A Few Updates!

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to do a quick post to get you geared up for our first F.A.B Friday. I'm really excited about it, have the button all ready to go and everything. It's in my sidebar with the code you can grab for those of you who want to play along. I really appreciate you all for voting on the name. It was a lot of fun. I decided that it can just be ALL OF THE ABOVE. If you missed the post I did on the names, then click HERE to see what they were.

So how do you like the button? Isn't it cute!

For those of you who are new and don't know what this is about then click HERE. Basically,

we're going to be featuring someone every Friday, who inspires us in some way. I hope you all join in tomorrow. Be sure to let me know if you are playing a long so I can visit you and read about the person you featured. I'd love it!

Also, I'm so excited, because I actually WON a giveaway I entered last week, and received my prize in the mail today. Thank you to Rebecca @www.rebeccaknightbooks.blogspot.com !!!

She is an aspiring author, who's goal is to make writing her full time job. She has such a great blog if you want to check her out sometime.

So, I'm now a true believer of giveaway's. I will enter every single one I come across :) LOVE getting free stuff, don't you? Well, if so, then you HAVE to enter my giveaway. My friend is giving away some gorgeous jewelry and it ends Feb. 28th. So, don't miss your chance to win $150 worth of jewelry. Click HERE to enter. And Good luck!

Oh, and if you missed my post about how I cleared up my skin, be sure to check it out. It has proven to be the most popular post yet, receiving the most views and comments. So, I'm guessing it was a pretty hot topic :)

I'll see you back tomorrow for our FIRST FAB FRIDAY!!!!

I thought I'd participate in another blog carnival called Top 3 Thursday.

We're supposed to share the top three reasons why we blog. So here it is!

1. I love being able to share my thoughts and ideas with other moms.
2. It's also kind of a journal as well, and I plan to print it off at the end of each year.
3. Great way to meet other moms and REALLY get to know them.

Hear No Evil See No Evil

The other night I went and saw Shutter Island with my husband. Immediately after, I was just overcome with such a dark depressing feeling. As we were driving home I literally broke down in tears because of some of the things I SAW in the movie. It was just so disturbing for me and regretted ever going to see it in the first place.

The LDS church (the church in which I’m a part of), advises us to abstain from watching rated R movies. The reasons are pretty obvious, because we all know the kind of influence movies can have. I’m not perfect and don’t claim to be. I admit I haven't been that great in following that counsel. I was once very strict about this rule, before my mission,( of course during since we weren’t allowed to watch any movies or TV) and for a while afterwards. I guess over time, little by little became desensitized. I began justifying it and thinking, oh, it’s only a little violence, or it’s just a little profanity. Or, just this once we’ll watch it because it won all these awards. How could we NOT see it if it’s THAT good.

Anyway, my point is, after watching this movie I thought, why do I do this to myself, I know how these kinds of movies make me feel, but yet still choose to watch. This experience has made me think more about the affects rated R movies can have on ones spirit, and that perhaps I should try harder to FOLLOW the very wise advise of the church leaders.

The dilemma I have is this, we are hearing and seeing these kinds of things happening in REAL life by just simply turning on the news. Should we not watch the news either? I actually don’t watch or read it, but hear bits and pieces of what’s going on from my husband. Sometimes I think, don't TELL me, I don't want to know. It’s so depressing, just knowing of the awful things that are happening to people, and especially children. I think that’s why this movie had such a negative impact on me, because it had to do with children. It’s almost unbearable to watch or hear about any thing bad happening to such precious beings.

I know it’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the world, and ignorance isn’t always bliss. It’s crucial to KNOW about the dangers we face in order to better protect our own children. But seriously, sometimes I wish everything could just be rainbows and butterflies. I just want to PRETEND that these kinds of things don’t really go on. I want to live in LA LA Land and “dream in cartoons”, like Tinley :), oh shoot, did Vienna say that???? man, I never thought I'd be quoting her. (If you don't watch the Bachelor, you may not have a clue what I'm talking about, sorry)

This brings me to another subject, which I assure you is not an easy one for me to talk about.

I don’t like talking to my daughter about things that COULD happen. I want her to grow up knowing the world as a happy safe place, but it is important that she knows what to do incase she finds herself in a bad situation. We recently purchased some DVD’s, workbooks, and so forth, that help parents talk to their children about their bodies, what’s private and what we share, and about Good Touch Bad Touch. We purchased this all from Child Help.

