HATE MAIL

Sorry to my readers that I haven't been blogging frequently. See I got married to my high school sweetheart I haven't been in contact with in over 10 years. Then a lot of drama started to happen right before our announcement of our pregnancy. Let's start by saying we have know each other since grade school attending most of the same schools over the years.

Participating in other programs in between school at the same time and socializing with each others family without even realizing. So the first time he attended my family's reunion he know a quarter of the people.

Just to make this clear my spouse and I didn't start speaking again until years after his divorce and his ex wife's remarriage. I was unsure to marry someone once divorce but since they had no kids, were not friends nor stayed in touch it seemed like their would not be much drama. Plus his charming, good looking and the fact were soul mates.

Well my husband received a call from his ex at his place of business. She knew were my spouse worked because her mom had told her and she found out he was married. We ran into his ex mother in law many many months ago my husband gave introductions.

The former mother in law, Angela and her bff seemed quite shocked that he had remarried.

Long story short Angela's actions and words didn't seem on the up and up. Not saying she wanted him back just she seemed miserable and resentful of his new found happiness. Like she was playing games and trying to cause us problems.

After several inappropriate behaviors such as a lot of hand touching that she displayed in front of myself and my husband. By the way my husband also remembers her touching his hand making a comment about how his hands looked. As well as displaying other inappropriate behaviors and ugly comments.

We decided as a team that this was not a person we want in our lives. Specially with a baby on the way we wanted boundaries and a good environment. I never once said anything hateful to her, no name calling, no fighting.

Angela was told how we felt about her actions assertively but gently. That we wish her the best and the time my husband shared with her was great but time to move on and give all he can to this our marriage.

She continued to text message my phone with her rude comments about my husband and their past. I asked her nicely to stop she didn't and I blocked her cell number. Then blocked Angela on facebook after she sent a message to my friend with a lot of hateful curse words.

Angela in order for me to be delusional I would have to not have text messages you sent my husband that support my claim your not trustworthy. That contradict every thing you left for me in your most resent message. That you just want a reaction and like drama in your life. It's apparent that it makes you feel alive and important. Why else are you still at it with contact?

If it was so innocent the flirting or your wish to be friends then why the lies afterwards? Remember when my husband told you he didn't like your over the top flirting at the wake? How you text message back that you did nothing wrong? Their was never to my husband any denial of your inappropriate behavior, but now the denial.

That your actions besides the touching didn't mean you want him and that your not that kind of person. How it was all very innocent and just your personality.

You asked my husband to be friends and further contact. So your saying then his a liar? You text my husband about further contact and being friends so you can't make me believe now that you never said that nor wanted to. Did you not send us a merry Christmas text message? If you didn't want anything else to do with him before he asked you to stop contact. Then why are their messages from you to my husband?


We asked you the first time in person not to contact us by cell or work phone only to the house phone. Meaning you didn't feel comfortable or the need to ever come over, call the house phone etc. Though you told my husband you wanted all of us to be friends and hang out.

My husband has proven himself worthy of trust. I have no doubts what so ever about my husbands integrity. I do however have serious doubt about yours ! My husband no longer uses my phone he decided it best after the way you have been behaving. I was lending him and now have the phone back in my possession so please forget the number for you will only be contacting Mrs.

My husband is the one that gently turned your offers down. I've got the text messages to prove it and saving face you are not in this case. At least your intentions don't seem honorable and we are allowed to our own adult mature interpretation to the situation.

I made that last comment because Brennan Angela's current spouse made the comment that my husband can't interpenetrate situations maturely. My husband is the type that wouldn't back me up on a lie. He also witness and interpreted the events as I did. His perception was similar to my own.


Well my friend received a strange and violate hateful message on facebook from my husbands ex. I was filled with lies and name calling of undesirable strong language such as witch but spelled with a B. A lot more then just calling me that name.


Remember Angela you were the one that kept contacting us and we did not initiate the contact. We did not ask you to be part of our lives, we didn't not call you at work or home. To try to be a part of my husband's life again is to be part of mine. You don't have to agree but that's just how it is for the rest of his life.

Her inclinations to be friends with my husband was just to try to create problems and undermine our relationship to give her pleasure. I base this on all her actions and words which I have not fully disclosed here on this blog. She is still very bitter about their divorce according to her messages.

Even though the divorce was many years ago, though she has remarried before my husband did she has yet to truly moved on. Moving on is letting go of your anger and letting go of my husband. Angela you have a right to your feelings but leave the past alone. We are no longer playing your games, you don't make the rules and our life choices are not our concern nor decision.

I have made a choice I choose not respond, not to let you get to me or your words, not let go of my power and not to hate. So I only say the following not to her but to my audience. Angela has given me a clear picture of who she really is and that she is not to be trusted.

Doesn't mean she's a bad person she just lies, starts trouble, doesn't respect our marriage and is very unhappy with herself.

I decided to not let her words get to me or think of her. I will pray for you to be happy. I will pray for myself to be able to forgive and forget. To learn to turn the other cheek. So I can be a better christian, mother, wife and person.

We are planning on the next phase of a wonderful life with our child and soon a house we will own. We will light a candle, pray for you at every opportunity we get, and wish for the two of you (Angela and her husband) only the best that life can offer. Life is too short and we only seldom get the chance to impress others with our kindness, compassion, humanity and love for our fellow person.

I trust this final goodbye will remind you of our best wishes and prayers for you every day of the rest of your lives. That you will remember us all the better. Blessing upon you and all that you endeavor! I forgive you, peace be with you, god bless.

Sincerely Me.

Thank to my readers for letting me share my life with you guys. More blogs and vlogs about makeup tips coming soon. Such as the modern smokey eye.

Summer Staples Fashion

To look fashion forward this summer you will need some key pieces. Some of these items are low cost and basic for any wardrobe while others are modern trend on some classics.

Must have colors are red, white, blue and a gold or yellow color. You may pair with neutrals and prints. The must have print is stripe this season of summer 2012. If your brave pair it with solids and a floral print design.

