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February Favorites

Better late than never for a February Favorites post, right?

1)  Pureology Hair Treatment Spray with 21 Benefits - 21 benefits in one product? SOLD. I apply this product on freshly washed hair and let it go straight to work. It instantaneously adds some 'slip' and detangles towel-dried hair. I'm also pleasantly surprised at how long this has lasted - probably a solid three months. I'll be repurchasing this over and over.

2) Leopard Ballet Flats from Target (similar) - why am I just now discovering that leopard truly goes with everything?! I'm late to every trend, I swear.

3) Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner in Lionfish - the most perfect deep brown eyeliner out there. I think this came in a Birchbox a long time ago (I unsubscribed at least last summer from the Birchbox months subscription), but I only stumbled across it during a bathroom cabinet clean out in January. I'm normally a black eyeliner kind of gal, but this has completely changed my view and subtlely changed my look, too. Did I mention that it lasts all day, too? Well, it lasts all day.

4) Vaseline Lip Therapy - the only thing that's unchapped my very chapped lips during this crazy winter. Cost is only about $1.49 and I've purchased enough to have tubes on my nightstand, in my makeup bag, in my car and in my work bag. I'm never too far from a tube lately.

5) OPI Nail Envy - I mentioned this a few weeks ago in my Healthy Hands and Nails Routine post, and you can read more about it here.

6) Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. - my post-holiday present to myself (funded by some Christmas cash given to me in lieu of gifts). It was a bit of a splurge, but I'm still smitten by this handbag.

Cate Blanchett's Oscars Look

Cate Blanchett looked pretty perfect Sunday night, didn't she? The Australian Meryl Streep (<- nickname I just made up for her) was stunning in a perfectly selected Giorgio Armani gown that was perfectly accessorized with her second gold statue. With fair skin and light hair, it takes the right tone of gold to not completely wash a gal out. I'd say she nailed it and she's my pick for Best Dressed.

Cate complimented the illusion dress with ethereal makeup that didn't go unnoticed by me. She easily could have pulled off a Hollywood red lip with her hair and dress, but she kept her makeup fairly understated except for the piles of lashes to make her eyes truly standout. Here's a closer look …

I'd wear those earrings every single day if they were mine.

The look is fairly simple to recreate, and I think most women already have a the needed items in their beauty arsenal. Here's what I would use to mimic Cate's look:

1) L'oreal True Match Lumi - a medium coverage foundation with subtle illumination
2) MAC Peachykeen Blush - a slightly shimmery peachy pink blush to bring out Cate's sculpted cheek bones and to add some color to her complexion
3) Benefit Gimme Brow - a brush-on fiber gel to fill in her eyebrows and better frame her eyes
4) MAC Painterly Paint Pot - it's hard to tell what she's got going on for eyeshadow because of her hooded eyes, but I can't detect any shimmer and this paint pot color would help even out fair-skinned eyelids that might be otherwise translucent and show veins (trust me, I'd know)
5) a swipe of black eyeliner on the top lashes only (keep bottom lashes bare)
6) two coats of black mascara (again, keep bottom lashes bare) and a strip of false eyelashes to really enhance the eyes
7) light coat of MAC Hue lipstick, blotted to sheer the nude color

A Queso Vessel

Many people expected me to host an Academy Awards party last night. It's something I've always wanted to do, but with a rather chaotic work schedule every February and March, it'd be a hard task to pull off. However, it's definitely on my Bucket List right below "be a seat filler at the Oscars."

Anyway, Academy Awards Sunday is usually an afternoon and evening spent with Mr. Cush where he mocks me for caring what the A-listers are wearing. (Actually, he spent yesterday afternoon watching Dallas Buyers Club so he could understand all of the Matthew McConaughey/Jared Leto hype. I rented it on iTunes over the weekend and watched it on a work trip Friday night - it's terrific.)

Since the Academy Awards are a bigger deal to me than 10 Super Bowls combined, I usually try a new snack recipe to have a little something to munch on during the big show. I stumbled upon a Queso Blanco recipe via Pinterest last week and gave it a try yesterday ... like Dallas Buyers Club, it didn't disappoint!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lbs. white American cheese (block cheese cut into 1-inch cubes)
1 4 oz. can diced green chili peppers
2 jalapeno peppers (chopped)
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:
Toss all ingredients into a microwaveable-safe bowl. Microwave on high for five minutes, stopping to stir after every minute.

