This week's Manicure - Snappy Sorbet with dots!

Hello,

Today I wanted to share my manicure, I got one of the Maybelline Polka Dots polishes in my Cara Box.  So I wanted to check it out.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Snappy Sorbet
 

I started with a base of Sally Hansen Complete Manicure Base Coat.  Then I put on Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Snappy Sorbet.  You can see my bottle has a strip of color on the top from my organizing system I talked about HERE. 

 

 

This polish with the base coat wears really well,  I didn't put a top coat on and I have only minor tip wear after 3 days.  It has a wide brush that I find kind of hard to work with, but the formula spreads well and they always have lots of trendy colors.

 

 



Then I grabbed my Maybelline Color Show in Dotty and did an accent nail.

 

 

 The translucent orange base of Dotty made the Snappy Sorbet look "oranger" for sure - and it was hard to place the dots, I couldn't get a lot of the big ones.  I'm not sure how I feel about the polka dot top coat trend.  Maybe it's just because it's orange - but it feels a bit "Halloween-y" to me.

 

What do you think?

 

Jasmine

Inner Beauty Friday - Book Club!

Hello!

It's Friday and time for Book Club!  Once again I am linking up with Heather at Blonde...Undercover Blonde for Book Club.




This week I read "Me Before You " by Jojo Moyes

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads.com: "Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time."

What I thought:  This was a really nice story, and one I felt was actually realistic.  I mean Will being a Quadriplegic isn't nice, and OF COURSE he has money, but other than that I felt it was really great story about complex friendships and family connections.  This is a good story a bit of a sad ending, but in the end it's a lot like life. 

Jasmine

The Starting Off Project - Skincare Part II

 

Hello,

I'm back today with more on Skincare!  So you know my first three rules - #1 Sunscreen, #2 Wash your face #3 Stop being a drama Queen.  Now honestly, if you just practice those three things you will have better, healthier skin for the rest of your life.  But if you want to really take care of it, you need a serum, a moisturizer and a problem solver.

So what is the difference between a serum and a moisturizer - A LOT.  A serum is a treatment and a moisturizer is a humectant.  Serum treats problems (wrinkles, dullness, acne) it DOES NOT moisturize, you need a moisturizer on top.  It can go deeper into the skin so it treats problems down at the "root" so to speak.  The key is to find a serum that treats your main concern - I know they promise all sorts of things but you really can only treat so much.  Some of my suggestions (that I have seen work well) are:

L'Oreal Youth Code - good for drier skin it helps brighten and allow your skin to take in moisture, good for "younger" skin, because it helps you retain moisture it will make your skin smoother as well.  Lancôme Genifique is it's more expensive older sister.

 


I personally have to worry about wrinkling so I use a serum with the best wrinkle fighter out there - Retinol!  You need to use sunscreen when you use Retinol in any form - so we get back to rule #1 anyway (see how important it is!)  You want your wrinkle serum without a lot bells and whistles.  I use Protect & Perfect by Boots No.7.  It helps to get the skin producing collagen and elastin, helps you retain moisture and it's also hypo-allergenic.

Now onto acne - yes there's a serum for that!

The Mario Badescu serum is a holy grail product for many.  It helps kill bacteria that causes acne, salicylic acid (in controlled amounts!) helps exfoliate and get debris out of pores. 


There are also serums for more mature skin that help firm and lift - the new Renergie Serum from Lancôme is nice for when you know the wrinkles are there to stay but you want to smooth (as much as possible) make the skin get back some of it's glow and firm it up.


Now for a moisturizer I like as simple as possible - honestly the serum is doing the work, right?  So a light layer for day of moisturizer day and night over my serum makes my skin happy! 
There's moisturizers like Olay Complete (normal/combination), Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin (oily skin formula), Lancôme Bienfait Multi-vital with SPF 30(dry skin) and others that are simple yet sooo effective.

You also need an eye cream!  the skin around the eye is the thinnest on our body, it needs a special formula.  Under eye circles are VERY hard to get rid off unless you drink enough water and get enough sleep in addition to using a cream.  For more info - check out this post I did on the PROPER way to use Eye Cream!

