How to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Hey everybody!

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is the cold weather and being able to snuggle up with a piping mug of hot chocolate! I've created a step-by-step instruction on my favorite way to make peppermint hot chocolate!

First, fill up a festive mug with milk*. For this recipe, water won't work.

You can either heat it up on the stove until it's near boiling, or just put it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.

While your milk is heating up, crush some candy canes or peppermints. I like to stick these mini canes in a plastic bag and roll over it with a rolling pin. That way, they're nice and crushed up.

After your milk is done heating up, get out a jar of Nutella. Put in a generous spoonful (or 2 stingy spoons) of Nutella into the milk along with the crushed peppermint, and stir.

Voilá! You're done! The hot chocolate should be minty, frothy, and delicious! For an added touch, hang a candy cane on the rim!

Hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

*I see you're using 1% milk. Is it because you think you're fat? 'Cause you're not. You could be using whole if you wanted to.

What I'm Thankful For: 2011

Hi everybody!

With Thanksgiving around, I thought it'd be a great idea to tell you what I'm thankful for this year. I'm incredibly blessed, and should count my blessings more often. This is why I love the holiday season! We really get to focus on giving, and all of the wonderful things in our lives. In no particular order, here's the list I've come up with:

1. Family- This one's a no brainer! My family is amazing! They're warm, supportive, and great people to be around. My parents especially have really shaped who I am today. And yes, I'm thankful for my brother as well! He's got a great sense of humor and can make me laugh even when I'm down. I'm also thankful for my grandma, who sends boxes full of American goodies!
2. Friends- I think it's important to surround yourself with trusting friends, and luckily, I've found some here in Dubai. They make hectic Dubai life seem much more inviting, and I don't get as homesick anymore. While living in Cyprus, I experienced having no friends, so I definitely appreciate each and every one of them!
3. Homeschool- I currently take online courses through K12, and I absolutely love it! The courses are very informative, fun, and enriching. I love homeschooling in general because it allows for a flexible schedule, and it has helped me grow as a person.
4. iPad- I know this is a material possession, but my iPad has honestly made my life a lot more fun! I can watch movies, listen to music, and flip through magazines all on one tablet! It's made the 16 hour plane rides back home more bearable.
5. Starbucks- I don't indulge too often, but when I do it's an absolute treat! Especially with the amazing holiday selections out, I can hardly choose between the Pumpkin Spice Latte or the White Peppermint Mocha!
6. Tumblr/ Blogspot- I love these blog sites because it allows me to post my thoughts and pictures while following other people of similar interest. 
7. Peter Piper's Pizza- Their pizza is possibly the greatest thing to grace my taste buds.
8. Piano/keyboard- I love having a full-sized keyboard that allows me to recreate and learn some of my favorite classical and pop pieces!

I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving! 

<3 Lucero

ChicRave: Inglot Cosmetics

Hey everybody!

I recently picked up some products from Inglot Cosmetics. I've heard many raves about this company on YouTube, especially from makeup artists. After hearing so much about the quality of this makeup, I was ecstatic when I found a store at the Dubai Mall! The company will ship online, but only a few cities in the US actually have walk-in stores.

After swatching the eyeshadows and feeling the smooth, finely milled texture, my mom let me pick out two palettes- a 10 piece eyeshadow palette, and a 4 piece blush palette. And so far, I have not been disappointed! The texture is so creamy and pigmented, it blends effortlessly.

Anther great feature about the freedom palettes is that the lids are magnetic. No need to worry about pesky hinges! Also, since the corners are magnetic, the palettes themselves stick together as well.

Here's a pretty eye look I did! 

Hope you all enjoyed the pretty pictures!
<3 Lucero

Happy Halloween!

Hey everybody!

Hope you all have had a wonderful Halloween! My brother and I went trick-or-treating, and I must say it was quite the success! We brought in a lot of candy!

I was a dead-zombie-pirate-angry face.

Look at all the amazing candies! Woo!

And that, officially wraps up Blogtober! It's been a wonderful month, and has gone by way too fast! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!
<3 Lucero

Last Minute Halloween Ideas

Hey everybody!

Tomorrow is Halloween, and it looks like some of you don't have a costume! Gasp! Never fear, for I have a few ideas in case you're caught without a costume.

Facebook: Simply write the word "book" on your face. Done!

Father time: Strap a giant clock (real or cardboard) to your chest. Alternatively, you could be seen as Flavor Flav.

Nerd: Pop out a pair of 3-D glasses and put a little bit of duct tape in between the lenses. Bonus points for carrying around a text book (this works best at school).

Ironic ghost: Drape a white sheet over yourself. It's so simple, it's inventive. Your hipster friends will adore you. It's even better if you don't cut out eye holes, that way you can run into furniture and people.

Mime: Wear all black, and refuse to talk. Even if this lands you in the principal's office, you must communicate using only charades.

Everybody: Strap a mirror to yourself. If anybody asks who you are, say you're them! That way, you can be everybody this Halloween!

Dead person/ zombie: Just don't put on makeup when you wake up. Zing! Kidding, just add a little bit of black eyeshadow under your eyes and you'll look like the undead.

Tooth decay: Tape a bunch of candies to yourself, and tell everybody to stop brushing their teeth.

