Oh boy, it sure has been awhile. Summer has come and gone. It always go by so fast! I've been busyisyisy. School and work sure do keep me occupied. Did I mention my job rules? The guys I work with rock and I am always learning new stuff and constantly feel challenged. Boy what a difference it is actually using my brain at work. I always felt so brain dead after a full day of playing the same educational children software over and over again. But not anymore!
This past week Dallas and I have been pretty busy (I was more busy being lazy, those video games won't play themselves!) and the apartment has just been a mess. Tonight I went in a cleaning craze. Feels good man. Somehow it turned into me intensely disassembling and cleaning every piece of our vacuum. First I was just emptying it, then I saw how dirty one piece was and I took it off and cleaned it, then another piece... and so on and so forth. But now I'm basking in the glory of a clean house, and vacuum!
Today we decided to take a break from work and go see a movie. Our first choice was "Rush" but my lame geology class was at that time. So plan B was to go see "Prisoners". Well I didn't pay attention when they were explaining the plot and figured Hugh Jackman was some prisoner of war. Oh jeez I was so wrong. That was some heavy stuff. Just makes me terrified to have children and ever let them leave my site. I'm already scared to open our screenless windows in fear of my cat jumping out of the window.
Also I was little miss baker this last weekend. I made the mistake of going on pinterest while I was ravenously hungry and made a shopping list of so many tasty things. I don't know how people can keep that up though. I felt like I was justing cooking and doing dishes all weekend. Well thats all for now! I need to spend my weekend studying for my exams next week! Hooray? I'll never be done with school...
Friday, September 27, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Our New Place
We finally made it out of the basement! Movin' on up. Our new apartment is amazing. So much space for activities! Dallas finally has his own desk. He no longer has to sit and play games on the coffee table and use the huge TV as a monitor. And I am in love with our couch. We can actually have people over and have somewhere for them to sit! It is huge and soft and comfortable and I love it. We have a dishwasher and a washer and dryer! I did laundry last night and it was so exciting to get to do laundry wheneva I want. Going to wash all of the things.
The only downside is now I want so many things! I want bedding that actually fits our bed, curtains, curtain rods, picture frames, a coffee table, an end table, pillows, I could go on and on. Patience. My current project is to put up a photo collage on one of our walls, but the wall is just so big! I feel like I need so many more picture frames to fill it up. I need to make a run to the DI and see what cheap picture frames I could repaint and use.
Anyways, life is good! New apartment, new job. I got a job as a PHP developer and it has been so exciting and fun to learn something new. Everyday I am learning, it is such a great environment!
Dallas and I have done two 5ks this summer as well. I am trying so hard to get into running. I was doing awesome before we moved, running 3 miles 4-5 times a week. But then we got so busy with packing, and moving, and unpacking that I haven't gone on a run in weeks. Hopefully I can get back into it. Unless I am going to get fat, because I love eating way too much. Once it starts to get warm and the snow melts in the mountains more, I want to go on hikes! Utah has such beautiful mountains and hiking is much more entertaining than running.
I will try to take some pictures of our place so you can all see!
The only downside is now I want so many things! I want bedding that actually fits our bed, curtains, curtain rods, picture frames, a coffee table, an end table, pillows, I could go on and on. Patience. My current project is to put up a photo collage on one of our walls, but the wall is just so big! I feel like I need so many more picture frames to fill it up. I need to make a run to the DI and see what cheap picture frames I could repaint and use.
Anyways, life is good! New apartment, new job. I got a job as a PHP developer and it has been so exciting and fun to learn something new. Everyday I am learning, it is such a great environment!
Dallas and I have done two 5ks this summer as well. I am trying so hard to get into running. I was doing awesome before we moved, running 3 miles 4-5 times a week. But then we got so busy with packing, and moving, and unpacking that I haven't gone on a run in weeks. Hopefully I can get back into it. Unless I am going to get fat, because I love eating way too much. Once it starts to get warm and the snow melts in the mountains more, I want to go on hikes! Utah has such beautiful mountains and hiking is much more entertaining than running.
 |
| After running our second 5k. Look how cute my husband is. |
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
My Findings
Okay so about a month ago I completely switched up my regimen. The Murad line just wasn't doing it for me! And it was like 30 bucks a month. Anyways if you are in no way interested in skincare then this post will probably be rather boring. But hopefully it will be informative! I have been researching skincare nonstop and this blog might be information overload....
