Aubut Family

Lipton Superfruit Green Tea Giveaway!

cassandra aubut — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:57:55 +0000

So I was so excited to try the new Lipton Green Tea Superfruit teas! The new Superfruit teas come in Red Goji and Raspberry Green Tea, Purple Acai & Blueberry Green Tea, and White Mangosteen & Peach Green Tea.
I tend to go for the really earthy teas and was really surprised at how much I fell in love with the fruity teas. My absolute favorite is the Red Gogi and Raspberry Green Tea. It was not overly strong, but so good and refreshing!
I thought it would be paired really well with one of my favorite dishes which is also light and refreshing- the Caprese Pasta Salad. I love the little twist on the original caprese salad by adding in corkscrew pasta.

Ingredients:
* Cellentani Pasta- you can use any kind- I just think this is fun!
* Fresh Basil
* Cherry Tomatoes
* Fresh Mozzarella
* Olive Oil
* Pepper

*Cook Pasta according to directions. Set aside to cool.
*Chop up Basil, Mozzarella and tomatoes.
* Throw in a bowl with the cooled pasta. Drizzle Olive Oil and pepper to taste and toss!
* Yummmm!
I think this was the perfect complement to the tea and will definitely be having again and again!

How do you Like your tea?
I will be giving away 3 boxes of Lipton Superfruit Teas to the first 3 people who respond!

Tarte Cosmetics {Review}

cassandra aubut — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:42:24 +0000

About Tarte:

“Before I started tarte out of my one bedroom apartment in 1999, I was a total beauty addict like you but quickly became frustrated when I couldn’t find healthy, nourishing cosmetics – everything I found was full of unhealthy, synthetic formulas. And whether it was department store makeup or one of the very few ‘healthy’ makeup lines I was able to find, the packaging was so unglamorous I hardly wanted to buy it let alone take it out of my purse in public!

So I set out to create a line that would prove that glamour can be good for you by pioneering the use of high-performance naturals™ that bring clinical results to the everyday woman! Ten years later tarte is the leader in earth engineered™ beauty offering the widest selection of natural cosmetics full of skinvigorating™ ingredients including our proprietary t5 super fruit complex™ (a blend of the five most active, free-radical fighting super fruits), vitamins, minerals and natural fruit and plant extracts. But it’s not just about what’s in our healthy formulas; it’s what’s not in them that really sets us apart! Over 98% of our products are formulated without parabens, phthalates, sulfates and synthetic fragrances, just to name a few.

We don’t just stop at the formulas – our chic, runway-inspired cases and compacts are more then just pretty packaging. We’re helping reduce green house gas emissions one mascara at a time by creating components that are made from recyclable or post-consumer recycled material and can often be re-used to help reduce environmental waste. We like to say we’re doing the ‘leg work’ to help all of us minimize our carbon footprints.”

After reviewing Tarte cosmetics last year- I have become hooked and was so excited to try some new products!

I received the following:

Mascara:

Lights, camera, lashes! mascara is clinically proven to increase lash volume by 424%. Our patented dual-brush technology separates and evenly coats lashes while the unique 4-in-1 formula gives you bombshell lashes worthy of a freeze frame.

On top of it working great and elaving my lashes soft and thick, the packaging is gorgeous!

Smooth Operator Finishing Powder:

smooth operator™ micronized clay finishing powder with PM20™ perfects and mattifies skin, while reducing the number and size of pores by 20% after 4 weeks.

This is amazing as a finsih to your makeup. The fact that it is white is a huge bonus in that it sets your makeup without coloring the skin. So your skin looks flawless and “non Makeup-y”

And my FAVORITE Product of all?

Celebutante moisturizing Dry Oil Spray!

this Dry Oil is perfect for spraying on your legs, arms, neckline, etc- anywhere you want a subtle shimmer and bronze color. Now I am super light, and this product still works for me without looking fake. I have used it on my arms and legs and it adds a shimmery sheen without looking like you are covered in glitter. It subtly adds a tan color and a shimmer that makes your skin look flawless with a healthy glow. And the added bonus- it smells AMAZING! Coconut! Perfect for summer days in Arizona here!

