5 Steps For Prepping Your Skin This Fall

In autumn, the air begins to play havoc with our skin going from a colder outside to a much more warmer inside and humid everywhere else.  And let's not forget those really hot showers we take when it gets nippier outside.  It doesn't matter how beautifully maintained your skin is because it can dry out, just like your hair.  More than likely it's still suffering from the effects of summer ... UV rays, chlorine and salt water.

Getting that beautiful glow back doesn’t require a major overhaul, just a few tweaks to your current routine. Here are 5 tips for a healthy look all season.

1. Choose a heavyweight facial moisturizer. 

Thicker sweaters aren’t the only thing to pile on this fall. A heavier moisturizer will also shield skin from colder weather.   What should you look for?  Moisturizers in jars, rather than bottles. That’s where you’re likely to find creamier, more emollient products.  And just like with clothing, layering is important to protect skin.  Try applying a serum with hyaluronic acid, an element of your own natural hydrating system, before moisturizing skin.  It will amp it up a notch.  Make sure you exfoliate away the dead skin first before applying anything.

2. Don't tone down the sunscreen.
Just because you're not sunbathing any more, you still need to protect your skin if you're going to be outside for a few hours because you can still get burned in the dead of winter. 

3. Fade those spots.

We all get them despite how attentive we are with sunscreen.  Freckles, brown spots, patches of pigmentation (called melasma) and broken capillaries become more obvious after the tan fades away.  Freckles will disappear once you're out of the sun for a while, but brown spots and melasma won't disappear completely.  You can treat these with an over-the-counter product containing licorice, vitamin C, kojic acid, soy or retinol once a week and use a microdermabrasion kit or glycolic acid as they'll help discolor them by exfoliating away some pigmentation.

4. The magic of lotion.

 We all complain of dry, itchy skin.  Drinking plenty of water will naturally help hydrate the skin.  Try switching to a moisturizing body wash and slather on lotion right after a bath or shower while your skin is still damp as it will help seal in moisture.  And try ... really try to not take long, steaming showers.

If your skin is super dry, you may want to keep a humidifier in your room and give yourself a 20 minute oatmeal bath (oatmeal contains fats and proteins that help restore the skin's barrier that breaks down when the weather is extremely dry.  Just put 1 cup of oatmeal in a blender at the highest setting and blend until a fine powder and swish around warm bath water until it blends in.  Be careful though as it will make the tub slippery than usual. Your skin will feel wonderful.)

5. Get rid of the dead skin. 

Skin takes on a dull, drab appearance when not treated properly especially when it replaces itself.  It can't do that naturally when the old layer isn't removed.  Exfoliating is so easy and will address the dullness immediately and more important as you get older because the skin's ability to slough it off slows down as we age.  Here are 3 recipes for a natural facial scrub:

- Combine 1 tsp. sugar with 1 tsp. honey to gently scrub acne-prone skin. Honey contains potassium, which is a natural antibacterial agent.

- Combine 1 tsp. sugar with 1 tsp. milk as an anti-aging scrub. The lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxy acid, which will help prevent fine lines, wrinkles and age spots

- Combine 1 tsp. sugar with 1 tsp. olive oil as a scrub for dry,  flaky skin. Olive oil contains oleic acid, which helps make skin more permeable so it will hold necessary moisture, while the sugar removes excess dry skin that has accumulated on the face.

Apply any of the 3 scrubs to a clean face, using circular motions. These massaging motions will help stimulate skin cells and boost cell turnover. Rinse your face with lukewarm water, and pat it dry with a towel. Never use water that is too hot or too cold.

The Trick Is In The Treat

With Halloween just around the corner I know I'm not the only one who loves to seep through what's been collected after venturing through some of the area neighborhoods.  Before you go raiding your kiddies treat bags to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours, here is a little guide to help you maintain some sense of self control over how many pieces you chow down.

1 Fun Size Musketeer Bar = 70 calories

1 piece of Taffy = 55 calories

11 pieces of Candy Corn = 70 calories

2 Caramels = 80 calories

10 Malted Milk Balls = 100 calories

7 pieces of Gummie Bears = 70 calories

1 Tootsie Roll Pop = 60 calories

1 Fun Size Pack of M&Ms = 100 calories

2 mini Reese's Cups = 90 calories

2 mini sized Snickers = 80 calories

These are sure to please all your little ghosts and goblins in place of all that sugar:

• Individual packets of dried fruit, raisins, nuts, peanuts
• Peanut-butter crackers, cheese crackers, pretzels
• Fruit juice boxes
• Individual pudding packs
• Sugarless bubblegum
• Buttons, pins, spider rings, trinket jewelry, bracelets, friendship rings, hair barrettes, ponytail holders, shoelaces
• Home-baked goods, labeled with your name and address
• Money(little packets of nickels & pennies if you don't get a large # of visitors)
• Tiny plastic animals, figurines, finger puppets, whistles
• Halloween stickers, coloring books, puzzle books, pencils, erasers, note pads
• Crayons
• Trading cards
• Restaurant coupons

How To Get Your Sexy Back With Lingerie

What do you think when lingerie comes to mind?  Does the vision of a Teddie, Baby Doll or G-Strings and Garters come to mind?  Perhaps you don't think about it at all because you're simply not happy with your body.  Well girlfriends, think again!  As women, it is so very important to be sexy and feel sexy and I'm going to show you how to get your sexy back.  First, we need to deal with those feelings you may be having about the whole idea. 

