Bare Minerals - Secret Bottom (How to get all the mineral makeup out of the sifter jar)

I've been wearing Bare Minerals makeup now for about 8 years. 

Wow.  That makes me feel old.

If you aren't familiar with Mineral makeup, and are looking for something new in your beauty routine, I highly recommend it. It's light, and doesn't feel oily, and since I started using it, my face has completely been devoid of acne...although - we did just determine that I am pretty dang old...

Anyway - that isn't the reason for this post.

If you have worn Bare Minerals brand specifically for a while, you may have noticed that about two years ago they changed the way their little powder canisters seal.  Where they USED to have a nifty little sifter that you could pop out when your makeup was running low to get the last few bits out - now they are completely sealed up top leaving disappointed cheapskates makeup wearers like me completely frustrated at leaving those last few days worth of makeup in the jar.

So one day, while in a Bare Minerals store purchasing some pretty sparkley silver eye shadow (that my daughter immediately started calling crushed-up-Edward - I love that kid) I brought up the frustration to the girl behind the counter.  To which she said...

"Just flip it over and take out the bottom."

WHAT????

Voila!  You sure can!

Now I'm wishing I had saved all those past jars.  Oh well -now I know!

Cleaning with Oil Paste

Alright - so I set out today to do some heavy cleaning.  My house has been slightly neglected (read - VERY neglected) over the past few months while I try to figure out how to be a mom, student, wife, friend, business owner...etc. You know the feeling, right?

Anyway, the home we live in is a foreclosure. Or, it was, we own it now.  There have been several neglected projects that we keep meaning to do, but something else always comes up.  After a long weekend of cleaning and reorganizing the garage and storage space, I finally decided enough was enough, and set out to tackle some of those jobs I've been avoiding...namely - cleaning the kitchen cabinet faces from years worth of grime.

My mother used to make a paste of baking soda and water to clean surfaces like this, and I tried that.  No go.  The cabinets were covered with oil and grease from who knows how long ago and it just wasn't budging to my satisfaction.

It was time to get creative.

I remember from 8th grade science that oils will will help clean up other oils.  Think about it - water will run off of oil, not penetrating or getting through the icky sticky barrier.  Even with an abrasive substance mixed in, it still won't fully remove the residue.  In order to penetrate and get down to the base of the issue, you need to mix a like substance with it so it won't simply glide over the top of the molecule...

clear as mud?

I thought so.

Anyway, I created a paste of Borax and vegetable oil... (I was out of baking soda, and I like Borax better for tough jobs...)

Next I schmeeered it on the cabinet face...scrubbed and voila!  Clean! (sorry, no photos of this, apparently they didn't turn out. :( )

The dangerous part....I couldn't stop cleaning with it!  I cleaned the surface of my flat top stove...

(Note I only cleaned half so you could see the difference...)

Then....My stainless steel pans...

Last...the textured handles on my refrigerator....

(admittedly not a great photo, but if you look close you see the one on the left is

free of hand prints and grime! yay!)

Yes, I'm seriously happy about this new found cleaning paste.  I do believe I will be cleaning baseboards next.  This house has serious dirt to remove.  I'm even considering using this to clean the oil spots out in the driveway...I'll let you know if it works.

Happy Cleaning!

UPDATE!

So I decided to try it out on the oil stains in the driveway...and.....it totally worked!  I don't know what else this paste will clean, I just know I'm absolutely in love with it.

Litter Kwitter - The Mess to Expect.

Litter Kwitter Update - Stage TWO.

So, Sly and I have moved into stage two of our Litter Kwitter journey. 

One thing I'd like to mention here - if you do intend to try out this Litter Kwitter thing - make sure that you know that your kitten is going to throw litter EVERYWHERE.

Also - make sure you have a slotted spoon you NEVER, and I mean EVER plan to use again (even when you have people over that you don't like. It isn't nice, or sanitary.)  in the kitchen because the small grooves in the pan make it next to impossible to get anything bigger than a small slotted spoon into it to clean out your kitty's business.

Anyway - moving on -

we've moved on to stage two.  The Litter Kwitter is still in stage RED (a solid ring that fits inside the toilet seat cover) but it has been moved up onto the toilet.

