Say What?: chapped lips

So we all get this issue occasionally, some of us more then others. For me its in the season changes from summer to fall, and winter to spring. But what do chapped lips indicate? Most people automatically assume that its only from either wind burn or just dehydration. However it can also be a sign of more serious issues.

"If lip balm doesn't do the trick, you should consult a doctor" 

(source)

Chapped lips can not only be a sign of vitamin deficiencies, but also more serious conditions particularly in children. Pellagra which results from a niacin or B3 deficiency is something that you shouldn't mess around with. It can lead to death if not dealt with properly. Another issue that isn't very well known is Kawasaki disease that primarily affects children under five and can cause heart problems if untreated. Both of these disorders have chapped lips as side affects although if you do more research there are of course other side effects that accompany them. (source)

 If you have chapped lips constantly, make sure to check your chapstick for eucalyptus or camphor, both of which actually dry out your lips instead moisturizing. (source) If you can't get your chapped lips to go away, it would be best to bring it up with a doctor and to not take it lightly. It may be an easy fix such as a multivitamin, or something more serious if you have other symptoms.

Burt's Bees Chapstick $3.50

If you want a great chapstick I live and die by Burt's Bees chapstick, it's the only thing that makes my lips feel happy. I swear I have at least one in each purse, my backpack, and my car. Do you have a solution you use for chapped lips?

Do excuse

my lack of busyness over here. You see I was preoccupied loving on my puppies and spending time with the hubs. But that's a pretty darn good reason right? This memorial weekend we had a lovely trip down to Las Vegas, but first we stopped off at St. Georgous for my very first 5K.

Little miss Aspen snoozing on the drive down

Right before my 5K 

crossing the finish line. I maintained a nine minute pace which was all that I wanted.

Adi and Aspen getting morning lovings

We stayed with our friends Ryan and Alex who have two dogs of their own and wore out our two. Isn't Aspen just adorable dead tired almost in her water bowl?

Of course the only picture I took that wasn't of the dogs was of gum but you can't go on a five hour road trip without some good old fashioned bubbleicious bubble gum.

But good news, I am down a whole 2 lbs. since we got back from Hawaii two weeks ago, and I am continuing to train for the Wasatch Back Ragnar and get back to my marriage weight all at the same time. Summer just keeps rolling on, far to quickly for my taste. What are some of your summer plans that you still want to happen?

Book review: Steve Jobs

This past trip to Hawaii I took only one book to entertain me because it had been waiting on the shelf for the last weeks of the semester waiting to be read. I'd been wanting to read it since it came out back in November.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

$18.60

Pros: Walter Isaacson portrayed the genius behind this successful company accurately but also with sentimental observance to what Steve Jobs wanted to accomplish in his lifetime that likewise each person's life is to accomplish. A change in the world that they perceive to have no control over. This book also made me feel even more firmly that Apple products are great products now that I understand the production and development process. Overall it was a good book, giving highlights and colorful stories of the background of the company.

Cons: It was a rather long book about 560 pages and at points when going in depth on the company details it got rather dull.

The biography was long but interesting reading about Apple from the beginning, and the determined, often unagreeable brains behind the operation. If you use or even have multiple Apple products I would definitely suggest this book if you have free time. And if you don't like Apple it might change the way you see this company and its purpose.

Plant-o-maniac

Jared recently decided that he's OK if I turn the apartment into a greenhouse, but he fondly refers to it as a 'Jungle'. I wouldn't go that far, but I will admit that recently instead of being tempted to buy a new pair of shoes or something girl related, I am more tempted to buy a new plant when I go to the local store.

Maybe its because it brings me so much joy when I have a new plant I've never tried to take care of before and don't kill it. Boy have I grown since my freshman plant killing exploits. Gardening skills are not easily won unless you are naturally a green thumb, but for the most part its a trial and error kind of thing. You kill one plant, and you learn from it. Just like in life and learning lessons, you make a mistake and you try not to do it again in the future.

There's something so special in being able to grow an innocent little plant from a seed, and help it develop with pruning, watering, soil changes, etc. Maybe its that mothering instinct coming out that I haven't gotten to experience full fledged yet, but ultimately it is good practice in being aware of the needs of something other than yourself.

