Dirty Hair? Dry Shampoo!

Hey ya'll!
I spent most of last week/weekend in sunny Phoenix visiting my aunt...and it was fabulous. Seriously wonderful. Had a great time, met lots of people, and took relaxing to a new level. In fact,  I may have been slightly depressed to return to Nebraska...especially since I took a 30 degree cut in temperature. So VERY thankful for the time I got to spend with my aunt! I can't wait to get back there again....

So, in the week since I've been back, it seems like I have been trying to play catch up. And when you are playing catch up, the first thing that goes out the door is washing your hair (ok, maybe thats just me.) Um... gross. I know, but seriously. This brings me to one of my favorite inventions ever. DRY SHAMPOO.

This is typically my go-to for dry shampoo. It's TIGI-Rockaholic "Dirty Secret".  For those of you who are completely oblivious to this amazing invention, dry shampoo is typically used for Day 2 and 3 hair that you haven't washed. It absorbs oil, and leaves hair looking refreshed. It also smells great!

I typically spray the product in my bangs and roots area, let it sit for a minute or so, and then comb through and shake it out. And..tada.. fresh hair! No wash. So, my problem with this stuff? It is like $20 a bottle. Which is fine and dandy, but I could blow through a bottle in a week or two. Um, I don't have time or money to be replacing this stuff that often.

After doing some research, I heard that CORNSTARCH is often used for absorbing oil in both hair and skin. So, basically, I just went for it. I poured a little cornstarch in a bowl, grabbed my kabuki brush and swirled it around, and just started dabbing it in the "typical" areas of concern. Anyways, this works like a dream. Seriously, I highly doubt I will buy another bottle of dry shampoo EVER when I can buy a box of cornstarch for like 79 cents.

Now, I did a little experiment, and went 3 days without washing my hair. I used the cornstarch to refresh my hair after I bathed, and it went very well. I didn't try to curl my hair or anything during this time period, I simply wore it down and straight (and on day 3 I went for the sock bun!)  So, if you have any major styling you want to do, you may need to wash your hair.

Next time you need a quick pick me up, but don't have time for a wash, check your pantry. Cornstarch is a fantastic sub for dry shampoo. Yay!

Clarisonic Love

OMG, how have I NOT blogged about my Clarisonic?

Whenever I start a sentence with OMG, I always immediately feel like a Junior High girl. As I should.

Anywho, seriously though.. I am talking about this little device....

Let's just start with the CONS, because they are few.

• Pricey. Depending on where you purchase, this will run typically between $180-$250. 

Um, that's all I can think of.

PROS

• Cleans your skin better than any possible cleanser ALONE
• Removes every last trace of makeup
• Makes your skin feel soft and smooth 
• Smooths uneven skin surfaces

The list goes on and on. Some people experience extreme changes in their skin, I however, did not. That doesn't stop me from loving this thing though. I enjoy knowing that when I use my Clarisonic, I know without a doubt that my skin is as clean as it can possibly get. There is something satisfying about getting every last ounce of makeup off of your skin.

If you are unfamiliar with the Clarisonic, it comes with a removable brush head, and you are supposed to change it out periodically. There are different brush heads for different types of skin as well.

I got my Clarisonic as a gift about 3 years ago, and I have never stopped using it since then.
In my opinion, this is an investment that is WELL worth your money.

NOTE: I drop this thing all the time.... in the shower, on the floor, from heights... it DOES NOT break. I repeat, DOES NOT BREAK. And it is rechargeable.

If you are looking to change up your skin routine, start here!

Current Food Obsessions

Exactly two weeks ago I made a random decision to give up desserts. I specifically made this include:

cookies
cake
brownies
ice cream
candy of any kind

If you know me, you know I love to bake. It is nearly impossible to bake without at least TRYING what you are making. So I haven't been baking much lately. Anyways, I had really no reason for doing this other than that I was curious to see if it changed how I felt on a daily basis.

Well, two weeks in, and what I find most interesting is that I don't really crave the treats anymore. I used to constantly crave sugar and it was actually a little bit hard for the first week to not give in whenever  someone offered me dessert or candy, (which is a lot more than I realized, by the way) but now it doesn't seem as tempting. Also, an interesting discovery was my obsessive sugar-stress eating. I was under an extreme amount of stress last week, and half the time all that I could think about was Sweettarts and chocolate. I had no idea how much more sugar I ate when I am feeling pressured! It was a good "note to self" moment.

Anyways, the two weeks are over, and I didn't really learn a lesson. Honestly, I don't think I feel any "better" or different than I did when I was consuming these items on the regular, but I do feel better about the fact that I am being healthier in general. So, I am probably just going to continue this habit!

Which leads me to my topic... my new favorite food to eat are these Taylor Farms salad kits! It is SO easy to take to work or when you are in a hurry.. love these things.