The most important thing I have learned in my research is WEAR SUNSCREEN! Holy crap. I had no idea the sun was that big of a factor in wrinkles. Other than genetics, UV rays is a huge reason that we develop wrinkles as we age. It is called photoaging. So wear your sunscreen! I use EltaMD Clear and I like it a lot! It isn't super oily or greasy and I can wear my makeup over it really well.
So mineral oil is the bees knees. I gave up on my whole castor oil/jojoba oil deal because jojoba oil was clogging my pores. Jojoba oil has a comedogenic rating (basically how likely something is to clog your pores) of 2 so I decided to just use mineral oil which has a rating of 0. So far I've had awesome results! I can actually feel the sebum plugs and grittiness in my palms when I rub the oil onto my damp face for a couple minutes. It is disgusting and awesome all at the same time. I use it to remove my makeup at night. You can also use baby oil, which is just scented mineral oil. Some people have sensitive skin but if your skin doesn't react to fragrances then you could use baby oil. I found my mineral oil in the laxative section (I know, weird) or you can find it in the cutting board section at bed bath and beyond. (also weird, I know) Or you can buy it here if putting an oil marketed as a laxative on your face is too weird and scary ;)
Then I use a cleanser, I found this awesome tea tree cleanser from GoW and so far I am really loving it! Tea tree oil has really helped my acne in the past so I have high hopes! I have only been using this product for a week so can't say much about it yet. The Garden of Wisdom site is awesome though! They have a ton of oils there and give descriptions of all the oils and what there benefits are here. I want to get a good moisturizing oil from them since my skin didn't like jojoba oil.
Then I use a chemical exfoliate. There are a lot of types of acids for chemical exfoliates but the two most common are AHA (glycolic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid). BHA is helpful for acne, congested pores, blackheads and problematic skin and AHA is good for dull skin, uneven skin tone, dark spots and fine lines. I use stridex wipes that have 2% BHA. The murad system had a 1% BHA gel that I would use, and I have used that for the past year and a half so not too much of a difference, just the stridex pads are much cheaper :)
Then I moisturize! I finally finished off the Murad lotion I had, which I didn't like very much. It was so thin and didn't feel very moisturizing. Now I have started using the Cerave lotion in the tub. I looooove it. My skin just soaks it up. It is fragrance free and so far hasn't made me break out or anything. Then I cover that up with a thin layer of vaseline. That may seem crazy to some people but its not! Vaseline is noncomedogenic and forms a barrier that keeps moisture from leaving the skin. So it helps moisture stay in my skin! So far my face has been loving it. Mineral oil is a good alternative to vaseline/aquaphor if you really hate the thick/waxy texture. Mineral oil, although not as awesome at preventing water loss, does a pretty dang good job and the texture is far lighter. This is definitely something to consider to apply post moisturizer.
I have also been doing weekly masks/chemical peels.
I use a benonite clay mask called the Aztec Healing Mask and it RULES. Oh my goodness. I was so distraught from all the clogged pores on my forehead and it was driving me INSANE. I would just stand in front of the mirror glaring at my forehead. As soon as I used this mask, the morning after half the bumps were gone and the remaining ones were much smaller! The mask sucks out all the gunk out of your pores. You mix the powder with Apple Cider Vinegar and it has to be Raw Apple Cider Vinegar... apparently that is important. There are a lot of nutrients in the raw vinegar that get filtered out. But I don't know if it is really that big of a deal.
I have also started using a 15% Salicylic acid peel from Make Up Artist's Choice. Chemical peels keep your skin fresh, promote collagen growth, and when you do your own you save tons of money over getting it done at the dermatologist's office! I have only used it once so I haven't really seen results yet. After several peels I should notice a difference.
Anyways. I am so excited! I have had a lot of awesome results and can't wait to see more :) Also excited to share more skincare knowledge with you guys in the future!
The most important thing I have learned in my research is WEAR SUNSCREEN! Holy crap. I had no idea the sun was that big of a factor in wrinkles. Other than genetics, UV rays is a huge reason that we develop wrinkles as we age. It is called photoaging. So wear your sunscreen! I use EltaMD Clear and I like it a lot! It isn't super oily or greasy and I can wear my makeup over it really well.
