Mr. Grey Will See You Now…

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Can you believe it’s FINALLY that time for the release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie?  I first posted my review of trilogy back in 2012 (original post here), and after much anticipation, my friend Zach and I are going to see it tonight.  We have been planning this for the better part of a year, and I bought our tickets over a month ago for the preview because we just couldn’t wait.  Are you going to see the movie?  Please leave it in the comments below. Laters, baby!

(My #fangirl memorabilia pictured from top left, clockwise:  Original movie soundtrack; ticket confirmation for the movie preview; buttons from Comic Con given to me by my sister; special Newsweek edition purchased last week; my original soft cover book prior to the new one updated for the movie.)

Simon Youth Foundation Seeks Applicants for Scholarships!

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I love sharing opportunities like this on my blog.  I applied and received a grant for my first year in college, which helped me get books, supplies and helped me pay for tuition.  Fashion Valley Mall and Las Americas Premium Outlets are Simon Properties right here in San Diego, so if you know a student who is ready to take their education to the next level, have them apply!

This May, one student from every community that is home to a Simon property (www.simon.com) is eligible to receive a one-time scholarship award up to $1,500. In addition, 10 designated Simon, Mills and Premium Outlets centers will grant an Award of Excellence – a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable for up to three years.

Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded through the Simon Youth Scholarships program and in partnership with local Simon properties. The application period for the 2015 Simon Youth Community Scholarship Program is December 1, 2014 – February 25, 2015.

Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2015 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property, including Fashion Valley and Las Americas Premium Outlets in San Diego, is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,500 for each designated center to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

Applications also can be downloaded at the SYF website at: http://programs.applyists.com/syf/.

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Pay Tribute & Go See Strangelove in Concert Tomorrow!

Strangelove Tickets

I have concluded my week-long mind, body and soul refreshing experience, and I’m ending it in spectacular manner by finally seeing Strangelove, “the ultimate Depeche Mode tribute band” tomorrow at San Diego’s House of Blues.  My BFF Janice and my sister Rholnna will be in attendance with me, and I believe tickets are still available here.  I’ll have a full review of the show, and hopefully a little more.  If you go, please make sure come up to me and say hi!

Finding My Center…

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I know my blogging has been sporadic lately.  This is due to many factors, all of which are important and under my control, although a bit time consuming.  I’m the kind of person where family always comes first, but I have been reminded that I can’t forget about the “me” time.  So rather than make excuses, I’m going to do myself, my body and my soul a favor by taking a week off to find my center.  I’ve been putting off a wonderful gift I received nearly a year ago, but I think this is the time to use it and just relax.  I’m excited because I’ve never done anything like this before, especially solo.  All I’ll say (for now) is that I’ll be walking through a Golden Door and coming back refreshed and ready to take on the (blogging) world!

(Photo courtesy of Golden Door)

Review: SEVEN Luxury Haircare

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With my new hair color addiction, I’m all for trying out products that will keep my hair looking good through coloring process.  As much as I love it, coloring is not easy on hair.  Ideally, I want and need products that minimize fading, but also keep it conditioned and healthy.

Last month, I posted that local premier San Diego salons were partnering with SEVEN Luxury Haircare to give back to the community (original post here).  During that time, I was afforded the opportunity to review some of their products, and a couple of them were specific for color treated hair, which was great timing because I have had my hair colored twice since then.

Let me first say that I have altered my hair washing routine:  I have reduced my hair washing to twice a week, rather than every other day.  This has significantly increased the life of the color in my hair.  Since I’m only washing my hair twice a week, I want to make sure the products I use are of higher quality.  I find that over-the-counter products can be too light and don’t provide enough cleansing for my scalp, or end up too strong, stripping my hair completely of natural oils.

SEVEN’S COLOR Shampoo and COLOR Conditioner both felt completely luxurious, and they didn’t dry out my hair.  The PENETRATE Conditioning Treatment is the first deep conditioning treatment I have tried, and I can see and feel the difference in my hair when I use it once a week. My hair doesn’t break as much as it used when I used over-the-counter products.

By far, my two favorite products are the SEAL Lotion and DRY Dry Shampoo.  I use the SEAL Lotion after every hair washing.  Firstly, this product smells amazing, almost like delicious candy.  I also like how more manageable my hair feels while styling, which is important because I blow dry and straighten my hair after every wash.  Between washes, I use the Dry Shampoo to absorb any excess oils and to keep my hair looking fresh.  Unlike over-the-counter brands, it doesn’t leave a lasting white residue once you comb the product through your hair after application.

Overall, the SEVEN Luxury Haircare products definitely live up to its name.  Each product is quite luxurious and has allowed me to keep my color longer than I thought possible!  SEVEN Luxury Haircare products can be found at participating the salons below and also for online purchase at http://shop.kuthaus.com/Seven.  If you purchase SEVEN products and love them as much as I do, let me know your favorite product in the comments, cheers!

