Super HEALTHY Chocolate AVOCADO Mousse

Avocados.

Very delicious and very versatile.

There are so many amazing benefits of adding avocados to your diet.

*avocados are a heart healthy food. 

*they are extremely high in healthy fats

*they are very nutritious

*tons of fiber

*tons of vitamins: 

~Vitamin K, A, E, & C

~Vitamin B-1, 2, 3, 5, & 6

~Folate

~Potassium

~Iron 

~Zinc

and so many more

*There are 2g of protein in each serving and 15g healthy fats.

*There is no cholesterol and apparently it helps lower it aswell.

*There is no sodium.

*Avocados have more potassium than a banana and are a powerful antioxidant

*With 9g of carbs and 7g of fiber there are only 2 net carbs.

*Its believed that people who have avocados in their diet tend to be healthier.

*Apparently an avocado is the healthiest food you can buy at the store.

These are just some of the amazing benefits you can get from one little avocado.

why not eat them? 

Im personally not a huge fan of how they taste. 

I love my homemade guacamole, and I can eat it mashed on a sandwich, But I cant just eat it in a spoonful or by itself.
And I have now found that I can eat it as a mousse.
Avocado when blended is the perfect light yet "moussey" texture.
I actually prefer this to actual mousse!
This isnt just a healthy girl that likes "nasty healthy things" saying this.
I know there are some things "healthy people" say to try and its gross but I promise you this is not one of those things!
All you can taste is super rich chocolate mousse!

I mean who doesnt love chocolate?!

Im going to try more and more recipes now because I love how it is with chocolate. 

You cant even taste it or if you can, you can barely tell.

This is ABSOLUTELY delicious. 

Decadent

Healthy

And EXTREMELY easy to make anyone could do it. 

You really cant mess this up!!

Im sure you're ready for the recipe now

You will need:

~ 1 Ripe Avocado

~ 4 Tbs Cocoa Powder (raw or just baking)

~ 3 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

~ 4 1/2 Tbs Agave Nectar

~ 1/8 cup Dark Chocolate 60% and higher

Step 1~ Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave 30 seconds at a time and stir (no longer or will burn, VERY easy to do so)

Step 2~ Throw all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Step 3~ Serve now or put in a container and serve later.

*My recipe made about 2 1/2 SMALL servings.(last picture) If you need more just double or triple the recipe.

*I put mine in small containers so when I want a treat I can just grab a small serving out of the fridge. 

*If not eating right away and storing in the fridge I might let it thaw on the counter for about 10 minutes or so. It might be good or better cold, not sure

*This is super rich and decadent so these small servings are just enough for me. :)

Give it a try!!

Let me know what you think:)

jclove

<3 

Delicious healthy Acai Bowl

As you may or may not know I love sweet healthy things.

So the second I found out about acai I had to learn more about it.

 (is it pronounced "ak-eye" or "AS-I-E")

Acai berries contain antioxidants, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. They might even have more antioxidants than other berries we consume. This bowl is great for breakfast because it is an energy boosting fruit. It is also great for your immune system because it is very high in vitamin C. Which is a great thing to start your day off with:) 

This bowl if made correctly and not with a bunch of sugar can also aid in weight loss. I say this because it is extremely healthy and filling and will keep you full for awhile. It also satisfies your sweet tooth. 

You can make this as a smoothie if on the go or in a bowl.

 (I really enjoy the bowl because all of the yummy toppings I add)

The main ingredient in this bowl I have made above is of course Acai. 

I used a brand called Sambazon.

I chose the unsweetened packs only because I try to avoid sugar as much as I can and if I want it a bit sweeter I can always add a bit of agave nectar which is great for any drinks or most baking.

The second and also important ingredient is GoodBelly's mango probiotic drink. 

Probiotics are so good for you as-well, boosting your immune system and helping your body with digestion. So using this as my liquid for this recipe is great!

I also add about 5 or 6 frozen berries, Its not needed, I just think it adds a bit of flavor.

The last thing I add before blending is some lemon juice. Either fresh squeezed or just from the bottle, I have the bottled pure lemon juice because I use it so often its cheaper to just buy the juice than to buy and squeeze lemons. Either way both are great.

Lemon juice or lime juice are a great additive to any smoothie or Acai bowl. It adds a bit of a kick to it and brings out the fruit flavors nicely. If you havent done it before you must try it! Not too much just a bit maybe 1/8 cup. 

One of my favorite smoothies is a Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie where I use a bit more lemon juice. Ill have a post about that soon:)

After blended you can add your favorite granola and any fruits you love on tip. I didn't make it too pretty, unlike other peoples I've seen they make it look like an art piece. 

I love the crunch from the granola on top. That's normally all I add to mine. When I want to switch it up like today I add banana, dried cranberries, and a swirl of strawberry yogurt with a sprinkle of granola on top.

This is an absolute delicious and healthy breakfast. If made correctly it can have great benefits.

Here is how I make it step by step

You will need:

for the bowl

~ 1 Sambazon Acai Smoothie Pack (unsweetened)

~ 1/4 cup of Goodbelly Mango Probiotic Drink

~ 1/8 cup of lemon juice (organic)

~ sprinkle of frozen berries (organic)

for the toppings

~ 1/2 banana (chopped) (organic)

~ sprinkle of dried cranberries (unsweetened organic)

~ 3 tbs of strawberry yogurt

~ 1/2 cup of granola (organic)

Step 1~ Run the acai pack under warm water for about 5 seconds, Break up in the bag (a couple big chunks is fine) and pour into a blender.

