Pared Down Make Up Products

Much like my overstuffed closet, I had a sizable collection of beauty products and make up that needed to be drastically pared down.  I went from having enough products to take up several medicine cabinets down to just enough to fit in a shoe-box sized container.  I have tried to use PETA friendly products and though the skincare page unfortunately includes two products not on the "good" list, this post has only one listed.

As for makeup there are a few essentials: BB cream, concealer, blush, mascara, powder, one day time lip gloss and one or two fun lipsticks.  I don't have the patience or the time for anything more complicated than what is below and the only things I can be relied upon to wear daily is BB cream and lip gloss.  The other products are for the mornings I have time/energy or someplace more festive to be than the office or grocery store.   I don't tend to wear much eyeshadow because I wear contacts and have sensitive skin, so I don't have suggestions for any here.  Sorry Too Faced, but your eyeshadow in the palette below caused an allergic reaction around my eyes.  Despite the nice colors, red puffy eyes and faces are not trending right now.

 Tarte BB Cream and Pressed Powder

Benefit Erase Paste
* not PETA approved

Blush and Lip Gloss (lower tray) from Too Faced To-Go Palette

Tarte Mascara

Tarte Lipstick in Foxy (Bright Pink) and Wild (Red)

note: NOT FOR WORK, EVER

This routine has been pretty simple and no fuss for a while now and I actually feel better when I use just the basics every day.  Putting your best (easiest) face forward is a great way to start the day!  The products have worked for my coloring and my daily routine, so find the colors and products that work well for you.    But try to keep it simple and easy!

* None of the companies listed above are sponsors, I'm just sharing what products I use! *

Skincare Regimens - What's Essential

Much like my overstuffed closet, I had a sizable collection of skincare products that needed to be drastically pared down.  I went from having enough products to take up several medicine cabinets down to just the basics.  I have tried to use PETA friendly products and though the make up page unfortunately includes one product not on the approved list, this post has two listed as well.  When I am able to find a suitable cruelty free replacement, I'll update the post accordingly.  The one item I have not included here is an eye cream. I have sensitive skin and wear contacts so finding the right product is still a challenge.

If you aren't sure of a good place to start and can't get into see a dermatologist, I highly recommend Dr. Baumann's The Skin Type Solution.  It will help you determine which skincare type you have and also offers recommendations at various prices points for the products you need.   You don't have to buy all the products she recommends but it can help you find suitable equivalents.

All you need is a cleanser, a toner, a good sunscreen, a moisturizer and if applicable a spot blemish treatment.

Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Cleanser

Murad Essential C Toner
 

Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen
* not PETA approved
* put on prior to moisturizing cream 

 

 

Alba Jasmine and Vitamin E Moisturizing Cream

Proactiv Refining Mask

* not PETA approved
* for pesky imperfections

This routine has been pretty simple and no fuss for a while now and I can say that I am quite please with it  The products worked for my specific skin type, my daily routine and is easy to take on the go with travel containers since there are so few of them.  I would encourage you to go out, find your essential products and stick with what works! Just keep it simple and easy!

* None of the companies listed above are sponsors, I'm just sharing what products I use! *

Capsule Wardrobe - Spring Summer Edition

Hi Folks,

This post is for the ladies out there with too many clothes in your closet.  Yes, there is such a thing.  Lately I have been looking at my closet and thinking "What am I going to where"? But staring back at me is a closet full (and I mean full) of clothes, how does this happen?  I often dreamed of a closet a la Carrie Bradshaw but the concept of having a vast and varied wardrobe wasn't really working for me.  There must be a way to simplify.   So I started searching the concept of capsule wardrobes before I start ditching most of the stuff in my closet.

Here are a few blogs that I found helpful. You can also just Google "capsule wardrobe", some very kind and stylish bloggers have posted various collections for people to use as inspiration.

http://loulou15081978.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/my-guide-to-the-capsule-wardrobe/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/capsule-wardrobe
http://www.thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/2012/09/why-not-build-capsule-wardrobe-on-budget.html

Though the clothes were donated to charity, initially I found the idea of parting with my clothes (even the items I have never worn) a little difficult.  Again, a White Whine kinda problem.  But after a while it actually became pretty therapeutic and then I just felt great about the clothing purge. 

I like the idea of a nautical but not overwhelmingly beach theme for the clothing.  Here is my wish list that I am slowly working on (so far only have the white skirt from what's below):

This does not include some basic vintage style tees/tank tops among some items I already have (navy Michael Kors blouse, white cardigan, tan flats) and does not include other accessories (bags, belts, etc which will hopefully also be very few).   Rather than spend ridiculous amounts of money all at once, I have been buying a few pieces at a time and swapping out for less versatile pieces kept as transition pieces.  The overall idea is to have clothes for work and for casual wear that are good quality but beyond easy to mix and match!   What I like about the clothes above is that almost half of them can be swapped in for a fall or winter wardrobe (slacks, plain navy blouses, blue jeans) making it even more of a good investment.

Once it's all put together, I'll put the outfit variations in another post for you!

Container Garden - 2013 Edition

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd put up a gardening post (finally).  I held off on photographing our container garden until it grew a bit because it was looking a bit pitiful.  I bought the plants in May, then proceeded to pot them and put them out on the deck before we had our last "frost".    Container gardening is super easy and I learned some lessons from last year that I'll share with you too.

