Travel Tip for Short Trips

As you all know, I have been going back and forth almost monthly to see my Crush.  I have become a much better packer.

When I am at my goal weight, traveling is super easy as I feel confidant, so I don't need ALL of my potions, lotions, and cosmetics to look good because I feel good on the inside. Also, my skin chills out the less I weigh.....yet another reason to get back down to 160 pounds. 

These days, I seem to be packing a whole bunch of my beauty products.  Not makeup, I have that down to a science (Naked Palette, Loreal Voluminous Mascara, Armani foundation, Nars Orgasm Blush, and Nars Heat Wave Lipstick), but it is the shower, skin, and face products that are weighing down my bags.

It gets difficult as so many of my favorite things do not come travel sized (coconut oil!).  Because my skin often gets irrational when I take it places, I like having my old favorites (coconut oil!) on hand at all times to help comfort a flare.

Enter a very good solution, an empty contact case!

I remember reading somewhere years ago, that an empty contact case can make a nice little pot for broken lipstick.  Meaning that if your lipstick breaks, you can cut it out of the tube, put it in some contact cases and then apply it with your finger (my way!) or a lip brush.

A few weeks ago when I packing to see Sissy, I thought, why not take my coconut oil in a few empty contact cases rather than lug the heavy jar with me.....it worked beautifully.  

Remember, contact cases are designed to hold a liquid, contact solution, so they are secure, if you close them correctly.  I have personally tried it with my vitamin E oil, my argon oil, and my coconut oil. They have all traveled wonderfully, no accidents.  I could see packing eye cream, lotion, face moisturizer,  conditioner, shampoo....sky is the limit, especially for short trips!  

I bought a bunch of contact cases at the dollar store (and I had a bunch floating around, too because I have worn contacts since I was 15) and I labeled them with a black permanent  marker, so I know what is inside of each one.  I put the cases in my carry-on liquid Ziploc, in case they opened, but none of them did.

I took this one step further and now I am carrying a little vitamin E oil in my daily makeup bag for those times when I need some intense moisture for my skin or lips. 

Try it!  It will save you some precious packing space! 

Thank You, Kitchen Product Find, and Wheat Free Recipe

First and foremost, thank you readers for the wonderful and supportive comments regarding me being stuck.  You all are right and I appreciate the advice and I took it all to heart.  I woke up early this morning, made a list of what needs to be done, and I am moving right along.  I am feeling good and positive.  I need to live in my present, so I can enjoy my future, no regrets.  THANK YOU THANK YOU!  I appreciate you taking the time to share your wisdom, it means a lot to me.

A few years ago when I was still living with Awful, I became obsessed with making soup.  I was looking for comfort anyway possible and soup seemed to do the immediate trick, I was a soup machine.  Any and every veggie eventually became a soup: asparagus, cauliflower, squash, carrot, broccoli, pumpkin, potato......I am totally going to make some yummy soup for lunch tomorrow!

In my quest for the perfect soup, I discovered that I needed an appliance to make everything blend, so I could have a dreamy consistency without adding a ton of cream, butter, and fat.  Enter the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender.....heaven!

I use it to mix/make so many things: soups, salad dressing, lemonade, hot chocolate, sangria, smoothies, etc.  I also use it to beat my eggs for fluffy omelets and to work my butter into dry mixes for baking.  It truly is an AWESOME product.

This morning, I was in the mood for something yummy and I felt like starting the day with a hearty wheat free breakfast to keep me on track.  Armed with my hand blender, I decided to make wheat free banana pancakes, a recipe that I have seen on many cooking blogs and have always wanted to try.  It is super simple and not too messy.

Recipe:

- 1 ripe banana
- 2 whole eggs
- Dash of cinnamon
- Dash of vanilla extract
- Cooking spray or butter for pan

Optional mix-ins: chocolate chips, nuts, blueberries

Directions:

1.  Beat eggs, banana, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl until smooth with no lumps.   Use your hand blender for best results!

