Best of Benefit Cosmetics

I thought it would be fun to start a series where I talk about "best of" several different brands that I love. benefit is a brand that I discovered in college around the same time I discovered Sephora. I absolutely love most of their stuff. A few items on this list are new loves and a few I've been using forever. Read on for the details.

1.  "Take A Picture...It Lasts Longer..."
This product is a new found love and something I've just recently bought. A velvety pouf is stored inside a tin of light pink glimmery balm. Spread over my collarbone, chest, arms, and down the fronts of my legs this gives me just a hint of a glisten that reminds me of another product from benefit- High Beam. "Take a Picture" is to legs what "High Beam" is to cheekbones. There is a touch of fragrance in this balm as well, and I find that it competes with my perfume a little bit unless I'm wearing something fresh, light, and floral.

2.  Creaseless Cream Shadow
Pictured above are two of my all time favorite eyeshadow shades, RSVP and My Two Cents. Unfortunately, benefit recently discontinued most of their creaseless shades and replaced the packaging with something more bulky, marked the price up, and took out half the colors I love. RSVP is an old favorite and one of the few shadows I've run out of and re purchased several times. Flatter Me was another absolute favorite that's now discontinued (seriously, FML), and My Two Cents was a new discovery this year for me. I really like the polished copper shade in My Two Cents, but the color selection is not as vibrant this time around for these shades, which is leading me to check out MUFE's selection.

3.  High Beam 
This is yet another product that I've run out of (it took a couple years) and ran out to repurchase it right away. Moon Beam and Sun Beam are other shades for cheekbone highlighting that I own, but High Beam's my favorite. It's an iridescent, sheer, pink that looks gorgeous on the cupid's bow, brow bone, and cheek bones. My only gripes are that it comes in a nail polish-like bottle that is kind of a pain, and the full size bottle is so huge that it literally could take you over two years to get through an entire bottle if you used it every day.  At that point, it may have dried up before it's gone, which I think was the case last time I repurchased it. I question the sanitation of applying something to your already made up face and putting that very brush back into the bottle...every day for as long as the bottle lasts. Anyway, that aside, this stuff is amazing and you should try to pick up a mini in one of the gift sets they have. You won't be sorry!

4. Erase Paste- Light and Medium
Can you believe I know someone who actually writes off their use of Erase Paste as a business expense because it helps her look more awake when she meets with clients early in the morning? If that sounds laughable to you, it's only because you haven't tried it. This was my first product from this line that I ever tried and I've been hooked since. It's pricey, at $26 a tub, but lasts forever. I used to wear the medium shade, but I think mixing light and medium together gives me a more perfect match for my skin tone. The brightening qualities in this concealer make it a must for the under eye area and any redness in blemishes. I recently purchased the Boing concealer to see how it compares so watch for a post.

5.  Brow Zings- Dark
I can't vouch for any color besides the dark, but when I have my hair dyed super dark, it's my go to brow shade. I don't really like the tools it comes with for filling in your brows, but they'd work in a pinch. I prefer to use a bigger angled brush and dip the brush back and forth between the wax and the powder before applying to my eyebrow. I find that using the Brow Zings allows me to really shade my brows the way I want them! I have brow pencils I like too, but at least for the time being, I've liked filling them in with an angled brush and this product. I started using this on my brows about 3 months ago, and I've done it every day since. I've barely put a dent in the product. At this rate, it will probably last me forever!

6.  Fine One One
This is an awesome brightening blush and highlighter for fair skinned ladies. I love putting a stripe of it on each cheek and then swiping it in a circle on each cheek and blending it out. It's a perfect and subtle shade, especially in the winter. As it gets warmer out and I develop a bit of a tan, I am finding that it blends into my skin too much unless I pile it on. This was my go to shade in the winter and I'm just pulling it back out again to play with this week. Although it's not perfect on me right this second unless I layer it, I stand by how much I love this when I am looking really pale! It's a very light and sheer coral that goes with just about anything.

These are just a few of my favorite selections! I also love their boxes of powders, although I only have a Coralista mini at the moment. I love their lip glosses that just got discontinued (but are on sale at Ulta!) and I love their velvet eyeshadow in "Where There's Smoke" but didn't want to include that in this list since it's now discontinued. I like their Bad Gal Lash in Plum, but haven't used it enough to determine if it was best of the best. In general, this brand has a lot of really great items that I would highly recommend, and those listed here are just a few that I have been really grooving with. They are repackaging, discontinuing, and going through a lot of changes lately, so hopefully they continue to have a lot of awesome products in the future...it's going to be war if they ever discontinue Erase Paste or my RSVP creaseless shadow!

