Disney Vacation Countdown (Downloadable!)

I recently discovered an official Disney World vacation countdown and was so excited to see it since I'm currently planning two Disney vacations! They are for Disneyland, however, but I have no qualms using this countdown since it doesn't specifically say "Disney World" on the numbers themselves. The website has a link to print out the numbers and cut them out, however I was super excited to have a countdown lock screen on my phone, so I took to Pic Collage on my phone to create 91 days of pictures to use. They certainly aren't perfect, but they work perfectly on my iPhone 7, my mom's iPhone 6, and my best friend's iPhone 5s. They do have a "Pic Collage" watermark in the bottom corner which can easily be cropped out if desired but they are out of frame on my phone (I also made desktop ones since I obviously need even more constant reminders of how long it is until I leave). I created 13 files of "Weeks to Go!" for people who don't want to constantly change it.

I've compressed all 91 days into a zip file that's easily downloaded through this link for the phone backgrounds and this link for the desktop ones, but here's some examples that can be saved! I also created a folder of the phone backgrounds on Dropbox and of the desktop versions if that's more accessible.

If you want to stay updated with my Disneyland trips, feel free to follow me on Instagram or Twitter (both @hannahvanhoozle)! Hopefully this is helpful in everyone else's Disney adventures too. x

Are you planning a trip soon?

Hannah

P.S. Here's an example of the weekly ones:

Perfect and Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I have loved chocolate chip cookies for as long as I can remember (like many people I assume), however since the thick and soft ones are my favorites, I hunted for a long time to find the perfect recipe for me. I found it through Sally's Baking Addiction and now it's my go-to! I do make them a bit differently than she does but the recipe is hers.

| Ingredients |

• 2+1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1+1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter)
• 3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, cold
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (or 1+1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp vanilla, butter, nut flavoring) 
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

| Directions |

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, corn starch, and salt and set aside.
3. In a medium microwave safe bowl, heat the butter for 15-20 second intervals until it's about half melted. Using a whisk, stir until it is entirely liquid but still opaque yellow.
4. Whisk in the brown and white sugar.
5. Whisk in the whole egg first, followed by the yolk, and lastly the vanilla. The cold eggs and partially melted butter will create a thick wet dough that can bypass the refrigerating step!
6. Using a rubber spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until almost combined but small ribbons of flour remain. Add the chocolate chips and stir completely.
7. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silicone baking mat (or parchment paper) about two inches apart. Using a few extra chocolate chips, place them on top of bare areas on the cookies before baking (it makes them look super cute and fancy)
8. Bake for 13-15 minutes. The bottom of the cookies should not be much darker than the tops. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes on the tray to finish baking, unless the bottoms are golden and the cookies hold together well!

I love these cookies so much. They're soft but they hold up really well in cookie jar or in a lunch box ;) This recipe is also a really good base for other flavored cookies as well! I've used it to make banana chocolate chip ones, black forest, and double chocolate. Let me know if you give it a shot!

Thanks for reading! xo

Hannah 

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DIY ♡ Fall Wreath

I made a fall wreath for my bedroom door last year using solely supplies from Joann's after I noticed that pre-made ones were actually pretty expensive (unless they're on sale!). I also realized that they can be overwhelming and occasionally tacky so it was nice to personalize it to what I liked. I also made my sister a wreath for her house last year so by the time autumn rolled around this year, I knew what worked best for me and what supplies I needed. Amelia and I decided that we should make some again this year since you can't have too many wreaths and since she didn't get the opportunity last year.

 | Supplies| 

- wire bobbles (Joann's full price: $2.99)

- fake leaves ($1.99)

- autumnal ribbon (Michael's: $2.99-$4.99)

- wreath forms ($4.99 for 18")

- scissors

- hot glue + glue gun

- optional: mini pumpkins/gourds (Michael's: $4.99)

| How-To|

The first thing I like to do is sort the leaves into a few piles so I can easily grab for the ones I want. For reference, we used about two bags of leaves total on both of our wreaths.

