Younique Presenter: November To Remember

Who doesn't like Elf on the shelf.  Especially when it comes to Christmas time.  Why have false lashes when you can have your own natural lashes that is 300% from the other competators.  With or with out your mascar your lashes will "pop".  Younique is more than mascara, it's for your face to lips.  All natural,hypoallergenic, talc free,frangerance free, easy on contact users. The list goes on; since I am a Younique believer and a presenter; I recondmend this product for you and your friends.  Order your mascara and other beauty products here:

www.youniqueproducts.com/NicoleSpoden

Younique presenter

Alright bloggers, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am now a Younique presenter.  I a, looking forward to the journey to making all you ladies feel good about who you are on the inside out.  I started on Monday after a long 3 weeks debating on whether or not I should join.  One of the products that I have been using is the Younique 3Dfiber lashes.  

There are no con when it comes to rating the lashes.  I have tried many mascaras that say that the product will volumize by 200%.  I saw no difference after the mascara was dried on my natural lashes.  When I used Cover Girl, MAC, Revlon my lashes would dry out and become very brittle.
With Younique your natural lashes will pop out to 300% and it's safe for contact wear individuals  I don't have to worry about flaking, drying my lashes out if worn for 10-12 hours.  The best part is: it comes off with one swipe with your favorite facial cleanser.  :-}

The mascara comes in two tubes: one is the Transplanting Gel that acts like a mascara, but gentler on the lashes.  The second tube is the fibers that is made out of green tea fibers.  Both tubes come in a little "eye glass case".  The case can be used for eye brushes when the mascara runs out.  Both tubes will last 3+ months. 

All Younique products are gluten-free, hypoallergenic, cruelty free, paraben and talc free. Look at my Younique page to browse at all the goodies you may want to own.  If there is a birthday,wedding,baby or bridal shower coming up in the near future mom's and brides-to-be would rave about how the products looks and feels on their skin.

Order yours today for 29.00

www.youniqueproducts.com/NicoleSpoden/party/677090/view.

Time is ticking away talk get your hands on your Younique mascara and pigments.

On my previous post from last week,  have any of you ladies thought about getting your hands on some awesome mascara and make-up that is not harsh on your skin?  Plus do you know what is really in your make-up that is or may clog your pores even after washing your face?

Younique mascara is made with green tea pigments that will wash away wih just soap and water.  So there is no need to use harsh or oily make up remover.  The pigments and pressed powder is made from all natural core to meet your skin type and color.  

If you are interested, just click on the link from last week and it will take you right to Stephanie Guzman's page.  Since I am hosting the party for 4 days or so, I may give a pigment of your choice for free.  If you don't like your product, Younique will refund your money with no charge.  

Act now before it's too late 

6 days to order your 3D fiber lash mascara

Alright ladies, how would you like to "suprise" your BFF the ultimate make-up that she will use everyday and talk with you and her other friends?  The next 6 to 7 days I am hosting a virtual FaceBook party to order your 3D fiber lash mascara plus ordering pignemts that complement your eyes too.  

Since the summer months are winding down soon and the wedding planning and invites are being less and less mailed out, would you like to give the Bride-to-be,Mother of the bride, or the wedding party the best eye make-up that there is.  Besides going to Walgreens or Target to get the "best" mascara, eye shadow and eyeliner in one.  

With Younique, their products are never tested on aminals and all natural. The mascara does not have charcoal in it and will not dry out your lashes. Let alone have them become brittle or fall out.  

The Transplanting Gel and Natural Fibers to help create the appearance of incredible thickness and volume to your existing lashes.

While using this your lashes will not fall out or become brittle.  It all washes away with your favorite soap and water.  

If you would like to order, visit Stpehanie Guzman's Younique page please do so here:

https://www.youniqueproducts.com/StephInTheCity222/party/344841/view

Order your 3D lash mascara today on my private FaceBook virtual party!!

Alright ladies for 9 days only you can order your 3D lash mascara on my private FaceBook page. 

I am hosting my friend Stephanie's Yonique 3D mascara as well as other beauty products. How cool is that?

