Yes, You Can Wash Your Face With Oil

You're probably thinking, yeah right, if I washed my face with oil I would break out like crazy.  I will say that when I first heard about washiing your face with oil I was afraid of the same thing.  I did a bit more research on the topic and found that a lot of people swear by it and say their skin hasn't looked this good ever.

If you want to do some research you can go here or here

You shouldn't wash your face with just any oil.  There are certain oils and ratios you need to use.  The most popular oils to use are sunflower oil (found in the grocery store) and castor oil (found in the pharmacy)

Oily Skin: 70% sunflower, 30% castor
Balanced Skin: 80% sunflower, 20 % castor
Dry Skin: 90% sunflower, 10% castor

I use a ratio of 75% sunflower, 25% castor and it has worked out great for me.  I purchased a cute glass oil dispensor at home goods and use it.  It also acts as a cute decorative piece in the bathroom.

So what you do is get hot water running in your sink and wet your face. Do not remove your makeup, the oil will do this for you (BONUS!).  Pour about a quarter size amount of oil into your hand and rub your hands together.  Then massage the oil all over your face pushing it into your skin.  Run hot water over a washcloth and hold it up to your face for a few seconds until it cools (it's like a nice steam treatment for your face).  Then just wipe the towel down your face to remove the oil and makeup.  Repeat this process with the washcloth a few more times until you feel like there is not excess oil left on your face.

Your skin will feel SO amazing after this!  It will be soft and glowing.  I don't even use moisturizer at night like I used it.  The bit of oil that is left on your skin does the job for your moisturizer.

I used to wash my face in the morning and at night and now I just use this oil cleansing method at night and that's it!  I do still use my moisturizer in the morning (SPF!!!).

So there you have it!  You really can wash your face with oil.  I would love to hear from you if you try this and what your results were :)

What We Ate This Weekend

When I work during the weekend it is 12 hour days and no time to cook, so I will usually throw something in the crock pot or whip up something super easy on Friday.  This past weekend we ate one of my own creations that we both absolutely love!  I don't even have a name for it, but I guess we can call it Sausage, Peppers, and Pasta

Ingredients
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 medium onion
4 chicken sausages (or sausage of your choice)
1 container Philadelphia Cooking Creme
2 cups of pasta (or more depending on your preference)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, set aside.
2. Cut the peppers and onions into thin strips and saute in a large pan until tender
3. Cut up sausages and add to pan
4. Mix in Cooking Creme
5. Add in pasta, stir until well combined and cook until heated through.

YUM!

I use Johnsonville Chicken Sausages (Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese) and the tomato basil Cooking Creme

The sausages add a yummy spice to this dish that Jas and I both really enjoy.  There are so many ways to play around with this dish using different flavors of sausage and the Cooking Creme.

Let me know how you switch up the recipe to make it your own.

Workout Recovery

I work out with a personal trainer once a week to mix up my routine and get in a hard core burn session.  Usually after the workout I am left fatigued and in need of a major pick me up.  I usually head over to Planet Smoothie and pick up what I call my "workout recovery."

I get a small Big Bang with protein and a liter bottle of water. The Big Bang is strawberries, bananas, and vanilla and you can choose either the protein blast or the workout blast.  We tend to do interval training with weights so I opt for the protein every time.  This smoothie is DELICIOUS! I can't get enough of it.  Head on over to Planet Smoothie to see their entire menu including nutritional information.

*This post contains my opinion. I was not compensated by Planet Smoothie in any way

My Style Friday

Shirt: Loft Pants: Gap Shoes: Payless

Francesca's

I wore this outfit on a day off when I had lots of errands to run.  I love yellow for summer and am obsessed with big necklaces right now. This to me is an outfit I could wear over and over again! 



Pinspiration Thursday

I got the inspiration from my latest crafty endeavor here as pinned on Pinterest.

This was so super easy.  I can see myself doing this over and over again for gift cards, wrapping embellishments, etc.

I started with an old frame, white paint, 3 different colors of brown paper, and my Cricut.

First I painted the frame white and set it aside to dry.

Then I fed each color of paper through the Cricut cutting out a heart that was 1 1/2" and one that was 1".

I layered different size hearts on top of each other and glued them onto a white piece of paper.

