Let's Chat 001 10/9/16

Thank you so much for tuning in if you watched the show!  Here are the deets on what we chatted about!  If you missed it, no worries.  

Pumpkin facial scrub recipe:

Pumpkin puree

Preheat oven on 350

Cut your pumpkin in half and cut off the stem

remove all of the insides (save the seeds for a healthy snack)

Cut your pumpkin into smaller sections and lay them on a baking pan with the inside facing up

Bake your pumpkin for 45 minutes (to check if it's done just poke with a fork)

let your pumpkin cool then cut the skin off

Put your pumpkin flesh into the blender (or food processor) and blend until all chunks are gone!

Scrub 

Mix the following ingredients together

1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of coconut oil (for oily skin use jojoba oil)
3/4 cup of puree

Maintaining your Boo's beard!
What you will need:
An exfoliate
Face wash
leave in conditioner (non-sulfate)
Oil (i like to use coconut or castor oil)
towel
Water bottle (unless you are doing this in the shower)

1. Spray the beard with water (saturate)
2. exfoliate in a circular motion to ensure you are getting all dry/dead skin up
3. spray beard to rinse exfoliate out
4. using the face wash give the beard an invigorating washing. use the tips of your fingers to add in a slight massage
5. take spray bottle and rinse out the facial wash
6. Apply leave in conditioner to entire beard. This is the step when you want to detangle with your finger tips
7. Apply the oil all over.  This is to seal in the moisturizer and leave a nice natural shine.
8. Finally groom the beard using your brush.  DONE! (I try to do this once a week.  (He brushes in daily)

Make sure the beard is moist during this entire process.

Breakfast Sandwich on the go in less than 2 mins!

Being a working mother of 3 and always on the go convenience is one major thing I need in my life.  I'm huge on making sure they get a good meal but I don't always the time to cook it so when I ran across these sandwiches I wasted no time making them.

What you will need:
Eggs (1 per sandwich you are making)
Cheese
English muffin
Breakfast meat (optional)

Heat oven on 350

Grease your pan
Crack egg in each cup
Add seasoning and cheese
Pop it in the over for 10-13 mins (mine took 13)
Let cool completely before removing
Remove and cut in half long ways so the egg can cover the entire muffin
Add your meat and cheese
Individually wrap each sandwich with parchment paper and put them in a freezer bag
Freeze overnight
When you are ready to eat them be sure to un-wrap them and place on a microwave safe dish
Microwave for 2 minutes.

Additional suggestions:
veggie sandwich: mushrooms, feta, spinach
Meat lovers: Sausage AND ham
Egg white:  Separate yolk from white then add to pan

If you have a family that likes options, you can make a variety and label them. Make sure you jot the cook time on the label as well!

Six ways to guarantee you will accomplish your weekend projects!

Summer is halfway over and I still have a number of projects that I plan on completing.  The problem with those projects is they have been "weekend projects" for quite some time now.  Recently I decided that I needed to take a different approach if I was serious about getting them done.  Initially my approach was thinking "hmm I need to get that done this weekend". Yep that was it, LOL.  I kept my list in my brain and counted on myself to stick to it.  I failed miserably!  I now have a plan of attack and get this....it's actually working!  Sticking to these will not only help you in getting your projects finished but may also free up time to just sit around and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Unique Moss Art for $5 and 10 minutes

Saturdays are my favorite day of the week for lots of reasons but of the main reasons by far is because it's when I do most of my D.I. Y. projects.  I had a real itch to do a project this weekend but I wasn't in the mood for anything too fussy or too big.  As I was looking around in Marshalls I saw a bag of Moss and just like that I decided to do a moss art project.  Let me tell you this is one of the least expensive, quick projects I have done so far.  You are not going to believe how easy peezy this was.

My goal was to make it look like something I purchased out of a store.  Also I wanted it to make a set.  I grabbed two frames that I had previously purchased at the thrift store for $1.70 each, my glue gun and minutes later I was hanging it on my kitchen wall!

The best part of my moss art project is that I did it myself!  I didn't run into any issues whatsoever.  It was simple enough that I wouldn't mind doing it again.  I even hinted to my hubby that when we move into our home I'm going to make one of my accent walls into a moss wall.  I think it's called living art.  Whatever it's called, I'm here for it.  Enjoy the video and Happy D.I.Y.-ing!