At first Sly was apprehensive.

Then he realized that he can kick and throw litter as hard as his little paws will allow and it hits the wall with a fun popping sound.

Yea, that's been entertaining.

He's also realized that because we have an elongated toilet, the Litter Kwitter doesn't exactly fit the whole hole...so the small one inch of space between it and the back of the toilet seat is PERFECT for his little paws to go thru and play with the water.

That has also been fun.

This stage is definitely not for the weak of heart - it is MESSY.  And keeping the thing clean is almost more work than potty training a three year old child.  BUT - at least it's a step in the right direction, and YES, he has used it today  - which is a positive step in the right direction.

I am just hoping he doesn't figure out how to get his arm underneath it and flip it off the toilet seat. 

Because yes, right now, that is my biggest fear.  That, and the dog remembering that she likes the litter box as well.  She's not quite as agile as a cat and well - that could only end badly.

Eye Tattoo

I’m not much of a makeup wearer.

Probably because I’m naturally beautiful…and humble…but mostly beautiful.

But the little bit of Makeup I do wear comes from one of those boutique-y shops that sells the kind of makeup that is supposed to be good for your face (because you know, purposely making your face dirty every day is good for it…)

Anyway – while I was shopping one day, I found these:

They are rub on tattoos – for your eyes!  Forget trying to get the “smokey eye” with differing shades of brown and black – heck no!  Just press one of these babies against your eye …

So you know I bought some, right?  I had to try them out.

*the following story is true – although no photographic evidence exists – I swear, it’s true…I couldn’t possibly make this stuff up.*

I decided to buy the Smokey eye set – although animal prints were intriguing, I couldn’t think of any real-world applications for them – after all, it is JULY, not OCTOBER.

The instructions seemed simple enough, remove the protective backing, apply to eye, remove carefully and then brush with the setting powder.

OK.

I remove the protective backing.

I then take about fifteen minutes to look over the product. 

I can’t seem to figure out which end is up.  Does anyone know – for a smoky eye does the dark part go on top or bottom?  I do a quick internet search and decide it goes on top…back to my project.

I cut the piece in half so that each “eye” is on a single piece of paper.  I figure this is smart, because you see I don’t want to smudge the other eye while I’m working with the first one.  I’m really proud of this discovery – because you see it didn’t say to do that in the instructions.

I lift the shadow to my eye and apply.

I then think back to my childhood days of temporary tattoos – you had to press HARD for those to transfer.

So the pressing commenced.

This is where I should note that this isn’t your typical tattoo…it’s powder with some sort of an adhesive built in.  You can lightly brush your finger past, and it’s gonna get some shadow on it.  But, I didn’t think of that.  I PRESSED.

Note number two – don’t apply in haste – make sure it’s on straight.

I’m just sayin’.

When I removed – actually peeled – this thing back – first, it hurt.  I’m not sure if it’s because of the extra pressing, or just because the adhesive is that strong…either way, it was not a comfortable experience.  Again, pretty sure it was user related, and not product related.

I looked in the mirror at my handy work.

um…

Not so much smoky eye – more like, well ---- (and this is NOT me)  This:

Why the lack of photographic evidence you ask?  Well – quite frankly, I was worried I’d scare my kids.

That and I was pretty sure my husband might make fun of me for life.

So I tried to scrub it off.  

It didn’t feel good at all to scrub off.  This stuff is definitely meant to stay.

Thank goodness I had some heavy duty makeup remover left over from Halloween.

It did leave me with some red eye lids which did scare the kids.  I promise it was a lot less traumatizing than the smoky eye effect.  Well, maybe…

The Litter Kwitter

Okay, I did it. 

I'm a gullible little pet owner that would have previously mocked this product on my other  blog - but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I.Bought.A.Litter.Kwitter.With.The.Intention.Of.Toilet.Training.My.Cat.

Wow, say that out loud and it really does  sound completely redonkulous doesn't it?

Okay, five minutes of public mocking and ridicule start: NOW.

Phase one of the master plan started yesterday when I moved his rather large, rather bulky litterbox to the bathroom from the laundry room.  A quick inspection of said box this morning confirmed that he was okay with the new location - and it didn't confuse him at all.  (The dog however seemed very annoyed as she has been using the litterbox from time to time for her own business, and to search for "kitty roca" as my friend Krista calls it...on another side note - ewwwwww!)

