Healthy Cooking: Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

The semester is over, but I’m busier than ever. I’m taking two courses this summer, as well as working two jobs. I was lucky to be hired in a high quality child care center to work with infants in the morning and for the evening I nanny for a 7 month old. I’m trying to sneak in exercise so I’ve also been doing a lot of walking!

I get up at 5am each morning, so I’m pretty much exhausted by 5pm. Still trying to keep up with cooking… :)

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry with Red Pepper and Onions [Mrs Gaeul]

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry with Red Pepper and Onions

Really delicious, and easy to make! I’ve been doing a lot of different variations of this recipe by switching up the vegetables. It really takes no time at all but you still end up with a dish full of flavor.

Check out the recipe from Torview here. I basically just used her marinade and used whatever vegetables I had on hand; this time it was onions and red peppers! Adding a tablespoon of gochujang gave it a spicy kick. :D

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April Julep Boho Glam 2012: Unboxing and Review

Julep April 2012 Boho Glam (Mrs Gaeul)New month, new Julep! This month I decided to stick with Boho Glam, but honestly I wasn’t thrilled with the color choices this month. I was going to skip the month, but that darn elusive golden box convinced me to stay!

Julep Nail Vernis Kylie Magnetic Polish with Magnet (Mrs Gaeul)

The first polish that I received was a magnetic purple and silver metallic polish called Kylie. It came with a magnet to make a line design. I was pretty excited about this one! It was a total crash and burn in reality though. :(

The brush is so big and awkward. The application was totally uneven and no matter how I did it, I couldn’t get the magnetic to make a design on the polish. I just gave up eventually because the uneven application from the brush was not attractive.

Julep Nail Vernis in Sheryl (Mrs Gaeul)

Next up I received Sheryl, a butterscotch colored polish. Not usually a color that I would wear, but it is nice. I’m pretty neutral. It isn’t horrible, but it isn’t great.

Julep The Best Pedi Prep EVER! and foot file (Mrs Gaeul)The extra this month was a huge foot file and a 2 FL OZ container of a pedicure prep solution. It rolls onto your feet with a roll on applicator and has alphahydroxi acids to prepare your foot for easy filing. I tried it and it is pretty good.

Julep The Best Pedi Cream EVER! sample (Mrs Gaeul)We also received a sample of The Best Pedi Cream EVER! I’m not sure how I feel about the super enthusiastic names for their pedicure line, haha. I used this with the Pedi Prep, and I have to say that it worked pretty well. My feet were soft and nice.

I think I liked the pedicure prep more than the actual polish this month! I don’t think it was worth the money paid for the box, though. If the colors from this month aren’t great, I think I will be skipping. I received a ton of polishes from the Zoya Earth day promotion so I don’t really need any more polishes for quite awhile.

Here is to next month! ;)

 

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April 2012 Birchbox: Unboxing and Review

April 2012 Birchbox [Mrs Gaeul]

April 2012 Birchbox

April Birchbox time, yay! I was really excited about my Birchbox this month, because there were generous samples of Befine products, a skin care brand that is vegan and filled with super awesome food ingredients such as pomegranates, almonds and avocado. NOM!

BeFine Almond Exfoliating Cleanser and Befine Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15

BeFine Almond Exfoliating Cleanser and Befine Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 [Mrs Gaeul

So here it is. I received three packets of their exfoliating cleanser and two packets with their moisturizer with SPF 15. I love a lotion with SPF! I was super psyched until I realized… all the packets had expired in 2010. What a freaking bummer. I used the exfoliating cleanser once and it was a little harsh. I didn’t continue using them after I found out about the expiry. 2010 just seems way too expired to risk it!

Taylor Swift Wanderstruck Perfume [Mrs Gaeul]

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Perfume

Perfume sample, enough said. I don’t particularly like perfume samples, because I am really picky with my scents. I wasn’t a fan of this Taylor Swift fragrance. It just didn’t make me go crazy for the scent.

