Lifestyle
For the lives that we love, and everything that comes with it.
Winter Beauty Routine
The winters can be terribly drying, especially here in Colorado. I have been living and dreaming in Colorado for the majority of my life and I know that the winters can be harsh on the skin and hair. So lets talk about the three main changes I make in my winter beauty routine.
By Gabriella Monique8 years ago in Blush
Lipstick!!
Lipstick and Skin Tone I have so many lipstick tubes at home, in my purse and in my desk drawer at work. Clinique, Estee Lauder and many other brands run a gift with purchase at most department stores. You spend a certain amount of money and you receive a makeup bag filled with different products. Among those is usually a tube of lipstick. The colors are always beautiful. They may not look that great with my skin tone and coloring but the colors are beautiful. I have so many tubes in an array of colors that it looks like an artist palette.
By Rita Kitchen8 years ago in Blush
From Victim to Thriver
Too me, the #MeToo movement has to be the most gratifying thing I have ever seen. You see, the first time I was sexually assaulted I was in ninth grade. The guy I was dating, was slowly working up my trust in him. He came to church with my family, Sunday dinners, and I was at his home often. Finally came time for the Valentine's Dance. We had lots of fun, laughed with friends, and went to his house to hang out for a couple hours before my curfew was up. The next thing I know, I am in the bathroom vomiting. I clean myself up, and his aunt takes me home. The first few days, everything was hazy. I could not remember anything that happened after the dance. I knew I should, I did not drink or do any recreational drugs - my dad was a strict Baptist Gideon and would find out easily in a smaller town. When I was not grounded within a week, I knew I had not done anything against his rules. So it is up to the next weekend, and I am out shopping with my step-mom. We are looking at items for a spring picnic. She shows me several different colored checked picnic tables, and I bust out crying. I did not know why, and my step-mom looked at my like I has lost my mind. It felt like it honestly. I had just turned 15, what was wrong with me? The previous week I was perfectly happy, and now this!? I knew something was not right at all. I went to my best friend, and told her about my memory loss from that night. She decided to help me figure out what I lost. A few days later, she told me she had overheard some guys talking about my boyfriend. When she confronted them, our worst nightmares came true. My boyfriend and his cousin had raped me in the cousin's bedroom. The walls? Black and white checker board print. Just like those tablecloths in the store that had made me cry. To this day, I can not be sure if I was drugged, or my mind just blocked everything out to save my mind from cracking. I choose to believe the latter. This was not my only experience with being abused, beaten, or raped. Just my first. I was far too trusting in my younger years. I was later on married to my first husband, who very quickly became violent. He yelled, screamed, and threatened me. Pretty soon, my nightmares in the past became reality once more. The man I married would do things too me in my sleep. That was a nine-year hell. I finally got out, only to discover the new guy in my life would be slamming me down on beds and couches in our home. This way, I never bruised. This man was my second husband, and he actually sent me to counseling saying there is no way a doctor would agree with my claims of him being "mean" to me. He also wanted proof I was not lying about my past abuses. I was in therapy for nearly two years. It was at that point that I learned the different stages of recovery in my therapist's eyes. He told me there are three in his eyes. Victim, survivor, and thriver. The victim stage is the longest. It is when you think of your abuse and abusers every day several times a day. Nightmares are a nightly occurrence. Then you have survivor. It is everything else. The reality of what you have been through, less nightmares, and less trusting of others. But the final stage my therapist demands....thriver! It is when the nightmares stop, the trust returns, and you are not hard on yourself at all. You have stopped blaming yourself for something that was never your fault to begin with. This is my life now. The life of a thriver! I went to college and got my degree. I found a real man who has never laid a hand on me or threatened me in any way. I have a home, grown boys, and two grand-babies at the age of 41. My life has changed so much, and I am proud to be part of the #MeToo movement! It is about time women had a real voice, and stood up too say "This is my life and my body!! You have no right to touch me without MY permission!!" (Tiffany Allen)
By Tiffany Allen8 years ago in Viva
My After-Birth Story
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I dreamed of how our delivery would go. I pictured what I considered at the time a “normal” “natural” delivery (maybe with an epidural). I could just picture helping pull my daughter out, seeing her right away, hearing her cry, and being immediately placed on my chest as my husband and I both weep with joy and bask in the beautiful moment we just experienced! I mean, these are the kinds of things you hear about more often than not.
By Kayla Rochin8 years ago in Families
Women Should Be Treated with More Respect
So first things first is that women do need to be more respected. They work hard all of the time, whether it’s from home or at work, but they are always working and at work most of the time they are the ones that keep the men in check and remind us stuff that we need to remember. Also when they are at home the man rely on the women to clean the house and cook.
By Chandler Smith8 years ago in Viva
Demented Fractals
The call came to me in December 2017 from a family friend. It was the day I realized how tenuous life truly is... My mother and I had been estranged for a little over ten years, having ceased communication in totality once and for all after she disavowed me for not being the daughter she wanted and raised me to be. The family friend called, telling me I might need to come home to help my mother stay safe inside her home. He then stated that she was last taken to the hospital when she was discovered to have been wandering aimlessly on the highway at two in the morning. She was picked up by police that night in the middle of a freezing December day, wearing only a house robe and slippers. When the police apprehended her, she apparently couldn't even speak intelligibly when they asked her wellness questions such as, "What's your name?" and "Where do you live?" She simply stuttered in disjointed syllables and acted as though she couldn't catch her breath.
By Velia Sanders8 years ago in Families
Liver Failure
Living with a dog that is experiencing liver failure is rough, both physically and emotionally. Physically, because you know they are going to die. That means the quality of life has become just that more important. More walks, more cuddles, and more play sessions. Emotionally, because now there’s a timeline on when they are going to die.
By Kayla Babb8 years ago in Petlife
