Running for beginners

I was inspired to write today's post by several personal friends that decided this week to "take the plunge", as it were, and take up running. One friend in particular has been coming to me a lot for advice on how to get started, and I thought it might be beneficial to all you, my readers, for me to share all my (not so) vast knowledge!

So, first off, when should you start running?

Right now! If you have been thinking of taking up running as a way to get(or stay) fit, then there's no time like the present. The longer you put it off, the farther away the results that running offers. I must say, though, that all the runners I know(including myself) were in some kind of shape, and at relatively decent weights when we started. If you're more than 50 lbs overweight, I'd talk to a doctor or an actual fitness expert before starting, because running is hard. No sugar coating it here, people. It's hard on your body, and if your body can't handle it, then you shouldn't be doing it!

So often people shy away from going for that first run because they think they don't have the time! Now, I'm a college student with a job....I know busy. And I know that there are going to be those days where you just don't have the time to squeeze in an hour workout. I get it. But let me suggest an app to all you nerds with a smart phone. It's called C25KFree, and it's a running app for beginners. It starts you out from the couch, having you walk for two minutes, run for one minute, then walk again for two, and so on, building you up week by week until you can run a 5k. The best part is, it's only 30 minutes!!! You may not be able to work out for an hour, but 30 minutes? That's nothing!

I also recommend this app because it eases your body into the activity of running. The very first time I went running ever was with my neighbor, who thought a "beginner workout" was four miles. LOL no. Once I was finished weeping, I quickly went on my phone's app store and looked for something that gave it to me in little chunks, and the C25KFree app is what I found. I've been using it ever since!

Something I told my friend just today was this. And it's very important, so pay attention. Just because the app (or your running buddy) move on to harder runs, maybe going from running two minute intervals to five minutes intervals, for example, it DOES NOT mean that you have to do the same. Running, like most things, is very personal. If you're running your two minute intervals thinking "This is hard. There is NOOOO way I can run more than this!" Then don't. You'll know when you're ready to progress, and until then, do what you can. Exercising is meant to make you better, not injure you!

And speaking of injuries(you like my segway?) let's not get them, ok? The best way to prevent injury when running is to warm up beforehand, and to STRETCH AFTER. I cannot stress this enough. So often people will forgo stretching after a workout, because they don't want to take the time, or they want to bulk up their muscles, but guys. Stretch. It relaxes the muscles after a workout and prevents cramping and other bad things. If bulking up is what you're looking for, that's great. Look for it in the workout....then stretch. Pinterest is a fantastic recourse for both warm up and cool down/stretching routines, but I'll include a few on this post for those that don't have access to pinterest. If you want any more details, or any other resources, please leave a comment below and I'll send you stuff!

Finally, it's important to have the right music. You may laugh now, but try getting a good run in while listening to a funeral durge.....IDK do people actually listen to those?! Anywho, check out my last post for suggestions for good running songs. With the right beat, you can get really in the zone with your run, and push yourself more than you thought you could, and a good jam just makes the time go by so much faster!

The best RUNNING songs ever!

It's been a long time coming, but I was finally able to compile a list of running songs! Each song has a beat and is at a pace that is great for running and burning calories! Not all the songs are the same tempo, so you'll get a little variety in your morning run!

Each song has been tested personally. I did a lot of running, guys. You're welcome ;)

-"The power of Love"-Hewey Lewis and the News
-"Second Chances"-Veggie tales soundtrack
-"Sing, sing, sing"-Benny Goodman
-"Roar"-Katy Perry
-"What made us"-Everlife
-"Wide awake"-Katy Perry
-"Don't you worry child"-Swedish house mafia
-"Demons"-Imagion Dragons
-"So what(clean)"-P!NK
-"We are"-Kari Jobe
-"Wannabe"-The spice girls
-"My paper heart"-Francesca Battistelli
-"Outsiders"-Eric Church
-"We are never, ever getting back together"-Taylor Swift
-"She wouldn't be gone"-Blake Shelton
-"Santa Barbara Skies"-PSYCH:The musical soundtrack
-"To love somebody"-Michael Buble
-"Last name"-Carrie Underwood
-"Stand in the rain"-Superchic[k]
-"Compass"-Lady Antebellum
-"Feels like I am just too close to love you"-Alex Clare

All total, there is over an hour of run-worthy music on here. 77 minutes, 23 seconds, to be exact. But let's face it. Who would run for that long?!

Get out there today and run like the wind, bullseye!

Let's talk squash.

It's nearing summer time, and we're all getting a little more concerned with healthier eating. Today I want you to try something new, and a little weird. Spaghetti squash. You've probably heard of it, but were too afraid to try it...I mean, yeah. A squash that replaces pasta? LOL no. But seriously, Spaghetti squash is worth the try. Why? Well, I'll tell you. 

Spaghetti squash gets its name from the fact that when it is cooked, the inside flesh pulls out of the shell in long strands, resembling spaghetti pasta. Oval shaped and yellow, spaghetti squash can be considered a summer or winter squash and is available year-round in most grocery stores.

Vitamins

Spaghetti squash contains a wide range of vitamins. A 1-cup serving offers 5.4 mg of vitamin C, which is almost 10 percent of the recommended daily intake, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Other vitamins include A, B-6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin K. A report from Colorado State University explains that obtaining your daily vitamins through food sources such as spaghetti squash may be more beneficial than taking vitamin supplements, as food contains several chemicals that work together, making the vitamins function more efficiently. Researchers from China, published in the January 2011 issue of "Journal of Environmental Science and Health," report that the flavonoids found in plant foods work with vitamins and play a role in protecting the body from cancer.

Minerals

A 1-cup serving of spaghetti squash also contains several minerals that are vital to good health. The dominant mineral is manganese, with 0.2 mg, which is 8 percent of the RDI. Manganese is needed only in small amounts, but it has a big job. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports manganese aids in the production of healthy bones, tissues and sex hormones. It also plays a part in metabolism, regulation of blood sugar, absorption of calcium and the functioning of the nervous system. Other minerals found in smaller amounts in spaghetti squash include potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, sodium, zinc and selenium.

Apart from these super science-y facts about spaghetti squash, it's really tasty, and one cup of squash is only about 30 calories! In my opinion, this just leaves wiggle room for yummy meat sauce and some fetta cheese sprinkled on top! Spaghetti squash is Extremely good for you, but it's also yummy and a really fun food to make!

