My Guacamole Recipe

Today I thought I would share with you my Guacamole recipe in honor of the National holiday coming up this weekend, Superbowl Sunday.  Oh wait ... it's not a holiday!?? You mean my husband has been lying  to me all this time!!?? Well, even if it's not actually a holiday, it is in our house! Jay is just a little football obsessed and has been hosting a Superbowl party for as long as I can remember! 

I have adapted this over my years of making it onto what it is today.  I can't even reference to you where I got the recipe because it's probably 2-3 different recipes all jumbled into one. I get lots of compliments on my guacamole so I figured it was a good Superbowl staple to share! 

Since I have changed this around so much it is very rough - meaning I don't know exact measurements.  Yes, I could make it again and measure exactly how much I use but the beauty of this type of recipe is you can just throw things in and adapt it to your personal tastes! 

ALI'S GUACAMOLE RECIPE 

Ingredients:

2-3 Avocados (ripe)

1 Lime

1/4 red onion (chopped) 

1 tomato, chopped OR roughly 1/4 cup salsa (I usually use tomato because I like the fresh taste but if I'm out of those, I throw in some salsa instead!)

Splash of white vinegar

1 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt (you could use sour cream, but I have switched out any usual use for sour cream with plain Greek yogurt so that's what I use!)

**Optional ... splash of hot sauce or a jalapeno finely chopped if you like some spice! Again, add the amount of this to your own spice taste preferences

Instructions:

1.  Mash avocados (I like using a fork or potato masher!) and squeeze the juice from the lime into the mix.  A tip with limes is to roll it along the counter before you cut it in half to help release and loosen up the juice inside.  Next, cut the lime in half.  If you don't have a citrus press you can stick a fork in one half of the lime, twist it around and squeeze right into the avocado mix!  Depending on your flavor preference you can use only half the lime or go ahead and use it all!  As long as you have at least half to help keep the avocado from browning.   

2. Next you can throw in the onion and tomato and mix it up.  Add your jalapeno or hot sauce now if you decide to use it.

3.  Add the splash of white vinegar (for reference, I use roughly one cap full from the vinegar bottle).  I read this ingredient a really long time ago and thought it was kind of different but it is always the number one thing that seems to set my guac apart! It gives a nice tang without being too overpowering.  

4.  My favorite part is the Greek yogurt!  Most people don't even realize I put this in but it just adds a nice subtle creamy-ness and brings it all together.  You can use less or more, but I roughly just throw in a tablespoon.     

5. A lot of people add in some salt and pepper now but I usually don't.  I find if I'm serving it with tortilla chips those are salted enough and I'm not a huge salt fan in general.  With all the other flavors going on I really don't think it is needed anyway!  But, as with the rest of the recipe, if you like salt and pepper go ahead and toss some in to your taste preferences at the end.  

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That is it!  Nothing too fancy but an easy recipe that can be adjusted to personal tastes or made really quickly.  I usually make my guacamole as late as possible (to prevent it from browning) so I like having a nice easy recipe to follow that is always a success!

I have heard if you add the avocado seed into your guacamole that will also help prevent browning.  

As I plan out the rest of my Superbowl snacks for our annual party coming up this Sunday I will come up with some more posts for you with my go to recipes!  Stay tuned football fans! 

Makeup Tips: How to Cover Dark Circles

Hey Lovelies! 

Today I'm talking all about those annoying dark under eye circles!  Other than makeup, there are other ways to help get rid of these ... drink more water, get more sleep, exercise regularly, take your vitamins, etc.  I am also guilty of rubbing my eyes and this is a big no-no. The skin around your eyes is so delicate so you need to take care and be very gentle when touching that area of your face.  Finding a good eye cream is great too!  As I mentioned in a previous post, I was really happy with the "Benefit It's Potent" eye cream.  Finally, genetics can play a part so there's really nothing you can do to help that.  Not going to get into more detail about all of the above because, well, I'm not a doctor. ;) 

What I will get into more detail about is concealing them with makeup because that is something I am more knowledgeable about! 

If you are trying to cover by using your regular concealer and not getting the results you are happy with, you probably need to get yourself a corrector.  

A corrector is something you can use before your concealer to correct and cancel out the purple/blue of the dark circles.  A corrector is something that is pink or salmon in color.  The reason for this is simple ... if you look at the color wheel, the opposite of blueish green (the color of dark circles) is pink! Only problem is a straight pink can sometimes combine with blue and create purple ... and we don't want that! Because of this, you may need to look for something with a warmer undertone which is why I mentioned salmon.  Applying the corrector is only the first step; you then need to go over that with a regular concealer (more close to your foundation color) to help it all blend together.  

