Stella May I know which planner you finally chose?

11:39 AM Unknown 0 Comments

Of course you may. It's the end of June and that means it's also the end of my planner. Last month I shared that I use the Day Designer planner and I wanted to stick with the same brand this year. I purchased two (plus one more) right as they released at Target. After much contemplating, I chose to stick with the same style as last year. How boring of me.. Let me explain.
Do you keep all your old planners? I do and this would be the first time since my high school years that I will have a matching one. You remember the planners they hand out at the beginning of the year? I don't know why I still want to keep them, as I don't need to know what my sophomore year math assignment was, but I just do. Now this might just be a two year set I will have (hopefully, they will have this collaboration again next year..), but it will be nice to see them next to each other.
 As you can see, I have already started to settle into the new planner. The first thing to do: make a new planner bookmark.
 After tying the ribbon onto the second to top ring, take the excess ribbon and fold in half.
 Then just snip at an angle (downwards toward the open side of the fold).
Perfect two points! To seal off the ends, use a flame to slightly burn the edges. Last year's tutorial is here
Now you might think putting on the ribbon bookmark isn't really finalizing this planner, but look! I wrote my name in it. I've claimed it and it's mine.
I have also started filling out the guides the planner has. Setting up a morning and evening routine. This year I also want to write exclusively in cursive. I notice that since being out of school (two mentions in a single post! I must be feeling nostalgic), that my penmanship hasn't been looking great. Hopefully by writing cursive daily will help with that.
One of the biggest reasons for not picking the big, pretty gold one? I decided to incorporate OneNote. I used to use OneNote to take notes in college (third time!), and it was a nice way to save the interesting things and recipes I found online. I can just print them into the OneNote notebook. Then I won't need the extra space the gold spotty planner provided.

Let me know if any of you want the large Day Designer planner! It looks like they are sold out at Target.

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Stella May I know if you live by the sun or love by the moon?

8:00 AM Unknown 0 Comments

You know the saying.. 
Then there are of course the different types of moons. 
... Love by the Moon 

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Stella May I ask how you make burgers at your tiny place? Juicy Lucy!

11:00 AM Unknown 0 Comments

Of course you may! We are well into summer now and that means it's time for lots of burgers. Well it would be that if we have a grill. It's a little tricky making burgers on just a hot plate, but I wanted to share some tips I have learned over my many trials (me and Mister are pretty big fans of burgers). The problem with hot plates is that they don't get very hot, so it's quite impossible to get that nice sear, charred bits. Since I end up cooking it longer (because of the lower heat), I like to stick some cheese into the center to prevent the burger from drying out. This is also called a Juicy Lucy! After the beef patties get cooked, Mister then comes in with a torch to char it up. Today's Tutorial Tuesday is continuing this simple assembly method I have going already. (See my easy lasagna post here.)
Combine some ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Roll the beef into balls. Use the size of your buns to determine size of the balls, I like to make about a fistful size. Split each beef ball in half and flatten out to your bun size. Place a slice of American cheese in the center of one patty (folded), then top with the other patty and seal the edges by pinching and smoothing with your fingers.

Gently press flat, double checking there are no opening for the cheese to escape when the burgers cook. Cook on a grill or skillet over medium high heat (usually about 3 minutes per side). Finish cooking the patties with the torch. Toast the buns and serve with your desired condiments and toppings.
Recipe is slightly adapted from here. I also like this one and this one
Tips: Burger are a pretty fast meal to put together as long as you have all the ingredients. Preparations is key for burgers. There have been many a time that the burger got soggy because I didn't have the lettuce or pickles ready. I find that Juicy Lucy burger are also messy burgers, so you should probable also have some napkins ready. I like to use American Cheese as it doesn't need a lot of heat to melt. I wouldn't suggest using hard cheese as they would take longer to melt and your burger might be pretty dry by that point. If you really want to use hard cheese try shredding it before you stick it in the burger.
I hope you are all enjoying summer so far. As I am writing this post we are going through a major rainstorm, so I am not feeling quite that summery today, but maybe making a burger will change that. What are some of your favorite burger tips?


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Stella May I know if you finally saw Finding Dory?

