Hunger Games: In Review

Remember how I mentioned last friday I'd review my thoughts on the Hunger Games movie? Well its a week later, so its time. I've talked to many people about the movie, and for the most part all of their reactions are verbally very positive.

Pros: 
 Actor's who really knew their characters and were able to fill their shoes completely (one exception but I'll list that in cons)

I LOVED how they laid out the Capitol and those who played people from the Capitol were very accurate in how they played heartless people.

The costumes were for the most part how I had envisioned them and I loved all the various colors. Just wish I'd seen a couple more crazy looks like tattooed jeweled faces etc.

Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman were just how I'd envisioned them.

The layout of District 12 was exactly what I'd thought of it as as well as the map for the 74th hunger games.

The emotional sad moments were so deep and spine tingling involving the reaping. I cried twice before she even made it to the capitol. 

Prim was just perfect. Loved her. So small and sweet. And I loved the little moments they used to connect her being 'little duck' throughout the reaping.

Last but not least Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were amazing. Plus the love triangle was just perfectly portrayed.

(funny to see their height differences)

Cons:
That one actor who I hated: Haymitch purely based on his inability to really portray a drunk. He was just too 'bubbley' and a happy drunk compared to what his character really was like which was surely, drunk, but still able. The actor himself wasn't my issue it was his acting. And he got sober too easily, in the book he was a lot harder to sober up.

Little things they could have just taken 30 seconds to do to be accurate. For ex. instead of just putting the berries up to their lips in the book they actually put them in their mouth. It would have taken less than ten seconds but because they were lazy they didn't bother.

Additionally Peeta didn't get hurt in the movie like in the book so they didn't have to give him an operation after winning. I wish they had done that correctly.

The musical score. After being spoiled by Harry Potter's amazing scores and even rather descent ones in Pirates and Transformers if you can even call that a musical score, I had a really hard time sitting through all the dramatic moments when all you could hear was breathing. For the first few dramatic moments I was ok that there was only heavy breathing, but then it got REALLY old. I was expecting more from the musical score and truly I think that if they had used music to their benefit than the sadder moments could have been sadder, and the more intense moments could have been more intense. There were even moments where I thought, "I am bored, it has lost my attention."

My absolute largest complaint with the movie as a whole was that it was not only inaccurate frequently (its hard to have a book based movie to be completely accurate) but the largest inaccuracies were with Katniss in the games. It seriously seemed like they left out some of the details of her struggles in the games to save time, but in all honesty it only made it seem like the games were too easy for her. She didn't have to even go without water at all, her ear drum wasn't burst, she didn't have a hard time finding Peeta, and she basically didn't leave the game with a stinking scratch except for the burn on her leg which was already healed. Her personal successes were made smaller by the fact she didn't struggle, so viewers didn't feel like she had to work very hard to win (via my husband who didn't read the books, and I filled in after the movie).

Between Katniss and Peeta being practically fine and surviving the games without really any issue I felt like they really downplayed the games and how much the two struggled which is really the entire point of the movie. 

Overall: I think I was just expecting so so much because I've read the series THREE times. I know almost every small detail so I was watching the movie nitpicking each thing that was inaccurate or left out. Don't worry, I went to watch it last night all by myself so that I could just sit and give it another chance. And of course I liked it better. Maybe its just due to my stubborn personality that I didn't want them to do anything but have the movie the way I had envisioned it while reading the book?

Either way they did a great job of explaining the story and capturing the interest of those who haven't read the book, like my husband. We will of course be buying it when it comes out.

Did anyone else have disappointments about anything in specific that they thought should have been changed in the movie? Or was it just me?

Say What?:Lettuce

So I know its been a lot of dieting posts, but I felt like since its the start of a new year, a lot of people's focus is on health. Plus swimsuit season is coming fast so this is applicable.

"Dieting Commandment: Lettuce not eat lonely salads"

Warm Goat Cheese Salad from Red Rock

Get it? Anyways, a lot of people when they start dieting or changing habits albeit probably from worse ones think that they should only eat salads with as few calories as possible. I.e. salads that are only lettuce. However, its important to bring the fact to light that this can actually be more destructive than people realize.

