Thursday, August 30, 2012

Toyota Love

This past Monday, 8/27/2012, I said goodbye to my old green '95 Mercury Sable. Thankfully this is not because it broke down and died, but because my father and I went to the Toyota dealership near us and got me a lovely new-to-me '07 Toyota Corolla.
Out with the old. In with the new!

The new color: Sandy Beach. It just sounds comforting and relaxing, not something to stress about. Not that green is a stressful color, but my Sable was an old car. He didn't have a lot of miles for a '95, but he wasn't very reliable, and not so good on gas either. It was just time for me to get a new one. My father and I decided it would be best to do it now, rather than wait for the Sable to one day die on me and leave me car-less all of a sudden. 

Enter my lovely new-to-me Sandy Beach Corolla. We got her the Saturday before we got rid of the Sable. I love her. She has air (the Sable didn't), she's great on gas (35 mpg highway), and she's beautiful. Of course, she's also reliable, which is even better! I love her. I'm addicted to driving her. I find any excuse to go somewhere just so I can take her for a spin.

I miss the Sable a bit. He got me from A to B, but I started to just get sick of him towards the end. He was a boat, and didn't have air, and was just not nice to look at. His last act though was a generous one. He got me an extra $800 off the Corolla when we traded him in, which was definitely unexpected, but very helpful. Joshua and I drove him over to Toyota the Monday after we got the Corolla. It wasn't emotional. It was exciting. I loved him, but I love the Corolla so much more, and I am excited to have moved up in the world of automobiles.

I am so proud to be the owner of a beautiful 2007 Toyota Corolla, and because Toyota's are known to be so reliable, I am absolutely so excited and so thrilled to have her for a while. I'll keep her for as long as she'll last me.

xo, Chelsea

Monday, August 27, 2012

2-Ingredient Banana Pancakes!

While perusing the blog of a good friend of mine, I found a wonderfully delicious and easy recipe for banana pancakes! Go check out her blog, Whatever I Want, here and check out the blog where she found the recipe, Blogilates, here! I literally just made them this morning, and could NOT wait to blog about it that I just had to do it NOW!

All you need are 2 simple ingredients, that you probably already have right now:

1 large banana
2 eggs

























You'll also need:

a bowl
a whisk
cooking spray
a griddle/griddle pan


Now, onto the creating and cooking of a fantastically simple AND healthy breakfast!

Step 1: Add the two ingredients to a bowl, and mash them up!




To mash them up, I used a fork before whisking:














Step 2: After the ingredients are mashed up, use a whisk to make them frothy and light.

If there are some chunks of banana left that won't mix in
just let them be! That's okay!

























Step 3: Once the mixture is ready, spray your griddle/griddle pan with cooking spray (or whatever non-stick oil you prefer to use), and put your griddle on medium heat and wait for it to get hot! That step is very important! They pancakes cook quickly if you let the pan get up to temperature, and then there won't be any wasted pancakes!

Step 4: Now that your griddle/griddle pan is nice and hot you can go ahead and ladle the batter onto it, and in 20-30 seconds the first side should brown nicely and be ready to flip!

20-30 seconds later...




















brown deliciousness!























Step 5: Once the other side is done, put them on a plate, and PRESTO! You're done!





















Don't wait to dig in to these yummy, banana lovelies! They're fluffy, moist, and über healthy! They taste like bananas (obviously!), but they don't taste like an omelette, which I'm sure is what you would expect, but it doesn't! 

And look! Here's a nutritional chart straight from the Blogilates website!


Look at all that wonderful protein! And under 250 calories! How fantastic?!

Not only are those nutritional facts so amazing, this recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and all natural since there are no processed ingredients!

Healthy and delicious! It is possible people!

Go make these for breakfast RIGHT NOW and enter a Banana Healthy Heaven! Enjoy!

xo, Chelsea

Friday, August 24, 2012

Crafty Daddy

I could not help but share this wonderful tip that I discovered the other morning.  When pouring myself a glass of milk, I noticed some sparkling letter stickers on top of the coffee pot. The coffee pot that only my father uses. They spelled out MEDS. I couldn't help but think "How clever?!". My daddy left himself a reminder on the coffee pot so that he doesn't forget to take his medicine every morning. Looks like I got my crafty side from daddy. Here's a picture to show exactly what he did:

So smart!

I just could not help bragging about my incredibly clever father. So smart.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

FOUND MY CAMERA

I finally found my beloved Olympus Tough TG-310! And it was in the most obviously hidden spot... my car! Here's the story:

Two days ago I was cleaning my car out (because HOPEFULLY Daddy and I will be going car hunting on Saturday!) and as I was reaching over my bench seat to get to the old water bottles on the floor of my backseat, I spotted the oh so familiar camera case. It was in the pocket behind my front passenger seat! It has been with me this WHOLE time! I purchased it back in March after falling in love with my cousins on our Florida vacation because this little gem is waterproof to 10ft AND shockproof to 5 ft. 

