Ninja Blender DUO with Auto-iQ Technology

I don't know about you but having a blender in the kitchen is a must. Making delicious smoothies are my favorite. I've had a Cusinart blender for a few years but it's been slowly deteriorating. So when Ninja sent me the Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ to use in my kitchen and tell you all about it I couldn't help but do a little happy dance. This blender is something from my dreams! It's a 2 in 1 blender with one Total Crushing Blender and with two Nutri Ninja Cups.

One of my favorite features of this blender is the Auto-iQ. When I first saw this blender in action at the International Food Bloggers Conference I didn't really fully grasp what the Auto-iQ really was until I got to push a button and see for myself. Each button on the blender is strictly designed to fit each jar. So some buttons are for use of the blender and some are for using the cups. The technology behind Auto-iQ  is all about that unique pulsing, blending and pausing patterns to achieve the best results. It's really awesome how these patterns work. Before with my other blender I had to continuously stop and start the blender to get it to mix and blend my smoothies all the way and even then they were never quite like I wished they would be. So much work! With the Ninja Auto-iQ it automatically does all that after you press the button. Once! 

When placing the blender on onto the base it locks right in so that there is no shifting around as well as the top of the blender with it's secure lid that locks so there isn't any accidents with it popping off or mixture coming out the top! The stacked blade within the blender is like nothing I've seen. Typically blenders blade are restricted to the bottom of the blenders but Ninja has a stacked blade to insure ultimate blending, crusting or pureeing. 

There you have it! I totally recommend this blender to be one that sits on top of your kitchen counter to use for all sorts of things. The best part about it is that it completely breaks down fruits, vegetables, seeds and ice within seconds. Winner!

c/o and sponsor by Ninja Kitchen

oblong (rectangle)

An oblong face is similar to a square face shape but differs in how long and narrow it is. The jawline is like a square with it being wide and almost horizontal and the hairline is curved. 

Angelina is a prime example of an oblong shape. Her face shape is very long and even though her jawline isn't necessarily horizontal you can see that the sides are completely vertical making it seem to be oblong. Oblong faces are beautiful, I mean, just look at her. Generally, oblong shapes want fullness on the sides to create the illusion making the face wider. What can you do to give yourself fullness on the sides? Just put some big waves or curls or just blow it out with volume concentrated on the sides of your face. You can see Angelina's hair is brushed back exposing her forehead which often will make this shape appear to me even longer with that forehead out however with all the volume she has on the sides it balances everything out! It works! 

This lovely lady, Hilary Swank, is another example. She has had many hairstyles over the years. Another "do" for oblong shapes is simply adding some long fringe. In the above photo of Hilary you can see that the long fringe shortens the appearance of her face. Now take a look at her below and you can see the difference of the face without the fringe. Doesn't her face look so much longer?! It's crazy how much something as minor as fringe can completely change your appearance.  

As I've said before, I'll say it again, if you have an oblong/rectangular face shape it doesn't mean you're limited to certain hairstyles. It's just about creating those shapes within your hair that will flatter you. I love showing you all of these examples of faces shapes! Do you have an oblong face shape? Do you have any comments or tips on how you like to style your hair? 

who I am

I am...

...happy, exhausted  frustrated, overwhelmed, inspired and just about every emotion that is humanly possible. October is one of my favorite months and because there is so much going on this month it's been a roller coaster of emotions for me. It's ok though. It's actually a really good learning experience. In the past I've had a hard time with being able to juggle a million things at once without feeling unbearably overwhelmed. I always had a hard time asking for help or being able to put something aside and deal with it at another time. Being in school and doing everything else from the time I walk through the door of my home to the time I go to bed has really shaped me as mother and a wife. I'm proud of this! 

...focusing on my next dream, goals & aspiration. 

... thankful for my son. We went to a birthday party the other day and ended up having a horrible experience. I've never had such a strong feeling towards any sort of child like I did at this party when we met a boy that was a year older than Sebastian. The boy was awful! It pains me to even say that about a child but there's really no other words for it. I couldn't help but try to shield Sebastian for this boy's destructive mind. I was so sick to my stomach with everything this boy was doing. The parents weren't there, which was already really odd to me. I couldn't help but count down the minutes until cake and ice cream were done so we could leave. It was such a terrible experience! I can't help wonder what all the other parents were thinking because whatever I was thinking was seriously plastered on my face. It was a shame because the party was wonderful. I even went as far as having a conversation with Sebastian about how the boy was someone I wouldn't want him to play with. The best thing happened after that because Sebastian agreed with me. Thankful for my son and happy that he is starting to be aware of things around him. 

...saddened when negative/hurtful things happen to loved ones. It's especially hard when you can't really do anything for them but be there. I guess that's all you can do somethings. I just worry that it's not enough. 

