Our Holly Days

By Holly Sosa

This post may contain affiliate links.

Where I live there are no spas. Our small desert town is quiet, sleepy, and the closest thing to a spa around here is the Dollar General where we can pick up household supplies to hold us over until our next trip into town. I’m not complaining. I’ve come to love the quiet, the spectacular mountain views, and especially the community of people here. But I do miss those spa days on occasion. Thankfully I’m pretty crafty and created my own version of a spa day right in my own home with this DIY Coffee Mud Face Mask. We don’t need no stinking spa!

In a small bowl, I combined some bentonite clay and coffee grounds using a wooden spoon. It’s important to use glass and wood here because the clay actually pulls out metals and impurities. Using wood and glass helps keep it at it’s purest absorbency so it will be most effective on your face.

Next I added some apple cider vinegar and a couple drops of tea tree essential oil, mixing it all together until it formed a paste.

Using my fingers I applied the mask to my face (for purposes of this tutorial, I’m showing application on my arm), avoiding the eye area, and let it sit for about eight minutes.

Just enough so the clay hardens but doesn’t become cracked or dry. That can make skin too dry. All I want is for the mask to have enough time to pull out and absorb impurities while also allowing my skin to absorb the clay’s minerals. If it hardens, it could dehydrate my skin which is exactly the opposite of what we want, right?

To remove the mask I used warm water and a cloth, patted my face dry with a clean towel, and then applied moisturizer (the apple cider vinegar already toned my skin for me!).

My skin always feel so soft, refreshed, and exfoliated after one of these masks. This one is so easy to make and the bentonite clay offers several benefits like circulation stimulation, exfoliation, and bacteria removal.

Coffee Mud Face Mask

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Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons bentonite clay
• 1 teaspoon coffee grounds
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions

1. In a glass bowl, using a wood spoon, combine clay and coffee.
2. Add vinegar and essential oil.
3. Mix until paste forms.
4. Apply to face with fingers.
5. Allow mask to set for 5-10 minutes until hard, but not dry or flaky.
6. Remove with warm water and towel.
7. Store leftover mask in air tight container in fridge for up to seven days.

3.5.3208

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By Holly Sosa

Friends, September is here and along with my birthday it brings along with it the much anticipated PSL, candy corn, and that fall sweater weather I dream about all year long. Maybe it’s basic to love fall, but I’m okay with that. I had my candy corn pumpkins stashed in my cart on August 30th and my fall booties out the next day. I’m ready for the cooler weather and the domino effect of holidays that begins with fall.

My ultimate accessory this fall is going to be my fashion eyewear frames by Traditions from JCPenney Optical. JCPenney Optical carries several brands in a variety of styles, offering something for every personality at affordable prices. Throughout Labor Day week they’ll be offering two pairs of eyeglasses for $99.99 plus free no-line bifocals. Offer through September 9th. They currently offer these wine beauties as part of the sale. I’m loving the metal deco on the temples and the rectangular shape is flattering on everyone. They’re a classic look that will last long past the fall season, but I just love how they will piece together with my fall wardrobe’s warmer hues.

Inspired by my new frames, I pulled out my fall wardrobe and pieced together this look that’s perfect for the desert fall weather. It’s still warm here and by warm I mean we’re consistently at or above the 100F degrees mark. My trick is to embrace fall without turning into a sweaty mess. With a loose fitting shirt dress, a light duster, booties, and my wine red reading glasses, I accomplished a look that any PSL would be proud to accessorize. Deep greens and red wine colors are my fall favorites and this outfit gives me the best of both.

Be sure to check out JCPO.com for more styles and promotions throughout the year or find a location near you to check them out in person.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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By Holly Sosa

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZTE Grand X Max 2. All opinions are 100% mine.

Recently I had the opportunity to get my hands on the ZTE Grand X Max 2, one of the latest smart phones (or phablets) exclusively available at Cricket Wireless. As a tech-loving gal, anytime I get to play with my social media apps and the camera features on a new phone, I get stupid excited about it.