If your thing is to wear neutral colors try pastel or lighter colors of the above like pink instead of red.

Skinny belt a must have for most all outfits this year as well as large clutches and colorful bold jewelry. Cardigans, sweaters and bangles are in plus Color is in this season of this year 2012.

Another key staple to have is a white tank top. Pair two together if sheer and you can buy them at Old Navy or any other store. Try layering since this is a big trend to stay. You can extend the color in your wardrobe if you put a white tank or tee underneath a tank or top with color.

White pants or jeans are super hot again. Capri jeans are for a weekend casual look and pants more work related. Make sure they are not too thin, bright clean white, seams are also white and lean.

Wear thongs in a neutral or white matching color or otherwise wear a long top. That will cover up your butt so you don't show the no-no panty lines.

Strips are in such think nautical meets the Hampton. The modern trend with the nautical look is to dress it up a bit more. More style and femininity to your look so you look more refine and put together.

Example a strip shirt blue blazer and white pants. Yellow shoes with a red and white striped dress. Over size accessories like pearls, shades pairs with a colorful bag. Like yellow or green that acts as you neutral or a real neutral with texture.

Finger nail colors are bright but mostly showing up in lady like colors light pink or other shades of pastels. Wear lips are more bright where nail colors were before and dark shades not seen as much in fashion or movie stars.

As always being beautiful starts within. looking good can make one feeling good about yourself too. Exercise with cautious because of the heat, drink plenty or water and eat healthy. Use sunscreen, wear a hat, light color clothes when extreme heat if you must go outside. Cooler days dark clothing to help keep the sun from penetrating and finally wear shades. Get your checkup at your doctor and dental office regularly. Take care of yourself, love yourself and have fun this summer.

Basic Need to Know Makeup Tips

Clean skin is a must before using makeup and having the correct "tools" is a necessity. Invest in good quality brushes for your application, and use a good skincare range everyday. Using makeup is fun - Practice with color, balance, blending, light and shade, and you should look beautiful.

Makeup is applied to the face to improve appearance - to emphasis the good features and make defects less noticeable. Foundation creates a good contour to the face and gives a base for color harmony, conceals blemishes and protects the skin from weather, wind and the environment.

The smoothest way to apply a foundation is with fingertips - blending one section at a time. Then evenly blend around the jaw, and hairline with a small dry sponge. Translucent Powder lightly applied gives a refined velvety finish.

Blusher adds color and contours the face. Pick the right color in either cool or warm tones. Apply under the cheekbone structure brushing gentle slanting strokes up towards the temple. Be careful not to use too much.

Start light and build up color as needed (see pictures further on - coming soon). {Check LINKS below} Eyes can be made to appear larger or smaller through eye shading. Light brings out, dark conceals. Dark liner make eyes appear smaller where as light bigger. Light eyes don't need as much makeup or attention.

Keep eyeliner thicker at outside end of eye graduating to middle of eye with a thinner line. Apply Mascara, and eyebrow pencil with a steady hand. If you have dark circles under your eyes, don't apply eyeliner until dark circles are covered with concealer or else your eyes will become too dark.

The finishing touch is Lipstick, gloss or stain. This will last longer if foundation and powder is applied to lips or you wear a long lasting brand. Outline lips with a soft lip pencil and define the shape and prevent "bleeding" into tiny lines around mouth. Fill mouth with chosen color, using a lip brush for application.


With all applications use light strokes and lots of blending with correct brushes or sponge flusk. Apply Blusher with a little color on brush, and use soft circular movement of brush from cheekbone to ear. Check face shapes following for correct position.

Make the right choices for your makeup application based on mood and look for the day. bend a little and don't be the same every time you make up. The appearance of our skin and face changes season to season and even day to day, depending on our health, the weather, our mood, and many reasons ..... WHILE MAKEUP TRENDS COME AND GO, STYLE REMAINS. Keep it simple.

Following are great tips for perfect makeup, enjoy the experimentation. Bad makeup technique are unflattering and can make you look tired and haggard, whilst a good makeup can bring out your best features and take years off your face, and give confidence.

Here are a simple few tips:
* use toner on your face first and apply moisturizer, to enable better blending of foundation/concealer.

* work your liquid or cream foundation onto the face with fingers in circular motions, working one area at a time, say from forehead down one side of face, then down the other side with quick motion. Blend downwards and outwards with a dry sea or makeup sponge.

* concealer is best applied after foundation - apply small dots where needed and gently pat into the skin, then wipe with a sponge to remove excess. Concealer can be applied with a sponge flusk or lip brush using the tips. If you feel a little more color is needed add to the spots, and blend again with sponge.

* use Translucent Loose Powder to set the makeup using a large soft brush and dusting over the face quickly in a downward motion. If the skin is more mature just use powder in the T-Zone of forehead, nose and chin. Use a water base foundation instead of oil to eliminate extra moisture to skin or carry mini towels that adsorb oil.

* to work out where to apply blusher, place finger along bottom of cheekbone and apply blusher in soft circular motions above that area. Never apply below the bottom of cheekbones, nor past a line from the center of your eyes. refer face shapes - click here

* for a lighter much more natural look, after loading blush onto brush, tap end of brush lightly against your hand to remove excess, then apply.

*foundation over the eye lids provides a smooth matte base and it helps stop creasing.

* go for a "no-colour" eye shadow as a base, like a soft creamy shade "highlighter" and place this on lids up to brow bone. For most eye shapes the dark colors needs to be used on outer eye area and/or in crease. If you use too much, add a little "no color" or translucent powder.

* Don't use colors to match your clothes, go for colors that suit you and your overall complexion. Example eyes first, hair and skin next. Using neutral, smudgy colors will flatter your face and try to avoid mauve, and very pink shades, depending on your skin type and makeup skills.

Refer to EYE SHAPE link for method, and find your correct colours via a Colour Image Consultant.
* eyeliner should be applied close to base of eyelashes to make them look thicker. A soft pencil is easier to manage.

