Just looking at old pictures of me and my son Alaka'i when he was a baby.  I can't believe he's 10 and about to end 4th grade already!!! Time flies.  The photo above was from his first visit to the zoo when he was about 9 months old and I had just chopped off all my hair.  Wow, I do not look good in short hair!! haha

I hope my son grows to be a Godly, good man.  Lord knows that I have my flaws but I try so hard to teach him to be honest and to always do what is right, no matter how hard it is.  God protect him and keep him close to you!!!  I am so thankful that I am blessed with such an amazing son.  I just pray that he stays strong in his faith and allows Jesus to lead him in his life.

Even on my worst day, even when he's grumpy or bratty, he lights my life up with pure joy.  This picture is of my boy just a week ago.  Love my son!!



He looks so much like my little brother Peter and my dad.  He even acts like them. It's so cute to watch them all interact.  My brother and I had a blast growing up.  Love this picture with him and my mama!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed week and that your weekend is going well!! Is it just me or does the weekend seem to fly by in a blink?  Sigh.

Xoxo,

Jean

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Photo taken PRE Grand Opening courtesy of PBN

Hawai'i is beautiful indeed.  The tropical weather, sunshine, blue water and green vegetation are a wonderful sight to behold.  Living on an island, however, poses it's challenges because of lack of space and the cost of rent for retailers.  In recent years Hawai'i has gotten quite a few chains here like Whole Foods, Target, Best Buy, and Forever 21 that we lacked before.  There are still some stores that have yet to venture to the 50th state though I wish they would.   The Container Store, Trader Joes, Kohls, Staples, Pottery Barn, Bed Bath and Beyond (technically we have one and it's small, cramped and lacking the stock and options of other mainland locations), Lane Bryant, and H&M come to mind when I think of stores that we don't have here yet that I'd love to spend my hard earned money at.

TJ Maxx opened its first Hawaii store in 16 years at the Ward Village Shops on Thursday.

The 35,000 square-foot store is the first of three new TJ Maxx stores that the Massachusetts-based TJX Cos. (TJX) plan to open in Hawaii this month.

TJ Maxx will open a 25,000 square-foot store at Pearl City Gateway on May 10, and a 24,850 square-foot stare at Pearlridge Center    in Aiea on May 17.

“We are pleased to expand our store base to Hawaii, delivering value and an exciting selection of fashion to serve the needs of Hawaii customers,” TJX President Richard Sherr said in a statement.

My son Alaka'i is 10 years old and right now he's really into "shufflin'".  I don't let him watch much tv but apparently his classmates at school do this dance and even though he doesn't know the song, he's determined to learn the dance.  He's so cute.  He asked me the other day to take pictures of him while he showed me his shufflin' and I agreed.  He also got some new Converse sneakers and he wanted me to take photos of them too, "just because".   I love my boy so I couldn't deny his request.

He was really excited about getting these shoes.  Ever since he watched The Sandlot with me, he's wanted the "PF Flyers" aka Converse All Star shoes.  I ordered a few pairs when they had an awesome sale on their website and surprised him after school.  Needless to say, he was really happy.

Oh and these are his shoes.  He wanted me to specifically put a picture of the shoes alone so "everyone could see how awesome they are".

Gotta love my silly guy.  He's the light of my life.  After we did our little shufflin' photo sesh, he was asking me about why I have told him since he was a baby that he had chocolate brown eyes.  Naturally, I took a photo to show him.  This specific photo was his favorite because I enhanced the shadows and made the light harsh.  I like that he has layers of brown in his eyes.  It's something I never noticed before but a great camera and a bright flash shows everything!!


Can you believe it's Thursday already?!  Not complaining but the week just flew by for me.  Working a lot tends to do that though!! I hope you all are having a wonderful week.

Beauty.com Friends & Family Sale – 20% Off

I was sent this product to try and fell in love.  I have very oily skin and I have a difficult time using makeup primers because of it.  I am also sensitive to silicone based products and have tried other primers with silicone and had no success with them.

This is what Dermalogica says about the Age Smart Skinperfect Primer SPF 30:

Smooth away fine lines, brighten and prime for flawless skin and to prep for make-up application. Velvety silicones create an instantly smooth surface. Neutral tint helps balance tone and enhance luminosity and radiance. Peptides and AGE Smart® actives help firm and shield against MMP and free radical damage, as sunscreens shield against sun damage. Wear alone over your moisturizer for visible smoothness and luminosity, or after moisturizer application and before foundation to help fill fine lines for a lasting make-up finish. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

At first I was hesitant to use this primer because it contained silicone, but this is not your run of the mill silicone primer.  The texture is smooth and easy to apply.  It's tinted but the color fades to almost clear.  It has just enough color to even out slight skintone discolorations without altering your skin color or undertones so you can still use your regular shade of makeup.  It also does not oxidize (change color) on your skin throughout the day, even if your skin is oily.

A little goes a very long way and you only need a little to spread on your face.  I have used it two different ways.  One as a spot primer to help even out texture and flaws and then another as a full face primer.  Both worked splendidly.  My skin felt great, and my makeup lasted all day!!!

What makes this product special is that it's a skin treatment, a primer and it helps to protect your skin from the dangerous rays from the sun.  I love that this has an SPF 30 but you don't smell the SPF or feel the burn some products with SPF can cause on skin.  It provides a decent amount of SPF to shield your skin and prevent premature aging.

Don't see the words "age smart" and think this product isn't for you!!  This product works well regardless of your age.  If you have any enlarged pores, lines, uneven skin texture or uneven skintone, this product is perfect for you.  I love it and have used it now for almost 3 weeks and I can't imagine wearing makeup without it.  Unlike other silicone based primers, the Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer SPF 30 doesn't feel like you have a gross and heavy film on your face all day.   When you apply it, it melts into your skin and you can't even feel it.

This product is for all ages!!  I'm in my early 30s and I let my mom borrow it.  She's nearly 60 and fell in LOVE with this product and took it from me and is using it now.  I went and bought a new tube from a local Dermalogica dealer because I couldn't go a day without it.  She says it's the best primer she's ever worn and she's used YSL, Giorgio Armani, Chanel and Guerlain primers and she prefers the Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer SPF 30.

I highly recommend this.  You will love this product.  Oily skin, aging skin, it doesn't matter.  It glides on smooth and helps your skin look luminous and fresh, protects it from the sun and prolongs makeup wear.  Win win!!!

Works especially well with the Active Moist moisturizer before applying.

Here's a video provided by Dermalogica on how to use this product.




Disclosure: 
This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by the brand or its PR firm.  Our priority is to you, and we honor that commitment by being honest! We don't do paid reviews or guarantee reviews. We're going to give you the truth and nothing but! For more information, please read our disclosures & policies page.  This specific product was sent by the brand for me to try and review on their website.  I really like this product so I decided to do an additional review of it on my website as well.