Not Neglecting

This past week has been pretty hectic. I've been kind of busy and haven't had much time to keep up with my blog. So let me recap on my days since my last post & later on I'll go in depth with things I've picked up as far as purchases and mini reviews on some current products :)

So last Thursday when I said I would make some fish tacos, I ended up making chicken, asparagus, in a ginger and garlic black bean sauce. It was my first time tackling black bean sauce and I think I did a pretty awesome job. I served it over jasmine rice, my favorite, and gobbled it up. So Friday I ended up making fish tacos. I searched for an easy white sauce recipe on Google and YouTube and kind of threw something together, and with luck in my favor, it turned out great! I simply used mayo, lemon juice, cumin, ginger, pepper, garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Delish! I didn't have to cook at all Saturday. My mom and I went to a rummage sale at our local fairground, and found TONS of good deals! (More about that to come) Later that night we went to a family function and had tons of yummy Filipino food. Sunday was just a bum day for me. I relaxed a little, did some homework, and watched a few basketball games & Snapped marathon while folding laundry before the girls got home later that night. Monday I just had class and went to Safeway for a few groceries. I ended up spending a little more than I planned, but it was on a lot of deals I just couldn't pass up. (more about this later too) I made more stir fry for dinner with the black bean sauce for dinner. Yesterday I was real productive. I worked out in the morning, did some homework, put the girls down for a nap, caught a nap myself, and had one of my good friends come over for dinner. I made sliders for dinner. Those also came out pretty good. (pictures and details will come soon) 

Today I'm just trying to sort through a majority of my clothes for donation and what I really want to keep. I got some homework done, with a lot of studying for quizzes and exams to get done this week still to do, and as far as dinner, I'm thinking leftovers. Tomorrow's garbage day and either my mom or I like to go through the refrigerator for old food and things to toss, so since I've been cooking a lot, tonight will be good for leftovers before they get tossed. I've also been applying for part-time jobs and looking for placing hiring. I'm ready to work again! So far I havent had any luck, but I'm going to remain positive and just keep looking. Somebody's gotta hire me, right?

I will post pictures and such of my awesome deals and possibly a haul video through YouTube with things I picked up real soon. :)

Weekly Dinners

So I've been feeling pretty domestic lately. I'm in full mom-mode and have been making dinner and desserts with the girls all week, (well, not last night). I can't remember what I made for dinner on Monday,  but Tuesday I made lasagna with equal parts Italian Mild Sausage with Lean ground turkey & cooked it thoroughly with garlic and onion then added a tomato-basil spaghetti sauce. I alternated spagetti sauce (another jar from the meat mixture), ricotta mixture (low-fat ricotta cheese, Italian parsley, one egg, & pepper), Mozzarella & Monterey shredded cheese, and lasagna pasta. Baked covered for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven,  then removed the foil to bake for another 10-15 minutes, so the top browns slightly. Let it sit for 10 minutes out of the oven, cut and serve. I used a different type of lasagna noodle versus the traditional kind with the ruffles. This one was specifically for easier baking. They were just flat sheets of dry pasta. Worked well and had no taste difference, but I prefer the ruffles. The girls and I also whipped up some mini cheesecakes with cherry filling on top. I never thought something so simple, could be so AMAZING! For some odd reason, we've seemed to rack up a collection of cream cheese in the back of our refrigerator. I know of a cheat for cheesecake (cream cheese, cool whip, sugar), so I figured the girls and I could have some fun and make mini ones. The crust is simply crushed graham crackers, about half a box, 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, & 3 tablespoons of melted butter. We pressed it into a lined cupcake pan, added the cream cheese mixture and threw it in the refrigerator for a few hours to set, then added cherry pie filling on top. Such a treat!

Last night my mom took us out to sushi at one of my favorite sushi places not too far from my house. I ordered the Honey Prawn Walnut Roll. It was beyond amazing. I don't care too much for walnuts, but it works well as treats for the girls. 


My mom's home from work today and has been hinting she wants fish tacos for dinner. The more I think about them, the more I'm craving them. So I decided to make them for dinner tonight. I was going to make them tomorrow night, but I cant think of anything else to make. Fish tacos it is! We'll probably have them for dinner tomorrow night too since we're Catholic and it's Lent season. I have a few different ways I make fish tacos and haven't decided which way I'll go with tonight, so I'll have to update after dinner :)


*Both photos were taken with my iPhone4 with no editing or filter. 

Maybe its Maybelline

I've always been a fan of drugstore makeup. I picked up a few of the Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow. One word: LOVE! I have four- Tough as Taupe, Pomegranate Punk, Bad to the Bronze, & Too Cool. I havent used them enough to give a complete break down, but from the ones I have used, Bad to the Bronze and Too Cool, I love them and look forward to using them more. A lot of YouTube gurus say it's a good dupe to MAC's Paint Pots. I can't say that much, because I use more drug store products than higher end. I purchased mine at Target for about $6.99 or so. 

Bad to the Bronze worked best for me as a base. I like to mix and match it with the Naked palette. I have used it once or twice alone and I had no issues (creasing, fading, etc). I used a primer and used it alone and noticed no difference, so I wouldn't bother using a primer with this. It's real shimmery, so I used more matte shadows when I pair it with shadows simply as a preference. 

I've used Too Cool twice in different ways. I used it as a highlight for my browbone and inner corner of the eye, and as a shadow alone on the inner third of my eye. It has a slight shimmer, but not as much as Bad to the Bronze. I want to try it as a base to make other shadows pop, so with the warm weather coming up, it works out perfectly.

Overall, I'm satisfied with what I have experienced so far. I'll definitely do updated reviews on the other two I have when i use them, and when I use Too Cool as a base, and if/when I pick up more.

 Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24hr Gel Shadow

Awkward First Post

I've always wanted to start blogging, but never followed through. So i figured why not just bite the bullet and start it since I'm just in class watching 8 mile for the um-teenth time. 


I decided to call my posts blabs since most of them will be random blabber about good deals I find, my recent makeup and fashion pick ups (I use fashion lightly. I for one, am no fashionista), what I'm up to, the latest sports news thats caught my attention, or anything I find interesting at the time. It's more so of an online journal to say what I feel like saying. 


Find me on Twitter: @iPRiNCESS_LiNA or InstaGram: lina_x