Botox vs. Dysport: An experiment on identical twins

Dr. Chidester at Form Spa asked us to test Botox injections vs. Dysport injections on our faces since we are identical twins.

Now that we are 30 years old we have definitely noticed more wrinkles in our foreheads and we are excited to see how this Botox injections versus Dysport Injections experiment works out! Our doctor told us that as far as he knows it has never been done before on identical twins!

What’s the difference between getting Botox injections and Dysport injections?

Botox and Dysport are similar products, just with different brand names. Both are a type of botulinum type A used to relax the muscles that cause frown lines and other overactive muscles of the face, like forehead lines and crows feet. Many dermatologists recommend these injections to help prevent wrinkles and fine lines from forming. Dysport is a smaller-sized molecule so it’s unit measurement is different than Botox.

The Experiment

We wanted to know which one – Botox or Dysport – kicks in faster and which one lasts longer. That is what you really care about when you go in for these procedures! Dr. Chidester first examined our faces and told us what kind of results he was hoping for. We specifically chose Form Spa because Dr. Chidester is known for natural and flattering results on all of his clients. He marked up our faces with a white eyeliner pencil that you might notice in some of the photos on the areas he planned to inject. He made sure to mark the same exact places on both of us.

The Results

Day 1:

Both of our faces look the same at this point. No noticeable changes yet in our forehead lines or crows feet.

Day 3:

It was crazy how quickly the Dysport injections started working on Brooke’s face. Within three days of getting Dysport, her results were almost fully there. Brittany’s face looked pretty much the same, albeit a very slight change in her “frown lines” on the forehead becoming less noticeable.

Day 7:

Brooke’s face had noticeable changes from the Dysport. One of our favorite things that Dr. Chidester can do with injections is a “brow lift”, this is what makes you look refreshed and more awake. One week after the Dysport injections on Brooke there was full evidence of the brow lift making her look more rested as well as almost all wrinkles smoothed out in the forehead area. Britt’s wrinkles were still intact after one week, however they were not as pronounced as they had been on Day 1. She still had lots of movement and some slight lines still visible on her forehead.

Day 14:

The Dysport injections in Brooke’s face had worked it’s magic and there were no longer signs of wrinkles on her forehead or crows feet around her eyes. The Botox in Britt’s face had worked up to a point but she still had much more movement than Brooke in her forehead. If you’re going for a more natural result where you still have lots of movement in your eyebrows, you are probably going to want to go with Botox injections. Dysport created a much faster, noticeable difference in Brooke’s face. Dr. Chidester at Form Spa said he most often recommends Dysport to his patients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it hurt? The short answer is no. At Form Spa, they have a vibrating facial tool called Goldy that they use on your face while administering the injections. It really helps with the slight pin-prick of pain and makes it completely tolerable. Brooke and I are both terrified of needles and they use such tiny needles it really feels more like a tiny rubberband snap. The entire injection process takes less than two minutes. From two wimps with very low pain thresholds, we were completely fine! There is also no pain after the procedure is done.
How long does it last? Botox injections and Dysport injections last 3-4 months. They can last shorter than that or longer, it just depends on how fast your body metabolizes it.
Should I go to a Botox party or have my friend/neighbor/cousin do my injections? NO! When it comes to your face it is not worth the risk. It is important to remember that a misplaced injection could cause LIFELONG damage to your face. We specifically chose Dr. Chidester at Form Spa because he is a renowned plastic surgeon in Utah and knows his stuff! Only go to a qualified doctor. Better yet, someone where you have seen what their results look like – like Dr. Chidester!
Will my face look different? We still look exactly the same minus the crow’s feet and wrinkles! After becoming moms, we both noticed our faces looking tired all.the.time. After working with Dr. Chidester, who specifically placed the Botox and Dysport in areas to raise our eyebrows, we are happy to report that we look and feel more refreshed than we have in years. It is a non-permanent change, so you can decide how much and how often to get it done depending on your preferences.
What is the cost difference in Botox and Dysport? They are about even. It really comes to your preference and the one your doctor recommends working best for you.
Now that you have done the experiment which one would you guys recommend? We have to go with Dysport. The amount of time it takes to kick in is incredible and the results seem a little stronger than Botox. It’s worth mentioning that when we were getting our injections done and Dr. Chidester was comparing and marking our faces up, he said Brooke had deeper wrinkle lines in her “11s”, which is the space between her eyes. Now those have completely disappeared on Brooke and you can still see Britt’s when she scowls! We have also heard Dysport lasts a little bit longer so we will update this post in a few months with our take!

