Fashion

Ok, fashion....right. Truth is, I'm not a fashion expert. I don't do fashion policing. However this time I will. I am a tee-shirt and jeans and yoga pants (while I am working out) type girl. So in other words I have no idea what to tell you about fashion. I'm not even going to try and tell you what is the "must-haves-of-the-season" I will say this I am going to include an URL to this post to an other blog, and a web site. 

Sophia Janner, talks about on her blog what every woman needs to know.....bras. Yes, bras. You might think you are waring the right size bra, but the truth of the matter is about 80% of women are not. It's not you're fault, so don't get defensive. The stores like WallMart, K-Mart, and etc don't carry all sizes that women need to find a good comfy fit bra. One of the tall tell signs of wearing the wrong size bra is:

• Saggy looking boobs
• You look bigger. Not in the boobs, but your overall shape
• You have the "forth" boob effect
• Bad posture
• Your back and shoulders hurt

80% of women are walking around with their back and shoulders hurting, saggy breast, the "forth boob", and the sideboob." Come on what 20 something wants to have saggy looking breast? What woman for that matter would want to have sagging look breast?

My friends, sorry about the following language, but this is spot on. I know people who are like these
cartoon girls. 

So the question you'd might ask is:

• How do I know when I do have the right size bra?

My counter questions are:

1. Is the center gore (which joins the center pice of the bra together) flat against you're chest? If not, then the band size is too small for your rib cage. The center gore should lay flat against your chest. 
2. Can you pull the center gore away from you're chest? Again, the band size is too small for your rib cage. 
3. Do you have the sideboob going on? If yes, then your cup size is too small.
4. Is your band parallel/ straight across the back? If it is not and it rides high on your back, then your band is too big. If the band rides low on your back then the band is too small. 
5. Do you have breast tissue "bubbling" on top of your bra? If you do then your cup size is too small.
6. Is the wire of the bra on your breast tissue? If yes, then your band size is too big. 
7. Is the bra straps digging into your shoulder? If yes, then most likely your band is too big. 
8. Is your wires are leaving a angry red mark on your breast tissue? Depending where the angry make is, but it could just simply mean that your band is too small, with a too small cup size. 

Again, not your fault if you are wearing the wrong bra size. We are trained to think that cup DD and up are way too big and the girls need to go under the knife. Not really. It all depends on the volume of the breast tissue and how narrow your back/rib cage is. 

For example: 34D, 36C, and 38B have the same volume, but a 38 band might be too big for your rib cage. Now let's go bigger cups. 32FF, 34F, and 38E have the same volume. Now you might think that these are horrendously big, but again, it all depends on your shape. When you do have the right size bra on, then your natural body shape will look slimmer, and boobs will look perky, not saggy. 

Here is clip by Figleaves, they explan what you need to know when looking for the perfect fit bra. It is just a 5 minute clip. I also love their website figleaves.com. They do have a bra calculator that helps. They also have "Ask our experts," they are helpful in finding the right size.  Figleaves.com has ALL sizes, brands, and style of bras, and they always do have some kind of sale going on, all the time. I haven't found another web site that is like this one....yet. 

If you do find out that you are bigger then a 24D, don't fret. Go ahead and get the right size bra even IF it is a 30G. You will find that you are way more comfortable in the right size bra, and you will look better also.  

Ok I've tried to put the clip on the blog, but it didn't want to work. So this is the YouTube URL . Sorry about that.

Cheers for now!

Have an Awesome day

You have deserved it!

(Updated) 

Rediscovering my curls #3

Curly Girl: The Handbook by Lorraine Massey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ok I do love this book. But I still have a question. I live in a desert and the gel's that I have been trying on my hair have just been making the hair have the freeze look, and would weigh down the curls. And I have very curly hair.

So now I am currently asking a pro. hair dresser also with curly hair about this problem.

Also I love the added chapters and information in this book. The chapter about Chemo really touched me.

I am trying to love this curly top of mine. It is a process.




