Wannabe Balanced Mom

Crystal Escobar

· in Beauty

How I Cleared Up My Skin

I’m a little embarrassed to show you these pictures, but I don’t necessarily want to hold it a secret either. When I find a product that works, I am not one to keep it to myself. You’ll find ALOT of before and after pics on my blog. I’m obsessed! Love being able to SEE a difference.
I’ve had an insecurity about my skin ever since I hit puberty. Dealing with constant breakouts and oily skin was awful, but I always thought that once I got through the teenage years that it would all go away. Well, I was dead wrong on that one. Nobody ever told me about those nasty hormones that NEVER seem to settle at any stage in life. So, here I was 27 years old, almost losing hope because I had tried every skin care and treatment under the sun, and spent hundreds, probably thousands doing so. Multiple skin care lines, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, ect. I’ve also tried taking every kind of supplement there is hoping that it would clear my skin, (I didn’t want to resort to taking prescriptions, I’ve heard of some frightful long term affects they can have on your health, including black hairy tongue, YUCK!!!).
I would seriously cry because I hated it so bad and felt like it was so out of my control. Finally I went to see Kelly, an esthetician with Sacred Skin Care (located in Sandy). Her skincare and tips were what did the trick.

I’m not selling this product or anything, I just simply want to share what I know works.



Before
After

Her phone number is 801-619-3507
You can also order online if you’re not in Utah ( but do tell her I sent you, she offers discounts on my future orders for referring people)

My skin now looks better than it’s ever looked, and I’m just so excited about this amazing breakthrough. I’ve learned a lesson from this though. Don’t lose hope, never give up, and you WILL find the answer.

About 6 years ago I was on a constant search for something to help me lose weight. Once again, I tried everything possible and couldn’t seem to drop the weight. It took some time, but eventually I found the program that works. This cleansing program I did has been the most amazing product for me ( lost 25 lbs and went from a size 10 to a 5). The best part about it, is I’ve been able to maintain it all this time.
Click HERE for more info on that.

A few other tips:
  • Ice your face every night (I just use an ice cube directly on my skin, ice all over until it melts)
  • Use mineral make up
  • Get monthly chemical peals
  • Try to use Sea Salt whenever possible, the iodine in regular salt can trigger breakouts.
  • Cleanse (internally)
  • Take Zinc ( I read a lot of reviews on this, and found that people are seeing great results)

Zinc and Acne: Zinc Clears Acne

If you currently have outbreaks and zits all over, you may use zinc supplements to alleviate what you are going through. Zinc can help heal your blemishes, reduce the inflammation, and reduce the androgenic effect of hormones on your skin. Thus, if you want your pimples to heal faster, taking some zinc supplements may be a good idea. zinc is closely involved in protein synthesis and in collagen formation in your body, both of which are essential in the maintenance of healthy skin and in normalizing production of skin oils. If you have been to a dermatologist and have been advised to take tetracycline, you may find it interesting that zinc is as effective as this antibiotic for preventing acne.

I found the Zinc info on Nutritional Supplements Health Guide

You can also google zinc and acne to find what other people are saying about it. I really believe that it helps. I still deal with the monthly breakouts due to hormone changes, but I just load up on the zinc and I REALLY notice a difference FAST. I take about 200-300 milligrams a day, and make sure you eat a big meal with it, because it WILL make you nauseous.

I hope this information is helpful. Please leave me comments if you have any other tips to offer.
Also, click HERE to enter my giveaway ( jewelry)!!!

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42 Comments

· in FAB Fridays

FAB Fridays

I’ve decided to start up a new project, and hope you will all join me in this endeavor. When I first started this blog, I said I wanted to talk about people, books, and shows that inspire me. So far I have featured a few people, and have also been featured a couple times, which to be honest, COMPLETELY made my day 🙂 Thanks to Melody at 6 Feet Over , and Bea at The Busy Mom Blueprint.

I really enjoy spreading the love and supporting my friends and fellow bloggers. So, I want to make this a weekly project. Every Friday I will feature someone new that has inspired me in some way or another. I love people who are positive, creative, ambitious, and believe in supporting others. We as women, LOVE to help and to encourage. It’s in our nature to nurture 🙂 It’s what gives us that sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.

I would love it if you all took part in this project, and featured someone new each Friday as well. What goes around, comes around, I truly believe that. Let’s embrace one another’s gifts and talents, and look at it as an opportunity to learn and to be inspired.

One of my favorite quotes is one from Gordon B. Hinkley

“It is as we serve, as we take time to express interest and concern in someone other than ourselves, that we are more likely to gain a glimpse of who we really are, and what we can ultimately become.”

