Family Time!

Just a little note to let you know I am taking some time off and un-plugging from the blogging world to spend some quality, well deserved, overdue time with my amazing family!

“Family is the most important thing in the world”.  Princess Diana
Don't ever forget this!

Have a great couple of weeks!

xoAngela

FRESH Morning Face!

I have always wanted to try the Fresh skin care line and I finally had the chance. I received a deluxe sample of the Fresh Moisturizing Face Oil and I purchased a small trial size of the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with my last Sephora order.

Fresh uses high performance natural ingredients and combines ancient beauty rituals with modern technology.

The Fresh Lotus Preserve Face Cream's Super Seven Complex is comprised of:
(source)
1. Lotus flower extract, sourced from Laos, defends against wrinkle-causing free radicals.
2. Blue-green algae helps to visibly minimize early signs of aging.
3. Hibiscus fruit extract boosts hydration.
4. Fig fruit extract helps to preserve ideal moisture levels.
5. Vitamin C is known for its antioxidant and protective properties.
6. Vitamin E helps soften the skin.
7. Vegetable glycerol attracts water and seals in moisture.

This cream is light-weight and it smells amazing (like cucumbers). I absolutely love it. It sinks into the skin beautifully

The Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil is a blend of pure oils that contain omegas and work to preserve a healthy youthful appearance.

Here are the various oils found in it:
(source)
1. Seaberry oil, also known as seabuckthorn oil, is a powerful antioxidant rich in moisturizing omegas 3, 6, 7 & 9 noted for protecting the skin from aging free radicals.
2. Cranberry seed oil, packed with omegas 3, 6 & 9 and vitamin E, is known to maintain the skin’s elasticity and smoothness.
3. Camellia seed oil, rich in omegas 6 & 9, helps to retain moisture and promote smooth, supple skin.
4. Grape seed oil helps maintain optimal hydration levels.
5. Sweet almond oil helps to soften the skin.

I rub a few drops of this oil on my freshly cleansed face and neck. I wait a couple of minutes for it to sink into the skin and then apply the Fresh Lotus Preserve Face Cream over top. This is my daily morning routine. It does not leave my skin feeling oily or greasy, just perfectly moisturized!

Once these smaller sizes are empty I will definitely be re-repurchasing the larger size. I look forward to trying other Fresh products in the future!

xoAngela

Creamy Hash Brown Casserole

With Easter right around the corner I thought I would cook a nice ham dinner this past weekend. Like chocolate goes with peanut butter, hash brown casserole with ham......soul mates (wink).

I am sure everyone has their own version of this casserole but here is one I found on the food network. This recipe calls for crushed chips on top although  I did not have these on hand so I used cornflakes instead.  I was informed afterwards that the chips are the "key" to the deliciousness by a friend of mine. I will be sure to use them next time.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, plus more for dish
1 onion, chopped
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend (I just used cheddar)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed\ (I used the larger size hashbrowns)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed potato chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a casserole dish.

In a small skillet, melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add the sour cream, cream of celery soup, cheese, garlic powder, hash browns, and salt and pepper. Combine until well blended.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Top evenly with crushed potato chips and bake for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Source

xoAngela

New Jewels!

There is something to say about a sign that says 3 for $15 or, 5 for $10. This is the way Ardene store`s reel you in, or it did for me anyways (wink). I have never been a huge jewelry wearing kind-of -gal, until recently.

Last weekend my daughter and I went to the mall and poked our heads into the Ardene store. This turquoise necklace caught my eye. The price tag on the necklace was $18 but the sign above it said 3 for $15. SO...I either had to pay $18 for one, or I could get 3 necklaces for $3 cheaper than just one, hummmmmm let`s think about that one for a minute.

Here is the three that I decided on:

I am sure there is some weird marketing science behind it all. Heck it worked for me!!

xoAngela
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First IPSY Bag!

Well today was pretty exciting! I received my first monthly IPSY bag in the mail! For those of you that are not familiar with this company, it is a monthly subscription that sends you 4-5 new skin/makeup /hair products to try each month in your very own personalized IPSY bag. WOOHOO!

