September 15, 2010

A while back, LilSis showed us how much Urban Decay Primer Potion is left inside the cute little genie bottle even after you think it's empty.  I heard from an Urban Decay rep at Ulta one day that the owner of Urban Decay was committed to her purple genie bottle even though lots of us girls are grumbling about the waste it causes.  Her solution was to give us a bent wand, which may work a bit better but lots of us are still grumbling.

Guess what, we now have a breakthrough!  Urban Decay Primer Potion in a tube!

For $29, you get .85 oz of Primer Potion, compared to .34 oz in the genie bottle for $18.

I can't wait to grab a tube of this.  I apply the Primer Potion with my ring finger anyway, so the applicator isn't necessary in my world.

Lest we forget, let me take this opportunity to remind you how much I love Urban Decay Primer Potion.  I've tried several primer products, and this is my absolute favorite, hands down.  Why?  A normal day in my life is why:

• Makeup application with Urban Decay Primer Potion at 6 am

• 8 hours of stressful work

• Errands in 100 degree temperatures with 100% humidity

• 2 sweaty workouts

• Makeup removal at 10 pm: eye shadow is still perfectly intact!  No creases.  No fading.  Voila!

Bonus: this is a vegan product.  No animal testing, and no animal-derived products.

Run, don't walk, to get your tube.  Just don't get in my way!

~BigSis

September 13, 2010

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

September 7, 2010

When BigSis initially told me at the beginning of the year that she had made the decision to become vegan, the first thing out of my mouth was “I think that's great, but HOW can you live without cheese?”

We've always been big snackers/grazers in our family. Growing up, we would almost always snack on some cheese and crackers late in the afternoon before SisMama would start on dinner. I can still remember the white cheddar cheese that our parents would bring back from their trips to Nebraska or our aunts and uncles would bring down to us when they came for a visit.

And when we would visit our Grandmama in the summer, a late afternoon snack was always a freezing cold, slushy, orange Crush soda or Dr. Pepper with a big ole' chunk of cheese! I think that was when I fell in love with cheese.

I obviously have some very fond childhood memories that revolve around cheese. So, why the walk down memory lane? Isn't that what you usually do when you're in mourning? I think that's exactly what's going on with me right now.

Some people, like BigSis, make the conscious decision to become vegan, which I happen to totally admire, but then there are those like me, who after 40 something years of eating cheese, are told that they can't have dairy anymore! That's not news that's easy to swallow when it's something that you enjoy as much as I do! 🙁

I've lived with a sensitive stomach my entire life and there are lots of things I can't eat; fried stuff, greasy potato chips, fatty meat, etc., but I've learned to live with that. This is going to be a little tougher. It took every bit of will power I had to not get into the gorgeous cheese tray that we had at our Labor Day party on Sunday!

But, after a few bad episodes, followed by a couple of doctors visits, a ton of tests, some medication, and process of elimination, it's been determined that I've become lactose intolerant. Even though it's not the news that I was expecting to hear, it definitely could have been something worse so I promise that I won't whine about it too much.

I'm now asking myself the exact same question that I asked BigSis about nine months ago. “How am I going to live without cheese?” I don't know the answer to that right now, but I do know that it isn't going to easy.

I've already discovered that low-fat vanilla soy milk isn't bad and Earth Balance buttery spread is actually quite good. BigSis has also given me a few suggestions for “faux cheese” but that's going to be the real trick; finding a veggie/soy cheese that actually tastes good. My first experiment over the weekend with the Trader Joe's soy mozzarella didn't really impress me.

I know there's medication you can take to ease the symptoms IF you do decide to eat dairy, but for now, I'm going to try to do without it completely to see how things go.

If anyone reading happens to be vegan or lactose intolerant, we would LOVE to hear from you if you've found any great cheese substitutes! 🙂

Photo credit from ayngelina's photostream

~LilSis

September 2, 2010

Do I want to be responsible for hurting this littl bun bun? Oh, hell, no!

A little over a month ago, I made a commitment to purge my household – and my life – of products that are tested on animals.  I heard about the 120 beagles who were rescued on July 4th from a bankrupt testing lab in New York, and was absolutely heartbroken to think that they had never been outdoors, chased a ball or run with other dogs.  They had never been allowed to be dogs; they were just test subjects.