1.You like wearing granny pants, your significant others boxers and sports bra all the time.  I like boxers too but it's time to say bye bye wearing them 24/7.  I don't mean you have to throw out the whole kit & kaboodle because there are those days we've just got to have them.  But if you're thinking you don't have the body for lingerie, you are sooo very wrong.  Feeling good is all about finding the look good for you.  And yes I agree, only Victoria Secrets models look ravishing in lingerie 100% of the time.  Since 80% of us don't have bodies like Gisele, we can still look just as scrumptious.  Confidence doesn't come from having the most shapely cellulite-free legs and tiny waist; it comes from the inside out.

2.  I bet you're thinking that lingerie can be too expensive to replace what you wear now.  Wrong again.  Sexy underwear isn’t about how much you spend – it’s about how you feel and you can find those styles just as well at K-Mart, Walmart or Target. 

3. Not feeling sexy right?  Being sexy is all about taking control and taking care of yourself, your body and your image from every aspect.  We all have something we don’t like about our bodies.  However, beautiful undergarments are an aphrodisiac for our souls as a woman and always have a place in our lives. A camisole and boy-short set can be just as hot as a sheer bra – you just have to figure out what will accentuate your favorite body part. If you’re feeling flirty and girly, go with the cami, but if you’re feeling "hot dang", pull out the sheer bra. And don’t wait until you lose weight or tone up that backside to cover your booty in something enticing.  The time is now girlfriend.

4. Are you thinking it's just underwear so why bother?  Think of it this way.  Even if it is the first thing you put on and the last thing you take off, we still feel beautiful when we have something pretty and soft that compliments our body and caresses our skin. A bra strap that digs into your shoulder or underwear that’s riding up and unflattering is just downright aggravating and will make any woman feel frumpy and unattractive.  Ahhh but that touch of silk or frilly lace will give you a hint of luxury and glamour all day long. Try it ... you'll like it and so will that man in your life.

Check out the video below addressing selections for your body type.

 

Gingerbread Biscotti

Nothing smells more delightfully magnificent than that of gingerbread baking in the oven.  That blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in the air simply fills your home with a scent that makes you want to slowly breathe the aroma and go, "Ahhhhh."

I came across this awesome recipe to share with all of you.  Enjoy!

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour 1 1/4 Cups Dark Brown Sugar 2 Tsp Ginger 1 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder 1 Tsp Cinnamon Pinch of Salt 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda 1/4 Cup Full Flavor Molasses ( I use Brer Rabbit) 2 Eggs 10 oz (5 Cubes) White Chocolate Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or grease accordingly).  In your mixer bowl, blend flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and baking soda until well combined.  Add the eggs and molasses and mix until large balls of dough form.  This takes 1 - 2 minutes depending on your kind of mixer.  Divide the dough in half and shape each one into a foot-long log. Space the logs at least 3" apart on the cookie sheet.  If you don't have a nice big cookie sheet, know these will spread to about another 1/4 of their size, bake one at a time if necessary.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Slice logs in diagonal slices, each about 1/2" thick.  Flip the slices on their sides and bake for another 4-6 minutes.  If you like rock-hard biscotti, flip again and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes.  The first bake time will leave a slight 'give' in your biscotti. Cool on wire racks.   Place a sheet of waxed paper or foil with a spritz of cooking spray under a cooling rack on your counter and melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Place in a zip lock bag once it's cooled some, snip the end off and drizzle over the biscotti.   You'll get over 18 biscotti from this recipe, maybe more, if you slice them thinner.  I actually got 41 out of a double batch.

The Chicken Or The Egg

Once you find that house you want to call your new home, do you put the one you're living in now on the market OR do you list your home and sell it before you start looking?  Is it the egg before the chicken or the chicken before the egg?

It doesn't matter if you're looking to downsize, accommodate a growing family, looking for a different location or hoping to cut your housing expenses.  The first thing you need to do is make sure you qualify for a new mortgage because federal regulations and guidelines have changed dramatically and bank standards have become more restrictive.  Then, go online and see if what you're looking for even exists.  You truly want to have the option of choices before you go through the process of putting your house on the market. 


It's very easy to get caught up in a Catch 22 situation.  You may find the home of your dreams but, you haven't listed the one you occupy now yet and you need to sell it before you take on a new mortgage. 

You don't want to miss buying the perfect home either because someone may beat you to the punch.  You also don't want to get caught having nowhere to go if your house sells quickly and you haven't found the home of your dreams either.  Can you pull off a balancing act so both transactions happen together? 

In the not too distant past, buyers were falling over each other to outbid the competition and purchase everything that came up for sale.  It was definitely a "Seller's Market."  Say good bye to then and hello to days of listings taking possibly 80 ~ 100 days before a SOLD sign is gracing a lawn.
 
So, what's the solution?   A Contingency Clause can be added to your offer of purchase.  If the seller agrees, an addendum to the sales contract can be drawn up stating your purchase of their property will be contingent upon the sale of your property within a stated period of time.  The downside is that the Sellers can still continue to market their home and should a legitimate offer come in, you are given the option of removing the contingency (usually within 1-3 days) and proceeding with the purchase.

Never say never.  In today's environment, a Contingency Clause could actually prove the "save all" in this type of situation.  Seller's will know you'll be more motivated to negotiate a sales price on your listed home while they still have the opportunity to receive other offers.

Boys Will Be Boys

A picture tells a thousand words and I just could not help sharing some absolutely adorable and hilarious photos I came across.