Last month I bought the e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow Palette from amazon because I thought that the colors were pretty, and I’ve wanted to try the baked style of makeup for a while. However, I had some mixed results. For the price point, I am not complaining! 

My 15 year old daughter said, “mom, you just have to keep trying, it’s GOOD stuff!”. Who am I to argue with a teen?

e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow Palette, California, 6 Grams

Here’s the product description:

Color: California

JamesDeMers / Pixabay

The Old Way to Work At Home

Direct sales and call center work used to be the way most moms worked from home. Those are still viable options, but they aren’t right for every situation. Maybe, like me, you can’t get out to do home parties on a regular basis. I have a child with autism whose schedule is packed with therapy, camp, and more. Our evening schedule is dedicated to relaxing from a busy day and preparing for the next. As a single mom, I can’t get away from the house for long without lots of help from a secondary cargiver.

Call center work is great for those who don’t want to leave home. But, this requires a quiet space to work. You can’t risk your toddlers barging into the room yelling at each other, or in my case, my daughter repeatedly asking for more food. They just can’t understand the need for mom to have a quiet environment.

The Work At Home Environment

If you look forward to the end of the work day when you can walk away from the office or the store, then you should think hard about working at home. When you work at home all day, you can’t escape from it. You also can’t escape from the household chores staring you in the face all day while you write or work online.

Know Your Computer & The Internet

I can’t think of anything work from home related that won’t require at least basic knowledge of the internet and your computer. Having or finding friends and mentors who can help out with the things you don’t know will be valuable.

Your computer is likely to get old, worn out and might be temperamental at times. Do you know how to make it work again? You better plan ahead to save enough to pay for upgrades when you them too.

A good solid internet connection is the only way you can do this type of work! If your internet goes down at home, do you have a backup plan?

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Getting Stuff Done – or Being Organized

Some people work better at folling a list of “to-do” than others. Some people get satisfaction out of knowing they tackled a list of things to get done for their business daily. Some don’t. While you don’t have to enjoy it, it helps. Can you be honest about your strengths and weaknesses in this area? Can you create plans and stick to them, or do you need someone else to create a plan for you?ome people find great satisfaction in making a list and getting everything on it done. Others find staying on task difficult, and may get distracted easily with other interests and ideas. You don’t have to be naturally task-oriented to succeed at working from home; but you do need to be honest with yourself about your abilities in this regard and plan accordingly.

Motivation

Motivation comes in all forms. It’s easy to lose your motivation when you don’t see results quickly or when you expected to. So, doing your research and being willing to test things out is important when you work from home.

I’ve written at places like Squidoo.com and found that when traffic to my pages or the money was slow, it was very hard to stay motivated. But, writing at Bubblews.com has been easy and my motivation has been great because I can see results daily.

Which is important to you? Getting something done regardless of the outcome, or is the money an immediate need? What motivates you to be able to work at home?

Your current job might provide benefits that you just can’t get at home. Health Insurance? Paid Vacations? Those can be difficult if not impossible to get when you work from home.

Another thing many don’t consider is that their employers take care of paying taxes. Guess what? That is up to you when you work from home? Are you prepared to take care of it on your own or to hire a CPA?

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5 thrift store shopping tips

1. Write down measurements. If you are shoping for the kids, but they won’t be with you, then make sure you have sizes and measurements written down for each of them. I know my youngest wears a medium , but has a pants length of 36in. So, I can measure anything before buying it to find out that it doesn’t fit.

You can measure pieces of clothing that fit well right now. You don’t have to measure your child if you or they don’t want to.

2. Take cash and set a budget. Some stores won’t take credit cards, and you don’t want to spend more than you have. I’ve seen regular sun dresses that cost $9.99 in our local thrift store and I’m not sure that’s such a great bargain. Sometimes they have name brand shoes that I know are expensive, but they stil want me to pay $20 or $30 for a used pair of shoes. If it doesn’t fit in my budget, then it’s not a bargain!

