VALENTINE'S DAY DATE NIGHT IN

Life after baby involves a constant struggle to give up what couples enjoyed before.  A simple date night, for example, becomes a difficult evening of extra costs (sitter), ceaseless worrying (let's call the sitter, for the tenth time) and a few other things of emotional stress. 

For my husband and I, we have only gone out alone one time - yes, you heard me right, ONE WHOPPING TIME - in the past six months.

To honor Valentine's Day, we decided to have a date night.  But instead of out, we stayed in.

We didn't order pizza and wear pajamas like the ordinary.  In fact, hubby made dinner and desert that were quite extraordinary.  We even decorated the house and dressed ourselves up, as if we were going to a nice restaurant. 

As the baby soundly slept, we dined and wined ourselves to our heart's content.  It was no less romantic than any of our previous Valentine's dates.

Life changes after a baby, but life still goes on.  With a little effort and creativity, any couple can reinvent romance and take themselves back to the way they were - at least for a couple of hours.

Valentine Themed Decorations.

Steamed crab for dinner.

 Of course, the baby monitor never left our sight.

All dressed up, no where to go, but that's just fine with me.

Decadent desert: home-made creme brule

Skin Care Blog Post - AT-HOME FACIAL HOW TO

A facial at the spa can cost a pretty penny.  In this economy, it's hard to afford this type of luxury.  A facial done at home, however, costs virtually nothing.  All you need are a few essential items and you can refresh and rejuvenate your skin.

Here are the steps to an at-home facial:

Step 1: Wipe makeup off of your face

You always want to start with a clean face.
 

Step 2: Wash face thoroughly

Step 3: Steam face with a face steamer for 5 minutes

This will open the pores, where dirt and oil is likely trapped.

If you don't have a steamer, you can boil some water with a pot and put your face over the hot steam from the boiled water.

Step 4: Apply a peel-off face mask

When the pores are open, the mask can get into the pores.

After the mask is peeled off, you can see the dirt and blackheads leaving with the mask.

Step 5: Apply an ice pack 

(I used a home-made gel ice pack made from liquid dish detergent.  

Find out how from this link.)

Applying something cold will close the open pores.

Step 6: Dip cotton ball with toner and apply all over face (Optional)

Step 7: Apply night cream

Protect your skin through the night with a layer of night cream.

An at-home facial is easy and cost-effective.  It leaves your skin full of radiance and leaves your wallet with little damage.


Enjoy!