I've been vegetarian for 16 years, and 99% vegan for the last 8 months, so it seemed inconsistent that I avoid eating meat, dairy and eggs because I don't want to be a party to an animal's suffering, but I'm doing exactly that when I buy my favorite Loreal mascara.  Or Charmin toilet paper.  Or Garnier hair color.

So I decided to get with the program and clean out my house.  Care to know how it's going?  I'm not gonna lie; it's a bit tough here and there.  I have these random conflicted conversations with myself…

Maybe I'll just buy the Charmin toilet paper one more time, then I'll buy Seventh Generation.

No, you're a hypocrite. You said you were committed.

I am, but it's TOILET PAPER for cryin out loud!  I can't buy crappy TOILET PAPER!  No one will know if I buy it just once more.

You'll know.  You'll make one exception, then it'll be two, then fourteen.  Do it 100% or don't do it all.

Yeah, but I can't find a new mascara that I like.  I have to have a good mascara!  You can't expect me to sacrifice everything!

If you buy that mascara, you're responsible for poking the wand into a bunny's eye!  Don't do it!  Don't do it!  There are plenty of other mascaras out there that you haven't tried yet.  Don't be a quitter.

Well, what about my Clorox Toilet Wand?  Do I have to go back to having a drippy germy toilet brush in my bathroom?

Stop being a baby!  Are you committed to living without contributing to animal suffering, or are you committed to whining?

And so it goes.

To be completely honest, it's easier to replace some products than others.

• Method and quite a few other companies make cleaning products that are cruelty-free.

• The Seventh Generation laundry detergent that I bought is happily cheaper than Tide!

• I've tried 3 mascaras already, and am not in love with any of them, but I have others to try and am confident there is a great mascara out there that is not animal-tested.

• I found a shaving cream that smells heavenly, like coconuts, and feels like buttah!

On the other hand, I'm having some big challenges.

• The biggest is with paper products.  I'm pretty picky about the brands of TP, paper towels and napkins I buy; not to mention those, you know – feminine products – and I haven't found any good replacements for them yet.  There don't seem to be many options at all to choose from.  Surely, there has to be a solution!  The search continues…

• I'm also wondering what to do about my Swiffer Wet Jet that I dearly love.  Could there be a way to still make use of it since I already have it, without buying any more liquid or pad refills?  Those things were darn expensive anyway.

As I test more products and find excellent cruelty-free products, I'm going to assemble a list that will hopefully help someone else in my position.  I don't want to blow smoke at you and tell you this process is a piece of cake, but it's worthwhile and I'm committed.  Still whining a little now and then, because apparently I'm a much bigger brand-ho than I realized, and I like things the way I like them.  But I'm still committed!  😀

I'm really hoping that some of you will have some suggestions for me!  If you do, PLEASE send them my way and I'll pay it forward!

Lil Bunny image from KevenLaws Flickr photostream.

~BigSis

August 31, 2010

We've had some big events going on these past couple of weeks in our world, which definitely took some of our time away from BigSisLilSis.

Here are just a few things that have been happening:

• Two weeks ago, BigSis and I met in Chicago for a long weekend to meet Bry's fiance.

• Last week, I had a training class in Dallas and BigSis was nice enough, after working a full day, to pick me up every night so we could go to dinner.

• HayHay started his Junior year in high school last Thursday.

• Bry got married in Illinois on Saturday. (Yes, without family present; sniffle, sniffle…)

• Bry also learned that he will be stationed here in San Diego and may be relocating as soon as next month! (Hip, hip, hurray!)

• BigSis spent the whole weekend at WordCamp Dallas; 25 different sessions to be exact!  Ask her about it if you're interested in the scoop!

• My little guy, HayHay's 17th birthday was yesterday.

• My 19th wedding anniversary is today.

• And, I'm anxiously awaiting to hear about my first assignment for my new job.

I'm ready for things to settle down and get back to normal, but I don't even know what normal is any more. I think I'm going to have to redefine “my normal”.  Thankfully, we have a long holiday weekend coming up!

BigSis and I will be getting back on track soon and are also working on some new ideas for our site. Hopefully, we'll be ready to announce a few changes in September!

We hope everyone had a great summer!  🙂  Now, what's going on in your world!  Tell us; it'll make us feel better about our craziness!

