Mom's Night Out! 2014

So a few months ago I got a call from a close friend inviting me to go see the premiere of a movie, "Mom's Night Out" along with a couple of other moms. I was so excited as it was the first time in a long time that I was going out with a bunch of girlfriends. We had so much fun! We enjoyed popcorn, homemade truffles, and each others company.

As the movie began and played, we found ourselves looking at one another every time we could relate to a scene...which was really, every five minutes or so. We laughed, cried, and left inspired by what we witnessed! It was such a wonderfully great night!

If I were asked to rate this movie, I would rate it a perfect 10. Not only was it absolutely hilarious, but it was clean, inspiring, and above all...REAL.

I don't think any of us wanted the night to end...but when it did, we left that theater with our hearts on cloud nine.

Motherhood was a very difficult spot for me at one point and sometimes, those ugly feelings try to rear their heads once more. They are lies that whisper that we aren't good enough, involved enough, too this, too that... that we just aren't enough. In a sense those lies lean slightly towards the truth. Yes, without a divine help we would all probably be in a nut house or in prison. haha! With God's help though, he gives us the strength to not only manage but enjoy everyday that we are mother's. He gives us wisdom to handle every situation, and His love to raise our kids to run after his heart.

It is no secret that motherhood isn't easy. So you need a nice little break. A break from the beautiful chaos. I say we plan a mom's night out. Just you, me, and the girls.

With that said, I want to extend an invite to you... One that you may be tempted to refuse. Not because you don't want to go, but because it's been too long since you glammed it up and put lipstick on. Well get ready Cinderella, now is your time, now is your chance. Let's do this.

This amazing movie will make its debut on Friday May 9, 2014 Mother's Day weekend (perfect timing!) I have have access to special pricing for the first 50 women that let me know that they are wanting to attend. The movie will be premiering at a movie theater in Tampa, FL and will be announced soon along with the price per person. Please invite as many people as you like!

For special pricing and to reserve your ticket(s), please send me an email at :

MUA.MARAZUL@GMAIL.COM

 I will be giving away 3 prize packs to include a ton of fun surprises from the movie so stay tuned! 

Yeshua and The Stairs

About a two months ago, I was taking care of both Yeshua and another little boy. I was taking both kids upstairs because we had been playing outside and the little boy's knees and feet where dirty. 'This will be quick.' I thought. So as I reached the top of the stairs, I put Yeshua on the floor and escorted the little boy to the bathroom and towards the tub. 'Put your legs in buddy,' I said. And I began to wash his legs and feet. I suddenly wondered why it was so quiet. Why Yeshua had not complained that he wasn't being held, and why he hadn't come to to tug on my shirt. And then it hit me. I suddenly felt all the blood in my body rush to my head and my stomach churn. Now, as you know, if you have stairs in your home it would probably be your worst nightmare to se your kid tumbling down. But Hubby and I had covered that. We had gates both at the top and bottom of the stairs and the one at the top closed automatically. Unless of course it was propped open...which we often did...which is how I found it when I was hysterically looking for Yeshua that day. As my eyes saw the opened gate, I knew he was on his way down. And sure enough he was on the fourth step going down carefully. I freaked out and as he heard me he looked back, missed the step with his little hands, and began to tumble! I let out the most horrific scream and as he landed on the turn of the stairs (only 2) he began to cry his little head off.  I rushed down and picked him up checking every single little nook and cranny on his body. I cried and said sorry a gazillion times and by the time I looked at him again, he was already all smiles. 

I was fortunate. But many people loose their little babies just like that. I can't imagine what that parent has gone through. And I NEVER wanted to experience that feeling of helplessness again. 

So I decided to teach him the proper way to go up and down the stairs... Life is unpredictable and you never know when there will be an emergency, or when someone will accidentally leave a gate open as I did. It's so important for our toddlers to know what to do. 

I started with him going down stairs cause I knew it would probably be the harder of the two to learn. I sat him down at the top and demonstrated how to go down backwards. Within five minutes he followed suite. Since then, almost every morning as we are going down for breakfast he will squirm until I let him go down the stairs on his own. I never leave his side...I'm always spotting him...and he has yet to take another tumble. He's enjoys it. So much so that he flattens his body out and slides belly down like a little seal!

