Hey Little Birdie | Shopping Blog

Today is the day and we have a winner of the Philosophy Rainbows Set!

Congrats Deine!

You’re going to smell very rainbow-y very soon.

I’ve already shared that peonies are my absolute favorite flower. I still hold dear this silly notion that I could one day grow beautiful giant peony bushes in my backyard. Nevermind the fact that I live in Phoenix. Or that I sort of have a black thumb. It could still happen! Since my dreams of peony gardening are unlikely to become my reality, I am always on the lookout for ways to include my beloved flower in my life. I stumbled upon both this darling necklace

and this sweet handprinted pouch

on a recent etsy search. I can’t decide which one I like more. Both are display worthy and both could easily become treasured standards in my household. The necklace because it could make so many outfits pop with its statement making beauty. And the dainty pouch because I would agonize over what would be worthy enough to keep in it, only to finally decide that it has to be something I keep with me in my baby bag, just so I have the pleasure of seeing it everyday. Here’s to keeping my fingers crossed that my thoughtful husband is glancing at this post today! (I’m so subtle, aren’t I?)

If you were a fly on the wall of my house, you’d see that for 8 years the days at my house consisted of trucks, trains, and bugs and the moved to Legos, Star Wars and many pretend battles.  In other words, you’d witness a boy’s life.  You’d also be an amazingly old fly. Gross.

When my husband and I found that our third child was a girl, well, I didn’t believe it.  We were such a boy family, I just couldn’t even imagine what life would look like with a girl in the mix.  Then my stomach jumped a little and I realized that in addition to having awesome lightsaber battles, I could sit down and have a tea party.  No way.  The best of both worlds.  Score!

And once my mind got racing, I got thinking of other possibilities that I thought would never be in my house:  American Girl, Dress up, Strawberry Shortcake, Princesses, Pretty Nails. It’s like a whole other world out there for this boy mom!

Violet is now 9 months old and I realized I have yet to paint her nails.  I thought I’d look for something that would be natural since she will definitely be putting her hands (and feet, if you can believe it) into her mouth.  That’s when I found Piggie Paint!  Ta da!

I feel much better putting this on my little girl’s toes!  Piggie Paint is a natural, water-based non-toxic nail polish.  Awesome colors, cute gift sets or buy them individually.  Read the About Us page to read how they got started – fascinating stuff!

Complicated name for a simply wonderous cream.

Back story: Claire has experienced eczema patches her entire little life. No matter what lotion I try, it never seems to completely heal them. And because of her epilepsy, I am wary of anything chemical laden or prescription. I spotted this tiny jar in the natural section of baby aisle at Target and decided to give it a go. I wasn’t expecting much but I was very pleased with the fresh lavender scent and very descriptive label. California Baby is a tried and true organic brand and I felt very safe using it on Claire. You can’t begin to know how excited I was when after only four days, her normally rough, scratchy areas were soft and smooth! I am completely amazed. This product may be a bit pricier ($12) then I would normally want to buy, but if I purchased this first instead of working my way through a handful of other lotions, I would have saved money. If you or your children deal with overly dry, eczema prone skin then try this!

This product comes to us from my really cute husband, Mike, who is totally right when he says we’ve been neglecting the men-folk around here lately. My husband of almost 12 years scours the web on a regular basis (if you, reader, are his boss, then I modify that to more accurately say he scours the web on a regular basis during non-work hours only).

Anyway, these retro dopp kits come to us from Flight 001 and were showcased on the amazing Uncrate not long ago. They perfectly show that function and style can go hand in hand when traveling, even for guys. Before I get sidetracked, Flight 001 has women’s toiletry kits/travel bags as well… anything and everything your little traveling heart could imagine. Super fun products!

But going back to Uncrate, if you are not familiar with this site, you must check it out. They have amazing finds for the man in your life. Getting closer to Father’s Day, it might be a place to bookmark or add to your reader or whatever you do to stay in touch. Oh, and you should totally do the same for us here at Hey Little Birdie. I mean, we love you more than any other site ever could.

