Jennifer L. Scott's Blog, page 49

Il est né | French Christmas Carol | Mother Daughter Duet

I hope that you are all enjoying the holiday season. In today's video, my older daughter and I play a duet for you: Il est né, a French Carol. This is such a pretty Christmas song.



I'm having so much fun playing with both of my daughters. The piano seems to always be playing in our house. The older I get, the more I realize that the specialness of holidays revolves around quality time with family. Practicing this duet with my daughter has been wonderful, quality time.

"Il est né, le divin Enfant" (English: He is born, the divine Child) is a traditional French Christmas carol, which was published for the first time in 1862 by R. Grosjean.

I hope today's video brings you joy.

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

With love,

Jennifer

*NEW* The Daily Connoisseur mugs and tote bags make great novelty gifts

Visit my Author Website

Shop my favorite things

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

FTC: This is not a sponsored post.

At-Home Manicure + The Perfect Neutral Nail? | Jennifer L. Scott

Today I'm sharing my at-home manicure routine with you and trying out Londontown's Gel Genius Base Coat and Top Coat. I also discover a new favorite neutral nail polish, Teatime.



I have found the Londontown shades to last a long time in general, but they are lasting longer with the gel genius base coat. I painted my nails with this Teatime shade and on the 9th day, I took off my polish. I could have actually worn it a few more days, but I wanted to paint them red for a holiday video I was shooting. I find that these polishes last on the nails between 10 days to two weeks.



For my at-home manicure routine, first I cut and file my nails. I like to keep them in a rounded square shape. Then I soak my hands in warm, soapy water for 5 minutes. I then massage in a nice cream. In this video I'm using Bend Soap Co.'s goat milk lotion (use code DC10 for 10% off your order). After the massage, I take nail polish remover and run it on each nail to remove any lotion residue. Then I paint on the base coat, color, and finally top coat.



Doing my nails with a baby in the house always feels like a stealth mission. He could wake up at any moment and I will need to pick him up, so I try to do this right after I've put him to sleep with the hope that I can get a good 20 minutes in to paint my nails and allow them to dry. Who can relate?

Londontown has been so generous with The Daily Connoisseur audience. Use code JenniferS for 25% off your order.

I hope you enjoyed my at-home manicure routine in today's video.

News

What I Look Like at the End of the Day | Jennifer L. Scott

I recently posted a rare selfie on Instagram at the end of a long day.

View this post on Instagram

What I look like after a loooong day. Messy hair and all. #reallife #momof4 #messyhair #cutestbabyever #dailyconnoisseur #madamechic

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on Dec 1, 2018 at 6:29pm PST

I was trying to capture the glory of my messy hair but it wasn't showing up in the photo. I still had to clean the kitchen and (naturally) the baby did not want to go to sleep, so I decided to film a real night-in-the-life video for you.



People on YouTube and Instagram paint such a perfect picture most of the time. I want to show you what I tend to look like after a long day with four kids.

Yes, I'm very tired and yes, the work seems to never end. But every single second is worth it. I find that contentment is all about my attitude and perspective.

Featured in the video

The cloths I'm using to clean the kitchen are e-cloths. I reviewed them on Natural Home with Jennifer this past weekend. (Use code JENNIFERGIFT for 25% off- valid until December 15th).

The book I'm listening to on Audible is Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie. I love the Tommy and Tuppence series...

On my nails: Vendetta by Londontown (Code JenniferS gives 25% off)

I hope that today's video speaks to someone who is feeling overwhelmed and needs some encouragement.

News

Cleaning with Water | e-cloth | Natural Home with Jennifer

In today's special Saturday edition of Natural Home with Jennifer, I'm cleaning with water. Yes, water! It doesn't get more natural than that.



I'm using e-cloths today to explore this new trend of using high-quality microfiber cloths and water to clean the home. I had always heard of this method of cleaning but have generally been skeptical. How on earth can cleaning with only water actually disinfect surfaces?





Here is the explanation from e-cloth's website:
The tendency of water to grab and hold small particles is among the most powerful forces in nature. It's the force that forms every raindrop and snowflake – and it’s the all-natural “active ingredient” in every E-Cloth product. Each of our precision-engineered microfiber textiles is designed to unlock this amazing power of water to perform specific cleaning tasks.