We highly recommend Form Spa, their staff is welcoming and professional. They are respectful and do not try to push anything on you (like so many other med spas out there!). Dr. Chidester is one-of-a-kind and very skilled at what he does. We went to see them at the Cottonwood Heights location, but they also have locations at City Creek and a soon-to-be-opened location in Riverton.

UPDATE

It has now been 4 months since we went in for our Botox and Dysport injections at Form Spa. We now 100% recommend Dysport over Botox. Brooke (who got Dysport) has had lasting results and is just barely starting to see movement and lines again in her forehead. On the other hand, Britt (who got Botox) has been seeing movement for the last month or so. If you want the option that works the fastest and lasts the longest go with Dysport!

Our favorite SUMMER treat

We had a barbeque with some friends last week and everyone was so excited when we pulled out Creamies for dessert.

Childhood Memories

I don’t know about you, but they immediately take me back to my childhood. I remember celebrating so many fun family milestones and parties with Creamies. I recently found out it’s a local Utah company, which makes me love them even more! You know I love supporting local businesses.

I also didn’t know they had been around for more than 60 years!

Here’s how things got started:

In the late 1950s, an ice cream company was asked by a Cache Valley, Utah grade school principal to make a nutritional frozen treat with milk instead of sugar water. The principal wanted a treat that would be healthy for the students and would be enjoyed by the whole family.

He went to work and soon developed a delicious ice cream bar made with real fruit and other natural flavorings. Thus, the originals were born–chocolate, orange, and banana. That original Creamie is still made today in Cache, Valley, Utah. The Creamie is a rich, smooth, healthy, and refreshing treat that is enjoyed by all.

Since the 3 original flavors were introduced, other flavors have been developed and added: Strawberry, Cookies and Creamies, Root Beer Float, Mint Chocolate Dipped, Cherry Chocolate Dipped, and Vanilla Chocolate Dipped. In addition, three probiotic yogurt Creamies were created: Peach, Chocolate and Raspberry.

So, if you want a guilt-free frozen treat this summer, reach for a Creamie!

Where can you buy them?

You can find the store nearest you here.

How to survive on no sleep as a parent

I have one piece of parenting advice that I always share with friends and family. It’s to ignore all of the parenting advice you are given and do whatever works for you! Ha. Profound, I know. But, there is one thing I want to share that has truly saved my sanity in the almost two years since having Hazel. I need to preface it by saying I know I am extremely lucky to have this as an option. I also know this is not possible for everyone, but maybe it will help a tired mom out there somewhere.

Hazel is not a great sleeper and hasn’t been since the day she was born. We’ve done all of the sleep training methods and she gets into a good routine and then usually out of it really quick. Most nights for the first 18 months of her life, she would be up at least 2-3 times. I really think sleep deprivation is torture because it affects absolutely every aspect of your life negatively.

Sam and I are both the kind of people who function best when we get 8 hours of sleep. Doesn’t everyone though? The first few weeks of parenting threw us into a tired frenzy. This is all familiar to most parents, but we decided we both just couldn’t do it. So, we came up with a little arrangement. It’s called “Vacation Suite”. We have a guest bedroom in our basement and we decided to start using it. Every other night, we would switch off sleeping down there. It’s soundproof, which means even though the baby was waking up multiple times a night, you cannot hear it when you’re in the vacation suite. After the first night down there, I knew it was going to make a world of difference.

Waking up refreshed, I was able to get through the day and be a more patient, loving, level-headed person. So, if you need a one night vacation that will change your life, start using that guest bedroom or sleeping on the couch with noise-canceling headphones, or whatever it takes to get some rest! I’m so glad we have been using a room in our house that otherwise sat ignored 99% of the time.

