Growing up....Always support those you love

So today JP and I signed our first lease to rent our first apartment...

JP and I have been married since we were 19 years old and together since we were 16... We are 21 going on 22 years old now. We have been through a lot together. We have grown up in conservative homes so living together before we were married was not even a option, one of the reasons that drove us to get married so soon...
However we don't regret it.
Getting married was the best thing that we ever did. It made us grow up and get serious about what we really wanted in life. Not having children yet has made this a lot easier for us. JP got a job transfer to a new county and its really exciting and was doable. We still have dreams and we push each other toward them and support each other ever step of the way.
I truly think that our society dumbs and holds back teenagers and young adults. We are constantly told: don't be in serious relationships, don't get married until you are 30, travel the world and experience life first, have your parents put you through college etc.
I believe that those experiences mean so much more when you are in a committed relationship with the person you love most in the world who is also your best friend... If you believe you have found it hold on to it and don't second guess it for worldly reasons. I could never go through school without the support of my husband and traveling would be way less fun or meaningful without him. We each bring something very different to each others lives. He brings adventure and security to our lives and I bring conversation and goals.
JP and I were not always the perfect couple, we had our issues and every person has problems. However God can fix anything if you give it to him. We would not be the people we are today without the Lord, each others support and with our family believing in us getting our lives together. They never lost hope in us and never held our past mistakes against our future. And we thank you all for that... You know who you are..
Life does not end when you are married it begins. If you have a goal set ahead of you and both of you hold each other accountable you can go anywhere in life.
Growing up is good...It is hard but so worth it.

We are falling in a trap... (Cosmetics industry)

When you are watching tv what do you see.... COMMERCIALS!!! On all sorts of things that seem to be essential things. The industry knows women, we want make up and skin care. Better yet we need make up and skin care. Why do we so desperately need it? Because in today's environment its close to impossible to have true healthy skin with all the pollution and sun and bad hygiene habits.

We fell into the Covergirl, Maybeline, Neutrogena, Revlon, Olay trap to name a few...

Why are these traps? They have simplified what your skin really needs, they are constantly coming out with miracle products, whether its a acne fighting foundation? A cream you put on your eyes and all crows feet and puffiness disappears. So what do you do? Well we buy it... Maybe you see a smidgen of results but then it just ends up being another half full tub of cream in your medicine cabinet. Most of the time it further enhances your problems by clogging your pores and making your skin heavy and saggy. You are left buying more, searching for more spending a heck of a lot of money on what seems to be "economically friendly" products. Its not cheap, you end up spending more and then none at all because you give up.

This is not the TRUE skin care industry. Go to a Spa and invest $100 on the essentials of product. Cleanser, Toner, Moisturizer and a good quality SPF. These will last you, you will see results, and they wont end up half full in your medicine cabinet because you made an investment that is paying off every day.

Here are products I recommend:
GloTherapeutics (results oriented, professional grade, active ingredients to target different skin problems)
Image (Simple line, organic ingredients and used in many medical spas for results and anti aging properties)
Dermalogica (One of the more commercial of the professional skin care lines, however beats drug store products %100. Plenty of different skin typing products to use what is best for YOUR skin)
Murad (Another one of the more commercial and advertised, made up of a high concentration of active ingredients for quick and rich results)

So this is what it comes down to... Your skin is not the same as everybody's. Some are oily, dry, sensitive, mature, hyper-pigmented, congested, rosacea, photo-damaged, sun damaged, some are all! The list goes on and on. The Neutrogena cleanser is not going to treat this. I dont just mean Neutrogena specifically but all drug store skin care. If you can buy it off a shelf where they sell food dont buy it.

Save $130 from your next check or two and invest in your skin. You will be happier, confident and have your true skin back.

Moving away? Life changing....

Well JP and I are to be moving to SLO county in the next few weeks. We are looking for a place in hopes of JP's company helping us. He is working on a very important job up there and needs to be in the area to get there early and to truly be dedicated to the new project. This is very exciting, yet scary.... We are just having full faith in the Lord that he will provide us with a place and the means to get in there. We have a place we are very interested in and would love to live in, but thats just the first step. There are many other steps, the scary steps, into getting in. We just want prayer that it all works out according to the steps and we start our new life....

So JP is set, hes got a great job up there and we can do it with his income alone, however that is not my personality. Right now with my esthetician license I am in love with doing facial treatments. I also invested in professional product to use in Lola Bella in Carpinteria but now our life has taken a change. So $600 dollars of product is mine, but no place to use it and no clientele to support a rent space for me... It will be a whole new area, so the possibilities are endless... I would love prayer in this area of my life to get a job and to contribute financially. God is good to us so I know everything will work out...

Hopefully in the next semester I can go to school up there, finish my AA degree and transfer to CAL Poly for the nutrition program... Sigh
I love being young....

My diet, back full storm! Lets do this!

Okay so I took a break from giving some diet advice... lol Not only from giving it but also living it. JP and I went camping, splurged on carbs galore and that actually seemed to be the trend in my life for about the last month. Even though I was eating whole grain I still gained 5 lbs because I was eating carbs for every meal... that took me from 100-105. Not bad but I could see the extra baggage if you know what I mean. Crazy when you are aware of your body how you can see it change much easier than when you are overweight.

So I have decided to take on the Makers Diet full storm. If you have not read this diet book you really should. If you have weight problems or even overall health problems. Diabetes, high cholesterol, Crohns (thats what the writer had) you really should read this book. I have read a lot of diet books let me tell you: The South Beach Diet, The Susan Somers diet book, The Zone, and lots of little blurbs and facts online. With all of that in my head and I then read The Makers Diet... Changed my life forever. It just made sense...

So I am on phase one. NO carbs, just good fats, protein and veggies. This is recommended when you want to loose some pounds and inches. I only need to drop about 5. Im 5'0 so keep in mind 100 lbs is a healthy weight for me. Google your BMI and this will tell you where you are at with your height and your weight.

My diet plan for the day:

Morning workout (DVD of Jillian Michaels)

Breakfast:
Jackies shake
Organic hemp protein (3 tbsp)
Vitamin D Milk (6 oz.)
Organic Crushed flax seed (2 tbs)
Ice
So yummy, filling and rejuvenating

Lunch:
Tuna (1 can)
Organic Mayo (1 tbsp)
Organic celery (2 sticks)
Organic scallion onions (1 scallion)
seasoned with pepper and organic garlic powder

Snack:
Organic raw almond butter (about 2 tbsp)
Organic baby carrots (1 cup)

Dinner:
I will be preparing
Boneless skinless chicken (marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasonings)
Brussel sprouts browned in organic butter infused with garlic and onions, seasoned with salt n peper, garlic powder and then topped with crumbled goat cheese....

For dessert:
Organic Strawberries and blue berries in goats milk yogurt (plain) topped with some raw, uncooked honey. (In the Makers Diet, he says its not good to cut all fruit out completely when you are not doing carbs. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and grapefruit are okay.)

Okay so I really like to do an Organic diet, you truly cant beat the quality and its just overall better for you. I have been at this since Monday this week. I have lost 2 lbs in about 3 days and it seems so little but that is very noticeable. Especially when do you dont have that much to loose, If you do..... Its better than gaining another 2 in 3-4 days am I right?

PS
Please Order this book
The Makers Diet
by Jordan Reuben