Out of the Comfort Zone With My Hair

PLEASE tell me that I'm not the only person who's hair gets all over their last nerve.

I've had an interesting time with my hair since my surgery a while back and a frustrating time with the ugly scar that was left behind. Since it had gone in my hair line, this growing out process has been fun but it's also summer is here and I will be damned if I can't pull my hair up. This week alone, it's been 80 degrees before 9am, then we roast like a good rotisserie for the day in the 90-100's and it's still 80 degrees after 9pm.

Well like hair goes, it grew and I found out that the little edges would not stay in a low ponytail let alone a regular one. So after some initial surfing on the Pinterest, I found the solution! The Undercut.

Here's the one I saw and pinned so quick my phone didn't know what to do with itself.

Here's mine. It's AWESOME!! I had my stylist throw in some highlights earlier in the year and then she was all for doing this for me. I was nervous mainly because this was going to be a big change since the surgery. It was a willing change and the only person who semi-freaked out was my dad. Then I told him about my scar issues and he understood, which then led to a thunderstorm later.

Coming from an old-school Hispanic family living in the edge of the bible belt, so many times it's hard finding that middle ground. Where I'd love to be out and do amazing and crazy creative things, I'm still semi-recognized in this small community as a professional. Not to say that it's a downside but I don't need my work life to be more stressful than it already is, especially when I'm off the clock. So I keep to my bubble and sometimes it's suffocating. Having this little perk just for myself to show off when I want makes me feel like I don't have to be in a box all the time.

 A few things to know about getting an undercut:

1. Make sure your stylist can do it and is willing to do it. In many circles, it can be said this is not your grandmother's style. So pitch it and chances are are they will be excited too. Mine was :)

2. Commit to it. My stylist is super awesome and even though I had a couple reservations, she eased me into with a great point, it is hair so it's gonna grow back in case I didn't like it.

3. I have a triangle shape but it can just be cut across, so whatever design you're wanting, look it up and you can change it up when you get it touched up.

4. Getting buzzed for the first time with clippers is a very odd sensation so just go with it. It may be a bit itchy initially but trust me it will go away.

5. Touching up will be a must. I won't lie when I say I've lagged for how fast my hair grows. So know your hair works and again, Talk. To. Your. Stylist. They are professionals after all.


Remember to do what scares you.






Check out my favorites for June.
http://bit.ly/June16Faves

My latest love for my lips.
http://bit.ly/JJuicy



***Side Note*** Are you playing PokemonGO? Then you need this in your life asap
http://bit.ly/TOTTBattery

7 Things to Consider if You Want to Live Alone

Living alone is no joke but I won't lie when I say that I love it. In my sorry but not sorry opinion, I think it's a really great stepping stone on the trail to adulthood but even more so as a woman. The truth of the matter is that while any person is at risk when living alone, it's safe to say that women tend to tip that scale in the risk factor. And if you ask any dad, the risk is the distance from death valley to the moon.

I've done the dorm thing, the roommate thing, the siblings as roommates and I've spent a lot of time with me, myself, and I. Some things are still a trial and error because while there are great perks to living alone, read those here, there are also a few things that you do need to think about if you are planning on going out on your own limb.

1. BUDGET - no joke. Roomates are great because you aren't paying for rent AND utilities AND internet AND food by yourself. So really think about what's important when it comes to satellite or cable or just living off some decent internet. How much of a 'home' can you afford when you consider the deposit AND first month's rent and the full amount of your bills every month?

Pinterest Provides this time

2. Insurance - Some places require renter's insurance and some don't. Think about it though, if you are working full time, no one is home and it becomes a bit easy to figure out your routine. Now look at what you own. Can you and are you ready, willing, and able to replace your belongings if there is a break in or a leak from where the pipes burst on your trip home for Thanksgiving or even worse a fire? The homeowner will have insurance on the place because they own it and they have to protect it. Protect your own too. Depending on where you live, the belongings in your car could be covered too. In the state of New Mexico, your car is an extension of your home, so if your car gets broken into, your stuff in there could be covered too.

3. Pets - A big plus to diminishing the silence and the impending moments of loneliness is to get a pet. Whether its a loyal dog or an evil cat, everyone has that idea. But if you aren't allowed pets at your place, aim for fish. Even dorm rooms will be ok with a fish or three. I can attest that I spent my sophomore year of college in my dorm room by myself. I had just changed majors and my roommate moved out. I never got a new one and the silence was killer sometimes. So I bought a beta fish, Jethro. He was the absolute best fish I've ever had in my entire life. Never judged and always ready to listen. Now that I'm in my own place, I've inherited a turtle from my ever-so-loving sister (not by choice). He's more maintenance than I ever wanted, but he's still there when I get home to yell at him and as long as the water is flowing, I'm ok.

