Before you take your morning shower check out my latest video on how to make your own cleansing conditioner. It's comparable to the Herbal Essence cleansing conditioner but half the price AND cruelty-free!
Check it out here:
Have a great day!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Friday, May 16, 2014
TGIF: Healthy Weekend Cocktail Recipes
Happy Friday!
I don't know about you but I am ready to enjoy the weekend and along with it a light cocktail or two. Usually I limit my alcohol intake because it tends to give me a headache but when I do indulge these are my go-to drinks. I've also included some "mocktail" options below in case you're not of legal drinking age.
Prosecco/sparkling wine:
Bubbly is the perfect drink when you want something light. It only has 60-80 calories per glass and 1-2g of sugar. If sparkling wines are too dry for you, try adding the juice from a couple fresh, ripe berries. I like blackberries or blueberries personally.
Grapefruit Wine Spritzer
1 oz of pinto grigio
2-4oz of Polar brand ruby red grapefruit sparkling water. You could use any brand just as long as it doesn't contain artificial flavors or sweeteners. I have sampled many sparkling waters and I find the Polar brand to have the most flavor.
**Another good idea is to make a carafe of this and add in ripe ruby red grapefruit slices. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and it will taste extra delicious.
Kombucha Wine Cocktail
1/2 bottle of GTS Trilogy kombucha or 8oz home-brewed kombucha.
2 oz of blush or white wine of choice
Raw Margarita aka "Skinny" Margarita
1.5 oz tequila
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp of agave nectar
seltzer water and ice
Salt for the rim (optional)
If you're going to have a margarita this really is the best way to go. It's light, refreshing, and very low on the glycemic index. My husband makes the best raw margaritas.
Classic Mimosa
3 oz sparkling wine, champagne, or prosecco
Fresh juice from 1-2 oranges. Try to stay away from pre-packaged juices as they usually contain extra sugar.
X-rated Martini
1 oz X-rated vodka (a vodka infused with blood orange, mango, and passion fruit flavors)
2 oz champagne
A little fresh raspberry juice
Raspberry to garnish.
This is one of my all-time favorite cocktails. They serve it at a lounge I used to frequent in college called Room 38. Man, I miss that place.
Mocktails
By the way, I am not endorsing underage drinking. Your time will come so don't rush it. :)
Mock Ipanema
8oz Ginger ale
A few mint leaves
Crushed ice
~Add a silly straw or fun umbrella!
Mock Champagne cocktail
Sparkling white grape juice
2 fresh raspberries
As always drink responsibly and listen to your body. Everything in moderation.
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great weekend!
I don't know about you but I am ready to enjoy the weekend and along with it a light cocktail or two. Usually I limit my alcohol intake because it tends to give me a headache but when I do indulge these are my go-to drinks. I've also included some "mocktail" options below in case you're not of legal drinking age.
Prosecco/sparkling wine:
Bubbly is the perfect drink when you want something light. It only has 60-80 calories per glass and 1-2g of sugar. If sparkling wines are too dry for you, try adding the juice from a couple fresh, ripe berries. I like blackberries or blueberries personally.
Grapefruit Wine Spritzer
1 oz of pinto grigio
2-4oz of Polar brand ruby red grapefruit sparkling water. You could use any brand just as long as it doesn't contain artificial flavors or sweeteners. I have sampled many sparkling waters and I find the Polar brand to have the most flavor.
**Another good idea is to make a carafe of this and add in ripe ruby red grapefruit slices. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and it will taste extra delicious.
Kombucha Wine Cocktail
1/2 bottle of GTS Trilogy kombucha or 8oz home-brewed kombucha.
2 oz of blush or white wine of choice
Raw Margarita aka "Skinny" Margarita
1.5 oz tequila
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp of agave nectar
seltzer water and ice
Salt for the rim (optional)
If you're going to have a margarita this really is the best way to go. It's light, refreshing, and very low on the glycemic index. My husband makes the best raw margaritas.
Classic Mimosa
3 oz sparkling wine, champagne, or prosecco
Fresh juice from 1-2 oranges. Try to stay away from pre-packaged juices as they usually contain extra sugar.
X-rated Martini
1 oz X-rated vodka (a vodka infused with blood orange, mango, and passion fruit flavors)
2 oz champagne
A little fresh raspberry juice
Raspberry to garnish.
This is one of my all-time favorite cocktails. They serve it at a lounge I used to frequent in college called Room 38. Man, I miss that place.
Mocktails
By the way, I am not endorsing underage drinking. Your time will come so don't rush it. :)
Mock Ipanema
8oz Ginger ale
A few mint leaves
Crushed ice
~Add a silly straw or fun umbrella!
Mock Champagne cocktail
Sparkling white grape juice
2 fresh raspberries
As always drink responsibly and listen to your body. Everything in moderation.
I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great weekend!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Spice Up Your Life!
Are you having a hard time waking up in the morning? Try this hot and spicy detox water to wake up your senses and give your body a jumpstart. You can also drink this in the afternoon when that 3 O'clock slump hits.
