Stuff!

"Stuff" don't we all have too much?

Stuff laying around.

Stuff in drawers.

Garages. 

Attics.

On shelves.

In cars. 

Stuff makes me crazy! 

It truly causes me to have anxiety. 

It makes my heart beat so fast seeing things all over the counter. 

When I come in from being gone all day and I have to unload all of the stuff from the day...mail, my daughters creations, food, groceries, my husbands stuff...I can't do anything else until everything is put away...thrown away or recycled...or put into it's "place". Then I can breathe easier and relax a bit. 

It is so easy to keep your stuff to a minimum when you are single.

Then you get married and combine your stuff.

Now you have double the stuff.

Then have a child or two and then the stuff piles to your ceilings...drawers are full...garages even worse! 

Ahhhhhh! The stuff is taking over! 

Here's my advice...

1. Touch mail once.

2. Clean out your refrigerator. Guarantee you have something expired in there.

3. Clean out your pantry. Same for here...bet there's something gross in there.

4. Go thru your medicine cabinet. Check all dates. Toss anything that has expired. 

5. Give it to Goodwill. I make at least one trip a week. Yep a week! 

6. Give it to friends. I give away tons of things to friends....clothes...food...jewelry...anything I think they might like.

7. Kids stuff is tough...do it while they are sleeping. Most likely they won't miss it. See number 5. 

8. Take it to a consignemnt store...or do a consignment sale. I do these allll of the time! 

9. Sell it on eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook now have easy to use buy sell trade sites. Make some cash!

10. If it's ugly...if you hate it....if it means zero to you...why do you have it? See number 5. 

Declutter friends! 

It's makes life so much simpler! 

And it's so much easier to clean. 

These are pictures of my own home. It has taken me several years to declutter and become more simplfied in my living. #alwaysaworkinprogress 

How I stopped spending every penny I made and started saving like acrazy person! Part 2

So I was broke...living in a gross apartment...single...and Sooo freakin broke!

I was fed up!

I was at my wits end!

So what did I do...

I made a plan.

I needed a new job where I was in charge of making my own money...

I wanted a commission job. 

I wanted to be solely in charge of my earnings. 

But I also needed a bit of a cushion....until I built up a clientele like I did in Flroida. 

So I started working two jobs.

I worked a 9-5 at a Derm office making I believe $18 maybe $20 an hour.

And the other days I was working in a Salon setting ...where I was paid commision only plus tips. 

Both I was doing aesthetics...skin care..peels, waxing, extractions, lasers...facials...acne care...and I was learning different aspects of business.

At the Derm office, I learned even more about acne control, peels, products, proper extraction techniques..

The salon was a totally different vibe...I learned from the best aesthetician in town! She taught me how to talk to clients...client retention....how to build a business...her friendship and leadership was so incredible! Plus she was and is an amazing aesthetician and taught me a how to create the perfect brow...how to help clients with dry skin...I couldn't have done it without her! 

I was working 6 days a week. I took Sundays off only.

I worked very long hours. 

I worked hard...smart...

When I didn't have a client at the salon I would chat with hair clients...I would call old clients that I havepdnt seen in awhile...I worked my businesses. 

I stayed late. I came in early. 

I stayed at the Derm office for less than 6 months when the salon asked me to work full time. I was making more money there anyway....and I loved the salon environment. Fun, edgy, hip, loud...and I was making more money than I ever had! 

I saved as much money as I could. 

I saved every penny of my tips...kept them hidden and at the end of the week I would count them and deposit into my account. 

I was making more in tips in one week then I was at my teaching job and and my $15 an hour job.

I was so incredible happy! 

I spent nothing.

I didn't eat out for. 

I didn't buy myself anything. 

I brought my own food every single day for lunch to work.

I completely stopped shopping except for groceries...gas for my car...I didn't have cable...I had the cheapest cell phone possible...

And I sold everything I could think of...all of my purses...clothes....anything I didn't want...I sold it. 

I saved and saved and saved!! 

And worked and worked and worked. 

I lived this way for about 3 years.

I saved enough money that I got out of my crappy apartment and bought my first condo. 

Then 2 weeks later I met my husband. 

Bad Habits ... Round 2... Overspending

I spent a ton of money on clothing in my 20s until I turned 28.

And I was BROKE!

I was making $15 an hour at a desk job and every Friday when it was pay day I would spend more than half of my check on a new super uber hip outfit. Every. Single. Friday. For. Many. Many. Years.

I would bring home maybe $500 a week and I would spend half of it on one MAYBE two outfits....from very expensive hip clothing stores. 