Queso Blanco

While I made the queso, Mr. Cush was busy dicing up an avocado to add to the finished product (you know, since we add avocado to everything around here). Out of nowhere, a moment of genius struck ...

QUESO BOAT!!!

BAM! That happened.

Since I'm not the most creative person in the kitchen, I'm pretty proud of this above concoction. Is it totally lame? Probably. But for one singular moment yesterday, I felt like a gold statue winner.

So how did I spend the evening? Mostly with this view pictured below ...

My judgy best friend, Riley.

Chicken Tot Pie

I have to hand it to Mr. Cush ... he sure knows how to multitask, especially in the kitchen. Whereas I follow every recipe down to the tiniest detail, he's happy to experiment and try unexpected things.

For example, here's the Chicken Tot Pie he invented last night ...

I picked up a salad on my way home from work for my dinner (No. 31, for anyone counting), so he was free to do his own thing. Usually that means a frozen pizza or chicken tenders, but last night he got creative. Using a rotisserie chicken from the store, he simply garnished it with frozen green beans and tater tots and baked it at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

Finally ... a use for the pie dish that's been taking up space in our cabinets!!!

High Five For Friday #H54F

Is it just me or has this week absolutely flown by? I'm going to go on ahead and nominate Feb. 16-22 as the fastest week thus far of 2014.

Here's a quick look back at five of my favorite things from the week that's almost in the rearview mirror ...

Link up at thelaurenelizabeth.com

1) Woke up with a tickle in my throat Tuesday morning and it was a full-fledged sore throat and head cold attack by Wednesday. Spent the day at home alternating working and resting and was on the mend by Thursday after a few doses of NyQuil. (<- Could rival Snapple as the best stuff on earth when a head cold hits.)

2) I'm embracing my two-year old leopard ballet flats from Target as my go-to flats lately. Leopard is my new neutral.

3) Pictures of "carrot cake" and "birthday cake" flavored M&Ms are popping up all over Twitter and I'm intrigued. If anyone has seen these available for purchase anywhere, please let me know in the comments below so I can get my hands on some!!!

4) Posted this picture on my Instagram feed Monday for Presidents' Day and I'm still mesmerized by it. Regardless of your political party affiliation, it's hard not to love Ronald and Nancy.

5) 47 more days 'til the Masters! Seriously - I can't even wait. This is the first athletic event I really look forward to each year, mostly because the Masters never, ever, ever disappoints. (Plus, Augusta National is just dreamy as far as golf courses are concerned.)

Thanks for checking in today! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!!!

It Doesn't Cost Anything To Be Kind

It's been 14 years since the movie "Pay It Forward" debuted. You remember it, right? The one with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and the kid from "The Sixth Sense," Haley Joel Osment. Paying things forward was a big deal for the few years after the movie, but it seems to becoming more and more rare lately and we need to bring it back.

One of my Twitter friends mentioned the other day that the "courtesy wave" seems to be a thing of the past and it really saddened me. Coming from a small town, there's nothing more engrained in my being than the courtesy wave. The courtesy wave I'm referring to doesn't only apply to the roadways - it applies to seeing an acquaintance across a crowded room, or seeing a neighbor walking their dog when you're cruising through the neighborhood on your way home from work. There's nothing at all wrong with a friendly flick of a few fingers that simply let you someone know you're acknowledging their existence.

In a world that's lacking kindness, let's bring some back. There are a ton of things that don't cost a single penny and could make a huge difference in someone's day. 

Need a suggestion? Just snag one of these below. Let's all commit to doing at least one of these today and making someone's day a bit brighter than it might've been ... if we're feeling really crazy, let's try to do at least one of these every single day this week, k?

1. Hold a door - or elevator - open for a person behind you. (Seriously - this shouldn't be a one-time thing, though. Elevator karma is the worst kind of karma out there. If you don't hold it open for someone, the next time you're in a rush it'll inevitably close on you.)

2. Compliment someone.

3. Listen to someone else and not mention yourself. Tell them you believe in their hopes and dreams, too.

4. Share a coupon at the checkout line with a stranger.

5. Donate blood.

6. Tell someone you love them.

7. Pick up litter in a local park while you're walking your pet.

8. Let someone with less items than you checkout before you at the cashier.

9. Donate those hotel toiletries you've accumulated to a local shelter.

10. Overuse the courtesy wave for an entire day.

Ready to make a difference? Let's go!