Of course, with my luck, I "lost" it all summer and did not get a chance to use it for the coolest feature I bought it for. I am not dwelling though, because luckily it is still August, and there is still some summer left! My cousins are down this week, and we have a nice little lake over by grandma's house where we will probably hang out today, so I'm excited to get some use out of this baby.

So happy!


Don't mind the terrible picture above. I took that with my phone, because I obviously couldn't with the Olympus.


ALSO, the discovering of my camera could not have come at a better time! I have the most AMAZING idea for a new project I am going to start on right away, but it is a secret! I will be able to document every part of it with my Olympus now, instead of my phone, so the pictures will be 10x better, and it'll be a lot easier on my part! It might take me a while to actually finish said project, because it is a pretty big project, but I am confident that I will pull it off wonderfully. 

Here's hoping! Wish me luck!



xo, Chelsea

Monday, August 13, 2012

Luscious!

Let's Talk LUSH, but before I begin, I guess I should say that LUSH did not ask me to write this post, nor will I receive any sort of payment for doing so. I just LOVE LUSH and have been meaning to brag about them for quite some time now! 

Now, where was I? Oh yes! LUSH! If you haven't heard of this company or any of their products yet, then you MUST go to their website here and check it out. All of the products I have purchased and used (except for one) I have absolutely adored! 

At LUSH they believe in creating fresh, organic products with only fresh and organic ingredients. They hand make every single item, and they'll even tell you when it was made when you purchase the item (either in the store, or when you receive the product if you made an online purchase) to ensure freshness! They never test on animals, nor do they purchase ingredients that were tested on animals, and all of the ingredients are vegetarian.

Uhh, can you say AMAZING? Seriously, I have never been more impressed with the company. Just that information alone made me fall in love with them, and after trying some of their products, I knew it was true love.

Now let me tell you about a few:


1. Fresh Farmacy $9.75/3.5oz. wedge: (No, that is not spelled incorrectly, that IS the name of the product)
Fresh Farmacy  <--- That right there is my new best friend. My life savor. The reason I wake up in the morning. Made with calamine powder, tea tree oil, lavender oil, and other wonderful ingredients, this face wash is my saving grace. After trying countless products to clear up my face of all the acne, this is the only thing to really do the trick. Not only has my face cleared up, it also leaves my skin wonderfully smooth and feeling fresh. Not to mention it smells wonderful. Every morning I just dampen my face and the bar with warm water and I rub it all over until I'm covered in the wonderful wash. Then with my hands I massage it in for about 30-60 seconds until I'm ready to rinse. After rinsing I pat my face with a towel, and I instantly feel fresh and clean. My face is über greasy, and after my morning wash, I don't feel greasy anymore, but I also don't feel uncomfortably dry. When they make Fresh Farmacy over at LUSH, they make it in giant wheels, kind of like cheese.
image <--- Like that! When you order it online, you get a pre-cut 3.5 oz wedge, like the pictures show. If you go to a LUSH store, you may be able to get one bigger, but you'd end up paying more. That's because in the store they just chop up the "wheel" into different sizes, weigh them, and price them., whereas on the website, the price is the same because they're making specific cuts to make the online purchase easier. No matter what though, it is worth every penny! I first started using the product in May, and today I ordered my second bar because I am now JUST down to my last little bit of face wash. I love it!


2. Grease Lightning $12.95/1.5oz. bottle
Grease Lightning <--- This guy is the spot treatment I have been using, you can also use to cover your t-zone (if you're face is really greasy) and it sops up all the grease quite nicely. I don't use it too often on my t-zone though, because it dries out my skin, so I usually only use it on stubborn acne spots. It is a little pricey, but just like Fresh Farmacy, Grease Lightning is totally worth every penny. A few organic ingredients include grape juice, sea water, and organic aloe vera extract. 
This is a picture of the sticker on my bottle of Grease Lightning.

One of the really cool features I like about LUSH, I found when this guy came in the mail. On the bottle was a sticker with a cartoon picture of the LUSH employee, Susan, that made this product, the date when it was made, and the Best Before date. I almost felt like I knew Susan when this product came, and I felt even more thankful because of the way they personalized the product. You can tell they really do think about their customers, and want to make a personal connection with them. I felt like I almost knew Susan. And it turns out this was made 2 days before my birthday, as if it was MADE for me! THANKS SUSAN!









3. Stepping Stone $3.95/2.3oz. bar
Stepping Stone <--- Now I don't know about you, but my feet aren't the prettiest parts of my body, so this is where Stepping Stone steps in (see what I did there?) to save the day! Made up if jojoba oil, lemon oil, pumice, and cocoa butter, just to name a few wonderful ingredients, this pumice stone not only makes my feet feel smooth, but it also makes them smell wonderful! Just make sure not to drop it in the water, or else say goodbye to this little guy. He'll dissolve in a matter of minutes! All you gotta do is dampen your feet, and then scrub away OUTSIDE of the water. This product doesn't last very long either, because it tends to fall apart a bit easily, so good thing it is only $4! I also just purchased another one of these today!


