How Do You Feel?

You may know from my other blogs that chronic illness has been a part of my life for my entire adult life, and part of my childhood too. Given my interest in both beauty and in pain and illness support, I wanted to share this article National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week with you:

“You Look So Good!” To Wear Make Up or Not?

It's a thought-provoking look at why we wear makeup and how it makes us feel about ourselves when we do. Yes, it is written to an audience of women living with chronic illness, but it makes me wonder about all of us, our motives, and the emotions tied to the beauty choices we make. What about you? Please share!

Reflecting

Can a mirror reflect more than your image? What about your thoughts? Here's a fascinating experiment one bride-to-be has taken on. She is going mirror-free fro an entire year, including the 6 months leading up to and INCLUDING her wedding day! Check out her journey at Mirror Mirror Off the Wall.

Beautiful Faith

I've been guest-blogging over at Glory and Strength this year, exploring the characteristics that set apart my life if I'm striving to live for God. This month I tackled "faithfulness" and wanted to share a sliver of the article here...

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

If faith is about pleasing God, that's one intimidating order. At least the first step isn't too hard, simply believing that He is! The next step is not merely to believe there is a God, but to follow up on that belief by actively seeking after Him. A good test to see if I am pursuing God with right motives is to consider if my life is regularly demonstrating the nine character traits listed in Galatians 5:22-23 often referred to as the fruit of the Spirit. These qualities such as love, joy, patience and kindness signal to the world that God matters in my life.

Where I trip is in trying to live out a good life for God on my own strength. Have you ever felt the more you try to do things right, the more you kept blowing it, sometimes in bigger and bigger ways? If I am striving to follow God, shouldn't making right choices come easier with time?

To read more, please join me this month in Growing in Glory! :)

Saying Goodbye

I am excited to share that this is my final month as a consultant with Affordable Mineral Makeup™. I have enjoyed my time with this company over the past four years and it is not the "leaving" part that has me excited, for I love the products and will truly miss working with my customers-turned-friends. But I'm finding my focus too divided and have felt God's calling to let go of some things so that He can use me more fully in other areas. I am eager to see where God takes the next chapter of my life.

I want to concentrate more on writing and do plan to continue offering beauty tips and resources through this blog, as well as putting much more effort into my current book projects. It is my hope that stepping back from being a consultant will actually improve my blog content quality now that I can focus just on sharing my heart with no pressure to "sell" anything. I would love your input on beauty-related topics you would like to see addressed, so please leave your ideas and questions in my comments! :)

As a parting gift, here's one final, very limited-time, sale offer good through Aug. 10. Take 30% off your entire order AND receive two free 10g sifter jars AND three samples of your choice, with any purchase of $19.95 or more when you visit InnerBeautyGirls.com and use coupon code:
SummerFun811

Please include your selections for your five free gifts (a $49.48 value) in the "ADD COMMENTS" field near the bottom of the checkout page to be eligible for promotion items.

It has been a pleasure serving you as your mineral makeup consultant. I look forward to continue journeying with you in the pursuit of true beauty that glorifies God.

Goodness, Hair & Makeup Savings!

So much to talk about today!

In my article series on the Fruit of the Spirit, I would love to have your thoughts on being Good and Sweet. Here's a little taste to get you started:

Imagine the most delicious, chewy, fudge brownie you have ever eaten. Feel the soft texture as you pull off a corner. Inhale its warm fragrance embracing your nose. Taste its delicate sweetness melting over your taste buds as you savor each delectable bite. Best of all, the serving plate is piled high with a triple batch!

You ask for the recipe, and I source the highest quality, finest choices the world can offer. Your smile grows and your mouth waters until I get to the final ingredient. You turn and run to vomit and gargle with the strongest mouth wash you can find...

To find out why the sudden change, you'll have to follow me over to Glory and Strength. ;)


On a more appetizing note, are you looking for a great solution to keep your hair off your neck in this heat? There's something much more classy than that plastic jaw clip you've been using, and incredibly more comfortable than bobby pins! The durable (it's made from piano wire!) Flexi Clip may be just what you are looking for. :) Best of all, you will receive free shipping on any order of $20 or more through 11:59 P.M. (PST) on Saturday, July 23, 2011. The free hair styling demonstration videos are well worth your time in dropping by Lilla Rose even if you aren't in the market to make a purchase today. I learn something new every time I watch one!


