How to tone down bright lipstick

Hey Guys!

One of my favorite things about summer is the amazing lipstick shades. I love nudes but it is always fun to change it up with bright shades. I will admit, I am not always wanting the bold pigment on my lips, but I love the shade. I have spent the past year or so trying to figure out a solution. I did everything I possibly could until I found this solution.

Before

After

I know the photo quality isn't the best, but you can all see a difference.

Steps
Start with bare lips. I have seen suggestions that you should use a setting powder on your lips, but I used a cream concealer on me to neutralize them.

 Then I used a nude lipstick on top. For this example I used L'oreal Paris Nude collection in 'Eva's Nude'

Then I used Covergirl Lipstick in the shade 'Spellbound' on top. (Refer to 'after' picture)

I have done this with drugstore and department store lipstick's and it is amazing. The lipstick is long lasting and the pigmentation is amazing.

Wisdom Wednesday

We spend so much of our life trying to be accepted/fit in. Starting in elementary school, middle school, high school and into the workforce. We are always trying to please people, or conform ourselves to who we think they want us to be. We have all been there. I have done it with past relationships, and until a few years ago, my mother. All we end up doing is making ourselves miserable, and I believe in being our authentic selves. We will never be who people want us to be, someone is always going to be unhappy/find something wrong about you. Once you accept yourself, you dont have to worry about pleasing others, or if you are playing the 'role' correctly. It is so important to live your life for yourself, because there will be a time when those people aren't here anymore, whether the relationship has fizzled away, or their time has come. And you never want to look back and think that you have wasted your time, by living a life that wasn't true to yourself. Once you accept all your flaws and positive things about yourself, you don't need acceptance from others. There is only one you int he world, and for you to waste it, would be a shame.

Strawberry Shortcake Cake pops

Hey Guys!

Over the weekend I had a few people over, and one of the items we ate was strawberry shortcake cake pops. This was my first time making cake pops and strawberry shortcake so I was a bit nervous. I made a few mistakes so I will be sure to add little tid bits to ensure this doesnt happen to you!

Ingredients
Pound cake ( I baked one myself, but you can always buy one)
Vanilla Icing
1 lb of strawberries
White chocolate
Lollipop Sticks

Steps
Crumble up your pound cake. I baked mine the night before to save me some time
Mix in 12 oz of icing. I did 16 oz and I felt I could have added a little more, so I suggest buying extra icing.
Cut strawberries into small pieces (I thought my pieces were small, but I suggest chopping them up as finely as you can) Fold strawberries into batter
Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden up
Grab a tray (cookie sheet) and place wax paper on top. Roll the mix into small balls(  I made mine way to big, I would suggest making them the same size balls as small cookies)
Place stick in the middle of the ball
Place in freezer for at least 1 hr but max 3
Melt white chocolate on stove top. My friend taught me a trick, where you put the stove on low heat and it will slowly melt. Stir periodically to ensure it doesn't stick to the pot.
Dip the Cake pops into the white chocolate and place on wax paper and stick in the fridge until it hardens.

I will say they were Delicious. They were hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Mine aren't aesthetically pleasing but I learned along the way. I had issues with my sticks staying in, which has to do with the fact that I could've added more icing to make it stick better, and my strawberries were way to big as well as my cake pops.
I hope you all try this recipe soon!

Scoliosis and being a mom

Hey Guys!

About 3 years ago I was told I had scoliosis. A simple diagnosis that answered many questions. I went to the doctor to get my birth control refilled and figured while I was there I should ask about my neck pain that was reoccurring.

I remember not being able to stand on my feet for long periods of time, bending over was painful and walking constantly was impossible. My boyfriend didn't understand why I was always complaining and I honestly didn't have the answers. I felt so out of shape and at times felt like I was holding us back. When I was told my neck pain was connected to my spinal issues it all made sense. Even today, I will wake up unable to move my neck, I cant hold kayden for more then a minute and my boyfriend helps pick up heavy items.

When my boyfriend and I were discussing having a baby. He naturally had some concerns. Putting on extra weight, which comes along with a pregnancy, could do a lot of harm. I was told by my doctor to be more conscious of my weight because the more extra weight I have, the higher the chance that I will be in pain. I worked out everyday, I took buddy out for long walks, I went to the gym and I ate healthy. Thank God I put on the perfect amount of weight.

Fast forward to today, it's not always easy with scoliosis, which is why I'm blessed to have a hands on boyfriend. He helps bathe Kayden every night (if he is home). He picks up the heavy items, and helps clean because he knows it can be a lot on my back.

When kayden was younger I was in a lot of pain most days. It's hard with kayden being a newborn, because they need to be picked up and rocked and that can be hard. There were a lot of times I felt like my back was going to snap an I felt like the worst mother out there.

When Kayden napped I napped. I know that sounds cliche, but it wasn't always to sleep, it was to fully rest my back and not put any strain on it. We have a massager, and I would hook it up to my back, after 15 minutes I would fall asleep, and it would continue to massage me. This really helped. It knocked out any pain I would've gotten and got all the knots out. One of the biggest struggles I had was putting kayden to bed. We all know with newborns you can sit in a chair for hours or even walk back and forth. Kayden wasn't big on daytime naps, so I would pace back and forth just for him to go down for 30 minutes. Holding kayden put a lot of strain on my back. When I would sit in a rocking chair what was comfortable for me wasn't for kayden which made it tough.

