1.  Batiste Dry Shampoo. $7.74 at Walmart.

So I know Batiste may not be the original dry shampoo, but to me it is the OG Mack Daddy of all dry shampoos.  My friends in the UK turned me on to Batiste about 10 years ago (at the time I was sprinkling baby powder on my roots to extend my washes – so imagine my excitement when I found a dry shampoo solution in an aerosol can!) and I have been a faithful user ever since.  While this is a product that I use year-round, I find it especially useful in the summer when you’ve been outside all day and maybe you’ve just washed your hair, but it just feels a bit grimy (and maybe even smells a bit sweaty).  Gross, I know, but a few spritzes of Batiste Dry Shampoo and my hair is like new again.  When Walmart started carrying Batiste I was THRILLED.  To me this was a luxury product, and the best on the market, so being able to pick it up at Walmart is a total win.

2. Kukui Oil. $6.42 at Walmart.

This product suggest that it is best used for curly hair but don’t listen! What it should say, in my opinion, is that it is for hair with texture.  So if you ever have a frizz problem, you will love this oil.  I use it on my hair as a leave-in conditioner after my showers in the summer, and I use it as an anti-frizz spray on my ends in-between washes.  It leaves my hair super soft, and I love the way it smells.  I switched to using oil on my hair about 5 years ago and I haven’t looked back.  However, some oils can get very pricey, which makes Kukui Oil extra appealing! (Tip:  Try spraying this generously on wet hair, root to tip, and then wrapping your hair in a loose bun and leaving the oil on overnight. In the shower the next morning shampoo and condition as usual – and prepared to be amazed at how incredible your hair feels once it is dry!)

3. Burt’s Bees BB Cream. $12.82 at Walmart

I am a total makeup addict, but in the summer my concealer just melts off of my face (and it looks terrible, too).  So when the temperatures rise, I ditch the heavy concealer and switch to a BB cream with SPF.  I recently stumbled upon the Burt’s Bees BB cream and I am in love.  It has a broad spectrum SPF 15, moisturizes my skin and protects it from the dry summer air, and evens out my skin tone just enough to give me that perfect summer glow without looking “over” done.  If you’re still using concealer in the summer but you can’t imagine going foundation-free, try switching to a more lightweight BB Cream like this one – I think you’ll be impressed at just how effective it is! (Tip: I apply my BB cream just like I apply my foundation – with a beauty blender like this one.  This gives you more even coverage and looks more natural than using your fingers.  Just be sure to clean it after every use!)

So those are my 3 must-have beauty products for the summer!  What do you do to change up your beauty routine?  What are your must-have products?  Share with me in the comments – I can’t wait to check them all out!

Read the original 3 Must-Have Beauty Products for Summer 2016 on Chic Shopper Chick.

Thankfully, we already had some awesome patio furniture that I received almost SEVEN years ago from the Better Homes and Gardens at Walmart.  You guys, this furniture has been outside for seven years AND made the cross-country move from Louisiana to California and it still looks amazing.  There really can’t be a better endorsement than that!

I swept and rinsed off the back patio and moved the furniture into a more cohesive circle around the firepit. Then I went to Walmart to figure out what I could do to spice things up on our back patio.  Honestly, I thought I was going to buy some plants and some pretty pots to add around the yard, but as I was browsing the garden section I came across these awesome Better Homes and Gardens Edison String Lights for $12.  TWELVE DOLLARS.  I seriously think people around me were alarmed because I was totally talking to myself – “NO. WAY. These things are like FIFTY BUCKS a string everywhere else!”  Because y’all, they are.  I have been drooling over these old-fashioned bulb outdoor string lights for years now but I’ve never pulled the trigger because let’s face it  – these are a “nice to have” and not so much a “need to have”.  But for twelve dollars? They instantly became a NEED to have.

I raced home drove home while obeying all speed limits and immediately unboxed and tested each strand to make sure all of the bulbs worked.  I won’t lie – I was skeptical. It’s like Christmas lights – there has to be one or two strands that don’t work right out of the box, right?  Lucky for me all 40 lights worked perfectly – I was so impressed!

I hung our gorgeous new lights in the backyard then invited my 10 year old son and husband outside to hang out in our cozy new space. It was instantly a hit– since I installed the new lights we have been sitting outside every night – it has been wonderful!

If you are looking for a quick way to spice up your back patio, back yard, side yard – whatever – you should definitely check out the extensive selection of outdoor lighting at Walmart. I also saw colored bulbs, mirror glass bulbs, and many other options — I was really impressed with the selection.