I had zero money in savings. 

I had no retirement. 

I had a car that was paid for and I was living in a very gross apartment. 

I slept on a twin mattress on the floor with my cat.

Above me in the crawl space in my horrible apartment lived some type of critter that would scurry out every night and my cat Lucy and I would stare up just knowing that any moment it was going to fall thru the ceiling and land on us. 

I had a couch and a wicker table. 

And a tiny tv that sat on the floor.

And a closet full of high end clothing. 

I had been out of college and working for 8 years and I had nothing to show for it. 

Nothing! 

I needed to make more money.

I was sick of renting.

I was broke. 

And I was very tired of being broke! 

I needed to get my life together.

I needed a new job. 

I had been a teacher...but wasn't happy teaching. 

I had worked in a spa doing aesthetics but then I moved...(I was on commision there which I really enjoyed)

I had worked at hospital doing aesthetics but the pay wasn't great. 

It was time to make a change.

Time to make some money. 

Time to work hard.

Save even more. 

And time to stop over spending! 

Outdoor curtains

I had these same type curtains last summer...but truth be known I didn't adjust the length at all so they drug the ground and by the end of the summer were moldy, black on the bottom, and disgusting!

Sooo this year I simple folded the top over about 15 inches...no sewing necessary...and clipped them onto my curtain rings. Easy breezy! 

Now you say how did I "make these" ...

Well they are made from painters drop cloths! Yep that's right...the cloths that painters use so that the floors don't get paint drips on them. 

I took these Painters drop cloth (2of them) one for each side...washed and dried them...(they were too stiff to use straight out of the package.)

Folded them down about 15-16 inches and clipped them onto my rod.

Yay no sun blaring on me and my little sweetie this summer when we do school! 

And I think they look super cute...like a ruffle/fold is on the top! 

And with all of the rain we have had and they still look exactly the same! 

I should have written this book!

This is the BEST HEALTH BOOK EVER!!   

The New Health Rules: Simple Changes to Achieve Whole-Body Wellness

It is everything that I believe in! 

Clean living!

It is the new way to look at health....

Foods to eat...nuts...veggies..water...stop the packaged foods! 

Working out...lifting weights...moving your body...meditation...

Natural cleaning products...de cluttering...doing something you love everyday..

Supplements...

Organic...

When I say everything I mean everything that I believe in!!

I love it and I highly suggest every person on this planet to read it!! 

Buy it Here! 

Thanks for reading! 

Crows feet...wrinkles around eyes be gone!!

These are such easy and super cheap ways to not have crows feet aka wrinkles around your eyes!!

Many many years ago...my first aesthetician that worked on my horrible acne once told me..(while I was complaining about the creapiness around my eyes...that didn't actually exist) that many of her contact lense wearing clients age more quickly in the eye area because of the tugging and pulling while putting in and removing their contacts. Basically the tugging and pulling up and/or down of the lid twice a day.

Hmmmmm.....

Makes sense!

This is similar to the reason that people have the "11" in between their eye brows...repetitive movement from squinting. That's why I wear Ray-Ban Wayfarer every time I step foot outside! So I never have to squint.

And forehead wrinkles...from raising their brows.

So from that day forward I have been super gentle and extremely careful when I remove and put in my contacts. 

I try to also never rub my eyes.

Annndddd I never pull or tug on my eyelids when applying eye liner or eye shadows.

So I have also taken this a step further for most of my adult life...

How I remove my eye makeup.

I NEVER use a cotton pad to remove my eye makeup. 

I simple use my facial cleanser....Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing or Simple Foaming CleanserNon paraben safe cleanser that is! 

Yep cleanser only... that removes makeup...

So when I am cleansing my skin..after getting my face super wet I add a few pumps of my daily cleanser to my hands...get a nice lather going...then very gently cleanse your skin...including your eye area...using your fingertips extremely gentle removing your eye makeup...then rinse...do this twice if you are wearing nighttime makeup...

If I'm wearing just my daily makeup ...one cleanse over my lids is all I need.
More makeup equals two cleanses.
I actually do three cleanses plus a toner treatment.Obagi Clenziderm  Or 
Perricone MD Firming Toner. 
I do each of these toners 1x per day.

***Two cleanses is all the rage right now and I've been doing it for years! Yay ahead of the game!***

Read about how I wash my face Here.

Your daily cleanser is all you really need to remove your eye makeup. 

