Cleaning Your Makeup Blending Sponge

When it comes to make up, I am a big ol' girly-girl.  I love the stuff!  I wear it almost every day.  If you have ever seen me without makeup - we were on a beach somewhere, or for some reason you have been around me just before I went to sleep or in the wee hours of the morning.  (or you're some creepy stalker type person, but I know you're not)

When you love wearing and applying makeup like I do, your applicators get dirty pretty quick.  And not washing them leads to muddy looking makeup and clogged pores. In the past I have shared how I wash my makeup brushes.

A while back I began using a sort of egg-shaped makeup sponge for applying my foundation, as well as blending my concealer and contouring.   This handy tool also gets gunky rather quickly.

Look at all the old makeup in that sponge! EW!

I use the same supplies to clean my sponge as I do for my brushes - Dove dish soap and water.  I begin by mixing a quarter cup of the dish soap and 3 cups of warm water in a bowl deep enough to submerge the sponge.

Dip the sponge into the soapy water and give it several good squeezes.  You'll see makeup start coming out of the sponge immediately

Let the sponge soak for a little while.  I've left it for as long as a couple of hours.

See hoe much the water has changed?  All of that was hiding inside the sponge!

Now it's time to rinse.  Take your time with this and be thorough.  You don't want any soap remaining inside your sponge.  So, rinse and squeeze.  Rinse and squeeze.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.

Once you're satisfied that your sponge is free from soap, squeeze out any excess water and allow it to air dry.

I rinse my makeup sponge after every use and try to wash it about once a week to keep it clean and help it to last longer.

Let me know if you try this method and how it works for you!

Sunday Inspiration: The Sunlight

Friday Favorites: Welcome Back!

Happy Friday!!

If you've been around the blog for a while, you may remember that in the past I attempted a Friday Favorites/Friday Finds series.  Back then, I would share a few items I had discovered - on line or in person.  But to be perfectly honest, it got to be a bit much for me to come up with 3 to 5 items each week that I really wanted to share.

However, I feel ready to bring it back...

This time, I'll only be talking about one item per week.  I plan on sharing anything from products to recipes, books to movies.  It may be an old favorite - something I've been using for a while and love.  Or it may be a new discovery I'm enjoying.  From time to time, it might even be something I have tried that hasn't worked out for me. A not-so-favorite.

I hope you'll stop by to see what I'm talking about each Friday.

The sharing begins next week - the first Friday in May!

Joyful Gratitude: April 25

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

New week, Fresh beginnings

Sunlight coming through the window

Chilly Spring mornings

Chicken pot pie

Blooming lilacs

Afternoons in the park

Fresh berries

The grand kid asking the Man of the House to read to him at bedtime

Quiet reading time with the grand kid

Pretty Spring yarn

A wild turkey in the back yard

Fresh flowers

A safe place in the storms

The sacrifice Jesus made for me

The sound of windchimes

The sunshine after the storms

Yellow wildflowers by the side of the road

Easter morning

Laughing with my kids

Rejoice. Be Patient. Keep Praying.

This Bible verse seems to keep coming at me recently.  Again and again it shows up .  Or maybe it's always been repeating itself - in my morning devotions, in my Instagram and Pinterest feeds,  etc - but I am only now noticing it.

Rejoice.  Be Patient.  Keep praying.

Rejoice.  Celebrate what you have.  Big or small.  Be thankful for all of it.  Even the things that may not typically make you think of celebrating.  Rejoice in the day to day pieces of life.  Find joy in your routines.  Appreciate the things you have and the people in your life.

Be patient.  Things don't always happen when we would like to see them occur.  Things may take time.  When things are difficult, trust that if you wait them out - they will get better.  We're all on God's schedule.  And He knows exactly when everything is supposed to happen.  His timing is always best.

Keep praying.  About everything.  Always.

And never, ever give up.

Sunday Inspiration: Easter

Joyful Gratitude: April 18

I Am Thankful For:

New hair products

Spring thunderstorms

Library books

Soon it will be warm enough to have morning quiet time outside

Cat "chirps"

Chick-a-dees

My curly hair

Creativity

Full bird feeders

Prayer

Meatball subs

Dogwood blooms

A cup of tea

Rainy mornings that turn into sunny days

My handsome guys

Grand kid hugs

Hearing the Male Offspring laughing

Plans completed

Ice cream sandwiches

A Battle Lost

There's a war going on.

It's me against the sneaky, birdseed stealing squirrels.

And so far, they have been winning.

Somehow,  those rodents manage to outwit every deterrent that I try to keep them out of the bird seed.  Even the "squirrel proof" feeders were no match for these little villains.

I've tried a homemade spray of peppermint and apple cider vinegar.  It worked for a short time, but
once the scent evaporates (or it rains) - they are right back at it.

I worry about letting the cat out onto the porch to enjoy the sun.  I know he would try to keep guard.  But I don't want him getting into a fight with a squirrel and being hurt. Or pick up fleas from one of the nasty little things.

I've heard that ultrasonic repellents can work well.  But I worry that it might also scare away the birds, which defeats the whole purpose.  I don't want to use commercial repellent sprays or powders for the same reason.  Well, that and I don't want my back porch smelling like predator pee.  EW!

