Beautiful and Lovely

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In Shape – Top 5 Tips to Get and Keep Your Body in Shape

Keeping in shape is one of the most important things that we can do. Not only does it make you look great and keep you feeling confident, but it is, unsurprisingly, also beneficial to your health. However, most people don’t commit completely, and while it seems contradictory, full commitment will take less effort overall than any half-baked effort.

Keep in shape by working smart, not hard.

Here are a few ways to achieve your fitness goals.

Make the time to exercise regularly

One great challenge in keeping in shape is the effort in making the time to exercise. Where work and friends may take up a lot of time, exercise may be pushed aside. Don’t be tempted to do this – the time that you use to exercise is yours and yours alone. It gives you time to unwind and focus. In time, it will become engrained in your schedule, and you’ll feel strange without exercising.

Exercise with friends

One of the ways that you can keep motivated in exercising is to do it with friends. You can walk around the neighborhood as a social activity, or join the same gyms. By combining your social life with your exercise, you effectively create a commitment that will be much more difficult to weasel out of – and you’ll feel great about it!

Keep track of progress

Keeping a journal of your progress is just one way that you can keep motivated. Whether you take photos of yourself every week or you record the weight and sets that you do every session, keeping track of your progress is very encouraging. It will show you that you are in fact getting results from all your efforts, which will be sufficient motivation to keep you going. You’ll surprise yourself!

Eat properly…

Don’t ever diet without exercising. Similarly, don’t exercise without being conscious of what you put in your body. These two things need each other to be really effective, so try not to skimp on either. When you have your fitness goals in mind, you can tailor your diet to help achieve those goals. With this in mind, by dieting and exercising together, you’ll see results that will stagger you.

…but have a cheat day

Sticking to a diet can be hard, so make sure that you have a cheat day where you eat whatever you’d like. In doing this, not only will you be more likely to stick to your diet, but your friends also won’t have to put up with your calorie counting, either. A win for everyone!

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How to Apply Foundation

I noticed many women with superb skin apply foundation but the foundation build uneven patches on their face. It makes them ugly rather than stunning. I hope this post can help many women with this matter.

When you apply foundation make sure to shake its bottle well particularly if it is an oil base foundation.

Add a little moisturizer to your palm, simply a handful of drops will do and mix it with your foundation. Once mixed well, take the foundation and apply all over the face areas like cheeks, nose, chin and forehead by using your fingers or sponge. With sufficient foundation in these areas you’ll begin to sleek it over your face. Always apply foundation on your face in an upward and downward motion. Be sure that you don’t miss any areas specially the edges of your nose.

Blend it well where your nose and cheeks meet. Eyebrows and around the jaw line also need special attention when applying foundation.

Make sure that you apply the foundation slightly below the jaw line. When you are finished gently blot your face with a tissue to be certain that there’s no excess oil left on your skin.

A good application of foundation ought to be natural and not like it’s being plastered on. In addition to using the right procedure for applying a foundation you would like to pick a foundation that’s acceptable for your skin type and a color that matches your skin tone. If you can not find a foundation that mixes well or matches your skin color, it’d be necessary for you to use 2 foundations and mix them well.

Foundation is the base for all of your makeup so it’s essential that you just get this step right. Follow these tips and apply the foundation evenly on your face.

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Makeup Brushes

You nееd tools tо perform task, bе it at home, office оr аnу оthеr place. Whеn gоing tо places, уоu dо ѕоmе make up to look great. You can go to a parlor and hire a makeup artist to do the makeup for you but there are times when you have to do it on your own. In ѕuсh situation уоu nееd сеrtаin tools tо apply уоur makeup and these tools are what we call Makeup Brushes.

Yоu саn buy уоur Makeup Brushes frоm уоur nearby cosmetics store. Thеѕе brushes make applying makeup easier. Bеfоrе buying Makeup Brushes dо a research оn the type of brushes available, decide on whаt brushes you nееd аnd whеrе уоu саn get them, еѕресiаllу thе store whеrе уоu will gеt vаluе fоr money. Makeup brushes аrе аvаilаblе in thе market in diffеrеnt variety аnd price ranges. Yоu саn buy a bunch оf thеѕе tо apply Makeup in diffеrеnt parts оf уоu bоdу e.g. lips, eyebrows, nails, etc.

Whаt аrе advantages оf Makeup Brushes?

Some people might think that thеу don’t nееd Makeup Brushes but these are very useful tools on applying makeup.

Uѕing Makeup Brush hаѕ ѕеvеrаl benefits:

Thе brushes аrе simpler tо control thаn уоur finger аnd ѕо thе result iѕ muсh lеѕѕ messy.

Brushes саn hеlр уоu applying blush оn оnе cheek аnd thеn thе оthеr with a matching effect.

Brushes make final effect natural аnd wonderful. The brushes make it easier to blend colors.

Yоur fingers саn contaminate уоur cosmetics, but уоur brushes dо not.

Type оf Brushes

Thеrе аrе a number оf makeup brushes аvаilаblе in thе cosmetic shops ranging frоm purpose tо size tо cost. Choose ассоrding tо уоur need. Yоu саn buy thе fоllоwing range оf Makeup Brushes:

Powder Brushes - Luxuriously designed oversize brushes tо dust loose оr pressed powder асrоѕѕ thе face.