Little cooking tip from someone who has tried it both ways. Cook it first, THEN cut it. Just pop the squash in a pan and cook it in the oven for about 45 min.-1 hour. Then, take a tea towel and wrap the squash in it, so you can hold it without burning yourself. The squash will cut like butter. If you try to cut the squash raw, you will be there for awhile. Spaghetti squash is quite solid when it's raw. Once you've got the squash cut in half, just take a fork and scrape out the insides(hint:This is a great task for the kids!) And voila! You have healthy spaghetti. 

But Spaghetti squash isn't limited to meat sauce. It also makes good mac and cheese. Just whip up your favorite cheese sauce, add in some peas, or broccoli, or tuna, or mushrooms, or whatever you like to add to your macaroni and cheese, and mix the sauce in with the squash noodles. There you are. Two recipes for one squash! 

A little word to the wise, though. cooked spaghetti squash doesn't do well as leftovers. The taste doesn't change at all, but it gets really watery and mushy after awhile, so eat it all. Save it for a family dinner, or buy a small squash.

Life Hack: Beauty tips!

It's coming. Summer is nearly upon us, and you know what that means, ladies! With the warm weather on it's way, many women are getting themselves ready for swimsuit season. Regardless of your moral convictions on modesty, you're gonna want to look good for summer! But there's only one problem. You don't have the time or money to get that perfect tan,

First things first. Legs. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. In summer we want perfectly smooth, tan legs so we can be proud to wear our shorts in public, rather than see the general public run in terror after one look at dem white gams! We'll get to the tan bit in a minute, but first let's address the problem of smooth legs...and by problem I mean razor burn. In the winter, you probably don't get it as much, because you don't shave your legs more than a couple times a week. (at least I don't) But come summer, you don't want to walk around looking like the wolf man! Not cute girls. Not. Cute. But, as with most things, every good thing has its downside, and the downside to keeping your legs silky smooth is razor burn. But are you ready for the beauty tip of a lifetime? Aloe. That's right. I know y'all have a bottle of Aloe in your house. It's the clear stuff your mom always put on your sunburn when you were a kid. It stung like the dickens, and was bloody freezing, but you felt so much better after. Yeah, that Aloe. Not the Aloe Vera, which is the green stuff. Just straight up Aloe. I'm pretty sure you can get this stuff literally everywhere. Just apply the aloe to your legs right after you get out of the shower(and after you've dried yourself, of course!) and let it dry completely. It makes your skin amazingly smooth and reduces chance of razor burn.

The reason you need to apply it right out of the shower is because your pours are still open from the steamy shower, which means the product will soak in faster. You can do this with lotion too. I used to apply lotion every day after I got out of the shower, but it didn't help my razor burn at all....in fact, sometimes it just made it worse. Aloe. That's where it's at people! (sorry about the bad grammar mom! Love you ) I like to apply aloe twice a day. Morning and night. You don't have to do this, but I just find it makes for even softer skin, and my mom rubs a thick layer onto her feet, and then puts socks on and goes to bed. Her feet are then really soft the next day.

The aloe is all for nothing, however, if you don't have a close shave. I have found that the best way to do that is to use a body scrub BEFORE I shave. If that's your thing, you can find a million body scrub recipes on pinterest, and they're all good, though most of them can be rather pricey. I'm trying to keep the cost down here. I have used store-bought sugar scrubs, my favorite brand being found in Kroger of all places...but even that's $6-$8. Currently, I like the meijer brand apricot face scrub. It's the meijer version of St. Ives face scrub. It's like $2 and you get a huge bottle....plus you can also use it on your face!(but we'll get to that later)

Also replace your razor every couple of weeks. You can't get a close shave with a dull razor, and it's a lot easier to get razor burn(or worse). There's no need to spend mongo bucks on something you're going to throw away in a week. The plain old 20 pack of disposable pink razors from wal-mart will do just fine.

While we're still on the topic of legs, I have one more little tip to get softer legs. Ditch the shaving cream and use conditioner instead. It's WAY cheaper than shaving cream, and you get, like, triple the product. Nothing fancy. There's no need to dash out and by Garnier deep conditioner. Suave, or whatever the cheapest  brand your store has will do the trick. In fact I've found the cheaper conditioners work better than the expensive ones, and it makes your skin very smooth. Plus it smells nice!




So you've scrubbed, shaved, and aloed, and your legs are looking mighty fine and smooth!!! There's just one problem. You have vampire skin and jut looking at that pale whiteness brings on a migrane. You don't have time to lay out and get a tan, and a tanning booth is either too expensive or just to darn scary. Well self-tanner has come a long way in recent years. Gone are the days of strong chemical smell and orange palms. There are soooooo many good brands out there now that will give you a gradual tan, and you can buy your Jergen's, or whatever, but my personal favorite is just the Equate Healthy Glow daily moisturizer. It's really inexpensive, and it works. It's a moisturizer....that tans you! You get soft skin AND a healthy glow! Also, bonus. It has almost no smell at all, and the little aroma it does have is more lotion than tanner. I seriously love this stuff for the beginning of summer when I'm not naturally tan yet, or if I had a sun burn and now I have massive tan lines. Obviously, the best way to get a healthy glow to your skin would be to eat healthy, exercise, and soak up some of God's rays, but if you can't do that, I definitely say you stop by your local wal-mart and pick up the Equate Healthy Glow Daily Moisturizer.

Lastly, I want to talk about hair. Specifically hair masks. I don't really have any specific recommendations here. I say all hair masks are created equal....mostly because every hair type is going to require different specifications. All I can say here is do your research. Only you can know your hair, so look for products that will meet your individual needs.

And you're one step closer to being "summer ready"!

In case of emergency

So the other day I was at work when I got a text from my boyfriend, asking if I wanted to go see a movie when I got off. Basically I freaked out, because I hadn't been in the mood to put makeup on that day, and I had let my hair dry air dry, leaving it au natural, if you know what I'm sayin'. Now, I could give a lecture on how the right guy will love you no matter that you look like(as he did), but let's face it ladies. You're gonna wish you had put some eyeliner on or something! Y'all know how it is.

I do have to thank the man for being my inspiration for this post, because today I'm going to talk about what you need to keep in your purse at all times for emergencies such as this:

First thing's first. You need a comb. I'm not expecting you to somehow shove a round brush in your bag, but you can buy those little fold-up ones pretty much anywhere that sells hair stuff. It won't take up that much space, I promise!

