"Freezer Pucks"

I have a nifty little tip. I'm sure this is nothing new and that many people do this, but I love it so I thought I'd share.

I made delicious French onions soup tonight. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. But it takes a solid 2+ hours to cook. That's a lot of work and, unless you are cooking for a lot of people, you are going to have leftovers.

Look at that delicious oniony goodness!

I don't know about you, but I suck when it come to leftovers. I always forget about them until they've gone past their "still smells fine" test and then all you did was waste a bunch of food. So, I found as awesome trick to save my creations and leftovers. I first used it to save that half a jar of marinara that you always let sit in the fridge after making pasta and forget about it until you are too frightened to even open the jar again.

All you need is a muffin tin, a freezer and a large freezer bag.

First Impressions: Shea Moisture African Black Soap facial system

I am going on a skin adventure. Tag along for the ride.

Recently, my skin has decided it doesn't want to grown up and has reverted back to it's 16 year old self. My chin, forehead, nose and, for the first time in my life, cheeks have exploded in acne, the likes of which I haven't seen in a decade. I'll attribute it to wedding planning stress but, still, it's no fun being a nearly 30 year old woman with the skin of a hormonally imbalanced teenager. And it is defiantly something that I do not want to have to worry about on my wedding day. With several months still to go before the big day, now is the time to test a few new products to see what will be my saving grace.

My Body Shop tea tree toner has long since run dry and I am starting to run out of my face wash as well. Right before I was about to go brave the Mall of America to get some more, I noticed this little set at Target in the hippy dippy face care products section.

Packing for Paris: Jewelry Edition

Considering that we fly out on March 31st, this post is late in coming. However, better late than never. Bags are packed and pretty much organized to head to France. I'm trying to be fairly minimalist, which is a challenge for me. And I knew that, while accessories are important while traveling and can help you jazz up pieces that are getting more than one use, I didn't want to bring my entire jewelry collection. But I did want to pick a few key pieces that I adore and that I know make me feel pretty.

And the verdict is… e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealer

When it comes to bargin makeup, sometimes you get a glorious dupe that saves you major moo-la. And sometimes you get a dud. For me, the e.l.f HD Lifting Concealer is the latter.

Prepping for Paris

Paris in April is a go!

Pic credit: wikimedia.org

Adventures with Coconut Oil

I'm giving something a try and I'd love other insight into it.

I am a Bath and Bodyworks freak. I have loved it ever since I can remember. And working there for four years just sent me further down the rabbit hole, leaving me addicted and drowning in products. However, while I know that in past years they have made steps towards using more natural ingredients, they are still laced with chemicals and nasty things. Not to mention that it's a fairly expensive habit.

I've read a lot about the benefits of coconut oil and how it can be used as a skin moisturizer. Since it's natural, I figured I'd give it a shot to see if it'll be a suitable alternative to my beloved body lotion. I've been using it for about a we now, morning and night. And here's what I've discovered:

And the verdict is… e.l.f. Acne Fighting Foundation

Last November I went to New York City to visit family and was able to go to the e.l.f. Studio store. You can see my full haul and some first impressions on my youtube video here:

Long over due review, I know. But I wanted to be able to truly get a good opinion of these products.

One of the products that I was really excited to try was the Acne Fighting Foundation. I had read some very good reviews about it and, given that I have problem skin, I thought it just might work for me.

Sleek and small and nothing fancy.