NOM NOM NOM!

These are plum candy apples from eatingthescreen.com. They are amazing and they make me happy! In fact, I intend to eat one later. The blog posts about food and film, this one being about the Hunger Games. Check it out!

tattoos

I love my tattoos! 2 I got this year so far are these ones:

I plan on getting at least one more this year. Or 3....... :)

The question of the day!

Guilty Pleasure Songs

I'm starting to plan my new workout and I'm putting together a workout song list. These two are somewhat recent songs that came out in 2011 and they make me so happy. I need to listen to songs like this when I work out because working out makes me so miserable that I could use all the excitement I can get :)

The First one is Glad You Came by The Wanted. Its cheesy, its classically boybandish, and some of the members look like they shouldn't be in a club late at night, but still getting brought milk by their mamas. But I don't care. When this songs plays, I dance like a mental patient with gerbils in her pants hit up a Jersey Shore club. And that's the point of a guilty pleasure song anyways right?
Here is a link to the video, enjoy!

BABA BADA DA BABA BADA DA BABA!

My second song is Good Feeling by Flo Rida. The title says it all. When this comes on the radio, I turn it up so loud that I'm just yelling the lyrics. If there is anything that will get me to do push-ups, its this. :)
Here is the link to this video, too.

10 great health benefits of olive oil

I LOVE LOVE LOVE olive oil! And not just for dipping some delicious bread in (though that is fantastic), but for other things, too. I posted earlier that I was going to start applying olive oil to my face to help with my bad skin. So far, its been a week and it already looks and feels a whole lot better. I thought that since its working so well for my skin, it probably helps a lot of other stuff, too. So I did some research and experimented, and this is what I found:


1) FOR EATING. You really cant beat it. On bread, salad, pasta, and in cooking in replacement of butter. Although it is high in calories, studies have shown that when used in moderation, there are many health benefits. The monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil may help lower your risk of hearth disease. This is because it helps lower your cholesterol, reduce blood clotting, and can even can help your insulin levels. Yay for a healthy heart! (side note: it also helps curb your appetite).

2) FOR FACE. No joke, this really works! I have rosacea and acne and its humiliating. I have tried so many different skin products from Proactive to some organic foofy hippie face wash with little to no results. So why does olive oil work? According to oliveoilcource.com, in addition to being a natural, hypoallergenic way to moisturize skin, extra virgin olive oil has the added advantage of providing strong antioxidants, like Vitamins A and E that help repair and renew skin that has been damaged from overexposure to sun, air pollution, and other modern-day environmental hazards – like cigarette smoke and fast food. These antioxidants have the natural ability to stimulate cells and return skin to a firmer, smoother, and healthier state. Ta-da! (side note: you can also use it to remove makeup).

3) FOR LIPS. Use it like chap stick. Not only will it taste yummy, but it will work like it does on your skin and repair dry and cracked surfaces- returning them to kissable awesomeness.

4) FOR HAIR. I was reading oliveoilonly.org, and they said olive oil makes a great hair conditioner. It leaves your hair soft with a radiant shine. It ends frizzy hair and heals split ends. You can warm the olive oil and massage it into your hair, especially at the roots. You can do this in the shower. After wetting your hair, leave the olive oil on for a few minutes and then shampoo to remove the residual. Or you can apply it to moist hair and then sit in the sun or a warm spot for a while to let it absorb into the hair. Some have suggested covering your hair with a bathing cap for 30 minutes. Then wash out the extra olive oil with shampoo. The amount of olive oil needed will depend on the how dry your hair is and your hair length. Some people prefer to apply a small amount of olive oil just after a shower and leave it in. Extra virgin olive oil is preferable for this.

5) FOR SUNBURNS. Apply the oil after tanning or sun bathing. Oleuropein (derived from olive oil & olive oil leaves) reduces redness, water loss from the skin and blood flow after a sunburn. The extra blood flow causes swelling which is one of the causes of sunburn pain. Also, you can then go down a water slide and you will move faster!

6) FOR PREVENTING DRUNKEN ILLNESS. A Greek man once told me to take a shot of olive oil before consuming alcohol to help settle my tummy. In other words, "please weird American lady, drink this before you throw up in my restaurant".

7) FOR EARS. Take a Q-tip, dip it in olive oil, then coat the inside of your ear. This will reduce earwax buildup and in return, prevent earaches. I've also used this during an earache and it helps get everything out. Gross? Yes. Works? Yes.