You ever had the experience where you want to make the healthy choice so you have just a plain salad for dinner or lunch? And then less then two or three hours (sometimes even less) you are starving again? This obviously can lead to serious overeating because you will feel the desire to eat something more filling which can often be an unhealthy choice for ex. fast food or sugar. Either way you intake more calories than you wanted too. 

But what causes it? Is it just because you're not eating enough calories from the salad or is it because the majority of what you're eating is water? 

It actually has to do with the chemicals that your body produces. The hunger signal is produced by the secretion of a hormone ghrelin. When you eat a balanced meal with high carbohydrates the hormone stops being secreted and goes away. Then when you need to eat again the hormone is produced again. When you eat just salad you are not taking in enough carbohydrates to stop the secretion of ghrelin, therefore the hormone continues to secrete and you feel the desire to eat more causing you to eat more calories. 

The key is when you eat a salad (which is the healthy choice) make sure it has nuts, seeds, some kind of protein, berries, or even low-fat cheese on it. Or eat it with a small carb food such as a small sandwhich, soup, or pasta. My favorite salad is the warm goat cheese salad from Red Rock pictured above-try it. 

Just keep making simple healthy choices and it will pay off. Most importantly find healthy things that you do like so that you can make it a habit to like eating healthy things.

I can't really be 22

Wow, its amazing where time goes. So fast, so fluid. Its not hard to cherish it and yet take it for granted all at the same time. Its hard to live every moment like its your last. But I think that I need to make that more of a concentration this next year. Not take any of the small things for granted.

For this birthday I got all the things I love,

Birthday kisses and hugs from Jared
Cuddle time with Adi
An amazing book by an amazing women (pre-ordered)
A fun trip to H&M my favorite store with purchases-I'll show you later
One desperately needed oil change for my car 
Another viewing of a great movie-Hunger Games
Of course some plants but this time something I've been wanting to do for a while, a patio vegetable garden and a strawberry plant. So stoked! I'm sure you'll hear more about that to come.
And a fun surprise date with my honey. I'll let you know how it goes...since I don't know what it is yet!

Oh, and please watch this. It will make you count your blessings and find joy through trials.

Aerosol vs. Spritz

As girls we all experiment with new products as they come out and unfortunately my experiementing with hair spray at least stopped with the very first one I ever used because it was stellar.

$3.50

There are cans and cans and cans in every possible place I could stick one in our bathroom because I'm determined to never be without. Even in my car, how funny is that? And huge plus, its cheap! But does anybody have any other suggestions? I did try this spritz hairspray years ago, but it was a bit too much dough for my taste.

$15-18

The instant freeze is how I obtain curls like this....

p.s. a great way to have people be impressed by your great hair is to only do it once every two weeks! Actually that's an awful habit of mine. I normally just stick it in a bun on top of my head, but whenever I actually do it, it really surprises coworkers and classmates!

Paradise on my phone

 

(best pie you will ever have. Seriously)

Found these beauties on my phone today, and it made me yearn for Hawaii. I have to just keep thinking, only one month from today and we will be on the plane there! Pray this month goes fast!

Hunger for Hunger Games

The day I've been waiting for, for what seems like an eternity has COME! Can anyone guess what that is?! If you don't already know it, you are missing out. Don't worry I won't spoil anything...right now. I think in a week once everyone has had a sufficient chance to see it I am going to state my pros and cons.

It is HUNGER GAMES PREMIER!!!!! 

Jared and I ventured forth at such an ghastly hour so that explains the grunge look and glasses (and the phone picture, sorry I forgot my camera). But it was all worth it. Acting like we were in high school again by going to a midnight premier was definitely me trying to keep us young. And of course you got an adrenaline rush as you screamed when the opening 'LIONSGATE' promo began. And yet I feel so old and tired today! Definitely the lack of sleep.