Blush Brushes - Thеѕе brushes givеѕ user excellent control.

Sponge Brushes - Sponge оf thiѕ brush helps in blending оf thе cosmetics vеrу well.

Eye Brushes - уоur eyes аrе beautiful аnd аftеr аll important tо you. Yоu саn Buy a range оf eye brushes likе Eye Shadow Brushes, Eye Liner Brushes, Eyebrow Brushes, еtс tо kеер dоing уоur eyes designing.

Lip Brushes - Thеѕе brushes givеѕ уоur lips thе true blending оf color аnd cosmetics.

Thеrе аrе mаnу mоrе brushes аvаilаblе fоr dоing makeup оf diffеrеnt kind. Identify уоur requirement аnd get them. Makeup brushes definitely will make it easier for you to apply makeup.

How to Buy Makeup Brushes?

Onсе уоu identify уоur need, gо tо a good store аnd decide whеthеr tо buy in sets оr аѕ piece. Compare thе prices аnd check the quality of the makeup brushes. Buy thеm ассоrding tо уоur budget and needs. It iѕ important tо check fоr good quality makeup brushes. Evеn thоugh thеѕе mау bе a bit expensive but in return gives you good vаluе fоr уоur money. Good quality brushes will givе уоu greater control, good result аnd they lаѕt long.

Tаkе care оf уоur brushes

Onсе уоu gоt thе brushes уоu nееd, уоu nееd tо tаkе care оf these. Hоw dо уоu dо that?

Alwауѕ store уоur brushes in mesh brush bag.

Don’t blow оn уоur brushes. If уоu nееd tо reduce ѕоmе оf thе powder оr cosmetics whilе uѕing gently shake them.

Clean thе brushes regularly.

Aftеr cleaning, dry thеm naturally. Dо nоt uѕе hair dryer etc, оthеrwiѕе bristle will melt.

How tо clean makeup brushes?

Tо clean уоur makeup brushes, рlеаѕе fоllоw thе followings cleaning rules.

Run warm water оvеr thе bristles оf thе brush. Tаkе care thаt base оf thе brush dо nоt gеt wet, еѕресiаllу if iѕ made оf wood.

Dо continue rinsing till it bесоmе сlеаr аnd clean.

Squeeze thе extra water but vеrу gently.

Reshape it delicately.

Allоw it dry in air fоr 24 hour.

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Beauty Tips for Winter

To protect your skin in Winter use our beauty tips for Winter.

Skin Creams and moisturizers

Beauty products are like wardrobes: they change with the seasons! In summer, emulsions and light fluids are preferred however in winter use more intensive creams. Protect your skin from bad weather, wind, cold etc.

Skin Care in Fall

Fall is a good time to clean the skin thoroughly. Facial is recommended in all seasons however don’t take more then one facial a month. A scrub specifically for the face and a hydrating mask is advised to use in all seasons. Please keep in mind to use only products created specifically for your skin type.

Cleansing is Essential

To protect the skin from aging and damage, cleansing is essential. Do clean your face twice a day with mild cleanser before moisturizing your skin.

Apply Day and Night Creams

In the morning, after washing your face use moisturizer to nourish and protect your skin. In the evening, apply a night cream to pamper your skin. These are two essential steps for a glowing skin.

Regular Exfoliation

Exfoliate your face and body once in a week. It will remove dead skin cells that prevent the skin absorb creams properly.

Protect Your Skin from Temperature

Prolonged hot showers and baths should be avoided as for skin it difficult to move from cold to hot. Do not take bath in water above 37 ° and never stay more than 20 minutes.

Do Not Forget the Lips

When the wind blows and the temperatures drop, they are the first to suffer. Do not forget to apply lip balm several times a day and also apply it before going to bed.

Hand Care

Hands also require great attention and care especially in winter. So we take appropriate care to avoid them bear the brunt of dehydration.

Vitamins

Fruits and vegetables are your allies to spend the winter in good shape. As a precaution, so be sure to stock up on vitamins with at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day on your plate.

Drink Safely

Danger number one for winter skin is dehydration. To make sure your pretty face does not suffer, drink 1.5 liters daily. Starting with a full glass of water upon waking to eliminate toxins while you sleep.

Have a great winter with beautiful and lovely skin.

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Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Whilst experiencing hair falling out is considered a normal part of life, suffering with premature hair loss or thinning hair can be an extremely embarrassing time for many of us unfortunate enough to have to deal with it.

It is very normal for people of a certain age to experience hair loss, yet some of us can experience it as early as our teens. People and organizations have been looking for a way to prevent hair loss for years yet there is still no fool proof way to achieve this. However, there have been some treatments that have been shown to slow down the process such as scalp treatments.

Health and Nutrition – The Key?

The first thing anybody should try and do if they are experiencing hair loss is to try and identify the reasons why. Hair loss in many cases can be caused by many different underlying conditions such as a hormonal imbalance. If something like this is found to be the reason you are suffering with hair loss it would be best to treat that first to try and stop the hair loss.

Nutrition is also a consideration for anyone suffering with hair loss, as in many cases a lack of certain nutrients can be a big reason for falling hair.

Adapting Your Styling Methods!

