June 10, 2010

Since our next SPCA Bake Sale is only 6 months away, I better get myself busy building a repertoire of vegan recipes!  I’m almost 6 months into “eating vegan”, but I’m not a big sweets eater so I haven’t done much baking.

After my coworker K-to-the-T brought these awesome Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies to the office the other day though, I knew this was a recipe I had to adapt asap!  They were scrumptious, and reminded me of a Cowboy Cookie I used to make.  She had made a few tweaks of her own to the original Epicurious recipe, and I tweaked it even more.  Voila and ta da!  Here’s my first adapted cookie recipe, sans eggs and dairy products!

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookies

Adapted from K-to-the-T and Epicurious

1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

~BigSis

June 5, 2010

I zipped up to Ulta the other day to look for the Essie Resort Collection nail polishes that LilSis told us about. Guess what?  Gone!  Bummer.

I did find another fun collection though, and surprise surprise…it’s my favorite color: pink.  OPI Pink!

This collection includes 4 pale pink colors that are all different.  Here are the colors and OPI’s description of the shades:

Isn’t That Precious:  A precociously pretty light pink.

Pink A Doodle:  Oodles of shimmery pale pink.

I Think In Pink:  And I think I love this pop of pink!

It’s A Girl:  And she adores this baby pink!

I’m wearing 3 coats of all 4 colors in order, starting with Isn’t It Precious on my index finger and ending with It’s A Girl on my pinky.  Please forgive my sloppy polish application; I was clearly in a big hurry!  😀

I use mostly Essie polishes, but I was pleased with these OPI polishes.  They dried quickly, with great shine (without a top coat) and no bubbles.

I liked most of the colors, but Pink A Doodle was pretty streaky and I didn’t see much of the advertised shimmer.  I Think In Pink was a little more pink than the other shades; even a bit too much pink for me when it comes to fingers (toes are another story!).  If I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be It’s A Girl, since it was still a bit sheer and pretty neutral without being too pinky.

If you can’t find this kit of 4 mini polishes, look for the colors individually in regular size bottles.  So tell us, have you found any fun new polish colors for this summer?

~BigSis

May 31, 2010

On this Memorial Day, we take a moment to remember the service men and women who have given their lives defending our country and protecting our freedom.  We thank you.

We ask for God’s blessings on the families who were left behind when their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice.  We thank you.

We appreciate the service of all of our veterans who did make it back home; some physically injured and some emotionally wounded.  We thank you.

And we think of our military personnel who are unselfishly serving right now all around the world.  We thank you.

Tomorrow, we’ll get back to work and our daily business, and we probably won’t think of you in gratitude as often as we should.  Today though, we thank God for you all and lift up this prayer on your behalf.

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our service men and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.

We also remember the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes and your peace, provision and strength to fill their lives.

May the members of our armed forces be filled with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord’s mighty power to accomplish each task. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

~Memorial Day Prayer by Mary Fairchild

~BigSis

May 28, 2010

If a product claimed to provide moisture, elasticity and firmness to your skin, as well as to reduce signs of fine lines and wrinkles, and then actually did that, what would you call it?  Would you call it fabulous?  I would call it a flippin’ fantabulous miracle!

Well, I’ve found this product, and it’s Borba Age Defying Concentrate/Acai Elastin Fiber Treatment Serum.  And yes, it does work!  I haven’t had great luck lately with new mascara and eye cream, but I hit the jackpot with this Concentrate.

I recently made a quick trip to Dillards to replenish my supply of the Borba Firming Diamond Shimmer Contour/Guanabana Spandex Fiber Body Moisturizer that I use for cellulite treatment.  The salesperson mentioned to me that she loved the Borba line, especially the Age Defying Concentrate.  Lucky for me, the Contour cream came with a sample of the Concentrate, so I gave it a try and was shocked to find that it worked!  I saw some results immediately!  So you know I ran (fast) right right back to Dillards and bought myself a tube ($45 for 1.7 oz).  It’s a pretty big tube for a decent price, I think.

The Concentrate has the consistency of a gel, and it goes on very smoothly and soaks in quickly.  I use one small drop morning and evening, and haven’t had any breakouts or other adverse reactions to the product.

I’ve been using the Concentrate for a couple of weeks now, and I have definitely noticed that my “jowls” are a bit tighter.  I also have a saggy little pooch between the corners of my mouth and my chin, and it’s a little firmer now.  It’s still there for sure, but it isn’t as droopy.

