Taking The Perfect Selfie With LuMee

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In Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, Marla takes her readers for a hilarious romp through her days in an exclusive L.A. matchmaking agency and her daily struggles to keep her self-esteem from imploding in a town where looks are everything and money talks. From juggling the demands her out-of-touch clients and trying her best to meet the capricious demands of an insensitive boss to the ups and downs of her own marriage with a Latin husband who doesn’t think that she is “domestic” enough, Marla writes with charm and self-effacement about the universal struggles that all women face in their lives. Readers will laugh, cringe, and cry as they journey with her through outrageous stories about the indignities of dating in Los Angeles, dealing with overblown egos, vicariously hobnobbing with celebrities, and navigating the wannabe-land of Beverly Hills. This is a fun book with guilty pleasure appeal. As you read it you wonder how is this not fiction…well it’s not, it’s her life, and as I’m rolling on the floor laughing I kind of feel bad for Marla, as she had to deal with all the picky demands of her clients. She changes the names and such, but the characters and events are real. The reality of it makes it even more entertaining, how could people really be like this!! Much of it is very humorous and actually reminded me of some tv comedy’s I’ve watched. My hubby and kids didn’t understand the outbursts of laughter… Along with the mismatches, she also helps arrange some good connections that work. The Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is and enjoyable read that can make you happy for who you are and what you have.
You can follow Marla on Twitter and Facebook.
The book is available at a discount on Amazon.

this post is sponsored by Lunchbox and TRESemmé however all thoughts, opinions and tutorials are my own.
As a stay at home mom you can find me most days in blue jeans, a tee and a pony tail…there are days that I take extra time to do my hair & full makeup, but it is rare…I really love the times I get to get dolled up and attend an event! It’s not that I don’t care about my everyday appearance, with 4 kids, a tot that I chase after all day, chores and a blog to run…I stay pretty busy and don’t feel it’s necessary to do my hair or get all dressed up (yes anything above jeans and a tee is dressed up..lol).
While I don’t take selfies often, when I do my hair and full makeup I’m happy to be in front of the camera and share it with the world. Why? Because changing your hair changes your mood, your presence and the way others perceive you. such a small thing can have such a BIG impact. this may be one of the reasons i am so excited to share this awesome sweepstakes opportunity.
TRESemmé is offering a chance to win a prize pack in their TRESemmé Transformation Sweepstakes that includes: Premium Hair Straightener TRESemmé Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System Shampooo TRESemmé Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System Conditioner TRESemmé Keratin Smooth 7 Day Smooth System Heat Activated Treatment.
So what do you have to do to enter?
Step 1 – Snap a picture of your “before” hair.
Step 2 – Style and transform your look!
Step 3 – Capture your “after” hairstyle.
Step 4 – Use a photo collage app or side-by-side photo app to post your photo to Instagram using the hashtag #TRESemméTransformation.
Step 5 – Fill out THIS FORM and submit your Instagram link.
So what are you waiting for!? Lets see those transformations! I’ve shared mine:
Leave your Instagram link for me to check out below! I’d love to check out how you transform your hair!
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

On February 14, you get to spoil your sweetheart silly. Couples build up to this day of the year more than any other. It’s a time of self-indulgence as well as trying to satisfy your significant other. Your better half deserves all the best things in life. It’s not always about taking extravagant holidays and pampering them at a special spa day. Sometimes the simple things are the best. Time to get busy in the kitchen and whip up some amazing dishes that will please your boyfriend or girlfriend’s sweet tooth. Candy is of course right at the top of the list when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts. However, it would be such an amazing expression of your love to make these sweet treats at home. Your hard work will be recognized and enjoyed that much more. Here are some ideas to make your heart and taste buds flutter.
A classic in the world of homemade cookies, sugar cookies are a great way to start off your Valentine’s Day morning. Simple, chewy, delicious and oh-so-addictive, bring a plate of these up to your sweetheart’s bedside and watch their eyes light up. Sugar cookies have a soft center, a crunchy outer rim and a great uplifting layer of royal icing. It’s one of the easiest cookies to make. Follow this 7-step process to make your own at home. This cookie has one secret up its sleeve. You can customize the recipe to whatever you like. As you mix the cookie dough, take the opportunity to throw in any kind of extract you want. The most popular is vanilla extract, but alternatively, you can use, lemon extract, orange zest, lime zest, pumpkin spice and a generous shaving of nutmeg.
Serve with a wholesome cup of coffee or perhaps a glass of milk for breakfast. Yes, that’s right, breakfast! You’ll get the dosage of sugar you need to go to work but your belly will be filled will love and appreciation; in the form of sugar cookies.
One could make a convincing argument, that there is no better expression of love than food. To make something with your own hands, taking care at the stage of the cooking process and then presenting it to your loved one in order to satisfy them, is such a wonderful gift. Homemade chocolate bars might sound simple, but you can add anything to them. Melt bars of white chocolate, throw in some butter and crushed roasted hazelnuts. Allow this mixture to set on non-stick baking sheets, on a baking tray and leave it to set in the fridge.
To add the final touch, order some Personalized Valentines Day Chocolate Bars. Draw whatever kind of design you want and send it in. The business will print your design onto the wrappers. It can be a photograph you really like of each other, a design created on a computer, or it can totally hand-drawn. The wrappers come with foil so you can store your chocolate bars for weeks.
On such a romantic day, you should buy a fancy bottle of champagne. It’s the only way to finish the night when you’re both cuddling on the sofa while sipping a fine beverage. To go with it, however, these strawberry cake balls would be magnificent. First, you require strawberry cake mix. You can make a sponge cake mix and add strawberry extract into it, but a store-bought ready mix will suffice. Pour about one and a quarter cup of the champagne you’ll be drinking into 1 box of cake mix or around 250-400g. About one-third cup of vegetable oil, large eggs, yolk and all and around 16 ounces of cake frosting.
For the outer shell, melt around 500-700g of white chocolate melting wafers, or if you don’t have that use chips. A little lemon extract, butter to keep it rich and smooth and add in a few crushed pistachio nuts if you like. Melt this together and then begin cutting the cake into small cubes while it’s still hot out of the oven. Roll the pieces of cake into a ball and dip them into your chocolate. Wait for them to dry and then splash them with a little milk chocolate dusting. Serve with champagne and enjoy this mouth-watering dessert by the candles.
Valentine’s Day comes around every year but it doesn’t have to be the same each time. Get inspired and get creating in the kitchen. Make your better half treats that will satisfy their sweet tooth.

