Gotta get down on Friday

Linking up with Kelly once again because I just can't quit her.

1. I went through the vast majority of yesterday really and genuinely thinking it was Friday so today feels a little redundant and extra celebratory. We have family coming to visit and it's like Julia born yesterday because Simon and I told the kids about the visit weeks ago ... mistake. Until you can measure the arrival countdown in minutes ... it's best to just say nothing or risk nonstop questions and vocalized disappointment over the visit that is still a milllllllion years away. But, today's the day! Thank goodness.

2. I didn't want to type about it last week because Simon is big on jinxing things BUT the van broke down (again crying face emoji) two weeks ago and Simon totally took charge, YouTubed how to fix it, bought the part, borrowed a necessary tool from a neighbor, and fixed it! It might not be that impressive to you who are skilled at that sort of thing but color this girl impressed and grateful that we were spared a rather costly repair.

3. In the middle of the van break down and Simon having the big kids take turns turning they key in the ignition while he diagnosed the problem ... the troops were hollering for dinner and Theo wanted to be held for many minutes on end and refused to give up the dream.

So, I strapped him on my back (probably reallllly pushing the Beco carrier weight limit) which led Phoebe to garner an interest in being worn (she tolerated it at best as a baby) because that's how little minds work around here.

4. Something other than Patton prattle!! I hope you saw this floating around Facebook but it deserves all the e-accolades, standing ovations, and amens in the world. Worth the click and read. I promise.

5. I'm in a terrible, terrible book rut. I've started 1/2 a dozen books only to have them be disappointing duds. I'm months away from getting any of my holds at the library but I'm tempted to but this new release by Curtis Sittenfeld. I've read a few meh reviews though. If you'd read anything great - I'd love to hear about it!!

6. I loved this post by Bridget on easy activities for young kids + toddlers. I will definitely be copycatting. No shame, ever.

7. My favorite skincare line is having a sale right now (and they have the best return policy -- so I love trying out new things risk-free after scouring the reviews) ... if it weren't for this system I think my face would still be sadly reminiscent of my acne ridden high school and college days and this exfoliant has cleared up the vast majority of said acne scarring. You can get $10 off your first order using my link but no pressure, ever - of course!

7.5 Bless Theo's little heart because he takes thee best naps but wakes up in thee worst mood. But! We've come to an understanding in the past couple of days that if he can get up and have an apple (or banana - kitchen inventory dependent) and some time alone and away from Phoebe (lol) then he's good. Life changing for everyone, crazy at it may sound. I snapped this yesterday of our newly minted happy post-nap camper ...

 yes, this was a blog worthy development. truly.

And with that, I will leave you. I've got a pack of baby wipes calling my bathroom cleaning name. Don't tell me you don't do it TOO. Please don't.

Have a good one!

two!

She's been saying she's, "two!!" for months now so I guess it was about time that her age caught up with Speedy Gonzales. Phoebe turned two on Saturday and from what I can gather from her arsenal of yelly one-liners ... she had a wonderful day. I've been asking what kind of cake she wanted for a few weeks and she very consistently said, "blue" and so to make that jive with the kind of cake I wanted ... I just threw some blueberries on top of a carrot cake. Best of both worlds and I don't know that I can ever have carrot cake any other way -- don't knock it till you try it.

I thought she'd be thrilled getting her own pair of flip flops (along with a bee) but I caught her shuffling out to the car this afternoon in the trusty pair of Julia's that she loves and so ... I guess I was wrong. Oops.

It's tough to adequately illustrate Phoebe's big and fearless personality with the shy disposition that rears its pretty little head in every checkout line, time after time. But! I'll try. You know that reverse psychology that you have to use on toddlers to get them to follow you in a whole variety of situations? When you tell them, "oooookay ... see you later" and slowly walk away and pray they decide to trot and catch up with the pack? It's worked with all the other kids but Phoebe just lets out a little cackle and continues to sprint off into the other direction ... calling our bluff harder than it's ever been called. However, she's the first to come to Bosco's aid whenever she hears him crying or whining ...

and sometimes gives him more to cry about but her little heart is in the right place, I think. She's very dedicated to getting the entire family to wearing flip flops at the same time and if she catches Simon in tennis shoes or work shoes she sprints off to our closet and rectifies the situation as quickly as she is able. She's been known to bring me one of my mini bottles of moscato at 11:00 in the morning and is confused when I politely and regretfully decline her generous offer.

