In my aud & crazy world I constantly have things running through my head. So rather then continue letting it take up space I'm putting it out there! My thoughts, opinions, fashion tips on a budget, hair tips for crazy unmanageable hair and other aud tidbits that include health and even some politics!
So I am always on the look out for great makeup, so here are a few of my favorites!
This is an under eye concealer by Clinique. I have the worst dark circles under and around my eyes. This makes me look all bright eyed and bushy tailed in the mornings. This and the upper eye touch base (brightener) you will see next!
I love the 04 Medium Petal, I have a little bit darker skin (olive) and this helps
brighten the under eye perfectly!
The upper eye is a little touchy because the make up can slip down into your eye, (I found this out the hard way). So, this upper eye brightener is hypoallergenic and does wonders to brighten the eye and is a great base for your eye shadow! Again, this is Clinique Eye Base 10 Canvas! Love it :)
Okay, so I've saved the best for last! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this next product!
A good Lip Gloss is one of the hardest items to find... I've found it!
YOU WILL LOVE THIS!
Estee Lauder Pure Gloss, High Gloss, Lip Gloss is AMAZING!
It will not chap your lips, it does not cake your lips, and it stays on longer than 5 minutes.
Bare Glow is my favorite, it's a nude color and looks fabulous on; however they are all great.
Try it, you will love it... I SWEAR!
I get more compliments on this lip gloss then any other I've tried!
Ragnar Relay Chattanooga TN to Nashville TN is over! I have never been so tired or had so much fun in all my life (okay that might be debatable however it is the funnest thing I can recall in the last year!) So here are some fun pics of our trip! We headed out from Mississippi Thursday night, with two vans, 12 girls, tons of food, and lots of fluids! Here is van 1, this is where we ate, slept (tried), changed, cheered, laughed, and lived for over 30 hours! Stupid you say, absolutely! Fun? Hell yeah! (Make sure to read on, the good stuff is toward the bottom!)
Here we are are, still looking all perky and fresh! Just before we head out from Starkville, Mississippi!
We decided to stop in Birmingham AL for dinner and ended up spending way to long (people couldn't make up their minds on where to eat!) in Birmingham! We finally decided to eat at P.F. Chang's, I swear we were there for half the night, okay maybe two or three hours... here we are waiting ............................................... ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
...the funniest part of the evening; when one of the girls at my table asked for her red velvet cake and got this instead! It's so big, it's invincible!
and after 30 seconds (because that was eating it slow) this is what was left!
I know your wondering what in the world.... that's what we thought too! What she was expecting was one of those larger than you could possibly eat slices of heaven! Instead, she got this, a shot glass of two minuscule layers of cake and whipped cream. I almost peed my pants when my friend looked at the waitress and said "Really? Really, this is it?" We were all laughing so hard, apparently P.F. Chang's is not the place for Red Velvet Cake! Just FYI! So much for sharing, Misty and her tiny spoon gobbled it all up, in one bite I might add! And then she asked the waitress for the glass, figured that would at least cover the rest of the cost! Again, I'm amazed I didn't soak myself! (Misty, bottom picture, middle row on the right!)
Once again we hit the road, arriving in Chattanooga TN around midnight (I can't remember if that was MS time or TN time?) it's all a little fuzzy now. That's what three hours of sleep and 26 hours of wake time mixed with running at all hours of the day & night will do to you (not recommended)
So we arrive at the hotel, and of course the anxiety of it all hits. It is nearly impossible for me to sleep the night before a race. Why I can't just sleep is beyond me! I mean, I NEED MY BEAUTY SLEEP PEOPLE! I think I may have gotten 3 hours, but really, I have no idea. It's hard to be sure whilst drifting aimlessly in and out of sleep, and then the girls starting getting up at 4:30 AM! HOLY FREAK GIRLS, and they do this on a regular basis :( Insane in my opinion!
Here we are at the starting line!
Misty, Tangela, Me (Audra), Carey, Jennifer, Kacey
My running, sleeping, pooping, driving buddies for the next 30 hours!
