It's Pajama Party time! And this month, it's all about Valentine's Day and our loves. I am so, so, so excited to have such a lovely lady (both inside and out) co-hosting with me...fashion blogger, wife and mom of three...this gal gets her pretty on every single day...
It's Alison from Get Your Pretty On!
Here's how Alison describes her blog...
Get Your Pretty On was started in September of 2012 after I got stuck in a mom rut when I quit acting and got laid off from my corporate job. I thought that documenting my outfits for the world to see would keep me accountable for getting ready on a daily basis. It worked! I love providing affordable daily outfit inspiration and easy beauty tips for other mamas who like to feel pretty.
You see why I love this girl? She speaks my language! And now, we're curled up by the fire, drinking coffee, nibbling on Valentine's M&Ms and of course, in our pajamas. Since we're both busy mamas, we're totally loving this time away for some girl talk...about Valentine's Day.
First up, we're discussing how we celebrate the littlest loves in our lives...our kiddos.
What Valentine's Day treats do your kids enjoy?
Alison: Chocolate covered strawberries! We melt dark, milk and white chocolate and then dip them in sprinkles and crushed nuts. Yummy.
Shay: We love making Valentine's cookies! Anything with sprinkles makes my kids so happy!
Let's pause a minute to look at Alison's family...
...I know. You're thinking that I found this image on J Crew's website or something...but no. This is really her family. Aren't they all gorgeous? And how in the world does she have kids that are teens? She looks 25!
I digress...
What do you do special for your kids on Valentine's Day?
Alison: When our youngest daughter was a toddler, she called Valentine’s Day “Lovin’ Day”. It’s kind of stuck since then. So we decorate the kitchen for Lovin’ Day and cook a meal together.
Shay: My mom would always give Sean and me a little Valentine's Day present at breakfast. There was always a card and then something small. My dad would always make us something special for breakfast to go along with our goodies (like pancakes), so Andrew and I are keeping this tradition for our kids too.
Now...we move from celebrating with our babies to celebrating with our hubbies :).
Do you and your hubby stay in for Valentine's Day or go out?
Alison: Stay in. When the kids were little, we went out every year because it was only one of two date nights we got per year. The other was our anniversary. Now that the kids are older and we have freedom to go out more often, we usually stay in and do a family Valentine’s dinner with them.
Shay: We usually stay in. Before kids, we would go out to dinner but now, we kind of celebrate the holiday with the kids too. It's about love...and we love being a family. (And our anniversary is a few weeks later, so we always get a fancy dinner out on that night!)
Are you and your hubby gift givers on Valentine's Day?
Alison: We don’t do Valentine’s gifts but he always does something really romantic for me. One year, he filled the inside of my car with balloons while I was at work. That was a cool surprise! Until I had to drive home, then it was dangerous. LOL!
Shay: This might be shocking to some...but Andrew and I never exchange gifts (gasp!). Gifts are not either one of our love languages, so we don't bother. Instead, I'll go to Nordstrom or somewhere else and buy myself something at some random time and say, "by the way this is for my birthday/anniversary/Christmas." And he usually buys himself a gun or something manly and does the same. We're so romantic ;).
What's your favorite Valentine's Day meal?
Alison: I’m a steak kind of girl. The rarer the better, with a baked sweet potato and some steamed broccoli on the side.
Shay: Pasta. Pasta. And more pasta.
Ahhh...we grab some more M&Ms and another cup of coffee and discuss how we survive this silly cold weather.
What is the most worn item in your closet this month?
Alison: Most definitely leggings. February is one of the coldest months in Texas, so I go for comfort.
Shay: My Wellies. They're not just for rain! They keep my toes all nice and cozy warm during the cold weather.
What are you most looking forward to for spring fashion?
Alison: Ballet flats! As much as I love my boots, by the end of winter, I’m really, really tired of all of them.
Shay: I've missed my wedges and shorts! Nothing delights me more than a pair of shorts and tall wedges.
How do you stay active during the cold and dreary month of February?
Alison: Our golden retriever is my accountability partner. She doesn’t care what the weather’s like; she wants her walk every day. I also run on my treadmill and go to yoga. There’s nothing like a nice warm yoga studio on a cold day.