View all my reviews

Yes, I am still on a quest to love my curls. But as living in the second most driest state in the US country. We have such extremes as in one day we could be 100 degrees with 0% humidity but the next day we could be at 90 degrees with 30% or more humidity. So I am having problems following the "Curly Girl" cleansing and styling regime as prescribe in the book. I'll put in the gel and the problem is that the gel would make my hair look frozen and the curls would just be weighed down. I do have very curly hair, with the gel in it makes my very curly hair looks like a wave.

So I have asked questions, as I have said above. I am currently hoping that my questions will be answered. Once I do get the answers then I'll let you know.

~Cheers Everyone!

Rediscovering my curls part zwei (2)

I haven't been able to update on this, I haven't exactly had that time. I have been keeping an account in my personal journal, so I don't feel that bad.

Saturday afternoon: The dry wicked wind blew and dried out the curls. The result: Frizz and untamed-unmanageable. Argh!

Sunday: All I did was sprayed my curls with water and natural lavender oil mixed with water. The Lavender oil is a natural cleanser. How I made this stuff is:

Regular spray bottle filed with cold water and about 3 drops of lavender oil and shake well.

Sunday continued: That wind again was there and my curls this time wilted and frizzed. By-the-way if anyone in my ward reads this: thank you for not laughing at my hair. If you don't know by now my hair and I have issues.......still.

Monday: Again I just sprayed my curls with lavender oil/water mixture. Left it to dry. The curls look good. Possibly/most likely because of the extra moister in the air. Also possibly because I was working with a lot of water. I was shampooing my mothers carpet.

Today: Washed my curls with of curse conditioner and lemon juice. I toweled dried it and then jest let the air do the rest. While it was mostly dry, that is when I put in the all natural conditioner and left in. The abundance of curls are back!

Note to self: Look for an deep conditioner for these dry and windy summer day's. That might help, but use it to wash the curls combine with lemon juice; to keep as much moister in as possible.

Cheers Everyone!

Rediscovering my curls

I hope you don't mind but I am going to wright an online journal about Rediscovering my curls. This is mostly to help me. I am also going to put in my personal journal. However if it helps anyone else then.......sweet!

About 10 years ago I have stopped straightening my curls but still was at a loss on how to work with my curls. Then I got a book called Curly Girl. The book it's self explains that using shampoo will damage the hair and scalp, and make it frizzy and somewhat straight......mostly frizzy. So I had to use a lot of conditioner and oil; yes I do put oil on my hair. Now I was noticing that my curl was starting to get weighted down with way too much product.

So Thursday night I washed my hair; not with shampoo but with conditioner and lemon juice. To take out build up and clean it. Then I decided that I wasn't going to put in any conditioner while it was still dripping wet, like I'd usually would do . I just used a towel to dry it, then let the air do the rest. The result was more curl then I could even imagine that existed on my head, and they stick out everywhere. However I still have a little issue with frizz. So while my hair was still slightly damp, I put on an possibly 1- 1.5 teaspoon of a all natural conditioner. By doing that it controlled the frizz more still had some but not as much. And the curls looked great.

Yesterday I didn't wash it at all. I just use an leave-in-conditioner. One that was free of silicone's, the curls did come back and they still look good.

Today well, I tried to go without washing it again. Result was: it looked dirty, and the curls was seriously weighted down and unmanageable; as in the curls would not behave, some would only wave then frizz. So I washed it with of course conditioner and lemon juice. Right now it is currently drying. So I am hopping that I can somewhat repeat the process/cycle. We'll see how it goes. Then I'll do a new update.

The "New" Oven

I have found out to day that I can use the old Nesco 18 Qt roster oven to bake stuff. I can't believe that it took me so long to find this one out. The temperature will go up passed 350 degrees. So I decided to try and bake frozen/thawed rolls. I can't really do this without the help of frozen rolls from the store. I have tried making bread from scratch......that was an interesting adventure.

Anyway it so worked! I was so surprised that it did. I had to put a 9/13in pan on the bottom first then a cookie rack on top of the 9/13in pan. On top of that was the thawed out rolls. Bake for 20 mins and there you go! I am sure that you can use almost any roster oven to bake stuff.

