Monthly Archives: June 2012

When Life Gives You Blueberries

* Posted on June 28, 2012 by Allie

4 Replies

Do you live near a Produce Junction? If not, you should really think about moving. They have the best bargains! You never quite know what you’ll find but you can be sure it will be fabulous and cost next to nothing. Last weekend we got the most ginormous hostas for $7.50 each! I’m telling you, they were big enough to divide into two or three plants each, and they were in full flower and almost as tall as I am!

One evening last week, my Mr. returned from work boasting about yet another fabulous Produce Junction find. He told me blueberries were buy one get one free, and I was all, yah, so? They do that all the time at the regular supermarket. And he was all, no, you gotta see, and then he showed me and I was all, NO WAY!

It’s kinda hard to tell from this pic, but those containers are twice as deep and twice as wide as the normal blueberry containers. To be exact, they are 16 ounces each. Which is the way you’d normally see strawberries packaged. And strawberries usually cost about half of what blueberries do, even though you get a lot more. So, in other words, my Mr. got 32 ounces of blueberries for….(drum roll)… $5.99. Score!

This is a lot of blueberries, my friend. More than you could even bake into a pie. I had to strategize. I put on my thinking cap and the steam started seeping out of my ears. I figured, make a blueberry compote, and then use some in that night’s dessert. The rest can go into the fridge for… just, whatever. I’ll give some ideas later in the post. First, let’s make blueberry compote!

**Like what you’ve read so far? Click on over to my new baking blog to read the rest of this post!**

Backyard Barbecue Beauty

* Posted on June 25, 2012 by Allie

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So now that I’ve given away all my beach beauty secrets, I thought I’d follow up with a few more summer makeup tips, for those times when you still want to keep it light and breezy, but maybe just want to play up your features a bit more.

If you haven’t already read my post on Beach Beauty, well… what the heck are you waiting for? Don’t waste another minute feeling a) drab and colorless, or b) runny, creasey and cakey, in this heat! Just because the mercury is high does not mean you can’t look pretty. Beach Beauty is the perfect starting point for your best summer look.

…ok so now you’ve read it right? You know all about my DIY bb cream and the most universally flattering blush and how to pretty up your pucker while preventing labial ephelides? Cool, ok, so then you are now ready to hear about how to make the most of your peepers without looking (or feeling!) too “made up.”

Much as I love my beach beauty face, there are times when it doesn’t completely cut it. I may not want to wear a lot of eye makeup on the beach, but how about all those fun backyard barbcues? Once the sun goes down a bit, the shades come off, there’s a soft breeze blowing and maybe a little margarita buzz… It’s nice to flash a little sparkle in your Mr.’s direction. So, start with your beach beauty-ful face and dial it up a notch with these easy steps.

Luminizer, aka Illuminator, aka Brightener. Every brand has their own version, and this is my favorite:

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

…however, it is a bit spendy, and, also I have to go to the mall to get it. For some strange reason, my five- and three-year old boys don’t enjoy makeup shopping at the mall. (??? I know, right?) So, right now I’m using this:

L’Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter

…and guess what? I can’t even tell the difference.

I dab a bit on the inner corners of my eyes as well as the undereye area, and pat it in with a fingertip. It’s a lot lighter than concealer, and it doesn’t settle into fine lines at all. It perks up your whole face! It’s like a power nap in stick form!

Next step: waterproof eyeliner. The most budge-proof formula I’ve ever used has to be Make-up Forever. MAC is also good. But, again, mall. Maybe something like this:

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner

I like it in a really dark brown, and I just apply really thin little dashes along the upper lashes only. It just makes your lashes look thicker and darker, which is something I really need, being a ginger with blond-tipped eyelashes.

The last step is optional, depending on the level of make-up-ed-ness you are after. It is mascara. Here is my favorite:

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes

…and a post on why I like it so much. But for those really steamy days, something like this is a great option:

Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

It just darkens your lashes and helps them to stand out more. And, it won’t run or flake. And, you can use it on your brows too!

Now you are all set for some backyard summer party time! A fresh-faced, natural look that feels weightless, protects you from sun damage, and flatters! Have a margarita for me ;oP

Give Your Oven the Night Off!

* Posted on June 22, 2012 by Allie

3 Replies

Here is a seasonal, refreshing, and delicious meal for a hot summer evening! With a little tweak for the kiddos, this one can be a home run for the whole family! And you don’t even have to use your stove or oven!

