The End of the World as I Knew It

So far, this blog has been mixed up jumble of thoughts and feelings. It has had no real purpose other than to entertain me on boring days when I feel inspired to muse about life. It has been a reflection of me (for good or for bad) and I've lost track of where I planned to go when I started out.

Since my last post, life has changed dramatically. My DS is almost 1 yr (freaking out) and we're planning where to go from here. Until now, I've been content to bounce about my little world without much focus or ambition. I once had ambitions. I once had focus. It's amazing how you turn one corner and you have no idea how you used to feel or what used to get you excited in the morning.

This spring (and the seeming dissolution of several important friendships) has re-energized a need to listen to myself and feel that happiness I considered to be a core element of my soul.

For example, what do I want for a career? Where do I want to live? What is the thing or things that will make ME happy? And, perhaps most importantly, how do I go about getting those things while keeping my family and friends in mind?  I have a husband, a son, three dogs and a cat. I can't wake up tomorrow, pack up and move to Istanbul. I can, however, wake up tomorrow and begin to plant a garden or search for a career or paint a wall.

I'm now a seeker and a doer rather than a spectator in my own life. That, in essence, is my goal for this blog. I wish to share with you my ongoing journey. My only request is that, as I open my life to ye ol' interwebs and consumers thereof, you choose not to be mere spectators. I genuinely want to hear from you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm compelled to climb the very big tree in my backyard. ;) 

Going Gluten Free - Day 0

So, I've struggled with psoriasis for some time now. First, it started as a small patch on my left elbow. It stayed that way for years. Then, I noticed it on my right elbow. Then, my knees. Finally, I found it in one eye brow and on both ears. Still, it was nothing to be alarmed about. I went to a dermatologist who prescribed a steroid ointment and gave me a steroid shot. We agreed that I wasn't severe enough to go with something like stronger.

About 4 months after I had my son, I exploded with spots. I have dime-sized breakouts of psoriasis on my legs and arms and back and butt. I look like a plague patient. I did some research and found out that this kind of flare is normal. I also found plenty of forums and blogs and personal stories that advocate a gluten-free diet to reduce if not eliminate the patches of icky dry skin that feel like you've jumped into a patch of poison ivy in your birthday suit.

With the support of my husband, I plan to go gluten-free as of tomorrow. We swapped out our pasta for gluten-free options and have plenty of fruits and veggies. I'm not sure if I'm up for the challenge, but I do feel like the world is become a friendlier place for people who have to eliminate that sneaky protein.

Have you chosen to go gluten free? Was it deemed medically necessary or was it purely by choice? What is your favorite recipe? Please share in the comments below!

Inside My Closet: Nailene SensatioNail At-Home Gel Polish Kit Review

Once in a blue moon, I run across a beauty product that I'm passionate about.  It has to save both time AND money.  It must be easy to use AND work as it should.  This is exceedingly true of SensatioNail.  I find the application process simple to understand and easy to execute on my own.  While there is no substitute to the pampering you receive at a high-end salon, doing your nails at home can be equally relaxing.  You don't have to inhale the fumes from every other patron's professional job and you can forgo the guilt of wanting to catch up with your bestie on the phone while you're soaking and drying.  You can just lounge in your PJs, turn on your favorite movie, and get beautiful nails at home.  PLUS, the money you save makes a little effort worthwhile.

I first discovered these kits walking around my local Walmart. Then, there were only a handful of colors available and I was a bit hesitant after having a bad experience with an "instant" version of "gel" polish a few months before.  (I can't find the brand now since it was immediately trashed, but it was B-A-D.)  I decided to give this a shot because it looked MUCH more legit.  Oh my gee!  I was sooo right!

{FACTS AND FIGURES}
Manufacturer: Nailene
Website: http://www.sensationailgel.com
Cost: $4.14 (tools and supplies) - $49.98 (full starter kit)
US Vendors: CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, Drugstore.com
International Vendors: ASDA Direct, Boots, Gordons Direct, TESCO

{HOW IT WORKS}
The starter kit goes for $49.98 on Walmart.com and can comes with either red, raspberry, pink or french manicure (from the various online retailers.)  It contains gel cleanser, gel primer, color gel polish, gel base and top coat, a double-sided nail buffer, lint-free wipes, a manicure stick, and an LED lamp.  There are individual polishes (approximately $10) sold in various colors and an "essentials kit" (approximately $20 - $25) that will replenish all of the other components in the starter kit (note: the essentials kit does NOT include the lamp.)