So mineral oil is the bees knees. I gave up on my whole castor oil/jojoba oil deal because jojoba oil was clogging my pores. Jojoba oil has a comedogenic rating (basically how likely something is to clog your pores) of 2 so I decided to just use mineral oil which has a rating of 0. So far I've had awesome results! I can actually feel the sebum plugs and grittiness in my palms when I rub the oil onto my damp face for a couple minutes. It is disgusting and awesome all at the same time. I use it to remove my makeup at night. You can also use baby oil, which is just scented mineral oil. Some people have sensitive skin but if your skin doesn't react to fragrances then you could use baby oil. I found my mineral oil in the laxative section (I know, weird) or you can find it in the cutting board section at bed bath and beyond. (also weird, I know) Or you can buy it here if putting an oil marketed as a laxative on your face is too weird and scary ;)
Then I use a cleanser, I found this awesome tea tree cleanser from GoW and so far I am really loving it! Tea tree oil has really helped my acne in the past so I have high hopes! I have only been using this product for a week so can't say much about it yet. The Garden of Wisdom site is awesome though! They have a ton of oils there and give descriptions of all the oils and what there benefits are here. I want to get a good moisturizing oil from them since my skin didn't like jojoba oil.
Then I use a chemical exfoliate. There are a lot of types of acids for chemical exfoliates but the two most common are AHA (glycolic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid). BHA is helpful for acne, congested pores, blackheads and problematic skin and AHA is good for dull skin, uneven skin tone, dark spots and fine lines. I use stridex wipes that have 2% BHA. The murad system had a 1% BHA gel that I would use, and I have used that for the past year and a half so not too much of a difference, just the stridex pads are much cheaper :)
Then I moisturize! I finally finished off the Murad lotion I had, which I didn't like very much. It was so thin and didn't feel very moisturizing. Now I have started using the Cerave lotion in the tub. I looooove it. My skin just soaks it up. It is fragrance free and so far hasn't made me break out or anything. Then I cover that up with a thin layer of vaseline. That may seem crazy to some people but its not! Vaseline is noncomedogenic and forms a barrier that keeps moisture from leaving the skin. So it helps moisture stay in my skin! So far my face has been loving it. Mineral oil is a good alternative to vaseline/aquaphor if you really hate the thick/waxy texture. Mineral oil, although not as awesome at preventing water loss, does a pretty dang good job and the texture is far lighter. This is definitely something to consider to apply post moisturizer.
I have also been doing weekly masks/chemical peels.
I use a benonite clay mask called the Aztec Healing Mask and it RULES. Oh my goodness. I was so distraught from all the clogged pores on my forehead and it was driving me INSANE. I would just stand in front of the mirror glaring at my forehead. As soon as I used this mask, the morning after half the bumps were gone and the remaining ones were much smaller! The mask sucks out all the gunk out of your pores. You mix the powder with Apple Cider Vinegar and it has to be Raw Apple Cider Vinegar... apparently that is important. There are a lot of nutrients in the raw vinegar that get filtered out. But I don't know if it is really that big of a deal.
 |
| Dallas can't help but smile when I walk into the room with this on ;) |
^Sexy face mask picture^
I have also started using a 15% Salicylic acid peel from Make Up Artist's Choice. Chemical peels keep your skin fresh, promote collagen growth, and when you do your own you save tons of money over getting it done at the dermatologist's office! I have only used it once so I haven't really seen results yet. After several peels I should notice a difference.
Anyways. I am so excited! I have had a lot of awesome results and can't wait to see more :) Also excited to share more skincare knowledge with you guys in the future!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Weekend Fun!
Look at me. I'm a blogging machine. So this weekend we get to babysit Grant and Amber's kids and we are so excited! Love hanging out with those kids. However, there is a small part of me that is terrified that it might be a recreation of last time we babysat them. If you don't remember the fiasco then here you go. It is that same time of year and the flu has been going around. So keep your fingers crossed ;) We wanted to take them somewhere fun like the Aquarium or something, but Gramber are getting home early Sunday afternoon so if we went to the Aquarium there wouldn't be much time to hang out and play games and watch movies with them really. For another time I guess! I'm just excited to watch Garret play Zelda. That is a game that I have always loved watching people play. Mostly because we never had any kind of console growing up so I only got to watch people play and never played myself. But not this weekend! Puttin' the kids to bed early every night and pulling all nighters to play Zelda this weekend. Just kidding ;) Hopefully I will be responsible and maybe start some of my homework for the next week. Maybe I can bring my camera and use them as test subjects. I'm sure Ella would love the idea of being a model for my photo shoot.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Ice
I took one step out the door today and fell flat on my butt. Ice. Ice everywhere. The entire path to the car was covered in ice. After waddling my way to the car... the entire driveway was covered in ice! And trying to stand on a slanted driveway covered in ice is no easy task, especially when you have to scrape ice off your car. That's when I fell a second time. I had to hold onto my car while I was scraping the ice or else I would have just slid down the driveway. It was very stressful and made me late to class this morning.