The ZTE Grand X Max 2 features a six inch FHD LCD display with Dolby Audio and Hi Fi Music quality. The camera contains a wide angle front camera and dual rear camera with a Bokeh setting to give that background blur most photography junkies desire. It also features high powered LTE smartphone streaming quality and runs android Marshmallow OS. The screen quality is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a phone and browsing my blog was such a fun way to test out the capabilities of the phone.

Cricket Wireless offers easy and affordable plans starting at $35 monthly after (a $5 AutoPay credit) and that’s with monthly taxes and fees included. They offer a huge selection of phones and a reliable 4G LTE network with more coverage than T-Mobile, Metro PCS, Sprint and Boost. Their service is crystal clear way out here in the High Desert boondocks, which surprised me. In the past I wasn’t sure about Cricket, but they’ve proven to be equal to, and in some cases superior to, the leading wireless companies.

When we got the ZTE Grand X Max 2 it was supposed to be a phone for me, but because the service works so well, my husband has been using it at work where most of the employees don’t get any signal at all. My husband has also had a fun time playing Pokèmon Go (shhh, don’t tell him I told you!) on the bigger screen display.

When you bring your number to Cricket to make the switch from your carrier, you can get the ZTE Grand X Max 2 for $129.99. If you’re an existing Cricket customer, you can get the phablet at $169.99. Available to purchase at CricketWireless.com and Cricket Wireless authorized retail locations. Locate a Cricket Wireless authorized retail location

For more information on the ZTE Grand X Max 2, visit CricketWireless.com and check out their plans to see what fits in your family.

Disclaimer: Buy ZTE Grand X Max 2 for $129, port number to Cricket and activate a new qualified plan, minimum $40 per month. Fees, other charges & restrictions apply. See store for details.

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By Holly Sosa

I received a set of Bible tabs to facilitate this post.

Bible journaling has become one of my favorite ways to connect with the Bible. While I believe strongly in daily scripture writing and reading, this sort of hybrid art/scrapbooking version of worship is close to my heart. It’s where I get to combine my love of art and creating with my Creator’s Word. When I’m painting or doodling in the margins I’m mediating on His Word and praying. It’s a form of worship where I’m at my most stripped down for Him. Journaling inside my Bible is one of the first ways I was encouraged to go deeper and learn more about the truth in the pages.

I’ve always been a fan of Bible tabs. In fact, I think every Bible I own (four!) has tabs to divide each book. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I still occasionally struggle with where exactly each book is when my pastor asks us to open our Bibles in church. Having tabs helps me to navigate a little more quickly as I clumsily fumble through the pages. While plain tabs work perfectly fine in my study Bible, I knew I wanted something much more fun and a little extra special for my journaling Bible.

These beautifully created tabs were made by my friend, Halin. She has an Etsy shop where she creates tabs by hand for people like me who rely on our tabs to navigate our Bibles. She offers them in a wide variety of colors, textures, and patterns. Each tab is crafted carefully by her, trimmed out to size, and then laminated for protection and durability. My favorite part is that they come completely ready to peel and stick right into my Bible.

I spent the afternoon yesterday sitting by a window, mediating on God’s Word, and sticking these Bible tabs by Halin in their proper place inside my journaling Bible. Every so often, I would stop to read a small passage and pray. I am so grateful for God’s grace and that each and every day, knowing I need salvation, that it’s given to me. I’m so grateful to even have a Bible in my hands when we have entire missions dedicated to getting Bibles into the hands of people who have never seen one.

Friends, I encourage you to find a method of Bible study or worship that speaks to your passions as I have. There’s no greater fun to be had than sharing that passion with Jesus Christ and using it as a form of worship.

To check out the variety of Bible tabs by Halin, visit her shop on Etsy where you can purchase your own set or browse through her other creations like bookmarks, Bible covers, and more.

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By Holly Sosa

This post was made possible by iConnect and Autotrader. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine.

Last year my husband and I took the plunge and purchased a second vehicle. After three years of driving just one car with over 100,000 miles on it, we were just desperate to get an additional vehicle into our lives. We didn’t have anyone to guide us or give us advice, so we went at it alone. Explorers in the world of car buying.

