Does Anyone Want To Laugh

Next to chicken soup, laughter is being considered a healing balm.  Think about it for a moment. It reduces blood sugar and blood pressure, it is a muscle relaxant, immune builder, and among others, it is has a placebo affect on your mood. It is also, a universal language that connects us together because it so contagious. So you better watch out!  LOL!

I have laughed so hard at times, that I was gasped for air into my lungs, tapped my leg, and felt the tears streaming from my eyes.  Absolutely priceless, I thought at the situation. I think it is a true gift from God to have one of these moments in time where you knew your gloomy day was miraculously sunny. 

Just the sound of someone else laughing makes me laugh.  Especially when I know one of my children has had a bad day and suddenly laughs at something funny.  That is my queue to break the ice and help them get past their pain.  I like the quote from Mark Twain that says, “ The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”  

 Yes, it does not cost anything to laugh.  It is one of the best cures for a bad mood or bad day. It comes highly recommended by doctors everywhere to relive stress and change your outlook on life overall. Laughter can derive from many events to bring forth physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being.

Article Inspired by WebMD

Heart Health Month

February is the month to take time to get educated about the heart. The American Heart Association tries to bring awareness to the public of the statistics. Stroke and Heart Disease are the number one killer in the United States; so even though the month is almost over, please share this article with someone you love.
Eating healthy is one of the major ways to beat this disease. Here are five foods that are proven to change your heart health.
The first one is garlic. It is a herb that benefits the blood pressure, platelet aggregation, serum triglyceride level, and cholesterol levels to keep your heart strong. This can help you cyt back on the salt intake.
Next, there is salmon. Try to substitute the burger for a salmon steak which is low in saturated fat. A cheeseburger, however, is more than a day’s consumption of saturated fat. The benefits of salmon are the omega 3 that help prevent blood clotting and erratic heart rhythms, promote good cholesterol, and prevent cholesterol damage.
Other heart healthy foods are berries and cherries. I love these delicious fruits! They are sweet and go well with plain lowfat yogurt for a sin-free dessert or oatmeal. The benefits of these fruits are they are high in polyphenols that prevent cell damage and unhealthy blood vessels.
Have you heard of Quinoa? It is a tiny seed which is high in magnesium-a mineral that relaxes the blood vessels, preventing hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias.
Finally, we have hot cocoa. Chocolate has more antioxidants than red wine and green tea combined. Try 100% cocoa and a small amount of sugar or sugar substitute to get the benefits of this sweet sensation!

The Haircut Nightmare

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a neighborhood beauty salon that I pass every day.  I decided to make an appointment last Wednesday to get a shampoo and style.  I was greeted by a receptionist who directed me to the hairstylist who would provide the services I requested.  She walked me to a shampoo room where she began to wash and condition my hair.  I was pleased with this part of the process, but it came time to dry my hair.  I sat under a hair dryer which I frown upon because it takes so long to dry my thick and medium length hair.  I prefer a simple blow dryer.  After about an hour under the dryer, I was motioned to sit in THE CHAIR to get my hair styled.  Twenty minutes may have passed when she said, “You know, your hair would have a cleaner finish if you let me trim your ends.  What do you think?”  I said it would be okay if you are just trimming a couple of inches…

She not only cut the two inches I told her too, but she must have taken two or three more in honor of her own desire to go on a cutting frenzy because my hair was considerably shorter than eighteen inches long before the salon visit! You be the judge.

Here some tips that I learned from this experience:

1)      Never let the stylist turn the chair you sit in away from the mirror!

2)      Ask a lot of questions.

3)      Be very clear on how much hair you want trimmed.

4)      Make sure the stylist is interested in healthy hair and not a “scissor-happy mad stylist”.

Tax Season

Regardless if you are getting a refund or owing the IRS, there are some basic steps to follow to become better prepared to pay your taxes.

Year after year you may procrastinate at tax time. Paying your taxes can be intimidating and grueling. However, it does not have to be dreaded any longer.  There are ways to make tax and investment planning part of your goal to financial empowerment. Matthew 22: 21 and Romans 13:1-8 teaches us  ”give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another…” Even God requires us to pay our taxes.

Here are some tips to get you started. Make sure you have maintained all of your legal documents and records such as employment, banking, mortgage etc. Set aside a place to keep all tax documents throughout the year so that it is not a burden or stress inducer in April. Always keep good records as well as receipts for expenses: car mileage, child care, student loans (interest), and medical bills. These expenses are tax deductible if you prove them to be for educational and business purposes.

The key is preparation. Find a safe place for your recordkeeping and financial statements so you are not hastily looking for information at the last minute. Make your money work for you!

