My new loves

Since my last update, I have developed some new loves in my life, things that are trivial, but wonderful and make me happy. I want to share them with you:

1. Cover Girl foundation for Sensitive Skin. I don’t even have sensitive skin, so I am not sure what inspired me to buy this … but I am sure glad I did! It feels like you are putting lotion on your face. Then it soaks in and doesn’t make your face feel cakey, dry or covered in anything. It feels like you are wearing nothing. And it looks like you are wearing nothing … but in a good way. When I wear this foundation, my skin looks so smooth and even, but you can’t tell I have foundation on. It is fantastic. It is once of those products that really makes you look better, but you can’t really pinpoint why … it just makes your skin look like it is naturally beautiful … even if it is naturally blotchy and uneven. The powder in the compact the CG makes gives you that nice airbrushed look, like on the cover of a magazine. However, it does make my skin feel a tad dry, but I am prone to dryness. BTW, my shade is “buff beige.” I like that. I am buff … and beige.

2. Walgreens. To be honest, I never understood how Walgreens stayed in business … that is, until I started working at my current job. Until recently, the only time I frequented a Walgreens was to pick up photos. Then I started working in an urban area, with only a half-hour lunch break. If I had errands to run, I better be able to knock them out in one stop. Enter Walgreens. In the past few weeks I have purchased: makeup, sugar-free chocolate, stick-on Velcro and packing tape. I ask you, where else could you buy Velcro and chocolate in one transaction? For your convenience, wide variety of goods and proximity to my place of employment, I salute you, Walgreens.

3. Yoplait Thick & Creamy Light yogurt. I have never been much of a yogurt lover. It wasn’t that I didn’t like yogurt, it was just that I was ambivalent toward it. Well, that has changed, and I am not particularly sure why. But let me tell you, this variety of yogurt, in either the cinnamon roll (weird, I know, but it really, really tastes just like a cinnamon roll!) or vanilla flavors are just dreamy. Try them.

4. Lentils. Another strange food craving I have been having is for lentils. They are (in case you were wondering) a member of the legume family, but unlike dried beans, lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking. Lentils are low in calories, high in fiber, minerals and protein – a super food! Oh, and did I mention that, just like dried beans, lentils are very, very inexpensive. I made some lentil soup last night, To. Die. For. I based it off this recipe. Also, while doing research on lentils I found this recipe, which replaces some of the flour and nuts in brownies (!!!) with lentils, to make them healthier. I am intrigued and may have to try this!

5. Barley. Yum, yum! I recommend replacing white rice with barley in soups, sides, stir-fries, whatever. Seriously delish! And if you want to try barley without committing to buying a pound of the dried stuff, try Progresso’s Savory Vegetable Barley Light soup. That is what got me hooked. Now I am cooking barley on my own; it is relatively cheap, and very healthy. Yay whole grains! If you are interested in integrating more whole grains into your diet, the March issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray had this great article with tons of creative recipes.

6. Simon’s Cat. If you have ever had a cat, you will think this is funny. And if you don’t think this is funny, there must be something wrong with you. Sorry, it’s true.

7. www.thepioneerwoman.com: My dear friend, Becca, introduced me to this site, and my oh my, how I love it. I especially love her true love story about how she met and married her hunky husband. It makes me want to write down the saga of Steve and my relationship. Maybe I will do begin to blog about this. What do you think? (Oh, and beware when you start reading Pioneer Woman’s blog. I ended up staying up until 1:30 a.m. last night reading, and had to be awake at 5:30 a.m. But it was worth it! And I don’t take giving up my sleep lightly, so you know it is good)

8. Jacob Black. Yes, people, I might have a teeny, tiny (ahem) crush on the werewolf in Twilight. While I will tell you that it is the character in the book and movies that I am attracted to, it doesn’t hurt that Taylor Lautner is so delicious. Yes, I am aware that he just turned 18 … which makes me a slightly creepy cougar. And this blog was supposed to be about embracing my age …