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 ...