Squirt, Anastasia & Bobbi!

Okay, I just may be the worst blogger ever.  I have broken my goal of 2 posts a month.  Actually, I believe my last post was back in May and it is now September.  I've been meaning to blog but life as caught up with me and I am extremely busy! Yikes! There has been a couple things that I've came across and just absolutely LOVED so I had to blog about it.

If you have less than enough cabinet space in your kitchen like I do, you're going to absolutely LOVE this!  I can't believe I didn't get these earlier!! They're collapsible bowls and collapsible collander!  I got the Squish collapsible mixing bowl, collander and over the sink collander and they saved me SO MUCH SPACE!  I've been looking at them when I was at Target and just felt like it was too much of a splurge.  I ended up getting mine on sale. They run from about $8.99-$20.00.  To be honest, I don't use them very often.  However, it is nice to not have something take up so much space if I don't even use it very much!  Now I just stick them in the cabinet somewhere instead of it taking up a whole shelf!

They have non-slip bottoms.

Anastasia Beverly Hills-DIPBROW Pomade ($18.00)

Anastasia Beverly Hills- Brush #12 ($18.00)

sephora.com

If you know me, I have barely-there eyebrows.  I have to color them in everyday and for ladies that know the drama that comes with that; protect your eyebrows at all cost.  My fiance would try to rub them off; sometimes I'd accidentally rub them off myself then to walk around like that half a day to finally realize it after all the weird looks.  You worry about sweating too hard; going to the beach; taking a hard nap; there are all very real struggles of girls with colored in eyebrows!  Finally, after having the same routine for about 10 years I decided to see what was out there.  I was initially inspired by watching a QVC episode of this make-up brand where the eyebrows literally did not budge even after rubbing your fingers on them.  However, it was a pen type application and was not for me.  If you have barely there eyebrows, you don't want to use a pencil or pen because that will look too unnatural.  Pens and pencils are good for filling in sparse spots.  If you're like me and you pretty much have to fake the whole thing, the best way to go is with some type of brush on powder.  So after looking at Sephora for some ideas I decided to order the Anastasia DIPBROW.  I was debating on a couple different brands like the BENEFIT Gimme Brows which are little fibers and people swore it didn't budge and it looked very natural; and the MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Brow.

I bought the wrong color online and went to go exchange it at Sephora for a darker color.  Well, I'm really glad I did because while I was there I got to try the BENEFIT Gimme Brows and it just didn't give me the shape I wanted.  It filled in my brows but it didn't allow me to choose the shape or the definition of it.  I also asked one of the Sephora employees to show me how to use it since I've heard very mixed reviews.  A lot of the negative reviews was that it was hard to apply and had a very harsh look to it.  When she helped me apply it, I must admit at first it looked WAY too dark; but then she showed me to brush it with the other side of the #12 brush and it made it look more natural.  It was pretty darn close to the natural look of basic shadow.  I ended up getting it in "chocolate" and I have not looked back since.  I would say that my "eyebrow application level" is pretty expert.  The two really great tips that helped was 1) a little goes a long way 2) dip a little on your brush, then take some off on the lid.  This stuff lasts me on the hottest day at the beach and through naps!

I've been using this everyday since I've had it, but this was the only good picture I had where you could see the whole thing.

Bobbi Brown-No Smudge Mascara ($25.00)
sephora.com

I think the last time I blogged, I said I hardly wear mascara.  Well, things have changed and it is now incorporated into my daily routine.  I didn't think it made a big difference before, but I don't know if that's because my mascara sucked?  I went and splurged on the Bobbi Brown mascara.  I don't usually spend $25 on anything, but something got into me and I ended up getting this instead of the BENEFIT They're Real! mascara.  I loved it when I got the free sample, but I guess I was filling spontaneous that day.  Well, I'm glad I took the risk because I absolutely love the Bobbi Brown.  It doesn't clump and they do give me volume and definition.  I haven't taken a before and after photo so that'll have to come later on.  However, when I was at Sephora exchanging my Anastasia DIPBROW for another color, I picked up another sample size of the BENEFIT They're REAL! and I still use the Bobbi over Benefit majority of the time.  I like that it's easy to apply for short lashes without it getting all over my lids.  The BENEFIT grips on to my lashes like a comb and it defines them but doesn't really make them look fuller.

I also got my first NARS product but I have yet to use them.  Once I crack those babies open I'll let you know!  I'm pretty excited to try the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Primer and the NARS Eye Paint.  The Urban Decay Primer Potion has been letting me down lately.  It's almost like my eyelids got accustomed to it and stopped working.