Childhelp® is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect. Childhelp’s approach focuses on prevention, intervention and treatment.

The statistics are so sad, and hope that we can do our part in teaching our children what they need to know in order to keep them safe. I thought I'd post the statistics for you to see, and trust me, I HATE to do it, just makes me want to cry.

Statistics
-Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4.

-It is estimated that between 60-85% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates.

-A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.

-Ninety percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members.

-Child abuse occurs at every socio-economic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.

-Thirty-one percent of women in prison in the United States were abused as children.

-Over 60% of people in drug rehabilitation centers report being abused or neglected as a child.

-About 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse.

-About 80% of 21 year old that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder.

-The estimated annual cost resulting from child abuse and neglect in the United States for 2007 is $104 billion.

Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect in USA

-Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy

-Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.

-Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely develop alcohol abuse

-Children who have been sexually abused are 3.8 times more likely develop drug addiction

-Nearly 2/3’s of the people in treatment for drug abuse reported being abused as children

Consequences of Child Abuse in the USA

-Eighty percent of young adults who had been abused met the diagnostic criteria for at least 1 psychiatric disorder at the age of 21 (including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, & post-traumatic stress disorder)

-Abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy

-Abused teens are 3 times less likely to practice safe sex, putting them at greater risk for STDs

The Link Between Abuse As a Child & Future Criminal Behavior

-Fourteen percent of all men in prison in the USA were abused as children

-Thirty-six percent of all women in prison were abused as children

-Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.

The Link Between Child Abuse & Substance Abuse

-Children who have been sexually abused are 2.5 times more likely develop alcohol abuse

-Children who have been sexually abused are 3.8 times more likely develop drug addictions

-Nearly 2/3’s of the people in treatment for drug abuse reported being abused as children

How I Cleared Up My Skin

I'm a little embarrassed to show you these pictures, but I don't necessarily want to hold it a secret either. When I find a product that works, I am not one to keep it to myself. You'll find ALOT of before and after pics on my blog. I'm obsessed! Love being able to SEE a difference.

I've had an insecurity about my skin ever since I hit puberty. Dealing with constant breakouts and oily skin was awful, but I always thought that once I got through the teenage years that it would all go away. Well, I was dead wrong on that one. Nobody ever told me about those nasty hormones that NEVER seem to settle at any stage in life. So, here I was 27 years old, almost losing hope because I had tried every skin care and treatment under the sun, and spent hundreds, probably thousands doing so. Multiple skin care lines, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, ect. I've also tried taking every kind of supplement there is hoping that it would clear my skin, (I didn't want to resort to taking prescriptions, I've heard of some frightful long term affects they can have on your health, including black hairy tongue, YUCK!!!).

I would seriously cry because I hated it so bad and felt like it was so out of my control. Finally I went to see Kelly, an esthetician with Sacred Skin Care (located in Sandy). Her skincare and tips were what did the trick.

I'm not selling this product or anything, I just simply want to share what I know works.

Before

After

Her phone number is 801-619-3507

You can also order online if you're not in Utah ( but do tell her I sent you, she offers discounts on my future orders for referring people)

www.correctiveskin.com

My skin now looks better than it's ever looked, and I'm just so excited about this amazing breakthrough. I've learned a lesson from this though. Don't lose hope, never give up, and you WILL find the answer.

About 6 years ago I was on a constant search for something to help me lose weight. Once again, I tried everything possible and couldn't seem to drop the weight. It took some time, but eventually I found the program that works. This cleansing program I did has been the most amazing product for me ( lost 25 lbs and went from a size 10 to a 5). The best part about it, is I've been able to maintain it all this time.
Click HERE for more info on that.

A few other tips:

• Ice your face every night (I just use an ice cube directly on my skin, ice all over until it melts)
• Use mineral make up
• Get monthly chemical peals
• Try to use Sea Salt whenever possible, the iodine in regular salt can trigger breakouts.
• Cleanse (internally)
• Take Zinc ( I read a lot of reviews on this, and found that people are seeing great results)

Zinc and Acne: Zinc Clears Acne

If you currently have outbreaks and zits all over, you may use zinc supplements to alleviate what you are going through. Zinc can help heal your blemishes, reduce the inflammation, and reduce the androgenic effect of hormones on your skin. Thus, if you want your pimples to heal faster, taking some zinc supplements may be a good idea. zinc is closely involved in protein synthesis and in collagen formation in your body, both of which are essential in the maintenance of healthy skin and in normalizing production of skin oils. If you have been to a dermatologist and have been advised to take tetracycline, you may find it interesting that zinc is as effective as this antibiotic for preventing acne.

