Where Have I Been?

I've been meaning to post an update, but things have gotten all shook up 'round here! Let me explain.

I've decided to go back to school. The plan began as just going to become a Dental Assistant, but once I found out the program is only for four months, and only 1-2 days per week, I started poking around some more. {If I'm going to go to college, I'm going to make the most of it!} Now I'm about to embark on a journey to become a Dental Assistant, and start courses towards becoming a Hygienist! With that, I've been spending the entire week taking and studying for placement tests, applying for financial aid, and doing a ton of research!

I go next week to register and pay for the Dental Assisting Program, and hopefully, if I can figure out this darn material, take my final placement test. {Math.... uggggh.} The math has me all kinds of frazzled, as it contains material I haven't seen since my sophomore year of high school! {Which was 13 years ago!} It has been quite the struggle trying to learn this stuff all by myself, so you can understand why I haven't had the time to blog lately.

This is all very exciting and overwhelming. I've always wanted to go to college, but circumstances don't always favor you when you're in the ideal season of life. But, as I told my daughter, you're never too old to learn, and I hope that this journey will be an inspiration to her to never give up on your dreams!

I do plan on continuing this blog, but the schedule will be somewhat wonky between finding material and the appropriate time to post. Don't fret, though! I'm still very tuned into Twitter and Facebook, so we can chat there anytime. ♥

Until next time,

Read More

Modern Mom Style: A Three Hour Tour....

Something about this top reminds me of Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island, or picnics, or pretty much any cliche country girl with her polka-dot top, cut-off shorts and boots. Once upon a time I found this Charlotte Russe top at a local consignment shop and just had to have it. However, I really should have tried it on, because it is the most awkward thing ever!

Let me explain....

As you can see, the neckline gathers strangely, and there's a gap along the buttons. No, it's not supposed to be that way. There's a strip of fabric that has folded backwards, and it seems it stayed that way for a while, because I just cannot get that sucker to straighten out! I obviously don't want my bare skin flashing, so I wear a dark cami underneath. The bunching along the neckline is because this top is too snug in the bust area. Yes, even for my little ta-ta's. The cami helps to smoosh them in a bit. I really love how this top looks, but it is just all kinds of wrong for me. I make it work, but don't wear it all that often.

Now that we've talked about my cute-but-ill-fitting top, let's talk a bit about the rest of my outfit. I'm wearing some dark, distressed Arizona jeans and my Merona Macha Flat Buckle Boots {similar}, which you can see better here. Altogether a stylish and comfortable mix of dressed down and dressed up. {Does that make sense?}

What do you think?

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. When you click-through this link and make a purchase, you help support the site! For more information regarding my policies, please click here.

Read More

No-Sew Pillow Craft for Kids

I don't know about you, but I find it hard to find crafts for my 7 (almost eight)-year-old. A lot of the Google results are for littles... like ages 2-4. I know craft posts are popular, and my How to Make Your Own Personalized Coffee Mugs post has done really well, so since it had been so long since L and I had craft time, I figured I needed to do some digging. I wanted something easy and inexpensive, but something fun, and of course, something L could do by herself. {Not entirely, but have a hand in.} I came across and decided on a No-Sew Pillow.

L's bed is usually full of blankets, pillows and a ridiculous number of stuffed animals. Honestly, I don't know how she even fits in there to sleep! Considering, I knew a pillow would excite her, and excite it did. She was almost as excited to hear about the project as she was to do it, and she and the pillow have been inseparable since.

For this project we went to Jo-Ann Fabric. They always have a great selection of fabrics at very affordable prices. To our surprise, not only did we find two whole aisles of 40% off fabric, but pillow forms were also 40% off! I let L choose her own fabric from the sale aisles, and she first spotted this eye-straining neon yellow fleece - this would be the back of the pillow. She then spotted the also neon butterfly fleece print, which as luck would have it, had the exact same shade neon yellow on it. I'm telling you, this thing is vibrant! But, hey, who cares? She likes it and it's her pillow. Am I right?

• Butterfly Fabric: $4.66
• Yellow Fabric: $6.06
• Pillow: $11.99

Grand Total with Tax: $24.07

The first thing we did was lay out our fabric. Our pillow was 20x20, so we had the lady cut the fabric 24x24 for what would be our fringe. You can, of course, have the fringe as long or as short as you'd like, but I recommend no less than three inches more than your pillow or else you won't be able to tie the fringe.

We began cutting our fringe before I considered our corners. Don't make this mistake - it just makes for more work. I would first cut your corners. Since we chose four inches, I cut a 4x4 section out of each corner. Then we finished cutting our fringe, which were one inch wide by four inches long.

