R + F

Refreshed + Flawless.

Rejuvenated + Feathery

Restore + Fix

Rodan + Fields

Ever heard of them before? I hadn't either until I started seeing my good friend April post things on facebook.  Every few days she would have something about turning back time on the aging process.  Or restoring sun damaged skin.  And as a mother of four who has passed her *ahem* mid 30's I of course was drawn to find out what she was doing.  I got in touch with her and we chatted via facetime (we joked it was very Judy Jetson of us).  She was kind enough to send me a sample facial. 

Now, Peeps, you have to understand my skin care regimen is: let the shampoo run down my face and call it clean.  Every once in a while I will splurge and buy the Nutrogena Face Wash, but again that's only if I remember to use it.  Now I'm not gonna lie to you...I have been blessed with pretty good skin in the sense that even as a teenager, I rarely had pimples blemishes.  I often forget run out of time and go without makeup.  So for the most part my skin isn't too damaged...or so I thought.  I did my facial and was STUNNED/SHOCKED/AMAZED/*insert more adjectives.  The softness of my skin was truly remarkable.  I couldn't believe the difference. 

I decided to try out another product too.  Being a stay-at-home mom, I'd say my hands have aged faster than anything else...no comments from the peanut gallery should there be any disagreements!  My hands are constantly in less than desirable conditions, whether it's changing dirty diapers, bathing the little splash monsters, washing dishes, washing hands, washing hineys...I mean really, the list could go on.  I've noticed the skin on the tops of my hands have gotten very thin and dry.  Thank goodness we had a mild winter this year, because during the winter months my hands get so cracked and raw that hand sanitizer actually brings tears to my eyes.  I can't wait to try the REDEFINE Brightening Hand Treatment.

So, if you're feeling a bit aged.  If the kids have given you a few more wrinkles than you care to see each morning.  If the baby oil sunscreen you used when you were sixteen hasn't been so kind, please take a look at the products Rodan + Fields has to offer.  And please contact my friend April (click on any of the highlighted links above to get to her website).  She is a stay at home mom(of 3 beautiful children), a homeschooler, and an all around amazing lady!

Invisible Mother

I saw this on facebook this evening and thought I'd share it.  It was written (I believe) by a woman named Sonia Dos Santos.  How true it is for most moms out there!

Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4) The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof. No one will ever see it'

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it there...'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know.... I just did.

The Ultimate Blog Party 2013 #UBP13

Welcome to The Ultimate Blog Party 2013 #UBP13.  This is my first ever blog party and I'm excited about opening up to new adventures.  I am Kerry, wife, mother daughter, sister but most importantly a faithful servant.  I started this blog almost 5 years ago which is hard to believe.  It was mostly to keep out of town family members up to date on the family.  It turned into my on-line scrapbook.

I was never very good about keeping track of the baby books, but found this a much easier alternative.  And I love that it is available to share with friends and family.  My husband of 19+ years and I have four beautiful children (3 girls and 1 boy).  You will mostly find posts about the goings on in our household, but I've just recently become interested in the PR side of blogging.  I hosted my first giveaway a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  I'm looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully hosting more giveaways and reviews.  Thanks for dropping by and feel free to leave a comment.