Step 2~ Add the rest of the "bowl" ingredients and blend until smooth. (if not blending you can add a bit more liquid, but NOT TOO MUCH you don't want this to be a smoothie or like soup you want this to be a thicker smoothie, maybe between a smoothie and ice-cream.) **if you do end up adding too much or its soupy you can place the smoothie in a bowl and set in the freezer for 10 or so minutes stirring a few times to prevent freezing just to thicken it up**

*taste mixture before taking it out of the blender. If not sweet enough for you you can add a bit of agave nectar to sweeten it up.*

Step 3~ Pour into a bowl and smooth the top so its flat add yogurt and swirl around on top, add banana and cranberries. Top with granola.

*when I add the granola I add only 1/2 first so when I finish the top layer I and sprinkle more on tip and finish the second half:)*

Step 4~ Dig in!!! 

This is so delicious and healthy. 

My next task for myself is getting the powder instead of the prefrozen packs and make it 100% myself. 

Let me know if you tried it and what you think! 

Give me any tips or pointers to make it better if at all possible:)

thanks for reading:)

jclove

<3

Delicious HEALTHY Cakey Chocolate EXPLOSION cookies!!

If you've read some of my other posts you will know I love sweets and chocolate. 

Well who doesn't?

I love them but I don't want all the guilt and the consequences that come along with a delicious sugary chocolate chip cookie or a nice yummy cupcake. 

I was one of those girls that was "lucky" enough to have the metabolism when I was younger that gave me the ability to eat anything and everything I wanted and I didn't have to worry about gaining a pound. Now I no longer have that gift, at the time I hated it, and I wanted to gain weight so badly and now I have what I wanted and wished I was back to how I used to be. (there is more about this story in another post on my blog check it out if you want)

So now I have to be careful of what I put in my body not only so I don't gain weight but so I am healthy. I can feel what unhealthy foods do to me.  (there will be a post about what I mean by this soon)  So I dont want to put terrible things in my body I want to put things in my body that will only benefit me. Otherwise what is the point of eating it? Food is only supposed to be fuel. To keep you going day after day. Of course you want to enjoy it but I want to find a way to really enjoy what is good:)  

And one day I want to have children of my own and I will not be feeding my children the amount of sugar I see tons of kids eat daily. juices candy cookies etc. Sugar is so bad for us why would we be feeding it to our children? I know I cant keep them completely away from sugar but I can find alternatives to sweet treats now and when I do have children and they want cookies and cakes and whatnot I wont have to worry as much about what is going in their bodies. 

So within this journey I have twisted recipes, tried and failed on many occasions trying to find the perfect sweet healthy "sweets". Sometimes I find a diamond in the dirt and this is one of my diamonds:)

If you like fluffy almost brownie like cookies stuffed with yummy chocolate chips then you will love these:)

The secret to these healthy cookies is.......................................

..............................................................................

................................................

Black Beans.

Yes

 That's right. black. BEANS.

And also no refined sugars added only healthy natural sugars. These "sugars" don't spike your blood sugar levels and you digest them better than sugar. 

I promise you cant even taste the beans you and no one will ever now they are healthy. I tasted them and they are absolutely AMAZING. 

Please try them. You will not be sorry. 

What is there to lose?

well maybe a couple dollars and 20 minutes of your time but still you will not regret it:)

So you will need:

~1 can of Black Beans (no salt added)

~2 tbs Peanut Butter (or any other nut butter you want you cant taste the peanut butter in the cookies)

~2 tbs Olive Oil (I used extra virgin)

~3 1/2 tbs Whole Wheat Flour (or any other HEALTHIER flour than just plain white flour)

~1/4 cup of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

~1/3 cup of AGAVE and/or Honey (I used both so 1/6 Honey & 1/6 Agave)

~1 tsp Baking Powder

~1 tsp Vanilla Extract

~2 dashes of Cinnamon

~1/3-1/2 cup of DARK chocolate chips (I used a variety Jumbo 63% DARK chocolate chunks, Mini Semi-sweet chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips) ((this is the only "sugar" added to this recipe)) *you can just use the dark chocolate chips if you want to be even healthier*

~A bit of extra chips for the top of the cookies if needed

*Preheat oven to 375f*

Step 1~ Rinse beans in a strainer and add to a blender or food processor.

Step 2~ Combine beans, peanut butter, olive oil, vanilla and agave/honey in the blender and pulse until smooth.

Step 3~ Pour mixture into a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon, stir until well combined.

Step 4~ Fold in chocolate chips

Step 5~ Spoon dough onto lined or lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Push extra chips on top if you desire. (to the left of the picture you can see a few I didn't add chips to the top and the right you can see the ones I did.)

*Don't worry. This dough will be pretty soft. kind of a mix between cookie dough and brownie batter. 

*Dough will not spread or flatten or it barely does so if you like a bit thinner cookies I'd try to spread them out into the shape you want. Whatever shape goes into the oven comes out of the oven.

Step 6~ Bake cookies for 10 minutes. ***AND I MEAN 10 MINUTES.*** they will seem soft and not done but you need to take them out. 

*Let them sit on the sheet for about 5-10 minutes, they will continue to cook as they cool down. after that time you can take the cookies off the sheet and serve warm or store in a air tight container. 