What do you think of our little backyard makeover?

Read the original Turn Your Backyard Into an Entertainer’s Delight on Chic Shopper Chick.

I ran by Walmart to pick up a few things to make these adorable 4th of July desserts.  Luckily I already had the graham crackers, butter, and lemon juice, so I only needed to fill in the blanks.  I was in and out of the store in less than 10 minutes, and I spent less than $12 dollars.  That’s a steal, right?!

Here’s what you need to make these yummy treats:

• Graham crackers, crushed (I put these in a little ziplock bag and let my son have at ’em)
• 3 tbsp of butter, melted
• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
• 1 tbsp of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 can of condensed milk
• freshly washed strawberries, quartered
• freshly washed blueberries
• whipped cream

The process of making these little no-bake cheesecake parfaits is super easy.

1. Add melted butter to crushed graham crackers and mix until well-combined.
2. Using a hand mixer, combine 2 packs of cream cheese, 1 can of condensed milk, and lemon juice until well blended.
3. Add the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of a glass or jar.
4. Now layer: Cheesecake mixture, fruit, cheesecake mixture, graham crackers, fruit and so on.

That’s it!  This makes a super easy 4th of July dessert that the entire crowd will love!

Aren’t they adorable?

If you are looking for a similar idea but don’t want to make individual parfaits, try this family-sized 4th of July dessert – I call it Strawberry and Stars Shortcake – that I made a few years back.

Thanks so much to Walmart for sponsoring this post – and I hope that you all have a wonderful, relaxing, and safe 4th of July weekend.

Read the original 4th of July Dessert Recipe – No-Bake Mini Cheesecake Parfaits on Chic Shopper Chick.

I took her advice and gave it a try – and she was right!  My hair was much more bouncy, and felt light as if I had just left the salon.  I have thick, textured hair with lots of length and volume so I quickly discovered that this trick only worked for me every few washes – turns out the extra weight on my hair is not always a bad thing for controlling frizz and fly aways!

Because I’ve been using this trick every 5 washes or so I was super excited when Tresemme’ and Walmart reached out to me and offered me the chance to try out the new TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume collection which involves — you guessed it — conditioning first and shampooing second!

The idea behind the TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume Collection is simple – many women who are in search of volume often have to use so many products to get the oompf that their hair needs that they end up with stiff, crunchy hair.  The TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume Collection promises soft hair with volume by reversing the traditional shampoo then condition routine so that the pre-wash conditioner softens the hair and then the shampoo washes away the weight.

You can also buy the extended line of products such as the TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume Maximizer, TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume Mousse, and TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume Hairspray to help you really complete the look.  And as always, Walmart and TRESemme makes sure to offer all of this at a super-reasonable price point – each product in the line retails for $4.94 each.

I’ve been using the products for about 10 days now and I can report that I really like it.  It has the feel of a very expensive shampoo and conditioner but a fantastic price point.  I have noticed that because I have thick hair that I can’t use it 2 washes in a row without my hair losing its mind, but considering that this line is really for women with thinner hair than mine it still serves it’s purpose.

The other products that TRESemme kindly sent me to try were the newest Shampoo and Conditioner fromtheir TRESemme Botanique Collection.  My daughter and I both absolutely love this collection – it is super smoothing and leaves our hair really soft.  The crunchy mom in me loves the fact that it contains no parabens, no dyes and contains natural products like coconut oil, coconut milk, and aloe vera extract. It’s also safe for color-treated hair like mine.  (What, you didn’t think I came by this fabulous auburn naturally, did you?)  Bonus–it smells delicious!

Thanks Walmart and TRESemme for the opportunity to take these awesome products for a test drive!  I think my hair looks gorgeous!

Read the original TRESemme Beauty-Full Volume Turns Your Beauty Routine Upside Down on Chic Shopper Chick.

After many, many (no seriously like. so. many.) hours of research on my travel bible, Trip Advisor, we settled on using a tour company (Driver Guide Service) to get us to and from the ship, and to arrange a private tour of Rome.  We could have done this by booking a shore excursion on the cruise, but what we really wanted was to be able to see Rome our way – and not be stuck on a tour with a hundred other people.  Of all the companies available I chose Driver Guide Service because they have over 1,300 reviews and FIVE STARS on Trip Advisor.  Do you know how hard it is to have that many reviews and have a perfect rating?  Being that we had an 8 and 9 year old in tow I also wanted a guide who could keep all 4 of us entertained, and who would not only not mind, but actually enjoy our children, and all of the reviews seemed to indicate that DGS would be the perfect match.