High Five For Friday #H54F

Happy Valentine's Day, PBT readers!!!

I'm not sure what's causing this, but I'm feeling extra Valentines-y this year ... maybe it started with the cupcake making Wednesday evening? I'm wearing red today, and I have Mr. Cush's surprises tucked inside a red bag red-dy (<- see what I did there?) to give him tonight at dinner. He's requested Italian cuisine, so let's hope he's not trying to push my Valentines-y feelings far enough to recreate any scenes from Lady and the Tramp, because that just won't go over well at all for anyone involved.

Let's wrap the week up with five quick highlights ...

Link up at thelaurenelizabeth.com

1) Maybelline Color Elixir - picked this up in the shade Captivating Carnation at Target and am slightly addicted to it. It looks like a lipstick/gloss hybrid when it's on my lips, but if feels like a balm/gloss hybrid. I'll be wearing this all spring, for sure.

2) My friend Shana introduced me to mistos (pronounced MEES-toe) at Starbucks and I'm kind of addicted to them, too. It's half coffee (I prefer the blond roast blend) and half steamed milk. Throw in a few Splendas and you've got my new go-to drink at Starbuck's. (This is especially great if regular Starbucks coffees are too bitter, like I find them. The milk really smooths out the flavor, IMHO.)

3) This doesn't really need an explanation ... so glad winter seems to be a thing of the past here in Austin!

4) Let's talk about my salad resolution ... I've fallen off the bandwagon a bit (holding steady at 30), but my partner in crime is cruising right along. You can see all of Thomas' salad adventures here on his Twitter feed (he's up to 52 as of this post).

5) After finding a 50% off coupon code, I decided to sign up for a Julep Maven box. I'm investing only $10 into it at this time and supposedly coming out of it with at least four nail polishes. Not like I need anymore nail polishes, but I still want to find out what all the fuss is about. Once I've received my first box, I'll be sure to put together a thorough review for the bloggity blog here.

Those are five highlights for me for the second week of February ... hope you've had five bright spots in your week, too!

I'm a Boxers Kind of Gal

I'm a boxers kind of gal. 

TMI? Only if your mind is in the gutter because I'm talking about cupcakes!!! (Did you really think we were going to discuss men's undergarments on PBT this lovely day? Because you'll have to read a different blog if that's what you're looking for ...)

During my every-other-day Target run on Monday evening, I accidentally stumbled into the baking aisle and ended up with a $2.54 Duncan Hines cupcake concoction box in my cart. I had the necessary ingredients back at home (which is fairly rare - I'm talking fresh eggs, vegetable oil and butter for the frosting) and figured it'd be a nice Valentine's Day treat for my coworkers.

I whipped up the batch last night and leave you with photographic evidence below ... mostly because I know you wouldn't believe that I baked something if I couldn't show you proof ...

Happy Valentine's Day Eve!

Dove Advanced Care Deodorant Review

DISCLAIMER: Dove Advanced Care with Nutriummoisture Nourished Beauty Anti-Perspirant Deodorant was provided for review by Influenster.com. The opinions expressed below are my own.


Back in our awkward adolescence years, Mommabear used to accuse her four cubs of eating deodorant. Every single time we'd tell her we were out, she'd literally cry out that we must be eating our deodorant sticks because it was impossible to go through them as quickly as we did.

Now, I wouldn't know what deodeorant tasted like if someone gave me a blind taste test and said "this is deodorant" before I tasted it, but the many bars I've gone through in my lifetime seem to make me an expert on the subject matter.

Personally, I think there are three things women are constantly seeking to find the "perfect" versions of ... mascara, jeans and deodorant. One might work for awhile and we think it's the best ever, but suddenly it isn't the same anymore and we go back to the drawing board. That's how I am with deodorant ... Constantly seeking one that outperforms the rest (and don't get me started on the importance of this while living in Texas during the eight summer months).

Anyway, I was contacted by Influenster.com recently to test out the new Dove Advanced Care with Nutriummoisture Nourished Beauty Anti-Perspirant Deodorant and I gave it a try yesterday after receiving it Monday in the mail. 

