Blog Archives

Three Months into the Year-Goals

3/31/2013

We are now 3 months into the year 2013. How are you doing with your goals?! Get out your Goal Sheets and look them over. Here's mine!
Every goal that I have completed is in red, and all the goals that I'm on track for (like drink 5 cups of water a day), are in orange.

Financial Goals
1. Make $13,000
2. Save $2,000 for California
3. Save $500 for Retirement
4. Save $700 for my Wedding

Career Goals
1. Model
2. 10,000 pageviews in one month
3. Get my band started again
4. Find a place to sell my Crafts

Learning/Development Goals
1. Study Chinese 3 times a week
2. Be able to do a split

Fun Goals
1. Go on a Cruise to the Bahamas
2. Go to China or India
3. Go to Abbey Road
4. See my brother's band play twice

Health Goals
1. Do Yoga 3 times a week
2. Drink 5 cups of water a day
3. Eat 1 tbs of coconut oil a day
4. Eat healthier, homemade food
5. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar everyday
6. Eat vitamins every day

Relationship Goals
1. Stay just as happy with my boyfriend as we are now

Contribution Goals
1. Give $456 to Compassion
2. Buy jewelry from Eden

As you can see, I've edited a couple of my goals again. But thats ok, because things are always changing, and sometimes you need to make small adjustments. So check over your goals again, and if you need to make any adjustments, now is the time to do that.

Take a look at all your goals, and make sure that you're on track for them. For example; Some of my goals are, Drink 5 cups of water a day, eat my vitamins every day, and do yoga 3 times a week. I am on track for all these goals, because (for the most part) I have been doing them all. My goal, study Chinese 3 times a week, I have not been doing faithfully, so I know that I need to get more on track for that (being in China for over a month will definitely help!)! One of my financial goals is to make $13,000 this year. Breaking that down into months, I need to make $1,083 a month. So for January-March, I should have made $3,249. I have made a little over $2,000 so far, so I am not on track for my goal yet. I will be in China for the next couple months, and during that time I will not be making money, so when I get back home, I will definitely need to re-adjust my monthly money needed goal.
So go and make sure you're on track for all your goals! If you're not, simply make adjustments, and get back on track! (:

Peace Love and Goals
Jess <3

2 Comments

Follow me on Instagram!

3/27/2013

1 Comment

Well, I JUST got an Instagram! About time I know! The reason it has taken me this long, is because I refused to give up my flip phone (and $24 a month phone bill) for a smart phone. Well, I still haven't given up my flip phone (it's only $24 a month! Plus I looove my flip phone!), but i DID steal my boyfriend's old I-Phone, and I am now using that only for the camera, and when I have Wi-Fi, instagram and facebook! I am very excited about this!
So be sure to follow me @china_barbie_
I have a bunch of pictures of me, me and the boyfriend, the boyfriend, and our boxer pups! So it's obviously adorable pictures!:P

Peace Love and Instagram
Jess <3

1 Comment

Support Small Businesses; Nick LaPinta

3/25/2013

As you all know, I like writing posts about artists, photographers, and small businesses, that I think are just pure awesomeness, and deserve to be supported! So today, you are all in for a special treat: I am writing an article about none other than my wonderfully amazing boyfriend, Nick LaPinta!

Not only is Mr. LaPinta an insanely sexy, caring, sweet, and funny, (oh I'm sorry, am I rambling?) man, he is also an amazingly talented tattoo artist.

Nick has been tattooing for four years now. He started as an apprentice at Artistic Expressions, and is now a full-time artist at Studio What? Studio What? is a wonderful little shop in the village of Berlin, Ohio, in the heart of Amish Country.

Here is some of Nick's work:

I told you he's amazing! If you are even considering getting work done, check him out right now! And check out Studio What? There are plenty more pictures of tattoos he's done right here.

Here's some drawings he's done! These are all original, free hand drawings. If you go to his facebook right now, he will cut you a great deal on any of these drawings (including the money on the brain drawing above)!

Ok last picture I promise! Hehe.

So there you have it; Studio What?, and Nick LaPinta. Make your appointment today!

And remember, Support Small Businesses!

Peace Love and Tattoos
Jess <3

My Biiirthday (Plus the Ghosts of Birthdays Past)!

3/21/2013

2 Comments

Well, I am officially in my late twenties now! 24 wasn't too bad, because I was still in my early twenties. 25 was kinda rough, because that was my mid-twenties. And now, at 26, I am in my late-twenties! I know that I think too much about this, but I am just super weird with my Birthdays! I have this birthday tradition, that I start to think about how old I'm getting, and it usually involves some crying! Haha, I guess it's just how I deal with changes!
This year for my Birthday, I had a wonderful tea party at Anderson's, an adorable little coffee shop in the village of Navarre. They set up a cute little tea party for us, complete with a meal, tea and coffee, and delicious peach cupcakes! Here's some pictures from our extravaganza:

It was a lovely and magical time! For your
next tea party, or just a cup of coffee, be sure to check out Anderson's!

