Get Ready with Me! (natural, everyday makeup)

I love playing around with makeup (when I find the time) and I wanted to film a video of me doing it for fun. All products I use are shown in the video, but if you have any questions about what I use or do, comment below and I'll respond.

I love watching makeup videos on Youtube and I thought maybe I'd make one of my own. This is my first video ever so I'm still learning how to use the editing software and camera. This video is an example of what I do on days when I actually wear makeup. I'll post one of a more dramatic look if anyone is interested. Comment below and let me know! What are your favorite everyday makeup products?

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional. This was just for some girly fun.

PS sorry about the quality. I filmed it in HD, but the site only allows a certain amount of data upload. Enjoy!

Our First Maternity Photo Session

While we were in Utah, my parents were kind enough to share their photography skills and take some maternity pictures for Gabe and me. They turned out lovely, and I just wanted to share a few of my favorites.

I case anyone is interested, my parents are starting up their own professional photography business! They're brilliant at what they do and really make you feel comfortable in your own skin. I'm so grateful that they were able to capture the happiness, joy, and excitement that we feel about bring this new little life into the world.

I wish I was a little farther along when we took these, but it happens when it happens and my parents worked with the material they had beautifully! If you are interested in setting up a photography session with them, comment down below and I will send you contact information. They work out of Salt Lake City, Utah and San Leandro (Bay Area), California.

PS. Did I mention I didn't even edit any of these pictures? Raw film, my friends. Raw film. I loved the originals so much I didn't even want to mess with them.

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."

-Robert A. Heinlein

"The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.

-George Washington Burnap

"Happiness is only real when shared."

-Jon Krakauer

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” 

-Aristotle

Post Holiday Life Update: Christmas and Nesting!

I know this post is a little late. I was planning on posting it before we went to visit family in January, but I didn't get it up in time. I hope you still enjoy it, even if it's a few weeks late. Happy February!

The past few weeks have been amazing. Gabe had time off work, and we were able to really spend a lot of time together discussing life and enjoying the last little while when it is just the two of us. This Christmas, we kept things pretty low key. Gabe had a half day of work on the 24th and then the festivities began!

I made him a hearty pot roast (by request), and we cuddled up and watched Christmas movies. I think everyone misses family during this time of the year if they aren't living close to them, and we definitely felt the longing to be closer. We are praying our next base is warmer and easier to visit home, especially during the holidays.

We were able to Skype with my younger brother, Elder Ishimatsu, on Christmas morning. He is doing well in Germany, loving his mission, the people, and the word of God. He still has his sense of humor firmly intact. I can't believe he will be home before our baby is born! (Unless the little guy comes early).

Brrr....

As I have started preparing for the arrival of our baby, I've found an unnatural drive to clean EVERYTHING. I say unnatural because I've never been quite so obsessed with cleaning, organizing, and consolidating a whole house. 

Isn't he precious?! Gabe has been able to feel him move and we could 

sit for hours just waiting for him to kick or roll over!

What have I learned from my nesting experiences? Firstly, when you do a little bit of something everyday, eventually the whole project is finished! Being pregnant, I have found that I run out of energy a little bit earlier than I am used to in my non-pregnant body. Being aware of my energy levels and lower back pain (which is starting to creep in), I have been doing 1 deep cleaning project everyday. Most of the time, this project lasts less than 1 hour. And I've nearly gotten through the entire house! Secondly, we have donated many unused items that were just taking up space, I packed away all my non-pregnancy clothes, and threw away or recycled all useless things. It has made me completely obsessed with a minimalistic view of material goods. Our house is much more clean, and our lives seem much more focused. I feel as though I can spend more time living and less time cleaning all the junk.

Our cat, Pixel, has really been enjoying the cleaning process,

although he does have a tendency to fall asleep on the job.

Now I want to know, what is new with you? Comment down below and let me know!

Recipe : Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders

I was browsing through Pinterest the other night (there are so many good recipes!) and I found one I wanted to try. We've been slowly transitioning our eating style to more natural, paleo-ish, and less refined way of eating. We have also been aiming for high protein, low carbs.

We're not perfect, we're human, but we do try our best to be better every day. I have loved the slow transition we are taking because it seems so much easier and the little steps make every day successful. This style of eating has really been making my pregnant belly happy. Our baby loves his protein, veggies, and meditation (every time I meditate he starts dancing away).

So last night, I made these delicious baked chicken tenders with a side salad! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and they turned out great.  They are husband and baby approved. I changed the recipe slightly from the original I found on Pinterest.

This recipe is gluten free, GARD diet approved, high protein/low carb, and can be altered to be completely Paleo compliant! Now, let's get cooking.

First I like to gather all the needed ingredients. For this recipe, most of what I have came from Costco. You will need:

2 pounds chicken tenders
1 cup Almond Flour (I used Honeyville found at my Costco)
1-2 eggs (depending on amount of chicken/size of eggs. I only needed 1 egg)
1 tablespoon Ground Flaxseed (also found at Costco)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried parsley
ground black pepper to taste

Tools you will need:

Some non-stick agent (I used some olive oil spray)
A baking sheet (I ended up needing 2)
2 deep plates or shallow bowls (used for egg and then another for the almond flour mixture)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the Almond flour, flaxseed, and all the spices in one shallow bowl.

In the other bowl, crack the egg(s) and lightly beat.

Your spread should look something like this:

Take each chicken tender out and blot off excess moisture with a paper towel. Then thoroughly coat the tender in the egg mixture. After that, pack on the almond flour to create a coating over the chicken. Place on your greased baking sheet (I put some tin foil on the baking sheet because ours are a little old and stick to everything.)

Continue for the remainder of the tenders. Voila!

Now, put those babies in the oven for 8 minutes on each side, flipping them over in between.

Once they are done, enjoy them with a salad for some good healthy fiber and nutrients. We also made some yummy Honey Mustard (using a little honey and mustard, haha) to go with the chicken tenders.

These were amazing! You can find the original recipe I used here. It was a phenomenal way to make some delicious allergy friendly, healthy chicken tenders. 

If you try out this recipe, let me know! I would love to see pictures of your creations or comments on how it went! Cheers to another day better than the last.