First of all, I was floored to read the information card (bottom left) that states 36 percent of what you remove while shaving is skin. Personally, I shave my underarms everyday because I read a long time ago that this helps decrease stinky bacteria. Little did I know I've been doing so much damage to this area of my body.

Secondly, I immediately loved the packaging. Admit it - at least 70 percent of our purchases are determined based on packaging, right? This is unlike all of the other multi-colored plastic deodorant cases I've ever bought - very modern and sleek.

Third, I tested the product on the inside of my forearm and you can see that it applies clear. This was also my first chance at experiencing the scent (normally a powder fresh kind of gal right here), and I was pleasantly surprised by it (would tell you the name of the scent, but it's not available on the packaging).

So yesterday morning after my shower and shave, I applied my new deodorant with more excitement than ever before. I was truly expecting to finally find the Holy Grail of deodorants. Here's a rundown of my experience ...

10 a.m. - Initial application felt velvety smooth. Boy, I really want to like this item.

1 p.m. - After carrying a 50-pound bag of paper around for work, my heartbeat increased a little and I figured it was a good time for my first 'sniff' check. Passed.

5 p.m. - Started to think I was maybe getting a little ripe seven hours into my day, but quickly discovered that the deodorant was still working and it was instead the stench of work-provided spring rolls rather than me wafting through the air. Passed.

8 p.m. - Crunch time for work and things are heating up. Ten hours post application and we're hanging in there, my new deodorant and I.

10:15 p.m. - Back home and getting ready to turn in for the night. One final sniff test is performed and things are still pretty fresh ... not to mention, no messy white balls of deodorant have formed to transfer off onto my clothes.

All in all, I'm impressed. One day isn't enough to completely change my life, but we're going to stick with this for a little while and hope things stay on this path ... today was a solid start in that direction.

#RAISEYOURARMS

More info on Dove Advanced Care with Nutriummoisture Nourished Beauty Anti-Perspirant Deodorant available here.

Purchase Dove Advanced Care with Nutriummoisture Nourished Beauty Anti-Perspirant Deodorant here.

Join Influenster here.

Healthy Hands and Nails Routine

Winter is wreaking havoc on my hands and nails. The cold, brisk air outside coupled with the dry heat inside is a nightmare situation that all of us must endure unless we live in a tropical climate.

If I'm being completely open and honest, though, another reason my nails look a bit tragic is because they've been the victim of back-to-back gel manicures - the kind of salon-grade polish that cures under a UV lamp and last two-three weeks. Natural nails are buffed down and "roughed up" a bit prior to the application, and it's just not an ideal situation. (Although I do love the way the shiny lacquer looks, five weeks straight was just too much for my weak, frail nails to take.)

After soaking my nail beds in pure acetone a few weeks ago to remove all traces of the gel polish, it was evident that they needed a little TLC to be brought back to life. Off to ULTA I went to search for a cure.

I left my home-away from home (when I'm not at home, work or Target, you know I'm at ULTA) with Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil and OPI's Nail Envy. After about 10 days of using this combination and ample application of my favorite hand lotion, I can say my nails look like they're back in their pre-gel condition. 

I usually apply the apricot oil twice each day - morning and evening - and it quickly absorbs into my cuticles and makes them look nourished and moisturized. The Nail Envy instructions require a week-long process - two coats on day one, one coat on day three, one coat on day five and removal on day seven. After a full cycle and a half, I'm impressed. My nails seem stronger, the pink beds seem pinker and the white tips look whiter … what I'm trying to convey is that Nail Envy has made a real difference.

Do you have any tried-and-true remedies for your hands and nails that you'd recommend to others? If so, please share them in the comments below!

Pretties for Pennies

Let's take a moment to talk about accessorizing, shall we? "Statement necklace" is a common phrase when this subject comes up. Everywhere you look, gals are busting out pretty, crystal-laden necklaces to jazz up an otherwise ordinary outfit. (In my case, a t-shirt and jeans for everyday … maybe black pants and a plain tee if we're talking about an ordinary work outfit for me.)

Every window in the mall has a necklace-accented outfit gracing its window. The mannequins suck us in with a fashionable look highlighted by one of these statement necklaces, and then we immediately do a 180-degree turn and run out the door after experiencing sticker shock when we see the price on that eye-catching necklace. Call me crazy, but I'm not down with paying more money for a necklace than the rest of an outfit combined. (And while we're being real - I'd totally be able to wear those black pants multiple times in a work week, yet everyone would remember if I wore a particular statement necklace as many times in the given week.)

