SOCIAL MEDIA

9.22.2018

Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe



Happy Fall! Today is the first day of Fall, so that means it's officially the beginning of chili weather...Who else loves chili weather?! There is just something about a hot bowl of chili on a crisp Fall night.... My family has been making this particular White Chicken Chili for several years. It's our go-to recipe for a chilly evening at home. This recipe is definitely not your typical chili. It's a mexican inspired white chili with chicken, rotel, cream cheese, and a load of yummy spices! It's hearty and filling, yet quick and easy. Whenever my mom makes it, all of her married kids find themselves "stopping by" to grab a bowl...  It's just that good! The recipe was passed on from my cousin, Danette, and now all the ladies in my family have shared the recipe.




 What You Will Need

1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
2 cans Rotel (I use Mild, but if you like it spicier you can use the Original)
1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (I use light)
3 medium sized chicken breasts (or 3 large cans of chicken)

For Toppings or Dipping

shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips


Directions

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at the bottom of your crockpot, then add corn (undrained), rotel (undrained), and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on high for 3-3.5 hours. (You can also put it on low for 6 hours). After chicken is fully cooked shred it with two forks inside of crockpot. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Since this is a thicker stew I like to top it with cheese and sour cream, and dip tortilla chips in mine. So yummy! Enjoy!


9.14.2018

My 3 Favorite Fall Trends of 2018


Fall Fashion is my absolute favorite. There is just something about cozy layers that gets me excited everytime the Fall season starts to roll around. I love to stick to the traditional, classic plaids, wools, and Ralph Lauren-esque looks during the cold winter months... but this year there are some new trends that are really catching my eye, so I thought I would share with you My 3 Favorite Fall Trends of 2018.

Overall Dresses/Jumpers







This is a blast from the past for me, personally. I grew up in the 90's and everybody wore jumpers. I mean I feel like my childhood was jumper heaven... So, when overall dresses started to make a comeback I was hesitant at first... After a while the new sleek, modern, approach to jumpers really started to grow on me. So, I went on an expedition to find the perfect overall dress to add to my Classically Courtney Collection with Lace & Lilac. After a long search, (what can I say... I'm picky!) we finally found the perfect cozy, caramel colored overall dress. I love that it is so sleek and trendy, yet it will pair perfectly with classic riding boots, boot socks, and your favorite thermal, sweater,or plaid button up. I'm wearing the small in the overall dress and it fits true to size. I'm normally a small or a size 6.

https://www.lacenlilac.com/collections/classically-courtney-collection/products/classic-caramel-overall-dress
CLICK HERE TO SHOP MY OVERALL DRESS

Newsboy/Cabby Hats




I have been into these hats for years. My sister, Brooklyn, has been a hat girl for life. She has worn this style of hat since we were teenagers. I always loved them, but never thought that I could pull them off. Over the past few years I decided that... life is short... if I like it, I'm going to wear it! ha! So, now I am definitely a self-proclaimed "hat girl"... I wear many different styles of hats all through Fall and Winter, and even baseball caps in the Summer. When the newsboy style hat started becoming popular again I was so excited because it is one of my favorite classic styles! You can shop the hat I'm wearing below. It's only $11.99 with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime, and it's also available in several other colors. I'm wearing the coffee color.



Long, Textured Cardigans





Long cardigans have been popular for the past few Fall seasons, but I am loving the chunky, textured, fuzzy options that are popular this year. I mean what is better than feeling like you're wearing your robe, but looking cute and put-together at the same time?! Ha! I love cozy, warm, layering pieces, and these definitely fit that description. I found the most soft, comfortable, long cardigans in the prettiest mauve and teal colors (also love that these colors are popular this season) and added them to my Classically Courtney Collection for Fall. They are an oversized fit (which I love). I'm wearing a small. You can shop these gorgeous cardigans as well as the denim skirt I'm wearing by clicking the photos below.


https://www.lacenlilac.com/collections/classically-courtney-collection/products/cozy-up-cardigan-in-teal

https://www.lacenlilac.com/collections/classically-courtney-collection/products/cozy-up-cardigan-in-mauve
THE MAUVE CARDIGAN

I hope you enjoyed My 3 Favorite Fall Trends of 2018! What are some of your favorite styles or trends this season?
9.05.2018

Healthy Glow Skin Care Routine

I have had a lot of requests to share my skin care routine. Although I am definitely not an expert, my mom really drilled into my sisters and me the importance of taking care of your skin. I didn't really have a lot of skin problems growing up, so I'll be honest and say that I didn't really take the best care of my skin in my teenage years... I did silly things like going to sleep with foundation on, swimming without sunscreen for hours, etc... NOT smart. Those are things that I totally regret as I get older.

Now that I'm in my late 20's I have really started to take an interest in taking care of my skin and trying to keep that youthful glow as long as I can. ;) So, today I'm happy to share with you my morning and evening skin care routine for healthy glowing skin. All the products are linked below.