If you have a bit of residual liner on after your cleansing...simple take a cotton swab (not a cotton pad or round) ....dipped in eye makeup remover...such as this natural paraben free one Alba Botanica Eye makeup remover and ever so gently remove it....without pulling or tugging. 

I do use an eye cream 3-4x per week....it is super light and it's a cooling gel formula which I adore....non pore clogging .....non milia producing which I love...Eltamd eye gel. You know I love Elta products!

Gentle is the key when it comes to the eyes!!!

Unfiltered photo with natural sunlight...age 41 and 8 months....

Homeschooling mom! 

Another awesome children's book!

Pipiri and I for the past10 months have been making our way thru a Mensa book list...read more Here. 

I have loved reading so many wonderful children's books that I had never read to my students when I taught or when I was a child.

We have 22 more books on this list and then we will mail the list off and she will receive a shirt for completing this it. 

Today we read  The Garden of Abdul Gasazi and it was awesome! 

It makes the reader wonder about what they think might have happened...not just a happy ending wrapped up in a bow. 

Which is great way to open the door for other discussions...yay love that!

Chris Van Alsburg is the same author that wrote The Polar Express...which is one of our very favorite Christmas books! 

And Jumanji...another imagination provoking book! 

Happy reading! 

Vitamins and supplements I take

For a very long time I never believed in taking any supplements or vitamins.

I believed that all they did was make expensive urine....meaning you take them and then pee them out.

Being that I am anti sun...and never expose myself to the suns harmful rays...

Read more about why I don't sun tan Here and read Here about how I deal with sun spots/sun damage.

Read Here about how I self tan.

Several years ago I had routine bloodwork done...the findings showed I had low Vitamin D. 

My doc prescribed a "mega" dose script of vitamin D....to be taken for two weeks. 

Then to maintain my levels...I first tried to go at it in a very natural way...10- 15 minutes of sunlight on my arms a few times a week, I also tried to eat more tuna, and cheese...being that I don't drink cows milk. But after about a week of getting a bit of sun on my arms...I started to freak out thinking I may also be causing more sun damage so I stopped the sun time. 

I had my blood redrawn in about 6 months and the findings again showed low levels.

So I decided to try vitamin d drops...but they were sooooo gross!

But then I found Nature Made vitamin d they are awesome! It's tastes like a little gummy bear! 

And I was happy to find out at my last doctor checkup my levels are normal! 

I also take  L'il Critters Gummy Vites Complete Children's Multivitamin, 275 Count as a multi daily vitamin...Pipiri takes these also. Again yummy little gummies! 

I take aAlign Probiotic  and NOW Foods Super Enzymes at breakfast....I truly do believe in both of 
these....both helping to keep your stomach nice and balanced.

And last but not least....I take Branch Chain Amino Acids NOW Foods Branch Chain Amino Acids
I take them post every workout. They help to keep the muscle I have worked so hard to build intact. 

I am NOT a doctor! These are the supplements and vitamins that I take!
My blog is just like having a conversation with a friend....it is my opinion and not to be used as medical advice. 

Going paraben, sulfate, phthlates free...

I have always been an ingredient detective!

I read this amazing comedogenic (acne causing) ingredient book Acne RX wayyyy back in college wayyy before the internet....and it was life changing for me. It truly paved the way to not only clearing my own acneic skin but also as a new career path. In fact, I still research ingredients to this day because of this book. I sort of a research junkie! I'm also this way with food...and working out! 

Recently I started to research the ingredients that honestly I had not really given a second thought too.

Parabens.

Phthalates.

Triclosan.

Quaterium 15.

Triethonolomine (TEA)

Lavender

Tea tree oil

And being that these ingredients can be very harmful .....from cancer causing, to antibiotic resistant, to damaging hormones.....

Sooooo......

I decided to get rid of them all.

Including...soaps, lotions, SPF, makeup, shampoo, conditioners...anything that had the unsafe ingredients!

I started with reading the back of all of my labels on everything that touches me skin.

And....let me also state that I am NOT one care about if something is "natural" or not...because from all of the years of studying ingredients "natural" doesn't necessarily mean better...."natural" doesn't mean it's not going to cause acne!!
Wow it was an undertaking!

Also being aware of ingredients that are acne causing...

And is still a work in progress....
Thankfully most of my products were safe!

Here are some of the new items I have added or replaced in my home.

For so long I have used cetaphil cleanser as my makeup remover...but it has parabens so I switched to
Neutrogena Naturals cleanser andNeutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub.I love this cleanser! It removes makeup so easily. And is reasonable priced. It's a bit hard to find in some stores. THE scrub is super gentle. I use it twice a week. 

