That's BANANAS!!!

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

Oh wait.....I DID!!! ha ha ha

Yep BANANAS!!! They are so good for you! They are chalk full of vitamin C, A, B6 and B12 and they also contain potassium and magnesium! And they are delish!!! But did you know that they are also great when used on top of the skin??

mmmm hmmm BANANA FACIAL =)

This facial is so easy to do, so cheap, and leaves your skin feeling moisturized, soft and so refreshed!

The fruit acids in bananas help to slough of dead skin cells, which helps to brighten dry dull skin! YAY!!!

All you need is.......

* about 1/4 of a ripe banana (the riper the better)
* a fork
* a plate

All you do is.......

* using your fork, mash the banana into a paste
* on clean, slightly damp skin rub paste into face in circular motion (bonus: if it gets in your mouth ~ that's ok it's yummmy....eyes are different story ~ never had banana in my eye, but i can't imagine it would be very pleasant haha)
* let sit for 10-15 minutes
* rinse off with cold water (the cold water closes pores sealing in moisture)

Not the prettiest facial out there ~ but it sure makes pretty skin afterwards =)

Much Love & More to Come,
Jenny

An Egg-cellent Choice in Skin Care

Egg White and Yogurt Facemask
for moisturizing and soothing

This a a wonderful facial to use any time your skin is feeling a little extra dry! With colder months ahead that is sure to start happening more and more.....not fun! (thanks cold air & artificial heat)

Egg white's work to tighten and tone skin, refresh skin and give skin a gorgeous glow!

Yogurt adds enzymes and oils to the skin, working as a natural moisturizer!

This mask will reduce pore size and improve overall skin texture (hello softness)

Trust me you won't be able to stop touching your face and saying "oooh, aww niceee"

For this wonderful concoction you will need.....

*2 egg whites
*2 table spoons of plain yogurt
*bowl
*whisk
*freshly scrubbed face

Crack the eggs into a small bowl, separating and disgarding the yolks. Add the yogurt and whisk, whisk, whisk the mix until it has a frothy, foamy appearance (great for arm muscles lol)
With your finger-tips apply a thin layer allover your face avoiding your eyes and mouth (eewww)

Let dry for 10-15 minutes (you will feel your skin becoming extremely tight ha ha take this time to make silly old lady lady faces!!)

(this pic doesn't quite show the super funnyness of these wrinkles ha ha ha)

Rinse and apply moisturizer while skin is still wet.

Enjoy your gorgeous, glowing, super soft skin!!!

Much Love & More to Come,
Jenny

Makin' the Cut III..........Sexifying a Man's t-shirt!

The other day my man was tossing out some t-shirts that he no longer uses and to my dismay, poking his wrinkly handsome face out from the bottom of the pile was WILLIE NELSON!! "WHHAAAAAT you're throwing THIS out?? Oh huh uh!" hahaha

So I did what any self-respecting female Willie Nelson fan should, I snatched it up, grabbed a pair of scissors and got busy turning my hubbies frumpy old man's t-shirt into a super awesomely cool women's t!!

Here's what I did........

1st......cut the neck line in a boat shape (sexy off the shoulder look)

2nd......cut off the sleeves right before the hem

3rd......cut off the bottom hem

4th......slit all the way from the bottom hem to the sleeve on both sides of shirt

5th......cutting both front and back of the shirt....cut triangle "shark teeth" all the way up on both sides

6th......matching front to back "teeth" tie in double knots all the way up (it's so knot hard) hahahaha

TA-DA you are finished!!!!

This is how I will rock mine.......

skinny jeans and my beyond rad Minnetonka Fringe Moccasins =)

closer look

Much Love & More to Come,
Jenny

ADDICTED TO CRACKLE

CRACKLE NAIL POLISH = The best thing to happen to nail polish since, well, nail polish!!

This stuff is awesome!!

If you ever get sick of just plain jane solid color on your tipsies, run out and get some!!!

I got Sally Hanson Crackle Overcoat in Fractured Foil from Target for a little over $6 =)

In this picture the overcoat is over top of REVLON Pink Freeze
I LOVE IT!!!