Of course going up is a favorite too. That one he learned on his own. 

If you decide that teaching your child to go up and down the stairs is important to you, then PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED! Yeshua goes up and down very well, but it doesn't mean he can do it alone. He could still take a tumble, slip, fall back, and get very hurt. We still double check the gates and make sure that someone is there right behind him when he is going up or down. We taught him this in case of an EMERGENCY. So please do not rely on this to allow your child to be alone on the stairs. There is still great danger!

I am ever grateful that he was ok. It was that experience that made me want to teach him and I'm glad I did. I would encourage you to do the same if you have an able toddler (or an older crawling infant) and have stairs in your home or frequent a place that has stairs. 

This ability could save your child's life.

If you try and your child continues to go down head first, continue to show them daily until they understand or discontinue lessons for a few weeks and try again.

Our next feat is swimming and survival if he ever fell in water. I'll be sure to post how those go!

Sending much love!

XoXo!

Janice

Two-In One Dinner: Whole Chicken & Crock Stock

Here is another one of my favorite sites 100 Days of Real Food that shares a ton of really great recipes. One of which I had about a week ago and it was AMAZING! The best part about this yummy recipe is that it not only tells you how to make a whole chicken in a crock pot, but it also tells you how to make a stock in the crock pot as well (In case you don't have the time to do it on the stove). WIN! WIN!

Recipe: The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large chicken

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.
2. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
4. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.
5. Cook for 4 – 5 hours on high (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade stock with the leftover bones 

Overnight Chicken Stock in the Crock Pot

INGREDIENTS

• Leftover chicken bones or carcass roughly equivalent to one small or medium sized chicken
• 1 onion, peeled and loosely chopped
• 1 rib of celery, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh parsley
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Salt, to taste
  Note: If you are missing any of these ingredients I wouldn’t let that stop you from making it anyway.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. After removing all edible meat from the chicken put/leave the bones, skin, cooking juices, etc. in the crock pot. If you are using the chicken carcass from the “The Best Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot” recipe just leave every single thing that’s leftover (except the good meat of course) in the crock pot including the original onion and spices you used when making the chicken.
2. Add the onion, celery, carrot and spices on top of the bones and fill the crock pot almost to the top with tap water (leaving about ½” at the top).
3. Turn the slow cooker onto “low” after dinner and cook all night long or alternatively you could start it in the morning and cook on “low” for 8 – 10 hours during the day.
4. After the stock is done cooking turn off the heat and, using a soup ladle, pass the stock through a fine sieve to remove all herbs/bones/etc.
5. Either refrigerate or freeze the stock for future use. I usually freeze some in both 1 and 2-cup portions, and I also sometimes freeze stock in ice cube trays just in case I just “need a little” for making sauce or rice. This stock is great in soups likechicken noodle soup and also in rice like risotto.
   Enjoy!

Strange But True: Breast Milk, Boogers, & Probiotics

A few months ago, Yeshua was crazy congested. Like, not 'Oh he's got some boogers'...No..Like, 'Holy moly. The dude has some serious boogers'. We usually use the saline spray and have to pin him down on the floor and hear him screaming and crying but I discovered something new! Instead of saline, which I know tastes terrible and may even be burning the inside of his nose...why not breast milk? For those of you who nurse... Have you ever been nursing and noticed milk dropping from your baby's nose accompanied with some mucus? (For those of you who are totally grossed out by this, it really isn't as bad as it sounds...I promise!) So as I was reading my new all time favorite book by Kate Tietje   "A Practical Guide to Children's Health", she explained that breast milk breaks down the mucus in a baby's nose! How cool is that?! It was one of those..I knew that! But I didn't really KNOW that, moments...


So how in the world would you get breast milk in a baby's nose you might ask? You would either have to have tremendosly good aim OR...Well, you will have to milk yourself. hahaha! Yes, seriously... (or use a breast pump)I use a small microwave safe saucer and before I use it I sanitize it in the microwave (place in the micro for about 2 min). Make sure the plate is completely cooled off. Then I get a syringe and suck up the expressed milk. You really don't need much cause baby's nose is still tiny. Squirt the milk up the baby's nose (do both sides) and with an aspirator, suck the milk and boogies out. It's that simple and works much better than the saline spray.
Something else that I like to do when he is experiencing heavy nasal congestion is to mix the breast milk with a children's probiotic that you can find at your local health food store. The probiotic will kill off the bad bacteria and promote the virus killing bacteria which in turn will shorten the cold. It is also recommended to give your child (and yourself) a daily dose of probiotics (preferably at night when your stomach can properly absorb the probiotic) to keep you healthy and cold free!


