Wednesday, February 19, 2014

fun finds: february beauty must-haves








hard to believe that february is already coming to an end. i *love* trying new products and these five are my current beauty must-haves. 






1. jack black intense therapy lip balm -- black tea & blackberry
the lip balm is creamy and thick and the scent is simply fabulous. it's the perfect blend of a luxury product with the fun, modern scent/flavor. this lip balm is my favorite on-the-go item to have in my purse and workout bag.







2. opi nail envy
i don't have the best nails. with stress and anxiety comes nail biting/picking for me and it's hard to get my nails to stay strong and looking good. i am always on the lookout for a good nail strengthener and have really been happy with this product. it really is making a big difference in my nails.





3. rodan + fields redefine products
i hadn't heard of rodan and fields until a friend from college told me about them. the drs that invented proactiv created a new line of products that, in addition to a line that treats acne, they also have these awesome lines to target aging skin, like mine. my friend, heather sent me some samples and i am hooked. truly. my skin has never felt this amazing and i even had a couple people comment on how i am "glowing". i'll take it! i am placing an order stat. 






4. trader joes coconut body butter
if you have a trader joe's near you run and get some of this body butter. i picked the product up on a whim one day and now i can't get enough. it is so moisturizing and the scent is light and tropical and instantly transports me mentally to a beach in hawaii. a mental vacation to hawaii? not as good as being there in person, but sign me up!







5. nutraluxe md
i naturally have pretty long lashes, but with age i have noticed that they seem a little thinner and sparse. i started using this product that a friend recommended to me and it's truly amazing the difference it has made in my lashes. people have started asking me if i got extensions! ha! its super easy to apply and you get beautiful, long lashes without the upkeep and cost of eyelash extensions. sounds like a win-win to me.



so loves, that is it for this month. let me know if there are any products that you have used and love and i need to try. i will be constantly trying new things and reporting back the best of the best to you. xo- heather



Monday, February 17, 2014

simple solutions: soggy shoes

snowmageddon has come and gone here in the south. before that, we were having some days of steady, heavy rains and cold temperatures. this winter has been wet and cold. the picture above was one shot from my second story window looking down on my daughter's gymnastics bar and her sneakers which she decided to leave outside (along with a beach towel) during two days of steady rains. lovely. since then, we have had more pairs of water logged shoes than we know what do to with. there isn't possibly enough time to dry them all and the insides always seem to stay damp for days longer than they should.

enter a great simple solution! this trick was told to me by another fabulous mother of five and i am loving it. uncooked white rice naturally absorbs water. 
when you have soggy shoes, place some uncooked white rice into two different socks. i like using socks with longer necks so the rice doesn't spill out.
place the rice filled socks into the soggy shoes and leave overnight (or longer if you have the time). the rice will absorb the water and dry out your shoes in a fraction of the normal dry time. discard the leftover rice (i know this should go without saying but you just never know), throw the socks in the wash and you are ready to go! the sneakers will live to be left out another day.

Monday, February 10, 2014

mmmmm: homemade dill bread


snow is in the forecast again for us here in the south. for some reason, i always want to get my baking on when it's cold outside. this recipe is from one of my great friends and is so good i have to struggle to share with my family. it also ends in a butter bath, as all good things should. make it today. you won't be sorry.


dill bread

1 cup cottage cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon butter (then more for the butter bath at the end)

1 tablespoon minced onion

2 teaspoons dill

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 unbeaten egg

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour


in a saucepan, heat the cottage cheese to warm. add the sugar, butter, onion dill and salt. mix well. remove from heat. add yeast to the warm water. measure flour and baking soda into a bowl. add the water and yeast mixture to the flour. add the egg and the cottage cheese mixture to the bowl. mix well and knead until smooth. grease the bowl and replace the dough to the bowl. cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour. punch down and turn into an 8-inch greased round casserole dish. let rise another 20 minutes. bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. remove from oven and brush with butter (butter bath time!). enjoy!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

diy: rainbow loom school valentine with *free* printables




it's february......and valentine's day is next week?! the days and weeks and months are just flying by and here we are with valentine's day around the corner! (eek!) if you are a mama too, you know the pressure that this darn holiday can put on us. the store bought valentines are not cutting it anymore and every year it gets harder and harder to come up with good ideas.

the obsession this year with girls (and boys) everywhere are rainbow loom bracelets. kids are making them so fast that they are spilling out of homes and onto the wrists of kids everywhere. this year, if you have a kiddo that is into bracelet making have them join in the fun of making the valentines for their class! simply get them to work making a bracelet for every kiddo in the class. all you have to do is print out one of the cute printables below onto the colored card stock of your choice, cut two vertical slits to slide the bracelet through, attach a bracelet, have your child sign their name and you're done! another idea is to print out onto white card stock and then have your child color their own creation (as pictured in the hand valentine). the possibilities are truly endless and will take you as far as your imagination can. we hope this helps make the valentine process even a little easier on you. we've got your back, mamas. xoxo- heather & genelle

ps- huge shout out to the fabulous & talented miss giuliana (7 years old) who made us the awesome bracelet featured in the valentines. we adore you! xo


Monday, February 3, 2014