By now you must know I am a total beauty junky. I am obsessed with learning about new products and procedures. A really wonderful dermatologist told me one day that once you go so far with aging and neglecting your skin that there is only so much you can do to reverse it. Ever since then I have been trying to find the best products and procedures for my skin to help slow down the inevitable.
I recently started following the Beverly Hills dermatologist, Dr. Ava Shamban. Dr. Ava is a celebrity dermatologist, reality TV veteran, author, avid contributor, and now, the mind behind the first-ever dermatologist-curated skincare subscription box.
I have tried subscription boxes before but this one is a game-changer.
The Box By Dr. Ava introduces consumers to top-of-the-line dermatologist-selected skincare and wellness products. The Box emphasizes quality over quantity while prioritizing results – including only full-size products, hand-picked by Dr. Ava for efficacy and delivered quarterly by season.
But one of the most amazing features of the “Beautify Box” is that subscribers gain access to experts through real-time Tele-Aesthetic consultations with Dr. Ava’s Aestheticians, live Q&As, and Dr. Ava’s private Facebook group for easy access to professional skincare and advice.
Membership options make The Box bhttps://www.theboxbydrava.com/ref/Steinn/y Dr. Ava perfect for everyone who wants (or is obsessed with having beautiful skin.
Dr. Ava was able to reach so many more clients virtually during the pandemic that she gained the perspective that through her subscription box, she could reach and help more patients beyond her geographic area.
The awesome box I received this month, which is personally curated by Dr. Ava includes the following amazing products:
- MYSKINBUDDY™ – The revolutionary facial device that utilizes four proven technologies to help achieve a clearer complexion, a brighter and even skin tone, and a more youthful appearance.
- Aforé CBD Effusive – A first-of-its-kind antioxidant facial mist that uses water-soluble CBD synergistically with plant extracts and antioxidants to calm and cool the skin, reduce puffiness, erase redness, and make skin glow.
- Restorsea Repairing Neck and Décolletage Treatment– Designed to infuse the enzyme into this area and – if used every day, twice a day for 12 weeks – will result in firmer, more evenly toned skin. For all skin types. Contains NO: parabens, phthalates, silicones, sulfates, PEGs and mineral oil. Dermatologist tested Hypoallergenic. Will not clog pores.
- Theraderm NuPeel Natural Enzyme Peel – Papaya enzymes and botanical extracts gently remove dead skin cells and reveal glowing, radiant skin in just two minutes. It’s the equivalent of an at-home, natural facial peel in a bottle!
- Tiege Hanley– This uncomplicated skincare line is designed for busy modern humans. It includes easy-to-use products with step-by-step instructions for EYES, LIP, SCRUB plus the line’s core 4 products via a Level 1 subscription card.
The Spring Box is valued at over $600, making it an exceptional value. The Bohttps://www.theboxbydrava.com/ref/Steinn/x by Dr. Ava offers two membership options:
- Skin Enthusiast – Quarterly subscription $250 (month to month…cancel at any time)
- Skin Obsessed – Annual Subscription $850 (Save $150)
The Box by Dr. Ava is proud to include only products that are cruelty-free.
This how easy it is to choose the correct subscription for you:
For the quarterly box for $250, all of the products are FULL-SIZED products, and see the retail prices below for just some of the items, if you were to order them directly off the site without the subscription…
Here are the entire contents of the Spring Box:
Learn more about Dr. Ava by following her INSTAGRAM or visiting her WEBSITE.
The other day a friend was saying she is so disappointed that there are no places around us where you can get really good nachos. It seems like they used to be on every menu and now they are nowhere to be found. I started thinking about it and decided she was 100% right. I guess the only alternative would be for us is to perfect them at home. I found this sheet pan nacho recipe and it really sounded perfect. I altered the recipe to add the shredded lettuce but you really do not need it. It sometimes can tend to get soggy. Other than that I think this recipe is so easy and looks so good. It will definitely become a summer staple. The entire tray is filling enough for a meal on a hot day! Bon Appetit!
Adapted from Cooking Professionally
Ingredients
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked (can be made meatless as well)
12 ounces salted tortilla chips 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans, drained (either homemade or canned)
1/4 cup red salsa
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/8 cup green onion
3 cups Oaxaca cheese, grated or shredded•
1/3 cup sour cream
1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped•
1 avocado, cubed or sliced
Shredded lettuce
Jalapenos, optional
Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until no pink remains. (If you are using the meat otherwise skip this step)
Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.Step 3
Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet and layer with 3/4 of the tortilla chips, ground beef, beans, salsa, white onion, green onion, and 1 cup of the Oaxaca cheese.
