National Cat Day

Happy Cat Day, Yall! Go out and hug a kitty. It's life changing. (For some, also airway restricting. But God gave us Benadryl. So DO IT!). 

Love of my life: 

I. Can't. Stop. 

XOXO Summer 

Wordless Wednesday

Tom's of Maine!

I'm still on this hollistic rant you guys. That being said, a friend in CA recommend I try Tom's of Maine products. I checked out their website and I was pleased with what I found. 

All of their products are made from naturally derived, God given earth elements. ( I know I sound like a flower child hippie, but near with me). 

I am sold! I can't believe how awesome it is! (TMI, I sweat like the Mexican that I am so I normally have to buy that Secret clinical strength business)....

I does take a bit to get used to at first. The product has to sort of absorb into your skin and it's almost like you put on too much gel deodorant and you are waiting for it to dry. It lasts a few minutes but it's worth it. 

I chose lavender because I thought I would like the calming scent. Turns out I looked like a weirdo all day smelling my underarms and sighing happily, relaxed. I'll have to work on that....

All day I never felt sweaty or smelled like I ran a marathon (which is ironic because o never ever have done any sort of athletic anything). I felt like I was wearing good ol regular deodorant. 

Then, came the TEST! I literally have to use a bar of soap in the shower soley to scrub my underarms to remove previous deodorant reside or shaving doesn't happen. If I don't use the soap my pits get sticky and gross.  (Isn't that so strange?). ANYWAY. This morning I had no problem using my regular Dove body wash and didn't have to resort to skin drying Dial! I know this is probably one of the weirdest things I've ever read by this is my shower struggle. And I loathe it. And now it's gone!!

Thank you Tom's of Maine for making my morning more manageable. I am now a solid customer!!

Next week, I'm trying their tooth paste!

Sweat free!

XOXO Summer

MCM

Yall. I am so in love. 

Elmo has been with me through thick and thin. 

Mostly us being thick.....

I love how his little cat toes are all flappy because he ripped out his 'claw suture glue' when he was a wee one after his declaw surgery. 

I love the way he always shoves his soft head in my face for a kissy. 

His smell is indescribably sweet, like strawberries, mainly because he sleeps in clean laundry (much to my Husby's dismay)...

And most importantly, I love the way he is always waiting for me every night when I get home from work. Such a faithful man. So endearing. An hairy. MMMMMMMM how I love Elmo. 

Who is your MCM?

XOXO Summer

Wordless Wednesday

Make your own....Cream of Chicken Soup

Preservatives are in almost everything we eat these days and it sorta freaks me out that my kids annihilate their food without even tasting it so I want to make sure at least 1/2 of what they are eating won't preserve THEM. (Call me ridiculous, what ever. Don't call me when your kid gets diabetes....)

I found a simple recipe on Pinterest and I'm quite pleased with the outcome! 

I used my own chicken stock from cooking a chicken in the crockpot (poured juices thru a strainer into a container. Let sit in fridge for a day, scraped off top fat layer-GAG- and voila!)  I only had to use about 1/3 c of store bought broth! So I technically made two cream of chicken soup 'cans' for less than a buck!

Here's the link to the recipe: http://pinchofyum.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup

I followed the directions exactly and then I blended everything with an immersion blender because I didn't like the texture (it was lumpy from the flour). 

Y'all , it tastes like chicken gravy. Which should be its own food group in my opinion. 

Nummy!

Eat. Pray. Chicken. 

XOXO Summer

Bar graphs and color wheels

Y'all, I have always prided myself in being some what mechanically and technologically talented. I can take apart and reassemble a cell phone. Fanangle car buttons. Fix broken parts- mostly. 

Then I drove my parents new car this morning. Holy whiplash. 

There are buttons and toggles and meters that read things I did not even knew existed! 

And math. I hate math. And this fancy schmancy thing had bar graphs on the main dash display, ya'll. What am I supposed to do with that?!

Apparently it's a hybrid and Toyota prides itself on how economical it is to drive. I was just waiting on the blasted thing to pump out a latte or muffin or something. (A machine this high tech much to SOMETHING useful to me....) 

Do you see the green light on right side? NO IDEA what it does. Except flash. 

My first caution sign should have been my dad's initial instruction: "when you push the start button you won't hear anything but when the 'ready' light goes on you can drive." What?! That sounds like microwave instructions. Ready light??  Are we launching into outer space?

It was a blast to drive (praise the sweet Lord TPD is too busy busting gang members to pull over crazy women drivers UNLIKE myself).  This puppy goes pretty fast (compared to the minivan!)

Sadly, at the end of work I drove it home and turned over the 'keys' to my parentals. I hope they come to visit again soon. It was fun pretending to be cool for a day....

Good job, Toyota! Now figure out how to add a toaster oven and soda dispenser in your 'hybrid hoop ties' and I'll forever drive one. 

Minivan for sale,  

XOXO Summer

Thin hair, don't care!

Yall, I've battled thin, stringy hair all of my life. I've tried every product under the sun to thicken, voluminize, and de-grease my mane and failed miserably. Until a trip to Ulta with Bestie JJ (new peep, new name). 

Behold, the best (and cheap)  hair products that I pray will never EVER go off the market. EVER. 

'Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray'

And 'Got2B Volumizing Powder'. 

Life changing. 

Sea salt spray added texture to my five hair giving it a fuller appearance that lasts allllllllll day. 

I spray it all over after I wash my hair before I blow dry. 

Crazy thick, right?

Then I let my still warm hair set in Velcro rollers while I out on my make up. 

When it's time to take out the rollers I brush my hair down a tad and sprinkle ge powder in the palm of my hand and rub the stuff in between my fingers to evenly distribute through the front and crown of my head. This magic stuff keeps all day! (I do have to use a decent amount every time I use it but it's much cheaper Han other brands and Ulta does buy one get one 1/2 off all the time so it's worth it.). Oh, you can also snag it at Walmart or even Walgreens. Awesome!

Anyway. Then I spray my hair with hair spray and I'm good. 

Yay for hair!

XOXO Summer

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday (a day late..)