Holiday Cleaning

Here's an updated, most of my home, cleaning routine!

Ready to come clean with me?

I LOVE watching cleaning videos much more than making them.  Hehe, wink!  If you've made a video or post on how you clean your home, please share!  And when you finish cleaning house, go relax in the tub!!

If you haven't been to my new YouTube channel yet, please go check it out and subscribe!  Thanks!

Summer Weekend Routine 2015

6:00am Get out of bed.

6:30       Eat breakfast with my kiddo.

7:00       Get everyone dressed, and make beds.

9:00       Have morning snack.

10:00     My little girl plays, while I clean.

12:00pm  NAP TIME!!!!! Also known as free time. This is when I do whatever I want.  Sometimes I take a nap too.

2:00     We eat lunch

3:00     Daddy gets home

4:00     Have afternoon snack

5:00     Work on dinner

6:30     Time to eat!

7:00-7:30      Bathtime for the little one

8:00      Baby’s bedtime

9:00      My bedtime

Super Fast Shower Routine

When I’m in a hurry, which seems to be often, there’s just no time for a leisurely shower.  This is my speedy morning shower routine.

If I have to shower in the morning, I like to try and be done before my little one is awake. This can be challenging, since she is such an early riser.

I quickly scrub my face. If you want to know what products I use, check out my skin care routine. Then I wash my hair and apply conditioner. While that sets, I scub down and rinse off. I try to save any shaving for at night, when I have more time.

Like I said, quick and painless. Just in time to get my kiddo out of bed. Have a good morning everybody!

Evening Routine

A few weeks ago I told you about my morning routine. So, I decided that this week I would tell you about my evening routine.

I come home from work and put away my bags. Next, I remove all of my jewelry. This is just my ritual. I follow up with getting some time in with my daughter. Sometimes this can be difficult since she is quite the daddy’s girl.

My husband and I take turns cooking. If it’s my turn, I hop to it. I get out of work kind of late, so I need to get dinner done fast. If it’s not my turn, I straighten up the house and play with my little girl.

After dinner, it’s bath time! We play for a little while longer, then off to bed.

I relax for a bit. Then, I start my skin care ritual. Follow up with a shower or soak, and get ready for bed.

Before I completely go comatose, I run the dishwasher if needed and do something about the laundry.

BEDTIME, and goodnight!!

An Evening At....

This is a nice little restaurant in a college town where most people get around on foot.  I was surprised that this restaurant actually had a parking lot!  I will take that over parking on the side of the road any day.  The outside was pretty plain, other than the nicely decorated door. It didn’t stand out much, and it was a little hard to find.  But, we are glad we did.

The inside was nicely decorated and the staff was very accommodating.  I only wish they had baby changing stations.  That would make it even more family friendly.

My daughter and I shared the grilled veggie melt.  This is the description as per the menu:

Grilled Veggie Melt: sauteed portabella mushrooms, farmer’s cheese, spinach, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, garlic aioli on multi grain, side sweet potato fries $9

A lot of things on the menu are quite pricey, but this $9 meal was not too shabby.  Their sweet potato fries were the perfect amount of sweet and salty.  That is what really drew me to the meal.  I love sweet potato fries!  The sandwich was very good as well.  The bread was not too greasy, the cheese was delicious, and the ingredients were fresh.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience.  I would go back, and also recommend others give them a try.

Keep Smiling!

Order and Chaos is AWESOME!!!

I found this application shortly after my daughter was born in 2014. Before finding this app, I was a bit sad. I will tell you why. In short, we were cutting unnecessary expenses with the anticipation of our newly found childcare fees. I once avidly played World of Warcraft. Then, it became an unnecessary expense. I was sad.

And, like some kind of voodoo, Order and Chaos appeared on my play store. I downloaded it. Then I was amazed and excited.  I was wondering “how can they have this for free?”

This app is actually very similar to World of Warcraft. Except it’s free! No monthly fee. They do offer some in-app purchases. Although these are not necessarily needed to play. Some of the premium products can also be won in the lottery.

The game can be a bit glitchy at times. However this is absolutely, hands down the BEST game I have on my phone AND tablet. This game rocks! I am so happy to tell you about it! If you play, let me know how you like it down below.