My next stop with this method of baking? Brownies, once I have the box mix stuff, or flour whatever comes first. I can make brownies from scratch. One of the few things that I can make from scratch. :)

~

Now on a update on my Rosy Complexion. Within a week the rash on my face spread to my neck fast. So all week I was hunting down labels and reading them. Freakzoides my eyes were opened! That is when I have found out that almost everything has dairy, soy, and whey in it.

Just this last Sunday I went to see this older couple and the wife asked me if I was out in the sun, she told me that I look sun kissed.I had to laugh a little. So I told her that it was a rash, and that I had to take off my make-up because it was aggravating my rash.

I had a rash that was a long streak going down my cheek. It looked like someone whipped my face. So with the aggravation the make-up was causing, hence the taking on and off the make-up. Had it on for church, took it right off after choir practice.

The good news is that the rash is gone! I have also miss placed some inches that I am not missing, so I am not looking for it, I am not missing the inches. So please don't ask me to look for the lost inches.

Cheers Everyone!

I call it "The War on Women"

Today I went to one of my old schools. Lake Ridge Elementary. I took my nephew Daniel there for some further testing to see what he test at and if he will be in a higher kindergarten when he starts school. I walked on to that school grounds and a flood of memories came rushing back.

Being in a special class in kindergarten only because I tested to high. I should have been in the first grade. If I remember right there were only 2 of us within that class. When I was in the 6th grade I sprained my ankle. How I did that was I decided to swing around a poll and of course landed weird. The strange thing is that same poll is still there. I saw the place where I would meet my friends before school. Where I played basket ball, boys against girls of course, no one won the bell rang before we could finish the game. Standing out in the cold wet snow. Also being afraid of one teacher that I had for kindergarten and first grade.

Enough of memory lane.

My nephew and I was walking home when a stupid guy leaned out of the car window and yelled at me a hurtful comment 'fat......" Ok I'm a size 4 so that tells me that no matter what I do or what size I am; I will never be enough. So this rises the repeated question.

What is this obsession on woman, and the body that our society has?

All I can think of is that an all out war has been taken place on women. We have been attacked by the media, family, friends, boyfriends, husbands and piers. Because of this war; society is falling apart. Why women and not men? Lets take a look at Shakespeare's Macbeth. This teaches powerfully about the influence of women. She tells her husband:

" Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou are promis'd yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o'th' milk of human kindness."

She calls him a coward and convince him to do what it takes to be king. Latter within her famous monologue she sales her soul, she stated:

"......Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me hear; And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood. Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visiting of nature Shake my fell purpose, not keep peace between the effect and it! Come to my woman's breast, and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! Come thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry, Hold, hold!"

When Lady Macbeth said: "Stop up the access and passage to remorse.." She refuses to feel guilty on what she plans to do. "Take my milk for gall?" Milk= nurturing, life giving; remember she wants to be come queen and will do anything to do it. Bruce C. Hafen said it better then I can. He stated: "Lady Macbeth's womanly heart makes her incapable of taking a life unless she renounces her female instinct to give and nurture life. Later, after they have killed the king, she goes insane, then dies-not just from guilt, but perhaps from renouncing her very nature."

The Milk of Human kindness= Female nurturing, the moral influence of women.

This all out war against women is making women feel devalued, stupid, incapable, human beings that are not worth to be taken serious consideration. Because of this women think that to be valued we must be excessively independent. Be that full time working woman and not have time for the family. Because of this some women are loosing this war. Experts think this is why our society is falling apart.

We all must fight back! We are not stupid. We are very capable. We have surmount impossible odds. We are worth fighting for. To pull society back together and be more civilized means to fight back. Be that nurturing, moral influence. Make time for the family. Become that good nurturing, moral influence upon society, don't give up hope. A woman of hope creates a society of hope. It starts with us.

Magic pill for losing weight!

I so was not going to put this up but people keep telling me about different product pills to loose weight.

