Ivy Van Dusen

Lately I have been really trying to implement more natural and toxin-free products into our home and our routines. I have been trying to feed my family healthier, more natural foods, clean with less toxic chemicals and I have REALLY been trying to pay attention to what I put ON my face and skin.

100% Pure (a.k.a the cutest beauty company ever) recently sent me a package of some of their most popular products for me to try and I have to say- I have been SO pleasantly surprised by how much I absolutely love, love, love them! They are a cruelty-free brand with no synthetic ingredients (something I use waaay to much of in my other makeup products). They also will donate 1 bowl of dog food or plant 1 tree each time someone makes a purchase. So, so cool!

The packaging of everything they sent was so cute and convenient. My mom visited and saw them and couldn't talk enough about how beautiful she thought everything was!

I truly looooved every single item in the package and I thought I'd go over my top three favorites...

1. Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream-

Smells AMAZING, goes on smoothly and helps reduce any puffiness around my eyes. I have used it every morning since I got it and hope it never, ever runs out.

2. Lip Caramel in Red Velvet

If you saw my IG stories the other day, you know that I am a huge lipstick hoarder and have tried sooooo many. This is hands down the BEST RED lipstick/lipgloss I have ever tried. It is so pigmented and smooth and juicy and is just the absolute perfect shade of red. If I were going to re-name it, I'd call it "Date Night Red" because I plan to wear it on every future date night ever.

3. BB Cream

I don't want to over-hype this brand but honestly their products are worth all the hype I'm giving....this BB Cream is the best I have ever tried! It is so smooth and so beautiful. It isn't as cakey as an actual foundation but still has some amazing coverage. So great for everyday wear.

Overall I can't get enough of the items from 100% Pure. I definitely plan to order more of the Lip Caramel in different colors. I'd also like to try out more of their shower gel items. They are a new favorite of mine and I will keep posting about how I use and like each thing on my IG stories, so be sure to keep an eye out :)

9/06/2019 No sweet note{s}

It has been a minute since I shared any recipes here and I thought now would be a great time! We have had a lot going on with moving and all, and now that we are settled in and everything is all organized in our new house, I am on such a baking-kick!

Since we moved to Arizona we have been obsessed with a place near us called Crumbl. They have these giant, soft, warm, yummy chocolate chip cookies and they are AMAZING! We have been getting them delivered waaaay too often and I decided it would be a good time to try and experiment with some chocolate chip cookies of my own.

In Utah, the good place to order chocolate chip cookies from was called Chip. They also had the huge chocolate chip cookies that melted in your mouth and were so good. So in my efforts to find a good recipe, I tried to imitate the cookies from both of these places and add little spins of my own to try and get them to be perfect!

Let me start by letting you know that these aren't like your typical chocolate chip cookies- they are HUGE! Like...so big. The first time I made them for my mom and grandma they were a little bit confused by how big they were! But that's just the way they are and it's amazing.

I used foil to cook these on, although I think parchment paper might even work better. Do what works for you and use whichever you have on-hand.

I also went back and forth between using semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips but ultimately decided with the milk chocolate. They are just too good! I also personally prefer sea salt over regular, but again, do what you like best. They can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Warning in advance that if you eat the dough you may have a verrrrry difficult time stopping. That stuff is good.

I have read over dozens of different recipes online and have made a lot of batches of my own cookies, trying to get them right and I feel like this recipe is the closest I could possibly get to imitating these giant, trendy cookies that are out right now! So, if you don't live close enough to order from one of these places (or you just don't feel like forking out the *dough*), give this recipe a try!

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Ingredients:

4 1/4 cups flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil (if using foil, be sure and use some cooking spray).

In one bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl (preferably a very large one), combine butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Mix until everything is combined and there are no longer butter chunks. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

Slowly add flour mix into butter mix and mix well. Add chocolate chips.

Use about 1/2 c of dough for each cookie and place them in balls on the cookie sheet. Cookies will be very large and you will likely only be able to fit 3-4 cookies on the sheet at a time.

Cook for 15-20 minutes (I have found that 17 minutes is exactly perfect in my oven). You'll want the outsides to be barely golden when you take them out. The inside of the cookies will be super soft and doughy but will be completely cooked.

Eat them warm and gooey or cover and put in fridge (like my husband does). They taste amazing warm or cold!

Recipe yields about 12 cookies.

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Hopefully this recipe works for you and will cure any sweet tooth/chocolate-chip craving you have! Let me know how you like it! :)

Recipe adapted by those shared by Modern Honey, Burnt Apple, Brittney Long, and my mom :)

xo

Go-to baking supplies used:

8/13/2019 1 sweet note{s}

We found a house, moved allll our stuff down here from Utah and now are officially settled in here in Arizona :) It is just a great feeling!!!

