Music of the Moment: Anywayican by WALK THE MOON

I was just trolling iTunes as I usually do and I came across a band called WALK THE MOON that just released an EP entitled Tightrope on January 18th. After a listen to the snip-its of the 6 songs on the EP, I was sold.

They have an easy, light sound that can be played softly in the background, or you can turn it up louder and have a solo dance party (which is what I've been doing for the last hour).

The song that I can't stop listening to is Anywayican, which I have searched on YouTube to be able to share it with you on here, but none of the versions are a good quality. So, click here to go to the iTunes page and give it a listen. Prepare to start dancing around the room. I hope you are prepared for the jam session that is about to be had.

Also, as much as I love that single song, the entire EP is a dance fest. So, check it out! :)

Hair Product Review: Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Flat Iron Perfector Straightening Mist

Before I cut my hair short like it is now, my hair was quite long and ombre'd (I might have just made up that past tense version of "ombre". Don't hate.). Therefore, the ends were pretty dry and damaged. When straightening my hair, I had previously used the CHI and Redken heat protectant serum/oil. I felt like it protected my hair pretty well, but I always felt that if I used too little, it wasn't protecting my hair, and if I used just a little bit too much, my hair turned oily. In the end, I was unhappy with the expensive heat protectant and straightening serums that I was using on my hair. My logic is that if I'm spending that much money, I should be getting exactly what I want. But that was not the case.

So, I went to Target looking for a replacement. I wanted something that protected my hair, made it easier to straighten, and in the end, made my hair look healthy (even if I'd beaten the crap out of it, which I had been at this point). I was drawn to the Garnier Fructis brand products and was looking for a product that met my above criteria. What I found was the Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Flat Iron Perfector Straightening Mist. It claimed to have a 48 hour straight finish, contain argan oil, heat protection, and to keep your hair smooth and shiny. I was sold, especially for only about $4.00.

Directions
Spray evenly on dry hair and immediately flat iron. I section off my hair, spray on the product, and then straighten.

Review
Use: This product is very easy to use and I especially like the spray applicator instead of the pump into my hand method that I'd been using with other products. As usual with all Garnier Fructis products, it smells delicious and somewhat tropical, but doesn't linger and overpower (which I think is a good thing. I don't want to walk around all day smelling like hair product). With my longer, damaged hair, I was absolutely shocked at how healthy and soft my hair felt after using this spray. My hair hadn't looked that nice and smooth since before I had ombre. It also made my hair manageable after waking up with bedhead. And we all know how difficult it is to straighten your hair in the morning if you went to bed with it a little damp the night before.
Price: Um, helloooooo! This product is only about $4.00! So incredibly worth it.

As you can tell by the picture that goes along with this post, my bottle has less than half of the product left. And you can guarantee that I will be purchasing this again and again.

Skin Care Review: Aveeno Active Naturals Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes

I used to leave it to washing my face with my regular face wash in the shower at night to get rid of my makeup from the day. That's not enough, ladies! Especially if you wear foundation! It is so bad for your skin to go to sleep with makeup residue on your face.
So, I went in search of makeup removing wipes and was drawn to the Aveeno brand wipes. I use a few other products from Aveeno and I love them all. You can get these wipes at the drugstore for about $7.00 and they come in a pack of 25. 

Directions: 
For these wipes, all you have to do is gently wipe one all over your face where you apply makeup. You don't even need to rinse your face afterwards! It doesn't get much easier than that! 

Review: 
Use: My skin is combination, sensitive, and prone to break-outs. I was looking for a product that would remove all of my makeup and not leave my skin feeling dry. What I do now is I use the wipes to remove my makeup, get in the shower, and wash my face with my regular face wash. Using just my face wash to remove my makeup and cleanse my face made me feel like it was just trying to remove my makeup and wasn't getting into my pores to prevent breakouts. This logic may be completely incorrect, but that's how I was feeling, especially now that I've been wearing a foundation. Using this process removes all of my makeup with the wipes, and then I'm able to cleanse my face and get access dirt and particles out of my pores to reduce the likelihood of breakouts. 
Smell: This product smells so good and is not overpowering. I would assume that the smell is why it's called "Ultra-Calming". It definitely leaves me smelling nice, but subtle.
Price: At first, I did think that this product was a bit pricey, however, all Aveeno products are. After using them, I knew that they were worth the price. If you have sensitive skin and break out easily, this product is for you. 

