Better Than Sex... The Mascara

 

 

Ok, now that I have your attention I guess I have some explaining to do! This mascara is named Better Than Sex and it is  pretty fabulous if you are into BIG lashes!!!!! Its hourglass brush takes me from thin and pale lashes to long and voluminous without a lot of effort which is great because as we all know mornings can be too rushed to worry about having to apply 10 coats of mascara!

At first I was worried I wouldn’t like the big brush as usually I am not a fan of them (I tend to end up with more on my eye lid than my lashes)  but I found this mascara was easy to apply. I have even applied it while in the car on numerous occasions with no mishaps (only while safely stopped at lights or parked in the parking deck)! It lasts all day and comes off pretty easy as well with my eye makeup remover!<<< Always a perk!

Product Highlights:

  1,944% more volume*

  100% saw longer lashes**

  100% saw dramatic volume**

  93% saw base-to-tip curl**

  8 out of 10 say it's the best mascara they've ever used**

*results observed in a clinical study.
**results observed in a consumer study.

 

You can pick one up for $23 at Ulta ,Sephora or directly from the Too Faced website! It costs more than my trusty L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara but I think it works better for instant attention grabbing lashes! So I guess you are wondering if it lives up to it's name.... all I will say is that I am going to be a repeat customer for sure!!!!;)

<3 Rachel

 

source: Ulta, Sephora

 

Monday Motivation: 10 Minute Tabata Workouts

If you haven't already heard, let me be the one to break the bad news to you.  It's Monday.  Yeah, again.  Funny thing about Mondays--they just keep on coming back.  Sometimes I swear we go to bed on Friday and wake up on Monday morning.  Really, where do the weekends go?

Mondays have become a pretty big deal to me since I've been trying to get healthier and lose weight.  They signal the beginning of a new week, a fresh start and they're a pace setter for all my upcoming days.  I do everything I can to make sure that I don't skip them when it comes to working out.

I can't lie and say I always pop out of bed, singing the praises of yet another Monday. But I do whatever I can to drag my rear (only mildly kicking and screaming) from my perfectly comfortable and warm bed and get dressed for whatever workout I'd planned for the day.

Whining may or may not happen.  Grumbling most definitely happens.

But so do workouts.

Generally I want something that is going to give me a lot of workout for the least amount of time.  Especially on Mondays.  Enter the 10-minute Tabata workouts on POPSUGAR.com.

My friend Heather has been doing Tabata workouts at her gym the past month or so and she is the one that first introduced me to the new trend you seem to be able to find everywhere:  your local gym, Pinterest, and just about every YouTube fitness channel in existence.

Tabata is essentially performing a particular exercise or exercises at high intensity for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest.  You repeat this eight times, taking four minutes.  Put routines back to back to create the desired workout length for you.

I like 10 minute workouts.  Because 10 minutes is short.  And I can even put two together, really work hard, and feel like I've truly accomplished something.

Below are two Tabata workouts that I have completed recently that are assured to get your heart pumping and your body moving.  Do them back to back for a fantastic 20 minute workout to help get your Monday off on the right foot.  Or do it after work to help get rid of any stress from the day.  Either way, you'll be really glad you did it.

Happy Monday!

Jessica

10 Minute Tabata Workout / POPSUGAR Fitness 1

Tabata Workout to Tone Everything / POPSUGAR Fitness

Thought We'd Left, Didn't You?

Well, hello, there!

I guess you could say we took some time off here at the blog.  That can happen with these things when "these things" are not the main things in your life.  Husbands, growing little boys, regular daily jobs and a bunch of other this and that came together to sort of, well, get in the way.  

But here we are, back at our keyboards and hopefully back on your computer and phone screens. Please excuse the lack of writing and forgive us for not giving you a heads up.  The truth is we really didn't mean to leave you for so long.  Friends, again?

Since we've been away we've talked a bit about some changes we'd like to make around here.  You'll notice a little more day-specific content.  Get prepared for Motivational Mondays with updates on any ongoing fitness challenges, new workouts that are currently kicking our rears or help with eating healthy by way of newly tried Pinterest recipes.  

We'll also cap off your work week with a little faith on Friday to take you into the weekend on a good note.  And in between you can look forward to new product tests and reviews from Rachel on Tuesdays, as well as more fun (and cheap) DIY projects from your Two Broke Bloggers, along with the usual random thoughts on being a mommy, wife and friend.  

Maybe we were just waiting for Spring.  Well, here it is.  And here we are.  

Hey, Y'all; we're back!  

Jessica & Rachel 

   

Runners Gonna Run

I'm going to need you to cue up the theme from Rocky while you read this. Got it?  Good.

Last Saturday, we strapped on our sneakers and hit the pavement for a 5K.  And we ran.  RAN.  Let me just go ahead and tell you that I don't do that.  Don't.  Like, eva. But I did it on Saturday.

And I did it largely (Ok, let's try almost completely) because my sister was right beside me the whole way telling me that we could do it.  Crazy thing: we could.  And did.  Nothing stopped us.

Not the cold.
Who needs to feel their fingers? 

Not the fact that I needed to pee about a quarter mile in.
Really, every tree and overgrown area looked like prime real estate to me. 

Not even all those voices in our own minds telling us to stop, that we couldn't, that it was OK if we didn't.
Because, really, it would have been OK if we didn't.  

