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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Juice Fast?

Long time no talk!! Been busy with finals... yuck.

Anyways, I've always been very into "juicing". Today in government we watched a documentary on a man who went on a juice fast for 2 months. Juicing is a very fast way to drop weight, some people might argue that its like starving yourself, but it's not at all. The fruits and vegetables provide so many yummy nutrients to your body.



The Argument:

  • It's not providing you enough nutrients.
  • It's like starving yourself
  • Once you finish, you'll go back to your eating habits and gain it back, quick.
From my series of blog posts that I read almost 100% of people results were:
  • They were happier
  • Healthier
  • Saw improvements in their hair, nails, and skin
  • All averaged at least 20 pounds a month!!!! (almost 1 lb a day)
  • Started craving raw, organic food (fruits and vegetables), rather than processed foods.
  • Their stomachs shrunk, causing them to become fuller much quicker
I'm very convinced with this juice fast, my mom and I are planning on going out this weekend and purchasing a juicer. I'm planning on doing it at least a month. After a month, I might keep going, or start to eat solids as well as juicing. Before I leave for college I want to be like 30 even 40+ pounds lighter so I have about 8 months, plenty of time. To be there before prom or graduation would be amazing and quite frankly with juicing I think I will get there within 3 months. I mean lets be real the sooner its off the better. 

I'm planning on updating you guys every week, or if I see improvements fast I will update you then. With me starting a full time swim practice schedule I have a feeling the weight is going to drop VERY quickly. Being in one 2 hour practice I burn around 1,000 calories! My mom is worried that I might pass out at the start of this fast so before practice I might drink a protein shake to ensure my body is prepped for a pretty extreme workout.

And for the topic of gaining it back quickly, that is something I'm very worried about. I think if I get to a goal weight and start feeling so good with my body, I will be soooooooo inspired and pumped to make sure I keep it off. Also I will be so used to eating natural foods that if I eat anything greasy or processed my body will reject it and make me feel sick. After getting my wisdom teeth out I really couldn't eat much for a good week, I went to lunch while shopping at a fast food restaurant, after over week of no grease I felt extremely sick after. So after a month I can only imagine that I probably wont even crave anything unhealthy.


I really hope that this works and I hope that you follow me along on this journey!! Maybe I will inspire one of you to start juicing!

xoxo,
Taylor

Saturday, January 11, 2014

50 Random Facts About Me

Stolen from: http://aziaanderson.blogspot.com/ hahah it seemed like fun so here we go.

1:Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? Closed
2:Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel? Who doesn't?!
3:Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Tucked in
4:Have you ever stolen a street sign before? Hahaha no!
5:Do you like to use post-it notes? Rarely! I probably should to remember things haha.
6:Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? I just rip them off haha.
7:Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees? Both would be horrible, but bee's I guess!
8:Do you have freckles? Only on my arms!
9:Do you always smile for pictures? Guilty for the Miley tongue/duck face
10:What is your biggest pet peeve? When people smack their food ughhhhhh!
11:Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Nope!
12:Have you ever peed in the woods? Yes! 
13:What about pooped in the woods? Never took it that far hahah
14:Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing? Yessss
15:Do you chew your pens and pencils? Nope!
16:How many people have you slept with this week? Hmm about 3: Me, Myself, and I ;)
17:What size is your bed? Full
18:What is your Song of the week? Someone else, Miley Cyrus
19:Is it okay for guys to wear pink? Yes!!
20:Do you still watch cartoons? No :(

21:Whats your least favorite movie? Uhh I couldn't tell you!
22:Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? Middle of the Pacific Ocean.
23:What do you drink with dinner? Water
24:What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Ranch 
25:What is your favorite food? Chicken Parmesan 
26:What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Any Disney movie.
27:Last person you kissed/kissed you? My pup!
28:Were you ever a boy/girl scout? Yep!
29:Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine? I really don't know!
30:When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone? Awhile ago!
31:Can you change the oil on a car? Yes, one of the few things I can do hahah
32:Ever gotten a speeding ticket? Thankfully not! *Knock on wood*
33:Ever ran out of gas? Again no, *knock on wood*
34:Favorite kind of sandwich? PB & Banana! 
35:Best thing to eat for breakfast? Breakfast burrito!
36:What is your usual bedtime? In bed by 10 on school nights, 12 on weekends!

37:Are you lazy? Yes unfortunately 
38:When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? A ton of different things!
39:What is your Chinese astrological sign? Rat, gross.
40:How many languages can you speak? English and a little French.
41:Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Seventeen and Teen Vogue 
42:Which are better legos or lincoln logs? Lincoln Logs were my thannnng!
43:Are you stubborn? At moments.
44:Who is better...Leno or Letterman? Letterman
45:Ever watch soap operas? I watched Degrassi, does that count.
46:Are you afraid of heights? Yes
47:Do you sing in the car? Duhhh!
48:Do you sing in the shower? I sing everywhere
49:Do you dance in the car? When I'm with my friends!
50:Ever used a gun? Just a BB/Airsoft haha


Thanks for reading! I tag all of YOU to do this! Hope you got to know a little more about me!

xoxo,
Taylor

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

My Winter Candle Collection

Lately I've been OBSESSED with candle burning, something about the way it makes my room smell and adds a little comfort and warmth just makes it addicting. I've stuck to mini candles this winter, I'm thinking of making a Bath and Body Works visit soon because as you will notice I'm really low on some candles. Heres my candle collection for this winter!

