Sorry to hear about the untimely death of all your houseplants, BigSis!! That's a real bummer! I hate it when something like that happens that is absolutely no one's fault but your own! You had some beautiful, unique plants! I know you're just sick about it! Are you going to try to replace them or wait a while to give yourself time to mourn?

Not that this compares at all with the death of all your beloved houseplants, but I've been mad at myself for the past two days because I thought I lost my new Hello Kitty Mac cosmetic bag. 🙁 (I know, boo hoo!)

I had become very attached to that bag and it contained five of my favorite MAC lipsticks, including the two new Hello Kitty lipsticks. I called the grocery store twice to have them check their lost and found because it's the only place I could remember where I might have taken the bag out of my purse to get my wallet out. Of course, they said no one had turned it in.

Today, I was just about ready to accept the fact that it was gone and move on. Then, this morning, SirHoney found my bag somewhere in his truck and he walked in with it in his hand and just said “You owe me big time”.   🙂

He's right.  I do! I'm sure he'll think of something he wants in return!

We really don't like to whine and complain too much here but I promise this will be my last rant for a while. I'm so aggravated at myself about this! Over the past several months, BigSis talked about the Borba anti-cellulite products and BigSis talked more about Borba results and I shared my results with the Borba Products; yet I let myself run out of the contour creme! DUH!

When the tube started sputtering, I should have ordered more instead of waiting until it was practically gone! I had no choice but to hack into the tube with some scissors so I can try to scrape out enough to last a couple of days.

I'm not wasting a drop of this stuff!

And yes, IMHO, this product is worth the trouble! I even paid extra S&H so I could receive it in two days. Whew! I feel better now. I'm over it!

Over the next several days, we'll get back to talking about more cheerful stuff; like Spring in Texas, Easter Bunny cakes, Easter menus, and BigSis' and SisMamas' upcoming trip to California.

Maybe I'll have time soon to talk about some new MAC and Urban Decay products that I couldn't resist buying!

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

Do we have any avid Urban Decay Primer Potion fans out there? I bet we do. But if you've never tried this product and need a little help keeping your eyeshadow on all day, you'll want to try it! You will absolutely notice a difference with this potion on underneath your eyeshadow. It will last all day with no creasing! Promise.

But, I still have one little complaint about this product. The shape of this container leaves a lot of the product inaccessible and therefore it goes in the garbage with the container when you can't get any more out. Last year Urban Decay made an announcement about the new wand and how the angled shape of it would help get all the potion out of the container. I've been using the new wand for months now and not only do I not like the new wand but I don't think it helps at all. It may be time for another hack.

In case you missed it, last year I published an Urban Decay Hacker Tutorial with some step by step photos and instructions to help you hack into your bottle. These are just a few of the photos to give you an idea as to how much product is wasted.

Take a sharp knife and saw off the top.

Look at all the product hiding in there!

It's a messy job but well worth the effort!

Look at all the potion that was saved!

That's a lot of product that would have ended up in the garbage!

Maybe this is a silly question, but, why not just change the shape of the container?

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

I did wonder at first is there really any point in drinking green juice, but it turns out it has a range of health benefits. Where do I even start? The vitamins of course are good for you, we all know that bit, but drinking veggie juice can help improve digestion, help you on a weight-loss journey and boost your immune system. It's also good for joint health and reduced inflammation, something you'd typically get from a CBD Gummies UK supplement or those icky tasting fish oil capsules. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of juicing.

When I first tried juicing it was alright, but did have it's downsides, but this new recipe I found makes it even better! I'm obsessed with this spicy healing green juice recipe. I'm one of those people who is either all in or all out. I know nothing of moderation, so it's no surprise that when I juice, I really juice!

I bought my Breville Juicer a couple of years ago, and started juicing every day. I even dove into green juice. I was new to it though, and made some mistakes. To start with, I couldn't really figure out how to integrate juicing into my day, so it didn't become part of my routine.

I like to have a blueberry smoothie every morning. I'm a morning person and I have to have breakfast, so the smoothie gives me something in my tummy first thing, and provides the energy I need to do the things I want to do. I can also take my morning supplements with a smoothie, but they'd be too harsh with just juice, especially green juice.

Then when I get to work, I automatically gravitate toward the Keurig and have 2 or 3 cups of coffee during the morning. So where did juice fit in? Nowhere really. I felt like I was trying to cram it into the day when I didn't even want it.

Besides scheduling, the other challenge I had with my first attempt at juicing was the fruit/veggie balance. I made a rookie mistake and used too much fruit. You know what that means…too much sugar! It's natural sugar but it's still sugar, and that leads to blood sugar peaks and crashes, and cravings for more sugar. Not good. Not what I was going for with juicing.

