Schmoozins

The Hairstyler is a unique online program that allows you to view what you would like with a certain hairstyle and color. It is a web-based membership that you can sign up for 3 months at a time.

When you sign up, you receive access to:

• Choose from 8000+ hairstyles and 53+ colors.
• Upload your own photo an unlimited number of times to test our your looks…or just use a model to try out looks.
• Post your styles for feedback from visitors.
• Get consultation and recommendations from professionals.
• Choose from celebrity styles, if you wish.
• Email your styles to your friends and family for more feedback.

Styles Include:

• Every day
• Celebrity
• Salon
• Classic
• Bridal
• Mens
• Dreadlocks
• Alternative

- and new ones are added frequently. The Hairstyler is a good opportunity to see what you might look like with that dream hairdo or hairdos!

Things to Consider: Although styles may be relatively simple for your hairdresser to duplicate, the colors may not be as simple. Different salons use different hair colors and the way a color appears on your hair is largely dependent on the natural color and texture of your hair. Still, it’s a whole lot of fun to try out new looks!

Sign up for Hairstyler: Click here to sign up.

You can also use the free sample below, using the provided model:

It’s one of the things most women dread – the humiliating experience of trying to find a bathing suit that we can be proud to wear. The good news is, we’re own worst critics and choosing a flattering suit isn’t as hard as it seems.

Here are some tips to help:

• If you have a larger bust, try a halter top.
• If you have a bigger rear end, try boy-cut bottoms.
• Or try a skirted bottom, but beware of looking like you’re just trying to cover up. That’s not flattering either.
• Curvaceous? Try a tankini.
• Big belly? Stick with a one piece or a two piece that doesn’t expose the belly.
• If you’re plus-size, try darker and solid prints for a slimmer look.
• Warning: Horizontal stripes make you look wider.
• Slim and fit…don’t be shy. Try a little bikini.
• Pear shaped? Try a top with a bright color to bring attention to the upper body, rather than the rounder bottom.

Find a Bathing Suit:

• Designer Swimwaear for curvy women: Search by body type, style and more.
• More women’s swimsuits: A huge selection and comparison opportunities.

Everyone has bad hair days. Sometimes we don’t have the time to fix them or we just plain old don’t feel like it. Sometimes it seems that no matter what we do, the bad hair day is determined to prevail. Well, have no fear, here is your bad hair day lesson that will fix up bad hair days and help prevent them in the future.

Bad Hair Day Solutions:

• Put on a fashionable hat and simply cover up the mess underneath.
• Try a pony tail or up-do. Keep some cool accessories on hand just for this purpose.
• Try a scarf or bandana wrapped around your head or roll into a headband.
• Use a headband. The elasticized and the hard type both can cure bad hair day ills.
• Got static? Run a fabric softener sheet along your hair. It can help get rid of static.

If you’re tired of bad hair days…try some of these tips to prevent them:

• Avoid styling damage that comes from over-use of hair dryers and other heat styling tools. Yes, these are essential to a woman’s beauty arsenal, but they don’t need to be used every single day.
• Make sure your hair is dry before going to bed. Wet heads and beds don’t mix!
• Try a satin pillow case. Not only does it feel nice, but satin has less friction than cotton.
• Make sure your hair is dry before going outside to avoid the frizzies.
• Rinse your conditioner thoroughly or you may end up with a greasy look.
• Try a leave in conditioner or pre-styling product.
• Use a wide-tooth comb, instead of a hairbrush. Brushes are more likely to damage hair.

More Bad Day Help:

• For Dry Curly Hair: Ouidad Deep Treatment
• For Very Dry Hair: Phyto Phytokarite Ultra Nourishing Mask
• Hair Accessories: Choose from a variety here.

Description: This is a backless booster seat with adjustable arm rests, two cup holders and removable padding.

Who Can Use the Graco TurboBooster: The TurboBooster is suitable for children -
- Between 4 and 10 years old

- Between 40 – 100 pounds

- Between 40″ – 57″ tall

Cool Features: This booster seat is easy to install. The removable padding is easy to clean and put back onto the seat.

Considerations: Although the booster is perfect for fostering your child’s growing independence, consider they might be safer in a 5-point seat belt designed for their size.

If you do choose a shoulder belt booster, this particular model comes with a clip that allows you to position the belt appropriately. However, it can be more easily manipulated by children than boosters seats with built-in backs. Be sure your child understands the importance of keeping the shoulder belt in place.

Click here to learn more about the Graco Turbo Booster.

The terrible twos can be a trying time, but also a rewarding one. Your toddler is at a stage when he is trying to establish independence. One of these steps toward independence is the transition from wearing diapers to using the toilet.

(Click here to order your potty training guide)

Potty training can be a trying time for the child and the parents. But the rewards of saying goodbye to diapers and seeing the look of accomplishment on your toddler’s face make it well worth the effort.

Know When Your Child Is Ready

One of the most important things to consider in potty training is whether or not your toddler is ready for it. He may be ready earlier or later than his siblings, cousins, or your friends’ kids. Some signs that your little one is ready for potty training include:

- Going two hours or more without wetting a diaper
- Awareness of urination and bowel movements, before or while they happen
- Being bothered by a dirty or wet diaper or telling you that he has one
- Expressing interest in using the potty

Two years is a common age for potty training readiness. But some kids are ready earlier and some later. Most experts agree that there is no need for concern unless your child is 4 years old and still expresses no interest in using the potty.

Preparing for Potty Training

When your child is approaching two years old, or sooner if he shows interest in using the potty, there are some ways you can encourage his curiosity. There are many books about potty training designed for toddlers that use pictures and fun rhymes to discuss learning to use the potty. Reading these to your child can educate him about bathroom etiquette and encourage him to ask questions. It’s also good to let your child in when the parent of the same gender is using the bathroom. This lets the child see in person what is expected of him.

Once your child is ready, you can start encouraging him to use the potty. You will probably want a potty chair, but there are also some other products on the market that can help you with this. Diapers that have disappearing symbols or let your toddler feel wetness can help him learn when he needs to go to the potty. There are also sticker charts that you can use to keep track of your child’s progress. A small reward each time he gets a set number of stickers can provide an added incentive and encouragement.

When to Go Potty

Looking for signs that your child is about to use his diaper can give you cues as to when you should try to get him to use the potty. If it’s hard to tell with your little one but you can try taking him about every two hours. It’s important to be in the bathroom with him the whole time in the early stages. Once he begins to let you know when he needs to use the potty, you can gradually begin to let him go in himself and come in to help as needed.

Potty training is one of the most important phases of a child’s development. It is also a frequent source of stress for parents. Following the child’s lead and giving rewards and encouragement can make the transition much smoother for both toddler and parents.

More Potty Training Help:
Toilet Training in Less Than a Day – a practical guide to speed up the potty-training process.

What it Does: This slow release patch is adhered to your shoulder at night to help you sleep better.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Melatonin – A drowsiness inducing ingredient.

5-HTP – This natural ingredient comes from the seeds of Griffonia Simplicifolia (an African tree). It is a mood enhancer that helps stimulate serotonin creation.

L-Theanine – This natural ingredient stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, which helps induce deep relaxation.

The manufacturer claims the product is non-habit forming and says it is “for a restful, drug-free sleep when you need it”.

Click here to learn more.

It may not be a very popular idea, but for natural help for insomnia, your best bet is something very simple — exercise. When you’re already exhausted from lack of sleep, exercise may be the last thing on your mind, but it can make a world of difference.

(Click here for more insomnia help)

Studies Show Sleep Can Help

We all know that exercise that can help you lose weight and get more energy, but what about helping you sleep? Studies have shown that people, particularly women, who regularly exercise during the day, sleep longer and better at night. So, before you reach for the sleeping pills why not try going for a run, taking a trip to the gym, or signing up for a yoga class.

Exercise & The Stress Connection

Many people have trouble sleeping because they are overly stressed. The worst part about this is that sleep deprivation can increase your cortisol levels, which makes you feel more stressed. It can also make you irritable and less able to deal with stressful situations. This is why most insomniacs have increased levels of stress hormones. While exercise makes these hormones rise initially, after several hours the levels fall. These hormones levels actually become lower than before you exercised and lower than they would be if you hadn’t worked out. Regular exercise can end the vicious sleep-stress cycle once and for all.

Most insomniacs simply can’t clear their mind of their problems when they lay down to bed. The stresses of the day run repeatedly through their minds instead of relaxing. Exercise can be a time to escape the stressors around you and figure out solutions to your problems. If you figured out what to do about your latest work crisis during your morning run, you don’t have to stress over it at bedtime. This leaves your brain free to sleep.

Physical Sleep Requirements of Exercise

Exercising also makes you need sleep more. The more you work your muscles, the more they need to regenerate through sleep. While you may think this just going to make you more tired when you can’t sleep, it will probably actually help you have a deeper, more restful sleep. Even if you can’t sleep more, you’ll sleep better and be more rested and energized in the morning.

Fitting Exercise into Your Life

An important part of using exercise to cure insomnia is timing. As I already mentioned, exercise produces chemicals in your brain that make you feel more awake and energized. This is why it’s not a good idea to exercise before bedtime, but how close is too close? It is generally recommended that you exercise more than four hours before you sleep; however, you may find you need a longer rest period. If you find you’re not sleepy, start pushing your exercise earlier gradually till you find a good time. Obviously, the best time to exercise is in the morning, and this will make you feel more energized all day long.

If you absolutely can’t exercise during the day, there are things you can do at night instead (or in addition) to help you get to sleep. Studies have shown that exercises as simple as stretching can help improve insomnia symptoms. You can try doing stretches or yoga closer to bedtime to help you relax. You can find books or join a class to learn specific positions and more to promote relaxation and sleep.

While exercise helps you sleep more, it has other wonderful benefits. Exercise helps you lose weight, feel great, and have more energy during the day (and so will sleep). Before you try supplements, pills, or other crazy sleep solutions, try working out first. It will cure your insomnia along with some great positive side effects.

More Insomnia Help:

Try the SleepTracks Sleep Optimization Program.

Using Flowers to Bring Calm and Prosperity into Your Life

Carole Pagan © 2007

One of the nice things about spring and summer is the richness of the colors of flowers that explode everywhere – Daffodils, tulips, lilacs, Daisies, lilies, roses, petunias, and so much more. Even the most cynical among us is touched by the burst of colors.

Many people mistakenly think that plants and flowers are just something nice to look at. A female thing. If you’re thinking that way, you’re missing some of the most important benefits of plants and flowers.

Studies have shown that lots of green leafy plants help calm you and help relieve depression. This in turn helps you focus better and think more clearly. May be it has to do with the oxygen they give off?

Similar studies show that just looking at flowers reduces stress. The scent of flowers is also calming. Lavender is especially known for it’s calming qualities.

In Feng Shui, flowers are said to strengthen family harmony and keep the flow of affection in all directions. When you get deeper into feng shui, there are different energies produced by placing certain colors in certain areas of your home.

Green leafy plants in the entryway draw good energy into the house.

If you have a lot of arguments in your house, you may have too much chi energy in your home. Feng Shui suggests putting plants in rich black soil in the south portion of your home to calm things down.

Bathrooms in the south part of the house are believed to increase your chances of getting sued. Feng Shui prescription is to decorate with tall plants and wood.

Yellow flowers are said to have healing qualities in general. When you place them in the center of your home they keep you centered and balanced.

For financial harmony, surround yourself with red flowers.

Fruit bearing branches represent abundance and good fortune. To keep the berries from falling off longer, scrape the bark off the bottom of the stems before putting them in water so that more water flows up to them.

One of the hottest decorating trends this year is to put single buds in small juice glasses. Place them across a mantle or shelf, or at everyone’s place at the dinner table to keep things calm. Think that will look good in my Pokemon Welch’s jelly glasses? J

Or how about a prosperity centerpiece?

• Place a presoaked floral foam cylinder on a plate.
• For a small centerpiece, use a 4 inch cylinder.
• Spread a little of that moss stuff around the bottomedge, or cover the bottom edge with a piece of yellowor red ribbon.
• Cut your red or yellow (or combination of both) roses to 3 inches long. For the small arrangement, you will need 4 nice sized roses. Push them, evenly spaced,into the top floral cylinder.
• Now fill in with flowers, leaves, and berry branches.
• Stick a candle in the center.

For best energy results, use fresh flowers. (But Michaels has a 50% off sale on silk flowers pretty often too.)

If you’re looking for some fresh ideas for your gardens outside- here are more feng shui tips -

• Purple flowers planted in the south part of yourgarden increase passion. Petunias are a good low maintenance choice.
• Deep red flowers planted in the west part of your garden bring success in business. I have red lilies, of course.
• Creamy white flowers planted in the north part of your garden (not the north side of your house) quiet anxieties. I like either lilies or fragrant roses.
• Ferns and grasses planted in the east part of the garden keep you feeling fresh and vitalized. I have Yucca. Not exactly a fern, actually it’s an evergreen, but I like it.

Next year I want a cutting garden so I can enjoy the benefits of flowers even more!

And for you men reading this thinking, I don’t want to mess with flowers…. I’ve known many manly men who have put together great gardens. My grandfather and my next door neighbor are two of them. And what about that funny guy who does the gardening show on HGTV? I love that show!

Whether indoors or out, and whether you believe in such things as feng shui, working with plants and flowers really is therapeutic. It can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you want. It can be a large project, or a very small one. It can be in any colors. Get creative!

Gardening is not only a good mental exercise, it’s great physical activity too.

And then kick back in your easy chair with the beverage of your choice and relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

How Will You Spend Next Weekend? Having fun? Or Cleaning House?
Find the Secrets to having a cleaner home with a lot less effort by clicking here.