September 2013 – The Hustlin’ Homemaker

What’s In My Bag? (Clutch Edition)

Hi everyone! Today’s post is about what essentials I like to take with me when I go out at night, which is not very often! Tonight I am co-hosting a Mom’s Night Out for my and Allie’s Playgroup. We are just going to a restaurant for dinner and drinks, so this is what I decided to bring along with me!

Floral Clutch (Aldo)- This clutch is so pretty, and I think it can be used any time of year! It also has a brown strap that you can attach to wear it on your shoulder. It has lots of room on the inside for all of my necessities.
Lip Products – I always like to take whatever lip products I am wearing that night, so that I can touch up. Tonight I am wearing Jordana’s Easy Liner in Tawny, MAC’s Lovelorn Lipstick, and a Stila Lip Glaze in Bubblegum.
Mirror – I always like to have a little mirror with me just in case I need to re-apply my lip products. This one is adorable and has a floral print and my name.
Pink Card Case (Express) – I take this little case along to put my debit card and my license in. It doesn’t take up much room, and it’s really cute.
Blotting Sheets(Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens) – I take these along with me instead of powder, so that I can absorb any oil that accumulates on my face during the night.
Perfume (Marchesa) – I take this tiny rollerball perfume with me to keep me smelling pretty.

And that is all I take with me! What do you take with you when you go out?

Thanks for reading! 🙂

What’s on The Menu: Amy’s Apple Pie

Hey guys! I’ve got a special treat for you today! My recipe for my homemade apple pie! Since it is starting to feel a little cooler outside, I felt like I should celebrate with one of my favorite fall desserts. Also, this pie makes your house smell sooo good. So, here we go…my homemade apple pie !

Ingredients:

– 6 Granny Smith apples
– 3 refrigerated pie crusts (I use Pillsbury)–They come in packs of 2, so you will have one leftover that you can freeze.
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 3/4 c sugar
– 1 tbsp flour
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
– 1/8 tsp salt
– cinnamon/sugar for sprinkling

1. Core, peel, and slice the apples into thin slices. Mix in lemon juice.
2. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and stir together.
3. Add this mixture slowly to the apples, and make sure you coat all of the apples.

4. Place the apples in a strainer over a bowl; this will release the juices. Keep in the strainer for about 25 minutes. After all of the juices have drained, you can throw away the extra juice, or my husband gave me the idea of saving it to put over ice cream. (YUM)

5. Unroll one of the pie crusts and place it into your pie pan, and then put the apples in.

6. You can just use the other pie crust and place it on top, but I like to do my apple pie with a basket weave pattern. Unroll the pie crust and cut into 1 inch strips. (it doesn’t have to be perfect)
7. Place the strips vertically over the pie crust.

8. Take the last pie crust and cut into one inch strips, and then start making your basket weave pattern. The best way that I can explain this is to just fold every other strip back, and then place the strip down, and then repeat the process until you have all of the strips down.

9. After you are finished making the basket weave pattern, go around the edges of the pie and trim off any excess pie crust that is hanging over the pie pan. Then, what I like to do is grab a fork and press down the edges, I think it gives a definite crust look to the pie! I also like to sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the top.

10. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If you notice that the edges are getting browned, cover them with some foil.

And that is it! Let the pie sit for about 30 minutes before serving. It is a very easy pie to make, and everyone will love it!

Thanks for reading guys, and let me know if you try it! 🙂

Mani Monday: Violet Sparkle

Hi everyone! Today’s mani is a pretty dark purple violet color with a multicolored glitter accent nail! Hope you like it!

This color is called Violet Vixen by Loreal. I used two coats, and it is very creamy, and did not streak at all. For the accent nail, I layered on about 4 coats of Deborah Lippman’s Happy Birthday.

I really love this combination together, and I think it would make a great look for the upcoming holidays!

What do you have on your nails?