* keep the thicker look to outer edge and with elbow on table for stability, draw the line towards inner corner of eye, thinning as you go. On lower lids, after application, smudge slightly with sponge tip of shadow applicator for a softer more natural look.

* to determine the correct length of eyebrows hold a pencil at the base of the nose, align it to inside corner of eye, then angle it from the base or your nose to outer corner of eye.This shows where brows should start and finish. To keep tidy, brush with
eyebrow brush. Define with light strokes of a pencil OR add a little eyeshadow power on the brush.


As with eyelids, lightly applied foundation provides a wonderful base for lipstick and helps the color last longer. Color has the power to transform your face - and your mood - completely. Palettes of color in pure pastel shades and vibrant true colors offer choices for every woman to celebrate all her many facets of a very definite femininity.

The right lip color can make all the difference. If there's one cosmetic you should have in a wide range of shades, its lipstick. For color that clings to your lips, in radiant warm earthy tones and classic natural cool shades, both matte and gloss. Make sure your lips have been moisturized, and foundation/powder applied. Outline your shape with a lip pencil in natural or a toning shade to the chosen lip color.Apply lipstick with a lip brush.

Then blot by "kissing" a tissue held between the lips, then reapply more color. Choose color tones in either warm or cool tones to suit your complexion. Though will newer lipstick available in sheer you don't not have to blot nor worry that you have applied too much this the newer formulas. So unless you are using older full coverage formula's you will not have to blot.

If you have had your "Colors" done, you will know what shades to go for, but as an example if wearing a Red outfit, don't wear Pink, Purple or Orange lipstick because it is your favorite. Look for something in brown - red (flattering on all skin types), pink-red, or red red (blue red)- depending on your skin tone and age.

These links will lead you to more information on specific titles . (Links have been removed).


For hygiene it is best not to keep product beyond certain dates.... most women use the rule of thumb of 3-6 months for all makeup. Foundation 1 year but I'd say more like 3-6 months. Lipstick maybe 1 to 2 years if matte and no longer that 6 months if creamy or liquid, powder 2 years, mascara 3 to 4 months, shadow 3 month, blush 1 year at most and in dry enviroment.

ALWAYS keep brushes clean - wash very regularly in mild natural shampoo and let dry naturally. Sponges should be washed weekly and thrown out every 4 to 5 weeks. For ladies over 40 to 50 years of age, simplify your style - in clothes and makeup.

Blend more carefully, and make sure foundation is a good match for your skin. Use light reflexive makeup to minimum unflattering shadows. Use foundation in either non-drying mineral foundation, cream makeup or liquid foundation since other skin is generally dry. All information above is common sense and from years of experience. If I have forgotten anything please add your comments below. If moisture has gotten to your makeup or your in doubt please throw away after 3 months.

* Disclaimer: All info herein is for educational purposes only and not medical advice. Please speak with your health care provider.

How To Do Your Nails Fast

When you are in a rush, decisions have to be made. Prioritize. Do you shape or polish? Do you quick-dry or go the long, slow route? New formulas allow for snap decisions:

Speed-dry enamels are worthy of their name (you can open mail, search for keys, or put on your tightest long-sleeved shirt within seconds), but there's a downside: "As fast as they dry, that's as fast they chip," insists manicurist Elisa Ferri, so save them for emergencies. Eke a few extra days out of a fast-dry manicure by doing a daily touch-up with a quick-drying coat.

In the other corner, there are strong, chip-resistant formulas - the tortoise of the polish race. To pick up the pace of these tougher enamels, like That Girl's Nail Lacquer, carefully submerge freshly painted nails in a bowl of ice-cold water for 30 seconds to harden still-groopy polish.

Light or sheer shades are best for hasty manicures, Ferri says. "You can even get away with just a wide stripe down the center" rather than painstakingly painting the entire nail.

If a manicure is beyond the repair of a topcoat or two, face facts and call in the remover. You can keep single-use packets of nail polish remover (Cutex and Get Fresh make them) on hand so you can strip away color on the run.

When there is no time for polish, just clean underneath the nails, rub on a buffing cream, and shine them with a chamois buffer. Article take from some blog years ago.

Wire Work For Beginners

Create gorgeous necklaces and bracelets in the Art Deco style. Elegant and sophisticated. Jewelery Making For Beginners: I loved this article so much I want to share it with you but with credit to the author / writer. You can find this article at bottom of post.

Anyone who has not learned the wire work basic I suggest you do so. Jewelry making newbies love memory wire. The other choose is using softer metal like silver or gold filled. Make sure of the gauge size so its easier too work with. Buy a book or talk a class and try easy techiques with proper tools. Bead stringing is where most beginning jewelry makers start, and with good reason. Anyone who has wanted to work with metal but wasn't sure about how can learn in this blog.



For earrings, first decide what type of earrings you will make. For pierced ears I find fishhooks the easiest as you can buy these ready made and simply attach your earring design to them. I use head pins to make dangly earrings. Beads can easily be threaded onto them and the flat base leaves a smooth finish at the end of the earring. However, stud earrings and clip on earrings are also possible. You buy the backings for these and beads or designs can be glued into place. If you have the time and want more creative designs take old buttons or earrings (clipons) and glue them into your new designs. You can use them for a new ring or bracelet, even a necklace. For necklaces you require thread, at a thickness which fits easily through your beads. This needs to be strong, I use waxed linen thread but also nylon would be perfect. And you will need a method on fastening the finished necklace together. Jump rings are just small rings of metal which hook into bolt rings, which are the metal rings with the small lever to open and shut them.I recommend, but it is not essential, a bead board. These have grooves running around them and inch/centimetre markings so that you can easily measure and design your necklace before stringing it together, this avoids having to restring it to make changes or correct mistakes.The basic toolkit includes round-nosed pliers, flat-nosed pliers and flush wire cutters. These are for creating loops in the wire to attach the findings or other beads and for cutting the wire with a flat edge so as not to leave any sharp edges on your jewelery.