And while we're on the topic of hair stuff, make sure you have a hair tie wrapped around the brush, because you'll need it. Trust me. A hair tie was the one thing I didn't have, and I sorely regretted it. I had to use a rubber band instead! It worked, but it hurt coming out lol.

Lastly for hair products, I strongly suggest adding a few bobby pins to the mix. I have a little pouch where I keep bobby pins, safety pins, spot remover, etc. just in case, but if you don't have that, just latch those puppies onto that hair tie you WILL be putting in your purse!

Next you're gonna need some makeup. I don't want you all going out and buying a bigger bag so you can fit a full face of makeup in there. You'll only need one or two things.

First off, you'll need some eyeliner. Nothing crazy here, ladies. Stick with the basics, brown or black. I like to take my eyeliner pencils, once they're stubs, and put them in my purse. Instant travel size! Plus I don't feel wasteful throwing away an eyeliner that's still good, but won't fit in my sharpener anymore. If you can, try to find one will a little smudging power, because you can line your eyes, smudge it out, and have a little smokey eye action going on. It's shadow and liner all in one!

Really the only other makeup item you need is a tinted lip balm. You won't want lipstick, though, because that'll be too dramatic for your natural eyes. Or, better yet, a lip and cheek stain. That way you can add a little color to your face and lips both! I didn't have that, just burt's bees chapstick, but hey, that's why I'm telling you this, so you can learn from my mistakes.

This next thing is optional, but I work at a dry cleaner and it was hot that day, so I badly needed it, if you catch my drift. This thing would be an atomizer, otherwise known as a lifesaver. For those that don't know what an atomizer is, it's a little tube that you can put perfume in, and it won't spill or break, and therefore great for traveling. Just put a little of whatever fragrance you're wearing that day in that little tube, stick it in your purse, and you're good to go! I got mine from Old Navy, but I have seen them at Wal-Mart in the travel section as well. They're super cheap, like $2.

And there you have it! So next time you get invited unexpectedly on a date(or an interview, or a party, whatever the case may be) you'll be ready. Have fun :)

Best workout songs EVAH!

Every self-respecting fitness addict knows that the key to a killer workout is a rocking playlist! Now, I have googled many a "workout playlist" in my day, and I never find playlists that I like usually the songs aren't my style, or all the songs are inappropriate....all of them. So here's the deal. I compiled a list of all my favorite songs to listen to while I work out! Enjoy these tunes knowing you are safe when you press play :)

1. Cameo Lover-Kimbra
2. Black horse and the Cherry Tree-KT Tunstall
3.One more round-Barlowgirl
4.Rise Up-Matt Maher
5. Eye of the Tiger-Survivor
6.Stop Time-Landon Austin
7. Zero to Hero-Hercules soundtrack
8.Undignified-David Crowder Band
9.Titanium-David Guetta
10.Mr. Saxobeat(radio edit)-Alexandra Stan
11. Good Girl- Carrie Underwood
12. Come and Get it- Selena Gomez
13. Roar- Katy Perry
14. DJ Got us falling in love-Usher, Pitbull
15. Sweet Serendipity- Lee DeWyze
16. Best Song Ever- One Direction
17. The Power of Love- Huey Lewis & the News
18. Counting stars-OneRepublic
19.What made us-Everlife
20. Best day of my life-American Authors
21. Aint it fun-Paramore
22. Can't remember to forget you-Shakira, Rihanna
23. Feels like I am just too close-Boom Masters
24. Feelin' Good-Christina Grimmie
25. Chainsaw-The Band Perry
26. Easy Street-Annie soundtrack
27. Ya Got Trouble-Music Man soundtrack
28. Happy-Pharrell Williams
29.Wannabe(radio edit)-The Spice Girls
30. Don't you worry Child(radio edit)-Swedish house mafia
31. Brighter than the sun-Colbie Caillat
32. Outsiders-Eric Church
33. Wide awake-Katy Perry
34. My paper heart-Francesca Battistelli
35. Second chances-Veggie Tales soundtrack
36. We are the Champions-Queen
37. Resistance-Everlife
38. I'm letting go- Francesca Battistelli
39. Open Heavens- Barlowgirl
40. Daydream believer- the monkeys

Total time:  2hrs. 30mins.

Starting from scratch

Anyone who's ever tried to get healthy and fit knows that getting started is the hardest part, especially if you never were very active or concerned with health. I was one of those people. My decision to become healthier was a new one for me, and let me tell you, getting the ball rolling was really hard. So here's some things I learned along the way that may help you first timers out there!

First of all, you have to actually make the decision to change your lifestyle. And here's the kicker. All those doctor shows and health magazines tell you to make that same decision every single day, so you can't talk yourself out of it, but I'm telling you to only make it once. If you really have made the decision, there shouldn't be any other question about it. You've decided, so you're going to do it. You should have to make another decision to stop doing it! So before you begin, make sure you've actually made the decision to get healthy, because that choice means you're committed.

Once you're on board, I challenge you to give up one thing in your diet. For me it was soda. I actually stopped drinking it because I read somewhere that soda was really bad for your skin and was a strong contributing factor to breakouts. My skin was really bad at the time, and I was desperate to try anything! I went from drinking two or more cans a day to none at all. What I didn't know was that the sugars in soda also cause belly fat. I mean, so do other things, obviously, but the sugars used in soda go straight to the gut, so when I stopped drinking it, I lost a lot of weight! It was a total surprise to me, but I think that was really my turning point, and what got me inspired to do more.

Now, if you can't give something up cold-turkey like that, I suggest you try severely limiting it instead. It could be anything that causes you to be unhealthy. It could be soda, it could be rice, it could even be too much tv. When I gave up soda, I didn't want to be a debbie downer at parties, so I told myself I would only drink it when I went out to eat, etc., but the longer I went without it, the less I wanted it. Now, even when I eat out, I generally order water, not because I know it's good for me, but because I want it! And, bonus! Soda tastes REALLY good now, especially with pizza, which is basically the only time I drink it. A lot of people don't want to give up something they love, but I've found that I enjoy those things more now. It's a treat!

