Counting Calories with SparkPeople

Well.. it's that time of year. The Christmas cookies are gone and it is time to eat healthy and exercise. We have what we call the "Gurell Metabolism". None of us can eat and drink without thinking of the consequences and we can no way match what our friends eat. The past four years I have motivated myself each year with a 21 day Liver Cleanse. It's gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, corn free, soy free, caffeine free and alcohol free(basically fun free), but I feel a million times better when I am done. When I am eating healthy and watching my calories I use an awesome website called SparkPeople.com. Below I have listed some things I love about this site and I am sure you will too!

1. This website helps you track EVERYTHING you eat. If a food isn't already in the data base it is super easy to add.

2. It also tracks exercise for the day(even if it is only walking or playing Wii). And it doesn't add the calories you burned to calories you can now eat.

3. The apps for phones and iPads are fantastic. You can even take a photo of the code on the food label and all the info is loaded automatically. And even more trackers, recipes, blogs, exercise videos and motivation are all available online.

4. I have calculated recipes I make at home using the calorie calculator and stored those so they are always easy to add to my food tracker and I know exactly the ingredients I used because I made it at home!

5. Something new I love is the route tracker. I can log my route on a map and then the site calculates length and calories burned. 

If you have the "Gurell Metabolism" or if you want to be healthy in 2013 check out SparkPeople.com.

Jonnie found a great idea on Free Peoples blog on how to make silverware look vintage so we had to try it! Below are steps we took to make our own vintage silverware...

 First we laid out our silverware on newspaper.

We picked our three fav colors of acrylic paint. Then we placed tape in random spots over sections of the silverware that we didn't want painted, so that some of the silver showed through.

Here's how they turned out! We are definitely not professional painters, but we were proud of ourselves. ha!

Proper way to clean your makeup brushes

Since a lot of girls don't realize how important it is to clean their make up brushes we thought it would be important to share with you the proper way to clean the brushes and  keep your face acne free! If you don't have time to clean them a couple times a week then definitely try to stick to once a week. All it takes is a few minuets and three easy steps...

Rinse brushes under warm water. Make sure it's not super hot. I have broken a few brushes from using boiling water. Then use shampoo or hand soap on the head of the brush pointing downwards. I'm not sure how great it is for your face, but I also will use dishwasher soap on the brushes before putting hand soap on them so they're extra clean. Then set them on a clean towel and wait for them to dry.

I know the cleaning process is pretty much common sense, but it is extremely important to help clear the bacteria from your brushes. When I notice acne coming on, I clean my brushes right away and it seems to help. Also your foundation will go on more evenly without the left over foundation getting mixed in. After your brushes are clean the application will be much easier and smoother on your face.

Our Labradoodles

It's hard to believe how fast time flies, our Labradoodles Brick and Breeze are already 10 months old! After the devastating month of December when we lost Ozzy and Tommy within 2 weeks of each other, it was the best idea ever for my dad and I to get brother and sister puppies.  It's so funny to see their different personalities. Breeze takes after her mom and is such a Ferris Bueller brat, where Brick the sweetest boy ever and only wants to please you! They have grown up so fast! Brick has the legs of a giraffe (still growing)  and has the jumps of a kangaroo and Breeze has the jumps of a grasshopper (all fours at once) and is a supermodel...you should see her eyelashes!  They love each other so much and are so excited every time they get to see each other. All I have to say is "where's Brick"? and Breeze goes and waits by the door for him! God, Tommy and Ozzy all worked together and  really sent us the perfect two! :)

We have had so much fun lately in their dog training classes at Whole Dog Sports. Just call me Cesar Millan... Both already graduated from the Modern Manners class believe it or not! Brick was the Super Star in the class and the teacher's pet. He loves school and wants to be the demonstater for everything! Breeze is typical and hates her teacher and only wants to do things if it is her idea.

