a few things im loving right now

I saw this on Good Morning America and on this youtube video, but I wasn't interested enough to actually buy it until my friend told me how well it worked and she had gone through three bottles.  Everyone is right. This stuff is magic at controlling frizz and making your hair soft and manageable and just behave. Its a little pricey but not more than the other "salon" brands. I have only seen it sold on its own website and on Amazon. I'm buying my second bottle shortly.

Unless you have very strong willpower and can keep yourself from eating the entire bag at once, I suggest you just walk on by this popcorn. It doesn't sound like its irresistible. Popcorn with a little white and dark chocolate on it?  Something about that combination makes it impossible to stop eating.

Not very exciting, but pretty tasty for the night you don't want to drag out the rice cooker and wait 25 minutes for some hot rice. My husband does not like it much, but I think it is delicious and think this roasted chicken flavor is by far the best they have. 

I was picking up the regular pretzel Crisps and noticed the cinnamon Sugar ones. I thought, why not. I didn't have high hopes. They turned out to be very tasty and I've gone back looking for them again and again. 

My favorite lipstick. It really stays put. It has spoiled me so much that I rarely wear anything else. I've accepted that I have reached the time in my life where I need to have color on my lips (or else I look half dead). This helps a lot. 

French Pears. I may never eat an "American pear" again. They are wow, so delicious.

few things i love right now

Roses from my garden (and the empty house  next door). I haven't been showing the roses much attention or tender loving care lately. They have kind of been on their own. There are on the list of items needing attention, somewhere between flooring in a few rooms and a new hot water heater ( will it ever end?) They are still  alive enough to produce a few bouquets each week for the house. You got to be kinda hearty to make it in my yard.  

Have you tried the strawberry- lemonade from  Wendy's? It is delicious.  Its loaded with sugar, but man. It is good stuff.

Also delicious, the big squeezy, a juice bar right across the street from the Courthouse. Its a little treat when I go to court, but hard decision each morning. They have little sample cups of all the juice. That's how I came to choose this one. It tastes better than it sounds and makes myself feel better for eating all the valentines and Easter candy (and cheesecake).

Tarte Shape Tape concealer. Its expensive but its good and a little goes a long way.

An African violet sitting in my kitchen window. When I was a kid, my maw-maw grew them and she was serious about it- like black light serious. I could not keep my hands off the fuzzy little leaves and contributed to the demise of many of her little friends.  This one is the first one I've been able to successfully grow. The others died quickly. I inspect this one daily for any signs, but so far, it appears healthy, growing and blooming. I think I found the right spot. It seems to like my kitchen window.

A few things Im loving right now

 

Thomasville wood cream

I have no idea what this stuff is (furniture cream? like a moisturizer? for wood?) but it is amazing. You can imagine what a 1930s wood dresser looks like after sitting in five feet of muddy flood water for three days.... never mind..... You can not imagine what it would look like and you wouldn't believe me unless you saw it for yourself. But it was bad.The wood turned grey and the mud would not come off. So bad that the owner of a furniture restoration company told me to throw it away, there was nothing he could do for me. Instead I sat it in the garage. Periodically, I'd wash it down and try and clean some of the mud off. It took many serious washings sometimes with a scrub brush and wool, but it was finally free of mud but still looked bad. Really bad. Even in its condition, I decided it would be the vanity area in my guest bath.  It fit perfectly and  I planned to pass it off as very rustic, and shabby chic, heavy on the shabby. As a last ditch effort, I found this furniture cream at..... where else? TJ Maxx. I literally put half a bottle on it and let it soak in. My thinking: cant hurt anything now. The wood just soaked it in and it made the wood look 100 times better. It no longer looks old and cracked and brittle and grey. Its still old and wobbly and looks like it went through a flood, but it does look a lot better. I never thought I'd see the wood clean again! But here it is..... thanks Thomasville. Complaints.... none.

Maybelline lasting drama eyeliners

They are so smooth and creamy and  go on so easy and slick and wear forever.  I put it on about 7:30a and its still there at 9:30p when it take it off. I like them better than Loreal infallible. I like them so much I went back and got three more. Here is a youtube review (starts at 4:15). Complaints.... its hard to take off and I more often than not wake up with a little left on from yesterday. Its also so creamy you have to go slow and be careful when applying. It can get everywhere quick.

Rimmel Provolips

Everyone is wild about Lipscense ( review here). But its really expensive, and I heard this stuff was almost as good and literally lasts all day and it costs about $7.  It REALLY does last all day. You have to reapply the gloss but the color literally last all day. I always have it on when I go to take my makeup off at night, and sometimes, I even find  a little left on in the morning. We wont discuss the level of chemicals this things must have or that I'm shortening my life span, but this stuff works. I like it better than my old favorite. Complaints.... you have to go super slow when putting it on because once it is on, it is not coming off. Also, after 12 hours or so, you can really tell you have on long wearing lipstick. It is not as fresh looking. And last complaint, you have to really want to take this off and actually use makeup remover on your lips. I use this.

few things that have made me happy lately





 

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

 

I can certainly talk about quite a few dog bites and bee stings but,  these are a few things that have made me happy lately....