So far, I’ve used 4 Borba products – 3 for the body and 1 for the face – and I’ve loved every one of them.  What else can you do for me, Borba?  I’m sure I have some other trouble zones that you could work on!

~BigSis

May 24, 2010

The emotional toll of Sunday night’s Lost series finale is still too fresh.

I can’t talk about it.

Seriously.

I’ll cry again.

For now, until I compose myself a bit, the best I can do is to bring you a couple of videos that capture some of the best moments of the last six years…Sawyer’s nicknames.  I haven’t missed an episode, but I still can’t believe how many of these gems there are.  Miss you already, Sawyer!

One of my faves is when Sawyer called Lapidus “Kenny Rogers”.  Or how about Captain Falafel?  Costanza?  Deep Dish?  Captain Bunny Killer?  Sheena?  Short Brown?  Limey Runt?  What are your favorite nicknames out of all these?  Is there anything else you feel up to sharing about the end of the show?  Tell me!

~BigSis

May 23, 2010

Remember a few weeks ago when I let myself run completely out of eye cream?  It wasn’t pretty.  In fact, it was darn frightening for the people around me.  Since I was starting at square one, I decided to go on a mission to find an effective eye treatment that was affordable.  I first tried Olay Regenerist Eye Products, with mixed results.  I’m still using the anti-aging eye roller, but the eye lifting serum went right back to the store.

What to try next?  Aha!  I found a package of Loreal’s Revitalift Eye Lifting Repair Duo with big half-ounce samples attached of Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate (for day) and Deep-Set Wrinkle Repair Night Cream.  I paid less than $20, and got 4 new products to try!  How fun is that?

I’ve been using all 4 products now for almost 2 months, and have some good news to share.

• None of these products caused a break-out!  That’s pretty big for my grumpy skin.  90% of the moisturizers and treatments I try will immediately cause clogged pores and/or zits, even if they’re dermatologist-tested/approved and theoretically non-comedogenic.

• All of the products seemed to do a pretty good job of moisturizing.  Even so, the day cream didn’t cause shine to bleed through my foundation in the morning, which some products can do.  Using the night cream with my Tazorac every evening helped to lessen the drying effect that the retinol product can have on my skin.

• The daytime eye cream worked fine in conjunction with the anti-aging roller, and didn’t get goopy or cakey with my concealer.  The night eye cream was richer than the day version, and seemed fine.  Neither eye products caused any burning or irritation.

Now for the bad news.  I hate that there IS bad news, since the price point on these products is great and there was a fair amount of good news. But Loreal’s Revitalift line is about advanced anti-aging action and wrinkle repair.  Did I see any lessening of wrinkles?  I don’t think I did, I’m sorry to say.  If there was any improvement, it’s so slight that I haven’t really noticed.

I’ll probably keep using these products occasionally until they’re gone, but I don’t think I’ll repurchase.  I’m still on a mission for the best eye cream.  Any ideas of what I should try next?  Be sure to come back for this week’s Fabulous Friday when I’ll share my review of an anti-aging skin serum that actually does work!  😀

~BigSis

May 20, 2010

A month ago, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund urged Congress to pass H.R. 5092.  This bill would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to immediately crack down on animal cruelty “crush” videos.  If you’re like me, you don’t have a clue about what a “crush” video is.  Let me just say there’s a lot of depravity in our world.  A crush video depicts the intentional crushing, burning, drowning and impaling of puppies, kittens and other animals for one purpose…the disgusting titillation of some twisted people who will pay for those videos.

Back in 1999, President Clinton’s administration passed the Depiction of Animal Cruelty Act which pretty much eliminated the sale of the videos, but that Act was ruled unconstitutional in 2008.  Since then, the videos have reappeared and are now widely available for sale on the internet.

A day before H.R. 5092 was introduced in Congress, the Supreme Court ruled that the Depiction of Animal Cruelty Act was too broad, and might involve some depictions that are protected by the First Amendment.  That ruling led the sponsors of H.R. 5092 to immediately present it as a specific, targeted bill.

What can you do if you’re as horrified as I am about this issue?  Encourage your representatives to support it!  Now that we know about this, we can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist.  Passing this bill is a no-brainer!

For more information, check out the Humane Society of the United States‘ web site.  You can see a list of the 50+ representatives who introduced the bill.  A good place to start is to thank them!

~BigSis

May 16, 2010

Photo from 3seams.com

Happy little faces, aren’t they?

These little girls probably have lots to be unhappy about, considering that they live in Haiti where the devastation continues.

