Nourish Your Dry Skin With Fount Society

I'm Amber and I have dry skin. I hate it. I also have uneven skin tone and wrinkles so I'm always searching for products that can help with that.

Enter Fount Society.

I was lucky enough to be sent some of their products. They only use clean ingredients so you don't have to worry about putting gross chemicals on your skin. 

Plus, check out the packaging:

I am loving the colors.

Here's everything I received:

Gel Cleaner: it made my face feel hydrated & removed dirt & excess oils. Ingredients are kakadu plum + white willow bark. 

Balancing Face Mist: love! If you're into the floral scents, this is for you. This helped to soothe my dry skin and is made with rose water+snow mushroom. 

Hydrating Serum: this helps with skin texture and trust me, I need this! It also helps with those finicky fine lines & wrinkles. This one is made with hyaluronic acid+copper tripeptide-34

Brightening Vitamin C Oil: I have uneven skin tones, ugh, and this has helped with that. It's probably my fave of the bunch. It also helps with the fine lines & wrinkles. Made with 2% Vitamin C & turmeric plus rosehip

Water Cream: this also helped with my dry skin and left it feeling nourished. It says it helps with a youthful appearance, which is a huge plus for me! Made with peptide blend + squalane 

My skin feels hydrated and wishful thinking is hoping some of my fine lines are fading. 

Oh, and I put on the face mist and my husband said it smelled nice. The exact convo was, "What's that smell?" and I thought, oh crap, do I stink? and then he was all, "I like it." My husband is a man of few words and can be picky about what he likes and doesn't like, so I consider it a win. 

If you want to order any of these for you, check out Fount Society! You can also save 20% on anything with the code AMBERMYERS20

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

 .....to be going to see Tommy for lunch on Sunday. It's always nice when we can pick him up from college and see him for a meal. 

.....to have already dug into some Girl Scout cookies. I got each of us our own box of Thin Mints. It's safer that way. 

.....to not have watched any of the football games over the weekend because sports tend to bore me, but I heard all about it from Taylor fans. 

....to love this book because not only is the story sweet, but it was written by a 101 WW2 vet named Sam Baker. (He published his first book at 90 which is a reminder that it's never too late to follow your dreams!) He's written other books as well. Plus there are bilingual editions, which is fabulous for kids learning multiple languages. You can learn more about Sam's books and purchase them over at SamBakerBook.com: 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

5 Tips To Help Your Teen Learn To Drive

My daughter finally got her learners permit. She's sixteen. She did the classes on Aceable when she was fourteen, but it took her a bit to finish them all. In Texas, you had to finish all those classes, get a certificate, go to the DMV with a bunch of paperwork and documents, take the eye test, and then, bam, learners permit. Finally. 

Now she has to get her driving hours in. Natalie absolutely LOVES driving and honestly, she's pretty good at it.

Here are some tips if you're helping your teen get their license. 

1. Have patience. Look, it's kinda scary to see your kid behind the wheel. And there might be some mistakes. But they're learning. If you yell, it won't help. Be calm. And remind them that it's okay, sometimes you drive over the curb too. 

2. Practice. Practice. Practice. Even if you have had a frightening experience with your teen behind the wheel, they still need to practice. So let them. If they aren't offering to drive, remind them that they need the hours in. 

3. Go over safety rules. Your teen will probably roll their eyes. "Mom, I KNOW not to be on my phone when I'm driving. I KNOW not to drink and drive." But who cares. Better to drill it in their heads. 

4. Remind them to NEVER drive if someone doesn't have their seat belt on. I mean, this kinda goes with the rule above, but it's so important to me that it needed it's own number. So many times I watch news stories about accidents where the person is ejected from the vehicle. Most of the time people DIE because they didn't buckle up. 

5. Praise often. If they've had a good drive, tell them. It helps to build confidence. I told Natalie the other day that she parks better than I do. 

If all goes well, Natalie will have her license sometime in the summer. 

Flix Brewhouse Goes To Space With Rocketman

Ah, Elton John.

