10 Minute Face & Hair

Moms usually don’t have much time to put into their appearance everyday, but I simply can’t embrace the schlumpy just-rolled-out-of-bed look either. I know kids are important, but that doesn’t mean mommy can’t look pretty, too. Figure out a way to find yourself 10 minutes to pull yourself together in the morning. This might mean doing this in several 2 minute segments,  but it’s time well spent. You’ll feel so much better. Everyone likes to look nice.

 

Tools I Use:

1. Rimmel Glam Eyes Professional Liquid Liner in Black Glamour $6.00

2. SHANY Mark It Black $6.00

3. Ecotools Recycled Retractable Kabuki $8.00

4. Stila Perfecting Foundation in shade A $23.00

5. Maybelline Falsies Volume Express Washable in Blackest Black $6.00

6. Old mascara with wand cleaned

7. Youngblood Pressed Blush in Blossom $25.00

8. Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm $3.00

9. Cover Girl Brow and Eye Makers Pencil in soft brown $3.00

10. Youngblood Pressed Mineral Rice Setting Powder in Medium $33.00

11. Cosmetic Wedge $3.00 or a bag of 32

12. Stila Eye Shadow in Prize (? not sure on exact shade)$18.00
(I have the quad palette, but as you can see, I usually only use the one color.)

13. Drugstore eyelash curler $7.00 (just keep the pads clean and it should last years)

1. Start with a clean canvas. Moisturize your face with a light, daytime moisturizer and brush your hair out of your face. Make sure you have a well lit space to do your face in to avoid messy mistakes.

2. No need for full face coverage if you’ve put the time into keeping your skin healthy (for damaged skin some witch hazel, moisture and fade cream therapy is a must). I am full-fledged against drugstore makeup for products you put directly on your skin. They are a recipe for unhappy skin. Drop a little cash on a finishing powder (#10) that will be good for skin and not just cover up. I highly recommend Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics. They are formulated to pamper your skin. Local ladies can go to Northwest Beauty in the mall to get started. They will help you match your shade. I bought my first set there and then after I finished those, I was able to bargain shop on Ebay and save a  little cash. Back on track, if you have large pores, just use a cosmetic wedge (#11) and stipple a little finishing powder (#10) under your eyes. Then use the wedge (#11) or a clean finger to lightly apply undereye concealer or a cream foundation under your eye(#4) that is one shade lighter than your skin. Don’t rub or sweep it on. Tap/stipple and gently blend. Rubbing your skin will increase dark circles and blend badly.

3. If your brows need help, gently sweep a little finishing powder (using #11 or #3) over them, and then use a brow pencil (#9) to enhance. There are lots of  tutorials on YouTube if you are unfamiliar with how to do it. It does take some practice, and perfect symmetry is impossible. Think of your brows as sisters, not twins. Afterwards, use the kabuki brush (#3) to brush finishing powder (#10) around your eyes to set everything. If you have an oily t-zone, this product will help keep your face matte.

4.  Liner takes practice. YouTube is a good resource when learning how to line. I find liquid liner to last the longest and give the most dramatic effect with minimal effort. To start, I use a marker like applicator for a firm, thick line (#2). For everyday, I just line the top of my lid, from mid point working out. I use a q-tip to smudge the starting point at the middle top of my lid to make the line softer and smaller. Then I use a more goopy, paint brush type applicator (#1) to define the outside corners. As a general rule, you should be able to draw a direct invisible line from the outside tip of your liner to the end of your eyebrow. While the liner is drying, I blow dry my bangs down. Smile and sweep some blush over the apples of your cheeks (#3 & #7). Use an ivory colored eye powdered shadow with just a hint of shimmer (#12) on the whole top of your eyelid  to help open up eyes. Not too much. It’s just a highlight. Then use the kabuki brush to (#3) to sweep just a hint of the shimmer shadow (#12) over your cheekbones and under your eyebrow (catches light, adds definition). Curl your top lashes (#13), apply mascara to your top lashes only (#5). Start at the  base and work up. Then using an old wand that has been cleaned and dried (#6), separate the lashes and even out the goop. Allow to dry for a moment, and then using your newer mascara (#5) apply a second coat to the tips of your outside half top lashes for added length. Finish by moisturizing your lips with chapstick (#8) (lipstick or gloss if that is your thing).

