Learning to love the skin your in.

So I have recently come to a conclusion. I think one of the reasons so many women get fed up with diets and exercise is the simple fact that they are trying to achieve the "wrong" perfection...let me explain.

If I were spend my whole life, day and night eating like a bird and exercising like a monster I would never in a million years have Kiera Knightly's figure. I just wouldn't! Its not genetically possible! And on the flip side Kiera Knightly couldn't achieve an hour glass figure if she wanted to! 


     Kiera Knightly's body type is 100% different than Mine. And honestly that's 100% okay! No body type is "better" or  "more attractive" than the other. So basically I could spend all my time in the gym trying to become rail thin like Kiera with no boobs so I could wear those cute plunging neck lines...but why? For what? Why not embrace the body God gave me!? Instead of beating ourselves up trying to be who we're not, we should start to trying to achieve OUR physically best body. Nobody Elses. 


So here's what we need to do...Instead of hanging up a picture of a woman on the inside of our refrigerator who's body is completely genetically different than ours which in turn after a few months of killing ourselves to be thin like them or curvy like the them (whatever this particular perfection we are trying to achieve is) Instead, why not find someone who shares your body type and is more realistic for us and our genetic makeup. The truth is, every body type is sexy. A woman who loves her body because its strong and healthy is beautiful no matter her size/shape/weight or proportion. Here's some tips on finding fitness motivation for YOUR body type. :-)

There are a few basic types I want to share. I just found a few woman to represent fitness in each body type and hopefully these women may help inspire you to strive a fitter version of the your body.  Its very clear all these women in all these shapes and sizes are beautiful. Now. Decide which one is most like you and work for it! With hard work and dedication you can achieve it! 

Body type A. Naturally thin/Petite: These are women with naturally low body fat, features are small and petite with minimal curves and not large amounts of muscle. If that's you I have chosen Kiera Knightly as your fitness role model. With a little healthy eating exercise and you are on your way to a Kiera Knightly Physique!

Body Type B. The Hourglass Shape: This one is pretty self explanatory. Women with this body type are wider at the bust and hips and typically have a narrower waist. I've chosen Kim Kardsahian as your inspiration. Work hard and your body has the potential to look like this! 

Body Type C. Athletic Shape: You naturally have good muscle definition. Its easy for you to build muscle. You were blessed with naturally Strong arms and legs. Usually women who fall into this category have a bit straighter silhouette with some lean muscular curve.  If this sounds like you I have chosen Jillian Michael's as your body inspiration!

Body type D. Plus Size: Extra curvaceous women. There is a common misconception among women today, which tells us that skinny women are healthy and fit, and plus size women are not. This can be so misleading! A plus size woman can be 50X more fit than a naturally thin woman. I chose H&M's model Tara-Lynn as your fitness inspiration. She is so gorgeous and curvy, and she works it! Embrace it. 

Body Type E. Curvy Shape: Lots of Vavavoom!  Feminine curves from head to toe! Curvy women typically have a larger bust, with a curvaceous hips and torso. Similar to the Hour glass but wider at the waist. I've chosen Marilyn as your inspiration.

I hope these women I've chosen help inspire you to work hard and LOVE your body. As it has been made clear, each body type is different unique and undoubtedly beautiful! Don't kill yourself trying to turn yourself into someone else. Embrace what you have! Post pictures around the house of these women use them and inspiration to get fit! 

How to prepare for a special occasion last minute!

Maybe its a wedding, a vacation, an anniversary, homecoming or a first date. Our lives are full of special occasions! Unfortunately these special occasions are sometimes sprung on us, leaving us no time to prepare! So there we are left with no time to get the split ends cut, nails done,  spend those few extra minutes in the gym OR get that break out cleared up. Ahh,  FEAR NOT! Here's the solution.




1. HAIR No time to get those spit ends cut! You go to the hairdresser that you go to because shes good, and good usually means busy and booked! Okay we must resort to Plan B: a hot oil treatment! It will leave your locks healthy shiny and soft and split ends practically diminished! I like to use Vo5 brand. It runs about $5.00 at any drugstore and perks up dull locks in a snap!

