Best travel makeup bag!

Monstina makeup organizer bag was one of my best 2024 travel purchases. It is compact but still holds everything needed for my “5 Minute Face.”  It has elastic brush slots and is wide enough at the bottom to fit a compact or two. Best of all, it stands upright for easy access! No more digging through a bag. My typical items inside are:

1. Laura Gellar Baked Balance-N-Brighten powder foundation
2. Subtl stack (highlighter and bronzer)
3. Maybelline Sky High mascara 
4. Laura Gellar Swipe-N-Line Instant Eye Perfecting Stick
5. Anastasia tinted brow gel
6. Ulta under eye brightener stick
7. Powder brush
8. Bronzer brush 
9. Highlight brush 
10. Eyeshadow brush 
11. Eyebrow brush
12. A couple of Qtips for mistakes

Things I'm Currently Obsessed With

Over the last few months, I've lost some weight, traveled for work more, and have found some products that I absolutely love and want to share.

1. Project Cloud Snow Boots: Cute, cozy, and waterproof! 
2. BAGSMART Cosmetics Travel Organizer: Has a waterproof compartment, makeup brush slots, and plenty of room for all your toiletries and makeup.
3. Light Flight Laptop Backpack: This should probably be first on the list. It fits my 16-inch laptop in its own compartment, has two side pockets for water bottles, and despite its compact size fits everything I need. I was looking for a smaller backpack that could double as my personal item and wasn't humongous for using it as my daily bag once at my destination.
4. Travel Cord Organizer Case: Soooooo many cables and bricks needed for all the devices! This bag allows me to pack two batteries, two bricks, a ton of cords, and some wired earbuds.
5. The Good Patch B12 Awake Patches: These are a lifesaver - slap one on your wrist and feel a pick-me-up in 5-10 minutes that lasts for hours. They contain caffeine, B12, and Green Tea Extract and are easy to carry around, apply and remove. Fantastic for that afternoon slump, all-day meeting or marathon travel day.

Regular songs that make good lullabyes

Josie loves to sing and loves to be sung to.  A few weeks ago, she tired of our usual "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Rainbow Connection" and said, "Sing me one of your different songs."  I realized then that it's really, really hard to come up with an appropriate song off the top of your head while you're sitting in the dark in  your kid's room at 11pm trying to get them to go back to sleep.

Research ensued, and I found some good suggestions, but since have thought up so many more!

1. Lean on Me - Bill Withers. This led to a discussion of what "lean on" means, and Josie told me I could lean on her if I'm sad. 💓
2. (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
3. If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out - Cat Stevens
4. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Bill Joel
5. Stand By Me - Ben E. King
6. The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
7. Blackbird - The Beatles
8. You've Got a Friend - James Taylor
9. Songbird - Eva Cassidy (originally Fleetwood Mac)

Our old standbys:

1. Part of That World from The Little Mermaid
2. You Are My Sunshine
3. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland
4. When You Wish Upon a Star - I sing the Linda Ronstadt version
5. Rainbow Connection - Kermit the Frog
6. Hush Little Baby - I never knew there were different versions of this.  Which way do you sing it?  We do mockingbird, diamond ring, looking glass, billy goat, Shetland pony.

What songs to find yourself singing over and over again to your kids?

Chicken & Brown Rice Casserole

Made this the other night - pretty easy (especially if you use a pre-cooked chicken and boil-in-bag rice) and definitely tasty. You could use baby carrots to cut out even more prep work, and you could add more veggies as well!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (white part only)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 14oz. reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 8-oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (aka Neufchatel)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon
• 12oz brown rice, cooked and drained
• 2lbs roasted chicken, skin removed and pulled into medium-sized pieces (I roasted my own, original recipe called for a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions 

1. Preheat ovento 375°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
3. Add carrots and leeks; cook 6 minutes or until tender.
4. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute or until fragrant.
5. Add flour to the pan and stir to coat.
6. Add milk to the pan and stir to combine.
7. Add chicken broth to skillet and cook until bubbling, adjusting the heat as necessary.
8. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
9. Continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened.
10. Stir in lemon juice, zest, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Add more of each to taste.
11. Spread cooked rice in a 9x11 baking dish, add the chicken, distributing evenly, then pour mixture from skillet on top.
12. Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave (about 30 seconds), then mix in panko.
13. Sprinkle mixture on top of casserole.
14. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. (You can give it a couple of minutes under the broiler if you want the panko really crispy!)

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.