But the best thing to do when you are so tired but still need to make it through the day semi aware I've found is actually get ready for the day i.e. shower, dress cute, put in some effort.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and have a chance to see Hunger Games, it is totally worth it! May the odds be ever in your favor!

Say What?: JambaJuice

Sorry for my absence, midterms have been looming ever overwhelmingly. This weeks post is all about another brand of drink that a couple of my dance friends were talking about in class and saying it was healthy. I was interested since in HS I worked at a smootheria (Keva Juice for all your Bountiful people) and I remember the calorie numbers being ridiculously high for one smoothie.

 

 Did you know that Jamba Juice has its own SECRET menu like In&Out? Except everyone knows about In&Out's and isn't it posted on their website? Anyways, highly suggest the above flavor. It was just like a Starburst® Candy and was SOOO good!

And of course the numbers were pretty comparable. From Jamba Juice themselves, the popular....

Aloha Pineapple          550 Calories

Peach Pleasure            490 Calories

Razzmatazz                 520 Calories

Strawberry Surf Rider 580 Calories

all for a power size smoothie. Granted that's the largest size, but taking into consideration the facts of exercise condition, dieting, and BMR can have a rather large impact individually. 

For example if you are a low energy, stagnant person who is dieting (watching calories), and you are at a healthy weight but still want to maintain your weight you only need about 1800 calories a day. If you have one of these popular smoothies at average 535 calories between the smoothies I listed then that is about a third (29%) of your daily caloric intake. However if you are someone who is overweight by twenty or so pounds and you want to lose weight but are sedentary you should only be intaking 1400 calories or so (this is no exercise remember), this then makes up almost 40% of your calories for the day. 

Looking at another aspect of these smoothies their sugar content is through the roof. The American Heart Association has listed that the recommended daily intake of ADDED sugar "for women, 5 teaspoons (20 grams) of sugar per day, for adult men, it’s 9 teaspoons (36 grams) daily" (source) Compared to the 123 grams, 96 grams, 100 grams, and 126 grams listed its no wonder these smoothies taste great! They are PACKED PACKED PACKED with sugar. One smoothie on average for a women contains 550% of your daily suggested sugar intake. Holy sugar! As I told many friends when they asked my about when I worked at Keva Juice, of one smoothie more than half the ingredients were concentrated juice (sugar), and sherbet or ice cream (sugar).

If it has a creamy taste, it probably has ice cream in it, if it is tart and tangy probably sherbet. If its sweet enough to make you feel like you need a big drink of water after its probably packed with sugar!

So what are the most healthy choices then? Out of the ALL Fruit smoothies that boast of being better for you than their Classic smoothies, only two have 0% added sugar. Five Fruit Frenzy, and Mega Mango. And of those two only one has low sodium content and high vitamin percentages, Mega Mango.

This is just another example of how companies who boast of being 'healthy' don't always fit that criteria completely in everything they sell. Just because they say they have fruit in them doesn't even come close to meaning they are good for you. And as always this is where personal choice comes into effect. Essentially if you go to Jamba and want healthy, look to the ALL Fruit smoothies as they will be better for you, and go small in your portion size.

Be smart, do your homework, and be aware that quickest and cheapest (especially as a college student) are more often the farthest from healthy.

Transitions

For those who don't want to read something hard today, please skip this post. It's something that has been weighing on my mind for months and I need to get it off my chest. This isn't about pointing fingers, its merely about learning from the past and changing out future...

Transitions are hard. Nothing really compared to the change from High School to adult life i.e. college and marriage. And along with that change obviously came a lot of growing up. To say that I changed would be an understatement. But to many who did not go through my transformation with me, they still viewed me as the same self centered, immature, prickly schoolgirl I had been in their eyes.

For the most part, those close to me saw how I changed: however there were still many who I thought had been my friends but who really had never seen me as a friend. It is funny when those moments come and you find out who was your friend and who wasn't that stings.

In those moments it is hard to know how to respond maturely when someone who you thought was a friend turns out to have thought otherwise the whole time.

