Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are solely those of the author. I was provided with this product to review and/or Compensation for this review. Your thoughts & opinions may differ from me.

My Thoughts 

My family was graciously provided with the opportunity to review the Character Skin Care full product kit. This review could not have come at a better time. These harsh winter months have been causing havoc to my skin. I was super excited when my package arrived in the mail because. Because my skin was in some much needed TLC. What I love about the Character Skin Care is that their formula is plant-based and unisex, and of course, their products are not toxic and don't include any fake stuff.

About 
Character Skin Care is about how your skin feels and how you feel about caring for your skin. Character Skin Care believes that you deserve products that care for your skin AND treat you with respect. All of Character Skin Care products are plant-based and carefully formulated to be effective for your skin and delightful for your senses.

The Founder & Present 
Laura’s motto is: Be Curious. Be Kind. Find Joy. Have Courage.

Character Skin Care Review

Fresh Start Body Powder
This powder is perfect if you want to feel dry all day. I pleasantly surprised at how amazing it smells and how silky smooth it left my skin feeling. It's perfect to put in all of those places that bend like your armpits and thighs.

Secret Agent Body Butter
This is a full body butter is that is perfect to apply after the shower. Especially those stubborn dry or calloused areas. I like to apply a little to my feet and add my socks. In the morning my feet feel as if they had a little pedi.




Bare Necessity Skin Salve
I can't get enough of this lip balm. It smells amazing. My lips have been so chapped lately prior to trying the Bare Necessity Skin Salve. I keep this on my desk, and when I'm out and about. This stays in my beauty bag. It has such a pleasant relaxing scent and is perfect to apply when you're fresh out of the shower.


Seven Wonders Face Oil
The Seven Wonders Face Oil leaves my face and neck hydrated all day. I even have the mister using it. It leaves his beard super soft. This oil is perfect if you have fine lines and oils too.



Not a Drag Body Balm
If you're having any friction happening and/or your body needs extra protection from the elements. This is the product for you. I love that this product is multi-use. I've applied it everywhere from under my bra strap to my cheeks.

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Giveaway 

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I have to be honest with you growing up I wasn't the biggest fan of chocolate. I mean. Not all, I vividly remember taking one bite of my chocolate Easter bunny and giving it away to family. When I would have hot chocolate. Which was very few and far between. I remember adding as many marshmallows as my parents would allow. These were back in the days when Wendy's only sold a frosty for a $1 and they were huge. Super chocolaty. I would order it because I loved ice cream, just didn't like the taste of chocolate by its self.
My, have the tables turned. I honestly drink this hot chocolate recipe on a daily basis. I think my obsession. Let's just call it that. Started in early fall. As you guys know I'm a huge fan of tea lattes and I think I was out of tea. I add cacao powder on hand and decided to make a vegan hot chocolate and I've been hooked ever since. I literally have been running out of nondairy milk like crazy all winter. I've tried this recipe with so many different kinds of nondairy milk that I've honestly have become a self-proclaimed vegan hot chocolate pro. If that's even a thing, smh. Depending on your palate, you may just prefer a regular hot chocolate. But I have to tell you a toasted coconut combination is out of this world. Trust me, well chat about this on a later date. Today I'm sharing with you again a recipe I love and use on a daily basis. Please feel free to sweeten to taste, and enjoy!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (depending on the side of your mug)
• 1 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract 
• Vegan whipped cream (optional, for topping)

Instructions

1. Add almond milk add to a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once the milk is warm, add about 1/4 of the milk to the mug and add the cacao powder, and mix well. Add the sweetener, vanilla and the rest of the milk and mix well. 
3. Add the vegan whipped topping and enjoy! 

Watch!

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Happy Monday!


I hope you had an amazing weekend! I thought it would be cool to share with you how I do my meal plans for the week. Meal planning how to save me time and money. I used to spend hours trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner. It's so nice to have the peace of mind of already knowing what I'm going to make for my family. I also love it, the base I pretty much base our meals around my schedule. If I know I'm going to be out all day. I just put something in the crockpot. Below, I've included my plan with my video. I hope you enjoy it! 


What's on the menu for today?

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I can't remember what year I started. But I'm happy started a menu plan. Especially, with a busy family. Everyone has various activities going on and menu planning just has made adulting so much easier for my family. Below I'm sharing tips to assist you whether you're thinking about menu planning or just looking for some helpful tips to add to your routine.

