Five More YouTubers I Love To Watch

I'm sitting on a very comfy couch resting my back. I was walking my daughter's dog the other day, and whenever he saw his mama leaving for work, he bolted after her. The hard yank and subsequent holding him back so he wouldn't go under her car caused me to throw out my back. I was in some serious pain, but thanks to rest and Advil I'm doing a whole lot better.

In the meantime, what have I been doing? Splitting my time between crime documentaries on Hulu, classic movies on Disney +, and of course, YouTube. I figured I'd go ahead and share five more channels I enjoy watching and wholeheartedly recommend. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here we go.

1. It's A Southern Thing - This Alabama based comedy channel is absolutely hilarious in how it portrays Southern life with impeccable accuracy. There's different playlists to watch, like Southern Certified, Bless Your Rank, Back Porch Bickerin', or my personal favorite, So True Y'all. Proof that the funniest comedy is just real life. They've also got a channel called This Is Alabama that's got some similar content along with tours and stories all about - what else? - Alabama.

2. Old World Home - I've been watching Hilary for years, since back when her channel was called My So-Called Home. I love that her style is classic. She doesn't shop where every other YouTuber shops. Her home is decorated in early American thrift store. She gets her furniture and decor from Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, antique markets and the like. Yet her home doesn't look like a hodgepodge of other people's discarded junk. It's tastefully done and reflects her New England traditional design style beautifully. Her three kiddos (and number 4 on the way) are also dressed in lovely outfits all purchased from thrift stores. Another mom who shows us that you don't need a ton of money to look classy and elegant.

3. Do It On A Dime - Another YouTuber that believes in the art of upcycling and having a high end home on a low end budget. Kathryn's channel has grown to over 1.75 million subscribers, but I've been watching her since she was just a little influencer. Her DIY's made from Dollar Tree pickins are impressive, and her crafts are simple, inexpensive, and nice enough to display in any home. She's also not afraid to pick up some tools and build whatever she wants if it means saving money. Which leads me to my next pick...

4. Momma From Scratch - if I had to pick a DIY hero, Emily would be it. I'm amazed whenever she decides to build something. She has some mad skills, y'all! I've watched her build benches, tables, and beds; she makes signs for her home and has even sold many of her creations. She and her family recently moved into a new build in the Pacific Northwest, and rather than pay a hefty upcharge for add-ons, she has customized her home to her tastes - by herself. Built-ins in the living room, shelves in the kitchen, she does it all. She is the Queen of Construction. And speaking of royalty...

5. Crystal Tara - Crystal is the Queen of Tiered Trays. I personally don't have tiered trays in my home, except for a glass two tiered tray that was given to me years ago by a colleague and friend who passed away, but I only put that one out at Christmas. Crystal decorates multiple tiered trays around her home and goes through them step-by-step. Whenever anyone says they don't know how to decorate a tiered tray, I point them to Crystal. She also decorates her beautiful home in South Dakota in the modern farmhouse style while caring for her four children, two which are adorable twins. I love that she keeps it real; while she enjoys decorating and baking desserts, she admits cooking is not her forte - which is fine. No one is perfect at everything.

I will have an update to post - hopefully this weekend - on our move which, Lord willing, is happening in two weeks. Stay tuned!

YouTubers I Watch

I'm so thankful to have a place to stay while I wait on my future home. My realtor says the current owners should be out of the house by the 23rd which is closing day, though it's unsure if the house will be move-in ready, since they have a cleaning crew scheduled to come in on the 24th. In the meantime I'm blessed to be staying with my daughter and son-in-law at their little villa. I spend my day making preparations, lists of things that I need to do or will have to do once we get to the new house. I prepare meals for myself and my son E (my daughter prefers to cook for herself and her husband), clean up the kitchen and the bathroom we're using, and...that's it. Oh, and I walk the dog. It's boring, y'all. I'm used to being busy around the house, but there's not a lot to do in my daughter's home. Instead, I watch way too much television.

Now, by "watch television" I'm not talking about network television. In my opinion there isn't anything on there that's worth watching. I also don't mean cable tv. I cut out cable years ago, and my son-in-law didn't have it before or after getting married. My daughter has Disney + which I can watch, and occasionally I do indulge in some of the classics: Cinderella, Snow White, Swiss Family Robinson, those sorts of oldies but goodies. I have Hulu and watch that as well: 20/20, or I'll watch one or two (or 12) episodes of House Hunters. But generally what I watch is YouTube. 