He's one of my favorite artists. Not only is his voice incredible, but the songs he sings gives you a bunch of different emotions. I want to clap and dance to Crocodile Rock. I tear up during Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I have an urge to slow dance to Tiny Dancer. He just has so many hits, including, duh, Rocket Man, which gives me goose bumps because it's so hauntingly beautiful. 

Rocketman is a biopic about his life. It stars Taron Egerton as Elton, and he does a fabulous job. Taron also has a beautiful voice. 

Flix Brewhouse, our local movie theater, has a themed movie month. January was Flix Goes To Space so they had movies like Spaceballs, Star Trek, ET, and many more.

Rocketman was included so of course my daughter and I had to see it. Remember, she gave up her Homecoming to see Elton John in concert. She also is aware how talented he is and is confused why people her age aren't listening to him more. 

Since Rocketman showed at 1045 AM, it was considered brunch and I got a mimosa. 

I also ordered the Creme Brulee French Toast, which was delicious. 

Obviously Natalie and I have seen the movie before, so we already knew it would be spectacular. If you want to watch, I believe it's streaming on Paramount +

After seeing the movie, we were glad that Elton found someone to love him properly, because holy crap, he was surrounded by a bunch of assholes. And that included his own parents. His own mother said that because he was gay that he'd never be loved properly and my jaw dropped open at that. I mean, the absolute nerve. But now he's happily married to David Furnish and they have two boys. 

We're also glad that he did not die, because for a while there he was drinking a ton and had a horrible drug habit. Now he's been sober since 1990. So the movie reminds you that while life can get you down, you can bounce back. 

Next month Flix Brewhouse has another theme. It's Eternal Bonds. So many incredible movies. We're seeing Mamma Mia because we absolutely adore that movie and sing the songs often. We saw Clueless at the theater last year and it was fantastic. Flix Brewhouse has several locations, so check and see if you're lucky enough to have one nearby. 

What movie would you see at Flix Brewhouse in February? 

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

.....to appreciate that the warmer weather is back. We had some cold snaps where it was like 15 and no one in Texas knew what to do.

.....to be planning our trip to Los Angeles in June. We're doing Disneyland for 3 days and then on a 4th day, we're doing some touristy things. We're doing the WB Studio Tour in Burbank, heading to the Griffith Observatory, and then the Hollywood Walk of Fame which I hear is trashy, but Natalie needs to see Marilyn Monroe's star and signature at the Chinese theater. Oh and apparently Matthew Perry is buried in the cemetery across from the WB Studio Tour so we're going to pop over and pay our respects. 

......to be glad that Flix Brewhouse has themed movie months. For January, it was space, so they showed Rocketman, the Elton John biopic, so my daughter and I went to see that. We have it on DVD but it's fun to see movies we enjoy on the big screen. February's theme is Eternal Bond so they're showing movies like Legally Blonde, Clueless, Interview With The Vampire, and Mamma Mia. 

.....to have booked Natalie's birthday party at Urban Air. Yes, she's turning 17 and still wants parties. It works out for me, because the thought of a bunch of people in my home makes me want to flip out. She has like 10 people on her list. 

.....to love the looks that Natalie comes up with. Normally everything is pretty affordable. She shops mainly at Goodwill or from small shops. This dress is from Target, but it was 70% off, and the hat was found at an antique store. Belt is from Amazon and necklace from Etsy. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Unique Valentine's Day Gifts Under $20

Valentine's Day approaches and everyone knows the typical gifts are chocolates and flowers. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE chocolate and flowers are pretty, but sometimes it's more exciting to go outside of the norm. After all, flowers die. And you can get the chocolate for 50% off a day later. 

So why not go for something different? 

I have a bunch of options and even better, they're all under $20 because life is expensive and you don't need to spend a bunch to show you care. 

So let's begin! 

