My First Baseball Game

When I lived in Europe, I saw many movies including some 'baseball episodes', showing the sport/ players in one way or another. However, since it is not the most popular sport on the old continent, watching it was rather similar to watching remote planets - interesting but you do not really care about them. Besides, I did not have the faintest idea what the rules of the game are. My mum mentioned something about it a few times as she used to play the game when she was young (it was quite popular in Europe in the 40s and 50s, however it was not called baseball). Anyway, it seemed to me as remote as what I could see in the movies.

Some time ago I experienced my first ever live baseball game. Going to the stadium I still did not know what to expect but was really looking forward to the event.

Thanks to my husband, who is also my baseball guide, I could understand what was going on during the game. It was all so surprisingly enjoyable! The atmosphere was very laid back comparing to a soccer match. The latter one, with its two, most often quite tense parts, often involves some more or less violent encounters including both players and spectators. The baseball game and so many breaks connected with the sports rules, with cheerful music, funny elements provided by the event organizers, people chanting and truly having fun, made it a very pleasant and relaxing evening/time.

Being there and enjoying it all, I finally understood why it is such a most popular pass-time here. It is much more than just baseball itself but of course the sport is the main and most important part here.

When the game ended I wished it had lasted longer. It was such fun! And guess what, Texas Rangers won, which also added a lot to a perfect, my first ever, baseball game.

Blogging: 3 in 1

I have decided it is time for me to merge the three blogs which I run, and make them one and the same Internet space called FavTreats.

My other blogs are: In The Kitchen With Tobo and Our Cats & Friends. I started the previous one when I moved to the US. I shared my kitchen - cooking and baking - experiences there, meaning  learning, trying new recipes  + something more.  At first I posted pictures only, later I was adding some texts also.

In The Kitchen With Tobo

From the blog description: This blog has never meant to be just another cookery Internet space or a cook blog. There are so many such pages with interesting, useful recipes you can try in your kitchen. Another one is not really needed then. That is why if you are searching any particular recipes, probably you won't find them here.
Somebody has said that kitchen is the heart of home. I do agree that kitchen is not only about cooking. It is also about sharing and being together - with your family and friends. And about learning too, which means not only cooking again. Anyway, I do love learning the Southern cooking and trying new recipes.
But it is only a part of it all which really matters.

 Our Cats & Friends

The other blog had its beginning much earlier, in 2008. It is dedicated to all the pets and animals we meet on our ways who have made our days brighter and more joyful. Just to save them from being forgotten. Not many words but much love.

Our cats

La Bella Almond & Honey Soap Bar

I really like this La Bella soap. The almond and honey scent is so nice, and stays on the hands after washing them with the fragrant bar. Its shape is quite convenient as it fits in the palms quite well, which makes the washing very comfortable. While foaming, the soap has a pleasant, soft and creamy consistency. It is not only nice to feel it on the skin during the washing time, but also the results of it are quite good. My hands are soft, the skin is moistened and I do not need to use a hand balm straight after using this soap.

The La Bella soap is made in the USA, it is distributed by Newhall Laboratories. We found it at Dollar Tree - good quality for $1 only.

Eye Makeup: Spring Evening Out

Eye shadows:

1. Wedding Day #24 by Sephora
2. Tender Pink #27 by Sephora
3. 3W Lagoon - Soft Shimmer - by Clinique
4. Tango Night #35 by Sephora

I wrote about the eye shadows and eyeliner here .

5. Eye pencil: Dessin Du Regard Crayon Yeux Haute Tenue - No. 9 Turquoise by YSL
6. Blue Very Me eyeliner by Oriflame

How To Make Clothes Last Longer & Save On Electricity

Some pieces of clothing should not be dried in the dryer because of obvious reasons: fabrics/designs are too delicate, high temperatures weaken the thread and, in the result of it, destroy our socks, blouses and other wardrobe items (including jeans). Recently, I have read a piece of advice shared by a famous denim clothes manufacturer - informing that jeans will last longer, if they are not dried in the dryer.
Anyway, it is all not new to me. That is why when I moved to the US, I was trying to find a solution to it. I neither could use a washing line, nor set it anywhere. That was why I frequently 'decorated' the bathroom with wet clothes. It was very inconvenient though. Especially on the days of 'bigger' washing. I did not like it also because some pieces (such as T-shirts) were not supposed to be stretched on hangers. They were simply losing their quality/nice look and shape then.
Finally, I decided to look for something which I could find useful - I meant a drying rack I had known from Europe. First I checked the nearby stores - big and small ones - drying racks seemed to be an unknown invention here. I was surprised and disappointed as I did not mean anything unusual (well, the thing is something very usual in Europe). Then I searched the net and I was really happy when I found it at amazon.com: the drying rack which has been part of almost each and every household in other part of the world. The metal rack has a very practical and quite a solid design, and the four plastic cups on its legs protect the floor. However, the clothes or other items, need to be drained well before they are placed on the metal lines. In other case, you can destroy the rack structure when the washing (eg. towels) is too heavy. Not to mention flooding the floor.
Although the rack itself does not take much space, a lot of washing can be hung on its lines. When not used, you can fold it and hide it somewhere in a closet. What is more, the design of the rack is very stable too. The one I used previously lasted many years.
I am very glad I have something like that here! Thanks to it, I can not only protect our clothes but also save on electricity as I do not have to run the dryer again and again.
The drying rack - a simple thing but so very convenient and useful!

Picture from: amazon.com

Nails: Spring In Pink

Pink enamel shades always make the nails look good. At this time of the year,  they very much relate to the flowers which are blooming here and there. If you have no garden to look at and enjoy, you can simply make your nails bloom with a (more or less affordable) nail polish.

