10 Life Hacks For Everyday Living

Yesterday I caught the last 5 minutes of a show on TV that does different life hack trials. I was so inspired that I am going to share with you 10 life hacks I use on a daily basis.
 (Well almost daily)

Enjoy!

1. Use a coffee filter to clean windows and mirrors for fuzz-free cleaning.

2. Mix 1 Tbsp of fabric softener and  1/2 Tbsp baking soda with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle for homemade fabric refresher. This is also great to spray on car seats and floorboards.

3. Place a bobby pin at the bottom of your skincare, makeup, or toothpaste tubes. Squeeze it upward as you use the product to get out every last drop.

4. Out of hairspray? Mix 1 part sugar with 1 part water in a spray bottle. Shake and spray to control frizz and fly-aways. NOTE: It is not recommended to use this on summer nights as mosquitoes will eat you up!

5. Freeze coconut milk, almond milk, or dairy milk in an ice cube tray and then add one cube to your morning coffee for the perfect dose of creamy goodness. In the summer add 5 cubes to 12 oz of cold coffee for a delicious iced coffee treat.

6. Mix 2 oz of rubbing alcohol with 1/2 oz of lotion in a travel spray bottle for moisturizing hand sanitizer. (I have a video about this on my YouTube channel- watch it here)

7. Use empty tampon or other feminine product boxes to hide your valuables when traveling. Thieves won't go snooping in there.

8. Rinse your hair with 1 part apple cider vinegar and 1 part water once a week to give it extra shine and volume.

9. To help really dry skin add melted coconut oil to a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes. Massage it into your skin while you're still in the tub. When you get out pat, not rub, yourself dry with a towel. This may leave a residue in your tub but it is worth it, I promise!

10. To clear up acne blemishes- Crush up 2 aspirin and mix with 1 Tbsp of water until it makes a paste. Apply only to the blemishes like a mask and let it sit on for 10-20 minutes. ** If at any time it starts to burn really bad wash it off immediately.


I hope one or more of these will be helpful to you. I would love to know your favorite life hacks so let me know in the comments or on any of my social media sites.

Have a great day!

Other places to find me:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheImperfectpearl
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

5 Overnight Oats Recipes To Try This Week

Yesterday I posted a picture on my Instagram (follow here) of some Sunday prepartions I did for my busy work week. I am trying to get into the habit of preparing meals, setting out clothes, and planning activites each Sunday to make life much easier during the week. One of the things I always do is prepare breakfasts for the week. Last week I made the health muffins and this week I prepped Overnight Oats.

If you are a Tone It Up girl then you will be very familiar with this recipe. It is so easy to make and personalize with the ingredients you like. The base is 1/4-1/2 cup of quick oats and unsweetend almond milk (you can use any milk you like). To prepare you just add your ingredients to a mason jar or small container and then cover everything with your milk,sti, and leave it in the fridge while you sleep. I would add a generous amount of milk because the oats will soak it up overnight. Hence, Overnight Oats. Some people like to eat them cold straight out of the jar but I like to heat mine up in the morning. It's all up to you.

Here are 5 of my favorite Overnight Oats recipes:

Double Almond
1/4 cup of  oats
1 scoop protein powder
Dash of cinnamon
1 pkt of stevia
1 Tbsp of almond butter
Almond milk to cover oats

Chocolate Covered Coconut
1/4 cup of oats
1 scoop PB2 chocolate OR any chocolate nut butter
1 pkt stevia
Coconut flakes
Coconut milk to cover oats

Blueberry Muffin
1/4 cup oats
1 Tbsp protien powder
Dash of cinnamon
2 tsbp of agave nectar
Handful of blueberries
Almond milk to cover

Chia Strawberry
1/4 cup of oats
3 strawberries, sliced
1 tsp of chia seeds
1 pkt of stevia
Almond milk to cover

Banana Nut 
1/4 cup of oats
1 pkt of stevia
1/2 banana, sliced
1 handful of walnuts
Almond milk to cover


These are just 5 of my favorite recipes but the possibilites are endless! Let me know your favorite quick morning recipes.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!


Places to connect:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheImperfectpearl
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

DOLLAR TREE DIY: Make Your Own Swatch Book

I've got a helpful DIY that you can do this weekend while you're watching Netflix, TV, or YouTube.

I just posted a video on my YouTube channel. (find it here). That video is all about how you can swatch your beauty products and organize those swatches in a book. This is a great way to organize your makeup and know exactly which shades you have or don't have. I like to take this lightweight book with me when I go shopping. When I see a lipstick I want to buy I can instantly check my collection to see if I have that shade. How great is that?!

This is also good to have if you are a makeup artist. Your clients can easily see which shades they have to chose from.