I am officially addicted to Celebutante!

Follow Tarte on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with new products and specials!

Friendly Facebook Friday- 2/17/12

cassandra aubut — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:16:59 +0000

Welcome to this week’s Friendly Facebook Friday! This hop is intended to increase your Facebook fan page likers by “liking” each other with our personal accounts.

The Rules

To participate, you are kindly asked to like the three hostesses’ Facebook pages (we’re the first three links).
You MUST have a FAMILY-FRIENDLY blog (non-blog will be deleted) and a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE. If you don’t have a fan page, click here to get one started!
You must link up your Facebook fan page (direct link) in the linky list below.
This is a Facebook fan page only hop. Any non-Facebook page links or links to a non-blog Facebook page will be deleted.
After linking up, like the hostesses’ pages and as many others as you can. Be sure to let everyone know you “liked” their page and leave a link (or tag) to your page so they can return the favor.
You are asked to like others’ pages with your personal Facebook account. Liking another page with your own page does NOT bring the fan number up and therefore doesn’t really help them out.
Be sure to like back those who have liked you.
If you already like someone via Facebook, consider following them another way (GFC, G+, Networked Blogs, Twitter, etc.).

The Button

Weird Skincare Secret…..Shhhh….

cassandra aubut — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:23:03 +0000

I found a new skin care secret.

It is a little weird and you may not believe me (I didn’t believe it when I was told either!) But it WORKS!

And the best part? It is CHEEEAPP!!!

My Aunt and cousins recently stayed with me for a weekend visiting from Vegas, and I was commenting on my aunts skin. She is in her late 40′s- and her skin is flawless, and dewy still. Both my cousins (18 and 23) have great skin too. Not just on their faces, but their bodies. I know my aunt is a product junkie like me, so I was excited to see what new La Mer -type product they were using and was shocked when she told me they don’t use soap at all.

Huh?

I spend a gazillion dollars a year trying every new expensive product that promises to give you great skin- and they tell me they use ……………….Are you READY for this????

BAKING SODA.

Yes- Baking Soda. On their faces, body, anywhere you would use soap!

So I had to try it and guess what? My skin feels amazing!

I now keep a container on my sink and one in my shower. Just scoop up some Baking Soda, wet your face, and rub it in. It is a natural exfoliation, and balances out your skin Ph, so your skin is left feeling smooth and silky!

I have really dry skin, and usually have to lather lotion on my face and body the second I get out of the shower- and using this, my skin feels great and not tight or dry at all. (I do still use lotion and moisturizer, but I COULD skip it if I wanted to!)

And an added bonus- I bought a HUGE bag of it at Costco- and divide it into little containers in my bathroom for about $12. This supply will last me a year!

My old face wash cost $58 and I replaced it about every 6 weeks! Not to mention the body wash!

Try it. It feels weird and sounds weird, but TRY IT!

Let me know if you love it!

Questions Every New Parent Asks Themselves {Guest Post}

cassandra aubut — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:18:37 +0000

Questions every new parent asks

It is not uncommon for new parents to feel anxiety about their skills and knowledge of caring for their new baby. It is unknown and often challenging territory, but it is also a whirlwind of excitement! Most new parents have plenty of questions surrounding their gorgeous little bundle, so here are the answers to the most common questions.

Should I breastfeed, and does it hurt?

Breast milk is undoubtedly the best thing for your newborn baby. It provides your baby with all the nutrients it needs, as well as immunity against harmful viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding also gives you and your baby an intimate connection. It may hurt slightly at first. A good tip is to count to 10, and if the pain still persists, remove your baby and have her latch on again, or try switching breasts. If the pain continues and/or worsens, it’s worth visiting your GP as you may have an infection.

How quickly after birth should I bathe my baby?

This is a personal choice – you can bathe your baby as soon as you like, or equally you can wait a few days. You will be shown how to bathe your baby by your midwife either in hospital or once you’re back home. It’s important to test the temperature of the water with your elbow or with a baby bath thermometer, and the water should always be warm and not hot. Buying a plastic baby bath is a good idea, as these can be used until your baby is around four months old.

