Feeling Tired?

Holidays....parties, family, friends....no sleep.  There is no reason to look like you are tired.  I am just mad about Maybelline's 24 hour concealor.  It really works!  I am usually a product snob, and steer clear of the drugstore for my makeup, but for this concealor I can make an exception.

Holiday Spirits

The holidays are a special time to enjoy a festive cocktail.  I am just mad about the poinsettia cocktail.  

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup Champagne
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• Crushed ice
• 2 strips orange zest, each about 1/4-inch wide and 2 inches long

Directions

Combine the vodka, Champagne and juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass. Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled. Twist the orange strips over the glass, drop them in, and serve.  Courtesy of the food network.

Serve your poinsettias in a fabulous pitcher like the hand painted one above.  Purchase and fill a poinsettia pitcher and bring it to your next party as a hostess gift.  The host and guests will thank you.  

pitcher link

My Iphone Just Got Better

New app alert!  I am just mad about dragon dictation.  This is a free app that allows you to speak into your iphone.  The spoken message is then converted into words and can be copied and pasted into a text or email.  How amazing is that?

Homemade Christmas

One the many perks of being an educator is Christmas.  Christmas break, Christmas parties and Christmas gifts.  Although any teacher you ask adores gifts cards, these are a few of the best homemade gifts that I have received.  I am just mad about these gifts and plan on making my own as part of a new holiday tradition.

 

I placed the laminated mats on other mats I had to create a more uniform look.

How fun!

This candy tree is created by hot glueing candy to a styrofoam cone.  It provides a nice balance to my Santa sitting on the fridge.

Hair Troubles?

Time and time again I am trying to style my hair differently, improve the beachy wave look or master the side braid.  Inspiration comes from US Weekly and other celebrity garbage.  To my delight I discovered a hair magazine that is filled from cover to cover with tips, how to instructions and inspiration.  I am just mad about the Us Hair.

Dinner Time

I am always in search of a healthy and delicious casserole.  I am just mad about this one listed below I found at  www.myrecipes.com

When casseroles call for cooked chicken I always follow the same steps:
First I buy bone in, with skin chicken breast.  I drizzle olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper on each piece of chicken.  I rub this into the chicken Then I bake it for 40-45 minutes at 350.  The chicken comes out full of flavor and the skin and bone keep it from drying out.
I then remove the skin and pull apart the chicken.

Now I am ready to begin.

Aunt Liz's Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
1 cup cooked chicken
1 cup uncooked whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup less sodium chicken broth
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/8 t. ground pepper
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl (break apart the spaghetti into two inch sections and tear apart the chicken.)

3. Combine, broth, salt, pepper, and soup in a medium bowl and whisk together.

4. Add soup mixture to the chicken.

5. Spray a square 8 inch pan with cooking spray and pour mixture in.  Top with cheese.

6. Cover and bake for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 minutes.

It comes out delicious!

October Is Here

I love changing out the decor in my apartment for the season.  October is one of my favorites because I get to use candy corns.  This idea is easy to do and your house instantly becomes updated without using cheesy decorations.  I am just mad about putting candy corns in hurricanes.

The pumpkins work for October and November.  I purchased these at Pottery Barn.  I have also gathered acorns from the golf course.

Happy Fall!

Ladies Who Lunch

Instead of meeting the girls out for lunch have them over and enjoy this chicken salad, or just make it for yourself.  It is very easy and doesn't feel too heavy!  It has a little zing that I am just mad about.  Must of the ingredients you already have on hand and store bought rotisserie chicken can really save time and add flavor.

Light and Refreshing Chicken Salad

12 oz of cooked chicken, I just buy the rotisserie chicken if I am in a rush.

2 tablespoons of low fat greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard

3/4 cup of diced granny smith apple

2 tablespoons craisins

2 tablespoons unsalted roasted walnuts *tip keep your nuts in the freezer if you have leftovers

1 teaspoon tarragon

1. dice your apple.

2. shred the chicken breast

3. mix everything together in a bowl.

That was simple, Enjoy!

Gimme Five

I have a love hate relationship with manicures.  I love reclining in a massaging, leather chair while someone cleans up my nails and serves me diet coke, but my hate list is keeping me home more and more these days.  It could be the increase of price, the car ride ruined nail or the two day later chipping of polish that are keeping me at home.  Because of my frustrations, I had to find a solution.  I am pleased to say that I have, and I am just mad about this insta-dri polish.  I may have went a little over board buying five, but I have a plan.  The dark colors are for the weekend and the neutral pinks are for work.

Here is the scoop on the polish.  Just one coat!  It glides on very smooth and the brush expands to get all of your nail.  Then in about 3 minutes (the bottle says 1 minute) all dry!  I am ready to go.  It is so simple.  Just keep super short nails (dark and long ... not a good idea) and change out colors frequently.  The polish doesn't last many days, but it is not a problem because it is so simple to touch up.

My current favorite is pronto purple.

The Hunt

Each season I am on a hunt.  A hunt for the perfect black pump.  I have had pointy toe, round toe, open toe, leather, patent leather, suede, cheap, designer you name it.  My hunt first begins online.  I search stores just as Neiman Marcus for inspiration.  I get ideas of trends and I view runway collections online.  From there I head to the magazines.  I look at features and layouts in Vogue and InStyle and then I check out the feet of the celebs in InTouch, USWeekly, etc.  Televsion comes next.  I am just mad about Rachel Zoe, and she offers inspiration, but that is another post entirely.

So this season, after my hours of research I have decided, round toe, platform, exotic skin.  If it is going to be a black pump I want something made out of real leather with padding and support.  Nothing is worse than a fake black leather pump. Fashion staples should always be the real thing.

Thanks to InStyle and their feature on Ann Taylor, I decided to check out Ann Taylor's "Perfect Pump."  The name lived up.  I am just mad about these perfect pumps.  They have the style, the comfort and the cool factor I was looking for.

Now I  just need to save up for the booties I saw....      

Night Cap

I know if you are anything like me, you crave something sweet at night.  I am just mad about these chocolate fudge cookies.  They are easy to make and you can keep them on hand all week or serve them to guests.  I received this recipe from a student's mother in Dallas.  These cookies are simple, rich and delicious. With a cool glass of milk these fudge cookies can provide the perfect ending to a hectic day.

Simple Fudge Cookies

1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix (Splenda Version)
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
6 oz. mini chocolate chips
3 teaspoons water


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Put parchment paper on the cookie sheet.
3. Pour cake mix into mixing bowl.  Add eggs and oil and mix together.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Add in three teaspoons of water slowly and mix batter.
6. Use a cookie scoop and place full tightly packed scoops on the parchment paper cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8-10 minutes and allow to cool.