Archive for September 30, 2011

Flair Yourself Friday: Finding the Best Hairstyle for the Rectangle Face Shape

September 30, 2011 Jessi Everyday Beauty, Flair Yourself Friday

This week on “Flair Yourself Friday” I would like to focus on all you lovely ladies with a beautiful rectangular face shape. You read the post on finding your face shape, did your homework and found that the length of your face is greater than the width; this means that you have a rectangular face shape.

 

One celebrity, Sarah Jessica Parker, has this amazing face shape! There are many fun and fantastic styles that you can do with a rectangular face shape and we are here to show you what they are.

 

Here are the dos of having a rectangular face shape.

 

  • Go for short to medium length styles with long top layers and don’t have height at the top of your head. Go for wedges or graduated bob cuts.

 

  • You want your hair to be chin or shoulder length where the ends are turned under or blasted out which both work well to add width to the base of your hair!

 

  • You want your bangs cut blunt or straight across with a side part, since they work best with this face shape.

 

  • Go for layered styles when sporting medium or long locks. Make sure to add body to your hair by having wavy and curly textures, because they are great for softening long lines on the rectangular face shape.

 

Here are the hair style don’ts when having a rectangular face shape.

 

  • You never, ever, ever want hairstyles that add height to your face and are bulky on top.

 

  • Don’t part your hair down the middle, or go without having bangs.

 

  • Veer away from wispy chin length cuts that lack body or volume and don’t have width through the sides.

The worst thing you can do when having a rectangular face shape is to make it appear longer. Height is the obvious problem when sporting a cool ‘do with this face shape. When going short, or any length, make sure to avoid bulk at the top and add width at the base. Never go for flat hairstyles which make your face appear long.

Enjoy your new cut. With all these wonderful tips, you can have a fabulous style that compliments you and is all your own!

 

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From Amy: On My 4th Anniversary

September 29, 2011 Amy Family, Personal Flair, Relationships, Romance

Even Papa needs to be shown a little love….

 

I’d like to take a moment to be gushy. From time to time, every girl needs to be, and this mama is no exception. It’s not enough to just say I love him, or that he’s the best thing that could have happened to our three children and me, because it’s so much more.

Today, I celebrate my four year anniversary with Joe, the love of my life, and through all the trials and tribulations, he’s always been right there by my side. I recall once when I was younger, my Aunt telling me, “Amy, the only man you will ever be with is a guy that can go through hell and back with you.” Needless to say, it takes a lot of guts to be with me. I am strong willed, spontaneous and full of gusto.

I met my husband in 2005 at my best friend Jessi’s Thanksgiving Day celebration. She was actually trying to hook me up with Joe’s best friend, but Joe and I only had eyes for each other. We were inseparable from that moment on, and two years later, on September 29, 2007, we were married in a quaint, little ceremony at our new home.

 

My husband is a great man and has many various attributes that I love and adore. Although I could write a book on just how wonderful he is and happy he makes me , I’d like to take a moment to focus on the core of what I admire about him.

Compassionate

It would be an understatement to say that Joe has a huge heart. He does whatever he can to not only better our lives, but the lives of those around us. Recently, my sister, Ashley, decided to make a change to better her life and build her future, so my husband offered her the opportunity to live with us. Joe saw how important this was to her, and how much it meant to me, so he drove across Illinois to pick her up and bring her here. He’s spent his time teaching and helping her out in daily matters, such as planning her future and taking the necessary steps to get to where she wants to be in life. The compassion he shows to her and others makes my heart melt.

Funny

My husband has an amazing sense of humor! He’s clever and witty. He always takes the time to listen and make me smile when I’m blue. What mama doesn’t need a good laugh every now and then? He loves to joke around with me, and I eat it up. One of my most cherished moments with him was when he came home after a long day at work with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in tow. He looked at me with a smile and said, “Here, I bought these for you. They were on sale.” Now, that’s real life romance!

Hard-working

Here’s a man that tirelessly works himself to the bone to provide for our family, and I admire him for it. Although we deeply miss him when he’s at the office, we understand that he does it all for the better of our family and to provide a comfortable lifestyle to us all. It is his selflessness that gives me the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom, and there aren’t enough thank yous in the world that can possibly express just how grateful I am at how tirelessly he works.