But we did.

There is no part of me that liked running.  There is no part of me that thinks running is all that much fun or a good time or something I just can't do without.  But, I will tell you this: when I got to that finish line, and I knew that I had not stopped running from the time I had started until I had reached 3.1 miles, it was the best feeling ever.

Like, eva.

My legs may have felt like they could no longer support my body weight, and I may have had a strong urge to hurl, but I was also enveloped with such euphoria that it's pretty hard to put it into words.  I felt so good.  And I don't think that word is too simple to use here.  It. Felt. Good.

I grinned all day.  That is, until that euphoria wore off and the tops of my legs began to hurt so badly I could barely bend them to sit down.  Getting in and out of the car that night was quite the challenge and the way I backed into all my evening's seating choices looked much like it did when I was extremely pregnant.

But that's how it goes.  Or so I've been told.  Apparently, the way to avoid feeling like that is to run more.  More, they say!  More often.  Longer distances.  More.

Meh, we'll see.

I think I'll give it a go.  Why not?  It seems I've already shown that I can.

-Jess

Baby, It's Cold Outside...so eat chili!

It's crazy cold right now.  And nothing goes with crazy cold like the warm goodness of chili. There are about one million (give or take a thousand) chili recipes readily available via the internet, Pinterest or your mama.

When I went looking for one the other day I got a tad overwhelmed by all the choices.  I'm not really a multiple choice kind of gal. Too many options is not good for me--no matter what I'm trying to choose.  Just ask my husband about my panic at trying to navigate the lengthy Made-to-Order Menu at Sheetz.  

Full.  Mental.  Meltdown.  Seriously, it gets ugly, folks.

But back to chili.  

After spending far too much time looking through too many online recipes and perfectly wonderful blogs about the yummy goodness that is your basic chili recipe, I decided to go rogue and create my own.  I took some things I liked from several I'd seen, some things I already had on hand, and the rest I got from raiding the canned veggie aisle.  Yes, canned.  And preferably pre-seasoned.  I live for ease.  Live. For. It. 

The result was really stinking good.  The only bad thing?  We could have fed a small army.  The recipe below is just as I made it.   If you're don't need a large quantity, or don't do so well with leftovers, just cut it back some.  

*Recipe notes at bottom 

Jessica's Slow Cooker Chili 

(When you make up your own, you name gets to go in the title.  

It's the little things.) 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey meat, browned & drained
• Medium Onion
• 1.5 Tablespoons Chili powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon Black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 Oz. can Mild Rotel, drained
• 15 Oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 15 Oz. can corn, drained
• 15 Oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
• 29 Oz. can tomato sauce (I used Hunt's Basil, Garlic & Oregano)
• 14.5 Oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (I used Del Monte Basil, Garlic & Oregano)
• 16 Oz. can chili beans in mild sauce, NOT drained
• 6 Oz. tomato paste (I used Contadina brand with Roasted Garlic) 
• 1/2 a 14.5 can of Beef Broth 

Combine everything into your slow cooker and give it a good stir.  Let it heat on Low for 6-8 hours.  Eat up!!  

Notes:

• This chili is not overly "meaty" and could easily go all-veggie.  In fact, I think that's how I will make it next time.  
• Speaking of the meat, the beef broth gives it a heartier flavor, which is nice seeing as ground turkey can be rather, well, bland.  
• There is absolutely no reason to add salt.  Do not do it.  'Kay?
• Confession:  My spice measurements may be a tad off.  Or I could have lied completely.  Basically, I shake those little containers until I like what I see.  Feel free to do the same.  

I hope you enjoy!! 

Sorry there's no picture.  But I'm pretty sure most of you know what chili looks like.  I will have a post coming up in a few days about stuffed sweet potatoes.  Complete with a picture to make your mouth water.  

-Jessica 

Slow Down In My Neighborhood!!!!!!

For the love of chocholate... Please slow down when driving through neighborhoods especially tonight!!!!!!

I guess it's just part of growing up or maybe it's because I am now a mom but I am super aware of people flying through my neighborhood. And these lunitics scare me!!! An accident can happen in the blink of an eye and your speed can play a major role in the outcome! Tonight there will be kids everywhere in all kinds of costumes and all jacked up on sugar, please watch out for them!!

Halloween Safety Tips:
- Make sure your costume is bright in color! Reflectors are an added perk!
- Bring a flashlight or glow stick to help you see where you are going and to help drivers see you!
- Always look both ways before crossing the street!
- Watch out for cars backing out of driveways.
- Stick to houses/neighborhoods you know.

Have a safe and happy Halloween! 

<3 Rachel

 

Check Out My Curves- It's For A Good Cause;)

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month select Curves locations are offering a $10 punch card that allows you to work out 10 times between now and November 15th! This is a great offer (10 workouts for $10) and a great cause!!!!

• Cards must be bought before 10/31/2014.
• Every dollar collected is donated to breast cancer research or care.
• No enrollment or membership fees required.
• Only one punch card per person
• No it is not just old women that go to Curves!!!!!

I attend the Curves at 40/42 (across from the Snoopy's)!! I really enjoy working out at Curves! It is a women only environment with no judgement! I see women of all shapes and sizes that are just wanting to get fit!

<3 Rachel