Are you confused yet?  Not to worry, I will show you some photos of how I do this.  As a bonus there are two  tutorials ... one using drugstore products and one using high end!  I like the result I get with both so if you are limited with budget and don't have access to the high end products, definitely give these drugstore ones a try!   

TUTORIAL #1: DRUGSTORE

Products Used: 

1. L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer in "Fair" as my CORRECTOR

2. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser in "Light" as my CONCEALER

3. Rimmel Stay Matte in "Transparent" as my SETTING POWDER
4. Real Techniques Contour Brush used with the setting powder 

As you can see in the above comparison photo on my hand, the corrector is a pink tone while the concealer is closer to a foundation colour.

Both of these products can be purchased in different shades (i.e.: the Magic Lumi pen has more yellow toned options and the Dark Circle Eraser has a pink shade).  Another perk with the "Magic Lumi" pen is it can be used as a highlighter in other areas of the face too! Who doesn't like a multi-purpose makeup tool!?

Steps 1 and 2 show me applying the corrector and blending with my ring finger.  Your finger is the best tool for blending these because it helps warm up the product to really melt into your skin and apply nicely.  Steps 3 and 4 are me applying the concealer on top.  A trick to help brighten your whole eye area is to apply concealer in a "V" shape going down towards your cheeks alongside your nose.  

In the above photo you can see me setting the whole thing with powder.  I love this brush because it is small enough to get into the corners of the under eye area.  Remember to pat the powder on and not rub or brush away everything you just did!  Setting the concealer with powder will help it stay all day long and not slide around your face.  

Below is the before and after! 

**Funny story about the before photo.  I swear this was the ONE day I didn't have bad under eye circles!  I'm happy about that but it really didn't help be show an accurate before shot ... but you get the idea!  :) 

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TUTORIAL #2: HIGH END

Products Used: 

1. Bobbi Brown Corrector in "Light Bisque" as my CORRECTOR

2. Nars Creamy Concealer in "Vanilla" as my CONCEALER

3. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil as my SETTING POWDER
4. Real Techniques Contour Brush again used with the setting powder 

On a side note I have to say this Nars concealer has quickly become my new favorite! The drugstore ones I mentioned above are wonderful but there is something about this one I always reach for.  It is creamy and has such high quality coverage.  I find I achieve the same look with both the drugstore and high end products but the staying power of these high end ones really impress me.

I followed the same steps here as I explained above.  Steps 1 and 2 are using the Bobbi Brown Corrector and Steps 3 and 4 are showing the Nars Creamy Concealer on top. 

I used the same setting brush since it is my favorite and set the concealer with my Bare Minerals Mineral Veil.  I use this as an all over setting powder when I use my Bare Minerals foundation and love the final touch it gives.  It smooths out the foundation and really sets the whole look to a flawless finish. 

Here is a before and after comparison using the high end products.  

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Below is a photo of the final look after I applied the rest of my makeup.  You really can't notice a difference so I really recommend either the drugstore or high end products.  Both feel nice on the skin and do have good lasting power.  I probably didn't need to even buy the high end stuff but you know I'm a bit of a product junkie and it was required for blog research! (hehe ... or that's what I tell my husband anyways!!) ;) 

So - the bottom line is find a corrector that has a pink or salmon tone and apply that to the inner corners to correct the dark circles.  Top the corrector with your regular yellow toned concealer, set it with some powder and you are good to go! Bye bye dark circles!! 

Hope these tips help some of you!  Let me know if there are any other makeup tutorials you would like to see! 

Have a great week!

Bathroom Reno: The Before

I thought it was about that time to post my first blog about some home renovation projects. My hubby and I are a tad bit addicted to DIY-ing our home.  We love the satisfaction of looking at something and knowing we did it!  There can be a lot of long hours and little sleep involved when we are working on a larger project - but for us it is all worth it in the end!  

I grew up with a Dad who could build just about anything you ask him to and a Mom who is majorly crafty and an amazing seamstress ... so it's in my genes to be a DIY-er!   After a long day at work, I would much rather pick up a paintbrush than lay on the couch and watch TV all night ... it is my way of relaxing and clearing my head!  Thankfully my husband Jay is the same way so we make a great team!

We moved into our new house last spring.  My sister-in-law thankfully sent me a Kijiji ad of the most beautiful character home (was also only a few blocks away from the house we were in at the time).  I fell in love instantly and knew this house was meant to be ours.  It was a hectic and very quick move but we are so happy we did it!  We have always wanted a character home and this one was beyond perfect.  It was on the market for a few months so maybe not perfect for everyone's tastes - but to us it was love at first sight.  Since we love home renos (and we basically flipped our first house), we weren't scared of a little work ... but thankfully it didn't need a complete overhaul like our first home!  

