5 Things to Consider Before Getting a Cut or Color

Thinking of sporting a new do for fall? Well, before you walk into the salon and ask for the modern-day-equivalent of “The Rachel” (aka Jennifer Aniston’s famed shag in Friends) and walk out in tears because the look just doesn’t work for you, listen to what Arsen Gurgov, a lead stylist at top NYC salon Louis Licari, told The Beauty Bean about all things hair!

Steer Clear of Trends. Trend is a word best used without the word HAIR!! When looking for the next big trend in hair, remember…not every trend will look right for your hair type. Trends in the way of hair are best for hair styles, not cuts.

Be Self-Aware. When determining what cut works best for you, keep in mind:

Hair texture. You wouldn’t want to go with a pixie if you have thinning hair.

Lifestyle. Don’t pick a trendy cut that will require too much up keep if you have newborn twins.

Profession. Just because you work in a corporate environment does not mean you cannot look stylish. But don’t go overboard (blond chunks underneath dark hair trend is best for women under 30).

Test Your Color. Always do a strand test when coloring your hair at home. Every box of hair color will give directions. Choose a shade that is one to two shades lighter than your natural when lightening. If you plan to do a complete color change, we always suggest seeing a professional.

Avoid a Bad Cut. The best way to avoid a terrible haircut is to go into the salon with pictures of exactly what it is you want. Have a consultation prior to the actual appointment. Most salons give them free.

Recover from a Mishap. If you get a hair cut that sends you crying and hiding from the world, pull it together, fake it, and remember that it’s hair and IT WILL GROW BACK! Nothing is sexier than a confident woman. (If all else fails, most drug stores or beauty supply stores sell hair pieces and clip in extensions. There are even headbands with bangs that will fool just about anyone. Hair accessories are also a great way to disguise hair disasters!) LINKS

Newsprint Nails Design

Newsprint nails are all the rage right now, so why not just be a bunch of trendhounds and conform, right?! I think it’s a little hard and the only people who do it really well seem to have the hour and a half of time and patience it takes to do it correctly. What I did here is not the absolute best version of this (I think this tutorial is pretty impressive). Start by getting your supplies together. All you need is ten pieces of newspaper cut into manageable strips, some rubbing alcohol (it costs like, a dollar and is probably already in your medicine cabinet), a shot glass, a nail polish of your choice and a top coat. The newspaper should be real newspaper with soy ink. You know how some newspapers come on nicer paper these days? That’s not gonna work. Just grab a copy of The Post or something.

Paint your nails and wait for them to dry. This is one of the reasons this whole process is kind of annoying. You need to wait until the nail is dry all the way through, which can take about 15 minutes depending on how many coats you used. Pour a little bit of rubbing alcohol into your shot glass. If you don’t have a shot glass, You can use any cup or container that’s small, but you want there to be enough liquid in there for you to fully submerge your nail in the alcohol. One nail at a time, dip your finger in the alcohol for about a second and a half and then immediately apply a piece of newspaper. Wait 30 seconds and then peel the newspaper off your nail. You should have a reverse print on your nail of whatever the piece of paper you laid on top of it said. Repeat this process on all of your nails and then wait another five minutes or so for the printing to dry. Then you put on your top coat, which really helps the letters stand out. If you really love this style, keep trying it out.

From Overweight to Healthy

Make one change today.

If you’re overweight and unmotivated to change your life drastically, just make a tiny change.

You’re not alone. There are more overweight people today than ever before, as a percentage of our population and in sheer numbers. When we’re overweight, we often go into denial. We think it’s not a problem, or that we’re not that unhealthy, or that it’s something we can fix later. Or more likely, we try hard not to think about it. But it’s there, at the back of our minds if nowhere else, making us feel bad about ourselves and our lives, influencing the rest of what we do.

If it were just a body-image thing, I’d say learn to love your body — and I believe that. Forget the cover models on magazines, the perfect people on TV and in movies. They’re just being used to sell us stuff, but the result is that we get bad body images for not having rock-hard abs. Forget about that. What worries me, though, about friends and family who are overweight is their health — having a big belly puts you at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other similar problems. Scary stuff.