It is hot here and I mean HOT! But, even in this heat we are having the best summer!!!

Getting ready to see Lion King!

Jack LOOOOVES his little bike he got from aunt Kati!

Trying on Uncle Gunnar's new boots

One day me, my mom and Jack went to downtown Mesa to look at antiques and it was such a nice afternoon. Jack was so good and got some ice cream.

One of my favorite times of the day- when everything slows down and I have a clean, comfy, happy baby.

Jack's new little book wall in his room

My two guys at the movies

the before picture- Jack's first professionally-done haircut at Great clips :)

Jack and my grandpa hanging out at Organ Stop pizza!

Our sweet little porch! Wish there was more room to add a plant or something but it is so teeny-tiny!

My cute mom holding Jack and pretending he is a newborn, haha!

Little man looooves the fishies at wal mart

The other day Kody came home from work with these and it made me so happy! When you are in the middle of moving, are trying to figure out frustrating finances and have a lot going on, getting flowers is a BIG deal. I love Kody so, so much.

Me and my brother visiting our cousin Zach at his work (and grabbing a soda). He leaves on his mission to California in a few weeks!

Our little living room is coming along and I just think it's so cute and cozy

Jack reading a book we found at the library

Splash pad fun!!

Loving this new chapter so much already :)

xo

8/01/2019 No sweet note{s}

Right now Kody and I are in a big U-Haul, towing one of our cars and driving out of Salt Lake City. We found a cute house in Arizona and are sooo excited and ready to continue our lives there (also excited to see our cute baby who is staying with my parents while we do all this fun moving stuff).

I will talk a lot more about our new place later but right now I thought it would be a good time to reflect back on the past few years since I made the move up here.

Six years ago I was a brand new high school graduate working at Sonic, saving money and getting ready to head up to Utah to start college at Brigham Young University.

I was so nervous and excited all at the same time! You can read alllllllll about that whole experience here.

So many incredible, life changing, fun, and challenging things have happened since I came up here! The past six years have included:

-meeting new people (roommates, ward members, boys, professors, employers, neighbors, and friends)
-lots of time spent in classes and studying
-so many fun dates with so many different people
-football, basketball and soccer games
-parties
-doing photography
-falling in love, getting engaged and getting married ♥️
-living in California for a few months with Kodys cute grandma
-living in 3 different single housing places and 3 different little apartments with Kody (and jack)
-missing my family and friends at home
-working at the Cougareat, the MOA cafe, Bowl of Heaven, and BYU Radio
-going on lots of hikes
--blogging & taking lots of pictures
-getting to attend general conference and visit so many temples
-going to concerts
--going from brunette to blonde and then back to brunette
-reporting the news
-experiencing pregnancy while working and going to school almost all 9 months
-falling in love with working out
-more schoolwork and eventually finishing my classes and graduating in under 4 years
-starting a business
-watching Kody play sports
-having a baby
-holding different church callings
-moving up to the Salt Lake City area
-taking Jack for walks & playing on the playgrounds
-absolutely hating the winters 🙈
-visits to the aquarium
-play dates & meeting other fun moms
-lots of Uber driving
-LOTS of work...
-& lots of love!

I definitely complained a few times about being here for what has felt like so long (about the weather, the culture, the millions of potholes and endless road construction) but the truth is that this place has been absolutely awesome for me and choosing coming here was one of the best decisions I've ever made. This place will always hold some of my best memories.

I mean, the very BEST things of my entire life came from moving here- Kody and Jack ♥️ There isn't ANYTHING I wouldn't have done to get them (I would live in Utah forever if it meant being with him) and I am so excited to get to take them back home with me!!!!! Woohoo!

Thank you for some of the best times if my life, Utah ♥️♥️♥️

xo

7/15/2019 No sweet note{s}

Last week for the 4th of July, we headed up to June Lake, California with Kody's family. We had SUCH an amazing time having out with family and being outdoors. Jack is at such a fun age now where he just loves playing with his cousins and can really enjoy family trips like this one.

Jack running around outside and loving the PERFECT weather!

Jack, Aunt Kati and Dex the dog!

Quad ride with my sweetheart :)

The prettiest wildflowers grew in front of the house and Jack loved playing in them every evening.

4th of July Parade in Mammoth. Jack LOVED it!!!! I want to take him to more parades now!

Kody's family owns a resort in June Lake and a gym/club in Mammoth. At the gym they have two big trampoline rooms that are often used for snowboarders to practice their jumps and stuff. We got to pay in it one afternoon and it was so fun. Jack was in HEAVEN (and honestly me and Kody were too, so fun)!