By giving up(or severely limiting) one thing from your current lifestyle, you are kick-starting your journey to health not only by eliminating bad calories, but by strengthening your self control! You may not know this, but self control is a muscle, and it needs to be exercised daily, or it will backfire, especially with my next tip. Eat the recommended portion size. I sure hope you were sitting down for this one because that little gem of information probably blew your mind. But I'm serious. When you're making food at home, read the packaging, and see what they recommend be a serving size. Make as much food as you want, leftovers are yummy, but only eat the proper serving size. And not just for one food, or one meal, but all your meals! If you're eating out, google is a lifesaver. There are SOOOOO many resources out there that tell you what a serving size should be for pretty much any food you encounter. And don't think that just because you're at a restaurant you have to clean your plate. No one is going to judge you for taking a box home.

If you've had your properly portioned meal and you're still hungry, by all means, eat more. Your body is telling you it still needs fuel. But be careful, because chances are your body is used to larger portions, and is just telling you you're still hungry because it's used to getting more. Eat until you're satisfied. Candace Cameron Bure says in her book "Reshaping it all", that she will stop every so often during a meal to reevaluate her hunger status. Is she still hungry? Yep. Cool, keep going.

Also, eat slowly. So often we shovel food in as fast as we can, and our bodies keep telling us we're hungry because it hasn't registered that we just fed it. If we eat slowly, we give out bodies time to realize it's getting fed, and it will act accordingly. And the best part is, your body WILL tell you when it's full. You just have to pay attention.

The calorie counter I use is called myfitnesspal

On the subject of food, I suggest getting a calorie counter app for your phone, or if you don't have a smart phone, find a calorie counter website and keep track of what you're eating. I'm not a huge advocate of counting your calories. That just seems like too much work for me, and frankly one giant guilt trip. But knowing what you're eating will really change the way you think about food. I actually started out just writing down everything I ate(and drank) in a day, not worrying about calories, and if you're just beginning your weight loss journey, I say that's a good way to go. Just knowing what you ate that day will help you in making good choices for the next day, and I know that knowing I was going to have to write down that I had three brownies really worked as a deterrent for eating those things. I didn't want that on my record!

I do suggest a calorie counter as the next step, though, because you may not know what you're eating. So many things that seem healthy, especially the "healthy" options at restaurants, aren't as great as they claim, and some of the "unhealthy" or "bad" foods we're told to steer clear from really aren't that bad. Did you know 4 marshmallows is only 50 calories? I didn't. And that's why a calorie counter is so important. Losing weight and eating healthy doesn't have to mean you give up all the things that taste good! It just means being more aware of what you're putting in your body, and making choices accordingly.

I'm gonna blow your mind again. You NEED to make time for exercise. I cannot stress this enough. A busy schedule is the biggest excuse in the book for so many people, but it doesn't have to be! Obviously, my best recommendation would be to workout a minimum of 30 minutes a day, either at the gym or at home, but, being a student with a job and some shadow of a social life, I understand that we all have those days where a full workout plus shower and getting ready time just isn't going to get squeezed in, no matter how you try. HOWEVER, just because you can't fit a full workout into your day does not give you the excuse to not exercise at all.

A great way to fit exercise into your busy day is to multi-task. Ladies, this is our speciality, so let's make it work for us! Do calf raises or squats while you're brushing your teeth. You're just standing there anyway, you might as well make it doubly productive! Another great one is to do counter pushups, squats, calf raises, standing crunches, etc. while you're waiting for that microwave minute to be over. See how many squats you can do before the timer beeps! Butt clenches are great to do in the car on the way to work or the store. And speaking of that, try parking a little farther away. I'm not saying find a spot in the nose bleeds with the tumbleweeds, but don't try to muscle your car as close to the handicap spots as possible. Someplace in the middle should be just fine. That way, you get a bit of a walk in, but if it rains, you don't have to make the dangerous trek through the elements to your long forsaken vehicle.

I'm sure this next one is going to sound funny, but just go with me here. Stand up. Just stand up, move your legs, stretch your arms, whatever. Then, sit back down. At work or at home, remember to stand up every once in awhile. So often we forget to move, and our bodies begin to settle, and we're sore and tired and cranky. My mom has a desk job, and so several times a day she'll just stand up, stretch her arms, maybe walk to the door and back, and then she'll sit back down and continue her work. Not only will this get the blood moving again, but you just did a squat. Now imagine doing that 20 times a day!

That's 20 squats! I'm not saying 20 squats or counter pushups a day are going to make you skinny, but it's a great and easy way to kick-start your new healthy lifestyle and get it incorporated into your daily routine. The hardest thing to remember about getting fit and healthy is that change doesn't happen over night. So many people will start a diet and then quit after a month when they aren't seeing results. You have to give your body time to get used to this new way of living! Give it time....lots of time, but, if you've made the lifetime commitment to a new healthier way of life, you'll be able to push through it and before you know it you'll be healthier and happier!

Book review: Reshaping it all

My new Year's resolution was to read 100 books this year....and because that isn't challenge enough, I decided that I should incorporate as many new(as in, I haven't read before) books as possible, specifically non-fiction, which has never been of much interest to me. The book I'm going to be reviewing today, "Reshaping it all" by Candace Cameron Bure, is a non-fiction book, and my first, actually, since starting my resolution.

alright, let's do this thang!

This book was not recommended to me, I didn't read anything about it, nor had it been something I'd been wanting to read for any amount of time. I literally was in my library, wandering around, saw this on a shelf, grabbed it, and checked it out. For those who may not know, Candace Cameron Bure(Bure is her married name) is an actress, wife, mother, and Christian. She played DJ Tanner on the show "Full House" in the 80s, and her brother, Kirk Cameron, is also an actor, first on "Growing pains" in the 80s, and more recently the "Left Behind" series, among like a hundred other things. Candace is also currently a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars", which is why I think her book was even on display. I already knew these things about her, and I really like her a lot, so I figured her book would be a good place to start in my journey through the realm of non-fiction, so, I checked it out.

Before I get into the details of the book, I should let you know that "Reshaping it all" is a book geared toward helping people obtain physical and spiritual fitness(remember, Candace is a Christian, so of course it's going to be about God!) In general, it's about her story of weight struggle and eventual weight loss, and how, through hard work and strength in God, she managed to keep off the weight and beat her addiction.

Sound interesting? Yeah, I did to. And guess what! It was really interesting. I wouldn't say I'm on some health kick or anything, but I feel like I have been finding myself gravitating toward more health related talk shows, cooking shows, etc lately, and I'm always open to learning new things that I can apply to myself, and then pass on to you guys, my wonderful readers!