The bottom line was juicing wasn't working for me. I felt kind of guilty that I had this nice new juicer, but I wasn't seeing the health benefits I was hoping for. I just generally didn't feel great about the whole experience.

So I quit. I told you; I'm all in or all out. My pretty Breville Juicer sat and collected dust for almost 2 years. It stayed on my counter though, and I knew that eventually I'd come back around to it.

Fast forward 2 years. I'd been reading about this new juicing company in town called Vim + Vigor. When they ran a special coupon recently, I grabbed the chance to buy some of their juices and do a 3-day juice cleanse. My favorite of all the blends I got to try was the detoxifying No. 01, which is kale, spinach, romaine, celery, cucumber, apple and lemon. I was shocked at how much I loved that juice.

When the 3 days passed and I was out of Vim + Vigor juice, my body was screaming at me. Get me some green juice now! I was kind of shocked at how good I felt on this juice, whereas my previous juicing experience left me feeling crummy.

The difference? Green juice was a necessary part of my day now. First, a smoothie and supplements. Second, not more than one cup of coffee. Third, green juice mid-morning when my energy starts to wane. Then a healthy big lunch and a light dinner; often raw like a salad or my favorite raw spinach and avocado soup.

The other major difference? I'm using lots of veggies, and just enough fruit to make the juice taste delicious. The general rule – I know now – is 3 veggie parts to every 1 part fruit. That limits the impact on your blood sugar.

Off to the interwebs I went in search of green juice recipes with the ingredients I fell for in No. 01. Finally I came up with the perfect combination for me, and that's what I'm sharing with you today. My green juice recipe is super spicy, healing, delicious and addictive. I'm using ginger, cayenne, lots of lemon, and a touch of salt…all working together to create something I want to drink and actually enjoy the taste of, rather than just choking down a glass of grassy flavors.

I recommend buying organic produce whenever you can, especially with these juice ingredients since all of them (except for lemons) are very susceptible to contamination from pesticides.

Spicy Healing Green Juice
(makes about 32 ounces or 2 large servings)

8 large leaves kale
2 giant handfuls spinach
8 large leaves romaine
8 stalks celery
1 large seedless cucumber
2 small Granny Smith apples
2 large lemons
1 small piece ginger
Salt and cayenne to taste, about 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp each

Wash all the produce. Remove tough ribs from the kale. Chop the celery and cucumber into big chunks. Core the apples and cut into chunks. Peel the lemons and cut into quarters.

Start juicing! I think I get better yield from everything by juicing slowly, and also by mixing up ingredients with a similar texture. I start with the leafy greens, mixing kale with romaine and spinach. This is what the juice looks like after all the leafies are juiced. Pretty concentrated stuff, right? That's a micro-nutrient powerhouse just chomping at the bit to attack any bad stuff in my system!

Once the leafy greens are done, I move onto lemon, cucumber, celery and finally apple.

This recipe makes around 32 ounces, depending on how big your items are. I drink half of the recipe one day and have the rest the next day. Ideally, you'd consume your juice fresh as soon as it's made, but that's just not practical for all of us. If you store your leftover juice in a glass jar, refrigerate it immediately, and use some citrus in the recipe, you'll cut down on the oxidation a little bit.

It's definitely a lot of work to juice, so every other day works best for me. It takes me around 30 minutes to prep the produce and juice it, and then another 15 minutes to take the juicer apart and clean all the components and dishes…

and you have this leftover stuff to deal with too:

There's actually not that much of it, which makes me really happy! Some people are creative enough to use the pulp in recipes, but I usually donate it to a friend who composts.

I'm really excited about this green juice, and think I'm going to stick with it this time since I'm doing it the right way. If you try my spicy juice or have a favorite recipe of your own, please share! To your health!

~BigSis

Posted under Food, Health

I need to snap out of it. I haven't been able to focus much on anything since Sunday because I've been so preoccupied thinking about how Bry is doing at Basic Training. I know he's in good hands so I've got to make myself stop worrying.

Sometimes we get so caught up with what's going on with ourselves and our own little world, that we forget about others who have far worse problems than our own. I don't know why today was the first day that I actually took the time to watch the We are the World 25 for Haiti video, but I'm glad that I did. There's some awesome talent on this video and some unbelievable shots of the tragedy in Haiti.

Even after watching the video, it's not possible to understand the magnitude of the loss and devastation in Haiti. I don't know how much money has been raised so far, but you can still go to World25.org to download the video, donate, and download the song from iTunes.