Currently, I have the feeders filled with safflower seeds.  I read that the birds that usually visit my feeders - cardinals, chickadees, grosbeaks, etc - enjoy the seeds while squirrels find them bitter and unpleasant.  Unfortunately, so far the birds don't seem to be showing much interest in it either.

Do you have any tips for scaring away the squirrels, but not the birds?

Sunday Inspiration: A Living... or a Life

Joyful Gratitude: April 11

I Am Thankful For:

 Waking up feeling really good

Spring pedicure

Homemade frappucinos

Back rub from the Man of the House

Sweettart Jellybeans

Dinner, simplified

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup

Spring rains

A special custom order

Fresh cut grass

Quiet evening

A day hanging out with the Female Offspring

Bridal shower planning

DIY Iced Coffee Frappé

I have a little bit of an obsession with coffee.  I love it in all it's forms - hot, iced, frappucinno, flavored or original.  Even coffee ice cream.  (mmm... coffee ice cream...)

If it wasn't for the new development of caffeine now affecting my sleep if I drink it after about 3pm, I would drink coffee constantly.  From the moment I woke up until I go to sleep at night.  But, since I don't like being wide awake until the wee hours of the morning and I no longer drink decaf - I have to place a limit on my coffee consumption.

Unfortunately, trips to my favorite coffee dealer shop can get expensive.  Not to mention that all the sugar and calories in my preferred beverages can't be good for me.

A little do-it-yourself to the rescue!  After a few attempts, I have come up with a frappucino knock-off .  It's made with only 4 ingredients.  It's much lower in calories and sugar than the famous version.  And, in my opinion, it's delicious!!

I start by putting ice into my little blender.   I usually put in about 6 to 8 cubes.

 You could use cold brew and I probably will soon.  But right now I have some organic extra bold brew that came in a variety box of single brew cups. It's a bit strong as a hot coffee, but allowed to chill in the fridge and mixed into this drink - it's perfect!

Next in the mix is a half cut of unsweetened almond milk and some chocolate syrup.  I use 1 to 2 tablespoons, but you can add more or less depending on how sweet and/or chocolatey you like your drink.

Blend the mixture until the ice is crushed and the ingredients are well blended.

Look out creamy and frothy this is! SO good!!

Will you be trying this recipe?  Or do you have your own favorite coffee drink?  Share in the comments, or post a picture on Instagram using the hashtag #myreallyrealcoffeebreak  (and be sure to tag me @carolinabeckey !)

Sunday Inspiration: Heaven and Earth

Joyful Gratitude: April 4

I Am Thankful For:

Mammogram completed

A vanilla shake with fries

Completing a big item

An "all clear" mammogram report

Texts that make me laugh

A cute new mug gifted to me by the Female Offspring

A teeny tiny bird at the feeder

A pretty lavender wreath for the front door

Windows open to bird song

Crochet roses

Morning quiet

A new vacuum

Grapes

Vacation reservations

The world's cutest grand kid

Hummingbird feeders

Currently... April 2019

Huzzah! April has arrived!  The month of all things Spring and Easter.  Rebirth and renewal.  It seems as if there's something new you have been putting off, or if you need a do-over for a dropped New Years resolution or two - April is the perfect month for fresh starts.

Reading:  Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver, with Good Omens by Neil Gaiman ready and waiting to be next.

I'm also reading The Joy Diet by Martha Beck.  Maybe "reading" isn't the right word for it though.  I am reading one chapter at a time and then taking the next week to see how (or even if) that daily habit fits into my life and benefits me.

Celebrating:  Well, obviously, Easter.  Other than that - my "baby" sister has a birthday this month, and I wish I could be with her to celebrate that.

Working On:  I am still all about the Spring Cleaning and adding some Spring decor touches around the house.  I put out the hummingbird feeders this past weekend.

Enjoying:  Beautiful Spring weather.  I love this time of year when it's warm again, but the temperatures haven't become actually hot yet.

Anticipating:  Summer vacation!  We've made reservations for a week on the beach at Hilton Head Island.   It's still a few months away, but I'm ready to go right now!

Also, the grand kid has spring break later this month and I'm going to get a few days to hang out with him while his parents are working.

Needing:  To purge and declutter my closet and dresser.  I have waaaay too much stuff.  And I never wear a significant portion of it, or I only wear it maybe once a year.   It's truly ridiculous if I'm being honest about it.

Wanting:  I'm wanting the weather to stay warm and dry long enough for the Man of the House and I to hit the trails and start taking some day hikes.  We didn't get out much last year and I want this year to be different!

Making:  Some good-for-me new habits.  I have been adding some meditation into my morning quiet time.  Last month I worked on making oral health a priority and turning a skin care routine into a daily habit (I have never been the greatest about washing my face, etc. every night) This month I plan to focus on taking better care of my nails and making them look nicer, as well as getting back into the habit of drinking plenty of water.

Feeling:  Hopeful and grateful

Favorite Things:

1. My new Shark Stick Vacuum
2. Jelly beans
3. Taco Tuesdays