~12 oz hot water
~Juice from 1-2 slices of lemon
~2 dashes of cayenne pepper
**Add 2 dashes of cinnamon to this and drink after a meal to stabilize your blood sugar.
P.S. If you get the 90's reference in my title you are awesome. :)
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
DIY: Recycled Box Lipstick Holder
Well hello there!
I have been getting into more DIY (Do It Yourself) projects lately and this past weekend I tried a little experiment that actually worked out, so I thought I would share it with you. Since I didn't plan to make a post out of this when I was making my lipstick holder I didn't take step by step pictures like I normally do. Sorry!
DIY: Lipstick Holder
What You Need:
~Empty rectangle cardboard box. I used an empty Nature Valley granola bar box.
~Extra cardboard box.
~Sharp knife
~Scissors
~Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
~Ruler
~Pen/pencil
What To Do:
1. Remove any flaps so that your box has one open end. If your box is more than 3 inches high you will want to trim it down a bit so you will be able to see the lipsticks.
2. From the bottom of your box measure up 3inches and mark it with your pen. Draw a line above this mark around 3 sides of the box.
3. Using a very sharp knife or scissors cut out those three sides, leaving the back flap if you like. Leaving this back flap will make your holder more sturdy.
4. Now turn the box with one of the shorter sides facing you. Take one of your biggest lipsticks and line it up with the far edge. Make a small mark with your pen on the opposite side of the lipstick. Repeat this step until you reach the other side of the box.
5. Count the marks and this will be how many strips of cardboard you need to cut to make your rows.
6. Now measure the entire length of your lipstick holder and then cut the row strips from your extra cardboard box. The height of the strips should not be shorter than 1 inch.
7. Transfer the marks you made on the side of your box to the inside so you know exactly where to place each row.
8. Using your hot glue gun spread a line of glue on both ends of your row strip and then place it carefully into the bottom of your box.
9. After gluing in each row place in a lipstick and make sure you have enough room in-between the rows for your lipsticks to fit.
10. Repeat until you have finished all of the rows.
11. Next, place your lipstick up against a row and make a mark along its left side on the inside of the box. This will tell you where to place your divider.
12. Cut a few more long strips from that extra cardboard box. The cut off approximately 1/2 inch squares to use as dividers.
13. Glue in your dividers at approximately 3/4 inch intervals. The best way to know exactly how much space you will need between dividers is to use your actual lipsticks. Place one in, mark how much space it needs, remove it, and glue in your divider. As you can see in my picture not all of my dividers are perfectly lined up and that's OK.
14. Repeat until the entire bottom of the box has smaller boxes for your lipsticks.
15. Place in all of your lipsticks and you are done!
16. If you want you can paint or decorate the lipstick holder however you like.
I really hope that wasn't too confusing. It's actually really easy once you get going. From start to finish it took me less than an hour to complete my lipstick holder.
Here is my finished product:
Let me know if you have any other ideas for organizing makeup. Also leave any comments or questions below. Or you can tweet me @imperfectperla. You can also visit my YouTube channel here for more content like this.
Have a great day! :)
Courtney
I have been getting into more DIY (Do It Yourself) projects lately and this past weekend I tried a little experiment that actually worked out, so I thought I would share it with you. Since I didn't plan to make a post out of this when I was making my lipstick holder I didn't take step by step pictures like I normally do. Sorry!
DIY: Lipstick Holder
What You Need:
~Empty rectangle cardboard box. I used an empty Nature Valley granola bar box.
~Extra cardboard box.
~Sharp knife
~Scissors
~Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
~Ruler
~Pen/pencil
What To Do:
1. Remove any flaps so that your box has one open end. If your box is more than 3 inches high you will want to trim it down a bit so you will be able to see the lipsticks.
2. From the bottom of your box measure up 3inches and mark it with your pen. Draw a line above this mark around 3 sides of the box.
3. Using a very sharp knife or scissors cut out those three sides, leaving the back flap if you like. Leaving this back flap will make your holder more sturdy.
4. Now turn the box with one of the shorter sides facing you. Take one of your biggest lipsticks and line it up with the far edge. Make a small mark with your pen on the opposite side of the lipstick. Repeat this step until you reach the other side of the box.
5. Count the marks and this will be how many strips of cardboard you need to cut to make your rows.
6. Now measure the entire length of your lipstick holder and then cut the row strips from your extra cardboard box. The height of the strips should not be shorter than 1 inch.
7. Transfer the marks you made on the side of your box to the inside so you know exactly where to place each row.
8. Using your hot glue gun spread a line of glue on both ends of your row strip and then place it carefully into the bottom of your box.
9. After gluing in each row place in a lipstick and make sure you have enough room in-between the rows for your lipsticks to fit.
10. Repeat until you have finished all of the rows.
11. Next, place your lipstick up against a row and make a mark along its left side on the inside of the box. This will tell you where to place your divider.
12. Cut a few more long strips from that extra cardboard box. The cut off approximately 1/2 inch squares to use as dividers.
