Just a little update on my weight loss journey and the results of using apple cider vinegar. All the details are listed in the video. Check out my results below.
My Weight Loss Journey: 22Pounds Down
Let’s Play Ball
Let’s play ball, or maybe stand around and act like I know what’s going on lol. I am not a sports girl by any means yet, I get excited watching everyone else have fun. Do you like baseball? My husband played in high school and ever since he told me the story of how he ran into the fence trying to catch the ball associate baseball with the reason he can’t seem to hear me when I ask him to do something (Insert sarcasm).
Me and my sister queens had the opportunity to visit the Trenton Thunder baseball game and of course I have the biggest grin on my face. No matter the negative press or media coverage my city gets I will always have Trenton pride. This city raised me and taught me lessons you can’t learn in school. Street smarts is a different type of education and it gives you an edge. I have to embrace it and it has helped me get very far in life and to that I owe my beloved city. Now, if you ask me anything about the game I can tell you two things. First, I had no idea baseball games are as long as they are. I felt like I was there all afternoon.
Second, the best thing to me is watching the players run and slide into the base. I am a previous track runner and I appreciate a fast runner. The slide gets me excited as well. Now if I was to see my daughters run and slide like that it would be a totally different story. I would be thinking about getting stains out of clothes and laundry lol.
Overall, we had an amazing after noon and of course took tons of photos with supporters in the crowd. The food was amazing as well. Crab fries and funnel cake, ugh. I was in the gym the next day with regret but it was so worth it. Like I mentioned, I have a ton of pageant and community service pictures in my phone that I need to post so make sure you follow me on social media. It’s ChimereNicole everywhere! Love you guys, XO.
Next Level For This Queen
This year is about taking it to the Next Level and for the past 2 months that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. If you haven’t noticed by now we are half way through 2019 and that has definitely added some fuel to my fire. I’ve been working hard to cross off somethings I have on my life goals list. I’m also noticing I’m adding things just as fast as I’m crossing things off. Typical me I suppose. I wanted to share some of the wonderful things I’ve been able to do in these past few weeks. This past weekend I entered my second pageant and WON, I ran a 5k for charity, and did some appearances around my city. To say I need a long vacation is an understatement. It has been an amazing journey thus far and I can’t wait to continue to crush some more goals. The hardest part about this season in my life is time management. There’s always an event or appearance I’m invited too but I have religious and family obligations as well. So, my new favorite word will have to be no. I know this may be a hard concept for most but I have learned to embrace the word. It simply means that I can’t stretch myself to thin and that I’m making ME and my family a priority. As I always have to remind myself, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Additionally, my YouTube channel and subscribers are felling neglected so I need to get back on track asap.
As I mentioned, last weekend I participated in my second pageant and WON! I am so excited, and this pageant was for a wonderful mentorship program called the NEXT LEVEL. This was the 10th year anniversary pageant and I am honored to be representing such a wonder organization as the 2019 Mrs. Next Level. As my goal is to represent my state as Mrs. New Jersey, the NL program gives you the fundamentals to progress in my pageantry journey to get there. My director, Mrs. Evelyn was and is still a current Mrs. New Jersey so I am blessed to be able to learn from the best. I love to create my own pathways in life, but sometimes to have to walk along the paths created for you by others. I hope as a mentor is to light up those same pathway for young woman who look at me the same way I’m currently looking to her and many others. The mentor becomes the men-tee and I’m taking in everything she says. My drive has kicked in full gear and my eye is on the prize, literally. Some of the key components we learn can be applied to many aspects of our daily lives. I personally have learned poise, confidence in my public speaking, my official pageant walk, and the four stages of a pageant smile. Yes, there are four and if you’ve followed me long enough you know I always jump to the fourth one, all teeth and small eyes lol. I smile so hard and it makes me giggle thinking about it. As I have been so behind on my blog post I’m going to make this one a gumbo of pictures from my recent events as well as my pageant. As always, I post to my social media quite often so you can always be updated there as well. Until next time, keep smiling.
