3 Reasons Why You Should Never Buy A White Bra Ever Again!

Several weeks ago I had the great pleasure of going bra shopping with Megan from Brassy Apple.  Let's just say we had a great time.  I fitted her and like 90% of women out there, she was wearing the wrong bra size.  After measuring her she went from a 36A to a 32C!  What the what?!  Not only did Megan go down two band sizes and went up cup two cup sizes!  The power of being properly fitted.  One of the things I remembered she was blown away by was the conversation we had over bra colors.

Like most women, Megan was wearing a white bra when she came in.  Once we started on trying on bras that fit her, she noticed that the ones I was having her try on weren't white.  Thanks to Megan and letting me fit her, I was inspired to talk to you all about why you should never buy a white bra ever again.

6 Tips to Picking the Perfect Supportive Swimwear

clockwise: Freya Fever Deep Plunge, Betsey Johnson Polka Dot Peplum, Freya Tootsie Bikini and here

Summer is almost here and that means swimsuit season will be in full fledge!  Most woman erk at the thought of trying on swimsuits because they don't feel like they look good in them, they show a lot more skin, and it's hard to find one that fits and is flattering.  Add in the fact that finding a swimsuit that supports your boobs can cause a lot of women to want to pull their hair out.  The good thing is I'm going to share with you my tips in helping you find the most supportive and flattering swimsuit for your beautiful self.  By keeping the support part of the swimsuit the most important in your search will help you to find a swimsuit quicker, you'll feel a lot more comfortable, and it will make you look thinner.  Yes, I just said thinner.

Ultimate Summer Giveaway!

Summer is knocking right at our door and what a great way to get pumped for the pool, warm weather, bbq's, sunny days, shorts, flip flops, and the perfume of sunscreen slathered on yourself!  These things brings back a lot of good memories for me.

8 Sweet Bridal Hair Accessories

In my search for a fun bridal hair accessory to complete my bridal look, I found so many great options. I'm planning on ditching a veil for my upcoming nuptials, and I'm looking for something with individuality and a dash of unforgettable style. I thought I'd share with you a few of the beauties that I found. Here are a few of my favorites:

What's in my bag?: New mommy edition

Call me a creep, but I love to see what other women keep in their handbags.  It is super interesting to me, and I think it can tell you a lot about a person.

You've probably seen those edited articles in magazines of what celebrities carry in their handbags, everything looks polished and pretty. Well, I wanted to share what I consider my essentials because as a new mom, I carry a lot less makeup and random things, and a lot more baby gear!

So, this is what I actually have in my handbag right now--my essentials.

The 21 Best Sports Bras for Large and Small Busted Gals!

I like to be really active and exercise and one of the most important parts of this is having a good sports bra.  If you don't have a supportive and comfortable sports bra this can make working out and being active really difficult and painful, especially if you feel like your boobs are hitting you in the face or if you feel like you have "headlights" or protruding nipples showing through your bra, yikes!

I recently wrote an article about the three easy steps to finding the perfect fitting sports bra, and today I'm going to tell you which sports bras are the best ones for different type of activities (low impact and high impact) and for small and large cup sizes.  I'd recommend you reading this article before you continue, it will just make this article make more sense. 

Some women ask why they need more than just sports bra.  Bras are a lot like shoes, you wouldn't wear a pair of flip flops while trying to run a marathon, and you certainly wouldn't wear a pair of Chacos to a black tie dinner.  You have different bras for different activities, your needs, and your size.  I've taken the guessing work out for you and have compiled a list of my favorite 21 sports bras I recommend for large and small busted women, let's dive in!

3 Easy Tips to Finding the Perfect Fitting Sports Bra

Are you active and find you're having a love hate relationship with your bras and being active?  Feel like you're wearing a medieval torture device?  You're not alone.  One of the most frequently asked question I get asked when it comes to bras is how to find the correct fitting sports bra.  Sports bras are almost identical to regular bras, but there's a couple of things that make them different.  I'm here to show you how you can find the right sports bra for your bra size in three easy steps.

