Bacteria in Lip Gloss

I just wanted to share something I came across recently. While I was breastfeeding my daughter, I used an all-natural nipple balm, & after not opening it for a while bacteria grew on the surface of the product. I opened a Buxom lip gloss recently, after not opening it for a year or so, & came across a similar thing. I talk more about it on my video below. Here are some close up shots.

Beauty Tip #1: Wash your hair in COLD water

Wash your hair in COLD water

- It leaves your hair more shiny & less frizzy. This is because cold water will close your hair's cuticles. You don't necessarily have to shower in cold water, you can always just wash your hair in cold water under the faucet or at the end of your shower, rinse it briefly under the cold water.

- Your hair color will last longer. When you shower with warm or hot water it strips your hair's natural oils as well as any treatments you have in it, including hair color. This works really well especially with the more vibrant hair colors like reds, purples, & blues, etc.

Give it a try & let me know how if you see any results! Please feel free to add any more benefits or tips regarding this in the comments below.

How to Make Kale Chips

Not only is kale an excellent source of vitamins A, C & K, full of fiber, flavonoids & I can go on & on, but it's tasty as well. Personally, I think it's tastier when made into kale chips! You get that salty crunch & healthy at the same time.

It's so simple & tasty that I bet you'll end up making the whole bunch into kale chips, which is what I did.

Ingredients:

Kale
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Thoroughly wash & dry the kale. You'll want to strip the leaves off the hard stems & remove any other hard stems within them.

Tear the leaves into bite size pieces keeping in mind that they will shrink some more after they're baked.

Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil & massage it into the leaves so that every leaf is lightly coated.

Then spread the leaves evenly on the baking pan& place into your preheated oven.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Turn the leaves at the halfway mark.

When finished, take out your pan & lightly sprinkle some Kosher salt over the leaves.

Now you're ready to enjoy!

My Very Merry 30th Unbirthday Party

I just wanted to share the setup & decorations from my "Very Merry 30th Unbirthday Party" that took place in March of this year. I was originally going to celebrate my 30th birthday at Love Joy's Tea Room but there was an extra fee if you stay longer than the allotted time slot. I decided to transform our downstairs/garage area into an Alice in Wonderland themed Mad Hatter Tea Party. With the help of my future mother in law, & my vision, we achieved it!

This was the staircase leading to the downstairs area. I had a sign saying, "Down the Rabbit Hole!"

This was the entrance to the main tea room area. We made sure the decorations gave that feel of being at the crazy tea party. I also posted quotes from the movie & placed them in random areas.

This was the refreshments area.

We ordered a forest scenery online & just stuck random things on there like the "UP," "Down," "This Way," "Wrong Way," signs, a backwards clock, flowers, etc. You can't see him but we placed the Cheshire Cat above the brown post.

Here's a little overview of the main tea room area. Hanging paper lanterns were a must!

The colorful curtains are actually a mixture of cheap curtains & cheap table cloths.

We used real China & silverware. The menu consisted of homemade blueberry scones, madeleines, fresh fruit kabobs, palmiers, mini quiche & tea sandwiches of course; cucumber & cream cheese, roast beef & mustard, smoked salmon & cream cheese, ham & cheese, peanut butter & jelly. We had alcohol, mimosas served in pitchers into plastic champagne flutes, iced tea, soda, etc.

If you notice closely we had small bottles of alcohol with signs saying, "Drink Me," tied to them. My party favors were colorful lollipops shaped as tea pots (not pictured).

And lastly, I created a homemade photo booth! We had one for our Christmas party & it was a hit! I made sure I had everyone's email before the party ended so I could email everyone the link to the photo booth pictures.

 

If you have any comments or questions please leave them below! Hope this post inspired your future party planning in some way!

TIPS on Flying with an Infant

Here are some of my tips when flying with an infant, or more specifically, an 11 month old. Now, I'm no expert, I'm just sharing what worked for us.

A few weeks ago my fiance & I took a trip with our 11 month old to Oahu, Hawaii & the week before that we took a trip to Orange County/Anaheim, CA. She was a lap baby for both flights so she was FREE. The flight to Hawaii from San Francisco was almost 5 hours & the flight to Orange County/Anaheim was about 1 hour.

To make things easier, I used a backpack as a carry-on so I could have my hands free when needed. We checked in a stroller at the gate so we were able to maneuver through the airport easily.

1) Make sure you & your baby are dressed comfortably. You don't want to have to worry about fixing your clothing while trying to hold & play with your baby on the plane. Along with dressing your baby comfortably, dress them in something that will be easier for you to take off & on in case you have to change their diaper during the flight. Also, don't have them wear too many layers in case it gets hot. You can always use a blanket if it gets chilly.

2) Change your baby's diaper right before boarding or right after you board the plane. This saves you a trip to the cramped airplane bathroom (assuming he/she didn't do a #2 during the flight) & ensures that your baby is dry & comfortable. During our flight to Hawaii, I couldn't figure out why she was still so fussy, after being fed & napped. DUH! Wet diaper!

3) Once you've found your seats on the plane & have settled in, take out the essentials or at least keep them in a bag that's easy to get into without disturbing your neighbor. I kept my baby's sippy cup, snacks & toys in the pocket in front of me so I could easily access them & had her pacifier attached to her. I also had a backpack carrying my baby's blanket, formula, diapers & wipes which I kept under the seat in front of me.

4) My 11 month old would rather play with a cell phone charger cord over any toy of her's so bring items, other than her toys, that might keep her entertained for a while. My baby loved playing with the drawstring of my hoodie, a set of keys/key chains, my ear bud headphones, an iPad & a napkin from lunch. Hey, what ever keeps them happy right? Of course keep an eye on them in case any small parts come off to avoid choking.

5) Let your neighbors keep them company. My very social baby would climb me just to look at the passengers sitting behind us. I was very thankful that they weren't annoyed because she was constantly peaking over at them & yelling to get their attention. They would even play little peek-a-boo games with her & that kept her busy for a while.

6) Make use of their blanket if they're not already holding it. It'll keep them asleep longer if they nap on the plane because of the familiar smell, warmth & feel of the blanket. My baby slept between 2-3 hours on the way back from Hawaii because she was nice & cozy.

7) Last but not least, if all else fails, walk around the cabin while holding them. What baby doesn't like to be held & if your baby is like my baby, they'll love looking at the different people & possibly other children on the flight.

I hope some of my tips may have helped you. Please feel free to comment & share any tips of your own. I'm always looking for new things to add to this list.

Happy Flying!

WELCOME!

Hi! Hello! I'd like to welcome you to my blog & say, "THANK YOU," in advance for visiting. I am in the process of finishing up a few posts that will soon be up this week so stay tuned!