...happy that my husband is finally starting on his little business venture. He's been talking about it for a while now but it's finally coming together for him. He got some decals put on our car and created business cards as well. Not to forget he got his first payment from a customer last week. So proud of him! I'm thrilled to see him so excited and passionate about something. Please support my husband and go "like" his facebook page and if you know of anyone that needs any performance tuning done on their cars, message my man! 

...counting down the days until I head to up to Snoqualmie Casino for the Label.M 2014 show. Label.M is a London based hair care company. The artistic team will be showcasing their new collection and I'm going in hopes to be a part of it as well as network and try to get my foot into the door, so to speak. A girl can try, right? 

...loving the blog/social media world. I've met so many encouraging people! 

...currently obsessed with all that fall television has to offer. The Originals, Vampire Diaries, American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy & Walking Dead. Or new shows that I will be tuning into like Constantine and Big Driver. I've even started watching (thanks to my dad and step-mom) The Voice, where I've fallen in love with Pharrell Williams and I of course have the biggest crush on Gwen. 

...looking forward to Halloween/trick or treating, being done with State Boards and having the last month in school to take on as many clients as I can, book club night, the future, a much needed manicure, seeing my little sister's face tomorrow and peaceful mind. 

heated pillows

Sebastian and I tackled a fun project this weekend and made ourselves some heated pillows! It was a pretty simple craft and perfect for the fall & winter months! We went to the craft store to pick out our fabrics and Sebastian picked a Santa print over everything else! I thought it was funny and kept asking him if he was sure. He replied, "Yes, mom, I love Santa". 
These are fun to make and can make great gifts. I'm excited to use it when I get home from a long day at the salon, to ease back pain. If Sebastian and I could make these you can to!

Supplies needed:

• fabric 
• ruler
• sewing machine
• rice

The actual construction of the heated pillows are really all up to you. You can create whatever size or shape you want. For Sebastian's pillow I ended up buying just about 1/2 of a yard of  fabric knowing that I wanted to make a smaller sized pillow. For my pillow I bought a full yard. 

Using a ruler measure out the size of pillow you'd like. Make sure that you measure out 1-2 inches larger than your planned sizes. You need to have some extra around the edges. When you have everything cut out place the two pieces of fabric up against each other with the patterned sides inside and the non patterns facing outward. 

Sebastian's pillow: 10x10

My pillow: 15x10

When you are ready to sew make sure that you choose a stitch that is tight so that the filler doesn't fall out as well as so that it in general the pillows don't fall apart. Go around the whole premier of the fabric excpet the last bit. Leave at least 2 to 3 inches open. Turn the fabric right side in through that hole that you have left before you pour the filler. 

We used long grain white rice. It was inexpensive and holds heat well. I bought 2 five pound bags. I ended up using most of the two bags except maybe 2 pounds. You can fill these up however you want. They don't need to be filled to the brim. It's nice to leave some room so that you can manipulate the pillow to mold around your body. Some other fillers you could use are flax seed or buckwheat. 

Once the filler is in, fold in the left over seam and finish off the stitch! Once you are done you can pop it in the microwave for a couple minutes depending on the size and how much rice you have in your pillow. We found that with my pillow, that is a little bigger than Sebastian's, can be in the microwave for about three minutes to get it to the perfect temperature however Sebastian's we only do 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in the microwave. 

Sebastian loves his! He wants it warmed up before bedtime and brings it into his bed with him since we made it. We had much making these. 

pumpkin patch

I love this time of year! The leaves have changed, pumpkins are on all of our neighbors door steps and the crispy chill to the air is about. Even with our busy schedules I wanted to make it my mission to make sure we went to a pumpkin patch. This year we went to a new-to-us pumpkin patch in Silverdale and enjoyed it. We brought along a friend this time. Sebastian's little girlfriend came along with us. She was in his class last year as well as rode the bus with him. They became fast friends and Sebastian was always telling us about her.

We were sad to find out that she had changed schools to the neighboring school when we bumped into them during the summer. So because of that Sebastian has been missing his best friend and always wants to "hang out with her", like he always says. We invited her along and made a day of it! 

Aren't they the cutest together. She is a great friend for him! I swear she's like a male version of Sebastian. She keeps up with him and maybe even a little faster than him!!! Have you been to the pumpkin patch? What are your favorite fall traditions? 

round

The round face shape tends to have a low hair line with a round chin but over all it's just a shorted version of an oval shape. The shape itself is pretty much the same in width and height. People who have this face shape favor more angular silhouettes, however anything can be done! You know I'm a advocate that anything can be done on all the face shapes as long as you do it the right way. First person with a round face that comes to mind is Ginnifer Goodwin. Boy does she have a round face, doesn't get much rounder than that! She's a great example because she does not cloak herself behind her hair. I mean, let's be real, the girl has some protruding ears. No way am I saying that in any sort of negative way, it's just plain old fact. In my world that's a double whammy.  A round face and some ears to go along with it. Ginnifer doesn't hide from that and really shows off her beauty. BECAUSE we are all beautiful just the way we are. Love her for it. And it works, it's unique and she looks amazing with her short pixie cuts that she likes so much. Having the sides of her hair short and tight to her head with the length on the top really transforms her face and elongates it making it appear to be oval. 

