Fighting Off Adult Acne #Sponsored #ClearasilMom #MC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Clearasil. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Note: I fully expect this picture to end up on Awkward Family Photos very soon. It will probably be my brother who does it. I'd just like everyone to appreciate my B.U.M. Equipment t-shirt here.

When I was a teenager, my biggest struggle was with acne. I didn't consider myself particularly chubby, and I liked my hair (hey, it was the early 90s) and clothes on most days, but the acne was something I just could not get rid of, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't wait for the magical age of 19---that's the age my mom said it would all go away and I'd have beautiful smooth skin like hers.

Well, 19 has long come and gone, and I'm still struggling with acne. Now I understand that, for me, the severity of my skin issues is related to how much junk food I eat and how little water I drink. Since I've had a hard time giving up my teenage junky eating habits, adult acne pops up (sorry...) often and is still as frustrating as ever.

As my daughter entered her preteen years, I was worried she'd struggle the same as I did. Not only is acne a huge drain on the self-confidence, it's also very painful, at times, and always annoying. Because she eats way better than I do, she's not had to deal with severe acne like I did. I know this isn't the only factor for everyone, but for us, our diets make a huge difference.

I was recently sent some Clearasil to try out on my face. I received both the Hydra- Blast Oil-Free Face Wash and the Ultra Rapid Action Daily Gel Wash. I remember using this now and then in high school, but it had been about 20 years since I'd last used a face wash formulated for acne. I've always loved that cool, tingly feeling of washing my face with it. It's very soothing to painful acne breakouts.

Both washes are dermatologist tested. The Hydra-Blast Oil-Free Face Wash can reduce breakouts by up to 85% in just a month. This face wash is designed to provide the skin with needed moisture, while aiding in giving you clearer skin every day. For many, it's gentle enough to use daily without drying or tightening.

The Ultra Rapid Action Daily Gel Wash gives many users clearer skin in as few as 12 hours. This maximum strength formula opens blocked pores to give you healthy looking skin. It is for acne prone skin that is experiencing a breakout. Unless your acne is really bad, you probably want to save this for the really rough days and not use it daily so it doesn't dry out your skin too drastically.

Both formulas are great for those who are prone to oily skin and perhaps even those whose skin type is average. For me, my skin tends to be on the dryer side, so both the face washes were too strong for me to use on a daily basis without feeling tight and dry. However, it definitely did help with both breakouts and redness---and really, redness is my biggest struggle.

Let me know what tips you have for keeping skin issues at bay and visit Clearasil on Facebook and Twitter for more info on their products.

Fulfilling Family Traditions at Northwest Arkansas Mall -- Win a $200 Shopping Spree!! #NWARK

This post was compensated by Northwest Arkansas Mall. All opinions are honest and are my own. 

Hands down, this is the very best giveaway I've ever held here at Hope In Every Season! Northwest Arkansas Mall has given me $200 in gift cards to give away to one local winner! After you've read all about me and Lynzie's fun shopping day at the mall, be sure to enter to win this awesome prize package! (By the way, my favorite scent at Bath and Body Works is Sweet Pea---you know, just in case you win and are feeling extra thankful...)

Lynzie and I braved the Black Friday crowds and headed for Fayetteville last Friday morning! My mom and I had a tradition of shopping on Thanksgiving weekend every year for several years. Now that we're so far away, I'm continuing on the fun with my own daughter!

In fact, our family has several Christmas traditions that make our celebration unique to us. I was able to fulfill all my family tradition shopping plans at Northwest Arkansas Mall!

Every Christmas Eve, the kids open Christmas pajamas. We try to have at least two kids in matching sets, so we have several sets of twinsies running around. We found these super cute and very soft jammies at JC Penney's. It was so hard to decide between the Hello Kitty design and the cute elf ones. I ended up getting the elf ones for both Brenna and Kynthia. Liam has some boy ones to match so it will be perfect!

Penney's also had flannel sets for older boys on a great sale. I got Cainan the red plaid set.

Another tradition involves our decorations. Each year, the older girls get a new decoration to add to their collection that they'll someday take to their own homes. Lynzie collects nutcrackers, Selah collects snow globes, and Avalon began collecting Christmas bells this year. There were so many adorable nutcrackers to choose from at JC Penney. I ended up getting Lynzie the one pictured at the bottom right as she said it reminded her of a British soldier. I surprised her with it this morning and she was thrilled!

Our third big tradition is ornaments. Each family member gets a new ornament each year and I write their names on the bottom of them so they can take them all with them whenever they move out on their own. It's so fun picking out a special ornament that pertains to each child. This Angry Birds one from JC Penney is perfect for Elisha who really enjoys the game.

Francesca's also has several really cute ornaments like this Sock Monkey elf and Melody's Choices has an amazing selection of delicate ornaments in lots of styles.

After we'd finished up with our traditions shopping, we decided to start hunting for gifts! Avalon has wanted a Jessie the Cowgirl doll for a couple years and we found the perfect one, along with a matching hat for Avalon, at JC Penney. She's going to be so excited!

A stop in to Forever 21 brought squeals of delight at almost every rack! Lynzie decided to begin looking for a Christmas dress. We looked...and looked...and...

...stopped by Bath and Body Works to check out the Christmas display! They're always having great sales and their holiday scents are so festive. Lynzie's hoping for some peppermint-scented lotion and body spray this year.

Finally, we found the perfect dress---back at JC Penney! This gorgeous black dress is just right for Lynzie's vintage style. It's a perfectly elegant look for her.

Our shopping day was both productive and memorable. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to hang out together and share our love for shopping, as well as our love for giving!

Northwest Arkansas Mall has graciously given me three gift cards, totaling $200, to give away to one local winner! Want to win? You must live within three hours of Fayetteville. If you do, check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the giveaway. 

Note on Rafflecopter: the widget might take a couple minutes to load. Also, because so many of my dear friends will be entering to win, please understand that Rafflecopter is a completely random computer-generated tool. I have nothing to do with the choice of winner--and I couldn't pick a favorite if I tried! 

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Homemaking Party: Meaningful Gifts from Willow Tree at Family Christian #FCBlogger

This post has been compensated by Family Christian. All opinions are mine alone.

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Have you been busy shopping like I have? I love buying or making gifts for the special people in my life. A season of giving---what a wonderful thing! Are you familiar with the Willow Tree collection at Family Christian? I've been buying these beautiful pieces as gifts for years. They're so special and there's a scene for every important person in my life!

It's hard being away from family during the holidays---and especially hard for me, being away from my mom! I love to send her gifts that are meaningful and that show her how much I love her. I've been sending her Willow Tree figurines for years because their beautiful simplicity touches her heart and reminds her of how much I care.

I bought her this one a few years ago when I had one of the babies---Liam, maybe? I think we were living apart then, as well, and I thought it would be special to have something she could see every day. Even if she couldn't see us every day.

These I bought for her on other occasions, like her birthday or Christmas, I believe. They're very special ways to commemorate an important event, as well as to just say, "I love you". 

This Willow Tree Nativity is my DREAM SET! I was admiring it in Family Christian in Fayetteville last week. I think I need to start collecting the pieces for this. I've been drooling over it for a good 10 years now!

Do you have any pieces of the Willow Tree collection? What are your favorites? You can find Willow Tree at Family Christian and even have your gift sent from them straight to your loved one---just in time for Christmas. Check out their collection and pick out the perfect figurine or two for your special person.

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! Be sure to link up all your great posts and tell me about your Christmas plans in the comments below!

Blessings!



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