Mocha Espresso Ice Pop

It's no secret that I love coffee and this time of year there is nothing better than a frozen caffeine filled treat. I made this chocolate-y ice pop in homage to a drink we serve at the coffee shop called the Mocha Espresso Shake. It's one of our best sellers so I thought I'd turn it into a cool treat perfect for hot Summer days.

What you'll need:
1 Cup of espresso or extra strong coffee
1 Cup half and half (whole milk or creamer works just as nice)
1/2 cup of cocoa, your choice of brand and flavor
1/4 cup of white frappe mix (this is optional but I find it adds a nice creaminess. It's basically powdered white chocolate, so feel free to use white chocolate pudding or french vanilla cappuccino mix as a substitute)
1 tsp sugar
Chocolate syrup for dressing
Ice pop tray

Makes approximately 8 popsicles

Again, this is one of my favorite types of recipes in that you can tweak it to your liking. If you love a strong coffee flavor, add more coffee/espresso, less milk product and less cocoa. If you like a more chocolate flavor, go crazy with the cocoa. If you're making this for kids, double everything and leave out the coffee. The possibilities are endless!

Put all your ingredients into a blender (except the chocolate sauce) and mix until just blended, it should really only take a couple seconds.

Fill the ice pop tray with the chocolate sauce in any pattern you'd like. I decided to add this step because when we make the shake at the shop we dress the cup with chocolate syrup but it's just as good without.

 Fill the tray and freeze for at least 4 hours. 

Since I was taking my time with pictures my syrup ended up pooling at the bottom because I didn't get the tray in the freezer fast enough. If you want it to end up all around the pop a good tip would be to freeze the ice pop tray first and that will keep the syrup in place while the liquid freezes. Nevertheless, it was still a delicious breakfast treat.

Let me know what your favorite hot weather treat is!

The Blog Tour Award

Last week the gorgeous Rainbow from Rainbow-Rose Blossom nominated me for the Blog Tour Award. I've talked about Rainbow's blog before because it's one of my favorites; she's incredibly genuine, passionate, unique and inspirational and I absolutely love her posts on self love and self acceptance, she's truly an amazing blogger, go and check her out!

The award rules:
1. Pass the tour on to at least four other bloggers.
2. Give your nominees the rules and specify the Monday in which they should post their nomination answers.
3. Answer the four questions about your creative process, which allows other bloggers and visitors to understand what inspires you to do what you do.
4. Compose this one-time post on a specific Monday (date TBD by your nominator).

My Answers:
1. How does your work differ from others in your genre? I don't feel I have a genre. I mainly talk about beauty, but I love to share recipes, talk about my thoughts and do general lifestyle posts. I pretty much write about whatever is in my head and I love branching out into all different topics, I don't think I'll ever change that.

2. How does your writing/creative process work? When I get an idea for a blog, I basically write it in my head then and there. I start thinking about what I want to say, the format I'll put it in, what I can talk about, etc. That way, when I go to sit down, I have a general idea about which direction I want my post to go in.

3. Why do you write and create what you do? I have always loved to write; it's always been an outlet for me. It's why I write about so many different things, I just always want to talk about things I'm truly loving or thinking about. It helps me feel grounded.

4. What are you working on at the moment? I have about 10 different blog posts ideas I'm working on, it's just trying to not be lazy find the time to get them all put together to post.

My Nominees:
Andrea
Natalie
Ella
Farihah

It's no coincidence that I nominate these girls over and over, I love their blogs and read them daily, they are all some of the nicest, most genuine and beautiful women and their blogs are all amazing!

*If you wish to participate, share your Blog Tour Award on Monday: July 6th, 2015

Thanks so much again to Rainbow for the nomination! 

 
 


 

Friday Favorites : Hair Edition

So, like I talked about in a previous post, I rarely do my hair. It's not that I don't enjoy having a polished coif, it's just that I don't have the time to bother with it. I can't leave the house without a perfectly done up face but my hair is another story. Basically I've become an expert on finding products that make my hair manageable without all the fuss and bother of actually doing it.

This Garnier Fructis color sealant is a life saver in the warmer months. It has a UVA and UVB protectant which keeps your color from fading and contains Acai Berry and Grapeseed Oils so it leaves my hair super soft and shiny. I run it through my hair when wet and I'm good to go.

This is my all time favorite dry shampoo. Not only does it not leave a white residue but it's not overly drying and the smell is amazing! It's the Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo in the scent Sea Buckthorn Berry and I purchase mine here. It's on the pricier side but for me it's worth it because a little goes a long way.

I've spoken about the Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream in a previous favorites and I love this conditioner from the same line just as much. I'm prone to frizzy hair but using this conditioner has helped it stay smoother and shinier for a longer period of time.

This Salt Spray by TIGI Catwalk is one of my all time favorite sea salt sprays. Since I have naturally wavy hair, I just spray some of this in when my hair is mostly dry, scrunch it up and I'm good to go with beachy waves. The smell this has is also really nice!

For hairspray I love Pantene's Anti-Humidity hairspray. Admittedly it doesn't get humid where I live (we are classified as a desert environment) but like I said, my hair gets frizzy, and this just helps tame the crazy while giving good hold. I love using just a couple sprays of this before I walk out the door.

