Tarte Giveaway

I'm doing a giveaway!!!! Please check out my Youtube channel http://youtu.be/0vQu55U0AIM  The prize is the Tarte stand outs limited-edition best-sellers kit!  It is a super cute set and the products are really nice.  Please check out my video!

Also, please share this with your friends who are interested in beauty/fashion/makeup. I would really appreciate it! 

I purchased a set of the limited-edition best-sellers kit for myself and loved the products so I also purchased one for my YouTube giveaway. 

Below is a picture of MY set. The lip pencil and waterproof eyeliner are FULL-Sized products.  The double sided brush is really nice too.  The set also comes with a lights, camera, lashes mini mascara.

Cashew Dip

A few years back I tried some cashew dip at a restaurant in downtown Boston. It was delish!  A few days ago I decided I wanted to try to make my own.  I found a good recipe to work off of and then changed a few things to give it my own flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup lightly roasted, lightly salted cashews  (or raw cashews and add a little salt)
1 TBSP raw, organic tahini
1 TBSP organic olive oil
Juice from 1 fresh lemon
3 fresh roasted cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/8 teaspoon Penzeys fine ground black pepper
a tiny pinch of cayenne
filtered water

Soak cashews in water for at least 2 hours. Drain cashews and place in food processor. Place all other ingredients in food processor too. Blend until very creamy. Add a teaspoon of water at a time if the consistency is too thick to process.  Adjust seasonings to your taste (add more salt or pepper or even throw in a pinch of cumin!)

This did not last more than 2 days in my house. It was especially good with pita bread and fresh greens (mini yummy sandwiches, yes please!)

The picture above was taken with a flash

The picture above was taken in natural sunlight without a flash

YouTube Here I Come!

So... I started a YouTube channel!  I am super excited to be making videos. Most of them are going to be about makeup, beauty, fashion, and the like.  I am going to film "monthly favorites" (where I talk about my favorite products of that month/ products I used a lot that month),  "monthly empties" (film what I used up and quick reviews on whether I recommend the product or not), makeup tutorials, product reviews, first impressions, haul videos (purchases), fashion videos, hair tutorials, swatches, crafty projects, and more!  Also, I plan on doing giveaways as well.  I have a great product in mind for my first giveaway!  I've been enjoying this product myself and I think that others would too.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in watching/being a part of, please visit my channel and subscribe!  http://www.youtube.com/user/thekristenkchannel 

If you go to the main page (I provided the link) there is a button that says "Subscribe". It is located to the right and under the header image at the top (my current image is of an assortment of makeup, LORAC, NARS, Too Faced). Please click that button, you may have to sign in or create an account if you don't have a YouTube account already. 

Also, if you like one of my videos, please click the "Like" button (located under the video right below my thumbnail image)! This helps me to know what you like and what I should focus on for future videos.  

I've had so much fun creating these videos and would love to share my interests and knowledge. It would really mean a lot to me if you check out this new project of mine :)

Above is a still shot from one of my videos :)  This IS NOT the product for the giveaway. The giveaway is going to be a makeup item.

4th of July Fireworks

John, Athan, and I went to a really fun party on the 4th of July and met some new friends. It had been raining around the time the town fireworks were scheduled to go off. We really wanted to see them, so we drove to Freedom Hall and then sat outside in the rain and waited. It was totally worth it! There were lots of people & a beautiful firework display! Even Athan had fun (he is usually scared of loud noises). He was a little keyed up during the firework show but after it was over, he kept asking about them.  Even the next day Athan wanted to see more fireworks!

Here is a link to a short video of the fireworks (handy iphone). They were choreographed to music - it was cool! I don't think you can hear the music in the background, but if you want to turn on your favorite patriotic music while you watch, I am sure it will really add to the experience! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkDxF5IEYjo

Not sure why I am making that face.  Maybe because it was raining & I was sick of the rain?

Athan looks less than impressed in the picture above, but I promise he was mesmerized!

Willow Tree - My Sister, My Friend

My sister, Caitlin, bought me a Willow Tree wooden figurine.  When we were in high school, Cait created a large painting of us together where we were sitting on a bed. In the painting we had similar mannerisms to that of the figurine (I think I was holding my hand in a very similar position). Every time I glance at the mantle and see my new willow tree gift, I think of her and how wonderful she is!
I love you Caitlin. Thank you!