What's your favorite benefit product?

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Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Mom/Wife/Blogger- What I Do

As a stay at home mom, I feel like I'm constantly defending what I do to others. It's really lame that I do that because I don't owe anyone an explanation, but it's also really lame that people act in a way that I feel I need to fill out a timecard. Nobody is judged more than stay at home moms! Truth.

I've been staying at home with my daughter for 8 months (since she was born), following an unemployed period of about 9 months. I found out I was pregnant when we moved to Washington, and I had a hard time finding a teaching job when I was knocked up. It's not lost on me that I'm lucky I am able to stay at home while my husband works. Here's a sneak peek into my daily life now. I'm going to do a 24 hour snapshot, since being a mommy is a never ending job!

7:30 am- Husband is leaving for work, and hands me a freshly diapered baby who is screaming and hungry. I feed her in bed, and try to put her back down, so I can eek out another half hour of sleep.    8:30 am- Baby Jocelyn is up for the day and so am I. I take her downstairs and let her play on the floor next to her toy chest while I check my email. I prepare a cup of coffee and find a Clif bar for breakfast.
9:00 am- Baby is at the age where she is almost walking but not yet, and crawling super fast. I keep my eye on her and make sure doesn't unplug anything and put it in her mouth. We practice walking (I take her arms and lead her across the floor), we practice saying "dog" and "dad" and we giggle a lot. I take some pictures and text them to my husband and my mom. If she learns something new, I take a video on my iPhone.

10:00 am- Jocelyn's hungry for a meal so I put her in her high chair with some Cheerios. She picks at them and throws most of them on the floor, then falls asleep in her high chair. I debate vacuuming them up, but since she's sleeping I decide to skip it. I move her into her pack and play and cross my fingers that she gets at least an hour nap in.
Now that the baby's down I (hopefully) have an hour to myself. I glance around and take a mental inventory of what needs to be done and can be done quietly. Need: dishes need to be put away and the dishwasher reloaded, laundry needs to be put away, bills need to paid. Want: work on my blog and answer some emails. I determine that I can do one need and one want but I need to do the need first. I put the dishes away and refill the dishwasher, and sit down to answer some emails. I get midway through the first one and...
10:45 am- DING DONG! I silently curse myself for not putting a sign on the door for the UPS man. The dog comes downstairs barking and the baby wakes up and starts screaming. I collect my husband's work package and a package of blogging review mail and grab the baby. I add the makeup package to my ever growing pile and remind myself that if I get a chance to do my makeup today I need to try something out of my review pile.

Heatwave Palette by Smashbox! Watch for a review :-)

11:00 am- The baby's up and I want to shower so I put her in her walker in our bedroom and pull it halfway into the doorway of the bathroom where I'll be showering so I can see her. She will only be entertained like this for a few minutes so I hustle up.
While in the shower, I try to test out a new shampoo and conditioner, as well as a hair mask. I take mental notes on how they feel and smell so I can write about them later. I alternately wash my hair and poke my head out from behind the shower curtain and play peek-a-boo.
11:15 am- Without fail, every time I shower she blows out her diaper. I could place a bet on it. I get out of the shower and while wearing a towel, I change her and dress her for the day. She is ready to move and groove and I still need to get dressed. I try to place her in her walker again, and she wants nothing to do with it. I apply makeup with one hand while I hold her in my other arm. Foundation, a dab of powder, a nude sparkly cream eyeshadow, one sloppy line of liquid liner, one sweep of mascara, and a bright lip. The kiddo has tried to grab each of these out of of my hand and has a dirty hand with sparkles all over it so I wash her hands. I put my wet hair in a messy ponytail and go back to the play area.
12:00 pm- We're both antsy and it's raining, so no outdoor walk today. I decide I want to take her to the YMCA where there is free daycare for kids while parents work out, but remember that it's only from 9 am-12 pm and then 4 pm-8:30 pm. Drat. I feed her sweet potatoes and avocado and pack some baggies of goldfish and decide to head to one of our town's three double decker malls. I can clock at least a couple miles of walking in (and maybe some bargain shopping!)
1:00 pm- We arrive at the mall to walk. Part way into my first lap I get sucked into J.C. Penney because I want to check out the new Buxom lipsticks. I swatch a couple things on my hand and add them to my mental wish list. My husband and I have a weekly "allowance" and I don't want to blow mine today. I walk a few more laps, and stop for an iced tea for some fuel.