True; children have a way of finding joy where there is none.  At least none that our adult eyes can see.

But one of the reasons these little girls are smiling is that they have adorable new dresses.  Dresses that were made by hand for them.  Dresses of cute cheerful fabric that are reversible, with shoulder ties to allow for adjustments as their girls grow taller.  Dresses that can become precious tops to wear with shorts later on.  Dresses that their girls can love and cherish and wear for a long time to come.

Photo from 3seams.com

Is this the cutest dress you ever saw?  Any little girl would love it.  But can you imagine what this gift would mean to a little girl in Haiti with nothing left?

How did this wonderful thing happen?  The answer is the dream and the vision of Inga from 3seams.  Inga is in Haiti at this moment, training 5 seamstresses to make dresses for the Haitian girls who are in such need.  It was only through donations that 3seams was able to make the trip to carry out their mission:

To reach beyond ourselves through children’s clothing, promoting global interaction, and putting faith and love into motion!

Beautiful, isn’t it?

I’m not sure how long 3seams will be in Haiti or what they have planned afterward, but I’m going to follow their progress. If there’s an opportunity for us all to help them with future projects, I’ll bring that to you.

Thanks to Angie from Bring the Rain for her charming post on this great work; and for sharing it with folks like me who hadn’t heard about it.

Way to set a great example of us, Inga!  We’re proud of you!

~BigSis

May 12, 2010

Can you believe we only have one more regular episode of Lost before the season and series finale on May 23rd? Noooooo!!!! Say it isn’t so!  I haven’t even recovered yet from losing Sayid, Sun, and Jin (and maybe Lapidus?).

I’ve been watching this show since the very first episode 6 years ago, and these people are my fwends. They can’t all go away and leave me! Well, I kinda could handle them all going away if they just left Sawyer to console me. Mwah ha ha ha.

I say we should enjoy every last morsel of Lost before it’s gone.  Here are some goodies and funnies I found that tickle me:

Let’s start with a goodie, shall we?  You didn’t think I could talk about Lost without including a gratuitous Sawyer photo, did you?  😀

Now, how about planning a Lost Finale Party!  Get the details from the theackattack.net.  If you don’t know about this site, you have to check it out before Lost is gone!  Rachel does a review of each episode that is dead-on accurate and hilarious.  Here’s the recap of last week’s The Candidate.

Once Lost is finished, maybe we could get our Lost fix with a Lost cartoon series!  Ion9.com has a gallery of character drawings that’s priceless.  I love how the facial expressions capture each character to a T.

I feel like I need a souvenir from the last 6 years.  What do you buy when you visit some place fun?  You buy a t-shirt, of course, and we’ve definitely been somewhere!  I like the women’s Oceanic Airlines t-shirt on ABC’s store site.

Who knew there were Lost bobbleheads!  This Benjamin Linus bobblehead from entertainmentearth.com has bloody scrapes on his face and his arm is in a sling!  Ha!  It’s sold out right now, but I want it.

You can also choose Hurley, Kate, Richard, Dr. Edgar Halliwax, John Locke, Daniel Farraday, Jacob, Man in Black, or Claire Littleton (OMG, she’s holding that creepy monkey-body baby thing!)

But wait!  No Sawyer?  Are you kidding me?  Travesty of a mockery of a sham!  You can’t have Lost bobbleheads and not do Sawyer!  He’s the bobbliest bobblehead of all!

Before I go, let me remind you to mark your calendars.  The Lost finale event is Sunday, May 23rd.  It starts at 7 pm/6 pm central time.  Til then, let me know if you find any fun Lost stuff!

~BigSis

May 8, 2010

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and I could make a strong argument for the fact that we should celebrate animal moms too.  You know I’ll take any excuse at all to talk about animals, especially babies!  Here are some of the most adorable little babies you’ll ever see!

Can you believe this little guy weighed just 6 pounds at birth?  Einstein is a pinto stallion, and is said to be the smallest horse in the world.  Be sure to watch the video to the end so you can see him try to buck.  So cute I can’t stand it!

These adorable lion cub triplets were just born January 27th at the Bronx Zoo. Can you guess their names?

They don’t actually have names yet, but they need them, and you and I can help name them.  Just go to the Bronx Zoo web site and cast your vote beginning May 16th.  Now watch these adorable guys frolicking and playing, and just try not to smile!  I want one!

If you have a favorite baby animal video, you know where to send it!  Meanwhile, Happy Mother’s Day to all you human moms, and animal moms too!

~BigSis