We have not done this for 20 months straight. We did do it quite a bit in the first 6 months of Hazel’s life, but she would get into good stretches where she would sleep pretty well and Sam and I could sleep in the same bed 🙂 After that, we would just do it when she was having a rough week and not sleeping well. It was also really great if one of us had something important the next day, we could sleep in the vacation suite.

Right before Hazel was born, I decided to decorate the vacation suite and make it cozy and comfortable. I just added a side table, candle and art and pillows that I loved. Little did I know, I would be spending a lot of time in there! It’s nice to have a space that feels very calming and quiet when you’re a new parent.

I know there are people thinking, wait how did you do this while breastfeeding? Well, if it was within a 6-hour stretch that the baby woke up, Sam would feed her milk that I had previously pumped or formula. Then, he would bring her down to me in the morning for feeding before taking her back upstairs again. This worked really well for us until I stopped breastfeeding at 9 months. Then, feedings were simplified because it was just formula.

Sam is a very involved parent and we knew to go into this parenting thing that we both wanted to give 100%. It has made a world of difference. We both LOVE our sleep and do not take it for granted. I’m happy to report we are currently in a great stage where Hazel is sleeping from about 7:30PM-6:30AM, so we rarely use the vacation suite.

I would love to hear what has worked for you when it comes to surviving on little sleep as a parent!

3 Hidden Gems in Salt Lake City

We have loved exploring our hometown this month and have found a few hidden treasures we want to tell you about. We thought we knew it all living in Salt Lake City for 30 years, but we were so wrong!

First up, Tracy Aviary. It’s located inside Liberty Park in downtown Salt Lake City and is easily accessible. We went on a Monday afternoon and basically had the place to ourselves. Having not visited since 4th grade, we didn’t remember much. Well, we were so impressed! Tracy Aviary is truly a beautiful sanctuary for birds. With gorgeous trails and landscaping, you feel like you’re transported somewhere completely different. They have done a great job of making it educational and pretty. The bird shows are fantastic, I’ve heard adults and kids alike rave about them.

We were shocked by how much fun our toddlers had! They loved seeing all of the birds and playing in all of the different recreation areas. We will definitely be going back!

Next on the list of hidden gems is the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. It is located at the University of Utah and showcases amazing art work. We were impressed at the range of artists and styles and also everything they do to make the museum family friendly. You can check out a free family backpack when you arrive. It’s filled with fun, hands-on activities that make the museum come alive for kids.

Third on the list is the Lion House Pantry. Did you know lunch or dinner at Lion House Pantry is included in your CONNECT PASS? We hadn’t visited since our friend’s 8th birthday party, so it had been a while 🙂 One thing we have never forgotten is THE ROLLS! They are legendary for a reason and everyone in Utah should get the chance to try them.

To get your own CONNECT PASS, go here.

How to get into Salt Lake’s top attractions for half price!

The Leonardo is a state-of-the-art museum located in the heart of Salt Lake City. Directly across from the beautiful City and County building and next door to the grand city library, it’s in a perfect location. We explored it for a day with our families and want to share 3 things you may not know about The Leonardo.

The museum is named after Leonardo Da Vinci. Which is why they created The Leonardo Studio – it’s a permanent exhibit at the museum that frequently rotates different art activities. Painting, drawing, coloring, folding, cutting, molding, even filming — it’s all here. All visitors, no matter their age, are invited to let go of their inhibitions and participate in something more than “arts and crafts.” The studio is designed to find the inner artist in anyone.
The Leonardo has hosted a number of big name exhibits, including Body Worlds, Mummies and now the first in the United States to host Green Hero by Jackie Chan. The famed actor came to open the exhibit himself. It features art installations built from old movie sets. While working, Jackie Chan realized the enormous waste created on the sets of his films and in an effort to make a positive change, he began commissioning artists to repurpose the materials into a series of incredible and imaginative sculptures.

They have all sorts of neat hands-on experiences, including the Tech Take Apart Counter, where they show you what’s inside various tech creations from past times. They even dismantled an old piano to see exactly how it works. This is included in your admission to the museum.

You can easily spend an entire day inside The Leonardo – building, imagining and being inspired by your surroundings. Luckily, it’s included in the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass! If you don’t know about it yet, it gets you into 16 of the hottest attractions in Salt Lake County for under $100.