There are several different types of channels I enjoy on YouTube. There's the design channels like Kinwoven Home that teach a lot of the design basics. There's cleaning channels, those that show a typical home cleaning day and those that teach good cleaning techniques, like Clean My Space. Cooking channels are some of my favorites; you can watch the Food Network giants like Paula Deen, Alton Brown, even Rachael Ray, but I prefer to watch the typical housewife making her family's favorites or trying out new recipes and giving her honest opinion. Of course there's the beauty channels, but there's just the one that I still watch after all these years, Shelbey Wilson. No, wait, that's not true, I still watch KathleenLights because she's based in Miami and she's hilarious. But my favorite YouTubers aren't the big names. They're the ones that like the same things I like: simple, intentional living, on a budget, who try to honor God with their channels but also like to have fun while sharing their lives and their gifts. You don't get that on network television. 

So, here are some of my favorite YouTube channels, in no particular order (though my favorites will probably be listed first):

1. Karrie Lynn (second channel: Cleaning with Karrie) - Karrie Lynn is a young mama of two living in Central Florida. She started her YouTube channel whenever she was living in a single wide mobile home in Georgia. I started watching her whenever she was moving into her current home, around the same time I moved into my townhouse. What I love about Karrie is that she decorates her home beautifully on a tight budget. She buys used furniture that looks sad and turns it into a high end looking piece. She and her husband Dylan have built furniture even though she admits they'd never done anything like that before. She's extremely talented while still being down to earth. Hands down one of my very favorite YouTube channels. 

2. Moss Family TV (second channel: Heaven's Rhythm) - For anyone who likes down home Southern style cooking and hospitality, this is the channel to watch. Mrs. Falon takes care of her five kids (ranging in age from 1 to 16), her husband, her home, and even though she's got her hands full with homeschooling and posting on YouTube daily, she's always got the sunniest disposition. She's just as happy making pinto beans and cornbread as she is trying a complicated recipe, and she's not afraid to admit when supper doesn't turn out like she'd hoped. This is a family that loves Jesus and everyone around them. If you enjoy good old Southern gospel, they have a music channel called Heaven's Rhythm. It's a family band, led by dad Titus Moss. Totally worth listening to.

3. Till Vacuum Do Us Part (second channel: Ashley and Chase) - It's strange that I would like this channel so much, since Ashley's design style is so different from mine. I like more a more traditional while still rustic look (sprinkled with some farmhouse), and Ashley is all about glam. There's lots of crystal and shiny pieces that would not go with my decor style at all. The reason I like this channel so much is that, like Karrie Lynn, Ashley likes taking the old and making it new. I've seen her take an old dresser and glam it up so it looks like a showroom piece. She also has lots of cleaning hacks and great suggestions for both cleaning and decorating, regardless of your style. It goes to show we don't have to like all the same things to learn from each other.

4. The Minimal Mom - I'm not a minimalist. At least I never thought I was, until my townhouse sold the first day it was shown. My house prior to that also sold the day after it was listed. My realtor told me it was because I kept my decor to a minimum, which made the house look bigger and show better. I credit Dawn from The Minimal Mom for helping me declutter and live more intentionally. I realized that the more stuff I had, the more I had to clean, the more I had to organize, and the less time I had for other things I wanted to do. Granted, I enjoy cleaning and organizing (yes, I'm weird). But I don't want that to be the only thing in my life. For years I worked five days a week and cleaned all weekend long. I'm over that. For me, living intentionally means keeping only the things I use and love and getting rid of the rest. Dawn breaks it down simply and gives great tips. On Sundays she and her twin sister Diana do a devotional and talk about their faith. I call that a win-win.

5. Mandy In The Making - Here's another cooking channel that I absolutely love. I've tried a couple of Mandy's recipes, and they've been approved by my picky son E which says a lot. Mandy will usually test three recipes a week, two that she's researched and believes her family will like, and one Subbie Supper, in which her subscribers send in recipes and she selects one for her channel. She goes through the recipes step by step, gives her honest opinion, and if there's anything she changes or would change in the future she lets us know. Her husband Steven helps out in the kitchen and they are so fun to watch! 

There are many more YouTubers I could list, but I'm starting with my top five. I think I'll make this the first of several posts. There's great talent out there, and I want to give props where they're due. I'll be back with more soon!

