Actually, I saw this coming nearly two weeks ago, and so ordered a Kate Somerville kit from Sephora and seriously, I love you Sephora, but your shipping leaves something to be desired. Yes, I did receive your email about the big East Coast snowstorm, but come on! If it didn’t take you three days to get shipments out of your warehouse in the first place? I would not be sitting here in silent misery, looking like a very unhappy teenager! So yes, my fault for waiting until I was completely out of my magical potion before ordering replacements on everything, but ugh. Help a girl out!

I am desperate.

This stuff works that well. The line is genius.

Lucchese cowboy boots. So sexy with a good pair of jeans. I once read a quote from Michael Kors that said something along the lines of a woman walking around Manhattan in a pair of these looks ridiculous. I absolutely disagree. And I used to love Michael Kors. Used to.

Frye Campus boots. These should be in every woman’s closet. Wear them with any and everything. Under jeans, over jeans, skirts, dresses. Forever. Then pass them on to your daughter. She will worship the ground you walk on when she realizes she’s now the proud owner of the coolest boots in school.

Bernardo Milly sandals. They have a fantastic selection of neutrals, but if you visit the Bernardo website, you can also opt for the more vibrant red or turquoise versions, which in summer bring a nice pop of color to an otherwise neutral wardrobe that I’ve been accused of sporting.

Dr. Scholl’s. Do you remember your first pair of these? I do. Mine were white. Over the years, I’ve had black patent leather, leopard. This time I went with a plain old nude (tan) color, and no one is more shocked than me to say that I’ve worn them more than I’ve worn my Havaiana flip-flops this summer. There’s just something so comfortingly old-school about them.

Birkenstocks! Yes! I’m not kidding! These are not your hippie-dippy mother’s crunchy sandals, either. They are so far improved from the meatloaf-looking he-walks-on-water shoes from my youth. I have a pair of Gizehs in olive leather and they are so comfy and totally respectable, in my opinion. My absolute favorite Gizeh ever is the black patent leather one, but somewhere between my studio apartment on Christopher Street in NYC and my charming Sears catalog bungalow in Ames, Iowa, they disappeared. Someday, I’ll spring for a replacement pair. But for now, I’m very happy with my earthy green ones.

A good (but relatively inexpensive) pair of ballet flats. Mine are by French Sole and are bronze leather and I wear them year-round. With jeans, with shorts, and everything in-between. This particular line runs crazy small. I generally wear a 38 (European), but in these? I have to size up an entire shoe size. Keep in mind if you ever order a pair…

I think this is the first time in a long time I’ve been pretty content with my shoe collection. The only thing I never seem to have are dress-up shoes, but seriously, where I live? There’s just not much dressing up to be done.

I am lucky not to have dark circles around my eyes, or lines, or puffiness. I equate that to my obsession with eye cream, since I was about 16. (Thanks, mom.) But every so often, the morning after not having had enough sleep, I need a little extra something around the eyes. Not concealer, but just a ‘lift.’ And that’s where my Touche Eclat comes in.

It brightens and camouflages like nothing else I’ve ever used. There’s something about the formula that reflects light off of the skin, making it seem bright and healthy, rather than dark or pale or tired.

I’ve also used it on little spots, and it works there, too. Not necessarily covering them up, but just deflecting from them. I don’t know how this stuff works. I don’t really care. I just know that YSL better never stop making it. Or I will be in big trouble.

I can tell, within a few hours, that it’s going to snow, because my hair suddenly ’sticks’ to everything it passes. Walls. Sofas. You name it. It’s not a major problem, in the grand scheme of things, but it is a problem.

It only affects me in the winter. But here, it’s winter for the majority of the year.

I’ve tried, seriously, nearly every hair product out there. You name it, I’ve tried it.

And now that I’ve come to a point in my life where I am no longer trying to fight my hair, no longer trying to make it into something it’s not, I’ve released a lot of anxiety. And earned about 30 extra minutes of sleep.

