My Hair-Brained Idea... Success or Fail?

Only part of the skills we learn as
a cosmetologist is the art of cutting hair

As a cosmetologist, we learn a lot more than how to do magic on your hair.

• We learn how to give manicures and pedicures.
• We learn how to give facials.
• We also learn about hair removal.

One of the things I remembered from school was being introduced to Sugaring. This is not unlike a wax, but it is different. It is a honey type paste than can be used to pull the hair out from the follicle. Unfortunately, for it to work, you need to grow the hair out.

That is right - for two weeks before the class, we were not to shave our legs or our armpits. We were like cavemen. Ok - maybe some of us were more hairy then others, but either way, we needed to learn the process (and have the process done to us so we knew what it felt like) so we had to grow out the hair that is not accepted by society on a woman.

One of the many things I learned
in school is how to remove hair
with sugar. Don't be fooled though,
this isn't real sugar that you bake with!

Well, sugaring has many benefits, but honestly, I am not going to tell you about sugaring itself. I am going to tell you what I learned from sugaring.

1. After excessive treatments, your hair will feel softer (because it won't be a blunt end like it is when you  use a razor). This treatment can make it seem like your hair doesn't come back as fast.
2. When you pull out the hair follicle, it can bleed.
3. Bleeding is a good thing because you might have potentially damaged the follicle meaning the hair won't grow back again.

I know it works, because I have used it many times while I was in school. I also know it is painful. I also know that if you are a little OCD, you will finish off the rest of the hairs that didn't get caught the first time with a tweezer... so it got me in the habit of tweezing hair that normal people probably don't tweeze.

Yes - I know - sometimes I am a little crazy.

When I was bored, I would spend hours tweezing hairs from my legs. There wasn't much hair left because of the sugaring and you could barely tell it was there. But I was bored and it would fill the time. 

So that is when I got the idea to tweeze my armpits. Summer is right around the corner and frankly, I find the task of shaving irritating. But if you want to go out in public, shave is something you must do.

So I start thinking... If I could tweeze the hair and damage the follicle, maybe I could go longer in between the removal of body hair.

Did you know tweezing your underarms is rather painful?

So, I started doing this a couple of weeks ago... and I can really only see the results on the left side since I am better at tweezing with my right hand. (Yes - I know you must have the most awkward visual in your head right now!)

So last night... as I was tweezing a few strands trying to make them permanently disappear, my husband caught me. Now - you would think he would have been surprised, but he wasn't. Which leads me to the conclusion that I must frequently do hair-brained activities.

I wasn't getting very far by myself because I was having difficulty with the right side. Being the noble man he is, I enlisted his help... and he obliged.

After about 100 tweezes and 99 of them pinching my skin... a few screams from being tortured, I told him to stop. I couldn't handle it anymore. This was a sick form of torture. I am sure I would endure waterboarding much better. 

Yet his OCD took control of him. He couldn't stop not being completely finished. He needed to continue. So there I sat, my hair exposed to the tweezer in his hand. I think he was actually enjoying it!

Needless to say, I had to prove a point on how painful it was. He lasted 10 hairs before he broke down crying. 

And when I look back at my hair-brained idea, all I have to say is this...

This is what happens after 13 years of marriage. 

Do you have someone special in your life that would
be willing to do weird things with you?

And my armpits have never felt so soft and smooth!

I don't have to worry about this now that I have soft
and smooth armpits!

Note: The only thing injured in the making of this post was a few armpit hairs that deserved it. And just to clear things up, my armpits never looked like the above picture. And those who prefer not to shave because of culture or preference, I do not judge. Shaved armpits on a woman is just my preference.

Flashback Friday: The Scale Doesn't Call You Beautiful

I was very relieved after yesterday's post, Passing on My Fate Genes. I actually thought I was going to get some sort of hate mail for sticking up for the Diet Mom and understanding her side to the story. But what I got was actually people who either agreed with me, or just didn't say anything.

