Friday Things, 2/20 (Empties!)

This week I shared about things that don't bother me and also some easy caesar chicken wraps, which are my new go-to for dinner when I don't feel like cooking. 

1. I've not watched a single second of the Olympics. Which is kind of sad. I didn't do that on purpose. We just don't have the TV on? I used to be glued to the Winter Olympics and now I feel all kinds of guilt for not watching with my kids? The first Olympics I really remember watching were the summer ones in 1996 when I was 10, so I guess I have time. But anyway, just depressing to think how I don't care this year. 

2. Since spring is on the horizon, my ads are warm-weather-related. This keeps popping up:

I bought these last year and they were the best thing I bought, maybe ever, in the shoe category. Cannot recommend enough. I do think that if I buy one sandal this year, it'll be another pair. 

3. Empties! I like to throw things away very quickly after using them so it pains me to have to save a pile until I'm ready to share. I love a good empties round-up though because it's where I get recommendations.

Arbonne facewash. I got this as a free gift with an order last summer and it lasted for several months. I only used it in the morning. It's extremely gentle and fragrance-free. I don't order Arbonne anymore but if you're having trouble finding a facewash for your sensitive skin, it's definitely worth a try. 

By Nature Vitamin C Serum. This is the end of my 3rd or 4th bottle in the last almost-two-years. If you're new to vitamin C and you want something gentle that also smells citrusy, this is for you. It also seems to fit the "crunchy" guidelines if you're reading ingredients.

John Frieda Frizz Ease leave-in conditioner spray. I love it. I use it to de-tangle Sutton's hair too. It adds extra moisture and makes it easier to smooth out and dry without extra heat treatment. 

Grace and Stella eye masks. I got these for Christmas and they're fine but I actually think just about all of these masks are created equal. 

Maybelline Full Time mascara. I bought this because the "full and soft" was like $10...it used to be $5...and I figured I might as well try something different for that price. I liked it a lot. I'm pretty easy with mascara though. 

Hi Pro Pac Conditioner for Damaged Hair. This is so great for blond hair or color-treated hair. I ended up being scolded by a stylist at Great Clips last fall because my hair was dry. Okay, well, a few inches off the end sort of solved that problem but then I tried this conditioner (found on a whim at Walmart) and it gave me new hair. 

I don't have a great "before" but this is after with just a blow-dryer and not even a round brush. 

I ended up buying the big bottles on Amazon after that and I use it a few days a week. The little packs are less than $3 at Walmart and you can get a 2-3 uses out of one pack if you want to give it a try!

4. This serum deserves its own number because I have a love/hate relationship with it and maybe you can help. 

I bought this in November-ish and used it for about a month and got amazing results. Smoothed my skin, evened my skin tone, seriously a fabulous product. Then it started to bother my eyes. Now it's not like I was putting it around my eyes or close to my eyes but I think it was migrating and/or it was just irritating to my eyes by being on my face. I switched to every other night and then a few days a week and it was always a problem the next day after I used it. I've gone back and forth with it for a month now and I've finally given up. The bottle is almost empty but I have to stop myself from using it because the burning/watery/irritated eyes are not worth it. (I have run through every other possible cause and this is what I've narrowed down as the likely cause.) 

So...does anyone else have that experience with retinol? Or with this particular product? I used actual tretinoin for acne for years and never had this problem. 

And then my friend (who is from Korea) gave me real Korean retinol serum and I've been using it VERY carefully and very sparingly hoping to get results but without irritating anything at the same time. 

Any advice in this department? It's the first time I've ventured into the retinol space. 

5. 

I can't wash and blow-dry my hair and get out the door in a reasonable amount of time. Add in getting kids ready and it's not physically possible. My hair is so thick and heavy that I have to wash it at night, and dry it and style it in the morning. If I have ANYWHERE to go with "done-ish" hair before noon, I have to shower at night. This is my lot in life. I used to wonder how everyone else could look put-together at 7am after showering and washing their hair...they don't have thick hair or they don't wash it often. It took me until I was like 30 years old to figure this out. 

I haven't had McDonald's, honestly, since college. Maybe a milkshake or fries when I was pregnant with Wells and the only place to get milkshakes was McDonald's in Laramie? (I mean, it was hit or miss with that, though.)

Wells has been BEGGING to go to Burger King for, like, years now (I think it's the commercials). Scott was planning on taking them last week when they were on a road trip and they were 2 miles from BK when Wells spotted a McDonald's and wanted to stop there instead. 

This is how I feel about the current season of Love is Blind. I think it's jumped the shark. Too many know too much about the show and what to say and what to do to get screen time. The first season was still the best because everyone was more authentic.

Linking up with Friday Favorites!