4. Fair Trade Foot Lotion $22.95/7.9oz. tub
Fair Trade Foot Lotion <--- After I've scrubbed my feet with Stepping Stone, I use this deliciously smelling lotion, and it just ties my at home spa day together. I don't own a whole tub of this though. When I purchased the Fresh Farmacy and Stepping Stone at the LUSH store in AC, the sales girl gave me this lovely little lotion as a sample (Did I forget to mention you get a sample with very purchase, whether it is online or in store. Just another reason to LOVE LUSH!). Because I only have a little sample, I use this a LITTLE AS POSSIBLE because I love it so very much. The mix of peppermint, fair trade cocoa butter, and almond oil make this foot lotion smell just delicious. Not to mention it has been so very easy for me to keep this sample lasting as long as I have (remember I got this in May) because ye ol' phrase "a little goes a long way" definitely refers to the Fair Trade Foot Lotion. It relieves aches and pains after a long day at work, AND the sweet sales girl who have me this sample also told me it isn't just for feet. Put it wherever you feel sore, and it'll to the trick! Of course, since I'm trying to save every last drop of this heavenly lotion, I can't say I've done so.


5. Honey I Washed The Kids Soap $7.95/3.5oz. block
Honey I Washed The Kids Soap Another sample I have received from LUSH (this time with an online order) was the Honey I Washed The Kids Soap. Some of the ingredients in this body soap are honey water, beeswax, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil, which really make this soap smell irresistibly good. Like honey and caramel had a baby and BAM it became this fantastic soap. It can be used for your hands next to the sink, or for your entire body in the shower. I used it for my hands only because I got a small sample that probably would have been wasted in one shot if I used it for my whole body, although it was very tempting. I will be buying a full sized portion of this very soon. Did I mention it is one of LUSH's best-selling soaps. Need I say more?


6. Golden Slumbers Bath Bomb $6.35/6.3oz. bomb
Golden SlumbersAhhh, bath bombs. Never will I ever again take another bath without one of these beauties joining me. Whether it is Golden Slumbers here or another one of LUSH's 31 bath bombs, I will never have a boring bath ever again. All you do is fill the bath to your liking, throw in one of the bombs, and settle in for a relaxing, fragrant, and slow experience. This one has lavender oil, lavender sprigs, chamomile oil, and golden lustre in it. I was actually shocked to see actual lavender sprigs popping out and into my bath as the bomb slowly dissolved. I knew LUSH was all about fresh and organic, but this was kicking it up a notch. The golden lustre made me feel like a queen in the bath, and all the lavender and chamomile made me so ready to curl up in bed for a long night of Golden Slumbers. The wonderfully relaxing experience makes me excited for my next bath bomb adventure. The only problem? Which one to choose next?


7. Shimmy Shimmy $6.95/1oz. bar
Shimmy Shimmy<--- This right here is the ONLY product I have very much disliked so far in my LUSH adventures. The description says: Solid body lotion with a hint of shimmer. Why did I italicize hint, you ask? Because that is a severe understatement. Along with fair trade cocoa butter, shea butter, and clary sage oil, this lotion bar is PACKED with pink glitter. When I used it on my legs, the lotion part of it was interesting with the way you had to apply it. You need to warm the bar in your hands so that it'll start to melt and then rub it on your legs. It smelled wonderful, but after all is said and done, my legs looked like the tooth fairy threw up on my hands and legs. Of course, silly me, then decided to put jeans on afterwards, and the glitter transferred all over the inside of my pants. I was a glittery mess! The smell, like I said, was sweet and pleasant, but I would not use this again. I gave the rest of the bar to my sister, who is crazy for glitter, and would probably get more use out of it than I. Thank goodness it cleaned off easily.




Well, there you have it! All of the LUSH products I have used and loved (or not so much). Just one more thing before I'm completely finished with this topic. Whenever you purchase something from LUSH, in the store or online, you get this great catalogue, which looks more like a newspaper, called LUSH TIMES that tells you all about the great products. Not only that, but the employees of LUSH also star in it, telling you their favorite products, and what's new to try out! If you don't want to purchase something just yet, but would like a look at the catalogue  you can sign up for a free subscription on the LUSH website. Just look for the link in the top left of the page that says LUSH catalogue.

They just came out with a make-up line this past month or so, which I have been dying to try out. It is a little pricey though, so it'll take some convincing myself to do so. Maybe if I ever do, you'll see a post about that in the future. ;)

GO CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE!!


xo,
Chelsea