Live Beautifully

The Price of Beauty

2010-04-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

I have discovered a new staple to my week and that is to watch Jessica Simpson's show: The Price of Beauty.
To hear what it's all about, follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMnV_l5t7ME

Jessica is someone I admire SO much! I love this girl and feel she is a shining example of beauty inside and out. I was fortunate enough to meet her in 2008 which was the start of her roughest time, I only wish I could meet her again to tell her how strong I think she is and how much I admire her for what she has overcome.

Beauty Tip: MOISTURIZE

2010-04-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while...school and work are kicking my butt and making me busier than I have ever been!
I have been learning SO much and wanted to share a beauty tip with you...
MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE!
As soon as you get out of the shower you have exactly 3 minutes for your skin to penetrate the moisturizer you put on top of it most so hurry, hurry, hurry and dry off once you are out of the shower so that you can quickly apply: eye cream, facial lotion, and body lotion-in that order!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Zs9nNlwuDUI/SHrFlw__P0I/AAAAAAAAB9g/GTjxXKx30GI/s400/apply-moisturizer.jpg

Esthetic School

2010-02-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I start Esthetic School and at The California Academy through the Skin Academy program and am SO excited! Going to esthetic school was already living my dream but going to a Paul Mitchell school is the greatest surprise! I am so grateful for everything that lead me to choose this particular school because two weeks ago I had no idea where I would be attending school or if I would even be able to go at all...it's a long story but the moral is that sometimes when obstacles are placed before you and you can't seem to make it through them it's God's way of saying "This is not right." In my case the decision to start school was right but the place was all wrong, I am just thrilled that the right place for me is a place that always seemed out of reach and yet it's where I'm meant to go...it's crazy!

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-02-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me know how much I adore Barbies. And others of you may also know that I am a sucker for Project Runway and Heidi Klum. I think Heidi Klum and Barbie may be the two most beautiful women ever!
This is the birthday gift I bought myself tonight...

Heidi Klum as Barbie...you can't get much better than that!

A Girl's Gotta Have Mascara...

2010-02-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

...No matter what the age!

My friend's baby got into her mascara the other day and I just thought this was so funny!

Quote of the Week:

2010-02-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

It is my birthday today and unfortunately I am sick so will be celebrating tomorrow...crossing my fingers that I feel better! But on this day, my birthday I was given a special card from the women in my church along with this quote:

"The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache."
-Margorie Pay Hinckley

Hot Yoga!

2010-02-18T23:04:00.001-08:00

I am so excited! I found a hot yoga studio in my suburb and now this is what I want for my birthday...

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER

Only $49 for your first month of yoga. Take all the classes you want
and discover for yourself the true benefits of Bikram (Hot) Yoga.

Description:
Bikram (Hot) Yoga is suited for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Never done yoga? No flexibility? Maybe a little nervous? No problem! Come on in and we’ll help you every step of the way. Be a part of an amazing community of people committed to laugh, learn, grow and sweat!

Created by Bikram Choudhury, this series of 26 hatha yoga poses and breathing exercises is designed to work the entire body in 90 minutes. It is an exhilarating workout done in a heated room to help the muscles stretch safely and detoxify the body through sweating. Regular yoga practice stimulates and balances the endocrine, nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems. It alleviates pain and symptoms of chronic illness. It increases strength, stamina and flexibility. It calms and unclutters the mind so one can begin to realize the deeper knowledge and potential within oneself.

The end result is you ROCK – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

In my perfect world...

2010-02-17T00:55:00.000-08:00

There would be more of these simple yet profound messages...

"Thank you!"

"I'm sorry."

And

"I love you!"

I guarantee that successful relationships will come from using them often.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a happy LOVE day today!

Just to share, my hubby and I had a weekend FULL of Valentine's fun!
Friday night I was given roses by my favorite boy and then we had a nice, romantic dinner for two at Macarroni Grill followed by the new movie "Valentine's Day". After the movie we took a nice walk.
Saturday night we made dinner together at home and went to the chick flick "Dear John".
Sunday we spent at church...the place we fell in love (sappy I know!). Then we came home to cook a special meal for my family:
Heart Shaped Ravioli with Sundried Tomato Pesto Sauce by Giada De Laurentiis

What did you do for Valentine's Day?!