Finally there is the problem solver - All of us no matter our age are going to get hormonal acne and stress acne.  (This one's for you Pang - a wonderful beauty blogger, go check her out, I'll wait) 
Hormonal Acne and stress acne tend to appear on your chin, and forehead.  They are made worse by over washing and harsh treatments.  Also stressing out about it doesn't help - but relaxing and drinking a glass of water does!  The best way I have found to fight it, is to be prepared when you very first feel it (this means taking good enough care of your skin through gentle cleansing and exfoliation that you will be able to see and feel it coming).  I use Origins Spot Remover gel.  It dries clear on the spot and I can cover the redness that may be starting to appear - and then the acne never shows it's ugly head!

Or I have used the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

The key is to get your skin in to a "stable" or "normalized" enough state that you can feel and prevent breakouts.

I know this is a lot, and your skin won't fix itself overnight - it takes about 30 days to see the results of a good skincare regimen, because that's how long it takes your skin to turn over.  So it's not instant satisfaction - but it can be a lifetime of satisfaction if you are willing to give your face AND neck (always do to your neck what you did to your face) the care they deserve!

Hope I helped!

Jasmine

The Starting Off Project - Skincare

Hello!

Today is week one of The Starting OFF Project and this week's topic is my personal favorite:

SKINCARE!

I am a firm believer in taking care of your skin so you don't have to wear so much makeup and so that your skin will be healthy for a long time to come.

Now you should all know that I have been a skincare consultant for Lancome, Estee Lauder and Boots...so I've been around the block on this stuff a time or two.  And I'm 34...so I'm living proof of what taking care of your skin gets you.  And their may be swearing in this post, leave now if you don't want to hear the truth.

So here are my thoughts...

RULE #1- STAY OUT OF THE D@MN SUN! (SERIOUSLY).  Wear sunscreen (at least SPF 30 EVERYDAY) it doesn't matter if it's cloudy out or if you are in the shade, their are UV rays bouncing all around and they hit your face. The sun is the single most DAMAGING factor we face.  

UVA = Ultra Violet Aging  UVB = Ultra Violet Burning  get a sunscreen with both.  Their are plenty out there that are lightweight and go great under makeup, I use a Peter Thomas Roth, but I have used Neutrogena and Coppertone Faces.  SPF only lasts 80 minutes at the most - I don't care if you sat inside all day.  80 minutes and your done - did you reapply for the drive home? Doubt it - now any sun on your face has direct access.  If you value your skin AT ALL stay out of the tanning beds they use only UVA rays - yes the AGING ones.  Just google tanning bed skin damage to skim the surface of what it does - anyone my age (mid 30's) that did it in their 20's regret it SO MUCH now.  And that SPF in your makeup - forget it, it's worthless.

Ok...so now onto my next rant...

RULE # 2 - WASH YOUR D@MN FACE! Even if you just have the wipes (which honestly aren't the best they leave residue - they were created to take the first level of make-up off ) Wash your face every night you need to get the days grime and dead skin off.  You DO NOT need to exfoliate every night - in fact you shouldn't be using the Clairsonic everyday unless you wear a lot of makeup - you don't have enough skin for that!  And please, Please keep the St. Ives away from your face - it's cheap for a reason, the apricot bits are not round so they micro cut your face.  

Oil cleansers are the best in my opinion no matter what kind of skin you have - yes even oily skin!

Lancome Huile Doucer is my Holy Grail product - anyone who had tried it loves it, Dior makes a similar one.  It gets all the makeup and leaves you skin soft and not dried out - so then it doesn't try to produce MORE oil.  Most of the Neutrogena-type cleansers out there (Especially cleansers with salicylic acid) dry your face out and you produce more oil - and guess what then you need to buy a toner to feel clean which YOU DON'T need.  You only need a toner if your cleanser changes the Ph of your face (like cleansers with salicylic acid do!)  If you cannot stand the thought of oil switch to a cream cleanser Boots makes several good ones.  The cream cleanser by Olay are terrible just FYI.  The more gentle your cleanser the better.  Mark my words you will see more and more oil cleanser coming on the market as people realize how badly most the cleansers on the market strip your face - which leads to acne and early aging.

Now as I mentioned you do not want to exfoliate every day - twice a week if you are oily, once a week for drier skin.  You do need to exfoliate if you want good skin getting the dead skin off is important, and makeup application will be much easier.  I like enzyme peels - gentle yet effective!

This mask by Freeman is great!  And cheap!

