A Leap Of Faith.....

Committing in a relationship is like sky diving. You make sure all the necessary precautions are taken and you test your shoot for safety. Just like relationships you have to put in the effort on the safe ground if you expect a safe trip. You climb onto a tiny plane climbing thousands of miles, enjoying the adventure of learning more about each other as you excel in your relationship. Once at the appropriate altitude you jump. Some are panicking and shaking all the way out, others run or jump with absolute ease and a few decide last minute they can't do it. Once out the plane and into your committed relationship your heart is beating a million miles a minute. You feel euphoric! You pull the string with expectations that you will continue your smooth transition to the ground from your planning and preparation done before. Tragically a few have a malfunction, experience turbulence or a strong gust of wind makes the rest of the journey far from preferred. Some may always be afraid of the plunge from either the fear of the fall or past experiences choosing to safely watch from the ground. Others may take their time cautious from previous relationships that malfunctioned leaving a traumatic memory. The truly spectacular ones are those that continue to ride the ride no matter what comes their way. Continuing over and over till they have that last final ride no other can be compared to.

Leggings + Jeans makes Jeggings…..

Some times in life we are blessed with two great things coming together and creating one fabulous combo. This not more then a year old concoction is leggings and jeans making jeggings. Being of a curvy girl nature I love leggings! Yes some may mock them and complain they aren’t real pants, but they sure fit this woman in all the right places. Jeans are classic American. Every coast and region has their own style from the country wranglers to the thug dangerously low riders to the bedazzled backside of the west coast. With these forces combine we have the beautiful fit of the leggings with the pockets and look of jeans. They may not be everyone's style, but they definitely are mine. They come in a variety of different looks, styles and even textures. I tip my hat to the mastermind who created this wonderful mixture of happiness for my bottom half!

Let The Shopping Olympics Begin….

There is one day a year that women train for, men fear and children are better left not knowing what happens…. Black Friday. After that blessed holiday of family and friends gathering to stuff their faces for hours comes the most physically demanding shopping experience of your life. It has evolved over the years. You no longer have to wait all night outside in the freezing cold till the time came for the stampede of animalistic people dashing in for the best deal and new must have item. You now can walk around all night inside the warm stores plotting your attack with the wonderful maps they provide. Don’t let the new leisurely beginning fool you. You still will have to wait in lines for door busters, seize your items without letting them be snatched from your arms or cart and then the check outs are the 7th level of hades. This day truly divides the elite tactical shoppers from all others. I have seen blood, tears and flat out screaming from my many years of this event. I have been punched, smashed, shoved and assaulted all in the name of unbelievable savings and that year’s toy or electronic. I continue to come back again and again no matter the experience. Some might say these epic day attendees are gluttons for punishment, but when our shopping is completed and the green is saved we would disagree. I suggest train all year round. Pump that iron to build those blocker muscles. Do your cardio for the mad dashing and short sprinting it demands on your body. Finally always have a game plan. Going out on Black Friday morning unprepared and unsure of what one wants compares to sky diving the first time with no training or direction. Chances are you will pull the right string, but you could not. You could get tangled in your wires or on the landing break your legs. With that in mind I wish you all good luck! I anticipate many great savings and life long memories!!!

To Work Out Or Not To Work Out, That Is The Question.....

We are all rushing and racing and running in circles. We are moving so fast and have so much scheduled in our daily planners sometimes we forget what our purpose is. Between our hecticness who has time really for themselves or the small things that matter. That’s where the question to work out or not to work out comes into play. Working out is a wonderful way to release endorphins, perk up your energy and maintain a healthy life, but do we really have time for it. I know many girls who say I have no time so I just don’t eat or very little this will keep me skinny, but really this only makes them skinny fat. What is skinny fat you ask? These are the girls that are thin, but it is all loose, none shapely and flabby. Does that sound attractive just to say you can fit into a certain pair of pants or see a specific number on a scale “I think not”? Remember muscle weighs more then fat! Then there are the ladies that work out for hour’s everyday turning their bodies into He-man look a likes. Of course there are pageants and fitness comps that do request a certain look, but these girls are maintaining this year round. We may not have all the time to put in two a day work outs or even more then an hour a day, but working out is very important. There are so many health benefits and self esteem reasons to working out. Now if you are eating junk and man portions of food the results will vary so keep that in mind. I vote to make time and work out. Whether it is in a gym, following a work out video or something active outside, get yourself up and moving. Make it a priority because you deserve it! Keep that in your head and find things you enjoy and it will no longer feel mundane or be dreaded. Good Luck!!!