The first time I heard about a watermelon salad, I thought it seemed like an odd combination of flavors. But after one bite, it all made sense. So delicious! And, this type of preparation has actually been around forever in the Mediterranean part of the world. Those Mediterraneans sure know what works when it comes to food!

Watermelon Salad with Grilled Shrimp
(serves 2 adults and 2 small children)

1 pound uncooked jumbo shrimp
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 seedless watermelon
1 pint grape tomatoes
4 oz. crumbled feta (I like the goats’ milk kind)
bunch of fresh mint
about 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it’s so quick to prepare, and, besides the plates and forks you ate off of, you’ll only end up with a cutting board, one knife, and one bowl to clean.

Start by peeling the shrimp, and placing them in a bowl with about a tablespoon of olive oil, the chili powder, the garlic powder, and a bit of salt and pepper. Toss them around to coat, and pop them in the fridge while you go preheat the barbecue.

While the shrimp are marinating, and the grill is warming up, you can slice the watermelon into thick wedges.

Take out four wedges, for the grownup plates, remove the rind, and cut them into cubes. Divide them between two plates.

The remaining wedges are for the kiddies. I can’t explain it, but for my kids, watermelon is not watermelon unless it is in triangle form…

Now halve the grape tomatoes. Tumble a few handfuls over the watermelon cubes, for the grownups, and into neat piles alongside the watermelon triangles for the kids. (Woe be unto the parent who allows tomato and watermelon to touch on a kid’s plate.)

Crumble feta over the tomatoes and watermelon on the grownup plate. I omitted the feta for my kids…

Top each of the grownup plates with about two tablespoons of fresh mint, roughly chopped or torn…

…my kids are green-phobic so this was also omitted for them.

Pop the plates in the fridge to keep everything good and cold while you go grill the shrimp.

On a very hot grill, shrimp will only take about three minutes on the first side, and another one minute on the other. Don’t overcook them! They will get rubbery and dry. You want some good char marks on them but they should still be juicy.

Chop a few shrimp into bites for the little ones, and top the grownups’ salads with the rest. Now grownups each get a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of tangy lime. Enjoy! Easy!

Let’s Talk Business – Hell Week

* Posted on June 22, 2012 by yinmomyangmom

3 Replies

I feel like it’s such a cliche to say, but this week was so freaking busy!!!! I’m reeling from it, and it’s not even over yet. Working as a freelancer is wonderful, but one of the things a person needs to be prepared for is the inconsistency of it.

I have about 5 steady clients. Normally things run smoothly, and they’re patient about when things get done. But about 5 or 6 times a year, 3-4 of them need me to finish stuff up IMMEDIATELY!!!!

I put a lot of pressure on myself to please everyone (which is futile) and a lot of pressure on myself to go easy on myself (do-able!), so it’s a very tricky, stressful paradox.

When I first started out in this career, and really up until just this month, I’ve allowed this phenomenon to eat me up inside, make me hate my job, and make me question my own capabilities and beat myself up about why I ever thought I’d be any good and/or make any money. In short, I have acted like a psychotic, self-destructive lunatic.

Now, my goal is to achieve inner peace, love my job, love my work, and maintain the trust of my clients. It’s so freaking complex!

Basically, I have to take things slow, be honest with my clients about the time things take to get finished, and find time to work late. The working late part is really the hardest. It makes me really scared about the affects of over-doing, over-working, etc. But something that helps is to think about how my hard work is going to benefit the kids (giving them a comfortable, safe home, hopefully a good education, etc), and as long as I take some time to myself in the midst of it, (I have to have at least a half-hour of time to meditate or stare at a tree or something peaceful like that, little breaks in between each project, and decent food, and good music) I survive, the work gets done, the client is pleased, and money comes home.

So, that’s where I’m at this week, and probably next week as well. I’d better get to grocery shopping so I’ll have my decent food.

Beach Beauty

* Posted on June 20, 2012 by Allie

7 Replies

Ok, so right now, in my part of the world, it’s not quite ten a.m. and already the temperature is in the 80′s. By mid-afternoon they’re saying it’s going to feel like it’s in the triple digits. What kind of a kook would even want to bother with makeup on this kind of a day??? Maybe a freckly, pale, reddish-haired kook?

My name is Allie and I am a ginger kid. I am also terribly vain, most of the time, and I simply cannot set foot out in public with all my worst flaws on display for the whole world to see. Even on the hottest, most humid, melt-your-face-off days, there is something in me that just can’t resist a little something to brighten up my appearance.

