And I also keep hitting the send button and sending my blogs too soon! Oops! Well as I was saying, I havnt been writing because I have been super busy. It sucks working from 10am to 830pm everyday. BUT, it pays the bills!
So, Alaura and myself are seriously considering joining the military! I know I just said that my life is changing for good, but it doesn't mean I dont want more for myself. By joining the military I can ventrue off this little piece of rock and see big things. See great things. I can help people in need, and that's my ultimate life goal, to help people! We were thinking either navy or airforce! If I join the navy I will become a navy nurse, and if I join the airforce I will want to become a pilot, a fighter pilot to be exact!! Now that I have found out that I have 20 20 vision I most certainly can!!
I am going to jump from subject to subject today so please bare with me! When I went to bed last night I remember having a dream about puppies, then I woke up at 4am and fell back asleep and had a dream about Michael Myers...WTF? How can I dream about puppies one minute then dream about a killer while unconsciously knowing it was Halloween! It was the weirdest thing! Good thing I woke up before I died! Phhhhhhh! Ah yes tonite is Halloween night and I can not wait! It's going to be an epic night to say the least!! Well it's time to go move!!! Life is love and it's a wonderful thing!! Cheers for Halloween my bloggers!!!
I am offically moving into the apartment today! It seems as though my life has taken a new turn! It's changing. Immaculate change to be exact! I can sort of start over a little! Although I will prob have more bills to worry about, my mental state of mind is right where it needs to be! I don't have to wallow in the carppiness of my family anymore! It's an amazing day!
I know I havnt been writing. I have been super busy
TONITE IS GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT!!
So tonite should be an experience. Going down to uri for the first time since freshman year. Don't really want to party with a bunch of drunk college kids. It really isn't my scene. I'm the type of girl who enjoys hanging out with a few friends, drinking whiskey, and laughing my tail off. Deff not going to "bangers" at colleges. Those days are way over for me. Not going to lie I have had my fair share of partying, but I am so over it now. Well we will see what kind of night it turns into! Cheers blogger babies!

HAPPY!!

I am very happy today! I am having one of the best days! Not only did my iphone come in, but I am going with a few friends to see Paranormal Activity tonite! I am stoked! I have been waiting for this movie to come out for like a year, and made all my friends demand it come to RI! sweet! anywhooooo! I really think that my day is so amazing is because my phone came in! It is literally the best phone ever! I can't get enough of it! My obsession has just gone from chocolate to iphone!! BUT, I will stop babbling and get off the computer now!! Thanks for honing in on my nonsense!! Stay classy my bloogers!

SMS

Today is a new day...

It is the first day of my new life, although being said a little late. I have been being blogger lazy these past couple weeks. I am in the process of putting my life back together. I have a new lease on life! I promised I wouldn't stop my process, and therefore I won't. So, here's what's been going on...


I had been working my tail off to save money for the apartment I am moving into at the end of the month. I had been sleeping like crap. I lost about 15lbs in a week, which is alot for a small girl like myself and extremly unhealthy. I was actually told the other day that I look anorexic. I'm 5' 2" and 110lbs...that's really not anorexic. I believe that I look fine! Why such the dramatic weight loss you ask? One word...stress! I have been working on that though! I have been continuing my meditations and my writing everyday, like a good little student does! I am finally moving out of my parents house, 2nd times a charm! I don't have to deal with their stresses as well as mine! Its a long time coming and I deff deserve it. Although moving out makes me feel as though my dreams are getting pushed further away now. Nashville is where I wanted to be by now, and that doesn't even seem possible at this point. Now my move date is the summer of 2010, but knowing me it's tenative. With all this stress I was able to let go of someone and finally find something that clicked. That something would happen to be in the form of music.