The Week In Review

 You know the holidays are approaching when I keep thinking I want to get a post up on my blog but it doesn't happen. I like the busyness of the season but it can distract me and stress me out.

And this week has been stressful. After Tropical Storm Eta literally blew in from the Gulf, my allergies went into overdrive. It always happens after a big storm, especially one as windy as this one was. All the dust and tree debris gets blown everywhere, and even though we got massive amounts of rain, it wasn't enough to totally clean all the allergens out of the air. Hence I've been dealing with itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and worst of all, asthma. I'm feeling better today but the dry cough persists. Which is annoying whenever I go anywhere because anyone coughing gets people's attention. I want to scream out, "Y'all, it's not coronavirus okay?!"

On Tuesday I put up the shelves I'd bought the week before from Ross. The guest bathroom went from this:

To this:

And finally to this:

I haven't really decorated it because in a couple of weeks I'll begin decorating for Christmas so I wasn't too concerned about getting it perfect. 

By the way, I'm so excited to begin decorating for Christmas! Now that my oldest son is married I needed a stocking for my new daughter-in-law. I checked Amazon first but I didn't find anything I liked that didn't cost over $20 or came in a set of 4+ stockings. So instead I went to Hobby Lobby. They have such a good selection of all different styles, and right now everything is 50% off which is right up my alley. This is the stocking I settled on.

The stocking I have for my son R has a reindeer on it. I wanted something similar but this was the closest I could find. It's super cute, and was only $5. I thought about getting all matching stockings for the whole family but that would be an unnecessary expense in my opinion. I'd rather spend that money on gifts.

Since I was already at Hobby Lobby I looked around and found this very pretty poinsettia arrangement for $6.99.

It's kind of hard to see against the granite but it's white and gold, which I think will look beautiful in my bedroom.

I wanted to get a few more small picks for the Christmas tree. I like using them as fillers and to make the tree look a bit more realistic since our allergies don't allow for a real tree. These were just $.99 so I got 5 of them.

They're small pinecones and greenery that's flocked. My tree isn't flocked but I like adding some little accents like this.

Finally, I found the cutest little pillow:

I got a red and black buffalo check throw for the sofa last year, and I think this will look adorable with it. I wanted to see how it looked with my new Costco pillow as well:

I love it! Then I remembered: the big pillow in the back is reversible! So I tried that out too.

Now I'm really itching to start decorating! I'll have to see how the three pillows look against the red and black throw but this is just so stinkin' cute! 

I was looking at some tutorials for Christmas villages on YouTube. I'm wanting to up my village game this year. Miriam's Manner gave me some really good ideas for adding more snow to my village and how to put it on so it looks full and realistic, and I knew that's what I wanted to do. So I took a trip to my local Super Walmart because the artificial snow on Amazon was ridiculously expensive. I'm not paying $25 - $30 for fake snow. 

This value size bag of Buffalo Snow was $5. I've used it before and it lasts. I also got some snow flurries to sprinkle around for more effect. While I was there I did my grocery shopping and picked up a few more items for Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, I can make pie crusts. I've done it before. It's not rocket science. But when you've got a turkey to roast, plus mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, salad, crescent rolls...y'all, I will take shortcuts wherever I can! Boxed pie crusts it is, LOL! I'm thinking of making a pecan pie and maybe an apple pie. My boys will all want a chocolate pudding pie I'm sure. And the day after Thanksgiving I like making turkey pot pie. It's pie season y'all!

I also went ahead and bought the Stove Top stuffing mix. I'd gotten a couple of boxes of the Aldi's brand but even though it's pretty good, it doesn't compare to Stove Top. This twin pack box was $2.97, and the other boxes of stuffing will get eaten, trust me. We love us some dressing with our fried chicken.

Ladies bible study was on Friday. We studied the parable of the Great Banquet found in Matthew 22:1-14. It was an impactful study. This coming Friday is our last session, and I'm going to miss having this study time with my group.

Then Saturday our new church has a Friendsgiving day brunch for all the children's ministry volunteers. E and I had such a sweet time of fellowship! We both sat by ourselves because with our allergies we didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable if we sat near them and started coughing or sneezing. Well, a couple of ladies came and sat with us and we had some uplifting conversations with them. It was like God was showing us that this is where He wants us right now, and I'm thankful for the confirmation.

That was my week! I hope y'all had a blessed week as well. This coming week is Thanksgiving prep. I'm so excited!