13. Glue in your dividers at approximately 3/4 inch intervals. The best way to know exactly how much space you will need between dividers is to use your actual lipsticks. Place one in, mark how much space it needs, remove it, and glue in your divider. As you can see in my picture not all of my dividers are perfectly lined up and that's OK.
14. Repeat until the entire bottom of the box has smaller boxes for your lipsticks.
15. Place in all of your lipsticks and you are done!
16. If you want you can paint or decorate the lipstick holder however you like.
I really hope that wasn't too confusing. It's actually really easy once you get going. From start to finish it took me less than an hour to complete my lipstick holder.
Here is my finished product:
Let me know if you have any other ideas for organizing makeup. Also leave any comments or questions below. Or you can tweet me @imperfectperla. You can also visit my YouTube channel here for more content like this.
Have a great day! :)
Courtney
Saturday, May 10, 2014
April Favorites Giveaway Winner
Just a quick post to announce the winner of my April 2014 Favorites giveaway.
The winner's Youtube channel name is MacabreMakeup. Congratulations! If this is you, please check your Youtube inbox messages so I can get a shipping address for the goodies.
If you didn't win this time don't worry I will be doing many more giveaways (international too!) in the future.
Have a great weekend!
Courtney
The winner's Youtube channel name is MacabreMakeup. Congratulations! If this is you, please check your Youtube inbox messages so I can get a shipping address for the goodies.
If you didn't win this time don't worry I will be doing many more giveaways (international too!) in the future.
Have a great weekend!
Courtney
Friday, May 9, 2014
Have you seen my latest videos? Giveaway ending tonight!
TGIF Ya'll!!
Have you seen the last few videos I have posted on my YouTube channel? There is a giveaway happening on my April Favorites video and it closes tonight, May 9th at 11:59 PM EST. Enter to win a few neat treats!
You can head on over to My YouTube Channel-Blush&Bunnies to watch the videos or just watch below!
April 2014 Favorites+ Giveaway!
Hope you enjoy! Leave me any comments, questions, or requests below. Subscribe to my channel here for more health and beauty content.
Have a great weekend!
Have you seen the last few videos I have posted on my YouTube channel? There is a giveaway happening on my April Favorites video and it closes tonight, May 9th at 11:59 PM EST. Enter to win a few neat treats!
You can head on over to My YouTube Channel-Blush&Bunnies to watch the videos or just watch below!
April 2014 Favorites+ Giveaway!
Review: Trader Joe's Nourish Antioxidant Face Serum
Hope you enjoy! Leave me any comments, questions, or requests below. Subscribe to my channel here for more health and beauty content.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Quick and Easy Vegan Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Hey there!
I want to share a recipe I made today for lunch. I don't know about you but I love mac and cheese so anytime I can figure out a way to make it a teeny bit healthier I will.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
~1/2 cup of quinoa pasta noodles. I get mine from Trader Joe's. You could also use brown rice pasta if you like
~1/4-1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk. The amount really depends on how thick you want the sauce.
~1 tsp ground mustard powder
~1 tsp chili powder
~1/2 tsp turmeric
~ 1 tsp sea salt
~4 tbsp nutritional yeast. I would add in 2 tbsp and then give it a quick taste. If you want it to be cheesier then add in the other 1-2 tbsp. You could also add more than 4 tbsp. It really depends on your personal preference.
~Dried parsley for garnish (optional)
What to do:
1. Cook and drain pasta.
2. In a sauce pan add in almond milk and warm it on low-medium heat.
3. Add in mustard powder, chili powder, and turmeric first, stirring the mixture well.
4. Then add in nutritional yeast.
5. Add the salt in last because depending on your brand of chili powder and nutritional yeast the sauce might already be salty enough.
6. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle on the parsley.
7. Enjoy and share with others!
Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you know any other healthy spins on the traditional Mac and Cheese please let me know in the comments section!
I want to share a recipe I made today for lunch. I don't know about you but I love mac and cheese so anytime I can figure out a way to make it a teeny bit healthier I will.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
~1/2 cup of quinoa pasta noodles. I get mine from Trader Joe's. You could also use brown rice pasta if you like
~1/4-1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk. The amount really depends on how thick you want the sauce.
~1 tsp ground mustard powder
~1 tsp chili powder
~1/2 tsp turmeric
~ 1 tsp sea salt
~4 tbsp nutritional yeast. I would add in 2 tbsp and then give it a quick taste. If you want it to be cheesier then add in the other 1-2 tbsp. You could also add more than 4 tbsp. It really depends on your personal preference.
~Dried parsley for garnish (optional)
What to do:
1. Cook and drain pasta.
2. In a sauce pan add in almond milk and warm it on low-medium heat.
3. Add in mustard powder, chili powder, and turmeric first, stirring the mixture well.
4. Then add in nutritional yeast.
5. Add the salt in last because depending on your brand of chili powder and nutritional yeast the sauce might already be salty enough.
6. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle on the parsley.
7. Enjoy and share with others!
Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you know any other healthy spins on the traditional Mac and Cheese please let me know in the comments section!
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