Hairdrezzers on Fire

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The Swank Studio

7 Hair Care 2FTC Disclosure:  I received product and was asked to review the product in return.  Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

"Drink Local, Drink Often": Caffeine Crawl 2015

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Last Friday, I was invited by the folks at The Lab to take part in this year’s Caffeine Crawl.  As a coffee enthusiast, I was so very excited and invited my fellow coffee connoisseur, Audrey (who used to work in a coffee-house a “back in the day”) to join me on this little adventure.  Audrey and I spent many a long night discussing “the world we live in and life in general” at different coffee houses throughout San Diego, so I couldn’t imagine doing a crawl with anyone but her!

We attended the “North Coast Crawl”, which allowed us to take in local coffee spots in the Encinitas area.  Our route took us to four different coffee houses, sampling coffee and baked goods in nearly each place.  We also received lessons on roasting, coffee producers, ways to brew coffee and even the science of what goes into great cup.

Our stops were as follows, which started at 2pm and ran until around 5pm.  We were very glad we wore flats because there was quite a distance between some of the stops.  But we enjoyed it because we discovered so many great places to eat and shop along the way.

North Coast:

Cafe Ipe

Pannikin Coffee & Tea

Lofty Coffee Co.

Ironsmith Coffee Roasters

I hope you enjoy my pictorial account of the crawl below.  Keep in touch with Caffeine Crawl through their official site, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest crawls in your hometown, and remember to hashtag #CaffeineCrawl on Instagram to share the love.  Special thanks to Sadie for the invite, to Emily for being our tour guide, and to all the wonderful owners, producers, roasters and baristas for sharing your time and knowledge with us!

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Caffeine Crawl 5Stop 1:  Coffee Coffee (aka Cafe Ipe) was our first coffee-house.  Roasters Dan & Scott, along with producer Victor and barista Matt, gave us great information on the types of beans they use, how their roasting process works and why their blends make a for a great cup of coffee.

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Caffeine Crawl 10Stop 2: Pannikin Coffee & Tea is a very familiar name in the San Diego area.  Owner Shawn and his son Dempsey were on hand with roaster Helena and producer Sam.  We were able to try out a new blend that has yet to be served in their cafe.  Helena provided some insightful information about coffee that I didn’t know:  “The oils in the coffee carry the flavor & the caffeine.”

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Stop 3:  Because of the distance between Pannikin and the next stop, Lofty Coffee Co., we didn’t get to see the demonstration or get to know the presenters.  We did arrive to one of my favorite blends called Guatemala Genesis, served both hot and cold.  I loved it so much I bought a bag!

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Caffeine Crawl 16Stop 4:  Our final stop was at Ironsmith Coffee Roasters, owned by Matt & Raul.  Their shop isn’t quite opened yet, but we still were treated to a “flash brew” where the coffee is shocked, as well as a very informative slide presentation.  Stay connected to their Facebook page for their grand opening!

Caffeine Crawl 18Dontcha love a good “SWAG Bag”?  The bag of Guatemala Genesis that I bought at Lofty Coffee Co. is at the top.  Can’t wait to grind all of these great coffees!

(FTC Disclosure:  I was offered the opportunity to attend this event as a courtesy, but not necessarily for the purposes of a review.  Although I attended free of charge, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.)

Color Theory: Hair by Kelly Cardenas Salon

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Now that I’ve had my hair colored, I just can’t stop!  Imagine the elation I felt to be contacted by the folks at Kelly Cardenas Salon to try out their newest location in Hillcrest.  Tucked away on 5th Avenue, Kelly Cardenas Salon is quite the retreat.  It’s a very clean, minimalist space with Kelly’s infamous dreads logo sprinkled throughout.

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I was greeted by Roxy, who contacted me initially, and was immediately offered a beverage and a place to store my personal belongings before being guided to a room to change into a robe.  The workspace is large with an industrial look, and is quite organized.  The hair dryers drop from the ceiling, which really eliminates the feel of being tangled with other stylists.  The “Color Bar” is where all of the pigmentation magic happens!

My favorite part of the salon was the room where the hair washing occurs, but I didn’t have an opportunity to take any pictures because there were clients being attended to at the time.  It’s different from any other salon I’ve been to because usually the hair washing station is out in the open like the rest of the salon.  At KCS, their hair washing station is enclosed in a separate room and darkened, with soothing music playing in the background.  It takes that service to a higher and more zen level.  It’s like going to your favorite massage parlor, but for your hair!

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KCS 5Salvador was my stylist for the day and he took such good care of me, asking me questions to ensure I get the color and cut I want, but gave me good guidance so that I understand what’s really best for me.  He did such a wonderful job that I went back again to get my second color selection with him.  I started with a subtle burgundy color for my first color change, then six weeks later I opted for a more vibrant purple.