Then, add the remaining chips to the top, and sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Top with sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and whatever toppings you desire!
When I first started this blog, I used a software company that made the most amazing shopping collages. They were perfect and so much fun to make and so much more fun and easy to shop. The company eventually was sold and our collage posts had to stop for a while. I worked all last year trying to come up with something similar and though I am not exactly there yet, I have made progress. Here are some of our best sellers and items that were added to the most carts for the past couple of weeks. I think we are onto something. There are some really great choices at really great price points. The links to shop or get more info are below.
Bathing Suit// Bamboo Flatware// Raffia Sandals//Antelope Blouse//Blue Sleeveless Dress//Marble Print Blouse//Printed Peasant Blouse//Wooden Circle Earrings//Wooden Drop Earrings//Wine Glasses// Hair Styler//Cuisinart Knives
Gold Lace Up Sandals//White Nap Dress//Blue and White Square Neck Top//Floral Shift Dress//Ruffle Front White Dress//Metallic T Strap Sandals//Tankini Swimsuit//Rattan Glasses//Red & White Dress//
After this heatwave we can all use a little ice cream, especially to celebrate the 4th of July Holiday. I saw this recipe in a blog post last week and bookmarked it to share with you. This is so easy and fun for all the family to make together. You can also add any of your favorite mix-ins to the ice cream to make it even better! Some favorites are Oreos, crunchy cereal, brownies, peanut butter cups, etc. Bon Appetit!!!
Adapted from food network
Ice Cream:
One 14-ounce can sweeten condensed milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch fine salt
2 cups heavy cream, cold
- Whisk together the condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
- Whip the cream with a mixer on medium-high speed until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture with a rubber spatula until combined, then fold the lightened mixture into the whipped cream until well blended. Pour into a chilled 9-by-5-by-3-inch metal loaf pan (I love this one), and freeze, covered, until thick and creamy, like soft-serve, about 2 hours. Swirl in any desired mix-ins with a spoon. Continue to freeze, covered, until solid and scoopable, about 3 hours more.
Honestly, with the task of Christmas/Holiday cards, you can never start too early…..I just started working with the stationary company Basic Invite, Truly Custom Invitations. The Holidays are when most people create a personalized card that tells their family’s story for the past year. So much time is spent picking out just the right card, with the right sentiment, with the right design, and the just-right family photo(s). Most recently Basic Invite sent me their new Custom Christmas Card and Custom Holiday Card assortment. I know there are so many online card options but besides their unbeatable prices and value, plus innovative products found nowhere else, here are a few other reasons why I chose to partner with Basic Invite to tell our family’s 2021 story:
Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost UNLIMITED COLOR OPTIONS with instant previews online. Once you select a design, customers can change the color of each element on the card. With over 200 colors to choose from, your finished product is sure to be exactly what you want. This is what sets Basic Invite apart from almost any other online stationery company.
Basic Invite lets you see instant previews that allow you to adjust your Custom Christmas Cards or Custom Holiday Cards until they are just right.
Basic Invite provides FREE ADDRESS PRINTING WITH EVERY ORDER!!!! Import your list of contacts to save yourself time when sending your Christmas cards. You NEVER have to address another card again.
Basic Invite has over 40 different ENVELOPE COLORS to choose from. With so many options, customers can make their envelopes match the invitation. All of the envelopes are peel and seal so they can be closed quickly and securely.
With all of these unique creative options, Basic Invite can assure your family that your card will be truly your own and one of a kind. Basic Invite, truly believes that this is important because no two families are the same!!
And the most important thing, in my option…THE LOVE GUARANTEE!!! At Basic Invite you can shop with confidence that you will love your card when you receive it or they will reprint until you do.
Lastly, Basic Invite works with designers all over the globe to bring you an incredible hand-curated selection of festive Christmas and Holiday invitations. And 2021 will be THE Holiday season to make up for the lost time of 2020 and celebrate!!
Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51 on all orders so it is the perfect time to get online and find that perfect card for your perfect family!!!!!
With the end of the pandemic insight, dating should return to some form of normalcy in 2021. The last year of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Americans to embrace online dating as their primary way to meet new singles with in-person dating being several limited.
Kingsmen Beard Club recently released a new study just in time for Valentine’s Day to highlight some of the biggest dating app trends in 2021. In the study, they analyzed more than 3,500 Tinder profiles of men living in 31 of the biggest American cities to learn more about single men in America and what the typical dating profile looks like.
They focused their attention on the main profile picture compiling insights into more than a dozen characteristics, including smiles, facial hair, attire, selfies, kids, and cars.
