Leafy Not Beefy

Oasap Giveaway

leafynotbeefy — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:35:37 +0000

Lavender Lovely: eShakti

leafynotbeefy — Sun, 12 May 2013 19:29:23 +0000

Sick Days and Revolt

leafynotbeefy — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:32:45 +0000

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was spent sick. Yeah, not the most fun weekend ever. I was planning to meet two good friends, one whom I haven’t seen in a pretty long time, at Olive Garden for dinner on Friday, but I woke up Friday morning with stomach/head issues. I like to pretend I’m a doctor, apparently, and have pretty much decided some of my problem must be a hyperactive vasovagal nerve, as my stomach would hurt just a little bit, but I kept getting that feeling that’s hard to describe, but if you’ve experienced it you know what I’m talking about – you get really hot or cold, temperature drops (probably blood pressure too, but I’ve never been fast enough to check it during an episode) quite fast, and when it’s especially bad, you can’t move, can’t even really talk. Thankfully, on Friday, it was just mild but it just wouldn’t stop. It was making me so nauseous that I couldn’t get much of anything done. Then I got body aches, a slight fever, and some TMI I’ll keep to myself, so I figured I must have had some kind of stomach bug. I’m feeling about 80% better now, so today will be spent largely catching up on work from Friday and Saturday.

Before I got sick Friday, I’ve been doing a program called Revolt. It’s a 6-week program (called “Uprisings”), and there are a large group of bloggers who’ve been invited to try it for free in exchange for weekly postings on how it’s going/what I think. So I will be letting you know my thoughts. I was relunctant to do the program, just because my diet is so different from many and my exercise is also largely nontraditional. BUT, I know a lot of you are into more traditional workouts, and I figured I could always modify the diet to be something that fits with my life. Oh, and I decided to continue doing a few T-Tapp moves (mainly Hoedowns after each meal and Awesome Legs) each day and Oxycise in the mornings. So the first week has finished. Oh, and by the way, you are supposed to weigh yourself and get your body fat checked prior to starting – I didn’t only because I threw out my scale (okay, so not literally, but the batteries died and I decided I’m not replacing them), but I did take measurements and before pics…. which no, I’m not sharing yet, but I will at the end of the 6 weeks. Okay, so I think the workouts are really nice. They aren’t super long, and they seem to “trick me” into thinking they’re not that hard, and in some ways they’re not, but in other ways, they are uper challenging, and I definitely have felt the good soreness! You don’t have to go to a gym, just need a computer to play the workout, some dumbells, kettleball/medicine ball, and a chair. I’m looking forward to working out this afternoon!

And one last thing from this weekend, I was notified that my alma matter is now accepting Canadian students into the program. For any new students (not just Canada), they will get either a laptop or an iPad for free. Oh, I wish they would’ve had these cool promotions when I was a student!! Plus if you tell them I’m the graduate who told you about it, I believe they take an extra $50 off tuition – not that much, but it all helps. If you have any questions, just zip me an email and I’ll answer or help you find the answers to whatever questions you may have.

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Approaching the Natural A Health Manifesto {book review}

leafynotbeefy — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:11:51 +0000

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*Disclosure: I recieved this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

“Little steps will get you started and remind you that something is better than nothing.”

Approaching the Natural A Health Manifesto is a neat little book filled with lots of good information, written in a common sense conversational style. I’ll get off my chest the areas I didn’t necessary like about it, and then share a lot of good things about it. First, there is a lot of talk of evolution in the book, which seems sort of natural since the book is talking about going back to our roots, so to speak, and a lot of the world believes in evolution. I don’t, so that’s why I didn’t connect with that. Secondly, I found the couple cuss words scattered throughout the book unneccessary. I guess it is just to make it more conversational, but I am able to carry on conversations without needing to fill space with cuss words. Again, another personal preference thing for me. And lastly on my negative list – I don’t agree with meditation. I’m all for being aware of your body and the world around you, and even taking the time to calm down and refresh, but not a formalized “clear your mind of everything and say a mantra” type meditation.