How does e-cloth work?
Run the General Purpose Cloth under the tap and then wring it out. This “charges” the cloth by filling the microscopic voids between and within the cloth’s fibers with water. When you draw the cloth across a dirty surface, those water molecules attract and stick to particles of dirt, grease, grime, even bacteria and mold, pulling the particles into the voids and trapping them there. Rinsing the cloth with warm or hot water, or running it through a machine wash cycle, releases the trapped particles and refreshes the cloth.



In today's video, I try out the general purpose cloth, as well as the glass and polishing cloth. I was pretty amazed with how well the glass and polishing cloth provided a streak-free clean for my mirrors and windows. The general purpose cloth made our bathroom countertops shine. I'm really impressed with this line.



For those of you who are looking for an ultra-natural solution to effectively cleaning your home, e-cloth would be great for you. The e-cloths last through 300 washes, making them very cost-effective. They wash and hold together really well. Do not use fabric softener when washing your cloths.

e-cloth have given us a discount code, use code JENNIFERGIFT for 25% off your order (valid until December 15, 2018).

Thank you to e-cloth for sending me these cloths to review. I hope you enjoy today's video.




*NEW* The Daily Connoisseur mugs and tote bags make great novelty gifts

Visit my Author Website

Shop my favorite things

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

FTC: This is not a sponsored post. Links are affiliate. Thank you to e-cloth for sending the cloths to review.

The Clueless Gardeners Pick Avocados

On today's episode of The Clueless Gardeners, we visit my sister and her family to pick avocados.



Now, you'll notice that these avocados look spectacular. They are large and juicy, and I just want to reassure you that we (The Clueless Gardeners) had nothing to do with growing these amazing specimens. (We are clueless after all.)



My sister and brother-in-law were fortunate to inherit these beautiful trees when they purchased their home recently. We all sure had fun picking the avocados and enjoying time together. I hope you also enjoy today's video.

Now as for this picture of Mr. Connoisseur and me...



Would you say we're more Green Acres?



or American Gothic?



What say you?

View this post on Instagram

The Clueless Gardeners pick avocados #americangothic #dailyconnoisseur #mrconnoisseur #cluelessgardeners

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on Nov 22, 2018 at 4:42pm PST

Thank you for joining us today... See you soon!

*NEW* The Daily Connoisseur mugs and tote bags make great novelty gifts

Visit my Author Website

Shop my favorite things

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

FTC: This is not a sponsored post. Links may be affiliate.

Memory Foam Gel Pillow + Solving a Marriage Conundrum | Jennifer L. Scott

Let's talk about a conundrum that plagues many married couples... sleep. OK, not necessarily sleep, per se, but the conditions of the room in which you sleep. Mr. Connoisseur is from England and is used to colder weather. We live in California, so let me just put it this way... he's ALWAYS hot.

I'm from California and I don't find it to be that hot. At night I'm ALWAYS cold. This is a problem, because he likes to blast the air conditioning and fans in order to cool down.



So when the lovely people from Save & Soft emailed me to see if I'd like to review their new memory foam cooling gel pillow, I had one person in mind: Mr. Connoisseur! What was this mysterious cooling gel? I was interested to try it too because I've been having some neck and back issues... mainly sciatica, which took me by surprise last March.



We've had fun trying out these glorious pillows. I really like the memory foam aspect of them. They truly are so comfortable and the foam technology forms to cradle your neck and head in a custom way. They have a cooling gel that is geared toward people who experience hot flashes or can't seem to cool down at night (ahem, Ben).



Because I get cold at night, I prefer the pillows without the cooling gel, but Ben thinks these are the perfect pillows and says they definitely cool him down. (He makes an appearance in my video and will tell you all about it.)

The pillows are hypoallergenic, dust-mite resistant, phthalate-free, BPA-free, and lead-free. I have both the pillows with the cooling gel as well as without the cooling gel listed here. Save & Soft have given us a 15% off discount on the pillows.

I hope today's review helps many of you.



News

Decorating for Christmas | Jennifer L. Scott

Decorate along with my family today for Christmas.

The best part about holiday decorating is how excited the children get. We like to turn on the music, bust out the candy canes and get decorating.



We start out strong with everyone pitching in...


...and then, of course, the help dwindles away and it's just me putting up our decorations... but I don't mind.


I love bringing out our treasures this time of year. The floral Christmas wreath I made from last year is still holding up...


