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Quote of the Month:

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney
{Past Quotes}

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Celebrities and Body Image

The world is a screwed up place.

People expect celebrities to be perfect examples of what the human race should look like. Thin, but not too thin. Buff, but not too buff. I'm not a celebrity stalker. I don't watch shows like TMZ or read tabloids, but, like most people, I hear quite a bit about the lives of celebrities; I see their images everywhere. When I'm standing in line at the check out there are magazines there with just a tid-bit of information there about what's going on the world of famous people on their covers. You see pictures of celebs that are "too fat!" or "too thin!" and it makes me wonder, who are you to judge these people? Why should I care if someone I don't even know is a little pudgy?

A while back I liked Sally Hansen on Facebook (I really like their nail polish). I hadn't really paid any attention to their posts until they posted up a picture of Ashley Tisdale and I got a glance on the comments.


A ton of the comments were crap about how she's too skinny. I love how people will judge other people about being too fat and then, once they lose the weight, berate them for being too skinny. A few people went as far as to say "she looks like she needs a cheeseburger." Seriously? In this photo she looks the same size, if not bigger, than I am. There aren't ribs or any other bones visible. She isn't a stick figure. The way I see it, people are simply jealous. 

I was about to say "hypothetically", but we'll just go with any random celebrity. A picture is taken of them at a not so flattering angle. The whole world then starts to point out how they're too fat and should lose weight because they're setting a bad example for children. That celebrity then starts to feel super self-conscious and the only way to feel better about themselves is to start losing weight. People keep claiming they're too fat until there is hardly anything left of them. Then comes the "Oh! Now she's too skinny! What a bad example for our children! We don't want them to think they have to be that thin!". 

And that seems to be the trend lately. Sure, there are a few celebs who really could "use a cheeseburger," but most of the time when I see people bagging on celebs is because they're normal sized. I'm not talking about the distorted "normal" that most people talk about now (that's for another blog post), I'm talking people who are actually in shape and taking care of their bodies. Nowadays if a celebrity is at all skinny, people seem to think they're too skinny. 

These comments make me so angry. People are so obsessed with body image, and a lot of the time so unhappy with their own, that they take it out on people they don't even know. Before you judge someone for looking a certain way, look at yourself and the way you take care of your own body.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

I Get to Have my Cake and DRINK it Too!

This is not your grandma's vodka.

Vodka has changed; it's not just vodka anymore. There are so many crazy flavors! The craziest has got to be the new line by Smirnoff (yes, I know other brands have similar ones) which includes Iced Cake, Fluffed Marshmallow, Kissed Caramel, Whipped Cream and Root Beer Float. If you haven't tried these, I know what you might be thinking, "Eww! Vodka that tastes like cake?!" It is crazy to think about, but yes, it tastes like cake.

I was giving out samples of Smirnoff Iced Cake for my sampling job at Albertsons and I have tried it before, so I knew it tasted just like cake. I got a lot of people giving me crazy looks when I offered them cake flavored vodka. I assured them it wasn't as weird as it sounded and they tried it, and they all loved it. It's crazy to think about drinking cake, but it's totally delicious.

My recipe for "Upside Down Cake"
This is how I was told to mix the drink for work, and it's totally bomb:
Equal parts pineapple juice, orange juice, and Smirnoff Iced Cake.
To see the official recipe from Smirnoff, go here.


No joke, this stuff tastes just like an upside down pineapple cake. And I know it still sounds weird to be drinking cake, but trust me; this is amazing. I've had the cake and the whipped (yes whipped like whipped cream) one and they are both awesome flavors. If you're curious about what to mix with the whipped vodka, you can't go wrong with some orange juice! People describe the flavor as a 50-50 Bar (for those of you, like myself, who have never had a 50-50 Bar, orange sherbet ice cream is a good example of taste too).

I haven't tried the caramel, root beer float or the marshmallow, but I'm very excited to do so. Also very glad their website has drink recipes- otherwise I would totally be at a loss for what to mix them with! If these weren't so awesome, I would no be writing a blog about them. I tried my first Upside Down Cake last night and it was oh so good. Next on the list to try: Kissed Caramel.