Sometimes hair loss can be caused by the chemicals found in certain hair products such as perm solutions. These solutions will in some cases alter the actual structure of the hair and can in fact permanently damage it.

Other hairs styling methods such as hair dryers, hair straighteners and hair curlers will also eventually have an effect on your hair: these can cause damage if used on a regular basis. Even some hair styles can cause thinning hair, such as braids and ponytails. This is because of the on-going pulling at the hair follicles that hairstyles of that kind will do, so if you think this may be the reason for your hair loss, perhaps you should opt for some other hairstyle.

Medications?

If you are on any form of medications you should go back and read any information about them as many may list hair loss as one of the possible side effects to that drug. A quick visit to the doctor to discuss alternate medications will be a must if you think that it is causing your hair loss.

Never make this decision on your own, always consult your doctor first if you are planning to stop any medication.

Hair loss is a stressful time for anyone unfortunate to experience it, with hair loss treatment being probably our only real option to restoring hair.

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How to Get a Flat Stomach

People will spend a great deal оf money tо gеt a great bоdу thrоugh plastic surgery. Aссоrding tо thе Report оf thе 2010 Plastic Surgery Statistics bу thе American Society оf Plastic Surgeons, $13.1 million wаѕ spent оn cosmetic procedures in thе United States. Surgery iѕ fast, but thеrе аrе things thаn саn gо horribly wrong. Sо whу tаkе thе chance whеn уоu hаvе a healthier аnd safer option?

If уоu wаnt аn amazing body, уоu hаvе tо work fоr it аnd thаt iѕ juѕt thе reality оf thе situation. Whеn mоѕt people think оf thе ideal body, thеу immediately think оf a flat stomach. Thiѕ iѕ оnе thе hardest рlасе tо lose thе weight. If thе stomach iѕ уоur mаin area оf concern, thеn уоu nееd tо find proper foods аnd targeted exercises thаt will hеlр уоu with thiѕ problem.

Eliminate Junk Foods

If уоu wаnt a flat stomach, thеn уоu hаvе tо eat foods thаt won’t store fat in thаt area. Thiѕ means ѕауing goodbye tо frequent chocolate snacks, potato chips аnd sodas аnd ѕауing hеllо tо healthy fruits аnd vegetables. Inѕtеаd оf iсе cream, eat a fat free yogurt. Substitute a large pizza with a delicious chicken salad. Realistically, уоu аrе nоt expected tо totally eliminate аll уоur favorite foods frоm уоur diet, but уоu nееd tо save thеm fоr ѕресiаl occasions оr limit thеm overall. Fruits аnd vegetables аrе delicious аnd thеу won’t gо straight tо уоur waistline. Yоu саn eat аѕ muсh аѕ уоu wаnt аnd уоu won’t gаin belly fat.

Eat mоrе fiber to get flat stomach

Fiber hаѕ bееn knоwn tо hеlр with losing weight in thе stomach. Diets thаt аrе lоw in fiber generally саuѕе extra weight in thе midsection. Yоu саn gеt fiber frоm eating fruits аnd vegetables daily. Yоu ѕhоuld opt fоr brown оr whоlе wheat bread inѕtеаd оf white bread, аnd brown rice inѕtеаd оf white rice. Sоmе cereals аlѕо соntаin mоrе fiber thаn оthеrѕ ѕо bе ѕurе tо rеаd thе labels аnd choose оnе thаt iѕ аlѕо lоw in fat аnd sugar.

Eat Lеѕѕ Salt to Get Flat Stomach

If уоu аrе trуing tо live healthy now, уоu ѕhоuld аlrеаdу bе consuming lеѕѕ salt. However, if уоu wаnt a flat stomach, salt consumption саn bе problematic аѕ tоо muсh salt саuѕеѕ bloating. Thе signs аrе mоrе prominent оn thе stomach thаn аnуwhеrе еlѕе оn thе body. Salts саn аlѕо саuѕе high blood pressure whiсh саn lead tо оthеr health problems, ѕо it iѕ beneficial tо reduce уоur salt intake fоr ѕеvеrаl reasons.

Drink Lots оf Liquid to Get Flat Stomach

Liquids уоu ѕhоuld drink dо nоt include sodas, alcohol оr drinks thаt аrе filled with sugar; уоu nееd tо еithеr opt fоr natural fruit juices, green tеа оr water. Green tеа hаѕ bееn uѕеd in weight loss plans fоr mаnу years bесаuѕе it iѕ knоwn fоr burning fat аnd boosting metabolism. Water iѕ сеrtаinlу thе healthiest drink уоu соuld opt fоr in уоur efforts tо lose weight аnd achieve a flat stomach. It саn hеlр tо flush оut salt оr sodium frоm thе bоdу аnd reduce thе possibility оf bloating.

Focus оn Abdominal Exercises to Get Flat Stomach

If уоur mаin goal iѕ tо lose weight, thеn уоu will undoubtedly nееd tо incorporate ѕоmе type оf exercise routine intо уоur daily life. Alоng with cardiovascular exercise, thеrе аrе a variety оf exercises frоm whiсh tо choose thаt target thе diffеrеnt muscles in thе stomach. Sоmе оf thе mоѕt effective abdominal exercises are:

Obliques

Reverse crunch

Exercise ball crunch

Torso twist/rotation

Sidе bends

Bicycle exercise

Chair leg raise

Vertical leg crunch

Sit ups

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Sometimes you need to remind yourself that you were the one who carried you through the heartache. You are the one who sits with the cold body on the shower floor, and picks it up. You are the one who feeds it, who clothes it, who tucks it into bed, and you should be proud of that. Having the strength to take care of yourself when everyone around you is trying to bleed you dry, that is the strongest thing in the universe.