Today,  we moved on to phase two...removing the rather big, rather bulky litterbox and replacing it with this small-ish toilet shaped thing filled with 5 cups of litter, and then introducing him to it.

Believe it or not, he seemed pretty okay with it. He scratched around, sniffed, dug some more...so far he hasn't used it,but I can't force that, I just have to let nature take it's course, do I not?

Phase three is where I start to be concerned...see phase three through five cause issues for anyone else that might want to use that bathroom in the meantime, because the LitterKwitter replaces the regular toilet seat. And of course I just remembered we are hosting a Super Bowl party in a week and a half...this ought to be interesting...do I tell the guests to use the upstairs bathroom, or tell them to scoop out their mess when they are done...hmmmmm....)   At any rate, this should be interesting, and I promise to chronicle the progress here.  Words of support and encouragement are welcomed, of course - as is the public mocking. I know this is crazy. I am embracing that.  Who better to try something like this than me? Heh.

I potty trained five kids.  A cat can't be that difficult. Right?   Right????

Candlebreeze

The CandleBreeze.
I not only have one, but I wish I had one more!

If you like to cook with garlic, you’ll want one.

If you have pets, you’ll want one.

If you have kids (that often come with their own set of fragrances…)  you’ll definitely want one!

What is a Candle Breeze you ask?  It’s a flameless candle, that goes a little beyond a simple candle warmer.  It has an integrated fan that allows the scent to gently waft through the house…filling up to 2500 square feet with only one unit.

That’s right sports fans…2500 square feet.

And it’s perfectly safe.  (And since my recent house fire involving electric appliances…I’m even more paranoid than ever…but not about my CandleBreeze.)

My favorite scent (at the moment) is fresh peach, but vanilla sugar cookie is growing on me too…oh and fresh oranges and then there’s the cinnamon one…oooo and don’t forget the spiced wassail at Christmastime…On second thought, I have no favorite.  I like them all.

The candlebreeze costs about $50.00 for a a large unit and comes with one scent.  Replacement scents are about $7.00 each for the large units.  You can purchase them from their website at www.candlebreeze.com.

GetButtonedUp

Three years ago, we lived in a town called Laveen, Arizona.  It was the height of the wildfire season, and we were under a constant threat of evacuation as a fire burned approximately three miles from our home.

Even though we had two major roads to serve as fire breaks, I was still concerned.  It isn’t every day that a fire threatens to wipe out your entire neighborhood, your schools, parks, stores, homes…Let’s just say it was a tiny bit disconcerting.

One thing I had working in my favor was this.

This is Life.doc  - and it’s definitely a Fabulous Find.  Inside this seemingly unassuming little binder are several tabs – organizing your most important documents and papers.  There’s a place for birth certificates, immunization records, insurance policies, emergency contact numbers, health records (was little Jimmy allergic to penicillin or was it Tabitha?).  It takes a few hours to set up and fill out – but worth every minute once done.

In addition, we also have Valuables.doc- the binder to help you catalog all your valuables and irreplaceable in the event of something truly unimaginable, like a wildfire or home burglary.  There’s a place to store photos, receipts, serial numbers, and other important –yet easily forgettable in a stressful situation – information.

Get Buttoned UP! has products for organizing and simplifying many aspects of life.  And I truly do consider them a Fabulous Find.  Their binders start at about $20.00 and can be found at Target Stores, which is where I got mine.

ZadyBall

Today’s product comes to us via my daughter, Ali.

Isn’t he cute???  Sure he is!   So what IS he?

This is Zadyball … Baby Ringo the Octopus to be exact – and he’s cute as a button.  His tentacles are perfect for baby to grab on to and hold, his body is soft and squishy and he has a special surprise inside…bells…but not the obnoxious loud bells, a perfect little jingle sound that entertains baby, and doesn’t drive mom crazy.  The best part?  This little lovey (that your child will CERTAINLY grow attached to) is machine washable!  That’s right…try throwing that favorite teddy bear in the washer…go ahead, I dare you…No worries like that with the ZadyBall!