Should I co-sleep with my baby?

This is a question that always polarizes opinion, as the dangers of co-sleeping are serious, yet fairly unlikely. The most common cause of cot death is co-sleeping, but that doesn’t mean you have to rule it out. Take the necessary safety precautions, such as buying a firm double mattress. newborn babies should never sleep on oversoft mattresses, feather or water beds, and there should only be essential bedding. Keep pillows to a minimum, and make sure the duvet is light and thin to avoid overheating. Put your baby to sleep on her back, and keep her on top of the duvet. Always ensure that your baby is put to sleep between you and the wall, and that there are no gaps between the bed and the wall. If co-sleeping isn’t for you, buy a cot or Moses basket for your newborn baby.

What’s the best way to wind my baby?

There are two common and effective ways. The first is to sit your baby on your lap, and press your hand into the small of her back. The second way is to hold her over your shoulder and gently rub her back.

How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?

A newborn baby will wake around every three hours for a feed. A good tip is to keep night time feeds very calm and soothing, so she begins to learn the difference between day and night. At around three or four months, it’s best to teach her how to fall asleep on her own, so putting her down when she is awake a good way for her to learn how to soothe herself to sleep.

Ignite the Fire! Kindle Fire Giveaway!!

cassandra aubut — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:58:20 +0000

Kindle Fire Giveaway

Are you ready to Ignite the Fire this Valentine’s Day? Adventures of a Military Family of 8 and 7 on a Shoestring are co-hosting this great event and I have teamed up with them and 28 other bloggers to bring you this Kindle Fire Giveaway. With movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, the Kindle Fire is the hottest e-reader available and you could win it here!

How to enter:

You are going to have to work for this one. The event is self-sponsored and there are 30 bloggers participating. Each one has contributed towards the Kindle Fire and deserves a little recognition. Therefore, there are plenty of ways to earn entries as you like all 30 Facebook pages, follow 30 Twitter accounts, and add 12 bloggers to your Google+ circles. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. The contest ends at 11:59pm EST on February 27, 2012. Please note: All entries will be verified. Shipping is only available to the US per Amazon’s restrictions, thus the giveaway is only open to US residents. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friendly Facebook Friday- 2/10/12

cassandra aubut — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:12:36 +0000

Here are the rules:

To participate, you are REQUIRED to like Measuring Flower’s Facebook page, One Moment in Time’s Facebook page, and Aubut Family’s Facebook page. (The first three Links!) Let us know you like and leave a link to your FB page and we will like you back!
You MUST have a FAMILY-FRIENDLY blog (non-blog will be deleted) and a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE. If you don’t have one, click here to get one started!
You must link up your Facebook page (direct link) in the linky list below.
This is a Facebook only hop. Any non-Facebook page links or links to a non-blog Facebook page will be deleted.
After linking up, like the hostesses and as many others as you can. Once you have liked someone’s page, be sure to leave them a note or comment on their page to let them know you liked and leave a link to you FB page so they can like you back.
Like others’ pages with your personal account. Liking with your page does NOT bring the fan number up.
If you already like someone via FB, consider following them another way (GFC, Networked Blog, Twitter, etc.).

This is a new hop so click HERE to share it with your Facebook friends

Wholly Guacamole Giveaway Hop Coming April 1st!

cassandra aubut — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:29:42 +0000

Wholly Guacamole it’s a Giveaway Hop! Tammilee Tips, Money Saving Michele and Klippin’ Krazy are hosting this new event.

Eat Wholly will be sponsoring a GRAND PRIZE Giveaway valued at $200 plus!

The event begins April 1 at 12:01 AM EST and ends April 10 at Midnight EST. Sign Ups open now, don’t miss it! Blogger prizes, too!

I just signed up and will update soon with my prize package!

Having The Kids Help In The Kitchen {Guest Post}

cassandra aubut — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:42:13 +0000

As I busy mom, I’ve often found myself trying to cook dinner for the family while also spending time and playing games with my kids. Depending on the meal I’m cooking this could be an extremely trying experience: I put a dish in the oven, I run over to see whether my children are content and well-occupied, and then I rush back to check the progress of the meal. Increasingly, I have found that I am burning food and not truly spending the quality evening time with my children that I seek. The juggling venture has become a lose-lose proposition.

