Mouse's DIY Dinnertime Tantrum Tamer

Last night Mouse invented a brilliant dinnertime game to amuse herself during the interminable wait until the noodles finished boiling. Since I can't take credit, I'll describe the activity set-up from her POV.

Wait until Mom has her hands full. Then seek out a convenient basket or bin (Mom wouldn't have left it there if she didn't want me to play with it!). Then pull the contents of the basket out one item at a time, proclaiming the item's name and description loudly so Mom can fully appreciate my brilliance. Repeat until the basket is empty. Then shove everything back in the basket and start over again.

You can tell by my cheekiness that I was initially not enthused by this activity (yet another mess to clean!). Then I realized:

1. No damage was being done and she was completely safe (within sight and, while making a mess, not playing with anything harmful).
2. The basket she'd chosen was filled with new (i.e. impossible to open) Play-Doh cans, which she was stacking as she unloaded them (motor skill development!).
3. In an effort to get my attention, she was calling out the color of the lids (color recognition!).
4. She wasn't underfoot in the main kitchen area (like her brother always was at this age).

So I embraced her game, which kept her playing it until dinner was ready, and kept me from losing my sanity.  

Have your kid(s) ever invented a "game" that turned out to be a diamond in the rough?

May FOTM: it Cosmetics CC+

May continued my BB/CC detour in the Foundation of the Month series.  I'm still looking for the same things in an "ideal" foundation - long wearing (particularly on my peskily oily chin) without breaking me out, not too fussy to apply, and under $40.  I wasn't expecting a BB or CC to provide the medium- to full-coverage I was seeking so my plan was to pair each BB/CC with Bare Minerals on top.

May's Foundation: it Cosmetics "Your Skin But Better CC+"

("YSBB CC+" - $38)

I was unfamiliar with the it Cosmetics line until makeup guru Tiffany D raved about their YSBB CC+ in December of last year.  What really caught my attention was that Tiffany agreed with the brand's product description that this CC provides full coverage in addition to brightening, anti-aging, pore minimizing, sun protecting and priming.  So YSBB CC+ was one of the first foundations on my to-test list when I began my FOTM project.

I'll go ahead and issue the spoiler alert now: the YSBB CC+ delivered as promised!

The pump tube made for easy dispensing (about 2 pumps to cover my face). Like the pur CC I reviewed last month, the YSBB CC+ comes out thicker than a typical moisturizer (and thicker than other BBs I've tried fleetingly), however it softens easily - so well, in fact that I applied it easily with my fingers all month long!

This product wears naturally, does not settle into lines or pores, and lasts the day without any additional primer.  While my initial plan was to wear it as a base for Bare Minerals, the coverage was so excellent (a solid medium coverage, comparable to the "Love Me For Me" foundation I tested - and loved - in February) and durable that I found myself skipping the Bare Minerals and just finishing with my favorite Rimmel Stay Matte powder.  And at the end of the day, it washed off easily with no additional steps.

Overall grade: A! Who could ask for more? While YSBB CC+ was at the upper end of my price range, the fact that it allowed me to skip moisturizer and primer and didn't need mineral makeup on top to create a business-ready look that lasted the day made it worth every penny.