Quote of the Week:

2010-02-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.”

20/20!

2010-02-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

The surgery went well but to be honest, I thought it would be easier!
It was short but nerve-racking!
There was a moment when I couldn't see a thing even though my eyes were open.
I compared the whole experience to my husband as getting waxed...you don't like it as it is happening because it is painful but the end result is worth it!
The medication they gave to me beforehand made me loopy, more-so once the surgery was over.
I was in a lot more pain than I thought I would be after the surgery so I took the novacain I was given.
I fell asleep to a sleeping pill and woke up with a headache so I took another novacaine and then fell back asleep. I was pretty out of it the rest of the day.
Now I'm off to take another sleeping pill!
The best thing in the world is that I have 20/20 vision and it is only going to get better from here!

Note: To spare you the gruesome images of my surgery I decided to just post this picture I found from google images!
http://www.funis2cool.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/eloquent-eyes-18.jpg

Lasik

2010-02-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

I have wondered over the past thirteen years what it would be like to wake up every morning seeing clearly...
I am happy to say that tomorrow I will see the world with 20/20 vision!
Wish me luck!

Quote of the Week

2010-02-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 Inaugural Speech

On a personal note: This quote has been such an inspiration in my life! I have used it to encourage youth to hold their heads high and stand tall. When in high school my friend used to tell me all the time, no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. I had to be reminded of that often since being a teen is not the easiest age in the world. I hope this quote also empowers you as it has me.

Miss America 2010

2010-01-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

I finally watched it and fell in love with this girl from the beginning...especially her evening gown! If you missed the pageant, you can watch her crowning moment on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dz4BIvOG2c. Congratulations Miss Virginia, Caressa Cameron!
Also, congratulations to Miss California for making it to first runner up! You always have to root for your state and Kristy Cavinder did us well!

Did you watch?

2010-01-30T23:55:00.000-08:00

I'm talking about the Miss America Pageant!
I forgot all about it and am really, really sad right now so I've just been checking out the contestants before 10 am tomorrow morning comes around and I can watch the re-run of the pageant.
http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/miss-america-pageant-2010-central-south-west-contestants.html

7 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving or Breaking a Sweat

2010-01-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

I found this article today on yahoo and had what Oprah would call an "Ahh-Haa" moment. I don't think I will be getting a gym membership this year with my crazy work and school schedule so I need all the fitness tips without using a gym as I can get!

Weight loss requires two things: burning calories through exercise and cutting them through smart food choices and portion control. In theory, you could create a calorie deficit by spending hours at the gym, but that's not realistic-or much fun. And who wants to live on lettuce leaves? Instead, try these seven everyday moves to drop pounds effortlessly.

1. Fidget

James Levine, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has spent a decade studying the role that everyday movement, or NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis), plays in metabolism. His discovery: People who tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still. That adds up to nearly 37 pounds a year!

2. Keep most meals under 400 calories

Study after study recommends spacing out your meals at regular intervals and keeping them all about the same size. Eating meals at regular intervals has been linked to greater calorie burning after eating, better response to insulin, and lower fasting blood cholesterol levels. When you eat regular meals throughout the day, you're less likely to become ravenous and overeat.

3. Take yourself off cruise control

Increase the intensity of your everyday tasks, from vacuuming to walking the dog, recommends Douglas Brooks, an exercise physiologist and personal trainer in Northern California. "Turn on some music, add in some vigorous bursts, and enjoy the movement," he says.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day

Water is not just a thirst quencher--it may speed the body's metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects' metabolic rate by 30%, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body's efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. "When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored," explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, MD, of University Medicine Berlin. Increasing water consumption to eight glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, he says, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.

5. Step it up--and down

Climbing stairs is a great leg strengthener, because you're lifting your body weight against gravity. In addition to taking the stairs at every opportunity, try stepping up and down on the curb while you're waiting for the bus or filling your gas tank, says Brooks.