The question is. Is this possible? Will yes and no. There are pills out there that promises if you take me you will loose it! Isn't that like "if you build it they will come?"

Dangers
#1-YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE PILLS ARE GOING DO TO YOUR BODY!!!!!! I well repeat: You don't know what those pills are going do to your body!

#2- If you loose the weight to fast by a pill chances are medical problems down the road.

#3- Again loosing the weight that fast with a pill you are robbing your body of nutrients, and once you will loose the weight you will put it back on.

#4- You will be on those pills for the rest of your life!

Now a few years ago I had a back injury. It took a year for the muscle in my back to heal, six months to start working out that muscle. During that time I put on the weight that I had to get off. So this is what I did, and still do. Now I had to mold my work out routine to fit me. Along with my back I have had other injuries.

How your body works is that if you eat to much your body will turn that food into fat not energy like it is suppose to. So eating the traditional 3 meals a day will make the food you well eat into body fat. Why your stomach well never stop digesting. So if you have nothing in your stomach it will eat the fat that is on your body, and eventually eat your muscles. This is call starvation mode. So your body will find another source for the energy it needs. But when you eat again, (say dinner) your body well take that food you have just ate and put it into fat, and store it on your body for the next time you go into starvation mode. That will be two hours after your eat.

This is what I do:
I eat as healthy as I can just enough for two hours, then I eat again, I try and keep the calories low. But I must confess I don't count calories, or points, or use slim fast. I eat regular everyday food. Just small portions. With doing that and working out, I am about a size 2-4. Now I take one day a week and I eat whatever I want, how much I want, when I want, and I don't work out. The best day I found to do this is on Sunday. I also drink plenty of water.

All what you need to do is just eat as healthy as you can; just enough for two hours then eat again. As for working out try doing some kind of cardio work out one day then the next day do some kind of resistance training. By doing this not only will you build muscle mass but also bone density and strength. But take one day a week and do nothing and eat anything you want when you want. This works.

Now I hear people complain to me that it is hard to do this at their desk at work. All I tell them is eat some nuts or eat a nutritional bar. You can do that, people do that all the time. You just don't see it. I had a teacher who would drink Pepsi while she would teach her class.

Another confession. I am not perfect at this. During holidays I am going to party with my family, I am going to be apart of the calibrations. I am not talking just during the Christmas season, I am talking about every holiday, including birthdays.

That is my soapbox for now. I hope it will help.

Evolution

This speaks for itself.

The pink car

Over the weekend I saw an incredible sight. I was at ShopKo, I was coming out of the store. I saw this car and the color was pink, that's right Pink!!! My first thought of the sight of this pink car was, "how embarrassing, I would never ride in a pink car"!!!! As I got a little closer to this pink car I saw words on it, they are: Hop, love, faith, courage, and charity. I also saw a shade darker of pink ribbons on it. You see this pink car was a symbol of breast cancer, (that is why I am writing this post in pink).

The person who drove the pink car must known someone, or that person had or has breast cancer. Maybe that person had the cancer and beat it. If that is the case; I would like to think that. You see I did not meet this person who drove the pink car. I think that it takes a lot of courage to face such an ordeal.

It had made me want to say that we all need to be on the alert to cancer. I know that this month is not breast cancer awareness month. But remember that someone love you and need you around.

This also made me remember that we often judge the person or things on the looks and not look past and to what is relay there. You know that old fashioned saying "do not judge a book by it's cover". Sometimes all we need is a second, longer look.

Living life as a LDS single

Being 28 and single in Utah; many people have asked me if I wanted to get married or to have children. I would jokingly say my response to ease the pain of loneliness. One person has said to me "you know your biological clock is ticking." My response is simple, "I can't make someone love me. It just can't happen." It felt like I was being judged just by being single, something that is almost entirely out of my control.

Now to be fair, I realize that it was not a comment of judgement. Do I want to stay single? Heavens no, but their are some things that are just out of my hands. Staying fair, I remember talking to a friend (at the time single) 5 years ago, I had said that marriage intimidated me. Why? The responsibility was great, it still is. So how did I change my tune? My long time friends of mine had married each other and I have never seen them more happy.