So, in honor of the father of my child and my blogging inspiration… Mikey, this one’s for you. Enjoy!

Yes, it has been established that us HLB girls have a serious Anthropologie crush. So is it any surprise that I am completely head over heels for their newish garden/vintage shop, Terrain? Browsing through their selections is like entering a Nicky wonderland. Take this little bar of soap:

You may at first think, “Who cares? It just a bar of soap…” But not for me. Pretty Packaging? check. My favorite color combo? check. My most beloved flower/scent in the world? check! See what I mean? They get me. I must order this post haste.

Check out the rest of Terrain’s lovely soaps (and don’t forget the rest of their gorgeous products). You just may find your perfect little present too.

I am enamored with this perfume. I must have it. And soon. Why do the best fragrances have to be so darn expensive? And why do they never go on sale like everything else? The scent is fresh, feminine, delicately floral and reminds me of my favorite flowers- peonies. And did I mention it is perfect for me? And did I mention my birthday is next month? (I’m hoping my husband is reading this.)

In all seriousness, are there any fragrances you are loving right now? Tell me about them! I am on a bit of a perfume kick lately and would love to hear the details on your favorites.

Tell me I am not the only one out there with  oily hair? I have always been super jealous of everyone who can save time and not shampoo on the second (or sometimes 3rd) day. I, on the other hand, have many stories involving family camping trips as a teen where I force my mom to pour a bucket of freezing water over my head just so I can be spared the embarrassment of the oilies. Yes, I will gladly suffer for beauty.

However, I recently discovered a solution that has revolutionized my hair routine. First, I picked up an adorable shower cap at Safeway. You can get it here at Amazon but it’s like $2 cheaper at the grocery store so check there beforehand.

The reason why a shower cap is crucial is because the moisture and humidity from your morning wash are going to make your oily hair even worse. Sealing it all inside a cute little cap while make you smile and preserve some of your hair dignity if you are going to attempt this second day ‘do. Next, find yourself a bottle of Batiste Dry Shampoo available at Ulta.

Then take off your shower cap, shake up the dry shampoo can and spray it all over your tresses, especially the roots. The next step is vital- don’t touch anything and let the spray sit in your hair for a minute. Then comb, shake and fluff out out your mane. Brillance! Your hair now looks fresh and clean and you feel confident to go out in the world after kicking the oily monster’s butt.

Tell me- do you have a useful beauty solution? a secret remedy to a common problem? Give me the details!

I am the Imelda Marcos of lip gloss. It is by far my favorite cosmetic product and I am a proud connoisseur.  One formulation I go back to over and over again is Korres Cherry Full Color Glosses. They have the most pleasing cherry taste (very subtle by the way), are uber eco-friendly and natural, and have the prettiest shades (both light and bright). Korres Lip Glosses are also one of the few glosses that are non-sticky. Huge bonus points for that! I hate when your gloss is like a magnet for stray hairs-yuck! Add super moisturizing and benefical vitamins and oils to their check list and you have one stand out gloss. Korres is available via their website or at any local Sephora.

Do you have a go-to lip color? Give me the details!

One of my most beloved beauty products is Tarte’s Cheek Stains. You may scoff at dropping thirty bucks on some measly blush but first hear (or read) me out. It lasts FOREVER. I have had mine for at least a year and it is still going strong.

Gel cheek stains are the ultimate rouge for any skin type but are particularly perfect for the not-so-youthful face. Powder blushes dry you out and look cakey. But Tarte Cheek Stains are super blendable, sheer and chock full of skin-loving ingredients.

Another great thing about Tarte Cosmetics? They are one of the most natural, eco-friendly brands around! Artificial fragrance, oil, alcohol, petroleum, paraben, phthalate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and cruelty free. Phew! That was a mouthful! But honestly, once I started thinking about all the icky crap in most beauty products it made me first get the willies and secondly want to bring my business to companies that take this kind of thing seriously.

I am making you a promise. This will become your new favorite cheek color (lots of color choices at either the Tarte site or Sephora) and you will wonder why you ever used anything else before.