7 Steps to The Beach Hair Look

The hottest new summer hair style for medium to long length hair is sporting the look of hair that has been at the beach all day, kissed by the perfect breeze and sunlight. Hair stylist Wesley with Free people is featured in a YouTube tutorial teaching these 7 easy steps for Beach Hair. While there are many variations by stylist to achieve this tousled look, Wesley’s is easy to follow and gives fantastic results that last. Grab a curling iron (small barrel), thickening spray, sectioning clips, light dry hair spray, texturizing spray and a blow dryer.

1. Start with dry unwashed hair, and run fingers from top to bottom to gently separate any tangles. Clean hair is not recommended for this style, best results are obtained by up to 3 days of no washing.

2. Use a good thickening spray, Aussie products make a great one, as well as Garnier Fructis. Work thickening spray through with your hands, with a blow dryer do a quick rough dry to set the spray in. This step gives the hair lift and texture.

3. This step calls for your small barreled curling iron. Take small sections of hair starting with the front and clip into sections. First loosely curl any hairs left out of sections ,than curl hair in front sections one at a time away from the face. Don’t curl all the way to the ends for a more natural look. The idea is to loosely curl to keep natural and around face only curl away from face, curling towards closes face into a boxed look.

4. In the back of head you can curl in any direction, Wesley suggests you rotate from curling to the back and than to the front. Remember not to curl to the ends.

5. Take a light dry spray and use it all through the hair. Run your fingers through hair, this gives grip and set’s your curls.

6. Wesley recommends a good texturizing spray for this step like Bumble and Bumble, available at www.bumbleandbumble.com . This gives the hair a dry texture as if you have been to the beach. Spray it in well to dampen all of the hair with the product. This allows the curls to fall and by using your hands to scrunch until product drys you will have the most natural effect.

7. The last step is to turn head upside down and shake to give fullness. Flip head up and use fingers to adjust face framing pieces and off you go.

Follow Wesley’s 7 easy tips for fooling the girls into thinking you just left the beach with a great natural hair style. Enjoy your summer with this fun tousled look!

Belgian Waffles In Banana’s Foster Delight

A fantastic recipe for those special mornings or when you have a house guest you would like to impress. Follow this simple recipe for a 5 star breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups of all -purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon of baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

_________

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups milk

1/3 cup melted butter

_________

1/4 cup of butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons rum flavored extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup whole pecans

1/2 cup pancake syrup

3 bananas, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Here we go……

1.   Preheat your belgian waffle iron. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, and salt all in one bowl, put to the side.

2.   Whisk eggs,1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl. Stir in your melted butter and flour mixture ( from #1) until slightly lumpy batter forms.  Cook belgian waffles on your preheated waffle iron for about 2 minutes , or until steam stops.

3.   Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Now stir in your brown sugar,rum extract,2 teaspoons vanilla extract,and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and stir in your pecans -continue simmering for 1 minute. Stir in the pancake syrup and bananas, continue cooking until your bananas soften, around 4 minutes.

4.   Beat the heavy cream, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until firm peaks start to form.

5.   Now that your waffles are done, spoon your Banana’s Foster sauce over the waffles and top them with whipped cream.

Your 5 star breakfast is going to have everyone full, smiling and praising your skills in the kitchen.

Join the Soulful Charms Tribe

I feel like I know Laura Bucholtz, but we have never met.   I discovered her Soulful Charms, charm bracelets, when visiting a friend in San Diego.  I bought them and then had  to find out the whole story.   Soulful Charms are no ordinary charm bracelets. They hold special meaning and intention – spreading good luck, good health and good energy to all who wear them or give them as gifts.

Laura Bucholtz created Soulful Charms as a way for women to band together as a tribe of positivity, health and goodness to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Inspired by the most courageous, amazing women – friends, loved ones, cancer survivors and the mighty souls who walked in the “Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk,”

Bucholtz said, “Soulful Charms are dedicated to a tribe of special women who I hold close to my heart…” A friend who celebrated her 3 year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor during the 3 Day Walk in November 2008 and is now positively overcoming a secondary diagnosis of acute leukemia; a friend and neighbor who passed away on Christmas Eve 2008 after battling breast cancer for two years, leaving behind her husband and two young children; my sister-in-law Kim who lost her sister at age 34 to breast cancer and was survived by her husband and three young children; and my mom Lynne, who at age 16, lost her mother Lily to breast cancer.

Soulful Charms radiate positive, soulful energy for healing, friendships, gratitude and good luck. Every Soulful Charms bracelet is hand-made. The moment you purchase a set of Soulful Charms Bracelets, you become something bigger than yourself. Your act of kindness goes out to the universe carrying the positive energy you just created. And because it is in giving that we receive, you and your new charms also become positively charged with the energy from all the beautiful, fun and caring women who also wear these Soulful Charms.

Laura needed to raise funds for her 3-Day Walk and tapped into her family resources in Brazil.  Each of her bracelets is hand made and she chose her charms for their specific meanings, which you can read about on her site www.soulfulcharms.com.  I have a feeling that Laura’s entrepreneurial spirit is fueled by an inner energy and positive spirit that surrounds Laura.  Join her tribe by purchasing a set of bracelets for yourself or a friend.