All you need to do is login to Facebook, search my name, Nicole Spoden then I will add you into my party.  Stephanie as well as myself will post all the answers you may have from the product.  

Even if you already have the mascara and looking to buy more or order other products from Stephanie, come one come all.  

While supplies and days last.  

We are looking forward to seeing you. 

Nicole

 

Pinterest "gel" mani pedi hack

Who does not like a nice at home gel mani/pedi?  Well, I wanted to do a little research on the best "at home"  without breaking the bank.    

I went to Target, Walgreens, Kmart and Walmart to see what I can come up with. All the stores had the LED lights with the gel nail polish, nail cleaner, lint free squares.  But the prices ranges from 49.99-69.99.

So I went in Pinterest and found many "hacks" that involved DIY gel nails at home.  So the one that brought to my attention was the Sally Hansen's Hard as Wraps Hardner, your choice of nail polish and American Classics Gelous advanced nail gel coat.  

So I tried it and just to let you ladies know, I am sold on this product.  The only thing you would have to do is use 2 coats of Gelous, 2 coats of your favorite nail polish and one coat of the Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps polish.  Wait about 1-3 minutes in between coats so they dry evenly.  I am in my 5th day and my toes look like they have been painted a day ago.  

Since I have used a glitter polish with this, use an alternating color.  Like a light green polish with a green glitter.  I have went to the Sally Beauty Supply store I purchased a Pure Acetone nail polish remover for this and it works great.  

Until next time,  enjoy the rest of your week

Xo

Nicole

4th pf July weekend

There is nothing better than celebrating the 4th of July than spending it with your friends and family.   Even though it was a rewarding 3 day weekend for all (going to your families cabin) or staying in town, it is what matters most, our freedom.

The only thing that our family of 6 did was sit around the house while Abby took her nap, play outside with the neighbors and just had a little Barbeque.  Ribs, brats and a turkey burger with a side of potato salad was on our menu. 

Samantha and Emma had Matt's full attention on Friday so he took them to the water park near by while I stayed with Abby until Zack came home from his friends house.  But the piece and quiet always does a mother wonders. even if it's for a short time.

 

From all of us Spoden's to your family/friends, have a safe and Happy 4th of July!!!!

3D lashes? Yes please!!

Alright ladies I am sure that you are making big bucks with mascara and eye shadow let alone lip gloss.  My dear friend Stephanie Guzman is a make-up sales rep for a company for Yonique.   Stephanie also has a private Facebook page plus a make-up consultant at Yonique.  But let me tell you all, I am inspired by the 3 D mascara.  With all the pictures of mascara I am going to say,"Good bye"to Cover Girl or other mascara that you use on a daily basis.

So I am giving my friend Steph the opportunity to explain and give you make-up tips on what to do with your make-up. But please, if you would like to order from Stephanie, just inbox her your info from Yonique.

She will be the guest speaker on my blog so you and your friends can spread the word on the 3-D Lashes.

Until next time

Nicole   
   

Home made moon sand

The past summer week has come and gone.  But that does not mean that there isn't enough time to be creative with your kids, especially on rainy days.

About a year ago I needed a recipe for something for my preschooler's/kindergartners on a rainy day.  So 4 nights before I was teaching the class, I went on Pinterest to see what can make a 4 and 5 year old happy for more than 45 minutes.  If you have your own molds you can use those or any cookie cutter molds.  The sky is the limit, use your imagination.

So I typed in "Home made Moon Sand". On Pinterest there was many blogs that had recipes that just used baby oil and flour.
Yes friends, just 2 things that you really need to make moon sand: baby oil and flour.  The only thing I would suggest is combine baby oil with essential oil and flour.
If you are using your favorite essential  oil, make sure you use a drop or two until the fragrance is to your liking.

The only thing that I did was using 1 cup flour with a half cup of baby oil with a 1/2  teaspoon of essential oil.   
While mixing the baby oil with flour; add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup flour until the mixture sticks together.  If the flour does not mix with the oil add more oil or flour.   Once the flour and oil holds together, the kids are ready to have fun.

If you have a play dough mat that you have laying around, let the kids have fun.  The "homemade moon dough" would last for months.  Please add different colors of food coloring to make your child's imagination take flight.