3. Know what you are going for ahead of time. If you are shopping for clothing for back to school, then note how many of each type of item you need for each family member. It might take 2 or 3 trips or several thrift stores, but you’ll know how many you have at each store so you won’t buy more than you need. Try to pair up items. Will that shirt look good with any of the jeans you bought for your son, or will those shoes really match the Easter dress you just bought your daughter? Don’t buy it just because it’s a good bargain.

4. Look over the item. Are there rips, stains, or loose seams? Is that fabulous bar stool bolted together well?

5. Give back. Every 6 months or so, I go through my closet and the kid’s clothing too, to get rid of things we dont’ wear or that don’t fit any longer. I bag them up and take them to the donation center at the local thrift store.

Maternity Pants are Easy to Wear

My daughter has autism, and low motor skills when it comes to her fingers.That means she can’t easily button, snap or otherwise deal with small intricate clothing fasteners. I didn’t want her to be stuck in jogging suits for her whole life, so one day while in the local Good Will, I noticed the maternity pants because they had a wide elastic at the top.

Three Seasons Maternity Women’s Denim Cuffed Capri, Rinse, Large

Jules & Jim Women’s Maternity 3/4 Length Pant With Button Detail, Natural, X-Small

A Pea in the Pod Collection: Hudson Secret Fit Belly(r) 5 Pocket Boot Cut Maternity Jeans

Not Your Mom’s Maternity Pants

Now, these aren’t the old fashioned maternity pants that had the large belly panel in the front. This is a new breed of maternity pants that has a wide elastic band that goes all the way around the pants and they are cut a little lower on the waist.

The even more awesome thing is that they come in all the normal styles, from jeans to cargo pants.

The second style that I’ve found we both like has an elastic panel that goes from the waist up, so it covers the belly and mid back. This is good for when your shirts ride up and you don’t notice. (like my daughter).

Ripe Maternity Women’s Maternity Premium Tomboy Crop Pant, White, Small

Three Seasons Maternity Women’s Boot Cut Jean, Dark Blue, Large

Everly Grey Women’s Raven Pant, Charcoal, X-Large

You might be wondering why I would wear maternity pants if I’m not pregnant?

I’m built like a pregnant woman, that’s why. My daddy and his mama were too. I have a sway back (scoliosis) and that pushes my butt out, and my belly forward. All that body distortion means that regular jeans, low waisted or not, are never comfortable! They cut into my belly, and gap at my lower back. They don’t move with me when I get up and down, so I’m constantly having to pull up my pants.

But, I found that the maternity pants, especially the ones with the single low cut band, fit beautifully! They hug me in the back and glide right over my unfortunate curve in the front.

I buy these pants from the thirft store because they can be pricy if you get them home to find out they aren’t comfortable after all. And, also, because my daughter cand be strange when it comes to agreeing to wear certain clothing. Ask anyone with a kid that autism, it’s not that strange.

So, buying from the thrift store allows me to buy cheap. Thankfully, we are close to the same size, so if something doesn’t fit me quite right, I can pass it on to her. If she doesn’t care for the material or color, I can still wear it. It’s a win-win!

Belly Bandit BDA Black Pant – Medium/Large

Jules & Jim Women’s Maternity Fitted Flare Leg Pant, Grey Mix, Large

Jules & Jim Women’s Maternity Convertible Cargo Pant, Natural, Large

I’m sharing links to some Amazon products in this post to give you an idea of what retail pricing is for these types of items. Also, you might not find your right size in your local thrift store, so you can always order from Amazon to try them out too.

Instead of applying false eyelashes that may fall off sometime during the day, use an eyelash curler. An eyelash curler will curl your lashes upwards and away from the eye, making your eyes appear bigger. Make sure you use the curler before applying mascara, or you’ll have to reapply it.

Do not shave the same spot over and over again. People think that they will effectively get all of their hair by doing this, when in fact, the only thing that will happen is that your skin will get irritated or you will get razor bumps.