I absolutely love these cookies.

 I think the beans help them have the super cakey/brownie like texture and they are best warm:) 

well that's just my opinion... but you gotta love the soft warm chocolate chips :)

Please let me know what you think and if you tried them:)

Id love to hear if you did and if you have any ideas to make them any better:)

Thanks so much for reading:)

jclove

<3

Banana-Scotch Snack Mix (Healthy)

I love to snack.

I LOVE sweet things.

I also love being healthy.

This is a great healthier snack to pick at and you get a bit of sweet and salty in every bite:)

This is what I call my Banana-Scotch Snack Mix.

From banana chips to butterscotch chips, to dark chocolate to cashews this is a great mix of so many yummy things that tie all together

Here's how to make it:

You will need:

~1/2 cup of banana chips ( I got organic unsweetened banana chips)

~1/2 cup pretzels 

~1/4 cup of DARK chocolate chips (60% and up preferably)

~1/4 cup butterscotch chips

~1/2 cup of cashews (I used organic)

~1/2 cup of peanuts (no shells) (I used organic)

Step 1~ Add all ingredients to a bowl and toss until nicely combined
Step 2~ Store in a container or cute jars that you can gift:)

Thats it!! 

Super easy and Super yummy!!!
Let me know if you liked it and if you have any twists on the recipe:)
jclove
<3

DELICIOUS Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

If youre like me you love pizza.

But dont want all the guilt that comes with it.

I have done a bit of trial and error and came up with this delicious pizza dough recipe.

One of my favorite pizza places is a small chain located where I grew up and they offer a whole wheat pizza crust. But I didnt like it at all it tasted too "whole wheaty" and the dough wasnt soft like normal pizza crust is and it just didnt have a good taste. So with that I decided if I was going to eat pizza I was going to feel guilty and just not eat it period. 

Well this was not going to work for me I LOVE pizza. Its too good not to ever have again.

So I decided to experiment and come up with my own healthier pizza dough. And I think Ive found a winner:)

This dough is just soft enough and very tasty:)

You will need:

~1 package or 1/2 tbs of yeast
~1 cup of warm water
~1/4 tsp sugar
~1 1/2 cup of oat flour
~1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
~1 tsp salt
~1/2 tsp garlic powder
~1/4-1/2 tsp rosemary(optional I liked the added hint of flavor)
~2 tbs of olive oil

Step 1~ Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water
Step 2~ In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients
Step 3~ Add oil to the wet ingredients and mix dry ingredients in slowly (1/3 at a time)
Step 4~ Form a dough. Might be a bit dry, thats ok
Step 5~ Place dough on a sturdy surface (clean countertop) dust with any of the two flours and kneed for just a couple minutes. If the dough is dry it should come together the more you kneed.
Step 6~ Form dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel or clingwrap. Let rise for no less than 30 minutes. The longer the better. I wait about an hour.
Step 7~ Dough should double in size. Take dough out and divide into 4 seperate balls or two if you want bigger pizzas. (1/4 of the dough could be one mans serving I ate half of that size, my boyfriend ate a whole pizza himself.) Cover cover the balls and let sit for about 10 min to set and rise a bit more
Step 8~ Roll out dough to desired size. (not too thin not too thick) Place on a greased pan you can also sprinkle the pan with corn meal to make it more like a pizzaria style.
Step 9~ Add your favorite pizza sauce and toppings to the dough. Dont go too heavy on the sauce or it will turn out soggy. Just a nice layer is fine.
Step 10~ BAKE FOR 9-12 MIN ***(this time is in my toaster oven might be as much as 20-25 min in a conventional oven, Im not 100% sure)*** depending on your oven and the size of the pizzas. It should be golden and the cheese just getting a bit brown on top.

**Place any extra dough in a ziplock bag with the air squeezed out. You can store it in the fridge and set it on the counter an hour before you plan to use it. Or freeze them and let thaw either overnight or 12 hours.

This dough is so tasty.

I know that all the sauce and cheese arent too "health conscious" but the dough is the main thing Im worried about I steer clear of white and bleached flours. They really have no health benefits. This isnt something Id eat every day but when Im craving pizza its perfect. 

I made my boyfriend an alternative to this recipe without whole wheat and oat flour. He enjoyed it:) Ill be putting that recipe up soon. 

Im so happy I figured this out and Im going to keep finding alternatives to my not so healthy "food loves". And Ill be sure to share them with you:)

Thanks for reading and let me know if youve tried it and also if you have any tips or twists to the recipe that might be better:)

thanks:) 

jclove

<3

Amazing Delicious Easy PUPPY CHOW!!!

Um... who doesnt love chocolate, peanut butter and powdered/icing sugar? 

This stuff is amazing. 

If you havent had this yet.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. 

And if you have you know what im talking about when I say its amazing.:)

And you cant go off of the crap store bought stuff. I will not buy nor even put it in my mouth. It is not worthy of its name.

No im not talking about puppy food. To tell you the truth im not really sure why its called puppy chow... kind of strange. But its yummy so I dont care.

If you dont know already puppy chow is chex (cereal) peanut butter, chocolate and confectioners/icing/powdered sugar on top. It tastes SOOO good. 

Now if you arent a peanut butter fan you can skip the peanut butter step, and if you arent a fan of chocolate you can skip that step aswell. Ive made it all three ways and all taste amazing.

SO. How to make it.

