Day 1 of My Low Carb Week

Pasta, bread, cookies, crackers, muffins, scones, are a no no this week! I have vowed to avoid carbohydrates for one week. I eased into the process by beginning to cut carbohydrates over the weekend. I immediately began to feel withdrawal like symptoms. I felt a little jittery. Other than that, I can put my nose on it, but I just didn't feel at my best. I am glad that I began weaning off of my addiction over the weekend. All of those ugly feelings have subsided for the most part and I am beginning to feel more clear headed and energized. We will see where I stand in a few days.

I do not think that I can be low carb forever, but I definitely think this is something that I can do every other week if all goes well. I have been on a weightloss plateau for a while now and going low carb may just be the solution. My day one meal plan is as follows:

Breakfast: Bannana, grapes and 1 tablespoon of almond butter
Snack: Wasabi flavored Almonds (Trader Joe's brand)
Lunch: 1 Mahi Mahi Filet, Orange-Glazed Carrots and a Babybel Cheese
Snack: More Wasabi flavored Almonds (Trader Joe's brand), Oranges and a Nectarine
Dinner: To Be Determined....

This week, I have also decided to also eliminate artificial sugars from my diet. I know, big changes?! I drink lots and lots of iced tea with Splenda as well as diet dark sodas on occasion. I have noticed that after ingesting artificial sweeteners, I have an insatiable appetite. Through my research, I believe that my articial sweetner intake is the culprit. I purchased Wholesome Sweeterners' Organic Blue Agave and raw honey from Costco. These two products will replace my Splenda/Sweet n' Low products from here on out. I will keep you all posted daily to share my experience going low carb as well as artifical sweetener free.

My Lunch: Mahi Mahi and Orange Glazed Carrots

Chic Updo

I am on a quest to grow my hair out and in order for it to be healthy, I have to wash it less. I used to wash my hair with shampoo daily, not knowing that I was weakening my hair. I am now trying to find hairstyles for the second or third day of unwashed. I have finally found a new simple updo!

By simple, I mean it. There is no way that could take any longer than fifteen minutes to my hair in the morning; my commute starts at 5:30 AM. If you are curious as to what inspired this updo, check out the video below. It is from The Small Things Blog! This is the only place I go to find fast, simple, classic hairstyles that are good for work and play.

 

Being Latina is complicated when you are trying to grow your hair out like Rapunzel after a botched dye job!

 

http://youtu.be/D39EsloH0yA

How to Host A Tea Party (You Know...The Non-Political Kind)

I love tea and often host tea parties with my family. Start this tradition with your friends and family. The sooner you begin, the faster you can start adding to your own tea collection!

Read more on how to host a tea party by reading my article in Being Latino Online Magazine. Just click here!

Mint Is An "It" Color For A Reason

July 31, is my mother's birthday. Not only does my family celebrate her birth date, but we honor her the entire week! To kick off her birthday week festivities, we decided to have lunch at one of our favorite casual Japanese restaurants, Sakura of Tokoyo in West Covina.

This outing was a perfect time for me to try out the mint skirt that I purchased at Cotton On for $10.

I paired the skirt with a ruffled tank top purchased at Target for $6 and mint necklace from Forever 21 for the same price. By pairing my skirt and necklace with a neutral colored top and shoes, I was able to further accentuate the mint color. Peach/pink blush and lipstick/lipgloss are also a good way to add more color to your overall look.

My Sister, Mom, and I

I now know why mint is an "it" color this season. It is versatile and makes all outfits "pop". I cannot wait to re-use this skirt again in another setting with a different top, accessories and shoes.

It is safe to say that my outfit and lunch were an overall success.

Being Latina is less complicated when you can budget shop and still look stylish, while simultaneously enjoying time with family. 

Grandparents, Husband, Parents

So What Does It Really Feel Like to Unplug For A Month?

Phone-less for a month! What?

Verizon's Pantech Jest is a piece of _______. (You can fill in the blank for yourself.) A month ago, my phone finally kicked rocks and never turned on again. I cannot act like I didn't see it coming. It would constantly shut off on its own, freeze, or only turn on if it was plugged into a charger. This behavior went on for about two months before it just died. 

I had gotten this phone replaced before for the exact same reason, and this time I decided not to pay my insurance's deductible to get a third phone. This time was different, I waited. I figured that I could hold out until my contract with Verizon was up for renewal in September. 

Note to self: Your bright ideas often do not seem as brilliant to others.

My decision to wait has led my husband to receive plenty of angry phone calls from my best friends. The first thing that came out of their mouths as soon as my husband passed his cell phone over was, "You are the worst friend ever!" I laughed and said, "I know, I know....My phone is either, broken or lost, and you can never get a hold of me." Although I laughed it off, I knew that what they were saying had truth to it. 

My Bestie aka Lifesaver Since High School, Nick!

Quality friends do not just allow themselves to drop off the face of the planet. It was time to get a phone and luckily my bestie Nick had an extra Blackberry. As Nick handed it over, he made it quite clear that I have no excuse for my inability to return phone calls and he's right. 

Being Latina is a lot easier when you have loyal friends and technology that actually works.

This gadget saved my friendships.