I wash my hair every other day. And don’t say “eww.” Every hair stylist that I’ve ever had has recommended that to me. And now that I’m not mucking up my hair with too much product, this is a reality for me: my hair looks better for it. I have a really healthy head of hair. No split ends. Just lots of long and shiny hair. On the days that I wash it, I then blow-dry my fringe (a must), and put it up in a bun. It takes forever to dry, but when it does, I take out the bun, shake it out, and I have nice and bouncy waves. But that’s not all I do. I then put this Silk Therapy, by Biosilk in my hair, when it’s dry. It’s very light, a little goes a long way, and it doesn’t leave a heavy or greasy residue. What it does do is add a nice sheen to my hair, but it also seems to tame those annoying fly-aways.

It’s a winter staple for me, definitely. Second winter season, in fact, that I’ve used it. I don’t know if there’s something better out there, to tame the static. But for now, this will do. (And it smells good, to boot…) The bottle will last a very long time.

And if you’re looking for something a little more economical, I honestly think that the John Frieda line is incredible. The straightening serum is really unsurpassed. I use this one myself, even though I don’t straighten my hair. It helps with the frizzies, the static. But again, a little goes a long way. Otherwise you’ll be leaving wet spots on your sofa, your pillow, the window on the subway. You get the picture…

I had no time to reflect on the changing of the seasons. Although I was grateful that my daughter’s first day at her new school brought around a slight dip in temperature. The new school year isn’t the new school year when it’s 80 degrees out.

It might still be autumn where you are. If you’re lucky, it is. It’s cool enough for a light jacket. But not so cold that you can’t feel your ears.

As I was removing some of my autumn favorites to make way for the winter staples, I was struck by how many of those items were now in constant rotation in my closet, my kitchen, my medicine cabinet.

Among my favorites are Neutrogena Sesame Body Oil. It’s the perfect consistency for the changing of the seasons. My skin gets a little tight, a little itchy. And this does the trick. And the smell? Is heaven.

And as I leave my light and oil-free moisturizer behind, I completely embrace Olivella. But only at night. It takes a while to seep into the skin. But it works on that tightness I start to feel, come October. I’ve used this for quite some time now, and as someone who is prone to breakouts if you so much as look at me funny, this product, I swear, does not make me break out. Not in the least.

Lip Guard, in the shade ‘Pebble Beach,’ from Bare Escentuals, is the best. It has SPF, goes on with a sponge applicator very lightly, and the shade is perfect for me. It’s the sincere color of my own lips, just bumped up a notch. I can’t live without it. In addition, I make sure to always have a tube of Blistex Deep Renewal with SPF 15 on my person, at all times. Blistex does a great and not-so-basic lip care line, most of the products have SPF in them, taste good and give a nice, healthy sheen. My all-time favorite is the one in the purple tube, Silk and Shine. The DCT with SPF 20 comes in at a close second, and would take first place, if it weren’t in a pot. I hate to use my finger to smear on lip product. I’m doing it constantly, all day long, absentmindedly, and really, I can’t actually say where my fingers have been.

My big splurge: a flannel shirt by Elizabeth & James. (And can I just add in here that nobody was as shocked as I was to learn that the Elizabeth & James line was conceived by Mary-Kate and Ashley. As in Olsen. The twins. Those twins. Let me just pick my jaw up off of the floor. Who knew? That these two actually had good taste? Turns out, they have impeccable taste.) But it’s not just any flannel shirt. It has little western-style pockets on the front. And 3/4-sleeves. And on the back? The most fantastic set of little buttons that, when buttoned, create the most incredibly perfect fit of any shirt I’ve ever owned. It’s machine washable, best left out to dry on it’s own, and just the most perfect item of clothing in this stay-at-home mom’s wardrobe. I do not apologize for this splurge. Sometimes, you just have to pay more for quality. And then a little more for style.

