Makeup & Beauty Monday: Chubby Sticks
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I’ve written before of my love for Clinique Chubby Sticks. There was just a sale where they went down to $15, so I bought two of my regular color and tried two new colors as well, making a total of six that I’ve tried, I think.
The one I keep buying again and again (see all my beauty empties) is “Graped Up,” which is a super sheer brownish mauve. Truly “my lips but better.” I also keep buying “Fuller Fig,” which I like just a bit less than “Graped Up,” and I bought a more intense bright red, “Broadest Berry” when I was hunting for an everyday red lipstick. (It’s very buildable and wears really well, but the idea of an “everyday red” just didn’t take.) Just a week or two ago I also got “Voluptuous Violet” and “Lot of Honey.”
Honestly? No complaints about any of them; would buy again, 5 stars. The colors are pretty and sheer; they go on easily with the crayon applicator; the product is moisturizing without being sticky; and the color is buildable if you sometimes want a hint of color and sometimes want more of “a lewk,” as the kids say.
The crayons are $18 full price, which in the era of $90 lipsticks isn’t bad at all — compared to a $8 drugstore brand, yes, they’re pricier, but the nice thing about department store makeup is that it’s so easy to return. I keep reading about how drugstore makeup is returnable also but have never tried to return anything — I’d love to hear about your experiences if you have! (Here’s our last discussion on the retailers with the best return policies.)
How about you, readers — what is your favorite lipstick/balm/tint right now?
My 2 year old does not nap. During normal times, her school had a room the non-nappers could go to and play in, but this room is closed due to Covid since they don’t want kids mixing with kids in other classes, which is logical. But it seems like the teachers are not letting her do anything except lie on her cot and try to sleep for the whole 2 hour naptime. Am I offbase in thinking she should be allowed to get up and play quietly? She complains to us about how bored she is. At home we enforce quiet time in her room during what used to be her naptime, but she has books and toys available to her, she’s not just lying on a cot staring into space.
I’m desperately trying to find a high chair that is counter-height (not table height) with no tray. Our almost 2-year old is currently using the joovy, which we pull up to our kitchen peninsula (counter height) but I think it’s time to ditch a tray and have her eat at the actual counter. But I can’t seem to find any (non crazy looking) high chairs that are meant for counter height. HELP?!
Best shoes for occasional outdoor play for a new to walking toddler? I have a pair of roobez, but it seems like the APMA recommendation for soft soles for new walkers doesn’t jive with wet grass and sidewalks.
Signed, a first time mom who completely forgot that little kids like to walk in ALL the puddles and feels super guilty that he son was walking around with cold wet feet for a period of time yesterday….
This is a very sad post, but it’s been a sad week. Basically I am almost 19 w preg with what would be our third and we just learned last week that the baby has some serious birth defects that would require a lot of medical care. Results of amnio (pending) may provide some further detail re whether there is a genetic syndrome involved and possible additional/unseen medical issues, but even what they can see for sure is very serious. Lots of time in hospital, surgeries with mortality risk starting as a newborn, tons of medical appointments- I would have to quit my job. My youngest would only be 21 months when baby is born and my oldest would be not yet 6. There’s no way I could be the mom they need and also be there for this kid, nor can I imagine explaining to them that their baby sibling may die. Anyway, I’m rambling, but bottom line is we have decided to terminate the pregnancy. Obviously, this is devastating. I am hoping to get it scheduled as quickly as possible because I just want it over. Feeling the baby kick is now torture. I can’t focus on work or much else, though doing a bit better now that at least we have made a decision. I am so very grateful that I live in an area where I have options. Anyway, just wanted to tell some internet strangers I guess, because very few people know in real life (just my inlaws and one close friend knew about the pregnancy). I’m planning to have a D&E vs induction because I just can’t imagine the emotional trauma of being awake for a physical delivery and there seems to be no medical advantage either. Anyone been through something like this? Any words of wisdom? I’ve had a 1st tri miscarriage before (and d&c) but never faced something like this.
Paging those looking at the Stokke Tripp Trapp for their toddler: I highly recommend looking into the IKEA line of Junior Chairs—they’re narrower than adult chairs with higher seats and footrests for toddlers / preschooler. We have the natural wood “Ingolf” and it’s the MVP in our kitchen. Chose it over the Stokke because the footprint is smaller and its 4 legs are better for navigating the uneven wood floors in our 1920’s craftsmen.
It’s solid AF and easy to clean without moveable pieces or nooks & crannies unlike the Stokke. My kindergartener has used this since he was 2. Heck, I sat in it while pregnant with Kiddo #2 (needed the extra height for aching hips) and I STILL use it to reach high cabinets when too lazy to grab a step stool. May buy another for little sibling too since Big Bro is still using his.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker who bought alllll the expensive baby gear after tons of research (snoo, Nuna Pipa + Rava, Uppa Vista and Babyzen, guava lotus, pikler, and nugget, all the lovevery toys) but think the Tripp Trapp is overrated IMHO. The IKEA Antilop and Junior Chair are much better designed products for a fraction of the price.