Of course, there are certain instances where nobody, even the vainest of gingers, wants to feel or look heavily made up. (The beach, for instance?) I absolutely lighten way up on cosmetics on a day like this. So, if you are also freckly and pale, and maybe have some cellulite or stretch marks you aren’t so proud of, read on for some of my best summer beauty tricks.

Everything to do with summer beauty, for me, begins and ends with a little bronze. I’ve been a fan of self-tanner since way back before most people ever even heard of it. There used to be this stuff called QT…? If you remember QT give me a shout in the comment section… Anyhow, now you can get self-tanner any- and everywhere, from every suncare brand imaginable. If you have never tried it, be not afraid. They are absolutely goof-proof. If you can apply body lotion, you can do self-tanner.

Now, I gave up on ever looking “tan” a very long time ago. To any other gingers out there reading this post, you are never going to look like Jennifer Lopez. That’s not what this is about. This is about not blinding people with the glare coming off your pasty-white ass. It’s really a public service. Also, I have found, that a little bit of a glow goes a long way to minimize any unevenness in your skin tone. Light Bulb! Bye-bye cellulite! See ya later, stretch marks! Freckles, I’ll be seeing a lot less of you, too! It can even make you look thinner! It’s a miracle product, I’m telling you.

As for brands, I have tried so many, and I really don’t think it matters much. They all do pretty much the same thing, for me it mostly comes down to the fragrance, price, and where I can buy it. I go through a lot so it’s nice if I can pick it up while I’m at the grocery store or on a WalMart run. Right now I’m using Sublime Bronze, (which has some shimmer in it, FYI), but I also like Neutrogena Micro Mist for hands-free application. When I’m really feeling lazy and I don’t even want to have to wash my hands after. Which, btw, don’t forget to do, or you will end up with the weirdest orange palms, and everyone will know your secret.

So now on to my favorite summer beauty secret, which I call “homemade BB cream.” If you are a beauty junkie, such as myself, then you’ve probably noticed the latest thing on the market: BB cream. It’s basically just a tinted moisturizer on steroids. They have a lot of serum-y ingredients, like anti-oxidants and peptides, and a lot of them are a bit like primers, smoothing out the skin’s texture. Usually they have a bit of sunscreen in them too, but beware: it’s not nearly enough for a ginger. I like a 50+ full-spectrum sunblock. I don’t need any more freckles, that is for sure.

Ok, so what I like to do, after washing my face with a baby washcloth (great trick, it’s the perfect amount of exfoliation and you can buy them anywhere for so cheap), is put a pea-sized drop of each: burqa-strength sunblock, self-tanner, and an all-in-one foundation/primer in the palm of my hand, rub them all together, and smooth all over my face like moisturizer. One step. Done. Evened out and protected, with a little bit of glow to boot. For my skin, that’s all the moisture I need, especially in the summer when I tend to be a little oilier anyway. I use a richer cream at night if I feel like I need it. You can use whatever your own favorite products are, or you can try what I’m currently into, which is. again, based mostly on price and what is nearby and easy to find:

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock, SPF 100

Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer SPF 100+

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion, Deep Natural

L’oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanner

Hard Candy Just Face It One Step Foundation, Medium

Hard Candy One-Step Foundation

So, that covers moisture and protection, but I also like to rosy up my cheeks with a bit of Benetint, which is, hands down, the most universally flattering blush on the market. You will look like you just came in from a run. Healthy and fresh. And, it’s a liquid, so it just sinks right in and never gets cakey in the heat, like a powder or cream might.

Benefit Benetint

Other than that I just like a little something on my lips, for moisture, shimmer, and also, preferably, for extra sun protection. I’d rather not end up with any more labial ephelides, which sounds gross and embarrassing but it’s just a fancy word for a freckle on your lip. I like orangey-reds, peaches, and corals with my skin tone so here’s what I’m using now:

Cover Girl Natureluxe Gloss Balm, SPF 15

And, last but not least, a pair of UV-blocking sunglasses. The bigger the better! For more sun protection, and for glamour! And you can skip the heavy eye makeup… in this heat, it will never last anyway…

What are your favorite summer beauty products? Leave a comment at the bottom of the post and share the wealth! Don’t we all love a good recommendation?

Meal Planning – Sigh.

* Posted on June 15, 2012 by yinmomyangmom

Happy Father’s Day!

* Posted on June 14, 2012 by Allie

2 Replies

To all the super dads and granddads out there: here are some necktie cookies for Father’s Day:

Making these cookies can be a great boredom-buster for kids on summer break!

**Like what you’ve seen so far? Click on over to my new baking blog to read the rest of this post!**

Meal Planning – Kid Food!

