What to do with itchy eyes

For those of us with itchy,watery, allergy eyes, it can be hard to find relief. Even wearing makeup feels like wasted effort when you're just going to rub your eyes until your mascara flakes and your liners runs!
Here's a couple tips that have helped calm my eyes.

1. Consider switching eye makeup removers if you have a silicone based formula. These are not bad formulas, but they can be irritating to sensitive eyes. They are oil free and usually labeled as "oil free" on the bottle. If your bottle is one that needs to be shaken up before use, it probably has a silicone base. Most brands also have a formula specifically labeled as a "gentle" eye makeup remover. Choose that one if you're eyes are sensitive. Neutrogena, Estee Lauder, and Almay have good gentle formulas.

2. Wash your eyes daily with Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo or the generic equivalent. Your eyes can hold a lot of allergens in the lash base. Not to mention skin cells and bacteria that collect there, too. Lather a tiny drop of baby shampoo and rub into the lash base on the top and bottom. Rinse or use a wet washcloth to cleanse away the shampoo.

3.  Switch to hypoallergenic mascara. This seems like a simple solution, but a lot of people think all mascara is the same. Lengthening and thickening formulas often have extra fibers in the mascara that make the lashes look great, but it can be extra irritating. Waterproof formulas can also be more irritating-especially because some of them won't come off completely for three days! Gel and gel-mousse based mascaras feel better on the eyes, but not all are completely hypoallergenic. My recommendation would be to try Clinique or Almay because they exclusively make hypoallergenic mascaras. My favorite lately has been Almay One Coat Triple Effect.

4. Give your eyes a day off from contacts and makeup. If you wear contact lenses, take a break and wear your glasses for a day. Let your eyes breathe without anything on them. It'll make it easier to look pretty and dolled up without the rubbing and smudging the next day because your eyes have rested.

Bente's Falafel

Falafel has recently become trendy in the U.S. (It seems to have followed in its big sister, Hummus', footsteps) And in top of being trendy, it's also easy to make it vegan, gluten-free, and dirt cheap! 

I soaked my own chickpeas, which gives it a more authentic texture versus canned which get smoother. Canned is easier for making hummus since that is intended to be smooth rather than the slightest but gritty, but either one works. Try both ways and choose your preference! 

I have modified several recipes into Bente's Falafel. Mine is baked and used a small bit of oat flour so it is free of wheat gluten. I serve it in a pita pocket or on top of field greens. It's wonderful with tzatziki or splashed with balsamic vinegar and feta crumbles. 

My lettuce wraps rival PF Chang's!

It's all hot dish

You can make hot dish with any combination of noodles, potatoes, rice, vegetables, meat, cheese, cream soup...really anything goes! In Minnesota, you could have hot dish every night of the week without eating the same thing twice. Although, most often you'll want to make hot dish to use up leftovers. The above pictures hot dish was made with leftover runza filling,(ground beef, cabbage, and onion) cream of mushroom soup, macaroni, and shredded cheddar.

The Un-dateable Profile Pic

Today's tidbit of wisdom is about online dating. In this day and age, dating online is as common as any other kind of dating. Profile pictures are one instance where you should judge a book by it's cover. After all, somebody specifically chose his profile picture to be his introduction to you. Here are the most disturbing categories of profile pictures AKA the un-dateable list:

-He doesn't own ANY shirts. Every picture has him flexing while using his iPhone to take the pic in his bathroom mirror. Okay, we get it. You workout. You have muscles. I'd like to know that if we go out, you will wear a shirt.

-Only takes pics in the gym. This is not an upgrade from shirtless in the bathroom photos!

-Can't take a pic without a beer in hand. Five different poses with five different drinks? Not impressed.

-Half naked ladies in every pic. It's difficult to picture ourselves as potentially standing next to you when we don't know if you are ever standing without a bikini clad bimbo next to you.

-Child in every pose. What are you trying to illustrate? That you like kids? That you kidnapped this child?

And the winner for most disturbing profile pic is....
-Child ONLY in the pic! Why are people showing pictures of their children/nieces/nephews to strangers on the internet? Give this kid some privacy!