[theladychelsea]

I absolutely needed to read that.

[ahaze]

Never not going to reblog this

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How to Get Glowing Skin

At ѕоmе stage in аll оur lives wе wаnt clearer, fresher, younger lооking skin. Wеll it саn bе achieved withоut spending a lot оf money аnd it саn hарреn naturally! Whаt уоu muѕt dо iѕ persevere аnd оvеr thе соurѕе оf thrее weeks уоur ѕkin will begin tо lооk fresher аnd glowing.

Hеrе’ѕ how to achieve glowing and beautiful skin:

Keeping уоur ѕkin clean iѕ уоur firѕt priority! Yоu muѕt cleanse уоur face morning аnd night with a gentle, natural cleanser thаt nоt оnlу rids thе ѕkin оf dirt аnd grime but thеn treats it with аn antibacterial ingredient likе tеа tree oil.

Aftеr cleansing thе ѕkin pat dry аnd thеn spray a fine toning mist оvеr thе face tо cool аnd hеlр close thе pores whilе thеу аrе clean. Lеt thiѕ mist dry оn thе face.

Whеn thе toner hаѕ dried apply a vеrу small amount оf moisturizer оvеr thе еntirе face аnd neck. Lооk fоr a moisturizer thаt iѕ made fоr problem ѕkin types аnd соntаinѕ antibacterial ingredients likе tеа tree oil аnd lavender essential oil. Thеѕе ingredients аrе gentle but vеrу effective аt clearing thе ѕkin frоm blemishes аnd pimples.

Gеtting thе right amount оf restful sleep уоur bоdу nееdѕ nightly will reflect in thе state оf уоur skin. Sеvеn hours iѕ generally adequate. Nоt еnоugh sleep оvеr a period оf timе will result in problems thаt аrе hаrd tо cure ѕuсh аѕ loose ѕkin undеr thе eyes аnd dark circles.

Thе food уоu eat iѕ оf thе utmost importance fоr healthy, сlеаr skin! Make ѕurе уоu аrе gеtting a good amount оf fresh fruits аnd vegetables аnd limit уоur rеd meat intake tо thrее оr fоur timеѕ a week. Foods thаt аrе easily digested will hеlр уоur system kеер уоur ѕkin nourished аnd promote fresh, nеw cell growth. Drink lots аnd lots оf water too!

Cleanse thе ѕkin оn уоur bоdу аnd face with a weekly scrub. Whеn uѕing a bоdу scrub start аt уоur feet аnd work tоwаrdѕ thе heart, thiѕ helps eliminate toxins. Dоing it thе opposite direction will push thе toxins back intо уоur system. Uѕе a vеrу gentle facial scrub оn уоur face аnd neck аѕ thеѕе areas саn bе easily damaged.

Trу аn Aspirin face mask! Thiѕ mask iѕ hаving fantastic results оn thоѕе people with open pores, pimples аnd acne. Crush аbоut 15 aspirin tablets tо a powder mix tо a paste with a littlе water, lеѕѕ thаn 1 teaspoon аnd thеn apply tо a cleansed face. Leave fоr twenty minutes tо work itѕ wау intо thе ѕkin аnd thеn rinse оff аnd apply a light moisturizer. Trу thiѕ weekly, аftеr a face scrub.

Onсе a month uѕе a home steam treatment tо thоrоughlу draw оut impurities frоm thе face. Add boiling water tо a basin оr bowl аnd add twо drops оf tеа tree oil. Plасе уоur face оvеr thiѕ with a towel covering аnd gently lеt thе steam open аnd cleanse thе pores. Bе careful nоt tо lеt thе steam burn уоur face. Finish with a tepid face wash.

Gеt оut intо thе fresh air аnd tаkе a walk, swim in thе sea, ride a bike аnd hаvе fun! Thе exercise will boost уоur system аnd уоur ѕkin will love it.

Tаkе a fish oil supplement daily. Cultures thаt eat a lot оf fish hаvе clearer ѕkin аnd thе fish oil helps eliminate toxins frоm thе bоdу аnd bу nоw уоu knоw thаt iѕ fantastic fоr уоur skin!

Thеѕе tеn easy tips will hеlр уоu gеt thаt glowing ѕkin уоu ѕо desperately want, remember tо make thе lifestyle сhаngеѕ уоu nееd tо аnd enjoy thе benefits thаt will соmе with it! A fresher, clearer mоrе youthful and glowing complexion.

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How to Stay Fashionable when You're a Busy Mom

Image by Ben Earwicker

Parenting is time consuming and hard work to say the least, particularly if you have young children. At times you feel like you are running around non-stop and you certainly don’t get a lot of me time… There are of course huge benefits to being a parent, but what about your pampering time and your fashion needs?

Well just because you’re a full time mom it doesn’t mean you can’t be a fashionable mom. You can in fact stay stylish whilst holding down a successful parenting career. This post will show you how to keep up with fashion when you barely have time to keep up with the washing.

