DIY Lotion Bars Tutorial

Hello, my lovely readers!

I made some very neat lotion bars for my mom and my mother-in-law for Mother's Day this year.  They were so awesome that I thought I would share with you a tutorial on how to make them.  You may be wondering what lotion bars are.  Don't worry, I wondered the same thing too when I found the recipe.  Basically it is lotion that is made with beeswax so it stays in a solid form until you hold it.  Then it melts slightly so that you can rub it on your hands, elbows, knees, and other problem areas.  They are surprisingly easy and fun to make.

Ingredients:
Shea Butter (4 ounces)
Coconut Oil (4 ounces)
Beeswax (4.5 ounces)

You'll also need:
cupcake pan
double boiler (don't have one?  I'll share with you how to create your own at home...)
letter or food scale
measuring cups
spoons

If you live near a Michael's craft store, be sure to check out their weekly ad in the newspaper and on their website for coupons.  I purchased both the beeswax and the cupcake pan with 40% off coupons and saved several dollars on each one!

First, measure out all of your ingredients.  The coconut oil and shea butter are pretty easy to measure.  The beeswax on the other hand, is a little more difficult.  If you purchase a huge slab of beeswax like I did, don't spend tons of time trying to cut it with a knife like I did at first.  A simplier way is to place the beeswax in a plastic bag.  Be sure to tie it up so the beeswax doesn't get everywhere!  Prop up one end of the beeswax on a piece of wood or sidewalk.  Use a hammer to break up the beeswax into smaller pieces.  Once you have it broken up, place the pieces on your scale to measure the exact amount.

The next step is to combine all of the ingredients in a double boiler.  If you don't have a double boiler, fill a pot with two inches of water.  Place a glass bowl (I use Pyrex bowls... they are awesome) in the pot.  Be sure the bowl is bigger than the pot and that the water in the pot does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
Warning: the steam created from the pot can be very hot.  Watch for steam escaping from around the bowl.  You may need to move the bowl around a little bit with a towel or pot holder in order to prevent steam from escaping.

Next, pour the melted ingredients into your cupcake pan.  I recommend using a silicone cupcake pan to make it a little easier to pop out your finished lotion bars (I purchased this adorable silicone Wilton cupcake pan from my local Michael's).  If you find that you are having trouble pouring the mixture into the cupcake pan, transfer the mixture into a measuring cup first.

Let the mixture cool completely.  To make it even easier to pop out your bars, place the cupcake pan into the freezer and let cool for 30 minutes to an hour.  Be sure you let the bars cool completely before placing in the freezer.

Once you pull your bars out of the freezer, pop them out of the cupcake pan.  You're all done!

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial.  If you try this recipe out, please let me know how yours turn out.  Stay tuned, there are more tutorials to come this summer! :)

This recipe was found at StyleList.com.

My Favorite Things: Clinique Chubby Stick

I decided to start a new segment called "My Favorite Things" here at Glass Slippers and Combat Boots.  Each month I will write about my favorite product of the month.

This month I chose:

the Clinique Chubby Stick

I recently got one as a part of the Clinique Bonus Time at my local mall.  I am obsessed with this product.  It is ah-mazing.  I have a confession, I am not a huge lipstick person.  Yes, I wear it on special occasions, but otherwise I stick to chapstick and lip stain.  The chubby stick is the perfect product for people like me.  Clinique calls the product a "moisturizing lip colour balm."  The chubby stick moisturizes and glides on like lip balm, but has color like lipstick.  It feels so soft and smooth on my lips and it lasts.

I chose the color Super Strawberry.  It is a very pretty pink color.  It would be a great color on any skin tone.

The chubby stick comes in a range of colors.  I can't wait to grab a few more.  I don't want to wear anything else on my lips anymore.

If you would like more information on the Clinique Chubby Stick, you can check out the product pages for on the websites for Clinique and Sephora.

Well, that's my favorite product of the month.  Have you tried the chubby stick?  If so, what do you think about it?  If not, what is your favorite product this month?