When we stepped off the ship in Civitavecchia we met our guide, Pietro–a super energetic, welcoming, hilarious, lifelong Roman who was excited to get our day started.  He promptly showed us to our private, air-conditioned van and we began our 1.5 hour journey into Rome.  Pietro didn’t waste any time, he took advantage of our time driving into Rome to talk to us about the history of Rome, and find out exactly what we wanted to see during our time there.  The biggest benefit to hiring a private guide and car service in Rome is that they can pull right up in front of the attractions – they are allowed to stop and park where others can not.  This means we were able to see much more in a day than we could have on our own!

Our first stop was Piazza Navona – a place I had requested to show the kids because it is a beautiful traditional Roman Piazza that was built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian dating back to 1st century AD.  The shape of the Piazza follows the open space of the stadium, and though the stadium is no longer there it contains other gems, such as Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers.  If this fountain sounds familiar to you (aside from the fact that it is famous in it’s own right) it is because it was featured in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons as one of the Altars of Science.

Don’t worry – our tour wasn’t all history and art.  Thanks to Pietro’s tutoring, Banks had a great time learning to drink from a Roman water fountain–much to the delight of his sister and dad!

After our stop here we hopped back in the van with Pietro and he took us over to to the Pantheon which is one of the best-preserved Ancient Roman buildings.  Pietro wowed us with the knowledge that to this day it is still unknown exactly how the dome stands – it is actually the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome – and it is spectacular.  The current building was finished between 126-128 AD and is still currently in use as a Catholic Church.  Can you imagine having your wedding in something so beautiful and so steeped in history?!

Next we moved along to the famous “Spanish Steps” or as Pietro taught us “The Steps of The Trinity”.  These 135 famous steps connect the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Square) at the bottom with the Piazza Trinità dei Monti at the top which includes the church of the same name.    If you’re an Audrey Hepburn fan you’ll recognize these famous steps from Roman Holiday.

The Piazza di Spagna also includes the famous “Fountain of the Ugly Boat” which is presumed to have been built by Bernini’s father, Pietro Bernini.  The water in the fountain is drinkable, and as Audrey Grace learned, is also wonderful for cooling off on a hot summer day (It was 95 degrees on the day that we visited. I know, in all of these photos we look like we are melting. We were.).

After this we found Pietro waiting for us at the bottom of the steps and we gratefully climbed into the air-conditioned van for a short driving tour of some of the other smaller monuments before making our way to the world-famous Colosseum.  Pietro had purchased tickets for us earlier that morning (at a better price than we could have bought them for ourselves, might I add) but we were absolutely crushed when we walked up to discover a 2-hour-long security line.  Pietro, however, had a plan – and he taught us to be “Roman” as he called it.   While engaging with the children and showing them parts of the Colosseum he just sort of backed right into the line near the front — and we were then waved through by the guards!

At this point Morgan looked at me and said “Worth EVERY penny”.

The Colosseum was a big hit with the kids – even though everyone was hot and sweaty it was hard not to be amazed by the gritty and somewhat gruesome history of the Colosseum.  We learned about the spectacles put on by the Gladiators as well as the mock sea battles that were staged here by flooding the bottom of the giant amphitheater.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or an adult, the stories are pretty mind-blowing.

After our time at the Colosseum (and of course in the Colosseum gift shop) Pietro suggested a few options for lunch. He gave us a choice between a slow sit-down meal or a quick sandwich or slice of pizza and the chance to see a few more things.  Our kids don’t sit down for long anyway so we opted for the on-the-go meal and I’m so glad that we did.

Pietro took us to this little Piazza called Campo de’ Fiori in the middle of Rome where he said that typical Romans (read: not a tourist trap) would grab lunch.  There were two options – both owned by the same people – one sandwich shop and one pizza shop (where you ordered your pizza by weight!!).

You guys. Seriously this was the best food I have ever eaten. The best sandwich, the most amazing pizza.  My taste buds were in heaven. I had no idea food could taste so delicious – and I’m from New Orleans!  If you ever find yourself in Rome you MUST run, not walk, to Il Forno Campo de’ Fiori. I had the famous pizza bianca (white pizza) and later discovered that this is the spot that made it famous.

After lunch (and a quick stop for gelato) Pietro whisked us away to Vatican City, where we met our private guide who would be giving us a tour of the Vatican for the next 2 hours.  She had already purchased tickets for us so that we didn’t have to wait in-line, and after going through security we walked right in!