KISS – Keep It Simple!

Fashion certainly can be an ever changing thing and if you are young and fancy free you can probably spare the time (and money) to go clothes shopping regularly. But you don’t have that luxury, so try to resist faddy fashions and stick with simple styles – go for the reliable classics which rarely go out of fashion.

The Internet Is Your Friend

Shopping in town is a time consuming thing and whilst it makes for a great day out there are better ways to shop. Try going online to your favourite shops, sign up to their newsletter so that you get regular updates on what’s ‘In’ and then just shop whenever you need something and have a minute to spare.

The best bit about shopping online is that you can buy as much as you want in many different sizes and then have a trying on session at home in your own time. Simply return the items you don’t love or that don’t fit.

What About Hair?

Hair is a tricky thing because it does require attention, but you can help yourself by thinking about your hair in advance. Getting the right cut will make a big difference – ask a decent stylist what style would work well without too much maintenance.

One good option is having a relatively short cut and investing in some quality hair extensions. Short means practical for day to day wearing and then you can use your extensions for some wow factor when you are going somewhere nice.

Makeup Tips

Makeup doesn’t have to take forever and in fact minimalist make up is very ‘In’ right now. You shouldn’t worry too much about dolling yourself up but instead focus on keeping your skin healthy and radiant.

The best way to do this is to use quality face wash, eat healthy and get a good moisturiser. Colored lip gloss is quick and easy to use as an alternative to lipstick and use decent nail polish that doesn’t need to be reapplied every day.

Oh, and Accessorize…

Accessories are a really easy way to add a bit of variety and jazz up a simple but stylish outfit. Use whatever accessory you like to add a bit of color – scarves and wraps are ever popular. This will lessen your need to buy exciting but difficult to match tops and bottoms and will make picking out outfits easier each morning.

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Detoxification is an essential part of maintaining vibrant health and detox smoothies are a fun and delicious way to do it. Here are 64 yummy detox smoothies recipes… Smoothie #62 is a must-try! Read more: 64 Yummy Detox Smoothies Recipes

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The Secret Power of Lullabies and Baby Music

The world bombards new parents with all the things they need to buy to get ready for their new baby. Parents spend hours seeking out the perfect car seat, researching the best foods for baby, the best baby sling, carrier or stroller…the list goes on and on. This is normal and wonderful.

However, what often gets overlooked are the best ways to interact with our babies; the best ways to connect, calm, communicate and educate our babies. These are the secret skills of parenting. I call them “secret” because although they have been used for centuries, many of these skills are being lost or overlooked as “old fashioned.” One of these skills is the art of musical parenting which is the use of music to communicate with our babies.

I was lucky. My mother sang to me and research proves that the number one indicator that your child will sing is that they were sung to as a child. My mother sang me awake in the morning and sang me to sleep at night. She sang to me in the car and we sang together in the kitchen. It was fun! And research proves that it was much more than that. Musical interactions with their caretakers builds a baby’s brain. It helps babies and children make the crucial neural connections that they will need for language, mathematics and more.

Where speech, movement and other activities are located within specific areas of the brain, music involves the networks of the whole brain. Brain researchers have been known to say that music affects everything “from the neck up.”

As the new mother of a premature and super sensitive baby, music was my bridge to my son. Babies begin to hear their mother’s voice between 20-30 weeks gestation and I sang to him throughout our pregnancy. The day that he was born, I had to stay in one hospital while he was transported to another hospital over an hour away for the care he needed.

I gave my husband one of my music CD’s to play in the hospital for our son. As soon as our baby heard me singing, he became calmer and a deep healing peace came over him. He knew that his daddy was there and that his mommy was singing.

The Journal of Clinical Nursing published a study showing that listening to lullabies for 30 minutes a day during the last trimester of pregnancy leads to better outcomes for mothers and babies. Listening to lullabies is a wonderful way to learn them and by listening and relaxing to lullabies while pregnant, you create a musical link to relaxation for your baby. This link can be used after the birth of your baby to easily establish a musical sleep cue which will help the whole family get more sleep. I highly recommend this practice to expecting parents.

And if you know lullabies you are much more likely to sing them to your child. So many of my friends called me to ask for lyrics and melodies that I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to put them up online?” That is why we built Lullaby-Link.com to support new parents in singing to their babies. Now our lullaby community has grown and people connect from all over the world to talk about what was sung to them and who they sing to now. Music has the power to link us to people, places and times in our life.

When you sing to your child you are teaching them more than words and melodies. You are teaching them about how it feels to be held and to be loved. You are teaching them about rhythm as they hear you breathe and feel your heartbeat and you are teaching them that music comes from people. When you raise your voice in song you give your child permission to raise their own. You give your child permission to be a creator, not just a consumer.

What is the best baby brain builder in the world? It is you, their mother and father, singing to them.

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Unproductive Sleep Habits You Need to Break

The greatest obstacle between us and sleep is ourselves. Sleep devolves into less of a priority as we age, plagued by various bad habits we do very little to shake. What happened to our relationship with sleep? It’s been substituted for late night television, late nights at work and a ceaseless probe of the internet. It’s time to start getting the rest you deserve.

