The Siberian American

Friday, February 3, 2017

Friday Favorites: Lots of Mini Life Updates

Happy Friday, friends! I feel like I haven’t updated y’all on life in a while, so I thought I would do that today.

One.
My little brother turns 21 today! (Anyone with younger siblings knows how old that makes me feel). He just left Texas on Tuesday to spend a semester studying abroad in Prague, so I hope he has the best time celebrating! It was funny because he was a little bummed he is celebrating his 21st birthday in a country where the legal drinking age is 18. Happy birthday, Vlady!


Two.
Now that it’s February, I’m getting really excited for our trip to Denver and Breckenridge. Chris has been a bit worn out during his current rotation, so it’s time for a break. Plus, his schedule will get much harder after we get back, so it will be nice to feel refreshed.

Three.
I am so excited to say Chris and I managed to meal plan for the entire month of January! I know that doesn’t sound like much to most, but I hate meal planning (or deciding what to cook in general), but since we’ve started doing it together, it has become a fun thing for us to do together. I’ll definitely post some more of our recent favorite recipes soon (this was my last recipe post).

Four.
That said, we are still continuing our tradition of going on a date once a week. We usually try to do it on Thursday, but we move it around according to our schedules. We love that time of focusing solely on each other, and I’ve been able to keep it budget friendly with coupons and Groupons.


Five.
I’ve been working on some early spring cleaning, and it feels so great to get rid of some of the clutter. I was clearing out my closet a bit because mom asked me if I had any clothes to send to Russia, and even though I purged in June, it was amazing how many clothes I found to give her. She even asked me if I really wanted to give all of that away. Yes, yes I do!


Have a great weekend, everyone! What have you been up to lately?

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Valentine's Day Makeup Look with HoneyGlam Ink

I have always loved makeup. I’m that girl with three full boxes of makeup from subscription boxes I haven’t tried yet but will get to eventually. When a friend invited me to join a Facebook group called HoneyGlam Ink, where people share photos and makeup tips in a safe, fun community. A few months later, Erika, the founder of HoneyGlam Ink, launched her own makeup line with her business partner Leanne! I was so intrigued I did something I have never done before—I reached out to Erika to see if she wanted to do a collaboration.


This post (excluding the HoneyGlam Ink links) contains affiliate links. If you click on them, I get a tiny commission!

If I could only wear one makeup item for the rest of my life, I would pick eyeliner, so Erika sent me the HoneyGlam Ink Luxe Crème Eyeliner in Onyx and Angled Eye Liner Brush. I had never tried a crème liner before, so I was really interested to see what it was like. Y’all, this eyeliner is perfect. The angled brush made it so easy to apply, and the texture was incredibly smooth. The best part was the staying power! The eyeliner did not move all day, and that’s a huge win in my book! I am always curious about how small business owners come up with their products, so I had to ask Erika and Leanne how they came up with the eyeliner and brush:


"The crème liner was our brainchild to combine the ease of applying a tighter eyeshadow line with the staying power and appearance of a liquid line. We decided to bring a product to market that beginners and pros can use with ease, combined with a perfect fine line natural haired brush to make any eye look timeless. Although gel is not a new concept, we have found a great balance between staying power and pigment to deliver the most dramatic and clean eyeshadow looks."



Since I did a bold line with the onyx eyeliner, I decided to do a soft look for the rest of my makeup. I used my favorite neutral palette-TheBalm Nude'tude Eyeshadow Palette in Sultry blended with ShadowSense in Candlestone Shimmer to add a little sparkle, Laura Geller New York Beauty Baked Blush-n-Brighten in Tropic Hues, TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter & Shimmer, and LipSense in Gingerbread and Bombshell Diamond with Bougainvillea Gloss. PS-Interested in LipSense? Erika is currently selling it on the HoneyGlam Ink Facebook page for 10 percent off!