7 Favorite Essential Oils

I love using essential oils. Especially in my pampering endeavors. I tend to gravitate towards scents that promote relaxation.

Combining chamomile and lavender oil is by far my favorite combination. I generally use about 5-10 drops of each in a hot bath. I also add some epsom salt and baking soda with that. I love doing this before bed. Both of these oils help me to fall asleep. They are so soothing.

Another combination I enjoy is peppermint, rosemary, tea tree and eucalyptus. I will either put the oils straight into a hot bath, or I will make my Lucky Minty Goodness bath fizzies. These are great when you’re stuffed up and congested.

I use the rose oil in my milk baths. This is another soothing smell that i combine with powdered milk and honey. Delicious, and so good for your skin.

Here is the complete list of the oils I mentioned:

1. Lavender

2. Chamomile

3. Peppermint

4. Rosemary

5. Tea Tree

6. Eucalyptus

7. Rose

Let me know what oils you like and how you use them. Drop your comments down below, or email me.

Keep Smiling!

Duolingo Review

I have tried several of the free language learning apps on android. I want to talk a little bit about the Duolingo app by Duolingo. This one is by far my favorite.

The selection of language options is amazing. I have tried all languages available for the English speakers to learn. I wish I could pick just one language, but I truly enjoy them all. Just not all in one day. That can get confusing.

The app even gives you different learning options. I currently learn at a casual pace. These lessons only take about 5 minutes each. Being a busy mom, this is perfect. I usually do my lessons on my lunch break, or before bed. They do have longer lesson plans, if you prefer.

The app itself is visually eye catching and colorful. It is very organized and well managed. It also reinforces the information, so you don’t forget. This app definitely gets a mommy high five!

Morning Routine of a Full Time Employee and Mom

How nice is it to wake to the sound of birds singing, or to feel the warmth of the sunrise cascading over your bed in the morning? I would genuinely like to know. It sure does sound nice.

Instead, I wake up somewhere between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning to a crying child. She is by far the best alarm clock! She never lets me over sleep.

I get out of bed and go change my daughter’s diaper. We go out to the living room, where she plays. Thank goodness I was blessed with a fairly independent youngster. While she plays, I get dressed for work and pick her clothes for the day. Next, I make her and me breakfast.

Once we are done eating I finish getting my hair and face ready. For my makeup routine click here.  After I am ready for the day, I dress my kiddo. I do this after breakfast because she is a very messy eater. Then, I make sure our fish and dog are fed and medicated.

Next, I make my bed. This makes me feel so much more productive during the day. Lastly, I start a load of laundry and run the dishwasher. Done and out the door! Then it’s off to daycare, and work.

Here is my morning checklist:

~ Make bed

~ Get dressed

~ Laundry

~ Load/Empty the dishwasher

~ Drink water

~ Breakfast for me

~ Feed the fish and the dog

~ Give doggy his medication

~ Little one’s breakfast

~ Dress the kiddo for daycare

This list is not in any particular order, as my order changes. If any of you have a good morning routine, I would love to hear it! Leave your comments below.

A Quick Makeup Tutorial

Between getting my daughter ready, myself ready, and getting a few chores done, I like to get things done fast. This makeup routine does not take much time at all. It is perfect if you’re in a hurry.

First, I apply a small amount of the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream around my eyes . This helps as sort of a primer, and covers under eye circles.  I don’t have too much of a problem with acne, so I don’t bother with covering my whole face in foundation. If you do have issues with breakouts, then do whatever you feel comfortable with.

Second, I apply my eyeshadow. I’m currently using Almay’s trio for greens. I use the lightest color from my lid to my brow. In the crease I put the medium color. Last, I apply the darkest color to the outside corners of my lids and creases.

After the shadow has been applied, I put on my eyeliner. I’m absolutely loving the Maybelline Unstoppable line. I currently have the color Cinnabar. Then, I curl my lashes and apply my Covergirl Bombshell Volume by Lashblast. Last, I use the Clinique blush in the shade Mocha Pink.

That completes my quick makeup routine. Hope this helps your mornings go better. If you have any tips or tricks for a speedier morning, leave a comment! Below is the list of makeup I mentioned in this post along with a link to each item.

