December is officially here and that means it’s the season of
singing carols, decorating the tree, holiday shopping, and of course
seeing friends and family at those holiday parties. But let’s make
sure this holiday season won’t be too overwhelming between your
normal daily life and then getting everything done from decorating to
holiday parties.

Feng Shui Interior Design Expert and Couture Fashion Expert,
Elesia Carey, sat down to chat with me about some of her holiday tips
to help get in the festive spirit. From ways to take the Christmas
spirit and combine your own personality to how to pull some double
duty when going from the office to a party.

It’s so great to get to talk to you again, Elesia.

Brynn, it’s my absolute pleasure. You are one of my favorite
people.

And you are definitely one of my favorites to talk to. Now
with the holidays, a lot of people have a lot of things on their mind
from the decorating to all of those holiday parties so where should
we start?

Let’s start off with decorating and when it comes to decorating, I
like to think to keep it very simple and clean. When it comes to
decoration for Feng Shui the tips are not that complicated.

• The Front Door. It’s the calling card to your home so
  you want to make sure you have a wreath that reflects your
  personality. So whatever feels right to you is what you should put
  on the front door so people can know that you’re celebrating the
  holiday spirit. So put that on your front door to let visitors know
  what to expect when they enter.

  • Some favorite wreaths include using:

    • Peppermints

    • Twigs and branches

    • Even poinsettias

• Then make your foyer another opportunity to show your
  celebration. I always suggest some sort of plant and anything
  welcoming like decorating a table or putting lights around a mirror.
  You want to also make that area another opportunity to show your
  love for the holidays.

What are some of your favorite plants for the holidays?
Specifically with the Christmas season we think of poinsettias, but
what are some other good holiday plants?

• Pine. I love pine. I’m a pine girl from way back,
  and I love the smell of pine. What I like to do though is mix it
  up, so I have a little centerpiece on my dining room table of pine
  and oranges. Then get this, I put cloves in the oranges. The smell
  when you come into the house is just amazing with that mix of
  oranges, pine, and cloves.

• Potted Plants. I also, believe it or not, get some
  mums. I love potted mums and especially decorating them in a space
  by the window.

• Fresh Flowers. I also like to do fresh flowers and
  including that anywhere in the home for me is an amazing
  opportunity. Try and do a combination of potted plants like mums
  and poinsettias as well as some fresh floral arrangements throughout
  your home.

  • In the bedroom, I like to do roses, but if you do that make
    sure to remove the thorns because you don’t want them to represent
    a thorny relationship.

That’s definitely a nice way for people who miss the warmer
weather to carry some of those scents into winter.

Amen to that. Now one of my favorite hallway plants is the Peace
Lily. I love them because of the fact that they also clean the air,
plus the leaves are big, bold, and sexy. I have a Peace Lily plant
that is just gorgeous and I make sure to talk to her everyday so she
grows bigger and more beautiful all the time.

So that’s something really cool for people to think about this
holiday season especially for people wanting to carry that feeling
into the new year with those New Year’s Resolutions.

Exactly and it also symbolizes the growth of money. When you
think of a green plant and Feng Shui, you think of money.

Here’s another tip for you: I’m not getting a pine tree this year. I’m actually going to
decorate my Peace Lily. I’m getting a string of red lights to
string around it. Then at the bottom of the pot, I’ll wrap it in red
paper and put it on a stand as my holiday tree. So then it doubles
as your year round plant and your holiday tree.

That’s a really cool idea. Then it becomes different from what
everyone does and the norm and you’re putting your personality into
it a little more.

Exactly and it’s a nice little conversation piece as to why you
didn’t get a tree this year.

So once we think about decorating the tree or Peace Lily,
what’s the next step for getting ready for the holidays?

I like to think about a good cleaning for the holidays. It’s a
time to de-clutter since you will have people over at your home.
Plus it’s also right before the new year and a nice chance to look
around your home, get rid of some of the stuff that shouldn’t be
there and those unwanted items.