Kacy took leg 1, we were so excited we were like little kids on Christmas morning... I think we stopped to cheer her on every mile! Needless to say we eventually realized we were being a little over zealous and slowed our momentum down!
Here is Kacey going up a beast of a hill! You go GIRL!
I think she is getting tired of us at this point! Sorry Kacey, we're just a little excited if you can't tell!
This is where Kacey finished her first leg, so incredibly beautiful!
And Carey was off, leg 2 was one of two hardest runs of the entire route... the first two miles gradually inclined, and then all the sudden it was 4 miles up a mountain! Carey was a freight train, she just kept going and going... no stopping for this girl, she doesn't know the meaning of the word!
Still has a smile on her face!
Here's iron man I mean woman...
Our Mascot!
Here I am getting ready for my first leg!
Checking my music and making sure mapmyrun is ready to record my run... no paranoia I assure you!
What goes up, must come down! Here comes Jennifer finishing up leg 3...
Run Jen Run! Dang she looks good :)
another check, just in case... there is no OCD here! None, whatsoever!!!
Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running, running, running, what do ya do, we runnnnnn!
I am still a little excited can ya tell? Obviously this is the first run, our tenacity starts waning as you will see :)
Misty rocked her first leg, leg 5!
We decided to surprise Misty with a little silly string, go SUPERFLY!
Don't we have a cute van! Thanks Jennifer, you made us look gooooood!
Here comes Tangela, leg 6!
Doesn't she look tough!
Whoot whoot!
And then things become a little fuzzy, wake time (11.5 hours, or longer if you don't include the 3 lousy hours of sleep we got the night before), ...again, fuzzy!
On top of that, after our first major exchange and getting some much needed food, we somehow managed to park our butts & beds 10 yards from a active train track, 3 trains later + Mexican music playing in the background = NO SLEEP! Son of a gun, not again!
Don't we look fresh and beautiful! No sleep deprivation whatsoever!
Damn we look good :)
Hello we are starving people!
And then the pictures become few and far between. Our second leg begins sometime after 6 pm. I think my leg (leg 4) began sometime around 10 pm, although, it's all a little foggy, something akin to coming off of anesthesia, and you feel like your head weighs 50 lbs and the world is spinning off it's axis! All I remember is running 4.3 miles in complete and utter darkness (thank heaven it was my shortest leg).
One thing I'm trying to get used to here in the south is the tree's. They are everywhere, they line the streets and go for miles and when your running down a road lined with tree's, dogs barking, cars trying to run you over.. weird things start to creep into your head. I'm pretty sure there were points in that run where I could have been considered for a loony bin, you know, talking to myself, singing childhood songs, looking behind my shoulder, looking to the right and the to the left; wondering when the psycho would jump out of the tree's and grab his next victim and how I would kick his ass with my superwoman capabilities if he tried!
A few pep talks later with yours truly, a couple little prayers, and a few primary songs later, my nerves calmed down and once I hit the down hill, the legs started cruising and I was sure I was SUPERWOMAN... I went from an 8.32 average per mile to 7.2 average at the finish line. I love hitting a good down hill run at the end of a race, you know that point when your legs start to feel like jello; the amazing part is that whether you like it or not, your legs begin to move without you actually telling them to. Superwoman, in all my glory; cape, boots, boobs and all! Well, minus the boobs and add the trickle effect, you know the effect that comes from bringing 3 little aliens into the world, damn you kegel muscles! Apparently, anytime I run uphill, downhill, or speed up (so basically most of the time) I leak. Good thing only one of my pipes was leaking! Or that could have been really bad :/ if you know what I mean?
We took another break and then sometime around 4 am I hit my last leg, the longest of the three and hardest of the three. Running on fumes, exhaustion and fatigue were definitely a worry for me. About 30 minutes before taking off I made sure to take a Energy pack and a few electrolyte chews.
Well, amazingly enough I started out and I felt great, in fact this run was the best of the three. Insane I know! I took another goo about 4 miles into this run, which was good considering it was hill after hill after hill and they only seemed to get worse. Just after taking this little magic pack of goo, I hit the largest hill and passed three people including the lady who zipped past me a mile and a half into my run... sucka! Don't people know you never start out strong! People... start out slow, ESPECIALLY considering this was the last leg, your already tired, you've been up for over 24 hours, and you don't know what your body is going to do come mile 5 or 6. Well, I kicked all their butts! That's right, I'll trash talk you into tomorrow all y'all!