Okay, now that that uncomfortableness is taken care of, what do I like about this book? Plenty! And I feel that the positives far outweigh the few things I personally took issue with!

1) First,it is small, but packed with information. It’s pocket sized, and I love the front cover.

2) Sid Garza-Hillman is funny, and you also get a feel for his passion and concern. He seems very genuine and he’s not trying to sell anything. He’s someone you’d want to have coffee (or maybe some Dandy Blend, haha) with and just chill (haha, yes, I just said “chill” – I feel so hip).

3) He makes reference to Little House on the Prairie, which gets its own bullet point

4) The focus of approaching. That little steps are still steps. So many times, we can get in the “all or nothing” mentality, which 9 times out of 10, means nothing.

5) The book is broken up into parts/chapters: PART ONE: Approaching the Natural Body. Chapter One: Physical Nutrition. Chapter Two: Moving. Chapter Three: Connecting to the Earth. PART TWO: Approaching the Natural Mind. Chapter Four: Mental Nutrition. Chapter Five: The Social Network. Chapter Six: Approaching the Natural Takes on the World. Also included are references, resources, and a section for you to write down notes as you read.

I thought I’d just give you a little peak into this book by sharing bits that grabbed my attention:

“Imagine food as a gift box. The beautiful wrapping on the outside is the calories (macronutrients). Part of that wrapping is protein, part is fat, and part is carbohydrate, but together it’ all wrapping. Now let’s look at what’s inside the gift box. The micronutrients -vitamns, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Here’s the short story: The heaviness of the box is the determining factor of how healthy the food is: the heavier the box, the healthier the food.”

“Approachingthe Natural is about minimizing light box foods and maximizing heavy box foods by degrees. The more you tip the scales in favor of heavy boxes, the better you’ll feel.”

“Unfortunately, the most natural things for us to do are often perceived as crazy.”

“…for every person, there is both too little and too much movement. The trick is finding the right balance.”

“Using this paradigm, it becomes possible to assess the amount of stress on an individual just by checking out their waistline. If there’s a big ol’ gut hanging over your belt, chances are your body is under some serious stress, which could be from a whole host of things…”

“I understand the relief the comes from believing that achieving health is out of our control, but the truth is that most often it is very much in our control.”

“While there are plenty of times when a complete change is merited – for example, when facing a life-threatening illness – most of the time, just taking little steps starts us on the journey to health.”

Also, he states that if you’re feeling fine with the nutritional plan you’re following – you have energy, you’re at the weight you desire, and you are healthy, then by all means, feel free to continue. But if you’re lacking energy, not at your ideal weight, and finding yourself unhealthy, then approach the natural. You might not “Go granola”, as he puts it, but you can take one step here, see how you feel, then take it a step further, and so on. Another thing he mentions is the importance of journaling and art, and I couldn’t agree more.

Congrats on your book, Mr. Garza-Hillman, it’s a little gem to add to the plant-based, healthy and happy living bookshelf.

Check out this review from VegNews. You can read more from Sid’s website or order from Amazon.

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Cowgirl Dirt

leafynotbeefy — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:34:46 +0000

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I am such a girly girl at heart, and what girl doesn’t like makeup? And so I love when I can share a natural makeup company with you that you can feel good about using while you look good! Cowgirl Dirt is a pretty new-to-me company – fun name, don’t ya think? I’m a girly girl, but at the same time, I’m not afraid to get a little dirty! But with this makeup, people will definitely tell you “You clean up good!” (lol, sorry, couldn’t resist)

I was sent their Southern Belle Cream foundation to test out. I had a few thoughts before I got it, some thoughts after I got it but before I used it much, and then some thoughts now that I’ve been using it for close to two months.

1 – My first question was wondering what shade to get. I ended up getting the lightest shade – Neutral Two

2 – When it arrived, my first thought was honestly, “This is going to last like 2 weeks” – I’m just use to seeing foundation either in jars (powdered mineral) or else in tubes/containers that are larger (liquid foundations).

3 – My first thought the first day I used it was that it was light and I was a bit concerned about dryness.