Zadyball has many different styles, animals, bugs, and simply round balls – AND she’ll customize one for you if you aren’t quite finding your favorite little buddy on the site.

My baby loves it – and come to think of it, a few of the big kids in the house like it too.  In fact, I was interviewed on our local television network and the camera guy also thought it was fabulous…I had to fight to get it back.  This thing is awesome.

To find out more about ZadyBall-
http://www.zadyball.com
http://www.facebook.com/zadyball

Tervis Tumbler

I love Arizona.

I love living here.

I even love the heat…except….

Sometimes the heat makes it impossible for me to enjoy a glass of ice water (or anything cold for that matter) unless I drink it very, very quickly – and we are talking superhuman quick here…Ice headache quick…and I’m just not willing to do that.

With Tervis, I don’t have to.

These things are awesome.

That’s right, they go beyond fabulous.

They are insulated so they stay cold.

They are double walled – so they don’t sweat (which is good, because I can never find a coaster when I need one anyway)

And…

Drum roll please…

The come in this FABULOUS Design…


This thing has just overcome fabulous and awesome and has reached Bodacious.

I have two – one in 16 oz and one in 24 oz.  They come with awesome travel lids, are super heavy duty, dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and keep my drinks filled with ice water for hours on end…that is if I don’t drink it too quickly.

I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond (I had a COUPON!) But you can get them at http://www.tervis.com too.  The large cups sell for around $16.00 if you want one with a licensed logo, prepare to spend a little more.

The only thing that would make these perfect?  If they DIDN’T sell them with these on them…

Just sayin’.

Cookie Dipped Drumsticks

Okay, so I have an ice cream problem. 

The problem is, there is never enough.  Really.  That’s my problem.

I’ve always liked the quick easy ice cream treats like Klondike bars and Drumsticks – the only problem is they’ve always been messy.  Klondikes break open and the ice cream melts all over and Drumsticks have those nuts that go everywhere…
But not the Cookie dipped ones.

These things are so fabulous.

The chocolate on the outside is a perfect blend of creamy chocolaty goodness with bits of crunchy chocolate cookie mixed in.  The cone (as always) is crunchy and not chewy…and if you are lucky you can get one that has a caramel center.
mmmmmm….caramel.

Anyway – these things are awesome.  You need one.  Now.

They are sold at most grocery retailers for aproximately $6 a box of 8.

Glad OvenWare

Ok, I have a big family.

Not 18 Kids and Counting  big, but still big nonetheless.

As you can imagine keeping them all fed and well-nourished can be a bit of a challenge sometimes.  Especially with a mom that has two businesses, writes this silly very informative blog, and occasionally likes her Thursday Girls Night Out evenings…

So, when I cook, I cook A LOT.  And I don’t cook a lot because my family eats a lot, but I cook large amounts – usually double portions – so that one full meal can be frozen for later heating and eating.

I USED to use all my glass casserole pans and large pieces of Tupperware (which are not oven-friendly and that is annoying) to do my fix and forget cooking.

Until I found these:

They come in 9x12, and 9x9 sizes and are perfect for my family’s needs.  They are oven safe, dishwasher safe, freezer safe, microwave safe – and completely, totally, loss proof…why?  Because they are disposable, so nobody cares if they don’t come home.

Not to mention the fact they won’t shatter like my $40.00 stoneware pan that got put into the HOT oven after coming directly out of the COLD freezer…no I didn’t do it, we don’t need to go there…

Look, these things are awesome, and they make my life as a mommy a little bit easier and more peaceful on nights where I’m pretty sure I might lose my mind if I add one more task to my plate.  With these things in my freezer full of yummy pre-made dinners, I don’t have to worry that cooking for my family is going to be the straw that breaks the mommy’s back on any given day.

Glad OvenWare cost about $6.00 for a set of two or three depending on the size. I found mine at the local Kroger store, but I know Walmart, Kmart and other discount outlets offer them as well.

Archivalife

Fabulous doesn’t even begin to describe today’s find.

First I need to tell you a secret. 

I am a closet scrap-a-holic…but I’m not very good at it. 