This polish is quite a bit thicker then regular polish, so the trick to getting the very best crackle effect is in the application.

1st...apply 1-2 coats of whatever color/brand of polish you choose.
LET DRY
2nd...starting in the middle of your nail do one swipe of the overcoat and then one swipe per side (it's important not to overlap the swipes or it won't crackle right)
LET DRY (be patient it takes a bit)
3rd...apply a clear coat to lock on polish and add shine =)

If you are feeling a little extra "rock star" cool.....leave one nail (ring finger is my choice) solid!! Niiiiceee =)

Enjoy all the complements you get on your rockin' mani!!!

Much Love & More to Come,
Jenny

How to QUICKLY fade a too dark dye job!!

It's a scene that has been played out many, many times throughout the years (and as long as diy dye jobs are getting done at home ~ will continue being replayed year after year after year) You've followed all directions to a T, you timed it just right, you consulted the back panel of the box to see the before and the after photos, and you rinsed out the dye completely.....Now as you unwrap your hair from the towel and turn to the mirror and say "well hello gorgeo-uh-uh......ELVIRA??? OH SNAP!!!!

What was susposed to be gorgeous chocolatey brown locks are um......BLACK!!!
or it's close cousin brown-brown-so-brown-it-looks-pretty-darn-black-brown!!!

Now BEFORE you freak out (ok ok AFTER you have freaked out a little but not too much) IT CAN BE FIXED!!! =) And if you do it right, it can be fixed with little to no damage to your hair!! ***YAY***

First a list of DO NOT's

DO NOT...Run out and buy a dye in a lighter shade! Color grabs color..meaning...IT WILL GET DARKER!!!

DO NOT....Use lemon juice or sun-in (unless you are going for that electric orange streaky look..yeah didn't think so) besides that stuff will fry your hair...no joke!

DO NOT....Bleach (major DAMAGING ~ nuff said)

DO NOT....Run out and buy hair color remover! Its as damaging as bleach and it leaves your hair bright orange and then you still have to add a dye which could result in the dreaded BLACK again.....

DO NOT....Slap every person that comes your way saying "why did you dye your hair black? I liked it much better brown/blonde" (ok ok slap a few =) just don't get slap happy ha ha)

NOW DOWN TO BUSINESS =)

TO-DO's

If you don't already have these products, run out and buy some (bonus**their cheap!)

***Medicated dandruff shampoo (either selson blue or T-gel works best)
***White vinegar
***VO5 Hot Oil Treatments

1st...get hair wet and work in the dandruff shampoo (get it good and lathered) Don't rinse!
2nd...wrap hair up and secure with saran wrap, grocery bag or freezer bag
3rd...let sit on hair for 30 minutes
The dandruff shampoo will work it's fading magic =)
4th...rinse out the shampoo completely (you will notice the proof of its magic washing down the drain in dark suds! ohh yeah!)
5th...rinse your hair with the white vinegar (also proof of power in the dark water)
6th...warm up the VO5 hot oil treatment according to box directions and apply to hair making sure to work through entirely (you may need two bottles)don't rinse yet
7th...once again wrap hair with saran wrap, grocery bag or freezer bag and let set for 30 minutes
8th...rinse and condition hair.

You may need to repeat this entire process a few more times until you get the shade of brown that you can be happy with =)

And then you can whip off that towel, look in the mirror and say "well hello gorgeous chocolately brown locks!" =)

BONUS LESSON:

IF you do in fact love your hair color and DO NOT want it to fade ~ Stay away from dandruff shampoo, white vinegar and VO5 hot oil treatments!!! ha ha ha =)

Much love & More to come,
Jenny

LOVE the shoes ~ HATE the blisters!

LOVE the shoes ~ DITCH the blisters!!!

So you went and did it......ordered those amazingly GORGEOUS shoes that you have been wanting!! You justified the "sorta" steep price tag because they are the "ppppperfect" shoe for your wardrobe ~ they go with EVERYTHING!!! You are bound to wear them EVERYDAY!!!! ~~~~ but wait ~~~~ the first time that you wear them out they are suprisingly a little tight and a tad bit stiff....and oh is that your toe or your heel that you hear screaming "OUCHIE".....omg is that a dreaded blister coming on?!?!!!!