She lives in swimsuits and if I dare to get her dressed in non-swimming attire she asks if we're going to Mass because why else would she be required to dress in regular clothing?

I never really thought about the fact that she'd be the only girl at home during the day this year but she has absolutely held her own and brings the boys to tears FAR more than they manage to make her cry.

She calls both Theo and Sebastian, "Bash" and usually in the context of, "bad Bash!!!" letting me know that she's been wronged in double world detail. 

She was all about her birthday cake until we had to go and put candles in it ...

this looks nice, I guess.

still nice. for the time being.

mmmmm wavering.

and NOPE.

Theo was happy to blow the candles out for her. And then she promptly bit his finger, in true blue Phoebe fashion.

Anyway, happy happy birthday pretty little lady. I'm sure you'll read this some day in the future! (no, I'm not but we can pretend for fun!)

love,

"ma-a-a-a-aw-m" as you yell at me on the daily

ps Phoebe's birth story -- if you'd like to relive that odyssey :)

a blog nod to my mom

I would imagine I'm not alone but the older I get the greater my appreciation for my parents grows. And as I have kids of my own and those kids get older and the juggling act ebbs and flows I find myself in retrospective awe of how my mom handled it all. Oh, if only 16-year-old Grace could read me now because teenager Grace knew it all and was going to do everything different and how do you like me now, omniscient Grace of (many!) years past?

my mom as a teenager. I believe her nickname was, "Coolia" ... no irony or sarcasm, also featuring #NoOrdinaryCard

If I had a dollar for every time I thought, "how did Mom handle potty training/sleep training/birthday partying/dinner making/play dating" without losing her mind? I could probably afford to just buy her a nice little abode next to ours so that she could teach me in person because she made it all seem so effortless. And not only did she just handle it all but I have such vivid memories of her making our childhood feel special in lots of different ways. She was known to sneakily buy one of those Valentine's Day grams that they sold in middle and high school and signing it, "from a secret admirer" and sending me into a total googly-eyed tailspin for a few hours until I got home and found out the truth. She routinely tucked notes into our lunchboxes and always made sure our birthdays felt like great big celebrations without the help of Amazon Prime - gasp.

Bettina and baby Grace (who I think resembles newborn Julia? slightly!)

We haven't even gotten to the after school activities and homework nitty gritty stage of parenting yet but I know my admiration will only grow when those days hit us like a freight train in a few short years. She poured herself into planning our wedding while I made silly decisions about my dress and hair and she dealt with all the headaches without a whisper of a complaint.

I don't think I've completely pinned down my love language (can there be mashups of all five?) but I know I struggle with finding the right way to say anything but especially expressing sentiments such as, "thank you! you are loved and appreciated" without being long-winded (hello this entire blog) which is why I love the simplicity of Hallmark Signature Cards. Their thoughtful and meaningful messages articulate what I would imagine so many of us want to convey and communicate to our moms on Mother's Day.

I love these photos of my mom "introducing" our old dog Flannel to infant Grace via Flannel's blanket and then eventually meeting tangible Flannel when the time was right.

Both their aesthetic and message are no-fuss, to the point, but so pretty with just enough pizazz for all the deserving moms out there this upcoming Mother's Day (May 8th! mark your calendars!). The cards range from funny to sentimental so there's a card from every mom and mother figure on your figurative list.

So here's to you, Mom.

The most kind and generous firecracker I have the pleasure of knowing. If I'm even 1/2 the mom you were to us ... I'll be a pretty happy camper.

Many thanks to Hallmark Signature for sponsoring this post and happy early (early!!) Mother's Day to all the mom readers out there!

Friday Favorites

ooooooh. look at that creative post title, G-money.

You didn't happen to thieve it from almost every other blogger out there, did you?

I know. I'm sorry.

But the shoe fit. And I wanted to hang with Kelly today.

let's go!

1. the voxer app. both Kate and Ruth told me about this app (essentially a walkie/talkie) and why I didn't jump on it sooner ... I don't know. I'm sure so many of you can relate but it's virtually impossible to talk on the phone because the kids will sniff me and out and conjure up some emergent situation so it's nice to be able to "talk" back and forth with people without pounding out a text (I know - so laborious) ... I'm trying to get Simon to get it too. He'll cave eventually. (also - voxer has no idea who I am - I just love the app :))

2. OLD NEWS but the zombie apocalypse clip - funny$. Watch them on Ellen too.

3. I don't type enough about the weather (wink so hard) but the weather has been pretty amazing so we've been outside a lot where the kids are obsessed with riding their fleet of bikes around and around and around.