Please excuse the interruption

Hello, Dear Readers!

I am healing well after having my wisdom teeth removed last week.  I had a bit of a rough recovery, but I'm eating real food again, yay!  At my check up appointment earlier this week I was told that everything is healing well.  So, yay again!  :)

The pretty flowers that my husband gave me while I was sick :)

In other good news, after seeing the terribly embarrassing video of me singing a Lady Antebellum song while still high on the anesthesia after my surgery (if you would like to see it, click here... you know you want to), a radio station gave me free tickets to go to a Lady Antebellum concert!  I haven't gotten to see them in concert, but I've been a fan for a few years now.  Needless to say, I am super excited!!!

In other (but slightly sad) news, my summer classes begin Monday.  Thankfully they are the last two classes of my undergraduate career.  Graduation is getting closer and closer.

Speaking of graduating, several of my friends graduated last weekend.  So I would like to say a few words to my recently graduated friends:

First, I am so excited for all of you as you begin new chapters in your lives!  I know the amount of hard work it took you to get to this point.  All the late nights you spent working on homework and projects, all the weekends you stayed in, rather than going out... you earned your degree.  With that being said, take some time to relax now.  You deserve it.  I love you all and I can't wait to see what adventures you take next. 

Congratulations class of 2012!!!  You did it!!!

I'm hoping that means that my recently graduated friends will spend some time writing in their blogs (that especially means my friends over at Unwritten, Amapola Style, and Love Fearlessly). :)

Now that it is the summer time, I will have a little more free time (I hope).  So look for new posts coming soon, including some fun DIY projects.  In fact, my first DIY project will be posted no later than Monday, as I am working on the project as I type.  It is really fun as well as useful, so I know you will enjoy it.  There are also several events occurring within the next month (*cough cough* my birthday is Tuesday, May 15th *cough*) haha ;)

If you have any suggestions for new posts, please let me know in the comments below.  I would love some ideas.  Also, if you just want to say hello or tell me what you think, feel free to post that too.  I love hearing from all of you!  Last but not least, if you enjoy reading, feel free to click that button that says "Join this Site" on the top right side of the page, or follow by email (also on the right side of the page). :)

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Wisdom Teeth

I went to the dentist back in December for the first time since high school.  The good news was that I didn't have any cavities.  The bad news was that I had four impacted wisdom teeth that needed to be removed as soon as possible.  Even worse was that due to my school schedule and some insurance issues I had to wait 5 months until I was able to get them out.

Waiting for my surgery to begin.

I decided to get them out May 1st.  Since my classes finished the week before and my next classes don't start until May 14th, I decided it was the best time to have them out.  Being the paranoid person that I am I was completely stressed out prior to my surgery.  Thankfully I had an awesome oral surgeon who was very nice and helped put me at ease.  The last thing I remember before the surgery was the nurse putting giving me some of the laughing gas and telling me to take deep breaths.  I remember him walking out of the room, and because I was so loopy, I remember thinking to myself, "Now I know why people do drugs" then I began to giggle in a really creepy way.  The oral surgeon then gave me an IV and that is all I remember before the surgery.

Afterwards I woke up in the recovery room and I was feeling really good.  The radio was on in the room and a Backstreet Boys song came on, so naturally I began to sing... loudly.  Between the drugs and my mouth filled with gauze it sounded terrible.  My mom and the nurses thought I was hilarious though.  In fact, the nurse even turned up the radio for me since I enjoyed so much.  Haha.

I then sang along to the radio the entire way home.   The anesthesia hadn't fully worn off yet and I was in quite the singing mood. I love Lady Antebellum, so I had my mom play one of their songs for me on the drive home. I wasn't aware at the time that I was being filmed.  So now, I present to you my drugged up rendition of their song, "Just a Kiss."