It's amazing how this group of talented artists of all ages and genres came together to help the people of Haiti.

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

I first saw a photo of these cute little Easter Chicks Deviled Eggs on Pinterest several weeks ago so I repinned it to my LilSis Holiday Goodies board so I wouldn't forget to make these for Easter. This would be a fun little project to get the kids to help with because these little Easter Chicks are sure to be the hit of the party! Let's get started.

First, cut a little slice off the wide end of your boiled eggs to create a flat surface so the chicks will sit flat and not roll all over the plate. Next, on the narrow end, cut a wider section off, that will become the chick's little hat; (about 1/3 of the egg). Carefully remove the yolks from the eggs and place in a bowl.

You can start with your favorite recipe for the deviled eggs; but for this little project, a very basic deviled egg is perfectly fine. It's more about the cuteness of the little chicks than anything else.

For mine, I simply mashed my egg yolks, added a splash of pickle juice, a little mayo, ground mustard, and lemon pepper to taste. No reason to measure, just don't use too much mayo or pickle juice because you don't want the egg yolks to be runny.

When you've got your deviled egg mixture ready, just put in a plastic baggie and cut a little hole in the corner and squeeze the mixture into the egg.  I used capers for the eyes and little triangles of baby carrots for the beaks.

I got in too big of a hurry to take photos along the way, but if you need the visual instructions,  A Thrifty Mom website has some easy step by step photos.

These are fun, simple and inexpensive to make and almost too cute to eat, don't you think?

Almost. 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Holidays

Just in case you missed the news at the beginning of the month and are wondering about the pink text, we are going Pink for October to show our support for breast cancer awareness.

While out shopping, you will have noticed by now the abundance of pink products being sold at most retail stores. Since the Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an important cause to me, I buy pink products from the companies that are giving their profits to that charity. Not that the other charities aren't completely legitimate, it's just a personal choice. I found this post on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Message Board and felt it was important enough to pass along to our readers.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure suggests consumers use care and consideration before buying pink products.

October 6, 2009

DALLAS–(Business Wire)–From grocery stores to home improvement centers, pink ribbons and labels adorn everything from candy to vacuum cleaners to raise awareness and money during the 25th annual National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But with so many “pink” marketing programs out there, how can you be sure your money (or how much of it) is going where it should?

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world`s leader in the fight against breast cancer, suggests people ask a few questions before picking one product over another.

“Selecting the right program is a personal choice based on your interests, your passions and a cause that is important to you,” said Katrina McGhee, vice president of global partnerships for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “You work hard for your money, make sure your purchases have the impact you want.”

Whether a program offers to donate a portion of product sales or requires consumer participation in exchange for a donation, Komen's objective is that all programs that benefit Komen are meaningful, educate women and men about breast cancer and generate funds which Komen devotes to research and community outreach.

In order to determine if a cause-related program, promotion or project is one that you would like to support (or is worthy of your support), Komen suggests consumers ask five key questions.

1. Is this company committed?

Read the product packaging and promotional materials or display and visit the company Web site to make sure the company is credible and committed to the
cause.

2. How is the program structured?

Transparency is key. Is the company clearly stating how the money is raised and how much will be going to charity? For example, if it's a donation per purchase, ask how much of purchase price goes to charity-is it two percent or 10
percent-or some other amount? If there is a minimum contribution guaranteed by the company, what is the amount? Is there a maximum donation that will be made by the company?

3. Who does the program benefit?

Does it support a well-managed, reputable non-profit or fund? Again, we recommend that consumers read Web sites. Komen makes it very clear on our site who we are, how we structure programs and how the monies are used. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance is one resource for information on non-profit organizations if you are unsure (visit www.give.org.

4. How will the organization that benefits use my money?

It should be abundantly clear where the monies go. What organization will they support? Will the dollars generated go to research, education, community programs or all of the above? Komen is very specific about our programs, activities and grants awarded to support our mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. View Komen's most recent Annual Report.

5. Is the program meaningful to me?

Is the program supporting a cause you believe in or have been touched by? Based on the details of the program and the potential for dollars to be raised does the program make sense to you? Selecting the right program is a personal choice based on your interests, your passions and a cause that is important to you.

~LilSis

Posted under Health

When we opened our doors for business at 4:30 this morning where I work, Christmas trees and beautiful decorations were revealed, Christmas Blend was brewing, our holiday packaging filled the shelves, red aprons were donned, and, yes; the Christmas music began.

BUT, am I ready? No.

Is it time to start getting ready? Yes!

