Quick and Easy!

Friends, I know we live in a "convenience" based world, but sometimes that's not a bad thing!

Recently, I've discovered a few of the fastest and most convenient foods, hairstyles, and more!

Food:

If you're like me, you love love love guacamole. I bought some of those divine avocados the other day to go with my Tostitos Hint of Lime chips! Try them! I'm drooling a little.

I decided to google the "easiest guacamole dip" and stumbled upon this recipe. I should've gone there first! Allrecipes is, again, the mecca of all awesomeness!  The recipe is here, but it only calls for the avocados and garlic salt. I added the garlic salt, but decided it needed something more! Lemon juice! My husband and I killed that guac faster than it took me to whip it up! (Which was approximately 30 seconds. Literally!) This is definitely my go-to recipe for guacamole! 

credit myrecipes.com

Convenience trick number two? 

The Sock Bun! 

Normally, I just throw my hair into a terrible "bun", if you will. It's more of a messy bun, and nothing cute. Like this:

Mine is closer to this:

Okay, so to be honest, she looks cute! That's my typical hair sans the cute bangs and cute face.

I love hairstyles that take little to no effort, yet look adorable!

One of my favorites is the flipped ponytail!

There's just something elegant to it!

On a side note, does anyone remember the infomercials for these?!

Here are a couple of hair tricks that I love! Namely the Goody Simple Style Spin Pin. That's actually the name!

These things are SO fast.  They actually stay in your hair tightly and don't slip out like bobby pins.

My sister poked fun at me for this, but I love my sock bun! 

I just rolled up two socks with the toes cut off for mine!

There are two ways to do this:

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Sock-Bun

Throw your hair in a ponytail, spread your hair all around it, and roll up your hair!

then...

OR

You can spread the hair over the sock, like this one!

credit www.helloframboise.com

Just tuck the remaining hair in with the Goody spin pins or bobby pins and voila! A sock bun.

By the way...

While looking for pictures, I stumbled upon this website.

Oops...  ;)

9 Weirdest Hair Tools

Sock Bun Curls?

Has anyone ever hear of curling your hair with a sock bun?

There's a tutorial on YouTube. It's a bit lengthy, but it works! I watched this video and tried it! 

The only thing I would've changed is adding some sort of product to my hair to make the curls hold longer. I used it as a base curl for my bridals a few months ago. 

Even though they didn't hold as well as I thought they would, they definitely made styling my hair easier!  Just throw some pomade on your hair and you should be good to go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FV-YO46E8Y

Fast Meals!

If you've ever used a slow cooker before, you know what a fast meal is! I know it sounds kind of silly. Slow cooker for a fast meal? If the preparation time is extremely short for me, then that is a fast meal!

Try this little experiment: Take your favorite things, throw them in a crock pot, and turn it on low for 8 hours. That night you will be drooling with anticipation! 

Now, this doesn't mean a brownie mix with ribs! Yikes. Vegetables are easy to throw in. Or, to make things easier, research a crock pot recipe with a few ingredients and tweak it to your liking! To make things even easier for you, go check out my board of Crock Pot meals on Pinterest!

http://pinterest.com/jenjenpotts/lazy-cookin-crock-pot/

Do any of you have any fast tips for life? Hair, makeup, food? We'd love to hear about it!

Antiques and Steals!

Friends!

If you have an appreciation for sweet deals and awesome finds, then hear me out!

My husband and I stumbled upon a warehouse of antiques and collectables. It was amazing!

We had been wanting to get a record player for some time, but we weren't willing to fork out hundreds of dollars for one. And the fact that they weren't authentic made it less fun.

We walked into the warehouse and BOOM! Floor to ceiling of so many things! Books, magazines, records, etc. You name it, they had it!

I should have taken more pictures of the place.

We were given a record player because it didn't seem to work.

My husband fiddled with it for awhile and it started working! Here's a link to the video! After it ran for a bit the motor was silent! You can kind of hear the crackles in the video, but I think that's what makes it even cooler!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4787723607288&l=3757927029796876066

How sweet is that?