You make one change. A tiny little one.

For me, it started with quitting smoking (which is a big change), but then I took up running (starting with just 10 minutes), and then I started changing my diet in little ways.

One small change leads to another, forming a spiral of success. But you don’t need to worry about all the other changes you’re going to make later. What Change to Start With

Really, you could start with almost any positive change. What matters is that you start.

But if you’d like a recommendation, here are a few:

1. Eat more veggies. Go to the store today and buy a basket of veggies. Eat them raw as snacks (dip in hummus if you like, not fatty dressings), steam them as side dishes for lunch and dinner, puree them and put them into your usual recipes, eat a salad before your meal. You can start with just one of these changes, and slowly add more veggies each week. This is an easy change but it’s actually huge — more fibre, more vitamins and minerals, fewer calories equals leaner you.

2. Walk. Best exercise ever. Just walk for 10 minutes to start with. Get a friend or your significant other to walk with you and enjoy the conversation. Enjoy nature. After you’ve gotten used to walking, try intervals: 3 minutes of fast walking, 3 minutes of conversational walking, repeat.

3. Drink water. People drink too many calories — soda, beer, smoothies, mochas, frappucinos, shakes, juice, Gatorade. None of those are necessary. Get used to drinking water, which is refreshing, delicious and healthy.

4. Get rid of the junk. This is actually a bit of a drastic change but it makes a really big difference. Take all the junk food in your house (chips, pastries, ice cream, cookies, prepared foods of any kind, fried foods) and toss them. Clean out your fridge and pantry. Buy fruits, veggies, nuts and beans instead, and try some new flavorful recipes. If the junk isn’t around, it won’t tempt you.

How to Make That One Change

You’ve picked your one small change … but how do you get started?

Just take the first small step. Nothing huge or scary. Just a really, really easy one.

Make a list of your favorite veggies, or set a time today to stop at the grocery store for veggies (later try a farmer’s market). Or find a recipe or two that incorporates veggies.

Set a time to walk today or tomorrow. Talk to your spouse about walking together. Get your walking shoes ready. Any of these steps will do — just do one.

Fill a thermos with water. Buy a reusable water bottle. Get rid of the sodas in your fridge. Choose one of these. Get a garbage bag and toss your junk food.

Choose one, and do it. Celebrate (in your mind, not with a sweet treat). Do another small tiny easy step. Celebrate again. Tell people about the changes you’re making. Do another tiny step. Celebrate some more. You’re on the road to healthy.

Thanks to: Zenhabits

Reasons to Eat Slower

One of the problems in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything … and when we have time to get a bite to eat, we gobble it down.That leads to stressful, unhealthy living.

And with the simple but powerful act of eating slower, we can begin to reverse that lifestyle immediately. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, you chew each bite slower and longer, and you enjoy your meal longer.

It takes a few minutes extra each meal, and yet it can have profound effects.

Lose weight. A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories — in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we’re full. If we eat fast, we can continue eating past the point where we’re full. If we eat slowly, we have time to realize we’re full, and stop on time. Now, I would still recommend that you eat healthier foods, but if you’re looking to lose weight, eating slowly should be a part of your new lifestyle.

Enjoy your food.This reason is just as powerful, in my opinion. It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly. In fact, I think it’s fine to eat sinful foods, if you eat a small amount slowly. Think about it: you want to eat sinful foods (desserts, fried foods, pizza, etc.) because they taste good. But if you eat them fast, what’s the point? If you eat them slowly, you can get the same amount of great taste, but with less going into your stomach. That’s math that works for me. And that argument aside, I think you are just happier by tasting great food and enjoying it fully, by eating slowly. Make your meals a gastronomic pleasure, not a thing you do rushed, between stressful events.

Better digestion. If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there, the less you’ll have to do in your stomach. This can help lead to fewer digestive problems.

Less stress. Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next. When you eat, you should eat. This kind of mindfulness, I believe, will lead to a less stressful life, and long-term happiness. Give it a try.