Okay, so now I’ll try to work through my concerns and share my experience: The color choice was a great one – it blends effortlessly with my skintone, so that was not an issue. Secondly, yes, the amount is relatively small, but it’s deceiving because somehow you don’t end up using that much each time, and now when I look at it, I just keep thinking how much product there actually is in the jar. Like I said, I’ve been using it for close to two months now, and I’d say using it 3-5 times a week. You can tell it has been used, but I can’t even say what percentage is used, it’s that small of an amount. So for $24.99 and being all natural, I think that’s actually not bad at all. And my concern the first time I used it? Here is what I’ve found *for me*. I have dry skin, very dry skin. So *if* my skin isn’t properly exfoliated/moisturized, then this foundation isn’t so good because it is fairly thick and you need to smooth it on your skin (I use my fingers). But as long as I make sure my face is nice and soft/smooth to begin with, it’s amazing – it makes my skin feel like silk. Also you can layer as needed to get the coverage you require, though it’s not a super full “I’m hiding underneath here” foundation, which – who wants that really anyway? I guess I would say it can be light or it can be medium-to-full coverge.

Another thing that I love? That they have ingredient lists for each of their products so you can see exactly what’s in the product you’re buying. I know it seems like common sense, but I’ve seen “natural” online makeup companies not have any ingredient lists, which makes you question how natural they are. Here are the ingredients of the cream foundation:

Capryllic/Capric Triglycerides (edible plant-based oil), Zinc Oxide (UVA/UVB Sun
protection), Certified Organic Beeswax, Natural Clay, Phytolipid Complex
(Certified Organic Jojoba Oil, Certified Organic Rosehip Seed Oil, Neem Oil,
Natural Vitamin E, Silica, Certified Organic Greed Tea Extract, Certified
Organic Passion Flower Extract, Certified Organic Raspberry Extract, Certified
Organic Lime Extract, Certified Organic Tangerine Essential oil (+/- Iron
Oxides, Ultramarine, Mica).

And lastly, I just really like it. I have somewhat sensitive skin (not super, but I do sometimes break out from new products and get redness very easily) and haven’t had any issues with this foundation. Also, the smell (very faint) is not offensive, and it’s small enough to easily take with you for travelling or putting in your purse.

Check out their Facebook page and Twitter and Pinterest.

And with product names like Wild West Blush, Yeehaw Lip Tint, Silverado Creaw Eye Shadow, Mud Slinger Eye Liner, Boot Kickin’ Bath and Body Oil, and Rawhide Facial Serum, if you have even an ounce of Country in you, you should check them out

*product sent to review; all opinions are mine; i was not paid to write this review

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Have a Heart

leafynotbeefy — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:34:08 +0000

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Have a Heart: Today I want to chat a bit about the human heart.

So grab a cup of coffee or tea (I’m sipping on Serengeti Tea that was sent to me, which is super delicious – love the unique stick design – and the flavor is so good. My favorites are the Ruby Raspberry and Jasmine Green Tea. Check out their Facebook.)

With all the recent events happening over the past few weeks, most noteably the Boston Marathon Bombing and the Gosnell “house of horrors” trial, my heart has been breaking. It is breaking for the victims, for the victim’s families, for the families of the people who have carried out these horrible crimes, and to a lesser extent, even for the men themselves (I won’t call them ‘boys’).

In conversing and reading, I’ve come across a lot of shock and people being completely surprised that another human being could be capable of such things. A lot of times, we’re under the (false) belief that, at the very core of each of us, we are good, decent, law-abiding people. That if we would/could just get in touch with our “inner self” we would see the good, and good would triumph. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way. At our very core, we’re not good. That’s why we need law enforcement,why we need governments, and why we need some sort of code of ethics….why we need a saviour. Because, if left to our natural desires, humankind acts very un-human like. At the very core, our heart is very blackened…charred with sin and depravity.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of human beings, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” Genesis 8:21

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
Jeremiah 17:9-10

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders Mark 7:21

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21

We don’t need self-help books or techniques. We don’t need positive thinking. We don’t need to do yoga or meditate to find the good in each of us. What we need is pretty radical. We need a heart…a new one.

