Blowing Kisses

Lately Ella's favorite thing is to blow kisses. She loves to blow kisses to her stuffed animals and our pets.  Also, if she sees an animal while we are out and about she blows them kisses too. Whether she kisses or blows kisses she always makes a loud "Mwah" sound. She is so sweet and affectionate.

Simple Summer Salad

One of my favorite salads ever is from Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana. It is called Rucola and it is made with just simple, fresh ingredients; arugula, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. All of the ingredients are staples in my house, so it was so easy to just create my own version.

Organic Girl baby arugula

Fresh squeezed lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

Just add ingredients according to your taste. Toss gently and enjoy. 

Feather Extensions

I have been contemplating the idea of getting feather extensions. Just a couple of the brown ones (not hot pink, purple, or the other bright colors out there). Feather extensions are all the rage and are sweeping through hollywood right now. I see little girls, tweens and teens, and women all over the place that have them.

A lot of salons are now offering feather extensions. The feathers are glued in your hair and last 4-6 weeks. They can be washed, curled, and styled daily. I know they are just a fad but I still think they are pretty cute.

McCormick Grill Mates

One of the biggest reasons I love summer is because it's BBQ season. We love to BBQ and almost do every night. We grill meat, kabobs, tinfoil dinners, veggies, potatoes, corn on the cob, and even pizza. I love to season my meat and veggies with more than just salt and pepper. I like to flavor my food with fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme and seasonings like Mojito Lime by McCormick Grill Mates. I love all of the Grill Mates Seasonings. 

The other night we ran out of propane just as we were getting ready to put the chicken on. So I put a little olive oil in a pan and pan fried them. I had already seasoned the chicken tenders with Mojito Lime seasoning, so I added a little lime juice and bell pepper for color and taste. It was very simple and very delicious (and very limey). We served the chicken with rice and steamed broccoli.

6-8 Chicken Tenders
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Mojito Lime McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning
Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice (about a half a lime)
1 Bell Pepper

Heat oil in pan. Cook seasoned chicken on medium to medium-high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through. A couple of minutes before the chicken is done, add lime juice and bell pepper.

Latisse

A few months ago I went to my dermatologist for a yearly skin check. Since I spent my teens and most of my 20's worshipping the sun I make sure to never miss an appointment. On this trip I did have one mole surgically removed because of "changing cells." Now I have a lovely one-inch scar on my leg. Use sunscreen! It's the best advice I could give other than eating your vegetables. Anyway, back to the topic. On the way out of my dermatologist's office I asked for a prescription for Latisse.  Latisse (by prescription only) is for eyelash growth. My eyelashes are really blonde and I liked the idea that not only does it make them grow but it makes them thicker and darker.

I went to my local pharmacy and picked up my prescription. It came to $116 for a one-month supply (not covered by most health insurances). I read the directions and started using it every night until it was gone. According to the directions, full eyelash growth happens after 16 weeks of use... that's four bottles of Latisse and a lot more money than I was planning to spend. I did use it for one month and was happy with the results. My lashes were thicker and longer. Unfortunately, according to the directions, once I stop using Latisse my eyelashes would return to the way they were before I started using the product. Months later, my eyelashes are back to normal and seem like they could be a little shorter. Maybe it's because I got use to my longer, fuller lashes. So, I will go back to using my MAC Zoom Lash and tinting my eyelashes every couple of months. I must say, it did look like I had lash extensions after using Latisse for a month along with my MAC Zoom Lash.

Pros

• Makes eyelashes longer and fuller
• It's fun to talk about

Cons

• Costs $100 plus per month
• Have to remember to do it every night before bed
• Can cause eyelid discoloration (this did happen to me, but it did go away)
• Once you stop using Latisse your eyelashes will go back to the way they were before you started using the product

Final Review: I loved the results but won't continue using it because of the cost.