Overall, this product has worked great for me and I will definitely be purchasing it again. 

Easy Peasy Recipe: Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I'm at it again! I cooked another dish using my crockpot and it was delicious and so easy! 

This recipe is for chicken cooked in the crockpot to be used for tacos. I originally got this recipe from a blog called Chocolate Therapy. It is so simple you'll want to laugh (hence the reason I made it).

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 envelope of taco seasoning 

1 - 16-ounce jar of salsa

Directions:

1. Put above ingredients in crockpot.

2. Stir together the taco seasoning and salsa.

3. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours.

4. Shred chicken in crockpot.

Review:

That's it! Can you believe it? So easy and requires just 3 ingredients! All you need now is whatever you want to put on your taco. The sourced blog also listed a soup that you can make with the chicken. The great thing about this is one night you can have this chicken inside tacos, the next night you could have quesadillas, the next night you could have soup, the possibilities are endless! No need to get tired of leftovers when there are so many things you could use this chicken for. I also like how you can use different salsas for different tastes depending on what kinds of flavors or levels of spicy-ness you like. 

Overall, this recipe is so simple and has so many options for what you could use the leftovers for. I will definitely be making this again! 

Disclaimer: I apologize for the crappy phone pictures of the food. This is the last post that will include bad photography. Stay tuned for more improvements to the blog!

Home Improvement

Hey, all! For all of you that are new to the blog, WELCOME! :) I'm so glad you're here!
I have been fussing with the look of the blog, so I apologize for the temporary boring-ness of the page as of right now. I am working on it and it will all be squared away soon!
There are so many posts that are flying around in my head and I'm getting to work on them! Look for at least two new posts before the end of the week!
I'm also trying my hand at blog photography. So, no more iPhone photos!! Woohoooo!
I'm very excited about all of the changes this blog is going through and I'm so proud of all of the attention that it has already gotten.
Stay tuned for new posts (hopefully starting tomorrow) and a new look (coming by the end of the week)!

Cosmetic Review: Nutra Nail Bullet-Proof Strength Formula & High GlossTop Coat

I wanted to do a review today on a product that I mentioned using in my review for the Essie Snakeskin Magnetic polish, and that is the Nutra Nail Bullet-Proof Strength Formula and High Gloss Top Coat. 

I've never had a hard time growing my nails in the past, however, after they get to a certain point, they began to break and chip. So, I was in Walgreens looking for something that would help with that, and I came across this duo pack for about $9.45 and just had to try it.

Application: 

1. Apply the Bullet-Proof Strength Formula on un-polished nails.

2. Allow it to dry a bit, then apply a second coat of the same formula.

3. Optional step: Apply color polish.

4. Apply the High Gloss Top Coat. 

Review: 

Price: I thought that this price was very reasonable considering you're getting a strengthening base coat and a high gloss top coat. Some other products are close to this price for just one or the other. 

Application: This product is very easy to use and makes my nails very shiny. The shine that this product gives my nails has people asking me if they're professionally done. 

Overall, I love this product! It has made my nails very strong and they've been able to grow to lengths that weren't possible before. I use this product every time I do my nails. I will definitely be purchasing this product again and again! 

Easy Peasy Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

So, I cooked dinner last night. Which is a big deal because I am practically the worst cook ever. I think I would be a good cook if I remotely enjoyed going to the grocery store, but that is a chore that I hate and avoid at all costs. 
Therefore, the fact that I made this means that anyone can do it! 
I was surfing Pinterest to find something that would be easy for me to make and wouldn't require a whole lot of ingredients. I stumbled across this recipe from southernplate.com and just had to give it a try. 