2. NAILS Who has time to sit and wait for that lady ahead of you getting her acrylics redone who is seemingly besties with the nail artist and sharing her life's story and every small detail of it. Not you! No worries! These things are seriously awesome! They look just as professional, shiny, perfect and last just as long as a spa manicure! They run about 10 dollars which is still less than a spa manicure! Application is simple and takes about 10-15 minutes. Best of all they come in tons of shades and some crazy designs! They last about a week give or take. One thing I discovered is they sometimes end up crackling after a few days. To prevent this just paint a clear coat over them, for some reason this helps resist crackling.

3. SKIN
There are a few different scenarios that could wreak havoc on a special event. Perhaps you have a breakout out of no where! A big red break out! What to do? Crush up an Aspirin! Aspirin is high in beta hydroxy acid- a form of salicylic acid--which is what you will see almost all acne products. If you have time leave this on your face until you have to put makeup on, if you are shorter on time, use 4 dissolved aspirins as a mask for 10-15 minutes and rinse. Now...still a little red? No problem. reach for the eye drops. Eye drops formulated for helping reduce red eyes work to constrict blood vessels. This will have the same effect on a blemish! ;) Perhaps your skin is irritated or sun burned before your event? your solution? Milk! Milk has calming effects on the skin. Whole milk is best but any milk will work to calm irritation. Soak a washcloth in cool milk and just lay it on the skin for 10-15 minutes. Instant calm!

4. BODY Normally you may have planned for a special event by spending a little extra time in the gym. If not there are a few little tricks to help you look a little more toned in just a few minutes! Push ups. Push ups are great because you can do them anywhere and you don't need any equipment. This will help your arm muscles to contract so that they feel tighter and more fit. Sit ups are also good! After a good set of sit ups I always feel better! If you have time go for a quick 20 minute run. If anything this will just boost your mood and make you feel more energetic and fit! Last but not least drink lots of water! Drinking water helps flush out all that extra water weight! If you are dehydrated you may look or feel bloated. So ward off bloat by drinking lots  and lots of water!

Have a fitter body before your first trip to the beach!

Be more fit  by Summertime.

Lets face it, no matter your size every woman wants to either lose a few pounds or just tone up a bit more before beach/vacation season. Nobody wants to get into their bikini with their pale wintry skin and to top it off  5-10-15 extra pounds that they didn't have last year, and best of all, nobody has to! Here's how! We've got 4-5 months to get our bodies all set for swimsuit season so the sooner we start the better! 


1. If you want to lose weight, set a goal. Make your goal reasonable one. A reasonable weight loss goal is about 2 pounds a week. Any more than that and it can be unhealthy and practically impossible, which will lead to us getting discouraged. But 2 pounds a week is definitely a good goal! 


2. Ditch the crash diet idea! ....if your on a diet of bananas and water of course you will lose weight (on the scale)...but if you starve your self and don't give your body enough calories or nutrients you'll also lose muscle, and muscle is what makes our bodies look fit and toned! We DON'T want to lose that! If you lose muscle your body will actually look more flabby even though you may weigh less. That being said eat a good and balanced diet. This means lean meats, (a good portion size for you is the size of your fist) whole grains (don't be fooled by brown white bread, make sure the label says made with 100% whole wheat flour.) Dark Leafy Greens, and as many fruits and vegetables as you like! 

3. Don't weigh yourself daily. Our bodies can fluctuate in water weight day to day as much as 10 ibs! So to stay clear of false 10 ib weight gain scares, and weigh yourself only once every 2 weeks. Right after you wake up in the morning.  I also love this idea! For me I'm very visual it helps to actually have a visual to keep me on track! 