The only thing I have learned from the painful situation is that those who are still stuck in High School merely see you as how they saw you then, showing that they probably still have some growing up to do. It is hard to say anything other than a uplifting quote I've heard somewhere and that is, "Don't judge someone on where they are, but where they have come from" I know it took courage for that person to tell me what they felt of me, but for me it was merely a public stab in the back. I hurt for me to hear what this person felt, and I merely wanted to explain that I had changed but alas words failed me and all I could do was let conversation continue on.

It's like judging a racehorse halfway through the race based on where they started or like saying that a formerly obese person who has lost the majority of their weight is still obese.

I openly admit I have a lot of changing to do, but I have come so far since High School and those teenager days. I also know I have progressed in my journey and that is what life is all about.

It is a good reminder to me and to all who read this, that there are many people you view the way you did from your past; but you shouldn't treat them that same way. Treat them with the decency and respect that they deserved then and still deserve now. It is the way that you yourself also change in their eyes.

-M

Right after HS graduation

Wedding day 6.16.10

Currently

p.s. to that friend who thought of me differently from our high school days, I still think of you as a friend even if you can't see me as such. I'm sorry you felt that way, it truly was a surprise that you never considered me a friend. Maybe one day you will change your mind.

Build on a good Foundation

Since posting some self portraits with my face all done up for once, I had a couple readers email me asking what kind of foundation I used. I will admit openly that I only use it rarely, and mainly for pictures because I originally bought mine when I was a bit tanner so it makes me look a bit orange in this white skinned time.

However the Cargo blu_ray foundation is quite truthfully my favorite makeup purchase I made when I got married. I bought it precisely for all the wedding pictures and it did not fail. I felt and still feel with pictures I take, that my foundation is flawless and without feeling pasty or melty like a basic liquid foundation that I preferred before this powder.

It is pricy, but to me definitely worth the cost especially if you feel that your complexion needs help especially in photographs.

Price: $30
Comes in 4 base colors and can be manipulated with highlighter powder or bronzer
Pros: Great for photos and make skin look flawless
Cons: If you have greasy skin, like any makeup it makes your face oily faster

Overall, a 5 out of 5 rating. I will definitely stick with this foundation for a long time.

 Bridals sometime in May 2010

p.s. It's the first day of SPRING! Can I get a halleluiah! 

Sick Thing

This past weekend was filled with the most miserable experience in my existence ever. You ever had the moment in the midst of a sickness where you're clinging to the toilet, crying, and just wish you were dead? Yeah, that moment came numerous times this weekend. I have never had such violent and consistent nausea to give me a migrane like this weekend. And since Jer is a courtesy puker, he was unable to play nurse.

Basically once I'm having morning sickness in a year or so I'm going to be calling my mother and MIL for help and rations. As my dad said when I called this morning for a PMP (pity me party) that I should probably stock up on Gatorade and hide it under the bed as a back up for the next flu that comes this way.


Thank goodness once the nastiness stopped Jared was a good caregiver and fetched Gatorade and Chipotle for me. Random hunger craving for the first thing I really wanted to eat right? I know. But it stayed in my stomach so no judgement. He also stroked my hair just like mom would when I was filling yucky or sad. It never fails to help me fall asleep and feel better.

What makes you feel better when you're sick?

Hope no one else was sick this weekend too. I wouldn't wish that on my least favorite person.

DateNightIdeas

Recently and really ever since we got married we had run out of ideas for new things to do for dates. We would have the most ridiculous fights because he'd plan a date and when we got there my response was, "again?" Yes, I sound bratty but you go bowling five weekends in a row and see how you respond.

So we decided that a good compromise was for me to come up with a bunch of date ideas, making a list that he could choose off of so that we would have new and creative date activities. So here's the list so far...