Now down to business. I think the most important thing about a book is how it's written. The content is important, but no one's going to get to the content if the format is bad. Not so with Candace's book. It's written in the typical non-fiction first person, and it's easy to read, without being dumbed down or condescending to those like myself that are used to a little higher level of literature.(I had just finished reading Lord of the Ring, so you can imagine the shock my brain went through reading "Reshaping it all" lol) Also the chapters are short, which makes getting through them much more enjoyable...because nothing is more overwhelming than thumbing through a book and realizing each chapter is like 47 pages long.

While we're on the topic of chapters and writing format, I'll let you know that at the end of each chapter, Candace has a summary of what she talked about, a fan letter with a health or spiritual question, her answer to that letter, all the Bible verses she used in that chapter, simple tips on how to apply that chapter to your life, an inspirational quote, and then a healthy recipe that she makes for her own family. WHEW! That's a lot packed into a few pages, huh?!

Because Candace is a Christian(and not afraid to proclaim it to the world, thank you very much) she does scatter bible verses throughout her book as they apply to what she's talking about, and many of her tips on motivation and staying strong revolve around prayer and staying strong in God, which is something a lot of people don't think about when it comes to their physical health. But think about it. God calls us to take care of our bodies, because they are a temple for Him, so it makes sense that we would need Him to help make us new. Genius.

She also talks a lot about how a healthy lifestyle is necessary, rather than optional. Basically she's saying that, once you've committed to living a healthier lifestyle, you have to stick with it, and not just live healthy when it's convenient for you. She also discourages diets. She doesn't discredit them, but going "on" a diet implies you will one day go "off" the diet, and the only way to stay healthy is to....get this....stay healthy. Candace encourages a lifestyle change, which is what she did, and what I did, and it, frankly, works.

Candace has MANY tips and tricks on how to make that lifestyle change, and how to make it so habitual that you eventually don't even have to work at it. One of the things she suggested was to write down your reasons for losing weight, whatever they may be, and read them whenever you get discouraged. Keep the list somewhere you can see it, like by your bed or on your mirror or fridge, so you never forget WHY you're doing this.

I don't want to give away too much information, because I want you to read this book, but I'll leave you with a quote that really impacted me, and will hopefully speak to you and give you the push you need to get yourself healthy....for the right reasons!

"You are beautiful, interesting, accepted, and loved by the most high God. Be content with both the woman you are today and the woman you'll be tomorrow."
-Candace Cameron Bure

Product Review: Burt's Bees Natural cleansing cream

Before we start the review, I'm thinking I want to start doing more product review posts here. What do you guys think? Write your thoughts in the comments below, and if you have any other post suggestions you'd like to share, put 'em there too :)

Alright, to business.


















My first experience with the Burt's Bees Natural face essentials soap bark and Chamomile deep cleansing cream(woah! what a mouthful.) was about two years ago. I got a sampler kit for Christmas that had chapstick, body wash, lotion, etc....and one of the samples was a little bottle of the face wash. I have this thing for face wash. I seriously enjoy just looking at it all at the store, reading all the labels and seeing what they all claim to do. I also really like trying new things, but my skin would beg to differ. My face doesn't like change, which is apparently not uncommon.

But, like any good face wash fanatic, I threw common sense out the window and tried it anyway :) Yay me!

My first impression of this product was, frankly, not good. Not good at all. It came out as a cream, which was suggested in the name, but I'm used to my soaps foaming, ya know? So that was disconcerting. But apart from that, I felt like it was making me break out more! To be honest, the only reason I kept using it was because it was a present from my mom and I didn't want her to know I didn't like it.

But boy am I glad I stuck with it. Suddenly my skin started clearing up in a big way! Here's the thing with face soap. When you switch from something you've been using for years, your skin is going to freak out, and the Burt's Bees soap was doing even more than that. It was purging my skin. It was drawing out all the crap, then getting rid of it! Which was hard to live with while it was happening, but once it got rid of all the nasty, my skin looked better than it ever did, and it stayed clear! My breakouts started getting way less, or sometimes not at all! And my skin itself just looked healthier and smoother and all around great!

Unfortunately, that was a tiny bottle and I made the mistake of letting my mom try it. Bad idea. That puppy got used up reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaalllll quick, and when we went to the store to buy a normal size bottle, the price about gave mom a heart attack. A full size bottle of this stuff is between $8-$10, depending on where you buy it(Target, Walmart, ULTA, just to name a few) and even though that's not expensive, it's WAY more than the $3 we were paying for our go-to face soap. So, in agony and dispair, we went back to old faithful.

Eventually my skin got better and more regulated as I got older, but it was just never as nice as it had been when I had my beloved Burt's bees soap bark and Chamomile deep cleansing cream *SIGH* And very recently, I had a bad(very, very bad!) experience with another face soap. I had a bad reaction and I had more pimples than I did when I was fifteen and hormonal........Not cute. This got me thinking, though, and remembering how good my skin was when I was using the Burt's bees stuff. I decided right there(having a job, and subsequently, money, will do that to you) that I was going to just grit my teeth and buy that face soap. I was talking to my mom about it, and she said she really wanted to go back to using it too, and maybe we could split the cost. Even better.

So we bought it, and, just like last time, I had several bad skin days. But this time I can't blame it entirely on the face soap. I was coming from another face soap that I was allergic to, so I was already starting from bad. Anywho, I had several bad skin days...like a week. Then, right on schedule, my skin cleared right up! At this point, it's been about a month since I switched back to good old Burt's Bees. Now, let's weigh the pros and cons:

PROS-
*Large Bottle. It's like the size of a normal squeeze bottle of lotion, so pretty big, especially for this kind of product. Face washes, not to mention organic face washes, are generally quite small.

*You don't need much. Like at all. Mom and I both have been using this every day(I use it twice a day) for a month, and we're maybe half done with it? Probably not even half. I mean, you have to experiment to see how much YOU will need, but I use about a dime size, and I think mom uses a little less. This is great! You get a large bottle, and you don't need much! That $8 price tag's looking a little more reasonable.

*The smell is good. Mom says it reminds her of juicy fruit gum, but not so artificial. I don't really agree, but as I can't describe what it smells like to me, we're just gonna stick with that description. I can say though that the small is not at all overpowering or lingering. Basically the moment you put it on your face, the smell goes away, and you don't walk around all day with a face smelling like juicy fruit gum ;) The product also has a really great cooling sensation!

*Let's face it. It works. My skin is clear and smooth, and it stays that way, even in stress or other things that would make me break out. I'm not breakout free, but it's so drastically diminished that the one or two zits I get don't even bother me, because the rest of my skin is perfect.

