30 Before 30: Book Review

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

I just posted on my YouTube Channel a little quick informational video about my 30 Before 30 challenge. One of my goals is to read 30 books over the next year and I am well on my way to accomplishing that goal. After each book I read I will post a short little review for you here on my blog.

Book #1: The Day I Shot Cupid by Jennifer Love Hewitt

That's right. The Jennifer Love Hewitt from Party of Five and all of those wonderfully sappy teen/horror movies from the '90/'00's. I saw this book one day at Dollar Tree and decided to get it solely based on the fact that I am nosy and wanted to read J. Hewitt's thoughts on love.

This was an extremely quick read. It only took me two sessions to finish the whole thing. Most of the book is written in first person (J. Hewitt) except for a chapter in which she lets her then fiance give his opinion on women and dating. I think a true book critic would say that this book is not incredibly well written. The story lacks a solid flow and at some points I think bullet points would have been better. I did like the honesty in this book. Hewitt is very vulnerable and open with her stories and thoughts on love. She wrote this as just a normal woman talking to other normal women about how complicated love can be. We see so much gossip about celebrities and their love lives in the media so it's nice to get the other side of the story. Overall I enjoyed this short little read and I think I like Jennifer Love Hewitt even more now.  I give this book 2.5  bunnies.

Thanks for stopping by!

Watch my 30 Before 30 Challenge video here:

Other places to find me: 

Instagram: courtney.val

Twitter: @courtneywval

Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

YouTube: click here

Misogi Naturals Lather Master Soap Review + GIVEAWAY!

Hello Lovelies!

I have just posted a new video on my YouTube Channel reviewing the bath and body products from Misogi Naturals. This company is all natural, vegan, and eco-friendly. My husband and I have been using the Silk Kimono Lather Master soap for about a month and we are in love. It comes with a special exfoliating pad attached to the soap so you can exfoliate your skin, cleanse your skin, and then create a rich later to shave your legs. (or face, or wherever...) It also leaves a lasting fresh scent that is not too overpowering. The photos below are the 6 available scents. The 4.5 oz soaps retail for $12 each and the accompanying body butters are $18 each. I am doing a giveaway on my YouTube channel where you can enter to win of the the gift sets which includes both the body butter and soap. If you would like to enter head on over to the video HERE. 

Also I have a coupon code for you all to use to receive %15 off your order. Use code LatherMaster

**Giveaway rules at the bottom of this page**

GIVEAWAY RULES:

~ Must be 18+ or have permission from guardian to give out shipping address.

~Must like Misogi Naturals Facebook page HERE

~Be a subscriber to my YouTube channel. Subscribe HERE

~Give my review video a thumbs-up 

~Share the review video on any social media site and then leave a comment on the video with the link to where you shared the video and also say "enter me".  You can enter once a day for 2 weeks. 

**You can also enter by leaving your link to where you shared the video on this blog post with the link to the shared video and state "enter me". 

~Giveaway will run from 11/17/14 until 11/30/14 at 11:59 EST. 

~Once the winner is announced they will be contacted and have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. 

Thanks for joining me and good luck!

Other places to find me:

Email: courtneywval@gmail.com

Instagram: @courtney.val

Twitter: @courtneywval

30 Before 30 Challenge

Hello there!


I have decided to challenge myself to something a little crazy. While searching for birthday items for my husband's 30th  I can across a lot of "30 before 30" pins on Pinterest. Many of the ideas related to a birthday scavenger hunt or 30-beer birthday cake but I have something else in mind.
I decided to make a list of 30 things I want to complete over the next year before I turn 30. Not only will this adventure be really fun and inspiring I think it will take the sting out of turning the big 3-0.

This past Sunday (Nov, 9th) I officially turned 29 so the challenge has begun. I had planned to have this post up on Sunday but life got hectic and that just didn't happen.

On to the challenge....

Here are 20 of the goals on my list. I have a full set of 30 goals in mind but I want to leave a little wiggle room in case I get inspired or want to change something. After all, this is my challenge so I can do what I want. Ha!