2.  Stir in any of your optional mix-ins (I had mine plain this morning, YUM!)

3.  Heat a skillet or frying pan and grease as needed

4.  Pour batter into the warm pan just as you would with pancake batter and turn flame to low heat.

5. When pancakes begin to bubble and the edges solidify, flip, and cook until golden on both sides.

6. ENJOY!  I did with maple syrup, they tasted JUST like pancakes and the banana flavor is VERY subtle if you are not a banana fan.

These babies kept me full until lunch time and I think this will be my go to breakfast for a while, SO SATISFYING!

Hope you all have a great weekend!



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Hair Find!

It's an oil...don't be surprised.  Oil lover that I am.

I stumbled upon this product one fateful late night trip to Wal-Mart to buy snacks and a Star magazine  and I am so happy I did!

Let me introduce Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Oil Treatment.

It is one of my favorite drugstore finds.  I apply a bit to my hair straight from the shower and comb it through.  Then once I am dry, before I style (I air dry my hair and then curl it) I apply a bit more.  It smells fantastic and I love to use this to freshen up on day 2 after washing when I dry shampoo....

For less than $5.00, you can't afford NOT to try it.

Catch a Wave

Beach waves will never go out of style.  They are super sexy and remind men of making love, so they really like the look.

I have naturally wavy hair, but it looks limp or like a fro (depending on the humidity) without a little styling.

Up until lately, I just dealt with my hair naturally. Most days it looked terrible and some days, miraculously, it looked pretty good.  On one of those terrible hair days, I decided it was time to actually do something and I went to Ulta and browsed the hair appliance aisle.

I can only use wand curling irons (the kind you wrap your hair around without a clamp) because I never figured out how to curl my curl properly and when I use a normal curling iron, I end up with burns and a black eye.  I purchased the TIStudio Large Ceramic Professional Styling Elliptical Wand.  It changed my life.  No more bad hair days, EVER!

For real, this waver makes perfect waves and it is simple to use....wrap a strand of hair around it, wait 30 seconds, release and continue.  For some odd reason, It was discontinued for a while and just brought back into production, so get it while it's hot before it disappears again.  It is seriously one of the best hair tools out there for the perfect low maintenance (hair that looks like Blake Lively's)/high maintenance (hair that looks like Blake Lively's) style.

Wave it up!

Get Makeup Ready

Once upon a time, I was that girl that applied her makeup constantly.  I literally went to the bathroom every hour when I was out on the town to reapply a full face of makeup.  I wanted to look perfect ALL of the time.

These days are over.  For many reasons, but mostly because I just don't care enough to try every second of every day.  Yes, I still put on a full face for work and when I attend important events with Crush, but I don't obsessively touch up my look at every opportunity.

In an effort to get the most mileage out of my makeup, I have invested in a few awesome products to get the most out of a single application.

1.  Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion: Slap this on your eyelids, let it dry for 30 seconds, apply your eye makeup and watch it last until morning (if you are like me and have the terrible habit of not washing your makeup off some nights.....)

2.  Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer: I wash my face, put on my argon oil, wait 15 minutes, and then apply my primer.  I then wait 5 more minutes and put on my foundation, concealer, and blush.  This primer is better than ones five times as much.  It keeps my skin looking flawless and smooth all day.

3.  Urban Decay All-Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray: Once my face is in place, I spray my mug a few times and this magic solution makes it stay ALL day.  Seriously, 12 hours or so.....yes, I still have to re-powder and re-lipstick, but I will take it. Perfect for brides, go-go dancers, and people who hate to look in the mirror when they are out because they can't stop eating pizza (me)......

3 Great Drug Store Finds!

Happy Monday!  I am enjoying a very sunny day in my pretty city....just waiting for the winter to really set in.  I am just about to take a bike ride with my dad, because yes, my friends do mostly consist of people who qualify for social security.....

I am an old soul and my best friends are busy tending and making babies, so I make do with my social situation.  BTW, when my dad is great company (and not a moody inflexible curmudgeon who has the same reasoning as Larry David which happens sometimes, too) he reminds me of Crush, not in a creepy way, just that they are both pretty awesome guys who are tender with good hearts.