Another update on just a few things to come;the boys Ninja Turtle Birthday party, I got a NEW balayage ombre, Hot Tools Curling Iron, IKEA KURA Bunk Bed and a new kitchen along with all new dinnerware and flatware from Crate & Barrel and CB2!  Night folks! Even though I love make-up and all things beauty, here is a quote to keep in mind.

"Outer beauty pleases the EYE. Inner beauty captivates the HEART." -Mandy Hale

5 Year Anniversary!

Brandon and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this past Friday the 13th.  You know, we don't really know what anniversary it is for and it's because we never really had an official date.  So when people started asking us how long we've been together for, we really didn't know how to answer.  Me being the girl, I guess I'm suppose to remember this kind of stuff but I don't.  I came up with this great idea, let's pick the one night that we looked forward to the most and let that be the anniversary date.  The night that meant the most to us was the night before Spocom.

I have a good feeling about the next 5 years to come.  Maybe the fact that I'm looking at it in a positive light will help steer it in the right direction.  I've expressed the issues Brandon and I have.  We don't have a fairy tale relationship where everything is rainbow and lollipops.  In fact, it is very real and relate-able the issues that we deal with.  One thing that Brandon has never done was give up on us, even though I have wanted to.  When I think about all that we have endured, our path was not easy at all.  It was probably all of the hardest things that most relationships and couples endure in over a 10 year span.  We met each other for not even 6 months and I got pregnant.  We were both young and poor.  Without building a stable foundation for our relationship, we had to become parents at a very young age without really knowing each other.  Not only has this been a journal in discovering on how to be parents we were also discovering each other; to co-exist.

It helped me understand why the steps of a relationship is; date, marry, live together, then start a family.  You really need to have a strong foundation for your relationship because let me tell you, being parents will be the HARDEST thing you'll ever have to endure.  It pushes a person's limits on patience and frustrations.  Without a strong foundation, you just lash out at each other and that's exactly what we were doing.  To top that off, we struggled financially.

I never gave us much credit because at the time I didn't understand.  I was so blinded by how difficult everything was and yet I handled it with ease.  I didn't realize that it didn't matter how I handled it by myself, it's how we handle it together.  Parenting is a team sport if both of you are involved.  It's not a one person game.  We were so busy focusing on being great parents that we used up all of our patience and love with our kids and left none for each other.  I take part of the blame for us having such a hard time.  I had issues I needed to deal with and was not able to see past his mistakes.  I didn't take into consideration that not everyone is like me.  Sometimes, people can only focus on one thing at a time.

I really hope that the worse is behind us and it can only get better from here.  We are growing up, our kids are growing up and we will be in a better place.  I really hope that this is something good for us.  We have managed to make it this far, and I must say most of it is praise to Brandon for not giving up because I probably would've.  Let's hope for another 5 years!

Slacks for small booties!

Well hello people!  It's been an extremely long time since I've blogged.  I even take down memos of what I want to blog about, but I recently got a new phone and now that's all gone.  However, I must share with my fellow skinny girls my new discovery.  I have to dress business attire 5 days a week and I have a small butt.  It is near IMPOSSIBLE to find slacks that fits my butt without it looking all loose and saggy.  I've searched high and low and finally I have found it and it's from LOFT!  After many suggestions and I've even tried Express, I tried on LOFT 00 ZOE fit and it worked PERFECT! Now, it doesn't make me look like I have a GREAT butt, but it actually hugs it and my waste.  I'm totally obsessed because for the longest time I don't wear pants to work for that reason.  Now, I'm collecting Zoe fit 00 from Ann Taylor Loft any chance I get. Just to give others hope, my hips are 34 inches and my waist is 27.  I've tried Express 00 and it still makes my butt look really long and flat.  I can't tell you how excited I am!  LOFT is also pretty reasonably price and at first I use to think it was expensive, but when you look at the quality and just the rareness of finding nice slacks that fits a skinny girl and is flattering; well that's worth it to me!

I really hope this helps other girls with similar issues as me.  I know everyone thinks being skinny is great, it's really not.  It's near impossible to find bottoms that are flattering.

St. Jude Trike-A-Thon! (Please help donate!)

My son’s school is having a Trike-a-Thon on April 11^th, 2014 as a fundraiser for St. Jude.  The St. Jude Trike-A-Thon is a fun, week-long curriculum that teaches the kids riding-toy safety.  At the end of the week, they get to bring their trikes and helmets to school and practice the rules that they’ve learned.  Your tax-deductible donation will help the desperately ill kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by raising money for research and treatment.

You can make your donation by check, money order or online at:

http://trikeathon.stjude.org/chasechalecki

Thank you for your support!

