I love Christmas! I love Christmas carols and Christmas music. At church this past Sunday I heard this song for the first time and I have been thinking about it ever since. Such a beautiful song and a great message!
One small child in a land of a thousand.
One small dream of a savior tonight.
One small hand reaching out to the starlight.
One small savior of life. Ooh.
One king bringing his gold and riches.
One king ruling and army of might.
One king kneeling with incense and candlelight.
One king bringing us life. Ooh.
See Him lying, a cradle beneath Him.
See Him smiling in the stall.
See His mother praising the Father.
See His tiny eyelids fall.
See the shepherds kneeling before Him.
See the kings on bended knee.
See the mother praising the Father.
See the blessed infant sleep.
One small child in a land of a thousand.
One small dream of a savior tonight.
One small hand reaching out to the starlight.
One small savior of life.
Over the last few months I have been on a journey from Flab to FAB. If you have been following along, thank you so much for your support. These last few pounds have been the toughest to shed! I have 1.5 lbs to go, and it has been a struggle!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have never had an issue with daily exercise. I love to get up early and get in a workout before the rest of my family is even awake. My down fall has always been diet, even more specifically the sweet stuff! The holidays are a tough time to be trying to lose those last few pound. Some weeks I have been happy to just have not gained any weight.
I LOVE to eat! I have had many conversations with fellow food lovers about where’s the best place to get homemade ice cream or freshly baked bread, or which restaurant has the best tasting menu. I also love to cook myself. I like to try new recipes, watch cooking shows and read cookbooks and food magazines.
My favorite kind of ice cream
While the occasional food splurge is fine, and actually part of a successful weight loss routine, it is important to keep it an occasional splurge. While these occasions don’t have to be huge major special events – My daughter got a 100% on her first math test- Yay! Lets get ice cream! My son scored a goal in soccer, Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I did awesome at my job interview!Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I got the job! Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I had a great first day of work! Yay! Let’s get ice cream! I need to be careful that I only make exceptions for true special occasions.
Often what ends up happening is that these “special occasions” can become a daily even. They can easily turn into… I folded all the laundry! Yay! Lets get ice cream! I found my missing earring! Yay! Lets get ice cream! I am having a great hair day! Yay! Lets get ice cream! Today is Wednesday! Yay! Lets get ice cream! My Boston Terrier, Tessie, is super cute! Yay! Lets get ice cream! See where I am going with this…(also, can you tell I like ice cream? :-))
Look at that cute face!
While I have been on my Flab to FAB journey, I have had to start thinking about food and diet in a different way. While good healthy food feels rewarding, food is fuel, not a reward. Celebrating is fun, and celebrating with food is fun too, but it is not the only way to celebrate.
Instead of using food as a reward, I have been trying to reward myself in other ways. Some ways include: getting a pedicure, buying new smaller clothes :-), getting some new makeup, or splurging on a new purse. Sometimes the celebration is just giving myself a little bit of a break to sit down and read an extra chapter in a good book. While I do still like to celebrate with food, I am slowly retraining myself to have a healthier relationship with food.
I hope that you found this helpful, and thank you for following along with me on my journey from Flab to FAB!
Click HERE if you would like to read my previous Flab To FAB posts.
If there is one thing I don’t need it is more makeup from Target. If there is one thing I love to buy it is more makeup from Target. Yesterday Target had a 25% off deal on beauty items. I was already planning to pick up a few things, so I was pretty excited about the extra 25% off.
If you have been around Looking Joli Good for any amount of time, you know that I love the Maybelline Better Skin foundation. The formula is awesome and the wear time is amazing. (click HERE to see my full review of it.) I just need to point out that the difference is huge between the shades Porcelain 10 and Ivory 15! Ivory is much to dark for my winter skin and even at my fairest, 10 is still way too light. That is why I also picked up the NYC bronzer. I have heard good things about it, so hopefully it will work out for me when I use them together.
I already know that I love the Aussie 3 minute miracle as well as the biore deep pore charcoal cleanser. I am also repurchasing this elf duo eyeshadow. It is a bit powdery, but I really like the way that the colors look on me. Plus for 25% off, I couldn’t pass it up.
I am planning on doing some reviews on my recent hauls. I know I personally like to see what people haul, but I also like to hear the review of the products after they have been used for a little while.