My Dansko clogs. Yes, I know. Hypocrite. Just last spring, I wrote of how much I detest these things. But then my husband brought home a pair for himself, and wandered around the house in his size 14 shoes, going on and on, about how comfortable they were. How awesome they were. How did he ever live without them? And then, to top it all off, Pea asked me for a pair. Begged me, is more like it. In red. And while hers are actually by Sanita, it’s all the same. Clomping clogs; Frankenstein feet. But I was drawn back in. It’s the official shoe of this town, I think. So I broke. I bought a new pair. But this time, I purchased them in a shiny brown, thinking it made them a little more chic. And while they’re nice and all, chic they are not. Comfortable, however, they are. And back in my wardrobe. But I figure I can cancel out the borderline hideousness of the world’s most comfortable shoe by wearing them with my favorite sweater, a grey shrug, by Donna Karan. And my Paige Premium Denim jeans. The only jeans I will wear. They are cut for a woman. Know what I mean? I promise, if you wear just one pair of her jeans, you will never wear anything else. Really, invest in a good pair of jeans. You will never look at yourself in the mirror again, and say, “what the?”

And while I’m not much of a jacket-wearer, not until it hits about 30 degrees, I found this North Face vest, in ‘Brownie Brown,’ a ‘feel better’ gift from my husband during a particularly bad bout of the stomach flu just a few weeks ago, to be perfect for my neck of the woods. It’s warm, the chocolate shade has a nice sheen to it, bumping it up a notch with the style factor, and it honestly kept me warm enough last weekend, when I waited for one hour with my husband, outside in a line with what seemed like two thousand other skiers, at the Ski Swap. I was warm. And I looked good.

And since my cheeks have a nice flush to them this time of the year, I can forgo blush or stains on a regular basis. What I cannot forgo is my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer with SPF 20, still the best tinted moisturizer around. It’s creamy, it looks natural, it covers well, and it’s perfect for this time of year, when my entire face gets just a little chapped.

Most of these products have been regulars in my daily arsenal. And a few are newcomers, but they’ve passed the test and will, in the future, become regulars. Some are bargains, some are splurges. All are well worth it.

I’ve always been a fan of Essie, for color. My shade of choice was ‘Mademoiselle.’ It was perfect on my fingers. A beautiful and sheer shade of neutral pink. And for my toes? ‘Samoan Sand’ by OPI. And for general moisturization, I used Solar Oil religiously.

But recently, I tried a new line, a healthy line, called butter LONDON, and I am hooked.

Horse Power Nail Fertilizer, for strength. That’s been essential here, in Utah, where it’s so dry that every inch of my body is cracking. Melt Away Cuticle Eliminator, which does all of the work for you. Handbag Holiday for moisturization, to replace my Solar Oil. Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat.

And for color, there’s ‘Yummy Mummy,’ a fantastic beige-y nude that looks gorgeous on your toes, when you have a slight tan (artificial, of course, courtesy of Dove Energy Glow…) And for my fingers, I’ve been using ‘Pink Ribbon,’ a classic and pale shade of pink.

This stuff? It’s good. Really good. The butter LONDON ‘tag’ is 3-free. (No formaldehyde, no toluene, and no DBP.) What it does contain is lacquer that holds up really well, and colors that are gorgeously chic and lovely. So lovely, in fact, that I’m going to take quite the leap of faith and try something that I’ve never done before: a bold, rich and deep shade of red on my toes… ‘La Moss.‘

But then there’s me. This is the extent of what I know of wine: red? It goes with meat. And pasta? And it’ll give you a headache. White? Um, fish? I think?

So let’s just say that the consummate host or hostess gift? Not so good, coming from me. Now, if you want a good liquor? We’ll show up with some Grey Goose. And if it’s beer you prefer? Have that covered, too. But wine? No.

So last week, when I received a really lovely package from Peacock Republic, it occurred to me as I was opening it in front of my friends that I should encourage them to look away. Because I was not sharing.

The scent that wafted out? Delicious. Chai tea, lemongrass, lavender. The packaging? Infinitely chic. There is nothing more satisfying than having a gorgeous bottle of liquid soap next to your kitchen or bathroom sink. Really, seems a little nit-picky, but I want everything in my home to be gorgeous. Including my soap.