I found the Zinc info on Nutritional Supplements Health Guide

You can also google zinc and acne to find what other people are saying about it. I really believe that it helps. I still deal with the monthly breakouts due to hormone changes, but I just load up on the zinc and I REALLY notice a difference FAST. I take about 200-300 milligrams a day, and make sure you eat a big meal with it, because it WILL make you nauseous.

I hope this information is helpful. Please leave me comments if you have any other tips to offer.

Also, click HERE to enter my giveaway ( jewelry)!!!

FAB Fridays

I've decided to start up a new project, and hope you will all join me in this endeavor. When I first started this blog, I said I wanted to talk about people, books, and shows that inspire me. So far I have featured a few people, and have also been featured a couple times, which to be honest, COMPLETELY made my day :) Thanks to Melody at 6 Feet Over , and Bea at The Busy Mom Blueprint.

I really enjoy spreading the love and supporting my friends and fellow bloggers. So, I want to make this a weekly project. Every Friday I will feature someone new that has inspired me in some way or another. I love people who are positive, creative, ambitious, and believe in supporting others. We as women, LOVE to help and to encourage. It's in our nature to nurture :) It's what gives us that sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.

I would love it if you all took part in this project, and featured someone new each Friday as well. What goes around, comes around, I truly believe that. Let's embrace one another's gifts and talents, and look at it as an opportunity to learn and to be inspired.

One of my favorite quotes is one from Gordon B. Hinkley

"It is as we serve, as we take time to express interest and concern in someone other than ourselves, that we are more likely to gain a glimpse of who we really are, and what we can ultimately become."

This was the quote I put on my missionary plaque, and it has always been something I TRY to follow.

I already have quite a few women in mind, and I'm excited to introduce them to you one by one.

I'm working on a name, here's what I've come up with so far, which one do you like?

• Fabulous Female Fridays
• Fridays Featured Mom
• Fabulously Flabby Females , joking everyone :)
• Fertal Female Friday, also joking
• Fricken Fabulous Featured Female Friday, is that too many "F" words? sorry, tryin to keep this G rated.

So, I was thinking we should call it, "THE TRIPLE "F" PROJECT"

Tonya has designed a new button for this project. So if and when you join in the fun, then you can add this button along with your Featuring Friday posts.

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Feb. 20, 2010

Okay, I came up with a new name for our meme! By the way, I actually had to google the word meme, because I had NO clue what it meant.

Here is the definition: The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet.

Anyway, I appreciate all your feedback yesterday and have decided that, in order to avoid attracting dirty old men to this site, I would refrain from using the phrase "triple F". Don't want to disappoint anyone in search for women with (in Myda's terms) "big honkers". Haha, I was laughing so hard though, and thought perhaps I SHOULD keep it, but no, probably better to stick to a more classy name like, F.A.B. FRIDAYS. This stands for, Featuring Ambitious Bombshells. What do you think?

or

• Fabulous And Beautiful
• Featuring Aspiring Balancedmoms
• Featuring Ambitious Babes
• Featuring Ambitious Babymakers
• Fricken Awesome Biotches ...... sorry, just had to throw that one in

I'm so DOMESTICATED!

Wow, look at me, such a great housewife I am, apron on and everything. I actually just threw it on for the picture :) trying to pull off the domesticated look. (oh, and my sweet daughter took the picture, that's why my head is cut off)

Okay, I'm not really that great, this is one of the very few days I actually cooked. I'm working on that one.

Don't you feel like dinner can be SO overwhelming sometimes? I try to plan out a weekly menu, put together the grocery list, and have it all ready to go. Rarely does it ACTUALLY happen, but hey, I'm tryin. I would like to be sure that my kids are getting healthy meals every night, but it can be quite the chore to actually pull it off. I do have a few tips up my sleeve, but I assure you, I don't always FOLLOW the tips I share. I'm just trying each day, just like the rest of us moms.