We finished 2nd place in the All Women's Division only getting beat by 14 minutes! Our time 29:34, not too shabby for a bunch of 30+ rockin women!
We make this look gooood!
I was told IHOP was delicious... do you think they had any Diet Coke? NO! Misty, not cool :<
However, I've never seen a girl eat so many buttermilk pancakes!
Here are our shirts, they turned out Great! Thanks to my idea of the girls, and my hubby, Jake's fabulous graphic design skills, we looked fab running across the finish line! Thanks babe :)
What an insane, crazy, exhausting, fun, crap shoot of a weekend (literally, don't you know that's why they have all the port-a-potties)! Doesn't it sound fun?
It's here! Let theINSANITY begin... 24 hour Ragnar Relay Chattanooga to Nashville, here we come!!!
Since August I have been training for the Ragnar Relay in TN. Coming to Mississippi from Utah, home of one of the first Ragnar Relay races I had always thought it sounded cool, I mean, who doesn't love a girls weekend out! Combine that with running, lots of laughs, no men, (or kids for that matter) = GOOD TIMES BABY! Ironic that it took me moving across half the country before I actually got talked into doing one!
Running. Love it or hate it, many of us do it. Why? Who knows! Many do it because it is the cheapest form of exercise, requires no money (well, that's not technically true if you buy good running shoes, goo, sports drinks, etc.) however, the trend is barefoot running these days; so again, if you like to run like the caveman; no money is required. You don't have to go to the gym, you can run anytime you want, day or night, and you are only dictated by your schedule, no one else's. Now that last statement is completely bull shi! if you have kids or a family. Because we all know mom's are never on their own schedule, they are on EVERYONE else's schedule. So if you're a mom, running may require a little schedule manipulating, but it can be done, I"M PROOF OF THAT! Early mornings, runs between naps, late night runs, runs in the snow, rain, sunshine, and humidity (at least here in the south) are just a few of the enjoyable environments that runners survive in.
When we first moved to Mississippi back in August, I was foolish enough to run late in the morning. Coming from Utah where it get's extremely hot; I thought "oh no big deal". However, with the thick heavy moisture in the air, I felt like I was suffocating to death. Lesson learned! Don't run after 8am in the south during the summer. If you do, you may find yourself looking for along the lines of roadkill!
So back to why runners run! I HATED running back in my early twenties. In fact had anyone ever told me I would become a runner I would have laughed in their face. I mean who in their right mind thinks it's fun to run 3 miles, let alone 6, 8, 13, or the hellish, 26.6 miles? I wasn't about to PAY anyone to run.
I remember the first group of girls I ran with (because I couldn't afford a gym membership) in SLC, UT. There was one girl whom I remember telling me she was going to run in a 10k. A what? And you're paying someone to run? Why would I pay someone to run? Are you an idiot? Well, 7 years later, I am that idiot!
That running stint only lasted about 6-9 months. It wouldn't be until about two years later, after becoming a gym rat, competing in my first (and only) sprint triathlon, and running on average 2-3 days a week, 3 miles per run, that we would move and I would be forced to look for other (keep the fat off), options!.
The closest gym was 20 minutes away. I didn't want to wasted an hour of my day, give or take just to drive to the gym. So a local group of girls talked me into running, and this is where it begins. During the three years we lived there (Springville, UT) I ran my first half marathon. I remember the first time I ran 10 miles. I thought, oh my hell, you are going to have to scrape me off the ground and drag me back! There is no way I will be able to survive. Little did I know, I would think it was fun!
That's right, I said fun! I know, what the hell? I actually enjoyed running 10 miles. So the madness begins! At this time I was actually four months pregnant. Shortly after this, I had a tendon freeze up in my left shin and had to stop running until after I had my baby.
