On The Plus Side... I've Finished School!!!

K So it's been awhile since the last post because I've been... busy doing some,... uh... other stuff. Yeah busy. That's right. Anyways. If anyone has seen me lately I obviously haven't stuck to my guns with my diet or my weight. I just don't care about fitting into a size 7 jean anymore. I've had two kids and I wear a size 9/10. I think I've done pretty darn good for myself. If I happen to lose more then great. If not, then oh well. I'm going to keep eating healthy and keep exercising as much as I can with my children, but if it gets in the way of me being happy, then it's not worth it. And I've decided that being thin isn't what will make me happy. I don't know what will, but I know being skinny like I was 6 years ago (really? 6 years?) won't make me happy it'll just be something else.

On the plus side I've finished nail school and now I'm just waiting to take all my tests then I can go get a "job" and start doing nails out of my home. YAY!!!! So.... you know what's coming next.... you want nails? I'll do them!!!

I think I'm going to try *GASP* diet and exercise

I got these off ksl.com I think I'm going to try them.
Day 1
Breakfast: Oatmeal, half a cup of berries and a glass of almond milk.

Lunch: Half of a pita sandwich with lean turkey lunch meat, spinach, tomatoes and mustard, a side of carrots and hummus.

Dinner: Baked salmon flavored with lemon juice, salt and pepper, fresh sauteed green beans and a side of brown rice.

Day 2
Breakfast: Three egg-white omelet filled with spinach, tomatoes and onions with a side of melon.

Lunch: Tomato basil soup with a side green salad.

Dinner: Lean chicken breast seasoned with your choice of herbs or marinade with a sweet potato and fruit salad on the side.

Day 3
Breakfast: Avocado pear smoothie sweetened with honey and half of an English muffin.

Lunch: Crisp tofu, red pepper, green beans and cabbage sauteed in a stir fry with sesame sauce.

Dinner: Halibut with a side of barley risotto and peas.

Day 4
Breakfast: Whole grain toast topped with goat cheese and raspberries.

Lunch: Turkey roll-up with light cream cheese and tomatoes with a side of veggie chips and a pear.

Dinner: Black bean burrito with caramelized onions, mushrooms and mango salsa on a whole wheat tortilla with one cup of tortilla soup.

Day 5
Breakfast: Whole-wheat pancakes topped with applesauce.

Lunch: Large spinach salad with hard-boiled egg and light honey mustard dressing.

Dinner: Pork chops with a side of mashed cauliflower and baked cinnamon apples.

Day 6
Breakfast: An oat bran muffin with a side of strawberries.

Lunch: Chili with chicken, green chiles and white beans.

Dinner: Falafel in a pita with a side of cous cous and green salad.

Day 7
Breakfast: Greek yogurt parfait with honey, oats and berries.

Lunch: Portabello mushroom burger with a side of sweet potato fries.

Dinner: One California roll with one cup of edamame and one cup of miso soup.

Other
Snacks: Carrot sticks or red pepper slices and hummus, a handful of almonds, an apple with one tablespoon of peanut butter, Greek yogurt with berries, baked chips with salsa, beet or kale chips or fruit salad.

Super foods to include in your meal: red tomatoes, black beans, spinach, almonds, Swiss chard, mushrooms, kale, avocado, salmon, flax seed, Greek yogurt, pumpkin seeds, oats, grapefruit, carrots and broccoli.

Low-calorie seasonings and flavors: cinnamon, honey, Stevia all-natural sweetener, agave nectar, mustard, basil, sage, thyme, coconut oil, olive oil, garlic, ginger, saffron and red chiles.

And for when I feel like eating a little unhealthy:
The Rule of 3 - doing three different exercises every day - is a great way to mix things up and make sure you're not bored while you get the exercise your body needs.

Here are three easy things to do at home to get you started:

Choose a Pilates move to do each day
You don't even need a mat. Joseph Pilates designed his exercises so that people could do them from home. A quick online search will reveal detailed instructions on how to perform each pose.

Wall Roll Down is a great one that many people like that will get you started on your core.