Arcade

Bowling

BYU dance concert

Fishing

Hide-and-seek in Walmart

Ikea shopping game

Dollar theater

Movie his choice

Movie her choice

Dog Park

Jumping gym

Bonfire

Cliff Diving

Swimming Pool

Raging Waters

Hike

Movie night at capital lawn

Utah museum of Natural History

Game Night

Tennis

Star Gazing-good weather

Tracy Aviary

Zoo

Baseball Game

Basketball Game

Canoeing

Bike ride

Go horseback riding

Liberty Park Ferris Wheel and rides

Feed Ducks at Sugarhouse Park

Picnic at Memory Grove

Utah Museum of Fine Art

Laffy Taffy Tour

Paintballing

Shooting

Red Butte Garden and arboretum

Steiner aquatic center (swimming)

Kite flying

This is the place

Yoga Class at 3B in Provo

Color Me Mine

Laser Tag

Lagoon

Please please please, add to the list. Seriously any ideas, cheap, random, or odd. I'm open to anything. And you can also use the list for your own uses.

Date night outfits I have the hardest time with. When I buy something new I want to wear it on a fun night out, but I don't want it to get ruined on our date. and knowing Jared we have some pretty rough and tumble dates i.e. hiking, fishing, shooting. Basically I get dirty and there's no point in doing my hair because once we're done its a mess anyways. But for our last date of a bonfire I had the funnest time planning because we were only doing a fire pit in the backyard so I could actually dress up.

 Sweater: Kohls, Shirt: Express, Jeans: Macy's, Shoes: DSW, Necklace: H&M

Fun little monochromatic color scheme which I felt was sassy, and sophisticated with a little bit of a pop with my red heels. Except that sweater was just way to much for the amount of cute it was. Don't you hate that kind of buyers remorse? Its cute, and you can see yourself wearing it, but just not for that much money? It happens to me all the time.

Dressing for dates is hard especially when you don't know what the activity is, but don't be afraid to have fun. I think I always am overly conservative when dressing for dates and then I regret not being more original later.

The BEST most addictive phone game you're NOT playing

Recently a coworker introduced me to watch him play this game on his phone. It took quite a bit of convincing for me to even pay any attention but once I did I was hooked. Its a two player game like words with friends, but its soooo much more fun! It's easier for someone like me who doesn't have twenty minutes to come up with a hard point worthy word, and its just plain FUN!

Check it out for iphone here...

and android here....

Seriously, please just try it. You will not regret it I promise.

gamechanger

You know how sometimes there are those days when you feel like you are not want to be in your life? And the more you examine and evaluate you see that you really are not happy with some things. So you make major changes.

For me, this day was yesterday. After working every Sunday for over the past two months my quality of life deteriorated. I didn't feel like it missing church at first had any affect. In fact I felt just fine. And then all of a sudden I was overly impatient, short tempered, had a serious attitude (more than normal), and was just all of a sudden numb. Nothing made me happy, nothing seemed to calm my irritation. So when I woke up yesterday after a particularly rough weekend at work I just snapped. And when I snap, its more like a hysterical breakdown. You know, the kind of crying that you have trouble breathing and you get beat red and your eyes swell up?

Thank goodness my sweet husband knows how to deal with this. He just held me and when I got into my PMS (Poor Me Syndrome) he turned it right around and said, "then this means you need to make some changes, and you know exactly what those changes are."

So I essentially quit my job. And I feel like the world has been lifted off of me. Well, I am PRN until April for sure and will come back probably in late May. After three years of being a CNA, I'm pretty burnt out. And I am tired of missing church.

It's funny how such a simple thing as not going to church every week has taken such a toll on my life in every aspect. Another reason why I know I'm involved in the right religion, and that I know its whats best for me.

Sometimes life needs to be evaluated, weighed, and readjusted. I'm just really grateful for people who care enough to help me realize and change when my life needs it.

Fashion Friday

After experimenting a bit with pattern combinations, I decided I should just stick with color combinations. A bit out of my personal bubble but its good to push some boundaries.

