Thursday, March 27, 2014

Spring Wedge Love

Last week, when I in Oklahoma City for the World Largest Youth Expo aka The Oklahoma Youth Expo, I had to do a little shopping. You've probably seen an Instagram picture or two of me wearing heels out in the barn or pasture. Sometimes there is no time to change into more practical shoes before you run out to the barn to feed or to put cows back where they belong. I will tell you it is a lot easier to maneuver the barnyard in wedges than heels! Plus, with a Dominican vacation coming up I'm thinking that a new pair may be in order.



Right now I am leaning towards 2 and 3. There are so many other cute pairs on the TOMS website, you'll have to check them out as well. 

Which wedge is your favorite, and are you more of a wedge sandal or flip flop kind of gal? Also, don't forget to sign up to the Spring Beauty Swap

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

#FarmVoices - I'm going to play that card and play it hard

There was a man named Norman Borlaug that was a genius and father of the Green Revolution. He is often credited with saving billions of lives through the agricultural techiniques he implemented around the world that increase crop yields and in turn increase food production. Today is a unique day because not only would it be Norman's 100th birthday, but it is also National Ag Day.

I love this video remix of some of Norman's most profound quotes. I think my favorite quote of his is "If I have anything to contribute to this world I'm going to play that card and play it hard." For Norman this meant that he was going to use science, use GMO variations, use technology to ensure more people around the world had access to food and basic necessities.

For my husband and I our card is raising the best Hereford cattle possible. We want superior genetics, cattle that are phenotypically superior and at the end of the day produce a great steak.

"Look what happened to the dinosaur. When he lost his ability to change he became obsolete. Is this the destiny of the human species." - Norman Borlaug

Monday, March 24, 2014

Spring Beauty Swap

I know you have been asking, and wondering, and pondering when we have our next Beauty Swap. Well, the time has come! I am very excited to have Taysha of Dirt Road Charm helping me host the Spring Beauty Swap. Taysha and I have a love of MAC make-up, cattle and agriculture, and we finally got to meet in person at the National Western Stock Show this year.

So how does a Beauty Swap work? Once you have signed up we’ll pair you with another beauty loving blogger (or someone that enjoys Twitter or Instagram). You’ll have a little bit of time to get to know your new social media friend, and then you’ll send each other a gift of beauty products. Sign up for the Beauty Swap will take place March 24-April 4, 2014. We’ll send out the pairings by April 8. Get to know your partner and then be sure to get your package in the mail by April 18. It is really important to follow these deadlines as we have had a few Beauty Swappers send their packages off and get nothing in return :(

Once you have received your box start testing out your new beauty product. We'll host a link up on May 2. Feel free to link up and read all about everyone else's find. Here are link ups from Beauty Swap I and Beauty Swap II! You don't have to have a blog to participate, but we do ask that you have a social media way to communicate and join in on the fun. Use the hashtag #ccbeautyswap on Twitter or Instagram. Below is a list of a few rules and guidelines. We ask that you try and stick to the rules as closely as possible.


1. Follow the Crystal Cattle and Dirt Road Charm blogs and Facebook pages.
2. Email your partner within 72 hours of receiving your match. If you haven’t heard from your match after three days are up, let Crystal know and we’ll try and pair you with someone else.
3. Be sure to ask your partner questions about their likes and disklikes, skin tone, preferred colors, etc. or maybe they want to be surprised!
4. Each box should contain a min. of $15 worth of product. Please include one full size item. You may also include samples of products with your one full size item. Since Easter is around the corner also include your favorite Easter candy.
5. Items must be new, unless you’ve discussed this with your partner. (Perhaps she loves purple nail polish and you have bottle you know you won’t use anymore.)
6. Packages must be shipped by April 18. If possible it is a good idea to get a tracking number incase something gets lost.
7. Once you receive your package create a post revealing what you received and link up with us on May 2.
8. If you do not follow the rules you may forfeit you right to participate in future Beauty Swaps. Crystal Cattle has the right to refuse participation for any reason.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

101 in 1001: Update IV and Book Review

It's time for a 101 in 1001 update. Now first you may wonder what 101 in 1001 is. In 2009, I first heard about the concept. The goal is to complete 101 goals in 1001 days. I am now on my second second 101 goal list. For those of you who have become used to seeing my 101 list on the left side of my blog it has a new home under the 101 in 1001 tab. The side column was providing too many formatting challenges for me, so you'll have to check out the tab to see my progress.

I am now up to 38 goals being checked off. Good thing I have until November 14, 2015!

A few things that I have am proud that I am working on is reading more books. I find it pretty impossible to make time to read. However, thanks to the Boy I have found a great app to listen to books called Audible. He listens to books in the skidsteer every morning while he feeds the cows. Now whenever I travel I also listen to audio books. Not only have I completed two books this way, and I have added the additional goal of listening to five hours of audio books a month.

So what books have I read?

Lean In: You must read this book. Seriously. I think I have brought up this book to ever women friend I have. The author Sheryl Sandberg has an amazing career and wonderful personal life. She is also extremely motivated and successful, two things that our society don't always associate as positive attributes for women. I plan on buying a hard copy of this book and rereading it. You will definitely be inspired by this read.

The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family and Ducks Built a Dynasty: The Boy and I are big fans of Duck Dynasty. I would consider this book a lighter read, but it tells a great story of how hard work faith and sometimes doing this the unconventional way can bring you closer to your goals. It is really interesting to learn where the Robertson family started and the hurdles they have overcome.

Spoken From the Heart: This is Laura Bush's book. I have just started reading (listening) it it and I have 8-plus more hours today. So far so good, but I definitely need to get farther into it to give a full review.

p.s. Now for a Beauty Swap update. Be watching the blog because next week I will be sharing the details of the March/April Beauty Swap!

Monday, March 10, 2014

My Fitness Pal App Discovers

For almost three weeks I have been using the app My Fitness Pal thanks to a close friend and Prairie California recommendations. I haven't been living a super healthy lifestyle and this app has definitely gotten me motivated to get back on track.


So what does the app do?

1. It helps me count calories - EASILY. You can use the barcode scanner to quickly find input foods into your food diary. The database also has thousands of items that you can search through, and recipes are also easy to add. This was really important to me because we do a lot of cooking in this house.

2. It has shown me that I can eat a lot of food in a day. I am definitely not starving myself. Some days I find it a challenge to consume all 1,400 calories that I am supposed to be eating to meet my health goals. It also helps me stay away from junk so that I can eat lots of good food in a day.

3. It motivates me to workout. I still need to increase this part of my healthier lifestyle, but I need to continue to work on the amount of exercise I am putting in during a week.

What I have learned?

Each day you get a nutrient breakdown with your total, goal and what you "left on the table." What I am finding is that even though I am eating healthy and taken a multivitamin I am still falling short of calcium and iron daily recommendations pretty consistently. I drink milk and eat quite a bit of cheese, and pretty much everyday I am having at least one serving of beef, which is a good source of iron. However, this little chart is telling me I need to find some additional sources of calcium and iron.

I have a big bag of frozen broccoli in the fridge that I know will help, however I think I better find some other foods because I won't lie broccoli isn't my absolute favorite. I know that I can also change my multivitamin to a women specific vitamin for more calcium and iron, but maybe my readers have so suggestions or maybe it is time to meet with a dietitian at our local health clinic.

Have you set any health goals for yourself this spring?
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