Uh yeah I haven't blogged for a while...Here's a catch up.

So I graduated from the Skin Science Institute last November and since December I've been working up here at the University of Utah as an administrative assistant. I wish I was working in my studied field but I refuse to work in a spa and it's hard getting into the medical skin care world. I'm looking to maybe do an internship for a dermatologist or plastic surgeon but we'll see. As of right now I'm setting up a spa room at my house for friends, family and whoever want chemical peels, facial waxing, and facials.

At the beginning of June my doctors and I decided that it was time for be to have exploratory surgery for Endometriosis. My symptoms kept getting worse and I had been on birth control since I was 13 for my awful irregular periods (Sorry, this is kind of detailed...). That's 7 years on the pill, I'd say it was time to find out what was going on for pete sake! So I scheduled my laparoscopy for June 6th. I didn't know what I was in for. I'd had surgery 3 times prior to this, it should be a piece of cake; boy was I wrong.

I get to the Davis Hospital in Layton around 10ish, we check in, pay some hospital bills and what not and then it's fine for me to go into prep. That part was quick because they finished with another surgery before me sooner than they expected. The nurse wheels me into the OR, and she attempts to start an IV in the back of my hand. Uh yeah, she missed the first time, going into my vein wall and it freakin HURT! Then she realized, oh that's NOT going in so she had to try again. Luckily the Anesthesiologist gave me something nice to inhale to make me relaxed.

 Next thing I know I'm waking up in recovery panicking, and my bladder burning with pain. Apparently they had to put a catheter in to empty my bladder to see my insides better. What they had done is scoped out my insides for Endometriosis and found what they were looking for. Which is a relief to have an answer but kind of a bummer. The doc found some on my ligaments holding up my uterus and some on my bladder. He doesn't think I was born with it but instead was a result of "back flow" if you know what I mean. He was able to burn on the endo on the ligaments but didn't dare touch what was on my bladder, in fear of causing nerve damage.

I remember telling my mom that I never wanted a catheter ever again, even if I had to opt out for an natural birth one day instead of an epidural (which of course I would never do!). I was in recovery for probably about 2 hours and then I was on my way home.

It was kind of scary seeing the incisions they had made, no matter how small. But I had to change my dressings at least once a day so it could all heal. My doctor told me that Endometriosis can cause infertility but since mine was wasn't near the ovaries or fallopian tubes, he said I should be okay trying to get pregnant one day. THANK GOODNESS! I'm doing much better now, but my body is still trying to get used to my new regimen. My doctor won't let me menstruate every month in fear of the Endometriosis growing, which has been tough on my body.

So aside from my surgery, work and esthetics I'm not up to much. I've fallen in love with reading again. I find it so relaxing and a better alternative to escape this world rather than sleeping Hahah but I do still LOVE to sleep. I wish something exciting would happen in my life, no matter what it is but for now I'm content.


Beauty tip of the day: Dry skin ages faster than Oily skin. So dry skinned ladies, moisturize, moisturize, MOISTURIZE! AND wear your sun protection. Also, treat your skin to facials, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels to slow down aging. This is one of my favorite moisturizer. It tingles a bit when you put it on. It contains AHA's which are GREAT for chemically exfoliating the skin. You can get this specific AmLactin lotion from Costco.

The Month of November

This have been a great month so far and to come. I graduated from school!!!!! I'm done with that place! No more school for me unless I decide later down the road to go get my massage therapy license or go back into nursing (which is very unlikely). For now I'm just enjoying the holidays and then hopefully get a job by January or February. I had a bad experience interviewing for an job not too long ago. It was at Enlighten Laser and I got the worst feeling there. It must have been because of the interviewer. She had way too much done to her face and she was then trying to sell me on Botox (I'M 19 PSYCHO! DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON BOTOX!). But I asked for it coming into this industry. I will have to deal with the superficial people all the time; especially the ones with body dysmorphic disorders (Michael Jackson disorder, love HIM though!). From the interview I got the sense that this particular interviewer, not necessarily people who worked there, thought of clients as big dollar signs and weren't interested in helping clients with their skin. Ultimately, I've decided a Laser Center is just not for me. I am looking into medical spas, day spas, and dermatologist/plastic surgeons offices but we shall see. I know Heavenly Father will help me find a suitable job for my beliefs and liking.
 
Also this month my brother Bret had a baby boy named Mark. That's my 3rd nephew, and most definitely not my last. He was born on the last day of making up my school hours November 16th. How appropriate; a new beginning for both me and Mark. My dads birthday was also this month, so I got to catch up with extended family at his birthday party which is always good and fun
.(yes, this is my good looking nephew sucking his thumb!)
I've still been obsessed with making and experimenting with new foods. I've made homemade tomato soup(almost perfected), homemade crepes with homemade cinnamon apple filling and whipped heavy whipping cream, homemade roasted chex mix, maple and balsamic sweet potatoes, Parmesan spread for rolls or biscuits, and probably some more but I just can't remember. I just love trying new recipes and finding that one that everyone loves.
 