~LilSis

August 30, 2010

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY HAYHAY!

Ahhhh!!! To be young again!!

Our youngest, the baby of the clan, is 17 years old today!

We're so proud of the young man that he has become and we love that he still acts like a kid and isn't trying to grow up too fast!

HayHay is funny, kind, loving, creative, compassionate, respectful, and overall; a great person and a great son!

And, we especially love the fact that he still enjoys hanging out with his parents! 🙂

We love ya, Hay!

~LilSis

August 19, 2010

This time of year is really hectic for most of us moms; on top of normal chores, we're clearing our kids' closets and drawers of clothes that no longer fit, shopping for new clothes, school supplies, backpacks, and trying to stock the pantry with all the goodies needed for breakfasts, school lunches and/or after school snacks.

I do LOVE shopping for school supplies; the whole excitement of it brings back fond memories for me and I sometimes wish that I was still buying pencil boxes and crayons, but I won't delve into my obsession with school supplies today. Instead, let's talk about making sure we have what to need to assure that our kids start out each morning with a healthy breakfast.

I don't have little ones in elementary school or middle school any more and I really miss those mornings when I used to pack the kids' lunches and put little surprises or notes in their lunch sacks. Since those days are long gone for me and my high-schooler won't take a sack lunch anymore, it's more important than ever for me to make sure he has a good breakfast before he leaves every morning.

I've always tried to make sure that my kids don't start the day on an empty stomach or with something sugary. Both can lead to problems with blood sugar levels and make it hard for the child to concentrate during school.

For adults, eating a healthy breakfast also has tremendous health benefits, but specifically here's what Mayo Clinic says about the benefits for children.

Benefits for children

Breakfast is especially important for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:

• Concentrate better
• Have better problem-solving skills
• Have better hand-eye coordination
• Be more alert
• Be more creative
• Miss fewer days of school
• Be more physically active

My family would probably tell you that I sound like a broken record when I say “You know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  I wish I had a dollar for every time I've said that. 🙂

Obviously on those early morning school days, breakfast needs to be quick, and most importantly, a healthy combination of whole grains, low fat protein, low fat dairy, and fruits and/or veggies.

Here are a few of my favorites.

• Oatmeal with fruit and almonds. (To me, this is a perfect breakfast.) I like the McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal but Quaker Oats Quick One Minute Oats is also a great choice. The Quaker brand actually has one more gram of fiber and protein than McCann's. After cooking the oatmeal, I add some cinnamon and top with blueberries or sliced banana and sliced almonds.

• Scrambled eggs or egg beaters with 2% cheese in a whole wheat tortilla. It's so quick and easy to make a great breakfast burrito. If your child is open to it, add just a little fresh chopped spinach when you scramble the eggs. (This can even be done in the microwave.)  Then put a little grated cheese on top, scoop into a tortilla and roll it up. I buy a low sodium ham from Trader Joe's that I sometimes add to this.

• Fresh fruit salad. I make fruit salads all the time and both my guys love it for breakfast. Have your berries and grapes washed ahead and if adding pineapple, it's quicker if that's cut up the night before. We like blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, grapes, mandarin oranges, and pears, but you could use any of your child's favorite fruits.

• Whole wheat or multi-grain bagel. We are really liking the new Thomas' Bagel Thins. The Whole Wheat ones are great but the Everything Bagel Thins are our favorite. These toast great and aren't as heavy as a regular bagel. They're perfect with just cream cheese or even better as a breakfast sandwich with an egg and a piece of healthy ham and low fat cheese.
  

• Yogurt with berries and granola. We also love yogurt at my house for breakfast. I mostly buy the Trader Joe's brand and instead of granola, I sometimes toss in some Kashi Heart to Heart cereal.

• Eggo Nutri-Grain low fat waffles. It doesn't get much easier than this.  These frozen waffles are quite good; I have one most mornings after my yogurt and fruit.  I try to find something other than syrup to offer with a waffle and I've found that these are great with a little almond butter spread on top.

• Banana and granola bar. If your child is running late and insists that he/she doesn't have time to sit down for breakfast, then stick a banana and a granola bar in their hand on the way out the door. It's definitely better than a Pop Tart. There are many nutritious choices for granola bars these days. My favorites are the Peanut Butter Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars.
  

