Big Likes #7: Skylights

Growing up we had a skylight in our living room, but I never really understood how fantastic skylights were until I moved to the Southwest. Many homes here take advantage of skylights and it makes an amazing difference in the brightness of one's home and they are a big electricity saver too.

I first really noticed this when we moved into our home and our garage had a skylight in it. That means that you never need to turn the light on in the garage when you go in there during the day if the garage door is down. It's already light. I'm sort of surprised by this every time I walk into our garage because I have been so used to having to turn a light on in all the other garages I've had.

In the townhouse we lived in for a short time before we moved into our house there were skylights over the vanities in the bathrooms and it was wonderful to have that natural light when getting ready and looking in the mirrors. Another room where there are rarely windows and where you never needed to flip on the lights thanks to the skylights.

In this house we also have skylights in our family room and dining/living room and they make such a difference in the amount of light in those spaces. Albuquerque has an average of 310 days of sunshine a year, so we really get a great advantage to enjoying more natural light in our home and need less electrical lighting during daylight hours. The skylights have also really helped out our houseplants who seem so healthy and happy with the all natural light they get.

Skylights are not that expensive to install although I would suggest having a professional do it because it affects roofing and there can be problems with leaks if not installed properly. There are different versions that can be opened for additional ventilation too. Ours are opaque plastic bubbles, so they don't open but we have so many doors and windows in our house that can be opened that we really don't need that feature. But I sure do love our skylights, all the extra light they bring in just makes our home a happier place - and who does not want to save on lighting costs! Skylights are something I have learned to appreciate because of living in the southwest where they are plentiful. They are Big Like #7 this week.

My New & Amazing Skincare Regimen: Rodan + Fields

A few weeks ago my friend Rebecca asked if she could send me a sample of Rodan + Fields to try out and write a review blog post about my experience with the new Active Hydration Serum. Since moving to the high desert of New Mexico from coastal California my skin has never quite recovered. Keeping it moisturized has been a constant battle so I was willing to try anything, but when I heard Rodan + Fields I knew the quality and was very interested. The creators of Rodan + Fields also create Proactiv which I'm sure you've heard of -- and I believe really made it possible for no teenager to have to suffer through bad acne ever again. Life changer!

image via rodan + fields

A few months ago I had to go without makeup for a medical procedure but still wanted to have a healthy, shiny face. I ended up putting moisturizer on five times that morning but in the end achieved a healthy glow I was looking for. I was hoping Active Hydration Serum would produce a similar result with less effort and that it would be more long lasting.

I went into this experiment with good hopes but totally prepared to be completely honest about the results. Rodan + Fields products are very high quality but they are not inexpensive so I needed to see real results before I would recommend a product in this price range to my readers. I can say after several weeks of use I have been more than impressed with Active Hydration Serum.

After just two days of use I could see and feel a difference in my skin. First off my skin didn't look dry. Second the texture felt different, it was so soft. Third thing I noticed is that my skin glowed. In the beginning I put it on morning and night and applied it twice each time. My skin was drinking it in. As the days and weeks have passed I have used less and less, which obviously makes the product last longer and seems to indicate my skin is getting moister and more healthy. After about four weeks of use, I am only applying it at night. In the mornings I wake up and my skin looks dewy and shiny. I love how much younger and brighter my skin looks.

I have to tell you that trying Active Hydration Serum not on had a big impact on my complexion but it also had a powerful impact on my thinking. When my skin looked better than it has in years, I had this realization that I did not have to resign myself to the aging process. If I could feel better about my skin I could feel better about so many things that come with aging.

Taking the time to give my skin more love each night by cleansing thoroughly and creating a better nightly routine for my face, inspired me to take better care of my oral hygiene as well. I started whitening my teeth again which I have not done in a while. That carried over to adding other self-care regimens to my bedtime preparations. It also built back into the end of the day some much enjoyed and appreciated me time. I started listening to inspiring talks while I did my new, more thorough routine and that started feeding my soul too. I began feeling more inspired and excited about life and my life energy.