Having a private guide that takes you through the Vatican, especially if you are traveling with kids, is a splurge that is well worth it. Our guide was able to customize our experience to our interests, and that of the kids, too.  Unfortunately there is no photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel, but when I saw our kids look up at the ceiling for the first time and stare in awe, I had to wipe tears away from my eyes. I was so grateful to share this experience with our kids, and that they were able to experience it at such a young age.  (I was 31 before I saw the Sistine Chapel for the first time!)

Our final stop before leaving Vatican City was St. Peter’s Basilica (so named after Peter – one of the 12 apostles of Jesus who is believed to be buried beneath the church), which never ceases to amaze me. The dome of the church was designed by Michaelangelo, and it is believed that St. Peter’s is the largest Christian church in the world – covering over 5 acres and able to hold over 60,000 people.  Audrey Grace was particularly enthralled by the fact that there is a room in the church that contains the true cross on which Jesus was crucified.  In the photo below you can see the room on the right hand side of the photo – the entrance is on the 2nd floor and you can spot it by the balcony with the cross above it.

After we wrapped up our private tour and thanked (and tipped!) our lovely guide, we met back up with Pietro who had cold waters waiting for us and was ready to whisk us back to our cruise ship.  You may have noticed that we did not see the Trevi Fountain on our visit – when we were in Rome it was covered with scaffolding and under restoration – but as I told the kids that just gives us another reason to go back! However had it not been covered at the time of our visit we most definitely would have made a stop to see it.

I hope this travel guide helps you if you are considering a visit to Rome with kids.  If you are traveling to by cruise ship to Civitavecchia like we did, I cannot recommend using a private tour service to see Rome highly enough.  It was pricey but it was worth every penny – we would have never seen as much of Rome as we did in 6 hours without Pietro and the help of DGS.  (I’m not saying that because we were sponsored in any way – to be clear we booked and paid for this entire trip ourselves.  I’m just super impressed with the service and would happily recommend it to anyone!)

Read the original Rome: A Family Travel Guide on Chic Shopper Chick.

So, when I received an email from Walmart and the team at Rust-Oleum telling me that I would soon receive a “mystery package” of items to breathe new life into with a few cans of paint, I was beside myself with excitement.  What would I receive?  What would I do with them?

Luckily I didn’t have to wait long until these 3 candle holders from Better Homes and Gardens showed up on my doorstep!

I’ll be totally honest – I think these are already super cute!  However as you can see I wanted to use them as a centerpiece on my table and my table is a dark mahogany – just like the candle holders! They definitely blended in too much with my table, so I decided a little update with a few cans of Rust-Oleum would do the trick!

I’m already famous in this house for being Queen Midas – I buy and paint everything in gold – so naturally I was going to stick with what I loved.  I decided to use a white as a base coat, and to make them shimmer with gold ever so slightly with a light touch of metallic gold spray paint by Rust-Oleum.  The cool thing about these paints is that they bond even to plastic – which was super important since my candle holders are made of resin (which is a synthetic polymer – ie plastic) (also, science FTW!).

I took my candle holders outside and set them up on a large piece of cardboard.  I popped the cap off of the white Rust-Oleum and within 5 minutes I had completely coated all 3 candle holders in my first coat of white.  I purchased the American Accents “Ultra Cover” which is supposed to cover 2 times as well as a traditional spray paint – and it absolutely did!  I thought I would have to cover the candle holders in at least 2 coats of paint – but when I came back to check on the candle holders after an hour or so I discovered that a second coat wouldn’t even be necessary!

After giving the gold can of paint a good shake I sprayed it over the candle holders with a light touch of gold – and voila! I had a stand-out set of candle holders to use as a centerpiece on my dining room table!  What do you think?

Have you ever used paint to upcycle or DIY home accents with paint?  Share your ideas and projects with me in the comments – I’d love to hear!  And a big thank you to Walmart and Rust-Oleum for this super fun project!

Read the original Revive and Refresh Your Home Decor with Rustoleum on Chic Shopper Chick.

I am terrible about decorating my house.  As a matter of fact, we moved into our house 4 years ago and I still hadn’t gotten around to decorating the kid’s bathroom.  It is painted a generic, neutral color (the advertised “designer paint in neutral tones” in the original house listing) and I kind of just…left it like that. No theme, no color, nothing except a few mismatched towels and some handsoap.

It stayed this way for 4 years. FOUR.  Not exactly the happy and smily kids bathroom you’d picture, right?

A few weeks ago Walmart gave the moms the opportunity to do a more open-ended project in the “home” category – and as I was mulling it over my husband gently suggested “how about the kid’s bathroom”?