*Side note: Yeshua had major issues with the bulb aspirator. No matter how gentle I was with it, it would always make him bleed. So I looked into an alternative and found The Nose Frida! It doesn't go in the nose but rather stays just out side of the nose. He screams and cries just the same (we discovered that he hates the feeling of air coming out of his nose) but it is much gentler on his little nose and he doesn't bleed. And yes for some it may look or sound kinda gross to suck your kids boogers out. But your mouth goes no where near the boogers and it has a filter to catch bacteria! Win! Win!*

With flu season and cold season still in bloom, this idea may be a life saver...you may want to at least consider it and/or try it out and see what a HUGE difference it makes! 

XoXo!
Janice

Wasted Talents

The other day I was talking to a dear friend. We were having an interesting conversation about life in general. At one point they asked me, "Are you still singing?",  I answered, "No. I'm more into things I can do from home now." "What a waste of talent.", they chuckled to themselves. I stayed quiet and thought, "I'm not singing right now, but I'm raising a world changer."

One of the hardest transitions for me as a new mom was not being able to do the things I was doing before I became pregnant and had Yeshua. I remember calling up my mentors and weeping because I would see all these young women with energy and passion pursuing their hearts desire, reaching the world for Jesus, and I was at home changing dirty diapers, cleaning, and nursing around the clock. I was so desperate to revive the last season that I was in, that I struggled and strived to be where I had once been. At one point, I volunteered to give night classes, help out in women's ministry, teach a children's class, work part time...all while taking care of Yeshua, keeping house, and cooking three meals a day! As you can imagine, I had a serious break down. Both emotionally and physically. I was so frustrated and angry to be doing "less than my best". And to be perfectly transparent and real...I was really beginning to despise motherhood. It wasn't until I attended an event called Catalyst One Day that I heard Andy Stanley say, "Your greatest contribution to the church may not be something you do but someone you raise." I was in complete shock and yet at the same time a feeling of hope rushed over me. At that moment I resolved to enjoy being a mom and make the best of what God had placed in my hand for this specific season!
The "happy" feelings of motherhood didn't come right away. They came gradually as I prayed daily and asked God to give me a divine passion and to show me how this new season could bless His heart. I asked him to reveal to me exactly what was placed in my hands so that I could advance His kingdom from where I was. It was then that I started to get in to cooking. I had never even liked cooking. I did it cause I had to. So I know it was God who placed that desire inside of me.
Not only did I have a new aprecciation for cooking but for health which is also something that I could've cared less about; passion for healthy cooking rose up inside of me. Today I love to make meals for my family and see their faces as they savor my hard work. Knowing that it is healthy for them makes it even more worth while. To hear Yeshua say "Yummy!" and see him nod his head up in down in aproval truly lets me know that I am exactly where I need to be.
Besides the healthy cooking God began to show me different ways to enjoy the 4am feedings (which turned into one of the most looked forward moments of my day/night), the 20 min naps, small colds, even the cleaning! If it's one thing I LOVE it's finding alternitive ways of doing things. So vinegar, baking soda, borax powder, Dr.Bronner's Castile Soap, lemons, tea tree oil, have all become best friends of mine in getting the house tidy. For the small colds, I have been shown ways to eliminate over the counter meds to naturally treat all sorts of ailments and infections. I even cured my husbands ear infection with garlic oil and breast milk! Ha! Of course he had no idea what I was putting in his ear until after it was in there. Haha! He was grateful the next day as he found he was cured!
It has been a long journey in my short time as a mom. I can say that I am a better person today than I was a year and some months ago. My relationship with Jesus is at new heights as I have had to trust him more with my heart and will than I ever have before. I am so grateful for this season of my life now that I am unsure I have enough words to describe the gratefulness and transformation that has occurred. Everyday He continues to amaze me with new ideas, new passions, and an even greater desire to seek Him and love Him more today than yesterday!