Jocelyn starts screaming so we go home.
3:00 pm- The YMCA's childcare will be open in an hour. I know I should go, but we were just on an outing and the baby hasn't pooped yet today, and I'm not sure if they will change her diaper if she goes there. (excuses, anyone?) I'm really tired and want to take a nap because I was up three times last night. My husband will be home in two hours. I decide to tidy up the house while the baby crawls around and plays in her toy chest. I look up my eMeals account and start prepping for whatever dinner will be.

Black bean and avocado tacos! Yummy! 

4:00 pm- Jocelyn has a huge blowout and I have to change her out of her outfit. I put the "mess" in the laundry. I call my mom to chat while Jocelyn plays on the carpet since I haven't had any adult conversation yet today. I get teary because I miss my family (they live in Wisconsin), but most of all, regular human contact with adults and as soon as we hang up I start thinking about going back to work. Or joining a mom's group. I choose work because the mom's groups attract a lot of crazies. I check Craigslist and all the teaching job websites I know about, and find nothing. I make a list of all the things I'm good at and/or like to do (teaching, reading, english, blogging, makeup, fitness, cooking) and start pairing combinations.
teaching + english= teaching english. Fun!! I'd have to go back to school though, so...meh. Maybe later in life...next!
blogging + makeup= blogging about makeup. I already do this. Maybe I should monetize my blog and try to use it as a full time job. Sounds hard to figure out. I should buy an ebook. 
I google "making money blogging" and put an ebook into my Nook library. Now I officially have 22 unread magazines and books in my Nook. I fantasize about a whole day of reading all to myself!
Mike calls me and tells me he will be home at 5 pm but will have to work overtime tomorrow. I am quickly reminded of his erratic schedule and why I can't work right now. I am simultaneously filled with guilt as my grinning, squealing little girl crawls into my lap and starts pulling at my hair and face. I should feel blessed every single second I get to stay home with my baby daughter!
5:00 pm- Mike gets home but has to do inventory for his job on the computer. I am antsy for some time to myself but I stay home and crawl on the floor with the baby for a few minutes. I look around and feel a little guilty that there are Cheerios crushed into the carpet...I am a stay at home mom after all, and should have done a better job cleaning.
Mike comes and joins us to play. I get away for a few minutes and check out my favorite blogs. Here are the blogs I read daily:

The Freckled Fox Meg O. on the Go Intrubeauty 15 Minute Beauty The Wonder Forest

I also go into my blogging "drafts" and make sure something is set to publish for the next day. I check out the post I had up today and spend a few minutes promoting it via social media.
6:00 pm- Supper time! I finish making dinner and everyone eats. Mike feeds Jocelyn so I can go to the gym. To clear my mind, I drive around town for 20 minutes, enjoying the solitude before my workout. 
I do Couch to 5k day three at the gym before coming home. While I'm not totally thrilled with my body 8 months after baby, I've come a long way. I have a road ahead of me to get where I want to go, but Rome wasn't built in a day.
8:00 pm- Mike is going to bed and Jocelyn isn't tired. We play some more, even though I'm exhausted. Finally, she gets pooped out when I hold her and we watch Youtube videos together.

10:00 pm- Wearily, I go to bed, knowing that I will be up at least twice in the night. Little girl is cutting four teeth right now. 
Sometimes, I also stay up late just to have more alone time, even if I'm tired. Any time I want to blog, it's because I stayed up late past my kiddo's bedtime to do so. 

Being a mom is a hard job that requires lots of sacrifice. There is no pay check. I get paid in smiles, baby kisses, giggles, and hugs. We're not rich or poor, but I feel like a millionaire when I spend time with my child and get to BE THERE when she learns new things.

Although full of sacrifice, I know these years of staying at home with my daughter and any future kids will be worth it. I want a beautiful life for my kids and for the time being, that means staying at home. Someday, it will mean working to provide family vacations, sports and music, and college.