9:30 AM Unknown 0 Comments


I did! Me and Mister went to the theaters about an hour ahead of time and staked out good seats and finally saw the movie. I thought I would share my favorite things in the movie. (No spoilers here)
Cuddle Time! These little sea otters were the cutest thing! By far my favorite new characters.
I thought going into the movie the beluga was going to be my favorite, as they are my favorite at the Georgia Aquarium, but the otters are too cute! So not only can you find beluga whales at the Georgia Aquarium, but there are also whale sharks! Finding Dory really explains what makes Dory, Dory. How she knows how to speak whale and why she just keeps swimming!
And how much Dory likes squishy things.
Two unexpected characters: Gerald and Becky. These two characters are so quirky and they appear in some of the funniest scenes in the movie.
Where is the Becky Tsum Tsum?
If you watched Finding Nemo (and you liked it), then go get yourself to watch Finding Dory. I highly recommend it! Thanks Sigourney Weaver.
Oh and Piper was amazing! 

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Stella May I if freezing coffee beans is beneficial?

10:30 AM Unknown 0 Comments

Of course you may. Do you keep your coffee beans in the freezer? A few posts back I shared how grinding your coffee beans fresh is the easiest way to improve your morning brew. (post here) Well I have been trying to continue learning more about coffee and what the best ways are to improve my brew. I stumbled upon this article and I wanted to ask, where do you store your coffee?
We have a Costco sized coffee beans and since I am the only one in the household that drinks it, I needed a way to store it without it going bad. (I'm not afraid of expiring, I just want it to keep it's freshness longer.) Most coffee experts don't suggest storing beans in the freezer since freezers work by removing heat and evaporating the moisture. That will mess with the balance within the bean and alter it.
I think I will be following this advice: treat coffee as you would fresh bread. It's best to have it fresh, but when you have to the second best option is to freeze it. (I like to keep hot dog buns in the freezer for a quick snack.) I will have to keep in mind to defrost the beans before I grind it though! The moisture left on the burrs can lead to rust.
One of my newest obsessions lately? Mugs of Disney! Well I have always been a fan of Disney mugs but I just found an instagram for it.
You know me, I can't resist a gif.

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Stella May I ask why you insist on watching Pixar movies in theaters?

9:30 AM Unknown 0 Comments

Of course you may. It's because I really like the animated shorts that play before the feature film. Me and Mister have tried to watch Finding Dory three times now and failed each time. Mister's gripe about watching movies at the theater is to have good seats. If we are going to watch a movie in theaters (and leave the comfort of the bed), we are not going to just settle for off-to-the-side or neck-breaking seats. Since this movie has been so popular all the good (and even decent seats Mister would have settled for) were taken. Normally we only go to the theaters for action films (namely Marvel ones) and just wait for them to come out in video (how archaic!) and watch it at home, but since Finding Nemo was one of our favorite films we knew we wanted to watch the sequel in theaters.

I don't normally see teasers for the animated shorts, but when I spotted this cute teaser, I wanted to share it. It's too cute not to! I can't wait to watch Finding Dory. Have you seen it yet? Are you a fan of the animated shorts?

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Stella May I know how you feel about the newest Jaclyn Hill's palette?

5:58 PM Unknown 0 Comments

Of course you may. I could not resist getting the newest Jaclyn Hill and Becca Cosmetics newest collaboration. It's just so pretty! For this week's beauty post, I will be unboxing and giving my first impressions on the Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette. I am already a big fan of highlighters and her Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Glow is one of my favorites. 
First thing to note is this palette came way better packaged than the single Pressed version. Mine had arrived cracked, but Sephora sent me a new one promptly so it was all good. The palette came in bubble wrap and the box was cushioned with thicker cardboard. While this looks metallic, the palette is made of plastic. A hardy plastic with some weight to it. The shiny gold is very prone to fingerprints. 
Inside, you get a sample packet of the Becca Backlight Priming Filter. (It's the same one that was inside the Play by Sephora Box this month. (Click here for that post)That's the small vial you see on the right. ) It's a very small sample, only 0.05 fl oz. 
For size comparison, I placed the original Champagne Pop highlighter on top. It's a pretty big palette, about the size of my hand. 
On the back you have a clean representation of the names and description of the shades inside. 
What's included: 
  • Rosé Spritz Luminous Blush 
  • Amaretto Mineral Blush 
  • Pamplemouse Mineral Blush 
  • Champagne Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed 
  • Peosecco Pop Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed 
total weight: 0.72 oz.
 (I can't find the information about the individual weight, but Jaclyn mentioned that the highlighters are about 2/3 the size of the full sized ones. Full sized Shimmiering Skin Perfectors are 0.28 oz) 
Swatches from L-R: Full sized Champagne Pop, Champagne Pop in Palette, Prosecco Pop, Rosé Spritz, Amaratto, and Pamplemousse.

