I Woke Up Like This:: My Clean Face

I usually look something like this first thing in the morning. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, right? Right. (what? no! that couldn't be leftover makeup...because i totally take mine off every night like everyone says you're supposed to!! or maybe i don't...) 

Before I get too far into this, I want to make sure something is perfectly clear. I believe the following is 100% true:

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4 

This truth seems to get a bit lost in the defining of "beauty" today. And I'll admit that I am someone who loses sight of this fact all too often. When we are bombarded daily with the concept of a "beauty" that is based only on looks, it is easy to forget that our beauty needs to come from within. So as I take this year to really find ME, my style, and my self-confidence, please help me remember that it's not just how I look on the outside, but who I truly am on the inside that matters most.


I am really bad about washing my face on a regular basis. When I do, it's usually in the shower, and whether it's in the morning or night just kind of depends on the day. I am currently using a cleanser made by Sophyto (by Karen Sinclair Drake). Mine is a purifying silken cleanser, which I bought in a package at SamsClub.

My face has been SUPER dry lately (thank you, CO), so I have been moisturizing with Coconut Oil (the wonderful/do-it-all/magical oil I use for everything), which I also got at Sams. I only use a VERY SMALL amount of this on my face, otherwise I look incredibly greasy all day long.

Having clean skin is nice. There is a lot of crap in makeup, and, as a society, we layer that stuff on thick! So cleaning it off afterwards is a pretty good idea. Not to mention the junk that we fill our bodies with - fast food, soda, alcohol, candy, junk food (oh, the chemicals) - and the effect that has on our skin. {good in, good out} I really think the key to having clear, clean skin is more in our diets and lifestyles than our skin care routines. But that's just me.

After I cleanse my face and put on some coconut oil (and brush my hair), I look like this:

























Half the time, that's all I do. I don't look perfect, and I definitely don't have perfect skin. But this is me, clean and fresh, and I wish society thought this was all we needed. Please don't think I hate makeup. I don't. Makeup can be fun! And there are definitely days when I put on more - I just wish it wasn't expected or the basis of people's perception of beauty. (end rant) I'm going to show you all my "everyday makeup routine" for those days when I do wear more next! ;) 

RECAP: Clean faces. They're nice and good and pretty. MY ADVICE: find a good, natural cleanser and moisturizer and start there. I know there are lots of different types of skin, so finding your own products and routine will be important. But don't overdo it - let your skin breathe!! And - are you putting garbage into your body? {garbage in, garbage out}


Yep, that's all I've got for today. Thanks for reading :) next time might just include a VLOG! 

Being A Girl Is Tough

Okay, don't get me wrong, I love being a girl. I like getting dolled up, doing some shopping, drinking wine and watching chick flicks... but being a girl in today's world is hard work! We must have 3D white, straight teeth. Our skin must be acne-free, tanned, and luminous. Our hair has to be silky-smooth, and styled to perfection. Even "messy" has a specific look to it these days. We are judged for not wearing makeup, or for wearing too much makeup - although I often feel like the people judging the amount of makeup on a girl's face sometimes have no realistic standards. But, do any of us have realist standards anymore? Have you ever searched makeup tutorials on YouTube? Those things are 5-25 minutes long! (Some are even longer!!) And half of it is done in fast forward!!! That is so much time spent putting on makeup!! EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Add to this style, fitness, creative outlets, cooking, cleaning, handwriting, and there is a lot that we are expected to be masters of simply because we are girls.

I'd like to pretend I'm a girly girl every now and then... (my Pinterest would lead you to believe that I am!) but I'm just going to come right out and say it: I suck at all things girly. So, this year, I've decided to try and add a little bit of perspective to the online world. I don't know about you, but, as a female/lady/woman/girl/person, I all to easily fall into the HORRIBLE habit of comparing myself to other females/ladies/women/girls/people. Especially since I've got two super-model sisters and a mother who is always confused for another sister. They are seriously beautiful, AND they are all really good at being girly! (sound like comparison, anyone? woops.)

This year [2015] I want to share with you ME. This year I am going to find my own style, and stop comparing myself to those around me. There is going to be a lot of trial and error, and I'm going to plaster it all on the internet so that, when I'm having a bad day, I can look back and laugh at myself. I'm inviting you to explore and laugh along with me. You may SHUDDER at the shortcuts I take in my "daily makeup routine," (or lack there of) or maybe it will inspire you to take some shortcuts too. ;)

here we go.

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

Fweeeeeeeew. Made it through the crazzzzzzzzy holiday season. Seriously, I'm pretty sure October-December is lived in fast-forward. I loved every second of the last three months, but (for possibly the first time ever) I am excited to get back into a routine and start putting my plans into action.

Speaking of plans.... here's what I've been working on.

Organization:

 **Taylor and I took a day and a half of solid working hours and went through our main level and did some deep cleaning. We got rid of a bunch of stuff we don't use/need, and we cleaned things we've not cleaned in the whole three and a half years that we've lived in our house (um...GROSS). Here are a few pictures of our progress.

 The big challenge is going to be tackling our basement - which has become a dumping grounds for everyone, and is piled high. I'm also slowing working through my bedroom. The idea I'm trying to keep in mind as I go through this process is:

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." William Morris.