We also got a 1920s Singer sewing machine in perfect working order! It still sews! Ah! Just look at that detail!

This is the Singer Red Eye machine. So sweet.

Forgive my tacky instagram filters, but here are some other pictures of some of the things at the store and that we bought!

Has anyone stumbled upon any cool treasures like these? Tell us about them! 

Happy thrifting!

Reese's Cake Problems

And by problems, I mean inhaling this cake.

This is a combination of my mama's recipe and a bit of my artistic attempt.

Are you drooling yet? I am!

This is a basic two layer chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. I drizzled melted peanut butter on the top with some Reese's candy. Inside is more frosting. Yes!

Here's a similar frosting recipe from All Recipes, the mecca of wonderful creations: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-peanut-butter-frosting/

I usually add vanilla to mine just for a little more flavor!

I think I have a PB problem. Hooray for protein justification!

I need to make this cake again!

Crock Pot Lovin'

I love my crock pot. No, really. It's a beautiful thing.

Who wouldn't want to throw a ton of ingredients into a pot and come home 8 hours later to the sweet aromas of a pork roast? Or chicken and potatoes? Yum!

I started out with a baby crock pot when I was single. I quickly graduated to a medium slow cooker (that looked like it came out of the sixties!) and then a large one. I've literally owned 4 at one time. Oops...

I eventually gave the smaller crock pots away. While I love that my old roommates and friends will enjoy them, I would not recommend it! They're too good to get rid of.

The smaller ones can be used for warm dips or extra broth or gravy. It can even be used for a small dessert!

I have a board on Pinterest called Lazy Cookin': Crock Pot here: http://pinterest.com/jenjenpotts/lazy-cookin-crock-pot/

I recently made this recipe, but tweaked it a bit:

Ranch House Crock Pot Chicken

http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2013/01/ranch-house-crock-pot-chicken.html?m=1

I added a naughty ingredient. Cream cheese! Apparently I added too much soup, so I threw in the cream cheese to thicken it up a little bit. Not disappointed!

I wouldn't recommend doing this often, but it was definitely worth it.

We ate this over lumpy mashed potatoes. Honestly, the potato taste was hidden, so I would recommend this over rice, or the potatoes on the side. We didn't do the gravy, we just used the sauce from the chicken.

If you don't have a crock pot, get one! It will save you so much time and money! There's a really cute girl that did crock pot meals for an entire year! I can't say I have the patience for that, but it's definitely inspiring!

It's called "A Year of Slow Cooking"

She has great recipes that I am dying to try!
 http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Happy cooking!

RUN AWAY FAST!

Has anyone ever been coerced, pressured, cornered, and practically forced to buy something ridiculous? Today, I was at the mall and was absolutely controlled by a salesman. I made the mistake of walking within 100 yards of the front of a store. Hah!

It was "Premier Dead Sea". I'm telling you, by the time I left I wanted to SCREAM.

Normally, I'm not that dramatic. (Tee hee hee... Just ask my husband!)

As I walked passed, the guy threw a sample in my face but said nothing. When I looked up, he said "OH! We have the same eyes!"

My eyes are hazel/green. His were sea foam green. Not exactly, dude.

He did not speak english well at all.

He then told me that he had given me a facial moisturizer. "Sweet,", I thought, "gonna throw this away." I tried to walk away.

He then said "Just one sec". I stood there awkwardly holding this small plastic item that was supposed to lure me in. He then beckoned me into the store and pushed me into a swivel chair.

I was cornered. Stuck.

He then proceeded to tell me that I looked 16. Cute? No.

Then he told me I had great skin, but lots of blemishes. I cared about my skin, right? My face was forever.

He told me that I should want to look good. He meets lots of women that don't care about what they look like. But he could tell by looking into my eyes that I cared a lot. I cared what my husband thought about my looks. But husbands don't last forever. Half of the people get divorced. Husbands leave.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

He then tried to bargain me down by only making me pay $300 for the items. Hah. Then tried to coerce me by offering the "student discount". Then the "family discount". I was not happy.

