Don't forget about the doggies...

Happy Tuesday everyone! Last weekend was Memorial Day Weekend, and I hope everyone celebrated it accordingly. Remember, we are the land of the free, BECAUSE of the brave :)

So today's blog is a little different. Summer is around the corner (officially begins June 21) so everyone is trying to prepare, whether it is with purchasing a new wardrobe, trying more natural makeup techniques, or getting a cute shorter hair cut :) BUT, what about our furry friends who also want to enjoy the change of season?? ♥♥♥

I don't know about you, but I love my doggies like children! So anytime I get the chance to spoil them, I do :) Not just with my love, but with goodies that are healthy and nutritious for them. If you are willing, here is a wonderful recipe for a cool, summer-y treat your favorite companion can enjoy ♥♥♥

Ingredients:

• Plain Yogurt (try an organic brand like Stonyfield)
• 4 medium size Strawberries (also better if organic/remember you want them eating healthy things!)

1) Pour some yogurt in any mold of your choice (silicone molds are easier to pop treats out of). Only add enough yogurt in the mold to fill about 1/4-2/3 of the way full. Freeze it for an hour.

2) Blend the strawberries in a blender and add on top of the frozen yogurt.
3) Top it off with another layer of yogurt. Freeze it for an hour (or longer). Enjoy :)

Make Your Life Better with Baking Soda :)

Hello bloggers! :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and if not, I hope this upcoming one is much better <3 I was doing my usual cleaning the house this past weekend, and realized I am out of baking soda, gasp! This might sound weird and most people just use it to stick in the fridge, but there are actually many uses that can come out of baking soda. Lets explore:

☻ Clean your jewelry with baking soda! Scrubbing your jewelry with some baking soda on a wet toothbrush will really make them shine :)

☻ Are your teeth as white as you'd like? Use a little toothpaste, mix in one teaspoon baking soda, plus one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide, and a 1/2 tsp. of water. Thoroughly mix then brush your teeth for two minutes. Repeat this once a week till you have desired results. Once your teeth are whitened, just repeat once a month!

☻ Stayed out in the sun too long? If you need to relieve a sunburn  make a thin paste using water and baking soda. Gently apply to the burned area.
☻ Baking soda can be used as an exfoliant! Make a paste using 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Apply to your face with your hands and rub gently to slough off dead skin, and leave your skin with a glow.
☻ Ouch, I have muscle pain! To relieve aches and pains, mix 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a warm tub of water.
☻ For those who sweat, apply baking soda under arms for quick-dry antiperspirant!
☻ Make sure to wash your fruits and veggies! Clean pesticides off of fruits and vegetables. Add some baking soda to a sink of water and rinse your produce in it.
☻ Make that sports car shine :) Use baking soda to clean up the vehicle like you do the bathroom, it makes chrome sparkle as well as stainless steel.

Save a Dried-Out Mascara...

Monday Monday, what a joyous day :P Back to work, school, or whatever your responsibilities are! I hope everyone has a great weekend and Mother's Day, whether you spent it with family or alone reading a good book :)  I spent mine spending too much money on makeup, but I did get some new products to try out, so that was exciting!

This morning I noticed that one of my favorite mascaras (Lights, Camera, Lashes by Tarte) has dried out and it not working quite as well. I have not had it for that long and some mascara's that I have had for longer are still working great. Hmph! As expensive as Tarte's mascara is, you would think it would last as long as a drug-store brand >:o The good thing is there are different tricks you can do to try and revive your favorite mascara. Here's what do to:



Boil about 1 cup of water and place it in a mug or coffee cup.




Take your dried up mascara (make sure the lid is on nice and tight) and place it bottom first in the boiling water. Leave it for about three minutes. The heat of the water should melt the dried mascara inside the tube without adding anything to the mascara.


Use tongs or a towel to remove the tube of mascara from the hot water. Dry the outside of the tube. Unscrew the cap to check the condition of the mascara. It should be good to go :)



If your mascara is still somewhat dry after trying these steps, add one drop of baby oil to the mascara. Mix the baby oil into the mascara by inserting and removing the mascara wand five or six times. Make sure you don't mix too much, because pumping the tube in and out creates more air in the tube. Repeat steps one through three if the mascara dries out again. Avoid adding any more baby oil to the tube of mascara because it may change the properties of the mascara and make it unusable.

When you get to the point where you can't revive the mascara any longer, make sure to save the mascara wand and discard the rest. You can get a lot of uses out of the wand for future reference :)

Lipstick rules to live by...

Happy Monday my fellow bloggers and beauties :) So over the weekend, I went to the Container Store, and spent hours upon hours looking around. That store is so amazing, I could spend all day there! I was primarily looking for things to help me organize my makeup vanity. I ended up getting something to hold my eye-shadow palettes and a lipstick display case that holds up to 24. When I got home, I tried it all out, and I filled up the entire 24! Geez!

Having all those lipsticks, it made me think how each one is so different and should be applied with different techniques. Here are the main rules to live by (with any lipstick) when putting on that perfect pout:

Make sure your lips are clean: Try to exfoliate lightly with a toothbrush to remove any dead skin, and pat them dry. You don't want to put lipstick on chapped lips however, so if you are having that problem, use a little bit of lip balm, then blot most of it off (don't rub).

Know the lipstick formulas: Lipsticks that are matte formulas tend to be very dry, versus most creamy formulas that are really hydrating but don't last as long.

Wear a lip liner whenever you can: Using the same color lip liner as the lipstick helps to not only intensify the color, but it helps the lipstick to stay on longer throughout the day. Make sure when applying the lip liner, you outline your lips and then fill your lips in. If you only outline your lips, you will get that unsightly outline throughout the day if your lipstick needs touch up.

Blot the lipstick right after applying: Once you have applied your lipstick, you can blot right away by gently pressing a tissue right up against your lips. Don't put the tissue in between your lips and blot, because it will wear your lipstick off in an uneven way. After blotting, some women like to reapply a second coat for double long lasting wear. If you choose to do this, make sure you blot gently again after the second coat.

Make sure not to get lipstick on your teeth: Once you have finished applying your lipstick, put your index finger in your mouth, gently close your mouth over the finger, and pull your finger out. This will get any lipstick that was applied to the inner parts of your lip that could wear off on your teeth if your not careful!