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Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner: TLC for Fried Summer Hair

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Christy

My hair is telling me that it’s been a long, hard summer. Between chlorine, salt, sun, hair dryers, flat irons, and curling irons (and that little box of hair color I–shhh!–use every couple of months), my golden tresses are looking a bit like straw. Plus, it’s been a shocking FOUR MONTHS since my last haircut, for a variety of good reasons, top among them that my friend Robyn, who cuts my hair better than anyone else in the world, lives in Virginia, and I live in Tennessee. I guess I’m lucky it’s only been four months given that we live 12 hours away from each other!

So, given that my hair is in desperate need already, and we’ve got another couple of months of summer-like weather down here in the South, I was pretty happy to shoot my hand up in the air to volunteer when Dove asked bloggers to review their Intensive Repair Conditioner. It arrived in the mail last week and I put it in the shower line-up right away.

OK, the first thing I noticed has to do with the packaging–the flip top popped open easily. Having broken more fingernails than I care to remember on balky shampoo and conditioner tops, this was a big deal for me! The second thing was the smell–yum! I don’t have a very sophisticated nose (all white wine tastes like white wine to me, not like “oak” or “butter” or “citrus”), but I can tell you that the conditioner smells great. My daughter even commented on my great-smelling hair later that day.

The folks at Dove say that their Intensive Repair Conditioner has “Fiber Active technology that penetrates deep inside the hair strand, helping rebind damaged proteins.” What that meant for my hair is that it felt really soft when I rinsed the conditioner out (by the way, it’s a daily conditioner, not a deep conditioner, which I prefer anyway). My hair combed out much more easily, and when I blew it dry it felt softer and smoother. I’ll admit that my hair went right back into my standard summer hairstyle–the ponytail–but it was a bouncy and shiny ponytail, and my hair didn’t feel heavy or greasy.

I tend not to be very brand-loyal when it comes to hair care products, buying whatever is on sale (or I have a coupon for) and mixing in a few higher-end styling products when I feel a specific need. But I can definitely see myself using this whole bottle up–and I’ll probably pick up the shampoo to go with it this week. Anything that can get me a few more weeks between hair cuts is worth its weight in gold! Oh, and since they conveniently provided a coupon for us–just scroll down for it–you know I’ll be out buying more for sure!

Want to know more? Visit www.dovehair.com.

Why not take a minute to enter their sweeptstakes for a $1,000 Spafinder gift certificate? You know you could use one! Just follow the directions below. For a), once you’ve entered your contact information, you’ll want to answer the question, “How did you manage to fry your hair this summer?” I’ll go first: I sat by the pool with my hair full of sweat and chlorine! And I LIKED it!

Enter to win a $1,000 Spafinder gift certificate!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/4/2012 – 9/30/2012

Be sure to visit Dove^®Hair.com to get a coupon for $1.50 off Dove Hair Therapy products.

***While I have been compensated for this review, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.***

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Reviews | Tagged conditioner, Dove, hair, intensive repair, product review, summer | Leave a comment

Summer Girls Night Out

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Amy

A few weeks ago I hosted a Kick-Off Summer Girl’s Night Out Party. I wanted to get my new neighbors and friends together before summer got in full swing. It was a great night, and even more fun because Terry came down to help me pull it off and put her signature stylish touch on everything.

We started the night with drinks on the porch. I am so happy to say the weather cooperated and I finally got to host an event on my porch!

To start with, we offered the girls Peach Sangria served from a makeshift Bar on the porch. I will be back with the recipe soon as it was a HUGE hit! Everyone seemed to enjoy being outside as the sun set, and I thought one of the particularly fun parts was watching the guests who came from across the lake roll up to the party on their Beach Cruiser bikes. It’s the perfect form of transportation here at the beach!

Inside we had all the food, mostly some dips and my favorite cupcakes. I had my friend Janet, who sells Thirty-one bags have the bags on display, after all everyone can use a new summer bag, right?

{The goodie bags were from HERE }.

The menu was light, some of my favorite easy appetizers and some desserts, including Trader Joe’s macaroons and the delicious cupcakes from HERE.

It was a fun night and great to spend time with new friends and neighbors before we all set off the whirlwind of vacations, camps and activities summer brings.

Thanks for stopping by~

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Posted in Entertaining, Events | Tagged entertaining, event, Girls Night Out Party, party, Sangria, summer, summer drink | 2 Comments

Welcome Summer–Free Summer Printables

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Amy

Memorial Day weekend is over which means *SUMMER* is here!

In celebration we have created this set of FREE printables {simply download, and print!} to help you kick this fun season off.

A “Shopping List” for all the summer necessities…

Just click here: Printable Summer Shopping List to download a PDF to print.