As I was looking through these pictures, I stumbled across pictures from some of my other Birthdays, and I thought it would be fun to look through those too! So I present to you, the Ghost of Birthdays past:

2008-My 21st Birthday! I turned 21 the first year I was living in China. I was kind of bummed, cuz China doesn't have a drinking age, so I knew I wasn't going to get carded or anything. So after the waitress brought me my beer, my friend took the beer and pretended to be the waitress and carded me. It was a great! We ate at a Korean Bbq (which is where they bring out raw meat and vegetables and you cook it on the grill that is in the middle of your table! Amaaazing!) Afterward there was lots of fireworks, birthday cake, and drinking!

2010-My 23rd Birhtday!
This. Amazing-ness.

2011-My 24th Birthday!
Went to Chucke-E-Cheese and played games, drank beer, and met Chuck-E!

2012-My 25th Birthday!
We went to a bar, and I got to ride my first Mechanical Bull! SO fun!
And I had a lovely ladies Tea Party! Yumm...!

*What were some of YOUR most memorable Birthdays?! Leave a comment and let us know! And Don't forget, if you haven't already, find our Facebook button on the right hand side and like us! (:*

Peace Love and Birthdays
Jess <3

2 Comments

BEYOND Exciting News!!!

3/11/2013

0 Comments

Hello everybody! I have some VERY exciting news! I have only shared this news with a few select people so far, and now, I am going to share it with all of you!
On Friday the first, I finally purchased my plane ticket to China!!! Today I started crying when talking to my boyfriend about it, because I am just so overwhelmed with joy, complete happiness, and relief, that I will finally be returning to the place that my heart yearns for!
It's been three years since I have been in my beloved homeland, and it feels like an eternity.

I finally saved up enough money to buy my round trip plane ticket to China, but when I went to buy it, I couldn't find anything under $1,600, which was more money than I had planned on spending! So after a day of freaking out, and trying to figure out what to do, I finally accepted that I just wasn't going to go. The next day I decided to check one more time, and I found a site that I hadn't looked at before, Vayama! So I checked on there, and found affordable tickets! I immediately bought them!
Last Monday I filled out and printed my visa application form, printed out my plane ticket confirmation, booked a hotel for my first two days there, and printed out the hotel confirmation (since 2012, it is now required to send in your round trip plane ticket confirmation, and a hotel reservation confirmation when you send in your passport for your visa). On Thursday, I got my Visa picture taken, and mailed in all my documents to get my Visa!

(The Bell Tower, Downtown in my beloved Xi'an)

I will be leaving Ohio on April 10th, and getting back May 16th. It's not as long as I wanted it to be, but this is the amount of time that works with this point in my life right now, and I am grateful for any amount of time that I get to be in China!

I'm not completely sure what my time in China will look like, and that's the way I want it! I'm getting ahold of some good friends there, and will for sure see them, but as of now, I'm not even sure which city they are in! So I'm going to Xi'an (the city I lived in) with no agenda, just letting whatever happens happen (that's how some of the most fun things can happen)!
I do know that I will be eating lots and lots of food, doing a TON of shopping, and walking, taking buses, and riding motorcycle taxis all over the city!

I've debated over this, but I have decided that I will not be taking my laptop with me. I want to travel really light (I hate checking bags!), and don't want to have to lug my laptop around with me. So I will not be on here a lot, but I will make sure that I go to an internet bar every once in a while to check in, and let you know how my trip is going!

(Me at an internet bar in China 3 years ago)

You're all probably wondering, "How on earth can a waitress, that only works 3 days a week, save up enough money to go on a Cruise to the Bahamas in February, and then a month long trip to China two months later?!!" I guess when you put it like that, it does seem pretty crazy haha! I get asked this all the time, and so I have decided, that when I get back from China, I'll let you in on my secret! I'll most likely write a couple different posts on it, but I am very excited about this series, and you should be too!

I have exactly a month before I leave, and I don't know how I'm going to wait that long! :D
Until next time!

Peace Love and CHINA!!!
Jess <3

0 Comments

The Winds of Change.

3/6/2013

2 Comments

The winds of change are coming around, I can feel it. I can sense it, just as you can sense a storm is coming; the eerie stillness, the look of the sky, and the warm sticky feel of the air. All these things have been happening, and now, the wind is coming. The at first calm, and almost unnoticeable breeze, that slowly circles its way around you, and then, before you even know what's happening, becomes the chilling wind that howls and whirls, announcing that the storm has begun! The storm has begun, and there's nothing you can do but quickly take shelter! And you know, that once the storm has passed, things will never be the same...