So ...

Q. What's a gal to do when she's itching to stay on trend, but doesn't have the income to support such an urge?

A. eBay

Yes, THAT eBay. The same eBay we turn to when buying inexpensive cell phone cases, used books and signed sports memorabilia.

Don't believe me? Try searching 'bib necklace free shipping.' TONS of options come up. Another quick tip tip - I always select the 'buy it now' option, too. It seems easier to just spend $4-15 ($10-15 being on the higher end of options) with the click of a button instead of watching an auction bid for four or five days.

One thing you might notice is that several of these necklaces are shipped from sellers in China. Let me tell you from several personal experiences that I've never had a single problem receiving the item I paid for. (I do use PayPal to protect my bank account, and shipping sometimes takes 3-4 weeks.) A common phrase Mr. Cush utters on a pretty regular basis when I come in the house with a handful of mail that contains a small manilla envelope is, "is that another necklace from China?" Yes, Mr. Cush. Yes it is.

(And another point - I'd much rather spend $4-5 on an inexpensive necklace when I'm having a bad day instead of $4-5 on a Blizzard at Dairy Queen or some super-charged Frappucino at Starbucks. "A minute on your lips and a lifetime on your hips" does NOT apply to this kind of therapy!!!)

Here's a look at some of the pretties I'm coveting these days ...

And here's a necklace Mommabear stuffed in our stockings for Christmas that we're all wearing proudly this year (it's gone up to a whopping $13.32 including shipping, but it's still a steal compared to other versions floating around online retail stores)...

I went for 'pattern mixing' on the left and Brittany played it safe on the right.

Am I right or am I right? They're pretty good deals when adding a few statement necklaces to our accessory arsenals! Now if we could all work out the storage situation for all of the pretties we're acquiring ... 

Golden Globes Observations

It's no secret that one of my favorite evenings of the year is always Golden Globes night.  

It's a simple equation ...

Hollywood awards + boozed up celebrities = Ashley's idea of heaven

In addition to critiquing everyone's gown like it's my job, I also love seeing the various makeup looks the stylists choose for their clients. Most are usually very timeless looks, but occasionally I'll luck out and an executive producer or composer or two will treat their face like an Easter egg and that's always a lot of fun to take in.

One of the biggest trends I began to notice Sunday evening during the red carpet shows was the nude lip many of the blonde celebrities went with:

Reese - nude lip. Naomi - nude lip. Margot (The Wolf of Wall Street) - nude lip. My fantasy BFF Amy - nude lip.

In a matter of moments, No. 8 on my list of resolutions for 2014 was destroyed.

But, leave it to the impeccable Cate Blanchett to save my resolution and keep the hopes and dreams of bold lipsticks on blondes alive ...

And if Cate alone wasn't enough to convince me that a bold lip is still a trend (I honestly don't know sometimes if I'm two years early or two years late ... my 30s have thrown my trend-ar off kilter), America's reigning sweethearts proved it's still far from a fashion faux pa ...

Let's mentally revisit the best night of 2014 (so far) ... what were some of your favorite moments from the awards show? 

High Five for Friday #H54F

It's my first High Five for Friday post of 2014! Cheers to the weekend and to me (finally) resuming blogging!!!

Link up at thelaurenelizabeth.com

1) I attempted "pattern mixing" earlier this week and felt like I let a 3-year-old dress me at the beginning of the day. Surprisingly, my ensemble received decent reviews. The necklace in the picture, however, received rave reviews. I'll have a blog about where you can purchase the flower necklace in the picture above early next week - the "store" and cost will probably surprise you!

2) Snapchat - I finally caved in to the world of Snapchat. It's like picture texting, but the "text" goes away in a few seconds. It's perfect for when I'm sending Mommabear a make-up free selfie that she can't save and blackmail me with down the road. 

3) This mask was included in a Glossybox a few months ago and I finally tried it out Sunday afternoon when I noticed my skin was exceptionally dry from the "polar vortex." It did the trick, but I can't say I'd ever order one. That fine print at the bottom that you might not be able to read is "cell renew snail hydro-gel mask." The mask didn't have an escargot scent or anything, but it still felt weird knowing I was soaking my face in snail gel.