Yet it still got me thinking. I don't want people to think that I am obsessed with losing weight or even that I am a "Fat" hater. I am not. I think people of all shapes and sizes are beautiful. It really is what is inside that counts.

Stop listening to your scale calling
you fat. It is only a tool.

When I was younger, I was the fat kid. I got teased for it ruthlessly. I eventually grew out of the baby fat, but I also became obsessed with my weight. I became obsessed with dieting. To me, I thought this was just a normal part of teenage life. But looking back, I wasn't fat. I was just blinded by what I thought I looked like.

This leads me to how I am today. I believe in exercise and eating right. But I also believe that you can't restrict yourself from a treat every once in awhile. I believe that you are almost 99% in control of what you look like, and therefore it is up to you to see the beauty inside. This has taken me many years to find out.

I will probably never get to my goal, and that is ok. After all, I am not in high school anymore and I have also had 3 kids. I enjoy the occasional treat and don't like obsessing over calorie counting. I hate that I can't always control the numbers on the scale. But mostly what I learned, is that the these tools that make us believe we are or we are not the "proper" size can only kill our self-esteem.

My kids see that I am in a habit of exercising daily (although lately I have been slacking). They have also seen me count calories and restrict treats. I have openly talked to them about why I have done what I have done. I recently lost 45 pounds and I feel much better now than I did before. I don't want to go back to that person. But I also don't want that person or the health obsessed person to dictate who my children become.
Mostly, I want them to have a healthy outlook on their life. I want them to love themselves. Because of that, we openly talk about healthy eating and the importance of exercise.

So for Flashback Friday, today I am featuring 

The Scale Doesn't Call You Beautiful.

A Star For Benjamin

It is only a couple days after the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. The tragedy that took 20 young children's lives. A tragedy that has torn many families apart right before Christmas.

Yet, in light of a tragedy, it is amazing how the power of people shines through. Our group, Bloppy Bloggers, decided we would take action to raise money and buy a star for the family of Benjamin Wheeler. The parents of this child is friends with one of our very own members, Amy from Adorable Chaos. So even though some of us may not have known the family personally, we have decided to reach out and show the power of human kindness and the power of the written word.

So far our efforts have been nothing short of amazing. As of writing this, we have raised about $2,300 for the family to assist in the funeral costs. We have over a dozen bloggers who have been spreading the word since we have started. And most importantly, we have had more than 100 people that have opened their hearts and have given to the Wheeler family. These people have been scattered, not just through the United States, but in other parts of the world as well.

This is the power of people. 

While money will never substitute for the loss of a child, it definitely can take away some of the stresses. If you would like to donate to the cause, there is a Donation button located at the top of this blog. Feel free to add a note as well. The notes that are being sent along to the family are a true show of human kindness.

And then there is the star. A star purchased in the sky and one to go on the tree. The star that will forever be a reminder and a memory of a child that was taken to soon.

Our thoughts go out to all the families that have been affected by this tragedy.

Note: If you want to check out all the updates on what has been happening, please click here to be directed to an article on Life According to Julie. It has been updated regularly. The picture on top is also courtesy of Cyndi from Pictimilitude. 

The Sisterhood Award

If there is one thing I can say about blogging, it is that you meet some incredible people out there. They are incredibly supportive and they are always willing to reach out and give you that extra push, especially on those days when you really don't feel like pushing. That is the way I felt the other day when I saw that I had been nominated for The Sisterhood of The World Bloggers Award.

What does that mean?

That means someone noticed me! Yeah! That means I am doing something right because someone out there thought of me when they decided that they need to pass on that award. Now there are millions and millions of bloggers out there so when someone mentions you, that is a big deal!

And now it is my time to say thank you. This person who mentioned me is one of my favorite bloggers, Janine, over at Janine's Confessions of a Mommyaholic.

Janine and I have never met personally and we have only known each other digitally for a couple months (since I started actively blogging), but she seems like someone I have known for ever. We have so much in common - we are both 30 something stay at home mothers who have kids and husbands who spark very interesting blog posts! She has been a big part of my support system not only in the blogosphere, but also during NaNoWriMo, as well. In fact, from the sounds of it, our books sound very similar. But I guess we will have to see. She is a crazy great writer and an awesome person to have on your side. So go check her out and show her some love.