It all went into the frame once it was dry and VOILA!

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They Fight Like Cats and Dogs

Generally our furbabies fight like cats and dogs, but when I share the milk that is left after I've eaten all my cereal all that goes out the window.

How do your pets get along?

Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Who doesn't love tomatoes and mozzarella, especially in the summer?  I can't get enough of this combination right now.  When Jas' parents came over to our house to celebrate my birthday I made little tomato, mozzarella, and basil skewers. Boy were they delicious (and SO easy)!

I bought bite size, marinated mozarella so it was super low fuss which I love.

The following week I was having another craving so I threw together a little salad.  It was bit size mozarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, EVOO, cider vinegar, and pepper.

Not only is it a delicious combination but a beautiful one as well.

How do you take tomatoes and mozzarella to the next level?



Purple Potatoes

Have you seen purple potatoes in the grocery store?  A lovely lady I work with turned me on to these colorful spuds and I couldn't wait to share them with you.  I found them at Kroger in the produce section.  They are packaged in bags similar to how prepackaged salad comes. 

I boiled these in water them put some EVOO, vinegar, salt, and pepper on them.  They were delicious and look gorgeous.

Would you eat purple potatoes?

Gettin' It Done

We pretty much have the same routine every Sunday.  Get up, get groceries, do laundry, relax.  Well, I will be working 8 out of the next 9 days, so today we are trying to cram 2 weekends into one.  We are BUSY!  Jas is working on a lot of chores outside while I'm working on cleaning and meal planning.

I mentioned yesterday how we got our deck painted and I thought I'd share the final product with you.

I sure wish we were sitting outside relaxing!  Now that the deck is painted we I can finally accessorize. I'm beyond excited!  I will definitely share the end product with you all.  Until then, enjoy your Sunday and have a fabulous week!

Crafty Kitty

The weather is perfect here today making it one of those days where all we want to do is be outside.  We went to a local farmers' market this morning then to an outdoor mall. 

We are getting our new deck painted as well as the trim on our house, so we aren't able to sit outside like we would normally do on a nice day like this.  So, I took it upon myself to start on a few craft projects and I had a helper.

Who knew Mac like to craft?

My Style Friday



Sweater: Gap Tank: Gap Crops: Loft

I apologize for the poor quality photo.  I took this forever ago and just couldn't help but share it.  I LOVE this outfit!  I wore it to work before it got unbearably hot this summer.

Happy Friday!

Pinspiration Thursday

I seem to pin and try a lot of recipes!  Here is yet another fabulous Pinterest recipe found here.

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used cream of chicken, 98% fat free)
1 cup salsa (I used fresh salsa)
1 package taco seasoning (I just used various spices including garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, cumin, and chili powder)
1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)

Directions:

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning (or spices) over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred the chicken breasts. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined. I served this over brown rice.  Enjoy!

Makeup: Boots No 7

I wanted to share with you my favorite foundation.  It is Boots No 7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation in Buff.  I have an uneven/red skin tone and this stuff balances it out so well.  It is the softest foundation I have ever used and applies very easily and smoothly.  I have tried many foundations from drug store brands to department store brands, and nothing I have ever used compares to this.

It comes in a really cute container too, right? LOVE!

I apply it with a foundation brush but you could use your fingers just as easily.  Once you touch this stuff and feel how soft it is you will wonder why you used any other foundation.

One drawback to this foundation is that it only comes in 4 colors: Ivory, Buff, Blonde, and Almond.

I use Buff and it matches my skin perfectly.  I had used Ivory for awhile in the winter.  It was ok for the winter but I knew it was a bit too light for me.  I would use a powder over top of it to darken it which worked out really well.

I buy mine at Target, but you can also find it online and drugstore.com and us.boots.com

Do you have a go to foundation that you'd like to share? Let me know in the comments!





Etsy: Bird Necklace

I love cute and unusual jewelry that gets noticed and strikes up conversation, so when I saw this necklace on Etsy I new I had to have it.

Isn't it cute???  It is super simple so it goes with just about anything, even a casual t-shirt. 