Poudex F7139 Charcoal Waffle Suede Sectional & Ottoman F7119 (Bobkona)

So I bought my couch from this website called VA Furniture.  They offered free local delivery and it was the cheapest I could find ANYWHERE.  I've seen them sell my couch on Amazon and other websites from $554-$1,100.  I tried to find as many reviews as possible through Amazon and other sites.  I ended up getting my couch for $554 and ottoman for $99, which is dirt cheap.  That way, if the couch gets ruined I don't feel devastated.  After all, I do have two boys that are just starting to blossom into toddlers.

When they said "some assembly required" I thought they meant putting the legs on and hooking the sectional together.  No, they came in 3 LARGE boxes.  I want to say that because you're putting it together yourself and it being so easy, you kind of feel like it's cheaply made.  It isn't as nice of a couch as my old one, but my old couch was $750 on sale, so I think that says a lot.  The assembly took approximately 2 hours for me and Brandon.  We used a drill to help speed up the process with all the screws and wrenching.

The couch did have a moth ball smell to it, but it was gone after a weekend of having the fan on and windows open.  One of the seating cushion already feels like it's softer than the other side.  The ottoman seems the most poorly made and you can kind of feel the springs in there.  Overall, I've received a lot of compliments on it and if you're looking for something cheap, it's totally worth it!  Even though it's not as good of a quality as my old couch, I'm really glad I got it.  It's spacious and it's cute! The color is also A LOT darker than what it is in the picture, but I'm glad that it is.  It comes with these really ugly brown throw pillows that I can't stand so I went out and got new ones.

This is the picture from the website:

Our new living room!

Okay, I did awful so far. I didn't blog at all in February!  So to make up for it, I will write (hopefully) two entries.

So far the MOST exciting thing to happen to me was re-furnishing my living room.  I've spent many nights unable to fall asleep because I redecorate our house in my mind.  It's bad, I'm talking about 2 hours of laying in the dark until it's 11:00 pm on a weeknight.  Ever since we repainted our living home, I felt that the couch just didn't match.  I grew more and more disgusted and just found more reasons why we needed a new couch.  We really do need a new couch.  I've had our old couch since I got my first apartment.  I want to say that was 2007.  That couch has been through a lot and it was time for a change.  Actually, this whole house is furnished with the furniture from when I was 20.  My taste was totally different back then!

 I'm a total bargain shopper and that's a good thing because I love to shop.  I've been hunting for the perfect couch for a long time and did many hours of searching through the web to find the most affordable price.  I finally decided on something that was cheap but I liked.  I figured the boys will tear through this one and by the time we need a new couch, maybe it will be when we are purchasing our first home!

I pretty much changed our whole living room under $1000, WAY under.  For those that follow my blog, you'll also know that I've been obsessing about bench seating.  Well, I finally decided on something in between.  I decided the bench seating was going to take up too much room.

I've received compliments on my living room every time someone has come in!  Especially, when they saw what it looks like before.  I must say, I'm rather proud of myself.  I'm still missing this side table I've had my eyes on from IKEA and a table lamp.  It's very minimalist, kind of feminine, but not girly.  Does that make any sense?

I'm going to review the couch and where I purchased it from in a separate blog entry! Stay tuned!

Quick Shepherds Pie!

Okay, so I know the title said quick, but it was not so quick for me.  I think the reason is I prepared it the night before so when I put it in the fridge, it made it very cold and it took even longer to heat up.  If you make it fresh and put it in the oven right away it should not take as long.

Shepherd's Pie
1 lb          Lean ground beef.
1             10.75 oz Condensed Vegetable Soup
1/2 cup    chopped celery
1/2 cup    chopped onion
2 cups     mash potatoes **
3 cups     Colby Jack Shredded Cheese
1 tspn     dried thyme 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cook ground beef with the celery and onion until clear. Drain. Add condensed soup and dried thyme. Mix well.
3. Add ground beef mixture to bottom of a rectangular 2.2 quart glass pan. 
4. Spread mash potatoes on top.
5. Put in oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. Sprinkle cheese on top, and place in oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

** I used the tub of Countrycrock Garlic mash.

New things for the new year! (Juicing & Trofast)

First blog entry of 2014 and more to come!  I'm blogging on my 30 minute lunch break right now, I don't know how many other full time working mom bloggers can relate.  I wanted to write a couple separate blogs, but because I never do it on time I decided to lump it all together!  Today I'm going to write about new things I'm doing for the new year.

