Quick and Easy Breakfast

It is so easy to just skip breakfast because of "lack" of time, but I assure you that it only takes five minutes to put together this healthy oatmeal recipe.

Your will need:

1 Cup of Silk Protein and Nut Milk

1 Cup of quick oats (regular will work too)

1 Banana (I use just half but it is up to you)

1 Teaspoon of honey

A pinch of cinnamon

Preparation:

In a small pot, combine the Silk milk and oatmeal. Bring it to a boil and once it is boiling reduce the heat to low. Boil for two minutes and constantly stir it so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Once the two minutes are over, serve on a bowl and add banana, cinnamon and honey on top. If you want to make it extra healthy, sprinkle some chia seeds on top and enjoy!

Note: This recipe serves one person but you can double it if you wish.

Covergirl So Lashy Mascara Review

My experience with this mascara hasn't been as pleasant as I would have liked it to be. It does not give volume but instead it makes my lashes clumpy. The wand design makes it very tricky to apply and I find that it doesn't comb my lashes well. I also find that the round tip, called the "lash finder", is useless and it makes the lashes even clumpier. In terms of formulation, the mascara doesn't flake and you can trust that it will stay put all day long. I got the water proof formula so it takes a little effort to remove it. I usually just use coconut oil and it does the job. Would I buy this mascara again? No, but just because of the wand design. If the wand was different, I think the results of the formulation with be perfect!

How to Make Plain Yogurt

I'm one of those people you see at the grocery store reading product labels. For the same reason, I am always looking for recipes on YouTube to make things that I consume on a regular basis. Below is a recipe for making your own plain yogurt at home.

Ingredients:

1 Gallon of whole milk (I use only just a little more than half a gallon)
1 Cup of plain yogurt (You only need this the first time you make it, you can use your own after that)

Utensils:

A big plastic container with a lid
A silicon whisk or wooden spoon
A large pot (preferably a non- stick one)
A cup
A towel or piece of clothing big enough to cover the plastic container where you will put the yogurt

Preparation:

1. Before you start, measure a cup of plain yogurt and set it aside so it reaches room temperature. 
2. Pour a little more than half a gallon of milk in a pot.
3. On a low to medium heat, bring the milk to a boil. Stir the milk continuously with a silicon whisk or wooden spoon making sure that you get the bottom of the pot "swept" as you stir. This is done to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom, which can cause the yogurt to have a weird taste and color. If  you feel that the milk is sticking to the bottom, consider lowering the heat. Once the milk comes to a boil, let it boil for about a minute and then turn the heat off. 
4. Let the milk cool down to a point that if you put some on the palm of your hand, it feels warm enough but it doesn't burn you. This is very important because you do not want to kill the bacteria of the yogurt once you mix it with the milk. 
5. Remove any fat that has set on the top of the milk while cooling down. 
6. Now that your milk has cooled down enough, mix it with the yogurt. Make sure that the yogurt and the milk are well combined. You can do this by stirring it for about a minute. 
7. The last step is to place your yogurt in a plastic container with a lid. At this point you can take a towel or any piece of clothing that will cover the container well and keep it warm. Place the yogurt in a warm dark place (like a cupboard that you will not keep opening for a while). 
8. Leave the yogurt to set overnight or at least 8 hours. You will be tempted to check on it, DO NOT. 
9. Refrigerate your homemade yogurt and use it as you like. If you plan on making yogurt again, save about a cup for next time you want to make more.

Tip: If you like Greek yogurt, all you have to do is take the yogurt that you just made and strain it for a couple of hours. To strain it, you can use any thin piece of clean cloth like a white t-shirt.

Tom's Natural Deodorant - Review

I'm slowly transitioning to natural products and it can be very overwhelming trying to find the best product when you are just getting started. Deodorant is one of those things that I use everyday but never really cared about the ingredients. When I did start having concerns about what the ingredients were, I read that aluminum is not a good ingredient to see on the list. Tom's Natural Deodorant was my first choice to try out. 