4. Keep a journal and log EVERY SINGLE THING you put in your mouth.......and don't cheat! You'll be amazed by all the little..."I'll just have a little Oreo here" and a "little teenie bite of cake there" Those calories SERIOUSLY add up and can sabotage an otherwise healthy diet plan. Having to actually write down each thing you eat will cause you to think a little bit more before grabbing that quick Oreo or scoop of Ben and Jerry's out of the fridge! ;) (I know I'm not the only one!)


5. Drink water! I know you've heard it a million times, but water is your best friend! Many times we confuse hunger with thirst. So if we keep our thirst quenched we may be less likely to over eat and snack on junk food. 


6. Whether we like it or not, one of the fastest and easiest ways to lose body fat is to RUN. I know many women loathe running. I'll admit running can be hard to get into, but once your into it...you'll be addicted! But it's a pretty great thing to be addicted to! For me I love to run because its so relaxing to me, and the endorphin high after a run is unlike anything else! I haven't always been a runner, but from now on I guarantee, as long as my legs are in tact, I'll be a runner for life! As I mentioned I have not always been a runner, never in a million years did I think I would train for any sort of marathon, and what do you know?! But here's how I started out! Nice and slow! Building up anybody can do it!


7. Incorporate weight/strength training into your workout. It is a common myth that lifting weights will give you big bulky "man" muscles. This is SO untrue. Unless you are on supplements/steroids a woman's body will not form big bulky Arnold muscles. We don't have enough testosterone to grow muscles that big! Weight training builds lean muscle and muscle burns fat. WE WANT MUSCLE! Nice lean feminine sexy muscle!  The more muscle you put on your body the more calories the those will burn for you through out the day! Pilate's exercises are great for building lean muscle. I also like to use free weights! If you are just starting out use 3-5 pounds if you are more advanced use 10-15 (for legs and some arm exercises you'll probably use even heavier free weights 20-25 ibs) Maybe I'll post some exercises tomorrow!

8. Okay its just a fact of life....every body looks and feels thinner with a tan. And for that I've got just the solution! ^^^ I use the medium shade 2. But my skin is pretty dark to begin with. For fair skin I'd use shade 1. Its even, not orange and doesn't stink. What more could you ask for?!


  ***HOW TO BECOME A RUNNER FOR BEGINNERS***




Day 1: Go out buy some cute workout clothes so that you'll want to workout, and feel a little bit cute while doing it :) Maybe a new pair of tennies or a hat? Something you feel good about yourself in. Download some new music and you'll be on to a good start!


Day 2: Get on a treadmill run as long as you possibly can....maybe its only 2 minutes and that's fine! maybe its more Just remember no matter how fast you go, your lapping everyone laying on the couch...this is the first day so don't push it too hard but still try and challenge yourself. So lets say you can run a good 5 minutes strong by the time you start to feel tired (maybe its only 2) But for the example lets say you can run 5....so your tired, but not like "I'm about to pass out tired" just plain old "exhausted" okay? So now you know your breaking point is about 5 minutes....so from now on you are going to run  5 minutes rest 1 minute run 5 minutes rest 1 minute until we get to 30 minutes total. Do this everyday and when you feel like your run is getting stronger add a minute to your run so your doing 6 minutes 1 minute rest 6, instead of 5. and keep adding a minute when you feel up to it. Before long you'll be able to ditch the rests and run through the full 30 minutes without stopping and from there just keep adding minutes and before you know it you'll be training for a marathon! I know this works! This is how I did it and I know if it worked for me it can work for anyone! I also counseled a friend of mine and she informed me just today that after using this run sequence she has lost 16 pounds in just a few months! So exciting! 


Its January 25. Right now we've got plenty of time to get in shape before summer time...don't wait till May this year! Give yourself plenty of time and get fit the healthy way. Slow and steady wins the race! :-) Now go get em! :D

Treat yourself to a luxurious facial this evening!...oh, and best of all? You don't need to spend a dime or leave home. 

What you will need (and likely already have):


Baking soda
Your favorite cleanser
lemon juice
cotton balls/rounds
Ingredients for the facial specified to your skin type
Lounge clothes
Green Tea
Moisturizer






Step 1. Tune in to a nice relaxing Pandora station. Every body's taste is a little different i love acoustic guitar or Enya.