It’s that time of the season and I think it’s just a great
opportunity to make space for the new things coming in the new year
and also make space if you’re planning to throw a party and want to
make sure the guests are comfortable.

Maybe that chair that used to serve a purpose is now broken or
that table isn’t looking as nice as it used to. So get rid of it and
instead think about getting another table. It’s a great time to
spruce up your home and in reality spruce up your life.

So throw out those items that we’ve been saying we can fix for
a while now that in reality we aren’t going to end up fixing them.

Yes! This is the time. This is the time to get rid of the broken
items, to spruce up and spit-shine the home and get it ready for the
holidays.

And now you also touched a little bit on those holiday parties.
And a handful of people might find themselves going straight from the
office to that holiday party. This means that they have to find a
way to take the clothes they wore to work and make them party
appropriate.

Yes, that is one of my favorite times because I love holiday
parties, but a lot of people are busy during the day and don’t have
time to go home and change. So I have some great tips to help with
that.

• Double Duty. Sometimes I like to do things out of the
  norm. For example I’ll take a strapless dress which I know I can’t
  wear that into a meeting and take a thin turtleneck layering
  underneath with the strapless dress over it. Then it’s an amazing
  outfit for work and you can easily transform it to be holiday party
  ready.

It definitely sounds like a cute combination. The strapless
dresses are something that a lot of people are hesitant about in the
winter because they are afraid of being cold and this is a great way
to warm up the strapless dress for winter.

Correct and that’s what you want to do. Another way to do double
duty is to take the top of a dress where the bottom isn’t quite
appropriate for the office. You can actually add a pencil skirt or
A-line skirt over the bottom of the dress. Then you have the top
part of the dress paired with the skirt and it becomes two in one.
It’s one of my favorite looks and I do that all the time.

That’s a new way to layer because typically when we think of
layering we think of tops with other tops, but not necessarily
bottoms mixed with other bottoms.

Yeah, so right now say you’re wearing a dress and skirt, which
actually works for me because one thing I don’t do a lot is buy a lot
of tops so this is my way to get around that problem because I have
more dresses than tops.

That’s a really cool idea. It’s definitely something to help
people with that office appropriate outfit and then being able to go
straight to a party without feeling like they have to go home and
change.

Yeah, exactly. You don’t have to go home and change. Instead you
have it right there and ready to go.

To get more Feng Shui holiday decorating tips, you can head
over to Elesia’s Facebook page “Feng Shui Interior Design by
Elesia”, and for more fashion tips check out her other Facebook
page at “Couture by Elesia”.

Are you someone in need of the snooze button or that extra cup of coffee in the morning? And then no matter what you do to get ready in the morning, it’s like there’s never enough time? Well, facing the morning and getting out of bed doesn’t have to be stressful. It’s important to get ourselves into a morning ritual so that we can easily get everything done.

And with that morning ritual, you will shave time off of that morning routine for some extra minutes of sleep or even getting to enjoy breakfast. Not to mention the fact that you will quite a bit more energy for the day.

I chatted with journalist and host of the Style Network’s “City Girl Diaries”, Raina Seitel, about some of her ideas for putting together that morning routine for both her and her kids. She shared tips on everything from what to do the night before to making sure everything from our teeth, skin, and nutrition are taken care of.

So let’s start with the night before:

• Pick out that outfit at night. All of us are guilty of searching through our closet for the perfect outfit to wear that day and having to try on about five different outfits before we find the right one. By doing this the night before, you won’t have to rush any other routine because picking out your outfit took a little longer.
  

• Making lunches. Whether your a parent or not, it’s helpful to make lunches at night so that in the morning you can just grab it and go (or the kids can grab and go).
  

• Make a checklist. It makes things go smoother. If you get up and end up switching up things with your routine from day to day, then it makes it harder to remember to get everything done. A checklist helps you create a system that can eventually shave off time for how long it takes you to get ready. If you follow the same steps everyday, they will become ingrained.

