Author Archives: ashleigh

Tips for Making Travel Easier

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Planning a winter getaway and not sure where to begin? If the thought of packing, planning, and rushing through the airport makes you want to cancel the trip altogether, keep reading for helpful tips on making travel easier on you and your family.

Plan your wardrobe ahead of time to avoid packing too much (or too little).  If you’re going to Mexico for 7 days, make sure you don’t bring enough clothes for fourteen days! Figure out how many sundresses you’ll need, how many bathing suits you’ll wear, and how many outfits you need for a night out.  Re-wear certain items –say black Capri pants –with different tops to cut down on the amount of clothes you need to bring.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes.  There is nothing worse than rushing through the airport in uncomfortable shoes, too tight jeans, or a top that keeps riding up.  If your plans hit a snag – your cab is late, the line through security is longer than the queue at Disneyland –you’re going to want comfortable, flat shoes for running through the airport.  The same goes for on the plane.  No one likes a seatmate who takes his or her shoes off.  Avoid this temptation by wearing comfortable shoes that will respectfully stay on through the flight.

Bring reading material. If you have time, stop at an airport shop to pick up some current magazines.  Bring that novel that’s been sitting on your bedside table for months.  This is a vacation after all, you can finally indulge in some reading for pleasure!

Hydrate.  Airplanes are notoriously dry. With recycled air and low humidity you’re going to need to keep hydrated.  Stick to water if you can as alcohol and coffee will further dehydrate you.

Invest in a quality suitcase.  If you have a suitcase with good wheels, is the right size (think Goldie Locks – not too big and not too small), and is easy to handle, it will make a world of difference to your travelling experience.  Suitcases like Samsonite offer the newest technology and styles.

How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

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Most of us stay up too late catching up on our favorite blogs, writing emails, or watching late night TV.  Then, when the alarm sounds in the morning, we’re groggy, sleep deprived, and reaching for the snooze button.

If you’re looking for a better night’s sleep, follow these tips for a healthier, more alert, well-rested you.

Keep your bedroom a quiet sanctuary.  As hard as this may sound, this means keeping televisions and laptops out of the bedroom.  Finish your emails and keep your laptop downstairs.  Watch the news and then head to bed. You don’t want distracting noises and flashing lights in the room that’s sole function is to offer sleep.  When it’s time to go to bed, do just that!  Keep your bedroom quiet and serene and escape from a world of distractions.

Have a warm drink.  Warm milk or decaf tea are perfect options. The warm liquid not only helps to soothe and relax, but if you’re consistent with this routine, the warm drink will start to signal to your body that it’s time for bed.

Refrain from working out late in the evening or playing video games before bed, as both will get your mind and body revved up for more activity.

Avoid caffeine after lunch.  Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others.  If you’re having trouble falling asleep at a reasonable time, caffeine may be to blame.  Try cutting out caffeinated beverages after lunchtime and see if your sleep woes begin to fade.

Take your vitamins.  There are plenty of safe, natural, sleep related vitamins available on the market today.  Vitamin Creek has an assortment of vitamins that promote sleep including, Sleep Complete, Sleep Solution, and Sleep ‘N Restore.

pc: creativespirit.com

Investing in Eco-friendly Makeup

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With Jessica Alba launching the Honest Company last week –a company offering safe products for babies –healthy products and chemical avoidance is top of mind. The safest products should be the ones that we put directly onto our skin.  Thankfully Sephora has taken the guesswork out of researching and hunting down the most natural products.

Sephora has its own internal standards for the natural products they carry.  Any product that Sephora deems safe, natural, and has fewer to no synthetic ingredients such as parabens, petrochemicals and sulfates gets their green stamp of approval.  This makes it easy for Zuuzs shoppers to purchase the most natural options – all you have to do is look for the green logo to identify those products that pass the test.

Put your mind at ease with these eco-friendly products that will leave you glowing and fresh-faced this winter!

Dust on Josie Maran’s Bronzing Powder to get a subtle, buildable glow that’s believable even in the winter. This fragrance and paraben-free powder uses natural, non-toxic ingredients.

Add some brightness to your cheeks with Tarte’s Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush.  This nutrient-rich blush is infused with natural clay and was baked by the sun.

Protect your lips from dry, cold weather this winter!  Tarte’s LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint is the perfect choice for a natural lip stain that is clinically proven to “increase lips’ moisture content by 6000%.”