I've also been working on crocheting a blanket that I started over a year ago but stop when it started to warm up this year. It's white, gray, and pink and is turning out to be super cute! I was going to make it a big blanket for my self but it's going to be a baby blanket for when I have a little girl in the future or for a niece. (this isn't my blanket but it's got my colors with more pink and white of course!)

November couldn't be November with out talking about Thanksgiving! I just want to say how thankful I am for student loans; without them, I couldn't have gone to school for what turns out to be my passion! I'm so thankful for: The Savior, military, missionaries(miss my friends so much!), the gospel, family, friends, indoor plumbing, my bed (and my parents bed which I like to take naps in sometimes! Why is it that parents beds are always so much more comfortable than your own?), Midol, my parents jobs, my body, hair spray, my knowledge of skin care, doctors, nails and toenails, my OB(she is amazing!!!!!!!), music, boys...wait I mean MEN!, my hair, hoodies, carpet, tomato soup, medicine, movies, books, the holidays, and lots of other stuff I can't think of right now.

Here's my beauty tip: the cold, dry weather this holiday season can leave your lips dry and cracked. Put on a thin layer of Vaseline(petroleum jelly) every time your lips hurt. If that doesn't help or needs some extra help, look for a lip balm with hyaluronic acid (it holds a 1000x its weight in moisture), aloe, cetyl alcohol, silicone derived ingredients such as cyclomethicone and dimithicone, or grape seed oil. Hope that is useful and helps! Happy Holidays!

Pinterest!!!

I suggest everyone take a look at pinterest.com. It is so amazing! I have gotten so many food ideas and lots of other ideas! Also, if you want to check mine out go to http://pinterest.com/mjdancing.
So, I PASSED BOTH of my State Boards! Woot! Now all I need to do it get the rest of my hours. I graduate in 4 weeks but will be done completely in about 5-6 weeks because I have a lot of hours to make up after graduation. Stupid Mono!!!
Ever feel that your face looks like the photo below!?
  
Beauty Tip: DON'T OVER WASH your face, or anything quite frankly! 1-2 times a day (for the face only so morning and night) is all you need. Over washing the face will strip the skin of oils, thus making the skin produce MORE oils. If you get a shine through out the day use some toner as it balances out oil production. Use rice paper (which you can get at Sallys or where ever) which will only take off the excess oil on top of the skin and not the oil down in the pores; so it won't strip your skin.  Or look for a moisturizer with microsponges in it which absorb oil throughout the day.  I love toners if you couldn't tell from my previous posts. Put your best face forward!

I have a new obsession with cooking good food!! And Conference was AMAZING!

Well General Conference ROCKED! My favorite talks were by President Uchtdorf and Sister Dalton. Uchtdorfs gave me chills with his quote "The most powerful being in the universe, is the father of your spirit" CHILLS! What a comforting thought! And Sister Dalton talked about the relationship between a father and his daughter. So CUTE! I am so grateful for my relationship between my Dad and my Father in heaven. Anyways, it was really good!
K, So like I said in my title, I have a new obsession with cooking really good food. I made some really good chocolate chip cookies the other day and the secret was one egg and one egg yolk. I then used the Egg whites on my little brother (Beauty tip coming up!) My next projects are homemade Tomato and basil soup, Cake Bites, Bianca Pizza, Chicken salad sandwich, Eggplant ricotta bites (I'm perfecting them), and what ever else I can find. Once I make them I will let you all know! If you have any amazing recipes, let me know!

K, beauty tip....I used the left over egg whites from the chocolate chip cookie recipe and I whipped it up with a electric mixer until it was foamy. I put it on my brothers face for about 5 minutes and his face was so smooth and not oily! Eggs whites are good for oily acneic skin and egg yolks are good for dry and dehydrated skin. Now for Cucumbers! They are a great anti-inflammatory, so good for inflamed acne, sun burns, and for inflammation around the eyes (hence the picture)! Plus is a great antioxidant! For those who are worried about fine lines and wrinkles, look for professional products with peptides. Peptides are smart, they trick the skin into thinking there has been a significant loss of collagen in the skin so it starts producing more collagen to make up for the "loss", but really your skin hasn't lots a significant amount of collagen so your really just producing more collagen on top of what you already had. Good luck Ladies and Gents with your skin!

Nothin Special But Something Delicious!