Recipe Time: Sweet and Sour Chicken

It's been a hot minute since I last shared a recipe on my blog. This is one I modified from a YouTuber I like to watch, Kimmie from She's In Her Apron. Kimmie made a sweet and sour chicken recipe, and as I watched it made me want to give it a try. I did change it slightly to fit our tastes, and everyone loves it. I always try to make enough to have leftovers :-).

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1-2 eggs, beaten

4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup canola oil (you can also use corn or vegetable oil)

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 can pineapple chunks, reserving juice (8 oz. or 15 oz., depending on your personal taste)

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. all purpose seasoning of your choice

1-2 tbsp. corn starch

Reserved pineapple juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken into bite-size chunks (or slightly larger) and add salt & pepper to taste. Dredge the chicken first in flour, then in beaten egg. Fry chicken in canola oil until golden. Meanwhile, chop onion and bell peppers, and add to a 13x9 casserole dish along with the pineapple chunks. Do NOT discard pineapple juice. Remove chicken from pan to a paper towel or paper bag, then add to the casserole dish.

Mix all the sauce ingredients except the corn starch in a saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together and bring to a boil. Liquify 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch in about 1/4 cup of pineapple juice and slowly add to sauce mixture. (If you want a thicker sauce add more corn starch, less if you want a slightly thinner sauce.) Lower heat to thicken slightly. Once the sauce is thickened to your liking, pour over the chicken and vegetables. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Serve over white rice.

Enjoy! 

The Itch To Switch

 One of my favorite YouTubers is Ashley from Til Vacuum Do Us Part. She loves switching her furniture and bedrooms around to create a new look, a process she calls the Itch to Switch. I know that itch only too well. As a teenager living with my parents, I would often rearrange the furniture in the living room. Thankfully my mom didn't mind; she knew I'd clean as I went, and she wasn't going to stop me :D. We switched bedrooms a few times, though it was hard because there wasn't a whole lot of space in the hallway of our apartment. Once I was married and had a home of my own, moving furniture and decor or painting a room became so commonplace it didn't surprise anyone. 

When we first moved into our new home, I set up the living room furniture similar to how the previous owner had hers set up. The sectional was against the stairwell. It worked perfectly, especially at Christmas because I wanted the tree over by the sliding glass doors.

When the spring came around and we were stuck at home because of the shelter in place order, I got the itch to switch. I flipped the sectional and put it in front of the sliding glass doors.

I really do like it in this configuration. It's open and welcoming whenever you come up the stairs. But as I began thinking of fall and winter, the holidays and the decor changes, I got the itch to switch again. The Christmas tree, I believe, looks best in the corner by the sliding glass door. Granted, Christmas is still over 3 months away, but I start decorating for fall in a couple of weeks. I couldn't help wanting to start the new season with a fresh look. The itch to switch took over and the rearranging began.

I started by  moving all the furniture off the rug and giving it a good vacuum (pause to appreciate vacuum lines). I got this rug from Costco, I wanna say three or four years ago, and it has held up beautifully. 

I pulled the cushions off the sectional to make it easier to move, and while I was at it I vacuumed underneath. No matter how careful I try to be, dust and crumbs get in there.

I lifted the coffee table to make it easier to move off the rug, and found this under it. My son E's drawings from when he was about three years old. You can't leave them alone for a second, y'all!

I should mention that I was doing this on my own; my son E was still asleep. I don't mind doing this by myself; I'm thankful I still have the strength and ability to do it. Unfortunately, you don't always catch the mistakes until afterwards. Everything looked good so far so I continued moving furniture.

I brought the chair and ottoman over and set it up like it was before but on the opposite side of the living room. 

I replaced my current decor because I'm not ready to start decorating for fall yet. By now I was pretty satisfied with how the living room looked and I began focusing on the dining room. 

My dining room table is a six seater with a removable leaf. Whenever I put the sectional in front of the sliding glass doors, I took the leaf out of the table to make it smaller.

Now that the sectional was switched, I felt like the table looked too small. So I got the leaf and added it to the table. I also changed the configuration of the chairs so they fit properly on the rug.

 By this time, as you can imagine, I was tired. The furniture is heavy, I was cleaning as I went, and I needed a break. I went and fixed lunch, woke my son up for school, and went about my day. As I did, I began to notice something that really bugged me.