Blah blah blah, back to the products!

I believe in high and low.  Get a dress from TJ Maxx, but pair it with an incredible pair of shoes.  It's kinda like sweet and salty.  Everything awesome is awesome because it's a bit out of the box.

That's how I feel about my beauty routine if you haven't noticed....use the super duper pricey Clarisonic with the $5.00 face wash....balance is the key to EVERYTHING in life I have slowly found.

I am a product adventurer.  No better happiness is found than when I get my hands on something I have never used before and it actually is awesome.  Double bonus points and rainbows if it is not expensive.

1.  Oil of Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti Aging Detoxifying   Pore Scrub: (I dare you to say it 3 times fast....what a LONG name!!!!):

I love me a little exfoliation, but standard exfoliates are often harsh on my skin and leave me with red and ruddy cheeks.  Enter this little gem.  I use this every other day or so in the morning to look fresh faced.  As I get older, my skin can handle a lot less harassment (picking pimples leads to scars...BAH!), so you may be able to use this every day, it's quite gentle.  I like to use my Basis face wash first and then "polish" with this.

Little secret?  When I use this, I actually cleanse with my fingers for the face wash step with the Basis and then follow up with this on the Clarisonic.  Angels sing my face looks so smooth.  Try it.  You're welcome!

2.  Not Your Mothers Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo:

Dry shampoo has changed my life.  I can actually not wash my hair everyday now that I found it.  This as well as a few other holy grail hair products I have found (WHICH I WILL SHARE IN A POST COMING SOON) have allowed me to seriously have pretty great locks without spending hours taming them.

Years ago, when I was in college, I used to spend 3.5 hours a day blowdrying and flat ironing my hair.  My dear friend, the super smart one who also made me go see the clairvoyant, had the good sense to encourage me to embrace my wavy hair as "what was the point in straightening your hair if it only gets wavy when you go outside in the humidity?"  And duh.  Sometimes I don't get the obvious.  Wavy hair is sexy hair anyway.  So back to the dry shampoo....

Well, dry shampoo can be expensive.  Before it really trended, it was ONLY $25.00 and could be found at Sephora when it wasn't sold out and I still bought it because if you haven't tried it, you will see, you get volume for days and washing hair is annoying and time consuming and boring.....this little prize also smells dreamy, like coconut and vanilla, and works as well or even better than the brands that cost 4 times as much.

I had never heard of this brand, Not Your Mothers, but one Friday night when I was hanging out with one of my best friends who happens to be 17 and I used to nanny for when I was in high school....yes, I am a person who hangs out with 17 year olds and 64 year olds and no one actually born in their own birth decade......we went to Target after eating Chipotle and bought a bunch of toiletries.  This was one of my purchases and I haven't been without it since.

Here is how I use it:

1.  Spray roots UNDERNEATH front layers of hair (I get super greasy here) and then a few inches down from my part.

2.  Let sit for 1-2 minutes and imagine how hot I will look with white hair (the shampoo sprays on white).

3.  Blast the powered wig (my hair) with a blowdryer for 2 minutes or so, working the powder in with a brush, comb, or your fingers.

4.  Restyle with my curling iron for 3 minutes.

5.  Leave the bathroom.

3.  Colgate Optic White Toothpaste

I still wear my retainer.  I got my braces off when I was 12.  Once, in college, I was a victim of crime (along with a few other of my friends).  The crazy girl we were friends with (she disappeared between sophomore and junior year and was recently met up with by smarty best friend (yes, the one who encourages clairvoyants and wavy hair) and smarty went to meet her for coffee and reported that "she still seemed kinda off and they didn't have much to chat about"....I was selfishly relieved....this loon was a whole breed of whack) got her car broken into and several of us had stuff in there.  I lost many things (books, homework, makeup), but the real violation set in when I realized that my purple sparkle retainer was missing.  I mean, Sparkles and me endured so much together....camp, late night drunk Cheetos, bar and bat mitzvahs....it's NOT FAIR!!!!!  WHAAAAAAH!