For the winter time I stick to more vanilla-y warm scents, as opposed to the summer where I go more fruity.

 So black tie was being very stubborn and wouldn't light, this is such a good scent, as you can tell I've practically burned through it, this is one where I'm thinking about buying a bigger version. It smells like my ideal man, as BBW describes it, "Your perfect escort to any holiday party- Green sage, sandalwood, and Tonka bean". In short, it smells soooo yummy.
Mint Chocolate, doesn't need much explaining because it smells exactly like the title. I love this scent as well, feels like I'm eating mint chocolate chip ice cream, but there are no calories included. Sweet victory.

If you couldn't read the label it's Pumpkin Caramel Latte. It may be considered more of an autumn scent but oh well, BBW describes it as, "Gather with friends and celebrate the season with warm, rich blend of creamy pumpkin, spiced caramel and sweet cream" If that doesn't sound delicious I don't know what does. I picked this up last winter so I'm not sure if it's still available.

This was purchased last winter as well, I sure hope they still have it because it's so yummy. It smells very warm, vanilla-y and a hint of cinnamon, but BBW describes it as, "a fragrance inspired by dreamy mornings drinking coffee in a Parisian cafe - warm caramel, brown sugar and creamy vanilla"  how delightful does that sound.

Last but not least, Champagne toast, another one I would like to repurchase in bigger version. This one is a bit fruity, a hint of orange and pear. BBW says, "pop, clink and sparkle with an effervescent blend of champagne, juicy nectarine and blackcurrant".


Overall I have to say Bath and Body Works makes amazing candles, each one is very scented and different. Whats in your winter candle collection? I'd love to know suggestions for some more candles!


xoxo, 
Taylor

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Forever 21 Blog Haul

For Christmas I was given a $50 gift card to Forever 21, My mom and I went out and spent it yesterday, and I'm very happy with what I was able to pick up. They were having a little sale (as if they aren't cheap enough, no complaints here!) where you get an extra 30% off all markdowns, so basically sale on sale.
The first thing is this mint green sweater, it has 3/4 sleeves and some studs on the shoulders, which I seem to have been picking up a lot similar. The material is thin so it is perfect for transitioning into spring, and Socal isn't having a very cold winter (70s &even low 80s). Here's a close up of the studding on the shoulders (below) This was $17.80

 Sooooo school girl chic. Plaid seems to be making a bit of a come back, I think the last time I wore red and black plaid was my 1999 Christmas dress. Anyways I'm really loving the plaid! This is also 3/4 length sleeves (most of what I bought is) and the material is super soft. This was originally $19.80, marked down to $14.99, and with the extra 30% off it was $10.49. GO DEALS!!
 This is very light weight and perfect for the weather, it is 3/4 sleeve (surprised?) and it's got some speckled gray in it, I tried to get a picture that showed that off but it didn't really work out. Lately I'm starting to really like neon pieces, I have too much browns/blacks. This was originally $14.80, marked down to $9.99 and with the extra 30% came out to $6.99! Ahh I love getting good deals.


 I picked up 3 camis, yes I know only 2 are pictured but I'm wearing one of them, that one is navy blue. They were only $1.80, originally $2.80. So I just had to pick some up, because I believe you can never have too many!
 Last clothing purchase was this full length sleeve (!!!) lilac-y that looks like THIS color with some light lime green stripes. It's pretty basic but I love it. This was another sale item, but as I'm wearing it I pulled off the tag before so I can't tell you how good of a deal it was but it was only $5.59 with the 30% off!
 Lastly as I was checking out I was overwhelmed by the nail polishes that surrounded me, I caved into 3. This first one is a light blue with a little hint of purple which matches the shirt above, it reminds me of Cinderella and her dress, the next two are perfect for Valentines day, the 2nd one is a clear polish with pink hearts and the last one is the prettiest red with sparkles! Each of these were $2.80!

Forever 21 never ceases to amaze me at how good of deals they can have. One thing I noticed while writing this is, all of Forever 21's prices usually end in $0.80 why is this?? Anyone else notice this or know why?


xoxo, 
Taylor

p.s I know I've posted 5 posts in 2 days, yes I'm obsessed.


Saturday, January 4, 2014

Drum Roll... The Naked 3 Palette

My favorite Christmas gift I received was the new, beautiful Naked 3 Palette, by Urban Decay.

Here come the crappy, 10 pm at night lighting, iPhone quality pictures that do the palette no justice whatsoever but here you go.
                            