I saw more changes I could make to feel younger and more energetic and after seeing the results on my face, I wanted more results in all areas of my life. I took my workouts up a notch and made more changes that would energize my life. Active Hydration Serum inspired a real game-changing experience for me. I can't control the passing of the years, but I sure can control how I think, feel and act as the years pass. It's funny to say that a skin care product did that for me, but it did and it was the last thing I expected - and I am so grateful!

Rebecca also included a Glow Pack sample when she sent me the Active Hydration Serum. It included a Redefine Daily Cleansing Mask, Overnight Restorative Cream and a Redefine Lip Serum. I'll share more about my experience with those products in future posts.

Because of the pleasing results I got from Active Hydration Serum I contacted my friend Rebecca again and asked her to tell me more about the Rodan + Fields skin care line.  While I was visiting my parents I got together with Rebecca and talked all things Rodan + Fields. I knew I was going to want to share my experience with the products she had sent me with friends and family.

Aging skin and dry skin are topics of conversation in my world with friends and neighbors. We're all fighting it. Especially here in New Mexico, and in places like Las Vegas, where you can't even leave a slice of bread out on the counter for a few minutes without it drying it. With our high altitude, wind and dry climate here in NM, anything that gives a person soft, dewy skin is a game changer. I knew I would be talking about how these products affected my life and I believed others would be interested. So much to my surprised I became interested in becoming a consultant.

So I signed up to represent Rodan + Fields products and it's important for me to tell you that so you understand that anything I post here is linking directly to my new personal Rodan + Fields consultant website. So in a sense, everything from here on out about Rodan + Fields is a sponsored post, sponsored by me. I'll do some giveaways in the future and keep you abreast of any sales or specials you can take advantage of, if like me you are interested in youthful, vibrant skin. You can get the basics on Rodan + Fields regimen lines here. You may also be interested in the lip serum, Lash Boost (crazy good results) -- and I've heard good things about the sunless tanner too.

If you'd told me even two months ago that I would sign up to be a consultant for any direct sales product line I would've said no way. But when I found Rodan + Fields I knew I was going to sell it just by sharing it, so it made total sense to me to actually join the organization because I knew I would be telling people about these products. Since first adding Active Hydration Serum to my facial routine, I've added the Redefine regimen, the lip serum and I'm starting the Lash Boost this week so I'll share my results with you. If you're interested in learning more about any of these products, let me know. I'm happy to share. Feeling and looking good is something I want for everyone. There is a line created for men too, because I know it's not just we women who want to have great skin.

Right now there is a promotion going on to get a bundled pack of any one of the four regimen lines along with a Lash Boost for 20% off and there are additional savings if you sign up as a preferred customer. If you're interested in R+F this is a good first step to getting to know the product line.

I want you to know that neither this blog or any of my social media accounts are going to be taken over by high pressure sales tactics (bleech!) or constant posts only about R+F. I'll post maybe once a week or so on R+F and the remainder of posts will continue to represent what I've been doing here for many years now. I have always shared the things I'm most passionate about and when a skin care product gives me a new enthusiasm for life and more beautiful skin, I would be wrong not to share it. If you're like me and tend to be a little skeptical, try the Active Hydration Serum and see what it can do for you. Or try the self=tanner, lip serum or eye cream. There are lots of options to step into the Rodan + Fields world in a way that is comfortable for you.

I would love to help you start or continue your journey to amazing looking skin and introduce you to Rodan + Fields. You can contact me at 505 569 0700 or at kcropper @ myrandf dot com.

Big Likes #6: A Nice Tote Bag

I frequently go to doctor's appointments with The Man or extracurricular activities with Kiddo and need to bring along something to entertain myself while I am there. I always love carrying along some water, a snack and a book or magazines or something to study. Lately I've been studying a lot and that is something that helps me feel like I am staying really effective with my time even if I'm sitting in the car or in a doctor's waiting room.

It's great to have something nice looking to carry my extra things in, along with my purse. I take pride in the handbag I carry and like for that to carry over into any secondary bag I may be carrying. Some days I just carry a bigger tote and put my purse essentials in there as well.
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This is a bag I designed for Live Live ABQ but I have several others too. One of my favorites is a Heath Ceramics canvas bag that I think was designed by Skinny LaMinx. I picked it up in 2012 at the Heath Ceramics shop in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. It's natural canvas with a green silk screen logo. I try to keep it very clean and like for it to look pulled together and tidy, rather than running around carrying junk in an old plastic grocery bag.