For my family growing up, providing a beautiful life meant that both of my parents worked to provide for us. I think that's honorable too and I do look forward to the day I go back to work. Being a living example of working hard to earn money for your family is something I want for my future.

I challenge you, mom or not, to brush off the negativity. There will always be people who don't agree with what you're doing, or think you could be doing a better job. There will always be people who are jealous. There will always be haters. Something I am focusing on more is doing what I have to do for my family, and not looking back. "Do whatever you  have to do, and do it for you..."

Do you stay at home with kids? I'm curious what my readership does for a living. Please share in the comments!

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Skinceuticals and Kate Somerville- SPF 50 and Over Keeps Me Sun Safe

What did you do this week? It's approaching the middle of June and I had family in town, which is why I was quiet around these parts this week. Family time is the best! My fam lives 23 hours away so it was a really special week and we spent tons of time exploring my city outside, shopping, and doing super fun things.

Everyone in my family is very careful with SPF and keeping safe in the sun. I wore a high SPF sunscreen every single day I was with them, and I'm going to keep the habit up all summer in my quest to stay sun safe and healthy. Keep reading to learn about my two favorite picks that have been on rotation for the past couple weeks.

Skinceuticals Sheer Physical Uv Defense SPF 50 

Sheer, universal tint adaptable to all skin tones boosts radiance for a more even, luminous complexion
Water-resistant for 40 minutes
All-physical, broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection
Increases skin defenses and resistance to UV and heat stress based on in-vitro testing
Paraben-free and non-comedogenic

I apply this on over my moisturizer every morning, although I could probably use this as my moisturizer AND my SPF if I wanted to! It's very white so I have to rub it in to blend it into my skin. Wearing this on my face, neck and shoulders has kept my skin fair and not tanned. Tan skin (not from a bottle) is unhealthy skin! My favorite part about this is the high SPF of 50. I feel like that's a a suitable amount of protection for the day time for me. Any lower and I feel like I should be doing a better job protecting my skin. Unwittingly, my aunts had packed this exact same facial sunscreen for their trip to see us! They special order it online as it's recommended by both of their doctors.

Daily Deflector Waterlight Broad Spectrum 50+  

Ultra-fluid, waterlight sunscreen blends effortlessly into skin
Provides hydration, SPF50+ broad spectrum protection, and anti-aging benefits
Unconventional, ultra-lightweight texture absorbs easily
Contains physical, mineral sun blocking ingredients, without any chemical sunscreens
Utilizes a unique reservoir technology that keeps sunscreen on the surface of the skin

This is another great sunscreen that once again offers SPF 50. I'm concerned with anti aging everywhere, but especially my face and chest. So many SPF creams are only 15 or so, and that's just not enough if you really want to make a difference. I aim for 50 and above, and this is the ticket. Just like the Skinceuticals, this has really helped me maintain a fair complexion despite spending a lot of time outside lately. I wear this with moisturizer, but I probably wouldn't need it!

I've been really interested in sun safety lately so when dermatologist Dr. Richie Lin's tips showed up in my inbox, I knew I wanted to share! Tell me if YOU are following each tip in the comments below. My comments will be in italics.

We all need to adapt our skin care routines during the hot, humid summers.


1. We all sweat more during a sticky July day. To keep your face looking fresh, your summer cleanser and moisturizer should be a touch more drying to control oil production. Look for cleansers that contain drying and acne fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid, and moisturizers that are lightweight. For acne prone individuals, oil control for the rest of your skin is also important so be sure to use a body cleanser with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

I just switched to a lightweight cleanser for the summer! Some of my favorites are by Mama Mio and Clinique's Mild Facial Soap.

2. No sunscreen is truly "waterproof" or "sweatproof," since all sunblocks will dissolve in water eventually. In fact, these labels will soon be a thing of the past since the FDA has ruled that only the term "water resistant," with a time limit, can be used on a label. If you are swimming, exercising, or even just sweating from a day of walking around, you should reapply your sunscreen every 1-2 hours for continued protection.

I don't usually go swimming outdoors because it's a pain to reapply sunscreen. When I'm going to be outdoors for long periods of time, I love to pack little travel size bottles of sunscreen with me. For face, I love that the Skinceuticals and Kate Somerville products listed above are both purse friendly and small. 

3. Sunscreens with an SPF below 15 do not protect against skin cancer or premature aging. The FDA will now require these products to state that they only protect against sunburns, but not against the carcinogenic effects of the sun. Make sure you pick a sunscreen with enough SPF.