Remember, we must file our taxes. It is required by law. It really does benefit you later. If you will owe taxes, it is easier to find a way to pay when filed early. Any reputable tax preparer can help you with tax planning and your future withholdings to ensure you do not owe as much next year. What you owe depends on your exemptions. On the other hand, file early if you know you get a refund so that you can get it quickly through e-file service. The IRS will make a return on the interests as your refund sits in their bank account. Also, it is not always in your best to get a rapid refund or loan because of the high interest and penalties in addition to the problems that could arise in getting your refund.

Be encouraged! In Proverbs 18:10 the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe….God does not want us to run away from our fears but face them. By facing them in His Holy name. This is how His glory is seen through His people.

Stealth Health: Get Healthy Without Really Trying

Researchers say that doing something is better than nothing at all. From your morning shower to the evening news, from your work commute to your household chores, David Katz, MD says, there are at least 2,400 ways to sneak healthy activities into daily living.
“If you let yourself make small changes, they will add up to meaningful changes in the quality of your diet, your physical activity pattern, your capacity to deal with stress, and in your sleep quality — and those four things comprise an enormously powerful health promotion that can change your life,” says Katz.
Taking Baby Steps
Of course, not everyone is certain that baby steps can walk you all the way to good health. Marc Siegel, MD, a clinical associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine, says that while doing something is certainly better than doing nothing, making such small changes is like using a Band-aid to stop a hemorrhage.
Katz concedes that the Stealth Health approach may not be right for everybody.
Katz believes that for those who find making health changes a daunting task, Stealth Health techniques can make a difference.
Try the Stealth Health Approach
Tempted to give “Stealth Health” a try? Katz recommends picking any three of the following 12 changes and incorporating them into your life for four days. When you feel comfortable with those changes, pick three others. Once you’ve incorporate all dozen changes, you should start to feel a difference within a couple of weeks, he says.
To Improve Nutrition:
1. Buy whole foods — whether canned, frozen, or fresh from the farm — and use them in place of processed foods whenever possible.
2. Reject foods and drinks made with corn syrup, a calorie-dense, nutritionally empty sweetener that many believe is worse for the body than sugar, says Katz.
3. Start each dinner with a mixed green salad. Not only will it help reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also will automatically add veggies to your meal.
To Improve Physical Fitness:
1. Do a squat every time you pick something up. Instead of bending over in the usual way, which stresses the lower back, bend your knees and squat. This forces you to use your leg muscles and will build strength.
2. Whenever you’re standing on a line, lift one foot a half-inch off the ground. The extra stress on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes.
To Improve Stress Control:
1. Give your partner a hug every day before work. Studies show this simple act can help you remain calm when chaos ensues during your day, Katz says.
2. Twice a day, breathe deeply for three to five minutes
To Improve Sleep:
1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water. The scent has been shown in studies to promote relaxation, which can lead to better sleep.
2. Buy a new pillow. Katz says that studies show that pillows with an indent in the center can enhance sleep quality and reduce neck pain. Also, try a “cool” pillow — one containing either all-natural fibers or a combination of sodium sulfate and ceramic fibers that help keep your head cool.
3. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed. You’ll be giving yourself a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with the amino acid tryptophan — a natural sleep-inducer.

Fashion Week: Spring 2010 beauty trends

Did you miss us? Of course you did. We’ve picked up some great new writers and even more knowledge about fashion, health, and beauty. So, to kick things of for our return we present the 6 biggest beauty trends from 2010 Fashion Week.

The second I picked up this article from Bella Sugar I think I started to drool a little. This year I’m all about working on my outside, since I’m totally convinced my inside is pure perfection.What better way to start than with your face. Seriously, the manner in which you make it up can make you look young and beautiful or add 20 years. That’s exactly why I’m so in love with this spring’s makeup trends. It’s all about peach lips, electric eyeliner colors and bold applications of it.

And the hair…it’s etherial. Literally. Long flowing locks slightly mussed with soft texture. Just tell everyone to call you “Helen of Troy.” I could go on and on, but I’ll just let you see it for yourself.

http://www.bellasugar.com/2010-Spring-Hair-Makeup-Trends-5064995

Get the look: Sephora’s fall 09 beauty trends

Straight off the runway to your laptop, we are giving you the fiercest makeup looks to try. Because we at COVERINGS don’t believe you should ever leave your house bare faced,  see how to get these looks, with a little help from Sephora’s.

The Cat Eye is back with a vengeance. However, unlike last years trend of rocking it in bold hues like fuchsia, it’s back to basic black. The Cat Eye is a great way to play up your eyes in one makeup step. You can create a look that is exotic and bold with just black liner (or black eyeshadow and a liner brush) and a flick of the wrist.

One of the biggest surprises this fall is the carrying over of candy colors. Make up your lids in a candy colored palette. This look should be reserved for the younger crowd, like under 30. Think about it. Would you take someone with an assortment of candy color eye lids seriously? No? Then, you see my point. However, don’t deny yourself these fabulous colors. Pick one and play it up on your eyes.

The smokey eye is one of my favorite beauty looks. This fall the look is even edgier. The Extreme Smokey Eye is for those who are a little more daring with their beauty look and will leave you with smoldering eyes, but beware. While dark makeup can really make your eyes pop, it can also make them look smaller.

For the more demure beauty addicts, why not do up your eyes in gray? Fall is giving us a softer side of beauty by offering an alternative to the Extreme Smokey Eye. Add this color to your beauty bag. It’s an easy color to wear and still delivers a smoldery look without the harshness that a smokey eye sometimes gives.

The beauty phrase of the season is big and bold, as in big hair and bold eyebrows.  Vamp up your hair this fall and give the illusion of a head full of thick hair. As for your brows, no one is going to believe you have all that hair if you have thin little eyebrows. So, fill them in ladies! Check out Sephora’s makeup tips on how to make your brows bold.

Speaking of vamp, falls lip colors seem to be vampire inspired. Stain your lips in dark plums, deep reds, and blackish burgundies.  However, keep in mind it is a delicate balancing act to play up your lips and eyes without coming off like a circus clown. If you’re going heavy on the lip color, then do something a little lighter for the eyes. Also, remember that these colors have a tendency to show any and all flaws. So, make sure you moisturize and exfoliate your lips prior to application, and prep your lips with a matching liner to keep your lipstick in place and fend off bleeding.

Check out the Sephora makeup tutorials on the Sephora Blog.

Wannabes

I hate wannabe’s.  You know them.  They are the ones flashing fashion that they can’t afford.  The ones wearing their original designs with thread hanging everywhere. They are the ones you see selling clothes out of the trunks of their cars.  They’re cowards.  They have no real plan for actually competing in the market where they can do the most good…to set up an actual boutique or department store, whereby, they can create jobs and use the calling God has put on them to make an impact in the fashion retail industry.  A Christian based department store is possible.  J.C. Penney is one and Hobby Lobby is another.  Believe me.  If God gave you the dream to sell clothes He did not intend for it to be out of the trunk of a car.  That might be the only way you can start out but to still be operating that way after five years is ridiculous.  You get no respect from those of us who have done what it takes to overcome obstacles to reach the vision God showed us.  It’s not easy, but it is possible.

Wannabes.  They are the ones who have to be noticed for wearing the latest and greatest fashions trends.  They are the ladies who just recently discovered and wear St. John Knits or Burberry (which have been around since the beginning of time, it seems, because the labels are so old) and think they have discovered new designer labels.  They are the one’s who wear their vanity on their sleeves and won’t sit next to or associate with women who are fashionably beneath them.  Wannabe’s are people who want to be heralded as the guru’s of fashion but have never studied fashion evolution.  You know the one’s I mean.  They are the ones who condemn you to hell if you don’t dress according to their denomination’s fashion dictates.  They tell you that a woman shouldn’t wear men’s clothing only, because they have never studied Genesis. God designed Adam and Eve the same thing to wear…Tunics of skins.  The last time I looked a tunic didn’t have legs!   I guess Adam should have told God there was no way he was going to wear that dress.  Eve should have said, uh-uh God.  Don’t you give me the same style Adam is wearing.  Don’t you know that will send me to Hell?   Fashion wannabe’s do irreparable damage from the pulpit.  Wannabes are those who have been called by God into the fashion design industry and  are simply too lazy and too arrogant to go to school and study their trade.  They would rather “boot leg.”

I frequently meet wannabes when I am producing a fashion show or laying out a fashion concept   They challenge me behind the scenes and sometimes to my face, because they are sure they are more fashionable than I am.  I feel sorry for them.  When you are a wannabe, you have to work too hard to convince others.  When you are something you don’t have to try be, you already are.  They never stop to think why I get paid for this and they don’t.  I didn’t have this career handed to me on a silver platter. Truly, many are called but few are chosen. They were not around when I paid with blood, sweat, and tears, and tuition, to get here.  Nights of staying up, honing my trade when no one was paying me. God was the only one who saw my diligence.  At the time that I was making my mark on the fashion retail industry, I got married, was having babies (3) and a major volunteer at my church.    I was able to do this in a city I had relocated to with no initial family.  When you don’t have a support system, you have to believe in yourself.  My goal was never to be the best, but to do it right.  In that, I became one of the best Fashion Advertising minds in the country.  Even in the world.  I say this most humbly, but when the biggest names in retail put billions of dollars on the line, they want the best and the brightest talents on the advertising team.  Trust me.  They are not calling in the “B” list.

How to be a stylish mom on the go

Moms these days are strapped for time, balancing everything from children with complicated schedules, keeping the home from looking chaotic, and often working on top of it all. It’s a wonder we always come last on the list of priorities. BUT NO MORE! Recharging yourself will provide your children with a happier mom and in turn a happier family.

Do you roll out of be each morning, throw on whatever’s clean and start your day, only to wind up feeling frumpy and negative about your appearance? Has your need for clothes that are easy to clean and comfortable left you with the standard stay at home mom wardrobe of oversized t-shirts, jeans and sneakers? Never fear! Spanky is here! By taking lessons from your sisters who work outside the home you can change the frumpy to fantabulous in no time. By following a few simple tips you can create a simple, practical and stylish “stay at home uniform” that will allow you to feel put together but still comfortable with your day to day tasks as a mom.

Every mom’s best friend is the t-shirt. Comfortable, stain resistant and inexpensive but let’s get real ladies! Most of those t-shirts in your closet are oversized, frayed and frumpy. By paying attention to fit color and style you can keep this an essential item in your wardrobe without subtracting the sassiness. Tunics fit lightly on the body and flatter you at the same time. You can find tunics in short and long sleeves and it’s a great alternative for those lovely t-shirts. If you get dressed up you can even put a tunic over a pair of slacks and belt it. This will be comfortable for you but also very trendy. Instead of beat up tennis shoes and rubber flip flops, select comfortable, cute shoes. Why not try some trendy ballet flats in some funky colors? Whether you are dressing up for a date or running errands the ballet flat is cute and comfortable.

Making baby bags practical, cute and efficient can be a tough job. There are some fashion-friendly designer baby bags out there but they can be rather expensive. Use your creative brain and check out other types of bags. Make sure that they have a nice shoulder strap and lots of pockets. Try gym bags, backpacks, or small carry on bags. You might want to pick a neutral color so you are in sync with the rest of your out fit at all times. Don’t try and carry a purse and a baby bag. Make sure you try and find a bag that will serve both needs.

Purchasing the correct fabrics can make a huge difference! The working mom should start avoiding clothes that are labeled, “dry clean only.” These pieces may look nice but take too much time and money to actually maintain. Try picking clothes that are comfortable, washable and need less maintenance.

No matter how busy you are with your family, it’s important to take a little “me” time every week. Have someone else watch your kids, even if it’s just for an hour. Take a bubble bath and read some gossip magazines or put your feet up and watch TV. Give yourself a home facial or home manicure….or better yet; take a quick trip to the salon. To look good, you need to feel good. With all the pressures of life, it’s important that we all take the time out every once and awhile for some pampering.

Haute summer hair: Ponytails

I have long been referred to by my mom as “Queen of the ponytail.” I rock them nonstop. I just can’t seem to help myself; if I see a rubberband somehow it ends up in my hair. But how do you keep the most basic of hairstyles from looking completely stale and boring? You switch it up! Tailor it to your look for the day. Here are a few ponytail styles I like to rock.

The Braided Ponytail
The braided ponytail is pretty much the same things as the braided bun. Give yourself a deep side part, and section off the front of your hair (width is up to you, though you want at least a medium sized braid). Then, just braid the parted section in a french braid style, following your hairline. Take the end of the braid and the rest of your hair and put it into a ponytail. Ta-da!

The Bouffant Ponytail (with bangs)
Why, the bangs? I think it makes the ponytail look softer and more modern that way. I prefer to wear the bouffant with side swept bangs but you can wear it with full on “in your face” fringe, if you prefer. To get that bump, try pulling your hair over some well placed loose extensions, as opposed to teasing the hair, which can result in damage to the cuticle. Another option is to set the hair at the crown on large rollers, to add lift. Give a spritz of hairspray for hold and secure your bump with bobby pins. Then, secure your hair in a ponytail at the base of the bobby pins. Voilà!

The Textured Ponytail
Give your hair a rest from the flat iron and embrace your natural hair texture. Mine goes into a nice big barrel loose wave when I let it air dry. So, I just gather it on top of my head and put it into a ponytail. Whatever the texture of your hair, add some product that works with it, not against it, put it in a ponytail and go!

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