Shirt: AE, Sweater: Nordstroms, Belt: Seattle, Pants: Express, Boots: FF, Headband: F21

Stretching fashion boundaries is hard, but matching is so elementary school. Like my bow. Don't you love it? I got more compliments on that today than anything else.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

We have a 7 year old in the house now

After a great day yesterday, full of a long walk, lots of sniffing, cuddling in bed, getting a hamburger for lunch, a trip to Petsmart for some new toys, and a yummy peanut butter carrot cake complete with candles, Adi officially turned one year old, seven in dog years. We're big on birthdays around here. Don't judge.

Sorry, you may have to turn your head sideways. Who knows how to rotate movies when they import horizontal?

She was such an adorable little pup on her first birthday and only one with us so far...obviously. The only thing missing was our birthday hat, but I knew she wasn't going to wear it so we bypassed that trouble.

Happy birthday Adeline! We love you!

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake for Dogs

1 cup white or whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) Mix together flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a ring mold sprayed with a nonstick spray for 40 minutes. Frost this cake with low fat cottage cheese and decorate with carrot pieces. Store in refrigerator.

This house's least favorite chore

As I said before, Jared and me both LOATHE doing this dishes. But I relented and did them last night since it was my turn...but can you tell from this photo what I hate doing the most?

Cups and glasses! I dislike them so much because since we hand wash all our dishes because of not having a dish washer, I have to put quite a bit of elbow grease behind cleaning the insides. Its a pain! I can't help but think as I do the dishes that this generation is so spoiled. I mean, how did the pioneer women and all women before the 20th century get everything done, laundry, dishes, cleaning house, raising children? How did they have time for it all!?

Anyways, side note our little baby is one year old today! I am making her a cake and everything. Pictures and details to come! Happy week hump day!

spring fling

This weekend I had a little bit too much romance with the idea that spring is in the air and coming permanently soon. Of course, knowing Utah weather I know this is a mean mean trick that gets played every year until about May. But I had to give in a little.

Or a lot.

Happy trick spring everyone!

taggsies eleven

My awesome and thoughtful friend Ashley from Ash's Stash tagged me in this fun little get to know you, which I find fascinating to read people's answers. It's like a whole other level of intimacy as blogger buddies and friends in real life!

1. Post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random facts.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter/fb and tell them you've tagged them.

11 random facts about me:

1. I eat a nutella sandwhich on a daily basis. How do I do it and not weigh 200 pounds? I don't know. I just do.
2. Another factoid related to food, I do not eat fast food, and I haven't had a hamburger since I was seven (AUDIBLE GASP) I know, I know. People normally respond, "Who are you? Alien?" I just don't like the texture of hamburger meat so therefore I don't happen to frequent fast food places. The end.
3. I had never played video games until a year after I got married and I only started to make my husband happy. I don't really like them, I just play because he enjoys playing with me (shhh it's our little secret). And its probably pretty entertaining considering how much I scream when things jump out at me.
4. I LOATHE doing the dishes. I'd rather pick up the dog's poop. Yes I said poop. Poop, poop, poop.
5. I'm a closet James Bond fan. It doesn't help that my hubs has all twenty-one James Bond movies.
6. I have a nasty case of road rage anywhere south of Thanksgiving Point in Utah. Which is also the main why we moved out of Utah County so I didn't come home fuming mad everyday saying curse words.
7. I kiss my dog hello and goodbye and in between. On her cute little black nose. Don't worry, I brush my teeth frequently each day.
8. When I was younger my mother did my hair in curlers each Saturday night so that for church on Sunday I looked like Shirley Temple. I loved and hated it all at the same time.
9. We're looking to buy a new car in July for Jared because he's been using my parents for free while they've been out of state. I'm truly hoping we can find a Subaru Outback as its my dream family car. Even though I'm not a rigorous outdoor hiker or camper. Weird huh?
10. I can't wait to start a family! But I'm afraid because of our finances we'll have to. Until then my puppy will have to just be my baby.
11. When I face my fears head on I'm actually really successful. Like muscles in my Anatomy Class. I'm horrified of them because they're so daunting. But I rocked that section on my midterm. Go me!