Step 2. Slip in to your comfiest pajamas and a nice fluffy bath robe :)


Step 3. Brew a cup of  tea. Green tea is great for detoxifying your body which helps clear our skin. Chances are you might have tea in cupboard,  but  if not, sipping on some warm lemon water also can have detoxifying benefits. The steam from hot tea will also help to open up your pores so that your skin is ready to absorb all the good TLC your about to give it. If your not a tea drinker, laying a warm wash cloth over your face for 5-10 minutes will have the same effect.


Step 4.  Cleanse your skin with warm water. Remove all makeup residue with soft circular motions.


Step 5. Once your skin is good and clean take about 3/4 table spoon of baking soda mix with a little bit of water just to get it moist and rub it between your hands so that it forms a paste. Gently massage it on your face. This helps to remove all the dead skin cells leaving your skin baby soft. (see for yourself ;) I do this about 2/3 times a week. Its great! 
*If your skin is oily you can also try exfoliating with a little bit of lemon juice and sugar on a cotton round. The citric acid in lemon juice eliminates dead skin cells leaving your skin feeling luxuriously smooth!


Step 6: Tone the skin. Toner is used to return the skin to its natural PH level. Using vinegar as a skin toner dates back to the time of Helen of Troy. And it’s just as effective today. After you wash your face, mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water as a finishing rinse to cleanse and tighten your skin. 


Step 7: Apply a mask now each persons skin is different and will benefit from a different type of mask. Myself having combination skin i seem to have a different issue at all times of the year, here are a few that i like! 


For dry skin: Mix 1 tbs of olive oil and 1 tbs honey and apply to the face. Leave for 10-15 minutes and remove with a warm cloth


For Oily acne prone skin: mix the yolk of 1 egg with oatmeal and a little bit of water so that it forms a paste. apply to skin and leave to dry for 15-20 minutes and remove with damp cloth. Egg yolk contains lots of vitamin A which also helps heal unsightly post acne scars.


For anti aging: Use the whites of one egg and a dash of olive oil. Whisk together in a small bowl and apply to the skin. The eggs whites contain lots of good vitamins to keep skin young and the 
olive oil has wonderful natural moisturizing components! Another one that can benefit more mature skin is a mask made with coffee. The caffeine in coffee stimulates the skin making it appear younger smoother and more vibrant.


 DIRECTIONS
*1) Add the used finely ground coffee into a bowl. Stir in milk until it achieves a thick texture. Mix the ingredients till well blended. Try not to make the paste too diluted or it'll be runny and it's gonna be messy during application. If mixture becomes too runny, simply add a little more coffee into it.
2) When ready, apply the paste onto your face and neck and smooth it out all over your face. Avoid eyes and lips.
3) Slowly massage the mixture to your skin and relax for 20 mins.
4) While washing off the mask, slowly massage the paste to your skin. It acts further as an exfoliator. Don't massage too hard if you have sensitive skin
5) Pat dry face and app


8. Once your mask is applied soak 2 cotton rounds in cool water to lay over your eyes to reduce any puffiness and ease the stress of the day. 


9. Lay down, light a candle...listen to your music, close your eyes, relax all your muscles and..........RELAX..........AHH...




Once the mask has dried rinse the residue off and pat dry with a clean towel.


10. And last but not least don't forget to moisturize before you head off to bed! This is so important even for acne prone skin. The common misunderstanding is that if you have oily skin you don't need to moisturize. The problem is, we try so hard to dry out our blemishes that the dried up skin cells we are left with end up clogging up our pores and leading to MORE breakouts! So even if your skin is oily be sure and invest in a good oil free moisturizer! Now bathe your skin in good moisturizer from head to toe, now that you're feeling like a Greek goddess head to the kitchen pour yourself a LARGE glass of ice water, add a lemon if you have one, and drink it down! Keeping yourself hydrated is the single most important factor in achieving healthy looking skin! 