~rice chex. (or corn chex) doesnt have to be name brand.

~a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

~1/4 to 1/2 cup of peanut butter 

~bag of powdered sugar

~large ziplock bags and/or sealable containers to put it in after

This can get pretty messy..

Step 1~ Grab a medium sized bowl and pour the bag of chocolate chips in it. Put the bowl in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds and take it out and stir, keep doing this step until chips are melted.

DO NOT cook for more than 30 seconds at a time or you will burn the chocolate. 

Step 2~ Add peanut butter. (to taste. you want an even taste of PB and chocolate) Heat in microwave for another 30s to help mix. Set aside

Step 3~ Grab a large bowl(or bag) and pour about 1/3rd of the bag if chex into it. *i would recommend bag so you dont crush the chex as your mixing*

Step 4~ Add a couple "plops" of the yummy goodness to the bowl or bag and mix or shake around until the chex are evenly covered. (*not too thick but just covered shouldnt see chex color.*) 

Step 5~ Grab your other bowl or bag and put about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar into it and add the covered chex. mix around until you can no longer see the chocolate and the chex are evenly covered. 

You can add more powdered sugar as needed.

*If there is too much just pour it into a sifter and toss around until the excess comes off. (you can just sift it back into the bowl you used to put the powdered sugar on the chex, reuse it and not waste:))

Step 6~ Pour into a storage bag or container and move on to the rest of the chex.

**Repeat until you are out of chex or chocolate mixture.**

This is great to take to parties or to set out if youre having people over.

Everyone LOVES it.

Give it a try!

 Its SO easy and SO tasty! 

Its worth the bit of mess I promise.

Everyone will be begging you to make it again!

Let me know how it turned out for you and if you have any tips for me or any twists on the recipe

jclove

<3 

Super Yummy Stuffed Crust Pizza Dough Recipe

My boyfriend and I love pizza. We seriously eat it once a week... 

Which can get expensive if you order out every time. Which we did. We are young we dont have much money so we need to save where we can.

I didnt like how I didnt know what was in it or how it was made so I decided to try to make my own.

For some reason Ive always been scared of home made pizza. Maybe I had a bad experience with it when I was younger and had a really gross one.. I always thought home made pizza would be disgusting. Maybe im the only one? But I thought what the heck and tried it anyways and found a recipe on Pinterest. I couldnt belive how good it was. :D 

This is why you should always try new things even if you had a bad experience.

Here is the recipe, I changed it a bit to my liking.

This is what you will need:

-2 cups of all purpose flour or bread flour. *I use all purpose flour

-1 packet of active dry yeast

-1 cup of warm water

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder

-1 teaspoon of salt

-2 teaspoons of sugar

-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

-corn meal 

-packet of mozzarella string cheese 

-1 medium and 1 large bowl

-hand towel

-1 oven. haha;)

Step 1~ In your medium bowl add the warm water and the packet of active dry yeast. Stir around until combined.  Let sit for about 10 minutes

Step 2~ Grab your large bowl and add flour, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Use a whisk and mix it all around until nicely combined.

Step 3~ Add oil to the yeast water and then mix the dry into the wet slowly. 1/3 at a time preferably.

Mix until combined. May be a bit dry that is ok.

Step 4~ kneed the dough for a few minutes, it will help bring the dough together more if a bit dry.

Step 5~ Form it into a nice ball. And place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Place towel over the bowl covering the top completely. Let rise for 30 min to 1 hr. (the longer the better)

**Preheat oven to 400f**

Step 6~ Grab a big cookie sheet (no sides) or a pizza pan, whichever you have and sprinkle some cornmeal on it. Not too much but not too little. Just a nice layer.

Step 7~Grab your favorite pizza sauce, a bag of shredded mozzarella cheese, mozzarella string cheese, your favorite toppings, and put aside.

Step 8~ On another cookie sheet, a rolling mat, or just your clean counter sprinkle some flour around and place your dough on top. (If your dough is really sticky and hard to get out of the bowl sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough and move around until no longer sticky.) 

Step 9~ Push the dough around or roll into a nice round pizza shape, Push the edges of the dough a bit thinner and place the string cheese around the edges about 1/2inch from the sides. (use as many as needed to go around the whole circle.)

Step 10~  Roll the crust over the cheese until covered and you can tuck it under the cheese a bit for extra coverage.

Step 11~ Carefully transfer the dough to the cookie sheet with corn meal. (*Be careful. It can rip easily..*) You can fold it gently and transfer it and unfold it, you can slide it over, or just quickly pick it up and move it over to the other sheet. 

Step 12~ Now you make your pizza how you like it:)

This is what I do:

Put a couple spoonfuls of sauce on the middle of the dough and move around until nicely covered. Dont put too much it will make your dough soggy. Just a nice layer where you can kind of see the dough through it.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly on until the sauce is just covered. Add your other toppings. 

*I like to drizzle a bit of olive oil on the crust.

Pop it in the oven:) 

***Bake For 20-25min***

When its ready and the crust and cheese is just golden its ready to take out:)

BE CAREFUL

~*~*~*I do this extra step to make my crust a bit more tasty:*~*~*~

Put about 2tbs of butter in a small bowl, pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until melted and add 1tsp of garlic powder. Mix until combined.Use a spoon or a pastry brush and run the mixture over the crust.

