Busy Busy Bees!

Chris and I were busy little bees this weekend but we had a blast!

Saturday was Ella Bay's first birthday! She is Chris' niece and adorable! We drove up to West Monroe for her birthday party and had the best time! Just look:

Chris and Ella playing...so cute!

On Sunday, we were off to Leesville to surprise my mother at church for Mother's Day. She had no idea we were coming and she was super happy to see us! It was great!

Being such a gifting weekend, I wanted to make sure we were not only socially responsible but adorable as well! Target has some great gift wrap options for the eco-chic! They have a few reusable shopping totes that serve as great gift bags and some really attractive recycled gift wrap! They even have gift bows made of recycled materials! Way to go Tar-get!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...who is the fairest of them all?

Me, Me, Me...pick me! OK, I'm not the "fairest" in the sense that the wicked Queen meant it...but I do have some of the fairest skin ever!

I believe I am an expert in sunburn prevention and the do's and don'ts of sunburn healing! If there is a product, odds are I have tried it! I am currently obsessed with Burt's Bees products....especially their natural sun-care line.

Their sunblock isn't greasy or stinky! It takes a little work to get it really good and rubbed in but it works and is worth the effort! It is 100% natural and chemical-free. Just be careful if you are heading into the water, you will need to reapply after. SPF 30 is the way to go!

Now, if the deed is done and you need a sun soother, look no further! I find that it really cools the skin, especially if you put it in the fridge for a little while before using! Talk about refreshing! This is one of my favorite products because it isn't sticky like most after-sun lotions...and it doesn't smell like fake coconuts! It is 99.5% natural!

A couple summer's ago I got SOOOO burnt that I had really, really bad scars on my shoulders. Nothing I did worked...all because I was too cool to put on sunscreen...dumb! The scars were a constant reminder of my dumbness but I found something that really helped dull them. These homemade products worked for me:

Salt Scrub

1 cup fine sea salt

1/2 cup almond oil (olive oil will work too)

a few drops of your favorite essential oil (I like orange, rose or lavender...depends on my mood!)

Simply take a hand full during your shower or bath and rub into your skin to exfoliate and then rinse off. You could also buy similar products (salt and sugar scrubs) but why when you can make it easily and for a fraction of the cost!

Moisturizing Night Oil

Fill your container half way with either Almond Oil or Sesame Oil (I prefer sesame for night moisturizing)

Pour a few drops of pure Vitamin E Oil

Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil

Apply to skin after shower/bath. Keep in mind that a little goes A LONG WAY!

I purchase all of my oils from Mountain Rose Herbs because the prices are not that bad and the products are of great quality! I'm sure you can also find most oils at Whole Foods or your natural food store.

I love making my own beauty products! If you have recipes, please pass them on!

Only 23 days...

until the big Smith/Henry wedding soiree! I am beyond excited...especially since all of the big wedding plans were made months ago and I get to spend the next 23 DAYS doing and finding little creative extras! Here is a little sneak peak of my ETSY shopping spree yesterday:

adorable cocktail stirrers that will have "Drink Me" on one side and 5.29.2010 on the other. The ribbons will match the color theme so aubergine, black, clover green and bright blue! AND they are made of bamboo!

So exciting!

How fun is this idea! I can't wait to have a picture like this:

This is just a taste! I'm working on a random project right now that includes LOTS of painting and  a little recycling...I'll post pictures soon!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I hope you all have festive days! Here are some excellent recipes I found to help you celebrate!

To start the night off right, you need a good Guacamole:

2 avocados

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cut the avocados into halves. Remove the seeds, and scoop out the pulp into a small bowl. Use a fork to mash the avocado. Stir in lemon juice, onion, salt, and olive oil. Cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

I can't do anything with a recipe, so thank you PHLOX!

Don't forget the Salsa:

1 mango (peeled, seeded, diced)

1 avocado (peeled, pitted diced)

4 tomatoes (diced)

1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and minced)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped red onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

I love the sweet yet spicy aspect of this recipe! Thanks FHIVESHOT!

