[046] So many updates!

Over the last couple of weeks I've spent a lot of time updating Vegging for Health. Look at those happy apples!

When I started this blog on July 14th, 2010 I had no idea what I was actually getting myself into. Blogs can be a lot of work! If you go back and read through my posts, you can see there were huge gaps between the dates I posted. I wasn't motivated at all!

I don't know exactly what it is that has me motivated these days but I just feel the need to post, and post, and post. Part of what keeps me writing is the stats page. While I'm still in the single and double digit views it's exciting getting any views at all! The more traffic the better. Go tell all your friends. *nudge nudge*

As I started to get closer to celebrating 1 year as a vegetarian I decided this blog needed my love and attention... and a redesign! To prepare for the major redesign of my blog I spent some time reading articles and the blogs of others. (I have to give a huge thanks to HelloGiggles for being my main source of all these writers and bloggers.) I've found a lot of different levels of inspiration from the blogs I've followed recently. Publicly thanking you all as a group. *high five*!

I hope you're enjoying the overall look of my blog and that it's aesthetically pleasing to those sweet eyes of yours. *wink*

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[045] Fruits and Salads, but not Fruit Salad

Mango Avocado Salad with Raspberry Walnut Dressing

(That sounds like a good name!)

1 cup  Spinach

1/3 cup  Broccoli Slaw

1/2  Avocado (cubed)

1/4 cup  Tomato (cubed)

1/4 cup  Cucumber (cubed)

1/3 cup  Mango (seeded, peeled, cubed)

2 tbsp  Newman's Own Light Raspberry and Walnut Dressing

Fresh cracked pepper (optional)

Those measurements are approximate.

1. Arrange spinach on a plate. Add broccoli slaw (if you don't want to measure out 1/3, just grab a small handful).

2. In a small bowl (or container with lid), add avocado, tomato and cucumber. Mix well before adding desired amount to the plate.

3. Drizzle with the light raspberry and walnut dressing. Finish with a sprinkle of cracked pepper (optional).

Pour yourself a glass of wine (or if you're me, Crystal Light's peach mango green tea). Enjoy!

[044] Product Review: Aveeno® Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser

Aveeno® Active Naturals
Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser

Aveeno® Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser
gently cleans and softens
even dry, sensitive skin
fragrance-free
with naturally calming feverfew
6 fl oz (180mL)

Fragrance-Free, Noncomedogenic, Soap-Free, Hypoallergenic

This light foaming cleanser helps visibly reduce redness and calms dry, irritated or sensitive skin while gently cleansing, so your skin looks and feels back to its healthy best. With an extract of Feverfew, a natural ingredient related to Chamomile, known for its soothing properties, and gentle, soap-free skin conditioning cleansers, it lifts away dirt, oil and make-up without over-drying or aggravating even very sensitive skin.

Directions: Moisten face and pump Aveeno® Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser into your hand or cloth. Massage lather over face. Rinse and pat dry.


Ingredients: water, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine, decyl glucoside, PPG-2 hydroxyethyl cocamide, PEG-16 soy sterol, polysorbate 20, disodium lauroamphodiacetate, phenoxyethanol, butylene gylcol, sodium citrate, sodium coco PG-dimonium chloride phosphate, tetrasodium EDTA, methylparaben, xanthan gum, propylparaben, ethylparaben, Chrysanthemum parthenium (feverfew) extract, sodiu cocoyl amino acids, sarcosine, potassium aspartate, magnesium aspartate, May also contain: citric acid, sodium hydroxide.

Pros:
Light and clean smell
Gentle enough for everyday use and multiple daily cleansing
Skin feels refreshed
Leaves skin feeling smooth and free of dirt and oil
Removes make-up
Free of harsh chemicals


Cons:
Pump can become stuck when pushed down (just pull it back up)
Dryness, although minimal
A bit pricey

(note: I'm not a professional dermatologist. These are my opinions through my experience with this product.)


I've been using Aveeno® Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser for approximately 5 years now and it has been one of the greatest facial cleansers I have ever used. I highly recommend this product! I have very oily skin that is also sensitive, especially to scented skin products. When I found this fragrance-free cleanser that contains natural ingredients to calm my skin, I knew it was for me.

As far as acne goes, I got lucky with clear skin. Through out junior high and high school I had pimples maybe once a month. Thanks, Mother Nature! While I didn't have bad skin during my school years, I wasn't so lucky during my two years living in Alaska.

Everyone loves having a four square collage of their acne problems.

In March of 2006 I had moved from Texas to Alaska and it didn't take long for my skin to react to this change. Pimples started to form along the bottom of my cheek bones. My skin had become dry from the cold and windy weather. As my skin's conditioned went down hill, so did my confidence. After trying different products that left my skin feeling over-dried from their harsh chemicals I needed something more suited for sensitive skin.

And then... that's when it happened. The clouds in the sky parted! Rays of light shine down upon this little bottle... Okay, so maybe that didn't happen (maybe it did and you'll never know!) but that's how it felt. As soon as I started using this cleanser I could feel an improvement with my skin. My skin felt clean, smooth, and not as dry as it had been. Nothing a little moisturizer can't fix (which I'll discuss in a later review).

Not only does this product effectively cleanse your skin of oil and dirt, it's great at removing make-up. Now, before I started writing this review I checked out what other people had to say about this product. A lot of people had some really great stuff to say for both the pros and cons. Others, not so much. After reading what people had to say I'd like to point out a few things.

