December 2014 – The Hustlin’ Homemaker

How to Make Paper Snowflakes

Today I have a fun Christmas craft for you! I love to make these paper snowflakes, and your kids will love making them too.

What you need:

Just a piece of paper and some scissors!

First, fold the paper to create a square, and then cut off the excess part so you have a perfect triangle.

Fold it again to create a smaller triangle.

This part is a little bit tricky. You’re going to fold the triangle into thirds. Start with the right side first and fold it upwards, and then cross the left side over it.

Flip it over and snip off the top part along the straight edge so you are left with a perfect triangle.

Here’s where you can get creative. Cut into the triangle any way that you want to. The way that you cut the top of the triangle will be the outer edge, and the way you cut the bottom will be what shape the middle of the snowflake is.

We did a bunch! My oldest daughter Allison wanted to hang them up on her playroom window.

We had so much fun making these! Let me know if you try them out! 🙂

Julep Maven December 2014

I am so glad I signed up for this subscription box. This is the best one I have tried so far – I have been subscribed to both Birchbox and IPSY. Not only did I receive 3 nail polish colors this month, but I also received an AMAZING eye shadow. Julep is known for their nail polish, but they also do really great quality makeup.

If you don’t know, Julep is a beauty subscription box that sends a box to you every month. They pick the products for you based on a profile quiz that you do during the sign up process. If you prefer, you can actually go on the site when the collection is released each month and pick what you want to have sent out to you. I prefer to be surprised, so I don’t ever go on the site to choose or see the colors. It is $19 per month, and they send a mix of makeup and nail polish. The formula of the nail polish is great, and the colors are always on trend. If you want to sign up for Julep Maven and get your free welcome box, click here.

This month’s collection was named “The Countdown Collection”, and they sent me 3 nail colors and an eyeshadow.

Queen Anne Is a gorgeous, lilac colored, confetti glitter that is so full of sparkle. Paula is a light royal blue color with a golden holographic shimmer. The color of the blue is very similar to Sally Hansen Pacific Blue. The shimmer in this polish is amazing and so unique. The last color is called Soleil, which is a rose gold polish. There is no glitter in this one, just a metallic shimmer. It is also very pretty. I haven’t gotten a polish yet from Julep that I haven’t loved. The last thing I received is this Orbital eyeshadow in Equinox. I have to swatch this for you guys.

This eyeshadow is freaking beautiful. It has the quality of a pressed pigment and is gives a gorgeous, foiled effect on the lids. It is grayish, silver-y taupe, with just a hint of purple. I can’t wait to dampen my brush and really see how this looks wet. Even the packaging is luxe and high end. I just love this shadow.

So, this is what Julep sent me this month. I am very happy with this box. Each nail polish retails for $14, and the eyeshadow retails for $14.40. So, I paid $19 for this box, and the value was $56.40. That is a great deal!

Thanks for reading!

Friday Favorites : Chanel, Yankee Candle, and SERIAL

Hey everyone! It’s the end of the week again and I decided to do a post on some things I’ve really been into lately.

Photo courtesy of http://www.serialpodcast.org

1. Serial Podcast
Have you guys heard of the podcast Serial? I have never listened to a podcast before, but my husband JJ really wanted me to listen to this podcast. Well, now I’m hooked. A little background about me- I don’t really like TV, and I rarely like to watch movies- but podcasts are really cool, because you just listen! The Serial podcast is about a murder committed in 1999 between two high school students. The lady that does the podcast is investigating the case, because she thinks that the case should be reopened. Now, normally, this would not interest me. Dramas aren’t my thing. I don’t like hearing about crime, or anything gory, but this is not like that at all. She talks to the people involved, and it’s so interesting. I’m hooked now. It’s got like 1.5 million listeners now or something! Check it out. It’s nice to just lay in bed and listen to at night.

2. My Erin Condren Planner
I love this planner so much! I am not a technology person- I am a write-it-down type of person. This planner is just perfect for all my needs. It breaks up each day into 3 sections, and has extra room on each day to write little notes. It also comes with stickers and a customizable cover. I use this everyday!