Raina mentions a lot about our routines being a 24/7 approach. She says that in addition to making lunches and picking outfits out at night, it helps to get to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. By getting to bed early, it makes the morning easier to deal with. Now when it’s time for your alarm to wake you up, try moving your alarm across the room. This will take away any temptation to hit the snooze alarm.

And as soon as you turn that alarm off, don’t just sit down and wait for yourself to fully wake up. It’s time to get to the bathroom.

• Brush your teeth. It’s really important to take care of that oral health. Raina recommends Colgate Enamel Health because it strengthens enamel while protecting the teeth. Afterall, enamel is the teeth’s first line of defense. And during the day, our teeth tend to start feel rough and weak, but Colgate Enamel Health protects against that. It replenishes and polishes for healthy enamel, healthier teeth, and a healthier smile.

• Wash your face. Since most of us use that night time routine to wash off the makeup, the morning routine should be really simple. All you should have to do is throw on some water and wash your face. Then you want to make sure you are applying that moisturizer immediately after.
  

  • Raina likes using Roc Retinal Correxion Deep Moisturizing Serum. It’s a combination of pure retinal and essential minerals and is proven to reduce wrinkles and fine lines in 12 weeks. Goes on very smooth and continues to work under our makeup. It will give your skin a radiant and dewy glow.
    

  • The reason we want to moisturize after things like the shower and washing our faces is because it will look in the moisture and as the weather gets colder you won’t have to worry about dry skin.
    

• Our lips. It’s important to keep your lips hydrated, moisturized, and kissable. Raina likes the new product from Blistex, their Ultra Rich Hydration. It’s a dual-layer balm with two advanced formulas. The inner blue layer is 80% moisturizing with cocoa butter. The outer layer is a protectant containing SPF. It keeps your lips hydrated throughout the day and very kissable.
  

Then once you have yourself looking and feeling beautiful for the day. You don’t want to skip out on breakfast. After all, it is the most important meal of the day, but many of us don’t have time for a leisurely breakfast because they are trying to get themselves and maybe their kids out the door. This doesn’t mean that our nutrition has to lack. We have some on the go options to choose from, and one of Raina’s favorites is the new Post Goodness To Go. It’s a breakfast shake with 15 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and no artificial flavors, colors, or sweetners. Plus, it comes in three different flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and mocha) to give you a little variety. It will make you feel full and energized in the morning.

So as you are creating those checklists each morning, remember that it’s okay to be simpler. The simple the better, actually. It will be easier for you to keep up with each morning and you will be able to shave some time off of that routine for some extra snoozing minutes or maybe even some family breakfast time.

You can see more of Raina Seitel’s tips on her Twitter, @RainaSeitel.

While many of us enjoy staying updated with the latest fashion
trends, it can sometimes cause our closets to get out of control. We
can use this time of year to help get them organized and get things
off the floor.

I sat down and chatted with the Chief Design Officer for
California Closets, Ginny Snook Scott, to get some ideas about why
and how we can re-design and/or re-organize our closets.

So let’s start with the why.

• This time of year inspires organizational epiphanies.
  This started at the peak of spring cleaning, and often when we
  think of those epiphanies we think about the bigger projects like
  remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. But what about those little
  things that aren’t as expensive and as time-consuming. I’m
  referring to adding storage to you house…it costs a lot less and
  can add value to your house when that time comes.

• Closet space is a high priority in a new home.
  California Closets recently did a study about what remodeled areas
  actually add cost to the home, the closet/storage came in at the
  top. Potential new home owners will look at the kitchen and
  bathroom and then most head in the direction of the closet doors.

  • 75% of homeowners consider
    prioritize closet space as important or very important, which is
    25% more than it was last year.

• While adding value, you can currently enjoy it. It’s important to be able to keep yourself organized. Typically
  the closet is where you start and end your day, so having everything
  in place can really set your attitude for the day.

Now let’s move on to how we can
maximize the storage space in our closet.

• Hire a professional organizer.
  They can help you get an idea of what needs to be done.
  Professional organizers will offer the budget-friendly suggestions
  that can mean doubling your hanging space and creating shelving so
  your shoes are off the floor. These are simple and inexpensive
  additions to add to your closet.