Here is a list of all included attractions:

The Leonardo

This is the Place

Utah Olympic Park

Museum of Natural Curiosity

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Hogle Zoo

Tracy Aviary

Thanksgiving Point

Snowbird

Red Butte Garden

Clark Planetarium

Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum

Natural History Museum

Go to connectpass.visitsaltlake.com to get yours!

Red Butte Garden is the perfect place to start the #LoveWhereYouLive April challenge

Announcing our April Challenge #LoveWhereYouLive

This month we are embracing the challenge #LoveWhereYouLive sponsored by Visit Salt Lake. As born and raised Utahns, we absolutely love where we live and want to tell everyone about it! Throughout the month, we will be highlighting some of our favorite places in Salt Lake County. One of the coolest things we just learned about is the Visit Salt Lake CONNECT PASS. It gets you into 16 of the hottest attractions – like Hogle Zoo, Thanksgiving Point, The Leonardo, and Red Butte Garden for under $100! It is by far the best deal we have been able to find. We are so excited to have a Spring filled with exploring some of our favorite spots. Our first stop is Red Butte Garden in the foothills of Salt Lake City.

If you haven’t been following along, let us catch you up to speed on the monthly challenges.

We decided we wanted a focus in 2019 and monthly challenges were the perfect way to execute it. So in January, we did the #GetReadyChallenge where we got ready every single day in January. We had seen research about it boosting productivity and were pleasantly surprised by our results on January 31st. You can read more about our experience here.

In February we did the #MakeYourBed challenge

There are entire books dedicated to this exact thing so we decided it was worth our time. We also freshened up our bedroom spaces throughout the month and made them extra cozy during the cold winter months. You can read more about that experience here.

In March we did the #MoveChallenge

It was simple, move each day in whatever way you choose. Thanks to the warming weather we moved with walks, swimming, and gym visits. We also answered the question, “Are Amazon Leggings That Great?” by comparing to of our favorite pairs that each run for about $25! Read more about our favorite fitness items here.

Now for April, we get to focus on the #LoveWhereYouLive challenge

As lifelong SLC’ers, we truly LOVE where we live. The close access to the mountains, the proximity to downtown, and the fun and unique neighborhoods to visit. This month we will share what makes Salt Lake special to us.

It just felt right to kick things off with Red Butte Garden. High above the city, it is a great spot for first-time visitors to Utah, as well as those that have lived here for years and never taken advantage of the beauty in their own backyard. Did you know Red Butte is the largest botanical garden in the Intermountain West, with over 21 acres of developed gardens and five miles of hiking trails? Promise you won’t be bored when you visit! Over the next few weeks, there will be more than 1 million flowers blooming at Red Butte Garden thanks to years of planting, and hard work. It’s the perfect time to plan your visit!

Here are a few of our favorite spots in the gardens:

The Children’s Garden: It is incredibly whimsical with a miniature snake maze and a tiny house.
The Duck Pond: Stunning setting with a waterfall and ducks playing in the water. The girls loved it. Would make a beautiful spot for family photos!
Atrium: The atrium is home to hundreds of upscale events each year with a jaw-dropping view of the city and gorgeous natural light.
Fragrance Garden: Just as it sounds, this garden awakens the senses and teaches you a few things about your favorite flavors and smells.

Fun fact: You can also experience the gardens at the Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series every summer. It is a world class outdoor music experience. Which means they do sell out fast, so get your tickets right when they are released! The full summer concert lineup announcement is coming on April 16. You can learn more here.

Red Butte Garden is just one of the 16 attractions you get access to with the Connect Pass. The Connect Pass is open to visitors to Utah as well as locals. Pass holders save 50-80% on regular admission!

Regular admission to all of the included attractions would add up to over $234, so the Connect Pass is an incredibly good deal at just $96. For a look at the full list of attractions, how to purchase and some FAQ’s go here.

Some other spots we are excited to visit this month that are included with the pass: The Leonardo, Tracy Aviary, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum and the Utah Museum of Fine Art. The pass is perfect for summertime exploring!

So, how do you get the Connect Pass? Go to the Visit Salt Lake website HERE.

We are so excited about this challenge. No matter where you are in the world we would love you to take part and show us how YOU #LoveWhereYouLive!