Questions Ash wants me to answer:

1. What is your favorite thing to do on your days off?

 That is really hard to answer, so top three I'd say is watch classics or musicals like Calamity Jane or The Red Shoes on netflix while cuddling with my adorable puppy and eating a nutella sandwhich.

2. What is your main form of exercise?

I'm a modern dance minor so I get at least an hour and a half of rigorous dance every day. So I don't really do much for exercise outside of class except stretching and that doesn't really count although it does hurt. 

3. What is your favorite clothing store?

H&M. It's like eye candy and you can find cute modest things for cheap. If my husband didn't insist on going with me when I go, we'd be homeless.

4. If you could marry any celebrity who would it be?

Daniel Craig. Hands down. He's just this handsome rugged blond man's man who is completely able to take care of himself and any damsel in distress he comes across. And that is SO hot to me. Which is why I married a man who has a dozen guns and sleeps with one on his side of the bed.

5. What is your dream job?

To be an Occupational Therapist. It's just a while away. I didn't know I wanted to do medical when I started college and I should have gone to the U of U for a more smooth transition into graduate school. 

6. How often do you do your chores?

I do the laundry when I'm out of underware and the dishes when my husband won't do them and we're out of silverware. So maybe once every week for dishes and every two weeks for clothes?

7. What is your worst habit?

nagging my husband to do the dishes I don't want to do. I often can make deals with him to do them if I do something...else. It always works except its difficult to make him pay up. 

8. What is your favorite holiday? why?

Christmas. Because of all the fun activities there are to do and just all the memories that I've had from past years. 

9. Eating out or at home? 

We eat out way too much, and spend way too much money doing so. Thus we are currently trying to eat out only once a week, and make cost effective meals at home that are healthy. It's hard.

10. What is your dream vacation? not just location...

Hawaii. Which I get to go back to this spring thank goodness. My ideal vacation day includes a warm beach, hot sun, my husband nearby, while reading a book in a bathing suit. Just relaxing. 

11. What is your favorite sport to watch? play? 

Tennis for both. I miss playing it from high school and I miss being able to watch tennis tournaments all day long during the summer/fall when I wasn't married. People think tennis is a boring sport to watch, but its really the most fast paced and if you play I think you appreciate it more.

Questions Melissa wants you to answer:

1. Do you have a pet? If so do you treat it like you baby or one of the family or is that just me?

2. What would you say is the best quality about yourself? Worst quality?

3. Secret pleasure that not even your significant other knows about?

4. If you could do anything in one day, anything at all what would you do?

5. If you had $1,000 to just one store which store would it be and what would you buy?

6. What is your one must have item before you walk out the door for the day?

7. Pearls or Diamonds?

8. Favorite Scent?

9. Would you rather stay at home or go out for the night? Why?

10. What do you normally indulge yourself to? For ex. manicure, hair appt, massage

11. Who do you most look up to and what exactly do you look up to in them?

Tag you're it:

Cousin Madeline

Cousin Lauren

Harley & Jane 

Jamie 

Say What?: Neti Pots

Remember that amazing little white pot that Oprah endorsed a couple years ago? I vividly recall how it boasted of reducing sinus infections, allergies, colds, etc. But a scary thing is that its recently been implicated in TWO fatalities. Before you throw yours away, read on.

"In both cases, the victims, both in the New Orleans area, contracted a deadly brain-eating amoeba after using these devices to rinse their sinus cavities with tap water."

 (source)

Upon further inspection of the article it is noted that the two individuals used straight tap water and that the water was contaminated with bacteria that led to a brain eating infection.

What does this mean for you daily/weekly/seasonal users? Well with anything that comes out of your tap even if you consider your tap water just so clean, I would still even filter it. Filters are cheap, and effective. And you seriously never know what is in your water even if you can't taste it.

Additionally Dr. Oz when first promoting the Neti Pot specifically suggested adding non-iodized salt to help hydrate and to specifically use distilled or filtered water. This way you won't be putting infected bacteria in your sinuses.

So the lesson?
Clean water, clean water, clean water.

Happy sinuses!