February Birchbox Review: theBalm Read My Lips and Sumita Eyeliner

So if you know don't know anything about Birchobox, they put together monthly boxes of beauty and hair products for consumers to sample for $10 (plus many other perks). On top of that, each month there is a curated box that a company or person puts together with their favorite products. So for February I picked the Rent the Runway curated box and was so excited about most of the products going into it, but the gloss was one I wasn't sure of. I have used theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen and fell in love so I knew theBalm brand was good, I just wasn't sure of the color BAM! (a rose pink) in the Read My Lips Lip Gloss. In fact, I'm still not sure. I have worn it a couple of times and I'm just not loving the color on me. It is a little too rosey for my liking and makes me feel a little dated. The color is very pigmented, ultra shiny and pretty weightless once applied. The gloss also isn't very sticky and smells great! Maybe it will look better in the summer with a tan, but I would definitely try a couple of the five other colors they have. By the way, how cute are the names of the Read My Lips Glosses?!? BAM!, WOW!, POP!, etc......straight out of a comic book and a good play on "Read My Lips"!! 

Below is the Sumita Contrast Eyeliner in Raina. I am not going to talk too much about it because I just did a post on this eyeliner in Jaipur Gold in January so pretty much the same things apply. It's a great bold ocean blue to navy color that really lasts. The only complaint, same as the other color, is that it is only available in a set on Birchbox (I haven't checked other places). I love how easily it glides on and the colors are super fun and some even daring, well for me! 

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Cheesy Chicken and Avocado Wonton Wraps

This is a great healthy recipe for when you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Once everything is prepared, all it takes is a few minutes of assembly and approximately ten minutes to bake. Plus, with the ingredients I used, they came in at just 81 calories a piece! You can't really beat that! The sauce I used was just 40 calories and I barely used any of it. So all in all, it was a very filling and low calorie meal! You can use the chicken I do, make your own chicken breast and use different seasonings on it, or even shred up a rotisserie chicken and use that. Also, feel free to use a different cheese. I used Mozzarella, but a Cheddar would also be quite tasty! The wonton wrappers are great because they are very versatile, 16 calories each, and they don't take away from the flavor of your fillings. Enjoy! 

Cheesy Chicken and Avocado Wonton Wraps

Ingredients

1 Chicken Breast, shredded (I use Tyson grilled chicken breast fillets, but you can use any type of chicken)

1/2 of an Avocado

6 wontons

1/4-1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded 

Optional

Low calorie Honey Mustard 

Cook your chicken as directed or as desired and shred. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. While preheating, assemble your wonton wraps. Lay a wonton wrap out, top with a little shredded chicken, a couple small slices of avocado, and a little shredded cheese. Wet the two corners that will wrap around the fillings and place together. Place on prepared baking sheet and cook approximately 10 minutes or until edges are brown and cheese is melted.   

February Birchbox Review: Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo

So I must admit, I am not a dry shampoo user. I tried one once, though I must have been traumatized from the white reside it left that I can't even remember the name. Now I know there are people that use it religiously, but I just haven't ever jumped on the wagon. Maybe for fear that I'll never get off the wagon or that I will have skunk like steaks in my hair.....hahaha! Hesitantly, I used the Fekkai Dry Shampoo, as directed, on two day unwashed hair, and it did what was indicated. It absorbed excess oil, made my hair feel a lot softer and more manageable, plus it really did smell great. I'm sure it is something that would be useful in my hair care arsenal since I wash my hair every two days or so. But, is it a must have for me? Still undecided. I will keep using the one I have until it's out and see if panic strikes when I realize it's gone! By the way, how cute was the Rent the Runway box? I loved the floral motif and most of the products!

Vacation

Happy March everyone! It's really hard for me to believe it's actually in fact March because the winter seems like it will never end! I'm sure I say that every year, but I'm just ready for some warmer temps. Aren't you? Speaking of warmer temps, one of the reasons I have been away is due to a much needed vacation. Not only was it to get away from the snow, but we didn't take a vacay last year since we had our big moved so it was indeed very much needed. For this trip we decided to take a cruise to four different ports so we could see if any of the places we went would be somewhere we would want to visit later on for a week or so. The "so" is probably wishful thinking, but it doesn't hurt to dream! Our four ports were in the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, and our fave, St. Thomas. Every place we went was absolutely gorgeous and we did something different at each stop. We met some great people and saw some great shows. We laughed so hard and ate until we had to be rolled into our room. It was everything you could want from a vacation, it was simply marvelous.  

These three pictures are from our stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We did a ton of walking, mostly around the fort. It was so gorgeous and rich with history. We didn't even cover the whole thing, but I definitely got over my 10,000 steps in! Walking through Puerto Rico was amazing. The architecture was amazing and there were things happening everywhere. 