I have also used Jergens natural glow forever!! But I was Sooo sad to find out it has some of groady ingredients in it! So I have made the switch to Fake Bake Sport Self-Tanning Lotion. And I have to say I am super pleased with the results. I use it just as I did the Jergens...as a daily moisturizer. 

As much as I love to kill germs...I don't want to make my body antibiotic resistant so I switched to this healthier hand sanitizer Babyganics and Everyone Hand Sanitizer Spray

And for bathing...this soap is my favorite! I tired several before finding this amazing body wash...Everyone Soap .

And if you have tired to find a safe lip gloss...lip balm....lip anything look no farther! I am in love with 

Bite Beauty Bb , Bite Beauty Lush Lip trio, and Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask.

I have horrible dry hands and was sad to find out that my hand lotion has parabens....working hands...but thrilled beyond belief to find Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream Facial Treatment, 4 Ounce....my hands are thanking me! 

 I have a few more products that I am looking for a replacement for but so far...I am loving my new healthier choices! 

Back shoulder circuit

Quick shoulder and back circuit.

Rows, shoulder press neutral grip, full lateral raises, and rear delts.

Do 3x sets of 20 each for beginners...5 sets of 20 for more advanced.

Watch full routine Here.

We don't wear shoes in our home...

Here is another one of the ways I keep my home clean.

I don't allow shoes in my home.

When I wrote my last post (read more about that Here) about keeping the groady germs out of our home it made me realize that this was another habit that developed after moving into our new home with our little NICU baby.

It all started when my husband and I were house hunting. One of the homes we looked at didn't allow shoes in their home. When we went for the house showing there were shoe booties sitting by the door for all "viewers" to put on. After we slipped them over our shoes we noticed how immaculate their carpeting was. It was white carpet but it was in prestine condition!

So after we came home with Pipiri we decided to start doing this in our home.

The way that works for us is that 99% of the time we come thru the garage so it's very simple. We leave our shoes in the garage by the door. 

When guests come to our home...typically they come thru the front door. There is a small chalkboard sign on the door. 

It says "Please leave shoes outside TKS!

Buy Chalkboard with Rope Hanger like I have. 

So any visitor that we have simple removes their shoes and leaves them outside the door. Easy breezy. 

Not only does this cut wayyy down on my cleaning. It also keeps our floors so much cleaner. I also have to vacuum way less. 

I use this mop...    Shark Professional Steam Pocket Mop  And I have owned this less expensive one in the past also...Shark Steam Pocket Mop  I use this vacuum...Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright. I have owned every brand of vacuum and I like the Shark by far the best! Easy to empty and picks up everything! 

Plus think how gross the bottoms of your shoes are. 

They have been in public restrooms. 

The have walked on asphalt which has known carcinogenics 

The have walked in parks and other grassy areas where pesticides have been used.

The list goes on and on!

I don't want pesticides, cancer causing chemicals, or poop on my floors. Do you? 

I love that we started this when Pipiri was a newborn. She now knows exactly what to do. She takes her shoes off before coming in...I never ever have to remind her. 

It also has made me very mindful of other peoples homes. I now remove my shoes before going in. I believe it shows a sign of respect for other peoples houses ....they may have just spent the last few hours cleaning...so why would I want to put my dirty shoes on their floors. 

Happy cleanliness! 

The importance of teaching children to wash their hands

When I came home with my precious little girl straight out of the NICU I was terrified of germs.

Terrified of her getting sick. 

Terrified of someone passing a cold or the flu to my new perfect little angel.

My husband and I started that very day with our "Clean Hands Mission"!!!

We decided one thing that day...

As soon as someone comes into our home they are to wash their hands!

So for about an entire year we had every single person that came into our house wash their hands before they did anything else...

Now jump ahead 5 years...while we aren't quite as nutty about forcing our guests with a hand washing...we (Brad , me, and Pipiri) still every single time we come in our house from being out and about we wash our hands. So any germs that we may have come in contact with are not brought into our home.

I truly think that this habit has helped us as a family to hardly ever become sick. While yes we get colds on occasion we very rarely get anything worse than that.

It truly is a very easy habit to make. 

And I am so glad we have instilled the importance of this to Pipiri.

Here are a few hand soaps that our family uses...

We do not use triclosan, lavender, soy, phylates or BPA!

Seventh Generation Hand Wash
Kiss My Face Coconut Hand Soap
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid Hand Soap

Here are some of the hand sanitizers that have less scary ingredients...

Babyganics

Babyganics (smaller container ...great for car usage)

Burt's Bees