Beauty Sleep....

Is beauty sleep a myth? We all know the stories of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, frozen in their beauty and youth while in deep slumber. Nowadays we are lucky to get around 6 hours of sleep. Between school, work, friends, dating, gym and about 100 other activities or functions we cram in a week what person has time to really sleep. I’m constantly wishing there was 26 hours in the day just so I could have two more hours for everything and sleep. I absolutely love sleep and really need to work on rekindling that affair. I have many friends who are just like me and those of us that adore sleep are also the ones that are told we look much younger then we are. For me I feel I’m most beautiful the mornings I wake up with a clean face and well rested. So is there some truth to beauty sleep that keeps us youthful and stunning? I did a little research to back up my affection and to motivate me to be a much better girlfriend to sleep.

Early in the night time sleep cycle, people typically have a surge in growth hormones. During this period of deep sleep there is a release of growth hormones that help repair and rebuild body tissues like muscle and bone. Many of the body’s cells also show increased production and reduced breakdown of proteins, which are the building blocks needed for cell growth and repairs damage from factors like stress and ultraviolet rays.

Activity in parts of the brain are drastically reduce during sleep that control emotions, decision-making processes, and social interactions, suggesting that quality sleep may help people maintain optimal emotional and social functioning while you are awake.

Some cosmetic products are susceptible to sunlight and you consequently get more out of them if you use them before bed. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E will stay active on your skin longer if you apply them at night. Also with going to sleep with a clean face this is allowing your skin to breath and repair. With all of us wanting breaks in life why not be fair and give your face one too.

What happens when you don’t get proper sleep? Lack of and poor quality sleep negatively affects the body by increasing body fat percentage and the risk of chronic diseases "yickes!".

After just reading a handful of the perks of being well rested and few of the very undesirable down sides of being to busy for sleep, I am officially scheduling my sleep in better. With so many positives why not take an extra hour out of our ridiculously overbooked days to rest and reap the free benefits of “beauty sleep”.

Brains VS. Bronze......

A large rippling brain muscle compared to a bulging sculpted body. Both come with fantastic perks. One will probably one day be a CEO or hold a sophisticated high paying job. The other will be a protector and an athletic man running around without a shirt wanting you to be in awe of all his hard work. The question is which is better, I believe neither. Yes it’s nice to know that one day your husband will be pulling in six figures or when others husbands are getting bellies yours will continue looking like Hercules, but is there someone between these two. He may be making six figures and providing the rich and indulgent life, but he is a workaholic and spends all his time studying/working or with his secretary. He may be the statue of a perfect physique, but between his supplement induced mood swings and your body never the picture of his fitness perfection ideas he keeps a wondering eye making life not at all that glamorous. A well rounded man of intelligence, health, spirituality and a good heart is my ideal man. I adore the thought of one who is or has been self motivated enough to accomplish a degree maybe even a few. Something is incredibly attractive about a healthy active male that never puts a woman down because of her unique body. A spiritual bond with a man who strives to keep the same standards and passion for the same belief can bring an extraordinary amount of peace and harmony to any relationship. Nothing can ever top a man with a genuine good heart who radiates honor and integrity and has a love of service for others. I have dated both these extreme. One’s whose brain rivals some of the great minds of our time and the others efforts were in pumping up a sculpted body for women’s desires. All though spectacular in each their single category both of these two fell beyond short in any other category. I appreciated tasting them like the samples at Baskin-Robins 31 flavors but after the experience/after taste I realized neither one really is better then the other or for me. The true champion is the incredible man who is a perfect blend and does it with style. I look forward to being his other half.

Through Thick Or Thin….

Waistlines will fluctuate, jeans will be filled out or need to be tailored and faces will be round or sunken. No matter our ethnicity or size we are all trying to feel and look exceptional. We take the newest diet pills and follow the popular craze diets to fit society’s norm of what is attractive. All we want is through our thick, thin or anything between to be loved and feel stunning. We desire what we once looked like at 13 or 17. When did this become our standard of beauty? We wanted so badly to grow up and become adults, but to have our bodies staying in these pre pubescent stages. We need to start loving ourselves no matter the number on the scale or on the back of the pants. We should be taking care of our health with exercise and proper eating so we can live a long adventures life. Not one that when we look back all we see is yo-yo dieting and claims of what ages we weighed our best. Life is a beautiful journey and we need to dance our way through it, appreciating the road maps left on our faces with wrinkles and the scars that mark our bodies. Embrace your thick, thin and everything between bodies, loving every curve or lack there of through this beautiful passage we call life.