Next I pick where I want my bow to go. If the wreath is a little oblong I'll pick where it looks most symmetrical and keep track of where that is. 

To start gluing leaves, I lay a few at a time down and alternate the colors and shapes so it looks unintentional but so there aren't any of the same color touching all over. Once I know where to put a leaf I glue a stripe of glue down the center of the leaf and press it into the wreath without flattening it. Be careful doing this, though, I usually burn my finger tips a few times unintentionally.

I like to start the pattern by gluing leaves all around the wreath first then filling in the biggest gaps and leaving some small spaces where the wreath form can be seen so it doesn't look too busy.

After I like how my leaves look, I like to tie my bow where I previously picked. I like really big bows on my wreaths but this time I ran a little short for that so makes sure you have enough ribbon for the size of bow you want.

Next I use these little bobble things I found at Joann's that are on brown-coated wire. I cut a strip about eight inches long and glue the ends on the inside or back of the wreath using lots of hot glue. Here I alternated using red, orange/red, and white bobbles to balance out the color pallet of my wreath.

Once I glued down the bobbles I picked out three pumpkins to put on my wreath and where to place them. These take a lot of glue to hold them down well. What we ended up doing is building up some glue where we want and letting it cool then squeezing more on top of the same spot and pressing the pumpkin into it for several minutes.

That's where I called it a day! I really love the way ours turned out. In the first photo, mine the far left with mine from last years in it and my sister's is the one on the right.

If you make a wreath inspired by this post, you can tweet me or tag me in it on Instagram, @hannahvanhoozle on both!

Thank you for reading!!

xo Hannah

Zoya Naked Manicure Women's Starter Kit Review ♡

Zoya released a new line of polishes at the beginning of this month called Naked Manicure. Being someone who struggles with flaky, weak, thin nails, I was immediately intrigued and decided to purchase it. I originally set out to pick up the Women's Starter Kit in store at Ulta, however Ulta doesn't supply the kits and instead sells the polishes individually which is, unfortunately, much pricier. I ordered the kit through Zoya's website (linked earlier) and received it quickly. It comes with the Naked Base ($12), the Pink Perfector ($10), the Tip Perfector ($10), and the Satin Seal Top Coat ($12), a $44 value, for $25 total. My package also came with a pamphlet full of information about the polishes, before and after pictures, descriptions of the ranges, and color combination charts for canceling out tainted nail colors.

I wish my nails were strong and healthy (like my dad's!) but since they're not I have to do what I can to keep them presentable. I mainly struggle with flaking, however I am growing out some stubborn staining from a polish I used a while back. I did use a baking soda and lemon juice soak on my nails to lighten it and it definitely helped remove some slightly orange discoloration from the tips.

The first step is to apply Naked Base, a thin, clear, base coat that helps prep for the polishes and begins to mask the look of layers of nail on the tips of my nails. Pink Perfector is next which is a translucent rosy pink that helps correct discoloration and camouflages flakes. The Tip Perfector is a relatively opaque creamy white polish that is applied to tips to brighten and accent them. I read a lot of people's comments on Zoya's Facebook about how it's too opaque for nails to look natural, however I like to apply a second coat of Pink Perfector after using it to blur the tips before applying the Satin Seal Top Coat. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the top coat, but it's a gorgeous mostly matte finish which also blurs imperfections and really gives a natural appearance.

The wear, unfortunately, is not as long as I would like. With my nails I would say I can get maybe four days. I want to try it out with a bonding base coat and see if that increases its wear time! My friend wore it for over a week on her strong, long nails and it looked amazing the whole time.

Overall, I really like these products and I'm going to repurchase them when I run out!