The words of my friend were not meant for harm but of observation. Of a season once lived that is no longer productive or even blessed (I dare say) for this time in my life. It also comes from a lack of celebration of stay at home moms (SAHM) and their life changing rolls in the kingdom. If you are a SAHM and have ever felt less than for it...be assured that your role is essential for His desires on this earth. Without out you God's light would fade. His purpose for spreading the name of His son around the world would cease. YOU are raising missionaries, pastors, teachers, worship leaders, writers, buisness men and women who will passionately pursue Jesus and win the lost for His names sake! 

YOU ARE ESSENTIAL!

I don't know where you are in your journey as mother, wife, singlehood...wherever you are, God is more than capable of changing your heart to enjoy THIS season of your life! To make it so good in fact, that the season you were once in will become a blur, a moment once lived hardly reaching the glorious moments you are living in today. That when someone asks you if you are operating in what was once your season, you can stand confidently in what God is doing with your life TODAY!

I once heard someone say, "You make time for what you honor." What great wisdom! So, if you read, or you don't read (yet) ;) I want to recommend a book that really helped me along this journey of loving my today:

"The Resolution for Women" By: Priscilla Shirer  

This book was a HUGE part of my journey in loving motherhood and my today. And just for the record I was not paid to say that, nor was I given a free copy. I bought this book and it was well worth it! 

I hope this helps you know that you aren't alone! That God can make your today and tomorrow more amazing than your yesterday! That new passions and desires can arise. That God can use you right where you are with what has been placed in your hands! You are a world changer! Love you! 

XoXo!

Janice

Nuts About Soap

I wasn't really sure what I was looking for when I stumbled across these but I am sure glad that I did! When I first read the description, "Soap Nuts", I was a little hesitant to purchase them but then I read all the 5 star reviews and I couldn't resist, I had to at least try them! So I went over to my local health food store and bought a bag. I was pleasantly surprised to see how small the bag was and how many loads of laundry it could clean...85! Wowzers! That is a TON! After the first wash and dry I could definitely feel and smell the diffrence. The clothes were super soft (without having to use a fabric softener) and it smelled like fresh clean cotton! Husband was pretty impressed too! So we decided to give these little soap nuts a home!

Soap Nuts are super easy to use and take up very little space which is a factor that I definately love. This bag came with an even smaller muslin  bag to place 4 soap nuts in and put in the washer with the dirty clothes.

So what else is so great about Soap Nuts? 

• It is isn't really a nut! It's actually a fruit that grows on the Sapindus Mukarossi tree! These trees are found in Northern India, Indonesia, and Nepal. So if you have a nut allergy, say a little cheer! You can use these too!
• They are hypoallergenic. So they are safe for the whole family including baby!
• No need for fabric softeners. 
• When you are done using the soap nuts (no more soap left) you can throw them out or throw them in your compost!
• You don't have a giant bulky plastic bottle lying around. If you are like me and have an insanely limited space, then this is a major plus!
• Soap Nuts are oder-less. They allow the natural smell of cotton to really shine!
• They are economical! They cause very little per load at $10 per bag cleaning 85 loads of laundry!
• They are safe for front and top loading machines! (Just use a few more for front loading as they tend to wash more clothes)

I mean really...need I say more? This little nutty fruit is amazing! Who would have ever thought that soap could grow on trees?

FYI: Soap Nuts are made of the REAL soap called saponin. Soap is the man made version of the natural occurring saponin. Unfortunately, with all that man made stuff, you also get toxic chemicals like Sodium Laureth Sulfate which cause skin irritation and other health risks! 

So...how do you know when there isn't anymore soap? Easy. Take a small empty jar and while your warm/hot load is filling with water collect some water in the jar. Place the soap nuts you've been using in the jar and shake. If there aren't anymore suds and they have a grayish tinge, it's time for new soap nuts! Super simple and easy! Also, if you are doing a cold wash, be sure to place the nuts in some hot water to soften the saponin on the nuts. 

Now, besides these amazing soap nuts, I also wanted to give you two little tips on how to remove those pesky  adhesives from glass jars. It's pretty simple really....