Sadly, the drugs eventually wore off.  Haha.  The first night and morning after were really bad because the painkillers made me nauseous and I couldn't keep anything down.  The oral surgeon prescribed me some medicine to help with the nauseousness and that has helped tremendously.  On the first day I was told that I could only have cold soft foods.  As big as my sweet tooth is (excuse the cheesy joke) I got sick of sweet stuff pretty quickly.  On the second day I was able to start eating some warm foods and found that refried beans and melted cheese (basically the inside of a bean burrito) really hit the spot.  I have also found that coke Icees, and Jello Temptations are awesome soft foods.  I have been keeping ice packs on my face almost constantly and that seems to help with the pain too.
Besides the pain I have found that one of the downsides to having any type of surgery is being stuck in bed.  It gets kind of boring to be stuck in bed all day.  I'm hoping that I will be able to move around a little bit better tomorrow.  On the bright side, I have found that between my husband and my mother I am being well taken care of.  It is so nice to not have to worry about anything because they have taken care of everything for me.
Well, I guess I better go rest some more.  If you have gotten your wisdom teeth out and have any tips or suggestions, I would love to hear from you!  For those of you who may have to get your wisdom teeth out in the future, I will post my own tips and suggestions after I recover.

 

It's been awhile...

Photo Credit

Hello, my lovely readers!

I know it has been forever since I last posted.  Things have been incredibly busy here.  I thought I would give you a post of the major updates, and then post more later.

For starters, the Spring 2012 semester is finally over.  Hooray!  This semester has been incredibly busy.  It seemed like the second half of the semester was much more difficult than the first half.

Second, we moved once again!  One of my mom's neighbors needed a house sitter for the next several months, so we decided to help her out.  The hubby and I are so excited to be in a house instead of an apartment.  It is a blessing to have gotten such a wonderful opportunity!

Yesterday I got my wisdom teeth out.  Not fun.  All four were impacted and doing funky stuff, so all four had to be surgically removed.  This morning I was in terrible pain, but thankfully I have been doing a lot better this afternoon.

This summer is going to be quite busy!  My birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, and then I will also be starting my summer courses.  As much as I am not looking forward to being back in school so quickly, I am excited that there are only two classes left for me to take before my final internship this fall.  I can't believe that my graduation is 7 months away!  While that still seems pretty far off, it looks pretty close when I look back at how long I have been in school.  The month of May will also be filled with many other fun events, such as the wedding of a dear friend of mine.  In June, I will be celebrating my first wedding anniversary!  I can't believe it!  As for the rest of the summer, I plan on getting my tan on and doing more fun summery things.  It is definitely my favorite time of the year!

Well, that is all for now.  Check back tomorrow for a new, more detailed post! :)

Spring Break Adventures: Tarpon Springs

As my spring break comes to a close, I thought I would write a post about one of my adventures this week.  My mother and I decided to take a drive to spend the day in the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The town of Tarpon Springs was built around the sponge docks.  Many Greek sponge divers came to Tarpon Springs, and today the town still has a strong Greek influence.  While visiting Tarpon Springs you can sample Greek cuisine from one of the many Greek restaurants, purchase sponges and souvineers, visit the aquarium or the museum, or take a tour of the sponge docks.

Mom and me

Saganaki (flaming cheese)... seriously delish

Bread, Saganaki, Greek salad, and Greek pizza

Sponge boats and sponges

"T-Shirt Outlet
Voted #1 in Tarpon Springs by our mom
Hours
Open: When we are here
Closed: When we are not"

We had a lot of fun shopping and walking around.  One shop had homemade soaps made with goat milk, olive oil, and all-natural ingredients.  The soaps came in a variety of scents.  I chose oatmeal honey, sugared citrus, sandlewood, and blackberry vanilla.  If you would like to check out their soaps and other products, you can visit their website, here.  I also got two new necklaces, two sets of bracelets, and a pair of earrings that match one of the necklaces.

All in all, it was a great day!  If you would like to find out more about Tarpon Springs, click here.