First off, I started juicing for the family!  Okay, maybe not family just me and the kids.  My fiance is not a fan, so he can kick rocks :)  This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time and I recall blogging about it.  A friend of mine told me she got the Nutribullet and juices for her and her bf every morning and they noticed a big difference in their energy throughout the day.  I've been wanting one for a long time and never forked out the money for it.  Originally, I put it on my Christmas list for my fiance.  Instead, his boss's family actually bought it for us!  I started juicing a little bit before the new year, but Trent got this stomach bug and had the worst diarrhea several times a day and the worst diaper rash I've ever seen.  This was 4 days into juicing and I was not sure if maybe his body was not use to vegetables, so I stopped.  See, Trent my littlest one does not like vegetables.  He is strictly carbs and meat.  If it looks like a vegetable, he's probably not eating it.  So I thought making "healthy juice" (that's what I tell my kids) every morning was a great idea.  That way I don't have to worry about their vegetable and fruit intake for the day.  For those that follows my blog, I try not to give my kids any sugar and that includes juice.  So I have to make sure I tell them the difference between the one I make them and "apple juice."  To my surprise, THEY LOVE IT!  Trent starts clapping and spinning in circles when he sees me make it.  I don't really know if what I make is enough to meet their daily intake, but hey, it's better than what he was having before.  This also triggered another thing, my new love for Trader Joe's.  There are people that goes there religiously, but I just didn't get hooked.  I liked it, but I didn't like that I couldn't get EVERYTHING I needed there.  I still need to go to Stater Brothers for meat.  I decided to go to Trader Joe's because they have this amazing raw almond butter I wanted to use for my juice.

As you can tell from the size of it, it's pretty freaking big compared to my hand.  What I've been putting in it is organic tuscan Kale.  They sell it packaged at Trader Joe's with the Salads.  They also have a mix bag of baby kale, baby chard and baby spinach.  I also add a variation of; carrots, blueberries, banana, pineapple, blackberries, strawberries, greek yogurt, honey, raw crunch almond butter and coconut "beverage/milk".  All of these items I find at Trader Joe's at a decent price!  I don't usually put ALL of those things in there, I try to change it a bit everyday.  The main ingredients that I always use are the veggies, banana, pineapple, raw almost butter and coconut milk/beverage.

I started juicing again last week and have been very consistent with it.  I'm actually rather proud of myself for keeping it up.  I just know how good it is for the kids and that keeps me motivated.

Getting organized....

So one of my NY resolutions this year was to get more organized.  I've been on this kick for the last year, to make our house into a home.  We live in a pretty small upstairs two bedroom condo.  The boys share a room and at first we really wanted to move into a bigger place but we've got a pretty sweet deal right now.  I figured, if we just organized and planned things out better, we could definitely stay here a while longer!

One of my top priorities, is to make the boys room more practical.  Chase is getting older now and as the years go by, the toys triples in size.  Their room really was just a place for them to sleep, now I'm trying to make it their space to hang out.  First thing I did was move their toys into their room.  I was very hesitant to do that but, we had to because the toys were in the space where the Christmas tree went.  Then I realized how we have outgrown their old toy storage and we need something more.  I also think they don't actually play with their toys because they can't see it!

This is what it looked like right when I moved the toys into their room.  All of their toys are in the tires and they rarely ever take the toys out to play with it.

At first I really wanted to move Chase into a loft bed, so I can slide the crib underneath it.  After measuring some things out, that didn't work.  So I thought about getting the IKEA Kura bed and leaving Trent in the crib for now and making a little library underneath the KURA.  After measuring, that didn't work.  I've faced the fact that maybe a new bed is not going to happen right now.  That rained on my parade pretty hard because I was so excited.  So I decided right now let's just get the toys organized and we can work on the bed situation later.  I've been browsing for a long time and decided to go with the TROFAST from IKEA. Something affordable, organized and kid friendly.  I did lots of measuring and when I finally setup everything, I realized 1) I SUCK AT MEASURING 2) it didn't turn out the way I had hoped.  But, we made it work and I still love it.  We took the changing table off the crib.  It was an attachment that we didn't realize we could remove.  Since we don't use it anymore and it took up about 2 feet of space, it had to go.  Also, since the last time I've blogged, I finally hung up the curtain to cover the closet area so it's not exposed.  It really made it look a lot tidier.

 It's still a work in progress but I think it will all come together once we get the kids into a bunk bed.  Overall, I'm pretty happy about it I must say.  Moving the crib against the other wall really opened it up and gave them more play room!

Alright, my lunch is over.  I'll post soon!

Goodbye 2013! I'm so ready for 2014!

My, my it has been such a long time since I've blogged.  I want to apologize for the absence but it has been hard finding the time to blog now that my new job is so busy.  When I am off work, I turn my brain off and the last thing I want to do is be in front of a computer.  I get all these ideas where I'm like man I want to write about this, but then when the time comes where I can sit down in front of a computer, my mojo is gone.