It's probably hard to tell from this picture; it might be something that would only annoy me. But the rug was not centered. I don't think it's very noticeable unless you see it in person. The rug was over to the far right instead of being centered in front of the fireplace and bookcases, which then caused everything else to be off-center as well. Every time I walked by I saw it and I knew I was gonna have to fix it, but by then my neighbor was home from work and moving heavy furniture around would disturb him. I waited till this morning and got to work again.

Moving the rug meant moving all the furniture off the rug again, scooting it over and putting everything back. I should have take better pictures, sorry about that. I moved the furniture a bit more to the center and moved the chair and ottoman further back. It looks more balanced now which was what was lacking before. While I was at it, I took my olive tree from the kitchen and put it here in the corner. I really like how it looks. I don't know if it'll stay here permanently; it might go back before the day's end, but I'm enjoying it in the meantime.

I like switching my furniture for two reasons. First, it gives the room a new look without spending any money, and if I don't like it I can switch it back. Second, it allows the furniture to be used more evenly. Let's be honest, everyone has their favorite spot on the couch. Whenever you sit down it's always in the same place. If you look at someone's couch, you can see where that spot is because that's where most of the wear on the furniture is. By moving my sectional around I'm forced to change my favorite spot; it's technically the same spot in the room, just not the same spot on the furniture piece. I also rotate my cushions once a month so that they too wear out evenly. I find this gives the furniture a longer life.

This won't be the only itch to switch going on in my house this month. Fall is coming, and that means pumpkins and pillows and throw blankets, oh my! Come back soon!  

The Week In Review

Years ago I kept a log of what had gone on during my week. I'd been thinking about whether or not I wanted to start it up again, and finally decided I'd give it a shot. Here's a snapshot of the past week.

My son E had his first full week of college. He graduated high school (homeschool) two years ago, but couldn't decide what he wanted to do. I know many kids go off to college and begin studying only to change majors several times or leave before finishing. I wanted E to be a bit more sure of what he wanted to do before starting. He finally decided he'd like to try digital arts so that eventually he can go into gaming. I like the idea that digital arts includes many different employment possibilities for the future so he doesn't have to feel stuck if he decides to try something else. He's doing mostly gen ed's now which he isn't thrilled about but it's part of school. All his classes are online - which is what he did all throughout high school so he's adapting well. So far, anyway. It's only been a week.

I ordered a couple of dresses off of Amazon. I usually prefer going to an actual store and trying things out, but that isn't possible right now with the pandemic. Since I've ordered dresses from them before I decided to go with styles and sizes I'd bought in the past, a style I like because it's comfortable while still pretty.

I wanted some fall color dresses now that we're coming into September, even though here in Florida it won't feel like fall for a couple of months yet. The dresses were both from Amazon but from two different companies. I was most excited and most disappointed with the one on the right. I love the burgundy color and the flowers, and the dress fits great, but it's missing one key component: it doesn't have pockets! I'd bought this style of dress before, though from a different company, and it has pockets. The dress on the left, black with those gorgeous shades of orange and rust flowers, also has pockets. I went back and looked at the description and it doesn't say that it has pockets, so it was just my assumption. I'm keeping the dress because it really is pretty. The fabric is 95% rayon and 5% spandex, giving it a t-shirt kind of feel, nice and light for our Florida weather. 

Before we moved to this new house I purged a lot of my decor because I was downsizing and I knew I wasn't going to need as much stuff (or have anywhere to put it). What I had was good enough for last fall, but now that I have the office/guest room completed, I knew I wanted to add a few items to my fall decor. I went to the Dollar Tree and TJ Maxx on Monday. TJ Maxx offers 10% off on Mondays to anyone 55 and older, and I love taking advantage of that deal.

Since there were two separate living spaces in our old house, a formal living room and a family room, I was able to have two different color schemes for my fall decorations. Both were in the modern farmhouse style, but the living room was done in cool tones of blues and greens while the family room had the traditional oranges and rusts. Whenever we found this house with its sage green accent walls I decided to keep the cool toned decor and declutter the traditional items. It looked really nice but I miss the traditional colors and wanted to incorporate some into my decor again. One of the easiest (and most inexpensive) ways to do this is with florals - Dollar Tree florals to be precise. I love that I can find gorgeous flowers in all different colors at the Dollar Tree without spending a whole lot of money. Here is what I picked up for $11.00:

This is more than just a cute little Hello Autumn sign. It's my color scheme. It does just what I wanted to do: mixed traditional orange with cool blues and greens. The orange is a little lighter than the traditional orange, perhaps, but it works. I used this as a jumping off point to pick my florals:

Light oranges and yellows are so beautiful this time of year! Our trees don't turn all the vibrant colors like they do up north; some do, but not till after Thanksgiving. This lets me bring those colors into the home, and they look so pretty against the cool blue of the blanket.