Have any of you tried any other colors of perfector or Naked Manicure in general? What do you think?
Thanks for reading! xo

May Julep Unboxing ♡

Julep recently released brow products and I felt obligated to try one out since I'm a brows girl now. I bought the "lock down your brows" Iconic Brow Gel and two nail polishes: Becca and Denise.

| Boho Glam- Becca | $14.00, $11.20 Maven
I picked Becca since I don't own a whole lot of green-based nail polishes. I own more than enough mint/teal colors, but I only have one true green, Essie First Timer, which turns too yellow with my Seche Vite top coat. This color isn't necessarily a "true" green; it does have very small blue shimmer. It kind of reminds me of Ariel's fin which is absolutely exciting for me.

| Bombshell- Denise | $14.00, $11.20 Maven
I don't have a color even close to this electric purple. It's so gorgeous and bright! The swatch picture at the top of this post demonstrates that it turns matte when dry which makes it easy to see when I can apply the next coat.

| Lock Down Your Brows Iconic Brow Gel | $22.00, $17.60 Maven
I've been using my It Cosmetics Brow Power pencil for months now and I'm so in love with it! I, however, have pretty long brow hairs that are necessary for any kind of shape so I have to hold them down. For years I've just used a clear mascara but it wears off quickly so I hoped an actual brow gel would do a better job. I've used this several times and I really like it so far! The brush is very small (think Benefit's Gimme Brow) and is great for accuracy.

Totals:
Full-price: $50
Maven: $40

And there's my little unboxing! Unfortunately I couldn't find Becca and Denise on Julep's website but I'm sure they'll be available soon! I'm sorry this post is a bit late; I've been so busy getting ready to graduate high school! If you want more unboxings, I've written a post on April, March, February, January, December, October, August, and July.

♡ Kitchen Beauty Care ♡ DIY Coconut Oil and Honey Hair Mask

I used to do coconut oil hair masks two-three times a month before I started getting regular haircuts. I don't know why I stopped then, I mean, it only makes hair way softer and smoother so why not? I started searching for recipes online and I found that coconut oil and honey together are good pals that lend a hand to hair. I've tried mixing honey into shampoo before and it worked well for my hair type so I was excited to give this a shot too.During the end of winter I always get a little bit of a dry scalp which coconut oil supposedly helps so I had a lot of hopes for this mask. If you use heat, color, or have damaged hair, this mask should work well for that also!

| Ingredients |
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil 
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- shower cap
- wide tooth comb 


| Directions |

1. Stir together equal parts coconut oil and honey. Depending on hair length, use 1-2 tablespoons of each. I used two! If it's very thick, microwave until it's thinner and easier to apply.
2. Apply from root to tip (possibly over a bathtub), focusing on the ends.
3. Gently brush through hair while applying using a wide tooth comb.
4. Wrap into a bun and cover with a shower cap. Let sit for 45-60 minutes or as long as you can.
5. Don't add water to hair before beginning to shampoo; the oil is hydrophobic and will be harder to remove. Apply shampoo to the scalp and massage. Gently add water to hair, bringing it through the ends with the shampoo. It may need shampooed twice to get everything out, something I'm not very good at. 
6. Towel or t-shirt dry hair and style as usual.

That's how it's done! I used organic, cold-pressed, virgin olive oil and organic honey (the same one as in my DIY Makeup Remover post) but I think regular coconut oil and honey should also do the trick. It's really easy and I was impressed with the results. The picture of my hair in my tacky 8th grade Old Navy sweatshirt is the next morning without any products whatsoever. I think I've expressed before that my hair is naturally frizzy and I didn't do anything to my hair after the mask except put it in a bun while I slept.

Have you tried a similar mask?