What other things can you make with flour and water or oil?

Till next time: Happy Crafting and use that imagination

*Nicole*

Summer time starts NOW!!!

Since I haven't blogging in a few more months, it was time for me to let everyone know that I have been really busy.  With 2 kids playing traveling softball and baseball and a 6 year old in t-ball with a 16 month old watching on the side lines it's a lot of work.  Not to mention Matt and I working and making sure that Samantha, Zack and Emma gets to their practices, or games on time. We try to make ends meet when it comes to our kids. With the in-laws helping out to team-mates picking up, we are grateful to have supportive people in our lives.  

On a side note from practices, games and work Matt and I proud to announce that Samantha will enter the 7th grade, Zack in the 6th grade, Emma in the 1st grade and Abby waiting patiently to learn from her siblings.  But Abby does keep us on our feet no matter what she may get in to.

When I think of summer, I think of being outside and playing until the street lights come on. Samantha, Zack and Emma like to be out until the sky gets real dark and the mosquitos come out.  Abby is trying to figure out why her older siblings gets to stay up later.  Explaining to Abby that Samantha, Zack and Emma have a few minutes to play outside makes her a little more at ease but she wants to be with the big kids.   

Since I am doing my blogging on our lap top while Matt works on our "main" computer for sweepstakes, I will do my best to down load pictures of different recipes, Pinterest  hacks and my personal likes from Pinterest or in store products.

Thanks for being patient with me.

Nicole

Countdown to Christmas

 

Can you believe that Christmas is less then 10 days away?  Have any of you bloggers finnished or even started with the shopping for your children or family members? 

Well,  if you said 'yes' to any of this, a Matt and I are about done with everyone, exept for 2 or 3 people in our family.  If you said 'no' to both, I am sure you are not alone to many individuals that like to wait until the last minute to get that "great" deal.  

No matter where you may be within the United Sates or anywhere in the world,  you will have enough time to get your family the "best" gift.  Just make sure you research the best deals within your area.  If you go to your favorite store. 

P

For teachers and directors for child care, your child can decorated their own Christmas card and hand made gift.  If your child is in elementary school, you may want to do the same thing as far as making a card or going to your local dollar store/dollar tree or dollar general and purchasing a glass cup,plate or making a little gift basket just to wish the teacher a "Happy Holidays".

Another idea is to bake cookies for the individual that have made your year or if the individual has been around for many years.  Since allergies to nuts,dairy or other ingredients for their favorite cookies, there are many alternatives to replace the allergic ingredients.  But make sure you do your homework first.  

Tomorrow I am going to share a "egg free" sugar cookie recipe that I have found.  Stay tuned for tomorrow.

Happy Holidays

~Nicole

Peach crisp...

This past weekend was very productive by baking up the rest of the canned peaches.  (All 9 1/2 cups of it). I am sure many of you baked apple crisp before, the ingredients will stay the same but the fruit is a little different. 

Once you get all the ingredients together such as the brown sugar, butter and oatmeal in the bowl, stir everything up until it's combined.  Since Emma wanted to help out she decided she wanted to pour everything in the bowl and stir away.  

I must admit that she did great, minus the flinging of the spoon,  it looked good.   Since my recipe called for 2/3 cup of butter ( which I used) next time when I make something like this,  I would use 1/4 cup or couple of tablespoons.  

Since I wanted to think outside the box a little bit,  I used one of my many large bowls instead of a shallow casserole dish.  Yes it worked out jut fine, but I made sure that the oatmeal topping was divided instead of having all of it on top.  

After spraying the dish with cooking spray,  I put about 1 1/2 cups of peahes in the dish topped it with 1/2 cups of the oatmeal topping, poured the remaining peahes and topping for the top layer.  Threw it in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until the topping was crisp and brown. 

I know the picture above looks a little like oatmeal with peahes, but it turned out pretty good,  despite the fact that there was a little too much butter in it. 

Share with me some other "fruit" crisps that you have made.  And what were the pros and cons when making it and serving it to the family?  I would like to hear from you.