•  Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream                                                                                                 
•  Almay’s trio for green eyes                                                                                                             
•  Maybelline Unstoppable eyeliner in Cinnabar                                                                                  
•  Covergirl Bombshell Volume by Lashblast                                                                                              
•  Clinique blush in Mocha Pink

Chili Time!!!

I love to have chili during this time of the year! The smell of coming home to dinner ready to be eaten. Thinking of the aroma of it makes me hungry. To me chili is the ultimate fall meal.

I decided to share my recipe with all of you. It's really simple.

For meat, I like to mix things up. I use one pound of ground beef, one pound of ground sausage, and one sausage link. The combination of beef with sausage is amazing! Plus, I enjoy having different textures in my chili.

After adding all of my meat to the crockpot, I add diced up onion. The rest of my ingredients are canned. I use one or two cans of chili beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and one can of tomato sauce.

I season everything with chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and a few cloves of minced garlic. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper for extra kick.

I start this in the morning. I leave the slow cooker on low for six to eight hours. Then it's time to enjoy. Perfect for a cool fall evening. Enjoy, and keep smiling!

What's in my diaper bag?

*This is an old post from my previous blog. Awww, I miss my little girl being that little!*

It’s nice to travel around and know, without a doubt, that you have all of the things necessary to care for your child. Mine is a little over 15 months old at the moment.

First, I want to list all of the items I used to carry in my carter's bag(which I am in LOVE with!!). These are the things I needed when she was still a baby. Of course, she is still a baby to me. But, to others she is a toddler now.

As a baby we seemed to carry a lot more in our diaper bag. Now, it is a lot easier to travel with her, as she requires less. So, here is the list for an infants bag:

– 3 diapers

– Travel wipes

– 2 burp clothes

– 1 or 2 prepped bottles (depending on how long we would be out)

– A portable bottle warmer (I strongly recommend getting one)

– 2 changes of clothes

– A snugly (which is what we call the blankets with an animal head attached)

– A toy that makes noise, like a rattle

– 2 pacifiers, in case you loose one.

– A blanket

– A changing pad

Now here is what I currently pack. This is the toddler list:

– 3 diapers

– Travel wipes

– Small container of snacks

– 1 sippy cup with water

– A couple of small toys

– A changing pad

– If it’s extra cold, a blanket

– 1 change of clothes

– 1 pacifier

That’s really all I need now. My daughter loves to go everywhere. She doesn’t bore easy, and she loves to watch EVERYTHING. So, she stays pretty entertained. Most of the time I don’t even have to get the toys out. Unless we are waiting on a doctor’s appointment, which can sometimes be a lengthy wait. The pacifier is only used when she gets sleepy.

Well, there you have it! I would love to hear what you all keep in your bags.  Feel free to leave a comment! ;) If you would like a link to any items above, let me know!

Blueberry Pancakes!

Never underestimate the power of pancakes. They are cheap, fast, and simple. An excellent breakfast staple that can be customized to your hearts desire.

This morning, that is exactly what my daughter and I had. I always keep variety of frozen fruit on hand. This time we had delicious pancakes with wild blueberries. Can’t you just here them sizzling in my skillet.

Spread on a little butter and drizzle a little syrup. YUMMY! What I want to know is, what are your favorite kind of pancakes? Leave them in the comments down below.

Lucky Mint BATH FIZZIES! DIY!

I very much enjoy those delicious bath bombs, but they can be pricey. So, I decided to be nice to my wallet and make my own. They are surprisingly easy to make. I find it kind of fun.

In the spirit of this past Saint Patrick’s day, I decided to make some green bath fizzies.  With colds and the flu flying around, why not mint? So I concocted a nice mixture of minty oils, which I will list below. I also combined some blue and yellow food coloring to make them green.

Here are the ingredients:

– Citric acid
– Baking soda
– Powdered milk
– Epsom salt
– Yellow coloring
– Blue coloring
– Peppermint oil
– Eucalyptus oil
– Tea tree oil
– Rosemary oil

This type of bath fizz is great for a stuffy nose.  Sorry I don’t have exact measurements. But, a girl has to have some secrets. Wink! Let me know what oils are your favorite down below.

Samsung Note 4

*This is an old post from my previous blog*

Back in December 2014 I bought the Samsung Note 4.  The first thing that drew me to it was the HUGE screen. Yes, size is an issue for me. The bigger the better.