So I made this amazing new recipe Saturday night! I had been sitting all day at school Saturday reading some magazines and found this recipe. I've found this new obsession with trying out new ideas in cooking. I am going to (hopefully!) become a wife and mother someday and I would like to cook good healthy meals that also taste GOOD for my family! It's called Eggplant Riccota Bites and you kind of have to have a mature taste and like authentic Italian. It reminded me of my days working at Settebello so that's good to think my food was restaurant quality or somewhere near it!! I used fresh garden tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar instead of the Red Wine just because of preference. And by the way, red wine vinegar doesn't have an alcohol percentage so no worries if you want to us it! If you don't like eggplant, that's okay because you can hardly taste it. I have never had eggplant before this recipe and it reminded me of zucchini so maybe try zucchini instead...
***Oh! I almost forgot! My beauty tip! hmmm lets see... ever have problems with makeup not lasting all day and don't want to spend all that money on a primer? Well then, use a TONER! You can get them anywhere! They help with balancing the pH of your skin by balancing the oil production which is good if you don't want acneic skin! But! Toners have a secret benefit, they help set your makeup! I suggest the Hydrating Toner by Murad. It is very gentle and can even be put on your eye lids without stinging! (Please don't put toners with a high percentages of alcohol on your eyelid to set eye makeup... it WILL burn!!! Try using the one I reccomended or something you know for sure won't burn!) Hope that beautiful tip helps! Enjoy the recipe!***
 

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant
• Kosher salt
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra- virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2 large plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• Shredded fresh basil, for topping

Directions

Thinly slice the eggplant into rounds and season with salt. Pour some flour into a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in another dish. In a third dish, mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Dredge the eggplant in the flour, then dip in the eggs and coat with the breadcrumb mixture.(make sure it's in that order)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side, adding more oil between batches, if necessary. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

Toss the tomatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and the vinegar in a bowl. Spoon some ricotta onto each eggplant slice. Top with the tomato mixture and basil.

Oh how life likes to throw fast balls my way!

Last Friday, I was heading to school on south bound I 15. I had a not wanted to go to school that morning, because I was tired and didn't feel like doing the things we had going on that day, but I went anyways. So I'm heading down the free way and all of a sudden I feel like I've hit a bumpy patch of road, but it didn't stop. Then, I started to smell rubber... Yeah my back right tire blew!!! My dad had seen a screw in it earlier and said he would get it fixed soon. Well apparently my tire had lost so much air in it that it began to scrape against something (I don't know car lingo) and my tire was ripped apart where the screw had been (He felt bad and said he would pay to get it fixed). So I'm on the side of the free way calling my mom. She said to call 911 and ask for highway patrol or emergency management. I didn't think it was such a big deal because moms freak out about their children all the time but apparently it was. I waited for nearly 45 minutes for the high way patrol to come to my rescue because my mom, dad, and brother were all at work. While sitting in the car, with the cars rushing past me and my car jerking back and forth, my mom texted me to say a prayer(cute, right?). Well I'm alive and my car is fixed so I would say that's a prayer well answered. Anyways, once the officer came he asked me if I'd ever changed a tire before. ummmm no.... hahaha Well he taught me and had me change the tire. He escorted me from behind (with his lights on!) to the next exit  and I then took the back roads to beck street, back to North Salt Lake and, then back to Woods Cross because I couldn't go over 45 mph on my spare tire. I was all tuckered out from that experience so I didn't go to school that day, I went home and SLEPT!! I was stranded on the free way for about 45 minutes and the whole ordeal took about 2 hours driving to, then the blown tire, and THEN driving home. I'd say I deserved a day to myself ^_^

(This isn't really my picture, it only illustrates my situation!)

Mono, UGH!

Well I kind of forgot something important, in my last blog, that has been affecting me greatly these past few weeks. MONO! And no I didn't get it from kissing anyone as you could tell from my previous blog that was mostly about my love life dream hahaha. I have to be at school 40 hours a week and it is so hard! I am tired ALL the time, or I'm achy and don't feel good. So I have been missing a lot of school which means I have a lot of hours to make up. From my research about mono, 90% of the population has it! Some people have no symptoms of it at all or got it when they were babies and was passed off as the common flu. You also have it the rest of your life but I'm not sure how long I'm contagious because I've heard from multiple people that it might be a few weeks it or for the rest of your life. But I don't know, if anyone does know, let ME know!!

On the 28th of July, I noticed a large white canker sore looking thing on my soft palate near my throat. It hurt really bad but other than that I felt fine. I went to Dr.Copes office to see Dr.Christian and he said it was a virus or some kind, not strep. So I went home but then two days later I started feeling worse. I had body aches, fatigue, stomach aches, nausea, head aches, the mysterious canker sore the size of a pea, hot rashes on my body that would turn to welts, small little bruises called petechiae, and HUGE swollen lymph nodes. I went back to the Dr and he said it might be mono. Mono? Mono!?! No I don't get mono, everyone else in junior high got mono but not me and not now. Not while I'm going to school 40 hours a week! Well I got the blood test results and SURPRISE, it's mono....  I didn't want to take a steroid and so I took some herbal supplements that did help for a week but then I stopped using them and since I was feeling better I wasn't really taking it easy and now I've kind of relapsed and I'm taking those herbal supplements...again.