moved to a new blog...

Hello friends..


I moved to a new blog site: http://justsweetlove.wordpress.com/


Please follow or subscribe to me at wordpress.

Thank you! 

lipstick | red

For the longest time, I was scared to wear RED lipstick. I don't know why I was scared, I just was...maybe because I thought I would  look like a clown, or because I was shy! LOL..

so one day, I walked into Sephora, and asked for HELP! One of the ladies used their expertise and picked out a shade of red to go with my complexion. She applied the red lipstick on me, and I have to admit, I was still not comfortable with it on. After a few minutes looking at myself in the mirror, it grew on me. After I purchased my first red lipstick at the age of 26, I felt like a whole new person...more bold and daring to try new things. Woot! 

  

  

  

My go to Red Lipstick! Barcelona by Buxom

 

* I definitely recommend going to Sephora and asking for help to choose the right shade of red lipstick for you. The Sephora staff are definitely knowledgable of the products  and what works best for you. 

What's your favorite brand/shade of red lipstick? ^_^ 

Teeth Talk | Flossing

"Are you flossing everyday?" That is something you probably hear often when you see your dentist or dental hygienist, right? Studies show that 10-21% of Americans are flossing on a daily basis. 


Today, I am going to discuss a few things: 1. how often one should floss, 2. purpose/benefits of flossing, 3. types of floss, 4. proper way to floss, 5. Is it normal to bleed when you floss? 6. Other comments about flossing.  


1. How often should I floss? You SHOULD be flossing every single day, if not every other day. The reason why is because it only takes plaque about 24-48 hours to mineralized once oral hygiene is neglected. In other words, you want to get rid of that plaque before it gets hard! (especially if you are eating starchy foods such as crackers, bread, cookies, chips, etc..)
*Plaque = biofilm layer that is formed from bacteria, carbohydrates, and salvia. Plaque is soft/slimy, and it sometimes can be invisible to the eye. 
*Calculus (aka tartar)= mineralized plaque/biofilm that can be found above and or below the gums. Calculus irritates the gums causing inflammation, bone loss, and bleeding. 


2. What is the purpose and benefits of flossing? The purpose and benefits of flossing is to prevent cavities, gingivitis, and other possible dental problems. Having plaque, calculus, or food sit in between your teeth will definitely cause an odor and irritation to the gums. Irritation to the gums may result in bleeding, redness, and sometimes puffiness. 

3. What type of floss or products that could be used in between the teeth? Aside from floss, there are other alternatives such as: interdental brushes, end tuft brushes, tip/wedge stimulators, sticks and picks. 

  

        Set of interdental brushes.

Most of these alternative products (photos above) are best for people with big spaces (embrasures) in between the teeth, gum recession with root exposure, bridges, crowns, and/or implant areas. 

*IMPORTANT: you should NOT use those products if your spaces in between the teeth (papilla) is filled and/or if you do not have adequate dexterity (ie. arthritis, tremors). Always consult with your dental professional before use.

  Many patients of all ages prefer using this type of floss picks instead of the string floss because they feel it is more convenient. Personally, I do NOT mind my patients using these IF this is the only way to get them to floss. Although the floss picks may remove some plaque and food debris, I feel that with the string floss, you have more control and flexibility of how much more you can remove! I always tell my patients: if you have two good hands to text and play games, I expect you to use string floss. 

The Air Flosser by Sonicare is the newest product to floss your teeth. I have not tried it nor have I seen it in person, so I don't really have an opinion. If you are interested, I suggest reading some reviews online. 

Types of floss: There is no difference in effectiveness with the types of floss (ie. waxed or unwaxed)- whatever works for you. 
Waxed floss- helps to prevent trauma to the gums; able to slide in between the teeth easily ;rarely sheds and breaks 
Unwaxed floss- much thinner, better for tight spaces, more likely to break; if not careful, may cause trauma 
Types of material used in floss: silk, nylon, expanded PTFE (wax)

4. Proper way to floss. I found a very good tutorial on youtube. 

Keys to flossing properly: Hugging the tooth with the flossing (making a C-shape), going up AND down, do NOT go back and forth. ALSO! the closer you hold your string floss, the more control you have.