  • By pulling everything up
    off the floor, you have it at eye level and are more likely to see
    everything you have without something getting lost at the bottom or
    back of the closet. Many people don’t realize how many things they
    actually have until their closet has been fully organized. This
    means that favorite top that disappeared has been collecting dust
    in the back of the closet for months.

• Beware the dressers and drawers. Clothes can get hidden away in the these and we can forget some of
  the items we have in them. A suggestion Ginny made is getting rid
  of your dresser and replacing it with shelves so you are able to see
  everything you have.

  • If you were to look at the
    bottom drawer of your dresser at the very bottom of that drawer,
    chances are you will find something you haven’t seen in about a
    year. With the shelving, you will be able to have everything in
    sight and then you won’t be tempted to buy it again because you
    didn’t realize you already had it.

  • Another suggestion is to
    rotate items in your drawer. Typically when we do laundry, we tend
    to put the clean stuff on top in your dresser, and then those are
    most likely the first items you grab when you’re looking for
    something to wear. So instead put those newly clean clothes at the
    bottom of the drawer and allow yourself to grab something you
    haven’t worn for a week or two or three.

    • Don’t be one of the those
      people who only wears about 30% of their wardrobe because they it
      sits on top in the dresser. This is also another way that those
      favorite pieces will get worn out faster.

• Motivate yourself to organize. Spend
  time on the personal touches and details. You want to make the
  space look like the décor of other areas of your home and go beyond
  basic storage. So have fun choosing really beautiful handles,
  intricate details, and fun pieces that really make a statement to
  your closet.

  • You can get great ideas
    for how to do this from place like Pinterest or Ginny recommends
    even going to a showroom where you can walk through an example
    closet and get ideas. For more ideas of great ways to organize your
    closet, you can also check out www.californiaclosets.com.

So open up your eyes to all of
the clothes you have in your closet, and get them off the floor. The
more in sight your clothes are, the more creative you can be with
your style choices, and the more you can save money knowing what
fashion staples your already have.

“Organization isn’t about perfection. It’s about efficiency,
reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving
your overall quality of life”. Believe it or not, the effect of
organization can extend to even something as small as your medicine
cabinet. When was the last time you clean out the old items that you
haven’t used in years?

Well, I want to help you get those medicine cabinets a little more
organized and my good friend and TV beauty/fashion/lifestyle expert,
Stacy Cox, helped me come up with some medicine cabinet must-haves.
But first, to give a little background on Stacy, you may recognize
her from appearances on The Dr. Oz Show, The View, and E! News.
She’s a contributing writer for stylebakery.com and shares her
favorite beauty finds as @StacyCoxBeauty on Twitter.

Hey Stacy. How are you today?

I’m great Brynn, it’s always fun to share a few moments with you
and your audience.

Well, it’s always great to get to chat with you. Now when it
comes to organization and looking at something as simple as a
medicine cabinet, how can updating this help us to stay organized
seasonally?

Okay, so I made a map for everybody today of a couple good
products, some tips related to them and then we’re going to have some
awesome beauty style tips that I know you and I are fans of.

So where we’re going to start is with our smile because I feel
it’s such an important part of our body and it connects us to people.
I did a bunch of research before this interview and discovered that
if you smile or force a smile, it release endorphins in the body.
Those endorphins instantly put you in a better mood and amplify it in
a positive way. Endorphins also de-stress you on the spot, so one
simple message to share is just remember is to smile and the world
smiles with you. It’s a huge cliché, but it’s so true. There’s so
many benefits from doing that.

Now how I can translate that into our oral care is that you really
need to create just a tiny little oral health care plan of action.
So I was thinking about replacing the toothbrush every 2-3 months.
And it can even be triggered by something like if you have a bad cold
or a bout with the flu to toss that brush and put a fresh one out for
yourself.