25 minutes later and infinite "no"s later he made me walk over to the cash register with him. He asked me for the umpteenth time if I wanted to buy that overpriced dirt. I said a firm "no" once more and he let me go.

Maybe I'm just too nice. Normally, I let the board game store clerk lead me around the entire store. It's his passion. He loves the games! But this guy...was awful

Avoid Premier Dead Sea at ALL cost!

A Magical Potion!

Seriously. Girls... I have found the best cleaning potion! I've been skeptical for some time, but I put it to the test today!

Please excuse the disgusting stains. This bathtub is ancient. Our house was built in the early 1800s. You get the picture.

I scrubbed a small patch as a comparison.

Before:

The magical potion!

1 part Dawn dish soap and 1 part vinegar!

After! 

 The directions I found said all you had to do was wipe clean. Who doesn't scrub when they clean? I used a green scouring pad and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!

I let it sit for about an hour and scrubbed away! I sprayed it a bit more and left it overnight. I scrubbed it over once more and it was white as snow! I know this sounds like a lot of scrubbing, but remember that my bathtub is as old as Methuselah! 

It was beautiful. 

Here's the link to the original blog. Her bathtub before and after was impressive!

http://thecraftpatch.blogspot.com/2012/05/pinterest-tested-tub-cleaner.html

Clothing Swap!

Ladies!

I am so excited to be hosting my first clothing swap next week! There are a lot of girls in the area that have been very interested, so I am very excited.

Has anyone ever hosted or been to a clothing swap? What rules did you set?

As I've been researching this, I've found a few good ideas on how to run the show! Things such as a "ticket" for every piece of clothing or item you bring that is redeemable for any other item. That way, everyone gets to at least leave with what they came with, but new!

What a great way to save money, enjoy some good company, and save money! I've also combined this little shindig with a Pinterest show. Each girl is invited to bring a recipe, treat, or item they made using Pinspiration! Okay, I'm sorry. I had to! (My husband made fun of that one! ;) )

I drafted up a little invitation using a free website. It was so easy and fun! I think this was originally a wedding invitation, but it worked!

So fun! Like it says, we will be donating or selling the extras a little later on this summer. My sweet friend has offered to help me with all of the details! So wonderful.

I'll be sure to do a follow up post about our success story!

A Little Reminder

Summer Shopping Secrets!

I love Charlotte Russe. Really, it's a problem.

Confession: One time I went in, found 7 items, tried them all on and they all fit! Much to my dismay, I loved them all. A little too much! To justify things, every single thing was on sale.

Okay, not a good justification. To be fair, this was quite a few years ago! Their clearance section is fabulous. I get everything from shoes, to camis, to underwear, to dresses there! Always, always on sale.

They had cute skirts for $2!

Don't get sucked up in the sales, though! Although, $2 skirts are hard to beat... Remember: they mark them up ridiculously high so when they do go on sale, it seems like a much better deal!

Friends, sometimes it is though! Check out what I found at the dangerous Charlotte Rousse!

Guess how much I actually paid for it? 

TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS!

Clearance on the 50% off rack! 

It was a beautiful cowl neck maroon and black sweater! 

Here's a similar picture, but it was a different color. Such a steal!

Now, I know I've ragged on Target in the past, but they do have some fantastic deals! Like this cute dress for $8.74! Throw a cardigan on, slip on some sandals, and you have a cute summer outfit for less!

http://www.target.com/p/mossimo-women-s-ruffled-dress-w-elastic-waist-red-large-print/-/A-14151359#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink

I praise Ross for their great deals. My mom recently found $80 sandals for much, much less!

Just check out their crazy prices! http://ziginy.com/zigi-soho/sandals.html

Cute, right? Just seeing those makes me want to go shopping! Must resist!

My husband and I will be going on our honeymoon in just one month! We've been married since December, but decided to go on a cruise this summer! Honestly, it is probably the bet decision ever!

Okay, so on that note, I've been using this as an excuse to buy new clothes! I haven't given in...yet...but I know where to go if I do!

Honestly, I have the dresses, bathing suits, etc. for the trip, I just want something new!

My mom and I are the same size, so she is going to bring extra things for us to share! I love her.

Honestly, I have no real excuse to get anything new. Sometimes it's fun, though!

If I were to go, my top choices to shop would be:

Ross

TJ Maxx

Old Navy

Target

Burlington Coat Factory

This is the perfect time of year to get some summer stuff! I promise you that no one will even notice if you're wearing "last year's" black bathing suit. Honestly. It's black! ;)

Check out this cute website!http://www.swimoutlet.com/Fashion_Clearance_Corner_s/1023.htm

I love it!

Where do you get your summer deals or swimwear? We'd love to hear your tips!

Confessions of a Chocoholic!

This brownie discovery I made a few years ago was terribly wonderful. And the fact that it's so easy doesn't help my case!

Introducing...

Directions:

1. Make brownies as directed. Pour into pan.
2. Melt a generous amount of peanut butter in the microwave or on the stove top.
**If using microwave, stir every 10 seconds or so. It doesn't take long!
3. Drizzle gobs of peanut butter onto the uncooked brownies in an "S" shaped pattern.

4. Sprinkle (or completely overload) the brownies with chocolate chips

5. Bake as directed.

Once you go peanut butter and chocolate, you never go back!

Slow Cooker Pork Roast!

Easter Sunday was good to us! I slaved away all night cooking this pork roast!

Just kidding! My beautiful crock pot did all of the work.

I put a frozen* pork roast into the crock pot with some broth and a marinade.

*It isn't recommended that frozen things into a crock pot, but mine turned out just fine! I cooked it for about 10+ hours, so it was thoroughly cooked.

Directions:

1. Pour about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Place a thawed pork roast (or any kind of pork: shoulder, loin, etc.) into the crock pot on low.

3. Mix together mustard (yellow or the spice [both will work!]), soy, and ginger spice. (I just winged it, but it was about 1/4 c mustard, 4 Tbsp soy, and 1/2 teaspoon of ginger). Just do it to taste!

4. Pour over roast.

5. Torture yourself all night and morning with the fantastic aroma of pure heaven. I woke up starving!

6. Squeeze a little more mustard, soy, and ginger on the top. This is optional.

7. Let simmer for at least 8 hours. 

8. Turn over roast about 3/4 of the way through cooking. I did this so the top half would soak in some of the gravy. Yum!

The crock pot literally caramelized the pork. Gorgeous! 

Look how tender this bad boy was!

We enjoyed this with green beans and salad!

Let me know if you try it! You won't regret it!

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake!

I've been on Pinterest too much lately! I combined two different recipes to make one! In reality, I probably saw this somewhere else in the past, so I take no credit for it. It's super easy and delicious!

You will need:

Cake:

1 yellow cake mix

2 or 3 eggs (depending on the cake mix)

Butter or oil

Water

Poking!:

A straw, wooden spoon, etc.

Pudding:

1 package (5.25 oz) of vanilla pudding

2 or 3 cups of milk

Strawberry Glaze:

1 pound strawberries

3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar

Whipped Topping:

1 container whipped cream 

(or two, like this house!)

Directions:

1. Make a yellow cake as normal. I used Butter Recipe Golden and it was delicious!

2. Let it cool for a few minutes.

3. Poke holes in the cake using a straw or the end of a wooden spoon. Virtually anything will work.

4. Continue to let it cool.

5. Get out a pound of strawberries and rinse them well.

6. Cut off green leaves and white tops of the berries.

7.  Chop the berries! You can't mess these up.

8.  Sprinkle sugar onto the chopped strawberries. For one pound, I used about 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Mix sugar evenly. Let the bowl sit at room temperature while the cake is cooling. The sugar will extract the juices from the strawberries to make a delicious glaze!

9.  Mix up the pudding and milk. I used 2 cups of milk to have more of a custard than a pudding. Next time I'll probably use the 3 cups of milk to make it a little more moist.

10. Pour the pudding over directly after mixing to prevent the pudding from solidifying.

11. Cut out a generous piece, dollop it with some whipped cream and strawberries and VOILA! It is done!

Let me know if you try it!