Once we cut the fringe all the way around, we began tying the three sides of our pillow. You tie the top fringe to the bottom fringe. We chose to double-knot to ensure they'd stay put. {We also chose a pillow form rather than stuffing for easy washing later on.} Make sure to knot them tight enough to close up any gaps, but not so tight that the edges begin to bunch.

Once you have tied three sides, put your pillow inside, then close up the fourth and final side. Our pillow had a little room inside the case, which was fine, but we probably could have done 23x23 for a snugger fit. Trial and error, my friends. Trial and error.

L is thrilled with her pillow! She had so much fun making it, which gives her an added sense of satisfaction. It was supposed to be her t.v.-watching pillow, hence the large size, but she is using it for t.v. time and bed time, and pretty much any time. We're already talking about making a No-Sew Blanket for our next project!

I hope you'll try this with your older child. {I recommend ages 6-10.} It's incredibly easy and rewarding for your child, and inexpensive too! We had a blast doing it!

Read More

Our Candy-Less Easter (and Its Surprising Reception)

No, we're not cruel parents who don't believe in candy anymore. No, we haven't lost our minds, and no, L didn't suffer from not getting candy in her Easter basket. First and foremost, I don't believe that Easter is about candy, and I really don't care to indulge in that. However, up until today we had always purchased some candy for her basket, and she always {even this year} gets candy from class parties, family/church egg hunts, etc.

With that said, let me explain why we chose not to include candy in L's Easter basket. Before today L had participated in two egg hunts and had a class party, and proceeded to eat all of that candy without having asked for any of it, and then lied about where it went. On several occasions. Oh, and killed off a bag of my own personal stash. It's the sneaking and the lying that put us over the edge. And honestly, after all that, she didn't really need anymore candy. It just makes for trouble around here.

So, thanks to her behavior and the overabundance of candy everywhere we looked, we decided not to purchase a single piece for her basket. Instead, the Easter Bunny so kindly chose some coloring books, crayons, Easter-themed DVDs, random games, and a package of dark chocolate covered dried plums. We weren't sure how she'd feel about this year's basket, but I awoke to her feet pattering across the hardwood, and the subsequent stampeding up the stairs to bang on our door and say, "Mom! You just have to see my Easter basket!", then later proclaim, "This is the best Easter ever!"

For those of you who aren't keen on adding more candy to however much your child may be getting, or perhaps your child doesn't like candy/has an intolerance to it, you may find this post helpful. When L was smaller, we didn't give her candy for obvious reason, so instead we packed the pastel plastic eggs with pretzel sticks, Cheerios and, on the rare occasion, a few Peppermint Patties. {Those were her favorite.} We've always purchased little games and random odds-and-ends for her basket as well. If you're looking for specifics, these are the items in L's basket:

• Bible Stories Giant Coloring Book
• Peanuts Coloring Book
• Maps to Color and Learn (United States)
• Here Comes Peter Cottontail DVD {The original t.v. classic! I had this on VHS as a kid and loved it!}
• VeggieTales An Easter Carol DVD
• The Story of Jesus and Many More Book {Also includes stories of Ruth & Naomi, Elijah and Samson.}
• Pair of Bunny Ears
• Tabletop Pool Game
• Rabbit Racing Game
• Crayola Crayons
• Sunsweet Dark Chocolate Covered Plum Sweets

That's a lot of stuff! The movies were purchased a couple weeks ago for $7.99 and $5.99, and the rest was purchased from the Dollar Tree and Walmart, for anywhere between $0.97 and $3.00. Movies aside, I spent less than $20. Sadly, I know if we had purchased candy, we would have spent more.

I'm thrilled L is so happy with her Easter basket, and that she knows candy or the Easter Bunny isn't the reason for the holiday. We both know it's about Jesus and His resurrection!

I hope you and yours have a wonderful day!


P.S. My local Dollar Tree had a surprisingly wonderful selection of Christian items for kids. Everything from storybooks, to activities, to puzzles, to coloring books, and much more, and all for one dollar!

Read More

All That Glitters Is Glam: City Color Glam Gloss in Beige

I feel like I'm on a roller coaster of emotions with these new City Color products. I went from saying "These are great!", to "Eh, not so much", to "HOLY MOLY! These are amazing!", to "Womp womp", and now I'm back to "Eh, not so much" with this Glam Gloss in Beige. Let me begin with the brand's description.

Achieve those luscious lips with Glam Gloss for a maximum shimmer sheen. Comes in 5 gleaming colors with a light weight formula and shimmery texture to add a rich jewel-like finish.

