New Beauty Routine - Sunday Riley

It seems to be about this time every year that I make a few changes in my beauty routine.  Maybe it is the changes in the weather or bit of time to go shopping in the beauty department over spring break?  I'm not exactly sure but I like to mix it up as spring approaches.

On a whim, I bought some amazing products from Sunday Riley a couple of weeks ago.   The bold packaging caught my eye and the quick and capable sales gal gave me the extra boost I needed to make the purchase while out shopping my my mother.

I have fallen in love - head over heels - with this line which is a cult favorite.  It is famous for it's all-natural but hard working ingredients that truly do give immediate results.  I hope you will give it a try!

I first use the wonderful Blue Moon Cleansing Balm to cleanse my skin and remove makeup.  (I love a cleansing balm - use it on dry skin and wipe off with a warm wet washcloth - no mess from splashing and it can be used to remove eye makeup!)

I follow that with the Martian Mattifying Toner (applied with a cotton round and so fabulous on my oily skin), Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment and Tidal Enzyme Water Cream (only when I need it!).

I hope you will give it a try!  Click on the images below to shop the post.

KSW Travels: New York with the Kids!

We had an amazing weekend in New York with the children last week!  What a blast!

There is so much to do in NYC so the key is to whittle it down to your favorites and tackle them by neighborhood.  We focused on the Upper East Side and Mid-Town on this trip.

Here is a little run down with our highlights:

Saturday Morning:  After breakfast at the St. Regis Hotel, we wandered through the Central Park Zoo.  On the way there, the children loved stomping on the leftover snow and seeing Trump Tower!  The weather was gorgeous so we had a blast visiting the animals in the zoo.  They have a fantastic 4D Theatre and a petting zoo!  The zoo is quite small and manageable.  It is the perfect size for a leisurely morning adventure.

Loved this sign at the Zoo!

 Saturday Afternoon:  I couldn't wait to treat the little ones to lunch at the very place my parents always took my siblings and I growing up, Nello on Madison Avenue.  They loved the pasta, just like I did at their age.  After lunch we wandered past some stores on the way to Smythson to get dad a new diary.  On the way, we window shopped, talked about what life is like for those children who live in the NYC townhouses and apartments we passed and checked out the sports memorabilia at Heritage Auction Gallery!

Lunch at Nello - the food was amazing but capturing these joyful moments between these two is tops!  

This smaller replica of the Statue of Liberty got them super excited!

Saturday Evening:  We topped off our Saturday with the amazing Gazillion Bubbles Show.  My expectations were not high but I must say this show was such a treat for the entire family!  They don't allow photographs during the show but they do during the finale which was like a being at a rave for kids (not that I have ever been to a rave but that is what I imagine!) I highly recommend the show!

Sunday morning:  We stopped into the newly renovated St. Patricks Cathedral to take in the majestic decor and listen to some of the beautiful hymns from the Sunday morning mass.  What a joy!  A ride around the Central Park Carousel helped the children burn time before the Eloise Brunch at The Plaza.  As you can see from her smile, Millie loved posing under the portrait of Eloise.  She loves posing anywhere actually but this was extra special! ;)

Sunday Afternoon:  Our Eloise Tea at The Plaza was filling enough to serve as a brunch so we skipped back to the park to have fulfill JR's request to have their portraits drawn.  I couldn't believe he wanted to sit there for 20 minutes but we did!  We didn't take a lot of time to look at the artists offering their services but we got lucky with the talented gentleman. He was really able to capture JR and was very patient with my wiggly Millie!

 Sunday Evening: I had to go to work to get my segment set up for TODAY so Justin treated the kids to a skate around Rockefeller Center Rink.  We were excited to learn that there is a VIP entrance to skate with a short wait and hot chocolate and cookies!  It was totally worth the additional fee! An early room service dinner back at the hotel was in order as the little ones had an early call time the next the morning!

Monday Morning:  It was such a treat to take my kids and husband to work with me at TODAY show.  JR went with me many years ago but this time was special because they both got to be a part of my segment with me!  I was nervous but they were great!  You can click here to see the segment on Winter Break Activities for Kids.

JR got a lesson from one of the wonderful crew members who make these shows possible!   

Behind the scenes on the set! 

Millie demonstrating the ice painting craft!  She loves this so much that I have started to keep ice paints in the freezer at all times!

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The Cure for Cabin Fever on the Today Show

No School this week?  No Problem! I took the family along for the morning at the TODAY Show and I have all sorts of suggestions for activities for you family.  

Click here to watch the segment!

Friday Favorites - Red

Remember to wear red today for National Wear Red day for the American Heart Association!

I'm headed out for a colorful and sunny vacation next week and I'm excited to pack this! 

Taking this luggage as always - my tried and true trusty favorite!  (I swear these are bottomless Mary Poppins style bags!)

These just arrived for my little Millie so she should be all set for spring!

Ordering this for my husband for Valentines Day. 

And these for my friends...

Love this dress for a Valentine's Date Night!

Coveting these for summer.

National Wear Red Day for the American Heart Association

Did you know that cardiovascular diseases kill one woman almost every 80 seconds?  Shocking right?  The good news is that the majority of these diseases are preventable through lifestyle changes and eduction.  In order to raise awareness, Friday is National Wear Red day in the USA!  

Click here to read tips from the American Heart Association on a heart healthy lifestyle and don't forget to wear red on Friday!  See below for some of my favorite reds for your wardrobe!

Tassel Trend

I'm obsessing over tassels right now! Seeing them everywhere and loving everything with this flirty and charming embellishment! Whether you are looking for your home or your wardrobe, you don't want to miss out on this tassel trend!

How about adding these gold tassel earrings for a perfect finishing touch to any outfit?

Loving this flat mules in my favorite color combination of black and navy!

This amazing gold and tassel necklace is 70% off right now!

Love our tassel cocktail napkins in our Halo Home by KSW collection.

How comfy/cute are these tennies?

I love the tassel pulls on this french style chest.

I want to find a place for these tassel sconces in my new home!

Coveting this tassel bar cart for sure!

I love a good cross body bag and this one has a great handle too!

Love the statement that this bracelet makes and it can be worn all year long.

I love my Hermes Tassel key ring because I can always find it in my purse.

Slumber Party Popcorn Bar

My sister and I love to get our little ones together.  The tots are only five weeks apart so planning fun playdates is a blast!  When she suggested that we have a little slumber party as a Valentine's Day celebration, she said that she would provide the PJs if I could come up with a project to keep them busy!  

I settled on a simple popcorn bar that would satisfy their need for sweets, my love of savory and keep them busy with something fun to create (that doesn't create a mess!)  I set out a big bowl of buttered popcorn, a bunch of brown paper lunch sacks decorated with paper doily hearts and a few little dishes full of candy on a table in Kari's room.  

Before the cartoons started, we changed into our darling new jammies from Charmajesty.  Can you handle how cute they are?  (My sister is the US Ambassador for the brand so you can check out her blog for a discount code or email her at kari@jojomommy.com to order!)

Then I helped the little ones each fill a bag with popcorn. 

They added the toppings they wanted to the bag before I rolled up the tops and let them have fun shaking them to mix the toppings and the popcorn together!  Click here to check out this precious video of them shaking it up!

I put out all sorts of red and white candies, m and ms, red hots, conversation hearts, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and peanuts (my favorite mix!)

When they were done with the mix, I rolled down the top and we settled in for some screen time!

The cartoons were followed by a pillow fight but, don't worry, they made up after battle with big hugs.

so Kari and I hugged it out too!