Sigh... Taylor is trying another sugar detox? YES! But this time will be a little different. It's gonna be a 2 week detox and not as hard core as before. I'm not cutting out every single thing that contains sugar, but I'm staying away from sweets (candy, cookies, brownies, ect.) and trying to cut down on the honey in my tea. Stuff like that. I "started" on January 1st... But I ate a Harry Potter chocolate frog that was already open that I didn't want to go bad. :P And yesterday we went to see Frozen (which was SO cute!) And I had a few GF "cookies" my mom had... Although honestly they tasted more just like a sweet cracker. But I'm not gonna be harsh on myself and I'll just try my best. This morning I am very proud to say I had NO added sugars.
I had 2 fresh scrambled eggs with garlic, pepper and salt, tomato, and avocado. 2 small oranges, and a cup of unsweetened pomegranate green tea.
I was tagged by PrimalBeautyQueen on youtube to do the Resolutions TAG, so I'm doing my own take on it. :)
Best moments from 2013? 1. My Graduation party for sure! My boyfriend Micah had said he wasn't coming and then surprised me on that day showing up at my house as I was getting ready, when I came out of the bathroom and saw him I just fell apart, hugging him and crying like crazy.... Yes it ruined my makeup :P But it was worth it. Since he lives 3 hours away it was the best surprise I could get! I also got to see my friends Megan and Jeremiah! I didn't know they were coming either and I hadn't seen them in about a year!
2. Me and Micah's 2 year Anniversary! He treated me to lunch at Noodles & Company (one of my favorite places to eat) and to see City Of Bones! It was great just spending time with him to celebrate our relationsip and how far it has come so far. <3
3. Going to Micah's house. I had never been to his house before so this was totally new for me! I loved being with him and his family and getting to know them better and seeing a whole part of his life that I wasn't a part of before! One day I loved the most was me and him going to our friends Caleb and Kate's house for dinner! The weather was beautiful and they were so fun to hang out with! I tried buffalo burgers for the first time and they were actually really good! Time for my 2014 Goals and Resolutions.
Online- 1. Blog at LEAST once a week. 2. Upload videos at least 2 to 4 times a week. Skin and Health-
1. Take better care of skin- Try not to touch face so much, Don't pick at acne, Eat very low sugar (the sugar breaks me out more) Stay hydrated (the more water I have, the better my skin is)
2. Re-focus on being healthy. Again the same with water and sugar, Try to eat 80% fruits and veggies.
Personal-
1. Don't stress it- Pray about it, Let go of things out of my control, Don't let stress steal my happiness. 2. Set spending limits and month to month savings goals.
3. I didn't have this in my video because I didn't think it was very realistic...but dream big right? I want to make my own homemade natural skincare products (bath melts, fizzies, scrubs, lotions, ect.) and maybe sell them on Etsy! So even if I don't sell them this year I want to take steps to make that happen!
Ways to do so: I can set money aside for supplies, I can look around for the things I'll need, Seek advice from someone who is already doing that, And remember... Moving slow is better than standing still. My theme for these goals are to just take better care of myself. Mind, Body, and Spirit.
2013 List: 1. A Plain & Simple Christmas 2. Reached- Ally Condie 3. The Selection- Kierra Cass 4. The Host- Stephanie Meyer 5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 6.Wither by Lauren Destafano 7. Fever- Lauren Destafano 8. The Reckoning by Beverly Lewis 9. Sever- Lauren Destafano 10. Unending Devotion by Judy Hedlund 11. the summer i turned pretty by Jenny Han 12. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi 13. The Lucky One- Nicholas Sparks 14. The Bridesmaid- Beverly Lewis 15. Falling Home- Karen White 16. The Short Second Like Of Bree Tanner- Stephenie Meyer 17. The Elite- Kiera Cass 18. The Measure Of A Heart- Jennette Oke 19. My Stubborn Heart- Becky Wade 20. The Proposal- Lori Wick 21. Mila 2.0- Debra Dizra 22. The Guardian- Beverly Lewis 23. The Forest Of Hands and Teeth- Carrie Ryan 24. The Gathering- Kelly Armstrong 25. Through the Ever Night- Veronica Rossi 26. Mind Games- Kiersten White 27. Hemlock- Kathleen Peacock 28.The Magicians Nephew-C.S. Lewis 29. City of Bones- Cassandra Clair 30. Bloodlines- Richelle Mead 31. Beautiful Darkness- Kami Garcia 32. City of Ashes- Cassandra Clair 33. Vampire Diaries 1- L. J. Smith 34. City of Class- Cassandra Clair 35. The Calling- Kelley Armstrong 36.Allegient- Veronica Roth 37. Partials- Dan Wells
My 5 Favorite-
1. The Selection Series- Kiera Cass I loved both books (Selection and The Elite) and I can't wait for the next one! It has pretty much everything I would want in a princess story! And it's futuristic, even better. ;)
2. The Host- Stephanie Meyer- I'm actually a fan of the Twilight Saga, but I think the books aren't as good as the movies. But THIS book is amazing!! I love the story and i could read it again and again. Love the detail and POV.
3. Reached- Ally Condie- I'm a huge fan of the Matched series in general (Crossed is not my favorite though at all) I feel like this was a great end to the series, with twists and surprises. It kept me guessing till the end and I love that.
4.Sever by Lauren Destafano- Once again one of my favorite series in general! But again not crazy about the 2nd one (Fever) but I feel like Sever was another great end to another great series. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I also got a little mad at some of those crazy twists. But they made the story.
5. Through the Ever Night- Veronica Rossi. This was so much better than the 1st one. The plot was much better and I really enjoyed this.