In makeup news, Affordable Mineral Makeup™ is currently offering a 25% discount AND 2 free 10gram sifter jars of product AND two free samples of your choice (four free gifts equal a $46.18 value, in addition to the purchase discount) with any order of $19.95 or greater, using coupon code: ReallyCool711

Place gift selection choices in the COMMENTS section at checkout (not in your cart since that cart total has to get up to $19.95 in actual purchases before the discount can be applied and promotional items earned). See website for complete offer details.

Dear Body

There are some beautiful thoughts over at (in)Courage today about how we see our bodies. Stop by to read, then let me know your thoughts! How do you see your body?


Looking for the latest Affordable Mineral Makeup™ deal*? Here are three to choose from, for a limited time:


TAKE 20% OFF and receive TWO 5g SIFTER JARS and TWO SAMPLES** with coupon code FFF71

4 gifts free with your minimum order of $14.95! Up to a $22.18 value. :)

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TAKE 25% OFF and receive TWO 10g SIFTER JARS and TWO SAMPLES** with coupon code FFF72

4 gifts free with your minimum order of $19.95! Up to a $46.18 value. :)

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TAKE 30% OFF and receive TWO 20g SIFTER JARS AND TWO SAMPLES** with coupon code FFF73

4 gifts free with your minimum order of $29.95! Up to a $58.18 value! :)

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*Minimum order must be met to qualify for discount and gift.
**Promotion items cannot be part of your order. Your free gift product choices must be included in the ADD COMMENTS field near the bottom of the checkout page to be eligible for promotion items.
Promotion items will be added to your shipment and cannot be shipped separately.
Limited time offer!

Intentional Kindness

I'm guest blogging on the topic of Inner Beauty as a monthly columnist over at Glory and Strength. This year we are looking together at characteristics that set a woman apart as a Christian, as found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Drop by Glory and Strength and click on "Growing in Glory" to find my latest reflections. This month we are talking about Not-so-Random acts of Kindness. Here's a little taste to get you started. (And don't forget to keep reading to the bottom of this post to grab a great discount and free gifts code for Affordable Mineral Makeup too!)

We all love a feel good story, like the one from Bloomington, Illinois, where 142 Starbucks coffee patrons paid for the customer behind them in the drive-thru line... This must be what it means to exhibit kindness through the power of God’s Spirit, right?

Perhaps random acts of kindness capture a small picture of God’s mission for His people, but really such actions only begin to scratch the surface of God-driven kindness. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong or unkind with blessing others in these random ways, but is that what it’s all about?

There are lots of good people out there who could easily offer random kindnesses for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with God. If I’m looking to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus, what sets my actions and attitudes apart from any other philanthropist?

Please come read more about kindness here. In July I'll be tackling "goodness." :) I would love to hear what you think "goodness" means as I'm putting together my next article. Won't you please leave my your thoughts in the comment section here?

------- Sponsorship Message and Coupon Code -------

My heart is in sharing beauty with women, first heart beauty, but also affordable, healthy ways to care for our physical bodies that God calls the "temple" of His Holy Spirit when we allow Him to live within us through grace. To this end I am happy to represent Affordable Mineral Makeup™ (AMM) as a beauty adviser and to offer this high quality line of pure mineral products to my readers. AMM does NOT contain harmful bismuth or other skin irritants fillers, talc, nanoparticles nor micronized minerals. Our soothing line will not clog pores, contains natural SPF properties, helps calm irritated skin with its zinc content, and is water resistant.

For a limited time [please visit "discount codes" to be sure you are viewing the latest promotion], get 4 FREE GIFTS, valued up to $40.69, AND take 25% OFF every Affordable Mineral Makeup™ purchase of $19.95 or greater, placed from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com when you use check out using coupon code:
hotdeal611

Don't forget to claim your FREE GIFTS!

With this code, qualified orders (over $19.95 and properly following instruction for submitting freebie requests) receive FOUR wonderful FREE gifts of one 30-gram sifter jar with your choices of product - up to a $30.79 value AND THREE samples of your choice of makeup - a $9.90 value, all FREE with your purchase! To redeem the free gift offer, please list your requested free product selection in your order comments (not added to your cart!) when you place your order. Promotion items cannot be shipped separately.

Please visit http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" link to get started by viewing our catalog. (I greatly appreciate when my return customers remember to always come back and start at my consultant link so that the computer knows to credit me for your purchases.) If you remember to list my name, Jenni Saake, in the comments section when you place your order, I would appreciate that too. Thank you for your business and support!