Stuff I Tried

Summer is here and I am leaving for Barcelona in 19 days, which means in a perfect universe I would already be sun kissed before I get to Spain. Because this is real life, I really look like an Albino and a Vampire had a baby and named it Me.
I asked on Facebook about using tanning cream, and if anybody had suggestions, but mostly the answers were: Don't do it; you will hate it.
But, of course, I didn't listen so here are my results:

I took a shower and first used one of those gloves that takes off all the dry skin, so I wouldn't have any orange spots. I only did my legs to see if it would work and if I would even like it.
When I opened the bottle I was pleasantly surprised by the smell because everyone told me these things stink. When I smelled a fruit salad in a bottle, I was happy.
After I put it on my legs, I washed my hands right away and then sat on the toilet lid for about 10 minutes to make sure I didn't ruin my clothes. Then I went to bed. After about 15 minutes, I started to smell popcorn and went looking for the source (since I wasn't eating any). It took me a while to figure out that it was my legs that smelled like that, like popcorn. The next morning when I got up I had orange knees, ankles and feet.

Conclusion: I'm glad it only cost 1,79 euros, and while I am sure that you get what you pay for, I have heard that they all give you orange extremities and smell nasty. So I guess I will look like a cotton ball in Barcelona.


Curling your hair with a flat iron
I recently started seeing a lot of pins on Pinterest lately of hair curls done with a flatiron, so I decided to get mine out of the cupboard and try it. I watched a couple of tutorials and gave it a shot.
Even though this was the first time I used it for curls, I did have the feeling that it's faster than curling your hair with a curling iron.
I sprayed Got2Be Guardian Angel on my hair, which is important so you at least can tell yourself you protected your hair first. I have been using this product for a while and I really like it, but I am sure any heat treatment you use is fine.

Conclusion: I like it. It makes a different kind of curl and if you don't leave it in your hair too long you have nice, be achy waves, which is really cute. Plus, you won't have that Grand Ol' Opry look that I sometimes get when my curls are really big.

 

I really need to work on my selfie face. 

So, there you go -- my two cents on some of the stuff I tried. Now let me know what you think about curling with a flat iron vs. a curling iron.

Baby Clothes Pillow

I have been holding onto baby shirts for a while now because I just couldn't part with them. I knew that I would not be having another baby so I needed to make something else with them, and I decided on a pillow case for a throw pillow.
I used 2 shirts for this project and a piece of scrap jersey that I had laying around. The front has a little hippo on it that I reverse appliquéd, which is the easiest thing to do if you don't want to use fusible interfacing. Plus, this way it stays as soft as possible.

 

I loved this little shirt and just couldn't part with it. Look at that little face (the kid not the shirt).

This pillow is really soft and squishy so it doesn't hold it's shape very well, but it's just right for a toddler bed.
The grey fabric that I used was a size 6 so it didn't have a lot of fabric. I needed a bigger piece for the hippo so I used the back for the middle piece and the front for the side pieces.

This is a slipcover pillow so you don't need a zipper and you can take it off and wash it whenever you need to. The back fabric is a really soft jersey and so comfy.
I found a really great tutorial for this kind of pillow so if you want to sew one for yourself, check it out on Made

 

Mia loves her pillow and I am really happy that she gets so much use out of it. Even better, Even better, I didn't have to throw or give away her baby shirts.

I think that I might even consider making a t-shirt quilt someday; I just have to find the time.

Neat and Tidy

I have noticed that when I am stressed about something my house has to be neat or I get even more stressed out. With three kids it's not that easy to keep neat and tidy; my two girls are the hardest to keep clean after and it doesn't help that they don't pick up after themselves without me telling them 20 times.
One of the major things that stresses me out are the little nests that I build all over my house whenever I am doing something.  I have to put it away in the middle of the craft or sewing project.
It builds and builds and I have no spare counter top or my stairs are full of stuff that needs to go downstairs or upstairs.

Instead of getting overwhelmed, I pick an area or room, set the timer for 10 minutes, and I stick with cleaning it. You would be amazed how much you can get done if you focus on one thing for ten minutes.
Of course, you can't deep clean anything in ten minutes but you can:

dust
clean off the stairs
scrub the toilet and sink
fold a load of towels
wipe down the counters and wipe down the appliances
make your bed and pick up all the clothes on the floor

Once I get started, it gets me motivated to do more than I started out wanting to do and afterwards, I feel good about my house and myself so there is no downside.
I usually clean the whole house Friday or Saturday, which means mopping, vacuuming and cleaning all the bathrooms, but during the week I just pick up and keep it neat. I also try to do a load of laundry a day but I still get stuck with tons of laundry on the weekend; that is a given with this many people.

My kids also have chores. That helps me a lot during the week because I would be so much busier if they didn't do their part.
These 10 minutes are the only reason that, at any given time, I can open the door to unexpected guests and not be ashamed or feel the need to make excuses for the state of my home. Of course, I wouldn't recommend eating off the floor; I'm quick but I'm not a miracle worker.