Get an even, natural looking spray tan by investing some time preparing your skin before applying the product. For best results, don’t shave or use any other forms of hair removal the day you plan to tan. Exfoliating your skin for several days beforehand will also help you achieve streak free results.

Exfoliate your skin. When you are trying to improve the quality of your skin, one point that you can never overlook in your routine is a good exfoliation. You should do this at least twice a week and you should have a separate product for your face and your body. These will help to make your skin look younger.

Use dry shampoo as a hair volumizer. Apply dry shampoo to day-old hair, and use a round brush to blow dry the roots. You get the same benefits as a volumizer with the mixture of your hair’s natural oil and the dry shampoo, which means your hair will have major volume, and you get another day out of your blowout.

Cracked heels and dry, flaking feet are very unattractive, especially in sandals. To combat this problem, right before you go to bed, soak your feet in a warm water bath for ten minutes, coat them with petroleum jelly and then cover them with a thick pair of socks to lock in the moisture. In no time, you’ll have soft feet.

If your hair and face could use a little tender, loving care but you can’t spare the money for a spa or salon treatment, look no further than your refrigerator. Apply the whites of an egg to your face for a tightening, brightening mask, then apply the yolk to your hair to leave it glossy and full.

For soft feet, apply lotion or Vaseline and wrap in cling wrap before going to bed. You should then put socks on your feet. You should do this at least once a week for the softest feet. This will prepare even the driest feet for summer and wearing sandals.

If you haven’t taken care of your physical appearance for a long time, don’t be scared off by the amount of work it takes to improve it. Although the initial time investment might be high it is much easier to maintain a good appearance than to initially create it.

In this article, we went over some ways to enhance the beauty around you and how to keep yourself beautiful. These tips and tricks can be applied in your every day life and will help you gain a new perspective on things. Being beautiful and appreciating beauty is a simple concept that can go a long way.

1 Use Labels to Keep Things Organized

Nothing will waste time more than a home business owner who spends hours looking for one important file or paper. As your business grows, the paper work will grow with it. Your office should be organized at all times but this will be difficult if you don’t have folders and drawers specifically labeled to help you find items that you need instantly.

2 Use Your Organization Tools

When you have all the tools needed to keep your office organized, don’t forget to use them. This may seem simple but many home business owners will quickly become overwhelmed and begin to stack files and papers in one spot or another to quickly complete a task. They will then neglect to put the files in order when they get some free time. Spend a few minutes every week to make sure that all your files are put in their correct slots. This is a huge time saver because you will instantly find what you’re looking for if it’s in the right place.

3 Remove Clutter from Your Office Space

Clutter builds up in every aspect of our lives, and it can quickly grow out of control if you don’t sit down and organize it. Old papers that are no longer needed should be shredded and tossed to make room for new files. As your business grows, you will receive large amounts of mails every day and you should carefully open and go through them to toss out the ones you don’t need, while you file away the ones that you do.

Throw away paper, boxes and other trash that may accumulate as you work. Allowing clutter to build in your office space can cause some home business owners to feel stressed and annoyed as they constantly wade threw anonymous piles of junk that needs to be in the garbage or filing cabinet.

4 Eliminate Unnecessary Waste

Along with clutter, another problem that can cause build up in your office space is holding on to objects that you don’t need. If you buy a new monitor, get rid of the old one by selling it or giving it to a family member or friend who can use it. Electronics quickly become outdated and as you upgrade, remove the old ones to allow more space in your work area. If you buy or have newspapers delivered daily, remove the old ones. Newspapers have a way of adding clutter because many readers will simply throw them in a corner until they begin to stack up to dangerous heights.

5 Acquire Decent Shelving Space

Shelves are a great way to get extra space in a small home office. High and against the wall, they offer you an extra setting to place important files that may not be needed at the moment. Other shelves can be placed in a specific area to allow you to grab files that you will need to use daily. Shelves are also low cost depending on the ones that you choose, and they can add more space to your office while keeping your budget low.