Now the pizza is ready to slice and serve:)

*I also use a bit of the pizza sauce in a small bowl for dipping sauce for the crust. So yummy:)

*if you want normal pizza crust you can just skip the step with the string cheese and just form a crust.*

Delicious and easy.

And a whole lot cheaper than ordering pizza out.

Give it a try and let me know how it went:)

jclove

<3

Super Easy and Delicious Chocolate Fudge

I love yummy treats. 

I'm seriously addicted to making tasty things...

I found this super easy super yummy recipe for chocolate fudge. 

Seriously anyone can do it and it only takes maybe 10 minutes. I needed to share it with you.

What you will need:

-1 can of sweetened condensed milk

-1 bag of chocolate chips (any kind is fine I used semi sweet)

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp vanilla extract

Step1~ Grab a baking dish square preferably and line it in foil and set it aside

Step 2~  Grab a small sauce pan and put it on the burner on a medium heat

Step 3~ Pour the chocolate chips, condensed milk, salt and vanilla in the pan and stir until smooth.

Step 4~ When smooth take it off the burner and pour into the prepared baking dish, spread until even and smooth, cover with more foil just over the top and place in the fridge. (It should take about 3 hours to cool.)

Step 5~ When cooled take the dish out of the fridge take the foil cover off. Gently pull on all the sides of the foil until loose. Gently lift the fudge and foil out of the pan. Set on a cutting board, pull the foil down from the sides and cut into squares I usually cut them to be about 1in -1 1/2in in size.

Step 6~ Eat:)   Put the fudge squares into a sealed container and keep in the fridge.

They are good cold or thawed(room temp)

*you can add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and/or some nuts to the mixture to change it up a bit.

So yummy and so easy. Great for a little sweet snack when you're craving something small. Or great to take to parties or to set out when having people over. 

Give it a try and let me know how it went or if you have any yummy twists to switch it up:)

Yummy yummy:)

jclove

<3

my hair journey

In 2011 I started changing my hair.

 I am a natural red head and was always teased for being a ginger and at the time I absolutely hated my hair. I always got compliments on my hair from older people and I never understood it. I wanted something different. 

I always got highlights but it was just a tint of a difference. Not enough.

One of my friends at the time had some bleach at her house and we decided to put some on my hair so the bottom half would be blonde and the top half would be red. But of course she didnt know what she was doing and it didnt turn out perfect. it was really spotty and terrible looking.. I decided to go to a hair dresser and pay to have it fixed. When it was finished it looked better but not perfect. there were still red spots in it which I hated. oh well.

A little time goes by and I decided to chop my long hair off (it wasnt too long it was a couple inches below the shoulder) I got a short look that came just below my chin and was kind of choppy and pretty cute. But it was such a huge change I started to hate it and miss my old hair:( 

After a couple months it started to get longer and I decided to basically get so many highlights its basically blonde with red highlights. This happened in december of 2011.

Basically every time I needed a retouch id get more blonde and I was all blonde in no time.

Now all of this bleaching is definitely not any good for my hair but I continued to do it and continued to straighten it all the time, never using a heat protectant and killing it slowly.

I got bored with it and decided to put a pink streak in it just in the front like where Christina Perri has her blonde. Mind you my school doesnt allow unnatural colors. But for some reason I didnt think about it or maybe I just didnt care. 

Weirdly no one at school said anything about it. I did get a few comments from teachers saying they liked it but thats it. I think the teachers liked me.

I get bored again and decide I want to go a deep red like Ariana Grande and go to a salon and come out of the salon with a deep brown with a bit of red. The red only showed up when I was in the sun. I was ok with it. 

Now since I started with red hair and now im a brunette my eyebrows dont match and I look like I have no eyebrows. So I go to the salon and get them tinted a deep brown. And they look great.

I kept that for a bit and then got bored again. I think its about march now. by this time my hair has faded and isnt such a strong brown.

I decide I want to dye my hair bright pink. Completely disregarding the rules at school. I go out and grab two boxes of Splat hair color and slap it on. 

I was it out and it AMAZING. It is the perfect pink color. Its a deep pink. Just what I wanted! (I have no pictures which is strange because I was obsessed with taking pictures at the time... strange)

I have bright pink hair and im going to school and work and everything and not one person says anything about how I cant have BRIGHT PINK hair at school. 

After awhile i decided to change it up a lot and i go from a pretty purple brown to a auburn and back. 

Its now september (my hair is shoulder length now, dying and bleaching so much stunts growth and i did get a couple trims) and Im starting cosmetology school at Paul Mitchell. 

I keep my hair for about 2 weeks and I start looking at my old pictures with my long red hair and I compare them to my hair now and I think to myself "what the heck did I do???" so I talk to my teacher and ask her what I can do to get it back to my natural and she kept going on and on about how it was impossible and how id just have to grow it out.

I was not happy with this answer at all.. 

So I decided to figure it out myself.

I go to walgreens and get a box called L'Oreal hair color remover. I slap it on and rinse it out. 

mind you it takes awhile and smells terrible. I tried splat's color oops before aswell. Both work pretty well. 

I do this twice because once wasnt enough and my hair is back to blonde. Its super fluffy and frizzy because its so damaged. I also grabbed a box of the lightest natural red hair dye I could find it was basically a strawberry blonde color and I slap it on and rinse it out and my hair is basically back to normal!!!!! 

YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!

I felt pretty great and walked into school and just thought "HA look what I did! you said it couldnt be done!"  