 

 

Finding a really nice, name brand consignment store with pretty cheap prices has made me very happy. Sometimes you just hate everything you own and want one or two small things to spruce up your closet and this cardi and silk top did it for me. Similar to the payday pretty concept,  I got an attitude adjustment without spending much for the new sunny disposition.

 

 

 



 

Being greeted every morning and afternoon with the new statute at the front of my subdivision has made me inexplicably happy.

 

 

 

 

Pink tulips on my coffee table. Its a week worth of happiness for $8 at the grocery store.

Cooking breakfast for the youth. Once a month an adult supplies a full breakfast.  This month, it was me. I cooked one pound of bacon, three pounds of sausage; 36 biscuits,  20 yogurt parfaits with strawberry yogurt, strawberries, granola and chia seeds; 10 yogurt parfaits with vanilla yogurt; fresh strawberries with cream cheese dip and bananas. I enlisted a partner and she made grits, monkey bread, scrambled eggs and ice coffee. It was a lot of work, meant three trips to the grocery store, a late night Saturday and an early morning Sunday, and my kitchen being wrecked more than once.  But its fun in its own torturous sort of way and makes me happy.

 

 

The first rose from my new rose bed, Mr. Lincoln, siting in my bathroom. He is so big and smells heavenly. He honestly makes the whole bathroom smell good and makes me happy every time I see him. (Abraham Darby should be making his first appearance shortly).

 

 

 Her

few things I'm loving right now

Trader Joe's mini mint ice cream sandwiches
I've seen some people complaining about the lack of chocolate chips in them, but I think they are just perfect. They are the perfect size. Two bites. And they are delicious.

Liz Earl Polishing Facial Cleanser
I'm not sure how it works, but it smells like mint and feels thick and creamy, then you wipe it off with the muslin cloth that comes with it and your skin literally feels polished. I love it.

That's it
A fruit bar that only contains fruit and nothing else. I love it. I wish I could find them more accessible. They are at Starbucks for $2.95 each, or order them on line for a lot less. This was my first on-line order and they went fast.

Ensure High Protein Drink
Very high amount of protein (25g) and just so easy for a snack.


My new coffee cup from target.
It was $4.99 and I tried to get more on clearance after Christmas, and surprise. They were gone. I hear they have pretty cute Valentine mugs out now.

Apple chips.
I can honestly eat the whole bag at once (then feel sick). It is just apples cut and fried like potato chips. They are delicious.

A few things I'm loving right now in August

I LOVE this candle.  It is such a nice scent and very nicely packaged.  A large candle and a heavy glass jar. I will definitely keep this jar and reuse. I love it even more since I got it at TJ Maxx (where else?) for $5.99. I plan to go look for more scents.

My favorite self tanner. This is the most natural looking one I've ever tried, and easy to apply. Its just a little color. These tan towels are expensive.  The best price I've found is at HSN. But I usually buy the small pack at Ulta with the $3.50 coupon you can always find for Ulta. I use the cheaper Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer to make it last longer. You honestly can't tell its a fake tan. Its not bronze, its just a little color.





 

Not so exciting, but when you need to kill fleas in the house and you don't want to use chemicals. This is the best thing ever. 

 

 

Swiffer Sweeper. Am I the last person on the planet to get one? Probably. I use both the dry and the wet ones and I love them.

A few things I love in June 2015

We did a lot of snacking on the Tennessee trip. My friend brought the Belvita, and I forgot how much I love these cookies. I kept the extra and brought them back home. I don't eat them for breakfast but I think they are the perfect snack for me. I can easily trick myself into thinking I am eating a cookie, and not something healthy.

The Palmer's Cocoa Butter came in my latest Walmart Beauty Subscription Box.  I've seen it on the shelves forever, but always passed it by. I am a moisturizing addict (I think it really keeps wrinkles away) and I am so glad I got this large sample, because I probably would not have picked it up. It is so thick and so moisturizing and has an old fashioned scent like nothing I've smelled. I think it must be real cocoa butter smell. Its suprisingly cheap. A bottle is about $5.50. The larger bottle is on my list.

Few things I love in May

The organic frozen mango from Trader Joe's. Its $3.99 a bag and it taste just like ice cream. I take a bowlful of chunks and let them slightly thaw for 5 minutes or so and its perfect after dinner or late night snack.