Next lay out your beads in the desired pattern and when you are happy, start by tying the jump ring (a complete circle of wire) onto one end then thread the beads onto your linen or nylon thread. Depending on the thickness of the thread a needle may be useful but note that the smaller beads will not always pass over the eye of the needle. You may find something called a jewellery needle, but this is just a needle with a small eye and is not particularly specialised for jewellery making.Be careful when adding the bolt ring (necklace fastening with the lever) to the other end. If you tie a necklace too loosely then the beads move around, too tightly and they bunch together. A small amount of practice may be required before you can feel how tight it should be. Earrings: Arrange the beads you want on a head pin then cut off the excess with the wire cutters leaving around 1cm above the beads. Then using the round-nosed pliers curl the excess wire into a loop and pinch closed if necessary with the flat-nosed pliers. Attach this to the base of your fish hook to complete the earring.



Once you have practiced with a few simple designs you will no doubt want to tackle some more complicated designs.One of the most effective designs is adding a pendant to a necklace, either a single pendant in a Y shape, or one longer and two shorter pendants at either side. Pendants may be added by using a head pin in the same way I described making earrings in the previous article. Or pendants can be purchased specially if you would like to use a certain charm like a butterfly or angel. Again be careful of the weight of the finished piece. I find 16 inches with a 1.5 or 2 inch pendant looks very nice.You could make an extra long necklace or a necklace with many strands. Maybe use invisible wire to make your necklace. Use rougher thread and tie a knot either side of the bead to make it stay and leave gaps between the beads.You can add two or three head pins with beads on to the fish hooks, making them various lengths. Maybe you could use an eye pin (which has a loop instead of a head on it) to add a larger bead at the top and hang other beads from that. Or use eye pins to make a string of beads to attach to the fish hook.You can buy the findings for chandelier earrings and add your own beads. Or buy cages for beads to make earrings or necklaces (though it is possible to make these yourself with wire work.)





The basics: Threading the bead onto the wire coil, then cut the wire, leaving 0.5inches or 1cm on either side. Using the round-nosed pliers curl these ends into a loop. Do this with several beads and you can link them together in a chain.Making your own eyepin: Cut the wire to your desired length. Flush cut the ends. Place one end of your wire at the back of the round-nosed pliers then curl it al the way round. Next, using the chain-nosed pliers bend the loop back towards yourself, this is called breaking the neck and should create a curve below the loop. Then to shape the eyepin, put the loop back onto the round nose pliers and bend the length of wire until it is straight. Do this at both ends if you wish.Making a spiral: Cut a length of wire depending on what size you want the spiral to be (if making two or more of the same size remember what length you used.) Next, using the tip of your round-nosed pliers curl the end of the wire into a tight circle. Then with the flat-nosed pliers grip tightly and curl the wire around on itself. To finish curl a small loop back the opposite way to enable you to attach it to you jewellery piece.Spirals can be made closed or open (open take a bit of practice to keep the space even). The open ones can also be made uneven, of course with short sharp movements. You can put beads on them, make smaller ones and attach them to larger ones. Hammer them flat.S-links: These are my favourite things to make. They are so simple yet look professional when done. Flush cut 9cm of wire, create two small loops at the ends of the wire, in opposite directions. Then, gripping the wire at the base of the small loop bend a larger loop in the opposite direction. Repeat this at the other end. If desired flatten the outer edges of the large loops with the chasing hammer.Of course there are many other shapes that can be made with the wire. Once you have mastered the basics you can use your imagination to invent your own shapes or there are many books available on the subject.

Coloring Your Eyebrows

This post is for beginners as you should not attempt to dye your eye browns even with a brow tint unless professional performed or you have much experience. Not only can dying or bleaching brows at home be unsafe but appear fake if not colored right. My tip is easy and no commitment only temporarily so if you don't like it just wash off or use a makeup remover.

If, like me, you have eyebrows that are a bit too pale in color you can easily make them darker. This technique is used to enhance your eyes unless your going for a less natural look. When applying mascara or an eye makeup always make sure you have excess powder under your eyes. If you're using loose powder, expect to make a mess. It easier to clean up fallen eyeshadow or mascara mess. Groom your brows with a clean mascara brush or similar tool. Move loose hairs into place and blend color for a more natural appearance.

Tools you will need:

Eye brow tweezers or wax kit, brow brush, gel or clear mascara, mirror and liner.

1. First get your eyebrows into shape by plucking or waxing and brushing. Groom your brows with a clean mascara brush or makeup tool such as a brown brush. I find brown brushes work the best. You can find tools that have a brown brush on one end and a lash brush on the other side. This tool allows you to style your brows by moving loose hairs into place and blend color for a more natural appearance. Next, find a powder eyeshadow that matches your coloring and using a brow brush, gently run the color through your eyebrows.
2. Don't apply too much, just enough to darken the brows. Try not applying color too dark or too light. To keep all the hairs in place, spray a very small amount of hairspray onto the brow brush, using clear mascara or grooming gel such for hair or brow and sweep that gently through the brows. When coloring your eye brows with powder it is best to use a flat angled brow brush. Apply color by following the natural shape of the brow.
   
3. I normally use light brown as that is my natural coloring, but if you dye your hair match your brown as close as possible. At the time I first wrote this post my hair was a dark brown color, as that looks natural with my normal hair coloring. So you may need to experiment a bit to find the correct shade for your eyebrows.
   

I prefer going a shade darker on my brow and not lighter it does not define your eyes as much in my opinion but try experimenting. When applying color stroke brow with light, feathery strokes, focusing on adding color to thinner areas. Avoid marking brows with too much color you don't want painted on brows.

I have also used brown or eye liners as well as mascara. When using a eyebrow liner make use it is a sharp eyebrow pencil. Mascara? Yes mascara. Others may say "Don't ever use mascara on your eyebrows as it is too thick and will make a mess"!

