Is anyone else (stupid question already) SO EXCITED that spring is (pretty-much-but-still-debatable-where-I-live) here?!?!  I've got my windows open - still no screens on them, ha - and we had our morning snack on the porch today and it was glorious.  I'm sure I would take it for granted if I lived in a warm climate, but I can't help but think how amazing it would be to never have to put on winter boots, scrape your windshield (with a CD case, in my experience) of ice and snow, to be able to walk outside in whatever you're wearing with no thought to the temperatures....

I may not experience that this side of heaven but it sure is nice to dream about :)

In honor of my fantastic mood I thought I would share some of my favorite things right now...

//Short Hair Don't Care//

After yesterday's hideous pictures of my skin situation I figured I would post one where I don't look so atrocious.  Anyway, my lob (long bob) as they call it is growing out and I'm actually really loving it.  It's so fun to do messy waves, spray in some Kenra 25 and go.  I'm torn if I'm going to go shorter now that it's gotten longer...especially because even though Brad never makes me feel badly about my choices, I know he prefers my hair long.  BUT after 10+ years of long hair and five years of marriage, I figure it's my prerogative.  Right???

//Entry Way//

This is our mostly-finished entry way and I love it.  Love it, love it!  I still want to put a few pillows on the bench to shorten the distance between the pictures/mirror and the bench, but other than that it's all done.
I think my favorite piece is the shelf that Brad built using the piping.  It's a trendy look that's popping up all over Pinterest and the blogs, and I'm not sure it will look quite so cool in a couple years....but for now I love it and think it looks so fitting in our slightly-modernized entry.

//Hadley Kate//

I am always lovin' this girl!  She's been so fun lately and is blowing me away with how dang smart she is.  Disclaimer, I have no idea if it's considered "on milestone" or not, it could be completely normal - but there's something about seeing your own child soaking in and retaining information that is just amazing.  But anyway, the girl knows all her colors and shapes, definitely knows her alphabet and we're working on counting to 20 (she's got 1-15 down solid).  She's in the cutest phase right now where if I do anything at all, like give her food/a drink, pick something up for her, wipe her bottom (ha), she'll go, "Thank ya, momma!" Tickles me every time.
It does not tickle me when I have to tell her forty-seven times to pick up a toy or come back here or don't ride your bike into the wall.  We're working on listening the first time and it's been a little tough on both of us...but I'm believing it will pay off in the end :)
And also...even though that hair gives me grief pretty much on a daily basis, I love it.

//Cookouts + Campfires//

Once springtime hits, Brad and I are total outdoor people.  We grill out as often as we can, and now that we have a big 'ol house, we're planning to have lots of people over for cookouts and campfires!  We're starting tonight by having a big group of family over for a cookout since Brad's brother is in town from North Dakota.  We're grilling up brats and burgers and I'm making a big batch of Texas Caviar, and everyone's bringing food and drinks....it's gonna be good!

Rosacea Sucks & An (UNPAID) Review of Rodan + Fields SOOTHE

So.  This is what my face suddenly looked like one day last month:

I've always had a naturally redder complexion, but this was way redder and bumpier than anything I had ever experienced.  Also, the bumps weren't like acne bumps, they were more like a rash.  I tried eliminating a few things from my diet, thinking it was maybe an allergy, but nothing helped.  I was SO puzzled and frustrated cause it literally happened overnight and I had no idea what to do about it.

I did some Googling and saw that Rodan + Fields carried a line called "SOOTHE" that is intended for people dealing with redness.  Taken from their website, it is "clinically proven to reduce redness and irritation in as little as five minutes."  Plus there's millions of reviews (c/o, I might add) online that say it worked SO well to reduce redness and irritation.

I bought some immediately.  And let me tell ya....this stuff ain't cheap.  But I figured it would be worth the cost to try something specially formulated for what I was dealing with.