Products you will need (Click each photo to shop)




  

1. Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Cottonseed

My mom has used Clarins skin care since she was in her 30's. Her face has really kept a youthful glow because of it. I absolutely love their face washes and toners. This face wash has been a go-to for me since my teen years for everyday use. It is all natural and soft on the skin (minimal redness after washing). It's perfect for normal or combination skin. I have combination skin... mostly dry except around my nose tends to get a little bit oily. If you have more oily skin I would recommend this face wash .

2. Exfolikate Face Wash by Kate Sommerville

2-3 times a week I will change up my routine and wash my face with an exfoliator to get rid of the dull/dry skin. This is by far the best exfoliator I have ever used. I was gifted this face wash in a FabFitFun collaboration, so I didn't have to pay for it, thankfully... It is quite pricey, but if you are looking for a game changer in your skin care routine, I highly recommend it. I will definitely be purchasing this once I run out.

3. Clarins Toning Lotion for Combination to Oily Skin

Don't let the title of this deceive you... It is not a lotion. Toner is a liquid that removes any last traces of cleanser or makeup, and it also balances your skin to keep you from getting oily throughout the day. I never really used toner until the last few years, and I couldn't believe the difference it made in my skin. I use the green toner for combination or oily skin to keep the oil at bay... I tried using the yellow toner for normal (not oily) skin, but found that my face got too shiny throughout the day... So, I opted for the combination/oily skin toner (the green bottle above).

4. Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb

I have always loved to try different moisturizers. This one, by far, has been the best one for me personally. Since I have combination skin I can't use a very heavy moisturizer or I will get oily in the center of my face... This Belif moisturizer is the perfect gel consistency that deeply hydrates your face without leaving it greasy. It is a bit on the pricey side, but honestly, it's the best moisturizer I have ever used, so I am willing to pay the price.

5. Clarins Multi-Active Eye Cream

This eye cream is a miracle worker. Since we are constantly traveling/staying up late after concerts I really struggle with puffy eyes in the mornings or on long trips... My mom got this eye cream for me for Christmas last year, and it has made a huge difference. It has the neatest "cold metal tip" that you use to softly massage the eye cream with, and it helps to soothe any puffiness or fluid retention. Usually about 30 mins to an hour after I use, it my puffy eyes are almost completely gone.

6. Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser

I use this as a makeup remover at night. I have never used anything that takes makeup off better than this! I usually just rub it onto my face to remove my foundation and mascara. It comes off like a charm! I love that it's super affordable, and... fun fact for you... my dad remembers his mom (my grandma Collingsworth) using Pond's Cold Cream when he was a little boy. It's a tried and true skin care product!



Morning Routine

Cleanse First


In the mornings I usually cleanse my face in the shower with my Clarins cleanser. I put a very small amount (think smaller than dime size... a little goes a long way) on a wet wash cloth. Softly massage it onto your wet face.... It will foam up a little. Once you have cleansed your entire face just rinse off! Simple and easy. If I showered the night before then I still do the same routine just at the sink. :)

2-3 times a week I will change out the Clarins cleanser for the Exfolikate cleanser. I don't use a wash cloth with this cleanser. Just rub it gently but firmly all over your face with your fingers. I usually leave it on while I finish the rest of my shower then rinse it at the end.

Tone Your Face

When I finish washing my face, I use a small cotton pad and apply about a nickel size of the toner onto the pad. Gently smooth the toner over your face with the pad. The toner is so easy on your skin that I even smooth this over my eyes to make sure there is no remaining eye makeup residue. I love how clean my face feels after this step.

Moisturize

I use about a dime size amount of moisturizer and smooth it evenly over my face. I don't use quite as much around the oily areas of my face. Make sure to moisturize your neck as well.

Apply Eye Cream

A little goes a long with with this stuff. I use a TINY little bit on two fingers and softly smooth it under my eyes. I use whatever is left and rub it over the top of my eyelids and brow bones. Next, use the metal applicator tip and place it under the eye and gently, but firmly press on the skin for about 5 seconds. I move along underneath the eye until I have pressed on all the skin under the eye, and then I smooth it over the eyelid. The cool metal tip really feels amazing. Repeat on the other eye. In about an hour you will notice your puffy eyes have disappeared!

That's it for my morning routine! Now your skin is perfectly clean, and moisturized. It makes a perfect base for your makeup, or you can let you natural beauty shine with an all natural skin day!








Evening Routine

Cleanse

At night I use the Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser to remove my makeup. Smooth it over your face and rub away all the makeup. Like I mentioned earlier, it removes foundation and eye makeup like a charm! When you have removed most of the makeup... use a warm, wet washcloth and wipe away the cleanser. After that I rinse my face and then dry it with a towel.

Cleanse Again (Optional)

I don't usually cleanse again since Pond's is technically a cleanser... but... if you feel like your skin still feels greasy, you can cleanse again with the Clarins cleanser.

Tone and Moisturize

I repeat the same toning and moisturizing techniques from my morning routine

Apply Eye Cream (Optional)

I have very sensitive eyes, so if I wear eye cream at night and even a drop of it gets into my eyes while I'm sleeping, then they will water like crazy and get really puffy, etc... So, I opt out of wearing eye cream at night. If your eyes aren't sensitive I would highly recommend wearing it at night as well.



I hope you enjoyed my Healthy Glow Skin Care Routine! <3 Thanks for reading!