Willa Naturals On the Go Gentle Cleansing Lavender Face Towelettes [Mrs Gaeul]

Willa Naturals On the Go Gentle Cleansing Lavender Face Towelettes

The packaging for these on the go wipes are freaking cute! I’m a packaging girl, so I always appreciate pretty packaging. These are a pretty good cleansing wipe. I traveled recently and used these towelettes to wash my face during a long car ride. It did the job, smelled good and didn’t leave my face feeling greasy or tight. An A+ for me!

Alima Pure Nourishing Lip Balm in Rhubarb [Mrs Gaeul]

Alima Pure Nourishing Lip Balm in Rhubarb

I’m not big on lip color, but I love this! This Alima Lip Balm came in the color Rhubarb. I thought it would be too heavy for me, but it actually is very light and doesn’t show a huge color difference on my lips. It highlights your natural lip color with a little more natural pink color. It is also very moisturizing, which I appreciate. I wouldn’t say it is long lasting though- I wore it to my work orientation today, and it was gone within an hour.

Dropps Laundry Detergent Scent + Dye Free [Mrs Gaeul]

Dropps Laundry Detergent Scent + Dye Free

The lifestyle extra this month was laundry detergent. This wasn’t really exciting for me, because I make my own laundry detergent so I don’t really need this product and will most likely never purchase it in the future. It is useable though; I’m glad that I received the scent and dye free version of the detergent because the hubby is sensitive to scents. I used them up to get rid of them and it was fine. Nothing special, though.

I didn’t like my Birchbox but I didn’t not like it either. It was a weird in between. I’m happy that I got more useful products that I could see myself buying later. I’m getting tired of the perfume samples, so I hope they stop sending them out so often. The lifestyle extra this month was pretty substantial, which was surprising! I’m looking forward to what Birchbox will surprise me with this month with their special Gossip Girl Edition Birchbox. I heard that a lot of great brands will be included such as Ojon, Dior and Stila. That sounds absolutely fabulous; I hope May’s box hits it out of the park like they did with their Teen Vogue box!

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Julep Cinco De Mayo Mystery Box + Promo Code!

Cinco De Mayo Mystery Box Julep [Mrs Gaeul]

Cinco De Mayo Mystery Box Julep

Julep is at it again! They have created a Cinco De Mayo Mystery Boxfor the month of May! I am so tempted… as usual, the box has a value from $60-$200 with limited quantities, so if you really want one I would order today! I’m going to hold off a few days to decide, I have so many new polishes after the Zoya Earth Day sale and I wasn’t really thrilled with the colors I received in my Spring Mystery box. It is a good deal however!

Use promo code CINCO to get the box for just $20. :)

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Winner: Big Bang Poster Giveaway!

And the winner of the Big Bang Poster giveaway is……

William P!

I’ve sent an email out for your information. :)

Thanks to everyone who entered. I’m thinking of doing another giveaway soon, so keep your eyes peeled for the next one!

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Inayah Collection

As I browse the internet I keep finding these awesome Muslim fashion brands! The best thing is that the designs are totally versatile so you don’t have to be a Muslim to wear them fabulously. ;)

A week ago I stumbled upon the UK based brand INAYAH. Inayah means concern or empathy in Arabic. The designs are absolutely gorgeous! Their clothing is extremely affordable compared to similar items out there. I was really surprised to see some dresses going for only around $127 when similar dresses are $150 and up depending on how heavily embroidered it is.

Inayah 9ine to 5ive Collection- Black Jersey Hijab, Black & White Cape, Off-White Ruffle Top, Dark Red Pencil Skirt (Mrs Gaeul)
9ine to 5ive Collection- Black Jersey Hijab, Black & White Cape, Off-White Ruffle Top, Dark Red Pencil Skirt

I love love love this business casual look! The color of the skirt is gorgeous. I really love the pattern on the cape as well, I’ve been seeing that old school pattern occasionally on blogs as a vintage look and it just pulls the outfit together.

Inayah Sweet Treats Collection Peach Pleated Abaya (Mrs Gaeul)
Sweet Treats Collection Peach Pleated Abaya

Oh peach, how I love you. This abaya is a beautiful peach that is perfect for spring. It looks super comfortable and lightweight for maximum comfort. I don’t know, it just screams spring to me!

