Review: Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day & Night Cream

Hello Lovelies!

I am back today with a review of the Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day and Night Face Cream. I bought this product at Target about a month ago, kind of on a whim.

 I needed a new night cream and I wanted something that was cruelty-free and all natural. I was REALLY impressed with the ingredients so I decided to give it a go. Ever since then I have been using it day and night after I cleanse my face and I am absolutely loving it! After 30 days not only did I see a difference but I've had strangers comment on how nice my skin looks.

Also, I have combination/dry skin that can be sensitive at times so I needed a face cream that would work with all those issues. That being said, I think this product would also work well for normal to oily skin types. 

Here's a breakdown of why I love this product:

1. The ingredients. One glance and you will fall in love. It has Sweet Iris Leaf, Damascus Rose Leaf, Kelp, Coconut water, Sunflower Seed Oil, Shea butter, Grape seed Oil, Cucumber extract, and many more wonderful things.

2. It's vegan and cruelty-free so you can rest peacefully at night knowing that no precious animals suffered for your beauty. 

3. It smells great but the scent isn't overpowering. 

4. It's a cream but it feels very gel-like and soaks into the skin quickly. 

5. It's non-irritating and it didn't make me break out.

6. It really helped hydrate my skin in these dry winter months but it didn't leave my skin feeling greasy. 

7. I saw improvement in those little "parentheses" lines around my mouth and in the fine lines on my forehead.

8. It made my skin look more radiant and hydrated. 

 9. It comes in a slim 1.7 oz container so it's very travel friendly. 

I bought mine at Target for $20 and I know to some that may be a bit pricey but I think it is well worth it. Some of the super high-end moisturizers cost way more and aren't all natural or cruelty-free. So it makes me wonder why they are even so high priced!? 

If you don't have a Target nearby you can order directly from Pacifica at www.pacificaperfume.com or I found it on www.beauty.com. 

If you have any comments or questions you can leave them down below or tweet me @imperfectperla. 

Also, let me know if there are any other cruelty-free skincare or beauty products I should try. 

Paz, 

Courtney

***These opinions are all my own and I was not paid for this review. I purchased this product myself.***

Video: Random Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Trip

Hola gal pals!

Yesterday I had to travel 2 1/2 hours away for work so I decided to take a little side trip to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

Before I put everything away I made a little video showing you what items I picked up. (including some of my absolute favorites!)

I actually did a more complete grocery trip last week before I knew about this work trip so I didn't need any fresh products.  I was just replenishing some everyday staples and trying out some new foods.

I hope you enjoy this video. I LOVE watching these types of videos because it gives me ideas of different items to try.  I have another trip planned for early February so please let me know if there are any other things I should try from either Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. You can comment below or tweet me @imperfectperla.



Peace,

Courtney

How To Tuesday/Wednesday: Make Delicious Roasted Chick Pea Snacks!

Good Evening!

 

Today I want to share a delicious chick pea snack recipe. I have been working for a while to figure out the right technique to make my chick peas crunchy and not chewy. These are a great healthy snack and making them yourself will save you a lot of money. The average bag of roasted chick pea snacks retails for about $2 per serving.  With this recipe each serving is only about $.50. That's incredible!

 

  

What You Need:
1 Bag dry chick peas
Large Bowl (for soaking)
Small Bowl (for mixing)
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt or Spice of your choice
Baking Sheet
Aluminum Foil (optional)
Vented Pizza Sheet
Paper towel

 

The Night Before:
Soak dry chick peas in enough water so that all beans are covered. I suggest using dry beans over canned because they don't contain any additives, salt, or sugar. Plus, they are usually cheaper!



What To Do:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In the smaller mixing bowl coat 1 cup of chick peas with the olive oil.
• Then add in your spice, making sure all of the chick peas are covered.
• Line you baking sheet with aluminum foil to catch any oil drips.
• Place the vented pizza sheet on top of the baking sheet.
• Then spread your chick peas onto the vented pizza sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes taste one chick pea from the center and outer edge of the vented pizza sheet. Fully roasted chick peas are crunchy and may have browned slightly.
• Remove all fully roasted chick peas and set them aside in a small bowl.
• Any remaining chick peas that are not fully roasted can go back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Check on them every 5 minutes though to make sure you don't over-roast or burn them.
• After all the chick peas are fully roasted spread them out on a paper towel to absorb any excess olive oil.
• Add extra seasonings to taste. I like to put them in a zip lock bag and shake them with some spices.
• Then enjoy and share with a friend. :)

Fun Facts About Chick Peas!
India is the #1 producer of chick peas
Chick peas are high in fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc, and essential amino acids.
"Chick pea" comes from the Latin word "cicer"
They are perfect at stabilizing blood sugar and recommended for diabetics.
There are two types of chick peas: Kabuli (larger) and Desi (smaller).