These are so ingenious! Vodka will never be the same.

Ash



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles

From the makers:
Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles are proven to improve the way you feel in heels. The unique design helps prevent foot aches and pains caused by high heels two inches and higher. Plus, the ultra-soft gel arch shifts pressure off the ball of your foot while providing guaranteed all-day comfort.

On first look:
I've seen these before and I actually have some regular Dr. Scholl's For Her inserts that I use in my work shoes. I use them at work (where I have to stand for 4+ hours at a time) and I've worn them to Disneyland multiple times and I have to say, I love these things! I've been to Disneyland without any inserts in my shoes, and by the end of the day, my feet and back were always killing me. I tried out Dr. Scholl's, and now I"m always "gellin". Back to the High Heel Insoles, I was very interested in trying them because I'd had so much luck with the regular ones.


After using the product:
Wow. That's all I have to say. The shoes you see above are my newest shoes. I bought them near the end of last quarter to wear while presenting my senior project. I didn't have any inserts in them when I presented; I couldn't wait to get out of these shoes at the end of the day. They're super cute, but they're not very comfy after a while. I've been going around town looking for a job and I've been wearing these shoes. When I opened my Sunkissed Voxbox and saw them I was very excited to try them out! They work like a charm! I actually felt like I wasn't even wearing heels. No joke. I had to keep looking down at my feet to remind myself I was wearing my cute shoes. I don't know how they do it- maybe it's the arch support- but my feet felt uber comfortable. I thought it might wear off after a while, but I wore them for practically half the day and my feet were still okay (just for comparison, my senior presentation seminar was only like 3 hours).

Tips for use:
The size says it's Women's (sizes 6-10), but if you have a larger foot, like myself, it's a bit more tricky to get it in the shoe just right. The shoes above are size 9 1/2 and if I put the insole all the way to the back of the heel, the cushiony purple part at the toe doesn't really go where it's supposed to (ball of foot), so if you have larger feet, it's better to put the cushiony part where it's supposed to go and not worry about extra space at the heel. The middle part is more comfortable this way as well.

Verdict:
These things are amazing. Period. If you have shoes you love that just aren't that comfy, these are what you need.

If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles you can visit their website at www.drscholls.com/.


Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles from Influenster through the Sunkissed VoxBox Program!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics

Another review from my Influenster vox box:

From the makers:
Goody’s NEW Ouchless Ribbon Elastics offer you a unique hair tie to personalize your ponytail. As beautiful as ribbons but soft and stretchy too, these hair ties are “knot” your average elastic. New Ribbon Elastics are both comfortable and fashionable, plus look great in your hair or on your wrist.


On first look:
They're cute! I've heard of these before (not necessarily the Goody brand), and I've wanted to try them out. The packaging is functional. It comes with five! And the colors are quite pretty.

After using the product:
They're awesome! It does take some getting used to to get them in your hair (hold one end, pull the other through). They look really pretty though. Definitely more stylish than an ordinary pony tail. This is the first hairstyle (see photo below) I've done using the new ribbon elastics and I'm actually wearing one on my wrist right now! They really are pretty and they're stretchy- which is great. I know they're called ribbon elastics but I was worried they were just a bit of ribbon and was concerned as to how they would work, but they're so stretchy! And, this one on my wrist, not cutting off my circulation! I do keep mistaking it for my watch just because it's on the wrist I usually wear my watch on, but that doesn't subtract points :P


Verdict:
Please use them.They're pretty and functional.

If you'd like to find out more about them, please visit Goody.com.

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics from Influenster through the Sunkissed VoxBox Program!

Thank God For Small Miracles (and the UPS Store)

I got fired from The Picture People back in mid May. They loved me, but my sales average just wasn't high enough. Corporate made them fire me.

In a way, it was kind of a good thing. I now had a ton of time to focus on writing my senior paper (and I needed it). Chris assured me that I didn't have to worry about paying any bills until I was able to get a job again, so I wasn't completely stressed about it, but I don't like getting things for free (unless it comes in a voxbox of course (; ) and I hate not being able to really help out financially. Yeah, I can clean the house to my heart's desire, but I'm slowly running out of money. I did wait until the end of the quarter to start looking, because ohmygosh did I need that extra time to write my paper! Things were getting pretty tight as far as money goes, but today, something awesome happened.