And here are not one, but TWO “Things To Do” lists for summer…one is blank for you to fill in what’s on your “fun” list…and we’ve included one with what is on our list –just to make life easy, or give you some fun ideas!

Click HERE to download the Things To Do list {with suggestions}

Click HERE to download The Things To Do List {blank}

Summer is time to celebrate–why not plan a party? Here is a printable to make it simple and easy.

Click HERE to download the Party Planner Printable

And finally…for your vacation of course! A printable to make organizing for your getaway super easy.

Click HERE to download the Trip Planner

Enjoy! We hope they make your life this summer simple and fun!

On another note…we ask for prayers for our friends the Ritchie Family (Keary Ritchie was Christy’s and my college roommate). Tomorrow they embark on a mission trip to continue their work with orphans in Zimbabwe along with their 5 children (including their baby daughter) to serve God and minister to children in need. You can follow their progress on their Blog HERE.

Happy Summer!

Click Below to stay up to date with 11 Magnolia Lane via Facebook~

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Posted in Entertaining, Organization, Projects & Printables | Tagged blue, party planner, printable, summer, things to do list, trip planner | Leave a comment

Summer Strawberry Lemon Vojito

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Amy

Welcome to summer!!!

Not to long ago, I had a similar drink to this in a local chain restaurant.

It was good.

Very good.

I love mojitos. I rarely make them as I prefer to only have them when Christy’s husband makes them, as they are the best! {And that recipe is HERE}

It’s strawberry season here where I live, so the timing was perfect to try to make my own version of this drink. With my husband’s help, we managed to come up with what has definitely become my new favorite ‘summer’ drink.

You can modify this however you like, it’s the perfect drink on a hot day as it’s served over ice, and the bubbles from the club soda make it kind of fun.

I used raspberry vodka only because I had it on hand, we mostly use regular vodka and just flavor it accordingly, but in this case the flavor difference between raspberry and strawberry wasn’t a big deal. We also sometimes use lemon-flavored vodka because it brings more “lemon” into the drink–but whatever you have is fine.

Traditional mojitos are made with rum, not vodka, which explains the “Vo” instead of the “Mo” in “Mojito” (in case it wasn’t obvious?)

Like in Chris’s mojitos, you first need to muddle the strawberries with the fresh mint.

I use a gadget from Pampered Chef –I think it was for making mini-tarts? I use it for mojitos — I don’t have a muddler, but you could use anything that crushes the mint with the fruit together and infuses their flavors.

We then add the fruit and mint to a glass with ice. From there you add the liquid, since my husband bartended his way through college, his measurements are more by intuition, but I am going to approximate. Feel free to tweak it to your liking.

Add 1 to 2 oz simple syrup (made with equal parts sugar and boiling water, then cooled), then 1 to 2 oz vodka, 2 oz lemonade, and finish with club soda. The peach schnapps will give the drink more sweetness but also more alcohol–so that’s an optional addition. You can add more or less lemonade depending on your strength preference.

Stir it up well and enjoy!

Hope you are having a spectacular Memorial Day weekend!

We at 11 Magnolia Lane offer our deepest gratitude to all who have, or are currently, serving this great country.

Enjoy!

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining | Tagged alcohol, drink recipe, mojito, Recipe, strawberries, summer, vojito | Leave a comment

Must-Have Recipe for Easy Summer Entertaining: Mojitos!

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Christy

Not too long ago, I posted a tutorial on making your own wooden beverage tags a la Ballard Designs (read about that HERE). The tag I chose to use while shooting the “after” photo was one of my favorites: mojitos! Since my husband has created the absolute best mojito recipe I’ve ever tasted, I figured I’d post it for you today. It’s the perfect summer drink for entertaining, whether it’s grilling and playing cornhole in the backyard, spending a day on the boat or at the beach, or serving evening cocktails on the screened porch.

Mojitos are a bit labor-intensive compared to other drinks, because you have to start with fresh mint and real limes for the best results, so I’ve found, sadly, that when I order them in a restaurant or at a bar, I’m never quite sure of what I’m going to get. My husband has started to question waitstaff and bartenders closely before he’ll commit to ordering one out! But I can tell you that this recipe is a never-fail one. Why not mix up a batch this weekend?

The below recipe is for a single glass (although why would you ever make just one?!) and after that I’ll give you the recipe for a pitcher.