What is a girl to do???

HOW TO SOFTEN AND BREAK IN NEW SHOES
&
AVOID GETTING BLISTERS

picture depicts a slight dramatization ha ha ha ha

First I will tell you about a few of the ideas that I have heard......wow!

1....Let someone else wear the shoes first ( um thanks but NO)

2....Peel a potatoe and stuff into the shoe overnight (haha really? puts a whole new spin on smelly shoes)

3....Soak in water and wear around until dry (yeaaa that just doesn't seem like a very good idea)

4....Put a zip-lock baggie full of water inside the shoes and freeze overnight (still water involved = not a good idea)

I don't know it might just be me, but I really would not want to do any of those things to a beloved pair of new shoes!

Soooo ~ Here's what I WOULD do...........

1....Grab up the thickest pair of athletic socks that you have got and put those on with your new shoes (sexy right? ha ha)

2....With your socks and shoes on grab your blow-dryer and on high heat but without holding too close to shoes heat up the stiffest/tightest part of the leather for about 1 minutes.

3....Walk around house until the shoes are completely cooled. The heat will soften the leather helping them to mold to your feet (no two feet are shaped exactly the same and while you can buy your size, you just can't buy for your shape)

Continue doing this for a few days until your shoes feel more and more comfortable without the socks ha ha!

DO NOT ~i repeat~ DO NOT leave your house wearing with socks ha ha for obvious reasons!!


If your shoes are extra stiff in the toes you can sit while watching the telly or surfing the web or whatever and gently holding the heel work the shoe back and forth

After a few days or if super stiff a week you should notice that your shoes are now "made for your feet"!!

Enjoy your rockin' new (comfortable) kicks!!!

Beauty doesn't have to = PAIN

Much Love & More to come,
Jenny

To Dye For (how to dip-dye a white dress)

I love giving new life to old goods! This DIY project is going to give a new life to my old wedding dress. (It's now going to be my 3rd anniversary date night dress) Now keep in mind my wedding was super casual and super exclusive (ha ha just me, my hubby & the preacher man) so my dress isn't a fancy smancy silk or taffeta or whatever fabric most wedding dresses are made of. Mine is a nice soft white cotton. Perfect for dying!!!

Things you will need....
* White dress (or any other article of clothing you wish to dye)
* Fabric dye (I got Dylon Bahama Blue permanent fabric dye for $2.99
at Hobby Lobby)
* 1 cup distilled white vinegar (helps to intensify & hold color)
* 1 cup table salt (helps the dye bond with the fabric)
* Enough hot water to cover the fabric and allow fabric to move freely
* Plastic container to do the dying in
* Plastic bowl that will hold 4 cups of water to make the dye,salt & vinegar mixture before adding to the container
* Plactic Disposable Gloves (so you don't have hands to match your dress)

Make sure that the dress has been pre-washed if it is new.

1st...Decide where you would like your color to come up to and tie a rubber band around fabric

2nd...Put on your gloves and dissolve dye, salt & vinegar into 4 cups of hot water (i used my gloved hand to stir to avoid dying a kitchen spoon)

3rd...Poor mixture into container and then add enough hot water to reach the level that you need to soak your fabric

4th...Hang fabric above container with dye water

5th...If you want your fabric to have a fade effect where it gets darker towards the bottom then dip all the way to 1/2" of where you tied on the rubber band (the dye water rises this much) dye for 15 minutes then pull fabric up however much you would like and dye for another 15 minutes then pull fabric up to the last level and dye for a final 15 minutes
If you want the dye to all be even just soak fabric 1/2" below the rubber band and time 45 minutes.

6th...Using rubber glove covered hands wring the dye water out of fabric being careful not to splash

7th...Using a plastic sack to catch any dye drips carry your dress to the sink or bathtub and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Hand wring the fabric to remove as much water as you can.

8th...Shake out dress a lil (to avoid massive wrinkles) and hang to dry somewhere that it wont be resting against other things and away from natural or artificial heat. (sun or heater ha ha)

The first couple of times you wash your new dress do it on it's own so that you don't accidently dye your other clothes....eeeeee not good.....