I’m A Pageant Queen
I don’t even know where to begin. This past weekend has been such a whirlwind for me and I’m filled with so many emotions. I will do my best to articulate how I’m feeling and share my journey with you all as I always do. As many of you know I recently competed for the title of Mrs. New Jersey United States. This is my first pageant experience and to say it was amazing is an understatement. Not only was I able to represent the city of Trenton, New Jersey but I was able to promote my platform Girl Yes. This mentor ship program means the world to me and to be able to speak about it to a large crowd for the first time was amazing. This past Sunday I shared the stage with 9 other beautiful women with the hopes of gaining the title of Mrs. New Jersey. The Mrs. Pennsylvania competition was also taking place so in total there were 14 other women on stage with me.
I’ll start by telling you what happens during a beauty pageant. There are four categories in which you are judged. The most important being the interview portion of competition. This is when you spend five minutes with five different judges and you talk about your platform and explain your plans if you win the title. This is critical because the judges want to make sure that you are the right person for the job of Mrs. New Jersey. Please keep in mind this was my first pageant and all of this was completely new to me. Out of all 15 of us I was the only woman who was new to pageantry so to say I was a little nervous is an understatement. The funny thing about this is I was not nervous about being on stage at all I mean I’m clearly comfortable in front of the camera. I was more nervous about speaking to the judges and rightfully so. These are five people you have never met that you have to convince about giving you the title. One of the judges in particular was grilling me like he was in the army. I tried my best not to give him the side I but you never know. My face tells no lies and he was really trying to get me out of my element.
Once the interview portion of the show is complete you then move on to the fun part of competition. Well in my opinion anyway. I love being on stage and that is where I believe I flourish. Next, we moved onto the costume parade and let me tell you these women had some of the best costumes I’ve ever seen in my life. The theme for the costume portion of the show was to represent your state within your costume. As I stated these costumes were amazing.
Next, we moved on to swim wear and then the final portion of the show which is evening gown and then on-stage question. I was a bit nervous for on stage question because you never know what the judges are going to ask you. The format for the on-stage question is fishbowl and that means you pick a question out of a fishbowl and then the MC will read it off to you to answer. My question was about my platform and how I would promote it throughout the state. I think I did a really good job of answering the question and so I was happy with my performance overall. The results of my first pageant are, I receive the People’s Choice Award. Although I did not receive the title of Mrs. New Jersey I could not have prayed for a better outcome. In a little over eight weeks I stepped completely out of my element and I enjoyed every minute of it.
As I’m writing this post for you or I have been getting so many emails and messages online for me to compete in other pageant as well as becoming a spokesperson different organization. This one pageant has opened up so many doors and opportunities for me and I am so grateful for the experience. Although I don’t know what’s next for me I do know that I want to continue this journey of self-discovery and allowing God to make my pathway clear. The reason I started my mentor ship program Girl Yes is to show other women that you can do any and everything that you set out to do. There are no stipulations on your success. We are not to ever set limitations for ourselves because we are able to do any in anything we set out to do. Girl Yes you can start a business, Girl Yes you can apply for that job, Girl Yes you can go back to school, Girl Yes you can compete in a beauty pageant. You are capable of achieving great things. I am on a mission is to show the world that the future is female and I’m just getting warmed up.
Silking In The City
The pressure is on as I am 2 days away from my pageant. I can’t believe the time has finally come. I have been trying to live in the moment but to be honest, I have so much going on it hard to keep my head on straight. I recently took a quick trip to my local park just to destress. I knew that I would have a busy week so I wanted to get in as much alone time as I could. I’m so happy I did because now I’m legit running around like a crazy person. I’m looking for earrings to match my dresses. I’m figuring out what hairstyles I want to wear for each look, and dress fitting and alteration. Not to mention it’s also prom season at the salon and I’m still working with my clients to get them ready. Y’all keep me in prayer lol. I plan on doing some filming during this weekend’s events and I hope you all will get a general idea of what goes on behind the scenes. That’s the plan at least, but like I mentioned previously, Im trying to live in the moment.