Intelligent

Joe is by far, and maybe I am biased, one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met. Despite the fact that he is well educated, he continues his education through daily reading and keeping up on current events. It isn’t enough for him to do okay, but he pushes himself to give it his all, not just at home or work, but in his day to day life. I find his brain power to be nothing shy of sexy!

Loving

It shows in his day to day actions. I see it every time he’s snuggled up on the couch with our littles, or takes the extra time to teach our children about the joys of everyday life. When he’s got that spark in his eyes and flashes that half-crooked smile, I just know this is a man who really loves his family.

In short, I KNOW I’m a lucky woman to have married such a remarkable man. I count my blessings every day and am many days flabbergasted that I landed such a stand-up guy. To Joe, I would just like to close with a song that reminds me of you. “Family Man” by Craig Campbell.

I love you, honey.

Happy 4th Anniversary.

 

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Wellness Wednesday: The Health Benefits of Laughter

September 28, 2011 Amy Health, Wellness Wednesday

Some days you just have to laugh.

 

It’s better to laugh than to cry…for you and your health. Don’t let the pressures of everyday life keep you from enjoying the moments you have right now. Think about those crazy little moments with your kids that, at the time, can seem nerve racking, but looking back it are hilarious.

Go on; give them the chuckles and smiles they deserve! You know you want to!

When I thought of this post, I was looking back on one such moment we had over dinner. My husband was trying to get our daughter to eat her pizza, and she was acting like it was a huge chore. You would have thought we were forcing her to eat a plate full of spinach, by all the groans and disgusted looks. Trust me, most days of the week this kid loves pizza, but not today – she was in a mood.

“Emily, eat your dinner,” my husband scolded.

“NO! I don’t want to! It’s a bad pizza. I don’t want it!” she said pushing it away.

“Emily you need to eat your supper, or you don’t get dessert.” He was trying to reason with her. For most kids, the mere thought of losing dessert would be enough to snap them out of it, but Emily is, well, not most kids.

She looked up at him with a deadpan expression and firmly stated, “You’re not God.”

Needless to say, at that moment, we had to keep straight faces. Every parent knows you have to hold firm, because once that first smile creeps across your face, it would take a force of nature to set things back on course.

After the fact, however, we died laughing!

I realize that moments like these aren’t going to happen forever, and to have a sense of humor about everyday life is far better for my – and my family’s – health, so on this edition of “Wellness Wednesday,” I would like to take a moment to look at the benefits of laughter!

For starters, there are many physical health benefits to laughter.

Laughing boosts your immune system by increasing immune cells and infection fighting antibodies, as well as decreasing stress hormones, which can wreak havoc if you are stressed out constantly. It helps you relax when you’re tense for up to 45 minutes after your last laugh. Also, laughter decreases pain by triggering the release endorphins which leave you with an overall sense of well-being. And, it’s good for your heart…literally. It improves the functions of blood vessels and increases blood flow, both of which help to prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

Secondly, laughter helps improve your mental state as well.

It adds a bit of zest to the humdrum of everyday life. It helps to ease anxiety and fears, because with laughter, the things that may loom over us from day to day don’t seem so overwhelming when we can poke fun at them. Not only is that in itself a great stress reliever, but it teaches you to be more resilient to the suck factor. Like, for instance, when your kids pour a $7.00 bottle of face wash down your toilet. Yep, it happens. Plus, laughing about it helps to improve my mood and my perspective on the situation.

Finally, there are many social benefits to laughter.

Laughing strengthens relationships. I know that when my hubby and I laugh together – or at each other, from time to time – we feel closer. Plus, he appreciates that I get his sense of humor. Also, when you laugh with your spouse it strengthens the bond between you. It enhances teamwork skills and promotes group bonding between individuals, or defuses conflicts between them.

All I know is, when I’m laughing, I feel good, and with all these health benefits, I plan to do a lot more of it!