Additional tips:
~Cover each swatch with clear tape to keep the product from transferring onto the plastic covering of your photo album pages.
     ~You could also laminate the swatch sheets
~Swatch anything you want! You can swatch lipsticks, nail polishes, eye shadows, or blushes.
~You could handwrite each product name but I think it's best to type up the names. Then again, I have bad handwriting. Haha
~Share your swatch book with a friend so they can see swatches of products they might be interested in purchasing.
~Another option is to print out photo swatches from the internet of your products.
~Instead of swatching items on your hand in-store; bring a blank sheet of paper to make swatches. You can add a category in your book which has swatches of products you would like to buy in the future.

Check out my video below:

Let me know if you have other  video or post requests. Thanks for stopping by!

Other places to find me:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

REVIEW: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturizer

Happy Friday Eve!

Today I have a review of the new Neutrogena moisturizer. This is part of their new Hydro Boost line. I want to be up front about the fact that I was sent this product for free to try. As always I will give my 100 % honest opinion and I was not paid to review this product. 

I received this product about a month ago and have been using it daily ever since. I use this 1-2 times daily on my face, neck, and chest. My advice is to grab just a tiny blog on your finger and dot it on your forehead, cheeks, and chin. A little goes a long way. The consistency is very gel like so if you have a beauty spatula handy I would use that to get some product out of the pot. I do think this product would be improved by packaging it in a squeeze tube so people don't have to dip their fingers directly into the jar. I think tubes are more sanitary.

After testing this product I have some very clear pros and cons I can share with you. 

Pros:

~It hydrates my skin well and leaves my skin feeling soft. 

~The gel-like consistency sinks in quickly and never leaves my skin feeling greasy.

~The smell is pleasant and fresh.

~A little bit of the product goes a long way. 

~The product has not caused a breakout or clogged pores.

~The moisturizer is lightweight and would be perfect for Spring and Summer.

~This works great for the neck and chest area too.

~It contains Hyaluronic Acid which helps the skin retain moisture. I really love that about this product!

Cons:

~The packaging is a bit bulky and it might be better to offer this in a tube form. 

~Some days I had to use two layers because it is a very light moisturizer.

~The price might be a bit high for the drugstore market. (Cost is $15-20 depending on where you shop)

I would definitely suggest this product to people looking for a light, refreshing moisturizer. I think this product did add glow to my skin which is something I always like. I found that you can use a little of this over your foundation to refresh it or give you a dewy glow.

Those are just my thoughts but I hope they are helpful. You can also check out my video review of this product by clicking here 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Other places to find me:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval

Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/

Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

5 Easy Ways To Become A Runner

Hate running? You are not alone, my friend. I have loathed running for many years and always said it "just isn't for me."This year as part of my "30 Before 30" (see original post here) I decided to challenge myself to run a race. Originally I set the bar very low and said I just wanted to complete a 10k. Well, in January I signed up for a 1/2 marathon in Denver with my best friend, Annie. She is doing her own 30 Before 30 challenge and has 1/2 marathon on her list. So in just 3 short months I will head to Denver, CO and attempt to run 13.1 miles. Eeek!

I would not say that I have fallen in love yet with running but over these past 2-3 months I have learned a few things that might help someone who also dislikes running but wants to give it a try.

Here are 5 easy ways to start becoming a runner:

1. Confront Emotional Barriers.
In order to complete any goal you must look at potential emotional barriers in your way. I never felt like I was athletic enough to be a runner. It was a case of lowered self-esteem. I say "lowered" because I don't have low self-esteem in general but I think we all have those things that make us feel down on ourselves. I also worried that I would fail or embarrass myself. You have to acknowledge your emotional barriers and make a conscious choice to set them to the side where they belong. You may even use self talk to motivate you past these barriers. The most popular form of self talk would be giving yourself daily affirmations.

2. Do Strength Training & Stretching
If you have a strong core, butt, and legs it makes running much easier. I attend a weekly Piyo (pilates/yoga fusion) class which has really strengthened my thighs, glutes, and core. Piyo also helps firm your booty and who doesn't want that?! I also recommend you stretch very well the night before a run and also right before running. Consider doing a 20 minute yoga routine each day. There are a ton of yoga routines you can find on YouTube.

3. Make A Great Music Playlist
You know those songs that makes you jump out of you seat and dance? Add them. Make a playlist filled with your favorite hits. I like to add songs that I know I'll never skip. I also like to add some songs that have motivational lyrics so when I hit mile 3 and I want to stop I have someone literally yelling in my ear to "Don't stop. Get it. Get it.....You can do it put you back into it." That's just an example from a  90's Ice Cube song but you get the idea.

