Wednesday, August 27

Everything Skin

"Ooo, rub her smooth skin, you say you wanna get in my benz." -Sir Mix-A-Lot

Tidbits about your skin.

Antioxidants: The Pac-Men of skin care, such as vitamins C (also a collagen-builder) and E, beta-carotene and those within green tea and grape seed, gobble up the free radicals produced by factors like sun, pollution, stress and cigarette smoke, neutralizing their skin-weakening powers.

Tree oil: A natural antiseptic, to banish breakouts. Honey, I've heard, does the same thing. But it won't soak into skin alone so add moisturizer to it (I use aloe vera w/ honey as a mask).

Grapes: The main source of the antiaging powerhouse resvertatrol. When taken internally, it triggers health effects similar to a low-calorie diet and is believed to help prevent diseases including cancer and diabetes, as well as ward off weight gain and increase endurance. Found within the skin of the fruit, resveratrol offers several complexion benefits when applied topically - amped-up collagen production, protection from UV damage and defense against loss of elasticity.

Niacin: A derivative of vitamin B3, niacin helps the digestive system convert food to energy and assists nerve function. But skin-care gurus love it because niacin breaks down into nicotinic acid, which stimulates the release of leptin, a hormone that's been shown to reduce hyperpigmentation. Applied twice a day, a niacin-enriched, gentle product could fade brown spots and other discoloration over time.

Tea: Whether brewed as soothing beverages or added to a daily skin cream, these antioxidant superstars also contain large amounts of polyphenol, a known antiager. These types of tea (most potent are green, white and yerba mate) have been scientifically proven to defend against the formation of certain cancers when sipped daily, and there's evidence that they fight free radicals, minimize UV effects and repair damaged cells when applied to skin.

Yogurt: Low levels of lactic and alpha hydroxy acid make plain yogurt an ideal DIY exfoliant (leave on for five minutes then rinse) even for those with sensitive skin, while its probiotic content beats bad bacteria effectively on the skin's surface just as it does within the body.

Another tip: While so many skin care products are expensive, spend your money on items that will be applied and left on skin, such as moisturizers and night creams. Spend less on items that are washed off, such as cleanser and exfoliants. And, as always, drink water, use sunscreen and sleep!

Tuesday, August 26

Open Your Eyes

"They said girl open your eyes." -Whitney Houston

Every woman needs to know what is going on in the world around them. Get your daily dose and read Day of The Crocodile in the September issue of Vanity Fair.

Wednesday, August 20

Roses

"Yeah, roses really smell like poo-oo-ooo." -Outkast
They really don't, its one of my favorite scents. Here are some great, rose smelling products.


intimately Beckham for Her - Lasses who love rose will find that this floral fragrance tickles them pink.






Annick Goutal Creme Splendide Nuit - Why does the nicest stuff always have the longest names? Expensive, but claims that the rose seed oil is
skin-softening.



Alora Ambiance Rosa reed diffuser - Fill your home with the scent of fresh-cut roses for months.





Lollia Inspire perfumed dusting powder - A dusting of this powder will leave skin petal-scented!


Wednesday, August 13

Lifestyle Websites

"Online, all right, let's get this party started." -Krayzie Bone

Local Harvest - Use their website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.

Library Thing - Catalogue what's on your bookshelves and see who has the same taste in reading materials as you. The world's largest book club.

Life Style Map - A space where wisdom meets style and timeless principles work for today. Get your map and start living a life meant for you.

My Food Diary - By recording your food intake and your activity level, you will gain insight into the quality of the foods you are consuming, and you will have a better understanding of your metabolism and how food and exercise come into play.

Tuesday, August 12

Charity Information and Ideas

"Ain't nuttin free, give back what you earn, no doubt." -2Pac

Good Search should be used by everyone. Enter the charity or school you support here then click "verify." Next, search from above and earn money for your cause!

The Charity Navigator will aid you in your search for a charity you can trust.

Sign up with Care2.org and network with other organizations and individuals who care to make a difference.

Friday, August 8

Easy Container Gardens

"Cause next year this time I'ma sell out the Garden." -Wyclef Jean

Live in an apartment or condo where there is no place to plant a garden, or anything for that matter? Take these ideas, where you can even plant vegetables.

Potted herb garden

Potted salad garden

Potted cutting garden

Also, try planting nasturtiums, which cascade out of pots or climb trellises, they are a cinch to grow. Sort of remind me of morning glory's, except these are edible with an intense peppery flavor. They are colorful and make for lovely arrangements in salads.

