Tuesday To Do List — what to buy, spy, and try! (or sometimes cry about)

Tuesday To Do List is my newest attempt at bringing you tidbits from the gluten-free world each week. This will continue until my mind-that-doesn’t-rest comes up with another way to entertain you guys. Cross your fingers I am back here next Tuesday with another list…

Three cheers for three weeks in a row! Big summertime commitment.

Speaking of commitments — last week we celebrated our FIVE year anniversary of Gluten Free Get Together events in and around Milwaukee. Each month I organize a dinner, event, or field trip and am joined by other gluten-free friends in the area. This group has become like family, I love them so.

And so do the generous companies who helped me fill GF swag bags for our event. The love they sent this year has left me speechless. (and we know that’s rare.)

Today’s to-do list is a shout out to ALL the companies who made our party such a huge success.


Please go spy, try, or buy ANY of these companies’ products! (some may even make you cry — tears of JOY that is)

 

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Red Apple Lipstick — I’ve been singing their praises since I first tried their lip glosses. Now most of my make up bag comes from them. I have converted many friends and family members to their Lash Project Mascara. (read all about it HERE) The ladies were thrilled with the lipsticks and ralleye balms in their bags!


(Isn’t Katiekins just gorgeous!? She’s a Red Apple girl for sure!)
The Gluten Free Bar (the GFB) — Marshall and I have been in touch since he first started his company. Stories like this make me smile. He started with just a couple of bar flavors and has now expanded the business and is making his way across the country into stores. Kudos to him and his team!

Sentry in Delafield — Kerry and her team at the store are all about making our community happy. Their GF aisle and freezer section is impressive and their willingness to order new goods is appreciated. It’s my go-to store in the area!

GF Harvest — Another story that makes me smile every time. Forrest started this company in high school, yes high school, as a school project. I have been ordering their certified gluten-free oats for years and am always on the lookout for their new product lines. (like yummy granola!))

 

 

 

G.H. Cretors popcorn — they sent bags of their “Chicago Mix” and boy am I glad they did. AH.mazing.

Lovely Candy Co. — I’ve had a couple of their licorice products and was just as impressed with their caramels. Melt in your mouth!

Fahlstrom Farms — three cheers for this “Minnesota Nice” company that sent FULL sized bags of cheddar biscuit mix! If I’m going to buy a brownie mix, it will be theirs.

Ciderboys — Thanks to their bottle openers, we’ll be sipping cider all summer!

Cup4Cup — As you know, I’m a long time fan of Cup4Cup. For me, it’s worth the cost to have my family recipes convert over and turn out every single time.

Pamela’s — Game changers in the gluten-free s’mores world! The new mini graham-like crackers are too good. (meaning I could eat the whole box in one sitting!) The crowd gobbled these up for dessert. (my mamasita thinks these  will make excellent dippers for pumpkin dip!)


Jovial — the perfect pasta in gluten-free land! When I can use a pasta in a cold salad, I get excited. And when the husband asks for it, you know it’s good. Someday I hope to take my celiac sista on their GF trip to Italy!

Sweet Ali’s Bakery — we are BIG fans of Sweet Ali’s around here. We even take field trips down to the bakery (it’s not too far) in Illinois to get our fix. The dessert tray was gone in no time!

The Better Chip — my mama found these chips years ago and we have been eating them ever since. Their unique flavors: beets, jalapeno, spinach & kale, corn, and chipotles keep us on our toes. My nephews call the kale ones, “the green chips” and ask for them often. (they’re 3 and already on the kale train!)

Canyon Bakehouse — I just mentioned their deli rye style bread in last week’s post and am still raving about it. LOVE their breads. Period. (and everyone gets to try them now with the coupons they sent!)


Jones Dairy Farm — we love Wisconsin companies! The coupons they sent will be used on our breakfast menu soon.

Freedom Foods — they make a version of GF fruit loop-ish cereal that I eat by the handful. Their coupons will be put to good use!

 

And a special shout out to Marty’s in Delafield!!! (not to be confused with their Brookfield location — this safe, amazing service comes from Delafield only) We had to move the location of the event at the last minute and Duane, Maynard, and our fantastic servers made us feel right at home. (they even went out and got Lakefront New Grist for one of our GF peeps!) The pizzas were perfect, the salads were spot on, and the wings were baked rather than fried, just for us! THAT is the kind of safe service the gluten-free community deserves.