I have had this one....

BBQ Ranch.. which is my favorite. 

And I had this one today. I enjoyed the Asian one as well, but the dressing was a little bit too intense for me. 

Either way, this is my new favorite "take it to work" food. FYI, I can only eat about half the bag at a time, so technically this is more like 2 meals. Bonus! 

Yum! Everyone should try these. There are a few other "flavors" as well. You can get these at HyVee and Supersaver .....and possibly other places, but I have only bought them there!

Have a happy remaining Tuesday!

YAY!

This is going to be the shortest blog post ever, but I am DONE!
I am so happy and so relieved that I cannot quit smiling.

This morning when I woke up, I honestly thought I might throw up. I was so nervous. Public speaking is not my strong point. Especially when there is so much riding on the outcome. I thought I was going to try to practice my presentation one last time, but instead I decided to read my devotional. And, (not surprising) there was an entry that seemed directed just at my current situation. It talked about not worrying, and that when we worry it's because we aren't focusing on what we have to be thankful for. So, before I even got out of bed, I changed my mindset to thinking about everything I had to be thankful for, leading up until today.

There are a million and one things, and I am sure I barely touched the surface. But by the time I got up in front of the room, I felt really calm. And just happy... and SO thankful.

And that is how I am feeling now!

Thank God for his grace and love in my life now, and especially in the past year, and also to my family (namely my sister who put up with my bad attitude and whining at times), and all of my awesome friends who encouraged me when I didn't think I would get here.

What a GREAT day.

May Day=Snow Day=Home Workout Day

Happy May Day!

It's the first of May, and....it's..

THIS. 

May...you're killing me. But it's also helping me to be productive by staying inside and finishing my presentation! So, there is a bright side. Plus, where else can you lay out on Sunday and wear mittens on Wednesday? I love variety. 

Anywho, what this weather does NOT help me do is get to the gym. I hate going to the gym when you are getting pelted with rain and snow on the way in, on your bare legs, and then freezing all the way home. I know, there are a lot of obvious solutions, but I don't like packing an overnight bag to the gym. I like to be efficient. 

So, on days like today, I do my "home" workouts. I have several home workouts that I rotate around that I will be sharing with you. 

1.) Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred"

 This is actually a great workout. Despite Jillian referring to me as "buddy" the whole time (I usually mute her), this is a fast and effective workout when you are in a time crunch. I obviously don't do this regularly since I prefer gym classes and whatnot, but I have stuck to this for 30 days and advanced through the levels. But, on a  normal day when I just need a fast (less than 30 minutes) workout, I will throw this in and pick a level and go for it. You will be sweaty and sore and that is a good thing...at least I think so.

2. The Bar Method 

Um, this workout is weird. But I love it. It's like Pilates...but not... (good description, right?) I started doing it like a year ago, and for a while I was slightly addicted to it. The reason I don't do it regularly is because of this: 

• It's an hour long of slow and boring movements
• I get very bored
• There is no upbeat music and or fast paced cardio movements 

BUT. Here is the thing. This workout does weird moves that I have never previously done in any other work out. AND IT WORKS. You will notice positive results from these (sometimes difficult) movements that she puts you through. See below:

It might not look hard, but do the video and get back to me. 

Anyways, your thighs will be BURNING. For an hour straight. So sometimes this is a nice little change up, but it just doesn't have the cardio aspect that I like in a standard workout. 

3. Dance with Julianne. Just Dance!

Just Dance! I love dance workouts. They are my favorite, hence why I have been a Jazzercise/and or Zumba participant for the last 5 years. Dancing is fun, therefore you are distracted, therefore you don't realize you are burning 500+ calories. I rarely do this workout, but it is kind of fun every once in a while. There are like 3 different choreographed dance routines that she teaches you, and then you put it all together at the end. You can pick which one you want to do as well. If you are really uncoordinated, you might hate this video. 

4. Pilates

I do Winsor Pilates solely because it's the first kind I ever tried, and I never ventured away from it. I have this DVD set, and it's great because there is a one hour workout and a 20 minute workout for when you are short on time. Pilates are fantastic for sculpting and flexibility. 

Whew! Ok. If anyone made it to the end, congrats. Just some ideas for when you need a change up! I do not claim to have any fitness knowledge, however, for myself, I cannot get bored. And that means that I am doing something different almost every day. Too much Zumba=worn out. Too much weight lifting=hate it. Too much elliptical=won't go to the gym. You get my drift... too much of anything and I'm more likely to do NOTHING. So I like to change it up. 

In fact... today I did the Breakthrough workout from simply(fit)girls! Some days, like today, its too much work to even put a DVD in. But, now I'm tired and sweaty, so I'm happy! You can check it out here. 

Here's to hoping for May weather...next week! 

Love,