Are Amazon leggings really that great?

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The Great Leggings Debate

Our March monthly challenge is MOVE so we wanted to share our recent finds when it comes to the best leggings to wear to the gym. If you have followed us for a little while then you know that we treasure nothing more than an amazing pair of black leggings (pretty sure 99% of girls feel this way too)!

Lululemon dupes

That being said we have been hearing about Lululemon dupes for the past year and got really excited when we found the 90 degree reflex leggings on Amazon for $20. They are thick with a great fitting waistband. However, our gym crew recently talked us into trying out the CRZ leggings on Amazon for $26. We decided we HAD to do a comparison for you all so that we could once and for all crown our athleisure leggings winner!

Britt in 90-degree by Reflex

90-degree leggings that work for every day and the gym

So first we will talk about the 90-degree leggings. They are thick, like so thick you are POSITIVE that no one is getting a view when you are bent over. They are cozy. We got ours during the colder months and to say they have been on repeat is an understatement. They stretch and are easy to slip on and off. They wash well and have held up really nicely. And last but definitely not least – they can pass for pants!! Meaning, we wear ours with sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, and they look cute!

CRZ leggings are incredible Lululemon dupes

Next up, CRZ Leggings on Amazon $26. These leggings are super silky and soft. They are more of an athletic fabric than the 90-degree leggings. They are super light and breathable. They also have a great shape and waistband that holds you in at all of the right places. And the very best part about hese pants… POCKETS! The fact that you can easily slide your phone in when you are on the way to the gym or working out is a game changer! The only downside with these is that they are an athletic shiny fabric so you can’t get away with wearing them all day with a sweater over top like the 90-degree leggings.

Which leggings are best?

So, the final consensus is… get BOTH! Haha, some of you may be rolling your eyes but just think how much you wear black leggings. It is worth it to have two pairs that you love – for less than the price of one Lulu pair. We got the full-length size in both options. They both have some really cute colors if you are more into that than black. We all know we would rather be wearing leggings than jeans any day!

Wait, there’s more!

We need to add an update because we found ANOTHER brand on Amazon that we absolutely love! It’s called Colorful Koala and you can find it here. I have both dark navy and leopard print and have been so pleased with both pairs of leggings.

If I had to wear one pair of pants for the rest of my life, it would be the leopard print leggings. Get them here. They have sold out multiple times and I had to wait a couple weeks to get mine, but it was worth it!

They are buttery soft and hold up really well being washed and worn constantly. As far as leggings go, one of the most important factors is if they are see-through. These are definitely not! Gotta love leggings that pass the squat test. Hope you love them as much as I do!

How to plan a Spring Staycation at Little America Hotel

This winter seems to be neverending so we were thrilled when our friends at Little America Hotel asked if we wanted to stay in downtown Salt Lake City for a Spring staycation! It just so happened that the night we planned to stay, Britt and Sam’s power went out because of the snow storm. Talk about perfect timing!

Upon arrival at the hotel, you are immediately transported out of your day-to-day routine and into a cozy, inviting atmosphere. When you travel with toddlers you are never sure how things are going to go but the girls absolutely loved it! There was plenty of room for Hazel and Lila to run around and explore. There is so much to do at the hotel that we had to plan on our time wisely. When we reached our respective rooms there were large fresh fruit platters waiting for us. (They must know that both of our girls live on 90% fruit and gobbled it up!)

The pool and hot tub area are very family friendly so we knew we wanted to take a quick dip before the girls’ bedtime. We recommend staying in the main tower because you can easily access the large indoor/outdoor pool from the comfort of the elevator – no need to step outside. The babies absolutely loved it and would’ve stayed all night if we let them.

After swimming, we went back up to our rooms, put the babies to sleep and got to hang out and enjoy the beautiful city views. If you are traveling with a baby the rooms are large enough for a pack n’ play. Lila fell right to sleep without hearing us chatting. Not to mention, slept for 12.5 hours!

If there is one thing you cannot miss when staying at Little America Hotel, it is the brunch! It is something we often talk about because the food is such a high caliber quality, not to mention there is something for everyone. We went to the breakfast buffet at Lucky H and they truly have everything. Pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, omelets, croissants, fresh lox bagels, pastries, fruit, the list goes on and on.