 

 

I hope you all are having a great day and enjoy this tasty, healthy snack.

 

Paz,
C

 

 

P.S. Let's talk! Tweet me suggestions for recipes or post topics @imperfectperla or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickpea

 

https://www.integratedbreeding.net/chickpea-facts-figures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Year Resolutions!

Happy New Year!

As a chronic list maker, goal setter, and just planner in general I get excited when the new year comes around because it means I get a fresh start to set new goals. I wanted to share with you today the things I've learned over the past few years about making goals or new year resolutions and successfully achieving them.

1.Make easy goals.
When I say easy I mean ridiculously easy. Think of goals that you are 100% sure you can achieve. I believe that by making and completing easy goals, you give yourself momentum to tackle larger goals. For example, one of my goals is to simply hang up my coat and purse everyday instead of draping them over the couch.

2.Use the buddy system.
Accountability is a proven method used to reach and maintain goals. Ask a friend to join you at the gym a couple times a week or volunteer at a soup kitchen. You can also come up with goals together and encourage each other throughout the process. Send each other motivational text messages or emails once a week as a reminder that you are still there for them and working towards the goal.

3.Reward yourself.
Just like  #1 make the reward very simple at first. Don't make your first reward of the year a brand new pair of Jimmy Choo heels. Start off with something small like a new lipstick or magazine. It is also best to space out rewards. Once you have completed a goal go ahead and reward yourself but then increase the difficulty of the goal and the length between rewards.

4. Do a little every day.
Over the past 4 months I have been trying very hard to break my habit of procrastinating. I have done a really good job too and the way I have been accomplishing this is by taking a goal and breaking it up into daily tasks. It is not a new concept that doing small parts of a larger task each day will help you complete the task with less stress. It is, however a hard concept to put into place. One goal I made a few months ago was to keep the house more organized and tidy.

I used to let my laundry and house cleaning pile up until it was complete chaos. Then I would have to dedicate an entire day or two just to cleaning up those messes. Now I try to clean a little every single day so I don't have to waste my weekend with a dust rag in my hand.  I also like to use the 60 second rule.  If something will take 60 seconds or less to clean up I do it right then instead of leaving it for later.

This same idea can be applied to a new year resolution. Think of some 60 second tasks you can do each day to work towards your goal.

5.Write it down.
We are all so busy it is possible to simply forget about a goal. So, writing down your goals and keeping them in sight will help remind you. Try writing them on a post-it note and sticking it to your mirror or on a colorful piece of paper you hang on your fridge. I like to sometimes set an alarm on my phone with a single word or phrase that reminds me of a goal I've made. (ex. Take Vitamin) This year I am going to try journaling again. It is a great way to check in with yourself for a few minutes every night and process your feelings from the day. Through this process you can track the progress of your current goals and you may even discover some new goals.

I hope these tips help you achieve whatever goals you are making this new year.

Here are some of the goals I am making this new year:

~Hang up coat and purse in the proper place everyday. (Remember Tip #1)

~Journal everyday or at least every week

~Volunteer in some capacity

~Strengthen yoga practice

~Run a race

~Experiment with new recipes

~Pass Medical Interpreter Certification Exams

~Work on new content for this blog. (Maybe more videos!?)

~Find joy every day in the small things

~Be happy and healthy!


What are your resolutions or goals for this new year? Comment below, tweet me @imperfectperla, or follow me on instagram (@liveloveandtiu) and comment on my new years post.


I wish you all a very successful year.

Peace,

C

Video: Holiday Health Travel Essentials

Hello again, 

I hope you are having a great week. Today I wanted to share with you a little something different: a video!

Today I am traveling back to my hometown for a 10-day trip to celebrate the holidays. I couldn’t be happier to spend time with loved ones but unfortunately my family and my husband’s family have all been sick. Last year I came down with a horrible flu on Christmas Eve so this year I am packing an artillery to protect myself against those nasty cold and flu viruses. I hope you enjoy this little video and please let me know if you would like to see more videos. 