The regimen for Rodan + Fields SOOTHE is to use the face wash followed by a Sensitive Skin Treatment, and then a Moisture Replenishing Cream.  And finally, in the morning you're supposed to follow up with Step 4, which is a sunscreen.  This is the whole line here:

The upside of using this product is that it didn't ever burn or irritate my skin further; it does seem to be very gentle.  It also made my skin softer and made it appear a little healthier in the places it wasn't so red (which was mostly my cheeks).

But - I tried it for three weeks and the bottom line is that it didn't work at all for me.  My skin was just as red and bumpy when I stopped using it as when I started using it.  So based on that, I'm not sure I would recommend it for others dealing with redness.

Since the Rodan + Fields didn't work, I was fortunate enough to be going home to Illinois, which is where my best friend lives.  The really great thing is that my best friend is a Physician's Assistant, so if I'm home and I need a diagnosis for something (like an ear infection for Hadley or whatnot) I can usually have her call in a prescription.  She looked at my face and immediately said that it was probably Rosacea.

Rosacea, in case you didn't know, is one giant pain in the butt.  It tends to appear in your 30's and there's no cure for it.  It also seems to be triggered by certain things, like alcohol, temp changes or the sun.  It tends to flare up at different times, as well.  I have no clue what triggered mine.

So, point of the story is that Steph (best friend) saved the day by calling in a prescription for Metronidazole 0.75%.

Literally with one day my skin was clearing up.  After using it for two weeks, I'm happy to report a HUGE difference.  Here's a little side-by-side:

I'll be honest, I'm a little worried because the Metronidazole (as with any rosacea medication) tends to lose effectiveness after a while, but the good news is that I'm really only using it every other day, once a day, and it's still working well, so I suppose I could just increase my usage if it flares up again.   Or try a different prescription...but since we don't have prescription coverage (self employed health insurance FTW!) I'm not sure how viable of an option that is, as these scripts all tend to be pretty pricey.

If anyone else has any great tips and tricks to help deal with rosacea, send them my way!!  

And I should add about the Rodan + Fields: I realize that my facial redness was probably due to something entirely different than what it claims to help.  But my opinion is that redness is redness, and it really didn't do anything at all to help with mine, even after reading different accounts online of people with rosacea using it successfully.

Going Home

Since we began renovating homes in the last year, I've been making quite a few more trips to Illinois to visit my family.  Mostly because the name of the game in house-flipping is "Get it done ASAP" and that typically means that Brad is working lots of long hours.  A work day for him usually is 7-7pm, Monday through Friday, plus a full day on Saturday.  If I'm being really honest, it's super stressful for me because Sunday ends up being the only day we really get to see him.  I guess the upside is when you sell the home and make a little money?  We're still working out how to make this whole flipping thing sustainable for the long-term.  I think finding a balance with Brad's hours is the biggest factor.

Sooo....all that's to say is that he works a lot so I survive it by taking trips to visit family.  Hadley and I stay with my dad and are able to visit with my aunts, uncles, cousins and my best friend, and it's really the best time.  I'll take Hadley to the mall to play at the play area, we'll go to some really amazing indoor playgrounds, go to parks and pools when it's nice, and just visit with my favorite folks.

The one downside for me is that it's a money trap!  When you live in a small town whose dining options are limited to McDonalds & Dairy Queen, bar food and a Tex Mex restaurant, it's amazing to get around sushi, Thai food, real Mexican...shoot, even Chilis is exciting.  And there's always the shopping - or really just Target :)

Anyway, I'm at home for a couple weeks and it's really great.  There's something about your own family that is so comforting.  I love my circle of friends and being near Brad's parents but being in your parent's home, in the town you grew up in, is something really special.
We don't have much planned on this visit except that I'm going to see Eric Church in concert next week.  That was a last-minute decision my cousin and I made and I gotta be honest, I'm so, so, SO excited.  He's one of my favorite musicians and I've heard that his Outsiders Tour is an amazing live show.  I'm really disappointed that I won't get to see him with Brad, but it'll be a fun time with my cousin.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!