Two Years goes by fast

But I love him more today than the day I married him.
Happy Anniversary my One and Only

Memorial Day Weekend

For me the Memorial Day Weekend does not mean that much. I just remember the first time I was in the US for the memorial day. I was living in Detroit Lakes, a small town in north-west Minnesota, at the time doing an exchange year during my Junior year in high school. The year was 1998 and I was 18 years old.

I remember driving by a cemetery with my host dad (or American dad as I call him, he was actually the one walking me down the isle at my wedding so he is just not a 'host dad' to me) and I could see all these flags everywhere. I had gotten used to seeing the American flag on a daily basis but not like that! That was just crazy - it was beautiful in some way...

Today when I think about it I have more compassion... I realize that most of these people died young, in another country without their loved ones because they wanted to do something good for their country, or the world... It is hard to think that they will never be able to tell their story, the story beyond the media, the story beyond the war...

Bless those many lost souls...

Summertime

Summer time is around the corner and I start to think about Sweden. I love Sweden in the summer. It is my place to relax and be myself. Hang out with friends, listen to how the language sound, look at the new fashion trends that will come to the US within a year or two, eat things I can't get here, walk in parks and enjoy people watching, see my family, enjoy watching all red cottages, see more blonds in a day then anywhere else, enjoy the sense of style in men, dance at my favorite club, walk in grocery stores and being able to trust the labels, stay up all night because it never gets dark, laugh until I cannot laugh anymore...

Yes, I miss my Sweden!

Going back to Dermalogica

I have given up hope on AHAVA products right now. I still like the bar soap but I am not seeing any improvements at all by using it or any of the other products that I have from the same brand. After my facial on Thursday I received some tester bags and as I kept using them my face kept improving. But over the weekend I used a lot of them up and now I am back to using my ahava moisturizer and my face is back to looking as a teenager.

I don't think that it is the ahava products that are bad, they are just not what my face need right now. I need to get something stronger for my acne, or for my skin infections as they are truthfully... I know; it sounds so much worse but that is what it is, no point in lying to yourself!

I saw incredible impact in using the 'Dermal Clay Cleanser' - it was a bit uncomfortable on my skin, but it really made an impact. I also am looking into getting the 'Active Moist' day cream and the 'Overnight Clearing Gel' I just feel that I am spending so much money on it... but if it works I really have no other choice... And I rather spend some money than look the way I do right now.

What is your favorite brand?

Lights went out

Yesterday I was goooone... I had my morning meeting with my elliptical at 5 in the morning and then off to work. I was so bored at work that I ended up leaving a little bit early... I was just thinking about everything else I needed to get done that sitting in my cube was driving me crazy... Then there was the highlight of the day - FACIAL time. I have had issues with acne for maybe four months now and I am trying to find the right products and the right way to take care of it without taking any drugs. It is a very slow process and I am not sure what to do next except having facials. They do make me look a ton better but it only last for so long.

Those 60 minutes of pampering makes me so relaxed and by the time I got home and had dinner I was out! It was only the 3rd inning of the Phillies game and I fell asleep on my hubby's chest... I woke up and it was the 7th inning.. I moved to the other sofa and tried really hard to watch the game but out I went...

Hubby woke me up a little later and off to bed we went. I don't know what happened after that but off I went again! When my alarm rang this morning at 4:50 am I turned it off and fell back asleep again. I was just completely wiped out!

I have been having some horrible cramps and feeling almost like I have had a fever so maybe I needed some extra sleep... I would say that by now I should be rested.

Last day of teaching dance classes tonight, feels strange but nice. I need the break, or I need the time I spend on that on other things for now.

Camera giving me an attitude

I am so, so mad at my camera - not that it is something new to me, but I haven't mentioned it here before... I hate my camera, in fact I hate all 3 cameras I have...

One camera I bought when I just turned 25, that is 5 years ago now - and A LOT have happened in the industry of digital cameras since then... the colors are horrible and it looks like a brick, but back then it was pretty good. And I used it over Christmas while we were in Sweden and Norway snowboarding and it started to fall apart on me in the cold... the battery only lasted a few hours and so on...

