Things I'm Loving 3/3/12

Laundry is getting done.  Papers will be graded.  Laundry lists will be completed and fulfilled.  Lesson plans will be written and projects revamped.  Material will be studied.  All before the end of the weekend.  I declare it so.

Suffice it to say, I need to set some ambitious goals for myself.  Instituting change is so ridiculously overwhelming fabulous, and it's my hope it works wonders on my attitude and my physical well-being.  That said, I thought it might make me smile to share a few things I have really enjoyed recently.

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1.  Olive oil.  The more I read about olive oil, the more I believe it is one of the most beneficial things any person could include in his/her life.  I use it in cooking and for flavoring, because it contains good fats that are beneficial for a number of health conditions (PCOS among them).

But it isn't just a food, either.  Olive oil is a pretty amazing moisturizer.  As I've gotten older, my skin will not hold moisture.  It doesn't help that I have adult acne to endure, and acne treatments aren't known for their moisturizing properties.  After a bit of reading and discovery, I stopped using Pro.Ac.tive and started washing my face with a mixture of olive oil, castor oil and tea tree oil.

So far, my face is more clear than it ever has been.  Break-outs happen less often.  My skin is more moisturized.  For more information, check out this site.

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2.  I'm a big fan of the Brocato line.  Most of the time, I use the Swell Volume products, and I think they are perfect for my fine, curly hair.  But in the last year or two, my hair has gotten extremely dry.  It was weird, because I've never, ever had issues with healthy hair.  My hair has always been strong.  I rarely get split ends.  Repeated highlighting and coloring didn't even seem to affect it.

Until recently.  When my hair broke after minimal highlights, I knew I had a problem.  My hair lacked moisture, so I went back to the line of products I trusted and looked for something specifically for dry, damaged hair.  I found Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Treatment, and within a week, my hair felt completely different.

Not only did it feel moisturized, my curl gained new life.  It had been flat and dull for a while, but this product changed that completely.  I leave it on my hair for about 5 minutes before I rinse, and then comb it out in the shower.  I highly recommend it.

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3.  My wretched skin makes the perfect foundation nonexistent.  Recently, I found Smashbox's Camera Ready BB Cream.  It's light.  It's moisturizing.  It doesn't sit on the top of my skin, and they have colors that match my transparent skin color.

Thank you, Smashbox.  Thank you.



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4.  Once Upon A Time.  I don't get to watch much television, because I don't have time to sit.  Sure, I turn the television on when I'm home and I putter around the kitchen--cooking and cleaning.  But actual watching time?  Minimal.

But I will make time to watch this show.  Thank heavens for the DVR.

5.  Church.  It's nice to be part of a vision.  And while it's painful, it's been a blessing to learn and feel the weight of conviction.

I'd been struggling for a while with what relationship was supposed to mean in Christianity.  God's call on my heart (particularly the call to move away from my carefully constructed egg of safety) was to move beyond the pew, outside the walls of the building and into the lives of people I loved.  I pray that call continues.

As encouragement, here's the video my church has been playing as a reminder regarding the importance of relationship:

"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:14).