Becoming la niña – Page 4 – Love, Life, & Natural Beauty

He…

For my fortieth birthday my boyfriend surprised me with a visit. It was truly a surprise, as I wasn’t expecting him until the following Sunday.

We have been in a long distance relationship for almost two years now. It has been an amazing journey. It has been a tough journey… But I wouldn’t change a thing. We’ve learned so much from each other and we’ve come so far. And in spite of the miles between us, and having to wait months for a kiss, our love has been constant… HE has been constant.

He loves me. He makes me want to be a better person. He makes me feel alive. He makes me want to try and, in turn, succeed. He encourages me. He lifts me up. He is strong. He has heart. He has pride. He is funny and witty. He is kind, understanding, and loyal. He is a true friend. He is loving. He is generous. He is no-nonsense. He is tough and no pushover. He is passionate and tender. He is affectionate. He brings me joy and laughter. He is not afraid to share his hopes and fears with me. He trusts me with his whole being…. He trusts me with his heart. HE is the love of my life.

And so, on my fortieth birthday, in front of family and friends, he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him…

I said yes.

My heart is full.

Forty

It seems very surreal to me. Have I really turned 40? Already??? I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I don’t feel any older. I don’t look any older. Yet, here I am… forty.

In my twenties, and maybe even in my early thirties, forty looked like the beginning of the end. Today, forty is the exciting beginning of a new chapter, one that I can’t wait to dive in to. Sure, I had some great times during my younger years, but I also made some pretty stupid mistakes, took some hard knocks, and learned things the hard way. But I learned. At forty, I know exactly what I want in life, and won’t settle for less. I know how to cherish friendships, and which “friends” aren’t really friends and am able to cut ties. I’ve discovered that “No” isn’t a bad word. And, that my feelings are my feelings, and I am allowed to feel that way.

Love. At forty, I have the love of my life. It is amazing. HE is amazing. He is everything I have ever wanted. We will build a family. We will walk this journey together. I feel so blessed to know that he will be with me through my forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond. He flew in to be with me today. My birthday surprise.

… So today, on my 40th birthday, I’m taking the day off.

Cinnamon, Sugar…. and Ants

When you live in warmer climates, or even during summer up north, it is inevitable to receive unwanted guests… of the pesky kind. From lizards, to spiders, to teeny, weeny, little frogs, I’ve seen it all. The most annoying of these pests, however, are the ants! Big ones, little ones, red ones, brown ones. They are everywhere! How does one get rid of these buggers without spraying poison all over the counters?

Cinnamon is a great option. Ants hate the scent of cinnamon, so they avoid it like the plague. Sprinkling some cinnamon powder along the edges of the counter where it meets the wall, or along ant trails, will stop the ants in their tracks.

Ever get ants in your sugar bowl? That is the worst! Little ants sprinkled in your sugar as you spoon it out. All you want to do is to sweeten your coffee. If you don’t notice it immediately, you soon will. Their tiny carcases will float to the top. It’s not a pretty sight. Your morning is ruined…! Sprinkling cinnamon powder in your sugar bowl wouldn’t be a good idea, unless you like cinnamon coffee. Instead, lay a cinnamon stick or two on top of the sugar in your sugar bowl. This will keep the ants away, but won’t flavor your sugar. It really works! Give it a try.

If you have any tricks to keep pests away, let me know. I’d love to try it.

Amigas

Last weekend one of my greatest friends came to visit me from up north. It was her birthday weekend. We didn’t go out on the town or have a big party, but rather we visited the beach and spent our days catching up. We reminisced on days gone by, and planned for the days to come. I’ve known her since the 3rd grade, and we’ve been through a lot together. From childhood fights to high school skits. From a period of time when we lost touch to reconnecting and building a true and lasting friendship. We’ve laughed together, and yes, we’ve cried. But on this day, we discussed the hopes and fears of turning a year older; future vacations we will take together; and how far we’ve come. Getting older can be daunting, but I’m glad I have someone I can share my journey with. I am truly blessed.

It’s in the Bag!

I love giving gifts… but what I love more is gift WRAPPING! Is it just me? And I don’t just wrap the gift with colorful wrapping paper and call it a day. Oh no. Wrapping a gift is an arts and crafts project that usually takes me a few hours. I know! It’s crazy. But I love it.

The one thing I don’t like about gift giving are gift BAGS. Yes, gift bags have come a long way, but I feel like I didn’t put any effort in the presentation of my gift when I use a gift bag. Don’t get me wrong, there have been many occasions when I’ve used gift bags. Mostly, I use gift bags when I purchase a gift with awkward packaging, ie. not a box.

I recently went to a baby shower and the gift I got came in that awkward, plastic packaging that is impossible to open. So, a gift bag seemed appropriate. However, I had major plans for this gift bag.

I began with this tutorial from The Elli Blog. You can find the complete how-to guide and template here. Below is a summary of how I did it.

I used a glue stick instead of a glue gun because I wanted to make sure this project was kid friendly. After I printed out the template, I cut out all my petals.

I cut slits into the large and small black circles, then curled them up.

Glue the little circle inside the large one. Cut two slits on the end of all the petals and curl the edges.

Glue 3 petals together to create a cup. Then glue the last four petals in the same way to create a slightly larger cup.

Glue the smaller cup inside the larger one, then glue in your circles in the middle.

I glued all my flowers onto my bag and added a few leaves I cut out.

I think with practice I can get these flowers to look really great, but for now, this will do. What are your thought on wrapping and gift giving?