My fiance got me a laptop for Christmas.  It's the first time in a long time where I've had my own.  I have a little break right now where the boys are taking a nap (at least I think they are) so I wanted to sum up my year.  2013 was definitely a year of change. I'm kind of ready for it to be over and maybe settle down in my life.  I want some stability.  This year; I've had two new jobs,  left San Diego, permanently ( I no longer commute there on a daily basis), got a different car, have re-decorated my home (sort of), all of my neighborly friends are gone, started playing volleyball again, dyed my hair for the first time in over 5 years and most of all I had an epiphany of where my life is, and where I want it to go.

2014, I'm ready to grow up.  I'm ready to stop this whirlwind of craziness and drama.   My kids are getting older but I feel like my relationship isn't.  I feel like I'm not.  I've decided to be very honest in my blog about things because, what's the point in sugar coating shit.  People that are reading this are either genuinely interested in my life, or they are just reading it to be nosy.  I feel like my relationship is still on the rocks like it's been for a very long time.  Things that I thought maybe new parents and new serious relationships endure, but through time will resolve itself.  I don't know if that's going to happen.  This is the longest relationship I've had, so I really don't know what it's suppose to be like. I just feel like maybe we shouldn't be arguing over the same things we've argued about since the first year.

I've decided to write my new year resolution down and set it as the background of my phone's wallpaper.  Maybe if I see it everyday, several times a day it will actually remind me and motivate me to keep at it.  I have some pretty generic resolutions of course.  Most of them are just about being positive.  I feel like I need to get back in touch with my inner self.  The old me.  When I say that, I don't mean partying and my old LIFE.  I mean my old ME.  Prior to having negativity, relationship issues and just stress affect my personality and attitude.  I think for the most part I've done a pretty good job of just being who I am.  Somewhere along the way, I've lost that spark of playfulness.  Maybe I've just lost that in my relationship.  When other people meet me, they see me as playful and lighthearted.  I'm goofy, childish, fun and easy going. I wish I was that way all the time again.  2014 is going to be all about maintenance on me improving my quality of life.  I realized that if I don't pursue my own happiness, then I can't make those around me happy as well.  I can't be the mom I want to be and show them to truly be themselves and to give them happiness.  I've come to terms with myself that in order to do that, I have to let go.  I have to let go of things and feelings that has impacted me negatively so I can really move on.  If that doesn't work, then I have to let go of the negative things in my life.  I dwell on things sometimes if I'm hurt.  It makes it hard for me to accept and forgive because I haven't forgotten.  I don't think anyone can really FORGIVE without forgetting.  You're always going to have that negative memory in your head that just resurfaces at the slightest sign of anger.

I'm sorry, maybe this turned out to be more of a deep emotional vent.  I write to soothe because there's no one I can talk to.  It's my therapy.

Here are my resolutions for 2014!

Now, I also have some other GOALS like blog at least once a month.  Now that I have my laptop, I can bring it to work and blog on my lunch (if I even take one.)  I also plan on redoing the kids room which I will be posting, add finishing touches to our place with new furniture, maybe even redo our closet.  We have made a lot of changes already to our place but our kitchen is the only room left, well that and the closet. Alright that's it for now folks. See you in the new year!

E-Z Beef Stroganoff - Slow-cooker Recipe!

Finally, I have some time to blog. It has been a long time and it's mainly because I started my new job 3 weeks ago and it's CRAZY BUSY. My schedule is so thrown off that I now have to dust off the old slow-cooker just to stop from eating out every night. 

So Brandon HATES mushrooms, but I love them. I hate the fact that it limits me to certain recipes because it contains mushroom. The other day I asked him if I used a recipe that had cream of mushroom soup in it would he be open to trying and he said sure. Made this recipe for the first time and even he said it wasn't bad. Probably by far one of my favorite and easiest slow-cooker recipes.

Beef Stroganoff

• 1 lb cubed stew meat
• 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup of water
• 4 oz cream cheese (soften)

1. Combine meat, onion, soup and Worcestershire sauce and water in slow-cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or 5 hrs on high.
2. Stir in cream cheese just before serving. 

I suggest to soften the cream cheese because it's really hard for it to mix. You still do get little bits and chunks of it. Personally, I don't mind.

Urban Decay Family & Friends Sale-20% Off!

code: ffholiday13

First off, if you guys follow my blog you'll know that I LOVE UD. I love their sales & most of all their products. So, when I got this email that they're having a 20% off sale on all of their products I got so excited! I'm kind of tight on money right now so I don't know if I will be able to get anything.