It may be true for some but if you have fine hair on your browns and was coordinated you will have no problem applying mascara to brown. When apply using a mascara apply to the inner edges first, area closer to the nose, then move to the outer. Note if you wish you may switch this direction to what suits you best and is easier.

If brows are untamed first apply a clear mascara instead of hair spray. Allow the clear mascara to dry first before applying one to two coats. This way you avoid tinting your clear mascara or messing up you browns. Don't not apply to heavy just enough to color.

• 4. Next, use your eyebrow brush/eyelash comb to brush out any clumps from the mascara. Brown or eyelash brush can be purchased most anywhere including your local drugstore.

Finally you can use any color eyeshadow to match or complement your hair not your outfit because that's outdated. I would suggest trying a little contrast in your eyeshadow. Remember when apply dark color to brows to use a color that is in the same family of your complexion. Such as your skin tone, coloring of your eyes face and natural hair. Go no more than a shade darker if you are new to makeup applications. Remember always skin is in.

Bad Foods vs. Good Foods: Find the Balance

Below you will find some good reasons to cut back on empty foods, along with some alternative options that are healthy and packed with nutrients. Remember that foods are endless, so if one replacement doesn't suit you, don't get discouraged. Once you make one good choice about your diet, you'll make another, and another, and another. It's that easy!

Bad Carbohydrates: carbohydrates that are bad are comprised of refined, simple sugars. These include wheat products, anything with sugar, and processed flours. Examples of bad carbohydrates include pastries, cookies, sweets, and some cereals (such as cornflakes or rice crispies). Because most of these flours and sugars are refined, they are stripped of most nutrients. As a result, food manufacturers incorporate supplemental vitamins and minerals that are not readily absorbed as naturally occurring nutrients are in the body.

Good Carbohydrates: carbohydrates are present almost everywhere. Fortunately, with the enormous variety of carbohydrates that exist, we can still make healthy choices while satisfying our cravings. To curb your carbohydrate cravings, go for fruits and vegetables, whole wheat or grain breads, and cereals and brown rice.

Bad Vegetables: veggies are not only delicious; they are easy on the digestive system and packed with tissue enhancing nutrients. Nevertheless, many people forget that in the process of cooking our vegetables, vitamins and minerals and weakened. If vegetables are boiled for a long period of time, all nutrients can be lost in the boiling liquid, making vegetables just as empty as fast foods.

Good Vegetables: To make the most of your vegetable intake, try to consume as many veggies as possible in their raw state. Instead of making white grain pasta with broccoli, try a cold pasta salad with whole-wheat noodles, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, and quinoa for a fully balanced meal. Dress with a natural, pure oil such as olive oil and incorporate some acid (lemon, lime juice, or vinegar) to ease digestion and supply vitamin C.

Natural Cures for Acne

Baking Soda
What it Does: baking soda is found in any supermarket and most drugstores. It is a powerful cleaner, antiseptic, and also - amazingly - used for baking cakes, muffins, and other goodies. When used on the skin, baking soda acts not only as a bacterial-inhibitor, but as an exfoliant. It gently sloughs away dead skin cells, which accumulate within and around follicles that later cause a plug.

Application: to apply baking soda as an exfoliant, mix about a tablespoon with a small amount of water to make a spreadable paste. Apply to your face gently, without pressing, in circular
motion. Baking soda is composed of millions of granules - the ones responsible for the scrubbing effects of its use.

Because of this, make sure to very gently massage the paste onto your skin for just 10-20 seconds to avoid ruptures and extreme dehydration. Rinse off with warm water and pat skin dry.

Tea Tree Oil
What it Does: tea tree oil is yet another one of nature's powerful antiseptics. It kills acne-causing bacteria and inhibits their propagation. Tea tree oil can be hard to find in some places, so if you're having trouble, try a health food store or smaller scale pharmacies. They are sure to carry it.

Application: tea tree oil can be used both as a spot treatment and an all-face application. For spot treatments, the oil is to be applied undiluted on the affected area using a q-tip. For whole face use, dilute the oil with another beneficial oil such as jojoba oil. The mixed solution in this case ought to be mainly jojoba oil, as tea tree oil is not only extremely powerful, its smell is strong and pungent like that of eucalyptus.

Controlling Dry Skin

Dry skin is a prominent aspect of acne and acne treatments. Whether you are breaking out because of your skin being dry or you are flaking in response to a treatment, controlling the moisture in your skin should be a priority.

Dry skin is characterized by having discolorations and uneven tone. Fine lines are accentuated and wrinkles become more visible when the skin lacks moisture. With dry skin, the elasticity of the skin is restricted and increases our proneness to follicle ruptures and lesions.

In response to a dry skin type, some people break out as their oil glands attempt to compensate by secreting higher quantities of sebum.

Acne treatments work by inhibiting oil glands in the skin and controlling the amount of sebum that is secreted into the follicle. Because of this, and especially during the first stages of a treatment where we are first responding to the medications applied, dry skin can be a major hit to how we perceive the treatment's effectiveness.

But fear not. Even though dry skin is unavoidable when treating acne, it generally subsides after the first month or two of treatment, when retained dead skin cells have been shed.

In the meantime, you can minimize dryness and soothe your skin in several ways:

(a) Drink plenty of water:
Like exercise, drinking enough water is essential to having a healthy lifestyle. Also, when suffering from acne, drinking water becomes particularly important. Drink at least two liters of water per day to flush away toxins, ease nutrient transport/absorption, and moisturize your skin. Since water is a transporting medium, drinking enough water will also accelerate tissue healing and body resilience.

(b) Use light-bodied but powerful moisturizers:
If you are using a lightweight face moisturizer, you can try switching to "all day moisture" humectants or to light, non-comedogenic face creams for dry skin. As an alternative, you can add a few drops of jojoba oil into your face lotion to reinforce its moisturizing power.

(c) Don't over wash your skin:
Over washing will lead to dry skin no matter what. Gently wash your face a maximum of two times a day for 10-20 seconds. Use a non-soap, non-comedogenic gentle foaming wash to prevent irritability and pore plugs.