By this time my hair was dead. But it was the color I wanted. 

My hair used to be so nice and soft and now it was extremely dry and brittle. 

I decided to never dye it again and grow it out and slowly cut off all the dead and get back to my old self. 

Now its 2014 I'm graduated from school and I have my license. My hair is finally long just reaching the middle of my back. Its pretty and red and basically all the dead is off. I trim my split ends off  myself about every month or so. I am absolutely obsessed with deep conditioners and treatments. always trying something new and keeping my hair healthy.

In the summer of 2013 I decided to try to stop using heat and braided my hair and let it air dry it definitely helped it grow and get back to normal. 

I did all of those things to my hair in a year. I cant even tell you how many times I changed the color because I dont even remember. 

I've gone through a lot of changes in my life.

But my hair change I definitely regretted after awhile.

Learn to love yourself for how you are.

Change can be good.

But dont change too much and lose yourself.

jclove

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My Absolute Favorite Makeup Remover.

Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover Lotion

I have been using this makeup remover for a couple years now and I absolutely love it.

I have always had trouble finding a makeup remover that I liked until I tried this.

I saw it at Nordstrom Rack and I had to try it. Its pretty reasonably priced.  $6.99 on Neutrogena's site. I havent been able to find it anywhere but Nordstorm Rack so when im there(which isnt often) I have to grab it. I found it online. But I wish I could find it in a store because its a lot quicker to just go pick it up than to have to order it and pay for shipping and wait for it. Im out I need it NOW not in a week! I literally use it every day. 

I wear waterproof makeup because I hate when it runs down my face if I swim, or cry:( or my eyes just water. And I think it lasts longer too..

The only down side is its hard to get off, so you need a good makeup remover. Ive tried tons of different brands and types. I can deal with the makeup remover wipes but they arent my favorite.

I also use Q-tips with remover to touch up my eyeliner if I dont put it on nicely or evenly. 

I absolutely HATE any makeup remover with an oil base. I hate that oily feeling around my eyes and it gets in my eye sometimes and I see blurry for hours.. 

I like that this is a "lotion" instead of an oil because you can control it a lot better AND its moisturizing! Around my eyes my skin is very sensitive and gets irritated easily and also gets pretty dry. This product is very gentile and keeps my skin moisturized. Which I definitely like. :)

You can pop it on a cotton pad and wipe your makeup off or use a Q-tip and fix little details. I do both:)

I love it and I would definitely recommend it to everyone. It is amazing. Does its job and more. 

Go buy it. Now. 

ok..byebye 

jclove

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I think ive found the reason I have gained weight

If you read my other blogs you'd know that I was really skinny 5'7 115 lbs, I was pressured so much and hated on so much and gained weight with birth control  called depo provera. I weighted 156lbs when I decided that was enough. I stopped taking it and lost the weight over time but now my body is really sensitive to weight gain. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and be skinny but now I gain weight... It might just be because I'm older now. But idk.
But now I'm struggling with my weight a little bit, I'm at about 126lbs and have fat around my body I wish wasn't there.
I have been thinking about what I am doing differently than I did before when I was younger and skinnier and I thought of something crucial.
Before when I wasn't hungry I wouldn't eat. But now if its dinner time and I barely had lunch I force myself to eat. I find I do that a lot. I eat when I'm not hungry. Whether I'm bored or just think I should eat because I haven't in awhile. If I'm not hungry I shouldn't eat.
Hunger is your body telling you it needs to eat. If its not hungry dont eat. Right?
That's one thing I need to work on. And I think I'll see a change.
jclove
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This drives me crazy.

This drives me absolutely crazy.
When you are trying to get a job somewhere and you go through your first interview and you have to come in for a second or maybe for a drug test and they tell you to come at this exact time. And you get there and they are busy doing something else. For an hour.
Seriously?
Do not ask someone to be somewhere if you aren't going to be ready at that time. Its extremely unprofessional and rude.
I know I am a great worker, and at that point I just want to tell them I dont want to work with them. Why would I want to work with a company that is so unprofessional and under terrible management.
It happens so often with me.
I'm happy to go somewhere else and give them my work and experience.
And most of the time they dont even apologize, they just act like nothing happened and you didn't just wait an hour for them.
I had one company (not going to point fingers) that I went in to talk to the manager and told him I applied and asked what hours he was looking for and it fit so he said he'd bring me in for an interview. I went in for my first interview and the manager told me that basically this was just to make sure your available hours matched what they needed and to make sure I was presentable and if I was a fit. So after this was over he said I passed and I fit what they need and to call and get the second interview set up later on. I call and set it up. I go to my second interview and im sat at a table to wait and I wait for the manager for an hour and finally a worker comes up and says oh they are in a meeting for about another hour and a half. (BTW. I can see all of the managers across the room, this is a restaurant, they aren't doing anything important, some are walking around and some are sitting talking. One couldn't come and talk to me himself and apologize and let me know what was going on?) So I said ok, and the worker asked if I wanted to wait an hour and a half or come back another day, and I decided to come the next day, same time.
The next day I go and I wait finally get to speak with a manager but this time it was a woman, and she didn't apologize for the day before or acknowledge it at all. She barely acknowledged me she just asked me my availability and said oh well we aren't looking for anyone for those hours so we'll keep your resume and call you if something comes up in a couple of months.
Are you kidding?!
I was so upset.
This is now the 4th time I have driven here. It takes me 25min one way from my house.
Mind you I was trying to be as kind as I could but I wasn't going to just be treated so disrespectfully.
I told her I was told that that was the only reason for the first interview. To make sure I had the hours they needed. And I passed. And she said well we dont need anyone for those hours.
I told her about how I came in yesterday and I rudely had to wait in hour and I had to come again today for you to just tell me you dont need me? I have never been treated so disrespectfully in my life. And just left. She was rude to me in the first place from the second she came to the table.
I wanted to call the corporate office but decided against it..
That is something I can not stand. They are hiring you. Because they need workers. Yes at the same time you might need a job. But you are just as important.
If they are unprofessional and already show poor management I dont want to work there. I doubt it will be any better when you're working there.
Ugh so rude.
Sorry for the rant.
Just needed to get that out haha
jclove
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What is stopping me?