The the second camera I have, isn't even mine but it takes better pictures than mine so I have been using it. And that is the camera I brought with me to Florida. Last night when I was going to download all pictures from the trip to my computer about half of them had an [ERROR] message on them. This has happened before but only on maybe one or two pictures out of a 100. This time it was probably 20 out of 40 pictures. What makes me even more mad about it is that I have seen the pictures!!! They were ALL in there and completely OK when I looked them through on Sunday... but now they are not! In fact they are considered GONE... Off course one is with me standing in front of the Universal Globe at Universal Studios...

My third camera is in fact amazing! It is a professional camera, it takes GREAT pictures and I love using it... but it is not a digital camera. So the whole process of being limited to 24 or 36 pictures per roll is simply not working for me. And to not be able to see the picture I just took on a little screen is also frustrating - how spoiled I have become!

I realized a long time ago that I need a new one, but hubby doesn't see the need as I do - he sees it as a 'want' and he might be right... but I don't want to listen to that! I WANT and NEED a new camera!!! Any suggestion on arguments?

Florida was Great

Yeah... definitely a great vacation state. I have no idea if I would like to live there all year long, I like having 4 different seasons but for a visit now and then when it is a bit too cold up here is a YES!

We visited Universal Studios and Adventure Island - It was a blast!! Hubby wasn't as excited as I was, but I think he enjoyed it secretly anyway. I was disappointed that the Harry Potter thing wasn't open yet 'cause I love Harry Potter and it would have been so fun to see it all. But maybe now I have an excuse to go again...

We also spent some time playing golf - two rounds of 18 holes and one 9:ers... I actually enjoyed it! I mean I wish a full round was around 12 holes and not 18, but it wasn't as bad - and I got my FIRST PAR ever!! It was on a Par-3 so it wasn't as great as if it would have been on a Par-4, but still... (Yeah I know, I just admitted I am pretty bad at golfing). And my body sure got a fair share of some sun! I now have those great 'golf tan' lines... you know from socks and tees... it is so ugly! But I can't show them off anyway - it is pretty cold back in PA now.

The trip back home was a trip to remember... all I can say for now is that we were supposed to be home by 8pm on Sunday and we ended up coming home at 3.30 am on Monday morning... Life is full of surprises! :D

Florida Baby!

Man... I have been so off these last few days.

I think it is because I started to believe I was prego.. I have been on the DAY with my cycle for the past 4 months and when it didn't show on the day I though it was going to; I started to wonder.. and when it wasn't here 5 days later I was going NUTS! But today it finally made an appearance!

But it wasn't just me being late. I had all that skin issue that I couldn't find a reason to... I was tired all the time from being so full of energy to just drained... My mind was for sure spinning!




At least I can put that behind me as I am going to FLORIDA tomorrow!!! YEAH! Haven't been there since 2006. Me and hubby are going there to visit a friend and also to just relax. We need a time away from home.

He has requested at least 3 golf outings... we will see about that. Unfortunately I do not share his great passion about golf, I told him I will give him 1!.. I don't even know if I can fit into my golf clothes anymore... And I have had NO time what so ever to plan for this trip. But that is usually how we do things. 'Do you want to go?' 'yeah, do you?' 'ok - let's do it!' And off we go!

No matter what we end up doing I am going to enjoy the sun until I can't stand it!

Dermalogica Cleansing Facial

Had my facial this morning - it is so relaxing, I was enjoying it even more this time than the first time I went about 2 months ago. Maybe I was more tuned in today.

But it sounds like I have to go with my dry skin and "adult acne" for a little bit longer. That is by far the worst combination ever!!! You can't use products that would dry you out and you can't use products that put too much nutrients into the bad pores... I guess I will try to let my skin just relax at least over the weekend and then we will see.

On my way home I stopped to pick up some business card paper. Not the perforated ones - that is just not professional looking. Will let you know how it worked out.

I don't know anymore

Have been trying AHAVA now since Saturday and I must say that it is WORKING - it is working too good probably. MY FACE IS LIKE A DRY SHELL now.