-First and foremost you need to know that this is not for severe cases of acne. I would personally recommend this for persons with light to moderate acne. But remember, I'm not a professional dermatologist. Either visit your doctor for a prescription or go on the adventure of finding the acne treatment that's right for you.

-Some complained that this product doesn't remove make-up. If you're wearing light make-up you shouldn't run into any problems with excess make-up being left behind on your skin. Heavy make-up users will have a different story. While this product will remove powders and foundation applied to the skin. I've found you'll have to do a little more work with removing any eye make-up left behind. Q-tips and cotton balls will do the trick! Besides, if you want healthy skin, you'll go that extra mile to make sure your skin is clean. Even if it does take more than using one cleanser.

-Dryness is pretty common with facial cleansers. I too get that minimal dryness from this product. Some days are worse than others and the weather might have a helping hand in this. It's nothing a little moisturizer can't fix! And lets face it, you probably already have a moisturizer that works for you. If you don't... well then I can't help you.

-As with all products, it may cause allergic reactions. Always check the list of ingredients for anything you may be allergic to.

This is how my skin looks now compared to 5 years ago.

I look so happy to be photographed with my freshly cleansed skin.

Happy cleansing!
-Jasmine

[043] Aunt and Godmother to Khloe-bugs

(Family post: Part II)

Meet Khloe and Jeanine. Jeanine is my sister (the older of my two younger sisters) and Khloe is her daughter.

Of my three siblings, I am closest to Jeanine. Not only is she my sister but she is also my best friend and I'm glad to have someone like her in my life. She's always the first person I call when something important comes up and she would say the same for me. When she found out she was pregnant (after a phone call and urging her to take 3 more tests just to be sure, haha) she sent me a text that said "My eggo is preggo!" After it was made public, I told everyone who would listen! I was excited to finally be an aunt!

Six months ago, I was visiting my sister and her fiancé at their apartment in Texas. During my two week visit, I spent most of the first week preparing decorations and food for their baby shower. After a successful baby shower and celebrating Jeanine and Kirk's engagement, a winter storm blew in. Texas simply wasn't prepared for all that ice and we weren't prepared for the power outages. We had planned to spend that second week taking maternity and engagement photos when they were home from work. With the power coming and going, we pretty much spent our free time trying to stay warm without the constant warmth of a heater. Jeanine was only 6 months pregnant in her maternity photos but the end result was pretty great.

Three months ago, I was sitting at home waiting patiently to hear news on Jeanine and baby. I was in the middle of a phone call with my friend Jaime when I refreshed Facebook to see the first picture of Khloe. If I remember right, I screamed at Jaime as I told her my Mom had uploaded a picture. We were both ecstatic! It was tough being ~1900 miles away while my sister gave birth to her first child. But the mere fact that I was flying out that same weekend eased all my pain. April 27th, Khloe Marie was born and our family grew by 1. Later that night, I posted on my sister's Facebook:

My best friend. My little sister. It seems like just yesterday I was getting in trouble for cutting your long locks of hair... comforting you when you scraped your leg after falling off your bike... styling your hair and applying your make-up for the 8th grade dance... cheering for you from the stands as you ran up and down the soccer field. You just gave birth to your first baby. Mom and Dad's first grandchild. I can't wait to see you on Saturday to lend a helping hand only a big sister can. I love you little Neaners. Rest up! It's going to be an intense ride.

Jeanine would probably roll her eyes and say "that was real dumb, Jas" if we were in the same room when she read it. But I know in her heart she truly loved what I had to say. And if she didn't, I'll just wrestle her to the ground until she admits she enjoyed it! I mean, come on! We are siblings after all. Right?!

[042] Happy August!

(Family post: Part I)
It is August and that means school is starting up soon. (While I am not a teacher nor a student, this means there will be less children accompanying their parents to my store.)

In a couple of weeks my sister, Krystal, is going to be a freshman at my Alma mater. Seven years after I graduated high school, my baby sister is starting 9th grade. Awww. :'] Last week, while she and my parents were on their way home from a two week vacation in Virginia, I called her up to ask if she needed a new backpack for the new school year. She sounded pretty neutral to the idea of a new backpack (even though I know she's stoked to see her friends at school and make new ones). It wasn't until I described this black and teal backpack that she truly became interested in what I had to say. "It's teal... or turquoise... some shade of blue-ish green and black. Yeah, it matches your glasses." She replied "Yeah, it sounds good. I guess." I bet if I offered her a teal and black backpack filled with Nintendo DSi's she'd be far more excited. Anyway. I bought her the backpack and picked up a lunch box for myself. (Current sale: Free lunch kit with the purchase of a backpack.) I mailed the backpack out on July 26th.

Source: toysrus.com

Source: toysrus.com

Fast forward to July 29th. I was at work when she called to tell me she received the package. When my sister calls, not only does she leave a voice message but she also pages my phone and sends me a text message. Was she trying to tell me something?? I fire up my voice mail. Punch in my super secret code and hit #. I thoroughly enjoy the way my sister talks when she is not taking her concerta. "Hey Jas! I got the package in the mail. The one you sent. But I'm not going to open it yet. I just wanted to let you know that I got it. The package. In the mail. I'll open it later. So... yeah. Call me later, when you can! So I'll talk to you later. Love you! Bye." That's not exactly word for word, but you get the idea. After work, I get on facebook to find a picture properly captioned with "thnx jasmine for my new backpack for me to you for school for when highschool yay!!!!!!!!!!!! i love it" Hahaha, makes me smile and giggle a little every time.


To recap: I'm a loving big sister to my little sister. I'm awesome. My little sister loves me. Also, I'm awesome and I like owls.