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

Empties (Products I’ve Used Up) 9/13

Hi Guys! I started collecting the items that I was using up last month and this month, and I thought it would be fun and interesting if I showed y’all them. Is it interesting to see trash? Lol. I can do mini reviews on each, and tell you if I will repurchase them! So here are the products I have used up lately.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub– This is a facial scrub that foams up and has little pink crystals that gently exfoliate your face. It contains grapefruit and vitamin c extract, and also contains salicylic acid to keep your skin clear. I love how refreshed and clean my skin feels after using this. I have already bought a back up of this.
Clinique Clarifying Lotion in 2– I’m not sure why this is called a lotion, because it seems more like a toner to me. It is a purple liquid that you can take on a cotton pad and rub all over your face after cleansing. This just cleans your face really well, and removes any excess makeup. This just makes your skin feel so fresh and clean. My husband also loves this stuff, and he uses it everyday. (Don’t be embarassed dear- nothing wrong with being man pretty) I have already re-purchased this.

Sally Hansen X-treme Wear Nail Polish in Bubblegum Pink- These are great nail polishes, they don’t chip, and they come in really pretty colors! They are also pretty cheap and you can find them at any drugstore. I will continue to repurchase these because I love them!
L’Occitane En Provence Rose Petals Lip Balm– This lip balm smells really good, it keeps my lips hydrated without feeling greasy, and I like the squeeze tube packaging. It’s organic and contains 10% shea butter. It’s a great lip balm, but I probably won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon, because I have about a thousand lip balms I should probably use up first!

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Rocket Mascara- I am addicted to this mascara. It is better than every other high end or drugstore mascara that I have ever tried, and it’s just amazing. The lady at Sephora the other day asked me what type of fake lashes I had on,and she couldn’t believe it when I told her it was good ‘ol Maybelline. It gives super volume and length, and never smudges. I definitely will be repurchasing.
MAC Paint Pot in Painterly– This is a cream base that you use on your eyes to make your shadows stay true to color and stay on longer. I use this everyday, and this color matches my eyelids perfectly and hides any redness or veins before I apply my shadow. I have already bought a new one.
Hope you like this post about me talking about my trash, and let me know what products you have been using up lately! Have a great day!

Ipsy Glambag September 2013

Hey guys! Today I am going to share with you what I got in my September Ipsy Glambag. For those of you who don’t know, Ipsy is a beauty sample subscription box where you pay $10 a month (you can cancel anytime) and they send you a grab bag full of goodies based on your profile every month. Most of the time they send full size products! The value of what is in the box is always over $10, and it’s a great way to try out new products!

This month’s bag was called “Classic Beauty”, and came with 5 products.

Butter London Nail Polish mini in LA Moss – Value $7.50
I was REALLY excited to see this in my bag. I have never tried a Butter London Nail Polish because they are pretty expensive at $15 a pop. This color is a really dark red wine color, and will be gorgeous in the fall and winter!

NYX Eyeshadow in Cryptonite – FULL SIZE Value $4.50
I love NYX eyeshadow, and this color is really pretty. It is a silver-gray color with lots of sparkle. I can’t wait to try out this color for a pretty holiday look.

Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in Big Apple – FULL SIZE Value $19
I have tried out the Cailyn gel liner in the past, and it is a great product, so I am excited to try this. The color is a deep red, and the packaging is really cool.

Elizabeth Mott It’s So Big Volumizing Mascara – 4ml Value $8
I’ve never tried a product from this brand, but I will definitely try this out! I’m not sure that it will beat my beloved Maybelline Rocket mascara, though 🙂

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian – FULL SIZE Value $12
I’ve never tried anything from this brand either, but I am always in need of a good black eyeliner, so hopefully this will be a good one.

I paid $10 for this box, and the total value of the items was $51! I was very happy to see that 3 of the items were full size, and it was all makeup products.
What did you get in your Ipsy bag?
Thanks for reading guys, have a great day!