So yes, I am into my teeth.  I floss, too.  I try to keep them white and bright and now that I don't smoke or drink 14 diet colas (or Diet Dr. Peppers specifically) a day, it has been a bit easier.

This toothpaste is wonderful.  I swear it works.  My teeth haven't looked so pearly since Clinton was president.  It is a total steal.  I use an electronic toothbrush for maximum cleaning power.  I like the ones you can throw out if you are too lazy to put more batteries in them.

When I was last with Crush, I was using my Clarisonic while I used my electronic tooth brush and he said "look at you, you have such great personal hygiene, but you rely a lot on machines...."  I mean, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

So true,  because I'm LAAAAAAZZZZZZY!

Have a great day all!

3 Beauty Products I Am Loving Now

I am going to start sharing more about my love of beauty products as I feel you readers like it and I have almost no money in savings because I spend it all at Sephora....

1.  Smashbox Naked Palette 1 (<------ CLICK!):

BEST eyeshadow palette of ALL time.  Make sure you get the 1, I do believe it is the best edition. This is ALL I currently use.  In a former life, I collected eyeshadow like I currently collect red lipstick.  This palette is a bit shimmery, but not cheesy shimmery. I use all the colors for both day and night, the shiny darkest colors are perfect for formal events, it is really a one stop shop and lasts forever.  Constant compliments.  The brush and eyeshadow primer that come with the kit are also AWESOME.  And if I haven't sold you on it yet, the shape of the palette is really easy to transport and travel with.  HIGHLY recommended.  This is all I take when I visit Crush, even if we have to meet his ENTIRE family at a fancy party, so instead of lugging a million eyeshadow pots, get this.

2.  Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (<------ CLICK!):

I love this stuff!  I am always looking for a long lasting, hydrating, not gloss option for my lips.  As I get older, I prefer more matte to gloss on my lips.  Too much sticky shine makes me feel like I look like a cougar. I always wanted lip stain to work for me, but it would seep into my lips and only stick to certain parts, so I would look like a crusty clown mouth, or perhaps a spotted snake lip.  Not cute.  This product is the cross between a stain and a chapstick (hence the name) and it really is quite FANTASTIC!  I know it will be discontinued soon, that is what Revlon ALWAYS does when I like something.... I like the shade Sweetheart Valentine.  It is the perfect soft pink, but beware, several coats can turn quickly into "Grandma in Florida" territory.  Applied lightly, you can get that soft movie star matte lip, like Rachel McAdams had in the Notebook. Also, it is kinda minty which is good because I get paranoid all the time that I have bad breath (I am sure I do often) and since this goes on the lips, let's pray that it can help my bad breath from being so noticeable.

3.  Amazing Concealer (<------- CLICK!):

YOU MUST BUY THIS!  Yes, it is expensive, but the tube lasts FOREVER!  Seriously, 6 months at least.  This is magic.  It covers everything: eye bags, pimples, scars from the pimples I picked, redness around my nose that won't go away.  A little goes a long way.   A dot is all you need.  As in all face stuff, I highly recommend you actually go to the store to find your shade.  I have found that not all Sephora stores carry this IN the actual store, so check out Ulta 3, too, they seem to typically have it in their stores, so you can test.  The shades are not true to swatch online.

Get your pretty on and I will share more soon!

Take a Few Years Off with These Easy Tricks

I love beauty products.  In another life, I really do think I should have worked in the industry.  Beauty products give me so much hope.  If I am having a fat day or my jeans don't fit, there is always a bit of optimism in a new shade of red lipstick or a good hair day.  I like looking put together, I am just over taking a million hours to do so.  Effortless beauty is where it is at these days.  I am going to offer you 5 tips to much better and younger looking skin now, like right now.

You see, many many moons ago (beginning when I was 14), I was a smoker.  Like a big time smoker.  I seriously tried my first ciggie at 13 and was pretty much smoking on a semi-regular basis by 14......I had an older sibling that smoked (she no longer does either) and years ago you could legally smoke at 16, so it wasn't so much of a stretch.   By the time I entered college at 18, I was up to a pack a day.  I kicked the habit for real (like I have had 30 (or something not too many) drunk cigarettes since then) at 25 and I haven't looked back.  If smoking didn't kill, smell, or wasn't allowed anywhere, but alleys, I would still smoke.  I kinda love it and it did help reduce my appetite.  I'm being honest.