Stand tall against a wall, and keeping your body against the wall, walk your feet out about eight inches from the wall. Pull your stomach in. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, chest open, and raise your arms over your head. Keep your arms up by your ears as you slowly roll your spine down and away from the wall, vertebrae by vertebrae. Keep your abs pulled in as you work slowly, peeling the spine away from the wall. Relax your head and neck. Roll down as far as you can stretch while keeping your hips against the wall. Keeping your arms in the same place, roll up slowly paying close attention while you use your stomach muscles to move your body up. Keep rolling up, replacing your vertebrae against the wall one by one as you go. Finish in an upright position with your arms up and hands clasped together

Choose an exercise DVD or video game to which you can relate
"Jillian Michaels: The Complete Workout for Beginner" and "The Michael Jackson Experience" for the Wii are two excellent workouts to put on your TV and computer

The Michael's workout burns an estimated 370-460 while using 3- to 5-pound dumbbells and a resistance band. (97 minutes; $24.95 for a two-DVD set; jillianmichaels.com). Do as much of it as you have time for.

The Jackson workout is a product of the 80s and 90s, and I find it a pleasure to work out and dance to Michael Jackson's hits, and even one song - Smooth Criminal - gets my heart rate up so quickly I have to take a break between each song. You can do a few songs here and there throughout the day which is good for your overall fitness and heart rate.

Squats
Squats are my least favorite exercise to do anywhere- even at home, but boy, are the results worth it.

First, place a chair just behind you and stand in front of it with feet about hip- or shoulder-width apart. Then tighten your abs as you bend your knees and slowly and squat towards the chair. Keep your knees behind your toes and sit down on the chair for a few seconds. Squeeze in your glutes and hamstrings to lift up out of the chair and begin extending the legs. Stand back up fully and repeat this at least 10 times.

You may be asking yourself if such a short, simple routine will do anything but make it hard to walk up and down stairs the next day. The answer is: Yes. Especially if you do it consistently.

By incorporating the Rule of 3 you'll soon be in the wonderful habit of taking care of your body and toning up while losing weight. Google, YouTube, Livestrong.com, and many other sites have so much information on daily workouts that you can choose three new exercises to try at home every day and never do the same thing twice, if you don't want to.

Nails

These little hands were on a little girl at school. She was only seven years old, but she was so good and sat so still!

Long Time, No Posts

Everything is very busy lately so just to let everyone know, my school is doing glitter toes all day for 10$ on Saturday April 30th and all the money we make is going to the Susan G. Kommen Race for the Cure. Call 801-561-9112 and set up an appointment and ask for me! :) Thanks everybody! Good causes! Help cure breast cancer, help me pass stuff off so I can graduate. Thanks again!!!!

Harder Than it Looks

I finally did a full set of nails on myself and I'm here to tell you it's a lot harder than it looks! I took a picture but you just have to promise to ignore how ugly my fingers are. What can I say? I'm a biter.:)

School is Wonderful!

So a couple weeks ago I started School at Color My nails School of Nail Technology and it is so much fun! Basically all the stuff us ladies like to get done to our hands or feet for a special occasion, I get to do and have done EVERY night. Manicures and pedicures for just right now but after this months, I'll be doing EVERYTHING having to do with nail care and enhancement. Fun huh? So I need lots and lots of people to volunteer to get their nails done. Remember until I get my license I'm doing everything just 10 dollars so get in on the deals for then next few months! Give me a call at 801-915-7468 or email me and we'll figure out a good time for you. Next month you can always come to my school and get services done too! Every little bit helps! Thanks to everybody who has been so supportive since I first started doing this! You are very much appreciated!

It's Official! I'm a Student!

Last night was my first night of school and it was a lot of fun! I love my teacher for this month, Trish, she's really nice. I'm taking my camera tonight to take some pictures, so we can all know what I'm talking about. Tonight we're already starting on stuff beginning with manicures. Since there's a grand total of two of us in the class, I'll be getting multiple manicures and pedicures EVERY NIGHT. (angelic singing) We'll be tested on them tomorrow night so, hopefully I can remember everything I'm supposed to. You wouldn't think there's a lot to it, but there's actually quite a few steps you have to remember to do when doing just a manicure.

You have to remember to set up your table correctly and it has to be set up completely.