I was happy after my pregnancy when I could have Epsom salt baths. Kayden was a great night time sleeper, so I could always soak in the tub with lavender scented salts and soak for 30 minutes if Curtis wasn't home. For those fussy nights I had a heating pad which was great. I would sit near the AC (since I live in an apartment) and have the heating pad on and it was glorious.

Now that kayden is 2 months away from being 2, he is a lot bigger but still likes the occasional pick up. Luckily now I can say "you're a big boy, and big boys walk" which is a lifesaver on the days I'm in a lot of pain.

It hasn't gotten better but I do workout in an attempt to keep my weight down and I do have a healthy balanced diet. I made a promise to myself that I wouldnt let my pain hold me back. I may do things slower, and may have to sit down occasionally but I am as hands on as any other mom.

Wednesday Wisdom

Yaaaasss Hunny! I am not one to get overly religious or political on a public forum, but I read this and couldn't help but think about certain events/times in my life. We have all questioned things in life ( our existence, God, why certain things are happening etc,) and maybe lost our faith or way in life. I remember a few months ago, my boyfriend and I were going through a hard time, where everything and anything you could think was happening to us was. We don't have a lot of family to lean on around us, which makes those difficult times much harder. I remember questioning why these things were happening to us. It was during those times he would remind me that I need to strengthen my faith. Ever since I got pregnant, and there was a lot emotionally that I was going through, I made a commitment to pray everyday. It doesn't have to be a certain time frame, or at a certain time everyday. I wanted to take a few moments and thank God for another day, and blessing me for the things I have in my life. As much as we complain about things, we often forget about the small things in life. Even if I may have been selfish, or forgetful, the great thing about God, is tomorrow you start with a clean slate. We are human and God knows that. We don't always make the best decisions in life, but we have unconditional love and forgiveness from him. I know not everyone is religious or believes in God, but whatever you believe is bigger then you is what you should apply this quote to.

Gain Fireworks Review

 Hey guys!

The past few days I have been sick so excuse the late post. This is going to be about gain fireworks. A few companies have come out with their version of this. I never bothered with any of these, but the past few months we have been trying to stretch our dollar.

My boyfriend loves gain, he loves the scent it leaves on his clothes and has Gain everything, detergent, fabric softener and sheets. We switched to Gain detergent pods, but those got quite pricey. In efforts to cut back awhile ago, he compromised on trying Gain fireworks. If he loved it, we would keep it, if he didn't, it was back to Gain everything.

I'm not picky about detergent , ive never had an issue with stains being left behind, or feeling as though my clothes aren't clean, so I'm easy. We bought perisil detergent because it was on sale, and got Gain Fireworks.

At the beginning my boyfriend dumped a bunch in, looking back, it was to much. But I will admit it's amazing. If you love the scent of certain detergents, but for whatever reason are turning elsewhere these are a great option. They claim to leave your laundry smelling great for a month, I don't know about that, but I will admit after a week or two my clothes did smell great.

We get the amazing Gain scent without having to use to the detergent. My son has sensitive skin, so this has been a great alternative. You are suppose to throw the beads directly into the drum of your washer, and they gradually dissolve as the load gets washed. We have used it on everything, clothes, sheets, bedding and towels. The scent has been amazing on everything. My boyfriend was using cupfulls at a time which he said was to kick so we have been trying to see what amount works for us. There is no maximum or minimum to use which is great, it's to your own preference.

Why Intermittent Fasting Isn't for me

Hey Guys!

I kept hearing about intermittent fasting, from youtubers and the Internet, so I decided to check it out for myself. Like most people, I am trying to loose weight and thought this would be a great solution. It seemed like it would work for my lifestyle, I could still drink liquids, water, coffee with 2 tsp milk and bone broth. I have limited my snacking at night, so I am done eating by 8pm. I figured 16 hour fast would be easy. For those that don't know, the basics are, you skip one meal a day (based on 16 hour fast). You don't eat less food, you just eat bigger meals. For instance, if you are on a 1500 calorie diet, you would divide that between 2 meals and potentially 2 snacks. I heard a lot of youtubers say that it was easy for them since they wernt hungry in the morning, and I usually don't get hungry till 10am in the morning, so I thought an extra 2 hours wouldn't be a big deal.

Intermittent fasting is not for me. I was miserable. I'm the type of person that needs her breakfast, and im not about to give up dinner and an after workout snack since I workout at night. I was starving in the morning, and awful to be around. I don't necessarily need to eat right away, but to go all the way till noon without food was unbearable. I tried for over a week to do it but all I wanted to do was sit down and wait for noon to hit. Being a mother, this was not practical. I am constantly running around, and I would eat when Kayden ate, to make my day run smoother. There are many health benefits to IF, which is why I really wanted to get on the bandwagon.

I know it takes a while to adjust, but we went out for breakfast yesterday as a family, and I had so much more energy and felt satisfied. That in itself was enough to let me know IF is a no go. I was seeing results which is why giving up on IF was such a struggle for me. My stomach had gone down and my clothes were fitting better. The only downside, I was really sick, I wasn't sitting in bed with the flu, but rather I was in the bathroom. Yes I was running constantly because I was constipated and I was gassy. It brought back to many memories of struggling to go. I was at my parents house at one point and had the worst pain underneath my belly. I had the feeling like my bladder was full and I was holding it in, and the pain stayed for 2 day, until I started to eat properly. Whatever was happening to my body wasn't worth it. I would recommend for everyone to try it, and see how your body adjusts, but listen to your body. I use to do fasted cardio, and that was quite easy for me. Granted about an hour or so later I did need to eat, but that was a lot easier on my body.