In addition to the lovely smoking, I was also a sun worshipper.  Not just natural sun, tanning beds, too. I would lie out with NO SPF on and then apply baby oil and get flat on my back on black tar driveways and seriously use tin foil reflectors......I made Snooki look pale.  I loved nothing more than frying myself, while smoking, while ingesting copious amounts of diet soda (6 cans a day or so).....how am I still around!?

So, for the last 4 or so years, I have been REALLY trying to reverse the irreversible and let me tell you, it has been working!  I also make an effort 90 percent of the time to avoid all artificial sweeteners as I do feel like they give me cellulite and make my skin look very dull.  I knew I was really smitten with Crush when we first had coffee and he used real cream and real sugar in his coffee because that is how I drink it now (I was formally skim milk and Splenda) and I will say since I have been eating real food (no chemicals when possible), I do binge less.  I know, I know, I am not reinventing the wheel here, I am always just looking for the quick fix because I'm impatient like that!

Moving on, 5 products to buy NOW:

1.  Clarisonic (<--Click): 

I know, it is super expensive.  It is.  I have had mine for 2.5 years (thank you Awful!) and it really is the best.  I only use mine on my face and the Mia is totally sufficient and a dream!  I use a delicate brush with mine and do use it twice and day.  Many people I know only use it before bed and that is awesome, too.  I swear, it will change the texture of your skin, reduce wrinkles, and save you a ton of money on cleaners and lotions.  Lotion (in my case oil, which I will get to soon) soaks in so much better and you need tons less, a little really goes a long way.  I got my Clarisonic on eBay new and saved a bit, so check that out if you are interested.

2.  Basis Face Wash (<--Click): 

Use it with your Clarisonic.  It is so gentle and the best face wash I have EVER used.  I also love the smell, it's very fresh scented, almost a bit lemony.  I use this at least twice a day and it takes eye makeup off in a second.  Leaves no residue either.  I often only can find it at Ulta (the link I provided).  Buy it!

3.  Neutrogena Age Shield Sunblock for Face SPF 90 (<--Click):

Put it on every every morning, rain or shine.  I wash my face and then put this on before any oil or makeup.  I let it soak in about 10 minutes.  This sunblock, the 90 version, smells good and is very matte, so it almost acts as a primer.  Succumb to the sunblock, you know you need to, SO JUST DO IT!

4.  Argon Oil (<--Click):

One of my best friends in Florida introduced this to me.  IT IS THE BEST!  I use this as my daily daytime moisturizer.  I put it on after my sunblock and then let it soak it a few minutes before foundation.  I do my morning routine while I eat my breakfast and drink coffee because multi-tasking is awesome!  I swear, this is liquid gold.  Josie Maran's is my favorite (the link above), but a really good alternate that is just a bit thinner is Studio 35 (you can find it at some Walgreen's) and you get more for the money anyway and is really the same, so I should stop being such a darn snob!

5.  Vitamin E (<--Click):

My dermatologist tried to sell me hundreds of dollars worth of products and then I asked her what about Vitamin E?  She started laughing and in a low whisper, she said, "it is the best, use it at night, shhhhh." I just let you in on a HUGE (AND CHEAP!) secret.  Run with it!  I tend to enjoy the variety that is 56,000 IU.  It is bit sticky and really hydrating.  If the sticky scares you, go down to a 30,000 IU. You will wake up with a face like a baby's bum.  Well, with a face like a baby's bum that doesn't have any diaper rash.

ROUTINE:

1.  Morning: Clarisonic, then SPF, then argon oil, then makeup.

2.  Night: Clarisonic, then Vitamin E.

Thank me when you start getting carded again.  I did a few weeks back and I almost french kissed the checkout lady.  She asked me for a second form of ID!  YES!