Rule# 3 - STOP BEING A DRAMA QUEEN!  So many people have come to me and say "oh my skin is so oily!  Oh my skin in so sensitive   Oh my skin is soooo special!"  Get over yourself.  85% of us have normal skin.  The other 15% NEED to see a Dermatologist - you'll know if you fall into that category.  It's what we are putting into out bodies and on our skin that makes it act badly!  If you think you can eat greasy food and candies and not have it show on your face - wrong!  I am religious about skin care but I still get hormonal and "I ate a LOT of bad food" breakouts.  Using drying cleansers causes you to over produce oil leading to acne. Using anti-acne cleanser when your not a 15 year old boy causes you to kill all the good oil and bacteria on your face - and you will get breakouts.  A non gentle cleanser wreaks havoc on your skin, causing it to feel sensitive - and if you are not using sunscreen you are probably always a bit burned no matter what color you are - (yes African American skin burns and it causes severe hyper-pigmentation anywhere they have scar tissue)  Stop using products for all your "problems" and you will have less "Problems".

I have more, but I want to hear your questions and I will be back with PART 2 tomorrow! 

Now go put on some sunscreen!

Jasmine!

Cara Box Reveal

Hello,

This month I did the Cara box Swap hosted by Kaitlyn @ Wifessionals.com.  What is a Cara Box?  A Cara is a "beloved friend" and basically you are assigned a blogger "pen pal" get to know them really well and then create a box of goodies for them around the theme.

You send to someone different than who you receive from.  I sent to the lovely Lisa @ Ameliorer la Vie, super smart gal, world traveler and writes about beauty a bit too!

My package came from Kate @ Another Clean Slate - again another well traveled, positive lovely lady!  So it was not only great to do the package sending thing but to "meet" these gals as well!

Here's what the lovely Kate sent me, our theme this month was pretty much anything goes!



A wonderful new book to read - Excellent!  A really sweet note on some super cool stationary!  And a Burt's Bees Tips and Toes Kit filled with so many great goodies for keeping my hands and feet healthy - yay!

I also received...


A Stylin Bracelet, 2 Fun polishes and a handy dandy purse mirror!

Let's get a closer look at those polishes...


I can't wait to use the Polka Dots!!  And lord knows I love me some hot pink!

Look for the next Cara Box sign up in September... and thank you again Kate & Lisa!


Jasmine

Manicure feat. BLUE & KB Shimmer

Hello,

This week I did a manicure on my sad, broken nails.  I always think really intense colors look best on a shorter manicure so I painted them a bright periwinkle blue.

This polish is one of the 99cent mini's from Sally's Beauty Supply and it is called "Epic".  The color is actually a lot more chic than I thought it would be - it didn't read garish thank goodness!  This is also a good color for an accent nail.

Then I wanted to try out the Opal Top Coat I got.

I tried and tried, but I couldn't quite catch the sparkles.  It goes on pretty smooth, you have to mess with the foil bits just a bit and it is lovely to look at.

I topped it all with the KB Shimmer "Clearly on Top" Top coat I just got here's how it's described: "When searching for tops coats, we here at  KBShimmer wanted one that dried quickly, was super shiny, did not cause  shrinkage with glitter nail polish, and did not yellow.  When we found  this top coat, it felt like finding the holy grail and we made the decision to offer it here!" It was only $5 and is a very nice top coat!  They also have beautiful polishes - (I may have snagged 2). 

What's your favorite non-traditional color to wear?  What colors do you think look better with a short manicure?

Jasmine

Inner Beauty Friday - Book Club

Goodness it's Friday once again! 
Time for linking up with Heather @ Blonde...Undercover Blonde for Book Club!  Yay!




This week I read "the House Girl" by Tara Conklin-



Here's the synopsis from Goodreads.com: "Virginia, 1852. Seventeen-year-old Josephine Bell decides to run from the failing tobacco farm where she is a slave and nurse to her ailing mistress, the aspiring artist Lu Anne Bell. New York City, 2004. Lina Sparrow, an ambitious first-year associate in an elite law firm, is given a difficult, highly sensitive assignment that could make her career: she must find the “perfect plaintiff” to lead a historic class-action lawsuit worth trillions of dollars in reparations for descendants of American slaves.
It is through her father, the renowned artist Oscar Sparrow, that Lina discovers Josephine Bell and a controversy roiling the art world: are the iconic paintings long ascribed to Lu Anne Bell really the work of her house slave, Josephine? A descendant of Josephine’s would be the perfect face for the reparations lawsuit—if Lina can find one. While following the runaway girl’s faint trail through old letters and plantation records, Lina finds herself questioning her own family history and the secrets that her father has never revealed: How did Lina’s mother die? And why will he never speak about her?
Moving between antebellum Virginia and modern-day New York, this searing, suspenseful and heartbreaking tale of art and history, love and secrets, explores what it means to repair a wrong and asks whether truth is sometimes more important than justice."