5. Pin back your partially dried hair with a few bobby pins or a claw and voila! All done!

 

 

Parenting Advice

Any mom can tell you that parenting advice is everywhere. Strangers on the street will walk up to comment and criticize your choices. When I was a new mom, I found it all very frustrating and discouraging. After all, my husband and I put a lot of thought into how we raise our children. How and where we decided to birth, how and what to feed them, when, where and how they should sleep…the list goes on and on. There were no snap decisions on the big stuff. Our decisions were made after extensive research, thought and prayer.   As parents, we all want what is best for our children but the truth is, what is best will frequently be different for every family (and sometimes every child.) So, what should our response be when someone tells us we are wrong?

• First, ask yourself what this person’s credentials are. Are they someone you trust? Are they someone you respect?  This criteria alone will weed out the majority of strangers on the street or internet. If you don’t know them, there is no reason to believe them. I found it most effective for my own sanity sake to not heed advice from people I don’t really know. I try to just let it roll off. There is no logical reason for me to care what a stranger thinks. But if their words haunt me, I bring it up to Ben  later and we hash it out together.

• Second, if you trust the person, parallel their advice with their circumstances. How many, what ages and what genders are their children? What is their living situation? How involved is dad with the children? What are the different unique needs in each of your families? There are many variables that will change what works for each individual.  Perhaps, extended kangaroo care may be the best thing for one mother and her child, however another mother has chronic back pain so that method is simply impractical for her. Even when there is nothing morally wrong with extended kangaroo care. It’s just a different situation. No moral or legal reason to decide either way. And then sometimes there is no back pain and the second mother simply doesn’t believe extended kangaroo care is what is best for her baby. This is just a difference in opinion. Nothing worth arguing about. We are all moms. Being a mom is hard work. If you can’t offer support in someones method decision, offer love. I’m guessing it’s good practice for when our children grow up and choose different things then we did. The classic rule in Bambi that Thumper’s mother taught him comes to mind, “If you can’t say something nice….”.

• Third, if their opposing opinion is actually worth examining, ask questions. Explore it, check sources and facts, then re-evaluate your thoughts on it. There is always room to grow as a parent.

If the opposing opinions are being offered aggressively, and you start to feel attacked, remember that you are your children’s mother. You and your spouse are the ones  responsible before God for your children. And remember that God is good.

As a general rule, I tend to think offering unsolicited advice is a bad idea. We aren’t talking about sin or illegal concepts here (and even then, it might be wise to tread lightly, especially if you aren’t a bff). We are talking about different ideas and methods on child training. We all have reasons for choosing what we choose and that is good. We should know why we do what we do. Yet, I find it helpful to remember that what is best for my family is not necessarily best for everyone in these situations.  If someone asks, by all means, explain. But take care not to do so in that crazy judgy-judgy way we women are so talented at. Who listens to a raving lunatic, anyways? Aggression goes a long way when you are attacking mold in the bathroom, but can be very harmful to people.

(NOTE: My kids are still young and so am I. These are just my thoughts this far. Feel free to share yours.)

Really Cheap Face Mask

You know those Biore pore strips that feel awesome to use but cost an arm and a leg? While cruising around YouTube I found a much cheaper way to achieve the same goal. All use need is Elmer’s School Glue (make sure it is non-toxic and washable).

Wash your face and let air dry. Then apply a layer of glue on your face with your clean dry hands, concentrating on the T-Zone if that is a problem area for you. Let it dry completely (about 10 minutes) and peel off as you would with a peel-off mask. Rinse what residue doesn’t come off when peeling. Follow up with a moisturizer (I like Vitamin E cream). You’ll get several applications out of a single $2.00 bottle!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Honeybees

This video made me want to try these!