I have to take the plasma car away about once a week because fights. We should probably find a less violent home for it or buy three more. I vote the former but don't tell my little fight clubbers.

4. these coffee pods - cappuccino pods, whatever. I got my hands on a sample pack and went into panic mode the other morning when I realized they were gone and immediately ordered more. I'm not a, "must have coffee to function" person and coffee has never gotten me out of bed but these! they get me out of bed!

5. these shoes - I'm just waiting for them to go on super duper clearance and not sell out in my size.  I don't ask for much, Hanna!

6. I found this article so interesting because I think I have to admit that I am that highly sensitive person (although I hate low lighting and obviously enjoy my morning cup of caffeine)

7. The trash truck comes twice a week here in Tampa which completely makes the boys' (and Phoebe's - if she's not in the middle of something important like dumping my makeup, scaling the pantry shelves, or clogging a sink) lives so you can imagine their excitement over "sweeps week" where we could put virtually anything out and they'd haul it away.

Here we have them using 'the claw' to take an old mattress away. I don't know who was the most amused: the boys watching, me watching the boys, or the truck driver chuckling and watching me hold a runaway Phoebe with Bosco on my hip while snapping pics of the boys watching the claw. As soon as he drove away, Sebastian sighed a heavy sigh and lamented that he missed him already. Come back soon, laughy driver!

And with that I will bid you farewell.
I hope you have something fun planned this weekend!

bye.

meal planning 101

this post isn't meant to be helpful (LOLOLOLOL) or, a "look at me go!!" post but just a little, "look how far behind I am and how slow I'm learning! And can you help?" thinking out loud type of thing.

Just so we're clear.

This summer Simon and I will have been married seven years and wow! you'd think I'd have some semblance of meal planning down pat but nope. Nope nope nope. I do totally hide behind the residency excuse because the hospital had a very generous meal stipend and it was TOO EASY to just have him grab something on his way home while the kids and I had sandwiches or (mumbles) cereal .. or something. And it felt like the nights that I did put effort into a meal were the nights that he'd get stuck at work and so ... bad habits were born, cultivated, cared for, and were thriving quite happily until lately.

While it's tempting to go full-on, "prep and freeze all the slow cooker meals so we'll be set for a month!!" mode ... I know I would crash and burn 1/4-way through that prepathon so I'm starting small with one little week at a time. But, one day I really do want to get on Julie's amazing level. One day!!

My objectives are pretty simple: get us all eating more vegetables and getting the kids to be a little tiny bit more open-minded when it comes to food. We only have one super stubborn and picky eater but he's coming around. I think. I hope!

Simon and I loved the way we felt when we did a Whole30 a couple years ago but aren't really interested in doing another one at the moment (and Simon probably isn't interested in doing one ever again) but our meals are on more of a lazy Paleo level. Super lazy and uncommitted Paleo. I'm hoping to get them on a more committed path as time goes on.

I thought I'd done a relatively decent job of snapping pics of some recently enjoyed food but as usual - wrong, Grace. Wrong.

formerly frozen ... soon-to-be-roasted broccoli

Simon came up with some garlic and lime marinades for grilled shrimp -- so good.

a sad side salad (romaine + tomatoes + goat cheese) that everyone eats so it's actually sort of happy

I'm happy eating the same thing for lunch over and over again so this week it's been pesto (from the Costco jar), bell peppers, brocolli, and whatever protein we have leftover which was exactly zero yesterday. I did turkey (as in lunch meat) on top of the same exact concoction today.

Enough of that.

Some things I've found to be super helpful ...

1. these brown rice + quinoa packets - I was so excited when I saw that Costco is now selling these because it makes them a lot more cost effective. I can stretch a pouch by scrambling a few eggs in and adding veggies.

2. have an easy back-up: like breakfast food. It's easy to bake some bacon (I know - blasphemy to some -- so much easier though), scramble some eggs, and throw together a smoothie if I'm in a rut or just didn't get it together that night (once a week at least)

3. doing some kind of prep before naps - chopping veggies, making a fruit salad, throwing the chicken in the Crockpot

4. using Crockpot liners - makes for MUCH easier cleanup and enables my lazy side to live on

5. try, try again - with the kids. Even though Theo says almost everything is, "gross" complete with sound effects and nose scrunch ... he's come around on a few things and I'm going to keep on trying. I leave his plate out until he goes to bed in case he wants to eat more of the gross and sometimes (miraculous trumpets) he DOES.