Regardless of how pretty I can make my scrapbook pages, I do believe that it is very important to preserve your family history, and your personal history.  In fact, my most treasured possession is a book written by my grandmother that details her life from childhood through marriage, children and grandchildren.

Grandma. Kept. Very. Detailed. Notes. And. Journals.

I think she may have loved to have one of these:

(image source – http://www.archivalife.com)

Look, I was skeptical about this at first – I figured it was just another scrapbook company (I’m from Utah originally, and I know scrapbook companies are a dime a dozen…seriously, go to the yellow pages, look ‘em up.)

This thing goes beyond a scrapbook (and doesn’t even require any frilly embellishments or glue.)  It’s a timeline.  In one book you can chronicle decades of a lifetime in one easy to read and view format.

The pages fold out in an accordion style so that you can read the entire timeline at once, or in periods of 10 units at a time.  Each unit gives you a space to note the things that are most important to you in that year. 

Who was your loved one/significant other?  (Or you know, who were you crushing on that year???)

What pets did you have?

What kind of car did you drive?

What school did you attend?

All at a glance.

You can flip the page over and write a detailed summary of the decade complete with embarrassing facts interesting tidbits.

You can buy either the Lifelines (which is the timeline described above) or the traditional scrapbook – OR you can opt to purchase both which come in a fabulous beautiful wonderful leather bound display quality case.

I’ve been trying to chronicle my history in this book since I got it three weeks ago.  It’s been a fun walk down memory lane and a great family project  (EWWWW Mom!  You drove WHAT?????)

I won’t lie to you, it is a big purchase - $125.00 for the Classic Edition or $49.95 for just the LifeLines book – however, Like I said above, the most priceless possession I own is my grandmother’s history.  This will last for generations, as will your family legacy – and that is what is most important.

*As with all Fabulous Finds posts – I have this product in my possession and have used it myself.  I am not in any way compensated for this review of this product nor will I receive any compensation should you decide to purchase this product.  Archivalife did offer me a complimentary sample of the product for review.  Please refer to our disclaimer if you have any further questions.*

Masterpiece - By Julie deAzevedo

Here’s where I admit something to you all.

I like music.  All kinds.  My CD player contains everything from Metallica to Mana, Broadway to Boston Pops, Groupie Pop to Gospel.  I’ll even admit to owning a Brittany Spears CD (from the teeny bopper years – before she got weird). 

My favorite CD right now, however has got to be Masterpiece by Julie de Azevedo.

If you don’t know who she is – you can find out more about her here.

I. Love. Her. Music. Seriously.

And the cool part about Julie?   She’s a mom, with a real life and real “days” and just real everything.  And maybe that’s why I like her music so much – I can totally relate to her style.

The music is uplifting, it’s feel good – it’s fun to listen to.  (And, when I’m listening to her CD, dancing around my kitchen, signing along at the top of my voice – my kids look at me like I’ve totally lost it – which is also a great bonus especially when they have friends over…that’s the best time to do it).

There are some great clips of her music Here: http://deseretbook.com/item/5038792/Masterpiece_The_Best_of_Julie_de_Azevedo – where you can get to know her.  Her music is best described as contemporary Christian – you know, songs that have GOOD messages in them not songs that talk about, well other things.

Her music is good. I promise.  She’s an interesting person – the real deal.  Oh, and there’s an added bonus to listening to her music – it makes you feel good.  A smile is always a good thing.

Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips

We are going to try something a little different today for our Fabulous Finds post...You get to see me on VIDEO!  (and my lovely assistant Elizabeth...the cutest little helper EVER.)

Also - I didn't choose this because I'm prissy and like to have my nails done.  I chose this because It makes me feel pretty when I have my nails done.  It's totally different.  Trust me.

Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips

Yes, I'm aware of the faces she's making, and I think it's totally hilarious.  Silly Girl.

Here is the gorgeous picture of my toes...pink with sparkles.  Awww perrrtttyyy...

Wow...those are some, um...ginormous toes.

Ahem...

But they are pretty, and I do feel like a happy girl.  So there.

Sally Hansen Nail Polish strips are about $10.00 but you can usually find a coupon to make them cheaper.  They can be found at most discount and drug stores. I got mine at Walgreens.