Sleep Deprivation

Consider your usual protocol just before bed, what could change for the better? Have you checked what medical experts have to say about the importance of sleep? Ask Yourself:

Do you sleep on an old or uncomfortable bed?

Do you have a nightly bedtime established throughout the week?

Do you watch TV, surf the net, or engage in stimulating activities right before bed?

Do you indulge in large meals close to bedtime?

Do you drink alcohol before bed?

Do you take long naps?

Do you stay in bed when you can’t fall asleep?

If you answer yes to several of these questions and experience sleep issues, consider dropping these habits in the name of more restorative sleep and restful nights.

Sleep Deprivation Symptoms:

Sleeping on an Old Mattress - Traditional mattresses can lose roughly 80% of their support in the first year alone, creating all sorts of pressure points for your body to contend with. Upgrading to a newer style, like a latex mattress, can give your relationship with sleep a much needed lift, allowing you to wake up each morning feeling energized and ready to go. A more comfortable mattress can help you fall asleep faster, eliminating those restless nights altogether. Make an investment in your health and purchase a quality latex mattress. Improving your sleep environment is a key factor in feeling rested every day.

Constantly Changing Bedtime - Your body literally has a rhythm for sleep, referred to as the ‘circadian rhythm’. Many people have weekday routines, but don’t stick to the same patterns on weekends. You are more likely feel like staying out later than usual as the weekend presents itself, but you may notice the familiar fatigue setting in around the same time of night. You’ve conditioned yourself to turn in the same time every night and this is your body’s response. While it’s okay to sneak an extra few hours of wakefulness into your weekend, try to respect the bedtime you’ve established. Struggling to sleep with Monday just around the corner is an experience not worth repeating.

Stimulating Activities before Bed - The last thing you do before turning in for the night significantly impacts your quality of sleep. Needless to say, the this is time you should be trying to turn your mind off instead of actively engaging it. Make television and computers off limits an hour before bed; as little as composing an email can leave your brain racing right before getting under the covers. Substitute your usual activities with less stimulating alternatives: read a book, take a bath and take a step outside of your mind. Make an effort to decompress at the end of the night and you’ll be able to fall asleep with ease.

Large Meals before Bed - Our hectic schedules demand a lot out of us. When we become so engrossed in what’s going on around us we can push our final meal of the day to the very end of the night. Not only is this bad for your metabolism, certain ingredients in food can cause you to stay awake throughout the entire night. Make a conscious effort to eat your final meal well before bedtime. Can’t resist the impulse for a midnight snack? Try eating oatmeal, tuna, fruit or nuts before bed — they’re easy to digest and may actually help make sleep more accessible in the process.

Drinking Alcoholic Beverages Before Bed - Although alcohol is classified as a depressant, consuming enough of your favorite cocktails actually disrupts the natural cycle of sleep. As your body processes the alcohol it stimulates the body into wakefulness, resulting in broken up sleep throughout the night. Additionally, you’ll likely need to make a trip to the restroom as your bladder fills at odd hours — highly destructive to natural sleep. Space your drinks out accordingly and be ready to cut yourself off well before bed. The time to indulge is not right before succumbing to your bed.

Taking Long Naps - At a certain point in the workday nothing sounds better than a nap. While naps aren’t inherently bad for you, switching off your sleep cycle is. When you nap for long periods of time you enter REM, a deeper stage of sleep that directly influences the wakeful hours to follow. There’s nothing worse than waking up in the middle of a REM cycle, often times you feel more exhausted than when you initially set out to nap. You’re essentially telling your body it’s time to start the long day, a huge problem if you’re sleeping after already finishing one. You’ll find it’s nearly impossible to fall asleep when operating on different REM cycles. Power naps are a real thing. Are you trying to catch up on lost sleep? Try napping for 20 minutes on a luxurious natural latex mattress rather than several hours and feel the difference.

Don’t Lie Awake Fighting Sleep - There’s more psychology behind a good night’s sleep than most people realize. When we begin to associate our bedroom with anything other than restful sleep, it plays a major factor in our ability to receive proper rest. If you experience consecutive restless nights in bed, do something about it. Chances are your mind hasn’t had enough time to shut itself off, so help it. Ignore the alarm clock — don’t even look at it. Don’t pressure your psyche into falling asleep, it just won’t happen. Take the time to out of bed and find a low energy activity like reading to help induce sleep.

Start Improving Your Sleep Now

Your sleep is important, don’t do anything that would compromise it. This is not a myth. If you’re guilty of any of these bad sleeping habits, now is the time to get serious about changing your practices. When you shed even a few of these bad habits, you’ll find the difference can sometimes be dramatic. Wouldn’t you like to wake up feeling refreshed every single morning? It’s not impossible. Start working toward that goal today.

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Hair Dos and Don’ts: To Dye And Not To Die

One of the most important aspect in the hair care industry today is hair color. For most women, this is one savior. With just a simple change hair color, they can already say goodbye to dry and dull hair and say hello to vibrant and healthy looking hair. However a hair color can do wonders only if it is done properly, from beginning up until the end. Hair color can either make or break your hair. If there is one small glitch in the process, it can greatly bring damage to your hair. If you do not want to end up looking like you have a rugged Elmo stuff toy on your hair, you must take a look at these dos and don’ts of hair coloring.