This is the only Naked Palette I own, and to be honest I'm very happy I've waited. The rose gold tones compliment my skin tone and eye color perfectly. I've always been a fan of pink/goldish tones in eye shadows. If you don't own any Urban Decay eye shadow, I certainly believe it is well worth the investment. The color pay off is great, each shadow I've used is very pigmented, and the color lasts all day. I'm very excited to start using this everyday. I've always thought Urban Decay has had very good quality brushes, I own some of their "Good Karma Brushes" and use them everyday.

My personal favorite  in this palette is a tie between Buzz and Trick, which happen to be right next to each other in the palette:
(Again sorry for such horrible lighting)


There is only one thing I would change to this palette. I've never been one to pull of black/gray eye shadows, so I would have rather seen more chocolaty colors in here to substitute for factory, mugshot, darkside, and blackheart in this palette. However that is just a personal preference.

Urban Decay is cruelty-free/vegan/marley approved. Which in my opinion makes the brand all together so much more lovable.


Being this is my first review I thought I'd give you a run down on how I rate:
A- Completely Happy, wouldn't change a thing
B- Love it, would make very few/minor changes
C- It's alright, probably wouldn't purchase again
D- Has some potential, but disappointed
F- Completely Hate it

So that being said, I give this palette an A!!!

xoxo, 
Taylor

New Year, New Me

Apologies for the cliche title, I just couldn't help myself haha. Anyways, maybe by letting the internet know of my goals for 2014  it will inspire me to work even harder to achieve them. So I will ramble no further, here are my 2014 resolutions.


  • Become healthier, cutting out carbs (I'll indulge every now and then), eating out less, and eating more fruits and veggies, I wanna be at my goal weight before I leave for college, I don't want to make too high of goals but if I can make it at least 3/4 the way by prom that would be perfect.
  • Quit biting my nails, yes I admit, I am an avid nail bitter. I'm getting acrylics on tomorrow to act as a shield for my nails so they can grow. I'll probably have acrylics on for the rest of the year just to make sure I stop.
  • Get a Prom Date. Yes its one of my goals. I need to meet some new guys/start building stronger relationships so I can acquire a date. I will not be completely heart broken if I don't get one, but lets face it, all girls want a prom date am I right, or am I right.
  • Become organized. Pretty straight forward, organize my life, room, everything pretty much.
  • And last but not least, Finish what I started. I wanna start a Youtube channel, and keep up with it, as well as this blog. I always tend to quit things when they get too hard or I get bored. I've started to teach myself the piano, and I want to learn even more songs, and not give up.
That's all my resolutions for 2014, I hope in a year I'm still blogging and telling you my 2015 resolutions! I want to know your resolutions, Comment yours below!

xoxo,
Taylor

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus, from what I've noticed is that people either: 1. Adore her or 2. Loathe her. I happen to fall into category #1. 

I think shes admirable because she doesn't care about what anyone thinks, which I think is a problem a lot of girls, especially teens, have. Despite the hate and negativity that surrounds her, she continues to do what she wants, which I think is key in life. Be who you want, not what others want. This is evident in her fashion choices, which I could probably never pull off (see photo below) but hey I think she rocks all of her looks.


Going into her music, I absolutely love her album: Bangerz. In fact, I even have it playing now. My personal favorite off the album is: Someone else, which I don't know why but reminds me of her 2010 song: Who Owns My Heart. I don't know if it's the lyrics or the catchy beat but I looooove it. Her album explores a lot of different genres, 4x4 shows a little bit of her country roots,  Love Money Party is a little hip hop, and then songs like We Cant Stop shows pop. Unlike a lot of Disney stars who have gone from a television series to launching a music career, Miley doesn't sound autotuned to the max, and actually has a good voice. 

I want to know your opinion on Miley, do you think shes rebelling after her break up with Liam? Or maybe that shes acting up to gain attention and promote her career? Whatever your opinion is I want to hear! To each their own opinion.

xoxo,
Taylor

An Introduction

For my first post I thought what better way to start this off than an introduction. So here's a couple of facts about me:


  • My Name is Taylor
  • I'm Seventeen
  • I swim
  • I'm a senior in High School
  • I reside in Orange County, California
  • I want to be a nurse
  • My favorite color is Lilac
  • Favorite "wild" animal is an Elephant
  • Favorite "domestic" animals are dogs
  • I have one, named P.J, and shes my best friend 
  • Here's a picture of me:

Okay, well I obviously suck at facts about myself, I've always been one to struggle with talking about myself, like in school when you're supposed to tell something about yourself, never been good at that, anyone else? Okay now that I've gone off into a tangent, I started this blog because I've never been good at keeping up with anything, especially journals, will an online journal be any different? Lets hope so. I've had a tumblr for nearly 4 years, but its just a bunch of pictures, not really a blog. Anyways I really hope you enjoy all the posts that will be on this blog and continue to tune in to findingmyperfect.

xoxo,
Taylor

p.s my tumblr is: l-e-a-u.tumblr.com just in case you wanted to check it out