16 weeks after having my third child, I began the insanity once again. I completed two half marathons, and have found that although I still have my days when I HATE running (because we all have those days when we just want to be lazy and our will power falls guilty to the snooz button).
Running is something you will not love until you are consistent with it. Running once or twice a week is not consistent, believe me I know! The other argument I have is, you won't love it either, unless you actually start to increase your mileage... if you're doing three, go to six. If you're running five to six, increase to eight! This is where running actually becomes fun even meditative! Call me crazy, asinine, psychotic, whatever you like; I can take it because I once believed such people were irrational, pounding pavement psycho's!
So, for the first time in my life, I will compete in a 24 hour relay race with 11 other girls. I'm leg 4 with a total mileage of about 16 miles. I cannot wait to get away from the kids, the hubby, and go eat lots of crap, drink lots of diet coke, sleep whenever possible, and run like hell! (Because at 1am I am going to be running like hell, who knows what will be coming out of the woodworks at that time of night ;)
BRING IT ON RAGNAR!!!
(Sorry babe, I love you... but sometimes a girls gotta get away! (Even the girl at the checkout agree'd! ;)
Abortion is such a sensitive topic as we've already seen because there is NO clean cut line. When a girl through no choice of her own loses her agency due to the malicious desires or power kick of some crazed lunatic rapist, it complicates things. When drug addicted women lose the ability to make wise choices under the influence of a substance that physically and mentally changes her brain and her ability to decide right from wrong, this causes concern. When a baby is forced to come into a world drug induced or is the result of incest or rape, decisions become formidable.
However, there is something fundamentally wrong about a girl who, through poor, unplanned choices of her own; relinquishes her responsibility through the act of abortion. This begs the question. Does this become the responsibility of the American taxpayers? Are we expected to pay for their lack of preparedness?
What we need is to figure out a way to educate these girls before they find themselves in these precarious positions. We need to figure out what is at the root of this epidemic. Can this be blamed on poor education, poor social backgrounds? I'm sure some would argue, and perhaps there is some truth behind those notions. However, the brutal reality is simple; we have become a nation of selfish desires and we continue to exacerbate the idea of entitlement.
Should women wanting an abortion with no outlying circumstances be required to pay for their abortion? Should certain circumstances be covered and others not? Is it possible to take into account those who legitimately require and possibility need an abortion, or should all women be allowed to terminate a pregnancy no matter the reason?
First, These girls need to get some birth control, and IF they cannot afford it, then we can step in and give them free birth control, or stop having sex and practice abstinence. It's FREE! Second, I understand that things happen, so learn the first time around and stop the excessive use of unnecessary abortions in the United States just so girls don't have to deal with the consequences.
Third, doesn't this all go back to the breakdown of the family? Families continue to be attacked; and without kids having someone who can teach them integrity, morality, & responsibility; we will continue to see kids making adult decisions without the knowledge to do so adequately.
And finally, going back to accountability; only when we are held accountable for our actions do we learn lessons from tough choices. Instead, we are giving these girls a free pass. These girls, (And I am not talking about rape victims, etc.) act as if they are doing nothing wrong.
WE ALL have days where we wish we didn't have kids; where we wish we could lead another life free of diapers, poop, feedings, laundry, housecleaning, tantrums, and everything else moms get to deal with. But, it in NO way negates the atrocity of abortion as a result of entitlement.
Planned Parenthood has proven time again that the rules do not apply to them. In this video, Live Action goes undercover as a mother who wants to abort their baby if it is a girl. In this particular interview, they are talking about waiting until the mom is around twenty weeks so they know what the sex is, and then are told, if at that time you find out it's a girl, you can abort it. My favorite part is, the Planned Parenthood advisor tells her, "you can get pregnant right after the abortion, I've had two abortions myself and I have two kids, so I know". The Planned Parenthood advisor never bats an eye. Apparently we are starting to follow China's lead, let's just throw our baby girls away. Sounds rational right?