I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. Many in the world are in fact living the single life. Why? The reasons may very, and are personal to each person. You may have been divorced, or you may know someone who is special needs, or quite simply, like me never married.

Within the August 2008 Ensign the cover story was "Single and Steadfast: Lessons in Hope, pg 20." I must confessed that when I read that; it didn't do a lot for me. The feeling that I had after I had read it was within the area of loneliness and isolation. That resulted; chocolate craving frenzy that I didn't give in to ( yeah I'm so proud of myself!). I know that these articles are full of singles who are having or have experience the feeling of loneliness and isolation. But they are moving on.

Their have been reports plastered on the news that the sacred institution of marriage is in trouble. More and more people are staying single or want to have same sex marriage. Now the LDS church DO NOT SUPPORT SAME SEX MARRIAGE. But within approximately a 10 year span something has stared to happen. Men and women are hanging out more and more. What is wrong with this? I must say that I am guilty of this. I thought that it was fun and it is. A bunch of my (at the time) single friends and I would get to gather and hang out. Oh we would do activity's such as recreational, Temple outings, etc. As result, romantic feelings was not their I could only see them as my "brother". My friends however got smart (I didn't), they paired off and found romantic feelings and got married.

I love this, alas it does applies to me. Dallin H. Oaks: 'Men, if you have returned from your mission and you are still following the boy-girl patterns you were counseled to follow when you were 15, it is time for you to grow up. Gather your courage and look for someone to pair off with. Start with a variety of dates with a variety of young women and when that phase yields a good prospect, proceed to courtship. It's marriage time. That is what the Lord intends for His young adult sons and daughters. Men have the initiative, and you men should get on with it. If you don't know what a date is, perhaps this definition will help. I heard it from my 18-year-old granddaughter. A "date" must pass the test of three p's (1) planned ahead. (2) paid for, and (3) paired off. Young women, resist too much hanging out, and encourage dates that are simple, inexpensive, and frequent. Don't make it easy for young men to hang out in a setting where you women provide the food. Don't subsidize freeloaders. An occasional group activity is OK, but when you see men who make hanging out their primary interaction with the opposite sex, I think you should lock the pantry and blot the front door.' Ensign article Dating versus Hanging Out, June 2006

Now don't think that I am feeling sorry myself. Every boy that I hanged out with is just that a friend. But as I got older I have learned that I must make the most of my time. But there is some nagging questions that keep coming up. Am I enough? Am I educated, talented, pretty, intelligent, clean, domesticated,......... Am I enough?

These nagging questions can have a negative effect on us. The feeling of falling short come up. I have learned that I need to stop and think about the Atonement. The most glorious thing about the Atonement is that it is their when we do fall short. That is what it is for.

A few short years ago, I have come to realize that I need to prepare myself for being single. My life is not over. I must move on, the world dose not wait for one person. So what can I do? One thing it is to keep doing what I am doing. What am I doing right now? This is only some of what I am doing. I am taking care of my nephews. I am fulfilling my calling in my ward. I am keeping up with my visiting teaching, but I have yet to winterise the yard. That is on my to-do-list, it is a long list might I add.

What I am trying to get hear is that don't wait around. I am fully aware that more and more of us LDS and non LDS singles are staying single longer. Some I know had made the choice to stay single, others long to be married. But keep working on being a little better!! God has not forgotten me or you. He still has a plan for us. I don't know what that is I wish that I do, so that I could tell you, and that I could put that plan up on my wall so I could look at it everyday.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said this: 'If you are just making time waiting for a marriage prospect, stop waiting........and start moving prepare yourself for life-even a single life-by education, experience, and planning. Don't wait for happiness to be thrust upon you. Seek it out in service and learning. Make a life for yourself. And trust in the Lord. Follow King Benjamin's advice to call 'on the name of the Lord daily, and [stand] steadfastly on the faith of that which is to come.' (Mosiah 4:11).

