♫ Spray Tanning!

I absolutely love that cancer awareness is growing, and there are more and more preventative measures!

Example: Eat less Oreo's. The transfat in a package of oreo's could actually kill you.
Example 2: Spray Tanning! Another benefit? You won't look 80 at 40.

Spray tanning rocks! I got my first one my senior year of high school for prom, and have consistently gotten at least one a year for various reasons...weddings, vacations, etc. I thought I'd put together a few tips, since we're all bounding towards healthier and better looking skin!

#1. Get it done about three days before your event. They last approximately 10 days, which leaves you plenty of time to like or dislike the color. You walk away from the actual tanning room a really neat orange color, have to leave it on for about 24 hours, and then wash it off to a great looking tan color! However, everybody reacts differently, and you may need a few days of time to have it redone.

#2. Dress in really baggy clothes, bring a bathing suit if you're not prepared to strip completely, and take a towel to sit on in your car on your way out. Imagine stepping in to a shower that pours brown liquid, then trying not to get it on any clothes or your car.

#3. Prepare to be awkward. The process, unless you go to a place with an actual machine, is done by hand, with a sprayer gun, by another person. If you were uncomfortable in the locker room at school, this is definitely not for you.



#4. Your skin will LOVE it. Most sprays are actually fully equipped with vitamins and feel-goods for your skin that will leave you more moisturized than before!

#5. If you're vacation is going to include swimming, or there is a chance for rain? I don't recommend it. Be white. It's supposed to stick after a few showers, but there is the chance that it will cause it to run, or fade in certain areas, if exposed to water for longer periods of time. <---totally speaking from experience. My tan literally dripped off and left me streaky.

#6. It looks completely natural, and is safe for your face! The whole purpose of a spray tan is to make you look tan all over. While they offer the option of legs only, I don't personally recommend it.

#7. If you're planning on getting it done for a wedding in August, get it done once in June to make sure you like it. It's affordable (around $30), and worth every bit of work...but it's something you should be used to before your big event.

#8. Do your homework. Check for reviews online to make sure the place you're considering is sanitary, has a great background for quality, and isn't new in the business. It may be higher priced, but the all natural ingredients will be better than a cheap concoction, and sanitation is a must.

Have you ever had a spray tan? What was your experience like? Do you have any other tips for our readers?

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ Random Monday 4-19-10

We aren't forgetting about our blog. Actually, we're just showing off our slacking abilities this month. Aren't you proud?!

Random Monday!

*I can't wait for summertime. Which, thanks to a friendly reminder, is officially the theme of this blog.

*List of things on my summer to-do list:

-margarita's
-concerts
-a fantastic get away with my daddy
-a vacation with Brandon, something we're making a tradition. OMG GUYS MY FIRST TRADITION!
-ride in a big red truck, thanks to the power of bribery. ;)
-Horses. Somehow, some way, horses will come back in to my life this summer.
-the epic battle of yay kindergarten or nay kindergarten
-the best looking Nomz yet. True story, I'm gonna look amazing by summer.
-high hopes for at least one random road trip with a certain soul charger.


*Notice Sazaran's absence? She hates you.

*Not really. She's actually slaving at being amazing at something, something that you should all fan immediately: Sarah Michal

*It really bugs me when people gossip. Officially. Like, it's ok to talk to your close friends about random things about other people, but to talk to somebody else's friends about them? Not so much. People find out that way, and people get hurt that way.

*It bugs me that at the age of 26, I still have no clue what I want to do with myself. In a way, I hope I never completely figure it out.

*I'm working on trying not to focus on the doom, gloom, and negative things that are trying to rain right now, and refocusing on the people that matter most, the relationships that are actually healthy, and the friends that are true. I am surrounded by the most amazing group of friends, mama's, family, guy, and blog readers that a girl could ever ask for...something that will make even the worst storm; survivable.

*I do love pizza. All the time. It's totally my kryptonite.

*A funny song, that we all sing sometimes. Admit it:



A few of my favorite lyrics from it:

I haven't been to church since I don't remember when
Things were going great til they fell apart again
So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do
He said you can't go hatin' others who have done wrong to you
Sometimes we get angry but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do his job, you just pray for them

I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you

***fine print: I wouldn't actually wish any of this on anybody for REAL.

*On that note...