Shopping for a car can be overwhelming and other than the idea of a sweet new stereo system, it doesn’t appeal to me much – if at all. But there are some trends to be aware of if you’re in the market this year. From longer test drives, smart shopping, and buying CPO, here are the details on a few of the latest car shopping trends.

Extended Test Drives

While each dealership has different policies, many are allowing for extended test drives. More and more, dealerships offer overnight test drives with a limited amount of miles to get buyers more familiar with the vehicle they’re considering. As a mother, I love this idea because I’d like to have a chance to see how my family fits in the car, the amount of space we’ll have, and how comfortable I feel in the car.

Smarter Shopping

In the age of technology, buyers are relying more on their phones to help ensure they’re getting the best prices. When my husband and I purchased our new car last year, we relied heavily on our smart phones to help us find a dealership, read reviews on the vehicles, and ensure we weren’t getting taken advantage of where price was concerned.

Buying Certified Pre-Owned

With three year leases expiring, it leaves room for shoppers to land a great deal on a certified pre-owned vehicle. Vehicles will be coming off lease between 2016-2018 which means cars with low mileage, up to date maintenance, and in good condition will be available for purchase making this a trend to be on watch for.

In the end, I sent my husband off to do the negotiating and haggling before we settled on a price and financing options with our dealership. Even with him representing us though, that night was filled with phone call after phone call to me about this deal or that. We ended up with a vehicle we love, but we’re not alone in wishing the car buying experience was different. According to this article, in 2015, Autotrader did a study that showed only 17 out of 4,002 people prefer the current car-buying process and the rest want significant changes, particularly in the test drive, deal structuring and financing paperwork. Hopefully these new trends in car buying, which include smarter shoppers, will inspire change soon.

For more information on car buying and it’s latest trends, be sure to check out the Girlfriends Guide to Car Shopping from Autotrader and Kelly Blue Book, the most visited car shopping information websites.

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By Holly Sosa

This post was sponsored by Lully as part of Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

Picture yourself soundly sleeping. The house is quiet, the dog is snoozing next to you in bed. And you’re suddenly jolted awake by the sound of blood curdling screams coming from your child’s bedroom. You scramble out of bed and dart as fast as you can to the child’s bedroom to find them alone, screaming in terror, covered in sweat, completely naked, and unaware of where they are. Despite your efforts to calm your child he still stares into the distance screaming and crying. You manage to get him dressed and back into bed, but when you ask him simple questions he cannot answer them clearly. You sit with him until he falls back to sleep.

Night terrors. This is an exact experience I have had with my son in the past. He experiences night terrors once or twice monthly and every time it happens it’s terrifying not only for him, but also for me. As his mother I’m charged with the job of protecting him, but when he’s in the throes of a night terror, I’m helpless. I’ve tried several different solutions to help him through these terrors, but not much has helped. I have noticed that they tend to come when he’s extra tired or exhausted from an event or hard play, but mostly they’re random.

I first heard about Lully, a vibrating pod that’s placed under a child’s mattress, from another mom who has two children that suffer from night terrors and she said it had drastically decreased the frequency. I also learned that one in five children will experience night terrors, which makes it much more common than I realized. Willing to try anything to help reduce these events for my son, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to have him try the New Lully Sleep Guardian 2. It’s been proven to work (verified in over 10,000 nights of testing) by stopping eight out of 10 night terrors, and is based on the best medical knowledge of children’s sleep.

With the Lully Sleep Guardian 2, vibrations turn on automatically to stop night terrors and ensure a restful night of sleep for both child and parents. Using the Lully app, I simply enter my son’s bedtime and it automatically vibrates to stop his night terror before it starts, without waking him up. The longer he uses it and I record his sleep habits, the smarter the Lully becomes, making it more and more effective as time goes on.

My son has been using the New Lully Sleep Guardian 2 for about 20 days and we haven’t had a night terror thus far. In fact, he reminds me to turn on his Lully each night and calls his his, “nightmare catcher”. Not only is the little pod scientifically keeping away night terrors, but it also gives him mental confidence at night. I’ve been tracking his sleep patterns, how fast he falls asleep, if he wakes up asking for water, and how long he sleeps to help his Lully get smarter each day and become more aware of when it needs to vibrate. Our experience so far has been positive and one I’ve recommended to several friends who have children experiencing the same things as my son.