If you'd like to get your hands on one just go here.  The seller on Etsy is RoseAndRaven.  They have lots of different necklaces if this one doesn't quite strike your fancy.  They have some great earrings as well.  Head on over and check them out, you won't be disappointed!

Not Every Pin Is Worth Pinning

I am sure that you are all aware that I love Pinterest.  I frequent it multiple times a day pinning things that are helpful and pictures that are just plain pretty.  Today I found out (the hard way) that not all pins are created equally.  I give you this example...

1 Minute Microwave Clean Muffin

I pinned this because 1) It looks AMAZING and 2) I'm always on the market for a quick, healthy breakfast

So, this morning I jumped out of bed, ran downstairs and whipped up this recipe hoping it would taste just like a fresh blueberry muffin...

This is what I got. 

I figured, ok, it doesn't look that great, but it probably tastes delicious........WRONG. 

Big disappointment. 

So, in closing, let this be a lesson to all you pinners out there.  There are millions of pins on Pinterest.  Don't be surprised if your chicken doesn't come out being the most mouthwatering chicken EVER. 

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Gelish: Need A Tan

Remember my post about doing your own gel polish at home?  Well, I recently ordered a new color from Amazon.com and it came in the mail yesterday!  Needless to say I busted it out of the packaging and got it on my nails ASAP.  I am a huge fan of neutral nails especially in a professional work environment.  Don't get me wrong, I have worn many non-neutral colors at work, but I prefer to keep it tamed down.

This color is called Need A Tan.  I did 2 coats which still left it a bit translucent, but I'm totally ok with that.  My guess is 3 coats would be just enough to make it completely opaque.

I always buy my polishes on Amazon.com  My advice when doing this is to look at pictures of the polish on someone's hand. You can find these pictures in the gallery when you click on the polish you want.  Some will have pictures and others won't.  You will get a much better idea of what the color is actually going to come out like rather than just looking at the color on the bottle.

Closet Organization

Our hallway closet downstairs has been a catch-all for coats, shoes, bags, and games since I can remember.  We also store our vacuum in there for easy access.  Every time I use the vacuum I have to go through the jungle of coats and roadblocks of shoes just to get it in and out (talk about annoying) .  So this morning when I discovered it was raining I decided it was the perfect time to reorganize.

Here is the before.  Ignore the stupid watermark on the photos.  I was trying out a new app on my phone and apparently you get this lovely watermark on every photo you share. WILL NOT BE USING THIS APP AGAIN!

Anyway...the closet has sliding doors which I'm not a huge fan of, because it makes it hard to organize the way I would like to.  I would have loved to hang umbrellas and bags on the inside of the door...maybe next house ;)

So here is the end result...


























We removed a lot of coats from the closet that really didn't need to be in there.  I put extra hats, gloves, and scarves into baskets on the shelf to make them more accessible.

All in all it wasn't a huge, dramatic change, but it definitely needed done and now I can move the vacuum in and out with ease :)

My Style Friday

Top: NY&C Pants: Loft Belt: Banana Republic

This is an outfit I wore to work. I'm really loving anything in the pink family right now for summer.  I have had this shirt for years.  It is perfect all year round by itself or under a cardigan.  I even have one in white.  I totally believe in buying multiples of something if you love how it looks on you. The pieces are investments and you will definitely get your money out of them.

Happy Friday!

Pinspiration Thursday

Remember my post about making my own laundry detergent?

Well, I love it so much that when I saw this pin about making my own fabric softener I knew I had to try it.

All you need is:
A large empty jug (I used an empty fabric softener bottle)
Water
White vinegar
Conditioner (I used Suave Rosemary Mint *yum*)

Mix 6 cups hot water with 2 cups of the conditioner in empty jug.
Shake until completely combined.
Add 3 cups white vinegar and shake.
Done.

Did I mention this was easy?

I use it in a Downy Ball since we have an ancient washer.  You can pour it directly into your machine's designated area for fabric softener as well (about 2 Tablespoons).

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Is It Bright In Here Or Is It Just Me?

Happy Wednesday! Here is something to brighten up your mood mid week

Blouse: Loft  Tank: Target

It's my 5th and final day of my work week today so I knew I needed something to make me look cheerful.

I'm safely dabbling in the color blocking trend this summer and this is what I came up with today.