So, make some popcorn, curl up on the couch with your family, and watch a good comedy. You, and your body, will be glad you did.

Photo: flickr.com/photos/kidsire/2960492324

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Resale Shops: Buy-backs Are The Bomb

September 27, 2011 Amy Fashion, Mommy Time, Shopping

With prices on the rise and deals on women’s clothing becoming few and farther between…what’s a mama to do? Yard sales are slowing down as warm summer breezes give way to gusts of crisp autumn air, so where do you go?

For starters, it helps to do a little research on the resale shops in your area.

There are three basic kinds of resale shops.

  1. Donation: These are the big boys, like The Salvation Army and Goodwill, which take donated items from the public and resell them for charities.
  2. Consignment: You can bring your clothes to these stores and they will choose the items that best fit their individual shop style (ie. Casual, business or formal). If they think your clothes will sell, they’ll price them and put them on their racks. If someone buys them, you get a cut of the profits.
  3. Buy-backs: These shops will purchase your clothing and accessories outright and then sell them in their store. Sometimes they will allow you to trade in your old clothes for items they have in their store.

While I enjoy all three types of shops, I’m particularly fond of buy-back stores. I can stretch my budget, get new clothes and keep my closets current and uncluttered.

My personal local favorite is Plato’s Closet. Plato’s Closet is choosey about what they sell in comparison to many shops in the area. They are particular about what they buy back from customers, insuring that the products you are purchasing are in excellent condition, name-brand and casual in nature.

I feel that the payback they offer is fair, and I never leave there feeling ripped off. The shop also offers a punch card that you purchase for a one-time fee of $1.50 and after meeting certain purchase requirements, you earn $10 off your next shopping trip, plus a new card at no extra charge. This comes in handy for a frequent shopper, like me.

In my opinion, the only bummer about this shop is that they don’t deal in more formal or business attire.

Maybe someday…*sigh*

To get my dressy-on-a-budget fix, I like to frequent another resale shop called Great Hangups. They, like Plato’s Closet, will buy back your used clothing, provided they’re well cared for and more formal. They offer two buy-back options; you can either get a minimal amount of cash for your old clothing or trade your old clothes for new-to-you stuff.

I feel what they offer on your clothes isn’t as satisfying as it should be, their prices are a little higher than their competitors, and their selection isn’t as impressive. That being said, they’ve pretty much cornered the local resale market for dressy formal-wear (Yeah, Plato’s Closet…I’m giving you the side-eye.), so they can afford to be a little more stingy with their payouts. It’s still worthwhile to check them out on occasion, because, every once in awhile, I hit on something awesome that just has to be mine.

When it comes to buy-back resale shops, they’re all different, just like the two I mentioned. Each shop has its own criteria for what they’re looking for, what they will charge on items they sell, what they will offer you on your old clothes, and what they will buy back.

It’s handy to call around to your local resale shops to find out the differences between them, and who will offer you the best deal. It’s also a must that you visit each store and check out the condition of what they’re selling. If they’re offerings are generally crap, then chances are, you’re going to get a bum deal and you’re wasting your time.

A little research goes a long way.

So, get out there and go have a little fun doing some resale-shoppers research! I love doing it, because I’ve found a few places I LOVE to shop, and I know my dollar will stretch–or I can just make a little extra cash!

Savvy!

 

Photo: flickr.com/photos/ilovememphis/6126617339

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Note to Self: Quit Pooping on My Own Parade

September 26, 2011 Jessi Motivation, Personal Flair, Self, Yay Womanhood

As we’ve been working on the blog and ourselves, I’ve been thinking a gimungo-ton (that’s an actual unit of measurement as far as I’m concerned) about things in my life, work and relationships that I’d like to see change or improve.

I’ve spent more time in front of a mirror (both literally and figuratively) picking myself apart than I’m proud to admit.

It occurred to me tonight (during one such self-deprecating episode) that while I get a little thrill when I think of the fabulous future that awaits, I’m actually making myself more negative about the present.

Honestly, I was more than a little disappointed in myself for yet again being my own worst critic, but proud of myself for stopping the cycle of self-loathing by recognizing and admitting my folly.

There’s nothing wrong with taking stock of what’s going on in my life and making reasonable plans for improvements, whether they’re spending more time with my kids, changing my hairstyle, amping up my blog or spending a long weekend at a bed and breakfast “connecting” with the hubz…or Jensen Ackles…I’m not choosey.

Goals are good.

Change is good.

Moving forward is good.

…BUT…

That doesn’t mean that everything is bad now.

I’ve been so focused on the future, that I’ve forgotten to appreciate and love the present.

Self-deprecation for the sake of positive change isn’t exactly good medicine. And I’ve been swallowing a whole lot of it. Blech.

I’m spitting that bad stuff out and remembering to love myself, right at this very moment. I’m aware of my shortcomings and the goals that I have for the future in all areas of my life, but that doesn’t mean I have to be disgusted with myself until I get there.

The fact of the matter is this:

As long as I refuse to see the good in myself and my life now, I’ll never, ever, not never, be happy with myself in the future, no matter what changes and successes I achieve.

I’m not jinxing myself like that anymore.

Our beliefs are very powerful players in what happens in our lives, and I’m too sassy to have anyone stand in my way, especially myself.

 

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GELThotics SupportXGel Shoe Inserts Review and #Giveaway – NOW CLOSED

September 25, 2011 Jessi Giveaways, Health, Health and Fitness, Reviews

My typical day starts at 6am and doesn’t stop until around 11pm (if I’m lucky). My days and nights are always hectic, which is a tune that just about every mom is singing.

All the running around takes a toll on my tootsies, whether I’m wearing sneakers or stilettos, so when I was given the opportunity to give GELThotics SupportXGel Inserts a try, I jumped at it.

I’ve had problems with my feet for a long time. I have plantar fasciitis, and flareups can cause excruciating pain from my heel all the way to my toes. I’ve found that these episodes are extremely like to occur if I’ve done a lot of walking the day before. The first steps after I wake up feel like I’ve got broken bones…no exaggeration.

My doctor taught me some exercises to stretch my tendons and keep things loose, which helps, but I also have to wear inserts in my shoes for added support. I’ve tried many different types of inserts, and while some make wearing shoes more comfortable and offer decent arch support, my poor heels always seem to be forgotten…which stinks, because that’s where my pain is concentrated.

I’ve been wearing GELThotics Inserts in my shoes for a week now, and all I can say is WOW. They’re totally different from any other inserts I’ve ever seen or used. Their unique design not only supports my arches, but actually cradles my heels. Solution to a serious problem? Yessiree!

I’ve gone for lengthy walks four times this week, and when I woke up the following mornings, I simply didn’t have the pain I was expecting. It’s freakin’ amazing.

How they work:

You place the one-of-a-kind, cobra-shaped, GELThotics silicone inserts under the existing insoles of your shoes. They’re designed for optimum support and shock absorption, while taking up minimal room in your shoes. They offer perfect support and comfort without changing the fit of your shoe.

Take a look:

Why I LOVE Kendall GELThotics:

 

  • They’re easy to transfer from one pair of shoes to another
  • They take up hardly any room in my shoes…even my high heels
  • They’re made of medical-grade silicone, so they’re durable, easy to clean and don’t take on foul odors (not that my feet stink or anything :) )
  • I’m no longer plagued with chronic foot pain from my plantar fasciitis

I would recommend the GELThotics inserts to absolutely anybody. They’ve absolutely made a difference in my ability to keep up with my kids and workout on a more regular basis.

Whether you’re a busy parent or professional athlete, these inserts are the ultimate in comfort. Fantastic product!

Buy It:

GELThotics retail for $59.99 at KendallGelThotics.com. As if that’s not a rad enough deal for years of comfort, Mama’s readers can use an exclusive promo code to get a 25% discount! Enter this promo code at checkout: twitter

Win It:

The fabulous folks at Kendall are generously giving away a pair of GELThotics SupportXGEL Inserts to one lucky Mama’s Got Flair reader!

How to Enter:

Complete the mandatory entry on the Rafflecopter form and then do as many of the other actions as you’d like for additional entries.

 

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