Draw them in with your eyes with Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Eyecolor.  These natural eyecolors are available in a variety of brilliant shades.

For these products and more beautifully natural bestsellers check out Sephora’s website and look for the green stamp of approval.

How to Update your Home on a Budget

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With your Christmas decorations down your house may be looking a little lackluster.  You’re used to seeing sparkly lights and added color to your now duller looking home.  Use this as motivation to update your home décor. Here are some budget friendly tips for updating your home.

Do-it-yourself! Reupholster old chairs with new fabric to bring them back to life.  You don’t need to be an excellent sewer for this task.  Simply buy enough fabric to cover the existing cushion, tuck it under (ensuring it’s smooth), and use your staple gun to affix the fabric to the bottom of the chair.  Look for bright fabric or interesting patterns to liven up a room.

Treat yourself to fresh flowers to brighten-up any room.  It’s amazing what a few fresh flowers and a pretty vase can do to a space.

Give old pieces a fresh look with pretty new knobs.  Take a look at your hutches and armoires.  Replacing old hardware with pretty or interesting knobs, like ones from World Market, can really change the look of the whole piece.

Flea markets are your friend!  Search flea markets for vintage mirrors that you can hang on an empty wall.  Cluster smaller mirrors together for an interesting look.

Organize a disheveled a bookcase into an interesting focal point of a room.  Display interesting books and other personal effects on the bookcase to achieve the desired look.

 

 

 

*images from craftaholicsanonymous.net, World Market, and accidentalchic.com.

 

 

Getting Organized in the New Year

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For many of us, January is a time to reflect on the things in our lives that need improving.  Start the year off with a clean slate and vow to get more organized at home and at the office in 2012.

Invest in a pretty day planner and notebook.  Electronic calendars are great for setting reminders but nothing beats a day planner that you can slip into your purse of briefcase.  Carry your day planner with you at all times.  You can pull it out at meetings to record important deadlines or jot down your kid’s next dentist appointment in a flash.  Notebooks are also great for jotting down grocery lists, “to do” lists, and important phone numbers.

Colorful sticky notes are not only visually appealing, but also help keep you organized.  Coordinate different colors for different documents, easily find your place in a stack of papers, and flag items for coworkers.

A modern filing system, like this one from OfficeMax, keeps everything in the right place and saves on space.  Place a collator or filing system on your desk for files that you reach for often. Label files so that you can quickly throw things into their corresponding category.

Keep a family calendar on the fridge or another high traffic area to keep the entire family in the loop.  Leave your business arrangements off of this calendar.  Stick to family appointments like the orthodontist and birthday parties.

Don’t forget your drawers!  Use clear dividers to ensure that each item has its own place.  This works for the family junk drawer and your desk drawers. Buy inexpensive boxes to store things like stationery, photographs, and old work projects so they’re easy to access but not cluttering up useful space.

If paper-free organization is your preference, there are plenty of free day planners to download from the App Store for your smartphone or tablet.  Fun sites like Pugly Pixel offer plenty of freebies, from downloadable calendars to fonts and graphics for the more advanced techie.

The bottom line is, you don’t need to hire a professional or spend lots of money to see big rewards.  Simple tricks that aren’t too pricey are definitely worth the investment.  Getting organized will save you time in the end.  With everything in its place you’ll never have to waste time searching for a misplaced document or rescheduling a missed appointment.

Gift Guide: Last Minute Gift Ideas

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If you’ve been too busy decorating and toasting to the holidays, you may have pushed your shopping to the last minute.  Here are some great last minute gift ideas for the special guy or gal in your life.

For Him:
A watch: Go for something oversized and unique like this Black polyurethane wrapped stainless steel watch from Michael Kors. 

PS3 or Xbox Game: Give the gift he really wants: Call of Duty: Black Ops.  With thrilling storylines and top-notch graphics, you just might want to join in the fun.

iPod Shuffle: This is a great gift for any music lover on the move. 

Kindle Fire: More than your average reading tablet, this device also has apps, movies, music, games and ultra-fast web browsing.

GoPro Camera: If you have a guy who loves snowboarding, surfing, or motor sports, this is the gift for him.

For Her:
Jewelry: A safe gift for the special lady in your life a statement ring, such as this Celia cocktail ring from Banana Republic.