4) #thelettucelife struggle is already real. I'm certain there will be many days ahead when Thomas and I try to bail on our salad resolutions, but hopefully we'll continue to hold each other accountable. 

5) Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette - it's awesome. If you've never heard of these, they are eyeshadow palettes (12 shades in each) made by Urban Decay and are available at UrbanDecay.com, Sephora, ULTA, etc. There are three palettes in the series, and this third one came out in December. I purchased the first palette, too, which is warm, golden shadows (have had it for at least a year, if not longer). The second one never quite appealed to me - cooler, taupe-y shadows - and I passed on it, but Naked 3 is full of rose gold shadows that I needed to purchase. 

That sums up five of my most memorable moments from the week. I'm excited to see what the next 50 weeks of 2014 have in store!!!

Livin' La Vida Lettuce

I'm pretty sure this blog title correctly translates to "living the lettuce life." It might seem like a really odd blog title, but it sums up life as I'll know it this year.

Caesar Salad from Jason's Deli = Tuesday's lunch.

Let me explain how #thelettucelife came about ...

After I came up with my resolutions for 2014 over the weekend, I shared them with my friend Thomas who is the most resolute person I've ever known when it comes to the subject. (Seriously - the only resolution I've ever known him to flake on was learning to play the banjo. However, I'm pretty sure a banjo was purchased at some point, but I don't recall any tales of lessons with banjo specialists ... but this is a topic for another blog some day down the road.) Other than the learning-to-play-the-banjo resolution that may or may not have come to fruition, previous non-runner Thomas knocked out running 1,000 miles in 2011 with two months remaining in the calendar year, ran not just one but TWO half-marathons in 2012, and in 2013 he was really motivated and ran an entire marathon in January. (Which gave him 11 months to not worry about accomplishing his resolution. His other resolution for 2013 was to "not die" when he attempted the marathon, so he went 2-for-2 for all of 2013 on a single day. Not too shabby.)

Anyway, at some point in the conversation we were having, Thomas mentioned that he had yet to officially declare any resolutions in 2014. He threw out the few ideas he'd been mulling over and when he tossed out his idea to choose a salad for 300 meals, I responded with, "I'd do that one with you." During that moment, it seemed like a really good idea. (It is probably still a really good idea, but I should've thought it through for a few minutes before jumping on board ... 200 might've been a less-daunting amount.)

So I ran some numbers the other day to figure out how to make this resolution work and here's the reality of our situation: need to average six salads per week to accomplish this goal ... six of 14 meals each week (lunch and dinner [2] x 7=14) will need to be lettuce-based ... 25 salads per month to stay on track.

Sidenote: major props to accountants, math teachers and other number-oriented career professionals that work with digits all day long. The above math took me an embarrassingly long time to calculate.

Pinterest has provided several salad recipes that intrigue me, and I really want to try out the whole Mason jar salad concept that supposedly keeps the ingredients fresh for up to a week ... it'd be nice to have salads pre-made like that for dinner or when I'm on the go.

So do me a kind favor, please ... if we're ever making plans for lunch or dinner this year, make sure salads are an option because I've got 297 remaining. And if I start to resemble a rabbit at any point, let me know that, too, so I can pull the plug on this idea. 

Storage Wars

No, this is not my personal review of a show I've never seen on A&E. Instead, it's a post about the never-ending struggle to create more storage space in one's home.

As a self-diagnosed product junkie, I'm constantly battling my bathroom cabinets for both organization and capacity. According to Mr. Cush, we're at "maximum capacity." According to me, there's always room for "just one more thing."

Enter this hinge-mounted door storage that came into my life recently ...

L to R: Mirrored outer door, inside of unit

Mr. Cush installed this on the door to our master closet that is connected to our master bathroom. The shelves are adjustable, and several more were included that I can add at any time. There's a magnet at the top of the unit that securely holds it in place and connects to the back of the closet door. Overall, it's slim enough (maybe about 4-5 inches from mirror to door) to be discreet and quite non-invasive in our shared walk-in. 

And for more storage in our closet, Mr. Cush added an extra rack to the area above the closet door after I saw something similar at my sister's home last fall. I've included a picture of it below to help you visualize it ... and a picture of our light fixture that really classed-up the entire room, too!

L: Because why WOULDN'T you need a mini chandelier in your closet??? 