For the dining room I decided on a darker, richer, more formal color. These are even darker in person, more like a burgundy than dark rust color. I know they will stand out against the lighter colors in the house.

At TJ Maxx I scored some throw pillows that were $19.99 for the pair.

I had seen these in the store about a month ago. I'd even put them in my buggy, but then I put them back because it was an impulse buy and I'm trying not to purchase things that way. I knew the colors would be perfect, but I couldn't remember what I already had in my decor stash for fall. This time I went to TJ Maxx knowing that I wanted a couple more pillows either for the sectional in the living room or for the futon in the office. I was so glad I found these again - they were the last ones! These are great quality pillows, and the covers are removable so I can throw them in the wash if need be. They ended up being $9.99 each which is a steal, and the colors work with all my other decor.

On Thursday, after grocery shopping, I stopped by our local Dollar General. Believe it or not, I've never been in a Dollar General, but I saw Mrs. Falon from Moss Family TV on YouTube do a small decor haul of Dollar General items and I figured I'd go take a look. Our Dollar General had half an aisle's worth of fall decor that had already been picked over, so I was not impressed. I picked up these two little pumpkins...

...but I decided it's not worth going out of my way to go to Dollar General when Dollar Tree is closer and had a better selection. They were $2 each, one for my house and one for my daughter.

And those are this week's highlights. Off for some rest to prepare for the new week. God bless y'all.

YouTube Vlogger Fashion Chalet

I promised to reduce my YouTube subscriptions because they were getting out of hand.  And I did - the YouTubers that had content that was not pertinent to me (like crazy colors and club looks that I'd never wear) were dropped.  I kept the ones that had information about women my age, and those that had interesting content, not the same makeup looks over and over again.

One YouTube channel I found was a Miami girl whose look is just what I like.  Her channel is Fashion Chalet, and her look is classic and elegant, right up my alley.  Yes, she can do some colorful looks, but most of what she does is appropriate for work, fun, and everyday.  She also has fun clothing tutorials, reviews, nail, skin and hair care...a plethora of great content.  This week she hit 1,000 subscribers and is giving away a bag of goodies - how sweet is that?!  I encourage everyone to take a look at Fashion Chalet.  She's a breath of fresh air.

Product Review: Brow Gels

I like my eyebrows.

Back in the 80's it was popular to wear eyebrows really thin.  Like, pencil thin.  Girls would pluck their eyebrows until there was nothing but a skinny line, leaving lots of room for colorful and bright eyeshadows that reached up to the hairline (okay, not that high, but pretty high).  I plucked my eyebrows but never to that extreme.  I was so afraid of messing up my brows and having to draw them in, which also scared me because, what if I accidentally rubbed my eyes and the pencil smeared?!  I was too much of a self-conscious coward to let that happen.  Hence, my brows were always groomed but on the bushy-er side.

Come to find out now, it was a good thing I didn't over-pluck!  Brows tend to thin out as we get older (like the hair on our heads), and women who over-plucked their brows are finding that the hairs don't grow back.  To make matters worse, thicker brows are what's in vogue now, so those pencil thin brows are dated and (ugh!) aging.  My brows are thinner than they were back in the day, but they are definitely not a barely-there line over my eyes.  They have a nice shape, and since they are mostly dark they don't look thin.

I say "mostly dark" because my brows are starting to rebel and turn white.  That is not cool.  At first there was one.  Then two.  When I found three white eyebrows I knew I was gonna have to take action.

Dying my brows is not one of the options I considered.  I've read that, while there are women that dye their eyebrows and even salons that do this type of service, it's actually illegal.  These products are harsh - hence why the packaging on hair dyes says to test on a small patch before actually using the product - and I don't want to put harsh chemicals on my already sensitive face.  My alternative was going to have to be makeup - but what?

I didn't want a brow pomade.  It's not that I'm knocking brow pomades.  They're great for folks that have pencil thin brows, or nonexistent brows.  It just isn't what I need.  I wanted something that would cover my white brows (albeit it temporarily) while also keeping them tame.  Yeah, that's another thing I've found out about getting older.  Eyebrows misbehave.  They become unruly.  I needed a product that would make them stay in their place like good little brows.  Enter the brow gel.

