Sunday, May 29, 2011

The past few days...

1 and 2. Ian's band played a show on Friday. It's so fun getting to watch him work his mad guitar skills. You can listen to them here.
3. Soaking up the sun...and looking very ghost-like.
4. Enjoying a caramel latte while heading to work.
5 and 6. Celebrating our dieting success by stuffing ourselves with AMAZING fondue at The Melting Pot. You're allowed a good cheat day once in awhile :).
7. Giant feather earrings. I'm obsessed.

I hope you all are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. The husband has tomorrow off of school, so we are very excited to have an entire day together while visiting with family.

xoxoKelsey.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Bad days.

Today was a long day.
Today was a day that I'm glad is ending.
Today is a day that the Lord has made, and I need to appreciate that.

And the remedy to such a day requires the following: a man named Ian, some amazing Phở, and Fringe.


Luckily tonight, I was blessed with all three.

xoxoKelsey 
aka Chopsticks Master Extraordinaire 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

(Do the) mashed potato.

Last week, I went out on a limb and decided to create a healthier mashed potato recipe. I love love love mashed potatoes, but I know that the amount of butter, salt, and milk added to most versions of the dish is definitely not something that follows our diet. So, tada! Here is my own version of healthier mashed potatoes, that taste really rich and creamy without the fat!

First...you need some potatoes (obviously). I used four small red potatoes, and it was more than enough for Ian and me.
Clean the potatoes, and then pierce them with a fork a few times to release steam. Put them in the microwave for about 10 minutes, or until they are soft and cooked thoroughly.
Now, you can bake the potatoes in the oven, of course. But I was short on time, and my oven is ancient and takes forever to cook anything. 
See? Ancient. It even has an electrical outlet on it. I love that it's old, but it definitely makes cooking things very time consuming. 

After your potatoes are cooked, you get to do the most important part. The mashing! I chose to leave the skins on the potatoes, as it is full of vitamins and fiber and I love the texture it gives the dish. 
These are the ingredients I added to my potatoes. I used about a tablespoon of minced garlic, and a few spoonfuls of fat free sour cream. Who doesn't like garlic mashed potatoes?? The sour cream takes place of most of the butter and salt, and gives the potatoes an amazing creamy and tart flavor. 
I added a very small amount of butter, but just enough to add a little flavor. So after I mashed the potatoes until they were smooth and free of any lumps, I added a bit of pepper to taste, and voila!
Amazing and healthy mashed potatoes. No salt, no milk, and only the slightest bit of butter. 
I had to try really hard not to eat the entire bowl before Ian got home. 

Making these potatoes is very simple, and great for other people like me who find the kitchen a bit daunting at times. Try them out, and let me know how you like them!

I'm defintely starting to resemble Betty Crocker more and more with each meal. Good thing she's a pretty lady.
xoxoKelsey.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Lip tricks.


Hello, friends! It's Monday again, and that means another product review on my little ol' blog.

                                                Korres lip butter in Jasmine.
This stuff is seriously amazing. It's a creamy lip balm that gives you that perfect shine, but without much color or stickiness. This lip butter feels like a creamy chapstick, and  it smells AMAZING. I'm seriously addicted to it. The color is a very nude pink, but on your lips it only tones down your lip color very slightly. I use it at night before bed, in the mornings before I put any other lip products on, and during the day for a nice bit of shine to my lips. I think this may be my third pot of this stuff. Like I said, seriously addicted.

Here is how the product is described on the container itself:  "A buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish. the combination of shea butter and rice wax offers deep hydration and softness. Ideal for chapped lips." Everything it says is true and then some. Also, the product is free of mineral oil, silicone, propylene glycol, and ethanolamine. Got to love those natural products, yes?

I believe the product is about $10 or so, and I always get mine from Sephora. This product also comes in a range of really beautiful colors in case you want something with a bit more pigment to it. If you are a fan of nice lip moisturizers, you should check this out asap.

Talk to you all tomorrow!
Kelsey.
P.S. See the headband I have on? I'm redoing my etsy shop, and putting up a ton of new headbands for sale. Stay tuned for the next few weeks for the new shop!!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

To Do List.

 
     I love lists. Packing lists, to do lists, shopping lists, etc. There is something so fulfilling about crossing a nice line through something you have accomplished. Lists help me actually get things done, as I have a horrible time remembering things off the top of my head. Especially those small things you need to do that are not life-altering, but that need to be done either way. I'm jealous of Ian sometimes. He can pack a bag for a week in about 3  minutes, and it takes me well over an hour. I write out exactly what I need, and then pack accordingly. At least I never forget anything, right? My suitcases usually weigh more than I do when I am done.

      Lately I've realized lists can be somewhat of a downfall for me. I have this guilt problem when it comes to allowing myself to relax. I constantly feel like I need to be doing something, and have a hard time letting myself just enjoy life. When I have a day off of work and have no definite plans, I bust out my marker and scratch paper and start my list. I have the hardest time just going with the flow of day, seeing whatever it may bring.

     I'm slowly learning how important it is to have a day to relax. To sit in your comfy clothes all day, and watch your favorite movie. Or to visit your favorite coffee shop and read a book. Too often I measure my self worth with how much I accomplish in a day. I need daily reminders that my self worth comes from my Creator, and nowhere else. Sure, lists are helpful, but I use them as an excuse to not relax and enjoy life. I'll always be a list maker, but I need to start making less of them when they are unnecessary.

 I should start a recovery club. List makers anonymous, anyone?

xoxoKelsey.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Together.

Ian is one busy guy.
Between school, work, church, and his band, he is always out and about. He has no days off! I admire him and his commitment to things he loves. He is working so hard to be able to take care of me and our family one day.