How have you created extra storage in your home? Let me know in the comments below because I'm always looking for new ideas!!! (More storage = more fun stuff!)

Chicken & Asparagus Penne

There is very little in life that excites me more than finding a fabulous recipe that's five ingredients or less. If you've followed PBT at all, you probably know that about me by now.

Last week while perusing Pinterest during my holiday staycation (<- slang for a vacation spent staying home), I stumbled upon a delicious-sounding Chicken & Asparagus Penne recipe. I couldn't resist trying it, and I couldn't resist sharing it with y'all when Mr. Cush sent me a text yesterday after eating leftovers for lunch that read, "we need to do the asparagus, chicken pasta thing again." (<- Mr. Cush is a leftover connouissuier, so he knows what's up in this department. Trust him.)

Mr. Cush added some Italian seasoning - feel free to improvise as you wish with spices!

Ingredients
1 lb steamed asparagus
12 oz cooked Smart Taste penne
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb cubed and cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (shredded would also work)

Instructions
1. Add all ingredients into a 9x13 pan and stir to combine
2. Top with cheese and broil for five minutes or until cheese is golden

Also for your enjoyment, I reorganized my Pinterest boards while staycationing and moved several of my favorite and PBT-approved recipes to a specially-dedicated "Five or Less Ingredients" board for your enjoyment (my enjoyment, too).

Bon appétit!!!

Back in the blogosphere at last!

Hey everyone!!!

First of all, I need to apologize for being M.I.A. the last few weeks. As my sister naggingly (er, lovingly?) pointed out, the last PBT entry was Dec. 11, 2013. Soon after that entry, my work life consumed me every single moment I touched my computer. Following that last entry, I bounced from Nebraska to Seattle, and within an hour of arriving home on Dec. 21, Mr. Cush and I were in the car and settled in for a 15-hour road trip adventure home to Illinois for Christmas with my family. Not long after hauling my suitcase into Mommabear and Ol' Rodney's home, I began to feel pretty under the weather. In all honesty, it was probably mostly exhaustion.  

Following a week with our families for Christmas, we made the trek back to Austin and ushered in 2014 with our best friends from Florida. It was a busy few days and before I knew it, today became Jan. 6.

L to R: At the Alamo Valero Bow in San Antonio on Dec. 30 before ringing in the new year in downtown Austin.

I'm not one to usually make resolutions, but my dear friend Thomas has inspired me to do so this year. He's the only person I've ever known that actually makes AND keeps his resolutions. To not entirely ruin my attempt in the first 10 days of the year, I decided to make some rather broad resolutions and see how those work out. Think the below resolutions are worthy of being attempted?

1. Watch the first four episodes of Downton Abbey to find out the allure of the show. If I get hooked, I can easily work it into my television repertoire now that Breaking Bad has ended and there's about 10 months until Homeland begins again.

2. Try Crossfit. There's a gym less than a mile away, and like Downton Abbey, I feel like I'm missing out on something quite popular.

3. Keep a food journal for a week. I hope that this leads to keeping a food journal for a month, and a month turns into long term. Between this and No. 2, I've covered that whole "lose 50 pounds" resolution without using those exact words.

4. Toss one item out of my closet for every item that I bring into it. My closet is completely and utterly out of space - it might burst if one more thing is wedged in there.

5. Sell unused and unworn items on eBay. Plenty of items in my closet haven't been worn (or in the case of handbags - used) in years  and are in perfectly fine shape for resale. (Can't believe I'm actually admitting this!) Since I spend so much time online, it'd be simple to photograph and auction said items away.

6. Keep my car clean. I actually resolved to do this last year, too, and it worked quite well for the first few months until I became pretty lackadaisical about it (<- fancy word for 'lazy'). Basically, I need to remove everything from my car at the end of each day. No more leaving shoes and coffee cups and old mail floating around the backseat. Having a tidy car eases my anxiety at the beginning of each day when I commute to work.

7. Clean out the pantry. Much like No. 5 above, we've collected a fair amount of items that are never used. Time to toss those.

8. Wear bold lipstick. I'm always afraid of trying bold colors because I feel like a clown with a really bright mouth … and that's never what I'm trying to achieve. Maybe practicing this will be better - like, wear a red lip to Target before I try it out around a group of friends? That might help me ease into it.