There are great tutorials on their website as well as illustrated instructions in the kit, but the general instructions are simple.  After filing your nails and pushing back your cuticles, you cleanse your nails and paint a layer of the primer on each.  You'll apply one layer of base/top coat, two layers of color, and one additional layer of base/top coat with a 30 - 60 second session in the LED lamp between coats.  You'll use the cleanser a second time to remove the residue and... VOILA!  You have a perfect manicure that will last at least two weeks.

To remove the polish, there is a removal kit and instructions.  However, you can use cotton balls, aluminum foil, and acetone just the same at a slightly lesser cost.

I'll post instructions for application and removal later.  After over a year of using this product, I have a few tricks of the trade that might just help you get a better result.  ;)

{RESULTS}

Pros:
I usually have to remove the polish because my nails have grown out long before I have to remove it due to wear and tear.  The polish lasts well past two weeks without chipping and that's after washing bottles by hand, working in a grocery store where I'm constantly doing some kind of manual labor (bagging, cleaning, or sorting money), and taking care of our newborn baby 24/7.  I have had people mistake the french manicure for acrylics (sweet!) and they do not lose their shine until the second you start to remove them.  In fact, the polish is so solid that I have not had a broken nail in about a year.

My nails after 2 WEEKS of wear. :)

Cons:
You're committed.  Unless you want to take the time (about 15 to 30 minutes from start to finish) to remove your polish, you're locked into your color.  Honestly, I see no reason to remove the polish unless you just HATE the color, but you'll want to choose wisely.  I tend to stay with the classic colors for that reason, but I occasionally venture into trendier hues.

{YEA OR NAY?}

Yea all the way.  I'm consistently pleased with the outcome of each manicure I do with this kit.  The colors are beautiful and they have a fair balance of trendy and classic. They even have magnetics and metallics!  So long as this company continues to produce the same quality product and keep up with the latest fashions, I expect I'll be continue to be a repeat customer.

Five Easy Clear Skin Tips

A friend of mine presented me with a problem. "My face keeps breaking out," she said. "I think it's just stress, but it's stressing me out!" I have never really and truly struggled with my skin except the occasional breakout when I've particularly slacked in the skin care department. So, I had to brainstorm. What was I doing right that she wasn't? Was there any way to help her? She washed her face and used over-the-counter medications on the blemishes. So, what to do?!

1. DON'T poke, pinch, prod, or prick!!!
Your fingers, no matter how clean you THINK they are, ARE FILTHY! When you try to clear up your skin my squeezing the blemish, you're really depositing thousands of tiny bacteria that will only make more blemishes or, worse, cause a full on infection. As tempting as it is, HANDS OFF. You are much better off using a treatment rather than trying to murder the little booger yourself. Additionally, watch where you put your hands when you're bored. Are you breaking out on your chin? Chances are good that you rest your hand there when you're thinking or tired or bored.

2. Just say no to desert. Your skin hates to be dry just about as much as you hate to be the last one to hear the office gossip. When you wash your face, the cleanser has a tendency to pull away all the good oils with the gunk. Then, your skin works overtime to keep itself hydrated. The problem is that the oils it produces can cause dirt to be trapped in your pores. Hello, concealer! To ward off the Zit Fairy, use a noncomedogenic moisturizer daily every time you wash your face.

3. Wash thine pillowcase. Even if you wash your face every night (and let's be honest, ladies, you don't) your face still creates oil and, if you have nightmares about missing out on a sale at your fave store, sweat. All of that is soaked up by your pillow protector like Jersey Shore boys soak up summer rays. The extra step of throwing in your pillow case with your weekly laundry will save you days of headache trying to clear up the pimples not washing it can create.

4. Cleanse your communication devices. By the same token, your phone harbors bacteria. Once or twice a week, wipe that baby down with an antibacterial wipe. That means cell phones and desk phones. This is especially important if you share a phone with others. Yes, your mom taught you to share, but I'm pretty sure that stopped at germs.

5. Antibacterial creams are your friends. If you wind up getting a blemish AND you forget rule number one, treat this situation like you would a wound anywhere else on your body... because that's what it is. You've broken down the bacteria's defenses (living comfortably in your skin), but you've also broken down your defenses (your epidermis). Help your face out by sending in the special forces - antibiotics. At night, when it's just you and your secret NKOTB PJs, smear some Neosporin on the open pimple and cover it with a Band-Aid. A couple nights of this kind of TLC should make you right as rain.

