Favorite Find Friday: LiLash Giveaway

LiLash is a eyelash growing serum that you apply like a clear liquid eyeliner daily. if you haven't heard about it, then your really missing out. i started using it about a year ago, and it has been the single biggest improvement to my self confidence in years! sadly, i heard the company has been sued by Latisse and so they cannot sell to the usa anymore, but, i am giving away a 3 month supply (techincally, but it lasted me 6 months) to one of my followers (an 80.00 value!) the only reason they cannot sell in the usa is not because their product is bad, but only because the formula is too close to latisse and so there are patent issues. (but it seems like their website still works so, i don't know. maybe they won the settlement.)

Application Process

here's my story about this product:

i was a new mom, and i was obsessed with how long my baby daughters eyelashes were. they were the kind of lashes that every single person said "oh my, look how cute she is! and those lashes! who did she get those from?" cause really. if you looked at mine, then you knew that they couldn't possibly have come from my genes. before i continue, you have to know that i have never been a big believer in products. i had tried the hair growth shampoos and never saw results, heck, i had even just tried the simple volumizing shampoos and never saw results, i have been a hairdresser for 6 years and 90% of the time, my clients didn't see any real dramatic results either, with acne creams, face serums, body lotions, potions, etc so, for the most part i just gave up on thinking that anything like that would really work. well, i would soon be proven wrong because we had this receptionist at my salon that had the longest lashes i have ever seen, and because of my line of work, even the best application of fake lashes, or eyelash extensions, i can still tell if they are real or not. so... i knew hers were real and complimented them basically every time i saw her. one day i asked about what mascara she wore, and that's when she told me that it wasn't just because of her mascara, that it was all due to this product. "LiLash". so, i promptly went home and researched it, and read reviews, and figured, what the heck, she had great results, and swears by this product, so i will give it a try. well, the store that i went to didn't carry lilash, but they had another product, "Lash Genesis" that was 5.00 cheaper, and the cashier said it worked exactly the same, so... i bought it. bad idea. i used it for a few months, no results, and it irritated my eyelids.
thinking that i had been proven right, that no growing product would ever work on me, i gave up on the idea. well, as a few months went by, a few other stylists at the salon also started using lilash and we even started selling it to our clients at the salon. i instantly saw results in my co-workers, and their clients. so, i decided to buy the actual right product this time, and give it a shot. well, it took me a few weeks longer that the average girl at my salon to see results, it took me 6 weeks instead of 4. but, at 6 weeks it was like a switch went off, genuinely waking up one morning and noticing a dramatic difference, probably 2 cm of growth overnight. no joke. well, that continued to happen, and people started noticing my eyelashes growing saying "have your eyelashes gotten longer?", and then as they kept growing people would compliment them, a first for me to hear someone else wishing their lashes were as long as mine, and then as they kept growing more and more, i had random strangers at the mall asking who did my eyelash extensions. and i had the pleasure of correcting them and telling them about this product that was not anything close to eyelash extensions. still to this day i get people that assume i have eyelash extensions... it happened yesterday. and they are always so amazed when i tell them that they are all real, and all mine!

 so... that's my story, as soon as i heard about the issue they were having with latisse, i went and stocked up on this product because i am sooo scared to try something else, i have had periods of time when i forget to use it, or get lazy and i have seen them get shorter during those periods of time, and it usually takes about 1.5 weeks of using it again to get them back to my normal extra long length. using the application like it says to on the bottle, i noticed an obvious difference with both thickness and length (my lashes easily doubled, actually, probably tripled in length) on both upper and lower lashes.
to me, it is 100%, no doubt, worth the money. also, as a way for me to justify the cost, i now use the cheapest mascara. my 3 favorites are e.l.f. ($3) wet-n-wild ($2.50) and jordana ($3) instead of the pricey mascaras i was using back in the day with my stubby stubs. because, my lashes have more than enough volume and length, that using a perfectly formulated expensive mascara is no longer a necessity for pretty lashes.
i now looove doing my makeup, mostly because i love to put on mascara, it brought fun into my daily makeup routine, and made me WANT to get ready. which proves how awesome this product is, because being a mother of a one year old at the time, i did not want to do anything besides all my mom duties. on more than one occasion, i have done my makeup and still walked around in a robe all day. but, like i said in the very beginning of this post, having long eyelashes has been the single biggest improvement to my self esteem because instead of looking in the mirror and seeing my flaws everyday, i look in the mirror and am still so amazed everyday that those are MY eyelashes, and instead of leaving the mirror frowning with a splotchy red face from picking at my imperfections, i now leave with a smile. i tell myself, "who could be looking at my zits, or freckles, or wrinkles, etc when they have these big fat long lashes to look at instead." :)

^^sorry about the crappy quality picture as my "before" i promise i tried to find a good one, but back in the day, i wasn't proud of my lashes so i didn't take any pictures up close of my eyes. also...today is not my best mascara day, so sorry about the weird clumps. i thought about taking my makeup off and doing it again for this post, but that's not real. and i want you guys to see what they look like without any editing, either on photoshop, or physical editing before the picture was taken by making sure every hair was perfect.

also, as a tidbit of information, besides tons of clients at our salon, and other hairdressers that i personally know, my mother, and mother in law are also using it regularly and saw the exact same results as me. so... if your still skeptical, all you have to do is look up the hashtag #lilash on instagram and you can see tons of people all races, genders, and ages, who have seen results.