I'm pretty proud of this one though:)

So, the other night I made a yummy dinner, typical American meal, meat, mashed potatoes, and some veggies. I made way too much mashed potatoes and just HATE left overs, nobody ends up eating them, but I don't like to through it out. So what I did, and often times do now, is I googled mashed potato recipe's, and this is what I found. I also happened to have all the ingredients to make it!

So this is what I made the following night with my leftovers :)

Simply Recipes Shepherds Pie. I've eaten this before, but this was my first time actually making it :)

Here's all you need. The leftover potato's are in the ziploc. That's another one of my tips, although not very "GREEN" of me. I like to put leftovers in ziplocs so I can just throw them away if we didn't eat it all, and not have to wash the dish. I'm saving water that way though right? So, that's being green???

You just pretty much saute the onions and brown the meat. I know the meat looks gross, but my sister actually taught me this trick.

Buy the family size hamburger (also save money that way), then divide it up, adding about a pound of it into it's own ziploc. Flatten it once it's in the bag, date it and toss into the freezer. Then when you're ready to use, it thaws out much faster :)

And here's the finished product!!!!!! Proud moment for me :)

I have a giveaway going on right now, CUTE jewelry, ends Feb. 28th. Click here to enter.

My Work Out Routine

The other day as I was getting ready, my daughter comes in and begins playing with the doughy stretched out skin that is now covering the, once upon a time, descent looking abs. She was like, "it's squishy mom, why is it like that", hmmm, don't ya just LOVE kids.

"Well, honey, this is what happens to skin after you have a baby in your tummy", she was like, "oh, I don't want my tummy to look like THAT"......ha, well neither do I :)

The price we pay. (sigh)

Well, she did bring to my attention that I've been neglecting that particular area of my body,

and it's beginning to show. I gained almost 50 lbs with this baby. I'm now at the weight I want to be (thanks to cleansing), but have not done much to build up my abs since giving birth. I do need to tighten up a bit in other area's as well. So I'm back to my bootcamp workouts instead of the lazy 30 min. walk on the treadmill I've been doing these days. I'm a new fan of Blair's McFatty Monday's. So, I thought today would be a great day to talk about my "mcfatty" abs :)

I tend to get bored easily when it comes to working out, so here is my routine full of multi-tasking. I'm all about getting as much done as possible, even when I work out.

• 10 min. run or walk on Treadmill ( I don't run much anymore these days, so I usually walk fast on an incline) and read one chapter of my book.
• Work 2 different muscle groups ( I pick the ones that feel most flabby for me, example, yesterday I started with my glutes and inner thighs) 3 sets of 12-15 on each while listening to my work out music.
• 10 min. on the Elliptacle ( I try to get the most out of the ten min. so I increase the intensity quite a bit so I get a good sweat on). While doing this I listen to something spiritual, motivation, or educational. I love downloading audiobooks to my ipod.
• Work another 2 muscle groups, example: Biceps and triceps 3 sets of 12-15 each./Listen to my work out music
• 10 min. on the Stair Climber (play around on my phone, texting, emailing, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, planning out my week and adding things into my calender)
• Do some MAJOR abs, for now I feel some urgency to get my abs into shape, planning a cruise soon, and would like it if I didn't have a pot belly. Do it till it burns, so the next day you're sore :)
• 10 min. on the rower or bike/ listen to my FAVORITE up beat songs. Below are a few of my favorites.

Anything from Lady Gaga

Boom Boom Pow

Technologic Draft Punk

Sandstorm Tunnel Alliance

Jai Ho! Pussycat dolls

This is my way of strengthening MIND, BODY & SOUL, all in about an hour. I LOVE it, goes by fast, and I feel incredible when I'm done.

And I'm not afraid to admit that I wear these body shaper cami's DAILY.

When people say I look good for just having a baby, I immediately say, "oh, I'm wearing a body shaper", my husband laughs at me, and say's, "why do you always feel as though you HAVE to disclose that"? LOL, I don't know... I guess I just feel like I can't take credit for it unless it's real :)

Let's face it, no matter how much weight you lose after baby, you'll most likely always have that muffin top, and that's never a pretty sight. I like the feeling of being held in, and not feeling the skin jiggle when I walk. I used to wear SPANX, but they are SO uncomfortable, not to mention, impossible to get in and out of. Found myself NOT drinking water just to avoid having to go to the bathroom.