A Natural and Feminine Valentine's Date Night Look

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community.  This shop has been compensated as a part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.  All opinions are 100% mine.  #WalgreensBeauty #CollectiveBias

This year I decided that I would take Valentine's Day by the reigns and plan something fun.  McKay's parents are planning on staying with us this weekend and will be watching Amelia as we go to this antique and vintage show and spend some quality time together.  What a hot Valentine's Day date night idea, huh?  I want to make sure I look natural beautiful when we go on our date this weekend.  Wearing sweats everyday when you work at home can become your daily uniform  I'm was really excited when Walgreens who has partnered with Collective Bias asked me to participate in their Walgreens Beauty Date Night Looks!  They asked me to go to Walgreens and pick out some of my favorite beauty products to put together my look for our Valentine's Day date night.

Time is precious to me because I don't have much of time.  Before I was a mom I could take up to a hour and a half to get ready.  Ain't nobody got time for that now!  The quicker I can get ready, the better.  Lately, I've really embraced the whole concept of less is really more when it comes to beauty.  I actually feel prettier when I choose to focus on certain parts of my body, like my hair, lips, and eyes instead of putting on an entire face of makeup.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to look and feel beautiful.    Walgreens is practically in every town in America, and I was so excited I didn't have to drive far away to get to my local Walgreens.  This is really handy when you don't have much time, like I do.  I was so surprised by how many products and brands they carry.  Walgreens is seriously one of the best beauty destinations because they have so many options!  You can tell by the look on Amelia's face, she felt a little overwhelmed with all of the selection, like I did.

Here are my Walgreens beauty picks for my hot Valentine's Date to the antique and vintage show this weekend:

1. Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo $3.14
I love this dry shampoo so much!  It's cheap, effective, smells good, and does a great job of soaking up the greasiness of my hair in between washes. My hair is short and lays and works better when it's a little dirty.  I can get by not washing my hair up to four days because of this stuff.  It saves me a lot of time from not having to wash my hair.  It's a god send to women!

2. Sally Hansen Salon Effects Polish Strips in Glitz Blitz $10.49
This last weekend I attended the Build Your Blog Conference and wanted to so something fun with my nails, but didn't want to spend $30 for gel nails.  I picked up these Salon Effects and they were really easy to apply, surprisingly!  No wet polish, no foul odor, and it took less than 15 minutes to apply!  All you do is a little prep, stick the sheets to your nail, file the excess off, and you're done! I have never had so many compliments on my nails before than I did at the conference.  All of my friends were saying how cute and nice they looked.  On the box it says on the polish lasts up to 10 days.

3. Maybelline Baby Lips Dr. Rescue in Berry Soft $3.99
I LOVE lipstick.  But sometimes when you're busy or on the go, you don't have time to sit in front of a mirror and apply lipstick and make sure it looks perfect.  Plus, I like to talk with my hands and I always feel like I'm smudging my lipstick all over my face.  I've heard so many great things about Baby Lips so I thought I'd give it a try.  Well, I'm in love.  I got it in the Berry Soft color because it's more of a spring color and loved how it gave me color in a nice and easy swipe.

4. Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express in Glam Black $7.49
I've been buying drugstore mascara for a while now and have tried every brand.  I keep going back to the Maybelline brand because I truly feel like their formula is the best out there.  My biggest pet peeve about cheap mascara is when it flakes off by the end of the night.  It's so annoying.  I used this during the conference this weekend and by the time I got back to my hotel I had been wearing it for over 16 hours and didn't see one flake on my face!  I like the Colossal Volum' because of the nice thick brush, I really feel like it shapes and lifts the lashes to make them look fuller.

NOTE: I'm not a fashion blogger, but deep down inside I secretly want to be one really bad, but I don't feel comfortable taking pictures of myself.  It's not my thing.  It took me a lot of courage to have my mom take these pictures and post them on here.  I feel like I look so goofy, and obviously I've never been great at taking pictures or posing, so please brace yourself.  Here's my more natural and feminine Valentine's Day hot date night look!  What do you think?