My thoughts:  Describing this book as "searing and suspenseful" is totally confusing to me.  Gone Girl was "Searing and Suspenseful", this is thought provoking and well painted with words.  The synopsis pretty much covers the plot, but I like Tara Conklin's writing and would definitely read more by her.  If you want a relatively easy read with some American history this is a great choice.

Jasmine

The Starting Off Series

Hello!

Lately I haven't found any great new products or things that haven't been reviewed to death.  I also broke 3 nails :(  So I have been in a bit of a slump.  I was reading through my blog list and I came across THIS post by Nykki @ JosephineNychole.  I am going to join her in the Starting Off Project!  Which was the brainchild of Stephanie @ Steph's Inside Voice so we are really all joining her :)



What is the Starting OFF Project?  It's a bunch of bloggers getting together and posting about a specific beauty item each week - our beginnings with it, our advice, our tips and tricks!  I cannot wait to read everyone's contributions!  It starts on August 27th so there's still time to join in if you'd like. 

Here are the topics by week:

Here are the weeks:
Week 1: Skincare
Week 2: Concealer
Week 3: Foundation
Week 4: Bronzer
Week 5: Blusher
Week 6: Mascara
Week 7: Eyeliner
Week 8: Eye shadow
Week 9: Lipstick/Gloss
Week 10: Makeup Tools
Week 11 {optional}: Round up post

I am planning on doing week 1 thru 10 - you all know I have a bit of opinion on everything!  I also have a lot of "old" posts that you may not have read and this way they are all in one space. 

Here are the Details:  ( I stole them directly from Nykki!)
Your post can be what you want it to be. It’s important to outline how you use the product, your experiences with it, && your favorites. {&& then anything else you find important}. The posts should go up at 6:00 PM on Tuesdays UK time — I’m not sure how important this part is though. I think if you get it up on Tuesday you should be good to go. You don’t have to partake in weeks that you don’t want to.
Stephanie said on Twitter a few hours ago that there are over 55 bloggers interested in this thing — So you don’t want to miss out!
Make sure to use the hashtag #theSoproject when tweeting your posts and sharing! You will get plenty of eyes on your posts!

Thanks Stephanie and Nykki!

Hope you will enjoy!

Jasmine

Jasmine

Sunday Confessions

Hello,

 I have seen Martha @ Quick, Cheap & Pretty  (read her post it's hilarious!) do this linkup and I always kick myself for not remembering - but not this week!  It's time for:



1) I have to use spell check way more than I should, the word definitely gets me every time (I just had to correct it and I was thinking about it).  Sad, Sad.

2) I am always thinking about what I want for my birthday.  I never got a lot of presents growing up so I am obsessed with them now. 

3) I really, really dislike it when severely overweight people tell me I should stop drinking Diet Coke because it's bad for me, as they eat a 1000 calorie "healthy" salad. 

4) I don't like spending a lot of time outdoors, I have been this way since I was a kid. Unless I'm going hiking/biking or need to be outside for a reason, I will be inside thank you!

5) I have severe "age-envy" oh to be 18 again!  I want my youth back :)

Please leave me a comment with something "terrible" about yourself so I can feel better :)

Jasmine

Inner Beauty Friday - Book Club!

Hello!

It's Friday and time for Book Club - so I'm linking up again with Heather from Blonde...Undercover Blonde




This week I read "The Distant Hours" by Kate Morton
 

She also wrote "The Forgotten Garden" & "The House at Riverton".  I think "The Forgotten Garden" was my favorite of the three I've read.

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads.com - "
A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it."

My thoughts: I liked this book for what it is - a good easy read.  I like her books because there's always a secret, a castle/manor house and likeable characters.  This one had lots of interesting characters and my one main complaint is that you "heard" the story from everyone and their mother's point of view, so it got a bit drawn out.  But all in all I like books that give you a bit of real history alongside the fictional tale.