6. feed the wolves while cooking - I sometimes send the kids outside with string cheese or 1/2 a banana each while I'm making dinner so that they aren't hangry little animals once they get to the table because hunger is the gateway drug that leads directly into meltdowntown around here. Kids and parents included!

And that's that. Nothing groundbreaking and this post is kind of silly and pointless but if you have any favorite meals that your kids love or any meal planning pointers (I know some people love emeals) ... I'm all {hungry} eyes!! Thanks in advance!!

the girls' room

When I was little (well, until I was 14 so "little" might be relative) my room was covered in wallpaper with a busy pink rose design complete with a matching border and I really loved it. While it was tempting to stick with the trendy clean lines/minimal look for the kids' rooms because they are going to be messy 98% of the time as it is but then I found myself making tissue paper flowers galore and all of a sudden had totally fallen into the floral theme (no wallpaper - yet!) with the girls. Old habits die hard, I suppose.

But, Julia loves it and Phoebe hasn't said otherwise ... so I'm going to guess she's happy to be a little flowerchild for the time being too.

Really glad I thought to hang this mirror high above the tall dresser so the girls can catch glimpses of their reflection whenever they fancy.

Really glad.

While we have things hung on the wall and bedding for Julia's bed that we both agreed on (somewhere between Disney princess & boring pastel mom-esque pattern) ... the most recent addition to the room has me the most excited.

Jazz hands up and looking lively ... mattress time.

You might remember that Simon and I got a Leesa mattress for our bed last summer and we've loved it so much. They offered to send one for Julia and we all but jumped on the offer. Pun intended? Of course.

Her old mattress had seen much better days and I'd often find her camped out on the floor at night because I think the comfort level was similar. Oops.

Leesa mattresses are great for a million reasons but here are a few ...

+ Getting them set up is, "easy breezy lemon squeezy" as Julia often says because they come rolled up and packed tightly in a box and just sort of unroll and puff up as soon as they are unwrapped

+ Leesa gives you 100 nights to try your mattress completely risk free

+ the 10" mattress comes in all sizes and is made up of three unique layers (including memory foam and latex-like Avena foam which keeps you cool) and has been so great for Simon's "32 year old going on 110 year old" back

+ for every 10 mattresses sold, Leesa donates a mattress to a shelter

my little Picassos had a coloring field day with the box too ...

Still looking for the mom-love declarations, J. Still looking!

Anyway, since getting Julia all set up with her Leesa -- I haven't found her camped out on the ground which has been a nice change and made for much happier wake-ups in the morning.

Can you spot Bosco kicking it with Sleeping Beauty?

And don't tell Julia but when the cat's away at school the mice can often be found on her trampoline bed ...

if you're curious about Leesa and would like to give them a try ... now is a great time to do so because the first 50 readers to order and use the code: CAMPPATTON will get $75 off their order. You've got nothing to lose with their 100 day risk-free trial.

Happy sleeping! And many thanks to Leesa for sponsoring this post!

the perfect shade of white paint

Wow, Grace. Don't overdo it with the lofty promises.

I know. And I feel like I can say that because I asked Amelia what color her walls were because they always look so crisp (as crisp as walls can be, you know what I mean - I hope) and clean and bright.

She let me know it was just Ultra Pure White by Behr - the cans you grab right off the shelf, no mixing! And so without doing so much as a single swatch grab (the horror, I know) we just went with it. Kitchen (cabinets included), both living areas, kids' rooms, and dining room. And 10 months later we are still really happy. I mean - I think Simon is. He does frequently say how happy he is that we didn't leave it beige bombed like it had been so -- yes, he's happy.

Our house feels well lit sometimes but not all the time and it's especially not awesomely lit in the morning so I walked around this morning and took some random (unedited/unbrightened/untouched/unanythinged) wall photos to show you. Happy, happy. Joy joy for you!

and you, baby B. See? so grainy.

I will also be writing an entire post on how to hide/camouflage modems/routers in the near future. Get excited.

crazy plastic plant lady reporting for duty. always.

this room is especially dark but the paint? so bright! right?

kitchen cabinets ...

sorry about the crooked factor. I tried. Just not hard enough.