The right tote bag can carry over a pulled together look and make carrying a few extra things easy and stylish rather than frumpy and scattered. I often think about lessons I've learned about taking just a few extra minutes to look a little more pulled together before one heads out the door. It's a real thing, and it makes a big difference in how we feel about ourselves and how we present ourselves to others. Most importantly is how I feel when I go out into the world. I have control over that and sometimes it's just a simple thing like carrying my extra load in an attractive tote rather than looking harried and messy with things falling out of my purse or in a junky old bag. That's why this week's Big Like is a nice tote bag!

Big Like #5: File Rubber Bands

File size rubber bands are my Big Like for this week. So simple and yet they serve me in so many wonderful ways. You can buy them in a bag in the most lovely colors at an office supply store. I keep a jar of them in my office and use them weekly.

They are one of those little things you never knew how much you needed until you started using them. I like to keep one around my spiral bound journal which I often carry around with me. It helps keep the cover and pages in good shape even though I get a little rough and careless with the notebook sometimes. I also use them on my composition notebooks to hold all the things I tuck inside them together.

They are pretty great for holding together things like files, imagine that. For business travel they can be a big help to hold together brochures and other printed material you may pick up at a show or papers you need to safely transport to and from your place of business.

I also use them on food bags like nuts and chocolate chips. They help keep things fresh and keep the pantry from unnecessary messes and spills. And with the bright pretty colors they always look festive.

I love having a small stash on hand so I can easily grab one when needed. There is nothing worse than searching the house for a clip, rubber band, stapler, scissors -- all those little office supplies that come in so handy. Love some File Rubber Bands!

Big Like #4: My New Trash Can By Broyhill

I've been on the hunt for the perfect trash can for my office for quite a while now. I just haven't seen anything that I liked that felt like it worked in the space. I have a pretty deep corner desk and under the desk is the only place I can fit a trash can in my office so it needed to be the right dimensions and still feel pretty to me. And I didn't want to spend a fortune on a trash can that no one but me would really see, or any trash can for that matter. Well okay we did splurge for our kitchen trash can, remember? And I will say we've loved it! For my office, it seemed like a good deal should be easy enough to find but it just took a while.

Then I found this great little woven basket at Home Goods and thought it would go perfectly with my office. It was the right width, height, pattern and coloring. It took me less than ten seconds to make a decision and I have not regretted it for one second since.

It was so pretty in the store but one I got it home it still maintained it's cheery sparkle and still seemed like exactly what I wanted, which I was so happy about. It's always a little sad when something looks so smashing in the store and then when you get it home it seems to have lost some of its luster.

It cost just $12 which was a great deal too. The white bright white top and green/gray bottom feel fresh and summery to me and I love the color combination. Trying to decorate my office which is about five shades of boring neutrals, almost no wall space and aged oak cabinets everywhere has been a bit of a challenge. I'm just not up for painting cabinets right now.

We replaced the floors last year from red brick to aged white wood-look vinyl planks. Great for laundry rooms and a small space that takes a lot of abuse. The paint is a gray tan which we painted when we moved it using the leftovers from one of the downstairs bedrooms. The pre-existing countertops are a yellow-tan and the expensive pre-existing blinds are a peachy tan. It's a whole lot of bland coming all together with one beautiful chandelier and lovely flooring. I'm not sure what to do with it all. But adding a lovely trash can has to be a good start, right? It's my big like for the week, my new Broyhill trash can for my office. It's the little things that make life's big likes.

Big Likes #2: Trader Joe's Apricot Preserves

It's post number two in a new series I'm calling "Big Likes". This new theme is all about things I'm really loving right now. Last week I shared my favorite cocoa mix along with recipe secrets for the all-time best cocoa which I learned from my grandmother. Today I'm sharing something that pairs quite nicely with the cocoa, tea or any breakfast really.