I also liked having the 32 GB of space. One problem. With the latest update, they installed several applications that I neither use nor want. Plus, the update was enormous and took a ton of the space. I have been a little bummed ever since.

The layout is nice. The S pen has been a lot of fun to use. A long time ago I had the Palm Pre. I must of lost my stylus at least once a week. With the Note 4, it tells me when I get too far away from my S pen. I haven’t lost it yet. Yay!

Now, about my phone case. I purchased the Spigen wallet case. Being constantly on the go with child in tow, I needed to be able to carry all my essentials in a compact style. This does just that. I have my phone, cards, and money all in one place. I don’t even carry a purse. I just shove my phone in the diaper bag, and I have everything I need. I love it. I just wish they had used a material that was more durable. My daughter bit mine and some of the leather came off. It’s still very useful though, and I don’t know how I would get around without it.

Bottom line, I love my phone and strongly recommend it. I just hope they take it easy on the updates.

P.S. I couldn't find a link to the case I purchases because it was so long ago, but here is an equally cute one!

I Dream of Clean, Bedroom Checklist

It is so important for me to have a clean bedroom.  I can't relax unless it's tidy!

SMILE!!!

And go take a nap!

Skin Care Routine

Who likes nice skin? I do! That’s why I am going to talk about my facial ritual. I take care of my face every evening. I find it helps me to set the mood for going to bed. Although, sometimes I perform my ritual in the morning. It really depends on my schedule, but I prefer to do it in the evenings.

When I say ritual, I go all out. I start by lighting some candles in the bathroom and pulling out all of my goodies. Then, I turn on some tunes or Netflix. Yes, I will try and watch my shows on Netflix.

There are six key steps to my skin care routine. They are makeup removal, cleanse, exfoliate, mask, tone, and moisturize. I do all of these steps everyday. I rarely have skin issues. I feel like skin care is so important.

Once the mood is set, I start step one by removing the days makeup. I don’t care for the common oil and/ or liquid based makeup remover. I feel like they leave too much residue. Instead I really like the eye makeup remover lotion by Neutrogena. It is so much gentler on the skin around my eyes. Plus, I don’t need to scrub as hard. We don’t want eye wrinkles!

Step two is cleansing. I use Purpose’s gentle cleansing wash. It is a very gentle cleanser that doesn’t use very many chemicals. It’s even says on the bottle “clinically shown gentle as water”. I completely agree with this. My face is so sensitive. I have tried numerous amounts of cleansers and this is the ONLY one I will use now. My skin is so clear!

Step three is exfoliate. It is so important to really remove all of the old skin, makeup, and dirt from your face. I use the fresh effects va va vivid brush by Olay. It is supposed to make your face up to 400% cleaner. The vibration and scrubbing bristles are excellent for your circulation. Exfoliating helps promote the regeneration of new skin cells and makes your skin appear smoother.

The fourth step is my favorite. I like to use a mask several times a week.  I am currently using two that I really like.

The mask I use the most is the self heating mask by Bioré. I use this mask around three times a week. The warmth is so soothing, and charcoal is great for purifying your pores.

The other mask I us is the skin renewal, clay mask by eclos. It uses apple stem cell technology. It’s supposed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve texture in two weeks. I use this mask twice weekly. I will be honest. This one burned the first couple of uses, but eventually my skin got used to it. Plus, I can tell a HUGE difference in my skin.

Next, I use toner. Currently I have the mattifying toner from the Botanics line. It’s nice and mild. I also like the rosewater toner by them. Toner helps balance your skin’s pH level.

The last phase is moisturizer. I have tried several of these and my favorite is the moisture rescue gel-cream by Garnier. This is powerful stuff. I was hooked during my pregnancy, when I suffered from severely dry skin. It even helped with my daughter’s eczema! Once again, powerful stuff.

That's it for my skin routine. Hope you liked it! I’d love to know about your skin care routines. Mostly because I’m nosey. So, leave a comment!

And always keep smiling! : D

DIY Detox Bath

Every now and then it’s good to cleanse and detox in a nice warm bath. Optimally, I do this at LEAST once per week. You should too! There are so many health benefits. 

