great weekend! We had a fun weekend soaking up what is left of summer as a family : )

Hailey, our oldest, keeps us busy with soccer, cheerleading, and dance. She has hair just like mine was at her age; super baby fine but lots of it, and it isn’t easy to find a hairstyle that will hold it out of her face when she’s running on the field or twirling in dance class. I wanted to order Hailey a headband for her soccer games that matched her uniform, so I checked on Etsy.

On Etsy I found SassyGirlHeadbands which I liked instantly because Donna was fast with communication and had tons of adorable choices. SassyGirlHeadbands are awesome because the velvet side means they do not slip, even on baby fine hair! This is the first time I’ve been able to use a headband on Hailey without using clips with it. I can do a run or a cardio workout video without having to fix my headband and I even forget it is there! I love that it is adjustable! I also love that adding this to a ponytail or messy bun not only keeps the hair out of my face, but makes it a cute look instead of something that took zero thought or effort. Donna was kind enough to send me not only the soccer ribbon headband that I ordered, but a precious pink dance headband that is adjustable for Hailey, an adjustable headband for myself, and an awesome heavy-duty but cute key fob that I can wear around my wrist to be hands-free when I am out and about with the kids. SassyGirlHeadbands also had really nice grosgrain bows that are perfect for cheerleading or dance and really nice lanyards.

If you’d like to save on some practical cuteness, use the COUPON CODE: leahtackles to save 10% on any order. Thank you so much to SassyGirlHeadbands for providing me with these for consideration and review. I can’t wait to order more to match her dance outfits and different holidays ; )

SASSYGIRLHEADBANDS:

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DIY HONEY ALMOND LIP SCRUB! EASY & PERFECT FOR LIQUID LIPSTICKS FANS!

August 1, 2016 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! We had an exciting weekend because we celebrated our 1 year Vlogiversary for our KwapisFamilyTackles Daily Vlog channel! Yes, we have every single day for an entire year (and a leap year!) on film! I will include a little montage video at the end of this post : ) Also, I can’t believe that it is already August! I have been having such a fun summer with my little loves and I’m not ready for it to end!!

Liquid lipstick is such a hot trend right now, and one that I adore because long wearing lipstick is ideal for the fast paced lives that we all are living these days!! However, liquid lipsticks can be *very* drying! Today I wanted to share my favorite DIY lip scrub that I love because it works AND the ingredients are things that most of you probably have on hand! It’s also very affordable and easy to throw together quickly. On Wednesday I will share with you How To Apply Liquid Lipstick for a beautiful, long wearing look : )

HONEY ALMOND LIP SCRUB:

Ingredients:

3-4 Teaspoons of granulated sugar

*This exfoliates!

1/2 Teaspoon of honey

*This hydrates!

1/2 Teaspoon of oil of your choice (I used olive oil)

*This moisturizes!

A few drops of an extract of your choice (I used almond extract)

*This gives flavor!

Instructions:

Simply mix the ingredients together and put in a small jar! I used a small jar that had been from a sample of skincare product, but old lip balm jars also work well! You could even use a small tupperware like the ones used for dressings or sauces. The consistency should be pretty granulated because that’s what will really scrub your lips, but it should still stick together, so you may need to add a bit more sugar depending on how much extract you put in.

How To Use It:

I like to rub this in a circular motions all over my lips in the evenings before applying lip balm. I love this lip scrub because it is edible, so you can wipe it off OR lick it off!

I hope you enjoyed this beauty DIY! I love this recipe because it can be stored at room temperature and makes a great gift : ) If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to share this post if you liked it or found it helpful!

HIGHLIGHTER 101: HOW TO HIGHLIGHT SIMPLY IN A HIGHLIGHT HEAVY MAKEUP WORLD! EASY STEPS!

July 11, 2016 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Highlighting, contouring, strobing, baking, and color correcting are all makeup terms that you may hear a lot right now because there is a huge trend of strong contours and BAM highlighting. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love to contour and highlight, but I feel like it can be very intimidating to see a YouTube video with 10 steps or a Pinterest picture with tiger stripes all over a face diagram. So, today I want to share the exact products you can use and what you can do to get a subtle, beautiful highlight for summer. If you’d like something similar for color correcting, baking, or contouring please let me know in the comments : )

HIGHLIGHTER 101:

What You’ll Need:

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First you will need a highlighter of your choice, I prefer powder highlight most days and suggest that for when you’re first starting out. I love Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Powder Highlighters like Champagne Pop, but you can also get a beautifully look much cheaper using Reserve Your Cabana from Wet n’ Wild.

You will also need a brush to apply your highlighter! I like to use a tapered highligher brush like the Sigma F35 but any dome or tear dropped shaped similar brush will work just fine. You can also use a fan brush for highlighting, and these often come in brush kits so you may have a few laying around.

What To Do:

After you have applied your blush and bronzer (if you choose to wear them) and set any foundation or concealer that you are wearing you want to put your brush into your powder highlighter and tap off the excess. Then from your cheek bone (usually about an inch below the outer part of your eye) up to the outer edge of your eyebrow you want to *lightly* apply the highlighter in a crescent moon shape. Be sure to blend this in with the brush so that it isn’t a harsh line of product. Ta-da! You are beautifully sun kissed! If you want to get extra fancy, you can apply a bit to the cupids bow above your top lip, or down the center of your nose.