This is probably my biggest "favorite find friday" and as you know, i buy all of these products to giveaway with my own money at full cost, and give them away not because i'm sponsored, but only because i genuinely believe that these products are wonderful and its worth sharing the good info. because this giveaway cost me so much money, i am going to ask more of you in order to win it. i would love to give this product to someone who helps me share my blog with more people.

to enter: first you have to be a follower of this blog, either on google, or on bloglovin.
next share any image from this post on either your facebook by copy and pasting the link onto your wall. or on twitter/instagram by either screenshotting my instagram picture, or any of these pictures on the blog about this giveaway and posting it on your account with a comment about the giveaway i am holding. (if you do not have any facebook, instagram, or twitter, then you can still enter by commenting below, telling me about how you plan on sharing this giveaway with your friends.) and finally, come back here and comment below with your email, and how you entered. for example: "keepupwithusjones@gmail.com and i entered on instagram" i am going to let this giveaway go on for 2 weeks and will be announcing the winner on my next "favorite find friday."

if you have any questions or comments about the product, then feel free also: there are lots of other products similar to lilash, including: latisse (you need a prescription) neulash, rapidlash, revitalash, flash, and more, but i like LiLash the best because of it's fairly reasonable price compared to some others, little to no side effects, (i have heard of some people using lilash and getting darker eyelids in the area where the serum is applied -a redish tint- but thats it!) and consistent results. but, if you do not win the giveaway, and would not like to purchase this brand, i would recommend trying Neulash as the most similar product, and you can get it at Nordstrom.

picture from howdoesshe.com

here are a few other reviews i've found about lilash:
1/2/3/4

Favorite Find Friday

it's Bayli's birthday on monday. she's turning two (already?!? ahhh). you might have seen me post some super girly, party sparkly stuff on my instagram account recently. we are so excited. and while i know that i am going way overboard for a birthday that is not going to be remembered, and one that we won't even be able to control. cause seriously, when a group of 7 little girls ranging in age from 1-3 get together with candy, sparkles, flowers, and gold. there's no controlling them. i still think that it's worth it, even if it's just an excuse for me to get the crafting bug out of my system.

i've had this idea for a "favorite find friday" blog post series for a while, every once in a while i come across a product that i just cannot believe i haven't known about my entire life, well, this is one of them.

Gnome Sweet Gnome Shop birthday candle holders. 

they are so cute and trendy, and not just for kids parties. even though i am 23 i'd love to have one of these on my birthday cake or cupcake. they really make any dessert look special, and now that i think about it, for all you healthy eaters out there. you could just put this little guy on the side of your dinner plate and then you'd still feel all special without having the temptation of all those yummy calories underneath your candle. i bought three of these at the bijou market in provo a few months ago. i am a sucker for anything sparkly and gold, so these just spoke to me. i really wanted to buy all of them, i walked around the market holding about 10 in my hands trying to pick my favorites (i'm really wishing i had gotten a unicorn). it was very hard. anyway... they are totally affordable and i just feel the need to share their awesome-ness because they're pretty great.

so... i am going to give one lucky reader one small elephant birthday candle holder from their shop. all you have to do is comment below with your email address. for an extra entry, you can also enter through instagram by following me on instagram and commenting "i want it" (or something like that) under the picture i posted today of the candle holder. -my account profile is @valerijones- that's it! easy right! winner will be chosen and announced in next week's favorite find friday post.

be excited for next weeks "favorite find friday" it's gonna be a good one.

*none of these "favorite find friday" posts are sponsored. i purchase the items i giveaway with my own money at full cost. all opinions are my own.

Cahoots Giveaway!

If you live in the orem/provo area, and are a mom, or just someone looking for a judgement free, fun, workout this post is for you! i just recently have been given the opportunity to both attend, and host this giveaway for a 1 month free family membership to the coolest gym idea i've heard of in a loooonnng while.