I LOVE LA

The transition back to California has been hectic! Unpacking somehow took longer than the packing process and getting used to living at home with my parents took some time. I am rejuvenated and ready to get back to blogging my heart out.

Week one of being back at home, I had to stop at Dodger Stadium. So what if we lost that day? It was just an awesome experience being there representing my home team; the same team that I grew up watching as a child. Before we left we basked at Dodger stadium's ambience and the downtown skyline.

Me, Jorge (My Husband), and My Sister

Week two, entailed a much fuller schedule. Jorge and I decided to apply to become volunteers with Homeboy Industries. Speedily, we were called back within the week, had an interview, and were "hired".  Now I am a GED tutor. Besides volunteering, I enrolled and started my LSAT class on Saturday. Taking a full-length LSAT test meanwhile, my nose was running like a faucet, was no easy task. It was actually pretty disgusting to be honest. I truly feel bad for the random dude sitting next to me that had to put up with my sneezing and nose blowing. On the other hand, he kind of had it coming since, he showed up to class late and had no choice but to sit next to the girl with allergies.

This past Saturday, my husband and I, had a Welcome Home party hosted by my parents. The theme was Angels vs. Dodgers. My family loves the Dodgers, while my husband's family represents the Angels. Get it? Friends and family gathered to celebrate our long awaited return from the Arizona desert. I really needed to dance on Saturday night and thank goodness I had all night to do it! I danced my heart out and it felt great. As I danced, I felt like a woman again and not the stressed out creature that I had let myself become with the move back home.

Working on a word search puzzle that my Mom made for our Welcome Home party.

My Grandma Pat, Me, and My Mom

My Mom and I

My Bestie Wendy, Jorge, Me, and My Big Dog Nelson

Being Latina is complicated, especially when you move back to your hometown after being away for college and graduate school.

SB 1070, The Supreme Court, and Racism Straight Outta Phoenix

Residence in Phoenix showed me just how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to be born and raised in California. I am not going to act like California is absolutely perfect, but I never had to deal with constant blatant racism.

Racism runs rampant in Arizona and it was made even more clear as my husband, Jorge and I moved out of our apartment.

My father and best friend, Nelson were standing in our U-Haul that was parked right outside of my apartment, when they became victims of drive-by racism. Out of nowhere, a White driver shouts out, "Look at the Wetbacks move. They are running out of here now." Totally caught off guard, my father and Nelson were left frazzled.

Fifteen minutes later, Jorge and I found out and we were more than frazzled.

A friend once told me, "Why do you see everything as racial?" It is this very phrase that irks me to my core. Why do I see everything racially? Do I really have control over whether or not something is racial? I did not know that I could change my mentality and all of a sudden see less racism. I am sorry, but I do not practice colorblindness.

Colorblindness is dangerous and allows subtle, underhanded racism to thrive. The only way to conquer racism is to talk blatantly about it, rather than sweeping it under the rug. Obviously what happened to my father and Nelson was not subtle, and you would be a colorblind fool to say that what was shouted was not racist.

This was an important story to share because this it is reflective of what is going on in Arizona. Yes, maybe people are not getting tar and feathered yet, but it is there. Many Arizonans like to say that media over exaggerates the racial climate, but I beg to differ. Mexicans live in a state of constant fear.

This fear was just reinforced as a result of the recent decision that the Supreme Court has upheld. The worst part of SB 1070 is the section that states that police officers can check a person's residency status.  As a result of the Supreme Court's decision, this section is now deemed constitutional.

Until Governor Jan Brewer and her Tea Party Posse are overthrown, ignorance will continue to run rampant. How can I expect the man who called my father and friend "Wetbacks" to know better, when the leaders of Arizona pass legislation that is specifically aimed at Latinos?

My hope lies in the children of Arizona. Hopefully, they will grow up with a desire to change the political climate. My parting words with my seventh grade students were, "You are the only people who truly have the power to change this state."

With that being said, I'm leaving my Arizona students with the seed of change, while I return to my home state in order to create change in my hometown. After all, you cannot teach without a solid model.

Good Bye Arizona!

Captured as we drove out of Downtown Phoenix

Fruitful Fridays: I'm thankful for science fair and field day.

Outcast, social pariah, and loner only begin to describe what it feels like to be a liberal in Arizona. Conservatives can just smell the hippiness that radiates off of me and my best friend Sam, which is why we are typically by ourselves. I wouldn't even call us hippies, I would say that I am a moderate liberal, but that is even too hippy when you are surrounded by the tea party.

Friendly hellos and smiles over the past two years did not help us acquire more friends at work. There is an unspoken mutual understanding between us and our co-workers; since we have nothing in common, we do not bother to make small talk.  Our only options are talking to each other or our students.

The only positive that has come out of this extremely awkward working situation is the fact that we have been able to form a genuine bond with our students. Yes, there are times when they get on our nerves, but they can also be charming. Science fair and field day this week solidified these already tight bonds and it is hard not to get emotional this late in the year. My "little nuggets" are soon going to become eighth graders and I will not be able to guide them as their teacher any longer.

The last couple of weeks that I am able to spend with them are precious and I am thankful for the opportunity to have taught. I do not need anything for Teacher Appreciation week besides time to spend with my kids/students. 

Being Latina is knowing when to move on so that you can grow, even if it hurts.