If you have this face shape and are insecure about it yet you've always wanted to do a cut like Ginnifer's, you can! I recommend trying to find a hair cut that has some pieces that frame the face or a "long pixie" like the photo below. Which by the way is the cutest ever on this lovely lady. 

Now if you like to keep your hair mid length or long, great! Layers though. Layer that hair girl. Don't be afraid. Layers are your friend! Everyone should have layers in their long hair. No question asked, it's a must. Your hair needs some movement and without layers there isn't any. It just can't move. Layers can scare people. If you get layers it doesn't mean that all your hair is going to be chopped off. You will still have hair! Long layers, short layers, mid length layers, layers that come up to your cheek bone, any reference point! You add layers where ever you want them. Reference points are awesome. If you have an idea of where you would like to see the shortest layer to lay just tell your stylist. We like that! 

Kristin Stewart and Emma Stone have round faces as well and wear their hair longer. They both have been super long at times and have gone up to above their shoulders at others. It looks great on them! 

Another thing that I get asked frequently with a round face shape is the matter of fringe (fringe equals "bangs"). Many believe that fringe does not look good on round faces but I disagree. When I look at what sort of fringe looks best on a person I look more at your forehead than the actual shape of your face. If you have an extremely short forehead (it happens!) then it might not be best to have fringe on top of your forehead, if anything stick to a side swept bang or just have some short choppy fringe that is on the lighter side. Otherwise, fringe is a fair play! Go for it! 

 Another stunning round face, Michelle Williams! Gorgeous. There you are, hope that inspires all of you round faces out there. If you have questions let me know! 

swoonage v.1

This fun DIY tea towel how to on this equally fun blog that I follow. 

10 Fall recipes that I hope to be able to try this season!

Julee, an amazing author of a unique children's Christmas adventure is about to come out with her third book to The South Pole Santa Series. I've been gifted with the ability to have a sneak peek to the book and it's not even hard for me to say it's the best one yet! So excited to have the real deal in my hands. 

Have you seen the trailer for the new season of American Horror Story: Freakshow? Me OH my, I am beyond excited about this season and it's totally normal that I'm counting down the minutes no seconds until Wednesday. 

Loving this hat. Perfect for Fall, but I can't decide whether I should get it in red or the black.Oh the decisions. Which do you like best? 

5 Ways I Will Be A Different School Mom This Year. What a great read! It's funny because even though I'm a mother to only a first grader and I don't really plan on having multiple children like the mom who wrote this article it's still five really great things to think about and I agree with all of them. 

10 Ways To Write Blog Post Titles. Interesting! 

Life Rewards the Curious. So very true and I aim to live my life with this in mind. 

The year is almost over. Wait. WHAT? Although the year is coming to an end for me is an exciting thought, since it marks the completion of my time in beauty school, it also gives me a slight panic attack. What do you still wish to do with the rest of your year? Some good things to think about over here. 

This new-to-me food blog that has me spending hours on! 

Behold, every horror movie on TV this October. NO, I'm not joking! 

And last but not least, I had to share this beautiful video of a Cooper hearing his mother's voice for the first time. I teared up to his reaction. 

Also remember to be you. 

square

Square faces are usually short and wide with straight lines. The jawline is the most dominant on square faces. Emily Deschanel has a pretty square face. Typically square faces need height on the top and narrowness on the sides but I don't aways agree with that. I believe  if you have a square face texture is key. If you look at a lot of celebrities like Emily Deschanel most of them with a square-shaped face have curls or wavy hair. This helps to complement the shape rather than bring attention to it. Any hard lines or extremely straight hair will really bring that jawline out. 

Oliva Wilde is another celebrity that jumps out at me with a square shaped face. She's one that has had many different styles, some great and some I really don't like. For example when she had some bangs added. In the photo on the left she has her hair styled straight with the bangs which, in my opinion does not flatter her face at all. Her fringe create a parallel line with her jaw which really brings her jaw forward, however the photo on the right with the texture/wavy curls added into her length gives her jaw line a softer appearance almost making her face seem oval! 

 

In spite of having a square-shaped face it in no way means you can't do short lengths like a fun bob! If I had a person sit in my chair and ask for a bob with that shaped face I would just recommend to do a softer looking bob, one that graduates in the back and gradually becomes longer in the front. So like an inverted bob like most of us know it as. Same deal with going to a pixie cut. As long as you get a cut that has more layers around the face that dissolve that hard jawline. It can be done as long as it's done in complimentary way. 

If you have a square face shape consider yourself blessed! That angular jawline is beautiful and a lot of the most famous faces are square and are so photogenic! Some other celebrities with the square face shape are Gwyneth Paltrow & Keira Knightly!

Do you have a square face? If so, do you have any challenges or any tips with how you like to wear your hair?