I’m not the kind of person who wears 30 different makeup products for a simple trip to the grocery store.  In fact, I’m not sure that I ever really wear that much makeup.  That aside, Benefit Cosmetics’ 10 bronzer and highlighter duo is one of the simplest, most idiot-proof makeup products I’ve ever seen.

The bronzer and highlighter duo comes with one very wide brush so you can grab both parts in one sweep.  The in-box instructions tell you exactly where to apply it, and after a single swipe, the look is perfect (okay, so you might rub it a bit to blend it in, but other than that, it’s a 1-swipe per cheek job).

I bought this product for a friend who hates makeup, and she loved it.  She held on to it for a couple months, and when she finally tried it, she immediately called me to tell me how totally awesome it was.  I was all like, “I know, I told you so,” and she kept going on about how she finally has cheekbones.  Sweet.

10 bronzer and highlighter duo
highlight and bronze in one sexy sweep

Mother’s Day is definitely creeping up on us, and I still haven’t found the perfect gift.  As I’ve been looking for a good gift, I’ve also found a lot of not-so-good gifts.  It’s not that they’re bad gifts, they’re just not right for my own mother, who is not much of a jewelry-wearer.  To ensure that my time and effort isn’t completely wasted, I’m sharing them with everyone here:

Personalized Mother’s Day Jewelry Box
Price: $24.95
Some mothers would find personalized Mother’s Day jewelry box absolutely charming.  My mother would give me a confused look and ask what she’s supposed to put in it.

Keepsake Personalized Mother’s Day Springtime Ring
This Mother’s Day ring can be personalized to say the names of her favorite children, important dates, or something personally meaningful like, “Thundercats, ho!”

Cartier -esque Inspired Screw Motif Double Interlocking Love Band Necklace
Price: $34.99
This Mother’s Day necklace features a Cartier-inspired screw love motif and it’s made out of .925 sterling silver.   The necklace has two interlocking love bands symbolizing commitment and everlasting devotion.  This elegant Mother’s Day necklace comes with a 16 inch chain.  Matching rings and bracelets are also available.

Tiffany Inspired 10mm Sterling Silver Bead Bracelet
Price: $74.99
Although this bracelet would be great for anyone, it’s currently on sale for Mother’s Day.  This Tiffany inspired bead bracelet is composed of .925 solid sterling silver and comes in a 7.5 or 8 inch length with a lobster claw clasp for security.  If your mom likes jewelry but isn’t crazy about sappy commemorative pieces like the ring above, this may be a much better choice.

Sterling Silver Mother’s Day CZ Heart Pendant
Price: $24.99
I know at least a dozen mothers who would go nuts for this pendant.  They’d open it up (along with a sappy card), then promptly cry and talk about how happy their family makes them and put the necklace on.  They’d continue to wear it either forever, or until the next piece of Mother’s Day jewelry came along.  My mom would give me a blank look and say, “I hope you didn’t spend much money on this.”  Like I said, she’s not the sappy, jewelry-loving type.

Any more suggestions for Mother’s Day gifts and jewelry?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!

Amazingly enough, I do remember to feed my pets.  Of course, they actually interact with me.  Plants are another story.  I can’t remember the last time I was able to keep a plant alive for more than a few weeks.  They just fade into the background for weeks at a time, and by the time I remember to water them, they’re on their way out of this world.

I do love some of the newer self-watering planters and hanging baskets, though.  I might actually have a shot at keeping something alive if the plant waters itself.  Here are a few that I came across recently:

20″ Cortina Self-Watering Planter, Ochre
These Italian-style self-watering planters come in several vibrant colors for $45 each.  The 16″ version comes in at $35.

39″ Self-Watering Windowbox, Green
For $39, you could get one of these cute self-watering windowbox planters.  I think they’d also be cute along the edge of a white wraparound porch - very Leave it to Beaver-ish.

Self-Watering Trellis Planter, Small
If you have a little more room, this $90 self-watering trellis planter could be perfect.  Once you get vines growing up the trellis, you’ll have extra privacy or shade, too.

Self-Watering Hanging Basket
If your budget is a little lower (or if you just want a hanging planter), this self-watering hanging basket is perfect.  Hanging plants are kind of a pain to water even if you do remember, so this version is especially nice.

The Seven Jeans “A” Pocket Jean is probably one of the most versatile pairs of jeans you can buy. They come in tons of different washes, and they’re almost universally flattering. At around $200 a pair, they’re not a bad deal for something that’s actually made here in the U.S.