~Nicole 

               What you need:

2 cans of peaches

2/3 cup of butter at room temperature

1 cup of dry oats

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 cup of brown sugar packed

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix sugar, butter cinnamon,  dry oats and butter until it's completely mixed.  Spray pan and add peaches then the oatmeal mixture.   Bake for 40-50 minutes.  Or until golden brown.  

If I missed some ingredients,  just follow the apple crisp recipe that you use.  

Happy baking

Cricut Mat and Tacky Spray. A Pinterest keeper

I am sure many of us own a Cricut machine.  Wether it may be the mini or the newest Cricut Expression, but the 9.99 and up cutting mats can be a little expensive even when the mat is used all the time.

A few months ago I needed to save a little bit of money and reuse the mat in some way, especially keeping the adhesive side sticky.  So I decide to look on Pinterest to see what I can do to make use of the Cricut mats.  Low and behold, I found that using Krylon Tacky Spray and blue painters tape does the trick.  

Rubbing a magic eraser to get the old adhesive off the mat and spray where the current adhesive was and wait 1 to 2 hours to dry before using the mat.  Well since I had no magic eraser to take off the unsticky adhesive, but I did have the painters tape and the spray adhesive I wanted to see how it worked.

Well, it worked just as good even if I had no eraser to work on the mat.  But if you have extra Mr. Clean magic erasers, go right ahead and use them.  (Before taping and spraying of course)  When using the spray, make sure that you do this in a well ventalated area, like outside or in the garage.  (when living out in the Midwest, the weather likes to make tricks on us especially during the fall and winter months)

The life time when using this spray will last just as long as purchasing a new mat.  But please make sure that you place the plastic on so dust or other small things will make the mat less sticky.
Feel free to comment on this and let me know what other adhesives you have used in the past.

Until next time and happy crafting!!

~Nicole

Sunday Funday Split pea soup

Today was one of my days where I had to do something with a bag of green split peas.  The only items that I didn't have was onion and celery.  Of corse I had about 1/4 cup left of chopped carrots left in the fridge so I decide to use the rest.  

The most less exiting thing about these little peas is that when you rinse and go through them,  they will fall out of the strainer and into the sink.  A couple of missed peas will not me missed, I promise you.  

What I did a little different this time is I used 4 cups of veggie stock and one cup of water after adding the peas and carrots.  

Of corse the water and stock will give it some flavorto the soup.  After the broth and water was added,  I just added a little of sea salt in. 

Let the soup cook for 6-8 hours until the peas have become more soft when you stir.  When it's all done you can add some black pepper and eat it with your favorite bread and butter on the side.  Lunch or dinner will be waiting the same day or left over for the week.

Let me know what other favorite things you put in your soup.  Love to share other ideas. Does not hurt to try different things, right?

~Nicole. 😊

Cinnamon and sugar tortillas

Today was one of those chilly days where I needed to work-up something good, not just for me but for my kids.

Every time they come home, the questions are asked each and every day, "What can I have for a snack?"  As a good parent that I am, I would give them a few choices but their heads would shake in dis believe.  So I came up with a way to make sure they may like it and dip them in their favorite fruit salsa or just plain.

Preheat the oven to 375

What you need to get is just a plain tortilla shell.  It could be whole wheat too if you have it in the pantry.  Put a tablespoon of olive oil and spread it around the shell until it is covered with the oil.  You may also use melted butter or coconut oil. The sky is the limit.  

Since I mixed 1/2 cup of white sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of pumpkin pie spice, I sprinkled it all over the shell.  Pop it in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes until crispy

When i took it out of the oven, it looked like a baked so papilla but with out the frying.  The possibilities are endless.  For dipping sauce, you can use honey, chocolate sauce or eat it the way that it is.  But make sure there is enough for everyone.  Because you never know when the kids or spouse wants more.

Enjoy and happy baking..

~Nicole

You will need

1 package of tortilla shells (small or large)

tablespoon of your choice of oil/butter

cinnamon and sugar 

*preheat oven to 375.

mix together cinnamon and sugar

oil or butter the shell

sprinkle the sugar mixture on top

bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until the shell is puffy.

