My Minimalist Makeup Essentials

I classify myself as a pretty low-maintenance girl. No mani-pedis,, blow-drys or high-end department store makeup for me.  I wash my hair, let it air dry and head out the door, BUT I do try to take care of my skin, cleansing it every night and wearing sunscreen moisturizer every day. I also have some makeup essentials that I use pretty much all the time. They are easy enough to apply that I can put on my "everyday face" in less than five minutes. Here they are:

1. BB cream- I jumped onboard the bandwagon for these right away. Light coverage, moisture AND SPF in one fell swoop? Yes, please. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Medium/Deep is my current favorite because of its semi-matte finish and high SPF (30!), and, at around $8, is one of the most affordable current drugstore brands. I've also tried Garnier's brand , and I like it better for summer because the Medium one is a deeper color and gives a dewier look.



2. Tinted lip balm/gloss- I found my Holy Grail of tinted lip balm, and I can never let them go- Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, moisturizes my once chronically chapped and peeling lips better than these. And I love that they have SPF 15 built in. My favorite colors are the sheer gold-tinged wine of Pinot for warmer months and the rich brownish tint of Clove for fall and winter.


3. Pixi Beauty Endless Silky Eye Pen- This is another of my can't live without products. I love, love, love the way these liners smoothly apply with nary a tug on my delicate eye area. And their richly pigmented colors show up on me like nothing else. My favorite colors in constant rotation are Straight On Til Morning, a rich khaki green with just the perfect, flattering amount of sparkle, and Deep Plum, which reads on me like a deep brown with just a hint of purple.


4. Blush/bronzer- Last, but not least, I do always try to apply some blush and/or bronzer to wake up my sallow, sometimes sleepy complexion. It really is the perfect finishing touch, and gives you just the right amount of oomph. I'm actually currently using a cheapie find from Target that just does the job. It is the e.l.f. Blush and Bronzing Powder in Turks and Caicos which comes with a warm. peachy coral color with just a smattering of sparkle, and a warmer, deeper toned bronzer. I have included a link from amazon below just to get the picture in but I found mine at Target for just $3.

I'm curious to know what are your everyday makeup essentials?

I Didn't Know You Could Do That!

Happy Monday! Did your kids drive you crazy trying to get out the door this morning? No, really? Yeah, mine neither...not.

For today's post I'm sharing some helpful household hints that I've gathered from various sources, hope you can benefit from them:

1. How to get those lingering garlic and onion cooking smells off your hands:
Your leftover-from-the-holidays Bath & Body Works Candy Cane Bliss hand soap isn't even going to the trick but what will is if you rub your soap-laden hands along the length of your stainless-steel faucet tap before you rinse. Now, I once fell for a marketing ploy and bought a soap-shaped piece of steel just for this purpose, but when I lost it in one of my family's various moves (we are a mobile Army family) my mom suggested this idea and, what do you know? It's free, and it works.

2. You can replace your baggie clips with cheap, old rubber bands:
I loved baggie clips but when one breaks, on its own or purposely taken apart by your curious four-year-old, you have to buy new ones. I tried to buy the cheap ones you can find in the dollar store, but those break in an instant. I know that extra clothespins can easily double for this purpose, but I haven't had the luxury of hanging my clothes out to dry...ever, so I don't have any of those lying around. What I do seem to find around the house all the time are rubber bands. You can stretch those babies around most chip/cookie/cracker/salad (you know I had to throw something healthy in that mix for good measure) bags, and you're good to go. Plus, you don't feel bad if they break because you can get them super cheap (I saw a box of 425 for $1.98) or for free, like from a bunch of yummy asparagus (well, I think it's yummy but I'm still trying to convince the kids.)

3. Heat up leftover pizza in a skillet/frying pan:
If it were just me eating, I would scarf up that pizza straight out of the fridge. I love cold pizza, BUT the rest of the family does not. So, take those slices of pizza and heat them up in your frying pan on medium heat. The crust will get a little crisped up again, and the cheese will get melty. Mmmm...pizza.

4. Empty food containers are great organizing tools:
Maybe you've already seen a crafty example of using a purposefully cut cereal box into a magazine file but did you know you can also use it to rally your boxes of sandwich and freezer bags, plastic wrap and foil together? I did this at home, and you can, too. Find out how to make by clicking right here.

Also, if you need a canister for holding onto your cooking utensils, may I suggest using an empty oatmeal box? You can get super crafty and decorate it with Mod Podge and pretty paper, if you like.