5. Is it normal to bleed when you floss? Friends! It is okay if you bleed while flossing! I hear it too many times from my patients that they get scared of the blood, so they stop flossing. Please don't stop flossing because of the blood. A few reasons why you are bleeding: 1. YOU do NOT floss enough, 2. there is something stuck in between your teeth (whether it is plaque, calculus, food), 3. possibly the crown or filling you had done is irritating the gums. My motto when it comes to flossing is: The more you floss, the less you will bleed ^_^ 

6. Other comments about flossing. Floss is inexpensive, small and compact. So you could literrally keep a pack of floss in your car, purse, pocket, work desk, etc..So there should be no excuses as to why you cannot floss. 

If you have crowded (misaligned) teeth, bridges, orthodontic wires, or implants, you should be flossing even more. 

------------------------------------------

As much as flossing may be painful, time consuming...just remember that practice makes perfect. So don't give up ^_^ Flossing hurts so good! 

Happy Flossing! 

style style style| Olivia Palermo

     
     

on repeat | Lissy Trullie | Ready for the floor

Heard this song in a Chloe perfume commercial and now I can't get this song out of my head! Ek! Enjoy! 

beautiful monday

After work, Danny and I decided to go for a walk by Venice beach and the canals...

Have a great week friends! 

Weekend in photos

Homemade Caprese Salad 

Lunch with the boyfriend *California Shabu Shabu

A wonderful visit from one of my favorite people, Pearl by the C*

     

Topping our eating fest with some Nachos! 

Teeth Talk | Whitening

*Note: Teeth Talk topics are based on research that I've read and my experiences working as a dental hygienist* 

Being a dental hygienist, I get bombarded with questions about teeth whitening almost on a daily basis. I will try to address the main concerns of all things teeth whitening. If you have any other concerns, please ask away in the comment section ^_^ 

Before whitening your teeth, you may want to consider getting your teeth professionally cleaned and get a dental exam. That way you can make sure all the calculus/tartar is removed before applying any whitening agents AND making sure you are not whitening any tooth that may require some serious attention! 
---------------------------------------

Hydrogen Peroxide {HP}| The active ingredient to help whitening your teeth. Carbamide Peroxide {CP}| A diluted form of HP found in over-the-counter whitening products. Basically CP is effective, but not as strong as HP. 

1.  What is the best product to whitening your teeth? Bleaching trays is probably one of the best way to whitening your teeth at home. Impression trays are made at the dental office. Once trays are made, all you need are refills of the whitening agent, which is made up of a HP 2-10% or CP 10-35%. You can buy the refills from your dental office. Cost of Trays:~$200.00-$400.00. Cost of Refills:~$40.00-$60.00 *prices are simply estimations, based on the various offices I've worked in*

2. What type of OTC whitening products are there? at your local drug store, you may find strips, trays, wraps, or paint ons. There is about a 3-10% peroxide found in the active ingredient of these products. I have used the strips and trays, and have not tried the paint ons or the wraps. 

3. What is the #1 problem with teeth whitening? Dentinal hypersensitivity. Keep in mind that the higher percent of bleaching agent, the greater the sensitivity. You should always follow the instructions of any whitening products. If you experience  sensitivity immediately, then you should stop and use a desensitizing toothpaste (i.e Pronamel by Sensodyne).  

4. Is it okay to use my whitening strips even though it expired? Yes, it is okay, but the level of efficacy will be much less. 


5. "I continue to whiten my teeth, but they are still stained." In a situation like this, you need to consider your daily diet intake (liquids and solids). For example: Do you drink coffee/tea/wine? If so, how many cups? Do you eat a lot of berries throughout the day? Based on my experience on patients with moderate to severely stained teeth, advising them to rinse with water in between consumption of liquids and/or potentially stained foods. I have noticed a huge difference in patients CONTROLLING their stains with simply water.*Water plays a major role, not only in controlling the staining,but also in neutralizing the pH level of your mouth. For example, if you were to have a glass of wine, which is high in acid, rinsing with water in between will neutralize your teeth of the acid and slowing the staining process. >> Again, water does not remove the stains, but it controls it. Better than nothing right! 


