Whit's Victory Coffee

I recently came upon a really cool company that is helping stop slavery! They graciously answered my questions so that I might share them with you and spread the word.

Here is their story..

Who started/founded the Whit's Victory Coffee?

Whit's was created by a baristas at an independent coffee shop here in Mariette,G, called the Daily Grind.

Why? and when did it start?

A couple of years ago we learned about human trafficking in America and we were horrifed. We began visiting some local organizations who were confronting the issue(everything from womens shelters to the local police) and they all told us the same thing..they needed funding.  There are a lot of organizations working against trafficking, but most of them are dependent on donations and /or government grants; both of which are unsteady and unpredictable.

So we decided to try to raise money with what we had, coffee. We re-branded all of our coffee as Whit's Victory Coffee and began donating $1 for every bag to the cause. The local response was overwhelming. People were eager to contribute to the cause and they loved the coffee!

With such a great local response we decided to try to take it nationwide.  Just a couple of months ago we launched Whitsvictorycoffee.com which ships coffee and other merchandise anywhere in the continental U.S.  As of today, we have sales in 25 states and well over 3,000 followers on instagram, facebook,and twitter. 

Some Stats on coffee?

3 billion lbs of coffee are consumed in the U.S each year. If 1% of that was Whit's Victory Coffee we would raise 30 million for the fight against modern day slavery every year!

Slavery is a horrifying reality worldwide and here in America. It is unbelievable to us that in such a wealthy country, existing organizations don't have enough funding to rescue people out of the slave trade. We believe that if we offer a quality product that contributes money to a cause, enough people will decide to drink Victory and will enable us to contribute substantial funding to the cause on a continual basis.

Thank you Kevin Sellors from Whit's Victory Coffee for taking the time to share with us another way we can help end slavery!

I am giving away one of Whit's Victory coffee mugs to any of you coffee lovers out there! All you have to do it tweet: "check out what @whitsVictory is doing to end slavery!" and tag my twitter so I can see it @rafferty82.  Let's end slavery together and help support companies that are making a difference!

*This was not a sponsored post

April beauty favorites

 Here are a few things I have been loving this month and you can find them all at the drugstore, bonus!

 Lips

      Elf -lip exfoliator and Revlon Lip Butter in the color Lollipop

 Its a nice pop of color if you dont feel like putting much makeup on, but the best thing about these Lip Butters is you can make them sheer for a bit of color or can build them up for more "lipstick" type coverage. I have a few of these and they are all moisturizing, love them!!

There are a lot of exfoliators out there but this one totally rocks! If you have dry lips like me you NEED this, this is serious business people! Ha! All you have to do is lick your lips and gently rub this over top and bottom and viola you have a fresh new pair of lips ready for lipstick!

Nails

Sally Hansen- Mint Sorbet

If you are a nail polish freak like me and have not tried this you are missing out! This is the best nail polish for moms, you can slap it on and it dries super fast, 'cause who has time to sit around and watch their nails dry?! Currently this color is my fav for spring!

Mascara

Mascara mascara mascara.... will we ever find the perfect one?? I am always on the hunt for the best one and I have tried MANY, trust me! ;) Maybelline- Colossal lash in black is my current fav! Totally build-able for a more dramatic look or one coat for definition. 

Face

    CoverGirl- BBcream and Maybelline-Instant Age Rewind Brightener

BB cream is a Beauty Balm and is like a tinted moisturizer, but heavier than that. I have tried a few different brands, high-end ones and drugstore and I have to say this one is my favorite so far! It gives just enough coverage that my freckles still show, but blends any discoloration. I love this stuff for summer when you want a light coverage, but lots of healthy glow. I pair the BBcream with the "Age Rewind dark circle Illuminating brightener" to cover the dark circles that magically appear in the morning.... ugh! The salmon color cancels out the blueish/purple color in the inner corner and brightens that area up so you look refreshed and awake!

Hope this friendly advice helps! What are your favorite beauty products?

Spring-spiration 

I totally felt inspired to be crafty and make something to decorate our front door for spring, so where did I go?

Pinterest of course!