Pros

My experience with it has been positive for the most part. When I first tried it out, I felt that the wild lavender scent was, in my opinion, strong but as the days went by I started to get used to it. The consistency of the deodorant is a yellow-ish solid and when it gets in contact with your skin, it starts to melt. You only need to rub it to your armpits a couple of times because if you over do it, it starts to look like soap lather. I haven't experienced any unpleasant armpit odors while using this product so it passed the performance test for me.

Cons

The only con that I find with this deodorant is that it allows you to sweat. I know that sweating is one of your body's ways to naturally detox, but it can be a bit uncomfortable and look not so cool. 

Overall, this product works fine for me and I continue to use it, but I'm on the hunt for another natural deodorant. I have no problem with sweating if I'm around the house or working out, but if I'm about around people it is not very nice to have sweaty underarms :D. I know that this is not the only deodorant they do so I'm looking into trying out the other one (s) and see if any stops you from sweating. 

 Below, as you can see, there is a picture of the back of the product if you are interested in knowing more specific details about it.

Do you have any recommendations for natural deodorants or perhaps you know how to make your own? I would be interested to know...

Minimalism Journey Update - Makeup Collection

During my minimalism journey, this has probably been the hardest area to declutter. I had to ask myself many questions before I even attempted to tackle it. Why? You may ask, and the main reason is because I just love pretty makeup, even if I do not wear a lot of it.

I became interested in makeup probably around 2013 when I really got into YouTube. I started watching some of the London YouTubers, which I still love today, but reached a point where I said to myself: Does it make sense to keep constantly buying makeup? Soon I will have more makeup than I need. What is the point of having a full drawer when I mainly use concealer, mascara and lip balm on a daily basis? I do not even like the feeling of too much or heavy makeup on my face! After all these thoughts, it was time to get serious.

My first decluttering session was sometime between April and June, I can't remember exactly, but besides wanting to live a more minimalistic lifestyle, moving was also the perfect opportunity to do so. I got rid of many products and I shipped the rest to my new place. The pictures you will see here are from a second decluttering session I had recently. This time around it was easier because I have detached myself a lot more from the makeup items I still had.

To make it easier, this time my criteria for keeping an item was:

• Do I use it a lot and do I like it?
• Does it feel good on my skin? 
• Is it recent or has it expired?
• How healthy is it to apply these things on my face? Could I find a healthier and natural alternative in the future once I run out of what I decide to keep? 

With these things in mind, I put all my make up on a table, started sorting and after getting rid of what I didn't want to keep, this was the result. The pile on the left is what I decided to keep and on the right what I got rid of. (A couple of days later I got rid of 8 more items from the keep pile, it gets easier each time.) It doesn't seem much, but I'm not trying to have 0 products.

What are your thoughts on minimalism? Leave your comments below and if you have a blog I would be interested in checking it out. Leave your link! 

Disclaimer: With this post I'm not trying to convince anybody to be a minimalist and get rid of half of their belongings. This is something that has worked for me, it helps me feel better, live a healthier lifestyle and be a lot more conscious about what I put into my body. As you may know, stuff you put on your skin is absorbed into your blood...Once I ran out of what I have, my goal is to transition to using natural products.

Minimalism Journey Update - Nail Polish Collection

I recently reduced my nail polish collection to only 4. I had over 25 nail polishes just because I kept buying "pretty" colors. Since I do not like throwing things away, I gave the polishes I didn't want to my friends and family. This way I put a smile on their faces, hopefully stop them from getting more and thus, decreasing the chances of using new resources to produce more products.

I'm glad I became a more conscious consumer and now I ask myself a lot of questions before I decide to make a purchase. It is not only better for your pocket, but also for your health and the environment. As I downsize many of my collections, I'm also trying to transition into using more natural products, once I finish what I currently have. 

Free Samples - My Recent Pinchme Box

I have been a member of pinchme since they started. I remember that samples were released every Tuesday but now they release them less frequently. What I love the most about pinchme is that they offer descent size samples and sometimes even full size products. The reason why I love this is because you can get to try the products for a while and see if you really like them or not. 

Recently I received my first box of free samples in a while, and I was so excited that I decided to write about my first impression with some of the products.