Enjoy your beautiful "new" dress =)

Much Love & More to Come
Jenny

Soft as a Babies Tush & Sweet Enough to Eat (Favorite Products)

The day I ran out of both my favorite bodywash and my favorite body lotion started in a panic (i suffer from dry skin haha) and ended in cocoa bliss!!

How did this happen???......

Well.....I did what any desperate, already-in-the-shower-and-wet women would do, I did a quick scan of my options.
1....Bar of soap (yeah might as well get out of the shower and into a meat dehydrator with what that would do to my skin) eeek if you have dry skin steer clear of bar soap!!!
2....left-over bottle of a motel who-knows-whats-inside bodywash.
3....my husband's 2-N-1 bodywash/shampoo...now granted it did say moisturizing, but i'd rather leave the manly musk smell to him.
THAT ONLY LEFT ONE THING
*** My baby girls Johnson's Shea & Cocoa Butter baby wash***
I followed up with
***Johnson's Baby Creamy Oil in Shea & Cocoa Butter***

AHHHHHH YEAAAAA NIIIIICE =)

I'm telling you these products feel like liquid silk going on and leave your skin feeling incredibly silky soft! I mean really what better way to get skin as soft as a baby's bum then to use baby products! I AM HOOKED!!!

The Super Softness of your skin isn't the only sense you will be pleasing!! This stuff smells incredible!!! Incredibly edibile =)) Yummy!!! Like a delicious chocolate cupcake!!

The first day that I used them I was left with an intense i've-smelled-this-exact-smell-before feeling! And then it hit me! I know where!!! So not only was I enjoying super soft skin and a sweet as desert fragrance, but also a trip down memory lane!!

In the 80's there was a group of dolls called the Cherry Merry Muffin's...My very favorite of these beyond awesome dolls was a pretty little brunette named Chocolottie and she came with a little helper named chocolate drop and they were both...you guessed it....chocolate-scented!!! Awe to be a kid again!!!

Moral of the story is.....If you want silky smooth skin that smells like it could be displayed on a bakers rack, look no farther than the baby product isle and be prepared to fall in love!!

Much Love & More to Come
Jenny (Chocolottie) :)

FAKE & BAKE (ONLY WITHOUT THE BAKE) :)

How to achieve that that all-over gorgeous summer glow without....
1: having to expose your skin to hours of harmful UV rays (aka SUN-BATHING)
2: being closed up inside a sweat box/harmful artificial UV light (aka TANNIN BED)
3: rolling around in the mud (ha ha ha ok not really)

***SUNLESS TANNER***

I know, I know! We've all been there ~ ORANGE OR STREAKED OR ORANGE AND STREAKY!!! Not a good look!!!

Sunless tanners have came a long way from how they were years ago and with a little extra skin prep and the perfect combo of tanning products everyone can prance around on the beach/pool side perfectly bronzed :)

I have been using sunless tanning lotions/sprays/cloths for years and trust me I have tried just about EVERY SINGLE product that is out there!
After (well quiet a few years) I believe I have mastered that beautiful summer glow!!!! I get complements all the time about how dark and glowing my skin is and people are shocked when I tell them its sunless!! "but it looks so good" hee hee

Ok so now down to business......

****My magicial combo****

Neutrogena
Micro Mist
Airbrush Sunless Tan
in Deep
&
Sublime Bronze
Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion
Deep Natural
Tan



I use each product once a week.....I use the sublime bronze on Wednesdays and then I use the micro-mist on Fridays.

What makes this combo work so good is that when you apply the lotion (which I looove because it is tinted so you get color right away and the bonus is it has sparkle!!!) you might miss a few spots or the color will soak in a little deeper in spots so then a few days later when you use the airbrush spray (which sprays in any direction making back side application a breeze) it evens out the entire tan!! By the 2nd week of application of the two products you look like you just got back from a beach vacation!!! Niceee!!

Sunless tanning lotion is also like using concealer on your body...LOVE THAT.....It is great for covering the appearence of celulite or stretchmarks or any other blemishes you might have!!