Find out more information on Lully by visiting the Lully page on Facebook and visit LullySleep.com to learn more about night terrors.

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By Holly Sosa

This post is sponsored by Netflix. Thank you to Netflix for partnering with me. And thank you readers for supporting the brands that support this blog and my family.

My kiddos just can’t get enough of the new Netflix Original Animated Series Beat Bugs. And I have to admit, it warms my heart to hear thing singing classics like Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (I’m LIVING for Pink’s version featured in the episode) and more Beatles tunes.

Beat Bugs follows five best friends – Jay, Kumi, Crick, Buzz, and Walter – on their adventures while learning about life lessons in an overgrown suburban backyard (which is their entire universe). Each episode is about 15 minutes long, which I find to be the perfect length for my toddler, and features a song created originally by The Beatles.

Inspire by our new bug friends, my kiddos and I got together to make our own cover of All You Need Is Love together. We’re no Von Trapp family (one child refused to dance and instead laid on the floor), but we had fun.

A video posted by Holly Sosa (@ourhollydays) on Aug 29, 2016 at 8:54pm PDT

Think you can do better? Netflix partnered with me to give away a six month membership to one of you. To enter, you’ll need to head over to my Instagram page for details and to share your best #BeatBugs performance. Entries will close on August 30th at 11:59PM PST. Winner will be announced within 24 hours.

Follow Netflix on Facebook for the latest releases, previews, information on Netflix Originals, and more.

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By Holly Sosa

Summer is coming to a close and for us school is back in session. As a firm believer in soaking in all of life, including what each season has to offer, I wanted to get together with some friends and their kiddos for a Farewell to Summer Party. Here in the High Desert temperatures are still pretty warm, so I brainstormed a few fun water game ideas and texted our community group to meet us at the park last week for a date with the summer sun.

The party was inspired by CLIF Kid and their dedication to reclaiming outside play so for snacks I loaded a party table with our favorite CLIF Kid items. CLIF Kid makes nutritious snacks from organic ingredients that are specially-crafted for kids’ developing taste buds and active lives. I stacked plenty of Iced Oatmeal Cookie and Chocolate Mint (which the kids demolished) and loads of ZFruit twists. I love that CLIF Kids encourages boys and girls everywhere to get back outside, push their boundaries and feed their adventures, so I thought I’d share their love of outdoors with my friends while serving their nutritious snacks.

I also had giant mason jars filled with lemonade and fresh iced tea. Because what’s a party without a mason jar or two?

At the table I placed a bubble machine behind all the food to add some sensory fun to our party table.

The kiddos created sock bubbles using old plastic cups and the toes snipped off of socks (those I bought new, don’t worry…though stinky old ones would have been pretty humorous). I mixed together dish soap with just a little water and the kids dipped their new bubble blowers in and went to creating all kinds of fun things. Bubble cake, bubble beards, and even a bubble mohawk!

I also filled up about 200 water balloons and we all had a good old fashioned water balloon fight. I think the dads were way more into it than the kids. Those grown ups were taking it seriously!

Our last little farewell to summer activity was a fun way for the kids to cool down. I took a bunch of t-shirts and soaked them in water and then stuck them in my freezer for several hours. The kids each got a frozen t-shirt and their goal was to be the first one to open the shirt up and put it on. They were banging shirts on tress trying to get theirs to open up!

This gathering was one for the record books. Saying goodbye to summer was never more bittersweet. While I’m excited for the structure the school year brings, I know I’ll long for hot summer evenings like this one.

For more information on CLIF Kid including fun back to school lunch ideas, outdoor play activities, and more, be sure to visit the CLIF Kid page on Facebook.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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By Holly Sosa

This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

Back to school means a new routine for my family, so I thought I’d share what a day in our lives looks like now that we’re in a new schedule. This photo journal is a little peek into our daily lives here in the High Desert as we head back to school.

Good morning stares form the dog.

Waffles in the toaster because it’s pretty much all they ever ask for.

Then we head off to school to drop off the boys. Evelyn isn’t in school yet, but shhhhh…don’t tell her that.

