Travel Items I Tried

We just returned from a wonderful trip to London, Paris, and Nice!  I will post some of the highlights as soon as I go through all the photos...way too many.  Our phones make it so easy to take a multitude of photos...not like the old days where we were afraid we were going to run out of film!

I tried this travel make up mirror and was very pleased with the way it worked out.  I find that hotel lighting and lack of a good mirror make getting dressed a bit of a juggling act...and this really helped.

This is what the mirror looks like open...it folds back to make an easel  - and comes with a suction 10x magnifying mirror.

 

I liked that it was rechargeable, and it folded flat to fit in my suitcase.  You can find it here - 

Travel Make Up Mirror 

My toiletry bag was getting old and worn and this one was getting great review on Amazon...and it was on sale, too.

It comes in two sizes and many colors - I went with the medium and pink color.

It was great - lots more room than my old case and everything was organized.  This photo was taken as I was unpacking after the trip, so things are a bit jumbled - but it was a great buy.

You can find it here - 

Toiletry Bag 

I have a jewelry travel case, but it seems no matter what I do my earrings and some other items get scattered.  I picked up this pill case at Dollar Tree and it worked out great for my earrings, some necklaces, and beads.

That was not the only thing that Dollar Tree helped with - I love my Tarte and Nars eyeshadow, but I have had them broken and crumbled during travel too many times.  I spied these L.A. Colors eyeshadows at Dollar Tree and thought I would give them a try - 

The Nude color worked out so well - I have to say, almost as good as more expensive shadows - that I went back and bought some more.  I used Urban Decay Shadow Primer and these shadows stayed on all day!

These Clark shoes were so comfortable and great for walking all day on cobblestones.  I love the bronze color because they went with everything. They are called Caroline Ella and I got them at DSW.

I also picked up this pair, and they were almost as comfortable, and a little more dressed up - 

Dr. Scholl Madison Slip On Sneaker...also at DSW.

These socks were a great buy...not too thick.  They are supposed to be no show, and they were not - but very comfortable!  You can find them here - 

Socks

I love Travelon bags...I have a medium size black one that I have been using for years and it still looks new.  I wanted a small purse for days when I did not need to carry too much.  This worked out great...lots of pockets, RIFD protection for my cards, and the way Travelon purses lock and have a great key holder make them perfect for travel.  You can find the purse here - 

Travelon Small Purse

Do you have any items you love to use when you travel ?  I would love to hear about them!  We were away for 17 days...the longest we have ever been away from home.  It took almost a week for us to get back to our sleep schedule and rested after all those days of walking, touring, and EATING !!!  Now we are back on track with eating and exercising...until the next trip.

Thanks so much for stopping by Our New Vista - please leave a comment below.  I really love hearing from you and try to respond to each comment.  Until next time, have a great October !!!

 

Gift Plate

Whenever I am asked to bring something to a party or a family gathering it is usually brownies.  I have been making these brownies for years...you can find the recipe here -

My Favorite Brownies

I think it is a nice gesture to take the brownies and let the person keep the dish...often just a plate from Dollar Tree.  Recently I was going to a party at my sisters and saw this idea somewhere...and saw these dishes in Dollar Tree that looked like they would be the perfect colors for her kitchen.  I decided to try to make this pedestal dish - everything looks better on a pedestal!

I purchased one plate and one small bowl...and super adhesive glue at Dollar Tree.

I worked on this project in my laundry room...don't have a real craft area anymore since we moved to our apartment, but this area in the laundry room serves the purpose. 

I thought the plate was so pretty!

After washing both pieces and drying them well I ran a line of glue all around the bottom of the bowl...

Went around the bottom with a good amount...

and let the glue seep a bit into the bottom of the bowl.

Then placed the plate on top of the bowl and pressed down firmly.

I weighed it down with my jar of recycled batteries - pretty heave - and let the whole thing sit overnight.

The next day I made the brownies, cut them into squares, and arranged them on the plate.

I think it turned out great !  Will be looking for more dishes - maybe with holiday themes - to do this again.  It was quick, easy, and made a cute gift.

Have you made any crafts lately ?  I am not overly crafty, but do enjoy trying some things that are not too complicated.

Let me know what you think!  Thanks for stopping by 

Our New Vista and please leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!  Blogging will be taking a break for a few weeks while my husband and I travel. Until then, enjoy the delicious Fall weather and have a great September!

"By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer." -Helen Hunt Jackson

Life Lately

The summer is flying past and it is hard to believe that next week is Labor Day!  I am holding off on putting out Fall decorations until September 1st....but it is a struggle.  I almost bought some Pumpkin Spice creamer yesterday and thought..."no, you still have Margaritas and Pina Coladas in the the refrigerator...wait!"

I have been keeping busy with some crafts, shopping, and enjoying the cool weather last week.

Here's what's new - 

I needed a new tissue box cover for our Paris bathroom.  If you have not read about our Paris bathroom you can find the post here - 

Paris

I had a very plain brushed chrome tissue box cover in the bathroom as I never did find a Paris one I liked.  When I had my broken wrist and a splint on my arm the beautiful tissue box cover that we had in the living room - it looked like a stack of books - took a hit when my splint hit it!  It was ceramic and shattered - so I moved the chrome into the living room. And...started to search for something Parisian for the bathroom.  No luck.  So...I found a plain wooden one at Michaels last week.  I was going to spray paint it, or decoupage some Paris photos on it, when I remembered I had some leftover peel and stick wallpaper that would do the trick.