Now for the rules:

If you get this award, not only do you have to say thank you to the person that nominated you, but you also have to nominate another wonderful woman blogger to pass it on to. Then they will be able to also pay it forward and proudly post the button on their blog as well. As if that isn't difficult enough (the choosing just one wonderful blogger!) you also need to give out 7 random creative fun facts about yourself.

About Me:

1. I am kind of a self-portrait addict. I found that since I am always behind the camera I almost never have pictures of me unless I take them myself or ask others to take them for me. I realized this when I was looking for a picture of me for scrapbooking and had really none to choose from. Since then, I obsessively take self-portraits. These also come in very handy since I use a lot of my own photos for graphics. When I was younger, I wanted to be a model. I used to do photo shoots with my friends and dress up. When I was in high school, I got the opportunity to go to a meeting and could have went to New York. I never pursued it because they wanted a high school student to come up with $4,000 so to me it seemed like a scam. When I was in the Army, I also got approached by a company to do modeling. I ignored Army contract and went further than I was allowed to to attend the meeting. I never followed through. Now my modeling is done so I don't have to get other people to always pose for me when I need a picture for my writing. It worked out much better for me that way.

I am so obsessed, I actually made
myself one on a site I found. So
if you see this, run away.

2. I have a slight obsession with zombies. While I know that I would probably be one of the first people to die in a zombie apocalypse (because I pass out at the sight of blood), I love to talk about what it would be like and the different scenarios that could happen if zombies were real and suddenly the whole world was overtaken by them.

3. I get anxious when I don't have access to the outside world. I am literally connected to the hip with my laptop and my cellphone.

4. I am not a phone person. In fact, I don't usually call people because I dread talking on the phone for fear that I can't understand them. (I have trouble hearing if there is a lot of background noise!) That being said, once you get me on the phone it is very difficult to get me off the phone. Apparently I talk a lot once you get me going.

5. I am obsessed with PostSecret. I visit the website every single Sunday and I have collected almost all of the books. One day, I want to send in my secret, but I fear that mine won't look nearly as cool as the ones that get posted.

6. My husband has said some funny things to me. I have actually included some of the stuff he has said to me as dialogue in my book. It was just too perfect to pass up on. But I will make sure to give him some love on the dedication page when I publish.

7. You can always tell when I am starting to get sick because I start sneezing. And I never sneeze.

Now it is time to nominate someone else for this wonderful blogger award.

Choosing another blogger for this award is difficult. There are so many out there that I truly love and I try to catch there posts each and every day. But I guess if having too many to choose from is a problem, than that is a delightful problem to have.

So today, I nominate Wendi's Wild World for the Sisterhood Blogger Award. Wendi is a mom by day and a rocker by night. Wendi is no ordinary person - in fact she is extraordinary. She has 3 kids and is working through this crazy thing called life. I knew I had to nominate her when I saw how much spunk she had. Apparently she tells it like it is and she will occasionally get some hate mail. So while she isn't new to the writing world, she has started a new blog that I look forward to reading more of.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... except the injuries

The shoes of pain.. but they were worth
every painful step!

A few weeks ago my husband and I took a overnight trip to Vegas to visit some friends. These friends are from my hometown in Wisconsin, so being that Wisconsin is a 40 hour trip to drive and Vegas is only about 5 hours, it made sense to take advantage of the situation and see people we normally only get to see once a year.

Now we have been to Vegas a handful of times already. Half of these times were with kids so we weren't really able to enjoy the lifestyle Vegas has to offer, and I am not referring to gambling. This time we were going to live it up. I even went out and bought a fancy black dress to go along with these amazing sparkly shoes I absolutely had to have, and I probably won't have many opportunities to wear in the future.