Thank you for reading! xo Hannah

March Julep Maven Unboxing ♡

It's Julep unboxing time again! These are some of my favorite posts to write especially since I love me some nail polish. This month I picked out Ali (Boho Glam) and Janet (It Girl) as my main box additions and Harmony (It Girl) as my add-on since I couldn't pass up anything holographic.

| Ali- Boho Glam | $14 ($11.20 Maven)
Ali is a light pastel mint/seafoam with a semi-silk finish. The finish doesn't mean much to me since I always use my Seche Vite top coat, but it does dry to a really nice texture. It looks more minty when it's alone, however it's brighter and more green than any of the other mints I own. The swatch color is the most accurate, however it makes Shelly look almost grey. True-to-color swatches for it are in my January unboxing.

| Janet- It Girl | $14 ($11.20 Maven)

This was the first polish I added to my box for March because who doesn't love peach everything?? I don't have any peach nail polishes, which I'm slightly alarmed with now, and this color is perfect. It's a very soft peach that also has the "soft focus" effect when it's dry. It's a lot lighter than Phyllis, another color from January, that I would've also put in the soft pink family. The difference between the two isn't quite as noticeable, I think the swatch is a little too dramatic. Does "Janet" automatically remind anyone else of the Rocky Horror Picture Show? That's probably part of the reason I love this polish so much.

| Harmony- It Girl | $14 ($11.20 Maven)

I almost didn't pick this one up since I already have Sally Hansen's Pearly Whites, which I thought was similar, but I'm so glad I went for Harmony. It's described as "holographic jagged-cut glitter" which is accurate. One of the main differences between Harmony and Pearly Whites is the color of the glitter. The latter's seems to have some pigmentation and small, circular flecks while Harmony's glitter is completely transparent. I love the way it looks over both Janet and Ali.

Totals:

Non-Maven: $42 

Maven: $33.60 

Those are my three beauts from the Pop collection! I'm slightly disappointed, however. I just noticed Ming was also available for March and it's a jelly so I'm hoping I can add it on for April!

If you'd like to take a shot with Julep's customizable nail polish and makeup subscription, use this link and the promo code "SPRING" to get a metallic, coral, and light pink nail polish with a bonus lip gloss all for free! You can cancel any time so there's no risk of being trapped. 

If you want to read any of my other unboxings, I've also written one for July, August, October, December, January, and February! 

Thanks for reading! xo Hannah

♡ Kitchen Beauty Care ♡ DIY Makeup Remover

This is one of the easiest DIY skincare regimens I use and it's because all it calls for is coconut oil! I have very straight eyelashes so I only ever use waterproof mascara which is very hard to remove. I've tried store bought makeup removers but they're all chemicals and usually burned when I used them since my skin and eyes are so sensitive.

The coconut oil I use is from Costco and it's ginormous. It's my oil of preference, though, since it's cold pressed and extra virgin. Both of those are extremely important since it's used on the face but especially on eyes.

1. Pick up a pea sized blob of coconut oil on a washcloth or your fingers.
2. Massage onto a closed eye for 1-2 minutes or until the mascara feels broken down.
3. Wipe away gently with a washcloth from the top and bottom of the eyelashes to remove all of the oil.
4. Rinse off with water if residue remains on eyelids or under eyes.

That's all it takes! For the demo I used my Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express mascara in waterproof (here's my review)! Using the coconut oil does pull some of the curl out of my lashes like the "after" picture shows. It's actually really good for them, however! It makes them softer and can help stimulate growth and thickness over time. This can also be used to remove face makeup as well as long as you rinse off the used oil or as a hair mask!
Here's my last Kitchen Skincare post: DIY Lemonade Scrub!
Have you tried using coconut oil as a makeup remover? What else do you like it for?
Thank you for reading! xo
 

Recipe ♡ Iced Sugar Cookies

I make sugar cookies year-round, but they are an absolute necessity during the holidays. I've been using the same recipe for years since it's so good and I've altered it but I'm not sure where it's from. I just made these yesterday and may or may not be eating some as I write this. 

This recipe does need to be refrigerated so the cookies keep their shape so make it a bit ahead of time! These are great as a decorating activity for Christmas or Christmas Eve but they're also really good for other holidays like Valentine's Day or Easter.