6 Let the Light In

Even though you work at home, you should let the sun in. A dark and gloomy office can cause some individuals to feel tired and sluggish even when they had a good nights rest. This can slow down your business and productivity and cause you to intake too much caffeine as you struggling to stay awake during your work hours. If your office does not have a window to let in some light or if you tend to work during night time hours, you can purchase good lighting or special items that mimic sunlight.

There are far too many mothers out there who feel as if they are constantly under an enormous amount of stress. Obviously, when you have children, stress and worry come with those children. However, there is no reason that you should always be stressed out. Sadly, this is the case for most mothers though.

If you’re a mother, it isn’t hard to understand why so many mothers feel this way. Not only do they have to worry about keeping the house orderly while working a full-time job, but they also have to worry about making sure all of the children have clean clothes, are fed, their homework is completed, they make all extracurricular activities on time, and much more. All of this tends to mentally weigh us, as mothers, down. This is why it’s so important that you, as a mother, find a way to get organized.

It’s amazing how much more clearly we can think and how much better we feel when our lives are organized…or at least feel organized. Organization comes in many different forms and these are different from person to person. For example, some women find that making “To-Do” lists each night helps them prepare for the next day while keeping them organized. Other mothers like to use a dry erase board to create a chart containing everything that needs to be done on various days. These charts may contain anything and everything from soccer games to dentist appointments to when the bathroom needs to be cleaned. Then, there are other mothers out there who are good at keeping track of important dates and deadlines but get stressed out when the house is a mess. Therefore, these women focus more on organizing their homes instead of important dates and deadlines.

The truth about the scenarios listed above is that these are just a few of the many different ways in which mothers get organized. The important thing to keep in mind as you search for the right way to get organized is that you focus on narrowing down the source of your stress. Once you know what it is that causes you to get the most stressed, you can begin to organize that area in your life.

Also, don’t feel as if you have to do this all on your own. The healthiest families are those that help each other. If you are one who can’t focus with a “dirty” house, then consider making out a chore chart and giving each member of the family designated chores that need to be done every week. This will dramatically help reduce your stress level.

Reducing your stress level is very important – for every mother. Generally, when mothers are less stressed they are more pleasant to be around, enjoy life more and are healthier overall. Once stress and worry is reduced, you’ll be able to focus on what’s really important – your family. Therefore, why not get organized and start living life to the fullest?

So, we had to cut out sugars and carbs because my youngest daughter has developed type 2 diabetes. You can read more about that story here:

But, my sister in law (who is a saint for helping) has sent me tons of low carb recipes and links to recipes, sent me this recipe and I tried it last night, and again tonight. But, I tried it two ways and took photos and had some thoughts about our results. You can see my alterations in green below.

LV2SUN’S ALMOND CHEESE ROUNDS (doubled it and got a little more than 2 times as many servings out of it.)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
3 ounces almond flour (1 cup) (used the unblanched stuff that sil gave me a few months ago)
2 tablespoons butter, softened (used 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (without garlic or salt, these are very plain tasting, but would be good for biscuits and gravy!)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Bake at 350º for 20 minutes (but watch starting at 15 min)

Mix all of the ingredients well with a spoon until they form a soft dough. Divide between 6 muffin top pans and press to make flat rounds. Bake at 350º about 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Best served while still warm from the oven.

VARIATION: Drop 6 mounds of dough onto a small parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Check them after 15 minutes and add more time, if needed.

Makes 6 servings (we got 9 drop biscuits and about 5 more flatter crackers)

Per Serving: 205 Calories; 18g Fat; 9g Protein; 3.5g Carbohydrate; 2

My youngest daughter, the one with diabetes, doesn’t care for these! The rest of us do, though. They resemble the cheese biscuits from Red Lobster, but I think these would be good with honey.

My older daughter thinks they would be good without the garlic powder as biscuits with gravy. I agree .