As well it teaches patience, a quality I (and many others) don't always have. Especially in these times of immediate gratification when calling someone thousands of miles away takes seconds, and I can have light at night by flipping a switch, its something that I feel I have partially come to appreciate and comprehend with growing my plants. Their changes take days, sometimes weeks; not moments. Long perseverance yields true improvement, just as repeating healthy actions develops habits. Real life qualities are not connected to instantaneous satisfaction, but hard work.

I feel closer to my Heavenly Father when I nuture something whether its my husband by feeding him, Adi or Aspen by caring for them in multiple ways, or watching a plant grow over time. Indeed I think it is something that I need to embrace more as a woman. I am here to nuture, care, and love others.
 

         The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender.

         There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. 

         There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. 

         We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. 

         We have enough greed; we need more goodness. 

         We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. 

         We have enough popularity; we need more purity.

         -Margaret D. Nadauld

Say What?: Agave Nectar

When I first heard about this substitute for honey and sugar additives I was so excited to try it. But it took me forever to buy some. I will note that while I've been trying to cut down on my daily caloric intake it has helped quite a bit to cut out honey. For the most part it does seem like its a great solution, but unfortunately there's a bit of controversy surrounding the pro's of agave nectar.

"[Agave Nectar is] indeed made the same way [as HFCS], using a highly chemical process with genetically modified enzymes. They are also using caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches into highly refined fructose inulin that is even higher in fructose content than high fructose corn syrup." source

A great many people swear and die by their thinking that Agave Nectar is amazing for you. While it does have its benefits specifically being listed as the only sweetener Diabetics can use because it has extremely low glucose levels, it contrastingly has rather high fructose levels which is what makes it so sweet but appropriate for diabetics. So what does this mean for you? Well if you recognize the phrase 'high fructose' than 'high fructose corn syrup' should come to mind. And we all know (hopefully) that HFCS is bad bad bad bad bad for you. As a matter of fact to give you an idea of how much fructose is in Agave Nectar, HFCS is about 50-75% fructose while Agave Nectar can sometimes be approximately 75-90% fructose. 

So you ask why does this matter since diabetics can have it? Well its extremely bad for people who are trying to loose weight or diet which often is anyone who uses it is. You see fructose is digested by your liver and then stored as body fat bypassing your blood system which is why its acceptable for diabetics to use. Who wants to be ingesting something that is said to help you cut out sugars that make you gain weight, when in reality this sweetener will cause the same amount of gain if not worse? A study done on fructose' affect on the body actually proved that substituting fructose for glucose cause the same amount of weight gain, but visceral gain which is the most dangerous. Additionally since the liver is what metabolizes the fructose if, over used could cause damage to your liver in the long run. Last but not least, Agave Nectar is not a natural substance and only occurs after long and numerous chemical manipulations. Essentially it's processed, and with all processed foods they can be potentially bad since you don't have a guarantee they're healthy for you.

In the end if you do supplement sugars with Agave Nectar do it sparingly and with awareness that it is in the end stored fat and can have negative effects on your body just like any other sugar and processed food.

And then there were two...

This is probably the best (and only) successful secret/surprise that I have done for Jared. And it was soooo hard to keep my mouth shut and not just spill the beans. About a week into our trip to Hawaii I found a perfect match for a second puppy, and it just all worked out perfectly like it was meant to be.

 
The afternoon after our red eye back to the mainland, Jared laid down with Adi for a nap and I hightailed it to Utah County for some 'errands'. Instead two hours later I came back with this little bundle of joy.

And surprised Jared with her. He was more than tickeled, even though he was probably the only one initially. Adi was not quite as excited about our new little Aspen. But she's warmed up since then.

Some people may think we're crazy, even slightly irresponsible for getting a second puppy when we live in an apartment and we still have yet to have children. But if you always listen to the critics you'll never aspire to do what you dream. And we dream of having dogs (not a dog) all of our lives. We are completely and totally dog lovers and always will be.

Plus who could say no to that face?! She is soft like cashmere, green eyed, and has the cutest little tail. We love this munchkin.

Summer lovin' pallette

It's obvious, this summer-if not year's-trend colors are the salmon-y orange and mint green. And it's become evident in just about anything. But I particularly L.O.V.E the mint green. It's just so refreshing!