What I recommend:

Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I got it as a sample and I refuse to use anything else. It's great if you have greasy lids. There are days when it still smudges but for the most part it has outlasted any other type of eyeshadow primer I've used. It is the only hope for Asian lids.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil. I have it in ZERO and another vintage color. This is another liner that I've fallen in love with. I refuse to use anything else because this DOES NOT BUDGE! It's my go-to bottom liner if I'm not using my gel liner.

Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color. I have not personally tried this, but I want to try this sooo bad!


There are a couple items that I've fallen in love with from them but I don't see it available anymore. Boohoo!

One weekend, two milestones!

Okay, it's been a while since I've blogged because I've started my new job. I really don't have time to do much of anything but there are so many things I want to blog about.

As of October 5th...

Milestone #1 Chase is officially potty trained! Can we say HALLELUJAH! This is a MAJOR milestone for parents of toddlers. At the age of 3 years and 3 1/2 months old. He now tells me when he needs to go poop and pee! NO MORE DIAPERS! NO MORE CHANGING GROSS POOPIE DIAPERS! Yes, he still wears pull-ups at night and nap time but this has been such a long journey. I've done the stickers, in fact his chart is full with no more space. It wasn't that he wouldn't go on the potty, he just wouldn't tell me. So it's just me reminding him for months and months, like a broken record. Poop was also the hardest to overcome. I mean, it's like you're asking him for blood. I'm so excited and proud of my boy. It's also just a reminder of how much he's not a baby anymore. The only thing that sucks is that we have a very high toilet. Every time he needs to go, we still need to help him get on the potty.

Milestone #2 Trent CAN WALK!! At the age of 1 years and 1 1/2 month he's a walker!! It started off with just a couple steps here and there, gradually more throughout the week. Then, last weekend he just started walking where ever. Mind you, he still walks like a sloppy drunken zombie. But, walking is his preference. It's so much fun watching him. He also seems to love it even more himself! It's amazing how all of this can just happen over a weekend.

Things has been kind of crazy with my new schedule at work. It's been very hard to get things done. I now work from 8:30-5pm. It's the same distance, but I commute during rush hour. So instead of taking me the 25 minutes to get home, it's bumper to bumper. It takes me about 40 minutes to get home. So now, I don't get home until close to 6 which leaves me no time to prepare dinner. I've been experimenting with different ways to manage my time. When Brandon was dropping off the kids in the morning, it freed up my time to prepare or cook dinner in the morning, do the dishes, clean the house, get the kids clothes and school things ready. The downside is, when I have to pick up the kids after work I don't get home until about 6 and it sucks having the kids stuck at school so late. So now, I've been dropping the kids off in the morning and I don't have as much time to accomplish as much housework and it's still just a 15 minute different coming home.

I guess everything will just work out once we get a good schedule going. It'll all take work.

Trent is just the cutest thing ever. He's such much fun and such a goofy kid. He's so dramatic with his emotions and I can tell that he's going to be a handful when he gets older. Right now, he's just silly but so mischievous. I remember when Chase was his age, he was so mild mannered. If we told him not to do something, he wouldn't do it. Trent will stare you down and cry then throw himself on the ground or continue doing it. But, he's twice as affectionate as Chase was at that age. I don't want him to grow up!

Bench Window Seating Pleaseee!

I'm starting a new job next week and all I can think about is window seating! I've been totally obsessed with the idea for a very long time. Currently, we have this corner of the living room that is dominated by the boys toys.

It's actually even worse now, but when I first moved in there I just saw it as this perfect opportunity for a little nook. Natural light, a chair, reading a book, maybe drinking a cup of coffee. So every time I see pictures of window seating it just makes me want it more and more! PLUS, we always have to move the toys into another part of the room when it's Christmas time because that corner is where our tree goes.

Doesn't that just look so relaxing? The only negative thing I see happening is that we live on a second story and maybe window seating isn't a great idea. I don't care, I've put my mind to it. Originally I wanted to use to STUVA Bench system and hide the kids toys in there. Now that I think about it, we're in a little bit over our heads. I just don't really like the idea of having toys in the kid's room. Maybe it's the way I was brought up. Bedrooms are for sleeping. But, we don't have a playroom right now so I am actually thinking about moving the kids toys in there. It just sucks because I have to pick and choose since their room is so small. So, with that said I think even if we got the STUVA system and we decide to put the kids toys in there, we could use it for blankets and pillows. God knows we need that. We have zero storage especially for big things like blankets. To me, it's kind of a hefty price because it's pretty much $160 for STUVA's. So I've been Googling other DIY ideas. I want it to look legit.

