Quick & Simple Tip for Dark Circles

One of the best tips I've received lately came from a make-up instruction booklet that I almost threw out.  I'm one of the unfortunate members of the "dark circles under the eyes club," and other than having them, there is nothing more frustrating than trying to find the perfect cover-up solution.

I've tried every over-the-counter beauty regimen or the bottles with claims of removing those circles - some have done a better job than others, but overall there's not much that can be done about them.  If you use a light eye cream, it's very noticeable.

That being said, this one has been the simplest and worked the best so far:

• Sprinkle a little powdered illuminizer (Bare Minerals or like-type) in your palm. 
• Add a very small drop of your daily facial moisturizer and swirl together. 
• Apply on dark circles in a circular motion.

That's it!  It looks very natural and if you are using a water-based moisturizer the powder blends right in so it isn't obvious.  Let me know if you have good results as I did.

Free Crochet Pattern for Breast Cancer Awareness

It's been quite awhile since I've posted to anything but Twitter, and I was inspired by the many bloggers that I follow to get to thinking and writing more.  I have not been lazy by any means...on the contrary, my life has been quite eventful both with things wonderful and things that have not been so easy to deal with.  But I miss sharing special things like I've found today and I just had to share!

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I thought it befitting to share this awesome free crochet pattern from YouCanMakeThis.com.  It's a quick and easy pattern for a pink Skinny Scarf - what a great gift or donation to your local hospital.

If you know of any more Breast Cancer helpful crochet or knitting patters, please post them!

Get $50 in to spend on home decor and furnishings for only $15!!

I know, I know...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I don't think that saying holds much water these days with all the great buys and finds on the internet though.

Here's my very favorite saving special today.

But HURRY...you only have this evening to purchase your certificate at DealPulp.

Take a look at these gorgeous items and see what $15 can get you at HomeSav (via DealPulp - don't worry - simple instructions below)

After you spend $15, for only an additional $5 + s/h you can get...

this natural Bamboo Wine Rack (only $38, reg $68), AND...
this pretty terra cotta Cottage Vase (only $17, reg $37)

OR...you can get this awesome wagon wheel Garden Bench for your yard to display your pots of flowers (only $47, reg $87) for FREE!


These are just two examples of the specials that HomeSav is offering today and there are others. I am thinking Mother's Day or Christmas gifts (yes, I do start shopping this early when there are deals like this).

So here's how:

Step 1 Use this referral link to head over to HomeSav.com and sign up (don't worry, it's FREE). You will receive $10 to spend. If you don't use the link you can still sign up, but you won't get the $10. You can also refer your friends and get $15 in credits for each one who also makes a purchase! After you sign-up, then move on to Step 2 below.

Step 2 After you complete Step 1, click here to head over to DealPulp and sign up (again, it's FREE to sign up). They're deal today is perfect! Spend $15 and receive $40 worth of products at HomeSave.com!

Now you've got $50 to spend on home furnishings! Let me know what you purchased...I had a dickens of a time just trying to make up my mind!

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Friday Finds - Watches, Scrapbooks & Pot Roast! (3/25)

Happy Friday everyone,

I hope this finds you all anxious and eager for a great spring weekend. I know that my closets are ready for a makeover so you can probably guess that I'll be purging and freecycling these next couple of days.

87% off Today Only...



My favorite find today is this gorgeous ladies' Just Cavalli watch that Modnique is offering for only $29. If you are a new member you can take an additional $5 off that! This watch retails for $231 so it's a steal. Don't forget that Mother's Day is just around the corner.



12"x12" Post-Bound Photo Album - only $7.99!
You just can't beat the markdown on this album at Exposures. These books were originally $29...OR...you can get a line of personalization for $10 more ($17.99). I've found that thru sorting and categorizing photos over the years I need more scrapbooks than I originally thought, so a deal like this always gets my attention.

Features:

• Classic post-bound photo album
• Wrapped in linen bookcloth
• Faux-leather spine
• Lined with warm white paper
• Pages - holds up to (10) 12x12 sheet protector pages (1 set)
• You determine the number of photos
• Photo pages sold separately

Click here for deal

(View more of their 75% off sale here!)

My Latest Simple Recipe
Okay, here's a little something that I whipped up this week with leftover pot roast. When the roasts go on sale at our local grocers I usually cook up two of them. A while back I was joking around about my daughter making Pot Roast Pasta (which was absolutely delicious BTW!). Along those lines here is my version.

Cheese & Beef Pasta
1 pkg Buitoni Angel Hair Pasta
1 tub Philadelphia Cooking Creme - Italian Cheese & Herb
1-1.5 cups shredded cooked beef (I used leftover pot roast)
1/2-3/4 c. beef broth or au jus from roast (since my roast had lots of onions in the broth I included those)

Cook pasta for 1 minute (mfrs directions) and add remaining ingredients to taste. Serves 2-3 (double for more).

That's it! Very simple. Any variations welcome...would love to hear what you do with your leftover pot roast.