How to Give Yourself the Perfect Pedicure at Home

It's that time of year again!  SPRING BREAK!  Spring break is a sign it is time to break out some of my favorite things... flip flops.  Flip flops are a spring break must have if you are headed to the pool, the beach, or when you are making a quick run to the store for party supplies.  Here in the Sunshine state though, we tend to wear flip flops and sandals almost year round.

After wearing boots and tennis shoes for most of the "winter" (yes, I put it in quotes because in Florida we don't have much of a winter).  I decided that it was time to give myself a pedicure.  The dry weather combined with my love of boots has really taken it's toll on my feel.  They aren't pretty.  So today I decided it was time for a pedicure.  Naturally I don't feel like spending a ton of money for pedicures every week, but with a few supplies I can do my own at home.

Step 1:

Take off any polish that is on your toes.

Step 2:

Clip your toenails.  Clip them straight across and do not round the edges.  Doing so prevents getting ingrown toenails!  If you would like to file your nails, file them the same way (rather than back and forth) as it helps to prevent your nails from breaking.

Step 3:

Add a little bit of cuticle cream if you would like (I used Sally Hansen Healthy Cuticles Now).  Gently, push back cuticles with an orangewood stick.  If you start to push back the skin around your toes... STOP.

Step 4:

Fill up your bathtub or a small bin with warm water.  Let your feet soak in the water for at least 15 minutes (the more dead skin you have on your feet, the longer you'll need to soak them).  Add a few drops of some essential oils (such as peppermint) or bath salts if you would like to.

Step 5:

This is the gross part.  Scrape the dead skin off of your feet focusing on your heels, the balls of your feet, and the sides of your feet.  For this you can use a foot scraper or pumice stone (I use a Ped Egg).  Warning: Do not scrub too hard.  If your skin looks pink stop.  The point is to take off the excess rough skin, but you do need some tough skin left to help protect your feet.  I use the Ped Egg.

Step 6:

Slather on a foot cream.  Put on socks to help the cream to really soak into your feet.  For added hydration, leave your socks on overnight.  I used Gold Bond Ultimate Softening Foot Cream with Shea Butter.

Step 7:

Put on a thin coat of nail polish base.  This helps to protect your nails from being stained by your nail polish, as well as help your polish last longer.  I used Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Shine Base & Top Coat.  Make sure that you wash all cream off of your nails before applying your base or polish.

Step 8:

Paint your nails with your favorite nail polish.  Use cotton balls to keep your toes from touching each other.

I chose China Glaze nail polish in Re-Fresh Mint.

Step 9:

After your polish dries, add a clear top coat to help your polish last longer.

You're all finished!  Make sure your polish is completely dry before putting on shoes or walking around too much.  If your polish starts to chip, it's time to give yourself another pedicure!

What is your spring polish color?  Do you prefer the DIY yourself approach, or do you visit the salon.

Thank you!

I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you, Dear Reader.

Just over 6 months ago (on August 30, 2011) I created this blog and wrote my first post.  I didn't have any readers at that time, and I wasn't sure that I ever would.  6 months later, I have 8 "official" followers, with many more visitors to my page each week.  In the past month, I have had over 290 visitors to my blog, and close to 1,300 visitors total during the life of my blog.  Okay, so many some of you may be thinking that my numbers aren't all that impressive.  But to me, those numbers are huge considering the amount of time I have been doing this.  Not to mention I almost didn't start a blog in the first place because I was nervous that no one would be interested enough to read what I wrote.

I have had readers from countries all over the world including Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, the Ukraine, Australia, the Philippines, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Belgium, Moldova, and many more!  I was shocked that people here in the United States wanted to read my blog, let alone people from other countries. :)

So thank you for coming to "Glass Slippers and Combat Boots" and for reading my posts.  It means so much to me.

If you wouldn't mind sharing, please let me know what you like about my blog.  Because I write on such a variety of topics (yes, many are completely random), I am interested to know what you, the reader, enjoys most.  How did you find my blog?  What are some topics you would like me to write about?  Or, if you have any suggestions, comments, etc, please leave them in the comments.  I would love to hear from you! :)

Thank you again.  XOXO

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

- Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You! 