All of these choices take five minutes or less to prepare and when served with a small glass of low fat milk and/or orange juice, it'll jump start your child's day and allow them to get through the morning with enough energy to last them until lunchtime. 🙂

~LilSis

August 14, 2010

What if I told you I could make brownies without butter? Probably doable, right?

How about without eggs? Hmmm, getting trickier. How will you keep them together without eggs?

Now, what if I told you I made brownies with no eggs, no dairy, AND added blueberries! What?! Get outta here!

Using the Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownie recipe from Veganomicon, that's exactly what I did. And guess what? They're awesome!! I took them to the office and actually got good reviews. Even great reviews! And the comments weren't what you would expect: “I guess they're ok for healthy brownies, BigSis. Better than no brownie at all”.

Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies

They're moist, they're unbelievably chocolatey, and you really can't figure out what's different about them. I guess blueberries have such a mild flavor usually, that the brownies don't scream “BLUEBERRY!!!!”

These guys have 3 chocolates (I used vegan), fresh blueberries, and a whole jar of blueberry spread. Plus the usual suspects: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, canola oil, vanilla and almond extract,

They aren't completely without guilt, but at least you get a little fruit with your chocolate.

~BigSis

August 12, 2010

Being single and eating my biggest meal of the day before noon, it's really easy for me to skip dinner or to just have a handful of almonds.  I try to eat intentionally though, and skipping dinner doesn't set me up for a very energetic morning.

I have a solution that works for me, even in the summertime when you don't automatically think of something warm.  How about a one-pot stew/soup dish that's inexpensive, nutritious AND super speedy?  I got it for you.  It's so simple, I don't even need to give you an official recipe; I can just tell you how to do it in a few words.

Take 5 cans from your pantry, and don't feel bad that you're using cans!  You need a big can of fire-roasted tomatoes (diced or crushed), a small can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilis (similar to Rotel but I think much better!), a can of green beans, a can of red kidney beans and a can of corn.

Open all the cans, and dump both tomatoes into a large saucepan and turn the meat to medium.  Fill the small can with water and add that.  Then add whatever mexican seasonings you like to the tomatoes and simmer for few minutes.  I used garlic powder, cumin, chile powder, dried cilantro, shallot pepper, salt and a touch of dried chipotle.

Bring the tomatoes to a boil, and then add the drained corn and green beans, along with the kidney beans that have been drained and rinsed.  You don't want that nasty bean juice.  Heat until the vegetables are heated through.  Voila!  You're done!

I like to serve my stew with dairy-free cheese (Daiya) and sour cream (Tofutti).  My diced tomatoes with chilis were pretty potent so I didn't even need any Frank's Red Hot Sauce!

In this one bowl, you get nutrients from the veggies, plus protein from the beans that will keep you full for a good long time.  Use whatever veggies you have, and feel free to add other goodies like mushrooms, onions, and chili peppers.  Hatch chilis are almost in season and they would be incredible in this.

I'd say this is a much better dinner than a few sorry nuts!  😀

~BigSis

August 10, 2010

Last month I shared the Funfetti Firecracker Cupcake recipe with you for a fun way to turn cupcakes into little firecrackers. Here's another way you can use those little exploding candies, Pop Rocks to liven up your next summer party. I made these fun cocktails for the 4th of July but they would also be very festive for a Labor Day party.

On the “Rocks”
(adapted from Food Network Magazine July/August 2010)

Juice from half a lemon
Strawberry (red) Pop Rocks
1 part vodka
2 parts juice or mixer (I used Rose's Blue Raspberry Mix)
1 part seltzer water or club soda

Pound the Pop Rocks packet before opening to crush the candies into smaller granules, then pour them out onto a plate. Next, just dampen the rims of the glasses with lemon juice and dip the rims in the candies.

So you don't disturb the candies on the rim, just mix the vodka and juice, or mixer, in a shaker first and then pour over ice and add a splash of seltzer or club soda. Serve immediately as the Pop Rocks will start popping as soon as you put them on the rim.

Note: These also turn out really pretty using cranberry or pomegranate juice with the Tropical Punch (blue) Pop Rocks. (As pictured in Food Network Magazine.)

To make these for the kiddos, just eliminate the alcohol and use any color juice and Pop Rocks. These are so easy, it would even be fun to let the kids help make their own. 🙂

~LilSis