This was the quote I put on my missionary plaque, and it has always been something I TRY to follow.
I already have quite a few women in mind, and I’m excited to introduce them to you one by one.

I’m working on a name, here’s what I’ve come up with so far, which one do you like?
  • Fabulous Female Fridays
  • Fridays Featured Mom
  • Fabulously Flabby Females , joking everyone 🙂
  • Fertal Female Friday, also joking
  • Fricken Fabulous Featured Female Friday, is that too many “F” words? sorry, tryin to keep this G rated.

So, I was thinking we should call it, “THE TRIPLE “F” PROJECT”

Tonya has designed a new button for this project. So if and when you join in the fun, then you can add this button along with your Featuring Friday posts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feb. 20, 2010
Okay, I came up with a new name for our meme! By the way, I actually had to google the word meme, because I had NO clue what it meant.

Here is the definition: The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet.

Anyway, I appreciate all your feedback yesterday and have decided that, in order to avoid attracting dirty old men to this site, I would refrain from using the phrase “triple F”. Don’t want to disappoint anyone in search for women with (in Myda’s terms) “big honkers”. Haha, I was laughing so hard though, and thought perhaps I SHOULD keep it, but no, probably better to stick to a more classy name like, F.A.B. FRIDAYS. This stands for, Featuring Ambitious Bombshells. What do you think?
or
  • Fabulous And Beautiful
  • Featuring Aspiring Balancedmoms
  • Featuring Ambitious Babes
  • Featuring Ambitious Babymakers
  • Fricken Awesome Biotches …… sorry, just had to throw that one in

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27 Comments

· in Making Dinners

I’m so DOMESTICATED!

Wow, look at me, such a great housewife I am, apron on and everything. I actually just threw it on for the picture 🙂 trying to pull off the domesticated look. (oh, and my sweet daughter took the picture, that’s why my head is cut off)
Okay, I’m not really that great, this is one of the very few days I actually cooked. I’m working on that one.
Don’t you feel like dinner can be SO overwhelming sometimes? I try to plan out a weekly menu, put together the grocery list, and have it all ready to go. Rarely does it ACTUALLY happen, but hey, I’m tryin. I would like to be sure that my kids are getting healthy meals every night, but it can be quite the chore to actually pull it off. I do have a few tips up my sleeve, but I assure you, I don’t always FOLLOW the tips I share. I’m just trying each day, just like the rest of us moms.
I’m pretty proud of this one though:)
So, the other night I made a yummy dinner, typical American meal, meat, mashed potatoes, and some veggies. I made way too much mashed potatoes and just HATE left overs, nobody ends up eating them, but I don’t like to through it out. So what I did, and often times do now, is I googled mashed potato recipe’s, and this is what I found. I also happened to have all the ingredients to make it!

So this is what I made the following night with my leftovers 🙂
Simply Recipes Shepherds Pie. I’ve eaten this before, but this was my first time actually making it 🙂

Here’s all you need. The leftover potato’s are in the ziploc. That’s another one of my tips, although not very “GREEN” of me. I like to put leftovers in ziplocs so I can just throw them away if we didn’t eat it all, and not have to wash the dish. I’m saving water that way though right? So, that’s being green???

You just pretty much saute the onions and brown the meat. I know the meat looks gross, but my sister actually taught me this trick.
Buy the family size hamburger (also save money that way), then divide it up, adding about a pound of it into it’s own ziploc. Flatten it once it’s in the bag, date it and toss into the freezer. Then when you’re ready to use, it thaws out much faster 🙂

And here’s the finished product!!!!!! Proud moment for me 🙂
I have a giveaway going on right now, CUTE jewelry, ends Feb. 28th. Click here to enter.

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29 Comments

· in Beauty· Health· List's and Schedules· Weight Loss

My Work Out Routine

The other day as I was getting ready, my daughter comes in and begins playing with the doughy stretched out skin that is now covering the, once upon a time, descent looking abs. She was like, “it’s squishy mom, why is it like that”, hmmm, don’t ya just LOVE kids.
“Well, honey, this is what happens to skin after you have a baby in your tummy”, she was like, “oh, I don’t want my tummy to look like THAT”……ha, well neither do I 🙂
The price we pay. (sigh)