I personally only wear SPFs of 30 and over, and the higher the better on my face. 

4. Swim shirts and brimmed hats with UV protection are very popular right now. You see every toddler and young child at the pool or beach wearing them. If adults are mindful enough to protect their children from large doses of sun exposure, shouldn't the same rules apply to big people? Protecting yourself with a swim coverup that contains SPF and a wide brimmed hat means you will be stylish and safe at the beach!

I can't stand the thought of wearing long sleeves in the sun and I look stupid in hats so I prefer to make my time outdoors limited or in spurts during the day. If I'll be out in the sun, I'd like to go out for an hour or two at a time, so my exposure to the UV rays is limited. Same with my kiddo!

5. During the summertime, sun spots can darken with sun exposure. Being vigilant about sun protection and using a prescription strength lightening cream containing hydroquinone at night can help keep those sunspots light and your skin tone even.

I always end up with dark spots in the summer, no matter how careful I am. I use Clinique's Even Better foundation in the fall to help lighten up my sun spots.

I hope this was an informative post. Have any more tips? I'd love for you to comment and let me know!

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Frizz Fighting Hair Serums For Summer

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I have had a love/hate relationship with my hair in the past year. When we moved to Washington, I had to say goodbye to my awesome hair stylist in Wisconsin, Shannon, who had been cutting and coloring my hair for almost three years. I have super thick hair that is slightly wavy and very difficult to style. Shannon had really gotten the hang of it, and I was on an every 6-8 weeks cut and color regimen. I had GREAT hair! Then...I moved. Ever since, I've had a really hard time holding down a quality hair stylist. Stylists who know the ins and outs of your hair are worth their weight in gold, truly. 

Ever since leaving Shannon, I've had some really terrible haircuts. In fact, every time I fly home, which is rare and usually a short trip, I make a point to see my stylist while I'm there. I do the best I can to keep it healthy between my spaced out visits. Lately, I've noticed my hair doing great things through the help of three hair serums I've been keeping on rotation. 

Goldwell Hair Elixir is a great choice if you're looking for a high quality serum. I find when I use it it leaves my hair feeling light rather than weighed down. It absorbs quickly and there is very little scent. The bottle is plastic, so I find it's great for travel. It's rich in high quality ingredients like argan oil, tamanu oil, antioxidants, vitamin E, and more. A few pumps is all you really need, and the bottle is supposed to last for 85 applications. Awesome!

Frizz Ease is an oldie but goodie. Shaking the bottle activates the formula, which is divided like oil and water in the container. A little bit of this keeps my frizzy frazzled hair under control. Best yet? It's available at pretty much every drugstore, and pretty cheap.

Unite Shina Liquid Gloss is another fantastic serum. It has a light scent, goes on so smoothly, and makes my hair super soft. It can be blended in your hands with your other styling products as well to improve the texture of your hair and create more shine. I've tried several of Unite's products and haven't run across one that I wouldn't recommend. Also, there are videos on their site with artists showing how to use every single product just in case you're not sure...cool!

Serums are fantastic, but can be misused easily. When you don't use this product properly, it can make your hair look nappy and greasy. When used correctly, it can make you look like you're a model from the runway. The best way I've found to use hair serums is to apply to my hair when it's towel dried. I pump the amount I'm planning to use (which varies depending on the product), usually 2-3 pumps for my long hair, and finger comb my hair starting about halfway down and go to the ends I run my fingers from the midway point of my hair to the bottom 2-3 times, also getting the underside. Then I rake through the top layers once the serum is mostly gone from my hands. If I have bangs as part of my hair cut, I avoid getting much if any serum on them because they can get really weighed down.

This is my technique, and it's been working great for me lately. Hair serums for the win! What's your summer style secret?

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Fitness Friday- Family Time

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Happy Friday! I had an absolutely outstanding week, and as I write this Fitness Friday post, I am feeling so grateful and happy for everything that has happened in my life since last Fitness Friday. I had my mom and my two aunts come into town and hang out with me for a week and it was magical. Shopping and good food are my therapy and it was just what the doctor ordered. I haven't seen my family since March, and I won't see them again until September, so the short week we had was very special!  Growing up, dinner and snacks at my house were nothing special- a whole lot of trail mix and peanut butter and Hamburger Helper. No pop, no sugar, fat free everything. Nothing had flavor or was really that enjoyable. Eat to live, don't live to eat, right? Yuck! It was very hard for me to transition into adulthood and fend for myself and learn to cook after growing up on a combo of tasteless, fat free, preservative filled garbage and boxed dinners. Luckily, my mom and her sisters have been really into learning how to cook over the past year or so. I don't know where it came from, but I wish my mom would have learned to cook 20 years ago like she can cook now! They really pampered me with a week full of meals I didn't have to make that were delicious and nutritious.