4. Set Markers
Make small goals to complete and then when you complete it just keep going. It sounds a bit insane to say to yourself, "Ok, I'll just run to that tree and then I can walk." but when you get to the tree you just keep going. It's insane but it works. I like to challenge myself to run until the next song comes on. Then when the next song comes on I challenge myself to run for 2 more minutes and so on. This is the thing that has helped me the most. I always feel successful after a run because I have complete so many mini-goals. It's great!

5. Start Walking
You have to start some place. There is this woman I have seen on the street in front of my house. She walks a 3 mile loop everyday from 3-4pm. She has been doing this for at least a year. A few months ago I noticed that she was jogging in between spurts of walking. That's the way to do it. Start walking and then build up to walking and jogging a little. Then walk and jog a lot. Then walk, jog, and run!


So those are my top 5 tips to start running based on my own personal experience. I may update or add to this list as I continue on my own journey into running. Let me know in the comments section your tips or advice. You can also contact me with your tips at the social media links below.

Have a great day!

Other places to find me:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Blog: http://www.imperfectpearl.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

Healthy Breakfast Muffin Recipe

Good Morning!

I hope everyone's week is starting off great. Today I want to share a recipe I made while doing my weekly meal prep yesterday. I am really trying to get into the habbit of prepping all of my meals for the week each Sunday. These muffins are a combination of a few different recipes I have seen, including the amazing Tone It Up protein pancake recipe. (find it here) I also got inspiration from Sarah fit (find her recipe here). Below is the final recipe I created. These are paleo, gluten-free, low carb, high protein, and low fat. Yippee!

This makes 4 big muffins or 8 small muffins.

Ingredients:
~2 medium bananas, mashed.
~2 Scoops protein powder of your choosing (I use a plant based one)
~4 tbsp flax seed meal
~4 tsp of cinnamon
~4 egg whites or 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg
~2 tsp of baking powder
~1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
~Pinch of salt
~1 Tbsp of almond milk (you could use any milk you prefer)
~1-2 Tbsp of agave nectar or honey. This depends on how sweet you want them.
~Add in your favorite fruits, nuts, or seeds. In the ones above I used golden raisins and sunflower seeds.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (176 Celcius)
2. Combine all ingreidents except the agave nectar and fruit/nuts.
3. Mix well.
4. Fold in nuts/fruit.
5. Add agave nectar and mix again.
6. Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking them every 20 or so minutes. When a tooth pick comes out clean you are good to go.

These can be stored for 2-5 days in the fridge. When you are ready to eat them just pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds.

Enjoy!


Other places to connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneywval
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheImperfectpearl
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/courtneywval/
Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

L.A. COLORS Lipstick Swatches (Updated)

Hello!


My updated L.A. COLORS lipstick swatch video is now live on my YouTube Channel.

Below are some additional swatch photos so you can better see how each color looks.

Color order: 

Natural Shine

Satin

Mauve Glaze

Sorbet

Dusty Rose

Luscious Wine

Berry Red

Bright Pink

Frozen Berries

Coral Sheen

Pink Frost

Tangerine

Lipstick swatches with indoor light:

Lipstick swatches with flash indoors:

Lipstick swatches with natural light:

Next I have some additional lip swatch photos:

Natural Shine: 

Satin:

Sorbet:

Pink Frost:

Mauve Glaze

Bright Pink:

Nectarine:

Coral Sheen:

Luscious Wine:

Frozen Berries:

Berry Red:

I hope these swatches will help you decide which color is right for you. Overall I really love these lipsticks and they are really easy to apply. Like any lip product I think it is best to exfoliate your lips and apply a light lip balm before applying the lipstick. 

Let me know if you have tried any of these lipsticks and how you like them. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Other places to connect:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtney.val/

Twitter: @courtneywval

Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

Youtube: Click here

Bunnies For A Cause

Hoppy March!


Since Easter is right around the corner I decided to do a little project to raise money for the House Rabbit Society. This organization does amazing work to help rescue abused and abandoned rabbits.

Last night I posted this picture below on my Instagram  showing super cute little bunny keychains I have made. I am selling these for $5 each and if you live within the U.S. I can ship them to you for free. Proceeds from these keychains will go to make a donation to the HRS so they can buy food, litter, blankets, and other necessities. If you would like to purchase one please email me at courtneywval@gmail.com. I can only accept paypal at this time because it's the safest and easiest method for us both. Also, if you live outside the U.S. and would still like one just email me with your country code and I can find out the shipping cost. These are really lightweight so I can't imagine it will be very much to ship internationally.

Choose from these three color options: Black, White, or Teal. If you have a different color you would like just let me know and I'll see if I have it. :)

If you would like to make a donation to House Rabbit's Society directly you can do that 

here. 

They also have an Amazon Wish List of things they need. You can donate from that list 

here. 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Courtney

Other places to connect:

Twitter: @courtneywval

Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

YouTube: Click here