I will be documenting this journey through this blog, Instagram, Twitter, and my YouTube channel. See below for all the links to follow me.

THE LIST:

1. Get Certified Medical Interpreter's License
2. Reach 3,000 YouTube subscribers.
3. Read 30 Books in the next year
4. Run a 10k.
5. Start learning French.
6. Visit a new city.
7. Teach Luna (my bunny) 1 trick.
8. Write someone a letter every month.
9.  Vlog (video blog)  for 30 days
10. Invest in a better video/photo camera and lighting set-up.
11. Upgrade blog and buy domain.
12. Pay off my car.
13. Go Skydiving.
14. Go to a concert
15. Volunteer
16. Master 5 recipes
17. Take one photo a day for a year.
18. Make Christmas cards and send them out
19. Take care of dental work I have been avoiding.
19. Stay up all night and watch the sunrise.
20. Make and stick to self-care plan.


Thank you for joining me on this journey! If you have tried something like this before I would love your advice.

Follow Me Here:
Instagram: @courtney.val
Twitter: @courtneywval
Youtube: Courtney Val

Roasted Pumpkin "Mac and Cheese"

Today's recipe was inspired by my desire to experiment in the kitchen and to not be wasteful of a mini pumpkin sitting in my fridge. This past Sunday my husband and I bought two small pumpkins at a farmers market with the intention of carving them out to use as chili soup bowls. We soon realized the chili would probably taste like pumpkin and we opted for regular bowls. 

To be honest I started this culinary experiment with the idea that I would make pumpkin soup and then changed my mind half way through. 

If you want to try this recipe yourself here is what you will need:

~1 small fresh pumpkin.

~Olive oil

~Water

~Blender

~1 bag of brown rice pasta

~ 1/4 cup of Raw cashews

~Mustard powder

~Chili powder

~Nutritional yeast

~Salt to taste

~Black pepper to taste

~Raw shelled pumpkin seeds to garnish.

**This dish is vegan and gluten free.

*If you have a nut allergy you can simply leave out the cashews and replace it with a little milk.

Steps for preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. 

2. Hollow out your pumpkin, washing the surface very thoroughly. Remove all seeds from the inside of your pumpkin. 

3.Cut your pumpkin into chunks and place them in an oven-safe dish. NOTE: You do not have to remove the skin from your pumpkin.

4. Pour about 1/4 cup of water over the pumpkin and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. 

5. Roast the pumpkin for 25-30 minutes. You will know the pumpkin in properly roasted when the chunks are soft and tender.  

This is what your pumpkin looks like after it has been roasted. 

6. Put still warm pumpkin into your blender.  

7.Also add about 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of raw cashews into the blender. 

 8.Blend until smooth. If you need, add more water so everything gets blended well.

 9. Add blended mixture to a sauce pan with the stove temperature set on low to medium-low.
10. Add in 1/4-1/2 cup of nutritional yeast. (depending on your preference)
11. Add in 1 tsp of ground mustard powder.
12. Add in 2-3 tsp of chili powder.
13. Taste the mixture in between adding each of the spices. Add salt and pepper to your desired taste.
14. Cook and drain the brown rice pasta. Add the sauce on top of your pasta and place it in your oven (still set on 350) for 5 minutes. Add shredded cheese on top if you like before putting it in the oven.

 Viola! This is what it will look like. 

15.Sprinkle some raw pumpkin seeds over the top as a garnish. I thought of that after I took this photo. Opps!

You can leave it vegan like this or add shredded cheese on top. You could also add shredded almond cheese on top to still keep it vegan.

I thought it was really tasty so I gave a little sample to my co-worker so she can give me some constructive feedback since this was totally experimental. Let me know if you have ever tried something like this!

Thanks for stopping by!

Other places to find me:

Instagram: courtney.val

Twitter: @courtneywval

YouTube: Courtney Val or www.youtube.com\TheImperfectpearl

One Minute Smoothie: Healthy Hair and Skin

Hola!