5. Simple Shower/Tub Cleaner Idea:
Does anyone else hate scrubbing out the bathtub? I know I do. But this method I saw at Joyful Homemaking sounds pretty easy and doable. All you need is vinegar, (Dawn) dish soap and a soap-dispensing dish-washing wand, and you can do it while you're already in the shower. I'm trying this out ASAP.

Friday, Yummy Friday- Spiced City Cake (Dairy Free!)

Sometimes you look at the ingredients for a recipe, and you can't believe that it will turn out right. That's how I felt when I saw the elegant Indian chef known as the Spice Goddess prepare this lovely spiced chocolate cake on Cooking Channel. The emperor has no milk, eggs or butter, folks! I could not believe how moist and tasty this confection is. I happen to have a niece and nephew with dairy allergies who I am eager to make this for, but as for my dairy loving little ones- they loved it!

Recipe Notes:
*You can make a dairy-free glaze or frosting for this with powdered sugar and some sort of liquid like lemon, orange or other citrus juice or even water and some flavoring like vanilla extract but I used a cream cheese and powdered sugar glaze for our cake
*Feel free to kick up the spices if you like, or reduce them, but I thought the given amounts were perfectly balanced
*Recipe calls for cardamom but I used cinnamon with great results
*I just used an 8 or 9-inch round pan instead of the less common 6x3-inch round pan

Spiced City Cake from the Spice Goddess

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (*see Notes above)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 6-inch by 3-inch round cake pan (* see Notes).

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, fennel, and cardamom and whisk to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the water, vegetable oil, and vinegar and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Cool on a rack and serve.

 

*If you'd like to check out the Spice Goddess whipping up more delicious Indian treats on Cooking Channel, please click here.

A Messy Choice- Would You Rather Be Clean or Green?

I try to do my best to teach my kids how to better take care of our planet. We recycle. We reuse scrap paper for art projects and homework. I've been using a distilled vinegar and water solution as an all-purpose cleaner for at least three years now (although just this year I broke down and bought a prettily scented bottle of Method All-Purpose cleaner just for the dining table because I had just had enough of the vinegar everywhere smell- even though it does dissipate eventually). I use a Pur Water filter instead of stocking our fridge with BPA-infused plastic water bottles. I buy non-toxic, earth friendly versions of glass cleaner, shower spray and anti-bacterial bathroom spray. I also re-purpose various bought food containers for storage around the house. However,  here's my BIG BUT...

BUT I also buy tons of paper towels (the recycled kind, usually!). I love my Clorox Toilet Wands with the disposable foam heads (I always hated that disgusting toilet brush soaking in that nasty toilet water all the time...). I also sometimes have to bust out the bleach based cleansers for tough messes. And, of course, there is my all time favorite- the Swiffer. Oh, Swiffer how I love thee! I just have the original green, telescopic-handled workhorse. I have a bulk box of the dry dusting cloths and a bulk box of the wet mop cloths. I use them all the time, and not just on the floor. I take the individual cloths dust my furniture (or my six-year-old does- even better!). I wipe down the outside of the doors of my kitchen cabinets with the wet ones. And then I throw each un-environmentally-friendly, un-biodegradable miracle worker in the trash. And I feel guilty BUT my house is cleaner than it was, it made something that I would have put off much easier, and that is worth it for me.

We all make choices in our lives. One of mine is do I want to be clean or green. The answer for me is both, most of the time. But sometimes, when the choice is to use a product that's not green or put off cleaning a mess because I just don't have the convenient tools I need, I'm picking the convenient product almost every time.

My Golden Rule- Treat Your Loved Ones Like You LIKE them!

This is probably the most important of my House Rules. It sounds almost absurd, like it should be a given, but you might be surprised at how many people don't really do this in their daily lives. I know I was definitely guilty of this in my own relationship with my loved ones. I learned my lesson the hard way. Treat your loved ones like people you like, dare I say it, like friends! Be kind and considerate, always. Choose your words carefully, and cherish your time with them.  Another thing- if you get the urge to kiss them/hug them/hold their hand, etc...Just do it!  Don't hold back your tokens of affection.  That one thoughtful gesture that seems so small, could mean a world of difference in how the receiver (and the giver!) feels about your relationship. Kind words and actions are keystones of happy, healthy relationships.

My husband scrawled this on the wall of the chalkboard painted bathroom wall of a
 place we went to with our kids-it was a just a little gesture but it meant a lot...