Yesterday I even dipped my own face in oil - I punctured a capsule with Vitamin E and one with Evening Primerose oil and put it all over my face to try to smooth out the dry spots. When I woke up I was just as dry... Tried some Aloe Gel but that stuff just make me blush so much.

Tomorrow I have a new facial appointment - hopefully she can help me!

But sometimes I wonder that maybe I have done too much to my face lately. Just before getting the ahava I was so frustrated and itchy that I basically scrubbed my skin down on my chin - so it might have been too sensitive for the new products. I haven't been able to use the Dermalogica products since Wednesday 'cause that is just too much or my face right now.

So I really can't say if this stuff is working yet or not. I am just confused and have never been this dry before, not even if sunburned!

Early Mornings

I am not a morning person - at all!
I love staying up late and wake up well after 9.00 in the morning. That is when I work the best.

But with my new venture, a job, teaching dance, and have a husband I am starting to think that I need to do things a little bit differently from now on. I need to grasp energy from every living cell I can get a hold of and I can't waste precious time on anything - everything needs to be given the attention it deserves, including time to just relax.

I love my husband so deeply and I know I have been putting him as second the last few weeks with me trying to get everything ready - it is not fair to him or our relationship. So I am going to make some changes. We need our evenings to US. 

Normally I don't need as much sleep as he does so when he is ready for bed at 10pm I am wide awake and ready to keep going... but instead of doing things then I am going to start doing things in the morning, before he wakes up. This way I will still have my time to do what I need and I will be able to spend my evenings with my husband and even getting to bed at the same time...

I know it is the right choice for us. And I should try to find a place where I can do some morning yoga too. The program I would do is only 20 minutes so it is not a bad idea to start the day with 20 minutes yoga and stretch and then enjoy my time crafting. How much better can a day start really? I will keep you updated on how it works out.

How do you guys do it with several tasks/responsibilities/projects in the making?

Hormones running wild; trying AHAVA

Since I started doing this all natural birth control method my skin has been horrible. I look worse now than I did when I was 16! I suspect it is all hormone related as my body is still trying to regulate from the change in hormone production. I mean other than my acne I feel great and most days I don't care that much about it... but I am a girly girl that loves to look good - with or without makeup.

Since I stopped the dreaded Yasmin pills I have been trying different product to control my acne and so far NOTHING!

I started out using tea tree oil from the Body Shop. I used the oil every day and used the tea tree oil mask almost every day on my chin, nose and forehead... It seems like it worked for a little bit, but not in the long run - and who has time to put on a mask every day? 

The I tried to take Evening Primrose oil supplement but my stomach didn't agree at all to that. So I ended up putting the oil directly on my face by squeezing out the oil from the capsule. It made my skin baby smooth but did nothing for my acne, nothing at all. (Today I wonder if it was real oil or maybe just a synthetic kind it is hard to tell these days)

Then I went to a dermatologist and had a real facial, not the kind you do at home. It was great! My face felt so smooth and beautiful, my pores were 10 times smaller it felt like, especially on my nose. But I can't afford to have a facial every month.. so my awesome face is now back to were it started and might even be worse than ever. Off course not due to the facial but probably because of hormones and maybe some late stress I have had in my life lately (good stress, fun stress)  ;)

So on Friday I was recommended AHAVA and I actually had time to go shopping for it on my busy Saturday and am now dedicated to religiously use it every morning and night for 30 days. I can for sure tell you that something is going on - My face feels tighter but I am not sure I like the feeling. We will see in 30 days what I say about it. 

So all in all I am now using:
AHAVA Mud Soap Bar
AHAVA Toner for oily skin
Dermalogica - Special Clearing Booster (on my acne areas)
Dermalogica - Clearing Mattifier (It is really making my skin look like soft velvet - NO SHINE at all)
Some days I feel dried out and on those days, and nights I will also use Dior's HydraAction

Anyone ever tried AHAVA products? What did you think about them?

I will give you an update on my experience in 30 days.