Birchbox July 2014

I am always eagerly awaiting my monthly birchbox. It's like a little present for me every month.

Let me tell you what birch box is, just in case you are not familiar with it.

It's a monthly subscription service which is $10.00 a month where you get sent 4-5 high-end samples each month. First you take a little survey so they can find out more about your skin, make up likes and dislikes so they know what to send you.

You then get to try out the products and review them on birchbox.com. For each review you get 10 points. Every 100 points equals $10 you can use in the shop. So if you review your 5 samples each month, thats $5 going back to you to use in the shop. So technically each box costs $5! Now, you can't beat a $5 little present for yourself, now can you? :)

With the birch box, I can try high end products without having to buy full size products. If I love the product, then I can go buy it :)

If you are interested in checking it out, go to Birch Box

Lets see what I got this month:

Jouer Matte Moisterizer (Full Price $38.00)

What BirchBirch Says: This mattifying tint is infused with titanium and zinc dioxides, which deflect both UVA and UVB rays. In addition, it has vitamins A, C, and E to deflect the free radicals that lead to premature aging. A pale beige, Porcelain is best for extremely fair complexions, while Linen is slightly darker and best for light complexions. Nude, a neutral beige, works for light to medium complexions; Chamomile, a golden tone, suits medium to tan complexions; and Hazel, a nutty brown, is perfect for tan to dark complexions.

What I Say: I actually have gotten this sample last year sometime and I bought the full size last summer. Love this tinted moisturizer. I wear it on those days I don't want to wear makeup.... Like when it is 90 degrees outside. I still have some left from last summer, and am using it now. But if anyone wants a tinted moisturizer and your face get oily, this is a great option. 

Enjoying Summer...

You know, when we were still doing school, I was thinking of all the free time I was going to have during the summer, and all the blog posts I was going to write. But boy was I wrong. 

I think I had more down time during the colder months even with homeschooling and a baby. 

But with summer, we have been out more. After breakfast and chores we are outside all day or we are taking little trips, it truly is non stop and I am so tired by the end of the day... I just want to sleep. 

Oh, have I told you that we have decided to homeschool another year? I prayed about it and I just feel that this is what I need to do. It just fills my heart with peace. 

But I have yet to decided on a curriculum, which is what my "free" time has been consumed by. I have been trying to decide on which curriculum to use by reading reviews and creating a list. 

 I really need to decide and place my order soon...

But for the next few weeks we are going to enjoy summer because kids grow up to fast....

I hope you enjoy you summer,

My Kitchen - New Counters!

We got new counters, and I am really excited about them!

I have wanted granite countertops for a long time, but back when we redid the kitchen 3 years ago, they were not in our budget. Finally, the waiting has paid off. 

I love how bright and sunny my kitchen looks like now. I can't help but smile when I see it. It sure has come a long way since we bought the house. As you can see in the before pictures.

Three years ago:

Four years ago. 

Oh my goodness! I can't believe this is the same kitchen! 

And now some more picture...

Coriander Chicken Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce

I found another delicious recipe from Cooking Classy!

 I am so happy when I find a recipe that both my kids and husband like. This recipe is easy to make with lots of flavor. It is going into our rotation. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or less if you don't like heat)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
• 1/2 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp cream (optional)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 fair pinch dried ginger
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 2 cloves garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and press chicken into marinade. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Thread chicken onto skewers (if using wooden skewers soak in warm water for 5 minutes). Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Brush grill lightly with oil and grill chicken, rotating once halfway through grilling, until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Serve warm with Lemon Cilantro Yogurt Sauce.
• For Lemon Cilantro Yogurt Sauce:
• Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT

Daughter's Strabismus Surgery

We have gone through a hard past few days. My little Emily had her strabismus surgery, to loosen and tighten her eye muscles. Emily was 3 when I noticed her slight misalignment in her left eye. We had her checked out right away and the ophthalmologist prescribed her glasses to try and strengthen her muscle. After one year we did not see any difference in the alignment of the eye, so the ophthalmologist suggested that patch her eye 2 hours a day. We did this for 2 years, without any significant correction. In fact I noticed that by now both of her eyes were misaligned. 