Tips
* A flawless finish begins with skin prep!! Exfoliate - Exfoliate - Exfoliate!! Dry skin soaks up the color and will leave you looking blotchy!!
* Always apply to clean dry skin!
* Both of these products are quick dry and non-rub off, but give at least 10 minutes to dry before getting dressed! (perfect time to whiten teeth, paint nails, practice your dance skills ha ha ha)
* Always wash hands after application!!!
*Use regular lotion on the off days! Moist skin will hold onto the tan best!
* I never wear white right after application for obvious reasons....

Happy tanning =) YOU GLOW GIRL!!!
Remember to use SPF when you are out in the sun!!!!

Much Love & More To Come,
Jenny :)

Natural Way To A Flat Belly.......Yum!!!!

Watermelon
for a
FLAT BELLY
*yum*

Yep not only is watermelon delicious, but it will help you get that flat sexy belly everybody craves!!

Perfect snack cuz it's sooooo low in calories, super cooling in the summer heat and yumalicious!!!

Got a beach or pool party coming up and you wanna look your best in that tiny lil' piece of fabric they like to call a bathing suit (ha ha) ~ Grab a watermelon and get your munch on!!!

Here's why......

Watermelon contains a lot of fluid which helps your body to eliminate salt and other nasty body bloating toxins! It's high water content will help to keep you hydrated. Dehydration will make you retain water and that my friends leads to BLOAT!!! Not pretty!!!!

If you find it hard to drink the required 8 glasses of water each day, watermelon will help you reach that goal in a tastier way =)

Something to remember.....

Hydrated body = Faster Metabolism
Faster Metabolism = Burning off more Calories
Burning off more Calories = Skinny Minnie

Much Love & More to Come,
Jenny

Hello Kitty Nail Art......Super Cute!!!

I love, love, love Hello Kitty!!! What could be more fun than Hello Kitty nails?!? NOT MUCH ha ha ha

First of all I'm gonna start off by saying that I AM NOT AN ARTIST ha ha If I can do this ~ anybody can!! Seriously =)

Stuff you'll need...
*White Nail polish
*Yellow polish paint pen
*Black polish paint pen
*Pink or Red polish paint pen
(if you don't have paint pens or can't find a certian color you can use regular polish and a small paint brush)

1st...paint your nails with the white (about 2 or 3 coats):the cheaper the polish the more coats you'll need

2nd...after white polish is dried completely you are ready to apply the noses...using your yellow polish, paint on a horizontal oval 3/4 of the way down your nails

3rd....for the eyes use your black polish and just above the nose paint on two vertical ovals

4th...for the whiskers just paint on three black stripes starting at the top of the eyes (if you get black polish on your finger just dip a q-tip into polish remover and do a lil clean up ha ha speaking from experience here!)

5th...now you are ready to finish each kitty off with either a pink bow or a red bow

Remember ~ Imperfect is the new Perfect!! If any of it has small mistakes that's ok...it adds character =)

Enjoy all the complements you'll get!!!!.....LOTS

Much love & More to come,
Jenny

Home Remedy for (nasty) Stretch Marks!!

Somebody asked me today if i knew of any good remedies for stretch marks....

DO I EVER!!!

This one is super strange ha ha ha

Like any type of stretch mark miracle cream, it is best when used on the freshest of marks. That's not to say that it doesn't work on the oldies, IT DOES! Just the earlier you catch things ~ the better!

It works the best on smaller marks, not say the deep one's on boobies that went from a B to a DDD during pregnancy......sorry =(

What is this strangest of all strangness....???

VICKS VAPOR RUB.....yup, yup =)

ha ha ha i know right?? wierd!

So, all you gotta do is grab a dollup of the stuff and rub, rub, rub in small cirles vigorously where you have marks. Don't rub so hard you are causing yourself pain or like rubbing off skin......eeek ha ha
Do this two-three times a day for about 5-10 minutes each time.....i know, i know, but it's worth it!

IT REALLY DOES WORK!!!