I see a lot of people are using the EXPEDIT bookcase on it's side and adding a foam seating on it. Which would be much cheaper. However, if I was to do it, I'd do it with the drawer inserts and like it wouldn't be as practical. I could use it for books but we really don't have that many and we already have a bookcase in our room. For the EXPEDIT bookcase and drawer inserts, it would pretty much turn out to be the same cost as the two STUVA's.

So the THIRD option, so far, is using IKEA kitchen cabinets. If you walk through IKEA they do have a bench seating type thing in their showroom and I believe it's made of IKEA cabinets. They also use it in the kitchen. So after some browsing I decided that MAYBE this one would work that fits my budget. The AKURUM series. The only thing is the measurements come out kind of weird. The space I have is about 69". I could probably push a little more than that and just move the couch over. The cabinets are about 30" or an option of 39" for one. So either way, it'll be too short or too long.

So torn right?!? Look how amazing this looks though with the kitchen cabinets. 

*SIGH*  With all of this said, it's something I'm been looking into for over a year. I think I might stick with the STUVA bench because it's more practical. The kids could use it in their room for toys if we ever move into a bigger place and they have a play room. ALSO, you can pull out the drawer and it doubles into a table! That way I could have Chase color and draw in the living room while I'm cleaning. I think I just persuaded myself. 

What do you guys think I should do?!? STUVA, EXPEDIT or Cabinets? 

Amazing Pot Roast Recipe (Slowcooker)

Okay, so the other morning I was prepping dinner in my slowcooker and for some reason I felt like getting a little crazy. I ended up adding 2/3 can of Budlight to my recipe and crossed my fingers. It turned out delicious and even Brandon liked it. This is the first time I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!

Kitty's Simply Crazy Pot Roast Recipe
3 lb Chuck Pot Roast Boneless
1   1 oz. Package Dry Ranch Salad Dressing
1  .87 oz Dry Brown Gravy Mix
1   0.6 oz Dry Italian Dressing Mix
1/4 Cup of water
8 oz of beer
Baby Carrots (Approx. 2 cups)
Broccoli & Cauliflower (Approx 2 cups)
Egg Pasta Noodles or Elbows (I used elbows)

Place the roast in the slow cooker. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle on the roast. Add the carrots and broccoli around the roast. Pour the beer and water around the roast. Let it cook on low for about 8 hours.

I cooked and drained the elbows and served with the roast and it's juices. It was delicious!

Fancy Box

Okay, so I found this new subscription thing that I am totally wanting to try out! Except, it's $39 dollars and to me it's kind of hefty. Although, I think I could try it and cancel it. I doubt that it will happen any time soon, plus realistically it's just cool little gadgets I think. I wonder if anyone I know have a subscription to it.

It's called the Fancy Box. They have different types of boxes available and it's $39 a month. So far the reviews for the Jennifer Love Hewitt box has GREAT reviews. They received over $100 worth of merchandise which is totally worth it right? The items from this box is handpicked form JLove. They even have one handpick from Pink

I've looked at some of the photos of the stuff people got and one of them was this face changing mug that I've seen before (that's what got me) and a couple of other items.

Here are some photos of things that people got from their September Fancy Box. I found this on subscriptionmaven.com.

These are some pictures of the items from her July box!

I mean really though, how cute are these things?!? UGHHH! 

Ready To Wear Line from HSN & Mini Sephora Haul

For the first time ever, I bought something off the TV. I LOVE infomercials. I'm a sucker I know. To me, if I'm watching it and it works then it must really! Even though I love infomercials, I've never really bought anything from it. Yes, I fought the urge. But,the other night Brandon and I were watching TV (I was watching TV and he was playing on his phone) and they were showing this Ready To Wear make-up line on HSN.com. I was just amazed. They were doing brows and eyes which to me are something I cannot live without.

Here's a little background..I have no eyebrows, nor do I have any eyelashes. I shade in my eyebrows everyday and I don't even bother with mascara because there are no eyelashes to actually coat. I always fall for the "volume" mascara and it's really NOT REAL. They're doing it celebrities and people that's already got on false lashes so of course it looks dramatic. I mean trying to coat my 5 eyelashes is not going to add more. It's just going to look like I have 5 really thick eyelashes.

I'm watching the HSN presentation and the guy that created this line worked for MAC for a very long time and is a make-up artist to the stars. But, what I saw was just unbelievable. Yes, these people he's trying the products on HAVE eyelashes unlike me, but it really just was a DRASTIC difference. They did this eyebrow product on a lady that barely had any (like me) and it looked so natural. I gave in, ordered it for $29.95. It was actually a pretty good deal because I got 3 products for that price. I thought it was kind of inexpensive for lash extension, brow extension and a precision liquid liner. I don't think I was ever more excited to try a new product.