For this reason, I recently started to try a different approach. Instead of setting on my children with toys and games to occupy themselves in the family room while I cook, I’ve brought them into the kitchen with me and started to use their help in the dinner preparation. Let me preface this by saying that I don’t require my kids to help me with dinner, but I’ve found that they don’t require much cajoling. My children enjoy the smells, foods, and “adult” tasks that the pre-dinner kitchen can offer them.

Getting help in the kitchen has helped make me less stressed in the evenings. It has also, in just the short time I’ve been doing it, led to numerous family bonding moments. Making dinner has suddenly become fun.

But even this fun activity can provide teachable moments. On this note, here are a few of the values I want my children to learn from our cooking experience:

-Familiarity with the cooking process. Far too many children go off to college these days with no conception of how to cook a meal. While I know my kids are years away from leaving home, buying a wedding band, and having a kitchen of their own, it is never too early to start instilling in them a culinary familiarity.

-Health consciousness. Being actively involved in a kitchen is, I believe, a great way to help our kids learn to be more healthy. On the food front, they can get an understanding of the contents of a meal and of the different between a healthy dinner and an unhealthy one. On the cooking front, they can see (and hopefully replicate) how often I wash my hands and how carefully I clean utensils and cutting boards after they have been used.

-Appreciation for our meals. When kids are removed from the cooking process, they are far more likely to take their dinners for granted and to feel less inclined to eat the food laid out before them. But having them help out in the kitchen – even on a superficial level – can quickly eliminate this attitude.

These are the main lessons and values that I hope my children gain from their kitchen experience. If you have young kids you may want to try a similar approach. But make sure that your younger children stick to the tasks of measuring, mixing, peeling, pouring, and assembling. If they enjoy the experience, they’ll have many opportunities to use knives and the oven as they grow older in the years ahead.

Alexa Drop Hop- 2/9/12

cassandra aubut — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:09:20 +0000

Welcome to this week’s Alexa Drop Hop!

My co-hostess for this blog is TJ @ Measuring Flower!

What is an Alexa hop?

An Alexa hop helps your Alexa rank to drop. The lower the Alexa rank, the better (Google, for example, is ranked 1). If you do reviews and giveaways, an Alexa rank may be very important. Many sponsors will look at your rank because it informs them of how popular your website or blog is.

How do I participate?

To participate in this hop, you MUST have the Alexa toolbar or extension installed in your browser (which means you need an Alexa account first). Only Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox (click on any one of those links and it’ll lead you to the page to install the browser for free) allow you to install the toolbar/extension at this time. So be sure to use one of these three browsers while participating in the hop.

Once the Alexa toolbar or extension is installed in your browser of choice, you can add your blog’s title and URL to the linky list below. Then you’re set! Hop to the other blogs and say that you’re visiting from the Alexa Drop Hop (remember to leave a link to your blog so they can visit it back).

To learn more about why the toolbar or extension helps other blogs’ Alexa rankings, read HERE.

Reviewing

While you’re visiting other blogs, you can also review them on Alexa if time allows. If you choose to review my blog (click on the button below), let me know and leave me the URLs to your blog and to your Alexa review page so I can review your blog too!

To learn more about why the toolbar or extension helps other blogs’ Alexa rankings, read HERE.

The Rules

You are required to have the Alexa toolbar or extension installed in the browser you are using while doing this hop.

You are kindly asked to visit the two hosting blogs — Measuring Flower and Aubut Family.
Add a link to the MAIN PAGE of your FAMILY-FRIENDLY blog to the list below.
DO NOT link to a specific post or to a giveaway or linky list.
Try to visit at least three other blogs besides the hostesses’ (this will be less for the first few participants, obviously). Be sure to leave a note in a comment on the blogs you visit saying you were there from the Alexa Drop Hop and leave a link to your blog so they can return the favor.
Since you’re hopping, feel free to follow the other blogs one way or another as well (and let them know you followed).
Be sure to visit back everyone who visits you.