"In 2009 Planned Parenthood received over $360 Million dollars of taxpayers dollars in government grants". In 2010 they received over $500 million. Taxpayer dollars are going to pay for girls to have abortions, and sometimes multiple abortions. Planned Parenthood would argue that their money is not allowed to go towards abortion, however the number of abortions are increasing, and the lack of credibility on their behalf is overwhelming. Unfortunate, considering in the beginning Planned Parenthood was probably created to truly advocate for women's rights. Now, it has become a foggy mess of moral abandonment mixed with politics.
I understand that women want to be able to decide what happens to their body's. Let's put the politics aside. We are women, we were given the most powerful ability on earth, to bear a child. No man can do this! But girls are choosing every day that this incredible gift is not so great and they opt for the selfish and destructive act of abortion.
Women, we are smarter than this. Stop having unprotected sex if you're not interested in having a baby. If pregnancy occurs and it's not the desired outcome of the woman, choose life, and choose to give it to someone who wants it. You have the right to decide whether you want to be a mother, or not. But if you don't, KNOW that someone else does! Your selfless act will give you knowledge and the sweet assurance that out of this, what you may see as a tragedy, came a gift that someone else could not give themselves. Think outside the box, become a surrogate mother and find a woman who WANTS your baby!
As mentioned in part one... a friend of mine made the argument that there are times when abortion may be necessary. In the situation of abortion due to rape, incest, abuse, drugs, or in the event of death to mother and/or child, I believe in these situations women should have the option to an abortion These are sensitive subjects and their is no one who can make that decision except the individual who is living through that specific circumstance.
In the event of a woman choosing an abortion based purely off of her selfish and narcissistic desires... why not choose life? YES, pro-life involves sacrifice on behalf of the mother carrying the child. She may feel insecure, ridiculed, and scared. But, I believe that when we base our decision on what is best for the baby, all involved can be blessed, including those on the receiving end of that beautiful baby. Parents who could not give themselves what they so desired will forever be grateful & indebted to that individual for the selfless and beautiful gift that only she could give.
"Stand with Protect Our Girls to call for a nationwide ban on the unethical practice of sex-selection abortion in America."
*If you are interested in more information on Live Action click here.
Please post your thoughts, pro-choice or pro-life! The importance in this election is that women get out and vote. We as women need to also realize that; without a job, without a paycheck coming in, without a good economy, without the ability to be hired, we are all only as good as the government leading us. And if we are all out of work, and if we have nothing but debt hanging over our heads; our rights and liberties are going to do little for us. So be smart and vote for what counts TODAY! The right to choose life or death by abortion is the hottest topic among liberals these days. Liberals love nothing more than to paint conservatives and their pro life views as "war on women". Abortion. How this has become the main focus of women's rights is beyond me; and the idea of FREE birth control. Thanks to Obama's mandate, and Sandra what the Flucke! Like women who attend an ivy league school can't afford their own birth control. But, that is a whole other issue now attached to women's rights, thanks to Obama. I will leave that for another time. Whatever happened to all the major stepping stones that women fought for, right to vote, right to work, right to education, right to conscript, equal pay for equal work. Have we allowed the liberals to whittle us away to nothing but whether or not we can decide to take a human life before that person can speak for themselves? This is such a hot topic, and in an effort to get my point across, this post is 1 of 2. Original Post: Abortion Abortion / Women's Issues: Either but mostly Obama I go back and forth on abortion all the time. I have the same view on abortion that Romney does, which is the same view that many (not all) Mormons have, which can be read here. I've also been thinking a lot about Elder Oaks' recent talk about protecting children. But I think it's not always a black and white issue. I've had two babies. I feel for every woman who has a baby, whether the baby was wanted or not. BABIES ARE A BIG FREAKING FAT DEAL. I have felt the feelings of wanting a baby to go away. (Every day much? Ha.) So, I guess I can just empathize. Whatever that means ... it's scary to say. I'm still figuring it out. As for women's issues in general, I favor Obama a bit more. Actually I favor Obama a lot more. Wow, women's issues are complicated for me. I must be a woman or something. (Anonymous) Women's rights should not be about women choosing life or death for the unborn child. I believe very passionately that we MUST stand up and fight on behalf of the fetus (since the baby cannot speak for itself). Instead, we have become numb to our inner moral compass. We have been persuaded to believe that OUR selfish desires are more important. The ability to feel appreciation for human life has been lost. This toxic reality is leading to the idea that we care more about ourselves, then for the life of someone else. And yes, fetus' are human beings.
