Author: Crystal

Hi, I'm Crystal! Mother of 1 human, 3 cats, and a glorified housewife to a fantastic man. Let's have fun and enjoy life together!
Mommy Commentary

Book Review – The Hate U Give

So, I recently read this book and I have to tell you - it was absolutely amazing! It's about a young girl, Starr, who was a firsthand witness to the police shooting/killing of her friend, Khalil, who was unarmed. It was a riveting first-person account of how living in the 'hood can affect people of all walks of life. While the premise of the story is BLM-centered, I also feel it's
Makeup and Natural Hair Care, product reviews

Face Mask Review – Tony Moly

K-beauty (Korean beauty) is the new hot sauce in the skincare world. I was curious about the hype and seeing if the beauty regimens will make my melanin pop like whoa so I decided to give some products a try. First, stepping up to the bat - Tony Moly. Now, I'm going to keep it one hundred....I only picked out this mask because Bear originally picked it as he recognized the
Russian Soul Sundays

Sweet Potato Soup

So, originally I was going to make a ton of sweet potato pies for Thanksgiving. It didn't pan out but I had about three big-ass sweet potatoes I needed to get rid of. I've been meaning to try sweet potato soup for a while and well, what better time than the present, right? Now, there are a ton of sweet potato recipes out there. I think my count was like,
Meet the Blussians

Thanksgiving Adventures

We celebrated Thanksgiving in my hometown of Palm Springs with my family.  We were only there for 24 hours (if that), but we had a lot of fun. Way too much food and my parents were anxious to get rid all of it because they were going to see Charlie Wilson at Stateline (gotta love the old folks who have their own lives. #goals). Enough babbling...here are the pics (no
Russian Soul Sundays

Ukrainian Soul Thanksgiving

I apologize for not posting as much lately. Between Bear's and Bae's birthdays, preparing for Thanksgiving, drinking tons of water, slathering coconut oil on myself, remember to not eat red meat, stay in contact with friends on various social medias, calling my parents, checking in with siblings, and meditating...a sista is TIED. Yes, TIED. I'm so tired, I can't even pronounce the last syllable. Anyway, faux first-world complaining aside, let's talk
Meet the Blussians, Yoda

Today I have a four-year old

  It's crazy to think four years ago, I gave birth to one of the most amazing persons ever. Like ever. Motherhood has been a challenge, no doubt. A lot of ups and quite a few downs. But I can't imagine my life without him. He brings a smile to my face when I'm down. He makes me see the bright side of things. He's my inspiration when I don't have any.
Mommy Commentary

My 'Cool Mom' Playlist. Hah.

All right, cue cheesy music and corny 90's jokes. I actually have several playlists, however, I tend to create them whenever I work on a story (I'm a full-time self-published novelist for those inquiring). So, my playlist tends to vary from story to story. Some of it can be a bit moody, while others are light-hearted and fun. But this isn't about any fiction. This is the playlist I create when
Makeup and Natural Hair Care, product reviews

Beauty Review: Shea Moisture's Vegan Lip Balm

I have big lips. If you followed this blog for a while, you know this. I can't hide them nor would I want to. Women pay for a pout like mine. [caption id="attachment_8823" align="alignnone" width="1776"] Look at what the Lord has blessed.[/caption] So, when it comes to moisturizing them, I wouldn't say I spend a lot of money (really, I don't), but I'm very picky about what I put on them.
Russian Soul Sundays

Let me tell you about buckwheat

No, not the fictional character, the food. I was recently introduced to buckwheat by the hubs. I honestly didn't know it existed but once I tried it, I found that I liked it. I also found it has numerous health benefits I think you might like. I would love to say it's a hidden gem within the clean living/vegan/vegetarian community but chances are, some of you may have known about it
Russian Soul Sundays

Oh-So Vegan: Portobello Mushroom Tacos

Okay, so I've made portobello mushroom tacos before but they were pretty plain - just the tortilla, maybe some sauce, and the mushrooms. Like I've said - Plain Jane. You can always take a favorite and make it better...or better yet, go to someone else's blog and use what they did! I did modify the recipe just a little. I didn't get a chance to use the roasted bell pepper sauce