That’s a great reminder because for a lot of people the time
when they change out their toothbrush is often on that regular
dentist appointment when they end up getting a new one. Not
necessarily when they should be changing it. And that can set them
up to get themselves sick again because we don’t think about the
importance of our mouths as the gateway to the health of the rest of
our body.

Right, and most people hit the dentist on an average of every six
months. So I’m trying to educate everyone that even for health germ
reasons, you are better off replacing the brush every 2-3 months. So
that’s a little bit of a different game plan.

Now I know I don’t practice what I preach enough by pounding all
of this, but you really need to floss as frequently and often as you
can. It helps with that overall gum health and is such a healthy
thing to do to extend your life and for your wellness and well-being.

I found an interesting statistic. 80% of people who are denture
wearers are suffering from gum line irritation. So I was curious how
to combat that. Fixodent has the Fixodent Plus Gum Care. This is
something that everyone should add to that shopping list if they or a
family member is a denture wearer. The Fixodent Plus goes in and it
supports the denture to the gum and alleviates the propensity to have
those irritations.

Then it gives you a very affordable peace of mind. So when people
with dentures are out and they are eating, drinking, talking, all
that good stuff, they don’t have to give a second thought the dental
plan. And if you go to facebook.com/fixodent, you can see some of
the tips that I’ve been posting.

Wow, so there is still plenty that needs to be done to take
care of our mouth that we aren’t necessarily focusing on.

Yeah, and another thing that I wanted to get into with those
medicine cabinets is looking for the secret to reducing the life of
your colds, you need to grab Cold eze Cold Remedy Drops. The story
behind Cold Eeze and what makes it so handy is that they have an
ingredient called Zinc Glucanate which has zinc ions in it. It gives
your upper respiratory system a chance to absorb those ions.

Well, it’s definitely very helpful to know one ingredient to
look for in any cold medicine and then to know one specifically that
contains it is even better.

Yeah, and zinc glucanate came out special this season with two new
products that we’re excited about. One is called the Natural Immune
Support Quickmelts, and the other one is also Natural Immune Support
but it has natural energy quick melts. So what’s interesting about
the second one with the natural energy is that it has an infusion of
echinacea to shorten the life of your cold. But it also has added
benefits to support your immune health as well as providing
antioxidant support to help keep you healthy in a natural way.

Then people want to know, how does it taste? Because if it
doesn’t taste good, we don’t want it. It has an orange flavor to it,
which I think across the board is pretty universally liked. 

The
coolest thing about Cold Eeze is that you don’t need a bottle of
water to take it, and that’s a big trend that I’ve seen in wellness. They are coming out with flavors like quick melts that are on the go
whether by train or bus. So if someone starts talking or sneezing
right in your personal space, you can pop one of these quick melts in
your mouth and start protecting yourself while getting the benefits
of the quick melt.

So you don’t have to worry about those people who can’t swallow
pills, and you don’t have to worry about that yucky cough medicine
taste. You can feel relieved to have to sit next to the person who
probably should have called out of work but instead chose to go in.

Yes, you just hit on two key points that I think makes Cold Eeze
so beloved and so iconic in the cold remedy category. They do have a
website which is www.Coldeeze.com,
and the products retail between $11.99 and $12.99.

So now that we’ve absorbed everything about Fixodent and Cold
Eeze, I can segway into those people who are hardcore on DIY tips.
Something I wanted to bring to your attention is to run in the
kitchen after this interview and grab a cookie sheet. Then go to the
hardware store or art supply store and grab some magnets. Glue some
of the magnets to the back of your powder compact and eye shadow
compact. What you are doing is creating a palette and taking all of
these products that have been relegated to the back of the drawer
making them usable to you.

I love this idea! Then you don’t have to worry about too much
of those struggles to search through the makeup bag and find your
favorite compact.

Yeah. It really makes it easy. Now I know that you and I have a
bunch of nail polishes lying around so what you can do to organize
that is grab a shoe box and some wrapping paper (to give it a little
flare). You wrap the shoebox with the wrapping paper and then you
can store all your nail polish bottles in the box and if it’s under a
counter or somewhere where a guest might see it, it will give you
that little home décor edge with some flare to it.