Shay: I love to take classes indoors during the cold months. A great class keeps me motivated and fit during the winter.
What are your favorite snowy day indulgences?
Alison: Drinking hazelnut coffee all day, eating a big fat chile relleno and lounging in my fleece lined leggings. I also eat two pieces of Dove dark chocolate with almonds every. single. day. The kids know if mama’s out of chocolate, there’s about to be a family emergency!
This is where I gasp and Alison and I realize we were separated at birth! Here is my answer...
Shay: I love drinking coffee all day as I work around the house. I also love having one little brownie each night by the fire while I indulge in my favorite reality TV.
...Alison and I are meant to be besties.
How do you change your skincare/makeup during the cold months?
Alison: Much, MUCH more moisture. I drink lots of water and take fish oil to help stay hydrated from the inside, plus switch out my lighter moisturizers and body wash to more hydrating ones. I also take shorter showers with cooler water to keep my skin from drying out too much and apply moisturizer more than once per day. Our whole family uses Aquaphor to keep our lips moist.
Shay: I pile on the moisturizer and I also switch to a more hydrating tinted moisturizer instead of foundation. My favorite is Bobbi Brown. It has great coverage while also moisturizing at the same time.
And every month, I ask all of my co-host the same set of 12 questions. Here is how Alison answered her questions...
1. What is your favorite cosmetic?
Smashbox primer. I can’t start my makeup without it!
I love it too! Just Thursday, Erika and I were chatting about how fabulous it is!
2. What is your favorite beauty product?
Sonia Kashuk Yellow Alluriana body butter. I go through a tub of it every few weeks. It literally melts into skin, moisturizes without being greasy and the scent lasts all day long.
3. What is your favorite TV show?
We watch all of the singing competitions – American Idol, The Voice and The X Factor but we also love Mike & Molly and Sleepy Hollow. Our kids love watching old sitcoms with us like Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Mr. Ed and Gilligan’s Island. There’s something kind of magical about those old shows.
4. What is your favorite vacation destination?
Craig and I try to sneak away for a few days to Maroma Beach, Mexico for our anniversary every year. It’s on the Riviera Maya and is our favorite place on earth.
5. What is your favorite pair of shoes?
It’s a tie between my leopard flats and my Frye Riding boots. Although I’m a huge fan of flip flops too!
Leopard Flats
6. What is your favorite nail polish?
In the fall/winter it’s OPI “Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not”, for spring/summer I love mint and coral shades. Wet n’ Wild’s “I Need a Refresh-Mint” and Essie’s “Tart Deco” are two of my faves.
7. What is your favorite chick-flick movie?
Oh gosh, this is a hard one! I’m a fan of old Hollywood films, so I’d have to say “Gone with the Wind”. Is that a chick flick? Probably, because Craig refuses to watch it with me! I also cry at the end of The Wedding Singer every single time, during that part where he’s singing to her on the plane.
8. What is your favorite book?
Every day gets started with my devotions and daily reading from Jesus Calling. The Harry Potter series is probably my all-time favorite fiction.
9. What is your favorite ice cream?
I don’t like ice cream. Yes, I’m totally weird for that! When I was pregnant, I craved ice cream all the time though.
10. Who would star in a movie about your life?
Tina Fey. It would have to be somebody who likes to poke fun at herself. I love funny women who are flawed and not afraid to admit to it.
11. What is your least favorite household chore?
Two words – litter box.
12. What is one quirky fact that most people don't know about you?
In order to work my way through college, I had a lot of odd jobs. Well, I don’t know if I’ve ever admitted this one but I used to dress up as a gopher mascot for a local vacation resort. I made appearances around the resort and entertained kids at parties. It was awful, mostly because the costume was stinky, I couldn’t see out of it and it weighed 25 lbs.! But also because little kids would randomly walk up and kick or punch it. One time, a kid kicked me between the legs because he wanted to know if I was a “boy gopher or a girl gopher”. I think I quit shortly after that!
Thank you so much Alison for coming to my pajama party! I have loved getting to know you even more! To see more of Alison, you need to check out her blog Get Your Pretty On! You can also find her here too...
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And don't forget, today is Meal Planning Monday over on my foodie blog!
Tomorrow, Sheaffer and I are giving away something pretty spectacular...you better come back!
Happy Monday!