Lip Service

I can't even remember when my lip balm obsession began.  As long as I can remember, I have had a lip balm at arm's length.  My poison?  Chapstick. Plain and simple.  A few years ago I added EOS to the mix. I used it for a while, not because I particularly liked it, but because I purchased it in bulk from Costco.  When I first started using it I told my sister about it. She claimed that it made her lips drier. I can't say I share her opinion, probably because I am so obsessive with applications.

Several months ago I tried something different. Do you know that online Sephora purchase you make? The one that you need to put you over $50 so you can get free shipping?  That is how I found this lovely: The Creme de Rose by Christian Dior.

I now own SIX of them.  I've got one in my purse, in my office, in my living room, in my bedroom, in my pocket AND a spare.

It is no secret that I am drawn toward French brands.  Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel.  The French get it right almost always! And they have hit a home run with the Creme de Rose!




Everything about this lip balm speaks to me. It is so creamy and luxurious. The smell, rose, is intoxicating.  Which is weird to me because it makes more sense that your lip balm smell like something that you would actually put in your mouth.  But the rose smell....aaah.


As much as I am in love with this lip balm, I have two problems with it.  The first is that it is in a pod.   I am not the kind of person who would dip a finger into the pod and apply. That just seems gross to me.  So when I use it, I basically put it to my lips and rub with reckless abandon. The second problem is the price. At $27, this is not your drug store lip balm.  Because it seems so luxurious, it almost seems worth it.

I decide to take a dip back into the lip balm pool and see if I could find a dupe for Creme de Rose.  My very logical first step? Smith's Rosebud Salve.  It is cheaper ($6). It is not in a pod. And it smells like rose.  Check, check and check. The problem? The rose smell is far too chemically for me to keep on my lips. While the coverage seems nice, I just can't get past the chemical smell.



I decided to go ghetto for my next purchase.  The highly recommended Nivea Lip Butter.  The price point of $2.99 a pod is very appealing.   But the container feels cheap.  Not at all glamorous like the Christian Dior. I feel a bit like I am slumming when I apply it. But the coverage and the flavor are amazing.  I love anything vanilla flavored. This does not disappoint

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  I also decided to add the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment to my cart.  Disclaimer, I do not wear lipstick, so I was a bit reluctant. It came highly reviewed and seemed to show up as more of a sheer, so I gave it a shot. While the color is pretty, the jury is still out on the coverage and the moisture factor.  

  
  

  
  

   

My bottom line?  I am going to stay with the CD as my primary lip balm.  I love it enough that I can overlook the price.  But don't think that I'm throwing in the towel!  I'm still on the lookout for the CD dupe.  What lip balm do you use?  Is it your ideal or are you still searching?

Veggie Chili

When I was a kid and my Mom made chili, she always had to make a separate batch for me because I would not eat kidney beans.  Looking back she should have just made me pick around them, but it is no secret that I am my Mom's favorite child.  Most of my adult life I have avoided chili because of the beans.  It took the wisdom of my 40's to realize that I didn't have to put beans in chili if I didn't want to (or that I could use beans that I like). So here is my modified version which is jam packed with veggies.  No two pots of my chili are ever the same since I use up what I have on hand.  Here is this week's version:

Veggie Chili

2 cans diced tomatoes
2 pounds lean ground beef, organic (you can use leftover turkey as well)
2 can black beans (for some reason I will eat these beans)
1 can corn
1 large can of tomato sauce, use as needed.
2T chili powder
2t cumin
1 large onion
several shakes of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Note:  I do not like spicy food, so if you are a spice lover, you can turn it up a few notches by adding chipotle or cayenne pepper or diced hot peppers.

I love to use corn to change up the texture.  Also, this is an ingredient that I somehow always seem to have on hand. Other add in options:  chopped carrots (I just rough dice as I like it chunky), green or red peppers, cabbage....you get the idea.

I rough chopped one large onion.  

I came, I saw, I conquered.

I used my crock pot, isn't it cute?  I heated up 1 tablespoon of olive oil, added the onions and garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Heat 10 minutes to bring the flavor out of the onion and garlic. If I had used carrots or peppers, I would have added them here as well.

Cook for several hours.  Resist the urge to lift the lid on the pot for at least a few hours.  This will also save you from seeing the uncooked ground beef which is EW.

Enjoy!

I should mention here that while I am a very capable adult at MOST things, there are a few things in life I fail at.  One of them would be cleaning out leftovers or nearly empty pots from my fridge.  Since I made a large batch of chili and, let's be honest, as much as I like chili I can only eat so much, I decided to be responsible from the get go.  I left enough in my fridge for a few meals, then I used my beloved FoodSaver to package up the rest. 

Tip:  flatten the chili once in packages so they can be stacked in your freezer.  Don't forget to label and date.