Squat challenge (Day 3) - pep talk

Just a reminder about the squat challenge!! Don't forget ladies- we have 60 to do tonight! I know it burns- believe me! We can do this! 

Jessica and I took measurements of our thighs to track inches lost during this challenge. (Neither of us are willing to share the numbers but we will let y'all know if there is a difference at the end!)

Sorry I couldn't get any cute pictures- all the ones I found pertaining to squats were kind of inappropriate! Motivating yes but well, a lot of butt:)!

<3 Rachel

Our first Christmas

This Christmas is going to be extra special! You see last Christmas I was a pregnant married woman but this Christmas- I'm a mom! Our baby, Jett, will be six months old at Christmas. And now I feel a whole new sense of what it means to decorate for Christmas! So I thought I'd share a few items that I "had to have" to add  some spunk to our decorations!

Elf on the Shelf
This was actually a gift to Jett last year (before he even got here). I'm not sure if I would have bought it for him quite yet as he is too young to understand the concept yet but, I have to admit I like having him out! He adds a whimsical touch to my otherwise plain decorations!

Plate and cup for Santa's milk and cookies
I mean hello- Santa won't like coming by if we don't leave a snack for him! 

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
I wanted to have a little something Christmas in Jett's room so I felt this dinky tree adorned with a single red ornament and Linus' blanket used as a tree skirt would be the perfect!

So there are my "had to haves"! Please comment with your Christmas "must haves"! Jessica and I would love to hear about them!!!

<3 Rachel

Little of this, Little of that

Happy Sunday, Everyone!  Just a quick note on a few things…

·         December 1^st is here.  And you know what that means for all of you that have decided to join us for our Squat Challenge.  Day One is 50 squats.  And let me start by saying if you’re still doing them wrong, try going to YouTube and searching “How to do a squat properly.”  The first choice is from POPSUGAR Fitness, and it is a great how-to video.  My knees were hurting from doing them wrong and watching this video corrected me.  Also, squats work your bum, hips and thighs so if you feel it in any of these areas, you’re doing things right.  The main goal—at least for Rachel and me—is to add some curve to an otherwise flat backside.  However, your entire lower body should benefit from the next 30 days.  So stick with it!  We can do this!  (right?!)

·         The first day of December is also when lots of people start advent calendars in their homes for the Christmas season.  Our church is doing a 25 Days of Christmas Devotional in the same tradition.  There is a story for each day, leading up to Christmas Day.  You can find the link to it here.  While you’re following along with our squats, why not follow along with us and work out your faith as well?  We think you’ll really enjoy connecting to the true meaning of the holiday season this way. 

·         We’ve had a few people ask us how you follow our blog.  If you check us out from a desktop computer (not sure if this works the same from your smartphone), there is a column on the right that is labeled Followers.  There is a button you can click on called “Join this site.”  Simply click on that and follow the instructions. You will receive email updates when we post new things to the blog and you can share things you like with friends that haven’t discovered us yet!  So go!  Follow away! 

·         Along the same lines as the ability to follow question, we’ve had quite a few of you try to leave comments and it not work.  We believe we have fixed this issue by enabling everyone to leave messages for us.  And we truly welcome your feedback.  We want to hear from you, so please feel free to comment on anything we post. We’ve been told that it may still be an issue from your phone, but you can definitely leave comments from a computer.  If you’re still having problems leaving comments, let us know by email:  caffeineandconcealer@gmail.com.  

Have a wonderful week!  Tomorrow's Monday; don't forget your Caffeine & Concealer! 

Flat bottomed girls

Jessica and I are both FLAT bottomed girls and neither of us are fitness buffs to say the least! In fact before starting this blog we both tried the infamous squat challenge on our own- WITH NO SUCCESS!!!! Yes, you read that right- both of us were doing them wrong! We both felt the burn in our thighs and not our rear SO after a little YouTube and Pinterest instruction we think we have it down pat now! We are setting out to start an official December 2013 Squat Challenge! Stay posted for details and hopefully results!

Start the challenge with us on December 1, 2013!!!!

Good luck ladies;)

It's Electrifying!

Let me start by saying that I love this time of year. The colors, lower temperatures, the pumpkin-flavored everything! It's time to pull out those sweaters that I daydreamed about while my makeup ran and my hair fell flat in the North Carolina summer humidity. And the scarves! Oh, the scarves. All sorts of colors and lengths and styles.
  

But there is an ugly side to Fall. It makes wearing our beautiful sweaters, scarves and knit hats all but impossible. It creeps in, takes a hold of your adorable Pinterest-inspired flat iron waves and makes them a crazed mess. You know what I'm talking about. Static. One second with this silent maniac and you've got more hair stuck to your face than your head. And the worst part? The more you touch it, the worse it gets!
    

And, if you're like me, you've tried all the tricks. Dryer sheets rubbed through your hair. Effective for a while, but not an all-day fix. Spray some Static Guard on your brush? Of course I've tried it; what am I, an amateur?! That stuff is no match for a homemade knitted scarf! It's simply a fight you can't win!
     