Baked Potatoes with Chèvre & Zucchini “Tagliatelle”

Zucchini “Tagliatelle”  with Mint, Cucumber and Lemon

(adapted from Aug. 2008 Bon Appetit)
Serves 2 adults and 3 small kids

• 3 small to medium zucchini, trimmed
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 a large sweet onion, finely chopped
• a good handful of fresh mint, coarsely chopped* and divided.
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemon peel,
• 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ground fennel, salt and pepper to taste

Using a mandoline, v-slicer (or in my case vegetable peeler) and working lengthwise, discarding the first strip (ie skin). Slice up to seeded core; turn zucchini and continue to slice until only rectangle of seeded core remains; discard core. Place slices in medium bowl.

Add cucumber, onion, 1/2 of mint and lemon peel. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl, then pour over zucchini mixture; toss to coat. Season generously to taste. Cover salad and refrigerate at least 1 hour (but 3 hours is better!).

Sprinkle remaining mint over the salad and toss to coat.

Mira helping me with the Zucchini. Thank you, Arricks and Jones’ for the fresh zucchini!!

* The more you mess with mint, the more bitter it will taste. Chop through once or twice and call it good.

Baked Potatoes with Chèvre

I made this one up, and I always eyeball my measurements,  but it tastes amazing so bear with me.

• 4 Red potatoes, skinned, chopped, boiled in salt until tender, drained
• 4oz Chèvre
• 1/4 c sour cream
• 3 springs of thyme, leaves removed
• 1/4 c butter (softened)
• creamed horseradish
• salt
• pepper
• Garam Marsala (you can make your own or buy it premade)
• Fennel (ground)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg

In your kitchenaid, whip up potatoes, cheese, sour cream and butter. Season to taste with spices and horseradish. Once it has cooled somewhat, while the mixer is on, crack an egg into the batter (being careful not to get any shell in it). Then spoon the mixture onto a greased cookie sheet or cupcake pan, although I’m sure there are much more artistic ways to present it (cake decorating tools, maybe?). I baked it in a preheated oven at 350′ for about  40-60 minutes, until the batter started to pull away from the cupcake pan sides and was slightly browned. Turned my pan upside down and let them cool.

(my 8 month old son, Jude, two fisting the taters )

I served a white riesling from the Camas Prairie Winery for you local folks.

This was perfect for a light meal, if you wanted something a bit heavier,
I was thinking salmon would be fantastic with this!

I can’t believe it has taken me this long..

to realize that all those scraps I usually throw away (or compost if you’re awesome like that, I am not…yet) could just be chopped up, fried up in olive oil and spices to be added to breakfast scrambled eggs! It just occurred to me while I was making dinner tonight.  The immediate application meant red potato skins, extra onion, zucchini skins, and cucumber seeds. I added garlic, salt, pepper and fennel. That should get some extra mileage out of fewer eggs!

Lettuce

Rinse it off and refrigerate it in a mason jar to keep it fresh longer.

(Picked just hours ago at the Jones Farm! Thank you!)

Amara Christian Becker

I wrote this memorial story about 6 weeks ago for our family blog, but I wanted to put it here as well because I’ve had some follow-up/miscarriage related posts running through my head that I wanted to put here and I thought I’d start with the story of our miscarriage.

“Could we hear our children speaking to us out of heaven, they would say, ‘Weep not for us who are happy; we lie upon a soft pillow, even in the bosom of Christ. The Prince of Peace is embracing us and kissing us with the kisses of His lips. Be not troubled at our preferment… You are in the valley of tears, but we are on the mountain of spices. We have gotten to our harbor, but you are still tossing on the waves of inconsistency.’ ” -Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment

Yesterday we began to grieve the death of our third child, Amara Christian Becker. He was with us for a seemingly short while, but the impact of his death will remain with us forever. We do not grieve a loss, because we have not lost her. Rather, we grieve a delay in the day when we will be able to hold her and rejoice with her. We will never hover over him as he works to take his first steps next winter, but we rest in the comfort that he is already walking with God in heaven, and for this we are endlessly grateful. We will never get to hear her first words, but she is already singing praises in heaven that put Handel’s Hallelujah chorus to shame. I will never get to hold him in my arms and smell his sweet baby skin, but he is being cradled by the arms of our Father, whose love is perfect and far surpasses what our own could ever be. We named our child Amara, which means unfading and eternal, and Christian, which means follower of Christ and is also a family name.