1. New York Color Long Wearing Nail Enamel #156 (Target $0.94)
The nail polish is really great - a shimmery and vivid color. It gives a rather sheer coverage on the nails though. I like it anyway. It gets dry on the nails fast and makes them look pretty.
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5
Price:5/5

2. Vernice Brillance Nail Lacquer #61 Rose Pastel by Yves Rocher ($9 - often available with 50% discount)
Another shiny polish. Although the Rose Pastel is a bright shade, it covers the nails well because it is well pigmented. The brush is rather flat which makes the application easy.
From the manufacturer: Tested under dermatological supervision.
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5
Price:3.5/5 

3. Cutie Girl Nail Polish (Dollar Tree $1)
I came across it by accident and I am glad I decided to buy the nail color. A good brush, makes the application even, with no problems. The nail polish dries quickly and lasts on the nails quite long. I love the color which is more purple than pink of course. 
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 4.5/5 
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5
Price:5/5

Great brush - makes even application really easy

4. Anna Sui Nail Color #305
The Nail Color is part of Dave Lackie's sweepstake prizes which I have won at the beginning of this year (I wrote about it here). It is a very delicate nude-like, pink shade with some shimmery accent which looks really elegant on the nails. The bottle is cute. However,  I need to get used to the shape of the upper, black part. Since it is rather flat, it makes the nail polish application a bit more difficult. But if you can manage dealing with it, the results are quite pleasing.
My rating
Packaging: 4/5 (esthetic impression 6/5)
Brush: 5/5
Durability*: 5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5

 
5. Scented Nail Enamel Grapefruit Fizz by Revlon
It contains brocade-like, shiny particles. The scent, which is quite nice, appears when the nail polish gets dry. The brush allows an easy and flawless application. Although this kind of nail polish has been discontinued by Revlon, many shades of the Scented Nail Enamel series are still available at some online stores. I purchased mine in Poland some time ago. I cannot recall how much it cost there but the price was certainly quite resonable.
My rating
Packaging and brush: 5/5
Durability*: 3.5/5
Overall appearance on nails: 5/5

* My hands/nails & nail polish are 'exposed' to all the housework (including washing/dish-washing) I do every day


Whenever I decorate your nails with an enamel, I also use some base coat to protect the nail plates. This Quick Dry Coat by Revlon is one of the best I have ever tried.
From the manufacturer: DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde-free.

To make the nail polish last longer, prevent it from chipping, and add some extra shine to the nails, I also apply the Strengthening Top Coat by Sally Hansen at the end of my mani session. It was transparent when I bought it, it got some color due to the enamel shades used. Although the Top Coat dries quickly on the nail polish, I still have to be careful for an hour or so, not to mess up my nails which I most often do anyway. I simply have no time to sit doing nothing and wait till all the layers on my nails get totally dry.

Happy Spring nail coloring!

Reading Time: 'The Little Prince' by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

'The Little Prince' was written during WWII by Antoine De Saint-Exupery,  a pilot and a writer. He disappeared over the Mediterranean, during one of his French air squadron missions in 1944.

The story is retold by a pilot who, due to his plane engine problems, lands on the Sahara Desert. There he meets the Prince, a little boy whose home is Asteroid B-612.
The Prince - who is in love with a Rose - the only rose on his little planet, tells the pilot about his life and visits on other Asteroids, and characters he met during his trips. Each of those persons the boy encountered, depicts a certain kind of human personality traits and ways of thinking.

The book can be a gift both for kids and grown-ups. However, children may not get the little gems - some philosophical truths hidden in the book contents. On the other hand, many adults may find the story too childish to be worth reading, and that is why they are most likely to miss those gems too. Sounds quite complicated but maybe this is actually what makes 'The Little Prince' so great and unusual. If you did not read this book in your childhood or teenage years, maybe now is the time for you to enjoy the story.

Some of my favorite sentences in this book are:

'One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.'

*

'... people (...) have no imagination. They repeat whatever you say to them.'

*

'People haven't time to learn anything. They buy things ready-made in stores. But since there are no stores where you can buy friends, people no longer have friends.'

One of My Hair & Makeup Makeovers

I came across this photo quite recently. It was taken a few years ago, on a very enjoyable summer day, after my two makeover sessions:

1. First, I had my hair done by the hairdresser who was taking care of my hair styling at that time. 
2. Straight after that, I went to a local Douglas Perfumery , where I had a free makeup session (which was a gift for a purchase I had made at the store earlier). It was such fun!

Both sessions were very relaxing and pleasant. I enjoyed sitting with my eyes closed and being taken care of by the hairstylist and the makeup artist. I looked in a mirror only at the end each treatments, to see the results. And did I like them. :).

I especially enjoyed the makeup experience at the Douglas store. Here are the details on the items used by the makeup artist then - I asked her to create an everyday summer look.

Face:

• Foundation: Lancome Teint Idole Ultra #02*
• Concealer: Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer 02 Light
• Powder: Clinique Blended Face Powder #20
• Blush: Clarins #80 Framboise
• Bronzer: Clinique #02 Sunkissed

Lips

• Lipstick: EL M. Kors #04
• Lip Gloss: Colorless Gloss by Collistar
• Lip Pencil: Lancome #310

Eyes

• Eyeshadows: Dior 5 Couleurs  #659
• Mascara: Clinique High Definition Lashes
• Brow Gel: #43 by Isadora
• Eye Pencil: Clinique #02 Smoky Brown
• Eyelid Base: by Sensai Kanebo

* The shades are numbered in a different way in the US