Natural Cures for Acne Relief

Natural cures for acne guide.

Yogurt (makeup remover), a mixture of yogurt and honey can both cleanse and moisturize the skin.

A combination of one cup of yogurt to two and a half tablespoons of honey can be used to remove makeup. Just put a small amount of the mixture on a cotton ball and smooth it over your skin until all cosmetics have been cleaned off. Rinse off and pat skin dry.

Niacin
What it Does: niacin is a part of the B vitamin family, and has only recently been linked as an acne combatant. Niacin works in the body by neutralizing free radicals and detoxifying cellular tissues. In addition, it is a powerful cellular regenerator and enhances cell metabolism. Application: niacin is taken as an oral supplement. Take two times the directed amount for 1-2 months for best results.

Avocado
What it Does: avocado is known to contain omega-3 fatty acids, a powerful moisturizer. If you're suffering from dry skin and flaking due to a rigorous acne treatment or regimen, using an avocado mask can restore your skin with much needed humectation.

Application: mash up a half avocado and smooth over skin. Allow to act for 20 minutes or until dry. Rinse off and pat skin dry. You feel your skin tightened, elastic and radiant.

Egg Whites
What it Does: egg whites contain high levels of protein, which makes them suitable to be used as a mask for the purpose of skin regeneration. The whites also absorb impurities and excess oil secreted by the skin, regularizing its oiliness and reducing breakouts.

Application:
Separate the yolk from the white - one egg will do. Whisk the white briskly and apply it to your face using your fingertips or a cotton pad. Allow the mask to dry for about 15 minutes. Gently rinse the egg off with warm water and pat skin dry.

Yoga's Cognitive and Psychological Effects

The pros of Yoga in terms of acne relief are especially marked in the intense relaxation response that this exercise triggers. Since acne is exacerbated by even the most minimal amount of stress, an exercise that can relax you while toning your muscles is the perfect alternative for an acne-prone individual.

This relaxation response has wonderful effects on the body, as it allows it to slow down and focus within its function. In addition, this provides a break for the mind, allowing it to unwind and experience the pleasant feeling of muscles and internal functions relaxing into their habitual positions.

Acne has the marked effect of causing emotional pain in many of its sufferers. It can lower self-esteem and cause social withdrawal that only worsens stress levels and the acne itself.

Because of this, yoga's relaxation effects on the mind, as well as the improvement that it reflects on our bodies helps increase self-acceptance and reduce mood swings, while lowering incidences of anxiety, depression, anti-social behavior and hostility.

Yoga also improves brain functions and cognition, easing movement and flexibility, awakening reflexes, and reducing our reaction time. Since yoga is a strong cognition enhancer, it is used as an anti-aging exercise to slow down the effects of aging and maintain efficient cognitive functions and motor skills.

Memory has shown to be improved with regular yoga exercise, as learning has been proved to be facilitated with its practice.

Even though it can be hard to believe that such a simple workout that anyone can do could have such amazing effects, don't be skeptical. It's true. Jump on and try some yoga today - there is nothing better to treat the whole body.

Are You Doing These Things To Stay Clear?

Go Natural: Avoid processed foods at all costs. Canned, packaged, dried, frozen…all these foods have been cooked for hours to maximize flavors at the lowest possible cost. That means that they are packed with empty calories, little nutrients, and zero enzymes to metabolize, absorb, and assimilate any vitamins or minerals they could contain. Processed foods are also packed with preservatives, dyes, sodium, and flavor enhancers.

All these foreign substances put extra strain on your body, providing it with no nourishment and taking away from its healing time and energy. If you must select processed foods, select those that have short lists of ingredients and are labeled as "all natural." These are the least likely to cause damage to your body.

Avoid Inflammatory Foods: There are certain foods that will only worsen your acne and overall health. Drinks like coffee or anything containing caffeine, alcohol, cream, milk, eggs, and other dairy products are strenuous on the body and require extra effort to metabolize. Fried foods, spicy foods, animal fats, hydrogenated oils, wheat, and soft drinks are also best to stay away from.

Maintain a Consistent Skin Care Regimen: We've all gone through the nightmare of searching for the right product for our skin type. But in the hype of discovering the miracle cream, we forget to give our skin time to adjust to the effects of the new product. By all means, try everything you must before settling for a skin care regimen. Just allow the testing to be done over an extended period of time to truly evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.

Your skin is very sensitive, especially if you are suffering from acne. Remember to be consistent with your routine, and as gentle as you can on your skin.

A Recap of What We've Learned

Eat Healthy: select easy to digest foods that are high in nutrients. Stick to natural choices like fruits and vegetables, grains, and whole cereals.

Drink Plenty of Water: water not only keeps your skin elastic and glowing, it is a means of transport for nutrients to be absorbed and assimilated into the body. Drink at least two liters of water per day.

Maintain a consistent skin care regimen: once you find a regimen that is good for your skin, stick to it and observe its effects. Make sure to keep a routine so that maintaining consistency is not an issue.

Try one treatment at a time: acne can be troubling and frustrating when we can't seem to get rid of it with anything. But sometimes, we are too impatient to wait for results. Remember that acne mainly occurs due to a prolonged unhealthy lifestyle, so allow a good amount of time for those effects to be undone. Give treatments time to work before switching up, and don't get discouraged about peeling- it is a temporary, and clear sign that the medication is working.

Exercise: whether you do yoga or play racquetball, maintaining an active lifestyle and working out your body helps in tissue repair and resiliency. It is also a powerful therapy to clear the mind of daily troubles and stressors, and improves sleep, mood, and stamina.

Find Balance: don't let your acne get you down. Finding time to unwind and hang out with friends is essential to our well-being and overall health. Withdrawing yourself at home can seem like a
more simple, less stressful choice. But take into account that behaviors turn into habits, and over time habits become hard to break.