Whats in my bag?

So for my first blog post I thought I would share a few of my favorite health/wellness beauty products I've found over the years. If anybody knows me well, you know I looove to try all sorts of new products and lines and go crazy like a kid in a candy store at the sight of Sephora! Ever since I was a little girl I have been fascinated by the skincare industry and all its advances, while going through esthetician school I learned to much more about different ingredients and how they work and have effect on our skin---SO interesting! Although one thing that's always kind of "bugged" me is whenever you go to a beauty counter you KNOW the person behind the counter is just trying to sell you whatever they possibly can, whether they like it or it has made their face break out like a pubescent teenager! YIKES! On top of that some products out there you would NEVER want to put on your little face if you knew what was in them! Eek! So here are things that I've found.trust.love.and can't live without! ;)

#1 First up is my all time favorite mascara! The rounded brush reaches all those teenie tiny baby lashes and is great for bottom lashes also. People ask often if I'm wearing false lashes and I just have to rave to them about this stuff! Granted its quite expensive for mascara, I promise you it is worth every penny....and  also has changed my "every mascara is equal" mentality..definitely not so! I have sensitive eyes and can barely wear any lotion without them starting to water like faucet but this stuff has never bothered them a bit! Its great find! 

#2 Eye lash curler by Shu Umera...Originally created for Asian eyes this baby will give you baby doll lashes in just one pump! *For a curl that lasts throughout the day blow dry your curler for 8 seconds and then proceed to curl! (Good ol tips passed down from my mama) 

#3 What is more annoying than spending all night getting ready for a hot date only to have it all melt off a half hour into the date?! I know you've been there...This stuff will become your new best friend! Super fine makeup setting mist developed by Urban Decay in partner with Skindinavia a skin care line that I have loved and trusted for years! When is the last time you came home from a long day at work and you looked just as fresh as when you left that morning!? This super fine, patent pending, temperature regulation technology will blow your mind. I've got all my sisters and friends hooked on it! So nice to come home from work and be able to slip on a dress quick slick on a new shade of lipstick and be out on a date with my husband in a matter of minutes!  

#4 Natural, non irritating, moisturizing and just down right amazing. Yes, you can use this for cooking. BUT! It also makes for an excellent eye makeup remover! You can find this in the ethnic foods aisle for around 10 dollars a jar, but will last you a good 6-8 months! As I mentioned before my eyes react to EVERYTHING....except coconut oil! Coconut oil is also hypoallergenic and has antibacterial qualities so it will not clog pores as some other oils do. Lots of over the counter eye makeup removers also contain alcohol that over time dries out the skin and can cause the thin skin on the under eye area to wrinkle. I find this to be a much better alternative to expensive alcohol based eye makeup removers. Plus its good and moisturizing to keep our peepers young and wrinkle free forever! (Well at least a little longer than otherwise :)

#5 Last but not least this little pot of prettiness! California Sun glow by Steiner London is by far the face/body bronzer I have found. Tried many and this one still takes the cake. For a night out a little bit of this  dusted over the decollete is so sexy! The fine shimmer is pretty feminine and suttle not "senior prom sparklie", or orange! Its pretty,  "just came in from a lounging by the sea" color. I'm crazy about it! It will last you over a year! I believe it runs around $40.00 but it goes a LONG way! And for a bronzer than doesn't make you look like a pumpkin, its worth it. :)

#6 No...not planning on having  a baby anytime soon (Have waay more traveling to get out of my system before then!) However,  I take these daily for my hair skin and nails! If you take a  look at the ingredients list of prenatal vitamins, its basically just a double dose of normal every day vitamins, thus it makes your hair grow like crazy!!! Discovered this little trick a few years ago after getting a horrible haircut and reading up on any possible way to make my hair grow faster! Low and behold these little capsules worked!

Hope you enjoyed my very first blog post! Stay tuned for my next blog post 'Travel Essentials every woman needs!'