4th of July Cocktails!!!

Fourth of July is around the corner! Time for parties and BBQ’s to fire up! Want to impress the adults this 4th? How about two sensational cocktail recipes that were found on the recipe cards at Publix Grocery Store. These red white and blue drink recipes are a hit, and the names will have everyone in the spirit!

Red,White,and Blue Cocktail

Ingredients

1 oz of rum

2 oz pina colada mix

1 cup of crushed ice

2 oz red grenadine

1/2 oz blue curacao

To Mix

1. Pour rum, pina colada mix, and ice into blender. Blend.

2. Pour grenadine into a tall glass.

3. Add the blended pina colada mix on top; then pour the blue curacao over top

4th of July Shooter

Ingredients

1/2 oz grenadine

1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz blue cuacao

Steps

1. Pour the grenadine into a shot glass

2. Float Vodka on top of the grenadine.

3. Float the blue caracoa on top of the vodka.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July ladies! Don’t forget your sunscreen, fabulous hat and  Strappys shoulder jewelry!

Temporary Tattoos – Chanel or Angelina?

For ladies of impeccable style there is a new trend on the catwalk for 2010 accessories- temporary tattoos! You can bring out your inner Angelina Jolie without the pain and long lasting reminder of a real tattoo. A temporary tattoo is transferred on to the skin by pressing the tattoo in place and using a damp cloth to transfer the design on the skins surface. These tattoos last about 3-5 days and can be easily washed off with soap and water or baby oil. They pose no harmful effects and are fun and safe for all ages to enjoy ( take a look at our article on how these tattoos can help identify a child while at a crowded event or vacation.) Think of the statement you could make at a party or event with the right design and colors, the options are endless.

Coco Chanel spells high-end taste and class, and is now the leader in a designer temporary tattoo. That’s right, Chanel is making designer tattoos and they are hot! The collection went on sale March 1st at Selfridges and features the iconic Chanel logo the double C’s,lace,rosary beads, birds and Karl Lagerfeld’s treasured chains. They are as high-end as the name bears and the costs reflects this at a charge of $78.00. There is a vote being conducted on their site to see if you would wear them and if the costs is justified. The majority of votes were against the high charge and didn’t know if they wanted to print a company logo on their skin. Some trendy ladies thought if they were going to sport a tattoo Chanel is the only way to go to keep it classy.

The choice of a Henna tattoos is the most controversial as the fast staining “black Henna” can contain para-phenylenediamine (PPD)which may cause an allergic reaction and scarring. Air brushed tattoos last the longest and give the artist full range for detail. The transferred temporary tattoo is still the most popular and easiest to obtain and apply. With all these options including Chanel why not sport a temporary look and have some fun fooling your friends! Butterfly or classic Chanel ladies?

Sexy, Shapely Arms for Summer with Push Ups

Our second article about shaping up for summer.  I hope you’re working on those shoulders.  Biceps curls and triceps extensions are great but push ups work these areas plus so many more…shoulders, chest, back – deltoids, pecs, traps- for those who speak that language.  I like how this video shows the correct way to do push ups.  Looking for a goal?  I saw Kelly Rippa do 45 push ups on national television.  She wins!   But now I have a number in mind!

If you want to shape up those arms, hit the floor.  There’s no excuses with push ups!

Sexy, Shapely Shoulders for Summer

Memorial Day Weekend.  The start of summer! Are you ready to pull out the stops on what you will wear this summer?  Are you ready to bare your shoulders with confidence?

Shoulders are hot for summer.  Look at all the tube tops, one shoulder and spaghetti strap styles in our favorite shops.  Well Strappys can give you the confidence that your ugly bra straps won’t be a distraction but you have to do the rest.  Start now and you should see a difference by the 4th of July.

Here are a few dumbell exercises to help you get the the sexy, shapely arms and shoulders that you will want to show off:

The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the results!

Meal and Menu Planning for Busy Moms

For my first entrepreneurial women post I had to choose Dawn Billesbach.  Dawn is the mastermind behind menufortheweek.com.  What started as a posting of recipes and menus  for her family and friends, soon became an online business with subscribers from around the world.  Each week Dawn  puts together a menu and shopping list for her subscribers.  Every Friday morning I wake up to an e-mail that has a shopping list broken down into categories , fruit and vegetable, dairy, meat, etc. – (very efficient).  On the list is everything you will need for the week’s menu.  So meal-planning and shopping  literally take about one hour thanks to Dawn.

Adapting this plan into our lives, as a family, has made a big difference.  The most stressful part of getting dinner on the table is trying to figure out what to cook with what’s in the fridge and pantry.  This stress has been eliminated.

My first concern was whether or not my kids, who prefer plain food” that doesn’t touch anything else,” would eat the recipes that Dawn dishes out.  My favorite story is the one where my kids would go, “oh no, she’s cooking in the crockpot – Yuk.”  Now that yuk meal from the crockpot  has become a favorite .
Dawn’s weekly newsletters always impart some little piece of advice that I can really use – like throw at least one load of laundry in every day so you don’t have to spend one day every week doing laundry.  Yep, that works too!