Tell me what your favorite lazy hair products are!

All about the Peach

I love peachy colors for summer, I think they look so natural on every skin tone and are beautiful against a nice tan. Here are some peachy products I'm currently using!

 I am literally obsessed with Colourpop eyeshadows, I pretty much wear one everyday. This shade is Sequin, it's a metallic and it's so shimmery and pretty, it's a nice peachy pink and perfect for summer!

This e.l.f. baked trio in the shade Peach Please has such perfect neutral shades I find myself reaching for it often. I especially love the middle shade, a beautiful peachy gold that looks amazing with the Colourpop Sequin shadow.

This e.l.f. bronzer in Baked Peach is perfect when you want a subtle hint of color. It's great for beginners because you can apply it all over the face with as light or heavy a hand as you want and it looks natural either way.

I wish I could capture on camera how beautiful this blush looks in person. It's a light coral color with bronze and gold shades running through it. It's by e.l.f. in the shade Peachy Cheeky and it gives cheeks a pretty, natural looking flush with a bit of shimmer.

I must admit I am a huge fan of Wet n' Wild lipsticks. This shade is called Just Peachy and it's a matte finish that isn't at all drying. I paired it with e.l.f. mineral lip liner in , you guessed it, Peachy. I love how soft and pretty the combo is on the lips.

Tell me what your favorite peach shades are!

Current Favorite Lip Combo

There is something about a classic red lip that screams powerful and sexy to me. Since I've been keeping the rest of my makeup super minimal lately (thanks a lot crazy desert heatwave) I've been loving wearing a bold red lip. Here are some of my current favorites:

For liner I've been loving NYX's Hot Red. This is the travel size and it's so tiny and cute, perfect for chucking in my purse on the go.

This L'oreal lipstick is in the color British Red and it's a hot red color with a touch of orange. It's perfect when I want a super bright pop of red on my lips.

This NYX butter lipstick in Big Cherry is the perfect everyday color. It's a true red and it's semi-sheer so it looks beautiful over a red lip liner without being too much.

This Rimmel lipstick in the shade Alarm is a bold red without any sheerness so it's perfect for a night out. It's super creamy and lasts forever on the lips.

Let me know what lip colors you've been loving lately!

Tech Free Weekend Photo Drop

We have a family cabin about 2 hours from where we live. We spent Saturday and Sunday up there this last weekend for father's day and it was so nice to get away. Since it's literally in the middle of nowhere, there's no reception, and although I love my social media as much as the next person, it was so nice to have actual conversations with the people around me. It was nice to spend quality time with the people I love. We fished, 4-wheeled, roasted marshmallows and had great conversations. It was an amazing weekend that I definitely want to try to do more often.

I hope you guys had an awesome weekend, let me know what you did!!!

The Versatile Blogger Award

A huge thanks to Natalie from Intrepid Bliss for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Natalie is one of the most crafty, sweet and genuine bloggers I've come across, so please do go and check out her blog!

The rules for the Versatile Blogger Award are as follows:

-Thank the person who gave you this award

-Include a link to their blog

-Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly

-Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award

-Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself

7 things about me:

1. I have a college degree with a double major in English and Anthropology - and my work involves neither.

2. I am a morning person, I wake up at 7 am most weekends and I'm in bed by 10 at the latest.

3. I love horror movies.

4. I used to be a hoarder, but since moving at least once every one to two years since I was 18 I keep the bare minimum now.

5. My favorite drink is a Bloody Mary, but I dislike tomatoes.

6. I'll do my makeup everyday of the week but can't be bothered with my hair, so it's always a mess.

7. I wore glasses when I was younger, not because I needed them but because I was so shy I wouldn't tell the optometrist what letters I was seeing, so he believed that I couldn't see them. When he brought my mom back and I started telling him what letters I saw, he believed that was the correction I needed. It was so bad I couldn't see out of them, but my parents and teachers insisted I wear them believing I was just being vain.

My Nominees:

Andrea from Living on Cloud Nine : Literally my soul sister and the most beautiful, genuine person, her blog is full of fun fashion and yummy recipes!

Ella from In Ella's Element : She does a lot of beauty bits but she also does advice/life lesson blogs that I absolutely love to read!

Katie from Hello Katie Girl : Whether it's fashion, art or nature, Katie's pictures are outstanding. She always looks amazing in her fashion posts, this girl is literally my fashion inspiration!

Rainbow from Rainbow-Rose Blossom : Rainbow is as unique and beautiful as her name, she writes posts that vary from inspirational writings to hair updates and I love each and every one! 

Clare from Clares Loves : Clare's blog is beautiful and we share a lot of the same beauty product loves, so you can be assured that I'm checking her blog for what she's liking!

Tesle from Enchanted Escape : She's so cute, I love seeing her outfit photos but I really love seeing all the places she's going, where she's eating and what she is loving! 

Meghan from Simple Life Soliloquies : Man do I love Meghan's posts...she's so real and raw and inspiring, I absolutely love reading her musings on life!