1. Soak clean jar in warm/hot water.
2. Peel off as much of the paper as you can.
3. With the rough side of the kitchen sponge wash the jar well.
4. Take Olive Oil and with a cloth or paper towel rub all remaining adhesive. (this also works with rubbing alcohol)

That simple!

If you want more info on where you can buy soap nuts you can check out the links below! Thanks for reading! And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on all the fun!

XoXo! 

Janice

If you live in the TAMPA/BRANDON area:

Chuck's Health Food Store

EVERYWHERE ELSE:

Amazon

Her Name is "Amber"...

This one is for all of you mamma's and soon to be mamma's out there. This post could save your life! Ok, I'm being a tad bit dramatic. BUT, it can save you from a couple sleepless nights, fits of crying, and a drewling hurting unhappy baby!

About a month or two ago, Yeshua was having a couple of off nights. Scratch that...weeks.  He was waking up every couple hours to nurse and pretty much just cry. I was so frustrated and couldn't quite put my finger on why he was so off on his schedule. So I called my friend Mercy (Yes...that is what we call her. And yes...it is ironic.)  and she asked me if he was teething. "I have no clue.." Was my reply. She recommended something that I had heard of before, but thanks to my misconceptions and reocurring slef diagnosed amnesia, I brushed it off. She insisted that it had changed her baby's life around and in turn hers. However once again forgot and stuck to what I was familiar with: teething tablets, coconut oil, a raspberry paci...all for nothing.  I eventually remembered and decided to research what Mercy had recommended and what I found was not at all what I had thought...
What was it? An amber necklace. Yes, a resin. Now...my initial thought was. A resin? Sounds weird. Kinda "far out"((ha!))...but the use and the science behind it completely debunked what I had imagined in my head the entire time.

Meet my BBFF "Amber":

This is RAW Amber (unpolished). It is made of plants (tree resin) and found in the baltic sea (an various other places). It washes up on shore and picked by hand or it is taken from the bottom of the sea! ((COOL!))

This is polished Amber! Same as raw Amber, it is used for many things such as jewelry, perfume, anti-inflammatory, and is an aid to the heart and nervous system!

So..how does it work? It is actually very simple...Genuine Baltic Amber contains 8% succinic acid. That acid is said to be released when in contact with human skin. It penetrates the skin and enters the blood stream thus relieving any inflammation, drewling, and pain. The best place to have it on baby in the day time is around the neck where it is close to the salivary glands. When sleeping, you can place the necklace around the ankle so that continuous warm skin contact is taking place.

So after I finally ordered my necklace and got it just two days later,  I immediately placed it on him. He briefly noticed it and continued to play. That night and for two nights in a row, he slept 12 hrs straight! Can I get a halleluya somebody?! He has had little to no drewling and is much less fussy. Mercy was right after all...

Many mamas have asked about the safety of these necklaces as they are for babies and toddlers and could potentially pose a risk. In my personal experience, I have never been afraid of the necklace. Yeshua is constantly supervised and when he is not (bed time and naps) the necklace is used as an anklet. There are many companies out there that sell these necklaces but not all necklaces are made the same. For example, on Yeshua's necklace, each piece of amber is knotted at the top and bottom. That is done so that in the rare occasion that the necklace should break the pieces will not all fall off the necklace and pose a choking hazard. Will one fall off? Yes. One piece will fall off so it is important to monitor your child when they are wearing the necklace/anklet. Also, his necklace will break if it experiences any unusually high tension. Again...DO NOT put your child to sleep with it around their neck. If your child likes to pull at things and break things, many of my friends have found it useful to put the necklace on the ankle and place the child in a sleep sack to avoid any possible hand contact from the baby during the night.

I am so very grateful for this amazing resin that has helped both mommy and baby have better days and nights! I love that I don't ever have to pump meds into his body to make him feel better either; this necklace is a miracle worker!
If you are wondering where you can get one just hit this link and it will redirect you to Amber Baby LLC. This shop where I got Yeshua's necklace! It has such beautiful colors and styles to choose from and you are guaranteed to have authentic amber as many people are selling plastic as genuine amber.

And SURPRISE!!!!!
You will also get a 10% discount when you use the coupon code: BLOG10
This is only available for Beautifully Blemished subscribers! Wahoo! They also have FREE shipping! Double wammy!

