ChicWrap Giveaway Winner!

I'm happy to announce that

Jennifer

was selected by Rafflecopter as the winner in the

ChicWrap giveaway.

Yay Jennifer! I hope you love your ChicWrap as much as I do mine.

For all of you who didn't win, please do yourself a favor and order your own ChicWrap.

You will be glad you did.

There are 6 different designs to choose from, so go HERE and order today!

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Hang tight...we will have another giveaway VERY soon.

CRAYOLA SUMMER FUN GIVEAWAY is up next!



Easy Summer Face: Stila & Stainiac

For lots of us, summer means looking less made-up. We want to streamline our beauty routine, and we don't mind looking a bit more natural, even if we're not ready to go completely bare.

Just in time for my extended summer vacation in South Florida, I got several of my subscription beauty boxes. While they were all awesome, I'm going to focus on just one of those boxes for this post because it really helped me nicely achieve that less made-up look. My Birchbox contained several deluxe samples I was VERY excited to try out.

Photo: Birchbox

It had quite a few good things, but I was most excited to try:

theBalm® cosmetics Stainiac

and

stila one step bronze

First, I watched the Birchbox video tutorial for each:

Stainiac Lip & Cheek Stain Tutorial

Stila One Step Bronze (SOSB) Tutorial

Avoid this Peanut Butter! Yuck!

Many of you know that I eat low-carb and have for over 2 years now.

I lost from a size 13/14 at my highest to a size 7/8, which I've maintained for over a year and a half.

It's the way I eat now...and forever.

If you want to know more about the way I eat, check THIS POST for more info.

When I recently found this jar of peanut butter on the shelf at my local WalMart, I was excited.

Walden Farms Whipped Peanut Spread

I usually have to buy specialty items like this on the net and pay to have it shipped.

This was only $3-something, so I grabbed it and chunked it in the shopping cart.

A couple of days later, I remembered the new product and got myself a spoonful of it. I joyfully placed it into my mouth...then gagged!

I'm used to low-carb, sugar free, and my tastes have altered quite a bit, in favor of more natural, less sweetened foods. (It's what happens when you stop consuming sugar.) So, trust me when I say that this wasn't a case of "Oh, sugar free stuff is gross!"

I looked into that jar, wondering what on earth this stuff is that it could taste so heinous. It looked mostly like peanut butter, except it had many more air pockets/bubbles, was more "whipped" looking, less solid. But it still didn't look THAT bad.

I spooned out some more and made myself try again. You know I'm willing to take one for the team! Nope, still horrible. I was about to throw the whole jar, minus 2 spoonfuls missing, straight into the garbage. It was in my hand. I was on my way to the trash can. Then, I realized that maybe I could use it in my baked MIMs (muffin in a minute) to give them some texture and SOME peanut butter-ish flavor. So I kept it. I put it in my next batch of MIMs and it DID do okay. Not great, but passable. At least this way, it's not a total loss. I hate waste.

Don't buy this stuff, but DO try this recipe!

Basic/Plain MIM

Spray a mug with cooking spray

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter (or use 1 Tbsp of coconut oil, liquefied)

Beat in 1 egg

Use 1 drop of liquid sucralose (or 1 pkg of Splenda, Truvia, etc.)

1/4 cup golden flax meal (you can use the brown, but most don't like it as well)

1/2 tsp baking powder (not baking soda!)

Dash of cinnamon, if desired (typically leave this out if you "enhance" with add-ins)

Mix thoroughly. Microwave in a mug for roughly 2 minutes (more or less depending on your microwave...when the batter pulls away from the sides of the mug, it should be done).

You can use all kinds of add-ins to enhance this Basic MIM recipe.

One of my favorites: Add 1/2 Tbsp of peanut butter (NOT the Walden Farms Peanut

Spread!), and 1 Tbsp of Sugar Free Caramel flavored coffee syrup (the Torani brand is available at most WalMarts, near the coffees).

Another fave: Add 1 small strawberry chopped small, and 1/4 tsp of strawberry extract or 1 Tbsp of Sugar Free Raspberry flavored coffee syrup.

Another: Add just a few Sugar Free chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp of Sugar Free Chocolate flavored coffee syrup.

Keep in mind, you can multiply these ingredients  by 6 in a mixing bowl and make a full batch of muffins in a 12-muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. Serving size is 2 muffins. Store in the fridge.

Let your imagination be your guide!



ChicWrap: Plastic Wrap Made GREAT. Seriously. Giveaway!

Would you let your younger kid tear off some plastic wrap?

Me neither. Those vicious serrated metal strips have claimed far too many victims.