Patricia from dorigamii : I love Patricia's style, she so chic and classic and her wardrobe is essentially every basic I want to own in my closet! 

Kiki from color me kiki : I mean, could there be anyone cuter? I love Kiki's style, her blog is so colorful and fun and I love reading up on what she's been loving!

Courtney from Eric and Courtney : This is the cutest family I've ever seen and I love keeping up with what they've got going on over on Courtney's blog!

Sophia from St-Style : Sophia is one of the most creative, original bloggers I've come across. I love seeing her style posts, she's incredibly unique and I love the fun she has with fashion!

Farihah from cutie pie frizzy : Farihah's product reviews are so in depth and informative, she's definitely one of my favorites when it comes to figuring out what I want to try out next!

Candice from Beauty Candy Loves : Candice's blog is a recent discovery for me but I already love it; her beauty, fashion and lifestyle blog is right up my alley! 

Jennie Emma : Her beauty picks are always spot on, her photographs are gorgeous and I love catching up on all her posts!

Heather from meadow and may : This blog is basically the life I wish I was living. From her recipes to her amazing crafts, I am seriously in love with this blog!

The Letter Tag

Happy Saturday Friends! My hubby actually saw this floating around and sent it to me with the note "thought this might be something you'd like for your blog." *Sigh* He's the best, what can I say? Anyways, since I'm literally in the mountains right now with a no tech weekend happening (there's no service this far out!) I thought this would be a fun and easy post to do while I'm gone...

Every answer must start with the letter of your first name:

Name: Kim

Animal: Kangaroo

Boy name: Kevin

Girl name: Katrina

Occupation: Key Smith : I did cheat and have my hubby help me with this one...

Color: Khaki

Something you wear: Knickers

Drink: Kumbacha

Food: Kiwi

Something you find in the bathroom: Kleenex

Place: Korea

Reason for being late: Killed someone (sorry, it was literally the only thing I could think of)

Something you shout: Kay!

Movie: Kingpin

I tag everyone to do this! If you do the tag leave me the link in the comment below, I'd love to see your answers!

Weekly Roundup : Friday Faves #7

Yep...another faves list. Either I have too much crap or I just really love a lot of things. I'd like to think it's the latter, but truth be told it's probably some of both. Anyway, here's what I've been loving this week!

Like every other girl out there, I love candles. I think it's just something about making your surroundings smell good! This Smile Candle by Bath and Body Works in Pink Lemonade Punch is perfect for Summer, and it was only $10! This scent is no longer available, but they have tons of other warm weather scents for 50% off right now here.

These have been cropping up everywhere lately but I bought this last year when we were in Vegas for my hubby's birthday at some random store in the mall. It's Blossom Cuticle Oil, it smells like a bouquet and it works really well. It was also only about $2, so if you see some, snag it!

I only recently started trying this and now I totally see what the hype is about. It's the Nicole by O.P.I. drying drops and they are amazing. They dry your nails super fast AND they really moisturize your cuticles. You know I can't resist a 2-in-1 product.

It was pretty inevitable that this would be cropping up in a favorites list. After all, it's Summer, this is a bronzer and I am obsessed with bronzing. The colors are gorgeous, they are super shimmery, blend out really well and wear all day. Literally my best buy in a long time, you can get it here. Mine is in the shade Hot Summer of Love.

This is a recent purchase but I have been wearing it so much it had to go in this list. This is the Lip Lava by Covergirl in the shade look it's lava! It's a mix between a liquid lipstick and a lipgloss, its super hydrating and it lasts a long time on the lips. The color is a hot pink with purple/pink reflects and it is gorgeous. They have a ton of different shades and I was eyeing the orange, but I decided to stray towards a color I don't have a million of. These are seriously amazing!

What have you guys been loving this week?

A few of my favorite things...

This is kind of a weekly roundups on a Thursday, but technically it's more like a products I use consistently roundup because these are things that are ALWAYS in my rotation, no matter what time of year it is.

I know this isn't a new product, but for some reason it's taken me forever to try it. I'm not a huge Vaseline fan, so maybe that's why, but this stuff is sooo good. It's a lot thicker than the original formula and I love the pink tint it gives to my lips. If this was sold in the big tub, I would definitely buy it!

I don't know how effective this e.l.f. spray is as a setting spray to be honest, but I just love how refreshing it is. I use it in the afternoons to give my face a little life and with Aloe, Green Tea, Cucumber and Vitamins A, C and E it's super good for my skin.

 This Colourpop Lippie Pencil in Westie is a repurchase. I use it almost daily to line my lips. It's a matte formula so it stays all day and definitely makes any lip product I wear over the top last a lot longer. The color is a perfect my lips but better color.

 This Lancome blush in the shade Blushing Tresor is one of my favorites. It's definitely my no-brainer blush and goes with pretty much any makeup look. It's a soft pink with slight gold shimmer and it gives a beautiful natural flush to the cheeks.

 This Wet n' Wild Fergie highlight doesn't look like much in the pan, but it is the most beautiful champagne highlight from the drugstore! It's from the Centerstage Collection in the shade Hollywood Boulevard and I wear it almost everyday.

What are some products that you use year round?