5 Step Skin Care Routine: Step Five – Sun Protection

Sun protection should go hand in hand with moisturizing. Most mosturizers already have some level of sun protection. However, relying on these moisturizers on days when our sun exposure will be high is not enough. The sun’s rays will make our skin thicker, darker, dryer, and more prone to irritation. It can even affect our immune system. However, we don’t want to avoid the sun completely. The sun is our major source for vitamin D. Lack of vitamin D may influence in the development of autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowl disease, type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis (Heller et al. 2007). A light tan will maintain healthy levels of vitamin D.

Sunscreens help protect our skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Mineral sunscreens, such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide are the best way to naturally protect our skin from the sun. Use them alone or add them to your moisturizer. The only down side of these minerals is that they leave a white film on your skin…. not pretty.

So remember, get some sun, it’s good for you, but remember to protect your skin. Use a product with a minimum of 30 SPF.

5 Step Skin Care Routine: Step Four – Moisturizer

I find it surprising how many people don’t use a daily moisturizer. I’ve heard a lot of excuses, but the most common is “I have oily skin”. Moisturizing is so important, not only because it moisturizes, nourishes, and hydrates the skin, but also because it balances the natural oils the skin produces.

Having dry skin simply means that your skin isn’t producing enough sebum to keep the surface moist. This produces dry, itchy, tight skin. Everyone has dry skin at some point. Whether it’s because you have naturally dry skin, harsh detergents in our soaps, or simply because it’s cold outside, dry skin is very common. Moisturizers help supplement the moisture the skin lacks.

Oily skin, on the other hand, produces too much sebum, which makes our skin look and feel greasy. Having oily skin may also make us more prone to acne. However, not using moisturizer is the worst thing you can do when you have oily skin. Usually we try to dry out our oily skin with harsh soaps and skip the moisturizers. This causes our skin to produce an over abundance of oil to relieve the dryness. And then again, we dry out our skin and skip the moisturizer… It becomes a vicious cycle. STOP! Applying moisturizer will tell your oily skin that the skin is already moisturized and there is no need to produce more oil. If you’ve been spinning on the vicious cycle for a while, it may take some time to get your skin balanced again. Be sure to use light, natural moisturizers which can be absorbed easily by the skin. Or, you may add water to the moisturizer you already have to lighten it up. You don’t want to use a heavy hand with your moisturizer on your oily skin… a little is all you need.

So lets keep our skin balanced and looking great. By moisturizing everyday, day and night, you will accomplish this… Your skin will thank you for it!

Green Tea Toner

When it comes to making home-made toner, I keep it very simple. Just a few ingredients is all you need for a really good toner. I don’t usually like alcohol in my toners because it dries out my skin too much, but when I do use alcohol, I use a grain alcohol like vodka or sake. Summer time is a great time to use a bit of alcohol in toners because skin tends to be more oily during the warmer summer months.

However, for every day toning, I like to use green tea. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. These keep our skin looking young and blemish free. Adding a little bit of fresh lemon juice will also help get rid of blemishes, as lemon juice is a natural antiseptic. Lemons also contain vitamins C and B. Using it in your toners will give your skin a healthy glow.

Try this simple toner:

1 organic green tea packet

1 cup hot water

Juice of half a lemon

Essential oil of choice

Steep the tea bag in boiling hot water. Add the lemon juice. Wait until the mixture is completely cooled and pour the mixture in a spray bottle. Add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to add fragrance. I used lavender. To use, after cleansing, saturate a cotton ball with the toner and swipe it all over your face.

Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

5 Step Skin Care Routine: Step Three – Toners

Many people skip toning altogether, they don’t really think it’s a necessary part of cleansing. But toners are designed to remove the last traces of dirt, cleanser residue, and surface skin cells from the skin. It is the last defense. A good, natural toner will moisturize, prevent acne, fade dark spots, and refresh and sooth the skin. Many men use toners as an aftershave.

Many toners on the market today claim to shrink pores. However, our skin is a very complex organ, one that is not easily modified, especially by a simple toner. Pore size is hereditary, and therefore, cannot be made smaller or larger by a toner.

There is nothing complicated about toning, it is a very simple and quick step, only taking a few seconds. Just soak a cotton ball with the toner of your choice and swipe it all over your face… You’ll be glad you did.

I’ll show you how to make a home-made toner on my next post. Stay tuned!

Avocado Mask

Masks are easy to make. You can use fruit, vegetables, eggs, yogurt, mayo… the list goes on and on. I love mixing natural clay masks with oils and flower waters to amp up the clay. Clays or “mud masks” can be used on your entire body, even your hair. As it dries, it draws out oils, dirt, and dead skin cells, leaving the skin soft and smooth. You can purchase natural clays at a natural food store or pharmacy.

When I don’t have any clay available, I love mixing up a simple avocado mask. Avocados are rich in oils which makes them excellent moisturizers. They’re also rich in vitamins A and B, and they contain more protein than any other fruit. Honey is an antibacterial, which helps sooth and heal blemishes. It’s also one of the best humectants, which holds in moisture. Finally, vitamin E is an antioxidant, which keeps the wrinkles away.

1/2 ripe avocado

1 tsp honey

1 tsp vitamin E oil

Mash the avocado. Mix in the honey, and vitamin E oil until smooth and creamy. If you find that it’s not as smooth as you would like it to be, due to a very large avocado, add some avocado oil, one teaspoon at a time, until you achieve the right consistency. Apply the mask to your face and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

If you run out of your favorite mask try mixing up a batch of this nourishing avocado mask and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Superfood: Avocado (farmstandelsegundo.wordpress.com)
How To Make Simple Avocado Mask (aisyahquintaevelina.wordpress.com)

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