Perfume: She’s sure to love one of these scents by Marc Jacobs, if not all three! The Rollerball Trio, including Daisy, Lola, and Daisy Eau So Fresh, easily fit into a clutch.

iPad case or iPhone case: A chic iPad or iPhone case is a wonderful and practical gift idea. Protect her iPad with a case made from Italian leather.

Nail polish set: Spoil her with the season’s hottest shades with OPI for Sephora’s Glimmer Wonderland Six Piece Mini Nail Color Set. 

Coffee table book: The design maven in your life is sure to love The Perfectly Imperfect Home by Deborah Needleman.

Planning a New Year’s Eve Party on a Budget

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pc: etsy.com

Caught up in an anticipatory moment of ringing in 2012, you announce to your friends that you’ll host a New Year’s Eve party.  Now the reality has set in and after thinking about the logistics and costs, you’re feeling more stressed than celebratory. If you’re playing hostess this year, follow these tips for a successful New Year’s Eve party on a budget.

The most costly part of your party is likely to be the alcohol.  Most people like to indulge in a festive drink on New Year’s Eve and will expect some alcohol to be available at the party.  Make a large batch of alcoholic punch fit for the holidays, like a spiked cider or cranberry punch. Rather than leaving the measuring to your guests, you control the amount of alcohol by how much you put into the punch.  Plus, punch is easy to serve and guests can help themselves, freeing you up from playing bartender all night! On the invitation you may wish to mention that some beverages will be available but if there is a special drink a guest wishes to enjoy that they can bring it along.

Another way to save on costs is to have a later start time for your party.  Steer clear of dinner hours so that guests won’t be expecting dinner. Enlist some co-hosts who can help share the costs of food by bringing a favorite dish.  Finger foods like cheese and deli platters, fruit trays, and veggies and dip are great for large parties.

Finally, skip the DJ and make a fun, holiday play list on your iPod ahead of time.  Hit play when your guests arrive and you wont have to think about the music for the rest of the night.

Happy New Year!

Creating Memorable Holiday Traditions

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The holidays are all about traditions.  Most families have one or two Christmas traditions they follow every year.  If you’re looking to add some new traditions to your holiday routine, consider the following fun ideas:

The Christmas tree

Make a whole day event out of your Christmas tree.  From cutting it down together in the snow to decorating it all evening long, this event will create sweet memories for your kids that will last a lifetime.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve can be just as fun as Christmas Day.  Make the night extra special by watching a holiday movie and ordering in.  Watching the same movie each Christmas Eve is a fun tradition that your kids won’t want to break.  Another Christmas Eve tradition that your kids will love is letting them open one present early.  Take the guesswork out of which present they’ll open by handing them the one containing new pajamas to wear that night.

Christmas morning

Once the presents are opened, stay in your pajamas for a family breakfast.  Try making something different from the usual cereal and toast, such as a pan of baked French toast. Savor your last few moments of bliss together before the rest of the family arrives and Christmas wraps up for another year.

Quick and Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas

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The holidays can be a stressful time. In between finding the perfect gifts, schmoozing at Christmas parties, and cooking a feast, we’re supposed to find time to decorate for the holidays.  Don’t fret! There are plenty of ways to quickly and easily decorate your home for the Happiest Time of the Year.

Let there be light:

Christmas lights are relatively inexpensive and immediately add flare to an undecorated space.  Stick to white lights, as they’re classic and classy.  Throw them on your Christmas tree, hang them around your door, or string them along the mantel.

Make easy holiday centerpieces:

- Ornaments aren’t just for your tree! Fill a vase with round ornaments for an interesting and easy accent piece.

- Spray-paint pinecones and display them in clear vases for an outdoorsy look. Extra points if they glitter.

- For a modern and unexpected idea, ball up a strand of Christmas lights and place in a round vase.

- For a quintessential Christmas look, consider including a poinsettia or two to your dining table.

photo credit: centsationalgirl.com

Add warmth:

Candles are a great way to add ambiance to any room.  Choose holiday scents such as vanilla, gingerbread, or evergreen.  Line candles along a mantle, in your fireplace, or in clusters of odd numbers on side tables.

Whip up some holiday cheer:

Nothing says “the holidays” like fresh baking. Not only will your house smell great, but Christmas baking is appealing to the eye. Baking also makes a sweet hostess gift in a pinch.

Add a soundtrack: 

Christmas carols, Hymns, and contemporary holiday music instantly make any space feel festive.