I can tell, that this chapter of my life, of me living in Ohio, is about to close (for now at least, I'm sure I'll be back sometime, but if and when that happens, it will be a brand new chapter!). I've known for some time that this was coming, much like when you know that the winds are about to start. And now, the wind has started!
I've been wanting to leave Ohio for a while now. When I moved back from China 3 years ago, I ADORED Ohio! I was so happy to be back; I got to be with my family, and I had SUCH an amazing time! The first year of being back, I was in bliss, and ever since then, life has slowly got too comfortable, too predictable, and too boring. Now don't get me wrong, I still love Ohio, and I still manage to have fun, but this is the longest I've been in one place since I graduated high school eight years ago! A couple months ago, I just knew that something had to change. Now, ever since getting back from the cruise (about a month ago), that feeling has manifested itself more than ever before! In this last month, so many things have been telling me that it is time:
One of the things I have slowly realized, is that Ohio people (for the most part) are not kind. They are not the kind of people I need to surround myself with; to help me grow, help me become a better person, and share in my journey with! I have been realizing how toxic and poisonous an environment most of the people are around here! In the different countries and states I have been to, total strangers have treated me with more kindness and respect than some people I know around here!

Me and the boyfriend have been thinking for a couple months, that we want to move to California the beginning of 2014. We both feel that we are meant for something more, and that we need to get out of Ohio (he's wanted to leave Ohio his whole life and has never got to)! For me, this feeling is getting stronger and stronger with each passing day.
I'm not meant for the cold, chilling winter days of Ohio, the cold shoulders of angry, bitter Ohioans, and the ugly barren Ohio winter landscape. I was meant for more. My body longs for more. And that's what I am going to get.

For now, I am just going to keep meditating, listening to my instincts, and listen to what my being is telling me.
I am very excited to see where the winds of change take me...

*Thank you so much for reading, especially when I write such personal stuff like this. Thank you for being there for me and rooting me on, and remember that I am here for you, rooting you on in your journey! Please like this and share, thank you so much darlings!*

Peace Love and Change
Jess <3

2 Comments

Nature's Miracle; Coconut Oil

3/2/2013

2 Comments

I would like to introduce to you guys my newest health discovery! This discovery started a couple months ago, when my boyfriend gave me a book called "Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut." by Bruce Fife. So thank you to my wonderful boyfriend!
The book tells all about the magical and healing power of the coconut!
Coconut has been used for thousands of years by natives on tropical islands. The coconut is regarded as the fruit of life! They drink the coconut milk and the coconut water, eat the coconut meat, and use the oil topically and internally for many ailments.
Coconut oil has a molecular structure that allows it to penetrate skin and hair, both
preventing water loss and replacing lipids that deplete with aging. So that means, when applied topically, it moisturizes and heals like CRAZY!

How I Use Coconut Oil:
* A dairy free replacement to butter.
* Take my eye makeup off at night.
* Body lotion.
* Rub it on my lips instead of chapstick.
* Rub it on my face every morning and night. It has helped clear up my face! It is also anti-
   aging, and has an spf 4!
* Eat a tbs every day. Doing this helps: increase mental alertness, is a source of energy,
helps increase sun tolerance and helps avoid burning, helps improve sleep, and
  remineralizes  teeth!
* Brush my teeth with coconut oil mixed with baking soda!
* I put it in my hair, sleep in it, then shower. My hair feels sooo healthy when I do this.
* I cook with it! Use instead of vegetable oil or butter.
* Put it on my split ends.
* Put it in hot tea or coffee. It blends easily, and adds a good flavor!
* Give my boyfriend massages, using coconut oil for massage oil (the oil is easily absorbed
   into the skin [especially when heated], and is really good for working out knots and
   healing the body)!
Nice right?!! Not only has coconut oil made me a lot healthier, but it saves me so much money, and saves so much cabinet space, since I use it in place of so many different products!

Other Useful Ways to Use Coconut Oil:
*On feet to fight athlete’s foot or toe fungus.
*Oil pulling with coconut oil and a drop of oregano oil helps improve gum health.
*Can help reduce appearance of varicose veins
* As a natural shave cream and after shave lotion
* It’s anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen arthritis
* Can be rubbed into scalp daily to stimulate hair growth
* Can help speed weight loss when consumed daily
* A tablespoon melted into a cup of warm tea can help sooth a sore throat
* Some evidence shows that the beneficial fats in coconut oil can help with depression and
  anxiety.
* By itself as a natural deodorant
* For pets struggling with skin issues when used externally
*And many more!

So pick up a copy of "Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut." today, and find out more ways coconut oil can change your life!