Score! I think I've found a new mascara to replace the Maybelline Great Lash that I've been using for years (up until I recently learned that Maybelline tests their products on animals)!

I happened to be in Macy's last week and decided to stop and take a peek at the Clinique counter to check out their mascara. After looking over six or seven different choices, I bought the Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara for $14.00 and just kept my fingers crossed that I would like it.

Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara

I can't say that this mascara magnifies your lashes to twice their size, as Clinique claims, but so far, I like the Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in Black even more than I liked the Great Lash.

It glides on easily because it's thinner than some mascaras, which is one reason that I liked the Great Lash. This mascara didn't clump, flake off, or smudge, even after a workout.

I also love the size and the shape of the tapered brush because it separates the lashes nicely and reaches each and every little lash.

(After several uses, you may find that you need to dab off a little product from the point of the brush, but it's not near as bad as some thick mascaras.)

The best thing about this product, and the reason for me switching mascaras, is that Clinique is on the list of companies that DO NOT test their products on animals.

A couple of months ago, after BigSis revealed the story about the beagles being rescued from a testing lab, she and I both committed to not purchasing any more products from companies that animal test. Unfortunately that list is longer than you may realize. It's really easy to go to www.caringconsumer.com to check out the list of companies that DO test on animals and those that DO NOT test on animals.

I've still got a lot of work to do to get my household purged of all products made by companies who animal test, but little by little, as I run out of something, I make sure that I replace it with a product made by a cruelty-free company. 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

Cuisinart 2 qt Stainless Steel Ice Cream Maker

We have just one week of July behind us, so there's still plenty of summer left, and what better way to celebrate summer than with ice cream! LilSis mentioned this great Cuisinart ice cream maker a while back, and it's been in the back of my mind ever since.

When the new Williams-Sonoma catalog (schwing!) came out last week, guess what was in it?  This same awesome 2-quart Cuisinart stainless steel ice cream maker at the excellent price of $79.95.  But guess what?  If you buy this shiny little beauty from Williams-Sonoma by August 3, you get a $20 gift card for the store by mail…free!  Free free free! My favorite price!

So I'm thinking.  Ice cream and a $20 gift card to one of my favorite stores.  It seems like a no-brainer to me.  Only problem is I'll also have to spring for The Vegan Scoop ($13.59 at Amazon) since dairy ice cream doesn't like me.

Williams-Sonoma Ice Cream Party Bowls

Oh, and I'll have to get these cute exclusive ice cream party bowls for $39 from Williams-Sonoma.

And by the time I gobble down a few quarts of non-dairy ice cream, I'm going to need bigger pants.  Maybe the $20 gift card isn't such a good deal after all.

Oh, who in the hecky darn am I kidding?  Free is free, people!  Run…don't walk…to Williams-Sonoma and get your ice cream maker and your gift card before this deal expires!  If you run, I bet you've already burned enough calories to eat a bowl of mint chocolate chip by the time you get there!

~BigSis

Posted under Shopping

MAC Depot Pan Free

Posted under

Is everyone finished with their Christmas shopping?  If not, you might want to take advantage of this great offer from Origins. I just received an email from Origins stating that they are offering a free upgrade on overnight shipping through tomorrow, December 23rd.  Enter the offer code free1day at checkout to take advantage of this offer from Origins!

Not only do I love, love, love Origins products for myself, but I've given a lot of Origins gifts to friends and family over the years. You just can't go wrong! They have such a wide price range, too. You can buy a great gift for under $30.00. Origins always has wonderful gift sets and you can even create a custom gift set.

Origins is also offering complimentary gift wrapping.  And one more thing, I received a separate email about another discount from Origins. You can receive 25% off all purchases at any Origins Retail Store (not in a dept. store) through December 24th if you just mention the email! Now, that's a bargain!

Happy Shopping!

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

BigSis first mentioned how much she liked the Relastin Eye Silk back in November of last year. Honestly, I hadn't ever heard of it but I wasn't totally satisfied with what I was using at the time so I started using the Relastin Eye Silk. I really loved it and decided to share my Eye Silk Results with everyone after I'd used it for about 45 days. I'm still sold on this product.

You can't beat this Relastin 2 for 1 offer!

Last time I bought my Eye Silk, I purposely bought two bottles so I would always have a backup and wouldn't have to worry about ever running out. (I do the same with my Borba Firming Products.) Well, as luck would have it, I recently ran out and now can't find the “backup bottle.”  I've been puzzled about what could have happened to it since I'm the only female in the house. 🙁

I've actually been putting off placing an order in hopes that I would find the missing bottle. I'd finally given up on finding it and was just about to go online to place my order when I received this email yesterday announcing the Relastin 2 for 1 Sale. It came at just the right time!! The Eye Silk normally sells for $69.00 so a BOGO free offer is a fantastic deal! The offer is good through July 31st.

If you haven't tried this product before, it would be a great time to give it a try and possibly split the 2 for 1 with a friend! I'm going to order mine now!

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

I can't start my day without my morning fruit smoothie.  I've never been a milk drinker because of the lactose, and I'm not a fan of soy milk.  That leaves a bunch of great nut milks to choose my smoothie base from, and my favorite is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla.  I add a splash of juice to it, plus frozen berries, vitamin powder, coconut oil and flax seeds.  Whiz it all up in my pink Kitchenaid blender, and away I go to work with all kinds of nutrients zipping around in my bloodstream.

