DIY Acne Spot Treatment (That Costs Pennies)

Pimples have that way of popping up at the most inopportune times and then linger and linger and linger. If you’re like me, then you’ve tried every over-the-counter scrub, cleanser, and acne spot treatment that money can buy. You’ve probably also tried popping them or covering them up with make-up (which only seems to make matters worse). Pimples are unsightly and, even if it's small, I end up feeling like I have Mount Everest growing on my face for all to see (insert horrible images of people pointing and jeering here).

For me, there seems to be nothing I can do to stop one or two pimples from rearing their ugly heads (pun intended) at that time of the month. I try all sorts of pre-emptive maneuvers but the usual treatments don't seem to work in this one case.  But I did stumble upon an inexpensive DIY treatment that works for me and will hopefully work for you too!

You’ll Need...

• 2-3 Aspirins (with no coating) - I typically use Bayer but Excedrin works too! 
• Water
• Mortar and pestle (or, like me, a makeshift mortar and pestle)

And The Steps...

1. The moment you notice a pimple, set to work crushing 2-3 aspirins into a fine powder.
2. Add just enough water (no more than a few drops) to the powder to create a thick paste. If it becomes too watery, then crush and add more aspirins.
3. Clean afflicted area and hands. Apply a thick-layer of the aspirin paste directly to the pimple. Let paste dry.
4. Reapply paste, adding water to rehydrate it as needed.

I tend to do this routine at night so that I can apply the paste 3 times (and I usually sleep in the third application). Admittedly, I wake up with a pillowcase covered in dried aspirin powder, but I think that’s a small price to pay! Plus, it’s easy to clean up. By morning, the offending pimple is greatly reduced in size and there’s considerably less redness. After repeating this process for a second night, my pimple is just about gone.  

There you have it-- an acne spot treatment that costs pennies!

A Few Things To Keep In Mind...

I've only used this as a spot treatment, and I've noticed that it works best for pimples that have a white-head (not those hard buggers that lurk just under the surface of the skin).  For severe acne breakouts, I'd still recommend Proactiv.  And remember that keeping your skin clean is a must to avoid pimples, blackheads, and other gross blemishes.

 Do you have any tricks for getting rid of pimples?  I'd love to hear about them. xx

New Month, New Goals: February

We’ve survived the first month of 2015! Woo! I, for one, am happy to have January in my rearview mirror. Apart from my 25th birthday, the month wasn't exactly smooth sailing.  January was bitter cold (apparently I missed the memo about New York relocating to the tundra) and snowy (very snowy towards the end). I also had to get back into the routine of going to work after two blissful weeks off.  But January was also a month of new beginnings—we could all use a reset button every now and then, right? For me, January meant starting this blog and trying to not ditch my resolutions (eating healthier, taking more photos, studying French) by week two. So far so good on all fronts though.

So what does February have in store? Hopefully less snow, warmer weather, and more productivity. I thought that setting short term goals for each month would be a great way to hold myself accountable and stay focused so, without further ado, here are my goals for February…

FEBRUARY GOALS

• Let my hair down more (literally).  My hair is naturally curly and the slightest bit of moisture in the air means I’ll be rocking a frizz ball on top of my head. So, as a precaution (and laziness when it comes to styling), I tend to clip my hair back most of the time. The ridiculous thing about that is that I spend an hour blow-drying my hair so that it’s straight...and then wear it up. I know I can’t say I’ll wear my hair down every day this month, but I’m aiming for more days down than up.
• Lose 5 pounds. Thanks to my resolution to eat healthier, I lost 5.8 pounds in January!  I've got to admit, the food has been delicious.  I've been eating a lot more fresh fruits and veggies, and I've been avoiding take-out, processed foods, and empty carbs and calories.  I do allow myself to cheat (just a little) once a week though. I'm happy with the results so far and feel great!
• See some of the Oscar nominated movies. I love the Oscars and sit through the epic award show every year. I’ve slacked off when it comes to going to the movies in 2014 though, so I haven’t seen any of the movies that are nominated. Time to remedy the situation before the Academy Awards on February 22nd!
• Watch the new season of Vikings. First off, let me just say that Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) is my husband. He was a Calvin Klein model several years ago, and his blue eyes, long blonde hair, and hot body just did it for me. He was the reason I started watching Vikings, but I’ve since fallen in love with this History Channel show. Unlike what you’d expect of the History Channel, Vikings is a drama much like the shows on Showtime, Starz, and HBO nowadays. It’s gritty, sexy, and eye-candy for a history buff like me. Season 3 of Vikings starts on February 19th at 10PM EST, and you will find me firmly planted in front of my TV at that time.

Do you have any goals for the month of February? Feel free to share them!

Hipster-Approved Painted Mason Jars in 5 Easy Steps

I’m a DIY sort of girl. Are any of you? I loved doing craft projects as a kid, and now I get my crafty fix by personalizing the odds-and-ends that decorate my room. Not only do I find these sorts of projects fun and therapeutic, but they save me a bit of money along the way.