One of our major renovations planned was the main floor bathroom.  It was outdated (but not in a good/character type of way) ... and just plain ugly.  The shower was annoying because it was tiny, yet there was tons of space for a larger shower!!  Our upstairs bathroom has a claw foot bath tub (*no big deal ... just kidding, only my favorite part of the house!!) so we knew we wanted to rip out the old shower and build a larger stand up one.  The cabinets were made out of a horrifically ugly melamine (I know ... I'm being overly dramatic) and one door was literally hanging by one hinge.  It really is a miracle we still have our toes because when that door would get knocked, the melamine corner would hit the floor so hard! (yikes!!)  The vanity sink and faucet were actually really nice ... granite and a Kohler faucet ... but we got rid of those because it just wasn't going to work with our new design ideas.  Ripping this bathroom apart was so exciting!! It was just all kinds of wrong!    

Here are a few before shots of the bathroom.  We are done now (aside from decorating - I'm still working on that!) ... so I will share with you all of the ups and downs along the way and how it all came together in future blog posts! 

* ouch!! 

* see all that wasted space beside the shower!?

Happy Friday (Hooray! ... You made it through the week!)  Let me know if you have any home renos on the go this weekend!  

2013 Skincare Favorites

Continuing on with my favorite 2013 beauty finds; today I wanted to share some of my favorite finds in the skincare world!  

I fell in love with skincare products this past year.  I know I'm a little late to the game but I never had much interest in my teenage years and early 20's.  I was really lucky back then - I rarely had a breakout and had very normal skin.  I would regularly fall asleep with my makeup on (isn't that gross!!!???? I would never dream of doing that now!) and washing my face consisted of rubbing my makeup off with a facecloth and water.  

A couple years ago I guess my terrible skincare habits caught up with me and I found myself battling acne for the first time in my life!  Ok, "battling" is a little dramatic .... but that's how it felt since I never had to worry about it for so long.  I was also noticing more oily areas on my skin and dark circles under my eyes.  I didn't know what to do because I had never experienced this before, so I was definitely a newbie to the skincare world!  I have since found a combination of products which have worked really well for me so I am planning a post on my full skincare routine.  

For now, here are my favorite skincare finds from 2013!

1. Bioderma Cleansing Water

I don't know what I was thinking when I used to wash my face.  I would rub my face with a facecloth, then follow that up with my cleanser.  I couldn't figure out why my face was breaking out!  I would use a toner after cleansing and noticed so much makeup left on my skin and would get angry thinking my cleanser wasn't working.  When I thought about it I clearly wasn't effectively removing all of the makeup from my skin first.   

Enter Bioderma into my life.         

This stuff quickly became a holy grail product for me! The full name is: "Bioderma Crealine H2o Ultra-mild Non-rinse Face and Eyes Cleanser" (quite the tongue twister!) and it is a soap free, non foaming, non detergent, neutral pH makeup remover and cleansing water.  It gently and effectively removes every trace of makeup and even works to remove waterproof mascara!  I like another product for that pesky mascara which I will mention below but in a pinch this works too!  I have tried a couple other cleansing waters but what I love about Bioderma is it doesn't dry out my already dry skin!  The other wonderful thing about living in Canada is we can buy it here at Shoppers Drug Mart! You can also find it online but otherwise it can only be purchased in France! The price tag isn't cheap on this stuff (about $20 for a 250 mL bottle) but let me tell you it is so worth it.  My Mom and I have also found this at Shoppers Drug Mart in a pack where you get two bottles for $30 so we like to split the cost and that way only pay $15 each! 

I love how gentle this is in literally removing every trace of makeup.  It provides a great canvas for my cleanser to then really do it's job and cleanse my skin rather than fight through left over layers of makeup. 

That was a very long description but this stuff deserves it.  Obviously I highly recommend it!    

2. Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover For Lids, Lashes & Lips

I have a hard time finding a makeup remover for my waterproof mascara.  I usually wear waterproof because my eyelashes seem to grow straight out, so I need some help in keeping them curled and waterproof formulas work great for that.  My all time favorite is actually baby oil but I find that hard to travel with and really messy in my bathroom cabinet.  I recently tried this Clinique makeup remover and love it!  This stuff takes off every trace of mascara and doesn't irritate my eyes or cause me to rub them too hard to get off the makeup.  Just as the Bioderma, it isn't cheap but I don't mind paying a little extra to know it works.  If you have just as hard of a time getting off your waterproof mascara give this a try! 

It also, as the name suggests, takes off lipstick and lip stains really well.  I experimented with a very bright and bold red lip recently before a night out and changed my mind.  I was thankful I had this as it took off every trace of red from my lips so I could start all over!   

