Yesterday, Cody and I went with some friends, Mike And Kayla (and their furbaby, Lily), to Tishomingo State Park to play disc golf. I'm really terrible at it so I usually don't play. There wouldn't even be much point in me trying to keep score, so I just go along for the hike. It's been ridiculously hot outside lately, and I'm pretty sure the temp nearly reached 100 degrees yesterday. Not the best day to be hiking through the woods and throwing discs, but it was fun nonetheless. I'm just glad I'm not near the end of my pregnancy in this heat! I probably would've passed out by hole 5.

After we finished the course, we found this little guy by the bathrooms. He didn't seem to be very afraid of us because he didn't run away when I got up close to him. He actually kind of puffed up and was probably ready to bite my face if I got any closer. Sooo.... I snapped a few shots and backed off.

5 Makeup Products to Fight Heat and Humidity

Summer is still going strong here in the south and the humidity is relentless. So, I decided to share some heat and humidity-fighting products to help your makeup last all day. Also, these products are all super affordable, because who doesn't love a good deal!? 

1. Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Shadow - Like a tattoo, this eyeshadow is sure to last a while. It's not permanent though, so don't worry. It has an intense pigment and smooth finish so it won't cake up on your eyelids. It took a little bit of scrubbing with a makeup remover wipe to get that color swatch off my hand. I think it's safe to say that this shadow won't fade with sweat and humidity!

2. NYX Setting Spray - I looove this spray. I would even venture to say that it's as good as most high end brands. I use a setting spray on all of my bridal clients to ensure that their makeup will last throughout their special day. In the middle of a Mississippi summer, this is no easy task. If you're looking for a way to seal your makeup and fight shine on your oily areas, I definitely recommend this spray.

3. NYX Finishing Powder - Like the setting spray, this translucent powder gives your complexion a matte finish and holds your makeup in place throughout the heat of the day. It's kind of redundant with the setting spray, but it's great if you prefer powder over spray. Both are equally awesome.

4. NYX Doll Eye Mascara - This mascara is not advertised as waterproof, however, it seems to be water-resistant. I jumped in a pool the other day (with this mascara on) and swam for about an hour and the mascara didn't run at all! I was sure that I would get out looking like a raccoon, but when I dried off and checked my face, it hadn't budged at all. 

5. Smashbox Blemish Control Primer - This is also a must have in making sure that your makeup will hold up to the sweltering heat of summer. Primer gives your makeup something to adhere to on your face. This one is great because it's oil-free (so your makeup won't eventually slide off) and contains salicylic acid which helps fight blemishes - an added bonus! 

So that's a handful of excellent and affordable products that I recommend using to get you through the rest of summer. What heat/humidity-fighting products do you use?

ModCloth 40% Off Sale

In case you didn't already know, ModCloth is having such an awesome sale right now that I just had to share it. Kimonos, rompers, and Hasbeens - oh my! They have tons of adorable pieces that are 40% off, so this is definitely something you don't want to pass up. You can just click the banner above to head over there and check it all out.

Hurry up before it's all picked through.... by me.

Pregnancy Progress

I've been in the second trimester of pregnancy for a little while now, and I'm definitely enjoying it a lot more than the first! The nausea has subsided for the most part, unless I've waited too long to eat something... then it hits me with a vengeance. I've gotten some energy back, though. Not all of it, like before I was pregnant, but I'm feeling lively enough to actually perform regular, everyday tasks again. As you can see, I have a little bit of a bump! Some of that is a food baby, though, because I had just eaten a hearty lunch. Yummm.

The downside to this stage of pregnancy is that I'm not "obviously" showing yet (unless I'm wearing something very fitted). So I get those quick glances towards my belly where the person isn't quite sure so they don't want to ask and possibly offend me. Or maybe they're just thinking, "Wow, she's packed on a few pounds". I just want to wear a shirt that says, "Yes, I'm pregnant" or fast-forward to the stage where I am obviously showing. I know, as awkward as that makes me feel now, it'll probably be more awkward in other ways when I do have a huge belly. 

I haven't mentioned this to very many people until now, but I'm planning on having my baby completely naturally. My awesome sister-in-law let me borrow her Hypnobabies study guide and CD set. I just started it, but I'm loving it already. It's very calming and reassuring. It basically teaches you how to manage pain and gets you in a positive mindset about birthing. As of right now, I don't really have any fears about labor and delivery, and I'm hoping to keep it that way. So if you had a bad experience, don't tell me about it!

I'm trying really hard to enjoy my pregnancy, but I'm the type of person who always looks into the future and has a hard time just living in the present. Yes, I'm impatient...very much so. I can't wait for my little critter to arrive! ....Or at least know if it's a he or she. We'll be able to find that out early next month. Yayyyyy! I feel like it's a boy... sooo it's probably going to be a girl. Haha. 

What would be your guess?

These are probably the best cookies I've ever made. I mean, you really can't go wrong with strawberry and white chocolate! As with most of my DIY tutorials and recipes, these are incredibly easy and quick to make. Prep and bake time combined is only about 20 minutes. So these are perfect if you have a short attention span like me, or you're just pressed for time.  

Ingredients: 

Strawberry cake mix

2 cups white chocolate chips

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, baking powder, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix until no dry cake mix is visible.

3. Mix in the chocolate chips. 

*If you're using a KitchenAid mixer, use the wisk attachment to mix ingredients, and the beater attachment to mix in the chips (attachments are pictured below).

4. Place 1" cake balls an inch or so apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

5. Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove them from the cookie sheet.

6. Pour a glass of milk and enjoy your delicious cookies!

That's right, for the ENTIRE week, I'm having a super awesome sale in my Etsy shop! EVERYTHING in the shop is 30% OFF when you use the discount code SUMMER30. Just click on the summer sale banner above to check it out! Thanks, and I hope everyone is having a good weekend!