Evelyn and I head out to a meeting at our church after dropping off the dudes.

And after the meeting we headed to Target because well, TARGET. And we picked up Nature Made® KIDS FIRST® Multivitamin Gummies. It’s my goal this year to start the year on track with quality healthy habits. Nature Made KIDS FIRST Multivitamin Gummies come in great-tasting all- natural fruit flavors that my kids love. Not only do they taste great, which means no complaints from the kids, but they also help fill many of the key nutrient gaps from my kid’s diets and support overall health.†

When we got home, Evelyn couldn’t wait another minute to try the Nature Made®, KIDS FIRST®. The gummies contain 12 essential nutrients for age-specific nutritional support, including vitamins A, C, D and E, B vitamins, and minerals like iodine and zinc. Evelyn loves that they come in great-tasting all- natural fruit flavors like Orange, Cherry & Mixed Berry.

Then it was laundry time. Much groaning was had.

Miss Evelyn and I left to pick up the boys from school a little early so she could play in the grass.

The boys did their homework while I squeezed in a few emails.

These two dudes helped me with dinner. BLTs are perfectly acceptable for back to school dinner, right?

I took the pooch out for a bathroom break and enjoyed the desert sunset.

Our days are getting busier and the days shorter, but I welcome the new structure. Soon we’ll be in a perfect symphony and our healthy habits will be second nature.

For more information on Nature Made®, KIDS FIRST® be sure to visit the Nature Made® page on Facebook and check out their website on ShopCentric.

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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By Holly Sosa

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StirImagination #CollectiveBias

My niños are back in school and while I welcome the not-so-alone-time (little hermana is still at home), I’m not super stoked about the crazy scheduling back to school season brings. There is always an adjustment period as I try to adapt to making meals at different times, but breakfast seems to give me the hardest time. I like to prepare myself at the beginning of each school year with a fresh supply of easy to make breakfast recipes like these Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins with combine savory oats with a touch of sweetness from my niños most requested NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder.

To start, add some oatmeal and Nesquik to a large bowl with just a pinch of salt. Give it a good stir to combine them together and then set the bowl aside.

In a separate bowl, combine together some maple syrup, water, peanut butter, a dash of vanilla, and some mashed banana.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine.

Add in chocolate chips if you so desire. Who are we kidding? You desire!

Transfer the dough to a cupcake pan lined with paper liners.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.

You can enjoy these right after they’ve cooled, but I love this recipe because the flavors seem to marry together more after they sit for a day or so. I can store them in an air tight container in my fridge for a whole week which means I have easy breakfast muffins my kiddos can grab and enjoy as part of a complete breakfast. Of course with a large glass of ice cold, almost frozen Nesquik chocolate milk. Also offered in NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder Strawberry which was my favorite as a niña.

Nesquik Powder & Ready-to-Drink Bottles: From September 4th through the 10th, 2016 use the Target Cartwheel app to get 15% off 18.7oz Nesquik powder and 10 packs of Ready-to-Drink bottles.

I don’t mind serving my niños Nesquik because it provides the nutrition they need with the chocolatey taste they love. It contains 45% less sugar than the leading chocolate syrup brand and offers 7 essential vitamins and minerals. When I serve them Nesquik, it’s not just a glass of milk, it’s an irresistible vessel of nourishment, where there goodness of milk meets the best ingredients, vitamins, and minerals. It’s also a great way to add flavor to recipes like this one while also adding a little extra nutrition for a flavorful breakfast with a familiar taste.

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

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Author: Holly

Ingredients

• 2½ cups oatmeal
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 1¼ cups mashed banana
• ⅔ cup water
• 2½ tablespoons peanut butter
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup Nesquik
• chocolate chips as desired

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Line a cupcake tine with paper liners.
3. In a large bowl, mix together oatmeal, salt, and Nesquik and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, water, peanut butter, vanilla, and banana.
5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
6. Add chocolate chips.
7. Pour batter into the liners.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes.
9. Allow to cool before serving.

3.5.3208

For more information on NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder, including recipe ideas like this one, be sure to visit the Nesquik page on Facebook and visit their website at Nesquik.com.

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