6. Just to let you know...You cannot bleach those white spots on your teeth, the only way to make it less noticeable is hoping that the surround teeth lightens up to reduce the contrast during whitening. Brown spots responds to whitening most of the time. 

style style style | Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson [RB]. Effortless style from head to toe. Love. 

 


 


 

t h r e e | things

3 things about me: 


1. I am a dance machine ONLY when I am alone or with my sister! 
2. If I wasn't a dental hygienist, I would love to run my very own candy store. 
3. Even though I cannot carry a tune, I am a mic hog when I go sing Karaoke. 

cooking | stuffed bell pepper + breaded squash

Tonight, I decided to cook stuffed bell peppers and breaded squash. 

Preheat oven to 425. Stuffed Bell Peppers: seasoning salt, chop onions & jalapeños, then mix it with some turkey meat. After turkey meat is fully cook, chop the top of your large bell pepper.  Then stuff the bell pepper with the turkey meat. Optional, top off with mozzarella cheese. Toss bell pepper into oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Breaded Squash: slice up 2 squashes, pour a cup of milk (I used Almond milk just because that's all I have in the house), and a cup of bread crumbs (2 separate bowls). Individually dip squash slices into milk, then into bread crumb bowl. lay flat on baking sheet. Again, along with stuffed bell peppers, bake for about 15-20 mins.

Result: Delicious. Next time, for the stuffed bell peppers, I would mix mozzarella cheese with the turkey meat during the stuffing VS. topping the cheese on top of bell peppers. 

Enjoy. 

        

cooking | Roasted chicken

After having dinner at my girlfriends house Monday night, I was inspired to roast my first chicken! I seasoned the chicken with salt + pepper, and stuffed the cavity with: fresh herbs(thyme, mint leaves), lemon, 1 clove garlic, shallots, and some sliced onion.  

As you can see, I still need to work on carving the chicken! either that, or invest in better kitchen knives ^_^ 

 TaaaDaaa...Final result: The boyfriend loved it. Woot woot! The chicken was super juicy and flavorful! Again, so amazed at what salt and pepper can do to a meal. 

  * Note to self: Practice on carving chicken *

Happy Friday

 a friend posted this video on her Facebook...I loved it so much, I had to share it on my blog ^_^ enjoy. 

style style style | Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad [LC]. What is not to love about LC? We all watched her grow up thanks to MTV, from Laguna Beach to The Hills. Not only is LC a style fashion icon, she also has two clothing lines, including: LC Lauren Conrad @ Kohl's and Paper Crown. 


LC = CALIfornia girl, romantic, chic, slight bohemian, classic...always rocking a cute purse with her outfits...

    

  

Portland Food tour 2012

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Portland Oregon. My sister, brother, boyfriend, and his younger sister decided to do a food tour in Portland. We all had so much fun, especially our bellies! 

We stayed at The Nine hotel in downtown from Friday to Sunday and hit up eleven different restaurants. There were a few more top restaurants we wanted to visit, but there wasn't enough time *Sad face! next time. Special thanks to Yelp & our cousin Christopher who helped us figure out the top best places to eat in Portland. 

{ Mother's Bistro & Bar | Salmon Hash with Egg Whites } 

 

{ Voodoo Doughnut } 

  

{ Kenny & Zuke's Deli | this place was okay. We could probably do without this next time. }

  

{ Tasty N Sons |By far, one of the best restaurant I've ever eaten in my entire life! Promise. } 

  

{ Little Big Burger | very yummy. One of the best burgers, they also have a special ketchup sauce. Secret = Siracha }

 

{ Screen Door | Their brisket + fried chicken was very tasty. }

    

{ Pine State Biscuit | We got lucky the wait and seating wasn't bad. Best Biscuit ever!!! }

   

{ The Window Waffle | very creative waffle combination! quite tasty. }

  

{ Urban Farmer | right in our hotel, The Nine. }

  

{ Blue Plate | Recommended by our cousin. Grilled Cheese + Tomato soup = Happy taste buds } 

  

{ Piazza Italia | yummy } 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- M O R E fun 

 

 

  

portlandia L O V E 

{ Time to detox & cleanse my body ^_^ }