Homemade Cheesesticks

My husband is tired of spending so much on cheesesticks for the kids.  I started chopping up cheese and  putting them in those snack size zip storage bags.  You can't cut them up too far ahead or they can start tasting old, but when you're making dinner with cheese, cut some up and put them in individual baggies for when you're running out the door in a hurry.  It saves quite a bit of money to do it this way instead of buying the cheesesticks at the store.

Carlsbad State Beach

 

We went to Carlsbad State Beach Park the beginning of October.  It's a great deal if you want to visit San Diego and don't mind camping.  All sorts of shopping is close by and it's really close to Legoland.  If memory serves, it's about $50.00 a night.  I've heard it's hard to get a spot in the summer, that you have to do it way in advance, but our reservations in October were made about a month before.  You camp up on a bluff and walk down to the beach.  They have bathrooms and showers.  Not super clean, but not awful either.  We had a couple sunny and a couple rainy days the beginning of October.

It's time to exfoliate! Cost-Effective Efoliation!

I have really dry skin.  This is the time of year when I have to ramp up my exfoliation.  I might be a little slow on this concept, but the other day on the Today Show a gal was talking about how she kept her skin in shape.  All she does is uses those gloves that are a little bit textured.  I think they call them exfoliation gloves.  She uses her regular shower gel or soap and lathers up as usual, just scrubbing a little as she's doing getting clean.  I tried it and it really is nice.  I've been doing it once a week, but the gal on the Today Show does it everyday.  I put a couple of those suction hook things on the outside of my shower for them to air dry, then you can toss them in the laundry with your towels.  Cost-effective and sanitary (no disgusting loofa's!).  Love it!  I've found them at many different discount places like Ross, Tuesday Morning, etc.  I also found a "mitt" that I like even better, you just switch hands.

Click here to read an old blog about how I exfoliate my very dry hands.

It's Swimsuit Time ... to BUY that is!

Now is a great time to buy a swimsuit.  I bought a bottom (skirted bottom) a couple days ago at JcPenney.  It was normally $50.00, I bought it for $4.37.

ps-My first skirted bottom and I LOVE it!

Free Fonts!

I'm helping my sister choose new fonts for her blog.  There are a couple sites we are using with free fonts: 

dafont
Free Fonts from Kevin and Amanda.com

While I'm at it, a place I sometimes go for free pictures, etc. is:

stock.xchng

Drug Store Cosmetics I Really Like

I've been trying to use more drug store cosmetics to save both time and money. I'm not super close to the mall, so I love being able to just refill at the grocery store. Here are some I've tried and like. Most are Loreal. Loreal is really coming up with products lately that are close the quality of some expensive stuff I've tried.

Loreal De-Crease set's eyeshadow. It helps eyeshadow last longer without creasing.
I LOVE this foundation. As I'm getting older, I have larger pores. I know, bummer. Anyway, this foundation feels strange to me. It's whipped and you don't need a lot. It's basically Spackle for pores. It fills them up and skin looks much smoother.
Magic perfecting base is also like Spackle, but without tint. If you have another foundation you like, I'd try this with it. I tried using this with the Magic Souffle, but it was just too much "Spackle" together.
This mascara has been around for years (I think it's 20 years this year?). Anyway, I like to use it when I'm trying to get my eyelashes big or if I'm trying to run out the door quickly and only want to put on a single coat.Cover Girl Lash Blast is a great mascara also, and for the same reasons. Big lashes, can use just one coat if you're trying to leave the house quickly.
I read Charla Krupp's book "How Not To Look Old" last year. She suggested pink lipgloss for looking younger. This is the first I tried, and so far still my favorite. I have fair skin and the pink of this is really nice. I get a lot of compliments on it. I don't remember the name off the top of my head, but it's the one with the pink breast cancer ribbon.
This last product is not from the drug store, but I love it so much I had to include it. It's MAC Studio Fix and I've used it for years. It's not my all time favorite foundation, but it's my favorite foundation/powder combo for getting ready quickly and for keeping in your purse. Mine lasts quite a while and I think MAC is fairly well priced for "fancy" makeup.

Quote

"Live simply, so others might simply live."