The Covergirl lip gloss is amazing! I hate sticky lip glosses but this one is not too sticky and it feels very light on my lips. The pigmentation is not great but you get a nice natural pinky color on the lips. The Covergirl eyeliner is also good. Once you put it on it dries quickly so if you want to smudge it, I suggest you do it quickly.

The Olay body wash smells heavenly! It is very creamy in consistency, it cleans the skin and leaves it hydrated and soft. I would highly recommend using this product specially if you are lazy and do not bother to apply moisturizer after you take a shower.

The Pond's makeup remover does the job at removing makeup but if you do not like greasy feeling on your skin, you might not like it. When I use it, I make sure to cleanse my skin very well with my regular cleanser. I would definitely not use this product on it's own because I feel it would clog my pores.

I also got small samples of foundation and some coupons that I plan to use very soon...

I hope that you get your free samples too if you sign up with them and if you are already a member, I wish you are as excited as me to find out what samples we would be getting next :) 

The Lazy Easy Quick Cake Recipe

It has been a while since I posted a recipe here but over the weekend my husband and I came up with a recipe that I think you will love! We both wanted cake but we were too lazy to get out and also too lazy to make a cake that would take a long time. That's when he suggested: let's make a pancake cake. Yes, a pancake cake so here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup of pancake mix
1 egg
1/2 a cup of milk (or more depending on the consistency of the batter, you want it to look like regular pancake batter)
1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of sugar (or 3 depending on how sweet you want it)
A pinch of baking soda
Some chopped walnuts and shredded coconut (optional)
2 tablespoons of coconut oil or 1 tablespoon of butter
Sweet cream (optional)
Nutella to taste

Preparation:

In a bowl, mix the pancake mix, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. Once it is all well combined, add the vanilla, egg, and milk. Mix it well until you get a smooth batter of about the same consistency of the batter you use when making regular pancakes. Add the walnuts and shredded coconut if you would like to.

After your mixture is ready, heat up a medium pan and add the coconut oil or butter. Make sure it doesn't get too hot because your "cake" will burn. Add all the mixture at once and cook it for about 5 minutes on very low heat. Take a spatula and carefully check if the bottom looks golden brown. If so, slide the "cake" from the pan to a large enough plate and then turn it so you cook the other side for 5 minutes as well.

Now that your "cake" is cooked, let it cool and once it cools off cover one side of the cake with a filling of your choice (we used sweet thick cream). Cut the cake in half and place the two parts on top of each other in such a way that your filling is in the middle. To finish, cover the top plain side with Nutella and refrigerate for about an hour. Lastly, serve and enjoy!

Servings: 4
Cooking Time: 15 minutes without counting the time you allow to cool before eating it.

Note: if you do not want to put cream  you could use anything that you would like for the filling. Be creative! Have fun in the kitchen.

How Minimalism Can Minimize Stress While Moving

Over the years, I have experienced moving probably a little more than the average person. I have moved from one country to another, from one state to a neighboring one, traveled to another continent for a little more than just a couple of days, and more recently moved from the east coast to the west coast. Such activity requires organizing the trip, leaving a job and therefore finding another one, packing and finally moving. It is time consuming, it can be expensive, and it can also raise the level of stress of an individual. I quickly became overwhelmed by the moving process and it all started when I opened my closet door and thought: "I have too much stuff". That's when I started doing some research and came across minimalism on YouTube* and I have to say, applying minimalism to my space minimized the level of stress I was feeling.

I started taking steps towards simplifying my life by re-evaluating not only my material possessions, but also by freeing myself from emotional attachments I had to items. I took a step back and decided that before packing I would go through the process of de-cluttering. By doing this, I was able to reduce the number of things I needed to take with me to the new home. It felt like lifting a heavy weight off my shoulders and it made me feel less stressed. The action plan to move started in January and by late May I was ready to start packing.