Enjoy your weekend! Julie

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Jelly the Pug Dresses - only $3

These adorable baby girl dresses from Jelly the Pug are as low as $3 for new members when you sign up at Modnique.com ($8 if you're already a member). There are several styles to choosed from for both infants and toddlers. Perfect for Easter!

Here's how:

Go to modnique.com and register (it's free)

Scroll down on the front page and find the link to Jelly the Pug. Click on the link to view the adorable line of dresses they have available.

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Modnique Daily Deal - 92% off!

Get a $200 Lancaster Pen for only $15!

Today only! This beautiful Lancaster Pen is offered today only at Modnique. It retails for $199. If you are new to Modnique you get an additional $5 to spend making the price only $10. This gold-tone elegant pen is made in Italy and makes a great gift. Get yours here

Only 2 Weeks Left For Free Lean Cuisine Lunch Bag!

Lean Cuisine Free Lunch Bags...



...will soon be ending on March 31. If you haven't already done so, there is still time! All you have to do is enter the code inside each Lean Cuisine entree - a total of 20 in all -- to receive the free lunch bag. The styles are awesome -- 4 to choose from (one shown here). Click here to view

Special Savings & Coupons - March 16

Nutty Savings!
Today is the last day to get $20 worth of nuts and nut gifts from nuttyguys.com for only $8. They have some great prices - for $8 you can buy over 2 lbs of several varieties. First timers on Eversave also receive a $5.00 bonus so the price will only be $3.00! Click here to save

Pedigree Dog Food $5.00 off at Kroger

For those who shop at a Kroger store, head over here to get a $5.00 coupon off a 4 lb or larger bag of Pedigree dog food


Shutterfly Photo Book - only $10



Groupon has a special savings on an 8"x8" hardcover photo book (reg. $30) now through March 17. This is being offered on the Detroit page (from the city list, click on "M" for Michigan, the Detroit). Limit 1 per person; must use by May 18, 2011. I have ordered several books from Shutterfly and have been very pleased with the quality and speedy delivery. Makes a great Mother's Day gift! Click here to get started


$5.00 in coupons from Smart Balance
Sign up to receive the Smart Balance (butter) newsletters and receive $5.00 in coupons towards their products. Click here

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Get a Free Photo Book From Picaboo!

From now thru March 22, Picaboo is offering a FREE photo scrapbook!

New customers can receive a FREE Large Classic Custom book from Picaboo using code FREECC.

Details:

• Offer good from March 8th through March 22nd.
• The cost of one 20-page Large Classic Custom photo book (up to $39.99) will be deducted from the order total. If the book contains more than 20 pages, you will be charged for the additional pages at a cost of $0.99 per page.
• Taxes and shipping charges are additional.
• This coupon is for first-time Picaboo X customers only.

Start uploading, getting creative and have lots of fun!!!

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Friday Finds - Coupons, Recipes & Contests

Happy Friday! Here are some weekly finds for 3/4/11

MANUFACTURER WEBSITE COUPONS
Wheaties $1.00 off Wheaties Fuel Cereal
Special K Cereal $8.00 in a variety of coupons
Alaway Eye Drops $4.00


DAILY DEAL
BuyWithMe is offering an awesome online deal (go to Dallas or Los Angeles for link) - $39 gets you a 16x20 gallery- or museum-wrapped canvas and a 5x7 mini canvas roll of the same image ($104 value). 5 days left for deal. Click here to view.



RECIPE CONTEST
Post Natural cereals is holding a recipe contest for all you cooks out there. You can win a $1,000 prize. Hurry - deadline for submission is 3/17/11. Click here for online entry form.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

APPLESAUCE BRAN CEREAL MUFFINS

Here's a quick and simple muffin recipe that contains only 140 calories! You might be surprised to find that you already have most of these ingredients in your cupboard. Click here for recipe.



Have a great weekend!

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3 Free Quilt Patterns – Celebrate Our Troops

Here are three free quick and easy quilt patterns to add to your collection.

Last year, The National Quilt Association posted a free downloadable pattern in celebration of National Quilt Day with several ideas of how quilters can give back. The pattern is still available one year later. Get it while you can.

Amy Butler has some wonderful free quilt patterns using her vibrant fabric. It's inspiring to me to find unique ideas and patterns that are available on her site. One of the latest patterns I found that is on my radar to make is the Laminated Picnic Basket with Carrying Case (photo above).

I’m always on the lookout for unique baby gifts to whip up and I just fell in love with this cute Baby Birth Quilt. It has complete instructions and yardage guide.

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Feeding Your Family For Less

Meat First...Recipe Second!

I recently purchased a nice family-size pack of sirloin at my local Kroger market. For those who have a Kroger (Fry’s) market (or any other local market for that matter), do try to take advantage of their weekly meat special. The past four weeks I have purchased one family size pack of whatever has been on sale – sirloin, corned beef, pot roast (chuck), etc., and have saved over $56! That buys a lot more groceries. Unless you have a special occasion or dinner party to break out a particular recipe for, try to do your weekly cooking in reverse — buy the meat special first, find the recipe second.