You guys, it was like the clouds parted and the angels were singing.

I hopped in my car and headed to Walmart. My mission?  Paint, frames, a few bathroom accents, and some matching towels – all in a unisex theme that is suitable for kids but not too baby-like (they are 9 and 10, afterall).  No big deal, right?

After some analysis paralysis, I settled on a grey and yellow color scheme. I realized that I didn’t have to go overboard with the accents and things – just a few small things would make a big difference.

Here are the before photos of the bathroom:

I mean, it’s not terribl…y exciting.  Is it.?

First things first, I started by ripping the towel bar off of this wall.  Ok, I started it but I had to call in the big guns for extra manpower (boy was that sucker on there good).

The easiest part was placing these cute little accent pieces – soap dispenser and toothbrush holder – on the sides of each of the two sinks.

Mission accomplished, right?

Nope. I can never let things be that easy. I had plans for the back wall.

First I taped off an area to create 3 horizontal stripes in 2 different sizes – one big thick one and two smaller ones above and below.

This sounded easier to me than it actually was.  Getting the tape to be perfectly level was quite the job – and got even worse when I discovered that the wall was not perfectly flat or even – so it looked like my straight and level line was actually curved!  Once I got it figured out though, we were in business.

I used Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint in ‘Elephant” from the craft section of Walmart to create the stripes. It was super easy to use and dried in like 10 minutes. Seriously.  Also, it’s a steal at under $6 for an 8 oz bottle – perfect for little projects like this!

I also purchased 4 8×10 Mainstays frames for the walls – for around $4 each.  I filled them with pictures of the kids and their friends – and one pony.

Finally, I purchased a pack of these satin nickel double robe hooks (under $2 each!) and centered them for easy towel hanging.  Much cuter than that old towel rack, right?

I loved the grey and yellow chevron towels that I purchased from Walmart, too.  They have just enough color to give the room a kick! The matching accessories really tied everything together for a polished look!

All together I was able to refresh the kid’s bathroom with things from Walmart for under $75 – that’s a total steal! Best of all, my son walked in and exclaimed “WOAH! This is AWESOME!”

Now the only question is – what room is next?!

Read the original Easy and Affordable Kid’s Bathroom Makeover on Chic Shopper Chick.

This time with Star Wars: The Force Awakens I was determined to make it through the entire thing.  I steeled myself, honestly, not expecting anything very interesting and also expecting to be quite lost – I had no clue what any of the other films were about.

I’m happy to say that could not have been more wrong.  It was excellent. I loved every minute of it – I didn’t even want to leave my seat to go to the restroom because I was afraid I would miss something.  I also may have come home and instantly started googling theories as to who “Rey” really is – which is when I knew I had crossed over into Star Wars fan territory!

If you haven’t seen it yet, it is definitely one of those movies that you should purchase for the whole family because it is an instant classic that you will find yourself watching over and over again.  And good news – today, April 5th, is the official release of the DVD!  Even better – check out the special edition Star Wars: The Force Awakens DVD’s that are available exclusively at Walmart with special packaging and Galactic Connexions Trading Discs that you can’t find anywhere else!

Tonight Audrey Grace and I decided to #ShowUsYourForce – so we changed into our PJs and had a special DVD release viewing party! I whipped up a special batch of BB-8 popcorn (popcorn with orange M&Ms) and we snuggled up on the couch with the super-soft Star Wars: The Force Awakens blanket that I scooped up at Walmart.  And of course, we had to wear our special glow-in-the-dark galactic jewelry – you know, to support the Resistance!!

We had such a great time hanging out and watching The Force Awakens – and I was super excited to introduce my daughter to an epic series where the latest installment has an amazing heroine – such a wonderful, unexpected, and much-needed change.

How would you host a DVD release party for your family?  Let us know by sharing it on Insta, Twitter, or Facebook and hashtag it with #ShowUsYourForce!

Read the original Star Wars: The Force Awakens on DVD today! #ShowUsYourForce on Chic Shopper Chick.

Happy New Year everyone! As I’m sure you are all aware, it is February. Surprise! We just blew through January and soon it will be time to shop for spring bathing suits, gasp! By now, most of your well-intentioned resolutions have relaxed and the thought of eating better and losing weight has gone out the window. In my case, the fast food window.

We all strive to be better in certain aspects of life as 2016 begins, but my resolution took a different path. I decided that this year I would resolve to feel selfish. Ok, that sounds bad I know. I actually decided to “Say NO.” Yep thats right, NO. I will give you a minute to let that sink in….