And since Honolulu just become home to two new TJMaxx's, mom and I decided we should just case out the joint...inconspicuously of course. Well, we didn't succeed since we trekked out quite a couple bags to the parking lot later. Mom and me made quite the dent in our wallets, and it was worth it.

But you all would be proud of me. The only clothing item I bought was this fabulous mint green shirt for a steal which I wore to the mall today and browsed my dream store

Forgive the iPhone quality please

...along with a bunch of workout clothes. I don't know what it is that's so refreshing about buying sports bra's and runner's shorts, but I love it. And I've been putting them to good use here in HI. Three days left until I see if my training at sea level has been in vain. Until then aloha!

iPhone Case Review

I was originally leaning towards a case I posted about quite a while ago that CupofJo had endorsed as cute and stylish covers for her iPhone. But after reading this review I double thought that. Instead I decided to try the uncommon cases that I was finding raving reviews for.

Stability/flimsibility: extreme stability, absolutely no way this case is going to bend. Very sturdy.

Edges: curved corners, and fits flatly to the screen without any gaps.

Button spacing: the case fits correctly with all the plug-in's and buttons, however it is rather bulky and if I had big man fingers I don't know how I'd get to the buttons. Thank goodness for little womanly hands.

Image on the case: a concern I had when ordering this case was that others had given it reviews regarding the clarity and color of the image as faded and not bright. However, my case was vibrant just like the pictures and I had no issues with the coloring of the case.

Quality of the case as a whole: worth the mulla. And a huge pro is that there are actually foam inserts on the inside of the case that allow it to fit extraordinarily snug to the phone. I would definitely buy another based on the quality. The only downside was that I wanted a bright/light case to fit with the zen of my white iphone. Because the product only had pictures of the back of the case and not the front, I was unaware that the front was black with extra black accents around the case.

Uncommon Hello Birds by Valentina Ramos in 4S capsule - $40

***Since writing this review I actually full on dropped my phone-I'm talking it flying out of my hand six feet to smash into the ground-and was still perfectly fine. I'm a believer in this case because my phone hit that tile floor HARD.***

life is precious

Sometimes all you need when you are thinking of yourself - or your miserable sleepless night because of cold - is to remember that somewhere in the world someone's life has been changed by no choice of their own, someone is loosing their battle to illness, and someone has just lost a loved one. Are you a donor?

Please read this sweet story to reconsider if your answer is no.

Or watch this video. After reading Ruby's entire story I officially signed up for organ donation. It's amazing how productive you can be when you can't sleep.

Hawaiian Street Names

can confuse you. Not because it's particularly hard to figure out the arrangement of the streets - they're pretty straight, although we lived and died by our GPS. It's more that you have trouble distinguishing the names. Mainly because they're a mouthful for the most part, and they all look the same! Lots of k's, l's, h's and vowels. I took found some examples of

Kalihi-Palama

Ka·li·hi Pa·la·ma

Laukahi

Lau·ka·hi

Kamehameha

Ka·me·ha·me·ha

Wahiawa

Wa·hi·awa

I definitely think the hardest ones are those with the most vowels in a row. You have to sound it out a couple times in a row to even slightly get it, and even then it can be really hard. Either way, we are definitely starting to feel more like we fit in now that we can actually say the majority of street names. Maybe we should stay permanently? Actually I think Jared would go nuts.

Changed

I think one of the easiest ways to prove how marriage has changed me is evident in this photo. For all those who know me and who know what a girly girl I am, this picture proves quite definitely that being married to a manly man has changed me. For the better I would say. I'm so lucky for him in my life.

Joke a day

Keeps the doctor away. I got this joke from my husband who got it from his father who got it from...who knows. But I love it! Cue joke:

An atheist was walking through the woods.

'What majestic trees! What powerful rivers!What beautiful animals!' He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.

He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. 

He ran as fast as he could up the path.  He looked over his shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.
He tripped & fell on the ground.

He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him. 

At that instant moment, the Atheist cried out:
'Oh my God!'

Time stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.

'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist and even credit creation to cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?'

The atheist looked directly into the light, and said: 'It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian?'

'Very well', said the voice.

The light went out.  The sounds of the forest resumed.  And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke: 

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, Amen.'

p.s any good jokes you have? Email them my way. 
p.p.s I ran 2.34 miles today at 8'54 a mile. Not bad eh?