So, yesterday I got it in the mail and I was very eager to try it this morning. I started with the brow extension and.....I'm not happy with it. I mean, it's good but I still had to shade in parts of my eyebrows and it leaves a really fuzzy look. 

It's quite interesting, they keep saying it's microfibers and I'm like yeah yeah..IT REALLY IS. It's literally little fibers, it looks like lint in a bottle.

READY TO WEAR Brown Extension in "Medium"

So, next up is the lash extension. They make it a point to tell you THIS IS NOT A MASCARA and it's not to be worn alone. What you do, is you coat your lashes with mascara, then you coat your lashes with this fiber and you finish it off with another coat of mascara that kind of seals it in place. I have to say...it does work. I mean, my results were not as dramatic as the ones on television but it's definitely longer and more voluminous as it's ever been. The only downside is that I feel like it's kind of hard to apply. I feel like a million fibers fall INTO my eyes. It' been bugging me up until maybe 30 minutes ago. I felt like there was something in my eyes.

The left eye is with the Ready To Wear Lash extension and the right is just regular mascara.

(This picture makes me look like an alien) This is on both eyes and as you can see, it really works! If I have no eyelashes and it has this result on me, imagine what it could do for people with more lashes to begin with! I'm also using the precision liner. I really like it. It's very pigmented and easy to apply.

** Sephora Mini-Haul!! **

Okay, so I decided to get some stuff online from Sephora after I found an old gift card (with value) inside along with the $5 for $10 Groupon deal. Plus, Sephora kept emailing me about claiming my birthday gift! I got all of this for $33! 

Buxom Lashliner in "Leatherette" $16

Get it here!

First on my list was the Buxom Lashliner. I've RAVED about this product before and sadly I ran out a while ago. I started using this MICA gel liner that I got from my Ipsy subscription, but it just doesn't cut it. It dried out super quick and it's time for a new one. For those that haven't read my previous review on this product, this liner actually helps condition and thicken your lashes! I'm ready to have some healthier lashes again! This was the ONLY thing I paid full price for. 

Urban Decay Vintage 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in "1999" orig $19.00

Permanently out of stock at Sephora

I don't usually wear anything but black liner. However, I LOVE the Urban Decay liner so much that I couldn't pass up the chance of getting it for $6. I'm totally obsessed with this plum color right now!

Sephora for OPI Jewelry Topcoat in "Spark-tacular" orig $9.50

Get it here!

Need I say more? A girl cannot have enough nail polish! 

TARTE Maracuja Miracle Foundation 12-Hour Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in "Ivory" -Orig $42

Permanently out of stock at Sephora

"Awaken your complexion with this multitasking full-coverage liquid foundation. Maracuja has been known to reduce redness, irritation, and inflammation of the skin, making this foundation perfect for all skin types and ideal for sensitive, dehydrated, dry, or aging skin. The combination of Vitamins A, E, and mineral pigments hydrates and preserves skin."

Okay, I've never worn foundation before but I've always wanted to try a TARTE product. I noticed lately more and more redness in my skin and maybe it is something I should start wearing. At least have available for when I feel like I need it? After reading this and seeing that it's free of all the negative things for your skin and could actually help I decided to take a chance. Plus I got it for over 50% off! It's always hard trying to guess your skin tone. I always pick ivory for everything. My face for some reason is always lighter than the rest of my body naturally.

When I blended the foundation onto the back of my hand it felt weightless. I still have it on my hand and I've even washed it with soap and I can still see that it's there. It doesn't feel heavy and there was no scent. I'm excited to try it!

Look at how well that blended in!

TARTE Vitamin Infused Lipgloss in "Om" - Orig $21

permanently out of stock at Sephora

Another thing I really wanted to try was TARTE's lipgloss. I've heard such great things about them and as much as I HATE lipgloss (because it's so darn sticky) I also love it. I went with a safe color and to my surprise. It's practically sheer with a hint of barely there pink. I couldn't resist since I got it for 1/3 of the price!

The rest of the things I got are samples..

Look how tiny this thing is! I thought I'd get a bigger size. 

Really excited to try F-Bomb since I've always wanted a darker lipstick and Obsessed. I'm TOTALLY OBSESSED with finding the perfect bubblegum pink!

My Benefit Birthday Gift

I'm pretty excited to see this. Since my other fav mascara is the BADgal. 

I'm guessing this is some sort of highlighting stick? It says to appy to your brow gone and cheeks for a glow. 

Overall, I'm really excited to try these out. That's the splurge for my birthday month. Well, make up and of course my Swiffer Steam mop thing :)

Stay beautiful, inside&out