I got Yeshua the "RAW" style necklace in the color Jaime. I love the way it looks on him! He looks like a little surfer baby...

Maybe he will ride the waves like daddy one day!

Here is Yeshua's good friend Bella. She is wearing a polished necklace in the "Reese" color!

And here is baby Maddox! Turns out he is teething early so his mama got him a necklace to help soothe  his little gums and help with the FOUR teeth that are coming in! 

Amber necklaces are wonderful for babies and kids for all ages as they are light in weight and very durable! I am so glad we got ours! Go get your today! You won't regret it!

Sending up prayers for all those mama's with teething babies (cause I know it can be tough!)!

XoXo!

Janice

The Prayers of a Brave Girl

It was one of those days for me. You know. The ones where your picking a fight for no reason with your poor husband. You could swear your kid just got over their last cold like 30 minutes ago and he suddenly has a new one. You are stressing over the felt cake topper or the plastic one cause everyone is going to remember it for years to come. Your avoiding phone calls for no reason and not answering texts cause if one more person asks you the same question one more time you juuuuuust might loose it! Then you go and try to connect with God and the atmosphere is so dead that you can't even hear the crickets. ((Sigh)) So here I am  sitting in my "spot", my quiet place, thinking. Thinking on why I let such dumb things cause me to act out... and suddenly as if a drop of water had fallen from heaven on dry land, the Holy Spirit drops Psalm 26:2 down to the core of my heart.

"Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; test my heart and my mind."

I can 't help but think of how brave that prayer or Psalm was...is. This is pretty much giving access to the Holy Spirit to pull up to the surface all the junk that lies in the depths of my heart and mind. I don't know about you...but that scares me a little. I mean. Ok. What does God not know about me right? So, I'm not afraid of what he will "find out". I'm more afraid of what I will find out. What are the hidden sins in my heart? What has my mind been conspiring against me? What are the secrets that I'm keeping from myself? What if my suspicions are real? This is almost like the person that suspects they have a serious condition but never go to the doctor cause they are afraid of what they will find out. They are hoping that it would just go away on its own...but it never does, does it? 
David, the author of that verse was far from being the model of perfection and yet God calls him a man after His own heart! So even after he murdered a man, stole his wife, disobeyed God. What made him different than all the other men? From the previous king?

Surrender.

Yep. That's it. He was a man surrendered to God. He desired to do God's will even when his humanity got the best of him. He allowed God to mess him up to make something better in him. He chased to God instead of away from God after sinning. After angrily yelling at the kids. After wondering what it would be like to be married to someone else. After talking about others behind their backs. After lying to try to get out of something. After desiring to be more like them instead of being more like you. After going just a little too far with that guy...Sound familiar?

The only way to get better is to confront what ever is making us sick. To hear the truth, even if it hurts. To allow Jesus to rush in to our hearts. To destroy what was once a comfort to us and then let Jesus the Carpenter, the Healer, come and rebuild it all into a masterpiece. It will take time, sweat, sanding...but most of all our will.

David was known as the greatest king to have ever reigned. Not because he was perfect but because he prayed a simple yet profound prayer, "...search my heart and mind."

I've realized that truly I CANNOT stay the way that I am! I'm so desperate for Him to come and heal this treacherous heart of mine! I want to be a woman after the very heart of GOD! I CANNOT wait any longer! Not a second more! 

CAN YOU?

Today is a great day for us to invite the Holy Spirit to come and search our hearts and minds...to mess us up. It is no doubt a brave prayer, but it is answered in the most gentlest and loveliest of ways. We just have to say. "YES".

Prayer starter:

Dear Jesus! We love you! We desire you! Our hearts and minds have dark places that need you! We can't do life crippled and sick. So we need you to come and search us! Search our hearts and minds! Reveal to us what needs you! Holy Spirit we give you full access to dig deep and heal! Help us to not be good mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, but GODLY ones! Help us to be women after your very own precious heart! We yield our hearts and minds to you...

How To: Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Ok. Yea. So we've all been guilty of going weeks, months, and for some...YEARS without ever even thinking about cleaning our makeup brushes! Some don't even know that they can be cleaned or why they should be cleaned! Well ladies... Here are the top 5 reasons to clean your brushes and how.