Lastly, you need the main course! Chris and I LOVE Tofu Tacos! This was actually the first way I tried tofu..so it is really special to me! We make little stations and have fun with Taco Night!

I like soft tacos and Chris likes hard the hard shells so we generally compromise. If we are in a hurry we will purchase one of the pre-made taco-night sets. I know this isn't ideal, but it sure saves time!

Simply chop extra firm tofu and fry it over medium heat with garlic, chopped onions and a couple tablespoons of oil. If you want to add the taco seasoning package, that is actually pretty good as well. Either way, it is tasty!

For your other stations, try chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sauteed veggies (mushrooms, peppers or onions), roasted corn and really anything else goes! The great thing about taco stations is that you can entertain a wide variety of people because everyone can dress their tacos how they wish!

If you aren't planning on dining in tonight and are in the Baton Rouge area, may I suggest you check out:

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Sorry about the long post, I just love this type of food! =)

Enjoy!

LSU Chancellor's Pancake Breakfast

If you are an LSU student that is frantically studying for finals...TAKE A BREAK! Come enjoy a free pancake breakfast this evening anytime from 10:00pm until midnight at either 459 Commons or The 5! All you have to do is show up and swipe your LSU ID! Two lucky students will actually be chosen for two tickets to the Bayou Country Music Superfest (May 29th or May 30th).

This event is SUPER fun for the LSU staff that volunteer each semester and I am so thankful for those individuals! What dining hall will have the most spirit and patrons this time???? Only a few more house until we see!  I just hope I can stay up until midnight! =)

Let's get dirty!

Ok...you won't really get dirty learning how to compost but you might...

Composting has a bad rap...it isn't all stinky with slimy worms! It is actually surprisingly easy and odorless!
I started composting when I lived in an apartment and there was definitely a learning period! I actually made my own compost bin out of a plastic 5-gallon bucket! I've grown a little since then, and here are some of the things I learned:

1. You need to know your "browns" and "greens". Browns are materials like dirt, sticks, newspaper, dryer lint and leaves. These materials help balance out the stench of your greens, which are your kitchen scraps (i.e. veggies, egg shells and breads).

2. Not everything is compostable! Stay away from meat and dairy...these will really increase the smell so don't try it! If I ever question it, I just Google " is *** compostable" and my answer is just a click away!

3. Your compost  bin can be one you purchase or you can make a pile in the back corner of your back yard. Whatever your style is...make sure you "turn" it regularly. This helps the materials break down. I don't have the fancy turner, just a garden tool...it works just fine!

4. It is a great idea to have a compost keeper in your kitchen. This way you don't have to go to your compost bin or pile every time you cook. These little time savers are awesome and are relatively attractive. I don't recommend keeping your scraps in there more than a few days because everything will start to break down and you don't want little smells or buggies.

This is a great site to help you with your journey to being really green!

Once you start producing excellent compost, don't be shy about using it for your garden! Compost is literally liquid gold for your flowers, plants and veggies!

I hope this helps! Enjoy!

1st Annual Spring Greening Day

LSU celebrated the 1st Annual Spring Greening Day yesterday and WOW, what a success! Tons of student organizations came out to help Facility Services-Landscape Division with the daunting task of updating and exchanging flower beds across campus. Despite the gloomy day, the students looked like they were having fun and the campus looked awesome!

After the planting, all of the volunteers and more came into the LSU Student Union for grub and to celebrate! Reusable shopping bags and Frisbees made from recycled materials were passed around to those attending...Oliver was happy I brought him home a prize!

Raising Cane's helped LSU celebrate this event by donating $5,000 to the Campus Beautification Fund, which is a fund under the LSU Foundation used solely for campus beautification, sustainability and "green" projects across campus!

After the check presentation, students were able to celebrate with two bands that are signed to "green" labels! We enjoyed: The Carolinas and American Fiction...I missed The Carolinas but American Fiction was pretty good.

All in all...it was a great event and I can't wait to get my hands dirty next year! Campus looks great!