Pageant Week: Interview Style
This is pageant week for me and I’m sharing with you my road to Mrs. New Jersey Unites States. I’ve already shared with you my skin care regime HERE. Today I want share the four categories in which title holder is selected. The categories are swimsuit, evening gown, on stage question, and the most important category interview. The interview portion is usually done before the official pageant has begun and it’s your opportunity to show the judges why you deserve to win the title. How you carry yourself, articulate your message, and present your morals and core is vital during pageant interview. It’s not about the prettiest face. Pageantry is about how you can make a difference while representing the title you are competing for.
As interview is the most important part in pageantry it is important that you not only look your best but feel your best. A woman is confident in her appearance will present well to the judges and will radiant in the judging room. I have some of my top fashion picks for interview portion of my pageant. I’m not going to show you my official interview pick just yet but I think judging by my picks you will see what direction I went in. Since my pageant is catered towards married woman I wanted to showcase a regal classy woman with a sense of style and personality. I wanted to feel like me with a touch of poise. Additionally, pageant weekend requires outfits for rehearsals, dinners, gala’s and much more so I decided to show some outfit picks for these events as well. We are also at show day and I’m extremely excited its almost here. Check out my picks below.
Stage Ready Skin Care
This week I wanted to take you along with me and share with you my preparation for the Mrs. New Jersey United States pageant this coming weekend. Over the years I have had my fair share of struggles with my skin. Acne is the absolute worst, especially as an adult. You think after a certain age it will magically disappear, well I’m here to tell you it doesn’t and often times you are left with the marks and scars from your fight with your skin. I call mine battle scars of the 90’s. Ok, seriously I knew I wanted to get my skin somewhat under control not only for the pageant but for my sanity. In previous years I’ve gone to countless doctors and the creams and pills would work for a short amount time then my skin would fight back like it belonged to a street gang. It was always a temporary high feeling when my skin would clear up then weeks later it was back like the plague.
Recently, I started a treatment plan from Dr. Michelle Henry, a Harvard trained Dermatologist and surgeon located in New York City. I have been following her on social media for a few years and I finally decided now was the time to really get the ball rolling of fixing this issue for good. We are currently still in the testing phase of plan however, I have seen some of the best results EVER! You can see from the image below the difference even in my makeup application. My makeup applies smoother and I require less product than before. It’s almost like night and day. Today I want to show you some of the items I’ve been using to get my skin stage ready. Although my treatment plan is customized to my skin type I will be sharing with you the products I use that can be used for all skin types.
Let me be completely honest here, I was not feeling this product in the beginning. I went off of the recommendation given to me by the sales associate. This frosty facial cleanser is so different from what I’m used to that I was hesitant in purchasing it. I’m so thankful I decided to give it another try because I love it for two reasons. One, a little goes such a long way. I have had this cleanser for 3 months and I still have half the bottle. I use it in combination with my facial brush and it does the trick. Second, the formulation is designed balance the moisture levels in the skin. Since I have problematic skin, its often oily in a few areas and normal in others. This wash discourages the production of oil in the skin but won’t dry the skin out.
Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance
I have been using this in the am with my topical antibiotic lotion from my doctor. It’s amazing at keeping my skin hydrated without the look and feel of oily skin. This is also amazing at reducing fine lines. Ladies, it’s never too early to focus on fine lines near your eyes, mouth, and forehead. These will be problem areas for me because I’m always smiling so hard lol. It’s also vegan, paraben, and gluten free.
Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Revitalizing Cream
This is my night time facial moisturizer. This was a product buy that I wanted to splurge on during the Sephora VIB sale. Also designed to combat fine line formation in the skin, I love the luxurious feeling it has. What I call the ultimate night time moisturizer and it not to thick. It feels amazing on the skin and is also the perfect product to use after a detoxifying or clay skin mask.