4. Protection/Security - I am a happily taken girl but I still live alone and have for a really long time. My previous roommates have been guys but I've had my fair share of incidents and potential incidents. From coming home at night after work and having a couple guys knock on my car window right before I get out to wondering if I should be calling child services on my neighbors. I'm not saying you should get your concealed carry license, though I know plenty of women that do. But it couldn't hurt to have a stun gun or a baton or even just some pepper spray. Be smart ladies because it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it, especially if dogs are a no go. To help with that, I've found a company that seeks to help women out in times of distress. I've got my own wishlist because there is a lot of good stuff. It's not sponsored by far but still good info with Damsel in Defense http://damselindefense.net/.

This is from their website, isn't it pretty?

5. Crockpot - it seems random yes but you are cooking for one. Take it from me when I tell you that it's easy to just go out and buy for yourself. Eating out is easy and a favorite meal of mine is one that I don't have to make or clean up after. But a good little crockpot can provide lunch and dinner for a few days if not a week. Gotta save the moneys where you can.

6. Entertainment - I don't care what kind of hobby you have, but you're going to need it. Being alone doesn't mean you have to be lonely. But if you read some of my perks here, I don't do well with complete silence since I come from a loud, musical and Hispanic family, I've had everything from movies to music blasting in the background to keep me going or else I may lose my mind. Books are great as are video games, movies, Pinterest, etc. Most people are not used to spending over half their time by themselves. It's not easy but when you are comfortable in your own company, you'll know that you'll be ok and that is the biggest hurdle you'll face.

7. Health - The thing about getting sick is that you are alone. Mom won't make your doctor's appointments and you will more than likely have to get time off work if you aren't a complete incubus of viral plague. If anything, you should at least have a first aid kit. My sister was wonderful enough to make me a little one and I've added to it. Keep a good pile of EmergenC to prevent the seasonal bugs that fly through and you know your own body when it comes to allergies, sinuses, and things of the like. Best thing to have is a thermometer, regular or digital, just know how to read it. It hits fever range and you call in because things are going down and it's time to hit the remedies like I have here. If you have to be sick and miserable, at least make it bearable.

These are just a few of the things that always come to mind when someone asks how I like living alone or how I handle it. This list has just started but it will more than likely grow because we learn as we go.


Now read back on definite pros to living alone.
http://bit.ly/7Perks

Equal Pay Day Plus a Couple Thoughts

Just a comment or three about today. If you've been on social media at all, you'll know that today is Equal Pay Day. An estimated time frame to show that since we are 102 days into the new year, that women's pay catches up to where men ended last year. I must say that I have a few comments on that as well. It is said that women make on average 77 cents to every white male's dollar, however comma, that is for a white female. Women of color tend to face a larger pay gap. According to a piece I read from Cosmopolitan magazine by Jill Filipovic,

"It's a ubiquitous statistic: Women make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. African-American women make 65 cents, Native America women 59, and Latinas just 54 cents to a white man's dollar."

While the gap is shocking, it's really not surprising. Equal rights is always a touchy subject for everyone but women's rights have been a topic of controversy since we were 'granted' the right to vote. Now I'll be honest when I say that I'm not sure if I've been a victim of the pay gap because I work for a corporation that tends to pay by the position and not necessarily by the name of the person in the position. There's been different ups and downs with my work story the size of the Rocky Mountains but even before I got into the workforce, I remember my mom telling me,

"You'll have to work twice as hard because you have two strikes against you. 1. You're female and 2. You're Hispanic."

She warned me about this because I know that she's had some pay discrimination in her life for more reasons than just gender and race. She didn't want me to be caught off guard about how the world has worked for so long and I'm not.

And now in these recent years, it's nice to see how it's being put out there and how narrow minded people really are. Education and time off for families and experience are honestly some bull sh!t excuses that some tend to play around with on how much affects the pay gap and some even claim that the gap doesn't exist. But on the other side, if women do really well then they are the bossy devil b!tch in Prada.