We got a new ophthalmologist and things finally started going somewhere. She started checking Emily every 2 months and said that she was a perfect candidate for strabismus surgery. I was a nervous wreck leading up to the surgery, I was trying to find anything I could online about the procedure and what to expect. I couldn't find much on how kids handle this procedure and decided to write a post to hopefully help someone in the same situation. 

Emily on the day of her procedure. She was giddy and nervous not really knowing what to expect. 

I think the hardest part was the first few hours after the procedure. When Emily came home she couldn't walk so she had to be carried. We got her comfortable in bed. She was crying because her eyes hurt. She fell asleep for an hour or so. She then woke up crying, we applied ice compresses to her eyes and that seemed to help with the pain. 

She was hungry by now since she wasn't allowed to eat after midnight the night of there procedure. 

I made her some scrambled eggs and cut up a banana for her, I had to feed her since she wouldn't open her eyes. I also had to carry her to the bathroom since she couldn't see where she was going. 

The doctor said that she should drink ice cold water and eat cold things because the cold in her mouth can help with the swelling in the eyes. 

I fed her some ice cream and she went back to sleep. 

She woke up crying again. It was so hard to see her this way. I just held her and cuddled with her and helped her hold the ice pack on her eyes. Her tears were bloody (which is normal after the procedure).

By now it was already noon (her procedure was at 8am)

She remembered that the night before I got her a "get well" present and she wanted to open it now. 

She pried her eyes open and I was shocked to see how bloody the inner whites were. I didn't let her see my shock, instead we opened her present. I got her the Princess Sophia Royal Family dolls and a DVD. She asked if she could watch the dvd.

I carried her downstairs and got her comfortable on the couch. 

She watched the movie while she dabbed her watery eyes and applied ice compresses. 

After the movie she started to play with her new dolls. It is amazing how fast she was bouncing back. 

By the evening she was already up and about playing with her brother. I gave her tylenol for the pain every 4 hours. She fell asleep at 9pm that night and woke up around midnight from the pain. I gave her more tylenol and she slept till morning. 

The next day my little sunshine was feeling so much better, but she still complained of pain around her eyes ( she didn't want to wear her glasses) and her eyes were watery (she carried around a tissue)

So I gave her tylenol every 4 hours. Other then that she was back to playing and running around with her brother. 

We had to apply an eye antibiotic twice a day which she hated. It made her eyes blurry for a bit. I would put it on and then cuddle with her to make her feel better for a minute or two. 

Peach Pie

What says summer more then peach pie? 

This is by far my favorite kind of pie, ok, maybe along with berry pie. The flaky crust combined with delicious peaches with a hint of cinnamon is incredible. Don't be surprised if you reach  for that second slice. 

Ingredients

• • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 16 tablespoons cold (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
2. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). To help ensure a flaky crust, do not overprocess.
3. Transfer half of dough (still crumbly) onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into a disk 3/4 inch thick; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days). Repeat with remaining dough. (Disks can be frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months. Thaw before using.) Makes 2 disks.

peach pie recipe

Ingredients:

• • 1 recipe (2 disks) Basic Pie Dough 
  • 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches)
  • 4 TB of flour
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
  • dash salt
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 6 cups of fresh peaches (peeled and sliced)
  • 2 TB of butter (cubed)
  • Egg wash made with 1 yolk and 2 TB of water
  • sanding sugar

Directions

1. Lightly flour a large piece of waxed paper; place a disk of dough in center. Rolling from center outward, form into a 12-inch circle. (Use paper to rotate dough, and flour rolling pin and paper as necessary to prevent sticking.) Transfer dough (still on paper) to the pie dish.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
3. Combine sugar, flour spice and salt. Add to the sliced peaches, mix lightly. Add the peaces to the pie dish with shell. 
4. Add a top crust, crimp the edges, cut slits on the top crust. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 375 and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and crust is nicely browned. 

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT