Sunday, February 19
Monday, January 24
Work Out Tips
1. C25K program. My mom, her boyfriend, my friend Janna, and I all have started this program. I touched on it last week, but I will explain it again. It's a 9 week program that helps you get from not running regularly to running a 5k without stopping. As the weeks go on, you increase the amount that you run in ratio to walking. You do the scheduled times 3 times a week. This first week (I did my runs Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday) was a schedule of a 5 minute warm up brisk walk, 1 minute run, 1.5 minute walk, 5 minute cool down. You do the run/walk portion for 20 minutes. I'm really excited to be able to run 3 miles no problem and to get my resolution of running at least 3 5ks this year under way.
2. Give yourself a goal. Like my 5k goal, give yourself a goal that you can actually achieve. It will keep you in check. Tell your friends about your goal to help them keep you accountable.
3. Grab yourself a work out buddy! Working out with a friend is always a great way to go. They help motivate you, and will notice if you don't show up. Let's just face it, the time flies by when you are chatting it up while lifting weights. Just remember to actually work out instead of being a Chatty Cathy!
4. 30 min cardio, 15 min strength. It's important to get 30 minutes of cardio in 5 times a week and 15 minutes of strength training 3 times a week. I read recently that when you strength training on a normal basis that your metabolism will speed up and will burn an extra 100 calories without you doing a thing!
5. Shop! Get yourself some new shoes, socks, gym shorts/pants, and shirts. And hey, while your at it, get a new gym bag! If it will make you feel good about yourself and motivate you to get your butt to the gym or to hit the pavement, do it.
6. Music. Download a new album or make a new playlist for when you work out. I get excited to listen to new music during my run, maybe you will too.
7. When? When should you work out? Whenever it's convenient for you. Sure, it gets your metabolism going early in the morning, but its fine after work too. Speaking of metabolism in the morning, nothing works better than eating breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day for a reason, because it gets everything going for the day.
8. Video games. Like the Wii fit or Xbox dancing games? Do those once or twice a week! They have some great work outs on there!
9. Classes. If your gym offers classes, take them. I regularly attend 2 classes at my gym and they are amazing. On Mondays I go to a Cardio Boxing class (unless I feel like doing something else instead) and on Wednesdays I go to Spin class. They both leave my feeling sore, which is always a great thing. If you find a class or 2 that sparks your interest, try it. Don't know anyone in the class? That's how you meet people! I made a friend that I chat with on the treadmill at the time during my Boxing class.
10. Stay motivated! You can do it! Just tell yourself that everyday. You can't get the body you want overnight, so work toward your goal and you WILL achieve it. I'm working toward a goal too, so let's do it together!
**Happy Birthday to my bestie, Brooke!! Hope you have a wonderful day :)
Sunday, January 16
Day 6 and 7
I'm finally done with the diet! It was a looooong week, but I did it! Yesterday's diet consisted of the soup for breakfast (gross, I know), tomato bisque soup for lunch (there wasn't much in my house besides that), and a guiltless steak and broccoli from Chilis. I did cheat last night by drinking alcohol, woops! Today, I had Pollo Tropical, and ordered brown rice, black beans, veggies, and chicken. The chicken wasn't allowed today, but I didn't really care. For dinner, I had salad, brown rice, and steamed broccoli. I'm not having the soup today, it's just not happening. I probably will never eat the soup again, and I wont miss it really.
Conclusion of the diet. The diet was a great success. It was a great detox, but it's definitely not something for the faint at heart. You have to have a lot of self control and the ability to want it. Some people get light headed and are easily irritable. I didn't have that problem, but prepare yourself for it to maybe happen to you. My stomach feels flatter and I love looking at 7 pounds less on the scale. 7 pounds in 7 days isn't too shabby! If you have an event to get ready for, and want to look 7 pounds lighter, then this diet is definitely something you should look into. It is a very low calorie diet, dangerously low in fact, so process with precaution.
Tomorrow I'm eating normal food, and I couldn't be happier about it. I also will for real be starting the Couch to 5k program, and downloaded some good podcasts that tell you when to walk and run and provide great music cohesively. Have a great MLK weekend everyone!
Conclusion of the diet. The diet was a great success. It was a great detox, but it's definitely not something for the faint at heart. You have to have a lot of self control and the ability to want it. Some people get light headed and are easily irritable. I didn't have that problem, but prepare yourself for it to maybe happen to you. My stomach feels flatter and I love looking at 7 pounds less on the scale. 7 pounds in 7 days isn't too shabby! If you have an event to get ready for, and want to look 7 pounds lighter, then this diet is definitely something you should look into. It is a very low calorie diet, dangerously low in fact, so process with precaution.
Tomorrow I'm eating normal food, and I couldn't be happier about it. I also will for real be starting the Couch to 5k program, and downloaded some good podcasts that tell you when to walk and run and provide great music cohesively. Have a great MLK weekend everyone!
Friday, January 14
Day 5
Finished with Day 5! Today was beef and tomato day. The good thing about the beef is that you could substitute some beef for chicken or fish. For breakfast, I had deli chicken breast. It was so nice to eat meat again! For lunch, I went to Publix and bought a rotisserie chicken and some tomato bisque soup. I cut the breast up in little pieces and put it in the soup...divine! That held my hunger until dinner (which was a great change to being hungry constantly). Then for dinner, I had a beef pot roast, tomatoes, and onions cooked in a crock pot, which was scrumptious! Dinner was around 6, so around 9:30 I had a bowl of the soup. The soup is good tasting, I'm just beyond tired of it. So don't get the wrong idea about this diet, the soup is good, it just gets old quite quickly. 2 more days to go! I CAN DO IT!
Oh, and by the way, I'm down 6.2 pounds in 4 days. I've been losing 1-2 pounds each day. It's mostly water weight, and a few of the pounds will come back once I'm off the diet and eating healthy. That's okay with me though. It's always nice to see the numbers go down on the scale, no matter the circumstance.
Oh, and by the way, I'm down 6.2 pounds in 4 days. I've been losing 1-2 pounds each day. It's mostly water weight, and a few of the pounds will come back once I'm off the diet and eating healthy. That's okay with me though. It's always nice to see the numbers go down on the scale, no matter the circumstance.
Thursday, January 13
Day 4
Day 4 down, 3 more to go! The bananas and skim milk today weren't as bad as I was expecting. I hate drinking milk, but forced myself to drink about 10 oz (I really don't see why people love milk, it's like water and something weird tasting mixed together). I made a protein shake with the bananas, milk, and some vanilla protein powder, which was rather filling and surprisingly tasty. For lunch I had the soup. I am definitely sick of the soup already. Tomorrow is beef and tomatoes day, which I'm rather excited about. You can substitute some of the beef for chicken, which I definitely will be doing.
I also started a program today, designed to get you running a 5k in 9 short weeks! You follow it 3 days a week and gradually get yourself up to running 3 miles non-stop. If you're interested in trying it, check it out HERE. There's some podcasts you can download that will play music and tell you when to walk and run, which is pretty cool. I haven't downloaded any yet, but I will for sure post my recommendations once I try them out.
I also started a program today, designed to get you running a 5k in 9 short weeks! You follow it 3 days a week and gradually get yourself up to running 3 miles non-stop. If you're interested in trying it, check it out HERE. There's some podcasts you can download that will play music and tell you when to walk and run, which is pretty cool. I haven't downloaded any yet, but I will for sure post my recommendations once I try them out.
Wednesday, January 12
Day 3
Day 3 complete! Today was probably the easiest of the 3 days because I was able to eat both fruit and veggies. Not eating broccoli at 7:30am was fantastic! Today, I ate a tropical fruit salad (pineapple, strawberry and kiwi) for breakfast. I fed Mandie some blueberries, so I snatched a few of those. I ate the soup for lunch (mmmm boy!) and for snacks I had a pear, finished off my fruit salad, broccoli with salsa, and had an apple right before my workout. Dinner was delicious! I will definitely be incorporating it to my normal dinners. I had a portobello mushroom, grilled and topped with onions and sauteed spinach and tomatoes. I also made a side salad with spinach, strawberries, grapes, broccoli, slices of orange, and I squeezed the orange's juice and a splash of red wine vinegar for the dressing. Mmmmm! I'm not looking forward to tomorrow at all. 3 bananas I can handle, but eating nothing but that, milk and the soup does not sound appeasing. I'll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck!
*I changed my blog background, hope you like it!
*I changed my blog background, hope you like it!
Tuesday, January 11
Day 2
Day 2 on the soup diet. Still going strong, but today has not been easy. After eating the soup twice yesterday, I really have no interest in eating it anymore. I'm going to because I have to, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about it. Today was veggies all day, so I had to eat it even for breakfast. Have you ever eaten broccoli, carrots, and tomato for bfast? It's weird and not exactly satisfying. I ate bfast at 7:30, so I was ready for a snack around 10. Here, I had a salad with red wine vinegar. I don't know if the vinegar was allowed, but I was not about to chow down on raw lettuce. For lunch, I had black beans with tomatoes, green peppers, and onions; it was delish! For snack, I had broccoli dipped in salsa, which was really good. I'm going to eat some soup in a few minutes, and for dinner will be a baked potato with butter. I want to go get some edamame and natural hummus to add to my veggies. I'm looking forward to the fruit tomorrow very much. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
Monday, January 10
Day 1 Cabbage Soup
I decided to do a very unique diet/detox this week. It is called the Cabbage Soup Diet and is a 7 day plan. Bear with me, it has very strange limitations. My mom's friends did this diet and had great results. I hope to lose 8-10 pounds this week (water weight), and then follow it with an incredibly healthy diet, complete with tons of veggies, fruit, and lean protein. If you want to do something out of the ordinary and get a jump on your weight loss, try this diet! I'm going to keep a log this week to let you know how my progress is going. I will let you know how many pounds I have lost for the day and my experiences throughout the diet. Feel free to join me - below is the recipe and 7 Day Plan! Check it out for yourself HERE.
Day 1 Log: Today was the start of my diet. We made the soup yesterday and I started eating it today. The soup is very tasty, but I can see getting sick of it by the end of the week. Breakfast was a grapefruit and cranberry juice. Lunch was soup, a few strawberries, and unsweetened ice tea. I added chipotle hot sauce to my bowl of soup for lunch, which gave it a little zing. So far, so good. Snack will be a pear and grapes, and dinner will be soup, water, and an apple. Before bed will be a cup of hot tea.
Cabbage Soup Recipe
6 large green onions
2 green peppers
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)
3 carrots
1 container (10oz or so) mushrooms
1 bunch of celery
Half a head of cabbage
1 package of Lipton soup mix
1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional)
1 48 oz can V8 juice (optional but recommended)
Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.
1. Slice green onions, put in pot and start to saute with cooking spray
2. Cut green pepper stem end off and cut in half, take the seeds and membrane out. Cut the green pepper into bite size pieces and add to pot.
3. Take the outer leafs layers off the cabbage, cut into bit size pieces, add to pot.
4. Clean carrots, cut into bite size pieces, and add to pot.
5. If you would like spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper (or add it per bowl).
6. You can use beef or chicken bouillon cubes for seasonings.
7. Add Lipton soup mix.
8. Cut celery into bite size pieces and add to pot.
9. Add tomatoes to pot.
10. Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the V8 juice).
11. Cover and put heat on low. Let soup cook for a long time, 2-3 hours. Season to taste.
The 7 Day Plan
Day 1 - Fruit. Eat all the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks - unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.
Day 2 - Veggies. Eat until you are stuffed with all the fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. try to eat leafy green vegetable and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. Do not eat fruit today.
Day 3 - Fruit and Veggies. Pair day 1 and 2. Eat all the soup, fruits and veggies you want. No Baked Potato though.
Day 4 - Bananas and Skim Milk. Eat as many as 8 bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.
Day 5 - Beef and Tomatoes. 10-20 oz of beef and up to 6 fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked chicken instead of beef (but absolutely no skin on chicken). If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef one of the beef days (but not both).
Day 6 - Beef and Veggies. Eat to your heart's content of beef and veggies this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green veggies. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.
Day 7 - Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and veggies. Again, stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.
*This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least 2 weeks in between. It is great for quick weight loss, but not suitable for long-term weight loss. It is is a low-fat, high-fiber diet that will get you into shape fast before you embark on a more moderate long-term eating plan.
Day 1 Log: Today was the start of my diet. We made the soup yesterday and I started eating it today. The soup is very tasty, but I can see getting sick of it by the end of the week. Breakfast was a grapefruit and cranberry juice. Lunch was soup, a few strawberries, and unsweetened ice tea. I added chipotle hot sauce to my bowl of soup for lunch, which gave it a little zing. So far, so good. Snack will be a pear and grapes, and dinner will be soup, water, and an apple. Before bed will be a cup of hot tea.
Cabbage Soup Recipe
6 large green onions
2 green peppers
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)
3 carrots
1 container (10oz or so) mushrooms
1 bunch of celery
Half a head of cabbage
1 package of Lipton soup mix
1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional)
1 48 oz can V8 juice (optional but recommended)
Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.
1. Slice green onions, put in pot and start to saute with cooking spray
2. Cut green pepper stem end off and cut in half, take the seeds and membrane out. Cut the green pepper into bite size pieces and add to pot.
3. Take the outer leafs layers off the cabbage, cut into bit size pieces, add to pot.
4. Clean carrots, cut into bite size pieces, and add to pot.
5. If you would like spicy soup, add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper (or add it per bowl).
6. You can use beef or chicken bouillon cubes for seasonings.
7. Add Lipton soup mix.
8. Cut celery into bite size pieces and add to pot.
9. Add tomatoes to pot.
10. Use about 12 cups of water (or 8 cups and the V8 juice).
11. Cover and put heat on low. Let soup cook for a long time, 2-3 hours. Season to taste.
The 7 Day Plan
Day 1 - Fruit. Eat all the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks - unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.
Day 2 - Veggies. Eat until you are stuffed with all the fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. try to eat leafy green vegetable and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. Do not eat fruit today.
Day 3 - Fruit and Veggies. Pair day 1 and 2. Eat all the soup, fruits and veggies you want. No Baked Potato though.
Day 4 - Bananas and Skim Milk. Eat as many as 8 bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.
Day 5 - Beef and Tomatoes. 10-20 oz of beef and up to 6 fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked chicken instead of beef (but absolutely no skin on chicken). If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef one of the beef days (but not both).
Day 6 - Beef and Veggies. Eat to your heart's content of beef and veggies this day. You can even have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green veggies. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.
Day 7 - Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and veggies. Again, stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.
*This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least 2 weeks in between. It is great for quick weight loss, but not suitable for long-term weight loss. It is is a low-fat, high-fiber diet that will get you into shape fast before you embark on a more moderate long-term eating plan.
Sunday, January 2
Resolutions
1. Training log. I want to create a training log to keep myself accountable for working out 4-5 times a week. This will include intervals of weight training and increasing my running each week. I eventually would like to run a half marathon, but that is way way way in the future.
2. 5k. I run 1 5k every year on Thanksgiving morning, but this year I want to run at least 3 5ks.
3. Plan to move. I need to get a jump on moving out of my mom's house and/or moving somewhere different. Whether it's up the street to Tampa or to another state entirely, I want to move onto the next chapter of my life.
4. Figure it out. I want to figure out what exactly I want to do with the rest of my life, career wise. The problem with me is that I like too many things. I enjoy nannying, but don't want to do it as a career. I love fashion, but just don't know how to get my foot in the door. This year, I will figure out what I want to do with my life, and make a few steps in that direction. Even if I don't "figure it out," I want to have a few steps conquered.
Saturday, January 1
Friday, December 31
Cleaning your jacket
Happy New Year's Eve!! Hope everyone is doing something great to countdown the New Year! Whether it's dancing the night away at a club or it's relaxing at home and watching the ball drop, enjoy! With it being cold out, you are naturally going to be wearing a coat. If this coat is wool, and you happen to get a little something on it (which is bound to happen in a crowd full of people), don't panic! Here are a few ways to care for your wool coat. My coat will be leather because I just got an A-MAZING leather jacket yesterday, so here are tips for that too!
WOOL
1. Don't wash it! First things first, check the tag. Some wool you are allowed to launder, others not. If you are, just wash it like that. If it says to spot or dry clean, do NOT throw it in the washer! It will come out looking like a coat for a 2 year old. You can try using the dry cleaning kits, such as Dryel.
2. Spot clean. If the entire coat does not need to be cleaned, just spot clean it. Use cold water or stain remover to clean the spot. If the stain is food related, try rubbing the stain with carbonated water.
LEATHER
1. Surface clean. Wipe of any dirt on the surface using a soft cloth.
2. Soap and water. Dampen a soft cloth with some water and a small amount of hand soap. Work into a lather and apply to the leather coat.
3. Wipe off. Wipe the soap off with a slightly damp cloth. Follow with a swipe from a dry cloth.
4. Olive oil. Moisten a piece of cloth with some olive oil. Gently buff the leather with the cloth. You may use a leather conditioner instead.
WOOL
1. Don't wash it! First things first, check the tag. Some wool you are allowed to launder, others not. If you are, just wash it like that. If it says to spot or dry clean, do NOT throw it in the washer! It will come out looking like a coat for a 2 year old. You can try using the dry cleaning kits, such as Dryel.
2. Spot clean. If the entire coat does not need to be cleaned, just spot clean it. Use cold water or stain remover to clean the spot. If the stain is food related, try rubbing the stain with carbonated water.
1. Surface clean. Wipe of any dirt on the surface using a soft cloth.
2. Soap and water. Dampen a soft cloth with some water and a small amount of hand soap. Work into a lather and apply to the leather coat.
3. Wipe off. Wipe the soap off with a slightly damp cloth. Follow with a swipe from a dry cloth.
4. Olive oil. Moisten a piece of cloth with some olive oil. Gently buff the leather with the cloth. You may use a leather conditioner instead.
Thursday, December 30
Moments of 2010
1. Visiting California with 3 of my close friends! We saw almost everything and had such a wonderful time, complete with memories and endless photos!
2. Starting my nanny job. I began working for a wonderful family and watch 2 great kids! I love watching Mandie go through all the stages of child development and doing fun outings with Michael.
3. Spending lots of time with family, especially throughout the months of October (my sister came home for a visit), November (Thanksgiving), and December (Christmas!).
4. Concerts. I attended quite a few concerts which were a lot of fun.
5. Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I had been waiting months to see it, and it was everything I could have hoped for.
Wednesday, December 29
The power of a drier sheet
1. Not only do they rid the static in the drier, but it also works in your hair. Just rub and rid.
2. Electricity is everywhere! You touch someone, and zap! Put a drier sheet in your coat pocket and it will eliminate getting electrocuted.
3. Wipe surfaces of clothing, TV screens and computer monitor to remove static.
4. Place at the bottom of a garbage bin...it helps!
5. Place in smelly shoes overnight.
6. Place in drawers for a fresh scent.
7. Place in your suitcase and gym-bag to eliminate the smell.
8. Dust your blinds.
9. Clean pet hair from the floor or furniture.
10. Loosen caked-on food from a pan. Place a dryer sheet on the bottom of a dirty pan, fill with lukewarm water, and let it sit in the sink overnight. The pan will be easier to clean in the morning.
Friday, December 24
DIY glitter
Merry Christmas Eve!! Hope everyone is doing something wonderful with family for the holidays! It's been a busy week, but I will not deny you another post, especially when it's Fashion Forward Friday!
I love glitter for the holidays! Nothing says Christmas spirit like some eye catching shimmer. Here are some GREAT ideas for DIY Glitter, just in time for the big day!
1. OPI Burlesque Glitter Nail Polish. I got the purple one called "Show it and Glow it!" and I absolutely love it! My fingers look like a disco ball right now! I also just bought a Burlesque color that isn't as glittery as the ones on the left. It's called "Teasy Does It" which I also really love.
2. Hair Spray. Add a little glitter to our hair spray to add some shine! So easy!
3. Shoes. If you have some old shoes that you want to vamp up, put some rubber cement on the toes and add some sequins or glitter!
4. Nails. Another good nail tip that's a bit cheaper than new nail polish would be craft glitter. Put a coat of clear (or whatever) nail polish on your nails, sprinkle glitter, and put a top coat or 2 over it!
5. Applique. Add some crystal tattoos to your tights for a cool look.
Happy Glittering! And a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!!!
I love glitter for the holidays! Nothing says Christmas spirit like some eye catching shimmer. Here are some GREAT ideas for DIY Glitter, just in time for the big day!
2. Hair Spray. Add a little glitter to our hair spray to add some shine! So easy!
3. Shoes. If you have some old shoes that you want to vamp up, put some rubber cement on the toes and add some sequins or glitter!
4. Nails. Another good nail tip that's a bit cheaper than new nail polish would be craft glitter. Put a coat of clear (or whatever) nail polish on your nails, sprinkle glitter, and put a top coat or 2 over it!
5. Applique. Add some crystal tattoos to your tights for a cool look.
Happy Glittering! And a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!!!
Tuesday, December 21
Traditions
For my family, we wake up when we wake up (there aren't any kids waking up at 6) which is usually around 8. We then grab a cup of tea and our stocking and open them up. In our stockings are individually wrapped little presents that we take turns going around opening (the stocking is by far my favorite part). After stockings, we eat breakfast. When I was a kid, we waited for my grandparents to get to my house before opening presents. Because we became accustomed to waiting for them, it's normal for us to take showers and eat breakfast before opening presents. So, usually after showering and getting dressed, we open our presents. My sister and I usually go around and find whose present is who's and makes little stacks in front of the person it belongs to. We then go around in circles and open the presents one by one. It always really bothered me in Home Alone 2 and in other movies when the kids see their presents and rip them all open, not even watching what each other gets. Those movies make it seem like Christmas is all about gifts, and not appreciating the thought that went into them. After presents, we start cooking for our Christmas dinner. My grandmother is in a nursing home, so we always go visit her and give her her presents around noon. We then come home, eat dinner around 4 or 5, and I sometimes go visit my dad and other grandma in the evening. That's my Christmas!
I have a really busy Christmas day, but it is wonderful in every way! Merry Christmas to everyone!
Monday, December 20
Reindeer food
One of the many fun things that kids can do for Christmas is make reindeer food and sprinkle it on the lawn. It's fun and easy to make, so spread some Christmas cheer with your kids and/or kids you nanny for.
Raw oatmeal
Glitter or colored crystals
Sugar
Plastic lunch baggies
Ribbon
Paper or cardstock
1. Pour about 1/4 cup of oatmeal in a baggie.
2. Add 1/8 cup granulated sugar
3. Add glitter
4. Attach a ribbon to the front of the baggie a message.
*It doesn't really matter how much oatmeal, sugar and glitter you use. Just have fun with it!
*Glitter can harm birds and other wildlife, so using colored sugar crystals is a great alternative!
Messages you can use:
"On Christmas Eve, sprinkle this wonderful Reindeer food on your lawn.
The shiny glitter will sparkle in the moonlight and the smell of oats will guide Rudolph to your home."
"Make a wish and close your eyes tight,
then sprinkle on your lawn at night.
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,
this food will guide them to your home.
For your gift to the reindeer and Rudolph, your wish may be real, your dreams may come true."
"Be sure to take this magic food and sprinkle on the lawn,
On Christmas, Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn.
The smell of oats and glitter path will guide them on their way,
And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts next morn on Christmas day!"
Sunday, December 19
Tips on tipping
Not sure how generous to be for the holiday season when it comes to tipping? Here is a quick guide to how much you should spend on normal services. This is the holiday season, so tip as much as you can! If you can't give money, maybe give a gift. Courtesy of The Today Show.
Waiters - Give what's in your heart. If you go somewhere regularly, tip a little more or tip the same all year round. I always tip 20% year round, so I like to do a little more for the holidays.
Postal workers - They are not allowed to accept cash, but they can accept a give if it doesn't exceed $20. Give them something less than $20 or a bottle of booze.
Hair stylist/barber - Be generous and tip on the price of the cut. 100% tip for the holiday season. Yes, this means that if your cut is $30, you tip $30. This is the same for dog groomers.
Nanny - Live in nanny's should get a months pay tip, au pairs should get a weeks pay, and babysitters should be tipped a little more for the night.
Garbage men - $20 or bottle of booze. If they are taking away illegal things all year for you, tip them.
Dog walkers - 1 week pay
Postal workers - They are not allowed to accept cash, but they can accept a give if it doesn't exceed $20. Give them something less than $20 or a bottle of booze.
Hair stylist/barber - Be generous and tip on the price of the cut. 100% tip for the holiday season. Yes, this means that if your cut is $30, you tip $30. This is the same for dog groomers.
Nanny - Live in nanny's should get a months pay tip, au pairs should get a weeks pay, and babysitters should be tipped a little more for the night.
Garbage men - $20 or bottle of booze. If they are taking away illegal things all year for you, tip them.
Dog walkers - 1 week pay
Saturday, December 18
Last minute gifts
In a bind, or just simply forgot about a certain friend for the holidays? It's okay, everybody does it and you still have a few days left! Here are a few ideas for quick last minute gifts that will be greatly appreciated. You won't even have to feel bad about forgetting about them, because these gifts are great!
Wine Label. A nice bottle of wine is a great go-to gift for the holidays. Turn up your creativity this year and personalize the wine with a decorative wine label. Try a label with red and green and write a holiday greeting.
Wine Label. A nice bottle of wine is a great go-to gift for the holidays. Turn up your creativity this year and personalize the wine with a decorative wine label. Try a label with red and green and write a holiday greeting.
Monogram Wall Art. Creative a decorative and personalized monogram to give as a handcrafted Christmas present. Paint a wood letter a neutral color and decorate with button, ribbons, and other embellishments. You can either keep it styled for year round, or can add Christmas colors and elements to make it for the holidays. If this is for a family, use the last initial.
Personalized Tin. If you baked a bunch of cookies for the holidays, or any other tasty treat, here is the perfect idea! Grab a plain tin and adorn with festive paper, ribbon and a framed message. Attach decorative wrapping paper to the lid using spray mount, double-sided tape, or glue. Write or print out a note inside of the frame.
Other great gift ideas: candles, soap (with the colored chunks), flowers, book ends, door stoppers, and picture frames with a memorable picture inside. Think outside the box!!
Friday, December 17
Holiday party wear
Cocktail party - Wear a little black dress with fun! Try one with feathers to spice it up, or just dress up one you own with a little bling of accessories. Sparkly heels or a great necklace work wonders.
House party - Here, you want to be casual, but want to stand out. Sweater dress with over sized sequins, a cute fedora hat, leggings and heels or boots.
Dinner party - Here, you want to look a little more polished and refined. Try a black tight turtleneck with a bright red skirt. Add some black tights and booties or heels.
Work party - You want something that transitions from day to evening well. Try trousers and a faux fur vest. Add sparkle with a sparkly hat and/or clutch.
New Years Eve party - your one time that you can wear sequins and shine! Add a little bling on the shoes and add some chandelier earrings. Keep the accessories in the same color scheme, such as silver or gold.
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