I recently have found a band that I am absolutly in love with. Listening to Monty Are I, I have never felt so alive. Their lyrics have such deep emotion that I feel very connected with them. I am set into a trance when listening to it. I feel as though their music is my light at the end of the tunnel, as cheesy as that sounds. Usually when people are depressed or sad they need happy uplifting music to get their spirits up, not rock That was not the case for me I guess. The sounds of the guitars and bad ass drumming made my spirits lift up! I am a very mellow person whos interests in music are all over the place. Although being very eclectic, my main taste is more Jason Mraz/Jack Johnson-esque. But, as soon as I put the cd in I felt something. Something powerful! Deff something I havn't felt in a long time! I never thought it possible to entertain sadness with such emotion, but it worked! Thank goodness for Monty Are I! I also had the chance to meet the guys, before I even knew they were a band. They are probably the coolest people I have met in a long time. So when one friend leaves, that gives you a chance to make a bunch more! Whiskey anyone?!



Anywhoooooo! Since meeting these guys and falling in love with their music , I have found a new me. A me I was not aware of. Another side to this mellowness! I am on the right path, and although I might venture off from time to time to see the scenery, I am sticking to it!



So, with a new definition on life and new love for music I am setting sail on something that I believe is changing me. Stress is not going to get the best of me anymore. Today is a new day! My life starts today! Life is love, and it's a wonderful thing!! goodnight loves!





Shawna Marie

Clean Beautiful Skin Giveaway

Striking is running a fantastic giveaway. This is reposted from the Striking Skin Care Blog. If you haven't entered, what are you waiting for???

We are thrilled to be able to offer a fantastic October Giveaway, the Clean Beautiful Skin Giveaway includes the Striking Skin Care System and a pink Clarisonic Mia. Total prize package worth $319!!








Clean Beautiful Skin Giveaway includes:

Striking Skin Care System ($170)
• Striking Multi-Vitamin Cleanser (8 oz.)
• Striking Multi-Peptide Serum (1 oz.)
• Striking Restorative Moisture Creme (1 oz.)
• Striking Rejuvenating Eye Creme (0.5 oz.)

Pink Clarisonic Mia ($149)
Mia is the new, go-anywhere Sonic Skin Cleansing System in a great compact size. The one-button, one-speed Mia fits your active lifestyle for beautiful, glowing skin wherever life’s adventures take you.

To enter the Clean Beautiful Skin Giveaway, enter your name and email address in the giveaway box in the right panel or click on our Clean Beautiful Skin Giveaway Contest Page. All entries must be made by October 30th, 2009 at 11:55 pm. One winner will randomly be selected using Contest Machine. The winner will be notified via email and asked for contact information to send the Clean Beautiful Skin Giveaway prize to. For more information, visit our Clean Beautiful Skin contest page.

My love affair with the Clarisonic



This was originally written for the Striking Skin Care Blog, but since I’m the author, I’m posting it here as well.
Sometimes I’m just wrong; and I was dead wrong when it came to the Clarisonic. About three years ago, someone on the board of directors for the company that I was working for asked me if I had ever heard of the Clarisonic. I had not. I did a little research, looked at the price ($195) and quickly dismissed it as another overpriced gadget. Boy, was I wrong.

I started asking around, and found a former boss who had a Clarisonic and loved it. She’s also a woman who spends a lot on skin care and procedures, so $195 is “lunch money” to her. But I value her opinion, so I dug into the site to learn more. I eventually became so intrigued that I suggested to the president of the company that I worked for that we talk to Clarisonic about a partnership. No one in the office had a Clarisonic, let alone had ever heard of one, so they graciously sent over several brushes for the staff to try.

My moment of conversion came when I used the brush. I had been battling a horrible bout of eczema on my face for almost two years and nothing seemed to work. After two days of using the Clarisonic, my eczema was gone. That was enough to make me become a believer. My theory is that it cleaned my skin so efficiently that the products I was using to combat my eczema could finally penetrate and do what they were supposed to do.

Since then, I have been singing the praises of the Clarisonic. It makes every skin care product that you use work better. Within a week of using it, people will start to ask you what you’ve done to your skin.

Just how does it work? Here’s some information pulled directly from the company’s website:

Benefits beyond just clean skin: Clarisonic improves the appearance of skin tone and reduces the appearance of pore size
Clarisonic is the sonic technology proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. The Clarisonic Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. In just 60 seconds a day, the Clarisonic micro-massage action cleans more than twice as effectively as manual cleansing.