This was really cool and I wanted to share the news! Khan Academy just launched Pixar in a Box, a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar Animation Studios’ creative process. It’s a Free online curriculum that shows how Pixar filmmakers use science, technology, engineering, art and math to create movie magic.
Through a series of video lessons, interactive exercises, and hands-on activities, students will discover how the academic concepts they learn in school enable Pixar filmmakers to create new worlds, animate unique characters and tell stories through animation. Although designed especially for students in middle and high school, these resources are available to learners of all ages, completely free of charge.
“Our mission at Khan Academy is a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere,” said Sal Khan, Founder and CEO of the not-for-profit Khan Academy. “Sparking student interest in math and other academic fields is a key part of that, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Pixar to achieve this goal. Pixar in a Box gives students a new way to engage with key academic concepts and see how creative these concepts can be.”
Khan and Catmull officially unveiled Pixar in a Box at a special event yesterday evening on the Pixar campus in Emeryville, CA. After an introduction from Klaidman, local educators learned the story behind the project and then received a live demonstration of Pixar in a Box from two of its creators – Brit Cruise, Content Producer at Khan Academy, and Tony DeRose, Senior Scientist and Research Group Lead at Pixar. The evening concluded with a question-and-answer session moderated by Klaidman.
“Many students start to lose interest in academics in middle and high school, partly because they don’t see how academic concepts relate to things they care about,” said DeRose. “Pixar in a Box aims to address this disconnect by showing how Pixar filmmakers use these concepts for creative benefit in their everyday work.”
Starting today, students can access Pixar in a Box and learn:
· How combinatorics are used to create crowds, like the swarm of robots in WALLŸE.
· How parabolas are used to model environments, like the forest in Brave.
· How weighted averages are used to create characters, like Buzz Lightyear and Woody.
· How linear and cubic interpolation are used to animate characters.
· How trigonometry is used to create the worlds in which Pixar stories take place.
· How simultaneous equations are used to paint all of Pixar’s images.
“These lessons are the first phase of the project,” said Cruise. “While the first year focuses on math, future Pixar in a Box lessons will explore science, computer science, arts, and humanities.”

In truth, while gyms provide everything we need to get healthy, the work itself is always down to us. As such, if you feel like your efforts are stalling, there’s a high chance it’s due to something you are or aren’t doing.
Reasons for issues here, obviously, vary, but some common causes for gym setbacks include –
# 1 – Continuing with unhealthy habits
If you’re indulging in unhealthy habits elsewhere, hitting the gym every night won’t be much help. This isn’t some fix-all solution to help you deal with your less-than-ideal addictions, behaviors, and so on. In fact, attempting to tackle such problems with a simple workout could prevent you from getting the help you need, and even lead to unhealthy exercise dependencies. In these instances, speaking with a professional or even seeking the support of residential treatment centers will serve you much better. Only when you’ve dealt with your behaviors at their root are you likely to feel the physical benefits of your gym efforts.
# 2 – An unwillingness to change your diet
It’s astounding how many people assume they can eat whatever because of their gym efforts. Sadly, fitness is a two-fold effort, and both exercise and diet play a massive part. At the very least, continuing to eat poorly will see you making no progress. At worst, you could come to find that your neglect of a healthier eating regime will leave you in poorer health than before you took out your membership.