A few weeks ago we started the Beginning Agility class. Before the first class we thought there was NO way they were going to be able to do any of that crazy stuff. Walking beams, jumping hurdles, climbing planks, tunnels...It is unbelievable how fast they have learned and how good they are! Our cheerleading days our coming back to us as we scream, clap, and practically toe touch when they do a good stunt!


Bethany is now in the obedience classes too. The untrainable Beth Gurell is starting to come around, although I don't think she has listened once. haha

If you are in the North County area, check out Wholedogsports.com. Our trainer Lyssa has been great, and the pups absolutely love it!

Summer

Mako "Thundershirt" Shark Gurell

So many people ask me why I would want a tough, fierce dog like a bull terrier. Truthfully, he is a lot of dog for me but his breed is also known to be "clowns"! And he is such a clown. He is always doing something silly and making all of us laugh. He has the biggest heart(he insisted on sleeping with Tommy every night when he was getting super old) and really is a softie(he lays on his back so Breeze thinks she is winning the rumble).

 Unfortunately, he also has lived up to his name, Mako Shark, since he was a baby. His favorite thing to do was bite people's wrists when they least expected it. Luckily, he has grown out of that habit. One habit he couldn't shake was chasing and biting his tail. I remember reading books about bull terriers before I got Mako and I always thought it would be terrible if my dog chased and bit his tail until it bled. Well Mako did better than just a little nibble and one relaxing Sunday evening decided to bite OFF a chunk of his own tail. Long story short..emergency surgery, tears and nearly one thousand dollars later Mako is a whole new Landshark! A shorter one.

After his surgery I was desperate for him to feel better and not be anxious and I would do whatever it took! He is my only son after all! I read the reviews for the Thundershirt and decided to give it a try. It has been the BEST investment. Mako loves to wear his shirt! It immediately calms him and he loses that terrible, anxious feeling. Mako will definitely be wearing his Thundershirt for years to come. Thank you Thundershirt people for giving my pup the peace he needed when his mom couldn't figure it out!

Best Acupuncture in San Diego!

So I have posted previously about how acupuncture has been the best thing I have done. I encourage anyone who has pain or discomfort to give it a try. Before I ever go to the doctor's office again, I will try fix my issues first with acupuncture. I have been going for a few months now and I feel a million times better. Below is a link to Dr. Wooley's website. He is the funniest guy ever and you will not only feel so great after, but you will laugh the entire appointment. He usually has affordable deals going on and he recently had a groupon available. Do yourself a favor and make an appointment today with the greatest acupuncture in the world!

Sunny

http://www.oceansideacupuncture.net/About_Clayton_Woolley.html

The Glicks in Carlsbad

We have been waiting to share the weekend that we were looking forward to all summer...the Glick's wedding. One of our best childhood friends married the most handsome, smart, and amazing man a few months ago. Can you tell we are all jealous from the photos below? Ha! The Simon family has been so good to us our whole lives and we were blown away that our entire family was there to celebrate the weekend together. The wedding was just like a fairytale and it couldn't have been more beautiful. Julie, Melissa, and Jessica's husbands are all great friends and all of us Gurell Girls only hope we can follow in their footsteps. Congrats Jess and Adam! We are so happy for you. Now that we met so many great people at the wedding we have been inviting to Texarkana by a couple different families so you better believe we will be visiting you guys! Mazel Tov!

Goody Spin Pins

In Southern Cali we have had the hottest summer I can ever remember. Since we grew up in the desert, I can handle the heat, but I HAVE to have my heavy hair out of my face and off my neck. These pins from Goody can hold up ALL of my hair in a stylish up-do without me having to worry about redoing pieces or my hair falling out. For me it is always the simplest and quickest option wins me over and these do the trick every time. Find the pins that match your hair color in many retail stores near you!

AQUA

I am pretty psyched that my favorite aqua color has been a hit lately. It's a bold color that can add some fun to your wardrobe. Above are some pics of my favorite aqua trends. I found a great aqua color dress for my best friends wedding and I can't wait to wear it for another event!

Love, Sunny