Creep on me @justinalayne on instagram! That's where I take lots of pictures of my daily life and you can double tap and tell me how tasty my lunch looks every day! Follow me, you know you wanna!

We snacked on pieces of bread that were warmed in the oven and dipped in a combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So flavorful and tasty. Although bread is obviously high in carbs, this is a satisfying snack that is inexpensive and requires very little effort. A couple small wedges of bread dipped in oil is enough to sustain you until dinner is served!

This was one of my favorite meals of the whole week! I'm going to share the recipes with you below! It's for Green Chicken Masala and Curry Cashew Cauliflower Mash.

Green Chicken Masala  (not Marsala, it's Masala...they're different.)

Ingredients:

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces;

1/2 cup coconut milk;

1 onion, finely chopped;

1/4 cup lemon juice;

1/4 cup water or chicken stock;

4 garlic cloves, minced;

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves;

1 cup fresh mint leaves;

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped coarsely;

1 1/2 tsp turmeric;

1/2 tsp cinnamon;

1/2 tsp ground cardamom;

1/8 tsp ground cloves;

3 tbsp coconut oil or clarified butter;

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add the onion with the cooking fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.

Add the chicken thighs as well as the turmeric to the skillet and continue cooking, still while stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the lemon juice, water or stock, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and garlic in a blender or food processor and process to obtain a smooth puree.

After the chicken has cooked for about 7 minutes, add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for another minute.

Pour in the coconut milk, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the herb puree. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is well cooked and tender.

Curry Cashew Cauliflower Mash

1 head cauliflower

6 oz or 3/4 C coconut milk

1/4 C raw cashews

3 finger pinch curry powder

1 tsp salt

Boil cauliflower, coconut milk and cashews. Simmer 20 minutes. Mix in spices as you you mash the cauliflower. Puree in food processor until it's a mashed potato like consistency. 

Cooking with my family this week reminded me that it's actually fun to be creative in the kitchen instead of following eMeals all the time. I haven't used eMeals in a week since they were here and cooking, and look forward to starting it up again next week for dinners, but I'm going to start branching out on my own a bit for lunches from now on. There is so much good food to be eaten and creativity to be had! 

By the way, if you try either of the above recipes, the green chicken masala calls for a jalapeno pepper. A little tip- the seeds make the jalapeno really spicy. If you accidentally forget to take the seeds out, don't fear! You may need to calm down your dish, but you can do so easily by adding a little greek yogurt and/or sugar. We had to do that and it helped significantly. It does change the texture of the mixture though so add little by little until you've tamed your spices to your liking. I read online you can add beer too to neutralize the spice! 

If you get jalapeno spice in your eye, you can get it out by splashing milk on your eye. We didn't do that this week, but it was a previous kitchen accident for my mom! Try to avoid touching your face at all if you can. 

Coffee is also a must have and we drank a lot of it. I just love the wire basket the coffee came in at the cafe we went to. It was like a little coffee hamper. Black coffee, creamer, and sugar with napkins at the bottom. Since I've started my quest for clean eating, I've tried to avoid having a lot of extra crap, but I do like a little sugar in my coffee from time to time. I had a choice between splenda and raw sugar and of course I chose raw! I don't know what chemicals are found in splenda but I don't think they're very good for me!

You can barely see it, but there's lemon in my water also. They served us just barely colder than room temperature water that had a lemon floating in it. It was fantastic. I need to get a pitcher for the fridge and fill it with lemon and cucumber. It makes the water taste that much more refreshing in my opinion! And lots more special!