*It's all natural. This isn't really super important to me. I mean, I don't dismiss products because they're not organic or natural, but I must say it is a bonus!

Now let's talk about the cons:

*It's expensive. Like I said before, it can range between $8-$10 dollars, depending on where you buy it. For a lot of people, the price is a huge issue. It was for me! It's not like I'd never see Burt's Bees products before getting that Christmas present! But I always cringed at the price, because if I didn't like it, I was stuck with a $5 chapstick. But trust me, this product is worth the money, and like I talked about in the "pros", you definitely get your money's worth!

now, before we wrap this up I do have to add in a few personal notes(because apparently this whole thing isn't a personal note) I had to give my skin a little longer before it started to calm down, because I was coming from a soap that was actually making me break out more. I had to give this product a good week, week and a half before it really started to work. Obviously, everybody's skin is different, so it may take less time, it may take more time, but the important thing is to GIVE IT TIME.

I'm also at the tail end of hormonal breakouts, and my skin is therefore just generally easier to manage. HOWEVER, I did try this several years ago, like I said before, so you teenagers will still see results!

I must also say that I have never had acne. I had my share of pimples, for sure, but never acne. I never needed, like, proactiv or anything. Just your everyday, run-of-the-mill zits. Not cute, but it could have been worse. Therefore, I don't know what this product will do for those that have acne-prone skin. I'd say it's worth a try, though. It's more easily accessable and cheaper than products like proactiv, and because it's natural, it won't be as harsh as some of the less expensive face products formulated for acne.

K you guys! Try this. It's good ;)

You can do it!

So I went jean shopping yesterday....not my favorite thing to do in the world, for many reasons. First of all, because, in my opinion, all jeans look the same, and when you're presented with an entire wall of denim, it can get a little overwhelming...more importantly, however, and more to the point of this post, I have never enjoyed jean shopping because it always made be feel insecure about how I looked. My shape is pretty straight forward. smaller at the waist than the hips, which is really good for hiding that few extra pounds, but not so cute when you have that gap at the back of your pants. Ya know what I mean? Not. Cute.

Anywho, Old Navy was having a sale on jeans, and I just got paid, and I had spent the day hoisting up my pants...which, by the by, there is no way to do that and look like a lady....there just isn't. SO I moseyed my way over to the mall to have a look-see at their jean selection. I found my size and went into the dressing room to try those puppies on...and you know what? They were too big. Shocked, I went back to the rack to grab the next size down, and, JUST IN CASE, the next size down from that, and went back to the changing room. I tried the first pair on...too big. Huh. At this point I was completely confused and preparing to grumble at the lack of quality in Old Navy's jeans! I say this because, it has been my experience that the next size down would be too small, and I would have to go away empty-handed. But you know what? They weren't. They fit perfectly! And I was surprised. Because these pants were 2 sizes smaller than the pants I was wearing when I came into the store. I must confess I did a little happy dance in the changing room stall just then :) because I remember a time not too long ago when I was sooooo happy I could fit into those too-big jeans. I think I went up to everyone I know and said "guess what size these are!" and did a little model pose lol

To back the story up a little, I have been receiving quite a bit more attention of late than I am used to. I hardly make it through the door at church before people start exclaiming how thin I am! Last week, the guy that plays the drums in our praise band, a guy I barely talk to other than to say hi, etc., came up to me and said "Hey, have you been working out? Because you look really good!" I of course about passed out right there in the hallway, let me tell you.

My point of telling you all this is not to milk the moment, or to announce how great I am! But these things that happened to me over the course of the last three weeks or so kind of inspired me to give you all some encouragement. If you're on a journey to lose weight and become healthier, I need to tell you that people aren't going to notice right away. I started my journey over two years ago, and it was slow going, that's for sure! And all that time I felt like no one was noticing my hard work. In that time I have been insulted more than once...usually by my own family(one year for Christmas I got a man's t-shirt in the size XXL...a size I never wore, even at my heaviest...not a fun year) but now it's all coming at once, and I almost don't know what to make of it!

I just wanted to tell you all that you're gonna make it. Trust me, it's hard, and you hate it, and your body hurts, and you eat weird food now, but soon, it'll all be worth it. I saw a quote the other day that said "When you want to give up, think about why you started.". Don't give up! Pretty soon you'll be seeing major results, and you'll have to get a whole new wardrobe because none of your clothes fit! What a great problem to have!!!

Good luck.

Show me them pearly whites!

I was talking recently with a friend about teeth whitening. Yeah, we talk about stuff like that...but in all fairness, the entire conversation was about getting to the gym, re-vamping our wardrobes, and just generally giving our A-game, so it applies.

Anywho, in talking about teeth whitening, my friend mentioned that she really wanted to try it, but didn't want to spend the money on whitening strips, which is totally understandable. Those puppies are like $30!!! And for a college student at a minimum wage job that just isn't going to happen. But I told her "No! It doesn't have to be that expensive! Here, let me impart words of wisdom onto you!" Actually, I didn't say that...I thought of it after she left...so I'm posting it now in hopes she'll read it, and for anyone else who thought that white teeth were out of your financial reach! Because they're not, just so you know.

I'm actually going to post a video made by the wonderful Kandee Johnson instead of writing a long blog post, because she's actually how I found out about this system, and she'll probably explain it better anyway. Then, after the video, I'll add a little tid-bit about what I learned as a first time user and teeth-whitener in general, so you don't have to find this out for yourself! Aren't I nice?



O.K. So now that you know all this good stuff, here's the stuff she didn't mention in her video:

-Make sure you get the CHILD SIZE mouth guards. Those ones are 97 cents. the adult sizes are like $8. Big difference. If you can't find them. Ask. At my Wal-Mart, the child size was not with the adult size.

-You could buy that whole whitening system, and it will only cost about $10. The box comes with the whitening gel and then a mouth wash. OR, you could just buy the tube of gel for like $4, and buy a ginormous bottle of regular mouth wash, because they're basically the same thing. Plus the mouth wash that came in the box was tiny, and I ran out of it WAAAAY before the gel.

-Kandee has been whitening her teeth since she was 16, so she only has to do 5 minute touch-ups once a month. I had never whitened my teeth before in my life, and my childhood was not abound with a track record for taking care of my teeth. SO, I had a little more to work through then Kandee does. If you're like me, I would suggest starting with 15 minutes twice a week, until you start seeing results. Then cut back to 10-15 minutes once a week, then 10 minutes every two weeks, you get the idea. Then, when you have your teeth looking the way you want. Do what she does, and just do a 5-10 minute touch-up as needed.