Picture Arranging with ZERO Measuring

I'm a stickler for perfection. Given the chance, I will over think things into oblivion. So, when it comes to things that should me more organic, I try to leave my neurotics at the door and allow my eye to take over.

I decided to replace the picture above my couch which was disproportionately small (and from an ex-boyfriend) with pictures of my family and friends. I'm a bit of a picture frame hoarder, but it's not hard to come by unique picture frames at thrift stores and, if the color isn't just right, you can always paint them like DulceCandy87. I decided I wanted a more eclectic look with metallics and colors to match my vintage-y living room.

First, choose a color theme and a general feel for the frames. Mine was easy because my living room is all subdued reds and sage-y greens with darker finishes in the wood and leather couch. Everything else is kept neutral. My husband have an inordinate amount of items passed down to us for people this young. I have old books from my dad and grandmother. He has vintage bottles worth more than I care to think about because they could break so easily.

Next, you have to "measure" the space. For this, I took painter's tape and marked off the area I planned to use for the pictures. This also helps you get a good feel for how much visual space the grouping will take.

Now, move that box to the floor.  This will work on carpet or hardwood or tile or linoleum.  It's even better if you can clear a space directly in front of the area you're going to hang the pictures.  Again, it's just a better visual for how you want to arrange them.

I would next choose a focal point.  Is there a particular picture you want to use as the center or, in my case, a non-photograph item?  The sign I'm using is from our wedding and it just happens to match our living room, too!

For my eclectic look, I decided to separate the dark frames first. I tried just arranging them by eye first and I ended up with half of the grouping being dark and half being light.  I needed a bit more science behind it. Place the dark picture frames (or whatever style picture frames you happen to have that stick out) in a spaced out way around the center object and inside the painter's tape rectangle. If you're using frames that are all the same color, you might want to do this with the ones that have a thicker frame or the ones that will be hung sideways/vertical.

Finally, fill in the other areas with the remaining frames.  I started with the metallic ones so that they wouldn't be right up next to each other.  Then, I went with the colored/brighter frames. Lastly, I placed the neutral frames.

Before you hand them on the wall, play around with the arrangement till you're 100% happy.  This might take a bit... and a cup of coffee, Wheel of Fortune, a few rounds of Angry Birds, a long call with your husband who's on his way back from Houston, and multiple battles with your dogs over who actually owns this floor space you're using.

Perfect?  110% happy?  TAKE A PICTURE! Use your cell phone or your camera to snap a good shot of how you have them laid out.  You could always sketch it, but it's so much easier with technology.  This will serve as a reference with you go banging nails in your wall.

Use the picture to hang the... er... pictures.  It's probably best if you put them up in the order you arranged them on the floor - focal point first.

Et voila!

Now, go get another cup of coffee and work on the laundry...

Recipe Box: Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Meal (with garlicky baked potatoes and cheating cheesy broccoli)

One day, out of desperation, I came up with this recipe.  It has since become a special request every time one of my girlfriends comes over and a go-to dinner when there's nothing else to cook in the house.  We almost always have frozen chicken and lemon juice (because it's great for deodorizing things) in our house. Minus the defrost time (approximately 30 minutes to an hour), this meal is on the table in 1 hour.  I'm not precise on any of my measurements because I usually wing it in the kitchen.  Frankly, I just hate measuring things. (BTW, these aren't patronizing instructions.  They're written for my domestically challenged friends. :D )

SUPPLIES:
Gallon zippered storage bag
Baking tray
Microwave
Grill
Knife

TOTAL COST PER PERSON: approximately $5

INGREDIENTS:
Lemon Pepper Chicken - Total Cook Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Defrosted chicken breasts (enough to feed your hungry mouths)
Lemon juice (enough to cover the chicken in the bag - I always keep a big bottle of it and just pour till it's covered)
Pepper (about a teaspoon to a tablespoon depending on the amount of juice)
Salt (less than the pepper)
Olive oil (a tablespoon or three depending on the amount of chicken)

Garlicky Baked Potatoes -Total Cook Time: 40 - 50 minutes
Potatoes (probably the same quantity as the chicken breasts.  NOTE: Potatoes are on the Dirty Dozen list, so I go organic)
Garlic powder (about a half a teaspoon per potato)
Salt (about a half a teaspoon per potato)
Butter (about a tablespoon per potato)

Cheating Cheesy Broccoli - Total Cook Time: 7 - 10 minutes
One of those frozen boxes that costs like $1.50 (I mean, who really wants to steam it and cover it in cheese when it's so cheap and easy to buy it premade?!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Slice the potatoes thinly, but not all the way through.  Think "desk organizer."

