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sweet lemonMADE

April Sweet Picks

Posted on April 22, 2016

Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Hand Sanitizer: Who hates germs and stress? *all the hands* Yeah, duh, me too. I work in the hospital as a nurse practitioner so obviously I’m anti-germ and usually a little stressed (ok or a lot stressed) and this hand sanitizer is a little piece of heaven. You can ask anyone I work with. I have a large dispenser of this spearmint and eucalyptus potion on my desk and when emotions or tensions are running high, I give everyone a squirt. If someone comes into our office afterward they always comment on the relaxing smell. It seems crazy, but using this flavor of hand sanitizer and taking a few deep breaths of the scent is really relaxing! Grab the travel size and sneak a few zen moments/sniffs when and wherever you need—right before a big meeting or waiting in line at the Chick-fil-A drive-thru with a van full of noisy kids. Trust me, the stress relief promises with this product are no lie. Try it!
Image Source: Bath and Body Works

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer: A couple years ago I noticed my makeup was patchy on my skin and not applying very smoothly. Little did I know, the main culprit was my lack of facial moisturizer. I had never used a facial moisturizer before so I was pretty clueless to all of my options. In my mind, I would just pull out the cherry almond scented Jergens Lotion that’s been sitting in my closet for the past decade. I decided to go to Ulta and ask someone for some better advice. My skin can be very sensitive to products so I was hesitant to try something new. She suggested Aveeno and I haven’t used anything else since.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer is oil free and hypoallergenic, which is perfect for my sensitive skin. I’ve noticed that it has evened my skin tone and has eliminated my patchy makeup problem for good. This moisturizer goes on smoothly and is really light weight. My favorite thing is it also has SPF 30 so I know I’m always protected without putting on extra sunscreen.
Image Source: Aveeno

Love Addict Mini Fragrance Mist from Victoria Secret: When it comes to fragrance mists and body sprays, I’m all about the fruity and sweet scents! So when I discovered the Love Addict fragrance mist one day during one of my frequent visits to Victoria’s Secret (which is every few weeks when I redeem my FREE panty coupons I receive in the mail–because who would turn down a freebie with no strings attached! Not this girl!). I sprayed the tester on my wrist and loved it immediately. I kept catching myself smelling my wrist as I walked around the store! I knew I wasn’t leaving without it and lucky for me the mini fragrances were BOGO (buy 1, get 1 FREE) that day! They have this deal quite often!

I am horrible at describing scents so it’s a good thing the description tells me that Love Addict has notes of wild orchid and blood orange. Also, I love the convenient size, as I can easily throw it into my purse or makeup bag. (7 ml/.23 fl oz.) FYI–the mini fragrance in Love Addict is hard to find and not sold online, so search your local VS store and get your hands on one of these!
Image Source: Victoria’s Secret

Tinkle Razor: The worst name, but the best product. These little guys are so handy. You can use them for shaping your brows, unibrow defense, to take care of those sneaky dark hairs that appear on your upper lip giving the illusion of a mustache (ugh, I feel you) or you can go wild and use it to get rid of all your face hair. “Shave your face? What?” Yes, it’s a thing. That’s what I do. It’s awesome. My skin feels smoother. My makeup goes on perfectly. It’s great. No foam or water necessary, just you, your face and a tinkle (I know, it makes me snicker to say tinkle out loud too).

These little guys come in a pack of 3 for about $5 and of course you can buy them on Amazon. There are other brands and razors out there like this, but I splurge the $5 and buy the real deal, Tinkle razors. Some things are worth going name brand for, this is one of them. If you’re a visual person like I am and want to see these Tinkles in action, check out this “How-To” video.
Image Source: Beauty Plus Salon

Celebrate

Last Minute Easter Basket Ideas

Posted on March 26, 2016

I know what you’re thinking, “Easter is on Sunday. Why are you just now showing me these cute ideas?” I hear you. But let’s be honest, if we would have posted this on Monday you probably still wouldn’t have had time to go to the store and put these together. But maybe you’re the type of person that is super planned and you absolutely needed this post two weeks ago, to you and all the other prepped people, we solute you. We want to be you. You can stop reading now or save this post for next year. To the rest of you who are knee deep in work stuff, kid stuff, house stuff, and trying to work out and eat healthy stuff, read on. We’ve got some fun ideas for an Easter basket that you can pull off in a Saturday so rest assured. The one thing I do regret in posting this tonight in an attempt to connect with my midnight-oil-burning friends, is that I didn’t give you enough time for 2-day shipping on Amazon Prime. Next time, I’ll remember the shipping window, promise.

Okay, now on to the stuff! This was definitely a creative sweet lemonMADE collaboration as we wandered the aisles of Target (no, we are not sponsored by them, but we should be! #dreams). Wait, you mean, you don’t wander the aisles of Target at 10 o’clock at night on a Tuesday? Oh, you do, oh, okay. Phew.