Rebel against fast food and fast life. Our hectic, fast-paced, stressful, chaotic lives — the Fast Life — leads to eating Fast Food, and eating it quickly. This is a lifestyle that is dehumanizing us, making us unhealthy, stressed out, and unhappy. We rush through our day, doing one mindless task after another, without taking the time to live life, to enjoy life, to relate to each other, to be human. That’s not a good thing in my book. Instead, rebel against that entire lifestyle and philosophy … with the small act of eating slower. Don’t eat Fast Food. Eat at a good restaurant, or better yet, cook your own food and enjoy it fully. Taste life itself.

Live a Less Stressful Life

Stress is a major problem for many people — a hectic, stressful job, a chaotic home life, bills to worry about, and bad habits such as unhealthy eating, drinking and smoking can lead to a mountain of stress.

If your life is full of stress, there are some simple things you can do to get your life to a more manageable level. But when stress gets too high, it causes us to be unhappy and unhealthy.

Pick and choose the ones that will work best for you, and give them a try. One at a time.

1. One thing at a time. This is the simplest and best way to start reducing your stress, and you can start today. Right now. Focus as much as possible on doing one thing at a time. Clear your desk of distractions. Pick something to work on. Need to write a report? Do only that. Remove distractions such as phones and email notifications while you’re working on that report. If you’re going to do email, do only that. This takes practice, and you’ll get urges to do other things. Just keep practicing and you’ll get better at it.

2. Simplify your schedule. A hectic schedule is a major cause of high stress. Simplify by reducing the number of commitments in your life to just the essential ones. Learn to say no to the rest — and slowly get out of commitments that aren’t beneficial to you. Schedule only a few important things each day, and put space between them. Get out of meetings when they aren’t absolutely essential. Leave room for down time and fun.

3. Get moving. Do something each day to be active — walk, hike, play a sport, go for a run, do yoga. It doesn’t have to be grueling to reduce stress. Just move. Have fun doing it.

4. Develop one healthy habit this month. Other than getting active, improving your health overall will help with the stress. But do it one habit at a time. Eat fruits and veggies for snacks. Floss every day. Quit smoking. Cook something healthy for dinner. Drink water instead of soda. One habit at a time.

5. Do something calming. What do you enjoy that calms you down? For many people, it can be the “get moving” activity discussed above. But it could also be taking a nap, or a bath, or reading, or having sex (which can also be considered a “get moving” activity if you do it for longer than 5 minutes). Other people are calmed by housework or yardwork. Some people like to meditate, or take a nature walk. Find your calming activity and try to do it each day.

6. Simplify your finances. Finances can be a drain on your energy and a major stressor. If that’s true with you, figure out ways to simplify things. Automate savings and bill payments and debt payments. Spend less by going shopping (at malls or online) much less. Find ways to have fun that don’t involve spending money.

7. Have a blast! Have fun each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. I like to play with my kids — they take my mind off everything and are really hilarious. I also like to play sports (again, often with my kids). Board games are fun. Sex, again, can be a fun activity. Whatever you choose, be sure to laugh.

8. Get creative. Throwing yourself into a creative activity is another great way to de-stress and to prevent stress. I like writing, but others like to paint or play music or sketch or make pottery or do interior design or build things.

9. Declutter. This is a favorite of mine. I like to take 20-30 minutes and just go through a room, getting rid of stuff we don’t use or need anymore. I look around at anything that’s cluttering up a room, and get rid of it or find a better place for it. When I’m done, I have a nice, peaceful enviornment for work, play, and living. Do this a little at a time — it can be one of your “fun activities”.

10. Be early. I will admit that it’s hard to be early when you have to get 6 kids ready (seriously — try it!). But being late can be very stressful. Try to leave earlier by getting ready earlier, or by scheduling more space between events. Things always take longer than normal, so schedule some buffer time: extra time to get ready, to commute, to do errands before you need to be somewhere, to attend a meeting before another scheduled appointment. If you get somewhere early, it’s good to have some reading material.

Spend Time with other Woman

After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love.

A little while ago I had started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife's idea. "I know that you love her," she said one day, taking me by surprise.

