A Few of My Favorite Things

I've always been pretty picky about the hair products I use and have been willing to spend a little more because I definitely notice a difference between professional products and products that can be purchased at the grocery store. However, when it came to skin care products I just used whatever it was that I could find at Target that didn't make my face breakout. Ever since I started school I have discovered the beauty (literally) of using professional skin care products. One of the things we get to do at school is participate in product knowledge classes on the different skin care lines we carry and use on our clients, my favorite by FAR has been Image. I have been blessed with pretty good skin overall but even after a couple of days using these products I noticed my skin just looked brighter, tighter and overall just healthier. I've also noticed my breakouts (even my hormonal acne) have decreased significantly. There hasn't been an Image product that I have tried and not liked, I definitely recommend it to anyone.

Some of my favorites:

Ageless Total Facial Cleanser

Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser

Vital C Anti-Aging Serum

Vital C Hydrating Repair Creme

Daily Defense Universal Moisturizer SPF 30

It's Been a Long Time!

So it's been a really long time...I think for a time I forgot I even had a blog. This last year and a half of my life has been an interesting one. I think it has been the hardest year of my life but I'm grateful for it. I've been able to learn a lot about who I am and what I can do and I'm grateful I've had that opportunity. This past year I have made a lot of changes all of which I think are for the better, though it's not until recently that I have felt that way about some of them.

In January I started Esthetics school. This is something I had wanted to do for a long time but I didn't know how I would have time or where I would go. I started looking around at different schools earlier last year but I couldn't find one that I liked that also offered financial aid. Then, late last year the owner of the school I liked the most called me to let me know that their financial aid went through and they would be starting night classes in January. I have loved school from the start. I especially like that it's at night because my class is smaller and everyone gets along really well which means NO DRAMA! The hardest part about being in school has been my schedule. I work full-tim during the day and have class three nights a week until 10:00 and school every other Saturday. Needless to say, outside of work and school, I have very little free time. The great thing is, I'm about halfway through and in eight months I will DONE!

In February I moved. I had lived at my place in Orem for two and a half years and I needed a change. I loved my house in Orem and my roommates were great, I also loved my ward but I knew it was time to leave. I found a little place in Pleasant Grove with great roommates and so that's where I moved. It's been a bit of an adjustment with not knowing anyone in my ward and not really having time to get to know anyone but it's improved a lot. I thought the guy to girl ratio in my previous ward was bad...this one is probably six girls to every guy, no joke. Aside from that the few people I've gotten to know are great and overall I'm pretty happy here.

Probably the biggest change I've made this last year was in December when I went through the temple. This wasn't really something I changed but it has definitely brought change to my life. I always thought I would go through the temple when I got married or because I was serving a mission but I guess things don't always turn out how you think they will. I'm so glad I was able to do it and I think the other things I have gone through this last year or so would have been way more difficult if I didn't have the temple as a part of my life. This has given me a much better knowledge of who I am and my purpose here. I've also been able to better understand that the Lord has a plan for me and even though I can't see how things will work out, everything will work out for my good someday.

So now that I've updated my blog, my goal is to keep updating it...we'll see how that goes. I will consider it a success if I manage to post agian before the year is over. :)

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Read it. It's a good one.

Being Sick: The Story of My Life

Guess what? I'm sick...again. I always get sick and quite frankly, I'm sick of being sick. I take my vitamins, drink my orange juice, I go to the gym (I could do better in this area) yet I'm still sick every few months. If one more person tells me to take a multi-vitamin I might scream because I know that taking vitamins can help prevent it and I do it! I don't understand why my immune system hates me.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year to all!!! This New Year's was so much fun! I have never really been one to get into celebrating the New Year (don't get me wrong, I like to stay up past midnight and have some snacks and perhaps play a game or two but nothing too crazy) and this year was no different. I didn't even care to start thinking about what I was going to do for New Year's until the day before. All I wanted to do was get together with a small group of friends, play games and eat good food, just kind of relax. Well...somehow my wanting to have a quiet evening at home (or at one of my neighbor's houses, just as long as I could wear sweats and didn't have to plan anything) turned into me being in charge of a big New Year's party to be held at my house (I didn't even know half the people who came). Don't get me wrong, it was way fun but my New Year's eve was EXHAUSTING! Here is how my day went:

6:00 a.m. - Arrived at work
12:40 p.m. - Back home
12:45 p.m. - Start making my guacamole
1:30 p.m. - Guacamole done, start cleaning house (and I cleaned EVERYTHING)
4:45 p.m. - Went to Macey's with Danny because I was too tired to drive myself
5:30 p.m. - Start making seven layer dip (it's not New Year's without it)
6:45 p.m. - Finally shower and get dressed for the day
7:45 p.m. - First guests arrive (I'll admit I was perturbed because they were early and I wasn't ready but then I opened the door and to my surprise...it was Tiffany!)
8:00 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. - Perhaps the least intense game of NERTS I've ever played as well as some other games
12:00 a.m. - NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION
1:20 a.m. - Someone decided we needed to watch a movie
3:30 a.m. - Last guest leaves and I can go to bed after being up for 22 hours straight

All in all it was a wonderful New Year's and I would do it again...as long as I have time to sleep the next day.