For the kiddos…

First of all, that dress! Talk about flower power, we all gushed over it. It has the perfect amount of whimsy and fun with all those bright colors and that retro, floral pattern. We may have checked the entire store to find that pattern in anything else (really, ANYTHING), but if you want this happy print you’ve gotta buy this dress. We paired it with some sweet shades (also Target), one of those darling, BabyLit books (Barnes and Noble), naturally we chose “The Secret Garden” (wait, are we supposed to use quotes or underline book titles…um, does it change if it is APA format vs MLA format? Is there a blog format?? Um, I think you can do either way, right? Mrs. Dursteler? Are you reading this? You knew what I meant). And if you wanna splurge a little (read: a lot) you can snag some of these great Freshly Picked Mocs, the ones pictured here are “petite cashmere.”

You will be the coolest mom, aunt, grandma, sister around if you get the dudes in your life one of these “Bunch-O-Balloons” water balloon fillers. Talk about ultimate life hack, you can fill 100 water balloons in 1 minute! Oh, and did we mention that it is self-tying? Yes, amazing (find it at Target, Walmart, or Amazon). Throw in a fun spring shirt, and one of those great BabyLit books and you’re set.

For the awesome ladies in your life…sisters, friends, coworkers

Okay, did you guys read that flavor? Pearberry!! Talk about throwback! When I saw this at Bath and Body Works I knew I had to buy it for my fellow sweet lemonMADE ladies. This was the scent of our awkward tween years. It’s weird, just putting it on transports me back to junior high with my braces and Doc Martens. I threw in a fun new flavor of Trident Layers gum (watermelon/tropical fruit) and a new stick of everyone’s favorite, Baby Lips by Maybelline.

I don’t know about you, but Diet Coke is a religion around here, and there’s nothing most women love more (maybe their husbands and kids, maybe). Diet Coke goes great with anything, but especially these Cape Cod chips (YUM!) on a blanket in the park. Yeah, that’s the stuff dreams are made of.

And if all else fails and you run out of ideas and time just buy the people you love some Easter chocolate. They won’t be mad you did.

Sweet Picks

March Sweet Picks

Posted on March 23, 2016

Hey friends, so in case you haven’t noticed we’re doing something here and it’s called “Sweet Picks.” Every month we will each share something awesome that we love (like a beauty product, book, gadget, etc., you know, our “must haves”) and then we will give one away to YOU. Think Oprah’s Favorite Things, but cheaper (no cars here). So stay tuned each month for your chance to win!

Retro Hair Dry Clean Dry Shampoo: Alarm goes off…BEEP.BEEP.BEEP. Snooze. Blissful 9 minutes. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. “9 minutes gone already?” I ask myself in a sleepy stupor. Enter negotiation mode. “I don’t really need to eat breakfast.” Snooze. And 9 more minutes of happiness. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. “I’ll do my makeup in the car. There are always lots of red lights.” SNOOZE. Nine more minutes of sleepy, dreamland. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. “Forget washing my hair. I’ll wear a ponytail.” SNOOZE.

If you know these irrational sleep negotiations like I do, you need some dry shampoo in your life. It will soak up that bedhead and give those roots some spring in their step—all without washing your hair, saving you precious time in the morning. And you know, experts say you shouldn’t wash your hair everyday anyway (every beauty blog and even WebMD). So obviously this is a win-win. I know what some of you are thinking though, “Yeah, but I NEED to wash my hair everyday.” No, you don’t. You really don’t. I promise. Here’s how.

Enter Retro Hair: Dry Clean, dry shampoo. Grab the can (kiss it first because you’re about to fall in love). Then tip your head upside down and spray your roots, making sure to get those greasy bedhead cowlicks extra well. The spray will hit you with a cold burst of air and leave your hair with a damp, powdery feel (however, it will NOT leave a white, powdery residue behind like some other dry shampoos. This is key if you have darker hair). Next, key tip here (learned from one of my favorite bachelor alums via snapchat—don’t judge), with head still upside down take blow dryer and meet those cold roots with a blast of hot air for just a minute—moving blow dryer around entire head. Flip your head up, give your roots a little lift and poof with your hands and blow dry again if needed. Then brush out that wild mess the blow dryer left behind and style. Entire process takes 3 minutes and you didn’t even have to get it wet. I get more compliments on my hair on a dry shampoo day than any other day. Like cheese and fine wine, I feel like my hair gets better with time. Yours will too.
Image Source: Amazon

Glam Glow Mud Mask: I was introduced to this little gem on a summer getaway with my best gal-pals. We rented a lake house in Cape Cod and spent the days lounging in swimsuits and yoga pants and ate M&Ms and kettle chips all day. It was a glorious time. One of my favorite parts of that trip though, was our “favorite things” exchange. We each brought everyone a product that we love (cue sweet lemonMADE sweet picks) and exchanged them. This is where GlamGlow mud masks came into my life. My NYC BFF, a compulsive beauty junkie (that’s a compliment), was the one to introduce us to them. She always knows the best beauty products and isn’t afraid to try them all—and I think the fact that she lives in NYC gives her extra street cred. But just incase you aren’t ready to trust my reviews you can rest assured that Sephora reviewers (all 1,684 of them) loved this stuff.