3. Yankee Candle North Pole candle
This candle just reminds me of Christmas. It is a blend of peppermint and vanilla, and it smells just like peppermint bark. Yankee candles are some of my favorites because they burn for really long time and they smell up the whole room!

4. LUNA Bar in Chocolate Peppermint Stick
Sometimes, being a mom of two, you don’t exactly have time to sit down and eat a meal. I like to eat these bars during the day or on the go. This flavor is really good and is festive for Christmas. These have a lot of vitamins, fiber, and they give me a boost of energy and take away my hunger. My favorite kind is the iced oatmeal raisin, but I am thinking it has been discontinued- I can’t find it anywhere!

5. MAC Blush in Plumfoolery
This is a great natural blush for fall/winter. It is a dusty plum (duh) color with a slight shimmer. It goes on sheer, but is buildable. It gives a nice flush to my cheeks – I’ve been wearing it almost everyday!

6. Chanel Gloss in Mirage

This gloss is a mauve- rose colored gloss with microglitter. I love the formula of these glosses, (I mean, it’s Chanel) they are not sticky at all, and actually last on my lips.

7. Julep nail polish in Queen Anne
This nail polish is a gorgeous, lavender glitter topcoat. Unlike a lot of glitter topcoats I own, this one is chock full of glitter and you don’t need a million coats for it to look super sparkly!

Have you tried any of these products?
Do you listen to SERIAL??!! let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

NYX Taupe Blush for Contouring

Contouring is something that I do to my face to give it a slender look – to chisel out my cheekbones, make my forehead and nose look smaller, etc. I only do contouring like this for special days or if I have a lot of extra time to do my makeup. Now, when I gain weight, it shows in my face. I had a baby 5 months ago, and I have about 8 lbs of baby weight left to go. Can I still call it baby weight after 5 months??! Haha. But anyway, it is winter, so my skin is extra fair. I have found a really nice (buildable) contour color. It is NYX Taupe Blush.

Before I started using this product, I would use a matte bronzer, like Benefit Hoola, or Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil. Both are considered “light” bronzers, but are too dark for me in the winter. Enter NYX Taupe. This blush is a true taupe color, and absolutely no orange or red undertones whatsoever. It is a cool toned color, so it is perfect for me and my cool-undertoned skin.

This color is so natural. So natural. It doesn’t make my face look dirty, orange-y, or bronze-y at all. It looks like it really is my natural contour, and gives such natural shadowing. I just love this, and I am so glad that I found it. You can pick this up at ULTA for around $7.

Have you tried this? What do you like to use for contour?

TIPS for a Whiter Smile

If there is one thing I am obsessed with, it is having white teeth. I will do ANYTHING to keep my teeth white, and I think it is really important to have a nice looking smile. A smile is the first thing I notice on people when talking to them, and probably my favorite thing about a lot of people. I have a few tips on what I do to keep my teeth white, and I thought I would share them with you all.

The most important thing to having a white smile is just to brush your teeth – a lot. Try to brush your teeth after eating, and also brushing before bed is very important. The toothpaste I like to use is the Arm and Hammer Extreme Whitening and the Crest 3D White in Glamorous White. Both are good at keeping my teeth white.

Another tip I have for you is to drink dark liquids out of a straw. When you go to Starbucks, get a straw for that Skinny Vanilla Latte. I’ve gotten weird looks and questions on why I do that – but it’s common sense, drinking through a straw really does help. Iced tea, soda, coffee…all of those can stain your teeth.

Now, another thing I do about twice a year is Whitestrips. I buy the Crest kind, and I like using them for about 7 days, three times a day, and they really will make your teeth blindingly white! Love. They make my teeth super sensitive…but hey, beauty is pain right?

The last tip I have is to wear lipstick shades that flatter you. Stay away from most warm toned lipsticks , and instead go for a cool toned pink or red with a blue undertone, or a nude lipstick. Both will help make teeth look whiter! The lipsticks pictured above are Em Cosmetics Cabana Beige and Lipstick Queen Jean Queen. I love that Jean Queen lipstick – it is this amazing sheer pink.

So, how do you keep your teeth white?