8) FOR SHAVING. Olive oil can provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave.

9) FOR NAILS. Use a bit of olive oil to moisturize cuticles, or mix oil and water and soak your hands before a manicure.

10) FOR THROAT. Got a throat tickle you can't get rid of? Sipping olive oil lubricates your throat muscles and releaves them of irritation. Some studdies also say it might help with snoring but Im not so sure about that one.

Quote of the day

I'm in a book club with women from my church community group and right now, we are reading: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. This quote jumped out at me:

"Life works better when we know how to glance at things but gaze at God"

I'm going to try and live by these words and spend more time with Him.

5 reasons to drink lemon water!

I stole this from another blog (click here for it) but I thought it was awesome!

Number 1

It balances pH--Lemon is an acidic food, but once metabolized, it becomes alkaline.

To put it most simply, alkalies help keep the oxygen in our blood at a safe pH level, and this helps our body heal itself, assimilate nutrients and fight off unwanted sickness.

-Nicole Bennet

Many people who have fought their cancer nutritionally by focusing on the body's pH levels. Kris Carr, of Crazy Sexy Cancer has halted tumors growing in her liver for over 7 years by focusing on nutrition, including alkalizing foods.

Number 2

It keeps skin clear and glowing! Hydration from drinking lemon water is great for moisturizing our skin from the inside out. Lemon also contains lots of Vitamin C, which helps with wrinkles and blemishes.

Number 3

It kick starts the digestive system--a big glass of lemon water is a great way to start the day. It encourages the liver to produce bile which in turn aids in digestion. It increases urination which helps purify it. It also helps with heartburn and constipation.

Number 4

It helps with weight loss--Keeping the body in an alkaline state helps people lose weight faster. Lemons are high in fiber pectin, which helps keep one full, longer. They also have a diuretic effect, which helps with water weight gain.

Number 5

It helps control the coffee habit-- If you want to.... I dont :) Though I should...


IM SO GOING TO DO THIS... YUM!

Starting a hobby

I need a hobby!

Hobbies are so important. And I'm talking about a long term one where you are constantly working and putting effort into it. If I didn't have an apartment, I would consider gardening, but alas, I am confined to little window pots. I was thinking to myself, what am I passionate about? I thought about photography, but I want something I've never tried before. And then it hit me! Beer! I love beer so much :) It's makes me so happy! I should totally try and make some!

I contacted via twitter some people who work for the show Drinking Made Easy (same people who do Three Sheets- check these shows out!) and chad the sound guy suggested I checkout Brew Your Own Magazine. I'll start by reading the magazine, but if everything looks good and in my budget, I think Im going to do it! Mmmmmmmm!

Home made acne treatment

My skin is terrible, and at the age of 25, I'm getting really tired of it. I've tried many things and nothing is really working. I want to get the good stuff, but I can't afford it. I've heard that using ingredients like olive oil, apricot oil, avocado, lemon, and cucumber help reduce redness, clean and shrink pores, and soften and smooth your skin. So, I'm on a mission to invent an inexpensive, good smelling, and effective homemade concoction. I will use it twice a day and report in two weeks to see if it has worked with before and after pics. *fingers crossed*

DO SOMETHING THAT MATTERS- highlighting ONE

The key to finding happiness is when you make it about someone else. You cannot possibly expect to gain from being part of a society, a community, and a world without serving it as well. You need to care and then you need to act.

I have been very fortunate to have found ONE, which is an organization that lobbies political leaders to use their positions to direct funding to the world's poorest. I will be attending the 2012 summit in DC where I will be able to hear from speakers, attend workshops, and meet with congressmen to discuss current issues.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead

Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth.
Mohammed Ali

How much water should I be drinking?

I know drinking water is an important part of health- duh. But what I don't know is how much I am supposed to drink. I have been told anywhere from 8oz to a gallon (which makes me groan because I have the WORST bladder ever in the history of the world and willingly making me pee every 30 minutes seems like torture). But this is a commitment I need to make- a simple and easy place to start, I think. It will help me with weight, skin, and immunity which I need right now. So its worth a few extra trips to the bathroom I guess.

The best source I have found on how much water should be consumed is a water calculator. It finds how much you should drink a day based of of your weight, exercise, etc. I am 250 lbs. And lets say I am having a super lazy day and not working out at all. According to this, I should be drinking 133 ounces of water today or 4 liters. That's doable. Bottoms up!