gross

There won't be a lot of pictures on this entry because... yup, I'm about to write an entire post about cold sores (aka fever blisters.) They're gross. They're annoying and inconvenient. And I know a few tips to get rid of them quicker. (Which I didn't even realize until today when I was helping a friend out.)

Cold sores can show up for a number of reasons: stress, change in diet/sleeping patterns/exercise, eating too much of a certain food, your body has become too acidic, or just because they feel like bugging the crap out of you.

There is no cure, but changing your diet can definitely make a difference in healing time. Or, if you're prone to getting them frequently, you can change to this diet permanently and it may help keep them at bay.*

*Now, please remember, I am NOT a nutritionist. But neither is Dr. Oz. (Remember that, minions.) I do not get cold sores frequently, but I do get them when I am extremely stressed out.


Foods to enjoy:
Any food high in Lysine (an essential amino acid that helps keep cold sores away and helps speed the healing process.) including:

• All dairy products (Specifically margarine, yogurt, milk, and cheese. The fattier, the better.)
• Dark and leafy veggies (Kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, beets, etc.)
• Fish (If you hate fish like I do, try to scarf it down anyway. It's incredible for you and helps in the healing process. If you ABSOLUTELY can not eat fish, eat chicken, but in smaller amounts than usual.)
• 
• Papaya, mango, pears, and figs. (These make great dessert options with yogurt!)
• Whole grains (in small amounts.)
• Raw apple cider vinegar. (1 Tbsp in a large glass of water. You can add honey if you want. I recommend doing this before each meal. This can also help prevent heartburn and helps with acne!)
• If you go on pinterest you can probably find a recipe that contains some or all of these items.

Foods to avoid:

• Caffeine (No coffee! If you HAVE to have coffee for the flavor, try this. If you HAVE to have coffee for the caffeine, switch to yerba mate.
• 
• Chocolate and sugar (Seriously. It's awful, but it will majorly speed the healing process.)
• Black tea (If you're used to drinking tea every day, switch to white or green tea.)
• White or wheat bread (Only whole wheat bread.)
• Tomatoes (Actually, just stay away from all acidic foods.)
• Red meat
• Chia seeds (While these are incredible for you and packed full of fiber, they have been proven to increase your chances of a cold sore appearing. Use sparingly. If you are needing fiber, switch to ground flax seed for awhile.)

Extra steps you can take: 

• Take Lysine. The bottles usually recommend 1 with a full glass of water at each meal. Honestly, it won't hurt you to take double that while you're fighting one off.
• Take Vitamin C. You don't need 159483096 milligrams a day, because honestly, that will just go right through you. Stick to 500mg. This will boost your immune system.
• Abreva. Once or twice an hour. This product specifically. No store brands, no rip offs... only Abreva.
• Carmex. Once or twice an hour. This product specifically. No store brands, no rip offs... only Carmex. And only the Carmex that comes in a squeeze tube or the tiny tub. Do not get the twisty chapstick type. It does not contain the same ingredients.
• Stop using the Abreva and Carmex the day after the cold sore is completely gone. Otherwise you may become addicted to this products and they will not be as useful.
• Drink LOTS of water. LOTS AND LOTS.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Avoid any and all stress.
• Do not touch it. Do not try to pop it. It will heal quicker if you leave it alone.
• You technically can use toothpaste or a sulfur mask to dry them out, but this may cause scarring.

These things have worked for me in the past, and I hope they can help you out. Do you have any other tips?

black bean dip

I know I promised a sentimental post, but I'm not ready for it yet. Soonly.

I had the day off today. Took my sister and niece to the airport, slept in, had an amazing run (week 2 of 5k training!), visited the boy at work, and then caught up on a couple of my favorite shows via Hulu.

I wanted something to go with the massive veggie tray we still have from a birthday party, so I threw together this:

(Yes, that's New Girl. What show did you think I was talking about?)

Black Bean Dip
2/3-1 cup of cooked black beans
1 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 Tbsp cream cheese
2 Tbsp salsa
1 tsp Cholula hot sauce (or similar)
1 tsp lime juice

Put everything in the food processor and blend.
That's it.
Seriously.
SO GOOD.

great day

MY SISTER AND NIECE FINALLY ARRIVED!

And this is what I wore to pick them up at the airport.
(Yes, I am doing a "fashion" post. Be prepared for a more sentimental post about this week some time soon.)

(Jacket, modcloth. Shirt & earrings, forever 21. Jeans, Target. Purse, Old Navy. Shoes, Wet Seal. Yes, I bought something from Wet Seal.)

I'M SO EXCITED!!

homemade

Technically I haven't had "Christmas" yet. My family decided to postpone gift giving for about a month until my adorable sister and baby niece could get here. Luckily this means we got to hit all the after Christmas sales. I am totally ok with us doing this every year from now on.

So since we postponed, James & I spent Christmas day with his family. I made his mom & grandma some homemade vanilla extract.

These cost me about $7 a piece. For that much vanilla I'd say it's a pretty awesome deal.

What you'll need:
Liquor (Vodka is most popular, but I prefer using spiced rum.)
Vanilla beans (Best deal I could find. About 30 cents per bean. Grade B works just as well as grade A, and they're a better deal.)
A glass bottle with a lid.

You only need 1 bean per 1/3 cup of liquor. I like to make my vanilla directly in the liquor bottle. All you have to do is cut your beans in half (lengthwise if you want it to be pretty, or cut in smaller pieces if you want it to be ready sooner) and drop them in. Make sure the lid is on tight. Keep it in you cabinet for about 3 months or until the liquory smell is gone and it's a dark brown color. It's best to shake it lightly about once a week.

Since I didn't have 3 months to wait for the vanilla, I made the labels for mine on picnik and wrote on the date that it would be ready! Then I covered the label on the neck of the bottle using a piece of ribbon.

That's it. Easy-peasy.

if you say go, i will go.

This morning Brother Art asked us to share some truth that God showed us in 2011 and I was reminded of Psalm 51:10-12. God wants me to be obedient. It's a lesson I've been learning for some time now, and I feel it's a lesson I will be learning my entire life.

At the end of the service Art announced that we're making a trip to Africa in August.

I am going.
I am excited.
God wants me to go. I've known for some time now. I was in shock when Art made the announcement. God had actually reminded me this morning of the call He laid on my heart this year and I thought about it through the entire service.
I am horrified. Africa is one of the scariest places on earth to me. (Mostly because of the king cobra and the black mamba.) I am scared to take a flight overseas. I am scared to get all the shots I have to take to go.

Then I remembered two things.

This photo:

And this quote from 8 year old Gabe,

"If you KNOW He's gonna protect you, then why are you scared to do it?"

God will never throw you out there and not protect you. Yes, I am still nervous, but being reminded of that by an 8 year old makes all my fears seem so silly.

new year

I am so glad that I live in such a fantastic city that's full of amazing talent.

Top Favorite Shows of 2011. (In no particular order.)

Scales of Motion's 10 year anniversary show at Free Tulsa.

Copy Copy's first show on 12/30/11 since their funeral on 1/1/10

James Reza played with Donovan Fite at the Catoosa High School Band benefit show. (Yes, I am biased, but this was an incredible performance.)

And There Stand Empires' CD release party at Fassler Hall. This guy sat in front of me.

Other great shows from touring bands:

The Wedding at The Marquee (with Abandon Kansas)

Abandon Kansas at The Marquee

Owen (and Cash) Pye at Runaway Studios

I didn't get photos from the Blindside or Deas Vail shows, but those are definitely on my list.