 

An Easy Way to Spice Up Your Life: Homemade Chili Powder

One thing I've really embraced since deciding to cherish my home-life is making things from scratch.  Not everything, mind you, but whatever I can that is convenient for me.  Homemade chili powder is one of those things. I already try to keep my spice cabinet stocked with as many herbs and spices as I can so that I'm ready to try out many new recipes without having to make a special trip just for a little bottle of dried something. I use this chili powder for a few of my family's favorites including chili, of course, taco meat and Indian butter chicken! It consists of many common spices that you probably already have at home, and each one of them is antioxidant powerhouse- nice.

This makes just a few tablespoons worth so it will fit in an empty spice bottle. Feel free to double, triple the recipe whenever you like.

Homemade Chili Powder

2 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
4 teaspoons garlic powder

Put them in an empty jar/bottle and shake, shake, shake!

I even wrote the recipe on the jar with a permanent marker so I can recreate it anytime.  I will be posting recipes using this flavorful concoction in the future. Hope you make the time to try this soon!

I Finally Get It, Mom (Prayer, that is)

By the time I got to one of the lowest (probably THE lowest) times in my life, I had all but abandoned the habit of praying. The only prayer I said regularly was "God, please keep us safe," most times I got behind the wheel. But that was pretty much it. We had stopped even trying to go to church when my youngest was only a few months old, and when, almost four years later, I grasped at this old habit when my heart was breaking- I just couldn't appreciate the experience at all. But my mother had always said to me "Pray about it, Jen. Just pray about it, and God will answer your prayers." When she had said it before, I listened politely, and then just let it slide out the other ear. "Whatever, Mom," was my usual thought- I'm embarrassed to admit that now...However, in my darkest time, in my depths of despair I took her words to heart. I borrowed a book of prayers from my mother (one that I had merely skimmed through and abandoned only months before) called Illuminata, by Marianne Williamson, and started to read in earnest.  I started to pray in my home, while outside, or in the car- out loud or to myself, alone and/or with my children, and amazingly, within a shorter time than I even dreamed possible, my prayers were actually answered.

While I'm still not really a religious person, I definitely try to develop my spiritual side much more. Instead of focusing on what is wrong, I try to be grateful for what is right, what I have. I never hesitate to say a prayer for guidance or help. I always try to give up difficult decisions to God/The Universe's hands- thy will be done, I say. Prayer gives me hope and stills my sometimes thunderous heart. I know that goodness is out there, and is there for the asking. But you have to ask, you cannot keep it to yourself...

These are two of the most important prayers from Illuminata that helped heal me, and continue to do so. One is for before I sleep at night and the other is for when I awake in the morning. I encourage you to try them, they might change your life.

EVENING PRAYER

Dear God,

Thank You for this day.

Thank You for my safety and the safety of my loved ones.

As I enter sleep, may these hours give me peace.

May they bring healing to my mind and body.

While I sleep, dear Lord, please bless the world.

Where there is pain, where there are people who have no place to sleep, who suffer and who die, may Your angels come unto them and minister to their hearts.

Dear Lord,

Please let the light stream in.

Please use my hours of sleep.

Please prepare me, during these hours of rest, for greater service to You.

May the light that surrounds me, tomorrow shine through me.

Soften my heart.

Thank You, Lord.

Amen

 

MORNING PRAYER

Dear God,

I give this day to You.

May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit.

May I not be tempted to stray from love.

As I begin this day, I open to receive You.

Please enter where You already abide.

May my mind and heart be pure and true, and may I not deviate from the things of goodness.

May I see the love and innocence in all mankind, behind the masks we all wear and the illusions of this worldly plane.

I surrender to You my doings this day.

I ask only that they serve You and the healing of the world.

May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to give unto others wherever I go.

Make me the person You would have me be.

Direct my footsteps, and show me what You would have me do.

Make the world a safer, more beautiful place.

Bless all Your creatures.

Heal us all, and use me, dear Lord, that I might know the joy of being used by You.

Amen.

If you would like to get Illuminata  for yourself, feel free to click here, or check out my Books to Inspire tab for other inspirational/interesting reads:

To Be Happy, You've Got to Live Happy

Books really saved me when I was going through what was probably the saddest, toughest part of my life. Even if I couldn't control everything that was happening to me, I could definitely control how I responded to it. I could let it break me, or I could learn from it and get stronger- and that's what I've tried to do. But, when I was so sad and hopeless that I would spontaneously burst into tears at least once a day, having positive people and reading materials really helped change my perspective from doom and gloom to light and hope. This book was one of those things that helped me so much- 365 Ways to Live Happy- Simple Ways to Find Joy in Every Day, by Meera Lester.