Do you dare to color block?

YSL Lip Gloss/Stain

I love lip gloss, but I also like the staying power of a lip stain.  I tend to apply a lip stain in the morning and then put gloss on over it throughout the day.  When I discovered YSL's lip gloss and stain in one I knew I had to get my hands on it.

I got mine at Sephora for $32 in Beaute.  It's a lovely pink color that I absolutely adore.

It goes on just like a lip gloss but the color will remain all day!

I highly recommend it to all the lip gloss fans out there who wish the color would last throughout the day.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today is a special day.

Happy birthday to the best dad ever!!!

June Shopping

Just wanted to share a few things I picked up in the month of June.  Most of these were purchased after my birthday (of course I owed myself a shopping trip).

From left to right

1. Sperry Top Siders - DSW

2. Skirt in color shown - Loft

3. Capris in hot pink - Loft

4. Top in color shown - Loft

5. Cardigan in light blue - Loft

6. Sweater in coral - Loft

So yeah, I love The Loft :)  I also purchased a few items at H&M which I rarely shop at because the mall near us doesn't have one (yet!). Everything was on sale as well adding to the excitement.

I'm going to try and be good and not shop too much more until the fall (we shall see how long this lasts).

My Style Friday

Shirt: Gap  Shorts: Gap

When I don't have to work I am totally into comfort!  My summer wardrobe is basically shorts and a t-shirt or tank.  I am slowly and cautiously moving toward the maxi trend.  At 5'4" I feel like the long dresses swallow me up, but they're so darn cute I will try to make them work.

Happy Friday!

Pinspiration Thursday

Parmesan Squash Bake

As pinned HERE on Pinterest

I actually did not follow her recipe exactly as I was making this just for myself while Jas was away on business.

Makes 2 servings

What you need:

1 squash
1 zucchini
EVOO
grated parmesan cheese
garlic salt
onion powder
pepper

What you do:

Cut up the squash and zucchini into thin slices and arrange in 2 small ramekins. 
Drizzle EVOO over the squash and zucchini then top with the cheese and spices as desired
Bake in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes

This recipe is SO easy and delicious!

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This is how we do Independence Day

We like to enjoy our time off by lounging on couches hugging our favorite toys!

Hope you all have a great Independence Day :)

Hobby Lobby Love

One of my favorite stores to shop at for crafting supplies and home accents is Hobby Lobby.  If you have no idea what Hobby Lobby is, I am very sorry.  You are truly missing out! They have everything from Modge Podge to leopard print chairs at super affordable prices (and they always have great sales every week).  Here is a snap shot of a few items I picked up today.  I'm working on filling the void of space above out bed in the master (something I've been working on since we moved in *cough*2 1/2 years ago*cough*).

Each frame was under $3 and the spray paint was 30% off.  I don't have the final product 100% ironed out yet, but the right side of my brain is working on it.  We will let you know when we've figured it out.  

Birthday Blessings

I have to say that this birthday was one of the best I have ever had! The weekend prior I visited my family and was blessed with delicious smelling soaps, a cute bracelet, and gift cards to my favorite places. Throughout the week my coworkers showered me with sugar and Starbucks and Jas gave me an amazing new watch! Finally, today Jas' parents came to visit and gave me a fabulous Pandora necklace with charms from my sister-in-law and Jas' grandma. I feel so blessed to have such amazing friends and family in my life! Thank you thank you thank you!

Summer Corn Salad

I made this life changing corn salad last night and just knew I had to share the recipe!  After the first bite I knew this salad was going to be a regular in our summer dinner menu :)

I mean just LOOK how GORGEOUS that is!

INGREDIENTS:
6 ears of corn, shucked
1/2 cup finely diced red onion (I used a sweet, yellow onion)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar (I used cider)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon vinegar. Add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

I made this just for Jas and me, so I just used 2 ears of corn and cut the rest of the recipe by 1/3.  Super super easy! You don't have to boil the corn.  When I make corn on the cob I usually do it in the microwave (2 minutes per ear) or you could grill the corn to add another dimension of flavor.

I couldn't pick my favorite part of the salad, but Jas said he loved the tomatoes.  Ok, enough reading, GO MAKE THIS SALAD!