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 -8 oz. box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 - 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken
1 - 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

Directions:
1. Place chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Scatter chopped onion over top.
3. Spoon cream of chicken soup over top of that. 
4. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.
5. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese.
6. Stir and serve. 

Review
This recipe was very delicious and easy. I only used 3 chicken breasts and half an onion instead of a whole. I'm weird about handling raw meat, so I like using the slow cooker because all I have to do is put it in the pot. 
The recipe also makes a lot, so I'll be able to eat this for a couple more meals. 

So, what are you waiting for? If I could do it, so can you! Get to it! 

Cosmetic Review: Essie Snakeskin Magnetics

Hi. My name is Mandy and I am obsessed with nail polish. So, when I saw that Essie is giving the magnetic nail polish a go, I just had to try it. 
I bought the Snakeskin Magnetics in the color "Snake, Rattle, and Roll" at Target for $10.99. 

There are a total of 6 different colors including:
1. Crocodilly - Dark green
2. Repstyle - Gold
3. Sssssexy - Red
4. Lil' Boa Peep - Brownish Grey
5. Snake It Up - Blue
6. Snake, Rattle, and Roll - Blackish Grey
All of the colors are metallic.
I had never tried a magnetic polish before, so I was very excited to try this version by Essie. I'm going to explain how it works and then tell you my thoughts about this product.

First, I coated my nails with a base coat. I used Nutra Nail Bullet-Proof Strength Formula, and waited for it to mostly dry.

Second, I put the first coat of the color on. Do not use the magnet yet. A first coat is required.

Next, I created the snakeskin effect. One nail at a time, I painted another coat, and held the magnet over my nail for 5 seconds. I repeated this process until all of my nails were finished.

Last, I coated my nails with a top coat. I used Nutra Nail High Gloss Top Coat. 

And voila! All done! 

Price: If this was any other brand, I would not have paid $10.99. However, I use a lot of Essie products and I had faith that it would be a worthwhile purchase.
Application: Application was pretty easy. I got the hang of it after the first couple of nails, but I did have trouble with touching my wet nail to the magnet. However, that is not a product flaw, that was my fault. Just be careful to hold the magnet close enough to create the effect, but do not let it touch your wet nail.
Color: I love the color I purchased, but I think I will be going back to get the red color (Sssssexy).

Overall, I really enjoyed this product and would purchase it again. Definitely worth a try! 

Keurig Spoiled

So, I've been in Atlanta visiting my parents for two and a half weeks now, and I'm such a baby about not having my Keurig. I'm completely spoiled at my apartment just making coffee all of the time and having a choice between a bunch of K-Cups and creamers. But here, my dad knows the ratio of water and coffee for his strong three cups. So, when I want coffee, I have to make three cups at a time, which is fine, but by the time it's noon, I'm so completely wired that I'm practically crawling up the walls. 
At any rate, I'm looking forward to going home and enjoying my one or two cups of coffee from my Keurig. 

The Times They Are A-Changin'

It's that time again; another transition time in my life. 
But it seems like that's all my life has been for two years now. 
I graduated from Georgia College in May 2012, began grad school at U of I in August 2012, I'll be graduating this summer, and figuring out where I'll be living/working after that is... well, now. It's absolute craziness living in perpetual transition. I never know where I'm going to be a year from any given time. And while these times are exciting, they're also terrifying. I'm looking forward to a time when things are somewhat predictable and constant. 
That said, I'm doing this to help myself to grow and find where I'm meant to be. People always do resolutions for the new year, but I don't do those. I'm constantly thinking of ways that I want to improve myself and make myself a better person. 

• Cook more
• Do yoga
• Find where you want to be
• Apply for jobs 
• Give more love
• Accept more love
• Don't forget who you are
• Appreciate the little things

I've already been working on most of these things, but I want to document progress so that I can look back and see how far I've come. Since things change so fast in our lives, it's important to reflect and be aware of what you've accomplished and learned. 

I've already begun this new stage in my life by cutting off my hair. Felt liberating and I feel like a brand new lady! 

So, bring on the change, Universe! I am ready!