Now anybody that knows me, knows I am not usually a girly girl when it comes to dresses. I just feel awkward in them. However when it comes to shoes, that is a whole different story. I have a pretty decent collection. And besides, even if I religiously wear my workout shoes and flip flops, it is nice to know I have a choice of shoes if I ever need them, which is rare. After all, I am a stay at home mom and it seems crazy to be scrubbing floors and doing laundry in high heels!

If you know me, you also know that I am incredibly stubborn. That being said, these shoes I choose to wear walking the Vegas Strip were not worn for more than 20 minutes prior to our trip to Vegas. Yet, I was determined to wear them most of the night. (I did play it smart and used a rather large purse to carry my flip flops just in case!) Not even 20 minutes after putting them on, my heels were already bleeding. I mean - we barely made it out of the hotel room.

I did the smart thing and bandaged them up with a few band-aids I luckily remembered to pack along. Ok - so I actually suspected that this was going to happen which is why I was prepared. I even took a break and wore my flip flops for a bit but eventually put the shoes back on. What can I say - they made me feel like a rock star. (Not to mention I got so many compliments by complete strangers. They were definitely stroking my ego!) And how many times have I heard the phrase "Beauty is Pain!"

Pictures don't really do it justice,
but my heels definitely showed
the scars of a good time!

By the time we got back to the room and I was able to take my shoes off, I could feel the burn of skin, or lack of skin, that had been rubbed off. I couldn't tell if I was barely able to walk because of my injury or just from not being used to wearing heels for long periods of time. What I ended up with was some really severe blisters that broke on my heels making it nearly impossible to wear any shoes other than flip flops for the next two weeks.

On a good note though - at least it wasn't like my husband who cracked his face on scaffolding and broke his nose!

Needless to say, my injuries put my workouts to a dramatic halt. Usually I do some pretty intense programs. Initially it was to get in shape and lose weight, but now it has been more because I just enjoy working out. That, and it keeps my attitude in check.

So today, I was sick of being the moody bear and with my heels healed, I was ready to get my workout shoes on and brave my workout. I threw in TurboFire and got my sweat on. Now I will admit, TurboFire is a pretty hardcore workout anyway. The fact that I haven't been working out for almost two weeks didn't really help my situation. I almost died.

All ready for a night out on the
town! Vegas Baby!

So far so good though. I did make it through and my heals are feeling fine. I am not even sore yet, but I am sure tomorrow will be a different story. I will even admit that being away from my workouts for 2 weeks was also a stump on my motivation. It was hard to push play and knock it out. Even after 10 minutes, I started having those negative thoughts again telling myself I couldn't do this and I should stop. I didn't stop though - I am stubborn and I have pushed through much harder when I was in worse shape. It just amazes me how easy it is to lose your groove.

Overall, I would like to say there was some kind of lesson learned in this... but really that is not the case. If I had to do it all over again, I would wear the shoes. I guess Beauty is Pain - whether it is due to the obsessive workouts (or getting back into the habit of working out again!) or wearing the perfectly painful shoes!

Enough. Do you feel fabulous?

It seems like it has been forever since the Enough campaign was launched. It was started by a brilliant writer, blogger and friend who decided she didn't like what society kept telling us, so on her blog Life according to Julie, she started this campaign after a photo of Maria Kang that just didn't sit right with her. I of course jumped on board because I think it is a fabulous idea and frankly, society needs something - Something to change our perspectives on how we view ourselves.

Do you feel Fabulous?

Life is all about how you view yourself. And frankly, there are far too many people who are not too nice when it comes to how they talk and treat themselves. Well, it is time to change that! We need to look at ourselves in a different light. If we don't like what we see, how can we possibly expect others to like what they see.

Each one of us is different. Each of us has our own imperfections that make us who we are. The question is how do we view these imperfections. Do we love them or do we loathe them?

I have had to think long and hard about these very questions about myself. Mainly because I have always rode the weight loss rollercoaster and I have found regardless of where I get, I am still my hardest judge. Yet, I have two young daughters I have to look after and set a good example for. If they see me hating myself, then what are they going to follow?