Harvest: As soon as the plants begin to bloom, you can gather for eating. Opt for young flowers and small tender leaves. Nasturtiums are cut-and-come-again - the more you pick, the more they bloom so don't hold back.

Prepare: Soak them in cold water for two hours. It makes the texture of the leaves much perkier. Dry and scatter a handful over greens.
Dress: Use a tablespoon tarragon white-wine vinegar to three tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and plenty of sea salt (you won't need pepper because of the spiciness of the nasturtiums), then whisk it all up with a fork. Pour the dressing over the salad just before you ready to enjoy.

Or, wait three months or so until the plants are well established before picking for arranging; that way, you'll get good long trailing stems. After cutting, sear stem ends in boiling water for 20 seconds to increase their vase life. Trailing nasturtiums look great arranged in small vivid pitchers or glasses.

Cute Idea For Moms

"As kids we used to laugh Who knew that life would move this fast?" -Kayne West

The book of kids' quotes (from Real Simple) - Kids say the darnedest things, record them. Write them down, who said it and what age they were when they said it. An entry from the article: "Nick, 7: "I'm never getting married. I don't want to have to kiss anyone, and I definitely don't want all these kids to deal with." When I replied that I like having all these kids to deal with, Nick retorted, "People feel sorry for you, Mom." Send them out as your holiday newsletter. As the kids get older they become more self-conscious about what they say. In parenting, you're so in the moment. Writing things down helps preserve the long view.

Custom Fashion

"Put that dress on that you know I like The one that fitted right..." -Sleepy Brown

Dress By Design: Six different designs made to fit.

Personalized Photo Keepsakes

"Just one of them days, don't take it personal." -Monica

From Sticks and Stones, photos from nature and architecture that form letters of the alphabet used to spell a family name...or your blog name!

Thursday, August 7

Let's Talk Money

"Wanna talk about money? Then talk without it." -Jermaine Dupri

Mint: Free finance software. Easy money management.

NAPFA: National Association of Personal Financial Advisers. Look one up or contact me, I know a few good ones!

Wesabe: Community of people just like you, with real life financial situations, sharing advice and tips.

Wednesday, August 6

Blab Savorites: Miscellaneous Beauty Products

"So come on, such a cutie, I love you Sleeping Beauty." -Tech N9ne

Colorescience Powder Sunscreen - Throw it in your bag and brush it on throughout the day, without spills. In fact, they have other great sunscreen products to check out as well.


Lumene Vitamin C+ - This vitamin C oil, Energy Cocktail Intensive Care, when used daily under moisturizer, makes skin glow.






Philosophy Hope in a Jar - A world-renowned skin cream. Results can be seen and felt within days - a healthy, rosy glow to the skin that doesn't require makeup or cover up. I use it at night for a night cream.

Fashion Illustration

"Coach bag with the shoes to match forget the price." -Chingy

I am fascinated and in love with fashion illustration.
My favorite is David Downton.
Just search for "fashion illustration" and find your favorite. Vogue has an entire book dedicated to fashion illustration. Purchase prints for the home (great in the bathroom). If you've some great ones, please share.
Also, check out The Meaning of Sunglasses: And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable by Hadley Freeman.

Stop to Smell the Flowers

"Even when I'm a mess, I still put on a vest with an 'S' on my chest, oh yes, I'm a Superwoman." -Alicia Keys

I was reading a great article in, you guess it, Real Simple about women and their many stages in life, and came across this amazing statement and want to share.

"If I were the mother of a young child today, knowing what I know now, I would be confident that all identities - awe-filled teenage girl; independent woman in her 20s; anxious, love-besotted new mother - are astonishingly, mournfully brief."

So true, enjoy who you are at this moment.

Spend? Save? Invest?

"Shake your money maker like somebody boutta pay ya..." -Pharrell with Ludacris

Answers to common money questions...all in a nutshell. Great for reference - I keep going back to it. Found in Real Simple.

Also, check out the book Secrets of the Young & Successful by Jennifer Kushell.

Saturday, August 2

Everything Hair

"Top down hair blowin in the wind rims spinning, that's what Ryders do." -Ruff Ryders


Savorites Stuff box Osc
ar Blandi Dry Shampoo, it smells great and makes my hair really soft and shiny, without having to wash it. As we know, it's not good to shampoo our hair every day, so this offers us an alternative. Haven't tried other Blandi products but if you have, write us a review!

For dry and ultra fine hair, I have read that J.F Lazartigue Micro-Pearl shampoo contains less drying detergents and is good for hair. I have heard from many sources that suds are created with detergents and are not good for any hair type, or skin for that matter.

