The Truth About: My Cat

Part 2 of "The Truth About" series!

I loved all the great responses I got about last weeks post, you all are awesome! 

If you missed it, I told the truth about living in Alaska... as told by me. 

Today is the truth about my cat dog. 

Okay, I lied a bit in the title. I don't have a cat. I actually am not a "cat" person at all.

Those sneaky little devils freak me out, and Mr. Hart and I are allergic. However, I'm quite partial to kittens. Cat's -- not so much. Don't hate me cat lovers :( 

So, why did I entitle this post, the truth about my cat? Well... we have this dog. His name is Gizmo,and he   displays some catlike behaviors. Actually, I'm quite convinced there is a little cat inside of him. 

So here is The Truth About My Cat Dog... Gizmo! 

• What is he? ... yeah I get that question ALL the time. Gizmo is half Brussels Griffon and half Chihuahua. 

• His name... well... it came from the fact that he looks EXACTLY like the gremlin Gizmo... from the movie. Doesn't he?

• Gizmo is 100% Alaskan... and a Craigslist find. Winning.

• Gizmo had a brother and 2 sisters, however he was picked by us because of his big green eyes and brown nose. 

• Gizmo remained silent for months... then, he found his bark. Kill me. 

• Gizmo flys as a carry on. And makes my life miserable on flights. While walking around the Anchorage airport, he chewed through his leash and B-lined across the airport. Needless to say, he was on my crap list for the next month. 

• Gizmo climbs... on everything. Tables, couches, windows, cars.... you name it. He's a climbing fool. 

• Gizmo has quite a bit of personality. Pictures don't do him justice.

• Gizmo brings lots of smiles into my life as well as making my life miserable quite often! (; 

High 5 for Friday/ GIVEAWAY WINNER

Congratulations to Jenna, entry #224 the winner of the FitBook Giveaway!
Thank you to all who entered!
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Am I having a weird deja vu? 

Because I feel like I was just writing this post-- oh wait, that's because this week FLEW by. 

I'll have to admit, this wasn't the most productive week for me, so with that said-- see ya later last friday in March, and bring on April!! 

Linking up with Lauren, From My Grey Desk in the weekly High 5 for Friday link-up. 

Here are my top 5 things from this week: 

1. Took a trip to Cosi this week with my mother in law, sister in law and my two sweet nephews and niece (Cosi is a giant, kid friendly, hands on discovery museum).

2.  Bought my Mega Millions ticket and created a 'plan' for if when  I win. All in fun, but hey, wouldn't that be a hoot if I really did win? 

3. Thought deeply about my career path and how I plan to inspire others in the near future (did I mention I'm 41 days away from taking my personal training certification exam? Holla!)

4. Increased my mileage this week to 4 miles 3x a week, opposed to 3 miles 3x a week. My Nike+ miles are getting high! 

5.  Realized how much my hair (that usually grows at snails pace) has grown just in the past 6 months !

Left: 6 Months ago Right: two days ago... excuse the pesky Giraffe in the background, don't you hate when
wildlife interrupts your photos?

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I'll be spending mine, busy as a bee! 

2 in 1 Smokey Eye & Cat Eye

Along with being a health freak/gym rat... sometimes I trade in my running shorts, for a normal outfit, and do my makeup (: Then again, in my free time I do makeup applications for photo shoots and weddings, so I suppose you could say that every now and then I should go all out on myself? .. right? 

RARELY do I change my makeup routine once I find one that works. So when I discovered this amazing 24 hour eyeshadow that I love, I haven't looked back since. 

Most of my cosmetic shopping is done at Ulta and Sephora, but when I find a good drugstore brand that works... why discriminate?

L'oreal Infallible has been my go to eyeshadow since I found it (while meandering through Target, of course). 

This stuff goes on smooth, stays on ALL day without wearing off, and costs just under $7. Win, win and win. 

I always go for natural shades, it is rare to find me in bright eyeshadow, unless I'm going out to the club (which is never for the record). 

So here are the colors I am currently swooning over and my 5 step smoky cat eye. 

* note... don't ever fear the word cat eye or smokey eye. They can both be achieved without looking like a cast member from the Jersey Shore. 

L'oriel Paris Infallible 24 hour eyeshadow.

Color 1: Iced Late #888 (Will be referred to as color 1)

Color 2: Bronzed Taupe  #890 (Will be referred to as color 1)

Step 1: Start with a clean eye... obviously. I apply foundation on my eyelid just to match overall skin color. 

Step 2: Apply color 1, completely over the eyelid, up to the brow as well as in the corners of eye and under the bottom lash line. 

Step 3: With a angled makeup brush, create a defined line with color 2 in the crease of the eyelid. 

Step 4 Part 1: Apply color 2, inside the line made in step 1 as well as slightly above the crease line. 

Part 2: Apply a liquid liner in a sweeping motion from the inside of the lid to the outside, to achieve the cat eye. 

Step 5: Apply mascara on top and bottom lashes. 

Voila. Super simple, natural smokey eye as well as a tasteful cat eye! 

The liquid eyeliner cat eye affect takes practice, so don't get frustrated if you don't accomplish it the first try! 

The Girl Behind the Blog.... Vlog post!!

Happy Wednesday loves! 

Super duper excited to be linking up with Ashley, from 5oWifey and Andi from the Hollie Rouge

for my first Vlog post. Eek!

Thankfully 4+ public speaking courses have taken prevented me from saying "umm" and "like" a billion times, but excuse my lack of direct eye contact. Don't know exactly whats up with that!

Thanks so much for watching! And if you're new here then make sure to read more about:
Me
Living in Alaska.
My fitspiration.
and... enter this awesome giveaway! 

Thanks to Ashley and Andi for this wonderful link up! It is so good to put voices and real people with all your blogs!  

FitBook GIVEAWAY

About a month ago I stumbled upon a product called "Fitbook"... 

Hmm.. I looked into the company, I looked into their products, and decided that I love Fitbook. 

So I became an affiliate. What does that mean? Basically that once I begin taking clients (in my personal training career--blog post about that coming soon) that I will use Fitbook as one of my main tools! 

Fitbook is a health and fitness journal. Revolutionary, I'd say...

It's science folks. Studies show that people who write down and track their goals/progress are 75% more likely to achieve them. 

Until I began journaling my goals as well as logging my food, I never got over my plateau. The iPhone is great for coming up with apps to help you log food and exercise. However, there is something about paper and pen that makes you more accountable for your actions than just typing it into your phone. 

So what exactly is included in Fitbook and what makes it different than just journaling on your own? 

Fitbook organizes your fitness//weight loss goals into a 12 week plan. And it is so amazingly organized and user friendly, it is incredible. 

Groundbreaking statement:... I'd call FitBook the Erin Condren Planner of Fitness (Gasp....). Yes I JUST said that. 


Want to find out for yourself? 
Fine! I'll give you a Fitbook!! 

Use the giveaway tool below and get to entering my loves! 
Winner announced FRIDAY the 30th of March (: 
GOOD LUCK!


*Don't forget to actually Tweet about the giveaway as one of your entries: Hey! I entered the @LA_Hart2heart giveaway... have you ? #getfit 
*If you enter the "leave a blog post" entry-- you must actually leave a blog comment for the entry to be counted (: 
* Entries only counted when using the tool below! 

The Truth About: Alaska

Hello lovely readers! 

Well here goes nothing. I'm starting a new blog 'series' in attempt to help all you readers get to know me a little better! 

I'm going to give you the truth about certain topics in my life, over several weeks! I don't want to be a mysterious blogger behind a screen or known as "The Hart to Heart" girl! I love getting e-mails from my readers asking questions, or even just to say Hey! I may not be able to come hang out in person, but trust me, you guys seriously rock! 

So here is the truth about living in Alaska, as told by me! 

• My husband and I moved to AK in August 2011. I'm Moving back this August, 2012! 

• We lived in the Anchorage area! 

• Alaska is NOT what most of you'd think. 

• Alaska has normal stores-- normal people(for the most part)-- and normal food. 

• If you don't live in Alaska, but live in the United States... then you live in the "Lower 48".

• Everything is expensive: Milk, gas, manicures, toilet paper... absolutely everything. Go to target, pick out any give item and add $1.50-$2.00 to it.. that's about how much I'd pay for it in Alaska.   

• You can't find any houses made out of brick? Random but one of the first things I noticed. Everything is siding for the most part. Annoying to me, because I always wanted a cute little brick house. 

• Alaska does NOT have 24 hours of darkness. I get asked this on a daily basis. Let's set the record straight. Yes, at some times of the year the sun doesn't come up until 11:00 AM and it sets at 4:30... but that only lasts a month or so. 

• The summers are gorgeous. I'd take an Alaskan summer over any tropical beach any day. 

• Everyone owns a gun (at least it seems that way). And it's typical to see people with guns all the time and not fear for your life. 

• Alaska has some of the best restaurants I've ever been to in my life. Humpy's, Glacier Brewhouse, Mooses's Tooth.... all, to die for. 

• Alyeska Ski Resort is in Alaska... basically the most gorgeous place around (and we would go there on a weekly basis). 

• Anchorage* Doesn't get crazy cold, like -50... other places in Alaska do... but not Anchorage. 

• In the summer there are farmers markets EVERYWHERE with fresh fruit brought in from California. 

• We catch and eat our own Salmon in the summer. 

• I've seen too many moose to count. 

All and all, Alaska stole my heart for the 4.5 months we were there. I miss it on a daily basis. I miss the memories, I miss the people and I miss doing things that I only dreamed of. The views I saw were ones that many people will only see on post cards. My husband and I are so blessed to be stationed there, and I cannot wait to head back in August! 

High 5 for Friday

TGIF! 

Holy guacamole, it's Friday already?!

Linking up with Lauren, From My Grey Desk 

Here are my top 5 things from this week! 

1. This was my spring 'break'! Took 2 whole days off working out, studying, reading etc. etc. and spent quality time, shopping and eating ice cream//frozen yogurt and catching up with my best friends. 

2. Began reading Joyce Meyer's Confident Women Devotional....amazing, simply amazing. 

3. Completed my 'operation buy new spring/summer wardrobe'; if you didn't know, when I moved back from Alaska ALL of my spring and summer clothes, shoes and bathing suits had to get left behind in storage. Limited packing space and flying cross country by myself made things tough. So i've been in the process of re-creating my wardrobe! 

4. Downloaded the iPhone App Lemon... umm why didn't I know about this? You scan your receipts into it, and it tracks your spending :0 good thing I found out about this post shopping spree. 

5. One of my best friends found out she's having a baby BOY! and one of my other best friend's husband came home for his 2 weeks R&R... they are both in Alaska right now, and I love and miss them dearly!  Beyond thrilled for them both! 

Another week crossed off on my calendar! Keep em' coming! 

I hope you all had a fantastic week and a fabulous Friday! 

where have you been all my life?

While meandering around Super-Walmart (I do this a lot if you can't tell), 

I was going down the juice and sport drink isle when I spotted something that caught my eye!

It was in a cute little container and the price said $2 (Cute things for a price of $2... win and win). 

So I picked it up and from then on my life was forever changed (okay, maybe not but still... ).

Today I'm talking about Vita Coco Cocunut Water. 

Apparently I've been living under a rock, considering I've never heard of this before and it's been around for  a year or so. 

So, you may be asking, why would I want to sip on coconut water? 

Coconut Water like Vita Coco, is sold near the sports drink isle and is supposed to be a more natural alternative to drinks like Poweraid and Gatoraide. 

What are the ingredients in Vita Coco?

In the plain flavored-- 100% Coconut Water. 

That's it.. that's all. 

What does Vita Coco say about their product?

"100% pure coconut water

• Imported From Brazil
  
• Chill It, Don't Split it.
  
• • More electrolytes than leading sports drinks with 15 times the potassium.
  
  
• • Has more potassium than two bananas (don't tell the monkeys) - potassium keeps your body properly hydrated and prevents cramping.
  
  
• • 100% natural
  
  
• • The beauty of one ingredient."
  
  
• • via. 

All and all... this is good stuff. My favorite flavors are the Peach and Mango, and the Pineapple. YUM! 

As soon as I'm finished with a run, this is my go-to stuff. It is important to rehydrate and get those electrolytes back in you! 

Clean Eating

Food... I love, love love food. 

I've been getting quite a few e-mails in the inbox, asking me about what 'diet' practice, and how I make healthy food choices. 

Well, a diet is what you eat on a daily basis. Personally, I don't believe in 'diet' fads. Cutting out whole groups of foods isn't healthy! Your body needs carbs, fats etc. etc. in moderation! 

When I ventured into the realm of changing my lifestyle (previous lifestyle consisted of lots of diet coke, sweet tea, McDoubles and McFluries) the first thing I new I had to change was my eating habits. How did I take a 360 in my food choices? 

Clean Eating 

Ever heard of Clean Eating? It's what I practice on a daily basis and if you want to accomplish any goal, may it be weight loss, muscle gain, overall wellness... clean eating is the way to go. 

Until recently, I've never labeled my eating styles as a specific plan. However when I read more about Clean Eating, I had an "ah-ha" moment where I thought "Hey! That's what I do". 

What is Clean Eating? 

Clean Eating is a plan of eating, centered around the concept that the best foods to eat are those in their natural state. 

What types of foods do you cut out, when eating clean?

• Processed, pre-packeged foods. 
• Added Sugars.
• Preservatives. 
• Artificial Sweeteners. 
• Artificial Colors. 
• Anything labeled "sugar free"... or "zero"

Examples?

• Instant Oatmeal vs. Whole Grain Oatmeal 
• White Rice vs. Brown Rice
• Fruit Juice vs. Eating Fresh fruit 

What else does Clean Eating involve?

• There are many variations of the Clean Eating plan, but what the consensus seems to state is that the best way eat your meals is by eating 5-6 small (300 calorie) meals a day. Why? Because eating small meals keeps your blood sugar at a stable level and keeps you from eating way too much. 

Most important things to remember about Clean eating: 

• Clean Eating is simple, if you remember that you want to eat foods in their most natural state. Was fish really meant to come in the form of 'sticks' ? ... no... I didn't think so. 

• The less ingredients in a product the better. Example: a granola bar with 3 ingredients opposed to 10. 

Clean Eating Magazine

You may be thinking "jeez... what a hipster, this girl wants us to go spend a ton of money at fancy grocery stores and buy organic crap." 

Think again... first of all, any and all of my grocery purchases come from 1 of 2 places, Kroger or Super Wal-Mart (or if I'm in Alaska... the commissary or Fred Meyer). Clean Eating is simple, and doesn't take a ton of searching for special foods. 

Do I ALWAYS eat clean? .... no, I'm human and this whole thing is fairly new to me. Sometimes I slip up and don't make the best choice( I just NEEDED to eat that thin-mint(s) yesterday, I swear!). However the last thing I do is beat myself up over it, the only thing I do is promise myself to make better choices tomorrow (: 

Protein Powder Pancakes

Yes folk's you read the title correctly. Today I'm sharing with you my newest favorite recipe. I have been CRAVING pancakes as of recently, but have been struggling to find a healthy alternative. 

Well in the health and fitness world, "protein powder pancakes" have been trending. 

Skeptical? Yeah, so was I... it sounds.. umm.. unrealistic?

So this morning I sat down with a pen and paper, jotted down some ideas and went to town in the kitchen. 

Let me tell you.. these things are the bomb. 

So here's what you need: 

Ingredients :

1 scoop of Whey Protein Powder

(I use Jillian Michael's Vanilla)

1/3 cup of egg whites.

(If you actually crack the eggs and remove the yokes, that equals 2 egg whites.)

2 Tablespoons of Almond milk 

(skim works too)

1-2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon 

(I go a little crazy with the cinnamon... more on the 3-2 teaspoons end.)

1 Smashed banana 

(the more brown spots the better)

What to do: 

Start by smashing the banana with a fork until most of the big pieces have been crushed up. Then, mix the protein powder, egg whites, almond milk cinnamon and banana in a medium bowl until mixed well. Add a little olive oil to your pan and heat it! Using a 1/3 of a cup, measuring cup, drop the pancake mix onto the pan. Treat it like any normal pancake, and flip when ready! Top with your favorite fresh fruit or any other desired toppings! 

Makes 4-6 small pancakes. 

*Tip-- these freeze nicely! Make a large batch, freeze, then pop them in the microwave! 

Voila... you can't tell me that wasn't the easiest thing ? 

Sponsors, Guest Bloggers, Product Review.

Hello lovely readers and happy Sunday! 

Sunday is normally my day of rest/ my 'off day' ... yes, I try to stay computer free on Sunday's, but see how well that is working for me? (: 

Just wanted to give everyone an update on sponsoring, guest blogging and product reviews! 

I have gotten a fantastic amount of e-mails from you all interested in sponsor swapping for the month of April! So I've decided to increase the amount of swappers for April from 10 to 15! 

If you'd like to sponsor swap for the month of April, be sure to contact me! 

ALSO....

Hart to Heart will now be doing product reviews! The first one will be featured this week! 

If any of you would like me to review one of your products that you make or sell, don't hesitate to send me an e-mail! 

For information on Sponsor Swapping.. Guest Blogging ... or Product Reviews: 

click ----> HERE <----

my struggle with KP

I was in high school, probably 15 years old, about to midway through my Sophomore year when I woke up one morning with a bad rash on the side of my face. 

It wasn't like a normal rash though, it was a perfect circular shape, on my cheek and it was bright red and bumpy. It didn't go away for several days, so we went to urgent care to get it checked out. They thought I had shingles...so I got started on medicine for that, which proceeded to make me very sick. 

We went to my family doctor, who suggested I be sent to a dermatologist. Mind you, there was no covering whatever this thing was, up with makeup. It wasn't pleasant. So I went to the dermatologist and after running some tests he realized I had some sort of viral infection.. not shingles, and got me started on antibiotics. 

While examining my face, the dermatologist asked me if I had ever tried to treat my Keratosis Pilaris... 

wait.. my WHAT?! 

"You know, your KP... it looks like you have it on your arms and legs."

I had no idea what he was talking out, and proceeded to panic after hearing this  'diagnosis'. So, he handed me a pamphlet entitled "Keratosis Pilaris"

Alas, I knew exactly what he was talking about... all of my life, I have had small bumps on the back of my upper arms and the back of my thighs. The look exactly like goose bumps, but they never go away. 

Keratosis Pilaris (KP) is a skin condition that affects 1 in 2 people.... so half of you people who read this, right now currently have KP. Did you know thats what those bumps were?

• KP is  a benign skin disorder, meaning it is harmless. 
• KP is genetic, and usually runs in families. 
• It can be found most commonly on the face, backs of arms and backs of legs. 
• KP doesn't really go away, however it can be treated to minimize the appearance.

Now, not everyones KP is as bad as others. And the reason I bring this up, is because as I get older I feel like mine is getting worse, not better. I rarely wear shorts in the summer, solely because of KP. The dermatologist stated me on Eucerin, an over the counter brand of lotion, in hopes that it would help. However it didn't. 

I have recently came across a line of products called Derma Doctor 

They have several products just to be used on KP, however I'm skeptical to spend more than a few dollars on something I'm not 100% sure will work. 

So my question to you all, is how many of you knew you had KP already? and have you tried any super products for treating it ? 

Help me out readers... I'm longing to wear shorts every day this summer (: 

choosing the right concealer for you

As I woke up this morning with dark circles under my eyes (thanks to a statistics final I was studying for) I reached for my concealer. Although I don't always wear foundation (on lazy days), the first thing I do is use a good concealer. I have always had an issue with uneven skin tone, and on the side of my face I have a few scars from a bad bout with chicken pocks. However 9 people out of 10 would never notice, due to knowing how to properly use concealer! 

Many of you probably use something like this: 

Thats fine and dandy, but that's also like wearing a "one size fits all" t-shirt... 

It just doesn't make sense ?

You wouldn't buy a foundation that matches every skin tone -- because there isn't such a thing. So my point is, you could be making your dark circles, age marks, acne scars etc. etc. worse with the concealer you are using. 

So alas I introduce you to something that may be intimidating to you or you have no idea what it is used for. Multi-tonal concealer. 

In a set of multi-tonal concealer, it usually comes with the following colors: 

Mint Green 

Lavender 

Yellow

Beige 

The point of these colors is to tint the color you are trying to hide, opposed to just covering it up and caking makeup on-top. 

So here is what each color works best for :

Mint Green-- works best for neutralizing red tones on the skin; blemishes, rosecea, port-white stains. 

Lavender-- works best for neutralizing yellow tones on the skin; yellow bruises, very dark circles under the eyes and works best on blemishes on dark skin complexions. 

Yellow-- works best for covering dark spots on the skin; sun damage, Melesma(pregnancy mask). 

Beige--works best for brightening the area under the eye; as well as covering other flaws not listed above. 

Now... after this colored concealer has been applied, that is when you can apply your "one size fits all" concealer on top... followed by foundation (: 

Betcha' learned something new today didn't you ? 

The type of concealer shown above, which I fell in love with is Hard Candy: Nobody's Perfect Concealer Palette. 

Why it's awesome: $8 and now available at Wal-mart. Don't discriminate against brands that can be found at Wal-mart, Target and other drug stores. Sometimes* they might have secrete awesomeness hiding away, like the Hard Candy line.