All you supplies need to be clean and sanitized. They grade you on how to trim and file the nails. The cuticles have to be softened and pushed back correctly. Then you have to massage them correctly and for a good amount of time. Total it's supposed to last about a half hour. How I'm supposed to stretch a little manicure out over a full half hour, I'm not sure, but I guess I'll just have to paint slowly. Everyone should come and see me to get their nails done next month when I'm in the practical room! Call the school and make an appointment- 801-561-9112 and ask for me specifically and I can get you a frequent service card and let you know when all the deals are! Not to mention it gets me free stuff too.:)

The Realization is Settling In.

I was in the shower and it hit me.

I dropped 2700$ on school on Saturday. GULP.

I start school 4 times a week on March 1st. GULP.

Tim will be home alone with two little kids 4 times a week. GULP GULP.

I'm actually really excited to start school, but at the same time really nervous. It's like starting a new year of High School all over again except I know there will only be a maximum of 10 girls in my class and every class is focused on nail technology. A few months ago, money was TIGHT. Like, we didn't have money to eat tight. So I was online looking for jobs that I could work at night so Tim could stay at home with the kids. Trouble is, I was 9 months preggo at that time and nobody wants to deliver a baby in the workplace. Lame right? I kept looking and thought, hey I like doing nails and no one in either Tim's or my family does nails but I can think of several people who get them done. I have my glitter toe parties, but they are so few and far between it's not really a reliable income. Why don't I go to school to do nails? So I started looking for schools that specialize in JUST nails because cosmetology schools, while they are great, the nail portions aren't taught by practicing nails technicians. They are cosmetologists, so they don't really have the time under their belts to know all the little tricks and tips that make doing nails fun and simple. Not to mention cosmetology schools are PRICEY. Anywho, I talked to Tim about it and we decided it would be beneficial to get me into some kind of schooling as he will probably have to go part time or quit his job he's at now so he can go to school in a year or so for his surgical tech stuff. So I asked around and Color My Nails School of Nail Technology was the best first accredited NAIL ONLY school in Utah. Not to mention that's where the girl who my MIL goes to went to school, and having my license from there will give me more reason to make some money off of doing not nails not only just for fun, but professionally. So yeah, I'm really excited and I start on March 1st. Kinda nerve racking. but it's nice to know I'm going somewhere where I'll be able to make some money to save up for a house. Tim's goal is to be in a house by March of next year, which is okay by me.

By "Tomorrow" I Obviously Mean a Week and a Half Later...

My last post I told you to "come back tomorrow" for more posts but I haven't had time or energy to do anything more yet. Between the two babies, we stay pretty busy and when they nap I try to relax or snag a nap before it's go time again. I will put more from Bradley Bayou's book up on the blog cause we still have to keep our New Year's Resolution.

Out With the Old and in With the New How to Find the Right Clothes and Still Look Like YOU! Part Deux

Let's finish talking about the commandments from Bradley Bayou on how to dress ourselves properly.

Choose skinny fabrics and cuts- Did you even know there are certain kinds of fabrics that add or subtract weight? Well there is. Now matter what your body shape, some fabrics and cuts will make you look heavier, and some will help you look thinner. Here's some that add weight where you want it: Heavy, stiff fabrics like wool, leather, denim, and suede; textured fabrics like velvet, tweed, and tterry cloth; shiny fabrics like taffeta, raw silk, charmeuse; light colored or brightly-colored fabrics like white, hot pink, yellow

So lesson from that, if you don't want weight in certain areas, then don't put those fabrics that add weight there.

Some fabrics that subtract weight from where you don't want it are mid weight fabrics like matte jersey, fine gauge knits, georgettes, crepes, soft cottons, polyester/spandex blends; dark colored fabrics like black, blue, and monochromatic outfits(that will create the tallest look)

There are certain cuts also that can add or subtract weight so lets, learn the ones to avoid the ones that add weight; Gathering of fabric- pleating, ruching, wrap-around skirts; details- pockets, angles, and appliques.

Some cuts and styles that subtract weight; straight draping fabric, and vertical details like princess seams, and pressed seams.