Availability: Select drugstores, citycolorbeauty.com
Pricing: $1.99

The new Glam Glosses packaging tapers toward the end, has a black cap and doe foot applicator. The inner part of the packaging creates a hexagonal appearance, which I thought was kinda nifty. The applicator is on the smaller end as far as doe foot's go, but for my puny pucker, I think it's just right.

There's a sickeningly sweet aroma to Beige... I can't put my finger on it {Because I'm horrible at describing fragrances. Sorry.}, but it's really sweet. Like rot-your-teeth-candy-type sweet. It will probably turn a sensitive stomach, but I kind of like it. Crazy, I know. What can I say?

Beige is a really sheer sandy pink, but the silver shimmer throughout is very noticeable, which makes Beige a great layering shade. There's an easy-going shine, as in it doesn't make your lips look lusciously wet, but they aren't flat-looking either. The only trouble to this thin consistency is... it doesn't last. Not even a little. Almost not at all. Similar to the Creamy Lipstick in Soft Pink, this stuff is gone within an hour. And don't even think about trying to take a sip of that latte, because Beige ain't havin' it.

So, as you can see, I'm in somewhat of a conundrum. I like its scent, and the fact that I can wear Beige over any shade of lipstick or lip liner, but this bad boy just won't commit! I'm not one to re-apply any lip color throughout the day. Once my lipstick/gloss/liner has worn off, it's Vaseline or another type of balm from there on out. Now, if you don't mind touching up, and doing it frequently, do pick up City Color's Glam Gloss in Beige, because that shimmer is gawgeous!



You can also find City Color Cosmetics on Facebook and Twitter!

Disclosure: The product(s) featured in this post were provided by the brand or their PR company for consideration. For more information regarding my policies, please click here.

Read More

With a Little Help from My Friends.... City Color's Perfect Night Eye Shadow Palette Review

Today concludes my batch of new City Color products to share with you, and to kick off this finale is the Perfect Night Eye Shadow Palette in Purple; four varying shades of purple eyeshadow in a mix of matte and shimmer finishes, all for less than three bucks! I must admit, at first glance this arrangement of color reminded me of my treasured Estée Lauder Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Berry Quartz {now discontinued}. There's a little something for every purple lover {I'm looking at you, Jackie}, but be warned, you will need some help from other products.

City Color claims their new Perfect Night Eye Shadow Palettes have:

The perfect four shades of color to complement every look. The four color combinations allow you to create the perfect smokey look with the buildability of each color which allows you to take the look from day to night.

Availability: Select drugstores, citycolorbeauty.com
Pricing: $2.99

The packaging is small, but easy-to-use thanks to the elongated pans. There's a dual-ended applicator included with a sponge tip on one side and a tapered eyeliner-like brush on the other. The rear label houses all your need-to-knows, as well as the shade name, which is so cleverly called Purple.

I had no problems getting any size shader brush into the pan slots. Half of the shades are small, and the other half are large, which doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason as to why they chose the lightest and darkest shades to be the larger pans.... /shrug. It's also worth noting there isn't a designated highlight/brow bone shade in this palette - The lightest purple shade has too much color to be appropriately used as such. {And that's not the only reason why you'll need other products to complete your masterpiece.}

The texture of the shadows is on the soft side. Be careful how much pressure you apply when picking up your color, because if you use too much, the shadow will crumble. Despite its soft texture, I didn't experience any fallout during application.

Most of the shades are on the sheer side, with the deepest, almost eggplant shade offering the most pigmentation on the first pass. All of the other shades required three-to-four layers to be visible on the eye. The first/top left shade is a muted matte purple that's very similar to the last/bottom right shade, except that shade offered more color with less work, and had a subtle shimmer finish. The second/top right shade ties the eggplant shade for most vibrant, and a noticeable shimmer finish. It's lilac, and leans a smidge blue. The bottom left shade is the eggplant shade I've mentioned, it has a matte finish and leans brown.

All four of the shadows applied evenly, but they're definitely muted on the eye. The best shade of the whole palette is the eggplant shade - it didn't need any assistance from outside products. However, since that shade would have/should have been the defining/contour shade, I needed to use a separate product for that purpose, and the lilac shade was so sheer on the eye I needed to go over it with another eyeshadow. Using a colored base will most certainly help boost the pigmentation, but I don't think you should have to use another product to get something to perform as it should.

The colors are certainly lovely, and if they had better pigmentation I would definitely recommend it, but sadly, it does not. It's certainly not the worst palette I've tried, but it's not the best either. Even considering the price point, there are plenty of other options for you purple-lovers out there.