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After
those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write
it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people Ephesians 1:18

So what am I trying to say here? A few things… 1) We are ALL very capable of such atrosities. It is frightening to imagine, but none of us is immune to this problem called sin. 2) We need a radical solution to the problem of sin – Jesus Christ, who died so that His heart might live in you. 3) While these events are tragic and demand action and doing what we can to prevent them from happening ever again, because we live in this sin-infested world, bad things will continue to happen. If you are a Christian and have been bought by the blood of Jesus, we have a solid rock – an immoveable foundation – and we can rest secure in this hope: God is God.

Hope you enjoyed this little tea chat. Next time I’ll probably sip on jasmine green tea. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Also want to point out that whenever I write a post on faith, they are as much a reminder, encouragement, and convicting to me as I hope they are to you as you read it.

P.S. If you haven’t seen this article yet, you need to go read it. Make sure you have a Kleenex handy.

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Magnetic Curlers Tutorial

leafynotbeefy — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:55:10 +0000

7 Comments

I am going to be doing hair posts – hopefully once a week – from now on – product reviews, hair styles, stuff like that.

To start, I wanted to share the technique I use for straightening/curling my hair. If you have naturally curly hair, you get me here when I say I sometimes straighten my hair and then curl it. As I explain in the video, the process involves multiple sources of heat – the blow dryer, the straightener, and then hot rollers. Magnetic rollers bypass all 3 of those steps. It takes more time, but is less work and is much kinder on your hair.

My first video, eek, still can’t believe I’m actually doing this Magnetic Curlers Tutorial:

Have you ever tried magnetic curlers?

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Pro Compression Review and Giveaway

leafynotbeefy — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:15:48 +0000

24 Comments

I just wanted to start my post by expressing my sadness over the tragedy in Boston on Monday. I just cannot imagine what all those runners must have been feeling. I am not a runner, but as a Sweat Pink Ambassador, many of my fellow ambassadors are, and there were quite a few running the marathon. Thankfully, as far as I know, they’ve all been accounted for. My heart just breaks for the families and friends of those who were injured or lost their lives. An amazing day of years of training and preparing to have ended so horrifically. I am encouraged to hear of the acts of heroism and bravery that are filtering in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So as I said, I am not much of runner. I have on and off tried/pretended, but at least as of now, I’m okay with the fact that it just might not be something I like or want to enjoy right now. When so many of my fellow bloggers are into running, I will admit I’ve felt the “peer pressure” to be a runner. But,… yeah, I’m just not. And that’s okay.

A couple months ago, PRO Compression sent me a pair of their compression socks to try out – this was when I had started to train for a 5k. If you’ve never heard of compression socks, let me give you some info on them:

- Promotes blood flow for speedy recovery

- Foot-bed compression for all socks

- Built-in “Stabilizer Zone” for optimal support

- Advanced materials for moisture control

- Made in USA

- mmHg rating 22-26

I wear a size 7-8 shoe and was sent the size S/M. I do have thick calves, however, so they are a little bit snug at the top of my calf, but they fit great at my heel/foot – they feel snug and supportive. My feet don’t feel sweaty. I remember seeing my grandpa wear support/compression stockings for circulation when I was younger – these are much “cooler” looking, so you can proudly show them off on your runs or during exercise (running seems like the obvious form of exercise to utilize these socks, but they can help prevent soreness from other exercise too – pretty much anything where you’re using your leg muscles I was guess – CrossFit, the gym, even just walking or to prevent leg swelling if you’re on an airplane)

So do you want a pair of your own? I just happen to have an extra pair for a Pro Compression giveaway- they’re also a size S/M and are the Marathon White socks.

If you don’t win, you can still save by using the code BLG13 for 40% off Marathon socks at checkout. Or you can use the code SOMF40 for 40% off and free shipping on any purchases of Purple or Baby Blue Marathon Socks, Calf Sleeves and Low socks. Inventory is limited, and this offer expires April 30, 2013.

