I Wash My Face With Oil and Charcoal.

 Seriously. 

After suffering with acne for 15 years I took to the internet for a cure. I hated feeling like I HAD to wear makeup. Pregnancy with my son brought on new concerns. I couldn't use any products with salicylic acid while pregnant (at least that's what my doctor said). And to make matters worse, my acne worsened.

That being said, I was only able to come to one conclusion: my acne was hormonal and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Great.

Fast forward a few months and I found an invitation in my email for this new thing called "Pinterest."  I browsed the beauty section and I found a strange article about cleansing your skin with Castor Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You have got to be kidding me. Another blogger wrote about a mask she used made out of charcoal and honey! Where are they coming up with this?? Another pinner posted a blog about the use of baking soda as an all natural alternative for microdermabrasion. hmmmm. 
That is where it all began. 


Castor oil draws out dirt and excess oils.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil keeps skin soft and hydrated.
Charcoal draws out dirt and oil as well. 
Baking Soda is a very mild exfoliant and helps balance pH.

I bought the supplies, gave it a two weeks trial and haven't looked back since! 

Of course I added a little bit of my own knowledge to the making of this concoction.

• 1/2 a bottle of castor oil
• 1/2 a bottle of extra virgin olive oil
• 15 drops of tea tree oil (a natural bacteria killing oil)
• 3 opened capsules of activated charcoal applied to the face

Gently massage a quarter sized drop of it onto your skin. Use a warm, wet washcloth to gently wash away.

I like doing this in the shower. The steam helps clean out your pores. 

I also exfoliate with baking soda and honey once a week. 

The ridiculously cute kid was not a side effect.
Then again, ask my husband. ;0) 

What I Use

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Why I Took My Husband's Last Name

   "So, are you going to change your last name?", I was asked. What? What does she mean? Of course I'm changing my name, I'm getting married. duh. "Ummmm I think so." was all I managed to stammer out before I changed the subject.

It is an important question to ask yourself in this day and age where previous traditions have, newly, gone out the door. Most of our parents have the same last name. I have seen very few hyphenate.

I asked myself this question for many many nights. Why WAS I taking his last name? Tradition? That's it? Well that's bull......

There were so many options: I take his name. He takes mine. I hyphenate. I hyphenate legally but socially go with his. It was not a stress I expected during my engagement.

Soon I convinced myself I was going to hyphenate my name and that was that. Then I thought of my potential children. I didn't want my name to be different than theirs'! Ahhh but I could just make theirs hyphenated as well. Well now Ryan won't have the same last name. Maybe he could change his name too. I really don't like the way my first name and his last name sound together.

It hit me one night as I was dozing off to sleep, the epiphany I needed!

I would take his last name. Not for any other reason than the fact that I wanted to present a united front to the world. It was a representation of our new life together - our potential family together. And that was all that mattered to me.




So why not change every one's name?

Because my maiden name was too darn hard to pronounce and only having to do half the paperwork could save a freakin' tree. :0)

Thanks for reading! <3

Blog-inity

    It is 2015 and I am starting my journey as a blogger. I have lost my "blog-inity".  In 2013 I had one New Year's resolution: beat depression. And I did it! 

2014 brought on a much happier but over-ambitious me and I failed at my New Year's Resolutions. Drink more water, exercise, write more letters, call more people, go to church....etc etc etc.

It was awful. I ended up more stressed out than ever. It reflected onto my family and even my own health. I developed a pulmonary embolism in my right lung and have now subjected myself to 6 months of blood thinners. It was a wake-up call to say the least. 

No more birth control or cigarettes for this chick. I have way too much to live for.

It is 2015. I am eating some volcano fries and haven't wore a pinch of makeup since my last shift at the salon. 

And I am SO happy. Seriously, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror at American Eagle and I thought, "wow, I have never looked better!"

That is when I decided what my 2015 New Year's Resolution is going to be; to be a happier more authentic Me! I have already started!

I am going with the flow of life. I wanted french fries tonight. Nailed it. I want my daughter to grow up loving herself for who she REALLY is. I stopped coloring my hair so dramatic and cut down on the makeup. Nailed it. -and I am beautiful! My inner beauty shines through!

Ryder and I went outside and ran around and around and around. (Arabella was sleeping, I had the monitor.....)

Now onto Ryan. I am sitting here staring at the screen wondering what words could possibly express what makes us "we". There are no words. Only beautiful images flowing through my mind of our time together in this world. There are no words to express the love and gratitude I have for him. He is my partner in this and all other lives, worlds, and dimensions. He has no place on my New Year's resolution list. He doesn't need to be there. <3

This is going to be a great year. Going with the flow, taking care of myself, listening to my gut, and developing a better relationship with God are going to help me build my family up to places we never dreamt possible.

Thanks for reading :0)