I feel like such a downer....

Here, feel better.

You're welcome.


You can also find City Color Cosmetics on Facebook and Twitter!

Disclosure: The product(s) featured in this post were provided by the brand or their PR company for consideration. For more information regarding my policies, please click here.

Read More

Deal of the Day: Target's Spring Clearance

Y'all know how much I love Target. I mean, practically every article of clothing I own was purchased there, as well as all of my shoes, and I just can't resist browsing their accessories almost every time I visit. Clothing and accessories aside, Target also has some of the best housewares, and whenever L needs new shoes or some new duds, that's where we go. Hubs won't even step into a Walmart, so thank God for Target, am I right?

The other day I got an email announcing Target's Spring Clearance, which features savings of up to 65% off, and includes everything from clothing, to furniture and home decor, to toys, and more. Some of these deals are in-store only or online only, so be sure to check, and I'd get shopping if I were you because this stuff is selling out fast! {Don't forget to check Ebates if shopping online to earn 2% cash back!}

Anyway, I browsed a few sections of the clearance and compiled a list of favorites for you. Just in case you needed some shopping inspiration...... Ha! Right. I know you don't need any help there. /wink.

{As shown from left to right.}

• Coat Rack and Umbrella Stand in Antique White
• Coat Rack in Espresso
• Threshold Lion Bookends
• Pleated 8-Piece Bedding Set in Violet
• Dolce Office in a Box 3-Piece Set in Black

Okay, so those coat racks are just darling, aren't they? I especially love the Espresso one, and I must add those racks were originally $50-$60! The bookends are another favorite, but I would most definitely paint them another color. I think they'd be an amazing addition to any bookshelf, but I'm not particularly keen on the design, but that's not something some Krylon Spray Paint won't fix! The bedding set was a quick pick. It was one of the dozens available that I liked, and I couldn't possibly have compiled all of the ones I thought would be a good buy. The lower price is for the Queen size, and the higher price for the King/California King. Basically, any of their 8-Piece sets is a steal of a deal! Lastly, the office set... it's $100 off its original price! If you're just starting out, are perhaps have a tween needing their own work space, I would definitely spend the money on this set.

{As shown from left to right.}

• Mossimo Women's Jersey Shirt Dress in Grape Manor
• Mossimo Women's Dolman Sleeve Hi-Low Top
• Mossimo Women's Long Sleeve Blouse in Osage Orange
• Merona Women's Washed Chino Pant in Bonjour Brown and Manzanita Berry

Most of what I found in Women's Clearance was maternity wear, so if you're expecting, definitely go give it a browse! Maternity and sportswear aside {sportswear isn't exciting....}, I have these four picks. I figured the shirt dress would look great with some leggings and boots if you're in an area that hasn't realized it's Spring yet. I'd also totally use a scarf or statement necklace to jazz it up a bit. The tops don't have much explanation... I saw them, thought they were cute, and when I saw they were less than $10... Need I say more? They definitely look designer! The chinos are just one of those wardrobe staples - You should definitely have a few, so I chose a basic timeless khaki shade, as well as a trendier berry shade, which will be perfect for Spring! Cuff 'em a bit with some heels, or wear them as-is with some cute flats!

{As shown from left to right.}

• Hello Kitty Girls' Short-Sleeve Tee
• Cherokee Girls' Sweater Vest in Heather
• Cherokee Girls Faux Fur Jacket in Animal Print

The kids section was pretty picked through, that is unless you're looking for some pajamas, in which case you'll be just fine. L loves Hello Kitty, so when I saw this cute angled tee, I had to pick it up. The sweater vest is just too cute and quite the steal, and would work nicely for Spring or Fall, so I'd get it a little large if you'd like to carry it to the next season. Last, but not least, that faux fur jacket! Now is the time to buy jackets and/or coats, because most stores are slashing their prices. I typically purchase L's coats about this time of year and buy them big. The one I bought last season fit nicely this past Winter, and is actually a little roomy, so she could possibly wear it again next Winter! This faux fur jacket was originally $40, so I'd take the $27 price tag, especially since I've been eyeing it since it first came out.

Do tell, what do you think of my picks? Will you be shopping this sale?

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. When you click-through this link and make a purchase, you help support the site! For more information regarding my policies, please click here.

Read More

Totally Tubular! City Color's Creamy Lipstick in Soft Pink Will Take You Back...

