The Quiet Life of Violet

Got Health? (A Giveaway, Too!)

Hi there!

I had a huge long day of shopping at Michael's for photo frames today. Actually, I was only in the store for about thirty minutes, but I swear, it takes all day to get the timing right and get anything done with a baby. Bath time and food time then nap time then more food, then clothes change and maybe another nap and then a quick snack and... out the door. Not to mention the whole feeding and showering myself thing. I did laundry today, too. Wooo! Actually, I do laundry everyday, but I FOLDED AND PUT IT AWAY today... Go me! Oh, gone are the days where I could loaf on the couch all day and still have things done before Dustin got home. Ha! What the heck did I do with all of my time before the baby came?!

Anyway, ( I may be sipping wine and feeling fabulous, at the moment), my sweet friend, Miss Lacy of LacyLike, has been brewing something new for you, my sassy, amazing readers.



She, along with her friend Lisa, has launched a super important wellbeing and health coaching course, Thriving Through The Holidays. If you need more than just the desire to get healthy, need a little accountability and inspiration, this is totally for you. EVERYONE wants to be healthy and  look and feel amazing. I don't know anyone who says, "I enjoy feeling bad not only physically, but mentally, as well."  Do you? Like many things though, the urge is there shining and shimmering as bright as a Christmas candle, but the "getting there and doing it part" is where you get lost. Well, pretty lady, let Lacy help!

Not only has she been working on the above, she's personally launched a pretty little something called Campaign for Confidence. The message is: when you eat beautifully, you'll feel and look nothing but! She's taken a few (veg?) saucy, confident pictures with only the beautiful body that God gave her and some choice veggies. She wants you to do the same and share.



Racy Lacy! Join her and women everywhere by taking and sharing your picture, complete with the veggie or fruits of your choice, with the world. Dustin (who will have no complaints, I'm sure) is going to take mine this weekend! I can't wait to share!

[Yeah, I totally cried the first time I watched this.]

The Holidays are about family, traditions, giving and making beautiful memories, right? What better way to honor all of the above by honoring you and your well being? Like the saying goes, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Let Lacy and Lisa help you find the most beautiful you, even if she's hiding deep down and scared.

It's time, friends. Do it for your Husband. Do it for your sweet children. Do it for YOU -- you're worth it. <3

 

Now for the giveaway part!

Lacy is also offering an eBook that she created herself: 12 Tip & 12 Recipes to Thrive Through the Holidays and one lucky reader will win a free copy! Just leave a comment (one per person, please!) stating which fruit or veggie you'd most like to take your picture with, plus your email address, and I'll draw one lucky winner's name on the 26th!

Have a great Thursday!

XO,
Veggie Lovin' Violet

 

 

 

Grandma's Hat

 

My Mom made this hat out of alpaca hair (fur?) and decided to do a little photoshoot with Squid while she babysat on Saturday.  

I die! Holy crap so cute! Ahhhh!

How I'm Feeling

 

 

 

 

Ten days ago:

Last night:

Oh dear!

 

She Knows What She's Talking About

As a little girl, I had stick straight hair. Pin straight. After my first bout with cancer and the chemo made me shed it all, it grew back CURLY. Ringlettes. Dustin said that one of his first memories of me was being behind my Dad's clunky white truck in the car with his Mother on the way home after school. He said that my long, curly hair was swirling in the wind and he was entranced. I've never told him, but I knew he was behind me and I made sure to swirl my hair around extra enchanting.

Anyway, These past few years, I've fought the curls and used my snazzy blow drier (with retractable cord!) to blow my hair out after every shampoo. Well, blow outs = dry hair = split ends which I DISPISE. I've gotten to the point where I'll sit and trim my splits one by one.  I love the haircut that Miss Holly gave me and I'm not quite ready to change it up.

Last week, after spending 32 minutes trimming individual split ends, I decided that I wanted to give my poor hair a break and go natural. My hair isn't as curly as it was when I was 17, but it still has some definite curl to it, but it just gets all flat and frizzy if I don't blow it out.

Enter the brilliant Ms. Rachel of Smile and Wave.


She has a blurb on her FAQ about how she gets her curls to look so freaking fantastic, so I decided to try her technique.

"Once I have rinsed the conditioner from my hair, I hand comb it into separate chunks of curls and let the water run through it with my head tipped forward. I scrunch it while it's dripping wet and then gently fold a towel over it without rubbing so as not to separate the curls too much. After five minutes I remove the towel and add about two medium sized handfuls of Suave #8 mousse. I don't run it through with my fingers but scrunch it into my curls with my palms. I then run my fingers around the curls framing my face and around my crown to add extra definition."

I her took her advice, mostly to a "t"... I didn't have any mousse, so I used a bit of "It's a 10" leave-in product and some spray gel in place.

What did I get?

Pretty, unfrizzy curls! I was freezing, so I used my diffuser (blow dryer attachment) to help speed the process up a bit, but my hair still looked 800 times better than when I do nothing to it. Next time, I'll use booby pins to pin up some of the top pieces and hopefully I can get some of those springy top-curls that Rachel rocks.

(The back looked even better, but my behind-my-back-picture-taking skills are not super excellent.)

 Hooray for curls!