So in August our contract ends and we get to move! So exciting. Hopefully the next place will have covered parking so I don't have to scrape my car off every morning. And a dishwasher! Actually it has to have a dishwasher, that just became a requirement. Anyways, when we move we get to buy a couch! We have never gotten one before because there was no way to bring a full size couch down into the basement, so we have had to make do with the crappy 20 dollar loveseat we found on KSL. I want this couch. I want it sooooo bad. Please go on sale in August! Paleaase! It's perfect and I love it.
I know that its only January and I am getting a little ahead of myself... but look at that couch!
So in August our contract ends and we get to move! So exciting. Hopefully the next place will have covered parking so I don't have to scrape my car off every morning. And a dishwasher! Actually it has to have a dishwasher, that just became a requirement. Anyways, when we move we get to buy a couch! We have never gotten one before because there was no way to bring a full size couch down into the basement, so we have had to make do with the crappy 20 dollar loveseat we found on KSL. I want this couch. I want it sooooo bad. Please go on sale in August! Paleaase! It's perfect and I love it.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Skincare addict
So I'm turning into a skincare addict. I just want to have clear skin, is that too much to ask for? I have been researching for the past month and finally just purchased some new things that should be arriving in the mail this week! Yay!
I am most excited about starting to use this oil cleansing method. Rubbing my face in oil sounded horrifying to me at first. But your face gets clogged with its own sebum oil and like dissolves like, so cleaning your face with oil actually breaks down all the dirty oil in your face and helps clean your pores out. Who knew! So I've ordered some Castor oil and Jojoba oil and plan on buying some Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well. I will report back with my findings. So far I have read that people have been having awesome results. I have started using mineral oil after I wash and moisturize my face. It basically acts as a water barrier, not letting water in or out, which has kept my face nice and hydrated this winter.
I think my biggest problem is not drinking enough water. The few months before my wedding I drank probably 4-5 water bottles a day and my skin was flawless. I just need to be more dedicated!
Anyways, today I entered into my first 5k with Dallas' family. I don't think I know what I've gotten myself into. My main motivating factor is that I get a t-shirt. Not really... mostly it is to support Dallas... but deep down I am motivated by the t-shirt that I will get. It better be good!
I am most excited about starting to use this oil cleansing method. Rubbing my face in oil sounded horrifying to me at first. But your face gets clogged with its own sebum oil and like dissolves like, so cleaning your face with oil actually breaks down all the dirty oil in your face and helps clean your pores out. Who knew! So I've ordered some Castor oil and Jojoba oil and plan on buying some Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well. I will report back with my findings. So far I have read that people have been having awesome results. I have started using mineral oil after I wash and moisturize my face. It basically acts as a water barrier, not letting water in or out, which has kept my face nice and hydrated this winter.
I think my biggest problem is not drinking enough water. The few months before my wedding I drank probably 4-5 water bottles a day and my skin was flawless. I just need to be more dedicated!
Anyways, today I entered into my first 5k with Dallas' family. I don't think I know what I've gotten myself into. My main motivating factor is that I get a t-shirt. Not really... mostly it is to support Dallas... but deep down I am motivated by the t-shirt that I will get. It better be good!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Meatloaf
How can something sounds so disgusting but taste so delicious? Dallas and I made meatloaf for the first time last night. It was soooo good. And now we get leftovers all week. Score! Pretty much finding any recipe with ground beef and that tastes good is exciting to me. Cheap meat for cheap college students.
Good news, I think I have gotten control of my Oreo addiction. Yesterday I only had half a sleeve, and I stopped myself! Usually I eat half of them and Dallas has to tell me to save some for him. Leaps and bounds. Next is garlic bread. I will eat pretty much the whole loaf. Its so gooooood.
Dallas and I started going to the gym again. I always feel great whenever I leave the gym, but I somehow forget about that feeling every time I need to go to the gym. Also it is so COLD. All I really have to work out in are shorts, which makes going to the gym even less appealing. Hopefully we can keep it up while school starts. What I would give to own a treadmill and work out at home though! Some day :)
Good news, I think I have gotten control of my Oreo addiction. Yesterday I only had half a sleeve, and I stopped myself! Usually I eat half of them and Dallas has to tell me to save some for him. Leaps and bounds. Next is garlic bread. I will eat pretty much the whole loaf. Its so gooooood.
Dallas and I started going to the gym again. I always feel great whenever I leave the gym, but I somehow forget about that feeling every time I need to go to the gym. Also it is so COLD. All I really have to work out in are shorts, which makes going to the gym even less appealing. Hopefully we can keep it up while school starts. What I would give to own a treadmill and work out at home though! Some day :)
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