Now go out there with your new pearly whites and smile, darn ya', smile!

Save space:Organizing your dresser drawers

So you've been on this cleaning/organizing kick(The weather's reenacting "Frozen", what ELSE is there to do?!) and your room(or house, if you're an over achiever) is looking pretty fantastic, if you do say so yourself. *insert a nonchalant rubbing of the nails on your shirt* But you get to your closet and you're just stumped. Like you've been standing there staring at it for 20 minutes and.....nothing.



I definitely had this problem not too long ago. I have always had this thing about closet doors. When I was little I was convinced that if my closet had doors, then obviously, the monsters would be able to hide in there and come out to get me when my parents were conveniently sound asleep. Even to this day sleeping in a room with closed closet doors is very unsettling to me. I no longer believe monsters are out to get me, but the feeling of dislike and uneasiness just never went away....so, I don't have doors on my closet.

Because I my closet doesn't have doors, I have had to revert to other ways of hiding my clothes. When I was little, it was butterfly bead curtains....loved those things. But as I got older and the hot pink butterfly beads just got WAAAY too lame for my oh so sophisticated 14 year-old self(yeah, no) I had to think of yet OTHER ways to hide my crap....I mean, totally neat, spotless, clothing collection. :)

My biggest problem is this. I am a selective neat freak.(You learned about my childhood fears AND my strange lifestyle habits. I guess today is sharing day.) By selective I mean this. untidiness makes me itch....but I'm not gonna clean it! So basically, my room is like always spotless, because I have, through much trial and error, learned to pick up as I go, because if I let it slide for too long, I'm gonna forget what my floor looks like and "Hoarders" is gonna have to come in and do an intervention on me. Basically.

Long story......still really long(sorry!) I just got really tired of looking at all my clothes all the time. No matter how I hung them(at one point they were hung long to short!) the whole thing just looked...messy. So I came up with this genius idea to put a dresser in my closet and make a little "get ready" station with mirrors and baskets for my perfumes and curling irons!(actually, I got the idea from a display at IKEA, but who's counting, right?) I went out an bought myself a super dope dresser with the really nice glide-y drawers that don't slam when you close them, and stuck that baby in my closet. All by myself. I was very proud.

But then the hard part came. Namely, getting all my stuff in those drawers, which, FYI, always look like they can hold more at the store then they do when faced with a bed full of shirts I totally forgot I even had! and that's where I get to the "How-To" part of this really long-winded story, because I KNOW you've all gone through something like this in your life, and wondered HOW it was all going to fit!

Well, to answer that question, it might not all fit. Switching to a dresser is a perfect time to go through all your clothes and get rid of some stuff. I'm talking, stuff that doesn't fit(and can't be fixed, a.k.a. taken in or out), stuff you don't like/wear anymore. Those jammy pants that are just too ratty to technically be called "pants" anymore.....hypothetically.

Once you've rid yourself of that burden, I'm sure you'll find it much easier to squeeze everything in. But, if it's still a tight fit, or even if you just want to be able to find all your clothes without having to dig through piles, I suggest this next little tip(thank you pinterest!). Rolling. Aw yeah. If you do it right, and fold your clothes right(ie nicely, without any wrinkles in it. Don't get lazy!) your clothes will stay wrinkly. Like my mom says, "If they don't go in with wrinkles, chances are they won't come out with them, either."

And this doesn't just work for clothes either. With all that extra space, you could fit your scarves, belts, even jewelry in your dresser drawers and save even more space that way! Plus, It just decreases the over all "cluttered" look of your space. Just add little containers or spacers so nothing rolls around and gets lost. It'll look super cute...and how awesome would that be to only have to go to one place to get your whole outfit together?!

Another bonus tip for you lovely readers: This tip works with packing for trips too. Say goodbye to the multiple suitcase weekend trip! You're welcome.

5 ways to get motivated about fitness

As if working out wasn't hard enough, motivating yourself to tear yourself away from your warm comfy bed to workout is practically impossible!

....Or it would be, without these 5 tips I'm about to give you! Now you'll have no excuse to not exercise. You're welcome...or I'm sorry...whatever.

1- GRAB YOUR BUDDY!
When I began working out on a regular basis, I kind of turned my nose up at the idea of a workout buddy. I don't know why, really. But when I was first starting, I for sure didn't want anyone to see me sweating like a pig! I'm not one of those girls who glisten when they work out and just look generally glowing and healthy. I've had people stop me and ask if I'm alright. No lie. So you can imagine how I may not want a fitness partner.
I also had this idea in my head that it wouldn't make a difference. I had decided to get fit, and I didn't need anyone to hold me accountable. I figured workout buddies were for super social people who like to be surrounded by their friends at all times, which is basically the opposite of me. I was definitely in more of a "leave me alone while I go hurt myself in the name of beauty" state of mind.
But then I took up running.
I have this really intense fear of being outside by myself for any length of time. Long story, won't bore you with the details, but a few years ago I went through a traumatizing experience involving a dog, and my neighborhood apparently has something against leashes. You see my dilemma.
Anywho, so I really wanted to take up running, but I knew I wouldn't do it by myself, so after a month of begging and truly heart-wrenching pouty faces, I got my mom to agree to do it with me. After several weeks of running together, I realized I was actually enjoying myself, and I looked forward to our next run.
A workout buddy isn't just for runners, it applies to everything. Take a group to your Zumba class, or my personal favorite, have a dance-off with your friends on your JustDance game!
The point of a workout buddy is that they will hold you accountable. It's so much harder to skip a day when you have other people relying on you to show up. they also make for great support! You can talk about all your triumphs and failures without being judged, because they're going through the same things. Or you could just discuss at length that super cute guy on the treadmill next to you! ;)

2-DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
Another tip I scoffed at was buying cute workout clothes. I figured, I'm just going to sweat in them anyway, so why should I waste money on workout clothes? Ratty old PJs were doing the job just fine!
Sure they were doing the job, but I felt sloppy, which didn't really make me want to work out. You'd think that feeling like Jabba the Hutt would REALLY motivate you to work out like a mad woman, but it just made me depressed.
Having cute workout clothes is great motivation. Think about it. When you have someplace to go, don't you just want to get there so much faster when you look fabulous? And, maybe more importantly, you won't get lost in your clothes, which frankly makes it harder to exercise. You try lifting weights while wearing a tent!
You can find good workout clothes pretty much everywhere. Mine are a mix of Target and goodwill. there's no need to spend big bucks on this stuff!