I decided to sign up last month and give it a go. The cost is $10 plus $4 shipping to Canada. The only thing that surprised me a little was that it was in US currency. So.... with the rotten exchange rate the total was $19. To sign up I completed a simple questionnaire that allows them to tailor the bag to my likes and interests. Once the bag was ready to ship they provided me with a tracking number so I could count the days till the bag was in my hands. Sooooooo exciting!

Here is what I got in my first IPSY bag:

Two Skyn Iceland Hydro Cooling Firming Eye Gel Packs. This is essentially a mask for your under eye area. You place them under the eyes for ten minutes then remove and discard. This should be fun. I love masks on my face although never did one specifically for my eye area. Geez these guys at IPSY must really know me well. I have had horrible dark circles under my eyes that I currently blame on the time change.

Pixi - Shimmering Bronzer/Highlighting Duo. This is really cute. It seems like a great multi-functional product as it can be worn on the eyes or the cheeks. This will be great for summer.

NYX Butter Lipstick in HUNK. I didn't know what to think of this at first, but I think this "hunk" is growing on me (wink). It's definitely a new addition to my current lip color collection that's for sure. I know you can't really tell by the pictures but It's bright purple!

Crown- Dual Ended Shadow/Crease Brush. I was hoping for a new shadow brush and voila! I have not used it yet but it seems like it's very good quality and I love that it is dual ended. Great for traveling.

Coolway - Glow Oil Hair Treatment. This is a product I have not heard of before. Sounds really interesting though. You can apply it wet or dry and it gives the hair a shiny appearance. Can't wait to try it out.

And a cute little flower makeup bag to store everything in.

The verdict is in..... I am satisfied! I think it may be a tiny bit steep in price due to the currency exchange, but I love the idea of trying new products every month and having them shipped directly to my door. So far so good IPSY!

Here is the link if you are interested in signing up to IPSY. I also noticed that Birchbox is in Canada now.

Can't wait to see what next month has to offer.

xoAngela

My Philosophy

I recently re-ordered both of these two philosophy cleansing products. Not long after I ran out I soon realized how much my skin needs these. I quickly re-ordered and I am happy to have them back on my shelf. I know I have talked about these before but it seems like such a long time ago. The fact that I am still happy with the results says a lot about these two cleansers.

There is something so wonderful and fantastic about the micro delivery exfoliating wash. It is gentle yet so very effective. It helps to get rid of any dry patchy skin and keeps my skin looking clear. After it's use my skin feels extremely clean, refreshed and soft. I typically use this once every other day.

In between the micro delivery wash I use Purity. What I like about this cleanser is the fact that I can use it to gently remove makeup from my eyes as well as my face. It is so gentle and effective and does not strip the skin of it's natural moisture. I think it would be great for all skin types.

These two products used alternately leave my skin glowing, soft, exfoliated and perfectly cleansed. If you have not tried any of these, I do suggest you get on the philosophy train. Once you're on it you won't want to get off (wink). Sephora offers a really cute little trial size duo ( 2 oz each) of both cleansers for $18. Once you're done and decided you want the full size you can re-fill the little bottles and use for travel. Win, win!

xoAngela
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Black Strap Molasses Cookies

Did you know that one tablespoon of black strap molasses contains 10% of the recommended daily amount of calcium? Well that is kind of the reason for making these cookies (wink).

For the past few months I have decreased the amount of dairy products I consume. (I will write about this change in diet in a future post).Before this change I frequently ate yogurt and I always enjoyed a tall glass of cold 1% milk.These two snacks alone would provide me with just about 100% of the daily recommended amount of calcium I am suppose to have. It wasn't until I completed the calcium calculator on the osteoporosis website that I realized just how little I was now consuming. My calculations were well below the daily recommended amount of calcium. YIKES!

I then did some research and learned about other non-dairy forms of calcium in an effort to amp up my current calcium intake (the website offers some great suggestions). Black strap molasses contains calcium and it was suggested to drizzle it on a piece a of warm toast. I decided to take it one step further and use it to make some cookies. YUM!

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup black strap molasses (I used organic)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl mix  the oil and 1 cup of sugar. Add egg, beat well. Stir in molasses, 2 cups flour, baking soda and spices. The dough should be firm, If necessary, add a bit more flour.
3. Place 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until tops crack. Remove from baking sheet and cool on rack.

I now am enjoying my molasses cookies with a tall glass of unsweetened chocolate almond milk.

Are you getting enough calcium in your diet?

xoAngela