HOW TO DESIGN A DRY BRUSHING ROUTINE

So I decided to do a post on something I just started doing this week...

DRY BRUSHING!

I have been seeing things all over the internet about dry brushing and all its amazing benefits. 

So I decided to get on the bandwagon to see what all the super big fuss was about. 

I've always been a big fan with things that I add to my health care routine that is NATURAL & that serves many different PURPOSES to my health since I'm always stretched for time. Not to mention that it's super cheap and incredibly fast.

THE MANY BENEFITS INCLUDE...

Opens your pores

Releases toxins

Promotes circulation

Helps get rid of cellulite

Gets rid of skin cells

Exfoliates your skin

Since I've only just began dry brushing I haven't seen the full extent of these benefits but already I've noticed that all the flaky dead skin cells I would see on my skin after getting out of the shower are gone! Which is really great news for me because I get incredibly dry skin on my legs.

1. Choosing the Dry Brush

First you want to purchase a dry brush. I purchased this one from Amazon.com and this specific brush is great because most brushes have bristles that are too stiff and can be too harsh. 

You also want to make sure you get a brush that uses natural bristles, no synthetic bristles!

2. Method

Also note:

• You may want to brush in the shower or over a towel so you don't get dead skin cells all over your nice bathroom floor (if you're like me your already getting a nice layer of hair on the floor already).
• I've heard that it is good to dry brush once or twice a day. I've been just doing it once daily in the morning before I shower but might eventually adding it to my nighttime routine also.

• Don't brush over cuts or broken skin

3. Science

You've probably heard that your skin is the largest organ in your body which stands to reason that your skin is one of the biggest ways that you can get rid of waste from your body. When you dry brush it increases the circulation in your lymphatic system which is part of your circulatory system . This results in more energy and giving your skin a natural and healthy glow while detoxing your body! Triple whammy. The dry brushing method has been used since Ancient Greece so you can be sure that this method has been has been tried and used for hundreds of years.

So give it a try and please let me know your results!

Let me know how long you've been doing it and if you have noticed healthier skin or more energy :)

A WHOLE NEW WAY TO LOOK AT STRESS

Hey guys! Short post today. So I'm a nerd and I like things like documentaries and motivational seminars and I love love love TED talks! T.E.D. stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. This certain TED talk really grabbed me and then shook me. It gave me a new outlook on how to handle stress and the challenges in our lives. Check it out, you'll be super glad you took the 15 minutes. It is a perfect example of another way you can 'design' your life for the better and how to 'design' or control your circumstances to better serve you!

OUR TRIP TO HONG KONG! PART 1 : ARCHITECTURE

Last August Jake and I had the amazing opportunity to go on a vacation to Hong Kong! If you don't know where that is it is on the southern-most coast in China. Why you ask? Because our plans are to eventually move there. You heard me right, MOVE THERE.

Our first day in Hong Kong

BACK STORY

So why are two newly married kids planning on moving half-way across the world? Jake served an LDS mission in Hong Kong and has felt very strongly that we are supposed to go back and move there, at least for a few years. Sooooo, being the supportive wife that I am, I'm like: Sure! why not? *smile, smile*, while on the inside I'm like: oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! *uncontrollable nerves*. Although, despite my fears I've always felt like it is the right thing for us to do. And I figure that while we are there I'll have some pretty awesome things to blog about! So Jake is currently working on his linguistics degree with an emphasis on teaching english so that he can teach english in the primary schools there in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG TRIP PART 1 - ARCHITECTURE

This is at the Nan Lian Gardens. It was raining warm rain, it was like we were walking through a magical and colorful wonderland.

The Big Buddha Statue. It was a little bit of a hike to get there. It's 268 steps leading to the statue. It really is an amazing view at the top.

As you can see from some of these pictures we were able to take it is no secret that Hong Kong is filled with a unique aesthetic beauty. Hong Kong is just brimming full of buildings both ancient and new. Many times we would be standing in a wise feeling old temple with sky scrapers rising directly behind it and a McDonalds that could be seen directly down the street. At first, I thought,  

What kind of place am I in? Don't they know that skyscrapers belong in big cities, temples belong in secluded countrysides and McDonalds belongs in a crowded mall with your food served by young teenagers in high school who don't know what's going on.  

(Just to note, I was once a clueless teenager with a fast food job.) 

If you are in American in Hong Kong McDonalds and 7-Elevens are GOLD. They are on EVERY street corner so you have no need to fear. Those places saved us quite a few times! Well I mean to say that it saved ME quite a few times. Jake was a stud. He would walk around talking in Cantonese like a pro ordering food, asking for directions and asking folks about their lives in Hong Kong. For me, I would just blurt out intense sounding comments with a loud voice saying, YOUR BUILDINGS ARE VERY TALL! and I WOULD LIKE THE SHWIENG WA NOODLES PLEASE! Which was awkward considering everybody there speaks english.

I challenge you to take time to really stop and appreciate either the subtle or not so subtle architectural detailings of buildings, parks, walk-ways, etc., on your next vacation. Those architectural details bring character and variety to what we see and are just one of those things that add more richness into our lives.