Create A Schedule
If I'm not typically menu planning for the month. I try my best to have our menu plan ready by Thursday. This allows me to know what ingredients we're going to need beforehand. I know it's the norm for most to go shopping over the weekend. However, I actually prefer to get my shopping done before the weekend if possible.

Create Recipes Around What You Have
Prior to creating our menu plan. I always write down the food in which we have on hand, and work my menu around what we have. You can easily do a Pinterest or Google search for meal ideas.

Theme Nights
I love creating a themed night for my family. Like Taco Tuesday and Pizza Friday. It's something that your family will grow to start looking forward to. It also takes that guesswork out of trying to figure out what to add on your menu plan for that week.

Ask
Prior to creating my menu plan. I always ask my family what they would like to have. This makes it a lot easier especially with picky eaters. Of course, you probably won't make everyone happy every day. However, it makes it a lot easier for you when deciding what meals to make.

Check The Weather
We actually just had a snow storm this week. It's so important to know about the upcoming weather. Especially if your shopping day is on the anticipated snow storm. The weather is great to also keep in mind especially with spring right around the corner. When the weather warms up, you may want to incorporate more salads in your menu plan, versus soups for warmer weather. 

Track
My Inkwell Press planner has inserts for Meal Planning. It's a great way for me to track what I've made for my family, and ways that I can improve on my menu planning process. Over the years I've used anything from notepaper to menu planning printables. Do what works for you and your family.

Do you menu plan? 

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I have to be honest with you. I made these cookies for the first time and made a batch every day for about a week straight. They're that good. They're...

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Flax Egg (Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon oats 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Make the flax egg. Combine the ground flaxseed and water together in a bowl, set aside for about five minutes 
3. In the same bowl with the flax egg, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, oats, vanilla, and baking soda until well combined.
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the cookie dough mixture, on a nonstick baking sheet. About 1 inch apart 
5. Bake for 9- 10 minutes. Remove from oven
6. Allow to cool completely, and enjoy! 

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Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love the hearts and the roses, the chocolates, and of course all the pretty home decor. When I first moved into my home, I changed around a few things, and in the mix of that. I lost my true dining room. It was definitely bittersweet. However, a couple of years ago. I decided to revamp my living room and add a living room/dining room combo. I knew this would take a lot of creativity. My home is under 1k sq and trust me. It reminds me daily. That I have to stay organized and get rid of clutter. What I didn't want, was for our living space to look a mess. Cluttered, too many bulky furniture pieces etc. I did a lot of research and found the perfect couch at Wayfair and table at Ikea. I still remember the day the couch was delivered. I'm so used to purchasing furniture and having it delivered and installed. That I was like "oh my" and got straight to work with getting the couch inside our home when I found it outside. I wanted to wait for the couch before I purchased our table. I had the measurement. However, I wanted to make sure aesthetically it looked right for our space. I drove to several stores and finally stopped at Ikea. I found a couple of options. However, I wanted to make sure we had the right height as well. Especially, with young adult children. I purchased our table and the Mister put it together for me. Having this table has brought me so much joy. If you follow me on social media. I create various themes throughout the year. I try to change the tablescape monthly. I'm happy that I finally have the chance to provide you a couple of tips. It really doesn't take much to do a tablescape for Valentine's day. Just a little creativity and a budget. Today I'm sharing some simple tips to assist you with putting together the perfect tablescape.

Use What You Have
You will be surprised at the items that you already have in your home that would be perfect for your Valentine's Day tablescape. If you love the colors red or pink. Your home is probably already a gold mine. I first like to check through my Christmas decor to see if I have any items that could be used for my tablescape.

Inspiration
Do a quick Google search for Valiente's Day and see what look you're going for. Shabby Chic or even glam. What style speaks to you. Of course, Pinterest is an amazing resource as well.

Dollar Tree
The Dollar Tree has been a lifesaver when it comes to me creating tablescapes. You don't have to get everything from here. However, stop by your local Dollar Tree, and figure out what items that are on your tablescape shopping list that they have.

Need
Now that you've done all the above, it's time to create a shopping list and see what you need. Do you want to add wine glasses or purchase charms to add to your tablescape? You might even what to DIY a few items. Right down a list of everything that you'll need.

Check Out My Valentine's Day Tablescape

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