My mom makes fantastic jams and jellies and any time I'm visiting and can take a few bottles she makes sure I pack a few in my luggage.  If I'm driving home I often get a small box of all kinds of goodies from her house. At Christmas she is so kind to send a box of holiday treats, including cookies and other holiday treats, a loaf of homemade bread and jars of jams and jellies. This year we devoured her holiday mailing pretty quickly and I will say I was a little stingy to share. I think we only have one jar of grape jelly left, which I may be putting off opening just because it's the last one.

So in lieu of my mom's apricot jam I wanted to find something similar and picked up a jar of Apricot Preserves at Trader Joe's last week. I wasn't expecting it to be more like an Apricot Butter, very smooth and creamy. I thought it might be more chunky and chutney-like. But most importantly, I found that it's tasty and has a great flavor.

I've been enjoying it on toaster waffles or toast in the mornings. It's not too sweet and just the right touch of added flavor. I like that its reduced sugar too!  Plus the high quality fruit spreads at Trader Joe's are priced equivalent to the junk jams at other stores but have the high quality of much more expensive, designer versions.  It's nice to have a selection of two or three different fruit spreads in the fridge and we go through it fast enough that we don't end up with an entire section of jams and jellies.

I'm happy to add this one to our rotation. It's a great substitute when you can't have Mom's homemade! It's a Big Like.

Big Likes #1: My Favorite Cocoa

I was feeling like I hit a bit of a rut this week here at the blog. It's funny how you can feel like you have lots of blog post ideas and then some days just nothing inspires you. So today I decided to start a new column of sorts called Big Likes. Big likes are things I'm really enjoying at the moment.

I was out early this morning for an appointment and I will just say that the freezing cold wind is still blowing. Ergh. So when I got home I was ready for something cozy and decided that some cocoa would really hit the spot.

Yesterday would have been my paternal grandmother's 116th birthday and she made the absolute best cocoa I have ever tasted. I learned to add salt and vanilla from her. She also made her cocoa with evaporated milk which of course was delicious. I think she mixed regular milk with the evaporated milk. It's been so long since I watched her make it as a little girl that I realize I can't quite remember anymore. That's a little bit sad. Life passes so quickly!

I generally don't make a big pot of cocoa and I'm really the only one in the family who drinks it. The Man drinks his cocoa from a water-added packet made with his Keurig machine. Ick! So I make my cocoa one cup at a time for myself.

I have been loving Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa all winter long. I love all these "Simply" products that have been coming out that use real sugar and real ingredients without all the additives. I will gladly pay the extra to support any company who is returning to a more all natural ingredients list for products that I want to use!

I love that Simply Cocoa is a "mix with real, hot milk" version. No watered down gunky cocoa for me! I want creamy and not too heavy. Last fall I found these on sale for a dollar per box so I loaded up and what a great idea that was. I had a nice supply to get me through the winter and it was there waiting for me any time I wanted something warm. I'm down to one box, so it's time to stock up soon. Here's my secret recipe:

For a large "cappuccino" size mug:

Cup full of 1% milk

1 & 1/2 packets of cocoa mix

3-5 drops of vanilla extract

dash of kosher salt

I heat the milk up in the microwave on high for 90 sections, then stir it so that the heat distributes evenly and does not curdle the milk. This time and temperature can vary from microwave to microwave. In LA, our apartment microwave could only do a minute at a time without ruining the milk so you have to experiment. I have a bunch of little whisks I use for stirring throughout my cocoa making process. I use one to stir the milk and then they are great for incorporating the cocoa powder and other ingredients.

After stirring I microwave the milk for 30 more seconds. Then I add the cocoa mix, vanilla and salt and stir it again with my cute whisk. And we're done. So yummy. You can top it off with whipped cream if you want or add cream or half and half or whatever you want. We keep a can of spray whipped cream in the fridge at all times so it's easy to create a big whipped cloud on top if I'm in the mood.

I can't tell you how happy it made me to sip a cup, all alone in my office this morning when I got home and was chilled to the bone. I turned on my little space heater and was one happy camper! I paired my cocoa up with toasted waffles topped with a yummy new preserve I picked up this week. That will be the subject of my next "Big Like."

If you want to make a big pot of delicious, rich cocoa here is a fantastic recipe. This is perfect for a party or family gathering.