True and then it looks like that’s just become one of your
decorative pieces rather than a storage unit.

That’s it. That’s what I was going for with that tip. Then if
you’re someone that uses straw, go to the kitchen and grab a straw
dispenser. You know the ones where you lift the top up to take out
the straw. You can re-purpose those by bringing it into the bathroom
and put your makeup brushes in straw storage container. Then it will
help protect the integrity of the bristles and helps keep dust off of
the brushes.

That’s a really cool idea, that way when you go to wash the
brushes, you don’t have to worry about putting them into a closed
surface where they won’t dry but you also don’t have to leave them
out for things like dust.

It’s such a win-win, and sometimes I do tell people that one thing
to invest in and not skimp on is a good set of makeup brushes. Once
you have them, you want to keep the life going.

So I took a bunch of notes for you because I didn’t want to miss
sharing anything with you. Oh, and get this Brynn. PVC pipes. This
is the way they are doing plumbing now, and you can go to the
hardware store and bring your curling iron and flat iron with you and
get some PVC pipe that will support those hair appliances, and glue
it to the inside of one of your bathroom cabinet doors and it’s a
great way to hide some of your hair hot tools without leaving it all
out for everyone to see.

That’s clever and then you don’t have worry about just putting
your flat iron and curling iron away too soon and can also hide it.

Yes, it’s a great way to conceal stuff and will stylize your
bathroom while straightening it up at the same time. That’s what I
wanted to do with that tip.

That is really cool, and this is almost like pinterest ideas in
real life.

I can’t believe you just said that about it, that’s genius. I
love that.

Well, so many people put up these posts about this is the
pinterest picture and this is what ends up being the reality, but
those ideas are some that are actually something we can do.

Wow. I can’t believe time flew, but I can always give more tips
on @StacyCoxBeauty on Twitter.

Hippie Chic

Today’s topic might seem
like something that’s tedious, but it’s actually something extremely
important. When we think of beauty we tend to think of the fun stuff
like picking out our favorite makeup style and getting dolled up, but
if you don’t wash your makeup brushes on a regular basis then
you are setting yourself up for clogged pores and those pesky
pimples.

Now do I have your
attention? This is why you want to just add washing those makeup
brushes to your normal beauty
routine. When you use bits of makeup then oil, dirt,
and even bacteria get trapped into the bristles of the brush
which can cause the breakouts and clogged pores. Not only is this
regular habit good for your skin, but it can protect the
brush’s longevity which can save you moneyon those high-quality, expensive brushes.

So rather than go on and on
about why you should wash your makeup brushes, another important
feature is how often and how. If you look at various sources, you
will see different answers. Dermatologist Ellen Marmur says “at
least once a month” while fashion designer and lifestyle
blogger Lauren Conrad says to make it a regular part of the beauty
routine. So a light wash daily with a deep clean once a weekis what Lauren recommends.

In my opinion, once a month
doesn’t seem thorough enough because considering that most of us
apply our makeup on a daily basis, that means that for 30 days until
that cleaning we are opening ourselves up to that bacteria to react
with our skin. Now I agree more with Lauren Conrad. I typically try
to wash my brushes once a week. Unless you are using a liquid
foundation, I don’t think that a daily wash is entirely necessary
because I feel like the ingredients you use to wash will also
interfere with the glue keeping the brush in tact.

When it comes to how to
wash the brushes, there are a variety of different methods. Right
now there is a debate about soaking them white vinegar. Some
say it thoroughly cleans the brush while others say it’s too harsh.
There are also special brush shampoos and deep cleaners that
you can buy. Honestly, I haven’t had a problem using soap and
water. I’ll just squeeze a little soap onto the brush, make sure
it gets in the crevices where the makeup gets, and then run it under
hot water. After that I usually sit it on the edge of the counter
and let the bristles hang off so it can air dry. I’ll usually do
this before I go to work or before I go to sleep so it has plenty
of time to dry before my next use.