If your partner loves to read, how about getting them a book? Even better, a classic book. You can find these for under $20 in many antique stores or eBay. Obviously the first editions are going to be over $20, but you can find a fabulous variety for a great deal:

Games are always an exciting gift. Pick up a game and then play that evening. Business Walrus game looks like a ton of fun that will be sure to get people laughing. Find it on Amazon here:

Five Below always has a fantastic choice of presents for under $10. This plant holder was incredibly cute. You can pick it up and stick candy inside. It'll still be a slightly typical gift with a cool twist:

At the dollar spot in Target, you can pick up these keychains for a buck. If you're a part of a couple who wants to give your partner a key to your place, this would be a cute way to do it. Or just get a fake key and say something like, "You have the key to my heart." Cheesy but sweet.

Prefer to stick to food items? Panera Bread has these cute Valentine's cookies. You can buy a half dozen of them. They're delicious--I've eaten many of them. 

If you're in Texas and have a HEB nearby, they are selling these cups that sort of resemble those overpriced Stanley cups. It was only $12. I personally would prefer it without the Texas state on it, only because I'm somewhat bitter about where I live since they've taken so many rights from women. Some of the laws here are just gross. But if you're a Texas fanatic, this would be a nice choice:

Littlest Pet Shop is back! I had no idea until my daughter told me. She used to collect them when she was younger. You can get these blind boxes for like $4. We found ours at Target. However, if you want to really go out, you can buy all of them on Amazon, but obviously it's way above $20. I also found one that came with 3 for only $11 here: 

This peacock clip is under $10 and is super cute. My daughter got it for Christmas and gets compliments when she wears it. Great colors and works well. It's on Amazon here:

Finally, if you need a cute pair of sunglasses to compliment your Valentine's Day look, pick up these heart ones! My daughter owns these in many colors. Even better, they're under $5! You can get the heart sunglasses in a variety of colors here:

All I want for Valentine's Day is not to cook. I am pretty simple. We'll probably get take out to avoid the crowds. 

Do you have any Valentine's Day plans? 

Latest Finds At Red Rooster Antiques

Antique Stores are neat. You never know what you'll find and even better, everything is unique. Mind you, it makes me cry when I find toys from the 90s there because I'm like, EXCUSE me? But still. 

We love one called Red Rooster Antiques located in New Braunfels. There's always something new to look at, and the ladies that work there are friendly. 

Here's what we found during our last visit:

My daughter was intrigued by this necklace with perfume. "That is a great idea," she mused. 

We discovered a Wizard of Oz lunch box. My dream is to one day find those lunchboxes from my childhood that came with the matching thermos. 

Natalie loved this mirror but it was $100 so she put it back. But it reminded her of the scene in Titanic where older Rose picks up a mirror like this and gasps, "This was mine. Reflections changed a bit."

Remember the Tickle Me Elmo craze? I was a kid, but I remember hearing about it and being like, "But why?" 

If you like vintage cleaning supply packaging, they're here. These are perfect for a retro photoshoot:

Natalie fell in love with this Fisher-Price toy and purchased it. I think it was like $12. She liked his bow tie:

Natalie loves all the vintage Pyrex. Her goal is to find a pink Pyrex set from the 50s/60s that is depicted in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. This was Pyrex but obviously not the color she's looking for, but she still gets excited when she sees retro Pyrex:

This was such a pretty bird cage:

When you're in an antiques store, you always find Beanie Babies. Remember that craze? Again, I was a kid, and I don't remember going crazy for these. My daughter has some that she's found at yard sales. Her boyfriend got her Leggs, the Beanie baby frog she's been wanting for Christmas:

Natalie always wants furniture like this but sadly, we have no place to store it. If she had a giant room, she'd so have this set up in it:

This was a neat Barbie car but it was already sold. I was amused that Kristoff was riding around in it:

There's a small clothes/accessories section that Natalie loves. She's a fan of the hats. She got a pill box hat the last time we went and sometimes she lucks out with finding a dress. 

You never know what you'll find at an antiques store. I recommend going in one if you're looking for something unique. Or heck, if you need to sell stuff, that's a fabulous place to do it. Natalie says if you have fashion from the 60s to let her know first ;) She has some Christmas money. 

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

.....to not appreciate the cold that Texas is having. People were panicking since it was dropping below freezing, which is comical to me as we lived in Wyoming for like 5 years. They cannot believe school is in session when it's below freezing either. 