* Posted on June 8, 2012 by yinmomyangmom

My Latest Project/Obsession

* Posted on June 4, 2012 by Allie

3 Replies

Anyone who knows me or who follows this blog will tell you that one of my quirks/traits/flaws is that I tend to bounce around (a bit obsessively) from project to project. As the school year has been drawing to a close, I’ve had my eye out for a cute, thoughtful, homemade gift I could give to all the teachers who have been such a huge part of my family’s life over the last nine or so months.

I ended up combining a couple of ideas I found (pinterest, of course) for these adorable iced cookies.

Many thanks to www.sweetopia.net for the excellent tutorials on icing and decorating sugar cookies, and to www.eighteen25.blogspot.com for the free printable download and the strawberry idea!

I started out by making the cutout cookies. As one of the preschool teachers is gluten- and dairy-intolerant, I wanted to be sure that my cookies were allergen-free. After much experimentation, I settled on a recipe that didn’t make me want to retch:

Lime-Ginger-Coconut Cutout Cookies
a gluten-, dairy-, soy-, and nut-free recipe (!)

**Like what you’ve read so far? Click on over to my new baking blog to read the rest of this post!**

Let’s Talk Business – Creativity

* Posted on June 4, 2012 by yinmomyangmom

3 Replies

There’s a wonderful truth in our existence that anyone can create a living for themselves based on creativity. It’s so easy to get caught up in a lie that in order to make money and provide for your family, you need to work at a job that doesn’t inspire you. It’s also easy to get caught up in a lie that you aren’t a creative person. That simply is impossible. We as humans, are inherently creative!

I grew up in a family where everyone could draw really well. My dad dabbled in painting, and my sister was just the best at any kind of creative thing you can possibly imagine. She was, and still is the most artistically inclined person I’ve ever seen. She can make absolutely everything look so perfect, I almost can’t even describe it.

Growing up in this environment was fun, but as anything beautiful can do, it caused me to develop a complex that I wasn’t nearly as good at anything that she was. I went to extremes to prove to myself and others that I was the black sheep, good for nothing. It was pretty pathetic actually.

Thankfully, nature prevailed and as a young adult my instincts kicked into overdrive and I suddenly was propelled into a creative career. This probably saved my life. Although, I worked 10 years in this career with a nagging feeling that I’m not really that good at it. It was such a stupid way of thinking, and I’m over it now. I just put an end to it, that’s all anyone has to do in order to overcome a negative thought pattern.

Once this happened, I found some of the sources of my perceived handicap. For one thing, I needed to start doing more than sitting in front of my computer trying to draw with a mouse. I needed to draw on actual paper, and experiment with different kinds of coloring media. I needed to get excited about my camera, try new lenses and Photoshop filters. I needed to meditate every single day in one way or another. I needed to learn some new things in the programming world (which was one of the biggest obstacles to overcome, but once I started the process I was shocked at how easy it was, and I feared it for so long).

We are capable of doing anything we want, we just have to start looking for little ways to get the ball rolling. We don’t have to be chained to our desks at a boring, uninspiring job. With jobs in web design, illustration, photography, music, videography, cooking, landscaping, writing and even crazier things like engineering and architecture, there’s bound to be something any person can relate to and learn. We just have to be open to being inspired, and unafraid to “fail” once in a while, because it’s not failure, it’s all just practice.

One of the best things I ever did for myself was to listen to this TED talk with Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote one of my favorite books (and many other people’s as well), Eat, Pray Love. This book was written so beautifully, she painted a vivid picture of Italy, India and Bali. So vivid, that I truly feel as though I know the landscape and flavor of those places, even though I’ve never been there.

After she wrote that book, she became aware of the fear that she wouldn’t be able to catch lightning in a bottle and recreate the success of her first book, and she describes the mindset she’s developed in order to prevent herself from spiraling into depression like many writers have in the past, and still do. It’s also a great mindset to have if you suffer from lack of inspiration, which we all do from time to time.

I highly suggest taking twenty minutes to listen to her. If you’re super busy as we all are, listen to it on your phone with headphones, or burn it to a disk so you can listen on your way to work.

Today my goal was to break out of the rut this morning and take some pictures. It’s been really beautifully cloudy and raining these last few days, and now my backyard looks like a freaking awesome mountain forest. It’s pretty, and now I don’t have to feel a stupid sense of guilt over writing a long blog post that has a good message, but might be unreadable because there’s nothing to break up the words and make it look pretty. I’m so glad I did it, I got some fresh air, and now I won’t ever forget this beautiful day.

xoxo,
Mere

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