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a beautiful bar-cart that I’ve now set out to stock and style. I’ve been scouring the internet for gold and turquoise accessories but have either found things I like that aren’t in the right shade or things that I like that are too rich for my blood. I knew I wanted something that could hold those adorable striped straws I’ve been eying on Etsy as well as cocktail stirrers and other little bar tools, but it wasn’t until I discovered painted mason jars on Etsy that I found exactly what I was looking for. Instead of buying them though, I figured I could save a few dollars by painting some jars myself.  I'd also end up with the colors that worked best for me, so I didn't see any drawbacks.

You’ll Need...

• Clear Bell Mason Jars (I got mine from AC Moore)
• Acrylic Paint
• Piece of Cardboard

And The Steps...

1. Empty your small bottle of acrylic paint into the bottom of your clean mason jar.
2. Slowly spin the mason jar to coat the inside completely with the acrylic paint.
3. Once the entire inside of the jar is coated, set it upside down on a piece of cardboard. This will help drain out any excess paint.
4. Move the jar to another spot on the cardboard every 15 minutes until there is no longer excess paint leaving rings on the cardboard.
5. Stand jar upright and let the paint dry overnight.

I thought this was a quick and easy DIY project, and I was happy with the results. I painted two jars—one in turquoise and another in metallic gold—and the acrylic paint gave both jars a vibrant and opaque finish while still showing off the Bell logo and design. How very hipster of me! As an added bonus the whole project cost me under $5.

Although I’m using my jars for storage and decoration on my bar, these would be wonderful as vases, make-up brush holders, party décor, and whatever other uses you can think of.  A lot of people use these painted jars for centerpieces at weddings and bridal showers, which I think is a lovely take on a traditional floral centerpieces.

If anyone gives this a try, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Pictures would be lovely too.  xx

#TBT: Town-hopping on the Amalfi Coast

While in Rome, I took a little detour to the Amalfi Coast. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day for it weather-wise and escaping the city was just what the doctor ordered. The drive along the coast was basically one Kodak moment after the other, I kid you not. On one side of the road there were majestic mountains, all craggy and imposing; on the other side, the clearest blue (Amalfi blue) water I've ever seen. And all along the way there were these lovely lemon orchards (limoncello anyone?).

I stopped in two coastal towns before heading back to Rome—Amalfi and Positano. Amalfi was a busy little town that crept uphill from the beach. Quaint, pigeon-hole stores lined both sides of the main road, and most of the items you could buy consisted of three things: hand-painted ceramics, lemon everything (specifically, the Sorrento Lemon), and billowing cheesecloth clothing. Positano was a beautiful town built into the side of the cliff. It was a leisurely stroll down the mountain to the beach, but then a pretty steep hike back to the top. And like Amalfi, there were ceramics and lemons everywhere.

I was sad to leave the coast behind after only a few hours and even sadder that I didn’t have an opportunity to take a swim in that gorgeous water. If I ever When I go back, the Amalfi Coast certainly requires more than just a few hours of a day.  I could see myself laying out on a beach there for a week or two without a worry in the world.

Winter is Coming

Winter in the Northeast can be more than a little bit unpredictable, and this year is no exception. One day it can be unseasonably warm (50°F), and the next it can feel like I have relocated to Antarctica (at least I’d have penguins for neighbors? I do love penguins). Some years, we’ve gotten hardly any snow; then others, we’ll have snowstorm after snowstorm after snowstorm that dump close to a foot of that powdery white stuff on our lawns.

This year has been light on the snow (I say that despite the fact that we are expecting over 20-30 inches of snow in the next 24 hours...), but we did have a nice little snowstorm over the weekend. I would’ve considered it a waste of a good snowstorm as a kid since the chance of a snow day would've been zero but, as an adult who commutes into New York City, I was relieved that it snowed over the weekend. New-fallen snow is lovely to look at…when you don’t have to go anywhere. It gave me a perfectly good reason to stay in my pajamas all day and binge-watch shows on Netflix (currently watching Death Comes to Pemberley and Law & Order: SVU).

I did venture outside (briefly) Saturday morning to take some photos before plows, salt spreaders, pollution, and Mother Nature made the scenery less photogenic. No one wants pictures of blackened or trampled through snow, do they? It turned out to be great snow for packing, which means I would’ve loved it as a little one. I could’ve built one serious igloo or snowman, and would’ve enjoyed pelting my parents with snowballs while they tried to shovel our driveway. Nowadays though, I just like looking at from the safety of my warm house with a cup of hot chocolate in my hands.

With this new storm (Juno) coming tonight, I'm hoping that I'll be able to hold up in my house in my pajamas once again. You know it's bad when even New York City is preparing for a storm and there is talk of public transportation (trains, subways, and buses) services being shut down at some point.  As much as I'd love an adult snow day, I'm really hoping that we don't get 2-3 feet of snow.  If we do, that stuff will still be on the ground in April...

Did anyone else get snow over the weekend? And are any of you battening down the hatches like me? What are your favorite snow day activities?