I hope that you enjoyed this post! If you would like a more detailed post on highlighting let me know! I hope that you’ve found this helpful! You can “Pin” this onto your Pinterest (just hover over any picture or use the share buttons on the bottom if this post!) or share if on social media! Have a wonderful start to you week! xx

OUR WEEKEND IN PICTURES | FORTH OF JULY 2016

July 5, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Monday! And, Happy 4th of July!

I hope that you are all having a wonderful day with your families celebrating! Happy Birthday U.S.A! And if you’re an international reader, I hope you’re having a great day as well : )

I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of our weekend festivities! We had a lot of family fun on Saturday, Hailey had her first lemonade stand on Sunday, and we enjoyed decorating Hailey’s bike and the boys wagon today! Hailey placed second in her age group for her bike decorating, and the boys also placed second place for their wagon : )

Thank you, as always, for taking time out of your day to read! Let me know in the comments something fun you did over the weekend!! And please don’t forget to subscribe : )

CURRENT FOUNDATION OBSESSION (DRUGSTORE)

June 29, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are having a wonderful week so far! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog : ) If you are new, hi! I am Leah and I hope you’ll subscribe to be notified whenever I post something new!

I have a few favorite drugstore foundations, but I have one that I recently rediscovered and have been wearing almost daily. I told you last week I’ve been shopping my own stash and it really is a great way to use what you already have. You can read that Shop My Own Stash! Makeup Challenge post here : )

About My Skin:

I have combo/oily skin with larger pores (usually large pores and oil go hand-in-hand! woo hoo?!)

Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous Fresh Complexion Oil-Free Foundation in 105 Classic Ivory:

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This is a drugstore foundation that I picked up some time ago when it first came out. I liked this foundation but didn’t use it too much when I first purchased it, but now I am LOVING it and definitely picking up another when this one runs out. This foundation has coverage that you can build up from medium to fuller coverage. I like that it’s oil free and even though it’s fairly full coverage it doesn’t feel cakey on my skin. And probably the biggest pro for me is that it keeps me matte a lot longer than most foundations, so I don’t feel like I have to blot constantly or cake on the powder. I don’t want a foundation that feels heavy or like it will melt off my face if I go outside in the summer, and this one blends into the skin beautiful but still gives me the coverage I want. I also am a big fan of the squeeze tube because you can get every last bit out of it.

What is your go to foundation right now? I am still on the hunt for the perfect summer BB cream for my combo/oily skin! I want to try the Rimmel Matte BB Cream because I’ve heard good things : ) If you have a favorite, let me know that too!

HOW I GET MONEY FOR SHOPPING ONLINE (REALLY!) USING EBATES!

June 15, 2016 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I do a large part of my shopping online because I love shopping small and local when I can, but with three young kids and living in a small town that can be near impossible. I try to shop smart with sales and use coupons if I have a great one for something I actually need, but that’s always been pretty much the extent of money saving savvy for me. I kept hearing people talk about Ebates but I was skeptical because I thought I didn’t spend enough to actually get anything back, or thought that they would have some super involved sign up that would leave my head spinning. I made my account about a month ago, and have already gotten almost $20 plus a $10 giftcard! WHAT?! Below I will tell you how you can too! EVEN if you hate coupons : )

How To Sign Up for eBates:

I love eBates because signing up was EASY! I created an account in a couple of minutes without having to link a bank account or anything else that might leave some people uncomfortable. You can sign up for eBates here.

How It Works:

Before you make an online purchase you go to eBates.com and log-in to your eBates account. Once you are logged into your account you will search for the store that you would like to do a little shopping at. And then you click “shop now” and you will be redirected to the website of the store you want to make a purchase on. Right now Sephora, one of my personally favorites, has 8.0% CASH BACK on eBates! That is awesome! And the list of stores they have is incredibly long and diverse. You can get 8.0% cash back today at stores like Nike, Under Armour, American Eagle, and Sears. They are also beginning to do in-store cash back with a linked card, but I haven’t tried that *yet*.

How You Get Paid:

You can pick if you’d like to get a paper check in the mail to the address you provide on your account OR you can link your PayPal and be paid into your account directly. You also get a $10 giftcard to Walmart if you make a qualifying $25+ purchase within the first 90 days of joining. You can also share your link with friends and earn money if they sign up using your link. The biggest thing is to REMEMBER to go to Ebates first before you shop! I bought the kids new shoes from Stride Rite and kicked myself later because I forgot to use Ebates!!

Do you use Ebates or other websites or apps to get cash back? Be sure to let me know in the comments! I like to save money whenever I can : ) Who doesn’t! I hope that you have a wonderful rest of you week and weekend! Tomorrow Stephan and I head to Mackinac Island for our wedding anniversary! We are leaving all three kids for the first time EVER!! Be sure to follow along on our Daily Vlog channel! xx

HAILEY’S YOUNG 5 GRADUATION! 2016

June 1, 2016 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Today our Hailey Doll graduated from her Pre-K/Young 5 program! I can’t believe it! Stephan and I were able to take her out bowling afterwards (thank you to my in-laws for the help!) and had the best time! I can’t believe that my baby is starting Kindergarten in the fall! Excuse me while I go look at baby pictures and become a blubbering mess!

Hailey,

We are so proud of you! You make us proud every single day by being exactly who you are! You are kind to everyone and always do your best! And, you have the best imagination! Never stop being wonderful you!

We love you so,

Mommy (Daddy, Connor, and Logan)

Be sure to watch our vlogs to see all the cuteness! Have a wonderful weekend : )