Eat and Enjoy.

Home made carmel sauce. #love the fall

Last week I posted a recipe on chocolate sauce, but today it's all about the carmel sauce.  Even though you like to see step by steps on how to make anything from scratch.  But accidentally my photos were deleted from my phone.  

But before I made the recipe, I googled to see how and how much ingredients I should use since I was limited on sugar and other things that I may need.  But low and behold, I stumbled upon a blog by frombrighteyedbaker.  So I asked my blogger friend Alexandra if I could use her recipe on my blog.  And the only things that you really need is white sugar and milk and a dash of sea salt.  If you have rice milk or other milk such as unsweetened almond milk, let me know and give me your thoughts.  

What you would need is:  

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup of milk  (of your choice)

1/2 to 1.4 teaspoon of sea salt.


Once you put the sugar in a medium sauce pan on medium heat you want to make sure that the sugar is level with the pan.  Once everything is heating up, the sugar will turn a light brown carmel color.  (about 5-8 minutes) What I did was once the sugar melted a little, I tilted the pan to get the liquid with the white sugar.  Or use a rubber spatula to mix the sugar well.

Once all the sugar is caramelized make sure the heat is off and  add your milk.  Since I added skim milk, it bubbled up to the brim of the pan, but pour slowly.  Once I added the milk,  stirred over the sink  until the bubbles subsided in case if it went all over the stove. After adding your 1 1/4 cup of milk sprinkle and mix in the sea salt. Just an F.Y.I, the skim milk became lumpy after a minute adding to the melted sugar.  If you do any other milk it should be okay.


In the past when making carmel sauce, I just added 1/2 stick of butter instead of the milk.  Yes it was a little different taste wise, but the milk is a better add in.  In the future, I am going to try almond milk unsweetened and I will comare the difference between the skim and almond milk.  

This recipe is excellent for coffee, ice cream topping or a dip for your fruit.

I would like to thank Alexandra for letting me share her recipe with all of you. 

~Nicole~

#DIY Chocolate Syrup

Today was one of the days where I have to experiment with chocolate powder, white sugar and water. I know what some of you are thinking,"That does not seem like a good combo".  Well if you are a chocolate fanatic like I am once in a great while, you will love this recipe.  

You will nee to have 1/3 cup  of unsweetened cocoa, 3/4 cup of white sugar and 3/4 cup of water.

Mix all 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan and boil for 5 minutes or until the mixture is at the right consistency.  When working with sugar you want to make sure that you stir and keep an eye on your chocolate syrup so the sugar does not burn on the bottom of the pan.

After 3 to 4 minutes it will bubble up and become a little more thick than runny.  Once you feel that the thickness is to your liking, let the syrup cool before putting it in an air tight container.  If you are using a small glass container, let it cool completely before pouring in the glass.  Chances are if you transfer the hot ingredients to the glass, it will shatter due to the heat of the ingredients.  After it's in the container of your choice, put it in the refrigerator till future use.

When making this syrup, my kitchen and living room had a chocolate aroma. This syrup can be used as a dipping sauce for your favorite fruit, drizzled over oatmeal or in your coffee. Or it can be a gift for a co-worker or a teacher.

Why buy store bought syrup when you can use the most basic ingredients right there in your kitchen.

Feel free to use this recipe and share with family and friends.

Take care,

~Nicole

Fall days are offically here.

As we once again say goodbye to summer, Autumn comes sweeping on by and gracefully puts cool colors in the trees.  Whether it may be a red, brown,yellow or a mixture of all fall colors on the leaves, I come to realize just how mother nature likes to keep things colorful.  

When I think of the long fall days, there is soo many activities to do with the kids each weekend until Halloween.  It may be the pumpkin patch, haunted houses, apple orchards or digging out the fall and Halloween decorations.  Matt is like a little kid when it comes to decorating for Halloween.  He has done a couple of haunted houses in our garage in the past and the kids in the neighborhood loves it.  

I on the other hand love to decorate the house with scarecrows, pumpkins and other small items that we have had in Tupperware bins.  But what I really love watching is the leaves fall to the ground and the scent of apple and pumpkin spice lingering through out the house.  

