POM Sunday

And just like that it’s been several weeks since I’ve posted anything! I’m now back to work and busier than ever (but still making sure I carve out PLENTY of time for my little one!). I’m also making time for extracurriculars…like baking for this Sunday’s pom pom + mobile making workshop led by Dana Haim over at Wynwood Letterpress. Here’s a peek at the poms and one of the sweet treats I’ll be making {I’ll also be making an iteration of this}. Want to attend? Register HERE. {And hurry! Space is limited.} 

red, ice and blue

Here’s an easy way to add some color and flavor to your water this 4th of July {and all summer long}.

1. get an ice cube tray
2. drop in your favorite berries
3. fill with water
4. pop into the freezer

When you’re ready for a refreshing glass of water, preferably on a sunny day by the pool, drop in the ice cubes. They’ll keep your water cool and as they melt, infuse your glass with subtle berry flavor. Plus, they add a nice little pop of color to an otherwise boring glass of H2O.

Manicure {& Pedicure} Must-Haves

Now with our little one here it’s not always easy to make the time to do my nails but when I do {thanks to the Mr. who takes over!}, I need efficient, easy-to-use products. After years of trying countless products {I’m a beauty product junkie!} here are my tried and true favorites.

skin softeners | Mary Kay’s Satin Hands Set is by far the best exfoliating/moisturizing combo I’ve ever tried. It leaves your hands {and feet} feeling silky smooth, setting the ideal foundation for a good manicure. I typically rub some of the hand softener on the front and back of my hands and follow it with the scrub. Then immediately follow it with the cuticle tamers {see below} and then seal in moisture with the hand cream. Seriously. Your hands will never be softer!

cuticle tamers | There’s nothing like cuticles gone wild to instantly ruin the look of your manicure. The Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover works very quickly and after just a few uses you’ll notice your hands needing the Cuticle Nipper less and less and finding that the Cuticle Pusher is enough to do the trick.

nail file | Your nails, like your outfit, reflect your style. Whether you like them round, square or squoval {you know, sorta’ square sorta’ oval} a good nail file is key to achieving the look you want. I prefer ones with a decent amount of grit {like this one} to quickly get the shorter look I like.

nail polish | All polishes are not created equal, and good polish does not mean more expensive. Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy is definitely my favorite drug store polish. The built-in base coat eliminates an extra step, and the topcoat gives nails a salon-looking finish. {budget-friendly tip: Target typically sells them for $5…about $2-$4 cheaper than places like Walgreens, Ulta and CVS}.

If you have any favorite products, do share! Though I love these, I’m always excited to try something new.

{Easter} Desserts

Easter is just a few weeks away and because I’ll probably be having our baby around that time {I’m due April 6!} I thought I’d share some fun dessert ideas a bit early.

 

Here are a few I’ve made.

  

Fore more cute ideas, check out my Easter Dessert Pinterest Board.

{Valentine’s Day} Desserts

Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away, and while we’re not particularly big on it at our house, I do jump at the opportunity to bake + decorate for it. Here are a few fun ideas + a quick last-minute snack I made last year.

For these and other fun ideas, check out my Valetine’s Day Dessert Pinterest board.

Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day-inspired dessert?

Cake Decorating

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a happy Easter!

Here are some photos of the cake I made. It was so easy to do! Below are the steps to making it yourself  + easy modifications you can make to fit other themes so you can use it year-round!

1. Bake your cake like you normally would.
2. While you wait for it to cool, pour green food coloring and shredded coconut into a bowl and mix until you get desired shade of green.
3. Frost the top of the cake and cover in green coconut. (Tip: don’t take the coconut to the edge of the cake just yet as it may cause coconut to get caught on the spatula when frosting the sides.)
4. Once cooled, begin frosting sides of cake one at a time.
5. As soon as you’ve frosted one side, place vanilla wafers on that side. (Tip: don’t wait too long to place wafers. Once on cake, frosting will harden a little making it harder for wafers to stick.)
6. Once you’re done with 4 sides of the cake, gently push coconut out to edges.
7. Decorate with your theme of choice. I used Vanilla Creme Peeps & Cadburry Mini Eggs (best candy EVER!) because it was Easter but this can easily be adapted to fit other themes, a few of which I’ve listed below.

• picnic cake: place cake on red + white checkered plate (or open red + white checkered napkin on plate under cake) and swap out Peeps + eggs for plastic or candy ants and voila! You’ve got a picnic-themed cake.
• farm cake: swap out Peeps for any plastic and/or candy farm animals.
• spring cake: remove Peeps + place candy flowers around the “grass.”

These are just a few ideas, but if you get creative the list could go on and on.

What was your Easter dessert?

 

 

Must-Share Beauty Tip: Removing Polish Stains

 I’m a big  DIY-er when it comes to beauty. I blow dry my own hair, do my own manicures/pedicures (I haven’t had my nails professionally done since my wedding nearly 4 years ago!). I learned from my mom who has always been very self-sufficient in that way.

If you too are a DIY-er, you know how annoying it can be to remove your current polish only to see your nails/cuticles stained – usually by a red, blue or other vibrant shade. Nail polish remover only does so much, so I was pleasantly surprised one day while playing around on Pinterest, to come across a pin that suggested brushing your nails with toothpaste to remove said stains. I don’t recall if I even pinned it, but the idea stayed with me.  I was happy to find it actually works! The best part? It’s easy and inexpensive! I picked up the small brush pictured below for just 33 cents at Samaria Beauty Supply, and I of course have toothpaste at home. I’ve tried it with a couple different ones, and all are equally as effective. It’s been one of the best manicure tips, and I’m excited to share it with you in hopes that you also find it helpful. Let me know if you give it a try! Happy manicuring!