Was not really sure how this would work, but started with the top..

Smoothed out the paper and then used and utility knife to cut around the opening.

I wrapped the edges like you would a package...

The wallpaper had a grid on back that made it easy to just eyeball how much I needed and cut...

And I am very happy with how it turned out! Love the French newspaper adverts!

It really fits in with the wall color and the other Paris objects...and it was a bargain - just a few dollars for the box and I already had the wallpaper.

Have you noticed the O'Cedar mops all over social media?

I picked one up and decided to try it...I had been using a flat microfiber mop on the tile in the bathroom and the hardwood elsewhere and was not crazy about the level of cleaning I was getting...

Very pleased with this mop...works great in the bathroom and easily cleans the shower.  I like using HOT water and a disinfectant cleaner on the tiles and it is light and easy to use.   I use it on our hardwood as well...making sure to wring it out really well.  Will use the other mop for quick touch ups, but this is great for deeper cleans.  

I love a good flameless candle and found this Mirage candle at our local department store, Boscov's.  On the clearance section...

marked down to $9.98 and then 50 % off the lowest price...

WHAT ?

I had a coupon for an extra 15% off so this was a terrific deal - 

and it looks great in the Paris bathroom.  This is our guest bath, so it will be nice to have a little night light in there!

So happy to be back entertaining again....

We hosted a Sunday Brunch for some neighbors and friends.

A summery table...placemats are old from Dollar Tree, napkins from Kohl's, and the napkin rings from Wegmans...marked down last year and I picked up a bunch.

Had the usual brunch menu...French toast, bacon, quiche, mimosas...and since I am back to baking - Scones and Almond Joy Cookies.  You can click on the links for recipes!

And...since our television is a few years old and not a Samsung Frame,  I was happy to find that you can put photos and art work on your regular smart tv by going to the YouTube app...

Just search for art for you tv and you will find all kinds...great art, seasonal art, etc.  I love not having a big, black screen when we are entertaining.  We always have music playing from our Bose when we have guests, but some of the sites even have music that will come through your tv or sound bar.  Love it!

What have you been up to in these last days of summer ?  

Have you started Fall decorating yet ?

Let me know in the comments below - I really enjoy hearing from you and love that each week I get to "meet" someone new through the world of blogs.

Have a great last week of summer...

"See you in September"!

 

Crock Pot Lasagna

My husband LOVES lasagna...and I don't make it in the summer months because I tell him it heats up the house with the oven on and it is really a "winter meal"...like chili or stew.  In the summer we are grilling and enjoying burgers, hot dogs, fish and chicken.  Whenever we are at an Italian restaurant and he will order lasagna he will always ask the waitress if it is a seasonal dish, or do they serve it all year round.  They have no idea what he is talking about...but I know it is to let me know you CAN have lasagna year round. 

So, I was thrilled to find this recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna on a blog called The Girl on Bloor. 

This is a great blog and after trying this I will be sure to follow for more great recipes as this lasagna turned out GREAT!!!

Easiest EVER Crock Pot Lasagna

• Cooking spray
• 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
• 2 (650mL) jars tomato sauce (I used Aldi Organic sauces)
• 1 lb lasagna noodles (can use either oven ready or normal) uncooked
• 1 (475g) tub ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup water
• Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

We don't eat beef very often...I used ground turkey. It was a little more than a pound but that did not matter.

Brown the turkey or ground beef,

When meat is almost cooked through, add onions and garlic,

pepper,

and salt.

Add one jar of tomato sauce...

and stir until combined.

Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray

then layer in a bit of the meat sauce to cover the bottom of the pot.

Add a layer of the uncooked lasagna noodles - I used whole grain - and you have to break up some pieces to fit.  I was worried how this would turn out, but it all went great!

I mixed together the ricotta, an egg, 

and added some dried parsley to the mix.

Layer the ricotta, the mozzarella, more of the meat sauce mixture...

Repeat until the crock pot is full...usually 3 layers total.

Pour the second jar of sauce over the entire mixture, top with more mozzarella cheese.  

Then pour the water in around the sides of the lasagna...I used the jar that the sauce came in, filled it with water, to get the last little bit of sauce out!

Put on the lid...

Cook for 3 hours on high, or 6 hours on low...I cooked it on low while we went to the pool !!!

It turned out GREAT !  I was thinking it would not 
come together, there would be spots without noodles since I had to break to fit in...but no.  And it came out in great pieces...just like pan lasagna.  

Here is the link to the recipe and instructions from The Girl on Bloor 

Crock Pot Lasagna

I will definitely make this again...it was delicious, re-heated well, and I froze two portions for a future meal.  Next time I think I will try adding spinach to the layers!

Have you ever tried lasagna in the crock pot ? Let me know if you have any other dishes that usually are make in the oven but can be so much easier in the crock pot.

Thanks so much for stopping by Our New Vista today.  Please leave a comment below - I love hearing from you !

Have a great week and enjoy the rest of August!