Hello World!
I know I've been MIA for the past few months, but I've been a bit busy. My sister was in town, I had a birthday, work got crazy and I have a boyfriend. My days are consumed with work, my nights with family time and my weekends with spending time with my guy. But I miss writing. I miss typing for pleasure and not for work. This post isn't earth shattering or terribly exciting, but a bit of a blurb about recent happenings in my life.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Note to Self...
Don't go on a three hour hike when you haven't hiked in so long that you can't remember the last time you put your tennis shoes on for the express purpose of exercising. I'm exaggerating a little, but not much. For some reason I had a ton of energy Saturday morning and I called my dad to ask him if he'd like to go on a hike. He said yes and we were off to Eaton Canyon.
If you've never been to Eaton Canyon, I recommend you go. The main trails are wide, well marked and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. But make sure you're up for the hike. I'm sure that someone is going to read this and laugh because it's not that big of a deal, but to a novice like myself, it's huge. We spent a good 45 minutes hiking to a shady spot almost to the waterfall in the park and then sat to enjoy our lunch. It was so much fun to sit on the rocks, dip my feet in the cool water and enjoy my fresh egg white salad from Trader Joe's. After about a half hour we decided to head back to the parking lot and leave. On the way down the trail, we stopped to stretch, which I thought would be enough, and then we got in the car.
I was fine on Sunday, but by Monday morning I was seriously hurting. That's when I realized that I really do need to jump on the exercising-regularly bandwagon. I want to be able to go on hikes and not feel like I'm going to die two days later. Lesson learned. Less couch and more walking.
If you've never been to Eaton Canyon, I recommend you go. The main trails are wide, well marked and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. But make sure you're up for the hike. I'm sure that someone is going to read this and laugh because it's not that big of a deal, but to a novice like myself, it's huge. We spent a good 45 minutes hiking to a shady spot almost to the waterfall in the park and then sat to enjoy our lunch. It was so much fun to sit on the rocks, dip my feet in the cool water and enjoy my fresh egg white salad from Trader Joe's. After about a half hour we decided to head back to the parking lot and leave. On the way down the trail, we stopped to stretch, which I thought would be enough, and then we got in the car.
I was fine on Sunday, but by Monday morning I was seriously hurting. That's when I realized that I really do need to jump on the exercising-regularly bandwagon. I want to be able to go on hikes and not feel like I'm going to die two days later. Lesson learned. Less couch and more walking.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Redhead Review: Boots Brand at Target
Dark circles under my eyes, a massive pimple that resembles a third eye and an uneven skin tone. Normally those would be huge problems. But with some Boots beauty and skin care products, they're barely a blip on my beauty radar.
When my mom and I were walking through the cosmetics section at Target a few weeks ago, there was a Boots representative offering free advice and she told us what she thought we should try. I have spent a lot of money on beauty creams, masks, lotions and potions that were supposed to have been perfect for my skin type, but that didn't work. And I'll admit that I was more than a tad skeptical about the makeup and skin care line found at Target, but after trying three of its products, I'm sold.
The first product that I bought and fell in love with was the Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Toner. This is by far the best toner I have used. Most of the other more expensive toners I have tried, sting when applied and make my skin feel so dry and tight that it feels as if it will crack. Instead of strong chemicals and alcohol, the Boots brand is made with willow bark extract to help ward off unwanted blemishes and treat existing inflammation.
Next on my list was the face scrub. I've never really had a terrible problem with acne, but lately I have been breaking out more than usual and I came across this scrub, which doubles as a weekly mask. Instead of spending oodles of cash on ten different skin care products, I only had to buy one. The Anti-Blemish 2-in-1 Scrub and Mask cleanses, exfoliates and cleans deep down to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. My skin started clearing up one day after using this as a mask. It is amazing.
My third and perhaps my favorite Boots product so far is the Complexion Refining liquid foundation, which is part of the Botanics line. Not only does the foundation go on smoothly, it stays on the skin and does exactly what the label promises. My complexion looks fantastic, my skin looks smoother and my face doesn't look like it's caked with layers of makeup. Another great thing about this liquid foundation is the stick that's attached to the lid. I don't have to shake the bottle to get product. All I have to do is pull the lid off and use the makeup that's already on the stick. Genius. My favorite thing about this foundation is the way that it works into my skin to mask the red areas of my face.