Anyone who has ever been pregnant cannot deny that there is life inside them (although they may try). When you can feel, see, and experience the growth of a baby in your belly, it is difficult to deny the existence of that life. That little baby, even in the beginning, is full of life.
Unfortunately for some the first thought is, I don't want it! So, instead of giving it to someone who would do anything to have one, but can't; the girl chooses to kill it? Abortion is too nice of a word; it somehow softens the severity of what is actually occurring
Every woman who has ever given birth to a child knows how hard it is. Motherhood is the hardest job on earth. We have all had those days, weeks, or even months, perhaps even years, where we wish we had another life. I can attest to those feelings of craziness, and wishing you could escape to a deserted island where no one could find you, not even your husband.
I always love the women who don't have kids and how they glare at you any time you say anything like, "I could kill my kids today". Why do they glare? Because they want to know what it's like to want to kill their kid's. These women would do anything to want to tie those little "basement trolls" up; as another fellow mom blogger put it . Women who've tried and failed to have a baby would love to hate changing diapers, they would love to hate those midnight feedings, those thousands of dirty diapers, spit up on your brand new blouse, food in the hair, and baggy eyes from lost sleep. They would give anything to hear & see that winey 5 o'clock dinner time dance when mom is trying to get house cleaned, dinner on, and kids fed; just so she can have a moment of peace once the little hellions are in bed.
I feel for these women, because I know if I were in their shoes, I would be mourning the unborn child as well. I would be angry, if not furious at the loss of every child that is so easily vacuumed away. How can you tell this woman that her wants and desires are not as important as your right to kill a baby?
Lets say you COULDN'T have kids. Would you be begging every girl out there who is having an abortion, to give you that baby? Would you be begging her to just be selfless for nine months (and really your only showing for 4 or 5 of those months) so YOU could experience what it would be like to be a mother?
I remember vividly that fear before I even started having kids. It was a very real fear. Luckily I've been blessed with three kids who drive me absolutely insane almost every day of the year. I'm positive I'm on the verge of a breakdown most days and my body may never be the same; but would I kill them, NO! Do I wish I'd aborted them, NO! Would I regret it EVERY day of my life had I, YES! I always wonder if these girls have asked their mom who was selfless enough to go through with their pregnancies if she'd wished she could've had an abortion. And what if she had? You wouldn't be here.
About a year ago I was involved in a charitable organization, I happened to work with a girl whose stance was pro-choice. At that time she worked for the women's clinic in Salt Lake City. She shared multiple stories of girls under eighteen, some as young as fifteen or sixteen who had been in for their second or third abortion. Some were as far along as five and a half months. I was shocked that she saw nothing wrong with this. She went on to tell me that they could not advise them on anything except birth control and if the girl wanted an abortion, they could not discuss the option of life if the girl did not want to. This was shocking to me, because as a mother I know what a baby looks like at five & a half months. At five & a half months when you go in for your ultrasound, you can see two eyes, ten fingers, itty bitty fingernails, ten toes, their belly button, their tiny little nose, little cute penis' for boys, girls little vajaja's, and most importantly the beautiful heartbeat; the four chambers of the heart are even visible. There is no mistaking that at five & a half months, there is a human being in your belly.
So how does someone justify abortion? How does a woman decide to end life? And if she does, what effects will that decision inevitably take on her life, mentally and physically?
Somehow, there has to be another solution. One that doesn't involve killing the life of another human being.
It is not a secret that my little piece of heaven is that moment in my day when I get to drink an extremely cold diet coke, let me emphasize EXTREMELY cold Diet Coke. Why diet coke? I think in some bizarre and possibly psychotic way it takes me to a happy place. Perhaps it is that I can call it mine. And no grubby little fingers get any! We all know it has nothing to do with the addictive nature of caffeine. And if so, who the heck cares, it tastes good! In that moment of pure chaos, we mother's need a little piece of heaven.