I have a more in depth review on this coming next week, but for now I wanted to mention my SPF that I've been turning to daily. Kate Somerville's Daily Deflector Waterlight Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ has been finding its way onto my face, neck, and shoulders daily in this 80+ degree weather. You won't catch me with a sunburn! My goal is to stay as close to my natural color as possible this summer and avoid getting any sunspots. Every summer I end up with pesky sunspots and I have a hard time getting them to fade. This summer I have a baby to take care of so it's easy to remember to stay sun safe since I can't be out in direct sunlight for too long with her anyway. I use this or another SPF I have on rotation on my face, and I use something cheaper on my body. 

This is a picture taken from our super long walk through Manito Gardens in Spokane. Look at the reflection of the bridge and the trees into the water! If you look at the rock on the left of the screen you can see a bunch of baby ducks! 

Another gorgeous picture. Isn't this so beautiful? I want to make it into an art print for my wall. 

Here's a picture of a Koi Fish underneath a waterfall. Seriously, so peaceful! This fish was enormous. I got really close...so close I thought I might drop my phone in the water!

This is one of my favorite pictures from the week. It's as picture of Duncan Garden at Manito Park. I just think it's so beautiful! Doesn't it remind you of a garden you'd find in the Queen's backyard? I've never been to London but I think if I had, I would see gardens like this one. The symmetry, the beauty in the landscaping, the gazebo...just beautiful. I think people get married here too, and I'm sure they walk all the way through the garden to the lovely gazebo at the end to say their I do's.

We walked all throughout Manito Park and it was over 10,000 steps! For the first time since I started this fitness journey post-baby, I reached my walking goal! I did find it pretty humorous that on our huge shopping day, we actually walked over 13,000 steps. Shopping is quite a workout if you're in my family! And for the record...during their stay here we went to every mall and entered every neat store, and went to every boutique there was in existence in the whole city. I'm kind of shopped out for awhile! Except for that's not exactly true...I did a mini haul today since I was sad my family left. I set aside some cash knowing I'd need a little pick me up! But NOW...officially shopped out.

Another thing I wanted to share with all of you:

These Cafe Cups are amazing. Before you skim past this paragraph and think psssh I already have a K-cup reusable coffee thing and I don't need this, hold on! You're wrong! I found this product on the Target site so they must have them there, but I got mine at the kitchen store in the mall. For $10, you can get 4 of these reusable pods. They are similar to the one that you can buy that's the Keurig brand, but not quite. 

With the ones Keurig sells, you have to take out the black insert and put the gray K-cup replacement filter that you've scooped coffee into into that hole. These don't require any tampering! Simply fill it with coffee or tea, and put the lid back down (I much prefer the lid on these too) then put it directly into the Keurig. You don't have to remember to take out the black insert! I always forget to put it back in afterwards and spray hot water everywhere the next time I use a K-cup. I can't believe I never knew about these before my aunt told me, and it's only $10! The Keurig brand one looks different, is more expensive, and inferior in my opinion. Just had to share a great find!

Another adventure I had this week was at Trader Joe's. I had my first shopping trip there! It was amazing but I need something to post about next week so I think I'll save it.

This week was phenomenal and I miss my family so much! They went home on a 7 am flight Thursday morning. I was having a really rough day when they left but recapping all my fun times with them in this post was really nice. I can't wait to see everyone in September and I have lots of great pictures to enjoy and memories to think of until then. I have a lot of beauty stuff to review, articles to write, walks to take, memories to make, etc until September. I hope the time flies!

One of the best parts of their visit was how healthy and active I was the whole time. Walking and shopping was wonderful and was a big calorie burner. Eating fresh and delicious food was awesome too! When we went out for dinner, I made healthy choices for the most part too. It's becoming more second nature each day. Unlike when most people come to visit, I think my weight stayed about the same from the time they came until the time they left. It's hard not to gain when you have visitors!

Have a fabulous weekend, and see you Monday!

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Nothing to Disclose Press Sample 

R-G Cell {review}

 Press Sample

Today I'd like to share with you a product that I've been testing out, called Rg-cell Concentrated Restorative Skin Serum. This serum is one I've been wearing with the rest of my regular skincare routine for the past couple weeks, in the morning and at night.

The process by which this serum works is scientifically proven to reactivate dormant stem cells for effective skin rejuvenation and regeneration.

Each ingredient in RG-Cell Concentrated Restorative Serum interacts synergistically, signaling cellular activity for renewed collagen, elastin, laminins and other skin proteins. What we end up with, is a product that renews, repairs and conditions damaged skin.