How we see ourselves

Their is a quote that I want to start out with. It is by M. Russell Ballard.

• Age 3: She looks at herself and sees a queen.
• Age 8: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella.
• Age 15: She looks at herself and sees a ugly duckling, (Mom, I can't go to school looking like this today!)
• Age 20: She looks at herself and see "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but she doesn't have time to fix  it so she's going out anyway.
• Age 40: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly" but says "At least I am clean," and goes out anyway.
• Age 50: She looks at herself and says, "I am what I am," and goes wherever she wants to go.
• Age 60: She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves in the mirror anymore. Goes out and conquers the world. 
• Age 70: She looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter, and ability and goes out and enjoys life.
• Age 80: Doesn't bother to look. Just put on a purple hat and goes out and have fun with the world.

The Moral is, maybe we should all grab that purple hat a little earlier."

                               -M. Russell Ballard

                                     (women of God, pg, 1,2)

 How true is this?  I have found myself following this very same pattern.  I am trying to skip the stages of 20 though 70 and mentally hit 80, but sometimes I am back at age 15.  I  want to "go out and have fun with the world," and not be worried what other's think about me.

The question is, how do we do this? How is this obtainable?  How is it possible to go "and have fun with the world?"  This my friends is not just something that comes with time or age.  I believe that it is possible to obtain that "purple hat" a little earlier.   

• Know our spiritual gifts 
  

The Lord in His wise and glorious porpoise have given us spiritual gifts.  These gifts are very unto all individuals, and they are many.  We have them to better ourselves and people around us. One gift that is very important, is the gift of the Holy Ghost. Both men and women alike can have this gift.  It is given to us after we are baptized in to the LDS church.  With the Holy Ghost at our side we are entitled to personal revelation, therefore help us to go back into the presents of our God.  But like all gifts that can be lost; we can loose the gift of the Holy Ghost.  That happens when we break commandments of God and our convent's we have made in the Temple.

• Partake of the sacrament

The sacrament is very symbolic.  The bread represents the body of Christ.  The water represents the blood of Christ.  John H. Groberg stated: brethren, as leaders we must do more to have more people to attend sacrament meeting and partake of the sacrament with more worthiness!"  The sacrament is for the renew of the convents we have made when we enter the waters of baptism.  

• Temple attendance

The temple is one most amazing place on earth.  The bible dictionary states: "the temple of God is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinance of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also of the dad.  It is a place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth.  Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness."   How wonderful is that!!  We should compose and dress ourselves so that is acceptable for temple attendance.  

• Forgiveness 

I have found that if we forgive more, then the more we are happy.  We are less cynical and then we can "go out and have fun with the world."  Mosiah 26:29,31 ".....he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity if his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.  And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses: for verily I say unto you, he that forgiveith not his neighbor's trespasses when he says that he repents, the same that brought himself under condemnation." Holding grudges makes us tired.  No I am  not an expert on this yet, but I hope to be.  The same with seeking to be forgiven by the Lord.  I know that the Lord wants to forgive, He is ready and waiting.   Mosiah 26:30 "Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me."

• Love

Have a love for life.  Too many times I have heard people grumble about their trials. Yes I am guilty of that also.  But you know, we made the choice to came down hear to earth to experience mortality.  We made that choice.  We should be happy that we are learning to be like God.  That is what we wanted in the preexistence and now hear we are!  Have a love for God for letting us come hear, to provide for us, and to provide a way for us to return to Him. 

• Be grateful

We need to give thanks for the blessings that God has so freely gave us.  Nobody likes an ungrateful heart.  It can make us be discourage to serve someone who is ungrateful.  Express and show appreciation for the blessings that you have.  Remember count your many blessings and you will see what you have. Don't focus on what you don't have. Again that is an ungrateful heart.

I think that these are ways that we can grab that "purple hat" much earlier.   Life is meant to become more like God.  We can't do that if we don't understand our self worth, or understand how much God loves us and see us as individuals.  He knows who we are, we are not a nobody to Him.   We matter to God.  He knows us personally.  I promise you that.