 I would love to know your recommendations for vitamins or supplements. Let me know below or tweet me @imperfectperla

Happy Holidays and Safe Travels!

How To Tuesday: Recycle Magazines and Boost Your Mood

Happy Tuesday!

In today's post I want to share with you how I take a giant stack of magazines and turn it into a compact book. It's super easy and a great way to have all your favorite articles in once place. Plus it is a great way to boost your mood! (keep reading to find out how)

What You Need:

• Your stack of magazines. I like to stick with one type of magazine per book but you can mix magazines if you want.
• Three-hole binder
• Scissors
• Clear sheet protectors. Make sure to get sheet protectors that already have holes punched in the side.

How To:

• Grab your stack of magazines and organize them by type of magazine.
• Flip through each magazine and cut out each recipe or article that you want to keep.
• Create different piles for your articles. For example I divided mine into three piles: recipes, workouts, and beauty/fashion.

• Slip the articles into the clear sheet protectors and then pop them into your binder. You may want to use a separate blank sheet of paper to make a divider to separate each of the different themes within your binder.
• Optional: Make a decorative cover or label for the front of your binder. 

To prepare for this project I like to make a cup of my favorite coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and get snugly on the couch. I also like to turn on my favorite music or movie. I found this project to be a great way to unwind while still keeping my mind active.
 Sometimes a small project can have a big effect on your mood. The act of organizing stimulates the left side of your brain and when you are able to easily complete this project you are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment. In addition, the act of creating something or looking at creative content keeps the right side of your brain happy. In combination your brain produces more serotonin. (The chocolate can help too!) Serotonin makes brains happy. A happier brain means a happier you! So the next time you are feeling a little down grab that stack of magazines and those mood-boosting juices flowing.


I hope you enjoyed this fun little DIY. If you make a binder like this let me know what magazines or recipes you used in the comments below! You can also tweet me @imperfectperla.

Have a great day!

How To Tuesday: Make Your Own Healthy, Travel-Friendly Coffee Creamer

Happy December Lovelies!

Today we're talking about one my favorite things in this whole wide world: coffee. During the colder months I like to change up my morning coffee routine and add some creamer. There is just something so comforting about a hot, creamy cup of coffee on a chilly winter morning.  Usually I like to add almond, soy, or coconut milk as my creamer but I have been traveling a lot lately and it's not easy to constantly have one of those on hand.

 So, I did some experimenting and found a way to create my own healthy travel-friendly dry coffee creamer. I know many people will be traveling for the holidays so I thought I would share this quick little "How To" in case you want to try it for your next trip.

I actually made this specific batch last week when I was traveling to a tiny town in Mississippi and I knew my options would be limited. I packed it beside the baggie of stevia packets that permanently lives in my purse.

What You Need:
~1-2 Scoops protein powder. Mine is the Vanilla Nutribiotic
~1-2 Packets of Stevia
~ 1 tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (You can add more or less depending on what you prefer)

 

 

You just pour the ingredients into a travel size baggie and shake, shake, SHAKE! Make sure it's  closed all the way before shaking. I learned the hard way.

 

It should look something like this:

 

 

 

Tip: I have found the best way to mix this into coffee is to add the creamer to your cup first with a little bit of coffee. Then, with a fork mix in the creamer really well. Add the rest of your coffee to the cup and enjoy! If you are at a coffee shop you can also ask the barista to add a splash of soy milk, which will help the creamer more easily blend.

 

Essentially the protein powder and stevia are the base for your creamer but you can add in whatever flavorings your like.



 

Here are some other flavor combinations I want to try:

 

Peppermint Mocha: Chocolate protein powder, stevia, cocoa, crushed all-natural peppermint sticks.

Flavor Of Fall: Vanilla protein powder, stevia, nutmeg, and cinnamon

Chai: Vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, allspice, and clove.

White Chocolate Mocha: Protein powder, cocoa, stevia, natural white chocolate chips (I found some at Trader Joe's)

Peanut Butter Cup: Chocolate protein powder, cocoa,  stevia, and PB2

 

Let me know if you have any other flavor ideas in the comments below or tweet me @imperfectperla

 

 

Have a great day!