The Last Day of my Summer Vacation

Well it's official. This evening marks my last day of freedom enjoying my summer vacation. Tomorrow I am back to work to start the 2013-14 school year. This July wasn't the jump start that I wanted it to be in regards to a different me. I mainly took this time to just veg aka blank the hell out. I got in a few walks here and there but no gym time... My mind has been a heavy mush as I try to figure out and prioritize what I want to accomplish for this upcoming year.

Hell if I can go to work tomorrow and just not zone out I will call it a big accomplishment. I know I will need to go into an automatic zone just get things ready for the registration days.... I should be ok though, hopefully I haven't forgotten my passwords to my cpu..

Well tomorrow is August 1st and who knows maybe it will be a new beginning for me besides returning back to work. 

But until  midnight strikes......

 


Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

Color Me Rad 5k 2013 St. Louis MO

Well this morning I participated in my first Color Me Rad 5k. I had gone the day before to pick up my goodies at the Gold's Gym in Florissant, MO.

Trying for a more natural ingredients skin regimen

 

What toxic chemicals are in your beauty & skin regimen?

In my quest to use more natural products, I was looking into products for my face. For the longest time I used a lot of different major cosmetic lines to take care of my face. Lancome, Christian Dior, and others but slowly stopped using them after finding out about the ingredients in them. So for the longest I was checking out the various natural websites and concluded that the best ingredients at least for cleanser would have to be refrigerated and as much as I enjoy trying out new DIY recipes I just didn't feel like I had the time to make something like that on a regular basis. So I decided to stop by a store called The Natural Way.  Once inside I was just amazed at the selection of products that they offered.

So after speaking with a salesperson there that gave me some great information I left with some products to try out and I must say after using them for almost 2 weeks my skin loves them.

For my cleanser I use a brand I'm familiar with, Desert Essence. This particular product is for combination/oily skin.

   Desert Essence®  Tea Tree Oil Thoroughly Clean Face Wash for Oily/Combination Skin  32 fl oz

Now what is kinda of funny is that I bought the bigger version of the product and didn't realize it was actually a refill bottle. This is what the original regular use bottle looks like.

   Desert Essence®  Tea Tree Oil Thoroughly Clean Face Wash for Oily/Combination Skin  8 fl oz

 So I decided I was just going to convert my 32 oz bottle into a regular use one with  a pump. I went on Amazon and bought a few pumps and they came in the mail today so after I got home I did some measuring and cut off a small portion of the tubing and was able to get a perfect fit. Find the information on the pumps --> here.

For toner the sales lady suggested I try Witch Hazel but an alcohol free version. I decided  I wanted to try one with a pleasant scent to it and since at the time they didn't have the lavender version I opted for the Rose Petal version instead.

Thayers, Rose Petal Witch Hazel, with Aloe Vera Formula, Alcohol-Free Toner, 12 fl oz

For the moisturizer in the past I had used a product from Lancome that unfortunately had been discontinued years ago, afterwards I started using a product from Christian Dior that I simply adored but paying so much for so little I simply just couldn't deal with anymore and of course the ingredients were another issue as well. So I was quite pleased that the sales lady informed me that the coconut oil that I was using in my hair products also would make a great moisturizer for my face. I was bit hesitant because I already have oily/combination skin I wasn't sure how that would take. But shockingly so, it has done wonders for my face. I've noticed that my oil isn't producing as much as it normally would. My skin feels balanced out.

THIS is the Coconut oil that I use in my hair products and now on my skin

Now for eye treatment I use vitamin E oil from Trader Joe's. After I moisturize I just follow up with some dabs around the eye area and massage in. 

 Now every now and then I know I need to exfoliate my skin and the product that was recommended to me was from NOW. I use this about once to twice a week. 

Once a week I do a mask on my skin using BRAGG's Apple Cider Vinegar and  Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask . It feels weird as hell especially when it tightens up so word to the wise if you try this on your face make sure your face is relaxed as MUCH as possible and get ready to not laugh for at least 5-10 minutes and that is just to see how long YOU can keep it on your face. But once you wash it off and finish up with the rest of my routine, my face feels like butta.

 Talk about feeling like a new woman;)



SIDE NOTE: For those in the Saint Louis area, I tried to map out a few stores that deal mainly with natural & organic products. Please click on the link here.

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

July 3rd was a good day....and so were the past few days after that

 
July 3rd

So yea I know I'm late with the food pics. Forgive me, I've been a busy chica Overall I slaved over the grill from 8am to 8:30pm. Smelled like all smoke when it was done, but damn the food was pretty and it tasted wonderful!!!

After it was all said and done, 

July 4th

What did I do? Well I tried to clean the bar-bq pits and met up with a tad bit of problem....

Click on the link to find out: http://instagram.com/p/bWNsvSRtrZ/

 Did get out into the streets for a while. Was even going to go out and enjoy fireworks but then I was hearing gun shots and I was like...... uh-uh.



July 5th

So then THIS time I made sure the pits were ok to clean.....and after doing that for a few hours, did some other house things around the house. Then my parents and I went to the movies to see the new Lone Ranger movie.....let me just say that it sucked.....epically. My dad and I originally had plans for the following day to see another movie just to get that one out of our heads. Didn't happen though. 


July 6th

In the morning I decided to go to the zoo and get some exercise in. Loved it!!!  

http://instagram.com/p/bbil6_RtoM/

Couldn't believe the strollers people were leaving at one of the train stations in the zoo, I hope they were there when they got back!!

That evening I hooked up with one of my best friends Mina. She and I go WAY back, I'm talking Kindergarten. I picked her up and I tell ya I had a blast. We started off at Ginger Bistro and got a drink. Which I might add her drink was wonderful, my drink tasted like Cherry Robotussen and it was jacking up my stomach. Afterwards we went to Tani Bistro in Clayton and enjoyed some sushi. We were talking so much we didn't realize that they had closed and we were the last people still in the place. So I dropped her off back at home and promised we would get together again soon. 

http://instagram.com/p/bcyn3TRtpP/


Afterwards I went out to Erny's 32 and listened to another best friend of mine, Trenton aka SpontaneousMixx work the turntables for a hour before calling it a night at 1am. 


Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

It's official: DESE is Darth Vador and the Missouri Supreme Court is the Emperor (Star Wars reference)

Before and After

 
Where do I begin with how I feel about the whole Missouri School Transfer program...well let me start of by saying that this particular theme song runs in my head....now what do you think my opinion is of this program? Now before I go into my rant on this let me make it clear that this is solely MY OPINION on the matter.