I knew shipping could get very expensive so I wanted to pack as fewer boxes as possible. I managed to move with a total amount of ten USPS Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Boxes, which you can get for free at your local post office and can ship up to 70 pounds domestically for less than $19. I wanted to travel with just a carry on but I still had a few more things I knew I would need so I needed to pack those. I decided to use a checked in addition to my carry on. Unfortunately, when I got to the airport and was checking in, I found out I went over the weight limit on my checked bag (which costs $25 within the US anyway) and I had to pay an extra $100 bucks for a couple of extra pounds!

Another thing that I found minimalism helped me with was by reducing the amount of time it takes to unpack. When people move, it can take them days or even months to unpack. I was able to do this task the day after my arrival and it only took me a few hours. I had almost everything I needed but I left big items like my bedroom furniture, tv, desktop computer and other things behind. It would cost more to transfer them than to buy them at the new city. One thing I do not recommend is throwing things away if someone else can still make good use out of them. Minimalism doesn't mean that you have to get rid of stuff. In my opinion, de-cluttering is a necessary thing to do every once in a while so you can feel more comfortable in your own space. To me, it is more pleasant to look at an empty wall or a wall with just one or two decorations than to look at a wall with a thousand things hanging off.

To conclude, minimalism helped me feel less stressed during the process of moving because I was able to reduce the number of things I possessed. I went through everything I owned and only kept what I really needed, a few things that I did not want to part with and some that constantly bring happiness to my life when I use them or look at them. Even though I have less belongings than before, there are still areas that I feel I need to tackle even more, but I'm going to leave that for another post.

How has minimalism helped you? Did you know about it before reading this? I'm very interested in finding out your minimalism story. Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment or ask questions.

*If you want to know more details, I suggest you read my post "How I Discovered Minimalism" by clicking here.

Neutrogena Naturals Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Moisturizer Review

I have been trying to write this review for so long, that I can't believe I'm finally doing it. If you are a smart consumer who is considering to get a new face moisturizer but you want to know what other people think of the product before you invest in it, then this post might benefit you. 

The Neutrogena naturals moisturizer is an affordable and nourishing product that claims to give you healthier and younger looking skin. After using it for quite a few months now, I can say that it does what it claims. Every time I use it, I can notice a difference in the texture of my skin. It makes my skin look more hydrated and a lot healthier. 

Consistency: This moisturizer is very rich in consistency and you might feel it is a bit heavy and oily when you first apply it, but give it a few seconds and that feeling will go away. 

Skin Type: I have normal - to combination skin and I have personally not experienced any breakouts due to this product. If you are more on the oily side, I would suggest that you try something different. 

Scent: When it comes to scents, I am very picky. That is not a problem with this product because it smells very natural and not to anything in particular. 

Sun Protection Concerns: I would have loved if it had SPF in it but that is not the case. If sun protection is something you can't do without, then this product is not for you.

 

One of the aspects I love about this product is that it claims that it is not tested on animals and it is friendly to the environment. I have included pictures of the packaging so that you can read more details if you would like to and also take a look at the ingredients. 

If you would like to buy it or find out more reviews, this link will take you to the Target website: Neutrogena Naturals 

Minimalism: How To Get Started

When I first turned my interest to minimalism I was very excited and I wanted to become a minimalist right away. It was after I saw how much work and time it took that I realized it would take longer. Becoming a minimalist is a slow process that not only requires a clear vision, a lot of work and self discipline, but also life changing decisions.

The first thing you need to take a look at is your space. Are  you happy with the way it looks? Does it make you feel calm and relaxed or does it make you uncomfortable and restless? Do you feel a need to change things around or maybe re-evaluate your possessions? These are all questions that you need to answer before you can come up with a plan to get started.

Once you have answered those questions write down the areas of your home or your life that you want to de-clutter. Here I will tell you my tips to tackle your home.

Tips

1) Make a list of the spaces you want to de-clutter. For example, you could start with your room, then move on to your kitchen, living room and so on. In my case I started with my room.

2) Once you have chosen a space to start with, consider the different areas of that space. If you choose to start with your room, like I did, you might divide the big task into more manageable ones. In the case of my room I started with my closet, then moved on to my shoe collection, my nail polishes, makeup, bookshelf, desk, drawers and any other things that you have in your room.