Jasmine

Avon Haul

Hello,

So I recently thought "I wonder what Avon has to offer these days?" and low and behold they were offering free shipping with any $20purchase and I found a few things.  I also knew Amy at Small Budget Beauty sells Avon so I wanted to order thru her site - you can too by using this LINK.

First up - cleanse the palette.  I needed an eye makeup remover ($4) for the rare occasion I don't use my oil cleanser, when I wear fake lashes, or when I'm swatching.   I also thought the "calming effect" cream cleanser sounded wonderful, after I work out my face just feels all hot and stingy and I need something to calm the redness and it was only $2.99.

  I also got this Opal topcoat - I have looked for like 2 years for Essie's "shine of the times" and I am hoping this may be a dupe!  And for $3.99 it's a steal!

I also got this glossy lip pencil - it is such a my lips but better color!

And I love the pencil form so easy to carry around - $2.99!

 

I had read about the Avon Ultra Color Rich Rubies Lipstick and how gorgeous the colors were and they weren't kidding - it's metallic and sparkly and creamy all in one.

This picture doesn't really catch the depth of color - and it looks like it might be "gritty" sparkly but it is not at all, only $2.99.  I'm kicking myself for not getting more colors (but I truly do NOT need any more lipstick, even if it's soooo pretty).

 

 

I also got some of the Frizz Control shampoo - they are little trial sizes which is perfect because it takes me like 2 years to go thru a bottle of shampoo (seriously).  So I wanted to try something new and at 79 cents a pop - yeah!

 

I also got a few gifts for my stash so Christmas shopping is way easier. :)

 

I was very pleased with my little splurge!

 

Jasmine

 





Ipsy - August Bag!

Hello,

I got my August Ipsy Bag!  This month's theme was : "Glamour Academy"

There were a lot of different brands that could have come in the bag - so I am interested to see what every one else got.

I got items from Mica Beauty, Nailtini, Michael Todd, Urban Decay, & Pixi

From Mica Beauty I got a Shimmer Powder in Bronze this is really pretty - It's nice that it's not super dark and gives a really pretty hint of color.

This picture makes it look more "sparkly" than it is - I will definitely be using this! 
Full size - $44.95  Size I received - $8.99

Next up Nailtini -

I got the color Mai Tai - a really pretty deep coral.  To really appreciate Nailtini you need to check out their Website and the "mixing" they suggest!   Value $13.00

I also got the Michael Todd Pumpkin mask which their website describes as "This mask smells so much like fresh pumpkin you will think it's Thanksgiving. And exfoliant lovers will give Thanks! That tingle is the pumpkin enzyme combining with glycolic acid to go to town on your skin’s flaws dissolving impurities like dead skin and clogged pores. Adds brightness and radiance to the skin and significantly improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles after a single use."
Exfoliating, glycolic acid, tingling - YES!  These are the things that I really like in a mask.  Full size 3.4 oz - $34  My size 1oz -$10

 

And the good stuff just keeps coming~  Pixi Lash Booster Mascara.  "This unique mascara truly boosts your lashes, giving them a "push-up" effect that lasts all day. The dense, rich formula ensures that lashes are coated with maximum pigment, for long-lasting full colour. The cone-shaped brush coats each lash evenly for the ultimate smudge-free, waterproof lash & eye definition. Available in intense eye-opening shades, including the revolutionary "blackest blue" that awakens the eyes and makes the whites of the eyes appear whiter."  I love, love mini mascaras - as I rarely use the same one everyday - so the small size means I use it for 3 weeks, it doesn't go bad and I don't feel so guilty.  Also the Blue Black is a GREAT color!

AND...  If I've said it once on this blog, I've said it 5 times THE MINUTE you crack open a mascara the clock is ticking, you better use it up in 3 months or it's bad!!  You have itchy eyes - probably not allergies, I bet it's a bad mascara.  Contacts bothering you - bad mascara.  Dry mascara - I bet its more than 3 months old!  Value - $5.50??



 
And finally some Urban Decay Lipstick ~

 It's their new Revolution Lipstick which they describe as "Our Pigment Infusion System^TM gives the formula its super creamy texture, insane pigmentation, superior color dispersion and extended wear.  Maxi-Lip^TM defines and hydrates lips while making them look plumper and fuller."  Their are 22 shades I got "69" Not my favorite name choice ever. 