Just a few of the ingredients are EGF (Rh-Epidermal Growth Factor), AFA Algae, Caviar, and Soy. The little bottle I got was about enough for 30 days of use, depending on if you use it both in the night and the morning. Opening up the product was a trick- there were seals and foil involved as well as attaching a dropper top lid to the tiny little vial. It was rather hard to shake out of the bottle (or I was doing it wrong) and packaging led me under the impression that this serum is pretty potent and to be used right away. The texture was very light and watery and it wore wonderfully under a full face of makeup or at night to bed.

I didn't notice any extra hydrating properties or anything, but I also realize these things take time. In my opinion, one likely won't notice a major difference in skin until well into their second bottle. Generally, serums like this take a very long time to overhaul the skin.

The serum is rather pricey for such a tiny little bottle, but if you're interested in some active ingredients that are mostly herbal type things, scoop up some of this goodness.

Human Oligopeptide-1, Blue Green Algae Extract, Caviar Extract, Soy Phyto Placenta Extract, Argan Oil, Tea tree leaf oil, Rose hip oil, Rose Floral Water, Levulinic Acid, Adenosine, Citrus Orange, Neroli, Hyaluronic Acid, lavender oil, Cosmeparine, Vitamin E, and Chamomile Oil.

I swear the scent was a little bleachy, but the ingredients list and other labels assured me that there was none. It's not my favorite scent, but that can be forgiven based upon the other great ingredients.

What do you think about serums? I'm kind of addicted to them honestly. I use a serum every night and morning without fail! Tell me your favorite one in the comments!

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I Wrote An Ebook! Check it Out and Get it For Free!

Guess what everybody? I wrote an Ebook! It was a really fun process and I've never done anything like it. Lisa Rusczyk has a 50 Things to Know series of Ebooks and I was able to create it and make it part of her series. I'm so excited to share the book with you all for free today and tomorrow, just by clicking the link below! 

I also have an interview I did with Lisa below. I hope you check it out!

Download Free Here:

50 Things to Know to Get Things Done Fast: Easy Tips for Success

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Lisa Rusczyk and I am owner of 50 Things to Know Books and Charlie the Cavalier Blog.  I started Charlie the Cavalier blog to share my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the world. Since then I have discussed many topics including organization, babies, and now daily life as a stay at home Mom.

When I became pregnant, I decided to leave my current job as an instructional designer for Penn State University and become a stay at Home Mom.  At home I started to do some of the things I have done as in instructional designer for myself.  I started 50 Things to Know from this past knowledge and have been learning some new things along the way.

What is the 50 Things To Know series about?

The 50 Things to Know Series is about “50 tips from people who just did what you want to do.” 

How did you get started writing e-books?

After having a baby and being pregnant for 9 months there were many things that people did not tell me or I did not read that I experienced.  So I wanted to tell other people what I experienced.  I wrote a blog post about the subject on Charlie The Cavalier and it went viral!  So I started to look into eBook on Amazon and self-publishing.   I then wrote 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby which was my first book.  I enjoyed the process so much that I have written many books since then.

What are some of your career goals?

I am currently finishing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Educational Technology.  I hope to keep helping others learn though technology in the future. 

My goal is to have  fifty 50 Things to Know Books by the end of the year!  It is a big goal but I believe I can do it.

What is your favorite 50 Things To Know list?

My favorite list is the 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby.  There is just so much good stuff in that book.  But my recent favorite is 50 Things to Know toGet Things Done Fast.  Everyone needs a little less chaos in their life so this book is for everyone.  I do so many things during the day. This book helps you get organized to keep moving forward in your accomplishments.   

What would be your number one tip for getting things done fast?

My number one get things done fast tip is to prep for dinner for the week on the weekend.  This not only saves you time but money also.  You can feed your family healthy food, be on a budget, and not have to worry about what is for dinner.

About Lisa Rusczyk

Lisa Rusczyk is the founder of Charlie The Cavalier (a blog about Charlie her dog, and her friends, family and home) and founder of 50ThingsToKnow. Lisa is a Doctoral student in Educational Leadership who happened to start writing her first book 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby after her little girl was born. Her book sold over 1,000 copies in the first year on Amazon. Today, she has over 10 books and helps others self-publish. Further, she shares this information with the public via this blog, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and recently on a local television station. Lisa knows that like her there are a lot of people who would like concise information on a topic in one digital location. Lisa is known for her simple and effective tips.

                                       

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