I have found that when ever I try to do something that I really want to do I always fail.
I give up so easily on anything that is hard.
Right now the biggest thing I have been struggling with is working out.
I want SO BADLY to be fit and healthy.
I am pretty healthy and my weight isn't bad at all I just have a bit of fat around my body that I dont want there anymore.
I want to be healthy when I start to get older and be able to do things I love to do. I want to start now and have a healthy life.
But I get in my own way. I make excuses. I just give up and stop trying after awhile.
I am very happy when I'm done working out and proud of myself but getting myself to do it some days is hard.
I need to stop being such a baby. I want this so bad and I'm tired of myself getting in my way.
I'm done. I need to make a change. Now or I will never be able to make myself happy.
If you have any tips I'd love to hear what you have to say. I need help!!
jclove
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Im tired of caring

I hate caring about what people think.
My whole life and through out school all the things that I was and wanted to be wasn't "cool".
For example:
Being smart isn't cool. People make fun of you for being smart. And every one would joke about how they didn't study and how they dont care. It is backwards.
Being skinny and fit isn't cool. My whole life I was really skinny and wanted to be fit and people would say I was anorexic or bulimic and be rude to me when I wanted to be fit. And girls with curves and "meat" are more attractive. And being skinny like a skeleton is disgusting.
I cared so much about what people thought I changed myself.  I stopped trying in school because I was tired of being made fun of. I tried and tried to gain weight until I succeeded because I was tired of being called anorexic. I hated what I had become. I wasn't me anymore.
I struggle with this all of the time. Being scared to say what I think because I think someone won't like it. I dont want to work out and be healthy because I'm scared of what people will say. I'm tired of it.
Im trying now to not care or even think about what people might say or think. It only matters what I think and want. If it makes me happy I will do it. I want to speak my mind and do what I love.
I'm tired of being scared.
I'm done changing myself.
I just want to be me.
Let me know if you struggle with this as well and what helps you get through it. Maybe we can try together to be ourselves and not change for anyone else.
jclove
<3

Today is the beginning of something great.

Today is the day I start my new "way of living".
If you read my last blog you will know that I want to be healthy and fit and get back to my 115lb mark.
I have been trying to eat healthy and make good choices so I dont gain any more weight and im good in that area but I need to begin some sort of exercise every day.
I've decided to start with a 15min jog every day, 150 jumping jacks (it gets my hear racing and Its really easy to do anywhere), and 100 squats throughout the day.
I know its not a lot but I know it will make a difference over time. I'm not in any rush and this really works for me.
I seriously make myself angry all the time because I can never stick to something. It makes me so upset. I am so weak and break so easily. I dont know why im like this but I hate it.
So I decided to start something pretty easy to do, and I started jogging. Today. I watch my favorite youtubers for about 15 min while I jog. Before I jog I do my jumping jacks and 30 squats.
I've found a great way to get myself to do my squats throughout the day. Because I drink a lot of water I have to pee a lot so every time I go to the bathroom I do 30 squats after I'm done. Its an easy way to get them done and not have an excuse that I dont have time. Everyone goes to the bathroom, and if you drink water like you should, you should be going multiple times a day. Its easy and no one has to know.
Also all of these things can be done in your living room. No need to go outside. So if its raining or snowing or too hot you dont have to go outside. No more excuses:)
I literally pulled my couch out a bit and moved my coffee table and jogged around it for 15 minutes while I watched the Saccone Jolys on youtube, all of their vlogs are about 16min long so I just jogged the whole time.
I have no excuse not to.
Also ive taken "before" pictures so I can see my progress.
It will help keep me motivated:)
Also (again) I have started drinking smoothies more often to replace meals.
Its a great way to get your fruits other things you need every day and it keeps me full for hours sometimes I'm not really even hungry for lunch. I just eat something really small. I'll put up a blog about my smoothies and what blender I use and how I make mine:) yummy:)

So basically I'm starting a new lifestyle.
+eat healthy!
+drink lots of water!
+exercise!
+oh yeah and dont sleep too much. I'm starting to only sleep 7-8 hours. No more.

Would you like to join me?
Let me know in the comments if any of this works for you or you have any ideas.
:)
jclove
<3

Skinny girl.