June Empties 2013

Here is a pic of my June Empties-
Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo
Desert Essence Organics Vanilla Chai Body Wash
Ultimate Flora (Probiotic Supplement)
Dr. Hauschka Almond Body Moisturizer (foil packet)
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Oil-Free SPF 15
Dead Sea Facial Scrub- Ann Marie Gianni
Badger Vanilla Bean Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
Sephora Super Nourishing Lip Balm

To hear an in depth review, check out my June empties video review on YouTube:

Nail Strengthener Homemade Essential Oil Blend

I have always had pretty strong nails. The would grow pretty long and then I would cut them because they were too long (not because they were breaking).  Since I have been painting my nails A LOT lately, my nails are breaking, peeling, brittle, and definitely not as strong as they use to be.

Last night I looked up an essential oil recipe in The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood.  I found a nail strengthening recipe which looked good, but I wanted to add more oils and substitute one of the ones they had listed.  My recipe is based loosely off of the one posted the book.

Here's what I ended up concocting:

2 teaspoons of *Burt's Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil (you can also just use almond oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil)
5 drops of organic Jojoba oil
8 drops organic Lemon essential oil
3 drops Lavender essential oil (they changed packaging since I purchased this)
2 drops organic Rosemary Verbenone essential oil
2 drops organic Cypress essential oil
1 drop peppermint essential oil

I just mixed all of the ingredients together in a clean baby food jar.  Ive been rubbing it on my nails for the past few days and it seems to be making my nails softer; they aren't as brittle.

*The ingredients in the Mama Bee Oil-  sweet almond oil, lemon peel oil, wheat germ oil, tocopherol, rosemary leaf extract, soybean oil, canola oil.

Swiss Chard in a Wine Sauce

Ingredients-
2 TBSP Soy-free Earth Balance
1 TBSP organic olive oil
1 TBSP finely chopped garlic
1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch of swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out, and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can of organic white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 TBSP nutritional yeast
pinch of Celtic sea salt
pinch of black pepper

Directions-
Melt the Earth Balance with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the swiss chard stems, cannellini beans, and the white wine- Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and cook until wilted. Take off heat and stir in nutritional yeast, salt & pepper.  Best if served warm.

My recipe is based off of a recipe I found on allrecipes.com called "Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese". I have changed a few ingredients and added a few as well.

Tarte Aqualillies Palette

I'm going to be traveling a little bit this summer and wanted to have an all-in-one palette (shadows, blush, bronzer, and highlighter).  This spring/summer-time palette is awesome! Lots of neutrals, which I love, and everything is waterproof.  This palette is formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, synthetic fragrances.

The Tarte Aqualillies palette is sold out online at the sites that used to carry it (ULTA, Sephora, Tarte). It's a limited edition item. But if you check your local ULTA or Sephora, they may have one or two left.  I have been wanting this palette and it was only by chance that I scooped one up; I was in the store at the right time (someone had placed it on hold weeks ago but had not picked it up or paid for it, so the crew member at Sephora put the palette back on the shelf only a few hours before I purchased it)!

The cost of the palette is $38.

Sprouted Mung Beans

Mung beans are easy to sprout and delicious!  I love adding them to fresh salads or just eat them as a snack by themselves.

I use Bob's Red Mill Mung Beans. I rinse them well, put them in a bowl, and then cover them with water to let them soak.  I like to add quite a bit of water so that the beans have room to expand and not get dried out (I don't want them above the water).  I let them soak overnight (12 hours) and then place them in a sprouting bag/nut milk bag. I dampen the bag by rinsing with water. I hang the bag on a kitchen cabinet knob with a towel beneath it to catch dripping water.  That area of my kitchen gets good air flow and supposably that is good for sprouting. Keeping the bag damp helps the beans sprout, so I rinse the bag about every 6 hours, and then once before I go to sleep. I do this for 24-30 hours and voila! Ready to eat sprouted mung beans! I think the baby sprouted mung beans taste the best. If I sprout them for more than two days, I think they start to have a bitter taste. I store them in the refrigerator in a glass container. They usually stay fresh for a few days.

 Below is a picture of the beans when I've just rinsed them and placed them in water: