New Year "Resolutions"

I hate resolutions. I feel like any time I make a list of resolutions for the new year, I fail miserably. So I set a list of goals, as well as how I can achieve them. If you don't have a plan, you don't know where to start!

-Be able to hold a conversation in Greek. I swear, one day I will do this! I'm going to download an app as well as get at least one book, and choose a day to study.

-Save as much money as possible. We plan on moving into a new place around April, and with it will come added expenses. So this is especially important. I think the best course of action is to have at least $10 from each check go straight into a savings account, and to stop spending all of our change. Another good idea is to cut a daily expense out (like buying coffee at a shop) and putting that money aside instead. In my case it might end up being soda money (I am trying to quit it anyway, so saving that money is an added incentive!)

-Try a new recipe every month. I have actually started doing this already, but I want to keep it up. Today is crock pot steak and potatoes, and also homemade tortilla chips in an array of flavors.

-Work out at least 4 days a week. Ugh. I hate working out, but love the results. This is going to take a routine. I need to set an alarm on scheduled days, and just get the heck up and do it.

-Eat better. I have a bad habit of eating junk a lot. Or eating in excess. This results in me being 20 pounds over my target weight. Not good for my self esteem. So I need to really hunker down and limit myself and change my eating patterns. I need to get more healthy options (sauerkraut and homemade cucumber salad are already a staple in my fridge, but I need more.) I need to eat breakfast every day, even if it's a smoothie. And then, I have to remember to not eat 10 snacks right after.

-Write a book. This freaking goal. I got a great idea for a story a few weeks back, and now I'm sitting on it. I even told my writer friend about it, and they suggested we collaborate. Heck yes! Except I'm lazy, and more a proofreader than a writer. But, this story is so awesome, I must write it. So, my goal is to write 8-10 pages a week. I'm not sure how long I want it to be yet, either. Will it be a series? And boom, my head explodes.

So, I hope you have enjoyed my "resolutions". If you have trouble keeping to yours, I highly recommend reading PUSH by Chalene Johnson. It helps you not only set goals, but achieve them.

Eyeliner Review: Avon Glimmersticks vs CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus

I felt like doing something different, random, and a little weird today, so you get a review!!

I recently got my PinchMe box, which included eyeliner. Instead of just wearing it like a normal person, I decided to run an experiment. For a whole day, I'd wear the CoverGirl eyeliner on my left eye, and my favorite eyeliner on the right eye. Before I start, the CoverGirl is black, and the Glimmerstick is a metallicy purple, but for what I was testing, this works fine.

Both of these eyeliners are "self-sharpening", which basically means you twist them to get more out. First thing I noticed, the CoverGirl clicks so you get the right amount, but the Avon just... goes. However, you can also retract the Avon, which I like better.

The CoverGirl goes on very smooth and is highly pigmented, so you don't need much. The Glimmerstick needs a little more when you do your waterline, but my eyelid again didn't need much to show up. I used about the same amount on both eyes.

Here is where I have issues: longevity. This review was supposed to be after a full day of wear, but I didn't need that long. After a few hours of wear, I knew what I was going to tell you. The CoverGirl pissed me off. I noticed after about an hour that the CoverGirl had smudged onto my upper lid without me even touching it. A little later, I tapped my eye (I have itchy eyes, but when I wear makeup I try not to rub), and the black instantly smudged and got all over TWO of my fingers, not just the one I tapped with. Here's the fun part: I am sitting here RUBBING my right eye (the Glimmersticks one), and it ain't budging. To reiterate, I barely touched my left eye after hours of letting this stuff set, and it went buhbye crazy fast, yet the one with Avon on it is staying put like nobody's business. Below are pictures, both open and closed eyes, of when I first put it on and right before I sat down to write this.

Before anyone points out that I am biased because I sell Avon, just, NO. I will try out any makeup. I even have a budget black eyeliner, which I was hoping to replace with the CoverGirl. I love Avon, but I'm not an Avon-snob. I used Avon as a comparison, fully expecting them both to hold up around the same. Yeah, that obviously didn't happen.

Also, the CoverGirl has one of those little smudgy tools on the end of it. I understand that is to create a softer look, but I'd be afraid to use it after this experience. Personally, I like bold looks when it comes to my eye makeup, since I consider them my best feature.

Conclusion: I'll be sticking to my Avon Glimmerstick as my go-to eyeliner. (I was going to also link the shop for the CoverGirl as well, but like 85% of the reviews are 5 stars... from other PinchMe people, who are technically required to review the products they receive. The reviews I feel were honest all said it never dries. If you truly want to try it, you can find it in any drugstore.)



***Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review. I received the CoverGirl eyeliner as a sample, and Avon sent me the Glimmerstick when I signed up as a rep.***

Best Recipe Book For The Holidays

I love to cook, bake... and collect cookbooks.  I've been collecting since I was a teen. It started when I "inherited" a doctor's collection after he died (reality: my mother was given a bunch of junk, and I claimed all the cooking items). Side note: if you ever come across a tiny whisk, get it. It makes creating personalized dips sooooo much easier. Anyway, he had a Winnie the Pooh cookbook, which I used a lot, and a full recipe index in two volumes. That is how I became obsessed with all things culinary.

So, the year after my eldest daughter was born, her grandparents gifted me my favorite cookbook: Favorite Brand Name: Old-Fashioned Holiday Recipes.

Why my favorite? It has something for EVERYONE. My two favorite recipes are Spinach Cheese Puffs and the Peppermint Ice Cream Pie (I shared a simplified version of the pie HERE, as well as the Puffs HERE). These two always run out first. At one point I made 5 different pies, including 2 of the ice cream pies, and I had leftovers of everything EXCEPT THOSE. Also, I made the puffs for a dinner party, and they were eaten before I was done reheating the main course! There's desserts, drinks, meat and cheese recipes, and so much more!

Sadly, my book got destroyed, and then lost (yes, I absolutely attempted to fix it, lol) but I am going to replace it after the holidays are over. I found it HERE at a discount. I highly recommend signing up for that site (thriftbooks.com), because they have so many books at a crazy low price.

I really hope you check this book out, you won't regret it! Keep an eye out in the next few days for my eyeliner review!!!!