what's new?

It's been a while since I've blogged (blogging more often is one of my 2012 resolutions) so I thought it was fitting to give you an update on the latest happenings.

In a previous post, I explained how I began my journey as a Lemongrass Spa consultant. So far so good! I am still fired up about it and am determined to share the good news of natural, handmade spa products. Honestly, what girl doesn't like to smell good, feel soft, and have a radiant glow? I just choose to do it naturally. Spa parties have been a lot of fun too. Check out the latest one here.

It's been a pretty cool journey too. I work closely with Natalie Gouche ("your favorite social media trainer") and she has been so very helpful...not to mention she is a joy to be around! If you don't know her, you should. I have learned so much about social media from her. I'm expanding my horizon and I'm not afraid to do it.

My facebook fan page, Altogether Beautiful Skincare with Mylah, is a work in progress, but I think it's coming along just fine. I plan to use this page to jump start my skincare business. You'll want to stick with me because some pretty amazing things are about to go down!

A Time for Relaxing

I know I haven't posted in a while. I MUST get better at keeping up with my blog. Well, here is a little taste of what I've been up to lately! Enjoy!

This slideshow design created with Smilebox

fresh wind

As is customary for Mike and I, we went out to eat after church service on Sunday. As we were leaving the restaurant, an elderly couple was making their way toward us, cane and walker assisting them.

We exchanged smiles as the woman asked if she could see the baby. She admired the dried mashed potatoes by his top lip (I must have missed it when wiping his face) and continued paying him compliments.

Then, out of no where, she said, "You guys keep loving each other. Stay in love. God is with you."

That blessed my socks off. I couldn't begin to express how much her statements meant. God knows what we need and will send his angels to tell us.

I'm paying attention, Lord. Here I am.

special announcement

I have a special announcement to make. No, I'm not expecting baby number two...yet.

A lot of you have explored many of my journeys with me. Some have lasted a year, some, only a few days. You've been there through Avon and Mark. You've been there through my bout with editing. And you know what? I appreciate the support you have shown me.

But now, I know that I am doing something in line with God's will for my life. In just a few short weeks, I will begin my journey towards earning my esthetician's license! I've been talking about this for almost four years now, but finally have the courage to pursue it.

Also... drum roll please....

I am Lemongrass Spa Products' newest consultant! I'm so excited to be able to offer all natural, paraben-free products. When Lakia Pearson introduced me to these fantastic products during one of her spa days, I was blown away. To think that my family and I can use products that smell great, feel great, and DON'T have chemicals that have been found in cancer cells sold me!

I know that I will do a great job as a spa consultant because this is a product I really do believe in. I can't wait to share it with all of you. I've started my own Facebook page to document my esthetician and Lemongrass journey. Check it out here.

What have you heard about natural products?

raise an eyebrow

They say that having groomed brows is like an instant face lift. So true!

This past Monday, I attended my first of two eyebrow threading classes. It was so much fun.

Here is a picture of the kits we received.

In it was thread (of course), a mirror, tweezers, baby powder, aloe vera gel, and an eyebrow brush. During Monday's class, we learned how to properly hold the thread and the threading motion that produces the least amount of pain as possible. We practiced on each other's arms.

Next Monday will be my final class. We'll actually do eyebrows in that class! It will be supervised by our instructor Sue, who has been threading eyebrows since she was nine.

I really enjoyed this class and the fact that I will be able to earn a few bucks on the side threading brows and other parts of the face!

What do you like about getting your brows threaded?

getting the order right

I've always been pretty proud of the thought that I had my priorities straight. I knew what was most important and often, I felt I was operating accordingly. But lately, I've had a reality check. With the addition of a husband and a child in my life, my priorities are changing.

Okay, here's the order:

1. God
2. Mike
3. Children
4. Family
5. Work

Unfortunately, sometimes the order appears like this:

1. Children
2. God
3. Mike
4. Work
5. Family

... or like this:

1. Mike
2. Children
3. God
4. Family
5. Work

You get the picture. My priorities on any given day can take a variety of order ... and I'm ashamed. I desire to keep God first, but honestly, sometimes I fail. I found this picture this morning that reminds me that God should be at the center and everything else comes after.

Isn't this great?

How do you remind yourself to put God first in your life?

a new journey

Haven’t most of us declared we needed to lose a few pounds? Maybe we need to lose more than a “few.” Perhaps we need to lose quite a bit. I fall into the latter category.

When I became pregnant in May 2010, I was already several pounds overweight. Of course the joyous news of expecting a baby could not be overshadowed, but I must admit that in the back of my mind, I thought, “how much bigger am I going to get? I’m not allowed to even think about a diet now!”

Well, my son is now eight months old and he’s not the only “chubby” one in the house. I’m “chubby” too. This week, I started Weight Watchers® (WW).

So far it seems to be the most reasonable “diet” I’ve been on. It was recommended by my doctor because it’s not a fad. There are no special diet pills. I considered Slim Fast® at one time but the thought of a shake for breakfast and lunch just didn’t seem appealing. I even considered trying Alli® until I read the reviews about the consequences of eating too much fat while on this pill (let’s just say that anal leakage just really isn’t my style).

It has been four days since I started WW and I am more motivated than I’ve ever been about losing weight. Dieting is always a tricky thing for me because I am an emotional eater. I always live to eat rather than eat to live. Artificial sweeteners cause me to have severe headaches so diet soft drinks and sugar-free food items are out of the question. WW doesn’t require me to reinvent the wheel, just my portions. Because of it, I have also discovered some really great alternatives for healthy (or shall I say healthier…it’s one step at a time folks) eating.

I’ll blog about my progress. I won’t tell you my weight, but I will tell you how many pounds I’ve lost. The purpose of the blog is so that you can pray for me and share in my laughs, frustration, tears, and smiles.

Are you currently on a weight-loss quest? What are you doing?