Dealing with Scars

Scars are a prominent issue when it comes to acne, and they can pose an even bigger threat to our self-esteem than the acne itself. Nevertheless, many acne scars generally go away almost entirely within a year of being acne-free. In many cases, where scars are persistent or if we are trying to accelerate the skin regeneration process, there are several natural alternatives to laser and painful cosmetic treatments that we can resort to.

1) Reduce exfoliation: scars result from a lack of tissue, over-pigmentation, and ruptured follicles that arise from acne. If you are still breaking out, minimize exfoliation as much as possible. Even though exfoliation with abrasives such as sponges and micro particles help the skin shed dead skin-cell accumulation, it also causes scarring by rupturing follicles, and aids in the cross-contamination of acne bacteria in different areas of the skin.

Exfoliation can also remove new skin cells on scar tissue, slowing down its regeneration and in many cases, worsening the scar altogether. Allow you skin cells to renew themselves and use natural exfoliants such as vinegar solutions, lemon juice, or alpha hydroxy acids. These are non-abrasive and gentle on the skin.

2) Don't pick: as is the case with exfoliation, picking on acne lesions ruptures follicles, collapsing its contents (bacteria and pus) into surrounding skin. Their rupture can result in the worsening of the acne lesion, inflammation, and infection. When you use your fingers to pick, not only are you breaking the follicle walls, you are incorporating bacteria and dirt that worsens the conditions of the lesion. This is a terrible habit that causes scarring to become worse, and sometimes, permanent.

3) Use regenerative topicals: natural topicals such as Aloe Vera, olive oil, and Retin-A help the skin regenerate more rapidly, reducing acne scars and strengthening tissues.

4) Laser and Cosmetic Procedures: as a last resort, you can experiment with cosmetic scar reducing methods such as laser and chemical peels. Always consult a doctor first, as they can enlighten you on what is best for you particular case.

Finding a Good Skin Care Regimen

Everyone has different schedules. But fitting a good skin care regimen into your daily routine must be done. Whether you wake up early or are working the graveyard shift, you ought to find a few minutes to take proper care of your skin.

Step 1: Brush
Teeth FirstIt's important to do this first, so that once we tackle our face, it doesn't come in contact with any toothpaste residue or mouth bacteria.

Step 2: Wash Hands
Removing oil, bacteria, and other residues is important to prevent cross-contamination.

Step 3: Wash face
Wet your face with warm water and proceed to wash your face. Use a non-soap, non-comedogenic, oil-free gentle cleanser. Lather your face very gently. Don't rub the face wash into your skin as you would be washing dishes. Your skin is very sensitive, especially if you are suffering from acne, and it is prone to breakages and follicle ruptures. Rupturing a follicle causes a small lesion to become bigger and inflamed, making it more likely for scars to persist.

Step 4: Pat Dry
Again, don't rub your skin dry. Simply pat it to remove excess water, and allow it to air dry for 5-10 minutes before applying any topical. Have some cereal, check your schedule, make a phone
call - just go about your day.

Step 5: Wash Hands

Step 6: Apply Medication
After 5-10 minutes, you can proceed to apply the acne medication of your choice (or your doctor's). The most common acne medication used is Benzoyl Peroxide, but there are other options such as salicylic acid.

Make sure to be extremely gentle while applying the medication, covering all the area of your face (even if you aren't breaking out there). Don't rub the cream in; simply smear it to cover every inch of your face. You should notice your skin looks "wet" after application. Wash your hands and allow the cream to absorb for 10 minutes.

Step 7: Moisturize
Apply moisturizer as directed in step six. Allow to absorb for at least five minutes before applying make up.

Do this regimen twice a day, ideally morning and night. Remember: over-washing your face worsens acne, so don't fall prey to this bad habit.

Help Your Skin Clear with These Tips

Sugar Down: sugar is probably the worst food to put in our bodies. It is like a plague, as it is readily found in most processed products, and even in natural foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and even meat. Sugar, especially in high amounts, causes our bodies to experience hormonal imbalances that compromise immunity.

As is the case with moderate to severe acne, a sugar overload can not only give rise to acne, it prevents it from healing, as white blood cells are debilitated and unable to effectively fight acne causing bacteria. Sugar also feeds unwanted yeasts, such as Candida, that grow in our colons.

As a result, our digestive system is compromised, inhibiting the effectiveness of nutrient absorption, worsening our immune response, and ultimately resulting in poor waste management. When the body can't rid itself of waste due an infection due yeast like Candida, that waste isn't metabolized correctly in our systems. As a result, symptoms arise such as oil over-production (acne), hair loss, excessive sweating, wax build, and fluid over-production.

Drink Enough Water: Drink at least two liters of water a day to flush out toxins and help the body cleanse itself.

Do the Dairy Test: try eliminating all dairy products from your diet for 3-4 weeks. You could be experiencing acne that occurs as an allergic response to lactose-based foods, as is the case with dairy products. If you notice that upon introducing this change your skin clears up, it's a clear sign that you are not able to process lactose as you should.

Load Up on Yogurt: if you are not allergic to dairy products, take advantage of soured products such as yogurt, sour cream, and certain cheeses, which contain probiotic bacteria that enhances the body's ability to rid itself of waste.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

Even though dermatologists have long said that diet is not related to acne, today we have evidence proving that what we eat not only affects our overall health, it can also affect our skin.

Considering that skin is the largest organ in our bodies, it would be silly to assume that what we put in our bodies will not reflect on our skin.

The skin makes up for 16 percent of our body weight. It is responsible not only for the protection of our organs and tissues, but it helps the body rid itself of waste, working alongside the kidneys, lungs, and colon. The skin reacts to our body's conditions and it reflects mainly on two things: (1) whether we have the necessary nutrients to sustain healthy living functions, and (2) how healthy our living functions are.

It is known that foods like sugars, carbohydrates, processed foods, preservatives, heavy diary products, and junk food all have adverse effects on our bodies. They not only promote mucus formations in the colon due to their yeast feeding qualities, they interfere with the proper cleansing of our systems, making us strongly retain toxins and waste.