When my husband and I decided it was time for me to stay home with the kids, I found I entered a whole different world. I was becoming the "frumpy housewife!" I stopped caring how I was looking because frankly, the only ones who saw me were my husband and my kids. The longer I kept this up, the more miserable I felt. Because I was out of people's eyes, I just didn't feel the need to put any effort into myself. It was a trap. I was falling hard into the world of hating my own imperfections. Yet, I know I am not the only one who occasionally feels this way or gets stuck in this negative mental rut.

It was time for me to start feeling a little differently. I needed to start feeling fabulous!

I realized it doesn't matter what others think; it only matters what I think. When I got my day going with a good workout, took a shower and put on my makeup, the day just seemed better. When I just put on some frumpy comfy clothes, I didn't feel motivated to get through the day. I needed to start the day off on the right foot!

I have always hid behind the excuse that I am not a girly-girl. There were clothes I would avoid in my closet because they were reserved for when I went out somewhere or people came to my house. Yet, I realized as I started dressing up a little more, even if no one would see me, that I felt good about myself. I wasn't the frumpy housewife and I could still turn heads. In my frumpy clothes, I often doubted myself. It wasn't what I looked like, but it was how I presented myself. And frankly, when you feel good about yourself, it isn't hard to feel fabulous!

So get out there... put on your best clothes... do something to your hair... apply the mascara you save for special occasions... wear those high heels... anything. But present yourself the way you want to be viewed. After all, you are fabulous. Now we just need to start believing it ourselves!

So what are you going to do to feel fabulous today?

Enough. Beauty on the Inside = Beauty on the Outside

Today was school picture day for my kids. So, on top of the normal getting ready tasks, I took the time out to beautify my two older daughters. (Yes, there have been rare occasions when I notice them walking out of the front door with their hair looking less than brushed. Shameful since as a trade I am a hairstylist!)

As I was doing my youngest daughter's hair, she looked at me and said, "Mommy, it is such a good thing that we have a hairstylist for a mother! Because you know what to do!"

She is only 7 years old and already, she is talking about how important it is to look on the outside. I have the tools and techniques to make her beautiful. The fact is, she really is my fashion diva. To say she loves the way she looks is just touching the surface. I often times find her staring at herself in the mirror full of admiration.

My oldest daughter also commented on her looks as I was doing her hair. Now I didn't do anything fancy. I just straightened it so it looked neat and presentable. A far cry from what it looked like this morning after waking up with a bad case of bed head!

I am happy my daughters love the way they look, and even though I may be biased, I believe these two girls to be some of the most beautiful little people I have ever met! Yet, I also want them to realize that beauty radiates from the inside.

My daughters are getting to the age where they start looking at their outside looks. As a woman who has constantly struggled with my own self-image, I want to make sure they are on the right track. This is were the Enough. campaign has stepped in. I already knew the media was a big part of the problem for women loving who they are. So as a responsible parent, I want to teach my daughters what is right.

I want my daughters to know they are beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. That it doesn't matter if they are skinny or fat or whether their hair is curly or straight. I want them to love themselves for who they are. After all, they are starting to enter a very important time frame. A place when they start judging how they look on the outside, instead of what is truly important. The beauty on the inside.

Life Lessons

I know I am teaching my kids the right lessons just based off of our conversations. The other day, my daughter was talking about how her friend was getting teased at school. Her friend had been sick for a few days and when she came back, she had a fever blister on her lip. The other kids at school teased her about it and really made her feel self-conscious about how she looked. But my daughter told me not only did she stick up for her friend, but she also reassured her she was just as beautiful as she was the day before and will continue to be tomorrow.

My daughter is only 10 years old, and I found not only did this melt my heart, but it also showed how truly mature my daughter is for such a young age. She stuck up for her friend. And she also realizes beauty on the outside is only skin deep. It is what is on the inside that truly counts! Now that is a lesson some adults have yet to even learn!

Have you had Enough.