Dr. Seuss, born as Theodor Seuss Geisel, was born on March 2, 1904.  If he was still alive today, Dr. Seuss would be 108 years old!

Growing up, I loved reading Dr. Seuss books.  In fact, today, I still love reading them.  One of my favorite books has always been Green Eggs and Ham.

I have always loved that Dr. Seuss' books feature rhymes.  When read aloud, they have an almost musical quality to them.  Some books, such as Hop on Pop, or One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, can help beginning readers to improve their fluency and reading ability.  Other books, such as Horton Hears a Who, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Lorax teach valuable lessons like how to treat others.

Guess what?  Even celebrities love Dr. Seuss books!  Check out Tim Tebow reading Green Eggs and Ham...




Awesome, right?  I have always been a Tebow fan, but this makes me like him even more.  See kids, even big football players think reading is cool!

Next, check out Justin Bieber reading The Cat in the Hat.




I think it is really cool that celebrities are taking the time to show kids that reading is cool.  I can't wait to share these videos with my students one day.

Last, I thought I would share my excitement with you about a movie that hits theaters today!  Which movie you ask?  The animated movie based on Dr. Seuss' The Lorax!  The movie stars the voices of Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms and Betty White.  If you haven't seen the trailer already, be sure to watch it!




Adorable, right???  Is anyone as excited to see it as I am?

Okay, I think I have shared enough videos for one day.  I hope that you find them entertaining (I know I do). :)

Do you love Dr. Seuss?  Are you celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday in any special way today?  Do you have any great videos of other celebrities reading Dr. Seuss books?  Please share in the comments below!  I would love to read them. :)

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not." 

- Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Review: ELF Brushes

Instead of making a separate post for each of the ELF brushes in my collection, I thought I would create one post to review them all.  The ELF line makes all kinds of makeup (ELF = Eyes, Lips, Face) and brushes.  While I am a fan of the ELF eyeshadows, the brushes are only so-so.  On to the reviews...

Brush #1: ELF Blush Brush

2 out of 5 stars

This brush is okay.  The best thing about it was the price ($3 at Target).  The brush is a nice size and fits comfortably in my hand.  The bristles are not as soft as I would have liked and are a little thin.  You can definitely feel that the brush is not very good quality.  I typically use this brush to apply bronzer in the shape of the number 3 on each side of my face.  It doesn't pick up the product that well and I feel like I have to apply more than I would normally have to.  I found that my bronzer discolors the bristles a little bit which is weird considering they are black.

In short, I think this brush would make a good brush to leave in an emergency kit in your car, or a good brush to pick up if you find yourself traveling and you left your best brush at home.

Brush #2: ELF Eyeshadow Brush

4 out of 5 stars

I really love this brush.  Definitely a steal at $1.  I picked this brush up at my local Target.  I am sure there are better eyeshadow brushes out there, but this one definitely surprised me.  The bristles of the brush are short but thick.  It really is the perfect size for applying eye shadow to your lid and brow bone (I will probably buy a separate brush for the crease).  If you are looking for a basic eyeshadow brush on a tight budget, this is the brush for you!

Brush #3: ELF Brow Brush:

3 out of 5 stars

This brush was another $1 bargain.  Once again, it isn't the highest quality, but if it you are on a tight budget (like myself) it is definitely worth the price.  It may not be the best one made, but this brush gets the job done.  I picked up this brush at my local Target.

All in all, I would have to say that the biggest advantage of the ELF brush line is the price.  Most of the ELF brushes that I have seen at Target were priced either $1 or $3 per brush.  While the brand isn't the highest quality, if you are looking to expand your brush collection on a tight budget, I would definitely recommend them.  For the important brushes that are used for more application, such as foundation and blush brushes, I would spend a little more money for a better quality.  But for your minor brushes, such as eyeshadow and eyebrow brushes, ELF makes a decent product.