Similar to mascara but for the brows, these gels can be transparent (for women who like the color of their brows) or colored (for those of us who don't).  They can be light for blondes, or dark for brunettes.  They even come in auburn or red, though in my opinion they don't look as natural.  This sounded like something that could work for me, so I was on the hunt.

Like all other makeup, there are drugstore brands of brow gels and there are high end brands (read: cheap vs. expensive).  Before I dished out $18-$25 on a tube of brow gel, I wanted to experiment with them and see how they worked.  I turned to YouTube tutorials for inspiration and a little education.  Anastasia of Beverly Hills was clearly the high end favorite, with her brow wiz, brow pencils, brow pomades and gels.  But her tinted brow gel costs $22.  The second popular option is by Benefit.  The product is called Gimme Brow, and it's marketed as a product that not only tints and sets brows in place, it makes them look thicker, which means less work for those of us who just want to make our brows look slightly fuller without having to draw them in.  The price on this product was a more moderate $18 - still higher than I wanted to pay just to test it out.  Off to Walmart I went to see what I could find.

Side note here: I absolutely HATE shopping for makeup at my local Walmart.  Folks think all the product is there for the testing, and all I ever find are packages that have been opened.  Why must people be so disgusting?  Recently our Walmart did some remodeling and the makeup section is kind of closed off in an attempt to keep people from stealing or opening packages they don't intend to buy.  It helps - if the person at the register is actually there, which isn't always the case.  Still, I had to go to Walmart for groceries anyway, so I checked out the Revlon section.  There I found their Brow Fantasy Pencil and Gel.

    This was the best of both worlds: a brow pencil AND a gel, for $6.99.  I could give it a try and see if I liked it without breaking the bank.  I snatched it up and used it as soon as I got home.

And I liked it!  The pencil is too fat, and needs to be sharpened regularly or else it draws too thick of a line.  The gel worked really well at taming and lightening my brows (I got the light brown gel).  I totally enjoyed it - for the six weeks it lasted.  Yes, the product is nice, but there's not a whole lot of it.  Again, that's the issue I have with a lot of drugstore brands.  They appear to be more economical, but in the end they cost more because they have to be replaced so much more often.

Since the pencil on my Brow Fantasy Pencil and Gel had barely been used, I decided to try a different brow gel, one that would only have the gel.  Maybelline has a Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara that has gotten some attention, so I decided to give it a go.  I usually steer away from Maybelline products because I've had allergic reactions to it in the past, but products get reformulated everyday, so I figured I'd give it a try.

I used it once, and thought I would die.  The fragrance is so strong, and so long lasting, that it gave me a headache.  I could smell it on my face for hours!  And honestly, it didn't make my brows look any better.  I could still see the white hairs because it didn't color them at all.  I knew I would not be able to use this, so I quickly returned it to Walmart.

I was tempted to just order the Gimme Brow from Ulta - suck it up and dish out the $18 instead of putting myself through all this torture!  But I did see another review for a product that was touted as a dupe for the Benefit product, one by L'Oreal called the Brow Stylist Plumper Brow Gel Mascara (quite the mouthful, I know).  I was intrigued because none of the other products had been called a dupe for the Gimme Brow.  I decided I'd give it one more try with the drugstore brand, then I'd order the Gimme Brow.  At least I felt like I'd covered all my bases.

I got the Brow Plumper at Walmart for, I believe, $7.99.  Slightly more expensive than the other drugstore brands, but then L'Oreal usually is.  I also decided to get it in medium to dark, since my other options were light to medium and transparent.  I'm not a blonde, so I didn't want to go too light.  This product is a dream!  There is no fragrance, which is great for me.  It tints my brows but not harshly, so it doesn't look like my brows are jet black.  It goes on slightly wet but dries quickly, and those brows are set in place like cement!  They are not budging!  Yet it comes off easily with cleansing wipes or my facial cleanser.  I've been using it for about a month now and I'm loving how natural yet fuller my brows look.  I can use this on its own for a quick makeup look, or, if I want something more dramatic, I can use my Revlon pencil to shape and color in my brows, then use the Brow Plumper to finish off the look.