What I really love the most is just watching Samantha, Zack and Emma decorate their own pumpkins while getting their face painted at their reactions after seeing all the Halloween decor that we may use in the upcoming year.  Since this is Abby's first year for our festivities, I am anxious to see what she may do while looking at all of the decorations, especially the scary ones.

Another way that we like to stay out of the house for a couple hours on a Saturday morning is watching Zack play tackle football while Samantha plays her first year of fall ball and 2nd year of volleyball.  It has been a little hectic at the house because Matt will take Zack to his game while I take Samantha to her softball or volleyball game.  Emma and Abby is always on the side lines watching either one if their siblings games, but I know Emma is looking forward to trying out her own sport come next spring.

In the next couple of postings I am going to share with you some of the recipes that I have found and used myself to some Pintrest cleaning ideas that you may want to try in the near future for yourself.  Trust me, it will be a fun fall for everyone


~Nicole~

#Fall days #sports #enjoying life

Fall is one of my favorite seasons to make memories with my family.  It's not just bon fires out in the back yard or teaching my 5 year old how to read, it is how we like to spend our weekends.  Samantha and Zack are involved in a couple of sports that they enjoy.  Zack is my little football star and recently he finished up his first year of baseball, his 3rd year of tackle football.   I asked him on the way to school last week on what sport he likes to play the most, Zack told me he was undecided.

For Samantha, this is her first year at playing fall ball and her 2nd year at Volley Ball.  Fast pitch is something that Samanta likes to do, besides having one or two practices with Volley ball.  Knowing different rules and sportsmanship is important to teach at any age.  

As my 3 school agers become a little more independent, I cherish the moments that Matt and I have with Samantha,Zack and Emma.  But with Abby, I see she wants to make sure she does not miss out on anything.  Being 7 months and figuring out how to crawl and take all the excitement in, she gets a little tired of crawling with her stomach on the floor.  

 

As the weather cools off Matt gets into having bon fires in the back yard with marshmallows and the older kids helping him collecting the wood on the other side of our fence.  Sitting with a sweatshirt on and relaxing by the open fire is something that I like to do.  It's not because of the orange glow of the fire, it's the company of my family that makes it all complete.

As for the long nights and short days, I will think of different possibilities of crafting and baking.  Without making different things for the house or cooking different types of courses for the family, my mind goes on an over load.  What I like to do is make a little mental note to see what I can come up with and gather my supplies and let everything fall into place.  Getting ideas from friends or co workers does help out, depending if I am brain storming.  

For the next month and a half I am going to make different things that are "fall like". ( From decorations to baking)  If any of you that read my blog, feel free to add any comments that you may want to share so I can post it.  A fall give away will be at the end of November, so start being creative.

Have a great night,

Nicole

Pre-school friends= growing up together

This past week Emma said "see you later"  to her two best friends that she met 2 years ago in preschool.  Of course Emma's friends: Sadie and Amira are attending different schools than Emma, it can be a little challenging when meeting different friends.  But these 3 girls have a strong connection and friendship I see lasting throughout the years.  

Getting to know Sadie and Amira have been a true blessing on my end because I watched both of them  become strong independent individuals. Especially at the age of 5.   Since being their preschool teacher for this long, I feel humble that Emma has grown up with them.  

Play dates are the best becase the girls can play at the park and run their energy off while I get to hang out with Erica and Melissa.  I would just catch up with the ladies and tell them about myself a little more or just the school Emma is going to.  Some times we just take everything in and just watch our girls squeal and giggle because they are having the best time.  

Before school started for the girls, mini golf was on the agenda.  Since it was a nice day just to be away from the heat and humity, it was actually nice to get the energy out.  Where we were at, the playground was just walking distance to where we were going to play golf.  

18 holes and lots of squeals later, the game was over.  To top the day off we all went on the carousel so the girls can ride the horses.  Towards the end of the early afternoon they said had a little group hug, just the 3 of them.  The next play date we are having is at the park.  In about 2 weeks the "purple park"  as the kids call it is holding a inflatable event and all is welcome.  So Emma is looking forward to that.