3) Do not try to do it all in one day because you would be disappointed, exhausted and might be discouraged. Find a time that works for you. In my case, Saturday was a perfect day since I would feel too tired after getting home from work during the week.

4) Be patient. It might take you months, but I can tell you from my own experience that it is worth it. Somehow I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders every time I took things I didn't need out of my space.

5) Do not throw away stuff that somebody else my find useful! Find donation centers around your area, somebody might be less fortunate than you are, and you might be helping somebody in this world by donating what you really do not need or use.

6) Be very honest with yourself. Before you decide to donate an item, make sure that you really do not need it. Questions that might help you in determining if you need the item or not might be: Have I used this item in the past 3 months? Do I love this item? Do I NEED this item? Does it fit me (if it is a piece of clothing)? How would I feel if I donated this item?

7) Do not buy compulsively. It doesn't make sense to get rid of things just so you can buy more things to replace what you got rid off. Be a smart consumer!

I hope these tips can help you in your journey of becoming a minimalist. Questions and comments are welcomed, as long as they are constructive : ) Only positive vibes around here : )

What is Minimalism?

In my previous post I discussed how I came across the term of Minimalism and how it affected my lifestyle in a positive way. Today, I want to discuss in a more personal level what Minimalism means to me.

So what is Minimalism? I think that there is a lot of confusion around this term. Many minimalists will have different opinions depending on what Minimalism means to them. Some will see it as a way of art, others will say that it is having a minimum amount of things. From what I have read online and to my understanding, originally Minimalism was/is a style, a way of expressing yourself artistically. Now Minimalism has also become a way of life.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I had in my closet and it felt like it was necessary to get rid of a few things, so I went ahead and donated what I didn't need. I am not saying that to be a minimalist you need to get rid of things, that is why I said I wanted to discuss it in a more personal level. To me, Minimalism, viewed as a way of life, leads to the simplification of everyday tasks. It helps the individual to have a clearer vision of what is really important. I'm using Minimalism as a way to live simply and in the best way possible. By doing so, not only do I feel happier, but also the amount of time I spend in tasks, like finding what to wear, is less. What does this mean to me? It means that I can use the extra time to focus on other things.

Once I started to apply the concept to my closet, I realized that it could also be applied to other areas of my life and my space in general. Becoming a minimalist takes time, it is not a one day process. I have a lot more to cover in this journey and I will gladly share it in case any of you is interested.

I would like to know what Minimalism means to you, feel free to leave your view on the topic : )

How I Discovered Minimalism

Around spring time each year I get excited about the idea of taking my winter clothes out and putting my spring clothes in, but this year I wanted more. I wasn't happy about what I owned and I was struggling to find what to wear each day, even when my closet was full of clothes. I knew I wanted to do a mayor clear out and I wanted a more practical wardrobe. I was tired of opening the closet door and feeling overwhelmed by how full it was. In other words, I wanted to be able to pick what to wear quickly, feel comfortable in what I wore and only have items that I knew I would wear.  That's when I started going to YouTube for help. I watched a video on how to start a "capsule wardrobe" that Anna from "Viviana Does Makeup" had posted. I thought that it was a good starting point but at the same time that led me to the discovery of a whole new concept: Minimalism. 

After watching Anna's video, I started searching for more on the same topic to get more ideas. Then one day I came across a video about Minimalism. I was very intrigued by it, so I started watching more and more videos about it. I discovered "The Minimalists" and since then, I have changed my view about Consumerism. I also noticed that I had way to much stuff and I figured that, not only was I overwhelmed by my closet, but also about other things I had. I started realizing that my makeup collection was not realistic (I had way more than I needed), I had lots of accumulated paperwork, and in general a lot of stuff that was unnecessary to have.

In April 2016 I decided that I wanted to be a Minimalist because it made sense to me. That's when I combined the capsule wardrobe idea with Minimalism and that was my first step into a more simplified way of life (I feel so much better now). I'm planning to write more posts about my personal process of de-cluttering my space so maybe someone else can benefit from it the same way I have benefited from information online. Make sure you check my blog soon if you want to find out more. I do not post that often because of my busy lifestyle but I'm trying to be more consistent and post at least once a month. Thanks for reading :)

Here are some links you might find useful:

Minimalism
The Minimalists Website
The Minimalists - TEDx Talks
How To Make a Capsule Wardrobe

PS: Exciting life changes happening soon ;)

Tips for Managing Time

Nowadays it seems like time is something that everyone is lacking of, but there are ways to manage time more efficiently.