"Cahoots" is located inside the "studio 1" dance studio on center street in orem, right by the freeway. and the 1 hour classes are held at 9:15/9:30 in the morning. monday through friday, the concept is this:

mom does a workout class downstairs, while your kids are upstairs doing their own class, like, dance and movement, yoga, etc. but tailored for children. my daughter is almost two and she loved it! and i loved that while i was working out, i had no sense of guilt for just dropping my kid off with 40 other children in the gym nursery like i do at other gyms. letting her watch tv, or just sit and stare in awe at the other kids energy. which is what had usually happened. instead at Cahoots she was getting a work out as well! and for the moms whose kids aren't walking yet, you can leave them in the back of the class in their carseats, and go and help/feed them whenever they need at no extra cost.

i loved how well my daughter slept after our experience at cahoots. she obviously had been running around using up all her energy because even though later that day we were visiting at a friends house, she still napped there for over two hours in a new place. which was a first for us.

not only did i have sooo much fun (and get so sore!), learning and exercising from all of the different types of classes, but i also knew that the other girls in the class were moms as well, similar age, similar weight issues, which created a judgement free experience. for this very reason i have had a really hard time finding a gym, until now. i have gone to golds gym before, but always come away feeling worse about myself because of comparing myself to the other more fit, beautiful people at the gym. then, i decided to go to the orem rec center, which was the opposite, i felt like a beauty queen in there, the youngest in the class, and even possibly the most fit, but... because the class was tapered to an older, less fit audience, i didn't feel like i was getting a work out, i had been going to zumba there for months without ever really feeling sore or seeing results. my heart rate went up, for sure, but i never really got that awesome/terrible i'm-so-sore-i-can't-even-laugh feeling...

at cahoots, the other members of the gym were so friendly, and we had so much in common. i already made friends after going the first time, which made me feel like they would miss me, and expected me to keep coming which is just the right encouragement this momma needs! and maybe you do too.

so... for the details of the giveaway, first, you must be a  follower of this blog, next, here's a link to their website, go and read the different types of classes they offer under the "fitness for mom's" tab and write in the comments of this post, the class that you are most excited to go to. (mine is the barre class... it kicked my but!) i will be randomly picking a winner and sending you an email, so make sure you leave your email in the comments as well. you, and your kids will receive one month free to cahoots! but, if you don't win, as a first time customer, your first class is free for you and your child so you can go and check it out and see how you like it! i encourage everyone to do at least this! here's a link to their facebook if you want to like their page to stay updated on the different promotions they are having, etc.

Gratitude/Giveaway

it's so awesome that we as a country can devote an entire day just be thankful for the things we have. and i would just like to publicly share my gratitude for a few overlooked things in life, if you want to know what some of the biggest things i'm grateful for, then read my post from last year. but this year, i'm trying to focus on being more grateful for the smaller things.

being able to learn a new skill (today, i'm attempting crochet)
reading: both bedtime stories and novels
my dog. we pray that he will be able to last until next thanksgiving as well
my husbands power tools and the joy he gets while using them
my calling to teach the 13, 14, and 15 year olds in sunday school.
that we are both done with school
crawling babies
infinity scarves
wearing high heels while carrying a car seat in the snow
my food processor. baby food is easy peasy with that thing
seeing your loved ones go through break ups, it makes me realize how lucky i am.
the joy you feel when said loved ones also meet the person who will make them "the luckiest"
when you watch modern family and realize, they could have gotten the exact same footage from your house.
bayli's bathtime
instagram
no shave november
chunky baby thighs
and.... this blog

i'm so happy this year for so many reasons! hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving!

p.s.... the winner of the giveaway is..... Meghan B from Iowa! send me an email at keepupwithusjones@gmail.com and we will get it shipped to you asap

Meghan BNovember 6, 2012 9:44 AM

This hat is adorable! I'm sure my husband would kill me if I put our son it this but, my best friend is having a girl in just a few week and I know she would love this set!

GIVEAWAY {closed}

Holy Cow! Keeping Up With Us Jones' is having a giveaway! our lovely sponsor So Shabby Chic was willing to give us their super cute handmade hat with four matching flower clips. seriously, this is the cutest thing ever and the one we have has been complimented on so many times i don't even have enough fingers and toes to count them all! we took Bay to the chalk festival while wearing hers a few weeks ago and we literally had 10 random strangers come up to us and ask us where we got it and compliment our little babe wearing it.

i have never seen a baby hat like this, its perfect for any occasion. super easy to dress up or down, it's not too busy, but it's also not boring. the little details around the rim of the hat make the biggest difference, it kinda looks like lace and is soooo feminine. and the texture on the body of the hat make it look like it's moving or something. definitely not just the typical knit. and the yarn is WAY soft and organic for their sensitive skin. anyway... i know it's just a hat, but... i LOVE it.

so, here's how you win this beauty so that you can have it for your own little princess or to give away to a friend or family member. (Christmas is coming!!!) first, become a follower of Keeping Up With Us Jones' on either blogger or with bloglovin' if you aren't already. then, leave a comment below! for extra entries, like us on facebook, mention this giveaway on your facebook/blog, or simply just follow me on pinterest.

seriously, i only have 50 followers on my blog so if your reading this your chances of winning are pretty likely so might as well give it a shot!!! also, depending on how many people enter this giveaway will determine if/when we have another one so even if by some crazy absurd reason you don't want this hat. enter anyway and if you win, i will gladly keep this hat and we will find something else (maybe a free sewing project, etc) that we can give to you instead..... don't make me beg guys. :)

oh alright, we're begging.


The Winner is entry number 3! Meghan B! congratulations! please email me at keepupwithusjones@gmail.com so that we can send you your hats! :)