 Nothing like a little hot glue to put things together and viola a cute addition to your front door! Making this wreath was way cheaper than buying an already made one..which I have done in the past, but will no longer do in the future! This was a fun little project, so if you are stuck in a rut and need some crafty inspiration go over to Pinterest and browse that mecca of craftiness. Happy pinning!

Spring has Sprung!

A few things we have been enjoying

 The sunshine!

Long walks

Taking pride in the flowers we planted. Phew! They aren't dead yet...

 Yes, back to swinging!

 Beautiful blooms, I wish they lasted longer.

And Last but not least, the best reason to wear my favorite color!

What do you enjoy most about spring?

Radiant Cosmetics

Beauty with a Purpose

"Set captives free, one lipstick at a time"

Radiant Cosmetics is a makeup company founded on the desire to end human trafficking.

Nicole Marett is the owner and founder of Radiant and she was gracious enough to tell me where her story with fighting slavery began.

L: Where did it all begin for you and Radiant?
N: I grew up attending church, then in my teenage years I began pursuing things other than the Lord and found myself incredibly lost. I went away to college and started understanding who God was, His redeeming love and I knew I truly wanted to follow Him. During college, I pursued a life long dream of becoming a beauty editor  at a fashion magazine with a journalism degree. I moved to New York and began working in the industry, only to find myself unfulfilled.  It was then that God told me to go on a mission trip overseas on "The World Race,"which was not in my plans, but I went. It was there that I stumbled upon human trafficking for the first time. I spent my ninth month on "The Race" in the Red Light District of Thailand, where brothels, bars, and stripclubs are filled with trafficked women. It was there that I fell in love with this type of ministry.

L: When did you feel you could contribute to the fight against Slavery?
N: I returned home and a few months later discovered trafficking in my own backyard.  God began to give me visions of combining my love of makeup and my heart to see trafficking end. It wasnt some far off problem people couldn't really understand, it was happening in our own community. I knew I had to start Radiant and work toward change.

L: When did your love of makeup start?
N: It started at a young age, I remember pouring over magazines and the pictures of women in makeup from a young age. I'd sneak into my mom's makeup drawer and play for hours. I often remember feeling lost as to how my faith and love of makeup fit together and was always told I shouldn't be into something so materialistic. My favorite part is how God can use you in an industry, that is seemingly self absorbed to be a light and force for change.

L: What are your favorite makeup products from the radiant line?
N: Hands down our gel eyeliners and eye shadows. I love focusing on eyes and the possibilities are endless! I also love lipstick for days I dont have time for lots of eye shadow.

L: What profits from Radiant go to help end Human trafficking and where do they go?
N: We donate 20 percent of profits from each purchase to Redeemed Ministries, our partner organization. Profits go towards outreach, aftercare and advocacy efforts. Additionally, I  am also physically involved with Redeemed, and after some time supporting Redeemed through Radiant, I came on board part time to serve as the Director of Field ministry.  Worldwide women make up about 80% of slavery victims. The beauty industry is made up of millions of women. It's a highly untapped resource and my heart is to empower women to move and be key players in ending slavery!

Thanks Nicole!
Radiant Cosmetics

~They have free shipping on orders over $30! Thats a deal! Think of all the money you spend on mascara, lipgloss a year.. and if you purchase it from Radiant cosmetics 20 percent of your purchase goes towards fighting slavery! I can personally say I LOVE the lipstick color in "Strawberry Fields," as shown above in the pictures. I have the the gel eyeliner in black as well and love it! Go check out the website and see what they have to offer and help put an end to slavery.

50% of slaves today are children, it's time to take a stand!
child slaves






*This is not a sponsored post, all products were purchased by me.

BREAKFAST

The best way to start your day is with a healthy breakfast, right? If you are like me, in the morning I NEED coffee first, before I even think of breakfast! Getting the kids out the door for school I dont have time to sit and eat something and honestly most of the time I dont want to. So, I found something that works, a breakfast for people who dont like breakfast!

Ingredients
1 cup of coconut milk
1 scoop of vanilla Whey protein powder
1 cup of frozen fruit, any kind works
Dump all of it in a blend and viola!
Drink it in the car, drink on the run, drink it up till you're done! :)

                 GEOCACHING

When Spring is here we love to get out in the fresh air and go on treasure hunts, aka Geocaching. If you have a iPhone you can download the geocaching app in the app store, it is $9.99 geocache, but worth every penny for the family fun you will have over and over again!