Dawn has been featured on tv, radio stations and newspapers across the country.   So why was I so surprised that while on vacation I plopped down at the pool with a copy of Redbook, April and there she was, an article about Menufortheweek taking up most of page 132.

Dawn is a very busy Mom of two who works outside the home and inside the home, yet she still manages to put dinner on the table every night and photograph it so you and I can see the yummy food that she’s dishing up in her newsletters.  Dawn makes us realize that if we have a talent for putting something together, a weekly plan and menu, then you can take your talents and turn them into a business.  If you’ve heard, “you’re so good at this, you should start a business!”  Maybe you should!

5 Tips on a Budget for Looking Younger

We all want younger looking skin and the latest products to help us maintain our appearance.  The cost of these  products could really break the bank! A few simple tips though can keep you looking great and holding on to your pay checks much longer.

1. Lipsticks work best on conditioned/moisturized lips. Buying a favorite shade plus a moisturizing primer could cost over $20.00.  Use chapstick or a plumper like Carmex under your lipsticks at an average price of $2.00 and what a remarkable savings for the same ingredients.  Also applying  a moisturizer like A&D Ointment or  Blistex (in the blue container) every night will help keep your lips moist and plumped.

2. Vitamin E oil is one  the top ingredients listed in facial moisturizers, this is one product that can be very expensive. Purchase of a jar of vitamin E oil  at a fraction of the cost of facial creams. A small amount of this oil is all that is needed on wrinkles. This oil is great applied to lips at night as well.

3. Don’t discard old mascaras, once they dry out they are perfect for eye brows. The brush, on light or thin brows, adds color and a fuller appearance. This trick saves money on the purchase of expensive pencils and looks more natural then drawing in a pencil line.   This is the cheap way around purchasing Lancome’s Brow Control which is $22.

4. Lipstick used as blush is so smart, one small dab on apple of the cheek, blended well, will  last longer and looks more natural then brushed on powder. While out and about lipstick won’t crack in your purse like a powder blush can after  bouncing around all day inside your purse. Some shades look fantastic as an eye shadow. One stick in the right shade can go a long way!   This is not a new concept.  Benefit Cosmetics has Benetint which is the same concept.  Before Benetint they had the perfect shade for my lips and cheeks.  But, alas, it has been discontinued.  Benetint will set you back $28.

5. Creams for redness and irritation are expensive as well as some requiring a prescription to obtain. Milk is the perfect solution. Milk ( 2% or higher) contains proteins, fat, amino acids, and vitamin A which all aid in the reduction of irritation and redness. Try this milk face mask for rejuvenating dry skin:  Mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 3 TBSP of milk and 1TBSP of honey.  After washing your face, apply the mask to face and neck and rub gently.  Relax and leave on skin for 20 minutes.  Rinse face with warm water and pat dry.

Five simple tips that have you saving money and looking sensational, now that is simply fabulous!

Food Guide Pyramid: Steps to a Healthier You, Eating Right

Wow, went to a Health Fair this past weekend.  Did you know that they finally changed the government food pyramid? Hopefully they’ll be teaching this in the schools and working to abide by it for school lunches. Instead of the pyramid being right side up or upside down with horizontal blocks of food recommendations, it now has almost vertical stripes.

So hey, check this out ( one of my fav phrases from American Idol).  At www.mypyramid.gov you can go inside the pyramid and click on each “stripe” to see how many servings you need of each colored category.  Finally, they’ve decided that people of different ages and sexes have different nutritional needs.  So, climb the pyramid steps to a healthier you.  This is the daily nutritional recommendations “scoop” for women aged 31-50…

ORANGE is grains.  We need 6 ounces of grains daily, preferably whole grains- whole wheat flour, oatmeal, brown rice.

GREEN is veggies.  We need 2 1/2 cups daily, these are broken into subgroups and it is important to eat from each group. Check the pyramid for specifics.  It’s all there and really helpful.

RED is fruit.  We need 1 1/2 cups of fruit daily. Stay away from fruit juices, aim for fresh or frozen, canned or dried.

YELLOW is oils.  Our limit is 5 teaspoons daily.  Most of our oil should come from vegetable, fish or nut oils.  Limit solids like margarine or butter.

BLUE is dairy.  We need 3 cups of milk products daily. This includes milk, yogurt, cheese.  See the chart to determine how to convert yogurt and cheese to cup equivalents.

PURPLE is meat and beans. We need 5 ounces of this group.  This group includes eggs, peas, nuts and seeds. Choose lowfat or lean meat or poultry and bake it, broil it, or grill it.

So when it comes to keeping ourselves healthy try going back to a strong balanced diet. Sometimes as busy women we take something like our nutritional program and try to make it more like rocket science than the simple thing that it really is. When on the go and traveling we can easily loose sight of what we are consuming, putting us at health risks and compromising our immune system.  So begin your journey to proper nutrition by creating a personal food guide pyramid based on your caloric and nutritional needs.

Nothing is more attractive than a healthy woman who makes healthy choices!

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