I don’t know about you, but it’s very rare that I look out for ol’ number one (that would be me). I run around like a lunatic trying to make sure everyone else is happy, but I totally fail at taking a second to take care of myself.

I decided this should probably change. When I’m all stressed and neurotic, I’m not my best self. I’m a yelling, short-tempered mess. But if I take just a few minutes every now and then to treat myself, it’s like a breath of fresh air.

So, inspired both by my stress and Parks and Rec, I give unto thee a brand spanking new series: Treat Yo Self. Only, unlike the TV characters, my treats are going to be inexpensive indulgences that don’t give me hives about my bank account.

For this first post, I turned to the biggest divas and treaters of themselves I know: my daughters. My ladies live and breathe by treat yo self rules. They now believe that all baths should include epsom salt, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil—at the very least. When they’re feeling extra extravagant there are scrubs, masks and colored water (Ellie is not a fan of bubbles in the tub so they generally skip those).

One night I was sitting by the tub, watching them soak up all that luxury when I had a thought: why don’t I do that? We’ve been making our own scrubs and masks for a while now (a great kit to get girls started is the SmartLabs All Natural Spa Lab. My sister got it for Sam for her birthday one year and we’ve used it over and over and over again) and I know that it’s simple and cheap. Plus, it doesn’t take long to slather a scrub on as a little pick me up.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to summer beauty, I’m all about looking fresh-faced and natural. Who has time to fuss with a bunch of stuff that’s sure to melt off your face while chasing down rogue children at the pool?

I’ve got a few essentials that I keep on heavy rotation and the rest of my makeup products hibernate until fall.

I love an excuse to put together a gift guide. And you know I love mommas. I combined these two loves to put together a pretty, relaxing, springtastic collection of pieces that would be perfect for just about any woman in your life.

From things to prettify herself to things that help prettify her world, these gifts encourage busy mommas to take a step back, relax and enjoy the little things a bit more–and I think we could all use a healthy dose of that.

Kitchen Garden Cookbook :: Wen Healthy Hair kit :: Gap scarf :: L.A.R.K. Spark clutch :: atiliay succulent block print :: Williams-Sonoma Meyer Lemon Caldrea Gift Set :: Anthropologie trowel :: The Merriweather Council embroidered necklace :: Kate Spade scallop thin bangle :: Kate Spade mom idiom bangle

I’ll take all of them, if that works… although I’d probably hand off the cookbook to my husband with all of the recipes I want to taste bookmarked for future consideration. 😉

Alright, mommas. I want to know: what’s at the top of your wishlist for this Mother’s Day?

I’ve been on the hunt for a good brown eye shadow palette for awhile now. The problem? I want high quality on a budget. I’ve seen plenty of pretty quads and trios at Sephora, but I’ve been a little leery to drop a lot of money on something I’m not quite sure about.

When BA STAR offered to send me a sample of their smoky eye shadow palette, I was seriously excited. I hadn’t heard of them before–probably because they’re billed as performance makeup–but I was definitely looking forward to playing with it.

I’m a big fan of simple steps that make a big impact. Whether it’s throwing on some accessories so that you don’t look like you were getting dressed with a child hanging from your torso or using coconut milk to make you feel like you’re on a tropical getaway, I’m all for it.

And I have to tell you, there are not many things that are simpler than slapping on some lip color. I absolutely love the idea of changing up your color to fit whatever mood you might be in that day (as long as they work with your skin tone, of course).

So I went on a little treasure hunt and picked out five different shades that will tell your friends what kind of mood you’re in before you say a word.