Fekkai products are also great, I used the travel size on a vacation to Alabama recently and really liked them.

Organic cleanser line Dr. Bronner's carries shampoo, body wash and laundry soap. Can be purchased at Target stores.

Terax Crema Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner is a cult favorite, which deep-conditions hair without weighing it down.

Coconut Milk shampoo by Organix is nourishing and organic. Plus it smells good!

HAIR MYTH: Cool-water rinses add no more shine than warm ones do.

Opt Out

"You can't see me through websites, but I still got 'computer love'." -Spice 1

Get rid of unwanted junk mail: http://www.greendimes.com/ is a website that helps remove your name from mailing lists and eliminates those unwanted catalogs. Also, I found www.worldprivacyforum.org/toptenoptout.html as a place to opt out of many types of unwanted mail. From there, you can also get to http://www.donotcall.gov/ for the National Do Not Call Registry.

Also, there is the Catalog Choice website where you can eliminate the catalogs you receive in the mail.

Just found two more: dmachoice.org and optoutprescreen.com

Shop Talk

"Livin like Liberachi, sportin the latest Versace, shotty and Maserati, dodgin the paparazzi." -Lil Wayne

Ideas on how to get designer duds on the cheap, from Shop Smart.

1. Take a trip to New York - Nearly every day of the week there's at least one sample sale in New York City. You can find listings at http://www.nymag.com/ (click on shopping) or try http://www.topbutton.com/. If you make it to a sample sale, here are a few tips: Wear a wide skirt or leggings and ballet flats or flip flops. The shoes are easy to slip off and you can try on anything over leggings or under a flowy skirt. Be sure to ask for discounts on clothes with small but fixable defects like missing buttons. Anyone interested in a vaca?

2. Find local sales - Go to http://www.dailycandy.com/ or any sites that carry local sample-sale news. Get on mailing lists and get to know the salespeople. You may also be able to tap into multicity sample sales like those held by Billion Dollar Babes, one of the biggest sample-sale organizers. The company is also planning online sales; go to http://www.billiondollarbabes.com/.

3. Visit an online sample sale - There aren't many yet, but they're growing. Be sure to get in early and don't dawdle. At http://www.hautelook.com/, you have to become a member and then you'll be sent an email with sale times. Also try http://www.ideeli.com/ and http://www.7thonsale.ebay.com/.

Garden Ideas

"In the garden of fruitfulness, You plant and it grows, yeh." -Ziggy Marley

Three different garden plans from Real Simple:

The Succulent Garden


The Shady Garden


The Annual Garden

Friday, August 1

Scientific Thoughts

"You best flee, because I've come with the science..." -Gang Starr

Great article in Time on intelligent design and evolution.

Is Refinancing Right?

"And since I cover the mortgage, the car note, the Porsche and the condo." -Da Brat

Click here to read the short and sweet article from Real Simple on whether or not you should refinance your mortgage.

Girlie Things You Should Never Apologize For

"A girly female feminine dame." -South Pacific

Continued...
  • Divulging everything to your friends.
  • Toting a stash of survival gear in your purse - The kind that would make MacGyver jealous (think aspirin, a nail file, hair pins, a sewing kit, Band-Aids, extra undies, salad dressing).
  • Giving yourself the royal treatment - Getting manicures, massages and facials may seem self-indulgent, but a bit of me-me-me generates positive emotions that can boost the immune system, enhance your metabolism and soothe your mind.
  • Swiping one of his tee shirts.
  • Going in herds to the bathroom - Because you never know when you'll need backup, like toilet paper from another stall or a breath mint. Plus, hanging with your girls in the impossibly long line is way better than standing alone.
  • Spending eons in the bathroom - Your lengthy shower-and-primp routine is probably the only true me-time you have during the day...so enjoy and relax.
    Secretly wondering what you'd like like with a boob job or butt lipo, even though you're not planning on going through with it.
    Window-shopping - Ogling pretty things without making a purchase is not pathetic...it's ingenious.
    Having an unexplainable bond with your phone. Scoping out other women - Biologically speaking, it's natural to check out the fairer sex.

Harvest of Fear - Must read!

"There is so much trouble in the world." -Bob Marley


Whoever provides the world's seed controls the world's food supply. If you have not yet heard about this company and their practices, please take a few moments to read this. Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination.

Vanity Fair article on Monsanto's fierce reputation for enforcing its patents and suing anyone who allegedly violated them.

Opinion Based

I am not paid for the magazines I feature, products I mention nor the websites I display. I really read the magazines and pick out the best stuff I find. Savorites (saved+favories) are items that I actually use or sites I actually visit.