6. Use grocery bags as dumbbells

Letting someone else load your groceries or carry your suitcase is an opportunity missed for strengthening and calorie burning, says certified coach Beth Rothenberg, who teaches a class for fitness professionals at UCLA. "Carry your groceries, balanced with a bag in each hand, even if you have to make several trips," she says. "And pack two smaller suitcases instead of one big one, so you can carry them yourself."

7. Eat 4 g of fiber at every meal

A high-fiber diet can lower your caloric intake without making you feel deprived. In a Tufts University study, women who ate 13 g of fiber or less per day were five times as likely to be overweight as those who ate more fiber. Experts see a number of mechanisms through which fiber promotes weight loss: It may slow down eating because it requires more chewing, speed the passage of food through the digestive tract, and boost satiety hormones. To get 25 g of fiber a day, make sure you eat six meals or snacks, each of which contains about 4 g of fiber. For to-go snacks, buy fruit; it's handier than vegetables, so it's an easy way to up your fiber intake. One large apple has just as much fiber (5 g) as a cup of raw broccoli.

By Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, Prevention
http://health.yahoo.com/featured/78/7-easy-ways-to-lose-weight-without-starving-or-breaking-a-sweat/

Picture from: http://geniusbeauty.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/weight-loss-and-appetite.jpg

Quote of the Week:

2010-01-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says:
"Oh Crap, She's up!"

My Story

2010-01-22T23:06:00.000-08:00

"Beauty Queen" why me?

(My wonderful husband and I at Mrs. Idaho Int'l 2009.)

When I was 14 years old I participated in my first pageant and haven't been able to get away from the pageant world since!

I have been in the beauty industry for the past 10 years, eight years professionally.

In March of this year I will begin Aesthetics school. It has been a long time dream and even upon receiving my bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho, I still knew that the beauty industry was where I wanted to stay forever.

But what DRIVES me within the beauty industry?
The empowerment of womanhood.

A long time ago I was in a several year relationship with someone who believed that I was his trophy and would forever stay that way. Before he left to go oversees for a while he said things to me like, "There's not much more to [you] than looks." And, "Don't gain any weight while I'm gone!" As well as my ultimate favorite, "I can't wait to leave so that I can find out if I really love you and not just what you look like."

At the time I was blinded through thinking he was the man I wanted him to be yet he ended up not even being close to that man. He was WRONG, ALL WRONG but I learned a wonderful lesson.

I learned that the good men out there are interested in the whole package and the ones who really love you will support your every ambition even if that means you decide you deserve a slice of chocolate cake every once in a while though it may lead to your jeans not fitting "just right" the next day.

A good man will look at you with no makeup, wet hair on top of your head, and scrubs on and think you look gorgeous...at least that's what my husband does every night :)!

I learned that being a beautiful woman is about far more than what is on the outside because NO ONE wants to soley be judged by that, at least no one with an ounce of respect for themselves.

So please, join me on a journey to discover beauty inside & out as we LIVE BEAUTIFULLY together!

Get Organized

2010-01-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

Part of living a beautiful life is being organized and what better time than the beginning of the year?

1.) Start Organizing

2.) Divide & Conquer

3.) Reduce & Re-use

4.) Utilize Space

Here are some websites to help...

Organizing your LIFE in general:
http://celebrating-today.blogspot.com/search/label/Organization
This is my friend's blog which you will be hearing more about as I post more.

Storage and basic organization tips (along with some really cute ideas!):
http://getorganizedtips.blogspot.com/

Get organized with simple monthly meal planning:
http://perfectpocketmealplanning.blogspot.com/
Such a cute system that some busy moms came up with!

*Images found through:
http://www.allyou.com/budget-home/organizing-cleaning/clutter-hotspots-bathroom-00400000052975/

Live Beautifully HOW TO

2010-01-09T01:03:00.000-08:00

To begin this blog I would like to start with a quote which will act as the foundation for what this blog is really about...

The following was written by Audrey Hepburn who was asked to share "beauty tips".

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years."

Audrey Hepburn, Actress.