"Ok she's tough, but if Miranda were a man, noone would notice anything about her except how great she is at her job" ~The Devil Wears Prada

 Apparently there is no middle to women in the workplace. Apparently there seems to be gap in more than one place. So to the doubters and nay-sayers, do whatever helps you sleep at night because just because you don't believe it's this bad or you doubt the gap even exists, it does. It may be bigger in a lot of places and not as big in others, but the gap itself still remains.

This topic hangs in the back of my mind at times and ends up mentally listed in a few of my life choices like building a savings. Because with a lesser pay in places, there's less for retirement and less received in Social Security because there's not always enough paid in during the working years. It's not always about the here and now but it's over time and you learn that a lot of things, like your pay, will affect more that just your bank account and current livelihood










What else have I learned? Look at my last post on what else I've learned in the past 25 years of life.

My Hispanic Remedies Explained

0k, I’m alive!!

It’s definitely been a trip. I’m not sure what is worse: being sick enough to have to miss work and just hate life or not being technically sick enough to have to go to work because you already have time off planned the next week. This past week has been a mess of everything. I’ve gone through so much stuff to keep me functioning as a human and more so as a human with a job in customer service. It’s not that I was contagious or anything, just felt like an incubus of viral plague.

Now, as a Hispanic woman, there are a few stereotypes that flow with being sick that society tends to mock but to be perfectly honest, there are a few reasons that they are home staples besides the fact that it works. Allow me to elaborate a tad:

Vicks vaporub, it’s creamy/gelly/absorbing and yes it has to be Vicks brand (and no, of course it's not sponsored, it's just brand loyalty). I don’t misplace this jar of amazingness. Sinuses backed up and now your throat is screaming from the dry air. Some people will go and buy a humidifier. Don't get me wrong, they are great, and even Vicks has their own line of humidifiers from cheap to people-spend-that-much-on-that? But when you’re at home and not wanting to encounter people in general, you do what you can.

Pop the biggest soup pot on the stove full of water and pop a spoonful of Vicks in it and let it simmer. Remember to check it every now and then so that it doesn’t end badly but the dry throat and nose will thank you no matter which room you are in. I have a relatively small place so it gives moisture to the air and even after I turn off the stove at night, because duh, I'm still able to save my throat and my voice. I've also been that person that's had it all over my chest, on the bottom of my feet with socks, and around my nostrils to one sooth my nose from the boxes of tissues and two, to smell it allll in. I had it a lot as a kid and it just reminds me of home. I'm not at home anymore and it sucks a lot when you have no choice but to take care of yourself, but it's stuff like this that helps you physically as well as mentally.

Manzanilla/Yerba Buena – Hot tea is a hot trend but it’s never been a fad when you consider the benefits of herbal tea. Now myself, I prefer Manzanilla (chamomile). Any stomach issue on down can be soothed with a steamy cup of tea. My bf prefers the good herb, mint. He is also the type who is not a fan of medicines, doctors, chemical compounds that are not included in car parts, etc. He’d rather drink some tea and tough it out. A lot of our culture is like that. If you aren’t holding your intestines inside your body then you’ll be ok. I don’t have that kind of patience but again, it works.

Sprite and/or 7up. The two are interchangeable really. Not saying that they taste the same but whichever you can get first, go for it. Anytime you get sick, you know to keep the fluids going but who likes being sick and waterlogged? Sometimes the bubbly goodness of Sprite doesn’t feel as heavy after a while and it gives your taste buds a break. And as a woman who’s had countless UTIs, mixing the Sprite to tone down the super tartness of straight cranberry juice helps keep the goodness going. You get some flavor and have the fluids to move things along

Caldito aka soup – it goes back to the keeping the fluids going but it also makes sense that especially if something is making you feel bleh, you have to eat something that is easy on the stomach and will be homey especially when you’re in an empty house taking care of yourself. Some people use chicken noodle soup. My family has a secret family chicken soup recipe that is easy to make and to eat. I’ve never not felt better after eating a bowl because then I’m warm, I’m full and I’ve given my body something that can help it fight whatever is keeping me down.  And if you make a big pot, then it lasts for days. 

Now I would have had pictures of my wonderful soup and Sprite, however comma, I ate and drank it all. But trust me, it goes back to the home feeling. I may not be at home or have someone to take care of me all day, but when you have a better attitude when you're sick, I think it helps so that way you won't be as miserable. So call your parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents who may have some home remedies but of course, be smart and go to the doctor too.




Read my previos post?
Operation Ducks in a row - Savings

My New Best Lash Friend