Firstly try to pot everything separately.  I made a mistake of trying to utilize too little place for too many plants last year.  I got some of the Topsy Turvy standing planters, putting herbs along the top and peppers and tomatoes out of the sides.  Bad idea.  One of the cucumber plants that I had put out of the side to climb up the railing got sick and then all the plants started looking not so good.   Also if you can get your hands on some Alpine strawberry plants, I would recommend them over the traditional red berries.  The birds won't try to eat them because they end up being a pastel yellow and the yield was fairly decent despite the much smaller berries.  I didn't have time to scour around for them this year so we just did the regular red strawberries but now I wish I had spent the time to find the Alpine ones.  So far we haven't been able to pick one berry to eat because of the crazy amounts of rain and the birds getting to them first.

 I have always used Miracle Gro mix with room temperature tap water to fertilize once a week and have been happy with the results.  A few other tips, don't pick fruits before/during rain, just wait until you have a drier day and pick them.  I usually prune off any leaves that look sickly or spotted.  If you are looking for a nice organic pesticide/herbicide/fungicide try Neem.  The premixed spray is more expensive over time but the effort of mixing in concentrate and then deciding what to do with the extra (because you mix a gallon at a time) proved to be a bit of pain for a small container garden but would be better suited for a larger garden.

Ancho Peppers

Banana Peppers

Yellow Pear Tomatoes

Roma Tomatoes

Bush Hybrid Tomatoes

Sweet Basil

  Chocolate Mint

Rosemary

  Strawberries

Yellow Peppers

Above is what we have so far and hopefully I'll be able to put up some posts for recipes and canning for you too as we get more yield.

Breakfast of Champions - Favorite Post-Run Breakfast

So one of my best friends has invited me to run a marathon with her in November.  Now this involves not just a lot running, but a lot of early morning running before work.  One challenge that I have faced over the years is that I'm not a weekday breakfast person (give me coffee and don't bother me until I have had at least 16-20 oz).  But when you train for bigger races, and your runs are in the AM, breakfast is a must.  Below is not a recipe exactly but more like my favorite post-run breakfast.  It's quick and easy and it tastes good. 

The first thing I do when I get home is drink a small glass of chocolate soy milk.  Nice little mini recovery calories before you eat a bit more.   After that I put 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread on a microwave safe pate and heat it up for about a minute, then leave it out to cool.  Since the bread is frozen and flourless it tends to get soggy if you don't toast it.  But if you microwave it for a bit and let it dry out some, it's just a good as toast when you're crunched for time.  Then I go on about my morning getting ready for work.  But the time you're done - about 15-20 mins - I usually start with a banana and then either use Justin's Maple Almond Butter or Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (pictured below) with the quasi-toasted bread  In most cases it is not as unhealthy as sweetened organic butters and it just tastes way better than plain old almond or peanut butters. 

All of these items are easy to take on the go also and they will keep you feeling full through most of the morning!

$5 Friday Recipe - Yellow Squash and Pasta with Parlsey Pesto

Hi Folks,

I am planning on posting a recipe every other Friday featuring a meal that can be made for around or under $5 or $10 that is both delicious and healthy for TWO PEOPLE!  The $5/10 doesn't account for things that most people have around their house (pasta, oil, seasonings).   One thing that I have heard nearly everywhere I go is that eating healthy is too expensive.  What I have found is that several things make the food more expensive:  the portions you dole out for yourself (often way too much), focus on the unhealthier parts of the recipes (elaborate sauces and forgoing simple seasonings) and moving away from simple ingredients among other things.

This week's recipe is for yellow squash and whole wheat pasta with a parsley pesto sauce. We are lucky to have a decent farmers market with lots of great local vendors.  We found out one of the farms was actually only a mile away from our house!  Last weekend we armed ourselves with $5 (and some change) to see what we could find.  Below is what we picked up for a whopping $5.15: a yellow squash, a small onion, a head of garlic (bonus there is extra for other cooking) and a bunch of parsley!  We had a half a box of whole wheat pasta in the cabinet so we threw that in for some extra carbs.  If you are not vegan, for less than $5 a serving you could add chicken or other protein so there is a lot of flexibility here that won't break the bank.

Roasted Squash and Onions
1.  Wash off and dice/slice/cube the squash and small onion depending on your preference.
2.  Place squash and onion on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3.  Roast at 400 degrees for about 20-35 minutes depending on how you cut.

Parsley Pesto Sauce
1.  Clean and take the leaves off the parsley.
2.  Take 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and place with leaves in the food processor.
3.  Slowly drizzle oil oil until the sauce begins to form.
4.  Set aside or refrigerate until ready to toss over pasta.

Boil pasta at the very end and drain thoroughly.  Toss in roasted squash/onions and pour pesto sauce over and mix gently and you're ready to serve.

Zucchini Squash "Parm"

Hi Folks,

Another delicious, healthy, vegan recipe for ya!

Ingredients
1 medium-large Zucchini Squash washed and quartered
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Daiya Vegan Cheese
Garlic and Herd tomato sauce

Place squash in oven safe casserole dish peel down.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Back in preheated 400 degree oven for 30-35 mins
Remove from oven and spoon over 1-2 tablespoons of sauce over each quarter and sprinkle some vegan cheese.
Put back in oven and back for 5-10 minutes

Enjoy!

Raspberry Orange Muffins

Bisquick is turning out to be pretty handy lately.  Here is a recipe for Raspberry Orange Muffins I made last minute for a big breakfast we hosted.

Ingredients
3 and 1/2 cups of bisquick mix
2 cups of milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp orange extract
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of EnerG egg replacer
1 cup frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all wet ingredients well.
Stir in egg replacer
Add bisquick mix.
Fold in raspberries gently with a spatula.
Poor into greased muffin tins, silicone muffin pan but only 2/3 of the way full. (I used foil muffin wraps placed in the silicone baking cups on a big sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Depending on which type of oven you have, check to make sure it is baked all the way through by piercing it with a sharp knife.  If it comes out clean, you're all set, just cool them down and serve 'em up!

Makes 18 muffins.