I am still alive. Things have been getting more crazy around here. I got a  second job to help with my income and it’s been taking up a lot of my time, although I have been able to network a bit more. That aside I do have a few posts that I am working on and now that school is over I will be able to focus my attention on that.

Some of the articles you can expect are:
-Stress reduction
-Work out mixes
-Hints on eating well
-And more!!!!

I have also been thinking about doing some videos or something like that so sit tight and stay tuned.

One of the best ways to live a healthier life, is to kick the bad stuff out of your diet. Paying attention to what you put into your body will in turn help you gain control of your body and help you loose a few pounds. Below I talk about 2 things that I highly suggest cutting out of your diet.

Partially Hydrogenated (PH) anything: I worked at a concessions stand at a local movie theater for about two years. During my time making popcorn I decided to look at what was in the “butter” that everyone loved so much. Turns out the “butter” wasn’t butter at all, but a mixture of oils to taste like butter. I was reading the ingredients of the butter wannabe and when I read across the partially hydrogenated soy bean oil, I cringed (which was really bad because it was in front of a costumer who in turn had got a tub filled of popcorn soaked in this butter). The name just sounds disgusting. PH oils are a form of trans-fat. As we all have heard that trans-fats are used in place of natural fats and oils as a filler because it’s cheaper. These fats are also linked to heart disease and other health problems. I can not state it enough how important it is to cut these out of your diet.

Soda: Soda is very evil to your body. From Pepsi to energy drinks, they do more damage then is good. One of the main ingredients in soda is some form of acid. This acid is what eats away at your teeth and the lining of your stomach (there is more acid in energy drinks then there are in regular soda). This can lead to health problems like acid reflux and other digestive problems  (I will be doing another post about this later). Soda is also filled with sodium and other ingredients that make it hard for your body to flush out toxin and make you bloated. The number one best thing for you to drink is water. Really your body doesn’t need anything else other then water (although a low fat milk is also suggested to help in the reduction of bone loss and a connection to weight loss). By drinking more water you will eat less  (because your stomach will get full faster) and your body will be all around healthier because the water will wash things out from your system naturally.

Cutting soda can be hard, especially if you are addicted to the caffein but it is worth it in the end. I have been soda free for almost two weeks and have lost a little weight already. Weight loss is about making healthy choices that can you can keep up with over a lifetime, not about quick fixes and fast results.

Having upbeat music to work out to is key to keeping your energy up, at least that it how it is for me. I like to mix up my play list depending on the exercise I am doing. I have learned a very important lesson from this, i can NOT listen to hip-hop music while on a treadmill; I have little control while listening to it and tend to start dancing right in the middle and end up falling off. I also like to switch up my music so I don’t get bored. Each month I will post a different list of songs that I hope will help you put together your own play list. I also love finding new songs that I can work out too, so comment with your suggestions.

1. Unstoppable- Kat Deluna
2. Womanizer- Britney Spears
3. So Excited- Janet Jackson
4. Blue Jeans- Jessie James
5. Fly on the Wall- Miley Cyrus
6. Not a Love Song- Uh Huh Her

I wanted to do a post today and have a few articles that I am working on, so I wanted to post this for the time being.

Name an item of clothing that has been with you the longest:
I have plenty of shirts that I have kept for years. I can’t name just one, but I keep them around for night shirts.

What’s an article of clothing that you can’t live without (BESIDES jeans, people)?
My Biofit bras from Victoria’s Secret. I have two and they are just amazing! Every girl should go try one on, they are worth the money.

Describe your perfect winter & summer footwear:
In winter I either wear my Black sneakers from Payless or my slippers. I started wearing the sneakers a few years ago for a job and they where so comfortable I couldn’t give them up.  In summer you can mainly see me in flip-flops from Old Navy or other cute sandals.

What’s a good, ethical clothing brand you’d recommend?
Are there any ethical brands these days? That’s a different topic. If you are looking for inexpensive yet still fashionable and quite durable, then I say go to Oldnavy. It’s the one store that I know i can go to get a good deal on simple pieces.

And what’s a brand you wouldn’t recommend?
I think many brands out there jack up their prices because they can, and people buy them becuase of the name.

What’s the ugliest trend of all time?
There are so many to choose from! I honestly can’t pick one.

And the prettiest?
I think just wearing styles that fit your body type and make you feel amazing just makes you feel better about yourself. For me I love black leggings under a little short dress that ends right below the bum. It’s my personal fav.

What colors predominate in your wardrobe?
My closet is a rainbow, i love having different colors for my different moods, the majority of my stuff is white and then just about equal of every other color. I have a lot of pink and blue too.

What are your vintage shopping strategies (if you have them)?
I take my 5 year old nephew. He has an AMAZING talent for putting things together and what looks good and what doesn’t. He has no aprehensions about telling me straight up what he thinks about an outfit or an article of clothing. It’s really bad for my budget really.

What’s the most insane piece of clothing that you have ever owned?
I was obsessed with spandex between the ages of 3 and 7, durring summer months you couldn’t get me out of my biker shorts or my little jump suits.

If you could describe the majority of the clothes you own in one word, what would it be?
A mess, right now i am trying to go through my large collection of clothes so I can get ride of them, I always seem to get side tracked and give up.

Fashion Fling is giving away a top and bottem or a slimdress from SlimPerfect. From what I see of the line, the designs are simple and highlight the bust line so your eyes go to the bust instead of your problem areas. So head over to Fashion Fling and check it out.

I have received a few questions regarding fake nails. I personally love the acrylic nail look. I have both my hands and my toes done and have been getting them done for over a year.

Many girls are worried that they will ruin their nail beds by getting fake nails, the sad news is, you will. But there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of damage done to the beds.

1. Make sure the salon you go to has a good product. A good product will stick to the nail without the need of a lot of filing. If the tech has to practically file away the nail bed just to get the product to stick, it isn’t a good product. Ask the nail tech to show you what products they use if they aren’t displayed. On a side note related to this, make sure the salon you go to has the labels on the product. I was once told my an anonymous source (but reliable), that some salons take off the labels because the product is not ‘legal’ for use in the US due to harsh chemicals used in the product. This is why technicians use masks so they don’t inhale these chemicals. If the product is good you won’t need the mask. My nail tech uses CND products which works great, and is a strong product line.

2. There is also a choice of getting Gels. Gels are said to be safer and do less damage to the bed. There are different brands to the gels, the one that I recommend (along with my nail tech) is the Brisa Gel, but others are just as good. The Brisa Gel is odorless and stronger then other brands. The downside that I have found with gels is that they aren’t as strong as acrylics, my acrylics rarely brake or get chips  (even when i went rock climbing with them.

I find one of the best ways to find a good salon is to just ask around, if you see a girl that has a nice design, ask her about them. If you live in Utah then I suggest going to my girl (it’s worth the drive if you live a little way away from Salt Lake). The Nail Room AAI, is a nail salon and school. This means if you don’t want to spend a lot of money you can go to a student. Nervous about a student? The professionals make sure that you will leave there with a great result that you can be happy with. You can also schedule an appointment with a professional; it will cost you more, but the professionals there are great and do an amazing job.

What do you wear to the gym or to work out? Getting the right clothes to work out in can help you reach your fitness goals.

Tops and Sports Bras

Oldnavy.com $16.50

I am still shocked by the number of girls who don’t have a good workout sports bra. Sports bras are designed to keep your breasts up and out of the way. If you have large boobs you may need to wear another bra underneath a sports bra to help support. Make sure that the bra isn’t too tight that can be uncomfortable, but if it’s too loose it won’t be giving you the support you need. A cheap tip to find how the bra is supposed to fit is to go into a specialty bra store or Victoria’s Secret and have the sales associates help fit you. They are trained in fitting bra’s and can find what will work best for your body, that way you can then go to another store that offers sports bras and get one for less.

Another option instead of wearing two bras is to wear a sports bra and another fitted top. I have seen so many different styles out there that it is really up you you to find something that fits you well and will be comfortable enough to work out in. My personal favorite is to go with a racer back tank. Old Navy has a few now that are a decent price ($16.50) plus I found it so comfortable that I didn’t want to take it off.

Bottoms
I was in dance for around 10 years. One thing they tell you is it’s better to wear tighter pants rather then baggy pants so that the instructor can see the way

oldnavy.com $16.50

your body is positioned and correct it if there is any problem. Form in dance and exercise is important so you don’t get injured, which is why I believe it’s important to wear tighter pants when you are at the gym. That way if you aren’t performing an exercise correctly a trainer can see it and help you out. If you are working out at home, the choice is up to you.

When finding bottoms you want to make sure that they are comfortable and easy to wear. Nothing sucks more then having that waistband that digs into your skin and distracts you from performing to your best. That is why I love the fold over yoga pants found at Old Navy ($16.50). These pants are great because you can wear the band high up on your hip so they won’t fall down, or roll the down. The fit is tight to your body but was still comfortable. I really wanted to lounge in these pants all day.

Confessions of a Shopaholic 3.5 stars

I really liked this movie. Although I still prefer the book over the  movie I was very surprised at the way the portrayed the book in the movie. The movie more was like a mix between book 1 and 2.
If you don’t already know, Confessions of a Shopaholic is a story based on the lovable Becky Bloomwood and her terrible shopping problem. She is thousands of dollars in debt and she gets a job working for a financial magazine! how ironic. Soon, Becky’s shopping habits and lies catch up with her and she has to dig her way out. I find that Becky is very lovable and you tend to root for her because she doesn’t mean any harm. This is a good girly movie so grab your girls and get to your nearest theater! Pick up the book on Amazon if you haven’t already!

credit= spanx.com

One of my favorite things ever is my Spanx. Spanx are an undergarment that helps hold in the jiggles, firms and flattens your body, like a modern day girdle. Being a larger girl myself, I have tried other products that claim to hold in your jiggles, but non can compare to the Spanx!

Spanx where created by Sara Blakely when she decided to cut off the legs of her control top panty hose, about ten years ago. A simple action that has now lead to any type of style you can think of that will help you look amazing in any outfit. Spanx also has a celebrity  following (Lindsay Lohan and beyonce have both been spotted wearing their Spanx) because they are that good.

My Personal view on spanx that they are one garment that every girl needs. They are comfortable beyond compare and get the job done. Even if you are thin, sometimes you need the extra help under that sleek dress or skinny jeans. Spanx will do it for you. They even have a line of fashionable tights that I am very much in love with!

You can buy Spanx practically every where these days, Lane Bryant and Torrid both usually have them, but you can also buy them online at spanx.com or figleaves.com which has them for an amazing price and ships fast.

Resource: cosmo mag(feb 2009); spanx.com

Welcome to the new site everyone! I’m still getting some stuff up but I think the majority of the work is done. Let me know what you think!

In the mean time check out this cool contest over on Lisa’s site. She is giving away a D&B bag!!!! So go enter, it ends on Saturday, so hury and enter now!