On the baking tray, put the butter on the top (sliced) part of the potato and try to work as much as possible into the cracks.

Dust the potatoes with the garlic and the salt (you could mix the garlic and salt into the butter before applying it, but I'm lazy and hate extra dirty dishes)

Set your timer for 30 minutes.

Place the potatoes in the oven.

While your potatoes are cooking, place your chicken in the bag (room temp chicken is the best).

Pour enough lemon juice to cover the chicken and add the salt, pepper, and olive oil.  I've made this with and without the olive oil and I always find the chicken is moister with.

Sit that aside to marinate.  I usually leave it on the counter since it's going on the grill in about 35 minutes.  Just keep the dogs away or you'll have lemon pepper kitchen.

Find something else to do for the remainder of the 30 minutes.

When the timer goes off, preheat the grill and scrub it if need be.  You'll want it nice and hot, so give it 5 minutes.

Place the chicken on the grill and reset the timer for 5 minutes.

Check the chicken to verify that it's cooked at least halfway through.  If so, flip it.  If not, leave it.  You'll see that the chicken turns whiter as it cooks.  You want the top to look just barely cooked before you flip it.

Cook the chicken on the other side for about 5 minutes.

At this time, throw the cheesy broccoli in the microwave and follow the instructions on the package.  This usually tells you to cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

Plate things in this order: chicken, broccoli, potatoes.

Et voila!  Everything is cooked perfectly, easily, and at the same time.  ENJOY!

Another Man's Trash is... a Smelly Cat Trap

I have a confession to make...

I am addicted to thrifting.  

It's especially bad if there are negotiations involved.  Thus, I'm a sucker for yard sales and "Half Off Saturday" at Goodwill is a must-do (more on that in a few weeks).

Cindy, my friend since elementary school, and I went yard sale-ing.  Our first stop was an indoor moving sale just one street away from me. First, let me say that I kinda HATE indoor yard sales. You can't do the drive-by how-crappy-is-your-crap scan.  It also always feels like I'm intruding and a little trapped.

Walking up to the house, I had hope.  It was well-landscaped and cared for.  I always question the quality of what's inside if the house is falling apart or the front yard is covered in children's toys.  However, inside did not match the outside.  The first thing we were hit with was B.O. and cat smells.  OMG... nothing worse than that combo.  PLUS, it was hot inside.  EWWWWWWW!!!

I did manage to spot a sweet necklace among the putrid smell of cat urine and over-priced furniture. Listen, asking $2 for a necklace at a yard sale seems a bit much to me, so I decided $1 was fair.  After all, your prices at yard sales should be a starting point.  If you're really set on the price of, say, a lawn mower or bedroom set, just post "FIRM" next to it.  I can respect that, but small items should always be flexible to allow for bundles. After accepting my offer, she tried to guilt trip me into paying more because it was a "really nice necklace."  I mean, "it cost $35." Sorry, sweetie.  Negotiations don't work like that. Plus, she revealed that she received it as a hostess gift for free.  Oye.

We made our way to several dud yard sales, but shopping with a good friend is never really a dud. You get to laugh at some of the ridiculous things people once had in their home and enjoy the fresh air.  She collected some doilies for a table runner project and some high-end baby clothes for a friend.  I found a little over a yard of fabric that will make some cute pillows or curtains ($2) and three adorbs shepherd's hooks with green pots which will serve as a perfect addition to my back patio with citronella candles or sweet little flowers ($2).

Then, she wanted to go to one in a questionable area of town that we just happened to pass by.   Another indoor yard sale?!  Come on, people! And why do all the indoor yard sales smell like cats?! Well, we got there just after someone made off with all the really nice furniture and lamps.  Cindy found some very cute Beatrix Potter tins for her future nursery and I decided to start planning my Christmas decorations by purchasing a Santa Claus coat rack for my entry way ($2).  Now, I can't wait to get it up and do some over-the-top vintage decorations for Christmas this year.

So, all in all, I had a lovely time with a lovely lady, spent only $7 and walked away with some super cute items.

What pet peeves do have about thrifting/yard sale-ing?  Share your experiences in the comments below.

Until next time...