I really love these cami's, I get them at Target, or you can find them HERE for $20.

Down in the Dumps

Do you ever have those days when you think, "man, I SUCK at everything"?

Well, today's THAT day for me. Could have something to do with comparing myself to all those other AMAZING bloggers out there. I love blogging, and I love reading other blogs, meeting new people, and am learning a lot in the process, but sometimes, I let my insecurities get the best of me. I feel like that girl last night on American Idol, who completely abandoned her group right before their performance because she was afraid she was going to mess up.

At times, I think... am I really cut out to do the things I aspire to? Why can't I SEE my potential, where is it hiding? I know that if we only had a GLIMPSE of what we were truly capable of, then, experiencing any kind of self doubt would be a thing of the past.

I love to DO alot of things, like writing, singing, crafts, cooking, ect. but have not yet found the one thing I'm REALLY good at. Perhaps I'm only meant to be a little good at a lot of things.

It does feel nice to get my feelings off my chest, even if it doesn't always come out as beautifully as you other bloggers.

I know when we have days like this, that there's always a lesson to be learned. Don't quite know what it is at the moment, but sure I'll figure it out eventually.

Tomorrow's another day, and I'm thirsty anyway, so BRING ON THE RAIN! I love that song :)

Cherish the Moments

Last night I read a very sad story on a blog my friend Carrie directed me to. This tragic accident happened here locally and just about a week ago. This mom tells her story of how her son drowned in the bathtub (read her whole story here), thankfully he survived after a long fight for his life. I know we hear these awful stories of how parents neglect to watch their kids. And we most likely think to ourselves, that would NEVER happen to me, I would never do that. Her story could have easily happened to me, or any one of us. I'm reminded of the mistakes I've made in the past, and thank GOD that nothing seriously bad happened to my babies.
A few months ago, my son at about 6 months fell off the bed. No matter how many times I have heard, DO NOT leave your baby on the couch or bed, I still managed to let it happen. I placed my son on my bed, put a pillow next to him, thought that would KEEP him from rolling off. I remembered I needed something downstairs, ran down there, got distracted with something, then heard the THUMP. My heart skipped, and I flew upstairs to rescue my poor baby as he's crying hysterically on the floor. I was almost in tears because I was SO mad at myself for letting this happen, even when I KNEW better. For the next couple of hours after this happened I was so nervous about his health, hoping he didn't brake anything, or bump his head too hard.
Just a few months before this my sister in law had taken her 3 year old son to the ER in the middle of the night because he rolled off of his little twin bed, and broke his collar bone. These little babies are just so fragile.
When my daughter was about a year old, she was playing with a little spoon. I thought, a spoon is harmless, right?, well, not exactly. She had put it in her mouth and was playing on her car seat, I wasn't paying attention at the time, although I was right THERE. The next thing I knew, the car seat tipped, and she landed right on her face with the spoon in her mouth. As a result she was left with a huge gouge in the back of her throat. She was in so much pain that she barely ate or drank for a week. Another one of those moments where you think, WHY did I LET this happen. WHY did I not see that coming?

I think we all need constant reminders of how short life is, and how these kinds of things can easily happen to any one of us. We NEED to be more attentive, and AWARE of our children.

Last night when my son woke up crying, like he still sometimes does, I went and got him out of his crib, instead of just laying him back down and giving him his Binky. I felt the urge to just HOLD him. I sat in the rocker and just cradled him as I inhaled his little baby smell, kissing his forehead over and over, while saying a silent prayer, thanking GOD for this precious little life.

Later my daughter came to kiss me goodnight, she said, "I love you mom, you're my best

mommy, and I don't EVER want to get runned over by a car or get lost". Wow, it's amazing what kids pick up on. I hadn't said anything about what I was thinking, or worrying about.

I don't want to live my life in FEAR, rather, AWARENESS!
We need to cherish the moments we have with our little ones. Life is short, and so VERY fragile. I hope that we can all learn from each others mistakes, to keep these tragedies from happening to us.

We invested in a camera baby monitor before we had Olly.

