Vain Roxy

Even though the holiday season is a time of joy and spending time with family, it can also be a time of wastefulness. Here area  a few ways to stay green this holiday season.

• Don’t buy new wrapping paper. Use the same paper from the year before. And if you haven’t saved anything from the previous year, start this year by saving every piece of wrapping paper, tissue paper, and so on for going green next year.
• Save all boxes and box fillings (peanuts and such) to use for the next year.
• Give “tree-free” cards. They don’t even have to make Christmas cards out of paper anymore. They use things like hemp.
• If you need a “green” gift idea, consider making a donation to a great cause in someone’s name.
• If you are going to be having a party, consider hiring a green catering company.

Have a great holiday season this year!

The rest of this year is going to be full of major PARTIES! We have Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and let’s just add New Year’s. And on top of all of that, my sister is getting married and having a baby at the end of this year. So, let’s just say that I am going to be partied out by 2009. And there is going to be a party for every single one of these events. Pretty crazy. I am trying to prepare now for the crazy wrapping up of the year. Here are somethings that I am trying to keep in mind as the months progress:

• Catering. Most of these parties, I will probably have catered. I am keeping my eyes open for some great Utah caterers.  I want to make sure we have great food, but do not have to file for bankruptcy.
• Decorations. I haven’t decided yet if I want to do it all myself, have some people help me, or just hire someone to do all that stuff for me. And I haven’t even decided on which themes I want. Ugh. So much work left to do.
• I was thinking about a chocolate fountain for some of these events. That could be really fun. I’ve briefly browsed through some consumer reviews to make sure I get a great deal.
• Clothes, of course! Heck, that should have been at the top of the list. I am always looking for excuses to buy more clothes–wholesale, of course. Plus, that gives me an excuse to buy even more!

Anyone have any party ideas?

As sad as it is to see summer leaving us yet again, we definitely have something to look forward to…fall fashion! Cute jackets and adorable scarves are in our near future. Because fashion changes every season, it is important to stay on top of it all—preferably before you go shopping for new clothes once the leaves change colors and the breezes begin to give you that slight chill. So, here are the hottest fall fashions for 2008:

·         Belle Curves

·         Country and Plaids

·         Long skirts and jackets

·         Simple colors and shapes

Because these are this season’s hottest trends, you will begin to see them everywhere. To get the most for your money, but still look stylish, consider shopping wholesale. You can get great names for cheaper prices. And what does that mean? You can buy even more clothes!

It cannot be denied that Audrey Hepburn was a huge fashion icon. Everything she wore became an instant classic and set her apart from the other actresses of her day. And no modern actress has even come close to surpassing Hepburn’s elegance and grace. Many have tried to emulate her look and style, but have not able to do it perfectly. Here are a few tips to achieving that classic Audrey look:

• Eyeliner: Her eye makeup was astounding. Just this weekend, my sister and I were looking up pictures of Audrey Hepburn when we noticed her amazing eyeliner. She used liquid eyeliner to get the fantastic 60s look. She keeps it thin on the bottom of the eye and even has her eyeliner in the corner of her eye and then all the way around. As she extends on her eyelid (furthest from her nose), she thickens the eyeliner and extends past the edge of her eye to give it an exotic look.

•  Clothes: Audrey pretty much rocked anything she wore, but she was most famous for her black outfits. This classic beauty did not need extravagant clothes to make a statement. Her iconic beauty did that for her. She liked to wear black turtlenecks with black pants and shoes. Very clean and classic lines.

• Accessories: Audrey’s accessories were either extravagant (in some movies) or simple. Whichever look you are trying to emulate, you can find great jewelry for a lot less at little boutiques or looking up wholesale jewelry.

So, lately I’ve been thinking about celebrities and what their life must be like. You know…all that money. Here a few of my questions for celebrities:

1. Do they health insurance? This may seem like a silly question, but think about it. Why would they need health insurance when they have no trouble paying for visits. Why pay monthly payments when money isn’t a problem? Right?
2. What about house payments? Do they make monthly payments on a loan or use something like money merge account to get it paid off quicker?
3.  Does the current economic hardship even bother them? I can’t imagine that they would be getting upset filling up their gas tank. Come on, what’s 60 bucks to someone who makes millions per movie?
4. And the most important question: Has anyone informed Donald Trump that he has the most hideous hair EVER!? Apparently when you are rich, you can look however you want–disgusting and all. And we all know that the only reason he has been married to beautiful women is because he is filthy rich. Without all that money…he’d just be filthy.

If you have curly hair like I do, you probably have the same issues. First of all, have you ever tried to look up celebrities with curly hair so that you could steal their haircut? They pretty much don’t exist. It will say that these celebs  have curly  hair, but in reality, they have straight hair and just curled the ends with a curling iron. That is NOT curly hair. I want to see how celebs deal with naturally curly hair. I had to go through this ordeal recently when I was trying to find a great, new hairstyle. I knew I wanted something different than my usual “trim it and re-do the layers”. But it was near impossible to find something that fit what I wanted–something hot and new! But here are a few celebs that actually have naturally curly hair. God bless them!