5 ways to make the next 12 months of your life count!

You know how you get those memories on Facebook that shows posts you posted on that day a year or two ago? (for example july 4th two years ago).  Sometimes it’s a picture, other times something you shared or just typed.  Well last week a memory of mine came up.  It was a selfie I had taken shortly after I cut the remainder of my relaxer off and went completely natural. I was in New York visiting my big brother.  I couldn’t believe how short my hair was and how much it had grown in only a year.  I’m not talking just an inch or so.  I actually took a ruler and measured it.  To my surprise my hair had grown a good 8 inches.  The longest part of my hair was about ten inches and the shortest about 8. 

Pinterest Interrest: Sweet Potato Toast?! my review here!

Ok so I am in the midst of a life challenge.  I just started it yesterday.  It covers all aspects of my lie including making healthier choices.  I hadn't realized it but I eat soooooo much bread.  I eat it with breakfast along side eggs (toast or english muffins) and I take a sandwich for lunch every day Monday through Friday.  I am literally eating like a loaf of bread by myself a week! Crazy right?! DId I mention it's swimsuit season?

So as part of my challenge I decided to cut out bread.  Just to force myself to explore other options which brings me to this Pinterest Interest!  I found this Sweet Potato toast on Pinterest and decided to try it.

...RIGHT!??

The Day Wonder Woman had to take off her heels

I am a part of this group of about 8 people. We text one another every single day. Whether it's to announce good news, share pics of having a good time, saying I miss you, or encouraging one another we are always there.  Well this morning one of our group members asked us to pray for her because she's been feeling overwhelmed lately. I immediately responded.

"When you are feeling overwhelmed it's time to reevaluate everything you're doing"

These 3 steps (and a few bucks) are guaranteed to transform your pantry from drab to fab in less than an hour!

I'm in the midst of Spring cleaning.  I have been for about a month now.  I started with the purging the kid's closet of old toys and out grown clothes.  Then I moved to my closet and rid it over items that were either outdated or no longer the right size for me.  Well this past weekend was a 3 day weekend so I couldn't miss the opportunity to have an extra day to clean so and this weekend's project was my dreadful, blah, color-less, boring, unorganized kitchen pantry. Once upon a time I had a semi-organized system to it however that system was short lived.  I decided that it wasn't going to clean or organize itself so it was now or never!  And to be honest it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  Here are the three ways to attack your kitchen pantry and beautify it in less than an hour

Scarred on the Inside

During my commute this morning I was standing next to a man that was burned on one side of his face. Wow, I thought, this man has been through some pain. His face was literally melted which means not only was he burned but he had to endure some real pain through the healing. 

Well what about those that have scars on the inside.  The scars hidden behind our smile or beneath a cute figure or nice clothes?

Honoring your darn self! When others don't give you the honor you deserve...

I remember one year the hubs and I were really going through a tough time in our marriage.  Well I guess to him, Mother's Day wasn't a pause in our issues to do something nice because the "gift" I got spoke volumes!  When he passed me the unwrapped, random (because i didn't even know what it was) gift I felt like he was saying "I'm not even going to put forth the effort".  That hurt me because being a mother is one of my proudest roles in life.  I live for it. I go above and beyond as a Mother and while I knew he knew this (he always says it and shows appreciation) this gift was, to me, a spit in the face. 

Mother's Day is about others honoring you as a mother.  It's about receiving recognition and extra love and flowers and gifts and kind words about how great a mother you are.  The unfortunate reality is not everyone has family that takes out the time to do it.  Some Mom's don't even get acknowledged on Mother's Day.  

D.I.Y. Floral flying cup

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  I remember as a child making homemade Mother's Day cards and little projects for my Mom every year.  Each time I gave her my gift she was so excited and overjoyed.  You would have thought I had given her a year's worth of spa treatments or a new car!   As a mother myself I now know the feeling.  Every year my children bring me a cute little card and a gift they made just for me.  It's such an awesome feeling to know that they took out the time to make it with me in mind the entire time.  I hang the cards and pictures up on the fridge for a month or so then I take a picture, file it in my e-photo book and throw it away.  Hey don't judge me.  Getting gifts from three kids every holiday on top of school projects piles up.  I was on Pinterest and came across this really awesome project that I think is perfect for a Mother's Day gift.  It's called the flying cup.  It's inexpensive, easy-peezy and something that can be displayed throughout the year.  I decided to give it a shot with my kids for our daycare provider who is more like a second mother to them.  This gift is perfect for tea-lovers, flower lovers and whoever likes cute things!  Enjoy the video and Happy DIY-ing!