We aren't attending The Nutcracker ballet like we normally do this year because of baby boy, so I'm really enjoying these Clara and Nutcracker decorations, which remind me of that wonderful Christmas ballet...


We made our homemade dried citrus ornaments again this year. To make them, thinly slice your favorite citrus. Place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake on 200 degrees F for 4 to 6 hours. Hang with hooks or ribbon.


I love decorating with pomegranates this time of year, whether real or faux...


I purchased this beautiful Kay Burkhart Santa from a shop in Santa Monica several years ago.


This was the snowball hydrangea candelabrum I featured in my table decorating video...


We had a great time decorating the house this year. I hope you enjoy today's video.

News

Taco Casserole | Family Favorite | Jennifer L. Scott

Today, I'm sharing a crowd-pleasing, highly tasty dish: the taco casserole. I initially saw this recipe on Mickey from My Bashful Life's channel. I altered the recipe a bit to suit my family's taste.



My children and husband love this casserole. It's like a deconstructed nacho or taco dish. The addition of olive and fresh tomatoes on top make it really lovely. Here is the printable recipe for you:


Taco Casserole Family Favorite | Jennifer L. Scotthttps://youtu.be/2zec9HgWpQkJennifer makes a taco casserolehttps://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d-PF3wdzGW...Yield: serves 8Author: Jennifer L. ScottPrint RecipeWith ImageWithout ImageTaco Casserole

This family-friendly casserole is easy to freeze and is a crowd pleaser, especially for the kids!

ingredients:3 cups tortilla chips, crushed1/2 onion, chopped1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (or ground beef)1/4 cup taco seasoning3/4 cup water1/2 cup salsa (optional)1 8oz can black beans, drained1 cup frozen yellow corn16oz sour cream1 8oz can olives, drained and chopped1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced1 1/2 cups shredded cheeseinstructions:Sauté the onion in oil. Add the ground turkey (or ground beef). Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Drain. Add the taco seasoning and water. Add salsa (optional). Add the black beans and corn and cook for 4 - 5 minutes. In a casserole dish or aluminum baking dish (if freezing), place the crushed tortilla chips. Top the chips with the meat mixture. Spread the sour cream on top. Place the chopped tomatoes and olives on top of the sour cream. Sprinkle cheese on top to finish. If freezing, cover with aluminum foil and label. To cook from frozen, place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and a half. If cooking right away, place in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted and the flavors have melded together. Enjoy with chopped scallions. Created using The Recipes Generator.recipe-inner{text-align:left;max-width:620px;border:6px double #009BFF;padding:20px;background:#f2f2f2;margin: 40px auto;font-family:Lato, sans-serif;}.recipe-keywords,.recipe-categories,.recipe-cuisine,.recipe-video{display:none;visibility:hidden;}.recipe-inner a{color: #4193f0;}#recipe .recipe-name{font-size: 21px;}#recipe .info{position:relative;font-size:13px;text-transform:capitalize;border-bottom:2px solid #000;padding-bottom:7px;margin-bottom:20px}.info:after{content:'';display:table;clear:both}#recipe .info span:first-child{margin-right:30px}#printbutton{border:0;margin:0;color:#fff;float:right;background:#555; padding:5px;border-radius:3px;cursor:pointer}#recipe .time{text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;text-align:center;background:#fff;padding:15px 0;margin-bottom:20px}#recipe .time span:not(:last-child){margin-right:12px}#recipe .time span:not(:last-child):after{content:'';display:inline-block;height:10px;width:1px;background:#000;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:12px}#recipe .summary{line-height:1.7;font-style:italic;font-size: 15px !important;font-family:Lato, sans-serif !important;}.ingredients,.instructions{line-height:1.7;clear:both;font-size: 15px !important;font-family: 'Roboto','Open Sans', Lato, sans-serif;}.ingredients *, .instructions * { font-size: inherit !important; font-family: inherit !important; }.ingredients h3,.instructions h3,.notes h3{font-size:20px !important;font-weight:400 !important;margin-bottom:0;color:#000;text-transform: uppercase;}.ingredients ul{margin:0!important;margin-top:5px !important;}.instructions li{margin-bottom:15px !important;line-height:1.6;text-align:left;}.ingredients li{text-align:left}#recipe .instructions{margin-top: 30px;}#recipe .instructions ol,#recipe .instructions ol li {list-style:decimal !important;}#recipe .instructions ol{padding-left:39px;margin:0!important;margin-top:6px !important;}.posturl{border-top:1px solid #ccc;padding-top:10px;}.ing-section{padding-left:20px;margin: 10px 0;}.ing-section > span{font-weight:700}.recipe-credit{font-size:13px;border-top: 1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;text-align:center;background:#ffffff;margin:-20px;margin-top:15px;}.recipe-credit a{color:blue;text-decoration:none;}.copyright-statement{font-size: 13px;font-style:italic;border-top: 1px solid #ccc;margin-top:15px;padding-top:15px;line-height:1.6;}.notes pre{font-size: 15px;margin: 10px 0;padding-left: 20px;font-family: inherit;line-height: 1.7;white-space: pre-line;}.notes h3{margin: 0}.nutrition-info{font-size: 0;margin: 20px 0;padding: 10px;background: #fff;}.nutrition-info>div {display: inline-block;font-size: 14px;width: 20%;text-align: center;}.nutrition-info>div:nth-child(5) ~ div{margin-top: 20px;}.nutrition-info>div p{margin-top: 0;margin-bottom: 7px;}.print-options {display:none;position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #ccc;z-index: 1;}.show-print-options{display:block}.print-options button { display: block; background: transparent; border: 0; cursor: pointer; padding: 10px; width: 100%; text-align: left; } .print-options button:hover { background: #555; color: #fff;}.ing-section > br, .recipe-inner .time br{display: none}#recipe .image{text-align:center;margin-bottom:25px}#recipe .image img{max-width:100%}#recipe .recipe-name{line-height:1.6;text-transform:uppercase;margin-top:0;letter-spacing:1px;text-align:center;margin-bottom:20px}#recipe .time{border-top:1px dashed #000;border-bottom:1px dashed #000;border-right:0;border-left:0}#recipe .summary{margin-bottom:30px}#recipe .summary:after{content:'';display:block;width:50px;height:2px;background:#000;margin:auto;margin-top:10px}#recipe .instructions{margin-top:30px}#recipe .instructions ol{padding-left:39px;margin-top:6px}