This week we had some downtime, and we decided to fill it with coffee dates, trivia nights, breakfast, and vacation plans. Oh, and the much needed nap time as well...

He snoozed...school badge on and all. So cute :)



We had breakfast this morning at the most amazing French/Cajun style restaurant, Toulouse Petit. If you are in the Seattle area, you should check out their happy hour breakfast. It's incredible!
We had our own french press, which I've never been given at a restaurant before! It was so nice having a morning to talk, laugh, and just enjoy my husband's company. He is working at the moment, and I am blessed to have the day off. Which is perfect because it is so beautiful outside. Five days of sunshine predicted this week, along with 70 degree weather. It's beginning to look a lot like summer.

I'm off to enjoy some iced tea, more blogging, and movie watching.

xoxoKelsey

Monday, May 16, 2011

Just another manic Monday...


Hello, lovelies! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, and that your Monday was easy and relaxed. I am here with another one of my favorite beauty products of the moment! This time it's a nail polish. I have a small obsession with nail polish, and I am constantly changing my favorite one to wear all the time!

Currently, it's Turquoise and Caicos by Essie. It's an amazing bright shade of tiffany blue, and is a great way to add a pop of color to an outfit. I'm pretty sure I wore this color everyday for two weeks on my fingers and toes. I love it SO much. It's bright without being overbearing, and I think it's a color that would be flattering on almost any skin tone. The pictures below are after applying three coats with a clear coat on top.
And what's even better, is Essie's nail polishes are DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde free! Hooray for no yucky chemicals. The polish also does not chip very easily, and that is coming from someone who's nail polish chips all the time from all the shampooing I do.

So go out and try this color, or any other bright spring nail polish. It definitely lifts your spirits :).

xoxoKelsey.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Monday, May 9, 2011

Curly curls.


Hooray! Another blog series. This means I have two ongoing series, my other one you can check out here.
 I have a crazy obsession with beauty products. Seriously, my poor husband has maybe six inches of room in the bathroom for his things. I figured blogging about beauty products gives me a bit of a justification for having
so many, right? So every Monday, I am going to talk about things I love. I'm hoping that maybe you'll find something that you try and will love as well!


First up.....


Deva Curl's "No-Poo"shampoo and "One Condition" conditioner.

I've wanted to try this brand for quite sometime. Having curly hair myself, I'm always on the hunt for the best products to tame my hair. DevaCurl's products are sulfate and paraben free, which to me is a big deal. Sulfate is absolutely horrible for your hair and will dry it out like crazy. And we all know how bad parabens are.

No-Poo- This is the first shampoo I've ever used that does not lather whatsoever. Hence the cute name No-Po. I was really worried that it wouldn't leave my hair with that nice clean feeling after using it. This stuff is actually amazing. It has a nice cooling minty feeling on your scalp, and almost feels like you are washing your hair with a conditioner. It gets rid of build up and oil really well, but doesn't strip it. It's made for color and chemically treated hair, and will keep color from fading.The moisture aspect to this product is wonderful, especially because moisture is key for a lot of curly haired folks, as it keeps frizz and poofy hair at bay.

One Condition- This conditioner smells amazing. It has a bit of a lemon grass scent to it, and makes your hair SO soft. It is nice and thick, and gets rid of all tangles and snarls. I usually have to add a leave-in when using a lot of other conditioners, but not with this. Like the shampoo, it protects against color fading, and will help smooth chemically damaged hair.

Overall, these are amazing products. I've been using them for about three weeks, and feel like I haven't had any bad hair days. Which are usually the days that I wash my hair. I love finding products that are not full of chemicals that actually work. I'm a big fan of this brand so far! If any of you have wavy/curly hair that is color treated, try this stuff out!! Here's the link to their website. 


Here's to shiny, healthy, crazy curls.
xoxoKelsey

Friday, May 6, 2011

Getting Healthy: Week 1.


The hubby and I have successfully completed our first week on our new diet. It's technically day 9, but that's because I'm late on making this post! So far, I'm down 6 pounds, and Ian is down 7! I was not expecting to lose that much, but boy does it feel good. It makes me want to do that cheesy flex-you-arm-muscles-and-kiss
-them move. OK, I may have done that move in the recent past to show off my hot bod to Ian...

I've become much more comfortable in the kitchen as of late. Dieting has forced me to learn to cook a variety of things: turkey burgers, chicken, steamed vegetables, etc. To those of you who cook regularly, those things probably sound extremely basic. But I seriously don't cook. I'd rather pay to eat food that a professional has prepared for me than spend time in the kitchen. So for me, steaming a vegetable is a BIG deal.  I may not be enjoying cooking too much, but it definitely has become less intimidating! One of my favorite things I've learned to make are chicken lettuce wraps. They are so tasty, and really simple.  I should post the recipe in the near future, once I've mastered it.

Everything so far is going well, despite the constant temptation of baked goods such as bread. I will resist! Although I have been allowing myself small amounts of dark chocolate to cater to my intense sweet tooth.

Here is us, looking healthier by the minute!




xoxoKelsey (and Ian, of course!)

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Bracelets.

 Ian gave these bracelets to me as gifts while we were dating. My favorite is the one on the right. It spells out "I love you." He gave it to me on our first anniversary. He was only sixteen. Not bad for a sixteen year old, right?? I treasure this bracelet so much.  Whenever I wear it, I remember the young teenage boy with braces, who I fell madly in love with in an instant. I love knowing that a boy who was only sixteen, had the capability to love me with his whole heart, and that he still does today.

xoxoKelsey.