Chris’s Mojitos by the Glass

1/2 lime, quartered 5-6 fresh mint leaves

Crushed ice 2 oz white/light rum

1 oz simple syrup 2 drops bitters

3 oz club soda

1. Begin by making the simple syrup: combine 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar in a saucepan, bring to a low boil, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator. One batch will make up to 12 mojitos. Side note: for all of you Yankees reading, this is how Southerners make sweet tea–with simple syrup! If you pour granulated sugar into iced tea, it just sinks to the bottom. Simple syrup blends in perfectly. Whenever I served iced tea, I place a small pitcher of simple syrup next to the tea so people can sweeten it to their own taste. You can also infuse simple syrup with lemon peel, and my husband infuses it with mint leaves for his mint julep recipe, but that’s a post for another day!!

2. Muddle the lime and mint in the bottom of a tall glass. That means smoosh them together for awhile to release the juice from the lime and the oil from the mint leaves. My hubby does this in the bottom of his Boston shaker, which he swears is the only way to shake a cocktail. A muddler is a wood or metal pestle that’s long and thin enough to get into the bottom of a glass. Before we bought one, we used the end of a wooden spoon, and obviously since it was so narrow, it was a tougher job. Here’s a close-up of our muddler:

The fresh mint and fresh limes are essential. If you’re not going to do that, just buy a premade mix! I’ve started growing mint in a huge pot out back every summer; it’s hardy and usually comes back every spring.

3. Add rum, simple syrup, and bitters (you can buy a bottle of bitters at the liquor store; it’s right there with the other mixers. We use Angostura bitters from Trinidad & Tobago. I wouldn’t skip the bitters, either, as they really bring out the flavor). Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice and top with club soda.

4. Shake for a 5-6 seconds to mix thoroughly. Garnish with a lime wedge and mint sprig. Enjoy!

Chris’s Mojitos by the Pitcher

3 limes, quartered 36 mint leaves

12 oz rum 6 oz simple syrup

12 drops bitters about 18 oz club soda

These ingredient amounts make a six-serving pitcher, so we’ll often double or even triple it for large gatherings. We stir the club soda in rather than shaking each serving separately, but be sure to mix it well!

The only pre-made mojito mix that I will drink is made by Stirrings, but I will still add fresh mint and limes if I have them.

Yum–thank you, Cuba, for inventing the mojito! Enjoy your mojitos, and thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining | Tagged beverage, entertaining, glass, lime, mint, mojito, mojitos, party, pitcher, rum, simple syrup, summer | 8 Comments

Tropical Vodka Fizz

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Terry

Happy Weekend & Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

In honor of the weekend and holiday and because I had a small get together yesterday, I wanted to share this delightful spring/summer cocktail I threw together.

I am calling it a Tropical Vodka Fizz and it is as refreshing as it is delicious.

Ingredients:

Bolthouse Farms Passion Orange Guava Juice
Vodka
1 bottle of a light and semi sweet champagne (look for Sec or Demi Sec on the bottle)
Sweet and Sour Mix
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Frozen pineapple chunks

Directions

In a martini Shaker pour equal parts vodka and sour mix (approx. 4-5 shots of each).
Add in the juice of the lemon, the juice of the lime and their zest. Shake with ice until combined.
Pour shaker contents into a pretty serving pitcher.
Add in appox. 1 cup of the Bolthouse Farms Passion Orange Guava Juice.
Add 1/3 bottle champagne
Add in the frozen pineapple and stir.
Garnish with pineapple, lime wedges, umbrellas or anything else that makes you happy!

Topical Vodka Fizz

Cheers!

Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining | Tagged drink, drinks, juice, Recipe, summer, vodka | Leave a comment

Moving On…

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Amy

I have been absent from blogging for awhile. I forgot (or blocked out!) how difficult it is to move. This time just about pushed me to the brink, between packing, finding a new house, the school year ending and working on a major project all in about a month. I think I am still mentally recovering from the stress of it all even now, several weeks later. And, because I like to make sure to do things in a very complicated fashion, we decided to build our next home. So, at this point, my children and I are staying with my very gracious family and visiting any (also very gracious) friends who will take us until our new house is ready.

Here is what will soon be our new home.

Moving, while an unexpected for us, has been an interesting journey even thus far. Only in my dreams did I expect to have the chance to “design” my next house. The sacrifice of temporary homelessness will hopefully be worth it! I spend entirely too many hours now searching for inspiration for lights, countertops, appliances all over blogland and have developed a serious Pinterest habit. (See my boards HERE, and please leave me a comment as I would love to see your pins as well). As fun as it sounds to pick all the interior options, we have a limited budget and had limited time to make major decisions about the house so we are crossing our fingers that it all comes out as we hope.

But, outside of that its been wonderful to be able to spend this time with family and friends.. Change in inevitable in life and so we are accepting this is God’s plan for us, even when leaving a place we love has been hard.

So in the meantime, I don’t have much going as far as projects, but check back because as soon as the house is done, I will have more then enough to keep me busy. Let’s just hope it won’t be too much longer

Hope you are enjoying your summer.