Throwing Paint

It has been an interesting week to say the least....

My father-in-law, Bill, had a mild heart attack on Tuesday. After further testing on Wednesday the doctors discovered he has 6 blocked arteries to his heart and needs bypass surgery. How he survived our 50 mile bike ride on Saturday is beyond me, obviously someone up above is looking out for him. This might be cheesy but it goes to show you how fragile and precious life is. Each day is a gift, you can waste it or you can use it for good. What you do each day is important because you are trading a day of your life for it!

I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am that God gave us this warning sign. Bill Sr. is in very good spirits, although he can't enjoy a Bud Lite or fried food. You truly couldn't ask for a better Dad, he is incredibly important to all of us. I brought some movies over to him this morning so he could pass the time, he said "I can only look out the window so many times...." His surgery is scheduled for Tuesday so he gets to enjoy his holiday weekend in Mercy Hospital. Please pray for a successful surgery and quick recovery. He has a long road ahead for him. Just remember to live your days for gain, not loss; success and not failure. Tomorrow is never promised for any of us.

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~ Danny Kaye

Tour de Cure

As most of you know, Tour de Cure was this past Saturday (June 25) and I pledged to ride 50 miles to raise awareness for diabetes prevention. Team Grabe was #10 in fundraising, what a feeling! Thank you to everyone who supported this cause that is near & dear to my heart! The ride was fun (a little hilly at times....) and we even met some new friends! One of my favorite activities is giving back to the community and the greatest reward is riding alongside the 'Red Riders' and raising awareness to a disease that affects more than 24 million Americans. Thanks to everyone who supported my fundraising and believed in me!

You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.  ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Inhale....

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it!

Get comfortable, sitting or standing.

Slowly inhale through your nose, count to 5 in your head.

Let the air SLOWLY out of your mouth, counting to 8 in your head.

As you breathe let your abdomen expand outward to inhale as much fresh air as possible.

Repeat several times....

Expand your inner peace and get rid of the daily clutter in your mind by using meditation techniques such as this. Releasing muscle tension, gaining mental focus and self control is as easy as taking a couple minutes out of your day to focus inward. Meditation has the ability to change your life, giving you the strength to face emotional and physical challenges. 

Dirt & Oil Have Nowhere To Hide!

NEW PRODUCT ALERT!

Clarisonic launched a new brush ~ the Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head. This new dual action brush oscillates in different directions to give you a deep cleanse. Ideal for oily or blemish prone skin, this brush utilizes a unique gradation of bristle firmness to refine the look of the pores and to get in those hard to reach areas. After 1 month of using this brush I can feel a difference in my nose and my chin ( my 2 problem areas). They feel smooth and I can definitely tell I get less oily which means I have less congestion in my skin. All Clarisonic brush heads need to be replaced every 3 months (just like a toothbrush!) and can be used on any Clarisonic model. Single unit pricing is $25 or you can get 2 for $40. This brush is a must-have, especially for those with seasonally oily skin. The humidity in Iowa can be unbearable in Summer and unfortunately our skin pays the price! Feel the difference with a Deep Pore Cleansing Brush!

Edible Sunburn Relief!

I just got an amazing tip and had to share with you!!

If you've completely neglected my advice to apply sunscreen... Well, you're in trouble with me but there's relief if you've got a sunburn. Cut a frozen grape in half and rub the flat side over your face in small, circular motions. Grapes are packed with super antioxidants that will soothe your sunburnt skin.

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

Oh my, I haven't posted in over a month. Let me get you up to date on what I've been up to!!

First and foremost, I'm in school at Kirkwood Community College. That has taken a large chunk of my extra free time and thank God I'm getting an A so far! :)

Eco- Glow (my side project of all-natural candles, tarts, lip balms and solid perfumes) has been BOOMING! I feel incredibly lucky that this business has grown larger than I could have imagined. I decided to make solid perfumes last month and made nearly 60 which sold out in 2 weeks. Out of my second batch of 60 I only have 14 left! WOW. Even more exciting is that Simply Soaps of Iowa (my Mom's soap business) is merging with Eco- Glow and soon be bearing the Eco- Glow label! We are both really excited about this change.

I'm getting in gear for this summer with tons of activities! I had my first 7 mile run (The Flood Run) around Cedar Rapids last week and I feel SO GOOD. It was exhilarating to run that long in support of the families that were flooded out. Next week, I'm biking 50 miles in support of the nearly 24 million people in America suffering from diabetes. The Tour de Cure is a really fun event (I participated last year) and I'm excited to have teamed up with my Father-in-law and husband (and when I say 'teamed up', I mean they'll eat my dust- haha!) BIX 7 is my July event, I'm running with one of my closest friends that happens to be married to my husband's uncle! Becky and I have been running a couple times a week and we're ready to kick it into high gear for the BIX!

As for Innovative Aesthetics.... It's an amazing thing to love what you do and love who you do it with! I am continuing to stay busy, at this point I'm booked out 4+ weeks. We launched both Skinceuticals sunscreens last month, Physical Fusion & Sheer Fusion and they have both been immensely popular. Also in the works, expanding our skincare line. I'll keep you posted on that! I promise, I swear, that I will keep you up to date on more fun events and exciting things happening here at Innovative Aesthetics!

Needless to say, it's a busy summer....