Fashion, Style & More

Tips for Healthy Lips

Part of my goal is to provide you with tools that you can implement immediately and that do not require you to make immediate purchases on products.  We’ve taken some time to discuss the importance of paying attention to your lips.  While I do believe that the best tool you can have in your makeup bag is an excellent lip balm, here’s a list to help improve the health of your lips. 

• East plenty of green vegetables and fruits 
• Eat foods rich in vitamins                                                  
• Increase your water intake.

 

Apply lip balm and keep your lips moist.

Smiles!

FashionStyle & Skin Fitness Coach,

Helping you reach your Skin Fitness Goals in 2009!! Karen

Have questions? Don’t be shy and contact me at www.askbeautyquestions.com.

 

 

Happy 2009!!

It is so exciting that it is a brand New Year!  The great part of a New Year is that we are starting with a brand new slate.  One tradition that many people follow is to start the New Year with New Year’s Resolutions.  After speaking with several friends, I have concluded that many start with a list that typically has the same items from the year before.  Often at the top of our list are our fitness goals for the year.   The word fitness has a lot of definitions.  For example, fitness could mean that you want to lose those last stubborn 10 lbs, or it could mean that you need to do a fitness overhaul and loose a substantial amount of weight, or perhaps it just means that you want to be healthy.   Healthy of course means different things to different people.  For me healthy means that I’m watching my carbs, eating an appropriate amount of protein and vegetables and carefully watching my sugar intake.  For those of you that know me, I have the biggest sweet tooth!  It also means to me that I am active.  Active in the sense that I am doing some type of exercise, i.e. walking, bike riding, and swimming you get the picture.  Then there are all those other goals that you’d like to achieve, carefully placed on your timeline.

This year I hope that you will consider putting another type of Fitness on your list: Skin Fitness.  A good skin care regimen is essential for younger, healthy looking skin.  With all the ads in the marketplace it’s hard to know what direction to take.  Thus, to help you with your Skin Fitness goals, I’d like to direct you to one of the hottest tools to find out How Old You Skin Is and to Customize your Skin Care Regimen – eProfile.

Your skin care regimen should be designed to address your age specific needs.  Now we can determin the exact age of your skin and find your perfect regimen!!  ~ eProfile.

 

As your wrap up your goals take the time to take the Quiz and find out your skin’s age!  Visit my BeautiPage to get started.   It’s quick and you will be on your way to using the right products for your specific needs.  I welcome the opportunity to discuss your results.  Email me ~ I look forward to hearing from you.

Here’s to wishing you a Healthy & Joyous 2009!

  Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

 

Affecting Others

I love Christmas and all that comes with it.  I love spending time with family and very special friends.  Going to Christmas parties, gift exchanges, decorating, planning menus and reunion with friends & family make for special times & wonderful memories.  The part about the holidays that I don’t quite enjoy is the mayhem of shopping.  I love to shop, but as the years pass I find that people have less courtesy with one another.  Do we have to accept this or can we make a difference?

Reflections from the ♥

This journey called life is not only full of adventures, but it is an opportunity for us to touch the lives of others.  What an awesome responsibility. Sure we may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but each one of us as the ability to affect others.  Think back on how you’ve affected someone’s day.  How have you responded to someone that wasn’t the most congenial?  Was it the cashier at your local grocery store, maybe it was that day you were running super late and felt guilty for having to pickup fast food for dinner and the person behind the counter wasn’t very pleasant.  You get the point.  It has happened to all of.  We have complete control on how we handle ourselves.  We can react to the person or we can affect them in a positive way.  If we choose to do the latter we can actually make someone’s day brighter.  What a great way to affect another!  What a great model you will be and what a happy life you will live!!

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

Click on Comments below to share your inner beauty secrets with us!!

Shopping Tips

As you hit the shopping centers this holiday season you may find all kinds of clothing items that you may just “fall in love” with.  Eliminate fashion mistakes this season.  Here are a few things to keep in mind.

 

1)  Go with a list.

 

2)  If the item is on sale, ask yourself “Would I buy it if it were full price?”

 

3)  Can this piece transition from day to night?

 

4)  Do you really need it?

 

5)  How much do you want it?

 

Go through this series of questions and without doubt you will make the best purchases for you.  Remember what we discussed in the article Getting Your Closet Ready.  This is why making a list of your five favorite items in your closet and writing down why these are so important is key.  The main benefit is to help you focus when adding pieces to your wardrobe.  Making less fashion mistakes and reducing the number of future giveaways is the goal.  Happy Shopping!!! 

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

Not into the LBD?

  Worried that you don’t want to wear a Little Black Dress for a holiday event, don’t worry you have options.  There is no rule that states that a fancy outfit only comes as a one piece.  As you shop for your special outfit keep in mind that a beautifully detailed blouse can be a formal piece all on its own.  The one in the picture has been nicely coupled with Wide-Leg Pants and Velvet Flower Beret for a festive look.  Try it under a tuxedo jacket, cardigan or with a long evening coat.  Wear with a wide belt as in the picture below or you can wear open.  Remember it’s the holidays!  Enjoy a punch of color, especially the jewel-tones for the season, the perfect compliment to the basic black slacks!

 

 Pictures courtesy of Spiegel.com

 

No matter what you fashion personality there's a perfect look for you and your special holiday occasion!

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

Let me assist you transition your look for the Season!

www.fashionstylecoach.com

 

LBD

Sweet, demure, bold or brash the little black dress is

adjusting to meet your style!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week I went shopping with my BFF for a new “Little Black Dress” for a dinner dance that she is going to be attending.  As we looked around to find the oh so perfect dress for her, I couldn’t help but think how much the Little Black Dress has transformed to meet the many personalities of women today.  There were an endless number of styles, fabrics and necklines and I must confess that I felt like the little girl at the candy store.  The choices in Retro, Romantic, Sophisticated, Sexy and even Edgy were a delight for the girl that loves the shopping experience and I would have taken home a few if it were in my budget.  No matter your size there is a Little Black Dress waiting for you.  I thought I’d share some of the styles that either caught my eye due to a style that I have admired from years ago or made a new impression on my appreciation for the Little Black Dress!

!

 

Retro

Taking the classics from past decades with fits that are more of-the-moment!

 

 

 

      

Romantic

Celebrating all the girls that aren’t afraid to say they are a girly girl!

Sophisticated

Lack of embellishment puts the emphasis on your face.

                             

 

Sexy

Dressing for the maximum impact where shape is the key to seduction!

      

Edgy

Accentuating your arms & legs – this style takes the Little Black Dress to a whole new level and it’s definitely not dull!

 

 

                            

                             

Pictures courtesy of Dress Shop Nordstrom

    No matter what you fashion personality there is a Little Black Dress for you and your special holiday occasion!

 

 

 

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

Let me assist you transition your look for the Season! Tell me what you thought about this posting. 

Was it helpful?  Did you gain a new tip?  Post your comments!

www.fashionstylecoach.com

Staying Injury Free

Whether you are preparing for an upcoming 5K run, like I am,  or you’ve just decided to add running to your exercise program, it is important that you stretch correctly.  Doing so will increase your speed and prevent injuries by developing flexibility.  Here are 5 key stretches that most experts recommend. 

Quadriceps Stretch

 To do this exercise while standing, simply grab hold of a stationary object for balance with one hand and use the opposite hand to grasp the leg around the ankle, lifting it toward your buttocks.

Hamstring Stretch

Most runners do this exercise by putting their foot on a waist-high stationary object and slowly leaning forward, reaching down the shin until they feel a stretch in the hamstring.  The best way to do this exercise, however, is not with your foot on a stool, but rather while lying on your back. 

Piriformis Stretch

For runners keeping the piriformis muscle loose is important for overall flexibility. Lying on your back, cross your legs just as you might while sitting in a chair. Grasping the "under" leg with both hands, pull the knee toward your chest until you feel the stretch in your buttocks and hips.

 

Gastroc Stretch

  Lean against a wall or other stationary object, both palms against the object. The leg you want to stretch is back, several feet from the wall, your heel firmly positioned on the floor. Your other leg is flexed about halfway between your back leg and the wall. Start with your back straight and gradually lunge forward until you feel the stretch in your calf.

Soleus Stretch

  Position yourself similar to the gastroc stretch with back straight and palms against the wall. The difference is that you start in a "seated" position with your legs bent, your buttocks dropped. Gently lean into the wall until you feel the stretch in your lower calf.

 

 

Stretching is important, so don’t skip this step!  It will make you a better runner with less possibility for injury.  It will also help you to maintain flexibility to do all the other activities in your life.

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

Getting Started Today!

If you’re like our family you are still eating leftovers.  That is not necessarily a bad thing although after a while you do run out of ways to change up a turkey meal.  I hope you Thanksgiving was a great one and that you had a wonderful time with family and friends.  I can report that ours was wonderful!!!  It was a quite one this year, since we had no out of state visitors this year, but it was a great time with my parents and the kids wrote us each beautiful notes that expressed their gratitude.  That was really something – a beautiful project that my dear friend Selma Santos, Chief Child Honoring Leader with Dream Believe Inspire (www.dreambelieveinspire.com) had challenged them to do.  The impressive part wasn’t that they took the challenge, but all the beautiful things they wrote from their hearts and so eloquently expressed to us before we began our traditional feast.  It was a very fulfilling moment for this Momma whom will treasure these expressed thoughts in her heart!

 

Before Thanksgiving I posted an article about Staying Fit During the Holidays.  The reason I am following up on a posting is because this one is of a personal nature for me.  I will be running in the 2009 Publix Super Markets Gasparilla Distance.  I wasn’t able to run this last year due to a knee injury so I am very excited to be running it this coming year.  It gets even better since I’ll be running with my two very best girl pals.  Now one of them is an avid runner so needless to say I have to start training now if I have any plans to keep up with her.  My other girl pal, who is always gracious to run at my pace when we do these races, shared a wonderful training schedule that I would like to share with you.  If you are training for a future run and are new to running I believe you will find this information helpful.  If you are already a passionate runner, then please share with me some training tips!  I will pass them on to our readers.  I welcome learning from you!!

Whether you like to begin training for fitness, weight loss, and great race performances or just plain fun the more informed you are the better the results.

 

As a 40 something woman, I’m going to generalize for a moment, due to my age I have some pretty stubborn areas that I would like to work on.  I take a cardio kickboxing class during the week that is a fantastic workout.  Unfortunately, as I speak to women my age in the class the consensus is that, even going 3 times per week, we still need one more thing.  There are two ladies in my cardio kickboxing class that have had amazing results by just adding running to their workouts.  Hey if it works for them it has to work for me.  So this week my son and I began the journey of adding running to our schedule. 

Here’s this weeks schedule!

 

    

Start with a 5 minute walk at an easy pace to warm up.  Once you hit the 5 minute mark start intervals by jogging for 2 minutes and walking for 1 minute.  Do this sequence 6 times and complete your work out with a 5 minute cool down.

 

Anytime you begin a new exercise program you should see your family physician. Tell your doctor the details of your plan and have him/her assess your plan and any health concerns that might arise.  After you’ve checked in - Join us and let us know your results.  I’ll post mine periodically.  Stay motivated and best wishes for a healthy you!!

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."
          - Juma Ikangaa, Tanzania

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen

So Very Thankful!!!

 

Today is Thanksgiving and before we head out for family time, fellowship and a yummy, yummy feast I thought I’d share a little with you from my heart.  This year, 2008, has been an interesting year thus far.  It has been filled with some disappointments, with adjustments, with celebrations and with plenty to be thankful for.  Although our main business has suffered greatly due to the housing crunch we have managed to keep things fairly “normal”.  I certainly have learned more about how resilient both my husband and I and our children are.  One thing I have grown to appreciate is to be thankful no matter my circumstance. Each year we go around the table and share at least one thing we are thankful for.  This is what I will be sharing with my beloved family:

        In the mist of all the inconveniences of the market and the disappointments that often come with having to make difficult and unwanted adjustments, this year I am most Thankful for my circumstance!  Life is a great journey and we are simply a work in progress.  As I look at what 2008 has brought I know that I am only a better person, a more understanding person and a more appreciative person than before.  I have learned to enjoy people and to recognize that those in my life are enriching it daily!  Today, I am most thankful for my personal relationship with my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.  That without whom I would not be able to weather the storms of life and I am most thankful for knowing that He has the perfect plan!! I am thankful for my parents, whom have molded and shaped me and most importantly loved me unconditionally!!  For me beloved and best friend in the whole world – my husband whom I have grown deeper in love with throughout the years and whom keeps my life filled with laughter.  To my sweet hearted and beautiful children I am eternally grateful that God entrusted you to me.  It is a huge responsibility, but I am a more rounded person because of you both!!  My desire for you both is that your lives be complete and that you never let people limit you!! A song came to mind that I was listening to on the radio earlier today.  This particular verse and the chorus are what I long for you.  Thanks to Mark Harris and his beautiful song Find Your Wings I can share a piece of my heart with you!

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

With Great Love & Affection

A loving wife, mother & daughter!

Karen

Staying Fit throughout the Holidays

Staying fit is sometimes a challenge.  It becomes even a greater challenge to many during the holidays.  My husband is a foot taller than me and I must attest that it drives me crazy how he doesn’t have to watch what he eats. I on the other hand will gain 5 lbs from just the smell of an exhilarating home cooked meal.  Thanksgiving is just two days away and as my mother and I have carefully coordinated this year’s feast making good choices was at the forefront of my mind.  This was a treat because for the last 16 years I’ve had the responsibility of planning and preparing our family spread for the Thanksgiving holiday.  As we put the menu together, I couldn’t help to think how I was going to enjoy myself and not feel restricted, yet not over eat and then be filled with regret the rest of the day.  As I ponder on these thoughts (ya I know what you are thinking…like we moms have time to ponder) I was reflecting how I would truly accomplish such a task.  Sometimes it is simply making a mind shift on what you really want.  Many of you may relate I grew up around many family functions and reunions that were centered on home cooked meals.  My grandmother, whom I lost 11 years ago, was a fantastic cook and my beautiful mother inherited her skills and abilities in the kitchen.  They both were great teachers of the importance of keeping the family together and how to plan family get-togethers that are centered on great food and laughter.  I’m very thankful for their teaching for I find myself the one who enjoys planning such event these days.  The regrettable part is that most of my family is spread throughout the US and with everyone raising children and the additions of extended families we just don’t seem to gather as often as we should.  I do know that if I were to have everyone over we would most definitely have to incorporate some kind of exercise into our day.  When I was a small child we use to play instruments and dance, play baseball or basketball after a full meal.  We didn’t just entertain ourselves, we were the entertainment.  Now being the only girl out of 5 boy cousins I often played in my dress since I didn’t want to be left behind.  Girls have it made today.  Gone are the days of dressing up for family dinners and carrying a change of clothes in the car are as common as schoolchildren carrying their backpack daily. So how do we stay fit during the holidays?  I wish I had the perfect answer to that question, but I sincerely do not.  However, I have found that there are a few key things we can do.  Whether you want to shed a few pounds or you want to take off unwanted pounds and remain slender forever you must begin here.

1)  Determine your goal weight.

2)  Determine your goal date.

3)  Write down 10 reasons you want to loose

       ___ pounds.

4)  Be committed!

Start by learning more about your body.  Begin to change your thoughts on how you deal with food.  Forget diets!  Diets often make you feel deprived and involved dramatic changes that lead the majority of people right back to their old ways.  To reach and maintain your ideal size you must form new eating habits.  Habits are a function of your subconscious mind.  Therefore, replace you old habits with new ones! Keep a food journal to help you determine how much you are consuming.  It’s going to take some time but by monitoring our changes you’ll l stay motivated and be on your way to a new you!  

Smiles!

FashionStyleCoach,

Karen