1.  Makeup brushes harbor dead skin, old makeup, and bacteria. That's enough for me to skip the rest of the numbers! Haha!

2. Because they harbor all those nasties, pimples, breakouts, skin sensitivities...they become a hightened risk.

3. Your brushes will last longer when they are well taken care of. If you don't clean and moisturize your natural bristle brushes, the hairs will become brittle and break off. Yep, just like human hair. I have brushes that I've had for 6 years and they are still almost like new!

4. You can alter the color of makeup that you are trying to apply if the brushes are dirty. If you did a smoky eye the day before and today you are wanting to do a more natural look, good luck trying to get all that dark eye shadow off your brush without ripping half of the bistles out! I know! Been there, done that! I've actually had one eye darker than the other! haha! Maybe I'll start a trend! 

5. It's super easy and only takes about 10-15 minutes. Unless if you have a ridiculous amount of brushes. Then I have no clue how long it will take you... but it will still be easy! AND you will feel good about using a clean brush instead of some yucky, never been washed, bacteria carrying, pimple planting, brush. Dramatic? Yes. True? Also yes. Haha!

How To Clean Your Brushes...

What you will need:

• Dirty brushes
• Lightest colored dinner plate you have available (so you can be wowed at all the junk that comes off)
• Liquid Soap ( I use Dr.Bronners Castile Soap or Method dish soap)
• Water
• Old rag, small towel, or paper towels

Step 1: Take your plate and put about one or two tea spoons of soap and about the same of water. If you are using dish soap put equal parts olive oil to moisturize brushes. If using Dr. Bronners Castile Soap, there is no need for the oil as the soap already contains essential oils.

Step 2: Take your brush and swirl it around on the plate making sure you swirl at a slant. NEVER swirl with the tip facing down! That will destroy your brush!

Start with whatever brush you want. I usually start off with my smaller ones cause they take less time and I can hurry up and get them out of the way.

Step 3: After your brush is soaped up, point downward in a sink and massage the bristles gently. If you are too rough it will break the bristles and damage the brush. You will begin to see all the junk falling into the sink. Gross. I know. 

Step 4: Rinse off the brush. Make sure you are rinsing downward as well. The reason is that the brush will fall apart if water gets trapped in the barrel of the brush. It will loosen the bristles from the glue. Continue to rinse till water runs clear. 

If you really wanna know if all the gunk and soap is out, gently squeeze the brush into your other hand. If it is still dirty and needs a round 2 then go for it!

Step 5: After the water is running clear from the brush, gently squeeze the brush face down to remove excess water. Then take your rag, towel, or paper towel and gently do the same. 

To dry your brushes, place them at the end of a flat surface like a table or a counter top so that the bristles are not touching the surface but rather off of the surface.

This is the longest step. The drying. It can take anywhere from 8-12 hours for a large brush to dry. If you are in a hurry and need your brushes dry for use, then plug in your blow dryer in the lowest setting (cool) and gently dry your brushes. Also, blowdrying only works for REAL BRISTLE brushes! Not synthetic! If you try to dry synthetic brushes they will most likely get damaged as they are a form of plastic and do not handle heat well.

I hope this helps if you were on the fence about cleaning or not cleaning your brushes! Haha! It's easy, not hard and you really only have to do it every two weeks depending on how often you use your brushes! If you are like me and you do makeup almost every day...use your hands to apply your liquid foundation (except on really important makeup days) and that will at least keep any pimples caused by brushes away! By the way...if you use a sponge or pad during any process of your makeup application (including the eye shadow applicators) those should be thrown out every few days. Those hold on to even more dead skin, old makeup, bacteria, and cebum (face grease). You can find more of those at a Sally's near you. 

Hope you liked the "How To" for today! If you want to see something in particular then comment below and I will be more than happy to do it! And if you have a question...you can also post below!

XoXo! 

Janice

Launch Giveaway!

WELCOME...
It truly blesses my heart that you are a part of what Beautifully Blemished is. My hope is that we can grow together in knowing all we are and have in a God who is deeply and passionately in love with us! That we can be healed through that love and find freedom in areas in which we are bound! I send you huge hugs and love! Thanks again...

I am so excited! The day is finally here AND I get to give stuff away?! That makes me even more excited! So you may we wondering what I will be giving away...

