DIY Face Mask for Nourishing Skin and Reducing Acne

My skin has been rebelling lately.  I've always battled acne and now adult acne is extra fun. Not.  A while back I shared a Nutmeg Face Mask (for reducing acne and exfoliating) and it's still one of my favorite quick and easy ways to spruce up my skin.  This mask helps tighten skin, smooth it and even reduce some inflammation from acne already on your skin.  This one has a 'yucky' texture due to the egg whites in this recipe.  My family thinks the nutmeg mask looks like poo smeared on my face...I just can't win.

I'm gonna try and explain why these ingredients are good for your skin and what they do rather than just list some stuff to spread on your face!

Egg whites: egg whites are full of protein and help nourish your skin.  They tighten your pores and skin, too.

Lemon Juice: lemon juice helps extract dirt from pores and blackheads.  The citric acid helps clarify skin.

Honey: honey has anti-bacterial properties that help reduce acne.  It also helps hydrate your skin.

Baking Soda: baking soda softens skin and exfoliates without drying your skin out.

You will need:
1 egg white
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon honey (local and raw is best)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best but I didn't have any on hand)

Mix all ingredients well.  You will find that the backing soda will drop to the bottom so before applying give it another whisk.  I used a cotton ball to apply the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes (give or take).  It'll dry fairly quickly but just let it sit for a bit.  Rinse it off with warm water and pat your face dry.  Your skin will feel tight for about an hour or so but I resist the urge to moisturize right away.  I love the way this leaves me skin!

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Amazon $5 off $25

Amazon is offering up $5 off a Purchase of $25 or more.  Restrictions apply!
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***Disclaimer: Review products have been given to me for review purposes. My opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate links. By using these links you are helping support LLandLoL, but of course it is never required that you use my links. If you have more questions regarding this please check out: http://www.lovinglifeandlivingonless.com/p/disclosure-and-policies.html

Loot Crate: Monthly Subscription Box for Gamers, Guys, Geeks and More!

Subscription boxes are all the rage and I love love love them.  Most the ones I have seen are beauty or pet related so when I heard about Loot Crate I was more than intrigued.

For a little over $18 a month you receive 6-8 products that are considered 'Geek and Gaming Gear'.  I love that this box is geared towards guys (and girls who game, as well).  I feel like this is a completely new concept (at the very least, new to me) and truly a unique gift idea.  The past crates were all really cool looking and I was a little bummed I'd only recently found Loot Crate (I missed out of some awesome gear- stuff I know my Hubs and kids would've liked, but even stuff I wished I had for myself!).

My crate did arrive quickly and although I had planned to wait until Hubs came home, I tore it open. I couldn't contain myself, don't judge me! I caught glimpses of Thor, Yoda and Sonic and knew right away I loved this subscription!

Loot Crate is celebrating their 1 year anniversary! Use the code CAKE to receive 12% off


***Disclaimer: Review products have been given to me for review purposes. My opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate links. By using these links you are helping support LLandLoL, but of course it is never required that you use my links. If you have more questions regarding this please check out: http://www.lovinglifeandlivingonless.com/p/disclosure-and-policies.html

CapThat: Wedding Photo on Wood

I got the opportunity to check out a new-to-me site CapThat and to share the experience of ordering and my thoughts on the product I received.

First and foremost, I noticed the cool options, like a photo on metal or wood.  There's also all different sizes available and even custom sizing on some products like the canvas prints.  There's accessories like playing cards, puzzles, coffee mugs and more.  You can take photos straight from Facebook, Instagram or upload from your computer. 

I wanted a wedding photo to put up in my home office space and I was torn between a metal print and a wood print.  After going back and forth I decided I liked the rustic look for the photos on the wood and thought it'd look great about my desk.  I picked one of my favorite wedding shots and uploaded it right onto the site.  It took just minutes to create my piece and checkout.  It really helped that I could see a preview of the product as I uploaded and edited.

My 7x7 wood print is now hanging above my desk and I love it.  It's really unique and these would make a wonderful gift.

***Disclaimer: Review products have been given to me for review purposes. My opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate links. By using these links you are helping support LLandLoL, but of course it is never required that you use my links. If you have more questions regarding this please check out: http://www.lovinglifeandlivingonless.com/p/disclosure-and-policies.html

Homemade Apple Butter in the Crockpot (No Sugar Added)

No Sugar Added Apple Butter (AKA Naked Apple Butter)

Each year my grandparents (or as my kiddos call them, GiGi and PopPop) end up with more tiny green apples from there trees then they know what to do with.  Lucky for me!  These apples are perfect for cooking and I love cooking with fresh, organic home grown ingredients any chance I get.

Last year I took many of the apples and made apple butter for the very first time.  My nephew was living with us and has an allergy to peanuts so I used the apple butter as a fun treat on toast for all the kids.  The recipe I came up with (and the ones I keep seeing) had quite a bit of sugar and this year I decided to attempt  to make apple butter with no sugar, I'm calling it naked apple butter!  I picked up some local honey at a farmers market recently.  I thought it might be the perfect sweetener for these tart little apples. Spoiler Alert: it was!


You Will Need:
16 small apples (approximately 2 lbs)
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons honey





Core and slice apples (I peeled mine but you don't have to if you plan on using a blender later for a smooth butter). Place the apples in the crock pot and add the water, honey and spices.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Once the apples are soft and easily mashed you can turn off the crockpot and let cool.  If you prefer a chunkier apple butter you can leave it be.  I like a smooth apple butter so I used my blender.  Store your apple butter in the fridge and enjoy on toast, in a pie, with peanut butter or on a spoon straight from the jar!

Cross Country Cafe: Deals on K-Cups and More

I live off coffee.  I don't just enjoy it occasionally, I look forward to it each morning.  Hubs and I were so lucky to receive a Keurig as a wedding gift a few months back and I started buying up K-cups!  I did find that they could certainly add up; but I kept looking for amazing deals (hey, it's what I do) and I found Cross Country Café.  This site has smoking deals on K-cups, whole bean or ground coffee and even brewers.  I love the selection of K-cups and when I saw the Donut House Chocolate Glazed Donut flavor I knew it'd be good.  I was right!  So right, in fact, that I catch Hubs brewing up my cups! Just kidding, of course, what's his is mine and what's mine is mine....hehehe.

The clearance section is ever changing and can get you K-cups at a steal of a price but even the regularly priced options are the cheapest I've found.  These cost $13.75 for a 24 pack.  That's .57cents per cup.  Plus, spend $59.00 or more items and your coffee ships for free!!

There's also Wacky Wensdays, where there is a featured product at an amazing price.  Connect with Cross Country Café via Facebook for up to date deals!


***Disclaimer: Review products have been given to me for review purposes. My opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate links. By using these links you are helping support LLandLoL, but of course it is never required that you use my links. If you have more questions regarding this please check out: http://www.lovinglifeandlivingonless.com/p/disclosure-and-policies.html