As a base, I start with my Epsom salt and baking soda. For detoxing I always use both. Sometimes, I like to sprinkle ginger in my water. Ginger makes you sweat more. This is a good thing, helping to pull toxins from you body. I have tried fresh and dried ginger. Honestly, they seem to have the same effect. So use whichever you have.

If you don’t want to get extra sweaty, you can skip the ginger. That’s the beauty of the bath. It’s completely flexible.

Lastly, add your oils. Mix and match. Try and experiment, see what you like. I enjoy trying new concoctions. Currently, I use lavender oil. I also use sage oil, by itself or with rosemary oil is good too. Use what ever you feel you need. I like to keep a 10 drop rule. If I mix my oils, I still only use 10 drops total. Like I said, try some experimenting.  If you'd like to see a post about the benefits of different essential oils, leave me a comment!

Now for the fun part. Light some yummy candles, turn off the light and soak. I have a bath caddy, so I can watch Netflix on my tablet while I’m in the tub. Give yourself 40 minutes to soak. The first 20 minutes are for detoxing. The second 20 minutes are for you body to soak up all those good nutrients you added to the water. To keep track of my time, I watch a show that has either 20 or 40 minutes episodes. Watching one 40 minute episode, or two 20 minute episodes. Then I know I have soaked up all the benefits. Do have a beverage on hand. These baths can be quite dehydrating.

Now, you try! Go on. Get your bath on! And, smile. ; D

Kitchen Cleaning Checklist

This is honestly my least favorite room to clean. But here it is.

Happy cleaning!

Very First Posh Party!

Last Friday I attended my very first posh party.  It was a lot of fun.  For those of you that don’t know what a Posh party is….  It’s a lot like an AVON party.  Posh seems to do more with spa type items and less with nail polish and make up.  From what I gathered, it’s products are comparable to Lush.

At the event we were able to try different face masks and cleansers.  I cleansed my face first, using the ‘olive my love’ cleanser.  I followed it up with the ‘stay gold’ face mask.  After that I used a moisturizer.  All of these items are very gentle.  My face felt so soft after using this face mask.  It’s would be really good for dry skin.  The cleanser was liked by other girls at the party, but I am very picky about cleansers.  It was nice, however my face felt very dry after using this.  As long as it’s followed up with a good moisturizer, it’s ok.  The moisturizer I finished with was the ‘night and day you are the one’ moisturizer.  It made my skin feel velvety smooth afterwards.  It’s been a few days now, and no extra breakouts!  (I have super sensitive skin.)

Our Posh advisor was very sweet and good at explaining the products to us.  He also showed us some of the men’s products.  They smelled so good!  I have a feeling I may be getting a few things for my hubby…

 Anyway, the event was very enjoyable!  I am so glad I was invited.  Thanks to the hostess and to our Posh advisor.  I had a great time and look forward to trying more products from Posh.

Main/Guest Bathroom Cleaning Checklist

On to the main bathroom! This is such an easy room to clean. It takes no time at all.  If you are lacking motivation this is the room to hit. I even put this list in the order of which I do things. Happy cleaning!

You may have noticed that I did not include the shower/bathtub. That is because I have incorporated it into my shower routine.

I keep a dish wand, filled with dish soap, in the shower. About once a week I scrub down my shower and tub while I am in there getting myself cleaned up. The scrubbing doesn’t take long and the water is already running, so rinsing it off is a breeze.

Have an AMAZING day and keep smiling!

Fitbit Charge HR Review

*This is an old post from my previous blog, but I still use it!*

I recently started using the Fitbit Charge HR. I gotta tell you, I’m addicted! I LOVE this thing. You can set you weight goal, track your sleep, and more.

I never realized how little I moved around. Well, not anymore. I’ve learned quite a bit about my lifestyle. Things I am working on changing. It’s quite a nice motivator.

I drink more water, thanks to the water track. I try to walk more, thanks to my step tracker. I even use the stairs! And, it’s fun to see your heart rate any time you want.

The tracker seems to be fairly accurate in all fields. I do wish they had a pregnancy mode. No, I’m not pregnant….yet. But, it would be a nice feature. On occasion, it doesn’t track my small cat naps. This could be due to my being a restless sleeper.

I also like that you can challenge your friends. Who doesn’t like a bit of competition? I do recommend this to anyone considering a fitness tracker. The program is so easy to use!