Since we talked about
protecting the brushes longevity and since they can be relatively
expensive, I figured I would offer some advice into which brands to
invest in. I have heard that Sephora makes amazing
brushes…professional quality. Now if you can’t afford to
spend the money on those brushes, I have some lower budget
options. Most of the brushes in my collection are e.l.f.
It’s a brand that is found in Target, but you can also purchase them
online at eyeslipface.com. They are great for the average womanto use. I’ve had mine for a couple years now and they are
still in tact. They spread the makeup well and work great. If you
sign up for the e.l.f email list, they occasionally send coupons
including one to get the entire brush set for $.33 (I think you have
to spend $30). I also have a couple of the Ulta brushes that
I got for free with a purchase. I really don’t use the blush brush
(too small), but they eye shadow and blend brushes are another
great investment.

Now recently I was sent theessential brush set from makeup artist Elaina Badro(she will be on my show mid-April). This set includes a foundation
brush, contour bronzer/blush brush, shader eye brush, blending brush,
synthetic angled liner brush, and the smudger brush. The foundation
brush is smaller than I’m used to but what I do like about it is that
when it comes to covering up blemishes, it gives more attention that
my e.l.f one. For bronzer I was using a Sophia Kashuk, but
this one has a little more focus on the cheek bones and jaw line.
Then I love the fineness of the material used for the eye brushes.

The final thing I want to
leave you with is that the quality of the brushes you pick is really
based on your opinion, but please make sure to help take care of your
skin by washing those brushes and getting rid of any of that old oil,
dirt, and bacteria.

I don’t know about you but with
all the snow this winter, I am more than ready for spring to get
here. So, why not at least think spring? One of my favorite spring
and summer pieces is the maxi dress. It’s something that can be
casual and with the right accessories a little dressier.

For those of you fashionistas out
there who maybe have this perception of the maxi dress that it only
works for certain body types, I’m here to tell you that’s not true.
How do I know? Because I was one of those fashionistas. I always
thought that I was too short and had too short of a torso to pull off
a maxi dress. I gave myself the misperception that they would all be
too long or that they would make me look pregnant. Then one day, I
got the idea to try a maxi dress on. To my surprise it flattered me
in all the right areas. So this goes to show that fashion like other
things we experience can surprise us.

Now when the weather starts to get
warmer, many maxi dresses can stand alone without have to find the
right sweater or jacket to pair with it. Until then, I want to tell
you that you can still wear this piece of clothing without feeling
cold or out of season.

One of my favorite ways is
utilizing the maxi dress as a skirt and pairing it with something
like a chunky sweater. Maybe get a little flirtier of a look by
making it a sweater that can slide off of one shoulder. This is one
way to winterize an outfit while still dreaming of warm weather or a
night at the beach.

Now if the chunky sweater isn’t
your thing and since the bottom of the dress has a little flow to it,
try pairing the dress with a tighter sweater cardigan or a tighter
t-shirt and then add something like a jean jacket over the tee.
You’re still dressing for warmth, but you don’t have to wait until
spring and summer to wear that dress. Or you can even omit the tee
and just pair the jean jacket with the maxi dress.

Something that I did fairly
recently (and on a warmer day than some of the frigid snowy days that
we’ve had) included an asymmetrical maxi dress. The top of the dress
is spaghetti straps so I actually did two things on two different
occasions. The first was that I placed a black chunky sweater that
went off one shoulder over the top of the dress. I still had color
because this dress in particular had a very Fall-inspired pattern on
the skirt of the dress. Then I paired it with a cute pair of
booties. Now, the second option that I did included taking the dress
and adding a jean jacket. I still went with the booties, but this
time added a scarf.

So now that I’ve given you some
ideas for how to winterize your maxi dresses, remember that the maxi
dress can serve as a base point for experimenting with fashion. The
easiest way for you to start the experiment is using a black maxi
dress. With this you have a very neutral color that can pair with
any jacket or sweater or even scarf of your choice. Remember that
fashion is in the eye of the beholder. You never know what something
looks like on you until you try it. Another reminder to help you
experiment is that fashion “rules” are more guidelines. If you
break one, it may actually work in your favor and you don’t have to
follow all the “rules” at the same time.