.....to have gone to watch Mean Girls with Natalie and I enjoyed it. The original is better, but I liked how this was set in the era of Tik Tok and such. It brought a fun aspect. 

......to need to start setting up for Valentine's Day. I've already started purchasing chocolate, which is dumb, because I've already started eating it, so there's no way it'll last until Valentine's Day. 

.....to be excited that there is going to be a Mandalorian & Grogu movie. (Read about it here.) I just love Grogu so of course I'll be watching. 

......to love this sweatshirt that I found on the ShopByBravo store. Can you name the show where the quote is from? Confused? Check out The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills. Sutton says it to Kyle when Kyle accuses her of acting ridiculous in many situations and Sutton asks her to "name 'em" several times. I admit, I watch too much reality TV, but I try to make up for it by reading many books. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Is Macaroni Grill Better Than Olive Garden?

So let me explain: I still enjoy Olive Garden. I truly do. But they keep removing items I like from their menu.

Let's go back a few years. They used to have a delicious dish called capellini pomodoro. If you don't know what that is, it's basically thin noodles with tomato and garlic. I absolutely loved it and would always order the pasta whenever we'd go.

But then one day I tried to order it and the waitress was like, "We no longer serve that." 

I was like:

I mean, excuse me. I was EATING that. I couldn't believe they got rid of such an incredible dish. 

I moved onto the Rosemary Chicken, which wasn't as good, but I enjoyed it enough. The flavor was there and I was obsessed with their garlic mashed potatoes that came with it.

Guess what?

They got rid of that too! I was like:

Honestly, it seems everything I enjoy Olive Garden gets rid of it. When we go now, I get the ravioli carbonara, and I am just waiting for the day when I'm told it's gone. 

(AND. AND they got rid of their amazing mashed potatoes too!)

We do not have a Macaroni Grill near us. There don't seem to be as many as Olive Garden, because obviously Olive Garden is more popular thanks to their All You Can Eat Pasta deals (their current pasta is just meh to me) and the never-ending salad (delish!) and breadsticks (I swear they used to taste better) are a hit too. 

Macaroni Grill, if you haven't figured it out by now, is another Italian restaurant. Slightly fancier, but not much more. Basically the same price points. There is one located by my parents so I asked if we could go the last time we visited. 

It is pretty inside:

You get a warm loaf of rosemary bread and olive oil to start there:

It's delicious and it's also never-ending. Our waiter was even kind and packed us up one to go. 

Guess what Macaroni Grill DOES have? Capellini Pomodoro! 

Their menu is pretty extensive. I find Olive Garden's menu to be small and uninspiring. And again, yes, we still go, but I bitterly point out that it would be better if they still served capellini pomodoro. You'd think I'd have gotten over it by now, but ask any member of my family and they'll tell you I still whine about that. 

You can build your own pasta at Macaroni Grill, so I picked the capellini, the pomodoro, and you can do up to 3 basic toppings free of charge, so I added chunks of garlic and even more tomatoes. Olive Garden also has a build your own pasta, but it's just....well, as I mentioned before, BORING.

Behold my dish:

It was as I remembered. Garlicy. Tomato-y. How hard is it for Olive Garden to have this dish? Seriously?

Natalie also did the build your own pasta with fettuccine alfredo with tomatoes and mushrooms. She said it was good, but she prefers her Five Cheese Ziti from Olive Garden and said she missed the salad. 

And dessert? Here's the dessert options. It's on display and at the end of the meal your waiter will bring it over and ask if you want anything:

I need to try the cannoli next time. 

We ended up getting the chocolate cake, which was scrumptious, BUT I will admit that I prefer the Italian Doughnuts from Olive Garden. However, watch them take that off the menu soon. I'm beginning to wonder if Olive Garden is a secret enemy of mine.

So there you have it. Macaroni Grill Vs Olive Garden. Which is better? I say Macaroni Grill. Natalie says Olive Garden. I guess it depends if Olive Garden still has what you like on their menu or not. 

Have you ever been to either place before?