4 Ways to Sunless Tan

Unfortunately I am not one of those people with olive skin that can get a nice brown tan within minutes of stepping outside on a sunny day. If I’m lucky enough not to burn, I usually get a weird uneven red-ish tan. Due to this genetic disaster I have become a self-proclaimed expert on sunless tanning.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to by pass mother nature:

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer – This stuff is one of the best lotions I’ve tried, it’s subtle, comes in 2 different shades, and doesn’t smell extremely strong like a lot of other lotions. It gradually builds a “tan” over a few days of using it, so if you miss a spot it’s not the end of the world.

Jane Iredale Sunbeam Bronzer – This bronzer is a must have for my makeup bag. I love anything Jane Iredale to being with, everything is made with minerals so is actually good for you skin! This bronzer comes in a quad color scheme so you can make your bronzer have a more pinky hue, or a more of a golden hue depending on how much of each color you grab with your brush. Most days it just grab a little of everything and it works great!

Guerlain Terracotta Skin – I first tried this from a sample that was thrown in my bag when purchasing perfume. I brought it to Vegas with me and tested it out before having a night on the town. I absolutely love it this product! It’s not something I would use every day, (only because it’s expensive and comes in a small package so I use it sparingly) but it’s great to use just before going out somewhere to give you a nice bronzey finish. It comes in a small aerosol can so you spray it on your skin and then quickly rub it in to even it out. It lasts all night and won’t transfer to clothes. A word of warning, be careful where you apply it, I have accidentally turned a few towels brown that were in range of the spray.

Spray Tan – But not the kind you’re thinking. I’m talking about an airbrush spray tan which is applied by a person with an airbrush. This can take some getting used to as you stand almost completely naked in front of someone while they spray you. But any embarrassment is well worth it because having a person do it ensures a nice even golden tan. This method will not turn you orange or streaky. It's great to do before a beach vacation or a special event like a wedding. It lasts about 5-7 days.

Hidden Gems

Truth be told my jewelry box somehow always turns into a miscellaneous button, receipt and spare change collection bin and everything on my jewelry tree always gets tangled. Untangling chain necklaces must be the most frustrating thing in the entire world!
So it was definitely time for change. Thanks to a bright idea from my sister and a 20% coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond I was well on way to a more organized life….or at least jewelry box.
This plan did involve taking over another one of Andrew’s dresser drawers but he was a good sport about it (that’s 6 for me, and 2 for him if anyone’s counting) This is a great way to keep all of your jewelry, out of the way and organized. Since the trays stack it’s also a great way to see everything. I generally tend to wear the same necklace/bracelet combo out of habit. But by taking on this little organizational project I found a little gems that I forgot I even had.

When Life hands you Lemons…

Take them to the vet, a lot!

We have a dog (Oscar) and a cat (Sprinkles) that we affectionately refer to as our “lemons”. They are both the sweetest creatures anyone could ask for but they are extremely flawed when it comes to health issues. Both have allergies which keeps them on a diet of the most expensive food ever hypoallergenic vet food, even so they both still break out with skin irritations on a regular basis.

Oscar is a Pitbull/Rottweiler mix so naturally, he loves to CHEW! Since he can’t have bones, it has been my mission to find him a toy that he wouldn’t shred to pieces within minutes of playing with it. Andrew warned me of this, but after seeing things like “indestructible” and “guaranteed” all over the label of what looked like a heavy duty toy, I would optimistically buy it and bring it home. (Secretly trying to prove to Andrew that he is wrong) Each time I do this, my heart breaks when only minutes later I find the toy ripped apart, and Oscar proudly looking up at me wagging his tail.

At the end of the day no matter how many toys he's rips apart and how expensive and flawed our furry little companions are, they are ours, and we love them.

One of my favorite things to do on a nice day with Andrew is to take Oscar for a walk. On the weekends we will sometimes drive him down to Edworthy Park and take him along the river. I think I enjoy this so much because when we started dating this is something we would do pretty much every weekend. Grab a coffee, head down to the park and enjoy the day.Good memories! <3

Ohh la la

A year ago yesterday, Andrew and I met for the first time. I know it’s kind of corny to celebrate “since we met” anniversaries but I have been looking for a reason to celebrate so I could buy this cake.

First let me start by telling you this is no ordinary cake. This is a macaroon cake from Ohh la la Patisserie. We had never tried one until today, but we have eaten MANY of his regular macaroons and they are to die for! Actually everything I have tried from this bakery is absolutely amazing!

One of my coworkers ordered this cake for his wife and he told me she said “after eating this cake there is no point in eating any other dessert ever again”. After hearing that how could we resist? This cake absolutely lived up to it’s reputation and then some.

My advice - find something to celebrate so you too can have the Ohh la la experience.

Cauliflower Soup & Rosemary Parmesan Scones

 This is one of the easiest recipe ever, it's delicious and healthy!

I normally wouldn’t make soup on a Sunny Saturday in July but Andrew just had a tooth pulled today so I made an exception. When my mom told me about this recipe, I didn’t believe that only 3 ingredients could taste as good as she claimed. Boy was I wrong! It was amazing, and surprisingly even Andrew loved it. The recipe is below, but all that’s in it is cauliflower, onion, chicken broth, and a little s&p. Who knew!

Here's the recipe:

• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 Large onion coarsely chopped
• 2 heads of cauliflower, chopped
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Sour cream (optional)

1. Place a stockpot over medium heat. Add the butter/margarine, onion, and cauliflower to the pot, saute until tender (about 7 minutes)

2. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Use a hand mixer to puree the cauliflower in the pot (a blender works as well) Leave the soup slightly chunky.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sour cream. (optional)

Serves 4-6, Freezes well 

I usually make a batch of Rosemary Parmesan scones to go with it, but since Andrew can’t chew at the moment, it would be too dangerous as I would probably eat all 6 of them.

Here's the recipe for those of you that have more will power than me: 

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 cold stick of butter (cut into 6 cubes)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 grated parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, ground
• 1 spring of fresh rosemary, minced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl and combine.

3. Toss in the cubes of butter and use your fingers to rub in the butter with the mixture until well combined. It should resemble a course meal.

4. Add the parmesan, black pepper and rosemary then mix with your fingers to combine.

5. In another bowl mix together yogurt/sour cream and milk.

6. Pour the milk/yogurt mixture into the dry mixture then use both your hands to mix them together and form into a ball of dough, then pat into a 8 inch circle about 3/4 inch thick,

7. Cut into 6 triangles, place on the baking sheet and bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes.

Makes 6 serving

“Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans”

The thing about growing older that no one ever tells you, is that you don't actually feel like you've aged at all. You're 8 years old, then BAM! All of the sudden you're in your late twenties. You have a mortgage, non-stop bills and have to make huge decisions all on your own.

The best decision I have made lately is saying “Yes!” when Andrew popped the question. Andrew is my best friend, and makes me laugh nonstop. He’s my daily reminder to not worry about the little things, which I will admit can seem impossible for a Type A, OCD, stress-case such as myself.

Andrew just got a new job with a great company (thanks Curt) which will have him on a 10 days away, 4 days home shift. This will be a huge change for us both as the longest we’ve gone apart is about 3 days since we met. But I’m sure we will both find a new “normal” and settle into a new routine quickly. I already have a long list of projects to do while he’s away to keep me busy, hence the blog. Because thankfully, no good blog entry ever started with “So I was sitting on the couch with a tub of Haagan Dazs…”

So stay tuned on the journey of our daily lives, planning for the future and letting life happen.<3