HAPPY EXPERIMENTING!

Winter Whites

Love, House of Squirrels

My Favorite Looks from NYFW Spring 2014

            While this
is the time where many people are working on trying to stick to their New
Year’s resolution, one reason so many of us end up giving up is because we set
too big a goal.  The problem with
setting to big of a goal is that we don’t know where to start sometimes and so
the goal never becomes a reality or a habit. 
So I’m here to help you create a beauty resolution.  Many of us, myself included, don’t drink
enough water in the day.  Even a
resolution saying “drink more water” is too broad.  So, I’m here to tell you how about how much water you should be
having daily and some of the reasons why it’s important.

            There’s a
couple ways to determine how much water to drink.  I’ve heard 8 8-oz. glasses a day and also half of what your body
weight is in ounces.  Rather than having
to keep track of the number of glasses or ounces, the easiest way to do this is
to get a refillable water bottle.  Most
seem to be around 24oz.  As you finish
each time, go a refill it.  Then you are
continuously drinking water.

            Now that
I’ve helped you determine how to make sure you’re drinking enough, let’s answer
the question of why.  To start, I’ll
bring up the fact that it can help with the NUMBER 1 New Year’s
resolution ‚¬Â¦WEIGHT LOSS.  Often when you
think that you’re hungry, you are actually thirsty.  So rather than reaching for your favorite snack try reaching for
a glass of water after all water is 0 calories compared to whatever you would
have gone for.  By realizing that it’s
thirst over hunger first, chances are that you are satisfying that craving for
what you thought was a need for food.

            Drinking
plenty of water isn’t just good internally, but it can show great results in
your outer appearance.  It helps to
hydrate your skin because it flushes out the toxins in your body and also
removes the dirt that clogs your pores. 
So while you may feel like your have to go to the bathroom more often,
just keep in mind that all that water you consuming is removing any toxins in
your body. 

• TIP:  before you apply makeup try splashing
  your face with cold water.  While
  it may not be tempting with the cold weather, it will shrink your
  pores.  This will make your
  foundation look and stay smoother throughout the day.
• ALSO,
  if you are someone that suffers from a lot of breakouts, try drinking hot
  lemon water first thing in the morning. 
  It reduces the bacteria internally therefore lessening your
  breakouts.  As a side perk the hot
  lemon water will wake you up so you don’t have to reach for that cup of
  coffee.

So maybe you’re skin is already
pretty clear and the breakouts aren’t something of your concern.  Well, drinking water also helps to keep you
skin tight and toned.  This means fewer
chances for wrinkles.  Our cells will
with water which will cause them to push up against our skin leaving no room
for gaps or anything else that can cause unsightly marks and flabby skin.

I mentioned in the tip about hot
lemon water that it can wake you up. 
Well, sometimes while you may feel awake you’re body might say
otherwise.  One way to tell is by looking
at our eyes.  In many social situations
the eyes are the first point of contact and so we want to make sure they are
looking fresh and clear.  Yes, drinking
water is good for that too.  It will
help to make them white, clear, and sparkly. 
So yes, that twinkle that you thought only existed in TV shows when a
guy and girl first meet can actually exist.

The final beauty point I’m going
to bring up is your hair.  In the winter
especially our hair can dry out because of those comforting hot showers.  As comfortable as they might be, they are
not the best for your hair and skin unfortunately ladies.  But you can make up for the damage that hot
shower does by making sure you’re not taking too long of a shower and also
drinking your recommended daily dose of water. 
That hydration will provide hydration to the cuticle layer of your hair
and make it constricted.  This means
that your hair will lay flatter and look smoother and silkier.

So join me for the beauty
resolution and drink more water.  Make
sure that you stay hydrated for your body, your skin, and you hair.