When my mom and I were walking through the cosmetics section at Target a few weeks ago, there was a Boots representative offering free advice and she told us what she thought we should try. I have spent a lot of money on beauty creams, masks, lotions and potions that were supposed to have been perfect for my skin type, but that didn't work. And I'll admit that I was more than a tad skeptical about the makeup and skin care line found at Target, but after trying three of its products, I'm sold.
The first product that I bought and fell in love with was the Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Toner. This is by far the best toner I have used. Most of the other more expensive toners I have tried, sting when applied and make my skin feel so dry and tight that it feels as if it will crack. Instead of strong chemicals and alcohol, the Boots brand is made with willow bark extract to help ward off unwanted blemishes and treat existing inflammation.
Next on my list was the face scrub. I've never really had a terrible problem with acne, but lately I have been breaking out more than usual and I came across this scrub, which doubles as a weekly mask. Instead of spending oodles of cash on ten different skin care products, I only had to buy one. The Anti-Blemish 2-in-1 Scrub and Mask cleanses, exfoliates and cleans deep down to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. My skin started clearing up one day after using this as a mask. It is amazing.
My third and perhaps my favorite Boots product so far is the Complexion Refining liquid foundation, which is part of the Botanics line. Not only does the foundation go on smoothly, it stays on the skin and does exactly what the label promises. My complexion looks fantastic, my skin looks smoother and my face doesn't look like it's caked with layers of makeup. Another great thing about this liquid foundation is the stick that's attached to the lid. I don't have to shake the bottle to get product. All I have to do is pull the lid off and use the makeup that's already on the stick. Genius. My favorite thing about this foundation is the way that it works into my skin to mask the red areas of my face.
Boots Botanics foundation and anti-blemish products are by far the best I have used. And the bonus––you won't be broke or have buyer's remorse after purchasing.
For less than $20 I have a more even skin tone, cleaner skin and fewer blemishes. What more could a girl want from a cosmetic and skin care line?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Guest Poster Extraordinaire
I've never been a guest poster--until now. Paul Angone of All Groan Up, has posted my article, "Just Get Your Degree." After a long day at my day job, I was at home surfing the Internet when I found his site. Let's just say that I fell in love with the idea. He's creating a community for those of us who grew up, went to college, graduated and then said, "what the heck!" A college degree hasn't automatically opened up doors to the perfect career and the meaning of adulthood. Instead, it has left many with tons of debt, disappointment and questions. One question that I used to ask all the time was, "what was the point?"
A huge thank you to Paul for recognizing that those of us who worked really hard to get to this point in life and find ourselves lost, need a voice.
And don't forget to read about his new book, "Are You My Life?: Searching for Self, Faith and a Freaking Job,"to be released in spring 2012.
A huge thank you to Paul for recognizing that those of us who worked really hard to get to this point in life and find ourselves lost, need a voice.
And don't forget to read about his new book, "Are You My Life?: Searching for Self, Faith and a Freaking Job,"to be released in spring 2012.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Southern California Father's Day
Releasing frogs, eating seafood, sitting on the beach and watching a pendulum swing. Now that's an awesome Father's Day if I do say so myself. Saturdays are my days to go out and do stuff so I decided to celebrate the day with my dad a bit early. He and his girlfriend and I spent Saturday just enjoying the the weather and our time together.
It all started with my brilliant idea of releasing some frogs and tadpoles that I had caught about a month ago. They were all tadpoles when I caught them and all but three had morphed into frogs. We spent the late morning sitting on rocks near a stream, releasing my frogs and tadpoles and then watching them in the stream.
It all started with my brilliant idea of releasing some frogs and tadpoles that I had caught about a month ago. They were all tadpoles when I caught them and all but three had morphed into frogs. We spent the late morning sitting on rocks near a stream, releasing my frogs and tadpoles and then watching them in the stream.
After releasing the frogs and tadpoles, we decided to stick our feet in the water and cool off before heading off to our next destination. It was amazing to stand in the stream and look one direction and see nothing but the mountains and look the opposite and see cars driving by on an overpass. It was a little piece of nature in the big city.
With growling stomachs and great anticipation, we drove to Malibu Seafood, in beautiful Malibu California. According to my dad I've been going there since I was in a bucket. It seemed fitting to enjoy a Father's Day lunch at the seafood shack that's responsible for dozens of happy family memories. After finishing off our meal of fish and chips, clam chowder and fried scallops, it was off to the water. We crossed Pacific Coast Highway, found a spot on the sand and put our towels down.