Hair Color Do’s

Do make sure that your hair is in good enough condition for coloring. This is the first thing that you need to do. If possible, ask a professional hair stylist to assess the condition of your hair. If you proceed with coloring and your hair is in a poor condition, you may end up damaging it even more.

Do your research. Before you push through with your hair color plans, you must first conduct your research. You must know what the exact hair color you wish to have and for how long you plan on keeping it. Through this, you will be able to know what type of hair color product you should use. If you plan on changing your hair color after three months, it is best to opt for a hair color product that is easily washable.

Do know the fact that the hair color actually comes out three shades darker as compared to that on the box. The difference between the color that you will get actually depends on the condition of your during the time of coloring. When your hair condition is good, it is more likely that you will have the same effects.

Do bring some photographs of the hair color that you wish to achieve. If you have no particular shade in mind, it is best that you bring some pics of the shade you wish to achieve. This will help you give your stylist a clearer perspective of what you wish to achieve.

Do take the time to understand the various types of hair color processes. This will help you get to know which type of hair color process is actually suitable for your hair. For those who are not aware about it, permanent hair color actually alters the hair pigment and it will be impossible for you to go back to your original hair color. You can only grow it out. On the other hand, semi-permanent color is great at concealing gray hair and can enrich the color of the hair but it does not lighten it. Temporary colors will only last for a short time.

Do use a conditioner that comes with the color. This is highly recommended since the conditioner is formulated with chemicals that will work well with the chemicals used in coloring your hair.

The Don’ts

Don’t undergo any major hair treatments like perming or straightening a few weeks after hair coloring. It is highly recommended that you wait for at least 10-12 weeks before doing so.

Don’t try and mix custom hair color on your own. You might think it’s easy but this job is best left to hair care professionals. After all, you would not want to end up with green, blue or orange hair, right?

Don’t try to color a recently treated hair. If you have just had your hair rebonded or permed a few weeks ago, it is best to avoid doing hair color. This is because it might not yet be ready to accept a new color. Because of this, it is best that you wait for four to six weeks so that your hair will already be strong enough.

Follow these cardinal rules and you will surely end up with the perfect hair color!

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Making Your Girlfriend Feel Beautiful

There are lots of different things you can do to show that special someone in your life exactly how you feel about them. Making them feel appreciated, loved and special does not have to be something which is left to Birthdays, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. There are a lot of different things that you can do which will suit varying budgets, so you do not need to spend a fortune in order to show them how much that you love them.

Things to do: There are a lot of different things that you can do as an activity together and spend some quality time with your partner. There are also lots of different places you can go to just socialize as well.

Try Something New

It is far better to come up with something new and different to try, rather than do the same old mundane things that you always do. Why not try a new restaurant instead of going to the one which you always go to. Go for a walk in the park or the country and if you have a dog, bring them along as well. You get to spend some good quality time together and also benefit from getting some exercise as well. You may find that you enjoy exercising together and can even go cycling or go to the gym together. There are lots of activities at a gym you could do together such as Yoga or Aerobics. When you go to the cinema together, let her choose which movie it is that you go to see as she may not be so keen to see the latest James Bond film as you are.

Spend Time Together

It is important that if you are looking to spend some quality time together, that you don’t just go down to the local pub and expect your better half to be happy with this. Going to your local pub you are most likely going to be distracted by friends or sports on the TV, generally not giving her your full and undivided attention. This does not mean that you cannot go to the pub together though, just trying choosing somewhere different where you can sit down and spend some quality time together. Sometimes women can feel that they are also in a relationship with their partners friends as well, as all they do is spend time with them. Your friends are always going to be there, but if you don’t spend enough time with your partner, she may not!

Go to a Spa

A great way to get away from all of the other distractions there are, leaving your full attention for your partner, is going to a day Spa. While you are there you can sit back and relax together, maybe enjoy a massage or treatment together. You may be surprised and actually really enjoy it, no doubt your partner will enjoy being pampered and looked after and it is a great way of showing her how special she is to you. You can go for just the day or there are weekend Spa’s as well where you can immerse yourself in pampered luxury. It is not all about getting your nails done or having a facial treatment, there are a variety of different things on offer which can help you relax and feel good about yourself.

Short Trip Somewhere

You do not have to go for a Spa if you go away, not all women are into this either. But having a short trip away somewhere new and staying in a nice hotel or guest house is also another way to spend quality time together and feel revitalized. Whether you go on a city break somewhere or stay somewhere out in the country, you will have plenty of time to be together, pamper each other and relax. Exploring new places, foods and cultures is a great way to spend time together. And if you are thinking about popping the question to that special someone, buy an engagement ring and really surprise her while you are away, after all that is one way to show her that you truly love her.

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I Want To Dye My Hair - What You Should Know Before You Start

Many people dye their hair in order to change their look. Dyeing your hair can be an easy way to change your appearance, but if you’ve never dyed your hair before, there are a few things you should know before you start.

Know what you want

Before choosing a hair dye, you need to know what kind of dye you should use. You have the option of using a permanent, semi permanent or demi permanent color. A permanent hair color will last until you re-dye your hair or until the dyed hair grows out or is cut off of your head. Permanent colors also allow you to go significantly darker or significantly lighter than your natural hair color.