"But I love YOU," I protested. "I know, but you also love her."

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well?" she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment then said "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date.

She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's.

"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting".

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. my mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.

After we sat down, I had to read the menu to her. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entree, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used t o have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time for you to relax and let me return the favor," I responded. During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation, nothing extraordinary - but catching up on recent events of each others lives.

We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you". I agreed.

"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.

A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.

Some time later I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.

An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I was almost sure that I couldn't be there but, nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for your wife.

You will never know what that night meant to me. I love you."

At that moment I understood the importance of saying, in time: "I LOVE YOU" and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve.

Nothing in life is more important than God and your family and friends. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off til "some other time".

Someone once said "I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I think this is true with your in-laws, grandchildren, sisters, brothers and your friends. Anyone that means something to you-you should spend time with them and let them know how much they mean to you as often as you can.

Be The Perfect Girlfriend

Ever wondered as what would make your man feel special? You might have tried getting him the best of what he can have, but still, does your relationship feel likes its not happening enough? You are at the right place and on the right page as how you can prove to be the perfect girlfriend for the man of your life.

Cook him a chef's special

It is said very fairly that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Try to prepare something with a little effort. Make sure you set the table right, with candles and aromatic senses in the dining room. The moment he returns back from work and sees all the pains you have taken to make him a special dinner, all he will do is rush up to you and kiss you. Believe it or not, this works.

Buy him something

Well we don't ask you to buy a Lamborghini or an estate. Small gifts work miracles. Pamper him by sending him some flowers while he's at work or knit him a sweater for winter. Take notice of the fact that you should personalize everything you buy for him. He will love to own them.

Ask for his help

On weekends, if you have planned to stay back home and your man does not have any other plan; ask for his help in the kitchen while cooking or in the garden. You can even ask him to fix something if broken and he will happily do it for you.

Get together for activities

You shall share all your favorites pass times that you love to do as well as ask him about them. Suppose he likes mountaineering, trekking or surfing, try indulging in those activities along with him. But make sure that he reciprocates and does the same while you plan to do your favorite pass times.

Know his likes and dislikes

Every one of us is choosy about the way we like to lead our lives. It is important for you to know and understand the likes and dislikes of your man. Avoid doing those actions which will annoy him. But if you really need to do them yourself, better ask for his opinion. This will make him feel that you care for his emotions.

Embrace him

It is a typical tendency of men that whenever they are annoyed or had a bad day; they never tend to speak up like women always do. In a situation like this, if your man asks to leave him alone, better do so or rather give him a warm tight hug and leave the room. He will come back to you once he had thought of the proper solution.

How to Kill Your Excuses

We all make excuses.

But the successful ones are those who can kill the excuses like the miserable maggots they are.

I’m too tired. I don’t have the time. I don’t feel motivated. I’d rather do nothing. I don’t have the money, equipment, space. I can’t because …

We’ve all made the excuses.

Here’s how to kill them.

See the positive. Excuses are usually made because we don’t feel like doing something — we’re accentuating the negative. Instead, see the fun in something, the joy in it. And maintain a positive attitude, or you’ll never beat the excuses.

Take responsibility. Excuses are ways to get out of owning up to something. If we don’t have the time, money, equipment, etc., then it’s not our fault, right? Wrong. Take responsibility, and own the solution.

Find a solution. Just about every problem has a solution. Don’t have time? Start with just 5-10 minutes. Make the time. Wake earlier. Do it during lunch. Don’t have a gym membership? Workout at home or in the office. Don’t have the energy? Do it when you have higher levels of energy. You’re smart. Figure out the solution.

See your goal. This is your motivation — your reason for doing it. Sure, you could just lay on the couch, but if you think about why you really want to pursue a goal, you’ll be motivated. Visualize that goal and just get started.

Be accountable. Have a workout partner, a project partner, a team, someone to report to. If you have to meet a coach or partner, you’re more likely to do something.

Go ahead and make your excuses. Then do it anyway.

Watch this. Then go and do it.

Click this >> Just Do It !