Haha, it was so bright outside, I had to squint!

Thanks to Collective Bias and Walgreens for supporting Fry Sauce and Grits!

3 Minute Face By Girl Loves Glam

Hey new friends! I am McKenzie from Girl Loves Glam and I am excited to share my all time favorite makeup look for a busy day.

We have all probably seen at least one episode of What Not to Wear, right? I used to be totally obsessed with that show. I loved not only seeing the clothes they got, but I loved seeing the entire transformation! Well, if you have seen at least one episode, you have probably heard Carmandy (the makeup artist) refer to her infamous "5 Minute Face" that she does on almost everyone. I love the idea of the 5 minute face, but honestly, I don't think you need a whole 5 minutes. Sometimes you don't have a whole 5 minutes for your makeup! When you are a busy mom on the go, a student running late to class, or a career woman in need of getting to the office early, you may only have 3 minutes! Here is your solution. The 3 Minute Face.

Yes. I said THREE minute face! This can easily be done in 3 minutes. I suggest having these few items in an easy to grab place so that when you have occasions such as these that you literally only have 3 minutes, you don't take up any extra time digging for your makeup! Here's what you need...

*Moisturizer

*Concealer

*Foundation

*Blush

*Eyebrow Pencil

*Mascara

*Lipstick. Not too bright of a color. You want something you can put on quickly, without a lot of fuss, but will add some color to your face.

To achieve the 3 minute face, follow these steps..

1. Moisturize your entire face.

2. Concealer under eyes. This is really important because you won't be wearing much makeup to otherwise distract you from dark circles.

3. Put foundation all over your face, neck, and eyelids.

4. Brush blush onto your cheekbones.

5. Pencil in eyebrows.

6. Put mascara on top and bottom lashes.

7. Lipstick. You can line your lips too, but you will add a little time to your routine by doing so.

BAM! Three minutes and you can run out the door and do the things you really need to do today! I suggest practicing this routine before you actually need to get it done in 3 minutes so that when you do, you are prepared!

Be sure to check out my makeup book, The Busy Girl's Guide to Makeup and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest too!

Link Up Loves #4

Hey everyone!  I hope you're having a fabulous weekend!  I was really excited about this week's link ups because they're all so different!  Here's what I'm crushing on this week!

This article from Simtten By was just what I've needed to read to help me with something I've struggled with for a long time, to celebrate the success of others.  Sometimes I get down or feel insecure when I see other succeed.  This is a great reminder that by thinking that way only hurts yourself.  

I love this rain cloud mobile from Root and Blossom!  This would make the perfect baby shower gift or just that craft itch you've been feeling for a while! 

Don't you wish your front door looked this cheerful during the gloomy winter months?  I love this look from Delineate Your Dwelling!

This DIY Sunburst Mirror is a stroke of genius from Bigger Than the Three of Us!  She uses some old blinds to make the bursts!  

Oh my gosh, don't you love this dress from A Lifetime of Rain?  I sometimes get in a black and frumpy mess during the winter.  This dress is just what I want to spice up my winter wardrobe! 

Link Up Loves #2

Hey everyone, I got to share with you some of my link up loves from last weeks Be.You.Tiful link party.

I love how the gal from Up to Date Interiors gives you simple and easy ideas on how to update your furniture pieces by switching out the hardware.  Check out her ideas here! 

I love this comfy, casual weekend, and stylish look from My Runaway Style! 

Being a good friend has always been really important to me, but this article from Entirely Eventful reminds me how precious those relationships are! 

I love these makeup picks from A Kentucky Lady!  A lot of the products she features I've used and love too! 

Valentines is coming soon and what a great way to show you really love your husband is doing these five easy and simple ways from Entirely Eventful. 

Link Up Loves #1

Did you hear the awesome news?  Me and five of my lifestyle blogging friends Andie from Maybe I Will, McKenzie from Girl Loves Glam, Sadie from Simply Sadie Jane, Dani from Love Me Dani Marie, and the four girls from My Mommy Style have decided to create a link party called Be.You.Tiful!  This isn't your ordinary link party, where majority of the link ups are crafts and delicious desserts.  This link party is about inspiring others to live a more beautiful life through beauty, fashion, inspiration, health, and design.   The reason why we created this link party because none of us felt like there was a good link party where lifestyle bloggers could showcase their work.  So we decided to create our own.