And some expertly hung photos for good measure!

"how to hang them aaaaalmost straight" tutorial forthcoming also. fear not.

I'm sure people have strong opinions about all the different shades of white and I'm not picky (to a fault) when it comes to (most) paint colors but just felt like it was worth a mention in case you're in the market.

We have grand and eventual plans to tackle the rest of the beige at some point. I think. I hope.

I also really love Kelsey's house and the shade of white they went with too. You could probably very easily drive yourself really crazy trying to narrow it down if you went the safe swatch route, AND consulted Pinterest -- just a guess.

Anyway, hopefully this post is the low point of your Friday and it's all fun and games from here on out.

tgif, ladies and um - probably just ladies

spring break {staycation style}

I feel like I've mentioned before how much Julia loves school and is routinely questioning why weekends have to be two whole days long because she hates to be gone for such an extended period of time from her dear classroom, I guess. So! You can imagine her horror when she was staring down a week and a half of spring break purgatory. It may as well have been an eternity in her little mind and gosh, I can't wait to explain the whole summer break situation to her. But, we made it. And it was actually pretty pleasant.

Simon took his first week off since he started his fellowship and a few of his college friends (including this traveling duo) and their wives (and one baby!) came down to spend some time in our neck of the woods which worked out perfectly. They rented a little beach house near(ish!) our house for the weekend so we went and hung out during the day and were able to bring the kids back to their cribs and beds at night.

Remember our teal kitchen? Maybe not but I still love that family of turquoise and would paint our house this color in a heartbeat. The house went by the name, "Tiffany's" ... get it? I thought you would.

Anyway ... the kids were in beach heaven and the weekend was really laid back. Adam and Leslie cooked gourmet dinners like it was no big deal, "this isn't even cooking!" they laughed after we all expressed how impressed we were while I had to introduce them to my paltry "cooking" standards and heartily disagree. It was funny because when other grown-ups roasted a pan of broccoli the kids were all over it but when I dare to do such a thing ... closed-mouth "nope" complete with a head shake.

Pat and Dev playing catch while Bosco looks on and contemplates going off the grid/towel and eating some sand (which he did and then never did again).

Before some Natty Light may or may not have made an appearance ...

I never understood why some beachside restaurants have thick, clear string (fishing line maybe?) strung all over the tops of their open air patios but after the kids brought some leftover hotdog buns out to the beach ... I got it. The gulls can smell a crumb from miles away.

Theo had an unfortunate, "you'll laugh later, I promise!" moment when a particularly brave seagull dipped down and grabbed his entire string cheese from his hand several trips ago and I think he's still scarred because that bird was going to get that cheese -- with or without Theo's hand. Theo eventually let go but he was prepared for the sunset descent this time around ...

handful of sand. that'll show 'em.

the sunset was so pretty that even Simon was moved to bust out his rusty cellular camera. teach me your ways, sunset.

Some of his friends hung around for a few more days and they were able to go deep sea fishing where everyone (except Simon who has always claimed to have terrible fishing luck) caught fish that we were able to grill and eat for dinner one night over at our place.

I contributed a pan of box made brownies and gave everyone a little taste of those aforementioned standards (but seriously - nothing I ever make will compete with these. ever).

They also rented bikes and pedaled all around Tampa which is apparently pretty bike friendly in case anyone was wondering.

And, that was that! Phoebe, who is usually a hater of all strangers, really loved having them around and still asks for them by name which is seriously high praise in her picky little book. If anyone's in the market for spring break numero dos ... we're here.

I'll even creep around and snap some high resolution keepers with my phone for you.

Happy Wednesday!

when secondhand means first rate

Not to sound like a scratched compact disc, because I know I've told you several times before, but as the kids get older and continue to grow at alarming rates I'm realizing how much I value being able to find clothing secondhand for my little human-shaped Jimson weeds. It's almost as if the boys know that if I dare to deviate from my norm and spring for a new pair of pants they are supposed to immediately run outside and give them a sizeable knee rip for good, "told you so" measure. Luckily, I've been fairly successful on my secondhand hunts but was so excited to discover a treasure trove of thrifty goodness over at Schoola. 

The kids can hardly contain their excitement.