 A few tips: 
~ You can select the difficulty setting on the app, if you are going with children you might select a less difficult terrain. 
~ Make sure your iPhone is fully charged before leaving, you may be gone for a few hours depending on how many Geocaches you try to find at a time and you dont want to be lost in the woods without your GPS!
~Be aware of your surroundings and dress appropriately!
~Bring a bottled water or two with you, even more so if you have little people accompanying you.
~Have kids bring little toys or candy with them, if you find a larger tin you may take home the treasures inside, as long as you replace them for the next treasure hunter!

 Break in those walking shoes and enjoy the great outdoors!

Sweet Treats

Ice cream cupcake


 I found this recipe while I was browsing Pinterest and decided to try it! To combine two things my kiddos love, ice cream and cupcakes, sounds good to me! I changed the recipe to fit what we had and what I wanted to use.

What you need:

~ a cake mix, I chose Funfetti since we already had this one at home, ANY cake mix will do and I mean any! I was just thinking about the Red Velvet mix I have that would work as well, sounds good huh?! So, go ahead and make the cake by the directions on the box. Pour cake batter just in the bottom of the cupcake liner, you dont want to fill it up, and bake it,remember that batter raises as it bakes! ;)

~ cupcake liners

~  ice cream or frozen yogurt, any type is fine, get creative and pick a fun flavor that goes well with the taste of the cake you chose! :) You are going to put the ice cream on top of the cooked cupcake after it has cooled. Then put the whole tray in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

~whipped cream, to top off the cupcake! You can make a whipped cream frosting to sweeten things up a bit or just use whipped cream from the tub. Let's be honest, sometimes you dont have the time to make things from scratch and use the box, or in this case the tub version, Plus the added sugar on a school night for dessert... well you catch my drift. ;)

~ Last but not least, SPRINKLES! Especially when making dessert for the little people in our lives, sprinkles make everything better! :)

I would make this dessert again, it was a hit! Next time I would try a different flavor of cake and ice cream, just for fun!


Happy baking!!

A Healthy Snack

PoPcOrN!

Do you love popcorn?! This makes a perfect snack for after school or if you are staying home and watching a movie. This yumzo snacky isn't full of preservatives and chemicals, you can be in control of how much salt and or butter you top it with, bonus! With only two ingredients this is a must for all families.

You can use any kind or type of corn kernels, the brand does not matter! I chose to use Organic Coconut oil, you do not have to use Coconut oil, BUT it is so much better for you and your little people, if you have any. ;) I will tell you more about the multi uses for Coconut oil in another post, it is some seriously good stuff! The only other thing you need is a brown paper bag and you are set to make your snack!

What you need:

1/4 cup of kernels

a brown paper bag

1 TBS of coconut oil

Place the 1/4 a cup of kernels in a brown paper bag and pour the oil on the kernels in the bag.  Next, close the bag and roll it down and shake! Shake and shake to cover the kernels, the bag will begin to look greasy on the outside, it's ok. Then place the bag in the microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. You will need to stay close, every microwave is different and the popcorn could be ready(when it stops popping) before the timer goes off. Nothing worse then black popcorn and a house full of smoke!

Be very careful when you take it out, you will need a hot mitt to remove it from the microwave, hot oil all over the bag equals burn potential. If you are doing this with children please be careful, who wants there snack to be ruined by tears?! Not me!!:)

 

Viola! Your white fluffy snack is ready, season it how you like! This is a favorite of the little people around here. Enjoy your healthy snack!

Slavery Awareness Day

What do you think of when you think of slavery? What period of time do you associate slavery with? Do you know that there are more than 27 million slaves today? Yes, I said today, in the world we live in! The world we know that is so far advanced with technology and we have everything we could ever need or want at our very fingertips. The truth is there are different types of slavery and it effects men, woman and children. I encourage you to watch this video from the "End It Movement."

 So, what's our next step? How do we help? Go to slaveryfootprint.org to take a test to see how many of the materials you purchase contribute to slavery all across the world.  How many slaves work for you? Stand up and help End It! To learn more about the" End It Movement "go to enditmovement.com.