I have decided I can no longer say yes to everything and therefore this year I am saying no. And you know what? It has been freaking amazing! It has only been about one month, and my life has taken a dramatic turn for the better. Ok, well not THAT dramatic but I digress.

Toward the end of 2015 I had gone to every school and business event or party (and ate everything in sight.) My daughter had gone to every practice or class after school and the multiple parties on the weekends. Every weekend it seemed we had something planned or booked whether it be business or personal. I took pictures and videos and posted to my hearts content. Now, don’t get me wrong, I feel blessed to have such amazing friends and opportunities but I might as well had a FOMO shirt on and my Insta-husband always on standby. You’ve seen the video, right?

When our family sat down to talk about our goals for this year, I ran the idea by them and to my surprise they were relieved. They too were feeling tired and rushed, but were afraid to say no for fear of upsetting a friend or feeling left out. In return, we were shells of our former selves and giving our friends and families partial attention. We were like a zombie family going from one thing to the next, not really enjoying life or each other. So, our resolution was set. We will no longer say yes to everything that comes our way. We will not over-book our lives and fill in the gaps with “more stuff.” I will respect our family time and allow my daughter to be at home more and just go outside and play. What a concept. Just. Say. No.

Maybe we will only go to 3 birthday parties this weekend instead of 4. Maybe, I will not feel guilty for doing only one volunteer position at school instead of four. How about not doing the dishes or laundry today? Breathe in, breathe out. I will let them wait, and I will actually play outside with my daughter and work on resolution #4 and #5 (play outside more and work on pale winter complexion, respectively).

It was hard at first but after a few weeks I began to actually feel normal again. Our crazy zombie lives have slowed down and when we do have events or friendly get-togethers, we are truly enjoying it because we are not exhausted. I think our friends appreciate our refreshed outlook as well. My husband and I have actually had quality time together and have been working on resolution #2, drink more fun rum drinks (post about that to come).

And here’s the best part – anyone can do this! Seriously, try it!  Try saying yes to saying NO! (Plus, it’s also pretty funny to just deadpan a “no” when someone asks what your resolution is anyway.) Cheers!

Read the original My New Year’s Resolution: NO on Chic Shopper Chick.

I am so excited to share with you that the powerful film documentary, He Named Me Malala, which is a portrait of the young Nobel Peace Prize winner and tells Malala’s incredible story will have its commercial-free television premiere Monday February 29 on the National Geographic channel at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT.

Wow. That’s a really long sentence.  But I’m so excited about this that if I was talking to you in person it would have been a super-long, super-fast sentence anyway.  But I digress.

If you haven’t heard about the film, or you need a little convincing – watch the trailer below.  It is less than 2 minutes long, but in those 2 minutes I cheered, I cried, and I had chills.  I promise, of anything you’ve watched today this will be the most worth your time.

Read the original He Named Me Malala – Premieres 2/29 on Chic Shopper Chick.

…nude nails.

Yes! Nude nails!  As much as I like nail art, I’m really excited about this return to a more natural, classic looking nail.  Backstage at Fashion Week this year at shows like Oscar de la Renta, manicurists were busy matching nail colors to each model’s skin tone.  This is fabulous news for those of us who don’t always have time to make it to a salon – this simple to-do, clean and classic manicure, is a cinch to do at home.

To help in my quest to find the perfect nude manicure, a company called NailMedic, by Pretty Woman, sent me 3 of their newest products to try.  Their entire line was started with a very simple goal in mind–to bring back a natural nail look.

I was excited to try out the 3 products that the folks at Nail Medic sent me for their 3-phase anti-aging system.  I was sent:

Phase One:  Nail Detox: Nail Cleanser and Primer ($7.99 at Walmart)

This is for cleansing nails and cuticles.  It reminds me of the product that manicurists apply to your nails prior to polishing and before the basecoat.
Phase Two:  Hydrator ($7.99 at Walmart)

The hydrator was pretty cool – designed to repair and fortify, it comes in a little tube that you click the bottom of to push more product to the tip. I used the soft tip to brush the product over my cuticles and gently push them back.
Phase Three:  Growth Factor:  Nail Growth Optimizer ($7.99 at Walmart)

Phase 3 primes and protects your nails.  The directions say to apply one or two coats – I applied two right before my polish.

All three of these products are available at Walmart stores nationwide, and will be available on Walmart.com for shipping very soon as well.

What I thought was really neat about these products is that they are all meant to be used before your manicure.  I was a little confused at first – 3 products to apply before beginning my mani?  Thankfully, the packaging made the directions very clear and easy to follow, and the application of the final product also served as a basecoat before my Essie manicure.