So what’s so magical, you ask? I think the magic is in the tingle, or maybe it is the volcanic pumice rock or the French sea clay…whatever it is, it’s awesome. It is pretty simple to use, just cover your face with the concrete-colored mask (don’t be alarmed by the bits of green tea leaves mixed in), spare your eyes, and wait for it to dry. As the mask is drying your face will start tingling and your skin will get tight (boom…take that wrinkles!). You’ll notice when the mask is dry because the color will change to a light seafoam color, but you can leave it on for 5 to 20 minutes. When you’re ready to be done just get warm water on your hands and start scrubbing (circular motion is what the beauty Nazis recommend) and rinse it all off. Then touch your face. It will feel like a baby’s bum. You’re welcome.

P.s. We are giving this away on Instagram, so go enter. I hope you win. You want this stuff.
Image Source: Sephora

Fujifilm Instax Share Printer: If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to instantly print photos from your smartphone or tablet, the Instax Printer is the way to go. The printer fits in the palm of your hand, so it’s easy to store and the only requirement (besides buying the Polaroid film) is to download an app to retrieve your pictures. You can even get creative by adding templates, fonts and other icons to your picture. This printer is so much fun, but it will cost you a pretty penny. Be prepared to spend $129 and an extra $20 for a pack of film. This “toy” doesn’t come cheap, but it’s the perfect way to get the vintage feel of a Polaroid while using modern technology.
Image Source: Amazon

Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don’t Stray Eyeshadow Primer: The Benefit Cosmetics Stay Don’t Stray Eyeshadow Primer is a life saver and one of my makeup go-to products that I can’t live without. If you are like me, and have a problem with oily eyelids this stuff is amazing! Before I started using this primer, my eyeshadow and eyeliner would just melt off an hour after I’ve applied my eye makeup and make my eyes burn. I like that the primer is tinted (to give your eyelids an even base color) and the doe foot applicator is nice to keep the product clean by not having to put your fingers in the product. Even though it is a bit pricey at $26.00 a bottle, it’s worth it and it lasts quite a while since you use a small amount each time.
Image Source: Benefits Cosmetics

Sweet Picks

February Sweet Picks

Posted on February 26, 2016

Sweet Picks for February - sweetlemonmade.com

Check out our sweet picks for February! These are the things we are loving that we want to share with you.

Unite Boosta Spray: This spray gives a little added volume without feeling heavy or dulling your hair. A little spritz at the roots on your damp hair and you are ready to dry, style, and go!
Image Source: Unite Hair

AEO Hi-rise Sweater Leggings: If there’s one thing I love during the freezing cold season of winter, it’s sweatpants! I’ve found the perfect pair with the American Eagle Sweater Leggings. Not only are these the most comfy pair of sweatpants I’ve owned, they are super cute and keep you toasty warm. It’s a win-win.
Image Source: American Eagle

The Life-Changing Magic of Tyding Up: This book is legit. It will transform the way you look at your possessions as she teaches you the masterful art of tidying. When her methods are followed precisely she claims a relapse clutter rate of 0%. You better check it out!
Image Source: Amazon

Snow Joe: The Snow Joe Broom is a 2-in-1 tool. The large broom head makes removing snow off the top of your car so fast and I love how easy it is to use. You can easily push heavy snow off your car plus the handle extend telescoping which is nice for those of us with short arms, or for those wider vehicles. And if you need to scrape any ice off your windows or windshield, you can just turn it around and use the attached ice scraper at the end of the handle. This tool is light weight and when your done you can detach the handle from the broom for easy and compact storing in any car. If you live in a state like Utah and get large amounts of snow, you will not be sorry and will be thanking me!
Image Source: Amazon

Uncategorized

Welcome to sweet lemonMADE!

Posted on February 22, 2016

Hello, interweb friends and followers (currently only our siblings and parents)! We are four friends that have been creatively scheming since 7^th grade and have now reunited to share our creative endeavors with you. (click here for all the juicy deets) We hope our everyday slices of life leave you laughing, inspired, hungry, happy and most of all, feeling connected to people like yourself. So come, follow along!

P.s. We promise to include some pretty hilarious throwbacks documenting our 20-year creative friend journey along the way. #totallyworththefollow #braces #juniorhigh #awkwardtweens

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