I would highly recommend it too. I've heard so many sad stories of baby's suffocating, or getting strangled by a cord while in their cribs. I remember when Lily was a baby, I was trying to put her down for a nap, and was letting her cry it out a bit. Little did I know she was crying because the blanket was wrapped around her head. From then on I just never let her cry in her crib, I was so paranoid and constantly checking on her, which interfered with my plans of getting her in her crib. We all know that doesn't go over well. When baby SEES you...baby WANTS you. She ended up sleeping in our bed until she was 3. This camera has been a lifesaver. I am still constantly checking on Oliver, but at least now, he can't see me, so he doesn't cry for me to get him out.

My husband will absolutely not let Lily walk down our lane on her own, we've argued about it

in the past. I said he needs to let her grow up, and allow her to do big girl things. I have taught her about the dangers of cars, and she's been so good about it, looking both ways, walking on the side of the lane and not in the middle. Anytime she sees a car coming, she instantly runs as far away from the road as possible. Then I came across this, and I humbly admitted to my husband that he was right :)

Research has shown that children under the age of ten have not yet fully developed their depth perception, meaning they may underestimate the distance and speed of an approaching car. Because of this they are likely to dart into the streets even after they have looked both ways.

Well, since I'm already airing out all my dirty laundry and confessing my many screw ups as a mom, why not just tell it all. Hopefully, you won't be as stupid as me, and can just learn from my omissions.

So when Lily was a baby and the pediatrician gave us the okay on giving her juice, I thought okay, I know there is a lot of sugar in apple juice, so I'll just add a little bit of it to some water, just to make it taste better for her. She really had no interest in water, or formula for that matter. So, this seemed to be the answer for getting the fluids in her. I've heard before that giving babies juice and milk at night could rot their teeth, and in fact this very thing happened to my own nephew. So you'd think I would have avoided this all together. I simply thought that adding a little juice to the water was harmless. This is the result of my ignorance.

One day she was complaining about her lip hurting, then that night was up all night crying about her lip. We couldn't figure it out.....I didn't see anything wrong with her lip. We put chap stick on, gave her tylenol, nothing seemed to be working. So after a sleepless night, the next morning her lip looked like this.

It was then that we realized it was her tooth this whole time. We took her to the dentist. He put her on antibiotics and said that if it got any worse he'd have to pull them. We waited as long as possible for the meds to kick in, but her pain and the swelling only seemed to get worse. I took the above picture with my phone and sent it to our dentist. He said we needed to get those teeth out immediately. So, there we were, 10:00 at night, getting poor little Lily's teeth pulled.

My Claim to Fame!

Today I thought I'd brag a bit about the famous people I've met. I try to tell my husband these stories in hopes to prove how COOL I am, but he's never impressed. I'm proud to say that, yes, I met Will from Black Eyed Peas. I know I know.... I AM amazing!!! Never thought you'd be reading reading a blog post of a practically FAMOUS mom, right! ha, I bet not.

So here's the story. This happened WAAAAY back when I was at the young age of 19. I was with my BFF Brenda, at a Macy Gray concert in Arizona. This was back when the Black Eyed Peas weren't real popular yet, and they were opening for Macy. So anyway, my friend and I were dancing around up in the front close to the stage, next thing we know, there is Will, hanging out in the crowd.So of course, Brenda and I, being the opportunists that we are, went over and started dancing with him trying to flirt our way backstage to meet Macy. Like I said, he wasn't that big yet, so we weren't so much interested in meeting him.
Well, our plan worked, just as we were about to go backstage with Will, this stupid security guard stopped us and wouldn't allow us back there, ugh! Well, we did hang out with Will for a bit, even snapped a few pics. But of COURSE.....of all pictures to get screwed up, these ones didn't turn out, I think the flash wasn't working or something. I know what you're all thinking, yeah, sure....... nice cover up. But no, I'm serious this really happened!
So............. do you think I'm cool yet?
If not, then here's another one for you.

Now this goes even further back, when I was 17 working at a little guetto pancake house downtown. I met Lou Diamond Phillips!!!!!Do you even know who he is? My husband was like, "big deal, he's not even famous", ha, I beg to differ. Haven't you seen the movie La Bamba?..........Well I didn't either until I met Lou. Okay, I admit, I had no clue who he was when he came in, until a coworker started freaking out. I was like oooh, someone famous, I better go meet him. So, I went up and talked to him for a bit, asked him about his career (he was in town filming BATS), he showed me a picture of his little twin daughters, and he left me a $10 tip, pretty awesome huh :). Well, needless to say, that night I went home and watched Labamba for the first time.