Hint:  Make a card to go with it saying something like "Thanks for pouring your love in my life!"

My Mother's Day from HELL!! Three no-nos when receiving not so great gifts.

My first Mother's Day I received a cookbook....yep, a cookbook and booooooooy was I pissed! I was mad, upset, disappointed, offended, sad, under appreciated and any other words you can think of to mean veeeeery unhappy. A cookbook really!? I was not happy and I showed it. I cried, complained and cried some more. Then I talked to my Mom about it and my sisters about it oh yeah and my bestie too. 

I could not believe it after aaaall of the work I had done so far to raise our first child I got a measly cookbook for my first Mother's Day.  I mean hello I had a c-section!! To me that alone deserved a nice piece of jewelry.

What to do with your subscription beauty box leftovers!

Once upon a time I subscribed to one of those great beauty box monthly subscriptions and I loooooved it! It was like getting a Birthday or Christmas gift every single month.  In case you are unsure what  Beauty Boxes are they are monthly subscriptions of boxes filled with various items.  There are makeup boxes, hair product boxes and even food boxes.  For a small fee you get a different box each month. I'm a lover of nail polish, hair products, perfume and all things girly so my subscription was right up my alley.  While I enjoyed getting my new items before I knew it I had loads of products collected.  I wasn't sure what to do with them.  Some weren't a good match for my skin color, others were too close to something I already had and the rest were just items I had no interest in (like lip plumper).  After a while I didn't know what to do with them and decided to just throw them away.  I know, I know.  I got rid of soooo much stuff.  Well I've recently been considering starting my subscription back up but needed to figure out how I could solve my problem of "leftover products" first.  Here are 3 ways to handle the items you no longer want without just dumping them.

5 Reasons it's CRUCIAL to declutter and easy TIPS on how to do it!

Spring is here!  It may not feel like it (I mean it literally snowed this past Saturday) but She is. One of the most common things that comes along with Spring is Spring cleaning.  For me it's the perfect time to do a deep cleaning of everything from closets to my pantry to the kids' toys.  I started my Spring cleaning about two weekends ago and boy was I not prepared for what I found.  A whooooole lot of CLUTTER!  I mean unnecessary clutter. I literally got rid of two huge lawn bags of toys alone.  Let's not talk about the coat closet.  I fussed at myself the entire time. I found myself frustrated as I was clearing things out mad at no one but myself for having all of the things I no longer needed and forgot I even had!

5 brutal truths you WILL face as a blogger and how to keep moving forward

I've been a blogger for going on two years now and I absolutely LOVE it.  I have to admit that when I began blogging I had this beautiful idea in my mind of how it would go and boy was I waaaay off! If you aren't careful you can get your feelings hurt and give up just as quickly as you started.  That wasn't the case for me although in the beginning I have to admit I was in my feelings with the disappointment of things not going quite the way I'd imagined them.  I learned five hard truths during my journey so far.  They not only changed my entire approach towards blogging but also gave me a sense of more respect for other bloggers.  

Pinterest Interest- DIY Marbeled mugs

Yep! Spring is here.  I love Spring because in my life Spring means D.I.Y. season begins!  My "DIY season" is Spring through late Fall.  As long as the weather is nice I am in the mood for creating!! I love creating! And it's perfect timing because I have just added a new addition to my blog called Pinterest Interest!  It's where I marry two of my favorite things..Pinterest and DIY-ing.  The idea is for me to take you along on my Pinterest journeys.  Some of these will be vlogs so you can subscribe to my YouTube page so that you get alerted when I post something new. Well let's get started with my first project of the year. Marbeled mugs!!

I found this cool idea on Pinterest sometime last year and could not wait to do it.  For one, I have loads of nail polish that I no longer use but didn't want to just throw away and two I loved the idea that I could drink my morning coffee from a designer (me of course) coffee mug made by Yours Truly!  Trust me you will be making these before the end of the week! Check out the video here and get to creating!