My favorite part about this 3-phase system is that it is totally customizable.  It’s not just these 3 products that are available, but there are a total of 15 different products in the range – all costing just $7.99.  Phase 1 has 4 different products, Phase 2 has 5 products to choose from, and Phase 3 also has 5 products to choose from.  You also have the option to buy Phase 1, 2, and 3 together!

For more information, you can check out the Pretty Woman website, or head in to your nearest Walmart store.

Read the original Nude, Natural, Gorgeous Nails with Nail Medic on Chic Shopper Chick.

Naturally, we couldn’t officially prep for the Kid’s Choice Awards without-you guessed it-slime!  We decided to have some fun and make our own slime yesterday-after we were done making this video the kids played with the slime for over an hour.  I cannot think of the last time that anything held their attention for that long-they had a blast!

I grew up watching Nickelodeon myself and I remember thinking how cool/gross/mostly cool it was to get slimed.  I always wondered what the slime would feel like – and thanks to our fun and slimey afternoon – now I know!

The best part about it is that it’s really easy to do – all you need is warm water, Elmer’s Glue (we tried 3 different types – clear for clear slime to add glitter to, the traditional Elmer’s school glue, and glitter glue – which was our favorite consistency of the three), and a teaspoon of Borax (found in the aisle by the detergents – you can brighten your clothes or remove stains with the leftovers).

Audrey Grace, my little YouTuber-in-the-making, even made a video to show you exactly how to make slime.  She did a really great job – and is so excited to share it with you!  Who says slime is just for boys?

You can get really creative with your slime – add food coloring, glitter, etc.  We had so much fun – we tried out 3 different types of slime! What kind will you make?

Now for some really exciting news–are you ready?!

Walmart is sending one family of four to Los Angeles to attend the Kids’ Choice Awards! 

For your chance to win, answer a Tweet question at @NickBreaks and use hashtag #ReadySetSlimeSweeps before March 20th! No purchase necessary. Mom, make sure the kids get your permission before entering. Be sure to tune in to the show on March 28th!

Ingredients for Slime

• 1 bottle Elmer’s Glue
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 5 oz warm water
• 1 tsp Borax
• Glitter, food coloring, or other fun add-ins

Instructions for how to Make Slime

1.  In a bowl, mix the entire bottle of glue with 2 tablespoons of warm water.

2.  In a separate bowl, mix together 5 oz of warm water with 1 teaspoon of Borax.  (Don’t worry if all of the powder doesn’t dissolve – it will still work.)

3.  Add Borax and warm water solution 1 oz at a time to your glue solution until you get the consistency of the slime that you desire.  More Borax mixture means a firmer slime – less means a more stringy, oozy slime.

4.  Have a ball enjoying your slime moment!

Thanks Walmart and Nickelodeon for this super fun opportunity – and be sure to tune in to the Kid’s Choice Awards on March 28th.   You can follow along with me – I’ll be live tweeting during the show with the hashtags #KCA and #ReadySetSlime.

Read the original Audrey Grace’s Slime Moment on Chic Shopper Chick.

Walmart recently gave me the opportunity to check out some of their latest offerings in  apparel for spring–and before I even clicked over to Walmart.com I was imagining myself purchasing a great maxi skirt or maybe a lightweight button-down–but as soon as I laid my eyes on this amazing Kimono with fringe I knew I had to have it.

I’m wearing:  No Boundaries Kimono Wrap With Fringe ($12.88)
and No Boundaries Ribbed Tank in Black ($3.00)

There were so many pattern choices, and I really liked them all – so I have to admit I waffled a bit here.  There was a brighter, coral-colored one, another dark one but with a fun pattern, and this one – a beautiful but not overpowering floral.  You guys, I am all about being trendy and I have been dying to try something floral–but I’m always just the teensiest bit afraid that I’ll end up looking like a set of terrible curtains or a bedspread.  In the end, I dove in and ordered it–and you know what? I totally dig it.

I’m wearing: Faded Glory Women’s Boyfriend Shorts ($12.94)
and Faded Glory Women’s Leather Flower Sandal in Coral ($9.96)

Ok, so once I settled on the Kimono, my next mission was finding something to wear it with.  I settled quickly on putting a plain black tank underneath it and I scored it for only $3.  Perfect. But what to wear on the bottom?  I already knew the answer was a great pair of denim shorts but to be honest I was kind of dreading the whole idea.  I have an absolute complex about shorts.  I don’t like them, they don’t like me-it’s a mutual thing.  If you know me well you know that I wear a lot of dresses.  That’s because it’s too hot to wear pants but I refuse to wear shorts seeing as how I feel that I never can find a pair that look right on me.