This past weekend my daughter and I took a little trip to Ulta to get some makeup for her (more on that in another post).  I decided to take a look at the Benefit Gimme Brow to see the wand and product, so I could compare it to the L'Oreal brow gel.  As soon as I opened the tube, I was glad I hadn't ordered it.  It has fragrance!  It wasn't even a pleasant fragrance as far as I was concerned.  I had my daughter smell it, and she immediately made a face.  Proof once more that what's popular isn't what's best, at least not for everyone.

So, the winner in the brow gel contest for me is, by far, L'Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper Brow Gel Mascara with its no fragrance, full coverage formula.  I'm so glad I did my homework because this one is going to be my go-to brow product from now on!  Do you have a favorite?  Let me know what you like/dislike in the brow product category!

Monday, Monday

Happy President's Day!  Or as we used to say when I was a kid, George Washington's birthday.  It used to be specifically about George Washington, then about Washington and Lincoln, then about all the presidents.  Our poor first president has gotten lost in the shuffle.

I didn't post yesterday because, quite frankly, I was being lazy.  I went to church by myself because my darling little boy woke up with pink eye.  Not something he wanted to go sharing with the other parishioners.  When I told a couple of my friends about the job they were thrilled for me, which made me feel even better about taking it.  Surprisingly, I'm not the least bit nervous.  The only thing I keep thinking about is how I'm going to manage my time so that I get everything done and still get where I need to be on time.  I hate being late anywhere, and I hate when others are late, something I've had to get used to in this South Florida laid back culture.  I want to make sure my family and my employers are taken care of, and that means making sure I manage my time wisely.

After making lunch and putting one load of laundry in the wash, I pretty much sat in front of my computer and watched YouTube videos most of the day.  I did do my Bible study, but that was it.  I didn't even put the laundry away.  As I sat there mindlessly watching other women talk about makeup and fashion and weight loss and blah-blah-blah, I realized why I was having so much trouble figuring out how to manage my time.  I've become an expert at wasting it.  This has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm only now seeing how bad it's gotten.  Well, that's gonna have to change.  And fast.

I've decided there's only two YouTubers that I'm going to watch whenever they have videos because they're my favorites: Shelbey Ashburn and Alex Garza.  Oh, and Angie at Hot and Flashy.  The first two are young girls.  I've been watching Shelbey particularly because she does a lot of Bare Minerals videos, especially new product reviews which I enjoy.  Angie is a year older than me and does videos geared towards women my age.  I'm going to watch their videos when I have time, which will most likely be on the weekends, since my weekdays will be packed.  Today I haven't watched any videos, and I've managed to do another load of laundry, put all the clean clothes away, vacuum and mop the floors, cook a chicken pot pie from scratch, take the car in for an oil change, and even watch a couple of episodes of the Tonight Show.  I've also got some pot roast meat on the counter which I'm going to put in the crock pot tonight so I don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow.  MM has asked me to go in early so she can give me some training, so I won't have time to be in the kitchen cooking.  I have lessons to go over with E before I leave for the school.  I told her I'd be there between 12:30 and 1:00, and I want to be sure I don't leave any loose ends.

I did go online for something else: dress shopping.  I still wanted to find a dress for this wedding, but I'm tired of going to the stores and finding nothing.  Either the clothes were for girls in their 20's, or they were for women in their 60's.  I fall into neither category, and I certainly don't want to dress like I do.  I decided to check out New York and Company again.  Score!  They had a really good sale, and I found a black velvet Eva Mendes dress on clearance for - get this - $23.98!  It is such a pretty dress, in just the right style and color to be appropriate for a special occasion.  I know I'll get some use out it.  It better fit too - since it's on clearance I can't return it.  I'm normally a size 10 in their dresses.  I really hope that's the case with this one, because quite frankly, it looks perfect.  I can't wait to get it and see how it looks!

Our temperatures are going haywire again.  Yesterday we awoke to 41 degree weather; today it was 56.  Tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the low 80's, then dip down into the 40's overnight.  It's pretty hilarious; one day we're out in flip-flops and the next day we're wearing boots!  Yes, South Floridians wear boots.  It's quite comical.

I'm gonna shower now, then get that meat in the crock pot before I head on over to bed.  Time management means I've gotta get up early (not just wake up early, but literally get out of bed), and that means getting to sleep early, too.  I'm gonna try to post every other day so my blog doesn't get monotonous, unless something crazy and exciting happens (though not too crazy, I hope).  Good night, ya'll.