Wake Up Early

The day has only 24 hours and if you wake up late, you won't be able to accomplish as much as you would if you wake up early. Simple right? Not all the time, I know, but sometimes it has to be done.

Prioritize 

Determine what needs to be done right away and what can wait until later. Sometimes we tend to put off things that are complicated or boring, but if such things have more priority than others they need to be done! No need to wait! It will only cause you stress later.

Learn to Say NO

Learn that you can't be a superwoman or superman all the time. Sometimes you need to simply say NO. Say no to things that can interfere with reaching your own goals.

Have Clear Goals

Have clear and realistic goals. Write them down and put them on a place where you can see them at least once a day. If you do not have access to your goals, you might tend to forget some of them. Also it is very important that you check them everyday and ask yourself if you are taking any steps towards accomplishing such goals.

Keep Track of Activities or Things You Need to Accomplish

I love to do lists! I use a combination of old fashioned pen and paper but sometimes I prefer using my phone or table to stay organized. There are many applications available that can help you stay on top of your game. Do your homework and research! Also use calendars, they are very helpful!

I hope these tips help you at some point in your life. Thanks for reading this very informal post ;)

Ipsy - February Glam Bag

It is a new month and a new Ipsy bag has arrived at my door step. This time I was surprised and so happy with the products inside the bag, because some brands I already know and some of them I have been wanting to try! It is nice to give myself a little treat each month :)

5 Minute Breakfast

After working all week, on Saturdays I just can't be bothered to be in the kitchen but here is an easy 5 minute breakfast idea for you!

You will need:

1/2 a ripe avocado
1 egg
A slice of bread
Some lemon or lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Some olive oil.

Preparation

Toast your bread and while that is happening, cut your avocado in slices. Once the bread is toasted, place the avocado on top of it and add some salt, paper, and lemon. Heat up some oil on a pan and fry your egg. You can place your egg on top of the avocado if you prefer. Add some lemon, salt and pepper and enjoy! Easy right?

Ipsy - January Glam Bag

This is what I got from Ipsy for the month of January! I already started using the lip balm and the eye cream. If any of the products make into my favorites list, I will post a review!

The Purple Smoothie Recipe

I strive to come up with new recipes for smoothies whenever I have the time and today's recipe is:

3 Tablespoons of whole oats (soak them in half a cup of water for 10 minutes)
1 Tablespoon of chia seeds (soak in a little bit of water for 10 minutes)
1 Tablespoon of honey
1/2 A cup of unsweetened almond milk
5 Frozen strawberries
1/2 A cup of frozen blueberries
The juice of half a lime or lemon

To prepare you will need either a blender or a NutriBullet. Combine all the ingredients and blend for about a minute. Since I used frozen strawberries and blueberries there is no need for ice. If you don't have almond milk, you can use regular milk. It is about being creative. You can use just strawberries if you don't have blueberries, and the chia seeds is optional. The texture and taste might be different but you would still have a healthy nutritious smoothie.

Chia Seeds Smoothie

What a better way than starting your day with a healthy smoothie? For this recipe you will need:

1 banana
1 apple
1 mango
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
1 cup of water

Soak the tablespoon of chia seeds in one cup of water for about 10 minutes. Peel and cut the rest of the ingredients in small portions and add them to a blender. I prefer to use my NutriBullet for this recipe and I blend for about a minute. Once you are done, serve and drink!

Note: If you prefer a cold smoothie, you can freeze the fruits the night before.

Ipsy - September Glam Bag

I have been subscribed to Ipsy for a few months now but I couldn't resist blogging about this September Glam Bag. It has been my favorite in terms of design and content. I think it is very elegant and I would definitely be using these products. I am looking forward to reviewing them in more detail!