Get In The Kitchen

I write to you all today as I am watching the TV show "The Chew" on abc. I like to watch TV shows like this all the time, cooking shows are my guilty pleasure. They always motivate me to get into the kitchen and start cooking, which is never a good thing according to my family. However, they make it seem so easy! I don't understand why I can almost never get a meal right when I am copying a recipe. Either I don't like any of the same foods as many others or the people on TV that say something is delicious are liars!

I want to be in the kitchen more, it is always something that I have tried to do before. I know for a fact that baking is definitely not my forte and I have decided that I am giving that up for now. I can make a decent banana bread, but that is about it. And even that comes out more like a cake so I am not to sure I am doing that right either. I will leave the desserts to others. What I want is to make some main dishes. You know, start off small and build my way up. I can make a pretty good soft boiled egg which is harder than you think to get perfect. Pasta, also a no-brainer that I have done many of times. So I am working my way up and I think I will start to post some recipes if I find that they are relatively easy and they actually taste good. This may include some middle eastern traditional dishes every once in a while.

I hope we can learn to cook together and I look forward to these posts. Lets make some delicious food together!

If you have a food blog or follow a good one, link it below and tell me some of your favorite recipes from it!

First Product Empties!

Hey Beauties, today I have for you all my empties that have been piling up in my makeup drawer for far too long. I love watching empties videos on youtube or reading blog posts about them. They are great for a quick review if that is what you are looking for, and that is usually what I am looking for. So here goes!

This Mary Kay cleanser and moisturizer set was great for my skin. It was a new product when I ordered it and I hadn't heard anything about it. It is the botanical set and it also came with a mask and toner which I am still using. It always left my skin feeling really clean. I went through 2 tubes of the cleanser. I would recommend this for anyone. You can get it for oily, dry, or combination skin.

 Face wipes are something I go through quickly because quite frankly I get way too lazy to fully wash my face after a long day. Neither of these broke me out at all and were really good price. I liked the equate (Walmart brand) ones more because they were a larger wipe. I would repurchase either one of these.

 Sally Hansen Hard as Nails was great until I made it to the bottom, it began to get gooey at the point. It is a nail hardener and it did just that. My nails are always healthy and strong when I wear it and it is a great base and top coat. I have already repurchased!
Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume mascara, who doesn't love this stuff? It is a classic and I will undoubtedly repurchase at some point (I have way too many mascaras right now!).
My first time finishing a lip balm and it was a Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape. I loved the purple tin it gave and have already repurchased this.

Last we have a body spray from Victoria Secret in True Escape. This was by far my most favorite scent from VS. It is both sweet and spicy and just smells so darn good! I would repurchase this in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone! I love the jasmine that is in there.
The Macadamia Deep Repair Masque was a small sample size that I got at Ulta for $4. It smells amazing and works well , but I would't purchase the full size. It gets pretty pricey and I'm happy with my L'oreal Total Repair 5. It does the same thing as this but at a fraction of the price!

Overall I enjoyed using all these products and would recommend them to anyone and everyone! I don't know how often I will be doing empties posts because I don't go through too many products that fast, with the exception of skin care. However now that my makeup drawer is a little more empty now, What would you recommend I go pick up next time I'm out?

Snow Day

I write to you all today in my beyond soft robe with a cup of coffee in the company of my family. The snow has been falling since last night and the weatherman says there little chance of it lightening up any time soon. We have been taking turns shoveling the snow. I took some extra time during my turn so that I can play in the snow. I managed to throw a snow ball at my mom, dad, brother, sisters, sis in law, and uncle. I also started a snowman, but then I realized that I don't know how to make a snowman. It was the sad truth of becoming an adult. 

So I wrote this to challenge all of you "adults" that live in an area where there is snow to go out and make a snowman or throw a snowball at someone. Relive your youth if even for just a moment. It is those little things that give up pleasure and we can't just forget about them. As for me, I'm wiped out and going to go watch a couple of movies on Netflix before the semester starts on Tuesday and I won't have time for a movie. 

2013 Year In Review

Happy new year everyone! So the year has come to an end and yet again there is only so much that I can show for it. It hasn't been a complete fail of a year, but it wasn't the most eventful either. The years have come to blur together and I don't know when what happened so that may have something to do with it.

I think the thing that stands out the most to me is my getting a job. It pays well but like all jobs that pay well, it sucks. It is no where near my profession but I like the idea that I now have work experience outside of my moms home daycare to which I was an assistant and fill in whenever she had to travel. A of the 2nd of January it will have been one year exactly...it feels like it has been much longer than that. However I am great full to have a regular income and something to do week nights. 

Another thing that happened was I graduated with my Associates degree in Elementary Education. I don't feel much different and considering I don't have a job in education yet I guess it makes no difference. I am still a full time student except I will be transferring over to a university this Winter semester and my pockets will undoubtedly cry from the cost of tuition. I am both excited and anxious about the transfer and will most likely make a post after my first day or week. 

My niece and nephew both turning 1 this past year is also something that stands out to me. I have loved seeing them both grow and can't wait to see them grow even more this year and in years to come inshallah. They have easily become 2 of my most favorite people. 

The last thing that I feel is worth typing out for you all from 2013 is my first actual teaching experience. My chem professor took us to an elementary school to teach kids as opposed to sitting in class and teaching each other like I have done in past courses. It is a much different feeling teaching children than it is adults. I am awful at teaching adults, but with kids it came so naturally. I was beginning to sway from my decision about teaching, but that brought me right back to it. It was overall a very rewarding experience!

Minor things that have also happened: 

I've redecorated my room...still in the process actually.

I've become less obsessive about social media, which is a good thing in my opinion!

I am working on putting together something for charity and can't wait till it all comes together. It may not be ready till next winter but that's alright as long as it becomes real.

I have a beauty blog, it's not the greatest but it is a work in progress. subtlebeauty27.blogspot.com
I built my own bed which took all day, but was rewarding when I got to sleep in it that night.

Well that was basically my 2013. I can't wait to see what this year brings for me. I plan on being much more easy going and try not to stress over the little things. Take things as they are because, for the most part, you can't really change the outcome of some things! Happy new year :)