After Halloween, it seems like the days fly by, even faster than normal. I'm never quite ready to think about Christmas when the retailers fill their shelves with Christmas items, which seems to get earlier and earlier every year. With so many other things on our minds; Christmas, which is supposed to be a joyous time of year, just seems to add more stress to our lives. My goal is to not allow that to happen this year.

For a lot of us, myself included, there's going to be a tighter budget for Christmas this year. So, what that means for me is better planning and getting my list ready earlier. My intention is to try to make a lot of my family's Christmas gifts this year, which means that I need to get started now!

Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking a lot about the big Charity Bake Sale benefiting In-Sync Exotics, but we'll also be sharing some tips to hopefully help make your Christmas planning and shopping go a little smoother.

To get you started, this 4 Top Tips to Get your Christmas Planning Started that was posted by BigSis last year is worth taking a peek at again in case you want to get started early. And this one on how to Make a Christmas Game Plan has links to sites where you can download free printable planning pages.

It may seem too early to start talking about all this Christmas planning, but the best way to avoid stress and last minute chaos is to be organized and plan ahead. So, I'm getting started; how about you?

~LilSis

Posted under Holidays

It's finally here; the day we've been working toward and looking forward to since last year's sale that resulted in a $3,055 donation to the SPCA of Texas!

The baking and packaging is all done, and now all we can do is sell these goodies!  Our goal is another $3000 for our favorite charity, and we pray pray pray that we make it!  Our secret fantasy – not so secret now – is that we sell everything we've made!  How incredible would that be!

If you're in the Dallas area, email me for directions at bigsis at bigsislilsis dot com.  We'd love to see you!

If you're not in the area and you'd like to help these little furkids, you can donate at http://www.spca.org/goto/bakesale.  If you use this url, the SPCA can see that your contribution came through our event, and we can send you a thank you!

Thanks for your support, your well wishes, and your prayers for a successful event today!

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

As I mentioned with great enthusiasm and anticipation last the week, our 3rd Annual Bake Sale for the SPCA of Texas is TODAY, Monday, December 13!  100% of the proceeds go directly to the SPCA.

Last year, our sale raised over $4,000 in one day, and we hope to repeat that success this year.  Here are the details:

Location: Dallas, Texas (If you can come, please email me for the address)

Time: 8 am until 6 pm or sell-out, whichever comes first!

If you can't attend but you'd like to support the SPCA of Texas, you can contribute through this web page:  http://www.spca.org/bakesale

Thanks in advance for your support!  Stay tuned for photos and the scoop on the outcome of the day!

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

Don't look too close! My royal icing didn't turn out too great!

We sisters have a little Irish in our genes, but not much. For some reason, though; maybe because my hubby is half Irish, we always have fun celebrating St. Patrick's Day. We usually have friends over, cook some corned beef and cabbage, listen to some Irish music and possibly have a green beer or two. Last year I made this Glowing Gecko Cocktail for some friends and it was a huge hit.

I love the legend about how every Leprechaun has a hidden pot of gold and how they'd rather turn you into a frog than be captured. Even though these guys don't look like it, they are considered to be faeries and I've always been a bit fascinated by the “faerie world.”

I was in Michael's a few weeks ago looking for something completely unrelated to St. Patrick's Day but when I saw their St. Patty's Day display, I couldn't resist picking up a four leaf clover cookie cutter and some green sprinkles.

To this day, I can't pass a clover patch without stopping to look for a four-leaf clover. 🙂

Even though I've made a few cookie recipes lately, I have to be honest and admit that I really don't like to bake. If you look at my Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies and my Linzer Heart-Shaped Sandwich Cookies, I usually choose a recipe that's more about the decoration, which is the fun part for me.

For these St. Patrick's Day Clover Cookies, I used Alton Brown's Sugar Cookie recipe that I found while browsing Food Network's website. And since I had pretty good luck with the Wilton recipe for the Linzer Heart-shaped Sandwich Cookies, I decided to go with Wilton's royal icing recipe.

I think I may have bitten off more than I could chew with the icing recipe. Who knew that royal icing had to be mixed for 10 to 12 minutes with a hand mixer? (And, yes, I have survived my entire adult life without owning a stand mixer.) I even had to recruit my hubby to help me with the mixing of the cookie dough when my arm got tired.

This sugar cookie recipe was pretty simple and the cookies turned out perfect! I'm not a big sweet eater but if I'm going to eat a cookie, I like a soft cookie and I prefer something like a shortbread so that's probably why I like these so much. They were soft and moist and not overly sugary!

For me, the royal icing was a royal pain in the “you know what” and these sugar cookies are perfect without it!

~LilSis

Posted under Holidays