I stand by this campaign because I truly believe it is important. As adults, we too need to learn this lesson of standing up and loving ourselves for all of our imperfections. But mostly, if we learn this lesson, we can also teach it to our children. What does that mean? Our children will grow up stronger. They will learn to love themselves. And who knows, if we all learn to love ourselves a little more, it might even make it harder for bullies to attack us for our imperfections.

So I invite you to join us as we all stand up together and say Enough. They even have their very own Facebook Page so you can get in on all the action and show your support.

Together we can make a big difference. After all, one person standing in the middle of the room might be difficult to hear, but if we all start shouting together, we WILL be noticed! Are you ready to take the stand with us?

Enough! This is what healthy looks like!

Today's media has a big pull on how women view their bodies. But the reality is what we see in the media is a result of some very fortunate positions. People who can afford a chef that cooks the best meals with no limitations on family food budgets; those who can afford personal trainers to do the workouts which are the most effective; and of course, the added help of technology such as photo editing programs that can remove those stress zits or stretch marks. And even if those didn't exist, there is always cosmetic surgery. Why not? After all, if they can afford it then why shouldn't the be able to look the best that they can look.

I have no problem with this. However, I have a problem with their images being posted as what every women should look like. Frankly, that is not possible. We are all designed differently. We are not cookie cutters. So when we see these pictures of super skinny models (who only ate a piece of celery!) we start thinking we are not good enough. And as women, we are teaching our kids this exact same attitude. Well this is what I say to that!

ENOUGH.

The Enough Campaign was started by a fellow blog writer Julie DeNeen. It was after seeing a photo of Maria Kang on Facebook. The problem wasn't of the photo, which showed Maria Kang with her 3 children and her six pack abs. The problem was with the caption. It showed her youngest was 8 months old and she had her body back... so what was your excuse? That caption captivated everything wrong with society. It showed that if you can't get your pre-pregnancy body back you are obviously making some sort of excuse!

Are  you brave enough to bare your belly?

Now everybody who knows me, knows I am a super crazy fitness nut. I am all about NO EXCUSES! However, I have had ENOUGH as well. I will continue to work out... but I will do so because I enjoy working out. I will continue to count my calories until I get to my goal. However, if I have a cheeseburger and a milk shake along the way or if I eat more calories than what I am allotted, I am not going to use it as an excuse. I don't need to compare my body to anybody else's body and I shouldn't feel ashamed by the way I look because it has taken me 3 years after giving birth to my son to get as far as I have.

I don't have my pre-pregnancy body back and chances are good I will never look like I am that young teenager again. But the good thing is, I don't want to. I am an adult. I have a body of a women who has endured 3 pregnancies. I have a body with stretch marks given to me by my wonderful children. And I wouldn't change it. Why, because I am who I am. And that is not an excuse!

Teach your children how to be healthy - not to be obsessed with skinny!

I am not skinny. I have never been skinny and I never will be skinny. But, I will say I am healthy. I am more toned and I am stronger than I ever have been before. But all this is the result of lots of hours spent working out. This is my "ME" time. Others however, might not want to spend their "me" time working out for endless hours in the day. To me, it made me feel happier and healthier and a whole lot less cranky which made me a better parent.

However, with my excessive workouts, I realized I might be sending a wrong message to my children. With two older girls who are right around the corner of being obsessed with their weight, I wanted them to understand why I was working out. And the only way I could do that was to talk to them.

Being healthy is not about six pack abs. It is not just about moving and exercising and eating healthy. It is about setting a good example. If your children see you working out, they might actually join you. Often times as a family, we go on evening walks to burn off our dinner. It is about eating your fruits and veggies so they want to try them to. But most importantly, it is about having a positive body image. If you love your body - your children will follow.

Show the world that you aren't afraid to bare your belly - that you too believe that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. The norm is not stick thin models - it is us. The women who have a little junk in their trunk. Those who have cellulite and stretch marks and maybe a little pudge her and there. Be proud of who you are and be proud of what you look like.

Show your kids that this is what healthy looks like! 

Because you are beautiful!

If you want to check out my other writing - feel free to check out Barbergirl28 on Hubpages!