HoneyGlam Ink also features beautiful eye shadow, a powdered liner pencil, and gorgeous lashes. If you want to join in on the makeup discussion fun, join the HoneyGlam Ink Facebook group! Everyone is welcome. Erika and Leanne are also offering my readers 10 percent off their entire cart through the end of February.


I received the HoneyGlam Ink crème eyeliner and brush for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.

Have you ever tried a crème eyeliner? What makeup are you planning for Valentine's Day?

Monday, January 30, 2017

Lake Michigan Circle Tour: Pyramid Point Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

After spending the morning hiking to Big Sable Point Lighthouse and enjoying the views at Arcadia Inspiration Point, Chris and I were excited to get to Traverse City and spend the afternoon at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We knew we wanted to hike a trail, but we didn’t want to pick something too intense since we had Skyler with us, and she had already been on a long hike with us that day.


The Pyramid Point Trail is listed at a 2.7-mile hike roundtrip, though my FitBit showed it as a little over three miles. The hike is through a maple-beech forest and ends at a gorgeous bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. We really enjoyed the walk, and the view was even better.


We decided to do only one hike since we also wanted to do Glen Haven and the Pierce Stocking Drive, but I would love to spend more time near Traverse City and go back to Sleeping Bear Dunes!



Catch Up on Our Lake Michigan Circle Tour Road Trip:
Have you ever been to Michigan?

Friday, January 27, 2017

Seven Foods That Will Change Your Life

Quick note: Today is the last day to sign up for our Galentine's Blogger Gift Exchange! Click here for more details.

This is a sponsored post written by the company, but I wouldn't share it if I didn't believe everything it says. One of my goals is to eat healthier in 2017, and this post is a great way for me to get started in the right direction.

You don’t have to win the lottery or do something drastic to change your life, making some tweaks in your diet is a great start, particularly if you eat way too much unhealthy food. These diet choices don’t provide much-needed nutrients for the healthy functioning of your body and it is needless to mention they affect your waistline at the same time. Introducing different foods to your diet will help you stay healthy, manage weight, and gain a different perspective regarding other aspects of your life. It all starts with a diet which is why this post features seven foods that you should eat to change your life.


Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds offer a wide array of health benefits due to the fact they are an incredible source of zinc, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and so on. For example, magnesium participates in multiple processes in your body and improves heart health. This way, these tiny seeds can, actually, prevent heart attack, cardiac arrest, and stroke. High level of zinc is essential for strong immunity that keeps you healthy and fends off viruses and infections. Here’s yet another reason to eat more pumpkin seeds, they promote restful sleep. They are a rich source of tryptophan, an amino acid converted into the serotonin in your body. Then, serotonin is converted to melatonin, the sleep hormone. Getting enough sleep is essential for productivity, energy levels, stress management, beauty, and so on.


Quinoa
Quinoa is widely popular among vegetarians and vegans, but even if you don’t adhere to these eating patterns you should still introduce it to your diet. The reason is simple, quinoa is incredibly healthy thanks to high fiber content, B vitamins, potassium, Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, and antioxidants. Plus, it’s ideal for people who are gluten intolerant. Some health benefits associated with quinoa intake include blood sugar control, improvement in metabolic health, aids weight loss, and so on. Nowadays, you can have quinoa when you’re eating out, all you have to do is to find a restaurant that suits your needs and preferences.


Cherries
While most people use cherries as ingredients in desserts such as Cherry Cobbler with Cheese Cream Crust, they’re more than that. These are extremely beneficial for your health due to high nutritional content including an abundance of vitamins and antioxidants. Cherries have a low glycemic index thus posing as a perfect snack for diabetics. Moreover, they are a great source of melatonin, which helps you sleep better and it is needless to mention that cherries are well-known for their ability to help you lose weight. Other benefits you can expect with regular consumption of cherries are a lower risk of stroke, beautiful and nourished skin, alleviating muscle pain, and so on.


Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink that most people have never heard of. Just like yogurt is made from live culture, kefir comprises of bacteria that your organism needs to properly digest foods and absorb nutrients. In fact, kefir is a more powerful probiotic than yogurt which is why you should definitely give it a try. Certain probiotics in kefir have antibacterial properties and offer protection from infections. Thanks to the high level of calcium, kefir protects bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If you’re lactose intolerant, you’ll be happy to know that kefir is perfectly safe for you.


Green tea
Even if you’re not a “tea person” you still shouldn’t avoid green tea, the healthiest beverage on the planet. It is abundant in antioxidants and nutrients that keep you healthy and happy. Active ingredients in this beverage improve brain function and enhance your cognitive abilities. Also, this tea is well-known for the tremendous potential to burn fat and help you lose weight. Just take a look at some weight loss products on the market and you’ll see they contain green tea. Thanks to high antioxidant content, the beverage lowers your risk of different kinds of cancer such as breast, prostate cancer. If you want to maintain your beautiful smile, green tea steps up again as it kills bacteria and improves dental health.


Sweet potatoes
It’s not uncommon for people to assume that all healthy foods are expensive and difficult to find. But, that’s far from the truth! Let’s take sweet potatoes as an example, they are high in Vitamin B6 which reduces homocysteine chemical in our body (known for inducing heart attacks and degenerative diseases). Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and so on. Plus, they’re abundant in potassium which regulates your blood pressure. Although sweet-tasting, they don’t cause spikes in blood sugar levels.


Dark chocolate
Although everybody is a chocoholic to some degree, most people stay away from dark chocolate because it’s “not sweet enough.” What it lacks in sweetness, dark chocolate makes up with incredible health benefits it provides. In fact, its benefits go so far that scientists refer to it as a superfood. Dark chocolate is nutritious and supplies the body with fiber, antioxidants, magnesium, manganese, copper, potassium, zinc, selenium, and phosphorus. Regular intake of dark chocolate protects brain health and improves cognitive abilities, lowers blood pressure and regulates blood flow, manages cholesterol levels, protects skin against the sun, and much more.


Making some tweaks in your diet can, indeed, change your life because you feel healthier, happier, and you become more mindful. As a result, you instinctively make healthier lifestyle choices that improve the overall quality of life. This post just gave seven pointers that you can use to start making that change.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

2017 Travel Plans

I have had a lot of questions about our travel plans for this year, and to be honest, I have been hesitant to write a post about it because everything is still up in the air. The medical new year starts in July, so Chris can’t ask for time off to be approved until after that. Today, I thought I would share the three trips we do have in the works.


Denver and Breckenridge
My in-laws gifted us a trip to Denver and Breckenridge in February, and I am so excited to go. Chris has wanted to go skiing since we got married, and I don’t like skiing, so I am glad he is able to go with them. I am planning on exploring the cute town!


Yellowstone
We have a trip booked to Yellowstone in September contingent on Chris getting the time off. We had originally had it planned for May but got denied (it turned out fine since my brother-in-law is now getting married during the time we would have been gone). My mother-in-law has wanted me to see Yellowstone since Chris and I got married, so I am really hoping this is the year we get to go! I’m actually excited the trip got moved to September because it won’t be as crowded.


San Antonio
We had originally planned to go to San Antonio over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend because Chris magically got it off. That changed when my best friend’s mom passed away. We are still hoping to make the trip this year if Chris manages to have three days off in a row again. Since we are driving, I prefer to have three days, so we aren’t spending most of our weekend driving. Chris and I haven’t been to San Antonio since early in our marriage, so I am eager to visit again.


I am also the matron of honor in a wedding in November (of my best friend whose mom just passed away), so I will be planning a Bachelorette party once I know where they will be in the summer (her fiancé is in the military). I’m also hoping to add one more trip with Chris once we get a better idea of what his schedule is going to be like.

I would love to hear your travel plans for 2017 in the comments! Know anything about where we’re headed? I love getting recommendations!
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