Clarisonic Sonic Cleansing Benefits
Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing
Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
Cleanses so well that products absorb better
Gentle enough for twice daily use
Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

This is a product that delivers. Within a week of using it, people will start to ask you what you’ve done to your skin. I love this product so much, that I’ve personally sold five brushes to friends and family that are now as enthusiastic about this product as I am. Just a head’s up: Clarisonic is not a “cheap date”. The brushes range in price from $225 to $149 and it is worth every single penny. The bottom line is, if you want to get the most out of the skin care products that you are using, you’ll work this brush into your budget. I promise you won’t be disappointed.



October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I love October. I love the crisp fall days in the Pacific Northwest when the weather takes a left hand turn right out of summer and smack into autumn. I love all the pink products that hit the market place that benefit organizations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation. And I love that it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (www.nbcam.org).

Honestly, the importance of breast cancer awareness was lost on me until I turned 40 and had to get a baseline mammogram before my breast augmentation procedure. I have no history of breast cancer anywhere in my family and I was really bad about doing my monthly exams. I know about 5 breast cancer survivors, but they are acquaintances. No one close to me has had breast cancer. The disease hadn’t really touched me in a significant way, so I really didn’t think about it.When I had my mammogram, a doctor came in right afterwards to tell me that there were some “suspicious” areas in my films. My right breast had calcifications that needed further study and I needed to schedule a needle biopsy. Wow. Talk about having the wind knocked out of you. Here I was: 40-years old, in the middle of a divorce with two children, getting ready to embark on a new life (with new boobs no less) and there might be something seriously wrong.I went in for my biopsy a week later and waited for three sleepless nights for the wonderful women at the breast center to call me and tell me that everything was okay. After getting on my knees and thanking God, I knew that I was forever changed. That was by far, the scariest 2 weeks of my life, and I had a perfect outcome.

So, what’s different for me now?

I do my monthly breast exams. After breast augmentation surgery, this is especially important because it’s that much more challenging to negotiate around the implant. If you’re bad about remembering, either schedule a time monthly in your planner or your iPhone/Blackberry, or get a shower card from your OB/GYN. If your doctor’s office doesn’t carry them, you can the Susan G. Komen Foundation at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) to request a free one. Check out their site: www.komen.org.I stay on the mammogram schedule that has been outlined by my physician. After my baseline mammogram, I had a mammogram every six months until the doctors told me last year that I only have to go in every two years for a while. Luckily, I have fantastic insurance. If you are currently uninsured or if you insurance doesn’t cover mammograms, Google “free mammograms” in your city and often times, you’ll find local events in which a mobile mammogram unit is onsite giving free or discounted mammograms. Take advantage and get yourself scheduled now! I also go to The Breast Cancer Site (www.thebreastcancersite.com) and click to donate a free mammogram.

I donate to the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Truth be known, I’m not a good joiner. Never have been. But I’m really good at supporting my friends that do the 3-Day with my dollars and have done so yearly (www.the3day.org). This year, I just happened to be at the Seattle Center with my family when the 3-Day walkers were getting to cross the finish line. In comes a huge sea of pink, and as they entered the stadium, all of the walkers’ family, friends and supporters cheered loudly. I literally stood in awe with my daughter in her stroller and cried. I thought to myself, “What wonderfully brave women to walk for their friends or themselves. Would I walk for my friends? Yes! Would my friends walk for me? Yes! Then why aren’t I doing this?”

I buy lots of pink stuff. Like I said, true retailer that I am, I “vote” with my dollar. When October comes around, I buy the items that donate back to breast cancer causes. Pink M & Ms? Check. Pink water bottle? Check. Pink Ribbon Sharpies? You bet. There are a variety of products that give back in the month of October. My 14-year old son tried to convince me that he needed an “I Love Boobies” t-shirt (www.keep-a-breast.org), but I had to draw the line there. He’s not supporting the cause, he’s being a teenager. However, I will say that Keep a Breast does a great job at educating and increasing breast cancer awareness among young people.

These are just small things that I do, and quite honestly, I should be doing much, much more. What kinds of things do you do? I’d love to know other ways that my time or my dollars can make an impact to eradicate a disease that has affected so many of our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends.