{Recipe Alert: Homemade Tomato Sauce}

I had a bunch of tomatoes, green peppers and onions from our CSA box so I decided to make...

Fresh Pasta Sauce

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(green peppers, onion and garlic)

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(fresh herbs from my patio garden)

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Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour. I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and sugar.

Delicioso!!

xoxo,

Ronita

{LUSH Cosmetics' Emotional Brilliance Color Line}

Yesterday, on my lunch break I took a fun trip to my local LUSH. I have been hearing a ton about the new Emotional Brilliance Color line and being a LUSH-lover I had to check it out!

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When I arrived I was greeted by a lovely associate who began to tell me about the line and how it's based off emotions.

The first step to choosing your color  is to do a guided color reading...

You relax, close your eyes, clear your mind, and when you open, select 3 colors that you are drawn to...

The colors you choose and the order you choose them have significance.

Here is my experience.

I selected ...

1. Fantasy (gold eyeliner)

2. Feeling Secure  (bluish eyeliner)

3. Ambition (reddish orange lipstick)

According to LUSH co-founder and inventor of Emotional Brilliance Rowena Bird, the order in which you choose the colours reveals your current state of mind.

1. Your first colour choice symbolises your strength or weakness (Fantasy)

2. Your second resonates with your primary subconscious need (Feeling Secure)

3. Your third choice represents your talent, the thing that will help you to achieve that subconscious need (Ambition)

After the reading I played around with all the colors and was very impressed with how pigmented and smooth they were. LUSH has done a great job with these not to mention all the great ingredients they contain. I'm not sold on the color reading part but it's great marketing and adds a little allure to the product.

The only draw back which is a big one in my book is the PRICE...at $22.95 a bottle they are very expensive BUT would be a treat to own.

Also included in the line is a translucent powder, brightening cream and bronzing cream.

***

Here are some campaign photos I found via OliveCoCo Online Magazine....

Great job LUSH!!!

xoxo,

Ronita

{Cincinnati: Sawyer Point Picnic}

We love getting out and enjoying Cincinnati. This past weekend we took the opportunity to visit Sawyer Point.

Great weather. A little picnic. Family.

What's better...

A view from our spot under the big tree.

The Views

Otto Armleder Aqua Fountain

We LOVE Cincinnati.

xoxo,

Ronita

{CSA Box #2}

This week we really received some great produce.

Cantaloupe, blackberries, onion, beets, green peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and of course farm fresh brown eggs.

We really love supporting our local farm and supporting the health of our bodies.

Wouldn't you know, I have every intention of making a jar of blackberry sauce but...Tre' loves blackberries...raw unsweetened...blackberries...

xoxo,

Ronita

{fresh food fetish}

I love FOOD and I love cooking. 

The summer makes it so easy to access and use fresh fruits and veggies in my daily recipes.

Here are some of our fresh food snapshots.

Our first CSA box of the summer season. Summer squash, green bell peppers, corn, cabbage (red and green), tomatoes, potatoes, onion.

A bowl of lemons and limes to make fresh squeezed lemon/limeade and some lemon/lime dessert bars (recipe to come).

Purple potatoes which I chopped and combined in a casserole dish with olive oil, fresh thyme, basil, sage, oregano, parsley, 2 cloves of minced garlic a pinch of salt and pepper. I baked on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes and they were so good. Even the boys enjoyed them!

What fresh produce to do enjoy during the summer? Are you looking forward to anything in the fall?

I am starting my fall seeds now and hope to plant  next week. 

xoxo,

Ronita

{July in Cincinnati: Northside, Dwele, Washington Park, City Flea, oh my!}

Cincinnati is alive! 

So far, this summer has proven to be very HOT and very entertaining!

With our 104 degree days oct would want to stay inside. Well we are braving the elements and having some fun along the way.

The city is truly coming alive thanks to those who have a vision to bring the fun, the different, the LOVE to Cincy!

Here are a few events that we have enjoyed this summer!

NORTHSIDE 4th of JULY PARADE

FRIDAY FLOW: DWELE concert in the park

WASHINGTON PARK AFTER DARK

JULY CITY FLEA

Does your city come alive in the summer?

xoxo,

Ronita

{Video ALERT: Proud Mommy Moments- Summer Edition}

Tre's Yellow Stripe Test from Ronita Dean on Vimeo.

I am always very proud of my boys but these two events stand out and we are celebrating. Last year Roman did not want to have anything to do with floating on his back. What a difference a year makes!!

Tre' tested for his yellow stripe and did such a great job!!

We are so very proud of both of them.

xoxo,
Ronita

{July Sample Boxes}

I love getting mail every month. I love trying new beauty products. 

What better way to do both than receiving monthly subscription sample boxes. 

Here is this month's lineup.

My Shade of Brown 

Beauty and cosmetic geared towards women of color.

Nail polish pen, Pooka Pure and Simple body scrub, Butterfly Beauty body creme, Juicy Mist refresher

curlBox

Haircare products geared towards natural beauties.

2 full size Motions Natural you! shampoo and conditioner, Jane Carter Solutions condition and sculpt, shearadiance nourishing hair cream

BirchBox

The first sample box program.

Stila lipgloss, Über snackbar, Coco de Soleil hair gloss, Ada Cosmetics bronzer, Harvey Prince perfume sample, and BirchBox earbuds

Julep Maven

Nail polish and nail product box.

I received these beauties over a few shipments but my July box included the two glitters, a white pearl and lipgloss

GlossyBox USA

Beauty products sourced from all over the world.

AHAVA velvet cream body wash, FirstAid Beauty Smooth Shave Cream, Wella Moisturizing Treatment, Ofra cream eyeshadow, vbeaute eye treatments, Perfume Organics perfume sample

Some of them I LOVE and some of them I can go without. I guess that's the point...sample before you commit. 

Do you try sample boxes?

xoxo,

Ronita