In this cheap, little paperback tome, I found 365 positive things to re-focus my energy on. Little ideas, projects, goals, experiences that I could concentrate on instead of my heartbreak and sadness. Reading this book helped me start climbing out of the dark hole I had suddenly found myself in. Thank you Ms. Lester for your positive, bright words.

If you would like to read 365 Ways to Live Happy, please click below, and check out my Books to Inspire tab for other inspirational reads:

Happiness Is Always In Bloom

You know that feeling you get when someone gives you flowers? That rush of endorphins that just brightens up the moment...You can give this to yourself!  Buy yourself some flowers every week. If this doesn't fit in your budget, buy some every two weeks, or at least once a month. If you see some beautiful wildflowers and there's no law preventing you from helping yourself- pick some of those. Put them in a vase, a jar, an old wine bottle, a cup, it doesn't matter. Flowers act like a light in your home, brightening up the darkest spaces. They are a symbol of beauty and growth.

I love orchids, tulips, ranunculus, even affordable Gerbera daisies (see above), and ubiquitous carnations. And, even though I find them kind of boring, sometimes I receive the perfect rose:

When I get flowers, I always trim the stems on a diagonal and add the plant food packet that comes with the bouquet into the vase water. Don't forget you can personalize an arrangement you bought or received as a gift: Trim the stems to make the flowers the most flattering length(s) for your container. Also, you can remove any blooms that you're not fond of. Sometimes I have to just throw them away but usually I'll turn one big bouquet into two or three smaller bouquets (try putting flowers of the same color in each container) and put one on the dining table, one in my room and one in my daughter's room!

Read It, Made It- Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies

I've decided to come back to the world of blogging with a delectable cookie recipe (this is my fourth blog that you've never heard of!). It seemed fitting because delicious, fresh-baked, homemade treats are a big part of home to me, and this blog is mainly about the pleasures of home. This month I've been kind of a baking fanatic, thanks to all the yummy cookbooks I've been hoarding from the library. My family is thanking me profusely, my scale is not so happy about it. My most recent "experiment" was this sweet, rich, dark, perfect cross between a brownie and a cookie- Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies! I found this recipe in Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach. I thought they would be too spicy for the kids with their potent combination of cinnamon, cayenne pepper and freshly ground black pepper, but, fortunately, my kids absolutely adored them. They would be a perfect coffee/tea break treat, and I personally enjoyed them with a orange-flavored seltzer and chocolate ice cream float (oh yes, I did!).  I recommend that you try these sweet yet sophisticated cookies very soon because I haven't found a recipe that turned out this perfect in a long time.

 

RECIPE NOTES:

*Remember to make these the day before, or at least, several hours before you need them because they need at least 2 hours to set before you bake.

 *Also, I accidentally used 2 sticks (or 16 tablespoons!) of butter instead of the 12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 stick stated in the recipe, and I think it was for the better because they were perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

*Feel free to cut back on the spices if you think they will be too spicy for your household. I put a little less black pepper in my first time- but next time I'll definitely put in the full amount

*You can use Dutch-processed cocoa if you'd like, but I always use regular old 100% pure cocoa for everything because I remember hearing that it has more anti-oxidants than the Dutch stuff

*Next time, I think I will very lightly sprinkle them with a few grains of kosher/sea salt before I bake them for a more pronounced sweet-salty bite- I love that combo!

 



 

 

 

 

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies(Source: Maida Heatter's Great Book of Chocolate Desserts)

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, room temperature (*use 2 full sticks or 16 tablespoons if you're up for it- I didn't regret it!)

Whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugar together in large bowl. Beat in vanilla and egg. Gradually work flour mixture into butter mixture until dough is just combined (in other words, do not overwork the dough). Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 8 or 9-inch log. Wrap each log in parchment paper, twisting ends tightly to make a uniform cylinder. Freeze dough logs for at least 2 hours and up to six weeks. If you like you can put them in drinking glasses, travel mugs so that they won't flatten on one side.

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Unwrap dough and slice each log into rounds 1/3-inch thick. Place rounds one inch apart on cookie sheets (You can use parchment but I didn't need it- they didn't stick at all). Bake cookies until edges harden, about 8-10 minutes (I baked mine to perfection in 10). Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a couple minutes before transferring . Makes about four dozen cookies.