Some exciting news, we have a $500 Visa Giftcard giveaway on the link party, it ends this week, and isn't one of those giveaways where you have to enter a 100 times to win.  Go here to enter!

I'm excited because each week I'm going to feature my favorites from the party.  This week, we have a lot to choose from.  Here's the ones I was crushing over.

This Vanilla Coconut Homemade Sugar Scrub from Wonky Wonderful.  Not only is this a cheap and natural face and body scrub for beauty purposes, but this would be a really great girlfriend or neighbor gift idea too!

I'm the type of person who likes to eat the 5 things for breakfast. Well, that gets boring as heck.  I was super excited about seeing some other options I could do that will help me to start the morning right with these 10 healthy breakfast recipes from Tone-N-Tighten! 

Look at how cute this girl is?  She looks like she could be your best friend. Read her really inspirational story on how she lost weight, got healthy, and feels awesome.  She also gives some awesome tips on how to achieve your health and fitness goals from Sweet Charli! 

Oh my heck, isn't this girl's outfit so adorable from A Little Dash of Darling?  Hello June Cleaver!  This makes me want to wear skirts and pretty jewelry while I'm home all day playing with the babe, getting food thrown in my hair, and working on the computer.  By dressing this way will make me think I live a more fabulous life then I actually do.       

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get my living room presentable.  We've lived in our home for almost three years and am too afraid of that long angled room.  The gal behind Up To Date Interiors has made a plan for you to conquer different area of your home so it can be beautified in four weeks!  She gives some great tips, love this!  

Make sure to check out our Be.You.Tiful Link Party that starts every Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. to be inspired to live life more beautifully.

Also, make sure you enter into the giveaway to win a $500 Visa Giftcard thanks to our friends at Atly!  It's a really easy giveaway, you don't have to do a 100 things to enter.  What would you do with an extra $500?

Head over and check out the rest of the girls favorite links ups from this week:
Girl Loves Glam, Maybe I Will, Simply Sadie Jane, My Mommy Style, and Love Me Dani Marie!

Tips to Finding the Perfect Nursing Bra

This post has been in the making for a long time.  When I wrote the first part of my Bra Guide series, I was inundated with questions about nursing bras.  In this post I'm going to give you some simple, constructive, and easy to understand tips on how to find the perfect fitting nursing bra for you.  I'm even going to give you recommendations on my favorite nursing bras and where to find them, and answer your questions about how they should fit, when you should purchase one, and the debate over underwire vs non underwire.  

Finding a nursing bra doesn't have to be an awful experience.  Once you understand the basics of what YOU should be looking for in a nursing bra, it will be a quick and painless trip to your local bra department, boutique, or a click or two on your favorite online retailer store.

7 Tips to Beautiful Family Pictures

There's a lot that goes into family photos: picking out outfits, making sure hair and makeup look good, finding a photographer, and that all family members are in happy spirits.  Making sure all of these things are in order can cause a lot of stress and this stress can show up in your photos.  Then whenever you look at those photos hanging on your wall you're reminded of how crappy and stressful that experience was.  Ugh.

SO to avoid all of that, here are some tips I've found to be really helpful for my family and hopefully they'll be helpful to your family as well:

Bra Guide: How to identify your breast shape to find the perfect fitting bra

Do you struggle to find bras that fit you?  Do you spend hours in the fitting room trying on a hundred bras and end up feeling frustrated that you couldn't find one that fit you?  I hear you girl.  I'm hear to teach and show you how your breast shape can affect the type of bras that will fit you.  It's a lot like dressing for your body shape to accentuate your favorite parts of your body.   By knowing this little secret will help save you a lot of time when you go bra shopping and you'll be able to find that perfect fitting bra without wanting to pull your hair out.