Still not impressed?

Okay, last but not least........I met Megan Joy from last seasons American Idol. And this one I can actually prove :)She was very sweet, and I loved her as a singer. I hope she comes out with some cool songs soon. I thought she was very unique and different.

Now for the people I would LIKE to meet

I've been a fan of Julia Roberts since Pretty Women, LOVE her!

I love Ellen Degeneres, I watch her show all the time and just love how funny she is. I recently came across this cute blog called Mama Kats Losin it. She made this awesome video for Ellen. Let's help her get on the show, Tweet to @TheEllenShow and tell her about this video.

I'm very intrigued with Angelina Jolie, I love how she's really into her kids an also a successful actress at the same time. Don't exactly know how it's possible for her to do both, but she sure makes it look possible :)

Most of all I would LOVE to meet Thomas S. Monson. Wouldn't it be nice to just pick his brain for a day. What an inspiring person he is.

Okay, well, you've all seen

The Secret

So now that I've put it out there, perhaps one day I'll have the opportunity to meet one of these amazing people.
All right, so let's hear it! What's your claim to fame story?

Kyla Tells All

It's no secret I love watching the Bachelor, it's one of my many guilty pleasures :)

Why is it so much fun to watch the drama, lol. Oh and how awesome would it be to get to experience something like this, go on all those cool dates, and get to wear all the fancy dresses, and get all decked out every day :) what an adventure!

Okay, so last week, my friend Carrie, hosted a Q&A on her facebook page. She just so happens to be friends with Kyla Dickerson from season 2 of the Bachelor. I thought it was so much fun, and got permission from Kyla to post a little bit of it on here for you all to read.

Thank you Kyla for taking the time to give us all the juicy behind the scenes details :)

Q- Do they do an extensive background search on all the ladies? Do the producers keep certain people on the show to spice things up? Are the girls in the house really friends?

Does the bachelor decide who goes on the dates with him or do the producers arrange it all for him?

Q- Do the producers tell them to keep certain people to add "juice" to the show. (Vienna)

How much drinking actually goes on? Is anyone even sober enough to make a good decision?

KYLA- Hey, everyone! I will tell you what I experienced on the show to answer your questions!:) Yes, they have background checks on all the girls and it is quite the process. It took about 3 months from application process to the final 25 that are chosen. They do compatability tests and everything! Some real loony chicks make it in somehow though!;) But that's what makes for good tv, right?!! They edit EVERYTHING to look the way they want it to! You

basically sign your life away, saying they can edit any footage of you. I have to say that some of the girls really are friends on the show. I am still good friends with many of the girls that were on my season.

***The bachelor also has 'some' say in who he goes on the dates with but sometimes they put certain girls together on the date for obvious reasons...DRAMA! He does get to pick what he does on the dates...so some of these dates are actually planned by Jake.

***No matter what anyone says, YES...the producers will keep girls on the show against his will! He signs a contract saying that this can happen. He is a game piece sometimes to them..this is most likely why Vienna (sausage..haha) stayed. She is the ONLY girl the others

don't really get along with, so why would they let him let her go...they wouldn't.

***There are all sorts of tests that the girls go through prior to being on the show...physicals, psychological, compatibility, etc..and there are also 'alternate girls' in case one of the 25 girls backs out before they start shooting the show.