From the bottom up

In Germany our weather is weird because one day it's rainy and nasty and the next day it's hot as balls, and you can't stand the idea of wearing closed shoes. I am here to tell you that if your feet have not been readied for open shoe season. Please do everyone a favor and keep your shoes on.
There is nothing more disgusting than seeing someone with parmesan heels and dainty little shoes.

I don't get my feet done regularly here because it's not as convenient as it is in the States, and I can keep them pretty nice on my own.
I do walk barefoot a lot and and it's hard to get my feet clean so before I go to bed, I usually use a pumice stone on them so I can get off any dry skin. The stone also takes care of the grass stains and whatever else turned my feet black after walking on them all day.

Pumice stones are really cheap so you should change them pretty often, because once they get smooth you can toss them and they do get nasty after a while.

Getting ready for Sandal Season
Pedegg
Pumice stone
Foot peeling
Nail polish
Lotion

 Essence Nailpolish

This is my favorite nail polish in the world. Not only does it cover well but the colors are gorgeous and the polishes are really affordable.

Minty foot creme 

I like to put lotion on my feet when I am laying in bed because I don't like to slip and slide all over the floor and get hair and fuzzies stuck to my feet (Yuck).  I can put it on as thick as I want.
I am not usually too picky about what I put on my feet. I just use whatever moisturizer I have laying around, as long as my feet are smooth, and pretty and ready for some sandals.

5 Reasons Social Media has Made my Life Better

Recently, there has been a video going around the web about how you should put down your phone and pay attention to what is going on around you. To tell you the truth it pretty much annoyed me. I don't feel like having a phone is ruining my conversation skills; I think they actually make me nicer.
I hate talking on the phone and I am usually short and rude on the phone, unless I really don't have anything else I would rather be doing and then I will talk for longer than 3 sentences.

1) I am nicer when I write things on whatsapp or whatever form of communication I choose. I have to think about what I am going to say before I write it so I don't call someone a motherforking douche and misspell it.
I do believe that the same rule applies for messages that if you don't have anything nice to say then shut your piehole, the internet is not your shield it doesn't make you invisible and it doesn't give you the right to bully or be a jerk.

2) I take so many more pictures of my kids which is something I didn't do when I had to take the film to be developed and worried about people stealing pictures of my kids or of taking 36 pictures and none of them turning out.

3) I read a shit ton of books like outrageous amounts of books and it was always a very expensive habit and trying to figure out what to do with the books afterwards was always a pain because how many times are you going to read a Nora Roberts paperback? I would give boxes of books away and now that I have the kindle app on my ipad I can get any book I want at any time for a less money the only downside is that I really like reading in the bathtub and that is not a good idea with the ipad.

4) I am able to keep up with friends that I had 20 years ago with no effort even if it just to find out they beat a level on candy crush.

5) With all the filters and extra doodads that you can use for your photos I can now make myself look like I got a full nights sleep and didn't eat 4 pieces of toast for breakfast.

By the way the photo apps that I use are: CandyCam, A Beautiful Mess, Picsart

My favorite songs till now

I love music I have said it again and again I like to learn about new artists and keep up with different kinds of Genres and to say my taste in tunes is eclectic is the understatement of the century but there are a few songs that I always turn up when I hear them and I sing along.

1.) Phil Collins: Against all Odds
I love this song I love the album it was on and he was one of my favorite artists till he only made shitty Disney songs

2.) Elton John: Tiny Dancer
Ditto on the shitty Disney music

3.) Reba Macentire: Fancy
It's a song about a prostitute but a charming one

4.) Mister Mister: Broken Wings
I think I really like this because it was the first music video I saw that my brother had video taped from MTV it always reminds me of that, and its a good song

5.) NKOTB: Please don't go girl
Sappy gooey goodness from my teenage years that I remember, also that I caught a girls arm hair on fire at a NKOTB concert. Ah the memories

6.) U2: With Or Without You
1997 open air Solider field, Chicago one of the greatest moments in my life

7.) Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne: If I close my eyes forever
Awesome ballad, makes me want to roll around on the floor on leather pants

8.) Tears for Fears feat. Oleta Adams: Woman in chains
 Very few songs can top this

9.) Kate Bush: This woman's work
Beautiful Voice with wonderful Lyrics

10.) Womak & Womak: Teardrops
I always turn this way up

11,) Jamiroquai: Little L
Best cruising music

12.) Paula Abdul : Straight up
I know her voice is tinny and weak but when this song came out I almost killed myself dancing to it in my room. I'm not kidding, I kicked my leg up so high I knocked the other one from under me and slammed into the floor knocking myself out.

So what are your favorites?

Soundtrack Saturday

Not all new stuff, but I love them anyway!