This morning I made a delicious smoothie so I thought I would share the recipe with you. I also filmed it and posted the video on my YouTube channel. You can watch the video here:

Recipe:
2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
2 Tsp of hemp seeds
3-4 Frozen mango chunks or slices
A handful of frozen or fresh spinach
10 oz of  coconut water (you could use almond milk, coconut milk, or regular milk if you like)

Blend it up and enjoy!

Health Benefits Breakdown:

Apple Cider Vinegar: It helps balance your body's pH levels, promotes a healthy metabolism, and stabilizes blood sugar.

Coconut Oil: It produces lauric acid which can kill bacteria (Acne!) and fight off viruses. It promotes shiny and strong hair. It can even reduce or prevent hair loss.

Coconut Water: This juice is naturally very hydrating and being properly hydrated keeps your hair shiny and skin plump. Staying hydrated is also the number 1 way to prevent premature aging.

Mango: Eating mango can actually unclog your pores and clear up pimples.

Spinach: Greens=glow. It's that simple. The more greens you eat the more your hair will grow and your skin will glow.

Hemp Hearts: These seeds are high in Omega 3's and Vitamin E which treat hair and skin conditions.


Thanks for joining me and leave any comments or questions down below.

Also feel free to follow me here:
Instagram: courtney.val
Twitter: @courtneywval

New Social Media And Contact Info!

Hey there!

Some big changes are coming to my blog and a few have already happened. I want to make it easier for people to find me and my content so I have created a special Instagram and Twitter for all things Courtney!

Follow me!
Instagram: courtney.val
Twitter: @courtneywval

I already had a personal Instagram and Twitter but I know some of my family and friends don't really want to constantly see pictures of meals, make-up, etc. So follow me through the accounts listed above!

Other types of posts you can expect on my new social media sites:
~Photos of sales, discounts, or bargains I see while shopping
~Motivational and inspirational content
~Pics of my bunny, Luna
~Mini-product reviews
~Beauty content
~Fashion content
~Budget-friendly and affordable ideas for every day living
~Travel content
~ and more!

I also have a new email address for comments, questions, business inquires, and vidoe/blog requests.  Email me at courtneywval@gmail.com

As always you can also connect with me through my Youtube channel .

Thanks for stopping by!

Dollar Tree Haul Price Comparison

Hello Everyone!

I just posted a new video on my YouTube Channel. It's another Dollar Tree Haul and this time I really found some great bargains. After I purchased the items from my haul I did some research to compare the actual value of the items to what I paid for them. I found these prices by doing a simple Google internet search so if you search yourself it is possible you will find prices that vary by $1-2. 

Below are the items from my haul with the quantity I purchased along with the total retail value. As you can see I saved 89% off of the retail value! That is amazing and so far all of the items I purchased at Dollar Tree have performed really well. 

 I encourage you to stop by your local Dollar Tree next time you are out shopping to see if you can find some great deals too. 

3 Fembody vitamins= $66  

3 Physician's Formula spf 50 powder foundation=$30

3 Physician's Formula Rose Quartz lip gloss=$21

2 Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips=$14

2 Physician's Formula concealer pen=$14

2 Physician's Formula baked eye shadow=$16

3 Physician's Formual Mineral Blush-$30

1 Sports muscle ache cream=$9

2 Claudia Stevens Overnight Lip Plumper =$12

2 Claudia Stevens Plumping Lip Balm-$12

1 Raid Fly ribbon-$10

1 Got2b Smooth Operator Hairspray-$7

1 Got2b Fat-tastic Volumizing Hairspray= $9

1 Neon index cards=$3

1 Quinoa conditioner=$2

2 Sassy and Chic nail set= $2

1 Chalkboard labels= $4
3 Soft T-shirts=$18
1 2 count Soft Lips-$3
1 Sally Hansen Mineral Foot Soak=$9
2 Fing'rs Nail Polish Strips=$12

Total Value:$303

Total Paid: $38

89% savings!

Click the play button to watch my 2nd Dollar Tree Haul!

Thank you for stopping by and please leave any comments, questions, or blog/video requests in the comments section below. 

Have a great day!