Interested in reading about more brushes?  Check out my review of the Make Up Forever HD Complexion Starter Kit which included a fabulous kabuki brush here, and check out my review of the Too Faced Sun on the Run kit which included a flatbuki brush here.  For my review of the Sephora Professional #45 brush, please click here.

On a final note, I am not affiliated with ELF or Target in any way.  This review is purely my opinion and was completely honest.  It was not affected by anyone else.  I am not trying to persuade you to purchase any of the products listed.  I try to research my beauty products thoroughly before I purchase them so that I know what to expect before I buy it.  I want to write my own reviews so that I can help others who like to research their purchases too.  I hope that you found this review entertaining and informative.

If you have any questions or comments about my review or the brushes listed, please feel free to leave them in the comments below! :)

Review: Sephora Professional #45 Mineral Powder Brush

4.5 out of 5 stars

With the multitude of brushes placed before me, I asked a Sephora salesperson for help.  She recommended the mineral brush because it would take less time to use than a regular foundation brush and that it gives your liquid foundation an airbrushed look.  She made a great recommendation!  I love this brush.  I decided to purchase it and use it with the Make Up Forever HD Complexion Starter Kit (You can read my review of the HD Complexion Starter Kit here).

The size of the brush is pretty nice.  The brush is wide enough to cover a large area, but it can get smaller places (such as the bridge of your nose) easily.  The only place I have a little trouble getting to is right around the sides of my nose (you know that awkward place just around your nostrils).  I found that the best thing to do when it comes to that area is to get it as best as I can with my brush (the sides work well) and then blend where needed with my fingers.  When applying my liquid foundation, I use the brush to dab the product where I need it, and then blend it in by using a circular motion.  The thick bristles are perfect for blending!  Why did I take off a half star?  This brush was a little pricey, and it is a little difficult to clean when used with liquid foundation.  I was able to clean it well enough, but the white tips are easy to stain.

Top view

In short, I love the look that this brush gives my makeup.  I will definitely be trying more of the Sephora brush collection.

Be sure to check out the "brushes" label for more brush reviews!

On a final note, I am not affiliated with Sephora in any way.  This review is purely my opinion and was completely honest.  It was not affected by anyone else.  I am not trying to persuade you to purchase any of the products listed.  I try to research my beauty products thoroughly before I purchase them so that I know what to expect before I buy it.  I want to write my own reviews so that I can help others who like to research their purchases too.  I hope that you found this review entertaining and informative.

If you have any questions or comments about my review or the product listed, please feel free to leave them in the comments below! :)

This week while interning...

Just thought I would share a few updates from my internship.

As you may or may not know, I am currently completing my Level II internship this semester.  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays I work in a third grade classroom.  I absolutely love it.

First off, let me share my favorite conversation that took place this week.

Little girl in my class: *raises hand* "Is there reception in space?"
Me: "Reception?"
Girl: "Yeah, like for your cell phone.  Can astronauts use them in space?"  Haha.  It was hilarious.

I have been teaching science since my second week of interning.  My teacher told me about two weeks ago that I was ready to teach more, so I am now teaching reading as well.  I also meet with a small group of four students for guided reading.  I love that I am allowed to teach more often.  I really feel that I am growing as a teacher.  I love to know that I am helping my students to learn new things!

For the past two weeks or so I have been teaching a science unit on the outer space focusing on the Sun and stars.  For one assignment I had my students write five facts about the Sun on a paper place and then decorate.  Here are a few of their beautiful Suns. :)

They are great, aren't they?  I was so proud of their work.  My cooperating teacher did as well.  If you can't tell, she hung them all up and displayed them in the classroom.

This week a little girl in my class gave me this picture:

She then told me, "You can give it to your husband and pretend that you drew it if you want to." Haha.  Like I said before, my class is adorable.

Well, now you know what has been going on at school lately.  Next week I am continuing to teach science and reading.  I can't wait to see what kind of adventures that third grade has in store for me. :)

P.S. You can now follow me via Bloglovin.  Check out the link on the right sidebar.  So you can now follow me via Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin, or email.  Follow away! :)