After about a week and a half you will notice results =) YAY!!!
The stretch marks will be visably thinner and the skin will be smoother =)
And you will be much happier =)

****the strange part of the the whole thing is that sometimes (idk if it's the same with everyone) you hear snap, crackle, popping noises hahaha****

much love & more to come,
Jenny

Tu-Tu Onsie

Every little girl needs a tutu!!! (hey big girls need them too, they just might feel a lil silly wearing one! ha ha)

Here is a really, really, really simple way to make a tutu onsie!
SO EASY!!!!

Things you'll need...
*Onsie (size, color, style is totally up to you)
*about 15 yards of tulle (more or less depending on the size you are doing)
*enough elastic band to go around the waist
*needle & thread
*sissors

1st...measure the amount of elastic you will need by simply wrapping around the waist of the onsie about 4-5 inches above the leg hole.
Next...sew on the piece of elastic in four places just enough to secure it to the onsie (about 1/8" section)...the front, back and both sides.

3rd...cut your tulle into strips (however long you want the skirt double that) i cut mine into 18" strips

4th...tie the tulle strips right in the middle into a double knot keeping each strip close together to avoid gaps...make sure u pull the knots secure

5th...once you have tied all of the tulle to fill the entire waist of the dress, you can bling it up a little by adding a bow

.......and in (seriously) LESS than 30 minutes......

I LOVE IT!!!
Super easy & Super cute!!!

Much love & More to come
Jenny

Tummy Toner

So it's the beginning of May ~ THAT can only mean 1 thing!!! ONE month till it's officially bikini body baring weather!!!! EEEEKKKK!!!!

That gives us all aproximately 4 weeks to tone up that tummy ~~ Awesome cuz that's aproximately how long it takes to show results with this awesome ab workout!!!

It's so awesome because it's free, you can do it anytime, and anywhere (well preferably a cushy spot)

I am NOT a sit-up kinda gal....I find that it's too much of a pain in the neck ha ha ha literally (i just can't seem to not use my neck)

This workout really puts the burn on!! Seriously after a few sets you will think twice about reaching for those greasy (but yummy) french fries, or in my case stopping at 10 m&m's instead of 10,000....(but their soooo good) =)

It works out your entire core....from below your belly button all the way up to your ribs.

I call it the Belly Bridge

warning...you may be sore the next day (ha ha who am I kidding! You will be sore, but it's soooo worth it)

step 1...drop belly down on a soft rug or a yoga mat

step 2...prop up on your elbows holding them at a 90 degree angle

step 3...point your toes toward the floor and balance on them keeping your body nice and straight...ooooh my abs...pull your belly in and hold

hold for a slow count of 25 doing two - three sets taking a short rest between
work up to doing slow counts of 50 two - three sets everyday

These arn't as easy breezy as they look. It is very important to keep your body straight and your abs pulled in....don't let your tush stick up in the air or your belly sag in the middle ha ha not as effective......straight, straight, straight!

If you find you can barely make it thru your counts just chant bikini, bikini, bikini, bikini ah ha ha it has a way of pushing you to the finish!!!

Sexifying beaches everywhere =)

Much love & more to come,
Jenny

RUFFLES & BABY BUTTS

Ruffles, Ruffles, Ruffles.....LOVE THEM!!!!

There's no cuter place for ruffles then on a baby girl's lil tush =)

I'm gonna show you how to make a ruffle-butt onsie. It's super fast and super easy!!! Makes an adorable, personalized and yep cheap baby shower gift!!!

Thing's you'll need....

*Onsie in whatever size, color & pattern you like(I got this "this is my little black dress" onsie at walmart for $3)
*about 2 yards of ruffle (got mine at hobby lobby $1.25)
*sissors
*sewing machine or you can hand stitch

lay your onsie face down...measure and cut 1st ruffle from the top seam of the leg hole across to the other leg hole

you will want to make sure your ruffle stays in place in a nice straight line, so pin every inch or so

now sew in a straight line (back stitch at the beginning and the end) down the middle of the ruffle

continue following these same steps...measure, cut, pin & sew....three more times keeping ruffles close together to avoid gaps where too much fabric shows through.

ADORABLE!!!!

LOVE!!!

PEACE, LOVE & RUFFLE BUTTS =)

Much love & more to come,
Jenny