Here is a downloadable/printable copy of the cookie recipe.
And the icing recipe.

| Ingredients |

• 1 and 1/2 cups softened butter
• 2 and 1/4 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

| Directions |

Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Cream together the butter and sugar for about two minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
3. Beat in each of the four eggs one at a time then add the vanilla.
4. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt. *I always use my hands to mix it in well since the dough is very thick.
5. Cover the dough (or move to an airtight container) for at least and hour, but the longer the better!
6. Roll out onto a floured surface up to half an inch thick. I usually do between a quarter and half.
7. Cut out shapes with desired cutters (like the adorable Christmas ones I used) and place about an inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat. 
8. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the bottoms are barely turning golden.

 Icing: (I modified this recipe)

1. For the border icing, mix together 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavor), and 2 and 1/2 tablespoons milk. Feel free to adjust milk and sugar proportions to desired consistency if needed! Put this in a piping bag with a small tip (or cut the end off) or into a condiment bottle. *I struggled getting the consistency right for me off the recipe, so I made it extra thick and popped it in the microwave for about 5-7 seconds between each round of icing to make it a little easier for my weak wrists.
2. For the "flood" icing to fill the shapes, mix together 1 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or other), and 1 and 1/2  to 2 tablespoons milk. Adjust consistency  if needed. After it's smooth, split it up evenly into small bowls and mix in food coloring. I used red, green, yellow, and blue. Move the colored icing into piping bags or condiment bottles.
3. First, pipe around the edge of the cookies with the border icing and wait until it's dry. Then carefully outline and fill in the shapes and let dry for 12-24 hours. The icing can be kept in the fridge for a few days! 

I found the cookies tasted extra sweet when the icing was wet and it wasn't overbearing once it was dry, but these are seriously so good. I love small ones like I made this year in particular and my dad has certainly been enjoying them as well. If you try these out, please let me know!

Merry Christmas and thanks for reading! xo

♡ Kitchen Beauty Care ♡ DIY Lemonade Scrub

I'm starting a new blog series! I make a lot of inexpensive, easy, DIY beauty treatments and products using things from my kitchen so I figured I would share with you guys! So for now, but depending on the post, I'm going to be calling it "Kitchen Skincare." I'm not sure how consecutive they'll be but I'd like to spread them out a little.

I have "normal" skin (whatever that actually implies) that can tend to have dry areas around my nose and hollows of my cheeks during the winter months. Even so, I get enough dry skin year round that I always use a scrub (I did a St. Ives scrub post back in June!) and what's nice about this DIY is that it has exfoliating, acne treating, and brightening properties. Since I have self-diagnosed myself with hyper pigmentation (my face scars from everything), this always helps quickly brighten my skin while minimizing active acne and smoothing out dry areas.  Woohoo!

This scrub is so simple- all you need is some white sugar, lemon juice, and a few cotton balls. You can use organic sugar or whatever type of sugar you want, I think brown sugar would be okay as well if you need something less abrasive since it's a finer granule. I use generic white sugar for mine every night and it still doesn't irritate my skin. Also,  rhinestone kitty ears to hold back stray hairs are recommended.

| Scrub |
To kick off the scrub, grab some cotton balls or rounds; I use cotton balls since they retain more liquid. Using a bowl or pouring from the lemon juice bottle itself, saturate the cotton ball without soaking it unless you want sugary lemon juice (or waterless lemonade) dripping down your chin. For a more abrasive scrub, add more sugar (or dip it several times) to get a much coarser grit.

After that, all you do is dip or pour some sugar on it and scrub your worries away. I use four cotton balls total: one for each cheek, one for my forehead, and one for my chin and nose area.

Rinse off with warm water and apply a moisturizer afterwards! I use the Yes To Cucumbers Daily Calming Moisturizer to help soothe any redness. For convenience, you could probably mix this scrub together ahead of time and keep a supply of it in the fridge but the sugar might loose it's abrasiveness from absorbing the lemon juice.

That's all you've gotta do! So easy. Also, bonus, it happens to taste good if it gets in your mouth somehow. If you try this out, let me know!

Thanks for reading! xo