How do you know when normal past partum sadness becomes something more? I’ve had a tough week- caught food poisoning, watched my milk supply decline rapidly, I still feel achy and not near 100%. I’m having difficulty sleeping (not bc of the baby). I’m crying very easily and I just don’t feel good. I have an 11 week old and 3.5 year old. I need to feel more normal (thank god I’m still on maternity leave) but I’m not sure what I can do to get back on track.
This weekend was rough. :( Crummy weather, the kids were bickering constantly, not listening to anything we had to say. DH is in a terribly bad mood right now and has zero patience. Trying not to judge, because I’m at my wits’ end, too, but I was just as irritated with him as my kids.
The sad thing is, I actually went into the weekend with a fairly good idea of how to keep everyone entertained, but it all went sideways anyway. Then I felt even worse for working my tail off to try to make the weekend fun, and nobody was really having any fun! I don’t even want to be the family’s entertainment director, but covid has turned me into one. I’m an introvert who is not getting nearly enough alone time to stay on an even keel, and it’s just … all too hard. It’s too much togetherness; there’s no space to miss each other! I went to bed way too late on Saturday night because I needed some freaking time to myself. We are being more conservative than many, so I guess part of this is my own fault? I don’t know how we’re going to survive winter.
My first-grader attends in-person school full-time, with safety protocols – masks, distancing, staying within the classroom for music class, lunchtime, etc. My parents (both in their 70’s) have been picking him up after school twice a week to give my husband and I couple of days where we can continue to be productive after 3 p.m. We’re both in good work situations and have a lot of flexibility – the grandparent care is a ‘nice to have’ but not an essential to our work lives.
Covid cases here – like most other places – have been increasing. We’re at around the 6% positivity rate for the last couple of weeks, slightly worse each day.
I feel like at some point, I should stop having kid go see Grandparents, right? I mean, I know they’re the ones who have to ultimately determine what risk they are comfortable with, but they love my kid and I think they’d have a really difficult time making the affirmative choice not to see him after school any more.
Any advice for coats for a soon-to-be 1-year-old in the Pacific Northwest? It doesn’t get cold enough for serious winter coats most of the time, but you do need more than fleece sometimes too (this post brought to you by the fact that it was somehow below freezing when I woke up). I bought a fleece lining/water resistant outer layer coat from Columbia plus a Columbia rain suit, but is there something that would be good for colder days without breaking the bank since we won’t use it all the time? (I feel really dumb about this somehow).
I posted this in the main forum as well, but thought I would post-here as well since I would be curious to see a mom perspective on this (since honestly I would probably not be getting this if I didn’t have kids bc working out wouldn’t be as challenging generally) – any thoughts on the Peloton? I am considering buying it bc of COVID (not willing to risk going to the gym, live in the NE so it’s too cold in the winter to run), and would be curious if anyone has it and would recommend.
Favorite first movies for 3 and 4 year olds? My kids are finally able to sit through a whole movie and we’re trying to start doing family pizza and movie nights to add something new and fun into the monotony of pandemic life.
This weekend we watched 101 Dalmatians which my kids liked, but one was in tears are various points and requested something less scary next time. Any reqs for kids movies without villains (or less scary ones, at least)? We have Netflix and Disney+ for streaming options.
WINTER IS COMING! Thoughts on mittens for toddlers/preschoolers? We are in a very snowy/cold area where kids go outside to play (in full snow gear) every day. In the past I’ve gotten Snowstoppers since they seem to stay on well, but they only last for two seasons before they get shredded. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything else great out there. Other winter gear recommendations are welcome…usually we get two of everything (a cheap version for school, where they’re only out for an hour at a time, and a nicer version for home, where we often spend much longer outside). I’m willing to pay a bit more since everything gets used for two seasons (I buy a size up) and then handed down (kids are 2 years apart).
Any recs for talking to your kid about physical boundaries and consent? A man with severe developmental disabilities gave my son (3) a coin and then gave him a hug, an experience made doubly stressful due to the pandemic this morning. T and I and I talked about how the man didn’t know any better but no one should touch you if you don’t want them to, but I didn’t know how to balance talking about it with potentially scaring him. Is there a script? Some roleplay? Weirdly, this isn’t the first time this happened, but he was much younger so didn’t really get it.
Someone (here or the main) asked last week about the renting out the theater thing that some movie theaters are doing – well, on a lark, my parents decided to do that for the family over the weekend, so I thought I’d report back. The deal was $100 for up to 20 people, for an older movie (we saw Monsters Inc., and it looked like the theater had several other classic Halloween-themed movies featured as well). Our group had the whole theater (a smaller one) to ourselves, and were never in contact with anyone else, other than to walk past (at a wide berth) the ticket-taker (I guess my dad showed him the tickets, because he just waived everyone in as my dad said they were with us). Since we were really isolated, there was no concern with removing masks within the theater.
It was really nice. The kids had a blast – we were able to get the movie-going experience, but they could also run around and interact a bit. The price for a group is really cheap if you break it down (say, split between a few families in a pod). Concessions were extra, of course, but they were running some discounts. Everyone had a really good time. Highly recommend.
Anyone have a recommendaiton for a Bogs knock off or something that would be similarly easy for my five year old to get on and off this winter? I can’t bring myself to spend $90 on boots, and I live in a small town without a thriving used market. Thanks!