My 5 Fails-
1. Allegiant-Veronica Roth- I really hate to put this in here because I adore the first two so much. I felt like the plot kind of fell short, It took a lot of getting used to. I don't know what I was expecting with the government in this book but I'm sad to say I was disappointed.
2. Vampire Diaries #1- L. J. Smith I started watching the show in 2013 so I figured the book would be even better....boy was I WRONG! The writing was actually a little annoying to me. Too much drama. I only finished the awakening (#1) and that was making myself read it.
3. Partials- Dan Wells Okay I was expecting a really cool futuristic story...But to me this was a little on the lame side. There wasn't a deep plot at all. Although the 2nd half is MUCH better than the 1st, and there's a pretty good twist.
4. Bloodlines- Richelle Mead- I don't know if it was because I didn't real Vampire Academy or what but this was very confusing. It had that lame school girl drama. Once again I kind of had to force myself to finish it.
5. Hemlock- Kathleen Peacock- Okay... I actually liked this.. BUT it was SO much like The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong... So much alike it was hard to keep each set of characters seperate. That's kind of my only complaint, but it's a big one.
So there you have it. I'm very excited to start my 2014 book list, read any good books lately? ;)
For this skincare Saturday I'm gonna show you a DIY Natural Mint Body Scrub! It smells like a candy cane and is very moisturizing! I used coconut oil for this but you could probably use any kind of natural oil you like. It would also be nice with some shea butter in it as well.
What You Need- 1 Cup of sugar, 1/2 cup to 1 cup of melted coconut oil (depending on how thin or thick you want it) 5 to 10 drops of essential oil (I used peppermint for this one but I have used lemon, lavender and tea tree oil before)
First put the sugar in a glass mixing bowl, add melted coconut oil in and mix, add your peppermint oil and mix, and that's it! Put it in container or glass jar of your choice.
I love using this in the bath, it makes my water so moisturizing I don't need a lotion or anything after. Any idea's for more Skincare Saturdays or DIY's?
Here's what I got for Christmas! I'm not trying to brag at all, I'm very thankful for what I got.
From my Aunt Sherrill- Note pad, ChapStick, Pens, Gloves.
From My Parents (Stocking)- Hershey Kiss Candy Cane, Santa Hat Kiss, Harry Potter Chocolate Frog, York Snowflake Peppermint Patty, Celestial Peppermint Tea
Christmas Tree Earrings- From my Meme Bow Necklace- from parents, Feather Earrings- My sister Brittany
(From parents) Canus Goat Milk Soap- Mint and Pear, Rainwater Botanicals Antioxidant Skin Serum, Deep Steep Body Butter- Brown Sugar Vanilla- This smells just like Pink Warm and Cozy!
(From parents) Pink LED Book Light, Harry Potter Pen and Bookmark
(From parents) iPod Tape, The Little Mermaid DVD, City of Bones DVD, Defiance and Deception by C. J. Redwine
(Parents)- Blue and Black long sweater, Black leggings from Walmart- these are amazing!They have fleece inside! So comfy! Cute ankle socks :) (From Brittany) Gray Divergent shirt from HotTopic.
It's time everyone! I'm so excited to share my 2013 favorites with you! I found a few really amazing skincare things this year. This being the first full year of me going natural there isn't a ton I found, but the things I do have are really special! (I'm putting "emptied" by the things I have used all up.)
First I want to talk about this wonderful cleanser! It cleans your face, leaving it fresh and MOISTURIZED! I have a full review of it here
Rainwater Botanicals Skin Repair Serum- As you can tell this was well loved! I emptied it a while ago but it's still a favorite. This is a great serum! It's more of a skin oil but soaks right in! It smells great and I feel like it helps even out my skintone and it does help with scarring. I only wish they had a bigger size in this! I plan on getting it again though. A great moisturizer! (I wear this in the day as well as the night) (Emptied)
Rainwater Botanicals Troubled Skin Serum-This isn't a oil like the Skin Repair. It's more of a thin, light serum. Great for summer! In the winter I need a extra step for moisture but it does give some. This does help with acne (though it doesn't clear everything) but I feel like it helps heal up acne faster. It smells again...amazing! It feels so nice and smooth on the skin. (This is also for scarring and wrinkles I believe) (Emptied)
Rainwater Botanicals Pimple Potion-This is the only spot treatment I have used that works for me! It's not over night or anything but it really helps heal up my acne faster! It smells great too! I'll be getting this again for sure! I love me some Rainwater Botanicals! (Emptied)
Devita Hyaluronic Acid SPF 30 Moisturizer-This is probably no surprise but this IS amazing! It goes on clear, moisturizes (although I like it best with a oil or serum under it) and I feel like it really improves my skin quality! I think it's the hyaluronic acid that helps smooth my skin and make it soft and supple, which I love!
Briar Mnt Farms Bath Fizzie- (Not the lip balm) These are great!! I put a little chunk in my bath water and it makes it so creamy and moisturizing! It smells great! I only wish there were more scents you could order online, for those of you who don't live in Va!
Shea Moisture Coconut Hibiscus Body Wash- This is a great body wash! It's fairly natural as well. It smells like coconut and is VERY moisturizing! I love this stuff. (Emptied)
Acure Body Lotion- This is a great lotion! It smells like fresh oranges and moisturizes very well. It's a thinner lotion which is great for all over! I would get this again for sure, maybe a different scent though, kinda want a new scent after using the whole thing of this. (Emptied)
Acure Shampoo- Great natural shampoo! I love the way this smells...like pure almond and I really like that scent! I've also tried the mint shampoo but I think I like this one a little more. It lathers well and moisturizes! (Emptied)
So there it is! My 2013 Natural Beauty Favorites! I'm looking forward to trying TONS of more natural products in 2014! Please leave your 2013 natural favorites below! :D
