Fun and Mental Changes

It's give away time again in honor of the opening of Disney's Alice In Wonderland next week. And, while I WON'T jump the gun and say that this is ONLY for Arizona (Greater Phoenix Metro) residents, the prize includes a free manicure at Zolton's Salon & Day Spa in the posh Fulton Ranch Community in Chandler, AZ. So not living here makes that part of the prize kind of difficult, but.... Along with the manicure, I'm also giving away 2 new colors from OPI's new Alice in Wonderland collection. I should say, I'm giving away THE BEST colors from the collection: Mad As A Hatter (pictured... please ignore my cuticles) and Absolutely Alice. Both are AMAZING glitter polishes and super hard to find so it would make sense if EVERYONE wanted to enter this one. All you have to do is become one of my blog followers and post a nice comment to this blog post. It's that simple! The lucky winner will be announced *March 27th. Stay tuned for my review of Disney's A...

In yesterday's post I talked about me being sick... in the sexy way... and overcoming the urge to suppress sickness being that sickness can be a time of cleansing for the body. But what about all that discomfort? Hydrotherapy proves itself to be far more beneficial, and far less toxic, than most over-the-counter remedies we are so accustomed to reach for. Sore muscles? A good old fashioned hot bath will relax aching muscles and draw out toxins. Natural Epsom Salts added to the bath can help with the achy muscles. As a matter of fact, click on the link for SO many more benefits of Epsom Salts! That stuff is a multipurpose natural remedy all on it's own. Head Congestion? Steam works wonders without the side effects you get from most decongestants. I bought a Conair facial steamer used to clean pores, but it came with a sinus steam attachment. Another great natural remedy is a Netti Pot. Used regularly, it will help to avoid head congestion all together. Clearly, with me being s...

Well, well, well! I have a cold. I am miserable. I LOVE IT! And not just because my voice is all raspy and sexy... although it totally is. Nope, it's because I know that this cold is a vehicle for my body to cleanse. Our bodies have different ways of eliminating built up toxins. It ALWAYS involves bodily fluid in different forms so when you're sick, the lovely fluid of choice is (of course) mucus or phlegm Sickness is a time of ridding the body of mega toxins in the ocean of phlegm production (phlegm count 4). In all different colors the toxins are removed , sometimes exiting the body forcefully with the violent coughing and the constant nose blowing. So the next time you get sick, before reaching for the cold medicine or vitamins to stop your sickness in it's tracks, please remember the human process that you might be disrupting. It's hard to do at first because after years of squelching sickness, TONS of toxins have built up and our bodies aren't used to having to...

There are SO MANY ways to read and apply the words of the Bible. Sometimes when I read it, it's a story (it feels almost like I'm reading fiction), sometimes I'm looking for a lesson, other times I'm looking for examples, but for those who believe, the Bible is a history book as well. It's filled with real people and real events and I have a tendency to forget that when I read it sometimes because I'm too busy looking for the story, the lesson and the examples. But last night, the Joyce Meyer Conference in Phoenix Arizona showed me just how real these people really were. And when I say "real", I mean they followed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and were FLAWED ! They were anointed even with their personality glitches and attitudes. For some reason, the reality of these REAL people FINALLY jumped out of the pages last night thanx to Joyce Meyer.... another self-professed FLAWED follower of Christ. But aren't we all (flawed, I mean)? So let me tak...

HAHAHAHA! Ok, the title of this post even made ME laugh! But, hey, I have some pretty serious thoughts on the matter. And since I have had many different kinds of relationships with many different kinds of people... well, that COULD qualify me as an expert. So here's my thoughts. EVERY relationship is worthwhile and serves a very specific purpose in your life. No matter who the person is or how the relationship my have started, ended or continues today, the person with whom you are interacting is important. Even the most toxic of relationships with the most toxic of people have a way of influencing the best in us if we allow it to. And we never know when or how WE are influencing another person.... people DO change. And certainly lets not forget how our relationships can impact observers. Now, I wouldn't tell you to go run into a vat of toxic sludge any sooner than I'd say, "get into a toxic relationship". I mean, they ARE called toxic for a reason, but what I AM ...

I'm so very drawn to the topic of athleticism... actually the science behind it. With the Olympics coming up next week, I find myself glued to the various reports on the Olympians' training schedules, their psychology and their character. One of the many traits that these champions share is high intrinsic motivation. There are two types of motivation. The first is extrinsic motivation. This motivation consists of a drive to lessen pain or discomfort. A great example of extrinsic motivation would be hunger. One is motivated to eat because of hunger or eating for comfort when stress levels are high. Another great example would be NOT exercising. The motivation to not move because exercise is awkward, uncomfortable or painful. This type of motivation only serves the "now" with no thought about dream attainment or what the future will look like and is actually rooted in negativity with a focus to NOT feel something. Intrinsic motivation goes beyond that rooting itself in...

I don't know what it is about this movie, but I can't get enough of it. Since it's release on DVD, I've watched Fire Proof at least a dozen times! My heart swells thinking about what has been given to me versus where I came from. The following is a blog post that I wrote last year after first watching the movie and it kind of just sat as an unfinished draft. But here it is, the middle of the night and I woke up with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the opportunities that I have and the blessings that I've received. So, with that being said, here's my post on Fire Proof.... better late than never. I am also adding a special note at the end... an excerpt from a note that I wrote for a friend (in case anyone here can use it.. LOL). I was married, then divorced, at a very young age. Like Michael in the movie, I didn't know any better and did the best I could in a situation that was not working out. I did everything I could to make that marriage work...