But… even better than gorgeous? It’s good for you. They use only good, clean ingredients. You know, ‘green.’ Nothing weird in this soap. And it’s luxurious. And it’s… the perfect hostess gift. And you don’t even have to wrap it. These little bars of heaven are wrapped up in the most lovely paper and ribbon. And I absolutely adore the paper: it has wildflower seeds embedded in it. Just drop the wrapper in a container of some sort with soil, and water. Pea and I? We’re doing some container ‘gardening’ with these little pieces of paper this weekend. And the bottles? Are beautifully designed.

The next time you go to someone’s home and want to take along a little something? Any one of these soaps would be a gracious hostess gift. Amidst all those bottles of wine on the counter, these soaps will stand out.

So, the bars of soap were promptly swiped by Pea, who put them in all of the bathtubs in the house. She then went back to all of the bathtubs that were not her bathtub, and took them back. I later found them lined up on the side of her tub. The kid knows what she likes, and she likes pretty things that smell good. I’d really like at least one of those bars back, but I have about as much luck of that happening as I do of my two friends returning the two bottles of liquid soap that they swiped.

The site promises more good things to come in the future. Like stuff for kids. I love stuff for kids.

I’ve always been pretty good about applying it in the past. But in all honestly, a quick trip to the park in March, for example? Doesn’t equate in my mind with sunblock. It just doesn’t. And while I usually have a tube of portable kid-friendly sunscreen in my bag, sometimes I don’t. Never mind, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. It’s only 30 minutes, I’d say. What’s the big deal?

Well, it is a big deal. News of skin cancer statistics rising dramatically are all over the media. And I have friends who have had a scare. Or friends of friends who have had an even bigger scare. No thank you. Not in this house.

The stuff you wear on your body is so easy to find. Very rarely have I had an issue with a product applied to any body part, other than my face. But when it comes to sunblock for my face, yikes! I’ve had some real doozies. Break-out, anyone? That was me. They were always very greasy and either left me with a whitish gleam on my face, or they just made my face look like that of a teenaged boy. With very bad skin. Ugh.

So, oil-free, smooth and undetectable application, and a little luxury wouldn’t hurt, either. And also? I like anything that I put on my face to be skin care. Formulated specifically for the annoyingly sensitive skin on my face. Prescriptives has a new product out that completely fits the bill for me. It’s called All-Weather Friend Daily SPF 40 Lotion, and although it’s on sale for just under $22 on the QVC site. So far, so good. It must be psychological, but it’s so much easier for me to apply this SPF every morning when it feels more like a luxury skin care product than it does just another thing I should do.

…to this Tint Hint by Laura Geller. The cost is a little less than Benetint, and I think it’s what would be considered a gel formula. It has a click-up sponge applicator so you can take it with you. You won’t run the risk of having it leak out, all over your bag. But you won’t need to take it with you. This stuff lasts all day long. At the end of a seemingly endless day? I have naturally-flushed looking cheeks. Score.

And the most brilliant thing about this product? It comes with not one but two little finger sponges that you can do your blending with, although honestly, you won’t need them. Because if you use your fingers? It will wash off.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have discovered a stain that doesn’t actually stain anything other than your cheeks!

I have fair skin. But I have fair skin that doesn’t burn. I get dark. Very dark. But it’s not a look I’m striving for any more. A little healthy color is all I want or need.

My husband? He’s outside a lot. And I’ve talked to him about needing to wear sunscreen, too. It’s just something we have to do. Like brushing our teeth or putting on deodorant. And when we’re together, I can remind him and stick the bottle in his hand and watch him put it on. But he travels a lot. And I can’t keep my eye on him. So I had to find him something that was a “manly” grooming product but that would satisfy my desire for him to protect his skin. At the very least, the skin on his face. Because while I know he can take the two seconds to put on a “manly” moisturizer with an SPF in it, I’m pretty sure when I send him on the road with a secondary bottle of sunblock, he’s not using it. Not that he’s in a rush, but he’s a get-in-and-get-out kind of a guy.

Hopefully, he thinks this Jack Black product fits the bill. And he will use it. Every morning.