Yours Truly,
Nomz

♥Take a glimpse into my randomness

~ Ahhhh, spring is almost here. Just a few more days and I can begin to take my dreams of floating in the water seriously. Mal will be two in less than three months and I have so much that I want him to experience: the zoo, this time he'll be able to recognize the animals; possibly Disney World, though I'm not sure he'll be able to recognize the characters (okay, I admit, this is mostly for me); the water park, because no summer is complete with out being drenched by spraying fountains and whizzing water rockets.

~ I want to hang glide. Yesssssssss. My dad used to own one and his stories of soaring alongside birds and weaving in and out of the clouds has got me slightly bitter by being held down by gravity. I want to fly free! So, anyone know of some tandem opportunities I can take advantage of?

~ Recently, I've started going to a new church. I'm not sure what to think, just yet. An important facet of going to church each Sunday is the Holy Spirit- without Him there really isn't any point to "trying"; He is an integral part of learning, growing, understanding and apart of the holy relationship that is Christ and the Church. Some churches accept Him with open arms, some accept Him but make it clear that He is to mind His Ps and Qs and others flat out deny Him. So sad. I want to know that not only will I be able to meet people my age, but that they will have a desire to be apart of Him like water is apart of a flower.

~ I want voice lessons. Sure do. When I sing Malachi to sleep, I don't want it to give him nightmares. Bahahaha!

~ This just in: I have NINE pregnant friends. NINE. That's a lot of baby showers.

~ This was recently posted on Facebook by a friend, cue the nostalgia:

Sibling Property Rules
1. If I like it, it's mine
2. If I'm holding it, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
6. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours anyway.
7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.

Psssssst, we're still looking for some awesome guest and ghost bloggers. :)

♫ Because we DON'T ♥ Mosquitoes

I hate mosquito bites. And for some reason, it seems they are generally drawn to me, more than others. So, out of sheer curiosity, I went on the hunt, to find any website that tells me what they are drawn to...whether it matters if you are male or female, pretty or ugly, pregnant or non, perfumed or dirty, etc.

So, thanks to being covered in the annoyance, twittering about it, and having such a cool knowledgeable boss (no, I am not a kiss-ass), I did some research. I’ll name some facts, for every one you already knew, you get a point. Let’s see how knowledgeable you are about these annoying little creatures:

#1. Mosquitoes are an insect!

Not just an insect, but one with a history. The little bugs have been bugging for 30 million plus years. Honing their sensors on what tastes sweet, they’ve matured from plain ol’ "bugs" to downright "pests".

#2. They are drawn to Carbon Dioxide, Visual Sensors, and Heat Sensors.

Their chemical sensors work up to 100 feet away. Quite the distance for having such a little nose, eh? Part of our breathing, and also certain chemicals in sweat, can draw them in. Don’t wear clothing that contrasts with a natural background. They’ll see you, and stalk you. They also have little heat sensors, letting them know that something is alive and blood-suck-worthy, and not dead and a waste of time.

Moral of the story: Wear camouflage, while holding your breath, and avoiding work. For best results: Live in Antarctica.

#3. They have three main body parts.

The head, the thorax, and the abdomen. For all that boring goodness, visit one of the websites I post for source information.

#4. Their bites itch, as a minor allergic reaction.

The irritating itch and swelling of bites, does not come from the size of the mosquito. It’s actually different depending on the person, and how their immune system reacts. The mosquitoes insert saliva while sucking (doesn’t that just sound lovely?). Our immune system reacts to the protein in their saliva, and has an allergic reaction (raised annoying little unattractive bumps).

#5. Don’t scratch the bites!

This should be a given, but we just can’t resist! It makes it feel so much better! Oh wait. It really doesn’t, does it?

So...(here is where the really cool boss comes in to play), I was given a list of at-home, at-work, at-play, remedies. I will list my favorites, and give you the link to play with on your own time.

A. Rub a bar of soap over the bites
B. Put a piece of scotch tape over them. Not only will it stop the itch, but if you do scratch it, it will only scratch the tape, and not spread it all over your skin.
C. Ice Cube!
D. HOT Water
E. Nail Polish, Because, let’s face it, everybody wants to look all pink striped all day long.
F. Toothepaste
G. Tea Use a hot tea bag and place it on the bites. Does tea cure everything?

List is long enough...check out this link:

Annoying Bite Relief

This concludes my mosquito lesson. Please let me know how you scored, your own remedies, etc. I spared you the pictures of my elephant sized one, I prefer you show the same courtesy.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

Sources of knowledgeable information:

Wikipedia Mosquito Page
How Stuff Works
Coolest Boss Ever's Twitter Page