* For each pair of Purple and Baby Blue Marathon Socks purchased during the month of April, PRO Compression will donate $1 to the following organizations: Purple for Team in Training and Baby Blue for Train 4 Autism.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*US only.

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Polka Dots and Lace

leafynotbeefy — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:59:36 +0000

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Today’s Sunday Style is pretty out there for me – I’m mixing polka dots and lace! (gasp!) Also linking up with NotDeadYetStyle and MyGreatestHits

Headless photo freakiness, right? The sunlight completely blocked my head.

Skirt: c/o LuLaRoe

Layering shirt: Kikiriki

Lace high/low hem tank: c/o DWDShoes

Cardigan: ModestPop

Necklace: DYT

Bracelet: antique (or looks old at least) silver bangle from a local consignment-type shop

Shoes: extremely comfortable Naot (nearly brand new off Ebay for around $10!)

I’ve been trying to find a way to wear both this skirt and the tank, so I thought, “Why not wear them together?” The tank is very loose and quite boxy, so I’ve foud it’s really not that flattering on me on it’s own, but when I combined it with the cardigan, it looks much better. It’s a size M and like I said, very generously sized.

The skirt is from LuLaRoe. Super comfy and casual. I told them I’m a size 10/12 in skirts and was sent the size S…which honestly had me go “huh?” when I opened it and saw how small it was, because I am not a size S in bottoms at all! On their size chart, they have a S as an 8/10, and say that they’re cut generously. Thankfully, it has a good deal of stretch and it works! It’s a long maxi skirt with a wide band at the top to scrunch down or pull up – can even pull it all the way up into a dress, so it’s pretty versatile. And who doesn’t like some polka dots?! They have lots of different patterns and seem to routinely have new skirts, so if you eye one you love, grab it before it’s gone!

Do you combine patterns/prints/polka dots/lace? I think it can sometimes be challenging, but it’s sure fun to try

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God is Bigger than the Boogie Man

leafynotbeefy — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:23:31 +0000

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Veggie Tales, anyone? Yes, I watched them in middle school/junior high when they first came out…in the bordering time in life when one minute you think you’re so mature and grown up and the next you’re singing “Oh, where is my hairbrush”, “I love my lips”, and the “Water Buffalo” song. For some reason, this song title litteraly jumped into my head this morning as I was pondering what to write about today.

When we are little, our problems can overwhelm us. We get scared by everything. We allow the “boogie man” to invade our dreams and our little imaginations are full of monsters and villans out to get us.

Okay, so when we’re not so little, our problems still overwhelm us. We still get scared by everything. And we still allow inferior, and often make-believe, monsters to fill our imaginations.

What is your Boogie Man? Is it the self doubt? The fear that life will never be what you want it to be? Maybe it’s the fear of losing a child, a loved one, or never having a child or loved one to love? Maybe it’s a friendship you’ve clung tightly to, only to realize it’s been long gone. Maybe it’s just the “What if’s” of life…Maybe it’s living in the past, or trying to plan out your future? It could be a host of diferent things. These things don’t serve us. They drown us, paralyze us, and snuff out the joy that God wants us to have. Worry and fear are monsters. Subtle monsters that live inside our head, ready at any beck and call to torment.

God did not give us a spirit of fear. He does not want us to live in the past, dwell on mistakes, or wallow in worry. We are so good at that. What we’re not always so good at – trusting Him. Handing over the worry and fear to Him. Because doing that can be scary…it’s not something we can semmingly control (because, honestly, we think we have control over worry and fear – we’re just deceiving ourselves – worry and fear soon control us)

So the next time you let worry and fear creep into your life – remember that God is bigger than the boogie man. He is bigger than our overwhelming problems. He is our strength when we’re weak. And He wants to fill our imaginations with good things -

“Whatsoever things are true,
Whatsoever things are honorable,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are pure,
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are of good report;
If there be any virtue,
And if there be any praise,
Think on these things.” – Philippians 4:8

And because I just could’t help myself…

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