Head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all their websites — give them some Milwaukee gluten-free love and let them know how you liked their products. (also sign up for email lists to be up to date on their latests news and deals!)

Here’s to another five years of fun — thanks for being part of it all!

 

Red Apple Lipsticks presents: Christmas Collection 2014

There’s a super sale on gluten-free makeup starting tomorrow from our friends at Red Apple Lipstick. 

Before I go into detail about how much I LOVE their products, here’s what you absolutely need to know, even if you don’t read any further:

  • Sale runs 11/17-11/24 (and it’s a private, VIP sale so just REGISTER HERE and you’re all set and will be enjoying the goods before the general public)
  • I know, I know, registering seems like a lot of work, but it’s not! You just enter your name and e-mail and then they offer you a buy-one-get-one offer you don’t want to miss.
  • Use code CITC for a 22% discount on your order — this is better than the VIP monthly discount! 
  • All products will be guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas!
  • The Christmas Collection is AH.mazing! (don’t just take my word for it, check out the “look book” by clicking HERE — aren’t they all just stunning?!)
  • They are having their sale early this year to allow their employees to enjoy time off for the holidays. That alone makes my heart sing and motivates me to support this company that supports their own.

It’s no secret that I am a BIG fan of every single product I have gotten my hands on from Red Apple Lipstick. And the new Christmas Collection is no exception.

You should have seen me when I opened the package from them — it was like Santa had read my mind and delivered!

red apple lipstick christmas collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As much as I wanted to keep them all to myself… I had to share with some of my girls!

red apple lipstick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just look at my best gal Katie — she can pull off ALL of their bold colors with such ease. She’s glowing in Back to the Fuchsia. (remember you can see all of the colors by view the look book HERE.)

red apple lipstick back to the fuchsia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s my soul sister, Kristi in Gypsy Soul. (fitting, yes? my soul sister in gypsy soul) 😉  She was impressed by the color, but even more so by the texture — when she first put it on she said, “oh, it’s so smooth.” She is my go-to girl for all things makeup, (she did my makeup for our wedding) so when she’s impressed, you know it’s good — and I’m pretty sure I will have her hooked on RAL after this sale.

red apple lipstick gypsy soul

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And me? I’m a Red Apple girl. I just am. Not because they send me free goods to try out and tell you about, that’s a lovely perk of being a blogger friend with Andrea and Jay, but because they make quality, gluten-free products that make me feel beautiful. And although I get to try some things for free, I also place orders with them throughout the year using my VIP code they send each month.

I don’t have to worry about reading their labels. I know they are safe: no petroleum, no animal bits, no gluten, soy, dairy, corn, harsh chemicals or GMOs.

And they’re good people. Down to earth. They want you to be happy. (they give a ridiculously generous SIX month money-back guarantee on their products) And they moved their sale up this year to be sure their team is home with their families for the holidays. That may not seem like a big deal to some, but to me and my family who watch our mama work every single year during the holidays, it is a VERY big deal and I admire the gesture.

red apple lipstick Ooh la la

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wake up with Ooh La La and coffee. (my favorite lipstick color of the new collection) And the eye shadows? Oh my minerals. They are gorgeous! And on days when I’m feeling lazy I at least grab my Mint 2 Be gloss and The Lash Project mascara — there are two new glosses in the Christmas Collection. (read all about The Lash Project HERE and then add that to your cart!)

 

Now… when YOU wake up tomorrow … GO SHOP at www.redapplelipstick.com  and use code CITC to save 22% on your order through November 24th. What are you picking out first? Lipstick, gloss, shadows, or one of each?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Apple Lipstick presents: The Lash Project (with a giveaway)

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UPDATE 7.31.14: CONGRATS to Kate Biwer, winner of the prize package!

Don’t worry, if you didn’t win, remember you can still use code CITC to save 22% off your $50+ order!
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Next week, our friends from Red Apple Lipstick launch THE LASH PROJECT: a gluten-free lash conditioning mascara. Basically the product I’ve been waiting for my whole mascara wearing life!