So, I go through a lot of almond milk, and it's not terribly expensive but if I make it at home, I can choose  the ingredients that go into it and save a little money too.  How difficult is it?  Not difficult at all, in fact, it's pretty darn easy:

1. Buy raw almonds from the bulk section of your local store.
2. Soak a cup of them in water for 8 hours, or less if you don't have that long. I think the milk is creamier with longer soaking.
3. Rinse and drain the soaked almonds.
4. Blend them with 4 cups of water.
5. Drain the pulp out.  I use a couple of coffee filters in a strainer over a tall bowl.
6. Add flavorings and sweetener as desired:  vanilla extract, cinnamon, maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, or anything else.
7. Chill and enjoy within 3 or 4 days.

Voila!  That's all there is to it!  You could use macadamia nuts or cashews instead of almonds.  I don't know if you could use pecans or walnuts successfully, but it's an intriguing idea.  I like to add the flavorings after I strain the pulp out so that I can use the pulp in a savory way if I choose.  Adding lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and dill to it makes an awesome spread for crackers.

Remember this milk is dairy-free, but it's not just for vegans.  It's great for anyone who is allergic to milk or lactose-intolerant, or who just wants a healthy tasty beverage.

If you'd like to see photos of the process or learn more, go check out Gina's awesome blog at Choosing Raw.  That's where I learned to do it, and I'm glad I did!

~BigSis

Posted under Food

I've had some amber agave nectar and organic coconut oil in my pantry for a while, and it's been recently screaming to be used in baking.  Once I saw that Anna at CookieMadness had whipped up a batch of Agave & Honey Oatmeal Cookies, I was reminded that it was time to put those 2 healthy ingredients into action.

My recipe was adapted from Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano.

Baking with Agave Nectar

It's similar to the recipe Anna used and to RecipeGirl's variation with M&Ms.  I baked the full recipe instead of scaling it down, and I got 24 cookies.  I substituted coconut oil for all of the butter, and agave was my only sweetener.  I also used ground flax seeds instead of wheat germ, and omitted the raisins since I'm allergic and skipped the M&Ms to make these as guilt-free as possible.

As soon as I got these scooped out on the cookie sheets, I was wishing that I had added some sunflower seeds and chopped walnuts to the batter.  Once these were out of the oven, it was clear that those additions would have been scrumptious, so next time I'll do that!  I may also add some dried cranberries or cherries, and perhaps a little shredded coconut to complement the coconut oil's great flavor.

I hesitate to even call these cookies, to me they're more of a healthful substantial pre-workout or post-workout snack.  They're sturdy and cakey, and not very sweet which is a plus for me since I'm not a big sweets eater.  A slight little sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top of each cookie before baking might even be called for!  I loved these chunky cookies, and they got thumbs-up from my coworkers.  I'll definitely make them again.  I love that they're tasty, but they seem to be such great fuel for our bodies!

Agave Coconut Oatmeal Cookie

Agave Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup organic coconut oil
3/4 cup amber agave nectar
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 c oats (not quick cooking)
1/4 c flax seed (pulverized in coffee grinder)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or release foil.

Beat the coconut oil in a large bowl with the agave nectar for about 2 minutes until it's well blended and slightly fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.  In another smaller bowl, combine the flour, oats, flax, cinnamon, soda, and salt.   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Drop onto cookie sheets by heaping tablespoons and flatten out slightly.  Bake for about 12 minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops are dry.  Don't overbake.

~BigSis

Posted under Food

You know how some people always say that this or that is a “hot mess”.  Have you ever wondered exactly what a hot mess is?  What does a hot mess look like?  Wonder no more…voila!

This, my friends, is a bonafide hot mess.  No, this is not what I was going for.  Ha!  Not even close.  I was aiming for a variation of Peabody's Hazelnut Honey Cookies.  A few of her commenters mentioned trying almond meal in place of the hazelnut flour.  I thought, well, hecky darn; I have an endless supply of dried almond meal since I've been making my own almond milk for months now.  Why don't I conduct a little experiment with the almond meal substitution, and report back on my marvelous success; much to the delight of Peabody and her readers!

Instead, I have to fess up to my failure hot mess and submit my name to the Baker's Hall of Shame.

Where did I go wrong?  I subbed agave for half of the honey but I don't think that would cause a disaster of this magnitude.  I also added a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and even added an extra half cup of almond meal since the mixture seemed loose.  Little did I know, it had only begun to be loose!

When I first looked into the oven, the cookies seemed to be spreading a tad, but on the second look…good gravy!  I had a sea of bubbling, bumpy, grainy goo.  Not what I was going for at all.  😀 Looks a bit like the surface of the moon or Mars, doesn't it?

I think the problem was with the almond meal.  I probably should have only substituted almond meal for part of the hazelnut flour.  I also might have goofed in using the almond meal in it's coarse state.  Maybe it would have behaved better if I had pulverized it.  I'd certainly like to pulverize it, now that I've wasted those tasty little cherries and other ingredients!

It was a fun little experiment, even though it flopped.  If you try something new, you have to be prepared to fail sometimes, right?  Thank you, Almond Meal Gluten Free “Cookies”.  You gave me the best laugh I've had in ages!  😀

~BigSis

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