It is a rich raspberry red - I love my reds!  Very pretty - cute size too!  I rarely go thru a whole lipstick so again a mini is great!  Full size - $22 My size $6.50 ??  I think it's a little less than a third of a full size.

So here is all the stuff together~

Total value - $43.99

Ipsy is only $10 a month it's the only subscription I do - and I am always pleased!  Can't wait to see what others got!


What would be your favorite item?

Jasmine

Inner Beauty Friday! Book Club!

Hello,

Happy Friday - and I am linking up with Heather from Blonde...Undercover Blonde for Book Club!




This week I read 2 books, both had a hint of the paranormal. 

First was "Sisterland" by Curtis Sittenfeld:


Here is the synopsis from Goodreads.com: "From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar “senses”—innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them.

Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down in the suburbs to raise her two young children. But when a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. After Vi goes on television to share a premonition that another, more devastating earthquake will soon hit the St. Louis area, Kate is mortified. Equally troubling, however, is her fear that Vi may be right. As the date of the predicted earthquake quickly approaches, Kate is forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she’s long tried to deny."

My thoughts:  I loved her earlier book "Prep", it was so descriptive and just spot on.  Sisterland felt a little disconnected.  Maybe it's because I don't really like a "whiny" main character - maybe I wasn't supposed to like her.   It was an ok story, but not a knock out like her previous work!

I know, I'm so hard to please!  But I don't want to say a book was great unless it really was. 


Next up :"The Mystery of Grace" by Charles de Lint

 

The synopsis from Goodreads.com: "On the Day of the Dead, the Solona Music Hall is jumping.  That's where Altagracia Quintero meets John Burns, just two weeks too late.
Altagracia – her friends call her Grace – has a tattoo of Nuestra Señora de Altagracia on her shoulder, she's got a Ford Motor Company tattoo running down her leg, and she has grease worked so deep into her hands that it'll never wash out.  Grace works at Sanchez Motorworks, customizing hot rods.  Finding the line in a classic car is her calling.
Now Grace has to find the line in her own life.  A few blocks around the Alverson Arms is all her world -- from the little grocery store where she buys beans, tamales, and cigarettes (“cigarettes can kill you,” they tell her, but she smokes them anyway) to the record shop, to the library where Henry, a black man confined to a wheelchair, researches the mystery of life in death – but she’s got unfinished business keeping her close to home."

My thoughts:  Now this book wasn't the most "intellectual" but it was a good story.  If your looking for something light, but a little different and a touch of the "underworld" - you will like this.  It was a fast read, with nice characters and I look forward to reading more books by him.

Until next week!

Jasmine

Tales from the Scale

Hello,

Today I wanted to do a little update on my healthy living and exercise regimen. 

So the scale hasn't moved a LOT - but I'm down about 6 lbs in 4 weeks so that's good!  And my pants definitely feel looser in the thigh hip area!  YAY! 

I thought changing my diet would be hard - but it actually just takes a bit of planning and I feel so much better.  Here's some of my healthy eating tips!

• Greek Yogurt and fruit make a great breakfast and it has lots of protein
• Ruby Red Grapefruit is nature's candy!  I haven't had an actual piece of candy in 26 days (not that I'm counting)
• Tilapia can be made a lot of different ways - and is good bang for your calorie buck.
• Broccoli raw is my favorite and SOOOO good for you, but if you hate broccoli try to eat more raw carrots.  They are full of vitamins and the crunch is satisfying. 
• Salad with lean protein and low calorie dressing is always a good choice. 
• Don't eat after 9pm, just don't

 

 

As for exercise my Fitbit is key!  I now know I am WAYYYY less active than I thought I was.  It's the reality check I need each day to make sure I get on the elliptical, or take a bike ride, or even just take the steps when ever I can. 

 

I also didn't realize I was only sleeping 6 hours a night - I always thought I went  to bed earlier than I actually do and slept more soundly.  By making some changes (white noise helps drown out my cat playing all night), a fan on me keeps me from getting too hot, I can get 8 restful hours. 

 

 

It's not all smiles and rainbows, but I know what I'm putting in my body now and I definitely am getting more out, and if I end up looking like a supermodel in the end - well that's just a bonus :)

 

 

Any tips for me?

 

 

Jasmine