And before I go any further I have to thank Simon for taking these pictures and throw out a massive thank you to my super talented sister-in-law for editing them. She's the best and I'm not pushing Simon for a post-Tampa move to Dallas just so she can take our pictures. No, not at all.

I've never thought the girls looked too much alike but this picture changes my mind ... a bit!

And I will forever think Bash and Bosco are nearly identical while Theo is the spitting image of my dad ...

Anyway, off track, Grace! Off track.

Julia's outfit came brand new from Gymboree, Phoebe's sweet dress came new from The Children's Place, Sebastian is rocking all Gymboree, Theo is wearing Cherokee duds, Baby B was lucky enough to score some Tea Collection clothing, and I'm wearing a dress by MOON from ModCloth (which I've tried in vain to find in other colors because I love the cut so much but! no luck, yet -- I'm not finished searching).

Schoola accepts donations of gently used women's and children's clothing that can be sent for free by requesting donation bags from their site. They sell everything at well over 70% off the original retail price (yay!) and donate 40% of their profits to schools in need (double yay!).

Often times, retail stores will donate brand new inventory to school and you'll find clothing with the tags still attached for sale on Schoola's site - as was the case with several of the kids' clothes pictures above.

We sent in a few fun pieces from our closets that you can shop right over here and the proceeds from those sales will benefit Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria, VA where one of my dear friends teaches.

I had some fun "styling" (term used v-e-r-y loosely because fashionista I am not) an oxford for both a day and night look over on their site along with true fashionistas: Bridget and Gabrielle. Head on over to take a peek if you dare. And then head over to Schoola's site to shop their oxford shirt inventory so you can show up my style skills.

And to top it allllll off - the icing on the secondhand cake today is that Schoola is giving away a $100 credit to spend however the lucky winner would like.

Best of luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

that's what she said

The other day as I was getting dressed and ready for the day (afternoon more likely) I had the wild and crazy revelation that I was donning mostly recommendations from blog friends.

 

replace 1993 desktop with a battered smarty pants phone and ... bada boom.

And by friends I mean I read their blog and the friendship might be one-sided (don't tell me that though) but I realized how much I tend to try and end up loving things my e-friends recommend because their favorites rarely disappoint.

I thought I'd pass along some of my ABC (already been chewed - tell me you told that high-larious gum joke way back in the day too?) finds along because recycling never gets old.

1. Fran's tanks - I keep wanting to type, "Frank's Tanks" but I'm resisting! And they are actually called camis ... so, Fran's camis. Tank top and sleeveless dress season is almost upon us and maybe I'm the only one that has the "these arm holes are a litttttle too long for my liking" issue that can easily be fixed with a quick sewing alteration but my machine has been in dire need of repair for a long time and so when Fran said she wears these camisoles daily I listened and clicked right on over to order. They work really well as undershirts or worn alone if you're cool enough to pull off the open button-up look or (like I do daily) the cardigan over tank uniform. I bought the black and white and almost want to order another white so that I don't have to go a day without one. So much typing about this. Stopping. But! I do owe you, Fran!

2. When both Kelsey and Kate sang the praises of Burt's Bees new lipstick line and I happened to pass right by the Target display ... I knew it was destiny. The nude shade didn't disappoint and maybe one of these days I'll branch out and rock a shade that looks like I'm wearing lipstick. Maybe.

3. BlankNYC distressed denim- Shay always looks so cute and put together and I always loved when she wore these jeans but they were sold out f-o-r-e-v-e-r until they weren't! I love that they are pretty stretchy without dipping into actual jegging territory. I found a similar Seven For All Mankind pair at Nordstrom Rack and much prefer the BlankNYC pair which is nice because they are a fraction of the price. Anyway, I like that these aren't insanely distressed and hold their shape throughout many, many wears and many, many baby wipe spot cleans.

4. Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay - this was actually recommend to me by one of you kind souls via blog comment or Instagram, I can't remember! But, I've had the same jar for almost 1.5 years, it's still going strong, and remains to be the best $9 I've spent (I believe it's dipped down to $8 at the moment). Every time I use it I wonder why I don't use it more because it really is as "deep pore cleansing" as it claims and leaves my face feeling squeaky clean without drying it to tears/flakes. I know I've told you about this before but it's worth a second mention. Forgive me.

And I could go on and on and on but I'll stop right here.

Hope you're having a great Saturday. And that it's not snowing in your neck of the world if you aren't a lover of an April snow shower.