There are no strict rules when using essential oils. As long as you are using essential oils that are appropriate for you (or the person who will be using them), and you are following safety precautions, do what works better for you! Here is a little chart I made that can help take a bit of the guess work out of when to diffuse and when to apply your oils for best results. I hope that you find this to be helpful!
Target has been offering their own version of a beauty box. These boxes are usually awesome! I love a good Target beauty box and as of right now these are still available!
Generally they have 5 items and are $5, as the “holiday for him” box is. The box for “her” has 8 items in it and costs $10. The box is available now, they always sell out quickly, so you have to order it fast! I just ordered mine. If you want one too click HERE to order. Shipping is free and if you use your RedCard you can also get $0.50 off with the usual 5% discount.
Here is what you can expect to get in these boxes…
Holiday for Her
A $50 value for just $10, this handpicked collection lets you try out a few top trends and perfect your look for all the season’s parties. Test them out and tell us what you think. If you love them as much as we do, find the full-size versions at Target.com/beautybox.
Hair Food Dry Shampoo
Free of sulfates & parabens, this lightweight formula absorbs excess oils to give your hair an instant refresh.
CoverGirl Star Wars Lipstick
Available in 6 shades, this limited-edition lipstick will make you a force to be reckoned with this holiday season.
Maybelline Push Up Drama Mascara
This must-have mascara combines a creamy new plumping formula that delivers instant volume with cup-shaped bristles that scoop & lift lashes.
CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
A can’t-live-without cream that blends marine & botanical extracts to help repair and restore the delicate barrier around the eyes plus hyaluronic acid to hydrate your skin.
Goody Ouchless Sweat Stretch Elastics 3 ct
Moisture-wicking fabric keeps you cool and dry plus gives you comfortable hold while you work out.
Pacifica Love 3 Eye Shadow Trio
Coconut-infused, velvety mineral eyeshadows that offer staying power & a smooth finish.
Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream
Hydro-ionized mineral water and Biogen technology give you 24 hours of continuous hydration.
Olay Regenerist Microsculpting Cream
Anti-aging ingredients penetrate up to 10 layers deep into the skin’s surface to boost hydration and brightness while helping to reduce the appearance of lines.
Number of Pieces: 8
Holiday for Him
A $24 value for just $5, this handpicked collection will keep you looking and feeling your best throughout the season. Test them out and tell us what you think. If you love them as much as we do, find the full-size versions at Target.com/beautybox.
Gillette Clinical Cool Wave Deodorant
Get 48-hour underarm protection against odor and sweat.
Axe Shower Gel
Be so fresh and so clean thanks to a revitalizing fragrance combined with a lather-enhancing formula.
up & up 5 Blade System Razor
Double-coated blade edges and a special lubricating strip give you a close, comfortable shave.
Dove Men + Care Body & Face Wash
An ultra-light formula with MICROMOISTURE technology that’s clinically proven to help relieve dry skin.
Degree Men Adventure Dry Spray
A woodsy fragrance with clean citrus notes plus MOTIONSENSE™ technology for 48-hour odor protection.
Happy Thanksgiving! We just finished enjoying these delicious “Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars” as part of our Thanksgiving breakfast. I highly recommend this recipe which can be found on the pillsbury website…
Ingredients
2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Unroll 1 can dough. Place in bottom of ungreased 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Stretch to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Spread over dough in baking dish.
Unroll second can of dough. Carefully place on top of cream cheese layer. Pinch seams together.
Pour melted butter evenly over top. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter.
Bake about 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for easy cutting. Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.
Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday!
I have been greatly blessed and I am so grateful for so many things!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Psalm 136:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Thanksgiving
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Well, I am sorry that I have been missing around here the last few days. I ended up on the wrong side of an IV. I prefer to be the one starting the IV not the one getting one. Despite being an IV infusion nurse and giving shots and starting IV’s all day, when it comes to me getting stuck with needles I am a HUGE baby!
Unless I am getting paid to be there, I avoid the hospitals like the plague!!! So, I had to be pretty terrible to be willing to go to the ER. I will spare the details, but I started having unbelievable abdominal pain out of nowhere and ended up in the ER. Of course it is the week of Thanksgiving and I have a million things to do! Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That!!!
Despite having no answers as to what caused such terrible pain, the ER doctors and nurses were great. I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband to take care of me, and a supportive family to help with my kids in the middle of the night. I am also thankful that I am feeling mostly better now and should be able to enjoy Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Looking Joli Good 