FIRST... for those of you who live out of the Tampa Bay area. There are some things that for obvious reasons I will not be able to ship. HOWEVER, I will ship the shippable things to you as long as you live in the US (incl. PR)!

I was looking back and thinking about all the wonderful things that occurred in 2013 and thought, 'Wouldn't it be fun if I gave away a few of my very favorite things?' So I sat down and made a list of some things I discovered in the past year. I came up with these: THE AMAZING LAUNCH GIFTS!

ONE BEAUTIFUL GIRL WILL WIN:

1. The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola 
The year 2013 started off with a Daniel Fast. The few times we had done it before were OK (food wise)  as we constantly found ourselves either STARVING or eating brown rice and beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So...in 2013 we decided to buy a book to help us along our way with recipes. It was through this book that I discovered that healthy foods really could taste good! It was the book that opened the door for everything else! Because I know that most churches and many people start the year off with a Daniel Fast, I thought it would be great to give the ebook away! 

The great thing about this book is that it not only shares recipes, but devotionals and what to expect physically as your body adjusts to the huge change!


2. Kerry Gold Irish Butter 
This butter has changed my taste buds life! hahaha! It is truly the best butter that I have ever tasted and I use it for everything! Now you may be thinking..."Butter? Is that...healthy?" Yep! It sure is! I will be talking about it in a future post..till then, take my word for it. You are gonna love this grass fed, Irish, Ireland imported, highly coveted amongst the granola moms butter! 

3. Home made Organic RAW ice cream! 
If you've never had RAW ice cream or home made ice cream, you are in for a big treat! It is truly the best tasting ice cream that I have ever had and I am an ice cream-oholic. I mean, I've tasted ice cream from your basic vanilla flavor to bacon flavored and nothing compares to home made RAW! Now since Florida is on the cusp of strawberry season, you will have your choice between vanilla or strawberry ice cream (which I happen to have in the freezer as we speak and made a video of below). Dairy will be organic, strawberries will be organic, yep...even the sugar, baby! 

4. Oneida Bamboo Cooking Spoon
 Bamboo is the way to go! Especially if you have stainless steel pots and pans as you DO NOT want to scratch the steel. Bamboo is great too for other pots and pans that have the delicate non stick coating. I only use bamboo for that very reason. It keeps my pots and pans pretty and its a renewable resource! WOO!

5. BeautiControl brushes, eyeshadow palette, lip gloss, & face wash!

This is every girls dream come true! I'm so grateful for my incredible mother-in-law who graciously sponsored these gifts for us! She is an amazing woman who loves what she does and what she offers to the women who come seeking her expertise in makeup and skin care! Check out some of hers and my favorites! A whole set of BeautiControl's top of the line brushes! That brush set alone is worth the giveaway! A stunning rose colored lip gloss perfect for the coming spring which comes equiped with a  FLASHLIGHT!  The eye shadow palette in a beautiful smoky eye with two blush colors! And last but not least, a gift certificate for a personalized skin consultation and FREE FULL SIZED face wash! This is worth over $100! The Lord is good sisters! The Lord is good! haha!

6. Here is the kicker...and probably my favorite part of the give away. This one alone is worth $30!!! A FREE hair cut by my crazy talented husband. Yep...My hubby is a hair stylist and an amazing one at that. With almost 20 years experience under his belt and a former Paul Mitchell expert; you will be in the safest hands in all of Tampa Bay! 

Here are only a few of the styles and colors I've had done by him!

RULES:

There are multiple ways to get entries:

1. Like us on Face Book: www.facebook.com/beautifullyblemished

2. Follow us on Instagram:
@beautifulblemish

3. Follow our blog
beautifulblemish@blogspot.com

4. Repost GIVEAWAY on your Face Book page by hitting "SHARE"

5. Repost GIVEAWAY on Instagram with @beautifulblemish
(picture on main Instagram page)

You have 5 entry opportunities to win! Please make sure to take all of your profiles off of "private" so we can verify the entries! 

CONTEST RUNS FROM 1/8/2014-1/13/2014 (11:59 pm EST)

So...with that said. Let the games begin. And may the odds be ever in your favor! Bwahaha!!!! Goooooo!!!