Until now.
    

Enter TRESemme Climate Protection Mousse. Find it here.  
    
   
This stuff is amazing. Not only does it kick static's evil tail, it actually gives your hair the fullness that a mousse is supposed to. And I know mousse. (Static and mousse--that's about the extent of my expertise. Thank goodness you all have Rachel to help you with the other areas of beauty, right?) My hair is pretty thin. OK, very thin. So I've tried just about every mousse out there. Truth be told, the salon stuff works the best. But, I don't like paying for it. So I've been running through the choices at Target and Walmart like candy. That's when I found this stuff. I figured, if it didn't help with static, hopefully it would at least keep me from looking like I had more than 20 hairs on my head.
    

I was shocked when it did both.
    

Now, I'm never going to look like I have Jessica Simpson's hair. But, neither does Jessica Simpson. Not really. She only looks like it because she pays good money for those extensions, clips-ins and other "hair magic." So, don't expect miracles from this mousse.
    

And, you may have a little static if you are outside in the cold for extended periods of time or by the end of the day. But the amounts of static, as a whole, are extremely lessened.
    

I used a good palm-full of it and made sure to focus on my roots, but really spread it through to the ends. Get all of your hair. If you don't, it won't protect from the static all the way to the ends. And that's where the crazy static likes to live.
    

Conclusion: this one is a winner. They'll probably stop selling it tomorrow. Like they did my favorite hairspray by Garnier. So go get some--now!

This is Amazing Grace...

Sometimes a song hits you. Right in the heart. Right in the gut. Where it's supposed to, needs to. Your body reacts to it without your control in the form of a quickened pulse, a tapping foot, a flutter in your belly. You smile at the words even though you're all alone and there isn't really anyone to smile at. But you're not alone. You never are.

Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory, the King above all kings

Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
Who leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory, the King above all kings

And when the chorus starts you find yourself trying to sing along even if you don't know the words. Even if you sing in clipped sentences, fragmented words. You're trying to catch up to what you're hearing. But that's the best part. You're really hearing it. Really listening. Feeling. Singing. Sing out...

This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross
You would lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me

You realize that you don't even know how you got to where you are, the car taking you from one point to the other as you praise, you praise, you praise. Because that is what you are doing.

Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory, the King above all kings

Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of Glory, the King above all kings

And again you sing. And you could cry or laugh or dance. You do a little of all. Not caring that there may be others that see. And you are thankful. Truly, truly thankful.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave

_________________________________________________

This past Saturday at church, our pastor said that we tend to forget to really look at life and be thankful for what we have. Life itself is a miracle to be thankful for. The breaths we take, the light we see, the things we hear, the love we feel.

It is sometimes very difficult to hold on to our graciousness in a world full of some very terrible things. But maybe that's exactly why we should. Be thankful for what happiness you have, what joy you find. Hold on to it with all your might.

It is Thanksgiving. And today, if on no other, look around at the wonder of this world and find something, someone, to be utterly, amazingly thankful for.

That is His amazing grace. And His love is unfailing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jessica & Rachel

These are a few of my favorite things (beauty edition)…..

So… I have to admit, I am rarely faithful to a product, most of the time I don't even finish a product before I've moved on to a new one. However, there are a few products I have bought multiples of. In fact, I've been using the same mascara since I was in the 6^th grade! I'm not saying I haven't tried 75 other kinds since then- I'm just saying I always come back to my trusty L'Oreal!

Speaking of my L'Oreal- here she is: Voluminous Volume Building Mascara

Shade: Blackest Black

It goes on nicely and gives me instant "umph". I don't have many lashes so I need a thicker formula to amp these babies up! It lasts all day and doesn't flake down my face. You can find it here or at your local Wal-Mart/Target!

Beauty Blender: Best makeup sponge ever!!!  It's pricey but I can say honestly, I've had mine for 6 months and wash it out with dish soap (Dawn) and let it dry over night and it's good as new! I got hooked on this when I got one in my Birchbox (there will be a post on this later. In the meantime you can check it out here ) and now they are on my Christmas list every year! Find it here here!

 

Merle Norman Soft Touch Eye Pencil

Shade: Earthy

This glides on so smooth and stays ALL DAY!!!! This plum shade is perfect for all eye colors! Sorry ladies... you will have to actually go shopping to pick this one up. I know of two local stores that have always had it in stock: Fuquay-Varina and Crabtree Valley Mall!

   

Lancôme Le Crayon Poudre: I was not blessed with much brow so I do what any other girl would do- draw it on! You would not believe the impact your eyebrows make! Find it here!

Shade: Blonde

 

Cover Girl Liquiline Blast Eyeliner

Shade: Brown Blaze

This formula is smooth and really gives the liquid look without the stress and mess of a liquid liner. I currently have Brown Blaze but want to try the black shade (Blackfire).  You can find it here! or at your local Wal-Mart/Target!