***On my show, there were girls who drank all day on into the night. I didn't drink, so sometimes it was quite entertaining for me! The perks of being the sober bachelorette, I guess! LOL! But there was an UNLIMITED amount of alcohol...remember, they want drama and alcohol can really get that out of people!;)

~~~I hope I answered everyone's questions!! I sorta wrote a novel here...haha! So, keep em coming if you have more! Jake has some interesting chicks to deal with...but I think I know who he is going to pick! xoxo

Q- Thanks for answering all our questions Kyla. Out of curiousity, who do you think Jake will pick? And, my husband was a big fan of Gwen...what did you think of her?

KYLA- No problem! It's funny you ask about Gwen because we talk at least once week:) She is coming to LA this weekend and we are going to some Grammy parties together:) She was my absolute favorite girl on my show and we are still good friends (I guess that's obvious!;) We

might be roommates soon too...soo excited!! Oh- and I think Jake will pick Tenley:)

@Carrie- I forgot to answer your question about Aaron. He was just okay, really:-/ The last time I talked to him was on the phone in Utah. It's a funny story cuz I was getting my hair done and my mom was at the Home and Garden show at the Southtwon Expo and he was there handing out roses!!! hahaha!! So (if you know my mom, which you knew how she ... See Morewas!) of course she had to go up to him and introduce herself! So, then I get a phone call at the salon I'm at and it's Aaron on the other line asking if me and my mom want to go to dinner that night!! So funny!! My Grandma was with my mom and said she could tell he was a WOMANIZER..hehe! I believe he just recently got engaged? I still chat with Helene, the girl he chose from our season:)

Q- How many of the girls are hired actresses? Do they really propose or is it just show, you know like on family guy when the dog gets a handshake after the show ends and he was heart broken?

KYLA- None of the girls are actresses...it's legit in that area! I love your analagy...family guy, haha! The Bachelor doesn't have to propose (by contract) so if he does then it is the real deal. Some of the previous bachelors haven't proposed and one didn't even pick either of the two girls at the end of the show! I can't remember which one he was though..? But it is highly 'suggested' that he does in fact, propose to a girl at the end!

CARRIE- Is it hard to be "yourself" with cameras in your face? Kyla, you are quite the entertainer. I have loved every mintue reading this. Thank you, love ya!

We are going to have the longest thread of messages in Fbook history!! Awesome! This is so much fun:)

KYLA- @Carrie- Yes, it is sort of hard to be yourself because quite literally, there are cameras in your face 24/7!! You have to try your best to zone them out. Also at times, it just got plain annoying! I mean...one morning the camera was literally right in my face when I woke up!! Sometimes they try to be discreet while fimling you...so they're not always that close!

Talk about literally in your face. A few more: Are the girls really looking for love? Or publicity? Were there girls that were seriously seriously seriously in love with Aaron season 2? You're a great sport for doing this Kyla, we will not forget our Kyla Tells All. This is very cool access!

ME- This is AWESOME! I've always wondered what goes on behind the scenes. Thank you Kyla for answering these questions for us :) Were you aloud to have cell phones? Or call home?

KYLA- @Crystal--NO! That was the hardest part! No cell phones, no talking to your friends or family back home, no magazines, and no TV! They just want you to be in the 'bachelor bubble!'

@Carrie--Some of the girls really are looking for love and some just want their 15 minutes of fame!;) A lot of these girls want to be actresses or something in the entertainment industry, so it's really good for publicity....sometimes..(that is, if they don't make an absolute fool of themselves on the show!;) I would say on my season, there were ... See Moreseriously some girls who fell head over heals in love with Aaron! Or at least they said they did and sure acted like it! Some of us thought it was a joke...thinking, "how can you really fall in love that FAST!" Honestly though, some of the girls really thought they had an 'instant connection' with him. But, once again...it could be because you are forced to be in this bubble, where you eat, breathe and sleep THE BACHELOR! haha! There's no outside distractions (which is how they want it) so because of that, it brings on more drama and more emotions for some of these girls! Some of them have said afterwards that they couldn't believe some of the stuff they said/did on the show. You really are just with these women and this one guy. So your life, in those few weeks, just becomes ALL about it...kinda crazy!

ME- I have one more question :) Do you get paid at all? Do they give you those nice dresses? Or do you buy them before hand? Also, do you ever have make up artists or stylists?

KYLA- @Crystal--We got a per diem...so no, we really didn't get paid much:( The final few girls get paid a little more because they are gone longer. On my season, we brought our own dresses. However, on some of the dates...such as a one on one, sometimes they buy you a dress! Gwen went on a fairytale date and got this beautiful gown to wear:) You get ... See Morea lot of free stuff while you're there though. We would basically write a wishlist of stuff...makeup, food, etc...and then the next day it would appear for us!! One of my dates was a surfing date and they bought us all a ton of swimsuits to choose from and other water accessories:) YES, we did have a hair and makeup artists, but usually only for the rose ceremonies. The further you get in the show...the more perks you get!:)