This has been really inspirational for me as I have started going through and getting rid of - a process that I should have started many years ago.

**I bought myself a planner, and I've started writing down my goals instead of just having the idea in my head.

**I have written down some of my January goals in my pages: exercises, meals. I also posted in my thoughts on starting fresh :)

Sore Throat Remedy

My sister Taylor and I bought our first house three years ago this summer. What are an eighteen year old and a nineteen year old doing buying a house, you may ask? Well. It seemed like a good idea, and I'd have to say so far it has been. We have a three bed, two and a half bath home on the east side of Colorado Springs. It's in a really great location, in an adorable neighborhood, and we fell in love the moment we walked through the door. We love doing home improvement projects, and in the last three years we've done quite a few. Some of the bigger ones being replacing the carpet, and laying hardwood floors. We have painted almost every wall at least once, added brick to the back wall of the kitchen, and spent countless hours working in our yard. We LOVE being homeowners.

 (thanks to my parents and good friend Chris we've got beautiful hardwood on most of our main floor)

My Dad (who happens to be the greatest man I've ever met) has been a continual blessing as we've hit snags (broken toilets, broken washer/dryer, strange bugs, ceilings bubbling up, etc.) and wanted projects done that exceeded our skill level. We definitely couldn't have survived the last three years without him. Or my Mom, for that matter, who has also been a huge blessing and has tons of knowledge including how to clean things I never thought about cleaning before. I'm so blessed.

ANYWAY. I tell you all of this simply to say that the one upgrade we've yet to do is installing A/C. So, throughout the warmer months of the year, we open our windows through the night in hopes of coaxing a cool breeze into our home. Sometimes this works great, sometimes we lay under our fans and sweat.

I've been sleeping with my fan on me and my windows open since late April. The result being that I wake up with a dry throat every morning(apparently I breathe through my mouth when I sleep..yikes). The last couple weeks it's been getting unbearably sore, and so I decided to ask my fave DC for some advice. "Gargle liquor." Two words I never thought I'd hear used in the same sentence. Yeah.... Well, I finally got up the courage to give it a shot, and it's just as unpleasant as it sounds. But it's been helping. It not only kills bacteria, after it stops burning it has an almost numbing effect for a while. I'm only on day two of this, but I'll keep you posted for how it goes. I'm also all stocked up on my vitamins (d, fish oil, b, zinc, probiotics) and will probably start taking garlic before bed.

thanks for reading.

"MSG"

WHAT IS MSG? I hear the term "msg" all the time - and I've come to associate it with a negative feeling. Until today though, I never stopped to figure out what MSG really is, and I definitely suggest you do some research yourself! I learned quite a few things that I didn't know. 

When glutamic acid, which is found in most plant and animal proteins, is processed/manufactured/or altered, the amino acids are broken apart, and impurities are created. For more specifics, check out this article: What is MSG?

Essentially, when men mess around and try to alter what God created, they open the door to impurities. The impurities are not what our bodies need or want, and so they result in negative side effects such as headaches, nausea, and much more. To see a list of many of the body systems affected by MSG, check out this article. There are many different names that MSG is labeled as, so even if MSG isn't listed on the ingredients, it doesn't necessarily mean it isn't in whatever you're eating. You can almost guarantee that if what you're eating is processed, MSG is in there somewhere.

There is tons of research on MSG, and how it affects our bodies. Look for yourself and see what interesting and possibly even alarming facts you can find.

With MSG on such a rampage through the food industry, how can we avoid it? Eat simply; eat clean. Did God make it? Have men enhanced, modified, or altered it in any way? Ask yourself these simple questions before you put anything into your body, and you're on the right path.

Prep Day

Hey All,

Well today was pretty good - except I didn't get my meals planned out. I did wake up early enough to run to the grocery store before work this morning, and I got some carrots, apples, and pistachios. I also bought myself a cooler/lunch box so that I can take my healthy snacks to work with me. I also stopped at the store after work and picked up some steak. Yum.

I've decided to keep a food journal, and a workout journal to help me along the way.

The Beginning

Alright online world - here we go! I've decided to commit to being healthier. And I mean TRULY healthier. I've also decided to document my journey, my transition into a different life style - which I'm sure will have it's ups and downs.

Where I am:

I am 21 years old
I work two jobs - State Farm Insurance, Kalos Photography
I own a house, a car, and two dogs (Kodiak and Stark)
I live with my sister, Taylor, and a roommate
I go to church at Trilakes Church of Christ

My current "health" routine: 

I get a chiropractic adjustment once a week
I sometimes take my vitamins
I try to drink a lot of water, but I don't keep track of how much
I try to get 8 hours of sleep most nights
I do a workout here and there - nothing routine
I stress a lot
I get headaches from sitting at a desk and working on a computer/my laptop all day
I gain weight easily and it ranges from 117-124lbs regularly
My skin is bad
I don't plan my meals, and I eat out a lot
I drink too much cherry coke
I adversely react to excessive amounts of gluten and dairy


My First Goal:

Make a schedule/plan
 I want to plan out my weekly meals, a daily workout routine, and I want to start keeping track of how much water I drink each day. I want to start with a dietary cleanse/detox. I want to start each day off with time in my bible/praying.

Bed time for now - tomorrow a whole new life starts!

Living Simply