Think Madonna, Tab, Hammer Pants, Fraggle Rock, and sayings like "Gag me with a spoon"... Get my picture? City Color's new Soft Pink Creamy Lipstick reminds me of the 80's with its pale hue and frosty finish. As soon as it hit my lips I felt like I needed a hair crimper and some wrist warmers. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. Soft Pink could really come in handy for your next themed party!

City Color's Creamy Lipsticks are a new line of moisturizing lipsticks available in eight shades. Staying in line with their other new products, the Creamy Lipsticks have simple black packaging. The overall shape curves for a somewhat hourglass figure, has a glossy finish and a clear base so you can easily see the shade inside. I personally enjoy this type of packaging because you don't have to read a label to select your color. {This is especially handy if you own an embarrassing number of lipsticks like I do....} Looks aside, the packaging and I have had a few squabbles. Most of the time the product won't swivel up... you know, so I can actually use the lipstick...., and the cap doesn't really stay on. It wobbles around, and doesn't inspire much confidence it won't pop off in your bag. No bueno. Also, and I don't know if this happened during shipping, but the tip of Soft Pink was broken off and the lipstick almost looked like it had melted, as it was lopsided. Hm.

Availability: Select drugstores, citycolorbeauty.com
Pricing: $1.99

 Shown in its stuck position.

Packaging aside, Soft Pink is indeed creamy. It smoothed onto my lips with ease, and deposited true color along the way. Soft Pink is a pale baby pink with a silvery, frosty finish. It was somewhat even, but did settle into the lines in my lips fairy quickly, and it didn't feel terribly moisturizing. In fact, after just a few minutes my lips began to feel parched.

At first I thought maybe it was just this particular shade that screamed "Flock of Seagulls", but a quick Google search took me to Painted Ladies, who had swatches of two others shades, and I could definitely see a similar frostiness in the shade Coral. Obviously, I'm not a fan of the finish. I don't personally feel frosty lipstick looks good on anyone, and it certainly doesn't suit me. However, good on ya if you happen to enjoy frost-finished lipsticks!

Alright, so we've talked about the busted packaging, the color itself, and its application. Let's now talk about longevity. There is none. Soft Pink lasted maybe an hour, and that's only because I hadn't drank or eaten anything. As soon as you put anything to your lips, you can kiss your color good-bye. What's worse was I had some weird flaking going on after it had worn off, and my lips weren't dry when I put it on... Weird, huh?

Sadly, I won't be reaching for Soft Pink again. Even if the color weren't so retro-feeling, it didn't feel moisturizing on my lips, wore off far too quickly, and left my lips looking pretty jacked up. Try one of City Color's Lip Balm's for amazing color payoff, moisture and longevity, and for the same low price of $1.99! {They are seriously phenomenal!}

Sorry, Soft Pink, we can't be friends.


You can also find City Color Cosmetics on Facebook and Twitter!

Disclosure: The product(s) featured in this post were provided by the brand or their PR company for consideration. For more information regarding my policies, please click here.

Read More

Paleo Dirty "Rice" Recipe

Spicy, savory and healthy, this dish is sure to please a crowd! Even L enjoyed it, despite her dislike for spicy foods. I forget how I stumbled upon this recipe, but I'm so glad I did because it's delectable! Dirty Rice is technically a side dish, but you could totally add some chicken or ground turkey and turn it into a main course. We didn't add any meat and still ate it as a main course, and it was surprisingly filling!

Considering this utilizes cauliflower, you won't get that starchy texture or flavor you're probably used to, but honestly, I didn't miss it. Riced cauliflower is very close to traditional rice, and it's leaps and bounds better for you. Cauliflower naturally detoxifies the body, is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Omega 3's, and fiber. I'm finding more and more ways to use cauliflower, and each way is easy and delicious!

---

Paleo Dirty "Rice" Recipe

{Adapted from Elana's Pantry}

• 3 cups Cauliflower, riced with your food processor
• 1 cup White Onion, diced
• 1 cup Mixed Pepper Strips
• 1 cup Broccoli 
• 2 tbs. Avocado Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet or medium-sized pot.
2. Add onion, mixed pepper strips and broccoli.
3. Saute until soft.
4. Stir in riced cauliflower, adding your seasonings.
5. Add the chicken or vegetable stock. Stir.
6. Allow to simmer on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes or until the liquid has cooked down.
7. If necessary, drain excess liquid. {My liquid never cooked all the way down and needed to be drained.}
8. Devour.

Note: If you want to double this recipe, I suggest starting off with the same amount of stock, and adding a little as/if needed. My cauliflower yielded more than three cups, so I adjusted the stock from the get-go, and had considerably more than needed.

---

Nom, nom, nom....

Read More