I hope you enjoy today's video.

Thank you for joining me today and I hope you have a lovely weekend. I'll see you on Monday for a decorate with me video.


*NEW* The Daily Connoisseur mugs and tote bags make great novelty gifts

Visit my Author Website

Shop my favorite things

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter

FTC: This is not a sponsored post. Links may be affiliate.

Unboxing Ana Luisa Jewelry + My Favorite Pearl Earrings | Jennifer L. Scott

I'm partnering with Ana Luisa Jewelry again in today's video to share my top 5 picks for this winter season.



I really like Ana Luisa's stylish yet modern capsule collection of jewelry. Their selections are not overwhelming and their pieces are all limited edition, so you can take comfort that they are not mass produced, but special and unique.



I unbox my five picks with you and demonstrate how they look. Which one is your favorite?



This is the Alexa layered necklace in plated 14K gold.



The Virginia layered bracelet is the sister to the Alexa above. Plated in 14K gold, I like the delicate strands and textured layers in this bracelet.



The Jin Lapis Lazuli ring is gorgeous and regal. I've been wearing it on my right hand and I love it. I love the royal blue paired with the gold.



The Elina stacking bracelet is plated in 14K gold. I like the simplicity of this bracelet. It would look so pretty with a white sweater. I enjoy wearing this one too.



And finally my absolute favorite: the Hope pearl drop earrings, which are dipped in 14K gold and feature stunning irregular pearls. I have been wearing these earrings everywhere. They are a modern take on the classic pearl earring and they add such a sophistication to any outfit. I love them!

Ana Luisa have given us a discount code: use code Jennifer10 for $10 off your order.

I hope you enjoy today's video and that it has given you jewelry inspiration.

News

Planning for Christmas + Free Printables | Jennifer L. Scott

Christmas is just around the corner, and in today's video I'm sharing the plans our family have for Christmas, plus providing my two free downloadable planning printables so you can plan along with me.



I break-up my planning into 5 categories: early to-do, to-do, activities, food, and remember.

Everyone's planning will look different, but today I share with you what our plans are for the season.

Our early to-dos include buying the children's Christmas clothes, taking the family photo, and ordering the holiday cards, among other things.

I also discuss fun holiday activities we have planned, plus meal planning, and more in today's video.

Download my free Christmas Planning Printable for 2018



Download my free Holiday planning printable for 2018



News