At First Blush (teehee, Mister's pun), I find that my two Champagne Pops are not the same. The standalone one is more golden and not as shimmery, while the Champagne Pop in the palette in more silvery and much more shimmery. The Prosecco Pop in the palette is closer in shade to my standalone Champagne Pop, they are both very gold. Rosé Spritz is so pretty. It's probably my favorite to look at. It's meant to be a highlighter and blush combo. I see of it as a blush topper or to be placed at the apples of the cheeks. The last two blushed are both matte. Amaratto is a sienna brown shade. I think it will be good for a neutral everyday shade. I would also use it to blend my bronzer with my blush together. Pamplemousse is a bright coral blush shade, that I think is perfect for the upcoming summer months. Overall the the palette is very warm toned and all the shades are very pigmented. I am usually heavy handed with cheek products, so pigmented products are not always the best for me. (I know it's such a contrast to what other beauty bloggers want.) My little tip? I use a more loosely packed brushes to help me combat that. 

Did you also get the palette? How are you using it? What do you think about the controversy about Becca making a quick buck and putting out a sub par palette? (I think this blog explains it well.) It's making me question the brand, so as always my indecisive self still ll can't decide if I am keeping it. I originally thought since it was such a limited edition product it would be a good investment, but then the company's behavior and how the product is still in stock makes it so I might not keep it. 

Let me know what you think. Comment below! 

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Stella May I know Mister's silly way to cut a watermelon?

1:30 PM Unknown 0 Comments

Of course you may. I am a fan of having my watermelon cubed. The way I cut watermelon is to have it quartered then slicing into wedges without going all the way through. Then making lengthwise slices, again not going through the skin, and finally scooping it out the cubed pieces. (Click here for the method I used, but better explained.)
 Mister thought he had a better method. He started with cutting the watermelon in half.
 *If you don't first halve the watermelon, then you can end up with a watermelon pill. (click here)
 By halving the watermelon, you create a stable base. Then start taking away the rind.
This was just taking off the green part. Mister wasn't done yet, he then continued to slice off the white part.
This was much easier with a sharp larger knife. (We switched around knives to find the best one. Largest, sharpest one was the best.)
It actually looks pretty cool at this point.
 And then just start cubing.

The silly thing is Mister doesn't even like watermelon! At least at the end of all this sill cutting I still have my cubed watermelon. I hope you are having a happy start of summer! Comment below and share how you have your watermelon. (On super lazy moments, my sister and I used to just take a spoon and eat it.)

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Stella May I ask if it's summer yet? What is the Strawberry Moon?

10:30 AM Unknown 0 Comments

It's officially the first day of summer! That also means it is summer solstice. Summer solstice happens when the sun has reached its highest point as viewed from the north pole. (It would be the lowest point as viewed from the south pole and the polar opposite for winter solstice.) That also means it's the longest day (most sunlight) of the year. 
Summer solstices aren't rare as they happen every year and full moons happen more often than that! 
What makes this year's summer solstice rare is that they happen on the same day! It's rare for the summer solstice to also be a full moon day. 
So what is a Strawberry Moon? Strawberry moon is the full moon that happens in the month of June. It's just like any other full moon. It's called Strawberry Moon because it marks the beginning of strawberry season. Other names for full moon in June are called: Honey Moon, Mead Moon, and Rose Moon. 
So go out and enjoy the day! By the way it's also National Ice Cream Soda Day and Vanilla Milk Shake Day!

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