Arnold Schwarenegger protein powder in vanilla. I put protein powder in my smoothies almost every morning. I asked my trainer to recommend one and this was her first choice.  It taste better than most (or maybe I have just gotten use to the taste of protein powder?)

bhcosmetics  baked eyeshadow. I had never heard of this brand until I got this sample in a Birchbox or an Ipsy many months ago. I didn't think I would like it so it sat unused for quite a while. I finally got around to trying it and... surprise.... I really like it.  You just dip your brush in, swirl it around, and it comes out on your eye as a beautiful blended purple color. Its also pretty easy first thing in the morning.

 

 

Tarte lipsurgence lip cream  in awakening. I think this came in a kit. I've had it for quite a while, and its really one of my underused lip sticks.  I like Tarte products, they make my favorite bb cream of all time (this one), and I rediscovered how much I like this. It is rich color and seems to plump your lips. It has very little shine to it, and I usually put a little gloss on over it.  In fact, I'm wearing it in the my picture to the right.

 

 

Parking in my garage for the first time!! Its crazy how much I love this. I've lived in this house for over 8 years and, thanks to a massive yard sale and a new garage door, I finally get to park in the garage. It's unbelievable how happy this makes me.

A few things I loved in April

I am painfully sorry that I ever found these frozen chocolate croissants at Walmart. They are delightful. (here is a review) They do come with one catch.... you have to defrost for 8 hours before you bake them. This means I have to decide in the morning I am going to want one after dinner. Thanks goodness, or I would be baking one (or three)  every single night. I love them, they are delicious, and flaky and kind of small, so one doesn't make you feel too bad for eating it, and its shocking how fast I eat it. A package of 8 is about $4.

 

 

Multi-Grain Omega 3 bread from Costo. I have no rational explanation for this and don't know how to describe it. I know..... really.... whats so great about a package of store bought bread?!! You toast this bread, smoother it in butter, and it is honestly the best bread I have ever had. Its dense, and chewy and just delicious. I honestly look forward to toast in the morning. It comes in a package at Costco, two loaves for $6.  I split a package with someone at work. We are all just obsessed with it. 

 

 

Another Walmart find. $1.50 each. In the frozen vegetable aisle. Packages of frozen garlic, basil and onions in small ice cube trays that you pop out and put into whatever you want it in, and then keep the rest frozen. This is just genius, and it taste good and why didn't I think of this and become a millionaire ?!



Simple brand Micellar Water. Found at Walmart (Things we have learned in this post.... I spend too much time in Walmart) for about $6 (here). There is a lot of buzz on You-Tube. (here and here)  (More thing we have learned....I spent too much time watching You-tube) This wont take off heavy makeup, and I don't think it was made for that. I use it after cleaning off makeup and I'm surprised but there is always a little more makeup to take off. This just feels good and you don't have to rinse it off. It feels moisturizing and refreshing, not greasy. It does not sting (so that means there is no alcohol in it) and my skin is not tight after use. I've been getting a lot of compliments on my skin lately and some of the credit goes here.





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A few things I love right now: March

fresh ground Almond butter from Whole foods.  How is ground almonds so delicious? I just get a big spoonful for dessert most nights.

Glam Glow mask in hydrating. Its expensive, but I will be buying the trial size again.  My dry skin just looks and feels better and this mask smells great.

A few things I love in January

Two of my favorite finds in January:


illuminators may be my favorite makeup thing in the world, and this new set by Becca is my favorite of the many illuminators I have met and loved. Emily Noel recommend it (here and here and here) so highly, and Ulta had a special,  which combined forced to give it a try and I love it so much I can declare it was one of the best things to happen to me in January! too strong? maybe. but I do love it.

 

 

Its also no secret that me and Bath and Body Works have a thing going on. But, I spent way too much time in the candle section to  have any energy left over for the body lotions and gels.  Until I found this on my secretaries desk, started using hers daily and then wondered in the aromatherapy section,  which frankly, at $13 to $15 each, has caused me another problem in life. Now, I'll be chasing these lotion deals like I chase the candle deals.

A few things I'm loving right now: December

Despite being a big smoothie fan, I was hesitant to buy a special  machine. (My blender is fine! Is there really a difference?! Just one more appliance! Will I really use it? there are so many to choose from!) But the Nutra Ninja 1000 caught my eye and it was on Christmas sale and its the best purchase I've made in a long time. I never had such a smooth smoothie. I really love it.

 

Not gonna lie..... I'm not a big fan of Jergens... but I saw this commerical, and then saw it on sale at walmart for $2 a bottle, and could not resist trying it again. It is suprisingly thick and moisturizing, and now I really, really like it. As in, like it so much I'm buying it again.

 

 

 
Beef Jerky has become my go to snack. Its full of protien! I have a bag in the car, a bag in my desk, a bag at home....

Thats it.  I read about these bars, only two ingredients, all fruit and nothing else, and found one at Starbucks. I love them.