I took a deep breath and ordered 2 pairs of denim shorts by Faded Glory – and wouldn’t you know it? I fell totally in love with them.  They are soft, they are trendy, and they fit like a dream.  I was so excited that when I tried them on I ran downstairs to show my husband-his response was “WOAH! Shorts?! I love them!”

If I had any doubts, they were gone. I kept them.

I’m no dummy.

To finish off my outfit, I wanted a fun and colorful pair of sandals, and when I saw these coral-colored flower sandals I knew they would be perfect.  They made whole outfit feel even more casual and laid back and I loved that they infused some color – I was proud of myself for not automatically choosing black.

What do you think of my outfit?  I was honestly so impressed with the great on-trend selection for Spring on Walmart.com – and I went back and bought these shorts in another denim wash as well!  I’m hooked!

Read the original Spring Wardrobe Refresh: Rock a Kimono Wrap on Chic Shopper Chick.

These are super easy to make – they take under 5 minutes – and while I made the first round for my kids as a surprise, these are definitely something that kids can make themselves!  These are great as an after school snack – but they would also make a great treat for a classroom party or a spring get-together!

To make these little chicks, I bought the Vanilla Snack Pack Pudding in the cake aisle at Walmart ($2.48 a pack – score!), some yellow sugar sprinkles, and some miscellaneous candies meant for cake decorating (found by all of the cupcake wrappers and colored sugar).

First, I took the top off of the Snack Pack (it popped right off thanks to the new EZ Open Lid).  Then I spooned a bit of pudding from one of the other Snack Packs so it came right up over the top.  My reasoning behind this was to avoid making a huge mess with the sprinkles – since the pudding was thick I took a gamble that it would stay in the cup for the amount of time it took me to flip it over into the sprinkles – and it did!  This was awesome – because the sugar stayed contained in the bowl and my kitchen stayed clean!

Then I decorated these little guys with the candy pieces – making eyes, hair, arms, and legs.  And of course – a beak!  These make the perfect treat for Spring!

If you liked this idea – be sure to check out more of them at the Snack Pack website! A big thank you to Walmart and Snack Pack for the opportunity to get creative with this super fun project!

Read the original The Perfect Spring Treat – Snack Pack Chicks! on Chic Shopper Chick.

So what is the point of making these ‘Resurrection Rolls’ at Easter?  They symbolize the Easter story – these rolls begin with a marshmallow inside of them and the marshmallow symbolizes Jesus. You will prepare the marshmallow for ‘burial’ by dipping it in butter and rolling it in cinnamon sugar before finally wrapping it in crescent roll dough.  After you leave them in the “tomb” for 3 days (actually the oven for the amount of time as directed on the packaging of the crescent rolls) the marshmallow is gone and the roll is hollow.  Just like Jesus disappeared from the tomb and rose from the dead!

These are really simple to make and cost about 8 dollars in total – and that is only if you have to buy everything on the list.  Most likely you have most of these things on hand already.  I made a quick run to Walmart to grab crescent roll dough – I used the Great Value Brand – and it doesn’t matter if it is reduced fat, etc.

So here’s what you need to make your very own Resurrection Rolls:

*  Melted Butter
*  Cinnamon Sugar
*  8 large marshmallows
*  1 package of crescent roll dough

1.  Take one large marshmallow and bathe it in the melted butter.

2.  Immediately transfer your buttery marshmallow to the cinnamon sugar mixture, and roll it around until it is completely covered.

3.  Unroll your crescent roll dough and then wrap your marshmallows in it – making sure to seal off any cracks.

6.  When you have finished them all – they should look something like this.  They are not shaped like crescents – they take on the shape of the marshmallow inside of them.  Again, do your best to look over them and check for openings in the dough, and close up any openings that you find.

7.  At this point, the crescent rolls usually take about 10 minutes to bake.  I read John 20 to them from a children’s Bible at this point – the story of Jesus rising from the dead.

8.  When the rolls are finished baking, I pull them out of the oven and give them about 5 minutes to cool (careful – the insides can be extremely hot) before handing one to everyone.

Your final product will look something like this — and if your kids are like mine they will be absolutely amazed.  Where did the marshmallow go?  We know it was there because we put them in the oven ourselves – and no one opened it or took anything out!  Seeing is believing!

Happy Easter!

Read the original Celebrate Easter With Kids: Make Resurrection Rolls on Chic Shopper Chick.