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Highlights include:
- 71% of men wear casual attire in their main profile picture. 20% dress like a slob and only 9% wear formal attire.
- 61% of men’s profiles have some sort of facial hair, while 39% are clean-shaven.
- Surprisingly, 53% of men hide their bodies in their main picture.
- Smiles go a long way to making a first impression, however, only 51% of men smile in their main picture.
- Top cities for single men: 1. Denver 2. Washington D.C. 3. New York 4. Indianapolis 5. Nashville.
Let us further explore what they found in their analysis.
The Fundamentals
Naturally, they looked at facial hair first. Sixty-one percent of men who were analyzed have some sort of facial hair, while 39 percent are clean-shaven. They seemed to take a very liberal view of what exactly constitutes facial hair. They included everything from a couple of days of chin stubble to a full on mustache. Since they included many types of facial hair, they categorized facial hair in two categories “heavy facial hair” and “light facial hair”. In order for facial hair to be classified as “heavy facial hair”, it had to be full coverage and something so thick that you could run your fingers through.
The next part of the analysis looked at smiling. A smile can go a long way for both men and women. Many women like a guy who smiles as it can make them seem approachable and trustworthy. In the analysis, Kingsmen Beard Club found a mixed bag between men who smile and those who do not in their main dating profile picture. They found that 51% of men smile in their main profile picture, where 49% do not smile.
Anyone using a dating app in 2021 is probably going to make a snap judgment on swiping left or right based on what they see in the main profile picture. Because of this it makes sense for many people, both men and women to try and show off to make a lasting first impression. When it comes to men, more men choose to hide their body in their main profile picture than not. The analysis found that over 53% of men do not clearly show their body off in their main profile picture.
The next part of the analysis looked at how men dress in their dating profiles. Kingsmen Beard Club found that a majority of men dress very casually in their main profile picture. This may be as a direct result of the pandemic, but the numbers were surprising. 71% of men had a casual look in their profile picture, where 20% were dressed like a slob and only 9% had formal wear in their main picture.
The last consideration among the fundamental part of the analysis looked at men taking selfies. Selfies are convenient and during the pandemic, they are more prevalent than ever. They found that 47% of men used selfies as their main profile picture, where 53% did not.
Other notable trends
It additional to the fundamentals listed above, they noticed some other notable trends in men’s dating profile pictures.
- 9% of men use a selfie taken in their car.
- 9% use a selfie taken in the mirror.
- 5% of men go shirtless in their main profile picture (we thought it would have been higher!)
- Only 4% pose with a dog.
- 3% pose with a group of friends.
- 2% pose with their can or a motorcycle.
- Only 1% post with their children.
- Men posing with cats, guns, and fish show up in less than 1% of all dating profiles.
The top cities for single men\
Kingsmen Beard Club ranked the top cities for single men based on the highest number of men’s profiles that they deemed as the “Total Package”.
They defined the “Total Package” as smiling in their main profile picture, showing their body, not a slob, not using a selfie picture, not shirtless, not posing with a group, not at the gym, not in a car, not posing with a car and not using a mirror selfie. Overall, they found that only 17% of men in the U.S. met the standard of being a “Total Package”.
Listed below are the top cities with the % of men defined as the “Total Package”:
- Denver (26%)
- Washington D.C. (26%)
- New York (25%)
- Indianapolis (23%)
- Nashville (23%)
- Austin (21%)
- Philadelphia (21%)
- Columbus (20%)
- Minneapolis (20%)
- Atlanta (19%)
- Phoenix (19%)
- San Francisco (19%)
- Seattle (19%)
- Boston (18%)
- Detroit (18%)
- Baltimore (16%)
- Chicago (16%)
- Cleveland (15%)
- Memphis (15%)
- Portland (15%)
- San Diego (15%)
- San Jose (15%)
- Dallas (14%)
- San Antonio (14%)
- Charlotte (13%)
- Cincinnati (13%)
- Los Angeles (13%)
- Jacksonville (12%)
- Las Vegas (12%)
- Miami (11%)
- Houston (10%)
Methodology
Between December 18-31, 2020 Kingsmen Beard Club analyzed the first profile pictures of 3,100 heterosexual or bisexual men between the ages of 24-35, living in one of 31 American cities. For each city, a sample size of at least 100 men was used.
The analysis was completed used a premium Tinder account with no history and a verified profile. In order to not bias or our analysis towards certain characteristics, we exclusively swiped left on all 3,100 profiles.
**** This study was provided by https://kingsmenbeardclub.com/