After breakfast, Sam and Britt voted their favorite was the orange glazed french toast and the fluffy buttermilk biscuits. We (Parker and Brooke) loved the classic eggs benedict and fresh chocolate donuts!

A few little details that we appreciated throughout our stay:

Turndown service at night with a Cummings (local chocolate) mint placed on your pillow
Fireplaces around every corner, especially nice to see during the snow storm we had this weekend
Kid-proof rooms. Lila could run on the soft carpet and climb on the bed and I had nothing I needed to watch out for which is a real vacation!
Large pool area with plenty of seating, no need to scramble for a spot
Great food options at the hotel. We dined at Lucky H this time around but have eaten at the cafe many times and loved it.

The Lucky H restaurant, as well as the entire hotel, is kid friendly yet still high-end. We appreciated the fact that you can still have a nice meal with little ones. The staff at the restaurant and hotel are gracious and kind. We had such a fun time and would definitely recommend a staycation to beat the winter blues! For more information on the Sunrise Package and other options at the Little America Hotel, go here.

Kid Friendly Beaches in Hawaii

Hawaii is a dream location to vacation, until it’s 3pm and there’s no shade or restroom on the beach and you realize your kid is getting sunburned. After traveling there with a baby and now toddler, we’ve found a couple beaches that are great for all day adventures. So, here’s a list of family friendly beaches I’ve visited and loved with a little one.

BIG ISLAND

Hapuna Beach:

This is one of the largest beaches, which is great because there is usually plenty of space to play. It’s located near Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s easy to get there and if you don’t want to pay $10 for parking, enter through the Hapuna Beach Hotel and ask for one of their beach permits. They almost always have some available. Why I love it:

clean
loud (lots of families, so you don’t feel bad that your toddler is screaming and having a good time)
plenty of space
easy access, very short walk involved
close amenities – you can buy smoothies at the hotel pool bar and there are plenty of public restrooms and showers.
shade available

Mauna Kea Beach:

This is probably my personal favorite beach for a family day. Why I love it:

gorgeous views
clean
access to shaded and grassy areas
food and snacks available
bathrooms and showers are plentiful
beautiful areas to pop your babe in the stroller and go for a walk (we did this a few days and let our toddler nap in her stroller in the shade)

A Bay:

This is perfect if you want a waveless bay. Why I love it:

Very calm waters
Lots of activities available (water bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, whale watch tours, catamaran trips, etc.)
almost always turtles on the beach
great snorkeling
lots of restrooms, food and snack options available.

OAHU

Aulani Resort

Built for families, this man-made bay is practically perfect. Why I love it:

No waves, very calm waters
Lots of activities on the beach – you can even take a sandcastle making class
Nice food and restroom options
Great walking path along the beach
There’s dole whip at a tiki stand on the beach! What more could I ask for?

Lanikai Beach

Voted one of the best beaches in the world for obvious reasons. Why I love it:

calm waters
clean
seriously beautiful
Note: it can be tricky to find. You will know you are close when you see Lanikai on pillars. There are several pedestrian walkways down to the beach through residential neighborhoods.

MAUI

Ka’anapali Beach

Beautiful, huge beach in the heart of Maui. Why I love it:

Most of the big resorts are along this beach
Easy naptime accessibility
Shade available
Plenty of room
So many fun restaurants and shopping spots are also on this beach, so it’s a great central location.

If you have any questions about beaches, let me know and comment below. Don’t mind me going to daydream about Hawaii now.

The best (and cheapest) workout tops we love!

When we lack the motivation to MOVE we know that it is usually nothing that a new workout top can’t fix! Below you will find a few of our favorite fitness finds from cute tanks to comfy jackets. Not only are these tank tops flattering, they are super affordable. Take a peek and you will find a few on our list that are right around the $10 mark! It’s not quite summertime yet so it is nice to have a cozy sweatshirt to throw on before you break a sweat. Check out the list below and let us know if you have any tried and true faves that need to be added to the list.

We have a workout leggings post coming at you later this month! You better believe we put the two most popular Amazon leggings up against each other and are sharing the results!