Today is just one of those days! SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: A day when the worst of the worst food is served by the best of the best... your friends. Why not take a moment and consider making that menu a bit more calorie friendly with a few simple substitutions. Traditional Super Bowl Wings: Instead of serving this greasy, fried and oh-so-bad-for-you dish, why not bake up some chicken, cut it into strips and serve with a bowl of buffalo sauce for dipping. Potato Skins: another fried treat that turns out much better in my opinion when baked. Bake potatoes till done, cut in half, scoop out the middles and place in separate bowl and mash. Add to the mashed potato some crumbled turkey bacon, some garlic and a splash of low fat milk. Combine and scoop back into potato skins. Place filled skins on cookie sheet and sprinkle with low fat cheese, salt and pepper to taste and place in 500 degree oven until the tops are brown. Chips and Dip: Organic low fat corn chips with freshly made pico de gallo...

So, I said a short while ago that I was going to get Jillian Michaels' new book, Master Your Metabolism, and I did! OMG!!!! IT IS THE BEST BOOK EVER TO BE PUBLISHED.... ok, that might be a little dramatic, but it's close!!! My health journey began years ago after having a nurse practitioner prescribe an antidepressant for me to take when there was nothing chemically wrong with me ON TOP of the multiple pain killers I was also prescribed prior to the antidepressant. And for those who do not know... if you ARE NOT depressed due to a chemical imbalance that the body cannot balance on it's own, chemicals added to your system cause SEVERE PROBLEMS.... like wanting to kill yourself problems! At least, that is what happened to me. I thought I was crazy and sought help which led me to work with a life coach out of a holistic clinic. I was FREED by this holistic doctor and set on a long path to achieve optimum health. My journey would later pick up pace when my sister invited me to ...

Yep! Gadget girl strikes again! This time the gadget isn't for my kitchen... it's actually a tool I got as an early birthday present to monitor my health and fitness (yes... I begged!). I am suddenly a walking science exeriment! This little (and I mean little... 2" x 1.75") gadget straps to your arm and electronically monitors your energy output. With the included program (I got a 12 month subscription), you input your energy consumption and this little miracle calculates, tracks and utilizes your data to propel you toward your health and fitness goals! Introducing my newest obsession: The BodyBugg! There are plenty of resources out there to gather the specifications on this unit and like a million more for reviews, but the most helpful resource that I found was from an instructor that I adore. Ms. Chalene Johnson, the maker of Turbo Jam, gave a superb review of this gadget and convinced me that this little gem would be the tool that would teach me how my body works a...

How dare you be so passionate about your relationship with Jesus Christ! How dare you have speaking skills that makes my heart drop to my feet! How dare you speak THROUGH my troubles and trials to my heart making me want to do better and be better! How dare you be so relatable and easy to listen to. How dare you be so ordinary yet so supernaturally and extraordinarily ordained and gifted. How dare you!!! I spent the entire morning crying while watching you speak on We Are Known. I mean I cried so hard I am now writing this post with a splitting "cry" headache. You know, the headache that comes from contracting all your facial muscles till your face is freakishly distorted while pushing gallons of fluid through tear ducts at a rate that would make an engine seize! That's the headache that I'm dealing with right now. Freakin Beth Moore! Who knew "being known" would yank my heart out of my chest and make me feel like God was talking right to me? He knows me! Th...

There is nothing in the world like receiving handmade items! I LOVE THEM! Anything handmade is like some special treasure and I ALWAYS adore whatever is given to me that was made by the giver. And for me, it's never about the item itself. It's the idea that, not only did someone think about me, but they cared enough to invest time for me. That speaks volumes and overwhelms me with a feeling that I rarely get any other way. It's from this place within me that makes me LOVE to make things for others. The joy that I get when someone else "gets" that I care about them. I spend the entire time making my projects envisioning the receiver and how they will know that I care about them. And you see it. Give a handmade gift and watch a special expression cross their face.... that look of surprise and the twinkle in their eye when they ask with surprise, "Did you make this???" It is because of this that I'm NEVER concerned with small characteristics in my proje...

Wow... this economy is crazy isn't it? We are cutting corners at every angle. Fortunately for the crafter (like me!), this is an opportunity to SHINE!!! You'd be amazed at the wonderful projects you can find on the internet . From using newspapers to line trash receptacles to handmade paper gift bows, there's an unending wealth of budget savvy gems to make that dollar go further. Here's the paper bow that I made in a pinch! A while back I had a baby shower to attend (I'll show you all the cute card I made for it in tomorrow's post) and after shopping for the gift, a package of diapers and wrapping paper I ended up in the aisle where the coordinating bows were prettily displayed. It was an ocean of beauty that morphed quickly when I checked out the not-so-pretty price tags. FIVE BUCKS FOR A BOW???? Nope! That is where I drew the line. Not only could I make a hand made bow for PENNIES, but I could also make a NICER bow for PENNIES. I'm talking the kind of b...