I was able to find a quick fajita recipe from Pillsbury for my sirloin that I bought this week. I have 3 lbs, so 1/2 will be used for this, and I’ll be on the lookout for a second recipe for the other half.


Click here for this simple Chipotle-Beef Fajita recipe





Take Advantage of Ingredients On Hand

Another easy way to save money, thanks to the internet, is to use your search engine to type in ingredients you may have on hand. It so happens that I have cream cheese and a cake mix in my cupboard, and by entering those two key words into the search, I found this yummy sounding cake. Not tried yet, so no guarantees, but I’ll get back to you once I’ve made it.
From Recipe Lion, Simple Gooey Butter Cake

Free Pattern for Leftover 5″ Fabric Charms

I am having so much fun with the site youcanmakethis.com. I have found some simple patterns (my favorites on limited craft time!) and lots of freebies such as the one I posted earlier. Here’s another one for those of you who have some 5″ fabric charm squares leftover from your projects. I am going to use these to add to my scrapbooks. Do any of you have ideas on what to do with leftover 5″ fabric charms? Let me know!



Free download for Charming Envelope
Remember to sign up for their free newsletter to receive $75.00 worth of free patterns!

Recycled Crafts: Ideas Using Crystal Light Canisters

In my quest to stay organized on a limited budget, I am always looking for storage solutions to use in my scrapbooking room. I have converted everything from a clear plastic bandage container holding brads to breath mint containers (think TicTacs) that I use for sorting small metal embellishments and punchies. When I first looked at the drink containers (think Crystal Light, Wyler’s, Kool-Aid), I saw containers for my various markers and pens. In an effort to find some ideas of how to put the pencil holder together, I was astounded at the numerous crafts that were suggested uses for these lidded cylinders. Complete article…

Enhancing Scrapbook Pages Using Craft Punches

One of the most economical tools that a scrapbooker can invest in a few good paper punches. Why? Because they are somewhat inexpensive considering the variety of designs and uses you will derive from them. Paper punches come in a wide variety in today’s marketplace — from small to large, mixed sets, to variable-sized, single to dimensional, border to corner. The prices range from $1.00 for a small punch to $25.00 for the larger intricate varieties or sets. Complete article…

Quick Recipe – Slow Cooking: Southwestern Chicken

When the boss has piled more work on your desk than you can handle, sometimes taking the time to cook meals can add to the stress when all you want to do is relax when you get home. Here is a very simple crockpot recipe that should help. It’s one of my son’s favorites. And instead of the suggested chicken? Try using the leftover turkey or ham!

Easy Southwestern Chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 cup salsa (thick works best)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)

In a crockpot, layer beans, corn, 1/2 c. salsa, chicken breasts and top with the last 1/2 c. salsa. Cook on high for 3 hours. Slice cream cheese and layer on top of other ingredients. Cook 1 hour longer. When done, gently blend cream cheese with the other ingredients. Serve over rice, noodles or tortillas.

I am a big fan of crockpot recipes — in the winter to provide comfort food and delightful kitchen smells, and in the summer to keep the house cool while cooking.

Do you have any simple crockpot recipes you’d like to share?

Disclaimer: I do not remember who sent this recipe to me years ago, but I have seen several versions of it on the internet. If you are the rightful creator please let me know so I can give credit where it is due!

The World of Freecycle: Perpetual Gifting

Change Out Your Home Decor For Free!

Have you experienced the world of Freecycling yet? I am talking about a wonderful, somewhat addictive, free site called http://www.freecycle.org/. As the name indicates, it is a combination of recycling your old items instead of throwing them away to end up in our landfills, and giving away the item for free. Complete article…

Simple Decor: Use Old CDs as Candle Coasters

If you’re like most of us on a budget, sometimes it pays to get creative before throwing away a unique item or container. I’m not advising you to stash away all your trash and becoming a clutter monkey — but finding a new way to recycle an old item can be simple, fun, and very inexpensive. Complete article…

Traveler’s Tip: Lost Luggage Temporary Fix

I heard two co-workers talking about this travel tip and I think it’s brilliant! The next time you are traveling with a friend, relative or significant other, exchange one set of clothes to pack for each other. If one of your suitcases arrives at your destination and the other doesn’t, you will at least be assured of one change of clothes that is in your travel partner’s suitcase. This should help you through until the airline retrieves and delivers your suitcase.

Traveler’s Tip: Saving $$ on Bottled Water

If you are on the road as much as I am, it can get expensive to buy bottled water at the airport. To save a few dollars, bring an empty water bottle with you in your carry on and fill it up at the airport drinking fountain after you’ve made it through the security line. Most of the fountains have chilled water and it’s enough to quench your thirst until you can get a drink of choice on the airplane.