Minnie Driver:

Keri Russell:

Julia Louis-Dreyfus:

Halle Berry:

Gloria Estefan:

Emmy Rossum:

When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, most people have the larger basics down. For most people, it is the smaller things that they struggle with.  But by straightening out the little things of our healthy lifestyle, you will be able to see lots of improvement and you will get closer to your goals. Here are just a few:

• Take Vitamins: Making sure your body has all the nutrients you need is essential to having the strongest body possible. And sometimes it is hard to figure out which vitamins your body needs. Code Nutrition offers customized vitamins–all based on your DNA. All you have to do is send in an at-home cheek swab and they will get to work finding the best supplements for you. This is the best way to ensure you are getting the nutrition that your body needs.
• Stretch: By just taking a few minutes everyday to stretch out your muscles, you will increase your circulation, flexibility, and your sense of well-being.
• Spend a Little Time Outside: Get out there, breathe the fresh air, and feel better–especially if you are stuck in an office all day. A change of environment is a great way to keep up your motivation so that you can reach your fitness goals.

Living in Luxury without Breaking the Bank

Bring the Outdoors In
Something about fresh flowers in your home adds an air of luxury and opulence.  And surprisingly, it doesn’t have to cost a thing!  Go on a walk around your home and gather twigs, flowers, and branches to create a gorgeous and fresh arrangement. 

Luxury Linens
There’s nothing quite like having plush bedding and bath linens.  You’ll feel like you’re staying in a five-star hotel every single night.  Get a memory foam mattress cover, plush pillows, and a high-thread count sheet set.  Don’t worry how much they will cost since you will only have one set.  Head to your local discount home store and buy plush towels (such as microfiber). 

Plush Clothing
Who says you can’t afford designer clothing?  One of the best ways to build up a luxurious wardrobe is slowly and at a pace you can afford.  I like to save up for a particular designer piece that I can’t live without.  Then I build up my wardrobe with coordinating inexpensive items. 

Spa at Home
A day at the spa can certainly be a treat but who has that kind of money to spend all the time?  Create your own at-home spa – open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can give yourself the same treatments and feel just as relaxed without the steep price tag.  Invest in quality products, such as luxurious bubble bath, an avocado face mask, or high-end body cream.  Light candles, use pure essential oils, grab a good book, and relax!

Massage Therapy
The luxury of a masseuse is no longer just for the rich and famous, you just have to know where to go to get a great one.  Contact a local massage therapy school; most offer discounted sessions with students in training.  Some might even offer some free as students try to acquire more hours in order to certify.

Spice up your Home
Your home should be a relaxing, inviting, and comfortable environment.  So make it that way!  It doesn’t have to cost a lot to update, modernize, and make your home more luxurious!  Add crown moldings, repaint, or spring clean to spruce up your home.

So we are all trying to get bikini ready, right? But if you are anything like me, you kill yourself at the gym…just ten more minutes on the treadmill and I will look like Heidi Klum, 100 more sit-ups, 25 more lunges, and 3 more aerobic classes a week. But usually what happens to me is that I feel great as I leave the gym, but as soon as I wake up the next morning…I can’t move. What is the point of having a great body if you walk like a 90 year old women with two wooden legs walking down a slippery mountain (Ok. fine. That was a little dramatic, but you get the point). I’ve recently found quality essential oils to help with my sore muscles. My favorites for relieving the discomfort are balsam fir and douglas fir essential oils. I use those and I am back to normal in a day or two–ready to kill myself at the gym again. It is just a vicious cycle.

Summer is just around the corner and I hereby officially give you permission to pack away the sweaters, the pants and the boots because it’s time to pull out the much anticipated (dreaded by many) swimsuit! If you cringe at the thought of baring all this summer, have no fear, it’s not too late! Whether you’re wanting to shed the winter five you gained the past few months, or shoot for the stars and want to lose more, if you put your mind to it, you’ll see results in just weeks. Here’s a few of my personal favorites that will get you on the road to the bikini-bod you’ve been dreaming of!

1. Buy a reusable water bottle that you can keep with you and fill up throughout the day. Keeping hydrated will keep away the munchies that so conveniently come early afternoon. If you get sick of drinking water, add a packet of Propel to give it mix up your new routine.
2. Don’t skip meals, but know that in order to lose weight you’re going to have to burn more calories than you eat. Plan out your meals ahead of time and prepare healthy snacks in ziplock bags that you can keep in your fridge and eat when you get a craving. Even if you workout like crazy, if you eat junk, you’re not going to see results.
3. If you need a jumpstart to get you on the road to a hot summer body, talk to your doctor and see if a weight loss pill is right for you. It may give you the mindset you need to shed those extra pounds.
4. Exercise. Don’t discount the value of good solid exercise. Do things you enjoy. Run, bike, swim, hike. Make sure you also spend a few days each week strength training. Lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to exercise because those muscles continue to burn calories throughout the day even when you’re not exercising.
5. And lastly, don’t make your quest for a sexy summer body miserable. Eat healthy things you enjoy and make exercising fun that way you won’t get burnt out!