So now we know what to look for:

Ignore clothing tags, the FIT is the thing- the number on the little tag on the back of your pants or jacket is not important. Ignore it! Who even size what your wearing? What people notice is how your clothes fit.

He goes on to define the ideal fit: clothing that traces your natural silhouette very closely without clinging, such that the fabric remains taut and unwrinkled.

The synonym that we can all understand: clothes that make other people look at you and say "Wow, you look great! Have you lost weight?"

the antonym that everyone has experienced: Big, baggy clothes that could be swapped for a burlap sack without noticing much difference; also, stretchy clothes that fit so tight, your body looks like sausage meat.

Never underestimate the power of accessories. why you ask? well I'll give you 5 reasons

1. They can change an outfit from formal to casual or vice versa in a matter of seconds.

2. They're more affordable than clothes.

3. They can play up your sexiest assets.

4. They're a great diversion from your flaws.

5. They can add a trendy touch to you neutral basics.

Next rule of thumb: The prints and accessories must be in scale with the body. Here's an example. If you're a short small woman, and you wear a large floral print, your body will seem shrunken by the print. If you're a tall plus size woman, and you wear a dainty small polka dot, your body will seem disproportionately large. Not only prints on clothing should be in scale with your body but the accessories you choose should also be in proportion with your body.

the last but not least rule for all: If at first you don't succeed, try on a v shape neck. it looks good on every woman. Why? Because a v-neck will draw attention to the center of your body and away from your trouble spots and create a slimming effect. By angling toward your waist from your shoulders and meeting at a point in the middle of your chest, it mimics your torso. This creates the illusion of a slimmer, skinnier waist!!

Don't these rules make it easier to understand what will look good on you? It does for me. Now let's learn what are body types are.

Step 1: MEASURE YOURSELF- Don't guess, mirrors can be deceiving, get out a measuring tape and a good friend to help you as it's hard to measure your shoulders by yourself.

Measure these 4 parts of your body:

Your shoulders- make sure your measuring the widest point on your shoulders.

Your bust- stand up straight and wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of you chest.

Your waist- your NATURAL waist at the thinnest point should lie flat on your back and stop just above your belly button.

Your hips- keep the tape flat and start at your hip and go around the largest part of your booty. DON'T CHEAT! you'll feel better about your measurements when you look awesome without having to go on a diet.

Tomorrow come back to figure out your silhouetted body shape!

Out With the Old and in With the New How to Find the Right Clothes and Still Look Like YOU!

Everyone takes the new year as a time to make " New Years Resolutions" And I tried that once and it became "New Month's Resolution" because I could never stick to it. As is the tradition, I have resolved to loose my baby-making weight because I'm not going to be doing that for a while. But, I also know how hard it is for me to loose weight because I just get so attached to it and by the time I'm getting ready to let it go, I'm ready to have another baby,... sooo, I figure why not just look like I've lost weight and resolve to dress myself better? I could do that. Not only because it doesn't require much from me, and I get to go shopping every once in a while :) And so because everyone resolves to loose that extra 5 or 10 pounds every year, let's just resolve to dress it better, and I have a few tricks and tips to help us do just that.

Now let's talk about a few rules and guidelines to dressing properly, because if you don't have a good base, the whole thing will crumble, and no one wants that one piece of clothing to throw off their groove right?

These are taken from a book called "The Science of Sexy" by Bradely Bayou. It is such a fun book and you can learn a lot from it.

Choose the right undergarments:

The right bra will enhance your curves, hold in extra bounce, and isn't so tight on any part of your torso that it creates lumps.

The most common problem? Lumpy underarms and back fat.

Try this trick- wear a lightweight fitted cotton t-shirt on over your bra to see if it lies smoothly over your bra area.

When all else fails, go to the store and get fitted for a bra. They have the people there for a reason.

Choose the highest quality fabrics you can afford:

Why? Because you can spend less on disposable clothing, if you go for that sort of thing, or your can spend a little bit more and get more wear and look better doing it for longer than the cheaper fabric. One well made pair of dress pants can last as long as up to 6 pairs of the cheaper brands. I know we don't all have money to buy 300$ pants, that's why I said the BEST YOU CAN AFFORD. Don't forget to live within your means. :)

Here's some things you can do at the store to check out your clothes before you buy them, just so you're not throwing you hard earned cash away.