Inayah English Vintage Collection- Denim Pearl Hijab, Off-White Batwing Blouse, Floral Pleated Skirt, Gold Silk Hijab, and Violet Floral Kaftan (Mrs Gaeul)
English Vintage Collection- [Left] Denim Pearl Hijab, Off-White Batwing Blouse, Floral Pleated Skirt. [Right] Gold Silk Hijab, and Violet Floral Kaftan

I’m a huge fan of floral prints so these two pieces totally speak to me. Something about the batwing blouse on the model looks awkward, though. The blue scarf lined with pearls is really elegant and would class up any outfit. I like the floral kaftan; the rope belt makes the look a little more casual.

Inayah Collection- Mustard Jersey Kaftan, Black Jersey Hijab, Orange Peach Skin Button Top, Grey Jersey Drape Skirt, & Autumn Floral Hijab (Mrs Gaeul)
[Left] Mustard Jersey Kaftan, Black Jersey Hijab [Right] Orange Peach Skin Button Top, Grey Jersey Drape Skirt, & Autumn Floral Hijab

The fabric of this dress and skirt looks so comfortable. I’m a sucker for mustard colored things too, so I’m lusting after this dress hardcore!

Inayah Collection-Essential Grace Jalabiya and Oval Elegance Kaftan (Mrs Gaeul)
Essential Grace Jalabiya and Oval Elegance Kaftan

These hijabs are blowing my mind. Both of these abayas are absolutely gorgeous and perfect for a special celebration. The dress on the right is calling my name!

Eid Collection Abayas

Eid Collection Abayas

These abayas caught my eye on their facebook page recently. They are part of their upcoming Eid collection, so they aren’t available for purchase quite yet but wowza! These are what dreams are made of for me! Total show stoppers, this is the abaya that will be talked about during Eid for sure. I can’t wait for them to be sold.

I’m really impressed with Inayah so far. Check them out on the web, they are all over the place. They seem to connect with their customers really well, which is always a good sign for a company. ;)

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/InayahC
TUMBLR: www.inayahshots.tumblr.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/inayah.collection
RSS BLOG: www.inayahc.blogspot.com
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/theinayahcollection 
LOOKBOOK NU: www.lookbook.nu/inayahc

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April MyGlam Bag: Reveal and Review

April  2012 My Glam Bag (Mrs Gaeul)

It is that time of the month… my My Glam bag has arrived. I actually didn’t even think about my month’s bag until now and I didn’t even stalk the Facebook of My Glam for sneak peaks of items in the bag. This month was actually not that bad at all! I’m happy that they are working hard to make their bags better each month.

All-Belle Natural Soft Comfort False Lashes (Mrs Gaeul)

First up, I received a pair of Princess Leah Natural Soft Comfort False Lashes by All-Belle. I’ve actually never worn false lashes before, so this was sort of interesting. The only thing is, I don’t own any lash glue because I’ve never been interested in false lashes. I was happy to find that it came with a little bottle of lash glue! I thought it didn’t have it at first but it was hidden in the back.

All-Belle Natural Soft Comfort False Lashes Close Up (Mrs Gaeul)

I can’t say much about the lashes themselves because I’m not familiar with false lashes. They looked plasticy and felt plasticy. It seems like we all received different types of false lashes. These are supposed to be the girly, soft version of the lashes. They were quite flexible.

Dermstore Lip Quench Moisture-Infusion Lip Treatment (Mrs Gaeul)

Another Dermstore product, this time the Lip Quench Moisture-Infusion Lip Treatment. I find it so odd that so many Dermstore products are in the glam bags, because they have their own monthly service themselves called BeautyFix. I wasn’t too thrilled to get this, but I always need a lip balm. At this point I have a ton of them though. I heard that if you used the Dermstore gift card from last month’s glam bag, you received this for free. That is kind of lame. I got another lip balm in last month’s glam bag, so I’m really so-so on this. I have way too many lip balms.

Urban Decay 24:7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Radium (Mrs Gaeul)

Next up, a travel size eye pencil from Urban Decay in Radium. This is a really great item, however I just bought the whole set of these last month so this was just meh for me. There was an actual makeup item in the bag this month though, so yay for that at least!