Semi permanent and demi permanents are only temporary hair colors. Semi permanent colors will wash out after 6 to 12 washes and demi permanents will wash out after 12 to 24 washes. Plus, both demi and semi permanent colors do not contain ammonia or peroxide, so you can only use them to darken your natural color—they cannot be used to lighten your hair color.

Understand it may take time

If you’re trying to make a very drastic change, such as going from jet black to bleach blonde, you need to understand that it may not work perfectly right away. The more drastic the change, the longer it may take to reach the results. Always look on the side of the hair dye box to see how the dye will affect certain hair colors. Just because the model on the front of the box has bleach blonde hair doesn’t mean that the same results will happen for you. Understand that you may have to go through a few different rounds of dyeing in order to achieve your intended results.

Try before you dye

If you’re making a drastic change, you may want to try out what the hair color will look like before you dye your hair. If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can use an app like Hair Color Booth or Hair Change in order to see what you’d look like with a certain hair color. You can also visit www.taaz.com in order to check out how you’d look with a new color. This way, you can have an idea of how you’d look without having to dye your hair first.

One box may not be enough

If you have very long or very thick hair, it’s possible that one box of hair dye will not be enough to cover your whole head. Instead of ending up with a splotchy look, you’ll want to buy two or three boxes of dye in order to ensure that you don’t run out mid dye.

Know that it will fade

Over time, your hair color is going to fade. Your bright reds may turn into dreary reds, and your dark browns may soon become lighter and lighter over time. Make sure that you know your look will fade over time, and if you want to keep it looking bright, you’ll need to re-dye it on a regular basis.

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3 Best Strategies to Keep Your Skin Healthy After You’ve Had Melanoma

If you’ve ever had a melanoma scare, the last thing you want to do is go out in the sun. However, you know that it’s necessary to go outside and leave the house in order to stay active and live the kind of life you want to lead.

However, your scare now has you constantly thinking about what the sun’s damaging rays can do. Thus, it’s important to speak with your doctor or dermatologist in order to find out what you can do to best minimize the risk of cancer, while still being able to live your life the way that you choose.

Your dermatologist will be able to recommend the right skincare items to use so that you can give your face the additional boost that it needs to stay healthy without worrying about oiliness or breakouts that comes from the use of heavy sunscreens.

Here are three strategies to help keep you healthy after you’ve had melanoma or a melanoma scare.

Find skin care products that can make you look good, while protecting you. The constant reuse of sunscreen can leave your face feeling greasy. In addition, the film left from sunscreen can aggravate your face. When you cake on makeup to cover facial irritations, it only makes the issues worse. So, instead of grabbing just any sunscreen, go online and find a quality sunscreen and moisturizer with SPF that will leave you looking your best.

Talk to your doctor about any concern before it’s a real concern. You know your skin well, and if you are doing what you should and communicating openly with your doctor, so does he. It may seem like a bit much at first, but after you’ve experienced how much stress and worry comes with melanoma, it’s important not to overlook any irregular moles or freckles.

Prepare for the sun, even for minimal exposure. If you’re like most healthy, active people, you spend quite a bit of time outdoors. However, it may be surprising for you to find out that even the 30 minutes that you spend driving to work in the morning is a sufficient amount of sun exposure to impact you. This is why, no matter what, your daily skincare routine should include a moisturizer that contains at least SPF 30.

Go online to research additional strategies to protect your skin so that you can feel confident leaving your home and knowing that your skin is as protected as it possibly can be.

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Lose Weight by Walking

Losing weight, if done correctly, can be like a walk in the park – literally. Walking is an easy and effective way to lose weight and aside from being an effect weight management tool, regular walking has also been shown to reduce the risk of a number of conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis and even some cancers. With all these benefits, why not tie up your laces and get walking! To help you get started, we’ve got some tips to get you on your way.

Aim for at least thirty minutes a day - Endeavour to walk for thirty minutes to see real benefits. As for how you fast need to walk, it is suggest a brisk walk is the most effective. To see whether you are walking at a brisk rate, you should feel a slight exertion on your body and also experience puffing lightly. If you are dawdling and are able to change your Facebook status while have an IM conversation with your friend, chances are that you are probably not walking fast enough.

Make walking a habit – The best way to start walking regularly is to carve out a certain period of your day for walking. By electing the same time each day to walk you are more likely to create routine and are likely to maintain a regular walking practice.

Use a pedometer or a walking app for your phone – A great motivator for walking is using a pedometer or walking app. While a regular pedometer can count the number of steps of taken, walking apps such as MapMyWalk go further by tracking how many kilometers walked and the pace traveled (5km/hr is considered brisk), it also tells you how many calories burned after your walk. You can also get your weekly walking sessions emailed to you telling you your best and hardest walk and total number of calories burned for the week.

Make walking a way of life – You don’t need to be part of the Biggest Loser Club, just try to incorporate walking as part of your lifestyle. Some tips for this can include walking to or from work if possible (or getting off the bus two stops earlier and walking the rest of the way), going for a walk in a nearby park during your lunch break and taking the stairs instead if using the lifts. And remember, walking doesn’t have to be a bore – grab a friend and go for a walk while taking in the sights and sounds of your city!

So, as you can see, there’s no need to join expensive weight loss programs to lose weight. Simply lace up your walking shoes and get outside into nature!