1. Check the fabric- make sure it feels good to the touch. Close your eyes and concentrate. If it feels cheap, it looks cheap. Hold it up against the light make sure there isn't a shine that would make it look cheap, or create a plumping effect on the body.

2. Check the seams- jackets, tailored shirts, and blazers all have visible seam lines that must be examined. (Don't want them busting open at an inopportune moment!) Lightly tug at the seam where two sections of the piece come together like on the shoulder, and if you can reveal too much of the stitching, DON'T buy it. Also check to see that the fabric matches up. Any pulling or bunching at the seams will mean it will look bad when worn.

3. Check the Hemline- Look closely at the bottom of each garment and check that the stitching is not conspicuous (unless it's meant to be that way). Generally, threads should not be the first thing you see. Hold the hem up at eye level to be sure it's straight. Not all clothing will pass this test. If it look crooked on the rack, it'll look crooked and unkempt on you.

4. Check the Zipper- Make sure the zipper on any garment is sewn in correctly. No part of the zipper should be coming undone or flapping around inside the garment. Test it out! Zip it up and down and back up again. It should feel smooth and glide effortlessly. If it's bumpy or snags on and part of the fabric (or the lining) the zipper will be trouble later. Just put it down and walk away.

5. Check the buttons- Buttons should be sewn on even and securely. There should not be signs of loose or unraveling threads on the buttons or buttonholes. Test it out! Button the garment up and make sure buttons stay closed. Again, this is to avoid any unfortunate exposures.

6. The Lining- Lining of clothing should feel soft, the softer it is, the better it will drape over you body, and the nicer it will make your curves look. Try the piece on and make sure you can't feel it rubbing against you. Stiff fabrics will give you a unflattering, boxy shape.

7. The Details- If you like a little sparkle or beading on your garments, you don't want them falling off or coming undone later. If when you run your fingers over the detailing, and sparkles come off or beading looks like it's about to come loose, these are signs it was made cheaply. DON'T BUY IT! If you do you'll end up with a plain shirt at the end of a few months and a couple washings.

Don't Try to Force Your Figure Into Every Style: Now don't take offense and this isn't meant to hurt anyone's feelings, but all styles do not and will not look good on all women. They never have and they never will. Just count on some things not working for you. Here's some examples:

-Shiny, Charmeuse slip dresses should NOT be worn by women sizes 14 and up. The glimmering fabric adds weight to your figure, while the revealing cut magnifies lumps and bumps. Remember those "swishy suits" everyone wore back in the day? Yeah those.

-Low-rise jeans should NOT be worn by women with large hips or bulging stomachs. Two words: Butt and crack. Not good.

- Short women should NOT wear dark, knee-high boots. It cuts your body in half and makes you look one third shorter than you already are. I'll admit I've broken this rule before, and it's really true, I looked like a midget.

-If you don't have great legs, do NOT wear short skirts! Just because super models are wearing short skirts doesn't mean you should. Keep in mind: Super models are in the words or Edna Mode; "...Supermodels. Heh! Nothing super about them... spoiled, stupid little stick figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves." I Love Edna Mode. She's the best:)

-Skimpy little tank tops? Busty women who need more support on top should NOT be wearing them. Have you ever given yourself a black eye? Yeah... it could happen with the lack of support that can go on there. Keep the girls under control.

- Use Your Skin to Your Advantage. You don't need to be showing ALL your skin, because that's well...skanky. But you can use the appearance of skin in the right places to draw attention away from flaws and to your assets. For example, if you have nice legs, you could get away with a shorter hemline. If you have a nice slender neck or a nice collarbone, you could expose some skin there.

-Do not buy big-ticket trendy items- for 2 reasons: a: how long with this trend really be in style? And is it worth your hard earned money and b: Is this a trend that you should really be following? Like High top tennis shoes? Was the ankle support THAT important? REALLY?

This week I'm going to post something every day from Bradley Bayou's book so we can all learn to dress our bodies and feel good about it, so if you want to read, read it, if not, then oh well!