 I often cut (or at least scratch) myself on those, so there's no way I'd let one of my younger children risk it. Plus, you know as well as I do, chances are, while they are trying to get the plastic wrap torn off, they'd probably end up with a stuck-together mess that we'd have to throw away, anyhow.

But guess what? Those days are over for me...and they can be for you too! Watch my video below.

ChicWrap contacted me to try out their plastic wrap dispenser and blog a review about it. That takes either: a)GUTS - you're willing to let it all hang out...or b)CONFIDENCE - you KNOW you have a fabulous product that will get a great review. I can tell you that with ChicWrap, it's "b". They have confidence in their product, and it's well deserved.

Here's why:

The ZipSafe Slide Cutter

Non-skid Rubber Feet

 Sustainable Wipe-clean Box

6 Beautiful, Unique Box Designs to Choose From

California

Citrus

Cook's Tools

Modern Dots

Sunflowers

And Triangles...
which I chose because they look great with my colorful Fiesta dishes

When you hold the box in your hands, you know immediately that this is well-made, durable, high-quality stuff that you will use for years (that makes it "green" too). It's SO worth the $9.99. Order your own ChicWrap in whatever design you like HERE.

The box has very simple "directions" printed right on the bottom.

While your new ChicWrap box comes with 250' of professional plastic wrap that clings tighter and holds longer, you can use other plastic wrap in the dispenser, too. Or, you can order more from ChicWrap when you run out. You can get four rolls of the professional quality plastic wrap for $15.99. ($3.99 per roll).

Also, you can feel good knowing your money is helping OUR economy, because ChicWrap is manufactured in the U.S. and assembled by the Exceptional Children's Foundation - PAR services in Los Angeles.

Want to WIN your own ChicWrap? I'll bet you do!

US Residents 18+ enter via the Rafflecopter below.

(Disclosure: ChicWrap provided me with the products for this review, as well as the prize for the giveaway. My opinions, as always, are my own and represent my true feelings about the product.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mascaras: DiorShow Extase Mascara vs. Ulta Lengendary Lengths

After a forced blogging break due to bad internet connection, I'm finally back on the world wide web! Thank you AT&T for fixing the lines in the RV park and getting me connected again ;)

Recently I received Dior's DiorShow Extase Mascara in my May "Gossip Girl" Edition Birchbox.

I was really excited to get this sample because several readers have commented that it is their fave and worth the extra dough.

I decided to compare it to my new Ulta Legendary Lengths Mascara I picked up on super-sale at Ulta.

Here's how the wands look on both.

Top is DiorShow, bottom is Legendary Lengths

While the brushes are different, they both seem to function quite well. I like the tapered end on the Ulta because it seems to help me get to those small corner lashes. Yet, the wavy, bristley shape of the Dior wand seems to grab a hold of lashes. I can't really say one is better than the other, although there was a slight "better feel" to the Dior wand, which I attribute to it "grabbing" the lashes easier.

The formula itself seems to be very comparable/similar. They both glide on easily. Neither is clumpy. They both darken the lashes equally. Neither is waterproof, yet they don't flake or run. They both performed equally well. See if you can tell a difference in appearance.

I can't see any meaningful difference in quality. Can you?

My LEFT eye

My LEFT eye



My RIGHT eye

My RIGHT eye

So which one is which??
My LEFT eye has Ulta Legendary Lengths, while my RIGHT eye has DiorShow Extase.

Here's a different angle:



 There is one big difference, however: Cost. I scored the Ulta mascara for $4 (sale, 2 for $8), right now it's on sale at Ulta for $5 HERE. The DiorShow Extase weighs in at $28.50 HERE.

I guess it's up to you. Do you want to pay more just for the name?

If so, be my guest. You'll get no argument from me. However, rest assured that the pictures speak for themselves...you can get equally great mascara from Ulta for a fraction of the cost. Then you can spend your money buying MORE makeup!

 Birchbox has a great "Gossip Girl" Neutral Cateye tutorial below which they promoted with their May Birchbox. I thought you might like to check out. It has quite a few "tips & tricks", plus the neutral cateye is a look most every lady can wear beautifully.

Suave Giveaway Winner!

I'm happy to announce the winner for the Suave Professionals Hair Products Gift Basket Giveaway, which was provided by Suave:

Margaret E. S.

Margaret has been contacted and has responded back, so she is our winner.

Her G +1 this post entry option was the randomly selected entry via Rafflecopter.

Congrats Margaret!

And thank you to everyone who participated.

I have another giveaway I will start very soon, so stick around ya'll!

Maybe YOU will be next.

Disclosure: I received a basket of products to review and was provided a basket of products to giveaway from Suave. Even so, my opinions are always my own and represent my honest assessment of the products provided.