My Glam All-Over Eyeshadow Brush & Eyeliner Brush (Mrs Gaeul)

Last but not least, there are the My Glam All-Over Eyeshadow Brush & Eyeliner Brush. These are a nice touch and I like them. Thank God they did not have that horrible smell like last month’s brush!

Overall, much better this month but still falling through on what was originally promised. It is promising that they are making progress though. I do feel like I have gotten my money’s worth this month. I just hope that the coming months continue to improve up to their original claims.

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Giveaway: One Big Bang “Alive” Poster

Wahoo! I’m so excited to be doing my very first giveaway. My friend recently brought me some goodies from Korea and I thought I would share the love. I saved one Big Bang poster from their fifth mini album “Alive” just so that I could give it away on my blog!

Big Bang Poster Giveaway (Mrs Gaeul)

All you have to do to win is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter form. This giveaway ends on April 25th and is open internationally. I’m looking forward to giving it away. I hope you enjoy!
Continue reading

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April Julep It Girl: Unboxing and Review

Yay, I got my April Julep box! :)

Julep Maven April 2012 It Girl (Mrs Gaeul)

I was actually super excited for my box this month. I wasn’t really interested in the extra pedicure lotion included in this month’s boxes, so I decided to switch to It Girl so that I would get all three polishes. I’m really glad that I did, because I absolutely loved all three colors. A total win win this month! All of the colors were nice and springy, totally fitting the mood of these coming months!

Julep Jessica Nail Vernis April It Girl (Mrs Gaeul)

The first polish in the box was this beautiful baby blue polish called Jessica. I had actually saw a polish similar to this color on a friend last week and it looked gorgeous. I was lusting after the same color, so I was happy to receive this in my box this month. Best of all… this polish only took one coat. ONE. I love this polish!

Julep Penelope Nail Vernis April It Girl (Mrs Gaeul)

The next polish I got in my box was Penelope. Julep describes this as an “almost white with a hint of blush”, but it looks more like an awesome pale pink to me! It is a great neutral for spring. I love a good neutral polish! I’m also a sucker for pale pinks. This polish was a two coater for me, which wasn’t bad. I love the look on!

Julep Niecy Nail Vernis April It Girl (Mrs Gaeul)

Last, I received this vibrant pink polish called Niecy. It looks neon in the bottle, but it is actually a warmer pink. The formula of this polish is a little odd, but I can work with it still. I used about two coats when I swatched it. I can’t wait to bust this one out next week!

I also received five chocolate eggs and two toe separators which I didn’t take a picture of because I will never use them. They were the typical cheap, foam type.

The box felt very fitting for the month. All of the colors remind me of easter eggs, haha. Since I stuffed 593 eggs with candy last Wednesday, it has been stuck in my head! Did I mention I also hid all of them outside on Friday? So much work for 10 minutes of insanity! ;)

Julep Spring Mystery Box (Mrs Gaeul)Speaking of Easter and Spring, Julep has brought back the mystery box in honor of spring this month! It should be filled with awesome spring colors, so I’m really excited to get mine. Don’t forget to use the code SPRING to get the box reduced from $60 to $19.99!

http://www.julep.com/?r=19114558

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Healthy Cooking: Turkey, Cranberry and Basil Meatballs

Four words: Thanksgiving in a meatball!

Turkey, Cranberry and Basil Meatballs (Mrs Gaeul)

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love pairing sweet and savory flavors together. It is way past Thanksgiving, but after I saw this recipe for turkey meatballs, I just had to make it. Cranberry sauce with turkey is one of my all time favorite combinations. I’m pretty fond of cranberries in general, and eat them in my salads all of the time!

This didn’t disappoint. I dipped it in cranberry mustard by Hickory Farms for extra cranberry goodness!

Turkey, Cranberry and Basil Meatballs (Mrs Gaeul)

I got this recipe from the website The Perfect Pantry courtesy of Lydia Walshin. Definitely check it out, this recipe is a keeper for all who crave a little Thanksgiving flavor. ;)

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