My lash envy has gone on for years — I have girlfriends whose eye lashes look long and full BEFORE they even put on their mascara.

Here are my sad little lashes without mascara.

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I have spent years asking which mascara they are using, running out to buy it at Target, Sephora, or a department store only to end up with clumpy lashes that leave me with raccoon eyes by afternoon. I toss them into the “rejects” drawer in hopes of trying them again someday to pull off the look I saw on a friend. (never happens) I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on mascaras that don’t work for me. I pull out lashes trying to get the gunky mascaras off — they make my eyes itchy, watery, yet I keep buying new ones in hopes of finding the one that works.

For my wedding I let someone talk me into a tube of mascara that was over $30. Big mistake. Spidery lashes. Smudging. Another reject. (into the drawer)

See the pattern here?

The Lash Project mascara is unlike any other mascara I have tried. Sometimes when you hear claims like that, they sound fake or overused, but I honestly feel that way about this product. (and you guys know I’m 100% honest about products I try, if I don’t like them, believe me, you’ll know!)

Full disclosure: I was gifted a tube of The Lash Project mascara to try out, share with all of you, and even give away a gift set that also includes a Red Apple Lipstick color. Jay and Andrea are super generous in that way and I have never seen anyone stand behind their product (or get as excited about it) like they do. Knowing how much I have loved all of their other products, I will tell you I still had doubts about this one at first.

It’s $42, my friends. And for some, that may seem like a deal breaker at first thought.

But my lashes want you to know….it is worth every single penny and I will be continuing to use it for the rest of my mascara wearing life!

It’s that good.

Here are just some of the highlights…

The Lash Project 2-in-1 (conditions and brings beautiful color) formula is: Gluten Free, Paraben Free, Corn Free, Soy Free, Vegan (synthetic beeswax, not the stuff from real bees), Cruelty Free, Dairy Free, Plasticizer Free, GMO free, Glycol Free, Nut Free, & SLS free

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They have solved:

Clumping (my biggest mascara pet peeve)
Spidering (gross)
Smudging (hello humid Wisconsin problems!)
Flaking
Eye Irritations: itchy, scratchy watery eyes (then I rub them and it gets worse!)
Puffy and red eyelids (ouch!)
Short, stubby lashes (totally me, notice the first photo)
Lashes that grow in weird directions
Lashes that fall out (all.the.time)
Mascara that’s hard to remove (now you can just use coconut oil or soap and water)

And if you try it out and aren’t as impressed as I have been? They will give you up to SIX months to get your money back or exchange it — that never happens with cosmetics!

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One coat would give me the look I would wear to work each day. And if we want to go with a few coats, we’re ready for a night out!

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I have been using it for about a week now and my lashes are stronger already! This shot is from this morning, no mascara.

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But don’t just take my word for it, try it out for yourself!

I’m giving away a little prize pack: 1 Lash Project conditioning mascara AND a lipstick color of your choice. (I’m currently loving Vogue and New York)

Thanks to RAL, this prize can be YOURS! The giveaway runs until July 31st which is THE launch date — so you can wake up on the morning it launches and know if you’re a winner!

 

But what if you don’t win?

No worries!

You can use my code: CITC to save 22% on your order from RedAppleLipstick.com!!!

This is the highest discount you will see during their launch campaign, so stock up on lipsticks, glosses, (love me some Mint 2 Be in Honey Badger) and eye shadows — I have never been disappointed with their high quality products. (and they always offer that six month unheard of return/exchange policy)

Then do yourself a favor and become a VIP with Red Apple Lipstick and they will send you coupon codes to use each month, so you will continue to get a discounted rate on The Lash Project mascara as well as any of their other products.

Your to-do list:
  • Enter to WIN the prize pack below — just CLICK ON the “a Rafflecopter giveaway” link where you’ll have FIVE chances to win! (cross your fingers and toes that you win!)
  • Go over to RedAppleLipstick.com and become a VIP and sign up for an email reminder to get your Lash Project Mascara on their launch date, July 31st.
  • Use code CITC to save 22% on your order of $50+ to stock up on RAL goods.

Good luck from my lashes to yours!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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