3. Arbonne FC 5 Nurturing Day Lotion & Moisturizing Night Creme

My skin is typically dry so I like a good thick moisturizer.  I used to make the mistake of using a heavier moisturizer all the time, day and night.  I soon realized this was causing my makeup to not sit right throughout the day because my moisturizer was too heavy.  I switched to the Nurturing Day Lotion for daytime wear and the Moisturizing Night Creme only at night.   I actually look forward to putting these on my face every day - they are soothing, moisturizing and have a light fresh scent.  Usually scented products irritate my skin but this scent is so natural it has never caused a reaction.  I wake up with the smoothest skin and the day lotion sits so perfectly under my makeup.  Since I have normal to dry skin this line works best for me but Arbonne has a big range of products so I'm sure you could find something to fit your skin needs perfectly!  I also love that the day lotion has SPF in it which is so important especially for the face! 

4. Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream

 I am new to the world of eye creams but tried a sample size of the Benefit It's Potent eye cream and really loved it.  This is said to be a brightening eye cream to help fade dark circles (yay!).  My small sample lasted me over a month which was really impressive so you do get a lot of bang for your buck!  It is very also very hydrating and soothing to the eye area - didn't irritate my skin at all.  I decided to try a new eye cream once I ran out of this sample and although I like it it isn't targeted for dark circles and I recently noticed they are more prominent since I stopped using "It's Potent".  I am excited to use up my current eye cream and repurchase this one again! 

5. Kleenex Hand Towels

I know what you are thinking - what does this have to do with skin care?  I have been using these for about a month to dry my face after my cleansing routine at night rather than a towel.  I used to try and be diligent about using a specific towel only for my face but found I wasn't great at remembering to replace it that kind of defeated the purpose.  You could have a separate stack of small towels to wipe your face with every night but I just found that was creating a lot of laundry and I love the convenience of these hand wipes.  I keep them under my cabinet and pull one out anytime I wash my face and that way I know I'm getting a sanitary and clean cloth each time.  I have noticed a nice difference in my skin tone and way less breakouts recently and I think these have played a big part!  The boxes come in lots of different patterns too so they look really nice in any bathroom color scheme. 

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Since I have become sort of addicted to skincare products I will definitely be posting more of my favorites as I discover them!

 ** I took a trip to Minneapolis this weekend and purchased some new stuff so I will keep you all updated on that!! **

As much as I love makeup,  it isn't something I want to rely on to feel good - when my skin is looking its' best I feel so much better about myself!  As an added bonus my makeup applies so smooth when my skin is looking and feeling good (and I use way less of it!).  Once you wash off all that makeup at the end of the day you are left with your skin and you want to make sure you are treating it right so you can look and feel your best.  

Happy Tuesday! Now don't forget to wash those beautiful faces tonight!! :) 

Organizing: Packing Tips

Hey Friends! 

As I started packing today to head out on a weekend getaway with the hubby, I thought I would share my favorite tip for packing!  I used to be terrible at packing (or should I say, over packing) for trips.  It's like all of a sudden I discovered that I actually loved every single piece of clothing I owned and couldn't go anywhere without taking my entire closet with me! 

** I really wish I felt like that while getting ready for a night out and can't seem to find anything to wear!!  Am I right ladies!??

Anyways ... I have always been a list-maker so one day while writing my packing list I came up with a new strategy.  I write down each day I will be gone and what events I will need an outfit for.  Now, don't get this mixed up with pre-planning my outfits because I don't necessarily do that. I get stressed out trying to plan specific outfits because who knows what I will feel like wearing on that specific day!  Instead I do something that looks a little like this:

Friday:

1. Driving Outfit
2. Concert Outfit
          - dressy outfit & brown boots

Saturday:

1. Shopping Outfit
          - comfortable outfit & taupe boots w/studs
2. Dinner Outfit
          - dressy outfit and black boots

Sunday:

1. Shopping Outfit
          - comfortable outfit & taupe boots w/studs
2. Dinner Outfit
          - dressy outfit and black boots 

Monday:

1. Driving Outfit 

By writing it out I know what I need outfits for and can narrow down my choices.  I go through each day and pick something suitable, then check it off the list.  I usually bring a couple options for each scenario that way I still have some selection (and yes that means I still over-pack - but not as bad as without this list!!)

Once I started writing my packing lists out this way I noticed a huge improvement in my skills (and have more room for my hair, makeup, jewelry, shoes, etc, etc, etc!!!) ... and find packing much less overwhelming.  

It's a simple tip and may be useless to some but it has helped me a lot so I thought I'd share!! Now ... back to packing!! :) 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay tuned next week because I will be posting my 2013 favorite skincare finds!