How To: Clean your Makeup Brushes

 I wear makeup at least 6/7 days a week....in some fashion. Over time I can tell when my brushes have had enough. Luckily there is a great way to clean them naturally and not have to use harsh chemicals. I've been thinking about this for weeks now and I thought I'd share how I clean my brushes. I'd like to say I do this more often, but time slips past me and then it's weeks before I get around to it. So today I cleaned them!! Boy oh boy do they smell fresh and look lovely. It's funny how easily you can tell what each brush is used for, just by the color the soap turns. I use Dr. Bronners castile soap in peppermint to clean my brushes. You can use whatever scent you have around, but this one is the hubs and I's favorite. 

Step 1

Rinse your brushes under warm/hot water

This just helps to break up and soften some of the existing makeup left behind in your brush.

Step 2

Pour a nickel amount of soap in the palm of your hand. 

Take your wet brush and start working the soap into the bristles in a circular motion. I also like to squeeze out the soap every now and then to rid the brush of makeup before I rinse. 

Ewww!!! Gross right?!!! Once you've lathered your brush up rinse that sucker out. 

Step 3 

Repeat step 2 for bigger, more bristly brushes. Sometimes they really hold in caked on makeup. 

Step 4

Once you've lathered and rinsed your brush clean, get a clean towel and dry your brush using the same circular motion as before. 

Step 5

Reshape your brush and set them out on a towel to dry overnight. I recommend a good twelve hours of drying time. If you can leave your brushes out longer, even better.  

And voilá!! Clean brushes!!! Oh and don't forget to smell then, they smell so clean and fresh!! 

DIY Tire Shine

When I think of April I think of taxes. Bluh....I know, but in our house taxes are especially irritating because my husband has his own business. If there are any of you out there that have your own business, you know what I'm talking about. Owning your own business is hard, and when you have to pay really high taxes, you spend 70% of your income so you can write it off. Ever since we've gotten married, and I have a normal job that takes taxes out, this has played a big role in us not owing the government a ton of money.

This year after filing, we actually got a return!!!!! Being the fun and exciting "grown ups" we are, we decided it was time to get myself some new tires. I've needed some for about a year now, so the timing was perfect. Driving of the lot with my new tires this week felt so wonderful. When I got home though I, noticed my husbands tires looked kind of sad. Thinking to myself I wondered what I could do to give them a fresh breath of life. I looked around the house to see what was available to make my concoction. This is what I came up with, and I think it did the trick.

 You will need:
1/2 cup baby oil
1 tsp dish soap
Spray bottle

I cleaned out an old spray bottle and used it for this little project. You can use any dish soap you'd like, but I used the blue dish soap from Aldi, comparable to dawn.

1. Spray down your tires and  rims.
2. Wipe clean with a cloth or paper towel

Voila! Don't they look great? I'm super happy with the results. This was a fun little Saturday afternoon job. Do you have any diy car cleaning tips? If so I'd love to hear about them!!

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

If you've ever played in a Bunco group you know it involves dinner, bunco, prizes and most importantly...dessert. I absolutely love our group of girls and without a doubt always have a fabulous time. The group consists of three moms and there daughters, family members and long time friends from church. I love that we all have a history together. 

April is my month to host, which kinda stresses me out, but it's also a great excuse for me to get the house tidy. I don't know about you, but knowing people are coming over really puts the pep in my step. Some how my normal to do list instantly became three times as long. One thing I knew for sure is that I wanted to do something easy. I searched and searched for a simple dessert and came across this ice cream sandwich dessert. 

Ingredients

1 box (12) ice cream sandwiches 

1 jar caramel topping

1 12oz tub of whip cream 

Chocolate syrup

Sprinkles

Directions

Unwrap ice cream sandwiches and place tightly in a 13x9 pan. 

I was able to squeeze 10 and a half sandwiches into the dish. You will have to  cut some of them in half to completely fill the pan. 

Pop the jar of caramel into the microwave  for ten seconds at a time or until caramel is easily pourable. Pour caramel over sandwiches, filling in the cracks. 

Add whipped topping to top smoothing it out with a spatula. 

Drizzle chocolate sauce over top. If you have any caramel left, drizzle that on top as well. I had to warm the caramel back up in the microwave, it was just enough to look pretty. Top dessert with sprinkles of choice, and presto!!!

I made mine the night before, so I wrapped it in foil and stuck it in the freezer. Not gonna lie, this dessert is rich, but it definitely does not disappoint. I'll be making this dessert this summer for sure. Next time I'd love to make it with two layers, and experiment with different toppings. Let me know if anyone tries this or has made a rendition of this before. I'd love some feedback. 

Pacific Rim Salad

In our household we toss around a couple receipes that are our go to. Sometimes those recipes get old, but this one never disappoints. I love it to because it's 100% husband approved. I could make it every night and he'd be over the moon.

Over time I've made tweaks and I'm pretty happy with the results. This salad is super quick and always a crowd pleaser, light and refreshing. 

Ingredients

3 medium heads of romaine

2 packages oriental ramen 

1 can mandarin oranges 

Juice from mandarin oranges 

Green onions

2 tsp sesame seeds 

1 can water chestnuts 

1/4 cup slivered almonds

3 tbs white vinegar

3 tbs canola oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions

In a small pan, toast almonds. Cook until golden brown. Set aside. 

Chop up romaine heads and bunch of green onions. We like a lot of green onions, so use as little or as much as you want. 

Open up the packages of ramen and pull out the seasoning packets. Save for the salad dressing. Crunch up the uncooked ramen noodles, and set aside. 

Drain can of water chestnuts and slice into smaller pieces. 

Dressing:

Drain your mandarin oranges juice into a blender. Add your two ramen seasoning packets, vinegar, canola oil, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Blend together. 

In a large bowl combine crunched ramen, oranges, water chestnuts and almonds in with the romaine and onions. Pour dressing over salad and toss. 

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

WARNING! This dip is addictive.

I've had this recipe for a couple years now, but I've tweaked the ratios over time. As I type this I can smell the dip in the oven, all that cheesy, spinach-y goodness. If you ever need a dish to take to a potluck or party, this my friends is a all around crowd pleaser. Not gonna lie, my husband and I make this sometimes and eat in alone as our dinner. I know....shame on us, but seriously it is just that amazing. Best paired with tortilla chips. 

Here is what you'll need:

8 oz cream cheese

10 oz chopped spinach

1/4 cup mozzarella shreds

1 can quartered artichoke hearts

1/2 tbs garlic

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

 Preheat your over to 350 degrees. Defrost your spinach in a microwave safe bowl. Drain of as much water as you can. I've noticed everything holds together better if you do.
Drain your can of artichoke hearts and chop of hearts into smaller pieces. (This is optional but I like to have a bit of spinach and artichoke in every bite).
Combine everything else. I like to use my hand mixed to get all the ingredients nicely introduced to one another.
Pour your mixture into a 13x9 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown.

Let it cool for 5-10 minutes and then enjoy. If by chance there is any left, this dip tastes just as great refrigerated and reheated, but I doubt there will be any left.

If you try the recipe out let me know what you think!!

Hello Blogging World!

Hello all!

My name is Audra Camille, and I am many things. I'm a wife, daughter, sister, friend, cook, baker, sewer, craft-er and sleeper. My husband will laugh at the last one. In my everyday life I feel there are things to be shared. Whether that's advice, tips & tricks, recipes or just what I've been up to lately, sharing that somehow has been on my heart. This blog is dedicated to creativity and finding joy in everyday real life things. Here's to life's real life happenings.

Cheers,

Camille <3