My whole life I was always the really skinny tall girl. Everyone always said things like "you're so skinny" and "you need to eat something". People dont realize how they sound. Or maybe they do..
I guess when I was small (a child) I didn't really think much about my weight. But when I started getting a little older I would hear people joke about me being anorexic and bulimic, and I started getting really upset when people told me I was skinny. I became extremely self-conscious and getting to the point of hating myself and how I looked. 
I tried basically everything to gain weight I ate all the time, tried protein shakes and everything I could think of but nothing worked.
The thing is, I wasn't even that skinny. I looked like a thin girl, not ridiculously skinny or anything. I was just skinnier and taller than most people my age.
My boyfriend at the time, my friends and my family would talk about how skinny I was and how I needed to gain weight. I had pressure from basically everywhere. Well that isn't 100% true. I remember one night I was sitting at my desk on my laptop with tears in my eyes and reading about how to gain weight and my brother walked in and said that I was perfect the way I was, I didn't need to gain weight, and not to listen to what other people would say. But I didn't really hear it. I was too upset and focused on how skinny I was I just smiled and said ok.
I didn't know what to do. I felt so disgusting and didn't want to wear shorts and never EVER wanted to wear a bathing suit. I would wear pants to school when it was 92° outside. I hated my skinny legs.
I of course was extremely flat chested. I would wear bras too big to make it seem like I sort of had boobs. I could at least fix that a little bit. Which is another reason I would NEVER EVER want to wear a bathing suit.
If I even thought for a second that I wanted to get a bit lean and want to work out and get some muscle people would immediately say something about how I'm so skinny I dont need to work out and lose any more weight. I was so frustrated. I only wanted to gain muscle not lose weight. So I didn't do it because I didn't want to hear any more about it.
My senior year of high school I decide to change my birth control because I'd always forget the pill and have a terrible period the next day. So I go to the obgyn and she's telling me of all of my options and of course side effects. One of them was called depo-provera. And one of the major side effects was weight gain.(!!)
I immediately said I wanted that one.
{{If you dont know depo-provera is a shot you get (on your butt) every three months. And you dont have a period.}}
I get it and I love it. After about 5 months I start to gain weight.
Everyone is commenting on how healthy I look and curvy and everything. I'm loving it:)
I start to really gain weight. (Well or me)
After about 8 months I've probably gained about 30lbs.
People were now saying I was pregnant and a slut and all of these terrible things. My family was commenting on my weight and saying suck in your gut and other really rude things.
I started cosmetology school after high school and I met a few girls I became good friends with that were skinny just like I was. They were happy and confident and I couldn't believe how I listened to all of these people and hated myself so much when I was fine. I should have been confident. Like them.
Guess what. I hated myself again.
I couldn't bend my knees and put my legs up to my chest like I used to be able to. I couldn't wear my favorite clothes.
My love handle hung over my jeans like a muffin top. My belly stuck out uncontrollably.
My boobs didn't get any bigger either.
I hated myself. (AGAIN)
I went from a size zero to a size 9.
I had a belly and love handles and the thickest thighs I've ever seen (on me) I couldn't wear any of my boots because my calves were too big.
I went from barely being able to stay at 115lbs to being 156lbs, just like that.
I remember the second I saw that number on the scale and I freaked out. It just kept going up and up every week I didn't want it to get any higher. I immediately stopped getting the shot and went straight to the Obgyn.
I told her how upset I was and how much weight I gained. She was shocked and extremely apologetic. Of course I didn't blame her. I knew I would gain weight. But I guess I didn't realize what that meant...
(((×××now listen. I know there are a lot of people that weigh way more than that and have went through a lot more than me but this was a big deal to me at the time. Going from one extreme to the next and hating myself the entire time. It is hard to have all of this pressure from everyone constantly picking at you and always having something to say about how you look and being so young and new to life and everything. Please try to be understanding.. ×××)))
She (the obgyn) told me once I stop taking it I should lose the weight over time and get back to how I was.
I was happy to hear that.
And she was right. Over time I did lose it.
But not all of it.
My original weight was 115ish and now I'm at about 125ish. Which is great. But not where I'd like to be.
Now my body is scarred. Forever. I have stretch marks halfway down my inner thigh. I have stretch marks on my hips. That's what happens when you gain weight that fast.
I still have some love handles a bit of a belly and thigh fat. Just about 10ish pounds of fat that I absolutely hate. I want my old body back. The one I once hated.
It doesn't make any sense? What was and is wrong with me?
I don't want to be fat. I want to be healthy. I want to be fit.
What I learned from this is just try not to listen to everyone else. Dont let them hurt you and change you. You will realize later on you were fine. You were perfect the way you were. 
No matter who you are and what you look like whether you're "fat" or "skinny" or in between they will always have something terrible to say.
No matter what you will always have people beating you down.
It really only matters what you think.
If you want to be healthy by all means be healthy. Dont listen to people. Do it for you.
If you are going through something like this please dont feel alone and dont hate yourself. Be fit and healthy for you dont change because of what people think or say.
It only matters what you think and dont let them influence it either.
Be the best you you can be. For YOU.

Jclove
<3

Today is the first day of the rest of my life

Hi:)
Ive decided to start a blog. I've always really wanted to have somewhere I can write down my thoughts and ideas and just try to be me. I actually started one a little while back that was kind of a "tester" blog to see if I'd like it and get a feel of it and I really enjoyed it.
I wanted a place I could write about the things I love and hate, vent or just tell my feelings if I need to. I'm not so big on diaries or journals. I dont know why, I guess I like the thought of someone might want to read what I have to say, maybe not..  Either way i really enjoy it, so I decided today is the start of it:)
I hope you enjoy it as well:) (if YOU are even reading..)
jclove
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