One of the worst foods for acne is sugar. It is a devilish food, as it is present in almost everything that we eat, making it very hard to avoid.

Sugar and related sugars (such as carbohydrates) impact our body by altering the glucose levels in our blood. This detonates an insulin response, which makes our blood levels to drastically drop. When we eat more sugar than we are supposed to in a day, the insulin response is triggered constantly, thus affecting other hormones in the process. This generates an important hormonal imbalance that leads to the overproduction of oil and sebum in skin oil glands. The oil plugs our pores trapping bacteria within it, and the follicle results in a skin lesion.

If we maintain a diet that is filled with foods that cause this chain reaction, skin lesions would be more frequent flare-ups known as mild, moderate or severe acne.

A Few Quick Facts About Acne

Fact #1: Acne does not result from poor hygiene habits but from an internal imbalance, generally caused by nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances that affect the overall function of our body systems.

Fact #2: Acne affects about 80 percent of Americans and has higher incidences in men and teenagers. Hispanics and Latinos are the ethnic groups with highest incidences of acne, while Africans and African-Americans are the lowest at risk.

Fact #3: Acne originates from an infection of acnes P. bacteria, hence the name acne.

Fact #4: While all lights have antibacterial properties, UV and blue light are known to be the most powerful bacterial fighters for the skin.

Fact #5: A prolonged unhealthy diet gives rise to candidae yeast growth in the colon, mucus linings, increased oil secretions, and inhibited bodily functions that in turn make way for acne.

Fact #6: Over 40 percent of American teenagers consult dermatologists for acne treatments.

Fact #7: Higher incidences of acne in men occur due to the elevated levels of androgens that produce. Androgens are responsible for the overproduction of oil and generation of acne-causing
bacteria that gives rise to comedones.

Fact #8: Aloe Vera has been used for centuries as a skin regenerative gel and topical pain reliever. It can be used on acne scars to accelerate healing time and encourage cell growth.

Fact #9: Vinegar and lemon juice can be used as natural medications to inhibit bacterial growth, dry skin, and reduce oil production. Just apply after washing and allow to act for 10 minutes.

Fact #10: Moisturizing two times a day will not make you break out. As long as you use a noncomedogenic lotion, the moisturizer will encourage cell growth and tissue regeneration while maintaining healthy moisture levels in your skin. This keeps your oil glands under control.

Keeping a Balanced Diet

As an adult with acne, you probably remember breaking out during puberty. Back then, when our bodies were young and resilient, we couldn't overload on chocolate without experiencing a break out. It was easy then to identify the causes of our acne. When we are young, are bodies are pure and healthy. Resilience to stress is easily maintained and bodily functions (other than hormonal changes) are intact.

Once acne develops, breakouts become an everyday thing, making it hard to determine the cause of our condition. We don't know whether it was that chocolate bar we ate after lunch or the unexpected meeting with the boss that gave us the jeepers.

While turning back time to our young days isn't an option, there are things that we can do to purify our body and start our relationship with it from scratch. A prolonged toxic overload will affect every single system in your body. If you are experiencing breakouts, you might also be sweating excessively, producing excess oils, or having sinus problems and an over production of wax in your ears.

These are all means of the body to rid itself of the toxic substances and waste that becomes accumulated in your system. Because of this, having a balanced diet is essential to keeping waste levels in the body under control. If you surrender to fried foods, animal fats, sugar, dairy, and caffeine on a daily basis, then you are putting more waste into your body than it can handle.

Feed your body with nutrient-rich foods that are easy to digest. Keep a high fiber diet with fats in the form of pure vegetable oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil, and canola oil.

Eat fruits and vegetables every day. Try to eat them raw as often as possible to take full advantage of their nutritional properties.

Also, reduce or totally eliminate sugars in your diet. Yeasts feed on undigested sugars, making our colon more prone to the development of candiadiasis.

Eat protein-based products that are easy to digest. Meat, for example, is high in protein but is also loaded with hormones, animal fats, and toxins. As an alternative, resort to proteic sources such as fish and organic chicken breasts, or stick to grains like quinoa and soybeans.

Natural Ingredients that Soothe the Skin

You probably know that acne can be expensive to keep under control and that its treatment can be loaded with synthetic chemicals. However, there are all natural and affordable options that you can resort to if you'd like a cheaper, healthier alternative. Just as is the case with cosmetic products, finding the right fix can take time, trial, and error. Nevertheless, the natural cures we have compiled for you cost a marginal fraction of what their synthetic competitors go for, so you won't be counting pennies to test them all. Take a look for yourself. This is just part one!

Vinegar
What it Does: vinegar, in all its forms, can be applied to the skin to kill acne-causing bacteria and inhibit their propagation. Vinegar also stabilizes the pH of your skin, improving complexion and reducing blemishes by modifying bacterial growing conditions. While the most popular type of vinegar used topically for natural acne treatments is apple cider vinegar, any type of vinegar will do.

Application: To apply vinegar on acne affected areas, dilute it with water. For milder cases of acne, a dilution ratio of 1:8 parts vinegar to water is effective. For more severe cases, you can dilute the vinegar with less water, say 1:4 or 1:3 parts vinegar to water. Once you've mixed your solution, use a cotton pad to apply it to your entire face. If you want to prevent dryness in unaffected areas, only pat acne-affected areas with the solution. However, remember that acne tends to be transferred from one location on the face to another, so you might want to treat the whole area to prevent breakouts in unusual spots.

Toothpaste
What it Does: toothpaste is used as a spot treatment to kill bacteria and dry out acne lesions. Toothpaste also reduces inflammation, but it can cause long lasting burns on the skin if not applied correctly.

Application: Using a q-tip, dab a small amount of toothpaste on the affected area. Remember this is a spot treatment, so you should use very little amounts on noticeable red marks and inflamed papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts. Allow the toothpaste to dry off completely. Depending on your climatic conditions, this can take over an hour. Gently rinse off with warm water and pat dry.