Baby: Wear a pajama onesie and drool all over yourself. Only eat baby food or food that doesn't required chewing.

Hipster: Just kidding! Real hipsters don't realize they're hipster.

Homeless Robot: Cut arm and leg holes in a cardboard box. Carry around a sign that says "Will do the Robot for money."

Quarterback: Place a large, round piece of paper with 25¢ written on it on your back.

Baked potato: Wrap yourself in aluminum foil and stick a pat of butter on your forehead.

Youtube: Print out the Youtube logo, stick it on a white shirt, and tape an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or other portable device to your stomach. Have your device play videos all day!

Hope you found an interesting costume idea!
<3 Lucero

Lecrae Concert!

Hey everybody!

Today, I went to the Youth Festival Jam 2011, featuring Lecrae! It was an amazing time, and there were so many inspirational speakers and musicians there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take too many good pictures, because the lighting was weird, and people's heads were constantly in my shots. Sometimes being short is a total pain. But either way, here are a few highlights of the evening!

First up we had the band Creepy Puppets open up the event. He was very enthusiastic to say the least!

After a few songs from Creepy Puppets, a spokesperson from the organization To Write Love On Her Arms(TWLOHA) talked about the organization and his experiences. TWLOHA is a non-profit organization which specializes in helping people with depression, self-injury, and addiction. They directly help people by donating proceeds from t-shirt and wrist band sales to rehab treatments.

Next, we had a speaker come up and perform a monologue. It was a story about a man dealing with substance abuse who finds the meaning of life, Jesus Christ.

Shortly after, a pastor came on stage and performed a few songs, including Coldplay's "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall".

Finally, after hours of waiting, Lecrae started performing! Lecrae is a Christian hip-hop artist who raps about his experiences in life and with Christ.

Hope you all enjoyed!
<3 Lucero

Isaiah's Fave Movies

Hey everybody!

Today I decided to let my little brother, Isaiah help with a blog post. So, here are some of his favorite movies! In no particular order, we have:

• Captain America
• Green Hornet
• Yogi Bear
• Breakfast Club
• Sixteen Candles
• Coraline
• Spy Kids 3-D
• The Waterboy
• Nacho Libre
• War Games
• Alice in Wonderland
• The Bee Movie
• Horton Hears a Who
• Forrest Gump
• Gulliver's Travels
• Kung Fu Panda 1 & 2
• Spiderman 1, 2, & 3
• Monsters vs. Aliens
• The Sandlot
• Tangled
• X-Men Origins & First Class

All of these movies have Isaiah's seal of approval. Until next time,

<3 Lucero

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Hey everybody!

As most of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I think it's important to spread awareness and donate to charity, because this is a very important cause. I recently picked up a bracelet from Lilly Pulitzer, and this company has pledged to donate a minimum of $10,000 from the bracelet profits to breast cancer research. I'm actually going to be gifting this to my grandma who is a breast cancer survivor for Christmas! :)

It came in a lovely little blue pouch.

The bracelet itself is gold-plated, and measures 7 inches long.

Though this bracelet is no longer available for purchase, here are some more products you can buy to donate to breast cancer research.

• Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator Treatment for Dry, Damaged Hair
• Aveda Hand Relief Creme 
• Estee Lauder's Elizabeth Hurley Pink Ribbon Set 
• Tweezerman Pink Ribbon Slant Tweezer Special Edition

Even though October is coming to a close, I hope you have a chance to do your part and help donate even just  a few dollars to breast cancer awareness and research. Until next time,

<3 Lucero

Picasa Vs. Photoshop

Hey everybody!

Today I'd like to discuss the differences between Picasa and Photoshop. Both are great tools when working with pictures, and both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Photoshop
One of the great things about Photoshop is that a wide variety of edits and manipulations can be made to the pictures. The options are practically limitless! Want brighter eyes? It's easy! Slimmer legs? You've got it! Perfect skin? It's a snap! If you're tech savvy, or willing to spend time learning the software, this is a great option.
However, one of the downfalls is price. It costs hundreds of dollars, and not very many people can shell out that kind of money on something like an editing software. Even I don't own a copy of it! All of the experience I have had with it comes from my time at computer camp. With my time working with photoshop I learned that it's not an easy little project to pick up, it actually takes time and skill to learn how to use it. But once you get the hang of it, using all of the tools becomes second nature.

Picasa
I think the biggest advantage to Picasa is that it's completely free! It's owned by Google, and is available for download at any time. It's also easy to pick up. All of the tools and buttons are labeled, and easy to access. It's also great for beginners or people who don't have enough time to learn a complex editing software. In fact, I edited my new header using Picasa!
One of the downfalls is that the number of editing tricks and fixes is infinitely smaller than on Photoshop. Most of the generic, basic, edits are available, such as cropping, blemish- corrector, and so on. If you wanted to edit your photo to make you look 10 years younger and 20 pounds lighter, Picasa is not for you. But if you just want to have fun and make cute pictures, then Picasa is a fabulous, free, option!

I hope this helped for anybody wanting to try out either of these softwares! Until next time,
<3 Lucero

I'm Blue

Hey everybody!

I have a few pictures taken outside my house. I filmed a YouTube video today, with the theme of blue accent pieces. Here are pictures of my two favorite outfits!

Hope you enjoyed!
<3 Lucero