Well, she did bring to my attention that I’ve been neglecting that particular area of my body,
and it’s beginning to show. I gained almost 50 lbs with this baby. I’m now at the weight I want to be (thanks to cleansing), but have not done much to build up my abs since giving birth. I do need to tighten up a bit in other area’s as well. So I’m back to my bootcamp workouts instead of the lazy 30 min. walk on the treadmill I’ve been doing these days. I’m a new fan of Blair’s McFatty Monday’s. So, I thought today would be a great day to talk about my “mcfatty” abs 🙂
I tend to get bored easily when it comes to working out, so here is my routine full of multi-tasking. I’m all about getting as much done as possible, even when I work out.
  • 10 min. run or walk on Treadmill ( I don’t run much anymore these days, so I usually walk fast on an incline) and read one chapter of my book.
  • Work 2 different muscle groups ( I pick the ones that feel most flabby for me, example, yesterday I started with my glutes and inner thighs) 3 sets of 12-15 on each while listening to my work out music.
  • 10 min. on the Elliptacle ( I try to get the most out of the ten min. so I increase the intensity quite a bit so I get a good sweat on). While doing this I listen to something spiritual, motivation, or educational. I love downloading audiobooks to my ipod.
  • Work another 2 muscle groups, example: Biceps and triceps 3 sets of 12-15 each./Listen to my work out music
  • 10 min. on the Stair Climber (play around on my phone, texting, emailing, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, planning out my week and adding things into my calender)
  • Do some MAJOR abs, for now I feel some urgency to get my abs into shape, planning a cruise soon, and would like it if I didn’t have a pot belly. Do it till it burns, so the next day you’re sore 🙂
  • 10 min. on the rower or bike/ listen to my FAVORITE up beat songs. Below are a few of my favorites.

Anything from Lady Gaga

Boom Boom Pow
Technologic Draft Punk
Sandstorm Tunnel Alliance
Jai Ho! Pussycat dolls
This is my way of strengthening MIND, BODY & SOUL, all in about an hour. I LOVE it, goes by fast, and I feel incredible when I’m done.
And I’m not afraid to admit that I wear these body shaper cami’s DAILY.
When people say I look good for just having a baby, I immediately say, “oh, I’m wearing a body shaper”, my husband laughs at me, and say’s, “why do you always feel as though you HAVE to disclose that”? LOL, I don’t know… I guess I just feel like I can’t take credit for it unless it’s real 🙂
Let’s face it, no matter how much weight you lose after baby, you’ll most likely always have that muffin top, and that’s never a pretty sight. I like the feeling of being held in, and not feeling the skin jiggle when I walk. I used to wear SPANX, but they are SO uncomfortable, not to mention, impossible to get in and out of. Found myself NOT drinking water just to avoid having to go to the bathroom.
I really love these cami’s, I get them at Target, or you can find them HERE for $20.

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27 Comments

· in Life of a Wannabe· My Thoughts and Feelings

Down in the Dumps

Do you ever have those days when you think, “man, I SUCK at everything”?
Well, today’s THAT day for me. Could have something to do with comparing myself to all those other AMAZING bloggers out there. I love blogging, and I love reading other blogs, meeting new people, and am learning a lot in the process, but sometimes, I let my insecurities get the best of me. I feel like that girl last night on American Idol, who completely abandoned her group right before their performance because she was afraid she was going to mess up.
At times, I think… am I really cut out to do the things I aspire to? Why can’t I SEE my potential, where is it hiding? I know that if we only had a GLIMPSE of what we were truly capable of, then, experiencing any kind of self doubt would be a thing of the past.
I love to DO alot of things, like writing, singing, crafts, cooking, ect. but have not yet found the one thing I’m REALLY good at. Perhaps I’m only meant to be a little good at a lot of things.
It does feel nice to get my feelings off my chest, even if it doesn’t always come out as beautifully as you other bloggers.
I know when we have days like this, that there’s always a lesson to be learned. Don’t quite know what it is at the moment, but sure I’ll figure it out eventually.
Tomorrow’s another day, and I’m thirsty anyway, so BRING ON THE RAIN! I love that song 🙂

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35 Comments

· in Life of a Wannabe· Mom Stuff

Cherish the Moments

Last night I read a very sad story on a blog my friend Carrie directed me to. This tragic accident happened here locally and just about a week ago. This mom tells her story of how her son drowned in the bathtub (read her whole story here), thankfully he survived after a long fight for his life. I know we hear these awful stories of how parents neglect to watch their kids. And we most likely think to ourselves, that would NEVER happen to me, I would never do that. Her story could have easily happened to me, or any one of us. I’m reminded of the mistakes I’ve made in the past, and thank GOD that nothing seriously bad happened to my babies.
A few months ago, my son at about 6 months fell off the bed. No matter how many times I have heard, DO NOT leave your baby on the couch or bed, I still managed to let it happen. I placed my son on my bed, put a pillow next to him, thought that would KEEP him from rolling off. I remembered I needed something downstairs, ran down there, got distracted with something, then heard the THUMP. My heart skipped, and I flew upstairs to rescue my poor baby as he’s crying hysterically on the floor. I was almost in tears because I was SO mad at myself for letting this happen, even when I KNEW better. For the next couple of hours after this happened I was so nervous about his health, hoping he didn’t brake anything, or bump his head too hard.
Just a few months before this my sister in law had taken her 3 year old son to the ER in the middle of the night because he rolled off of his little twin bed, and broke his collar bone. These little babies are just so fragile.
When my daughter was about a year old, she was playing with a little spoon. I thought, a spoon is harmless, right?, well, not exactly. She had put it in her mouth and was playing on her car seat, I wasn’t paying attention at the time, although I was right THERE. The next thing I knew, the car seat tipped, and she landed right on her face with the spoon in her mouth. As a result she was left with a huge gouge in the back of her throat. She was in so much pain that she barely ate or drank for a week. Another one of those moments where you think, WHY did I LET this happen. WHY did I not see that coming?