We made sure we brought crackers for our seagull friends and they were very pleased. One seagull decided that he was the boss and he perched on the remnants of a sand castle waiting for his share. It wasn't long before the rest of his buddies caught on and flocked toward our towels, waiting patiently for their turn to try and catch the next cracker that flew toward them. When they decided that we were really out of treats and that we weren't hold out on them, they flew off in search of their next meal. Soon after we decided to pack up our beach gear and drive toward Los Angeles. Canter's Deli was our next stop where we enjoyed coffee and dessert before ending up at the Griffith Observatory.
One of my favorite places to go is the Griffith Observatory, which sits high above L.A. in Griffith Park. The top of the observatory is a great place to go to look out over the city. At night everything seems to glow. One of the best things about it is that admission is free. We wandered around outside and made our way to the Tesla Coil for the last demonstration of the night. Finally we watched the pendulum that demonstrates how the earth moves. All in all, Saturday was a pretty busy day, but it was one of the best days that I've had in a long time. I love Southern California. Happy Father's Day Dad.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Mean Girls Never Grow Up
You know that one girl in high school who was really popular, often pretty and really, really mean? Yes you do. You can picture her. Perhaps you were that girl.
"Who me?" you ask.
"Yes you!" I exclaim.
I've concluded that mean girls never change. They remain the same and they never ever grow up. Some of you might be thinking that I need to grow up because I'm harping on a subject that is so overplayed and so old, that it's well old. But I just need to vent. I'd like to get it out before my glorious three day mini-vacation weekend.
A mean girl is like a hawk. She can smell weakness and blood, and she circles and waits for the opportunity to swoop down and snatch up her defenseless prey with her razor-sharp talons. She's been trained to prey on the weak. And when she's done with the carcass of her prey she moves on to the next helpless creature unlucky enough to be in her view.
What's really sad is that this doesn't just happen in high school. This pattern of seek and destroy, follows the mean girl throughout adulthood. I'm sure that there is some repentance and that some mean girls do change, but many grow up to be seasoned master-manipulators and well something else that I'm just too polite to say.
I'm done with my rant. I'm not bitter, just irritated. There are times that I wish I could be mean right back, but that's just not my nature. Instead I'm going to work on getting better at standing up to the mean girls and moving on with my life. Who wants to be the same person they were in high school? Not I.
"Who me?" you ask.
"Yes you!" I exclaim.
I've concluded that mean girls never change. They remain the same and they never ever grow up. Some of you might be thinking that I need to grow up because I'm harping on a subject that is so overplayed and so old, that it's well old. But I just need to vent. I'd like to get it out before my glorious three day mini-vacation weekend.
A mean girl is like a hawk. She can smell weakness and blood, and she circles and waits for the opportunity to swoop down and snatch up her defenseless prey with her razor-sharp talons. She's been trained to prey on the weak. And when she's done with the carcass of her prey she moves on to the next helpless creature unlucky enough to be in her view.
What's really sad is that this doesn't just happen in high school. This pattern of seek and destroy, follows the mean girl throughout adulthood. I'm sure that there is some repentance and that some mean girls do change, but many grow up to be seasoned master-manipulators and well something else that I'm just too polite to say.
I'm done with my rant. I'm not bitter, just irritated. There are times that I wish I could be mean right back, but that's just not my nature. Instead I'm going to work on getting better at standing up to the mean girls and moving on with my life. Who wants to be the same person they were in high school? Not I.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Green
Green, green, green. Did I mention green? I absolutely love the color green. I'm not sure why, but I have always gravitated to some shade of the color of the eco-friendly. It's not that I'm an eco freak or an extremist tree hugger. I have nothing against them. Eco freaks and tree huggers need love too. I just love most things that are green. There are certain shades like the split-pea-baby-puke green and the neon-so-bright-it's-blinding green that are not really my cup of tea, but overall, it's my favorite color. And it really makes me happy.
When I envision my perfect house, I picture clean lines and simple white furniture and green accents throughout. I also imagine a garden filled with luscious green foliage and a lot of bright cheerful flowers. Green is more than just a color to me. It makes me happy. When I think about green I can't help but smile. I know it sounds a bit wacky, but green truly lifts my spirits.
When I envision my perfect house, I picture clean lines and simple white furniture and green accents throughout. I also imagine a garden filled with luscious green foliage and a lot of bright cheerful flowers. Green is more than just a color to me. It makes me happy. When I think about green I can't help but smile. I know it sounds a bit wacky, but green truly lifts my spirits.
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