From beginning to end, I felt completely taken care of, and didn’t have a worry in the world other than to enjoy the experience.  Not only did I have a great cut and color, but I also felt more informed about how to best style my hair and how to keep the color lasting all the way up to my next appointment.  Everyone was warm and kind, which made the atmosphere feel like I was with friends and family rather than just stylist and client, and the customer service was first class.  I want to thank everyone at Kelly Cardenas Salon for one of the best salon experiences I have ever had!

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KCS 11From left to right: Ashley, Fernando, Roxy and Salvador.

(FTC Disclosure:  I was offered a service free of charge as a courtesy, but not necessarily for the purposes of a review.  Although I did receive a service free of charge, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.)

A LARP "Battle Royale" with Epic Toys

Mei Dominic LARP 1As we head into the weekend, I know my son will be delving into his video games.  He so does every weekend because we limit his play during the week while it’s the school year.  But rather than stay in all day in front of the telly or some kind of piece of technology, I really want to coax him outside more.  Last weekend, I was able to do so with these fantastic LARP Long Swords by Epic Toys.

Mei Dominic LARP 2Mei-Lin looking menacing…

Mei Dominic LARP 3But Dominic just wants to have fun!

 

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If you are unfamiliar with LARP, it stands for “Live Action Role Play”.  Most people who utilize these types of “toys” do so interactively, where they physically enact their characters.  Players usually wear costumes, and they participate in a setting that is also dressed to resemble the fictional (or possibly real) location.   In these cases, the appropriate equipment would be beneficial to complete the scenario, like these Long Swords.

The kids didn’t actually role play, but they loved the swords because they are made of foam, so no one was injured during the epic battle that followed.  Not to be left out of the fun, my sister and brother-in-law (Rholnna & Jeremy) then grabbed the swords themselves and hilarity ensued.  What happens next?  I guess we’ll see this weekend, cheers!

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Rholnna Jeremy LARP 1FTC Disclosure:  I received product and was asked to review the product in return.  Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.

Styling a "Destination Downton" Wedding for Lover.ly!

Destination Downton for Lover.ly
Season 5 of Downton Abbey has just started.  My best friend Janice and I have discussed what it would be like to plan a wedding there because we recently found out that Highclere Castle (the location of Downton Abbey), would be available not only for tours, but for engagement parties, receptions and weddings!  If I could do it all again and plan another wedding to my loving hubby, I would invite a small party and have it at Highclere Castle.  So it was perfect timing to be contacted by the folks at Lover.ly to choose and style my ideal wedding dress for my dream destination wedding.
Lover.ly is your one-stop-shop for wedding planning where brides and grooms find ideas, people to hire and things to buy.
I’m very partial to dresses with a slight sleeve.  But because my dream wedding would be at Highclere Castle, I also wanted a wedding dress that looked like it was straight out of the 1920’s.  With that in mind, I actually chose two dresses because of the different retro feel of each and styled everything through Lover.ly.  What’s great about Lover.ly is that it truly is a “one-stop-shop” for all wedding needs, and their search feature provided me with so many options on gowns, accessories, shoes and everything you need to complete your ultimate dream wedding day.  It’s really up to you on how you want to design it, and with Lover.ly, you are only limited by your imagination.  Thanks again to the folks at Lover.ly for this fun styling challenge, and I’m definitely recommending them to friends who want an easy and fun way to plan their future weddings!

Smoothieology: My Morning Work Week Routine

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I know I have mentioned this in my ClassPass post about how I’m trying to eat healthier in addition to incorporating exercise.  But now that I’ve shared how I’m changing up my snacking habits in the last post (additionally, I’m no longer having any sugary snacks and sodas during the week), I also wanted to share exactly how I make my morning breakfast using Smoothieology from the Good Clean Health blog.

I love this guide because takes the guess-work out of making a nutritious smoothie that fits me perfectly.  I’ve made several trials drinks, but this is the one that I have had every weekday morning since March 2014.  My version looks a bit green, but it really is quite delicious because I make it with selections from the “Optional” section to take the edge of the “rawness” of the smoothie.  Not only do I feel better, but I’ve even lost a little weight by cutting out my crazy fast-food morning routine.  Let me know how you are changing up your habits for a more healthier you!

  1. Base – 1/2 Can of Coconut Water
  2. Fat – 1 tbsp Almond Butter
  3. Fruits – 4-6 Strawberries & 1 Whole Banana
  4. Vegetables – 2 Handfuls of 50/50 Spring Mix or 1 Handful each of Spinach & Baby Kale (baby kale is better soluble than regular kale)
  5. Optional – 1 tbsp Flax Seed (superfood), 1/2 tsp Cinnamon (spice), 1 packet Stevia (sweetener)