This is not a private loss to us. This is not “retained products of conception”. This is the loss of our son or daughter, a Child of God, made in His image. We invite our friends, family, and church body to grieve with us, as we have grieved with you in your losses and rejoiced with you in your blessings. Our eyes are red and puffy, but we do not despair. We do not weep for our baby, because our baby has been blessed. We weep for our own loss, the end of the dreams that we had for our child here on Earth. We weep because we just have to wait that much longer to see our precious little one. God has not abandoned us, but rather He is drawing us closer to Him in this.

I went in for my first appointment and after getting reacquainted with my doctor, he began the ultrasound to confirm that everything was going well. As he began to sweep the wand across my belly, I caught my first glimpse of our baby. I had been nervous already about the appointment, so seeing the baby was comforting. Then he took a measurement of the baby, and she was small. She was smaller than Eva had been at her 8 week appointment, and this one was supposed to be 9 1/2 weeks. He spent a few more minutes in silence looking around, and I could tell that the baby was small and wasn’t moving. He then asked when I had gotten my first positive pregnancy test, and at that point my worst fears were confirmed. Our baby was measuring two weeks behind, and he could not find a heartbeat. He spent about 20 minutes with me talking about it, going over our options, answering questions, and giving comforting advice. I was very thankful to have the same doctor who had delivered Eva and who is a Christian and could share in our grief and our comfort.

I would like to take a second to thank our family and close friends who have stood by us and prayed with us over the past two days, but particularly my amazing husband. Andrew’s attitude, sacrifice, and constant attention have always served to make my post-partum period an absolute dream for me, and he has been an incredible blessing in this situation as well. While some husbands would hide their pain and pretend to brush it off, leaving me to grieve alone, Andrew has supported me and grieved with me and prayed with me. After all, Amara was his child just as much as she was mine. I am so thankful to God for providing me with a husband who so wonderfully models the unconditional love and care of our Heavenly Father.

Our sweet baby was greeted by aunts and uncles, great grandparents, and other children who would have been friends and classmates in heaven who have gone before us. Our child is surrounded by family and resting in the arms of God.

Grilled Cauliflower with Coconut Curry Sauce (Gourmet Camping)

We made this last weekend while we were at church camp. It was amazing!!

Cauliflower with Coconut Curry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, stemmed, leaves removed and quartered.
• Olive oil spray or nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Coconut Curry Sauce (see below)

Directions for making it while camping:

Spray the cauliflower quarters all over with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally. 4-5 minutes per side, until soft and beginning to brown. Chop the cooked cauliflower into large chunks and serve topped with Coconut Curry Sauce.

Directions for making it at home:

Preheat the oven to 400′F. coarsely chop the cauliflower, and place in a baking dish. Spray the cauliflower all over with olive oil spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once or twice, about 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and browned in spots. Serve topped with sauce.

Coconut Curry Sauce

Ingredients (makes about 2 cups):

• 1 14oz can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan until well combined. Place over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

You can make the sauce up to a week ahead and store it covered, in a refrigerator. Warm over medium heat before serving.

Both recipes taken from Campfire Cuisine by Robin Donovan, which I heartily recommend.

summer cooking recap

I haven’t been posting much on here, but I have been trying out a number of new recipes this summer (and resurrecting some old favorites). Most of the pictures make it onto my facebook account because it’s so simple just to take a picture with the good old iPhone for a quick upload. But, here I’ve consolidated a few of them into one post.

Salt crusted steak with warm bean salad.

Strawberry chocolate cupcakes

Fish tacos (a first for me!)

Cinnamon roll pancakes with maple bacon

And an old favorite, Chicken chilaquiles