This particular pair is more casual than some, with simple, vintage-looking stitching on the back pockets and plenty of whiskered and faded spots.  And of course, the flared leg is great for creating a slim look through the hips and thighs.

There’s a very good chance that some would say I’m too old for Delia’s, but I really don’t care. If you want a cute t-shirt that doesn’t fit like it was made for a lumberjack, it’s a great place to go. That’s especially true since they started making more t-shirts that actually work with low-rise jeans. Really, if you’re the kind of girl who wants your butt hanging out in back, why bother getting a t-shirt and covering the cleavage? Just go topless already and get it over with.

But back to the point. I love this Butterflies Tee from Delia’s. It reminds me a bit of those crappy airbrushed paintings you can get at state fairs, or those hideous velour printed couches from the 1970s - and yet somehow, it works. The overall effect is a mixture of retro cool and “So cute I want to run through sunny meadows and snuggle kittens by the barrel-full”.

Butterfly T-Shirt Technical Specs: 100% cotton, 24″ long (great backside coverage that doesn’t hang too low).

I never believed that those bowl-shaped spy listening devices worked until I actually had the chance to play with one.  A friend had one a while back and we spent an entire afternoon listening to neighbors’ conversations.  I learned that some people are really, really boring.

Anyway, I wouldn’t mind having my own spy listening device so I could go out in search of more interesting people.  It would be a lot of fun to go up to the cliffs where people hike and see what I could overhear from couples taking walks.  Yeah, I’m sick like that.

The Orbitor Spy Listening Device looks like a pretty close approximation to the gadget my friend had, complete with the satellite-dish looking gun thing and the heavy-duty headphones (this is great, because as you’re intently listening to someone else, it makes it very easy for people to sneak up on you and scare you half to death).  At $70, it seems like a pretty reasonable deal as far as spy listening devices are concerned - not cheap enough that it would probably suck, but yet not too expensive for something so frivolous.

The manufacturer says that the Orbiter Spy Listening Device can hear sounds up to 300 feet away and it comes with a Viewfinder that can zoom in so you can see the people you’re spying on.  They suggest using it to hear athletes at games or animals in nature, but I say they have no imagination (or they have lawyers that won’t let them suggest more fun uses).   It also has a playback feature so you can record up to 120 seconds of the stuff that’s actually worth overhearing.

It seems like everyone I know is either getting married or having babies. I guess we all have a phase where it seems that way. I’ve decided that this Organic Baby Gift Set is going to be my go-to gift for all the new moms I know, if only for the sheep burp cloth that comes in the set (what can I say, I’m a sucker for sheep).

Because all the toys are dyed in a water bath with natural plant and mineral dyes, you can be sure that you’re not contributing to any unnecessary chemical exposure for the baby.  This organic gift set comes in a recycled gift box.

I think the biggest thing that keeps me from recycling is the fact that it’s time consuming and gross. Dirty newsprint and sticky soda cans really aren’t something I want lying around my kitchen in piles. Of course, if I had something like these cute Recycling Bins, I might feel a little more obligated to do it…and then I’d feel better for doing something good for the world…and then that would translate into actually BEING a better person, right?

Or I’d just have some cute recycling bins. What do you think? Can owning the bins make you get responsible about the environment? Should there be a charity somewhere designed to get these bins into homes at no charge?

The Smart Bin 16 Gallon, 3 Compartment 18/0 Stainless Steel Pedal Recycle Bin

Even though Poo-Pourri Spray looks all pink and flowery like it’s for girls, we should all remember that girls do not actually poop. If you happened to know someone who DOES poop, though, this would be a fun gift. It would definitely be handy in a shared bathroom situation.

Instead of spraying it to cover up the icky smells, you spray the water with Poo-Pourri before the smells happen. Yeah, it’s a little gross to explain, but the effect is decidedly un-gross.

If I had more of a tan, I’d definitely buy this Floral Ruffle Top.  It’s soft and romantic, plus very well-cut.  The problem I usually have with shirts like this one is that they tend to be too billowy or maternity-top looking…or just too trashy.  This one is the perfect compromise between the two, and it would make a great date top.  Just pair it with some cute jeans and maybe some ballet flats or heels and you’ve got an outfit that’s appealing to the male eye, but comfortable enough that you can have a great time.

Oh, and it’s just $23.