I think we all need constant reminders of how short life is, and how these kinds of things can easily happen to any one of us. We NEED to be more attentive, and AWARE of our children.

Last night when my son woke up crying, like he still sometimes does, I went and got him out of his crib, instead of just laying him back down and giving him his Binky. I felt the urge to just HOLD him. I sat in the rocker and just cradled him as I inhaled his little baby smell, kissing his forehead over and over, while saying a silent prayer, thanking GOD for this precious little life.

Later my daughter came to kiss me goodnight, she said, “I love you mom, you’re my best

mommy, and I don’t EVER want to get runned over by a car or get lost”. Wow, it’s amazing what kids pick up on. I hadn’t said anything about what I was thinking, or worrying about.

I don’t want to live my life in FEAR, rather, AWARENESS!
We need to cherish the moments we have with our little ones. Life is short, and so VERY fragile. I hope that we can all learn from each others mistakes, to keep these tragedies from happening to us.

We invested in a camera baby monitor before we had Olly.

I would highly recommend it too. I’ve heard so many sad stories of baby’s suffocating, or getting strangled by a cord while in their cribs. I remember when Lily was a baby, I was trying to put her down for a nap, and was letting her cry it out a bit. Little did I know she was crying because the blanket was wrapped around her head. From then on I just never let her cry in her crib, I was so paranoid and constantly checking on her, which interfered with my plans of getting her in her crib. We all know that doesn’t go over well. When baby SEES you…baby WANTS you. She ended up sleeping in our bed until she was 3. This camera has been a lifesaver. I am still constantly checking on Oliver, but at least now, he can’t see me, so he doesn’t cry for me to get him out.

My husband will absolutely not let Lily walk down our lane on her own, we’ve argued about it
in the past. I said he needs to let her grow up, and allow her to do big girl things. I have taught her about the dangers of cars, and she’s been so good about it, looking both ways, walking on the side of the lane and not in the middle. Anytime she sees a car coming, she instantly runs as far away from the road as possible. Then I came across this, and I humbly admitted to my husband that he was right 🙂

Research has shown that children under the age of ten have not yet fully developed their depth perception, meaning they may underestimate the distance and speed of an approaching car. Because of this they are likely to dart into the streets even after they have looked both ways.
Well, since I’m already airing out all my dirty laundry and confessing my many screw ups as a mom, why not just tell it all. Hopefully, you won’t be as stupid as me, and can just learn from my omissions.

So when Lily was a baby and the pediatrician gave us the okay on giving her juice, I thought okay, I know there is a lot of sugar in apple juice, so I’ll just add a little bit of it to some water, just to make it taste better for her. She really had no interest in water, or formula for that matter. So, this seemed to be the answer for getting the fluids in her. I’ve heard before that giving babies juice and milk at night could rot their teeth, and in fact this very thing happened to my own nephew. So you’d think I would have avoided this all together. I simply thought that adding a little juice to the water was harmless. This is the result of my ignorance.

One day she was complaining about her lip hurting, then that night was up all night crying about her lip. We couldn’t figure it out…..I didn’t see anything wrong with her lip. We put chap stick on, gave her tylenol, nothing seemed to be working. So after a sleepless night, the next morning her lip looked like this.

It was then that we realized it was her tooth this whole time. We took her to the dentist. He put her on antibiotics and said that if it got any worse he’d have to pull them. We waited as long as possible for the meds to kick in, but her pain and the swelling only seemed to get worse. I took the above picture with my phone and sent it to our dentist. He said we needed to get those teeth out immediately. So, there we were, 10:00 at night, getting poor little Lily’s teeth pulled.

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19 Comments

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Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by! I love connecting with other like minded women. This website is all about how to become the best version of yourself as you strive for balance in motherhood, business, and overall personal growth. Let’s work together! Email me at crystal@escoweb.net

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