January 2012 Birch Box!

I love when my Birch Box comes in the mail! It's like Christmas every month! This month was no different. I practically chewed the box open I was so anxious to see what was in it. Here are the wonderful goodies I got this month! I usually take pictures myself of these but for some reason I can't find the pictures I took. 
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stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue Ribbon

Retails for: $20.00 a pencil.

This awesome silky eyeliner is perfect for changing up your black eyeliner. This comes in three different beautiful colors. I got the Blue Ribbon which is like a blueish gray (cerulean). Beautiful! It also comes in Moray which is a golden olive,  Peacock which is a shimmery azure and also Lionfish which is a chestnut brown. The best part is that these beauties are waterproof so they stay vibrant and beautiful all day long.

How to use:

Trace your upper lashline, gently sweeping it up towards your temple to create a cat-eye affet. You can also use a smudge utensil like a smudge stick or cotton swab to make a sexy smoky eye effect. 

Larabar Mini Bar

Retails for: $14.95 for a box of 12

This little nugget of yum is the perfect treat to stuff in your purse when you're on the run. It is an all natural snack bar that not only is super yummy but it's also REALLY good for you. It's made with no preservative or fillers and it comes in lots of delish flavors. There are Blueberry Muffin, Carrot Cake, Peanut Butter Cookie and my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. YUM!

Juicy Couture - Juicy Couture Perfume

Retails for: $89.00 for a 3.4oz bottle

This fragrance is light and fresh on the skin. It's subtle but draws you in to take a nice sniff. It's a blend of fruity and floral and is designed to make you not only smell fabulous but feel fabulous as well. There are top notes of watermelon, passion fruit, and mandarin combined with marigold and also green apple. There are undertones of rose, vanilla and caramel to get the rich warmness of the perfume. I love it. It smells divine! 

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream

Retails for: $115.00 for a 1.7fl oz tub

This product is made to battle dullness, fine lines, and dry skin. It also does wonders for your complexion with some really powerful moisturizer. Clark's is a runway best seller that transforms your skin with a potent blend of exfoliating natural acids and energizing algae extracts. It has very much so become a cult favorite. 

How it Works:

All Clark's Botanicals' skincare products use Jasmine Absolute to rebalance troubled skin. Culled from nocturnally blooming jasmine flowers, the precious oil has anti-inflammatory and immuno-boosting properties. In addition, this moisturizer features a gentle does of glycolic acid to slough away dead skin cells, plus marine algae extracts to soften skin. 

Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap

Retails for: $12.50 for a 6.9oz bar

This triple milled formula pairs a pure vegetable oil base with rich mango seed and shea butters to make one heck over a soap. This is not your momma's drugstore bar soap. White tea and cranberry extracts provide an antioxidant boost but the main star is pomegranate. It has both benefits on the skin and the psyche.  

Stay tuned tonight when I do a beakdown of the products. I haven't gotten to try all of them out but I'm going to try to do a vlog post on how they all work! 

Home Cooking for 1 and a 1/2

This week Derek will be gone to California for business. I love to do meal plans for the week but it is so hard when you only have to cook for two people (one of them being a wiggly toddler). Meal planning seems to help with getting groceries and saves me from spending a TON of money on food that we won't eat for the week. Here is my meal plan for this week for just Stratton and I. For those of you out there that have a husband that isn't home a lot a you have a little one at home...this one is for you.

Monday Meal:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Tomato Soup
Apple Sauce
Cottage Cheese

Grill Cheese Sandwiches are super easy to make and I seriously don't know anyone who doesn't like them. The best part about making grilled cheese and soup is that you can dip the sandwich in the soup! I don't know about your kids but unless it can be dipped my son won't eat it. Apple sauce is the little bit of sweet that is good your meal and the cottage cheese is something I have always eaten with tomato soup.

Grocery List so far:
bread
2 cans soup
apple sauce
cottage cheese

Tuesday Meal:

Shake and Bake Chicken Strips
Mac n Cheese
Green Beans

This meal has been my go to meal lately. Shake and Bake chicken is SO easy to make and it's super cheap. Not to mention your little guy can help you shake the bag when you're getting everything ready. I like the regular Shake and Bake because it's not too spicy. I dip my chicken in a 3/4 ranch and 1/4 water mixture to get the crumbs to stick to it a little better. Mac and Cheese goes with ANYTHING seriously. Green beans are your vegetable what are a must for a growing little one.


Grocery List so far:
bread
cheese slices
2 cans soup
apple sauce
cottage cheese
shake and bake
raw chicken breast
ranch dressing
mac and cheese
milk
butter
steam-able or canned green beans

Wednesday Meal:

Bagel Pizzas
Corn
Cheesy Bread

I used to make these with my parents all the time when I was little. They are so easy and they are so much fun to make because it's like you get to make your own pizza to taste! You take the bagel, plop on as much sauce as you want, cheese, and whatever toppings you would like. I like pepperoni! The corn is a good veggie to make with these because it's super easy and I think it tastes good with it. As for the cheesy bread, I just take regular bread, slap some butter on it, put some parm on top and pop it in the oven and broil it until it looks just right! Easy peasy!

Grocery List so far:

bread
cheese slices
2 cans soup
apple sauce
cottage cheese
shake and bake
raw chicken breast
ranch dressing
mac and cheese
milk
butter
steam-able or canned green beans
bagels (plain)
pizza sauce
shredded cheese
pepperoni slices
steam-able or canned corn



Thursday Meal:
Thursday nights are usually our eat out night. Panera is a favorite for us. Stratton loves the soup there and I love the bread bowls. Not to mention I can pick up the bread for Spaghetti night on Friday! If you have a night where you like to eat out, you should check your local restaurants and see who has a kids night. McAlisters has kids nights and all kids eat FREE!

Friday Meal:

Spaghetti
Corn
Asiago Cheese Bread
Salad

This is a great meal because you can make as much or as little as needed for you and your little one. Stratton loves corn so making that a side is always a hit. Not to mention he would eat the whole loaf of bread if I would let him. Surprisingly Stratton will eat salad too. If your kiddo isn't much on salad, try cutting up some smaller tomatoes and letting them dip it in ranch. That was always a hit with me when I was little. You could also try cucumbers or carrots too.


Grocery List for the Week:

white bread
america cheese slices
2 cans soup (either tomato or chicken noodle)
apple sauce
cottage cheese
shake and bake original
raw chicken breast (1-2lbs)
ranch dressing
mac and cheese
milk (2% or skim)
butter
steam-able or canned green beans
bagels (plain)


pizza sauce
shredded cheese
pepperoni slices
steam-able or canned corn
spaghetti noodles
spaghetti sauce
salad

There it is, my grocery list for the week. I try to pick up some extra bread as well as some deli meat for lunches at work and a few extra cans of soup. Something light and easy. I also pick up LOTS of fresh fruit. Stratton loves oranges and they are really great this time of year because of all of the vitamin C in it. Fruit is also a great snack because, well lets face it, it's better than eating junk food like chips or ice cream. Hope you all have a wonderful week! I know I will!