Literally learning a new language from the palm of your hand! Psst..it's free!

I am learning FRENCH!!!! Yep, myself and all of my immediate family and our spouses.  We are a well traveled family and have had the opportunity to live abroad most of our lives growing up.  I've lived in Japan for 5 years , Germany (twice) and visited another countries to include Italy and Korea.  As part of our curriculum in each country we had to take a cultural class.  In that class we learned the language of that country.  So I know a tad, Japanese, German and I decided to take up Spanish when we move back to the states.  While I know pieces of these languages we (my family) aren't fluent in anything but English.

How setting the tone for your day will affect the rest of your week

How do you start your day?  I can tell you how I used to start mine.  Well first there is the snoozing of my alarm that I did at least twice. Yes, I snoozed the snooze.  After finally dragging myself out of the bed and my morning visit to the bathroom I'd wake the kids and BOOM just like that my morning took off! I was rushing through the ironing and breakfast and rushing the kids along as well. "Come one guys, you've been eating long enough", "quickly brush your teeth so we can go", "we leave in 2 minutes".  These are all phrases that would regularly fill our mornings.  Then after dropping them off I'd rush tot he train station to make the train. After finally getting to work I'd then rush to get on track there not because I had to but because I was now in that mode.

Well that was then, now I have learn how to set the tone for my day and how important that is for the rest of the week.

"Doing this allows for a pleasant morning, extra time for breakfast and extra hugs and kisses.  

Here are ways to ensure you are setting yourself up for a great day and furthermore a great week.

The F-word (forgiveness) and the etiquette of encouraging it

Forgiveness...Such an easy thing to encourage someone else to do but are you taking your own advice?  Even more, when you call yourself "encouraging" someone to "get over it" or telling them "that was forever ago, you need to forgive" are you being sensitive to THEIR situation? Because that's whose it is...theirs.

The secret to finding your purpose once and for all!

So I got a text the other morning asking me how I know what my purpose is. Wow, what a great question! Before I answered I asked God to help me answer it best I could and my answer was......I don't. I don't necessarily know my purpose but I do know what I am doing has something to do with my purpose. Does that make sense? I told my friend that I had been praying and thinking and praying some more for God to reveal to me my purpose. This was about a year ago. At the time I was feeling like "OK Christy, you aren't in your 20's anymore, it's time to start walking in your purpose." I needed to be doing something rewarding. I was more than sick and tired of working for someone that 1. Didn't appreciate my hard work and long (and i mean looooong) hours. 2. Wasn't interested in my success. 3. Hurt others 4. wasted my time. I literally felt like I was in high school. Meetings weren't very productive. The first 15 minutes were about work, the next 45 were all gossip. About people that they would then turn around and have lunch with. I couldn't take that being my everyday anymore so that brought on a reevaluation of my life. So I prayed. I cut out a lot of distraction and in that time I just meditated on the life I knew I no longer wanted and the life I knew I was purposed to have. It was time. It wasn't until my friend reached out that I thought it through completely. I realized that there were a few highlighted things that helped me in realizing that I am on the road to fulfilling my purpose ans I want to share them with you.

Saving Money for real this time! 9 steps to help you become financially fancy!

The brutal reality of becoming financially stable is that in the beginning you will HAVE to say no and be OK with it. Look at the bigger picture. No doesn't mean never, it means not right now. Starbucks, NOPE. Last minute, unplanned, spontaneous trips, nope. Eating out for lunch AND dinner, no, no, no!! Here is the thing. You have to discipline yourself enough to where you understand that saying no to wants is saying yes to financial freedom or what I call being Financially Fancy! Friends are always going to want to go to happy hour. There will always be a sale or a good deal on shiny new things so don't worry you aren't missing out. Those things are just temporary pleasures. You are trying to get to a place where you owe no one and are in a position where it actually makes sense for you to go on a trip or shopping spree.  When I say makes sense I mean paying for your trip with cash (not on credit), have spending money and come home being able to still pay your bills (completely, not partial) and still have money in the bank.

Here are a few things I have come up with that I know will help me and I'm hoping will help you in your journey to become closer to being financial fancy!