3-MAKE IT FUN
This seems rather obvious, but I wanted to add it to this list because it's true. When you have to go to work, you may often drag your feet and just, I don't know, not dance for joy! Especially in the snowy wintertime. But what about when you have a date, or you're going to something really fun! You can't wait! You've had your hair and makeup planned for weeks and your outfit, lovingly picked out days in advance, has been laying out on your dresser, so you can look at it whenever you want. It's sort of the same with workouts. If you hate what you're doing, you're not exactly going to arrive skipping at the gym, and eventually, you'll stop going at all. and why not? Getting fit isn't supposed to be torture or some form of cruel and unusual punishment!
A "fun" workout is going to be different for everyone. My dad really enjoys weight lifting, and all that "body building" stuff. I'm more of a dancer at heart, so I like Jumba, etc. Try a bunch of different things, and do what you like best! When you make it fun, exercising will truly become a stress reliever.

4-SHAKE IT UP
When you first start working out, you're body is gonna freak out and lose weight like crazy, especially if you didn't work out at all before. But eventually, you're going to level out, and start maintaining your weight. The best way to kick start your weight-loss again is to shake things up, surprise your muscles and make them do things they're not used to. This will also make your workouts less boring. A two-fer!
Another way to shake things up is to try something you wouldn't normally do. Instead of watching a workout video or spending an hour at the gym, try going for a hike, or surfing, or roller skating. Not for every workout, obviously, but just remember that these are actually workouts too!

5-CREATE A KILLER PLAYLIST
Nothing gets me moving like a good song, whether it's a Shakira song to make me move my hips, or "Eye of the Tiger" to get me to jump rope like a boss! There are websites in abundance full of song suggestions perfect fro running, cardio, or just motivation in general.
a suggestion for runners, I like to put songs like "Bad to the Bone" and Eye of the tiger" near the end of my run, just when I'm about to give up. I'm starting to slow down and wonder how bad it would be really if I only ran 2 miles instead of 2 1/2 miles, when I hear the first notes of "Bad to the Bone" (You know what I'm talking about!) and suddenly I feel like I could run forever! That song just makes me feel like such a beast lol! and if I play "Eye of the Tiger" last, I get to throw my fists in the air when I make it home, full on Rocky style! Bonus.
Pick songs that make you feel like you can do anything. Keep adding songs for as long as you want to work out(I suggest 45 minutes), press play, and don't stop till the music stops. Plus, listening to your favorite music will get your mind off how much you're arms are shaking when you're half way through your two minute plank, ya know what I'm sayin'?

Now, none of these things will actually drag your butt out of bed and actually give you abs like Bruce Lee. You'll still have to do that yourself. But I know that doing these things has made dragging myself out of bed every morning much more bearable, and you can't argue with results!

How to Organize your Purse in 5 easy steps

Have you ever gone through your purse looking for a pen, but couldn’t find it under all the receipts and gum wrappers? Can your friends and family hear you coming from the rattling of loose change and that pack of breath mints you forgot you even had?

If you’re nodding and grinning guiltily, you’re in luck, because this is How to organize your purse in 5 easy steps!

STEP1: Think about what you need

This seems really obvious, I know, but it’s true.Think about it. What do you use every day? This will be a little different for everyone. For me, I would put things like chapstick, my phone, money, my keys, etc. on that need list.

Similarly, think about the things you don’t need. You’re going to want to bring your chapstick, for sure, but do you really need to tote around your entire lip product collection? I’m speaking from experience, believe me. I used to have an entire pocket devoted to lip gloss…and it wasn’t pretty. 

Sort through all the things that are currently in your purse and make two piles; one for all the things you know you’ll use regularly, and one for the things you put in your purse because you needed it for a party….and never took it out.

STEP 2:Think about size

Even if you have a large purse, you want to utilize all that space as best you can. Size matters! You can go to the travel section of any store and get mini everything. because do you REALLY need to lug around that full size bottle of hand lotion?

    *A tip I learned a while back for you ladies that like to keep some makeup with you is to take that stub of eyeliner that’s on it’s last leg and stick that in your purse!

STEP 3: What do you reach for the most?

You've got everything sorted out now, and you're ready to load up your purse. But first you have to ask yourself this question: What do I grab the most? For me, it’s my phone, so I’m going to want to put that in a place that is really easy to access, like a front pocket. You’ll want to do this for everything you put in your purse. All the things that you know you’ll need, but not very often(perhaps Ibuprofen) should go in a back pocket, or the bottom of your purse. Make sure that everything is still easily accessible, though, otherwise it’ll all get jumbled up when you DO need that Ibuprofen…then you’ll have to start all over!

STEP 4: Take the time.

You’ve followed all these steps up to this point, and your purse is finally clean and organized!(and probably a few pounds lighter, am I right?) But here’s the thing. You can’t just do this once and be done. Life is going to happen and you’re going to just stuff something in your bag and forget about it, and before you know it, you’ve got a suitcase again!

I would suggest you go through this process about twice a year, or whenever you feel like your purse is getting too messy. Take twenty minutes, turn on the TV, and just dump everything out. Get rid of all those receipts and gum wrappers that have been threatening to take over you bag! Remember that lipstick you threw in there for touch-ups at your office Christmas party? It’s July, I think you can get rid of that now.

STEP 5: Don’t be afraid to leave something at home

This is going to be hard to do, believe me, but it’s one of the easiest ways to keep your purse organized! 

AND BECAUSE I'm SO NICE.....

BONUS TIP: No pockets? No problem!

Many of the really cute purses on the market today really aren’t designed for organization. They’re basically one big sack with a couple phone-sized pickets on the sides. You want to keep everything need and tidy, but you don’t want a purse that looks like cargo pants with a shoulder strap!

If you have a purse like this, have no fear! There’s an easy, inexpensive way to fix the problem. Create your own pockets. Group all your like items(lip gloss, hair ties, bobby pins, etc.) and put them in their own pouch. These pouches can be found pretty much everywhere(I personally like the ones at Forever21...so cute!), and they can be pretty inexpensive. By doing this you’re creating your own pockets, and you get to keep your cute purse!

I know that the concept of organization can be very overwhelming, and I hope these tips made things seem a little more manageable!