This under eye cream is wonderful for helping hydrate the sensitive skin underneath my eyes. I see a great improvement with the bags under my eyes as well. I use this product 2-3 times a week. Any time I apply a facial mask or any time I wear makeup I apply this cream. When I remove eyeliner, it takes a toll on my eyes and this helps restore the moisture balance back into my skin.
Origins Clear Improvement Face Mask
This is one of my favorite facial masks at the moment. Some days my skin is very sensitive so I have to be careful when applying products. I have never had a breakout while using this skin mask. Additionally, this mask helps to remove stubborn black heads from my skin. It’s truly detoxifying, and there is a visible difference in my skin. Great thing is it not at all expensive in comparison to other mask like Glam Glow. I was going to purchase that one but I didn’t remember if it helped my skin or not. I’m glad I gave this one a try because it’s amazing.
Ok, so I purchased this product to use on my face and after talking to my doctor she told me that oils aren’t best for my skin because they aid in clogging my pours. Since then I’ve been using it to moisturize my neck. Yes ladies, pay attention to your neck and jaw line as it still skin on your body. When applying makeup, it goes in these areas and it’s important to replenish the skin so the makeup can be applied evenly. We are also trying to prevent pre maturing aging to the skin. This oil penetrates the skin beautifully and doesn’t leave me feeling greasy. I would also like to note, I feel it helped balance my skin tone as well.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add that I am currently drinking a gallon of water most days. Water has been my saving grace during this prep as it keeps my skin hydrated and flushes toxins from my body. My diet has also changed significantly as well. I’m sure this is adding to my skin looking amazing as I’m only eating clean foods. I cut out sugar, processed foods, and alcohol. Let me know what products you are loving for your skin as well. I’m always open to trying new products.
Polkadot Queen
The countdown has officially begun to my road to Mrs. New Jersey United States. Seven days from today I will be amongst some of the most beautiful, intelligent, and inspiring woman I’ve ever meet to date. We are unique in the fact that we not only are all married woman but, we also are advocates for varies causes and organizations within the communities in our state. Although only one of us will be able to walk away with the crown, we have created some lasting friendships and expanded our sister circle. Pageantry truly is a sisterhood. I’ve been getting quite a few questions regarding my road to pageantry and why I decided to compete. This wasn’t something I panned at all. The opportunity was placed in my chair literally and after really praying on it I knew it was the best decision for me. I’m usually very meticulous in my planning and I map out my goals for the upcoming months and year. I’ve learned in a very short amount of time that God’s plan for my life supersedes anything I’ve have ever planned. If you would have asked me 6 months ago if I would be participating in pageantry I would have laughed. Even 3 months ago, I was on a journey of discovery and aligning my purpose in God. As soon as I stopped trying to push my own agenda in him, he fully revealed the purpose on my life for him. Although I was headed in the right direction I was trying to take roads he didn’t path for me specifically. I wasn’t meant to walk or travel the roads he already established. He was taking me into unchartered terrain, and he had to show me things about myself in order to effectively help others in the process.
The low points in my life “valleys” helped me understand why he was pushing me so hard. In these seasons we feel as though God has left us. I now realize that while you’re taking the test the teacher must quietly sit back and observe. He can’t interrupt, he can’t give /show you the answers, all he can do is hope that everything he gave you during the lessons as a guide will be used to help you pass the test. If not, the class will be repeated. I learned some hard and valuable lessons in the valley and because of that I’m now careful where I place my feet. I’m preparing for my mountain top experience. This post is not meant to be “deep” or super spiritual but this is my truth. I know that social media like to glamorize life and lead you to believe that everything is sunshine and glitter donuts but the truth is life can be challenging at times. Even much so if you’re not connected to the source. I’m praying my little corner of the digital space helps someone walk their path and stay motivated to live life purposefully.
Dress: BooHoo (Sold out) Similar HERE.
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