The picture below is from our favorite location, St. Thomas. The island was just stunning. All the sailboats (sailing is something I want to learn) around were so cool to look at, I was in awe. We did a ski lift sort of ride to the top of the island and the views were breathtaking. Up top they had a restaurant and shops so we walked around a little before walking to the downtown area. There we stopped at some local shops and stopped for a quick bite before heading back. It is definitely a location we will come back to in the future! 

Turks & Caicos was were we challenged ourselves a bit. We decided to go paddle boarding and snorkeling. Paddle boarding was a goal of both of our to learn so we thought what better time to try it. It was so much fun, but a little more challenging then it normally would be since there were waves to compete with. We both loved it and can't wait to do it on water that is a little calmer! As for the snorkeling, there weren't very many fish to see. Once in a while a small one would swim by, but nothing spectacular. We then got a tour of the island (totally unexpectedly) and it was amazing. We learned a little of the history and got to see places tourists rarely go to. All in all, a great experience! 

Our fourth spot, actually our first stop, was in the Bahamas. There we totally relaxed and were just beach bums in every sense of the word. We laid out, went in the water when we got hot, and we continually be waited on. It was fantastic! The only time we were remotely active was to do a quick walk up and down the beach to see if anything else was going on. 

Many Apologies

I promise I haven't abandoned you all!! It's been pretty crazy around here with vacation and a ton of new things coming are way that I have been slacking on my posts! I promise I will be back this week and some big news will be coming soon!!

Roasted-Potato Breakfast Nachos

Last week I posted a recipe for Raspberry-Honey butter from the amazing cookbook Homemade Decadence by Joy Wilson. It was such a simple recipe (yet very tasty) that I wanted to tackle something a little more challenging. So I paged through the book and immediately knew that I had to make these potato breakfast nachos. I mean the though of nachos for brunch just blew my mind (I tend to go for breakfast foods and nachos doesn't seem like one). These were every bit of a breakfast item as one can get! Everything from the seasoned potatoes to the toppings I used complimented each other so well. It was super filling, but left you wanting more because it tasted so delicious. The recipe provided is enough for 4-6 servings so I cut it in half which in hindsight was a good idea otherwise I may have exploded from overindulgence. It is perfect for a weekend brunch when you just want to sit and chat and not do anything after which is exactly what we did! I hope you make these because if you don't, you are truly missing out! Enjoy!  

Roasted-Potato Breakfast Nachos

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 1/2 pounds (about 5 small to medium) russet potatoes

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 Italian sausages, casings removed

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon flour

2 cups milk, warmed

2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

4 to 6 large eggs (depending on how many you are serving)

Optional

Tomato, chopped

Scallions, sliced

Jalapeños, sliced

Avocado, smashed with a squeeze of lime juice

Sour cream

Cilantro 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. 

Combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

With a mandolin or using a knife, cut your potatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the top. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway through. 

While the potatoes are baking, cook the sausages in a medium to large skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes or until browned, breaking up and lumps. Add the onion and garlic to the sausage and cook about 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. If using the red pepper flakes, add now and turn the heat to low, cooking an additional 2 minutes. Transfer the sausage mixture to a bowl or plate. 

Using the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk for a few seconds to incorporate. Slowly add in the warmed milk, whisking constantly. Sprinkle in the reaming seasoning blend that was used on the potatoes and continue to whisk for 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, whisking until melted. 

In a small or medium nonstick skillet, melt the remaining Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Crack as many eggs as people you are serving and fry for 3 minutes, cover with a lid, and cook an approximately 4 more minutes or until whites are cooked through and yolks are soft. 

Assemble you nachos either on a platter or individual plates/bowls by starting with the potatoes on the bottom. Then top with the cheese sauce and sausage mixture. Place your toppings of choice on, then top with the fried egg.  

Live with Kelly and Michael

Since moving here last April, we have never attempted to go to any show tapings. My husband usually works weekdays and he doesn't know until last minute if he will have a day off so we put it on the back burner. Well for once, he knew a day off was coming so we took the time to go to Live with Kelly and Michael which also happened to be right as the snow started coming of course.

The show was an absolute blast and I would highly recommend you checking it out if you are coming out this way (I have no other shows to compare it to yet though). Everyone from Kelly and Michael to Gelman and the guest (yes singular) seemed super friendly and personable. The crowd had so much energy it was amazing. A little fun tidbit, the dancer that day was from our hometown of Indianapolis, IN. The guests that day were Kristen Stewart and Grant Gustin. If you can tell from the pictures below, Kristen wasn't actually there which was a bit of a bummer, but it didn't stop us from enjoying the show! And Grant was there to promote The Flash which started in October of 2014. Personally I haven't seen the show, but I have seen him in Glee episodes and the boy sure can sing and dance! 

Overall it was such a fun experience and I am so glad we did it! Can you see us in the top right corner of the screen? Our 15 seconds of fame lol! This was right as we were finding out that we all won a years worth of McCafe coffee.....wooohoooo! Don't be surprised if I get creative with some coffee drinks or if you are offered coffee a million times when you are over at our house!