I got up, did my morning routine and then got all dressed up in one of my best "I'm-going-to-get-a-job-today" outfits and headed out to the banks! I had picked up an application at Kern School Federal Credit Union two days ago, and the lady said that they do on the spot interviews if they're slow. So I showed up today and INTERVIEW! Boom. Confidence totally boosted. I decided to go to Chase Bank as well since I'd already filled out an app, and I got to talk to the assistant manager there which is always good. Then, on my way home I passed a UPS Store and something just screamed at me "Go in there!". I had extra resumes in my car with me, so I decided to go see if they're hiring or not.

When I walked in with my resume and introduced myself I heard someone in the back say "Today is your lucky day!" They interviewed me on the spot there as well! I really did feel lucky! I wasn't expecting much, but they were very interested in my Digital Arts degree from BC. The interview went well and they asked me to send over a portfolio of my work from BC. I went straight home to get things sorted and sent them an e-mail. For the rest of the day, (this all happened around 12:00) I kept bugging Chris (jokingly, "Chris, make the UPS guys call me!"). I really wasn't expecting anything so soon, but at 6:00 I got a phone call....

I start Monday! It feels just like Christmas! I know I shouldn't get too excited about it yet, but, I totally am. I had to go buy a black polo shirt to wear, so I made Chris go with me to Kohls and I am now ready for Monday (at least physically). Chris treated me to Starbucks, and now here I am trying to keep myself from bouncing up and down by typing this (:

And all I can think is "Thank you God!" Today was just a random decision to go out, and a completely random decision to walk into the UPS Store. Hooray! Haha, I can't wait for Monday!

A

In case you were wondering, this is the face I've been making all day (:

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Olay Fresh Effects {BB Cream!}

Yep, it's that time of year again! Influenster has deemed me worthy of another voxbox! Yay! This time around I received the Sunkissed Voxbox. It came with quite a few goodies in it. For those of you who don't know, Influenster is an awesome website that you can sign up for and every now and then they send out voxboxes full of goodies for you to try out for free. I know what you're thinking, what's the catch? The thing is, there is none. I've been in the Influenster program for over a year now, and I have not had to pay anything into it. They send you out products to try, you tell them what you think about them. The end!

Well, this time, the Sunkissed Voxbox came with Olay Fresh Effects {BB Cream!} (along with a few other things).

From the makers:
24-hour hydration and a splash of sheer color. This all-in-one skin perfecter, sunscreen, and tinted moisturizer evens tone and refreshes dullness, for flawless looking skin (available in two shades: fair/light and light/medium).
Retails at $12.99

My review:
So far I like it! I don't generally like wearing any sort of foundation or cover-up on my face just because I tend to touch it a lot haha, but I think I could live with this. I received the fair/light one... because I'm fair/light :P The first thing I noticed was the scent. It smells divine (and for those who know me, my actually being able to smell it is a big thing). I've had it on for a little over and hour now and there have been no negative side-effects! Yay! My skin feels quite moisturized and as for the tint, I like it because it doesn't completely cover me up. It helps to smooth flaws but doesn't try to mask them; I don't feel like I'm wearing a ton of crap on my face. The only problem with that is that just recently I had to go blow my nose and forgot I was wearing it and wiped a lot of it off my nose haha. But on the bright side, you can't hardly tell! Because it's a tint! Not a foundation! Yes!


Above is my "before and after". The before picture is a little blurry, sorry. It's very subtle, but there is a difference. I tried to stand in the same place to get the same lighting and everything. I've got some acne going on on my forehead, and the BB Cream definitely helped make that less noticeable. And the best part about all this is that it has SPF 15! It refreshes, brightens, evens tone, hydrates, smoothes, and protects! So far I'm liking this stuff, I just have to remember not to touch my face :P

After make-up (:
You can find out more about Olay Fresh Effects at their website here and you can also purchase it from Amazon.com. And thanks to Influenster for giving me this product to try for free!
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