Kimberly Jarman Photography

Ok my friends, it’s getting hot outside, and this means one thing and one thing along, bathing suits are coming.

Before you fall into despair, crying and panting and wishing you were in Alaska, let’s just face this head on!  No, we’re not all Jessica Alba, but you know what? There are ways to get in shape, even if it’s just in little bits and pieces! So, for the next four weeks, I’m going to post weekly tips on getting closer to a body you’ll like come July, even if begrudgingly 🙂

Here’s the plan:  I’ll post on Friday, and for the next 7 days, we’re all going to try to do the tricks/habits/changes.  I’m not going to post anything crazy, like, “Begin bench pressing your weight while drinking only protein shakes as meals”.  These will be little things, easy things, we can all start doing to just adjust our lives, and angle them toward a hot body.

I’m the QUEEN of never exercising, and I’m really lucky that I have a crazy-fast metabolism, but you know what?  At 30, some stuff feels to me like it’s just getting a bit….squishy.  I don’t like it.  I’m going to do this!!  Do it with me!

Week One:  5 Habits

In Week One, let’s all adopt these 5 habits, that trim some fatty corners in our diet.  The thing about losing weight, it needs to be a combination of physical movement and eating properly. If you work out for an hour every day, but you eat 2500 calories in ice cream before bed, do you really think you’re going to lost weight? I hope not!  Transversely, if you eat 1500 calories of perfectly healthy food a day, but you lie in front of the TV 24 hours, do you really think you’re going to have bikini-ready thighs?  I really hope not!

So, let’s look at 5 habits, to incorporate this week!  (Sidenote:  it takes 21 days to form a habit, if you can do this 21 days, chances are you’ll stick with it!)

Habit #1: Drink More Water

Did you know a large majority of time when you feel hunger, it’s actually your body’s response to thirst?  Hunger and thirst get processed the same in your brain, and hydration is key to healthy eating.  Your kidneys need it to flush out toxins and keep things moving internally, and drinking a full glass of water before a meal will lead to eating less calories, because your body is getting part of what it needs!  Also, you can burn 62 calories by drinking ice water, because your body has to warm it up to digest, which is work!  So, 8-10 glasses of ice cold water a day, and before meals, is our first habit!

The lovely Ms. Alba, drinking her water!

Habit #2:  Walk Somewhere, Anywhere!

If you can add 1,000 to 2,000 steps to your day, you will change your body in a month, and it’s not that hard!  Take the stairs, take a walk around the block with your kids/dog/boyfriend/or all alone.  Walk to get your mail, walk across your building every time you need a copy from the copy machine, just walk somewhere!  Habit # 2, let’s start walking more every day, whenever and wherever you can!

Walk it out

Habit #3:  Fruits and Veggies = Eat This First on Your Plate!

Everyone already knows this, but filling up on fruits and vegetables is about 10,000 times better than filling up on donuts and cheese.  But how many of us really do it?  Besides the need, true need, in our bodies for the vitamins, fruits and vegetables can satisfy your hunger in a healthy way!  Try this:  twice a day, add one fruit and one vegetable to every meal, and eat it FIRST.  If you master that, the next step is to make your plate look very heavy in the fruits and veggies, and not so heavy in the other areas.  If you’re having three items on your dinner plate, make the produce section take up the most space.  It’s not huge, but it helps!

Ok, you can’t tell me that doesn’t look DELICIOUS!

Habit #4:  Eating Out Divided by Two

Dude, this is so hard for me!!! I spend a fortune in eating out!  I’m not only talking about fast food here, I’m talking about all food that is prepared in a place where you pay them to give it to you.  Restaurants use more oil, butter, and fryers than your kitchen, and then serve you about 3 times the amount of food you need.  If you can cut back on the eating out, especially fast food!, you will see a result.  Take however much you eat out, and divide it in half this week. Don’t hit a drive thru, don’t go to happy hour, don’t grab dinner with a friend.  Pack your lunch, and invite the friend out for a walk (see how I did that combo? I’m clever, peeps) 🙂

Say what you will, those 50’s housewives had hot bodies under the aprons, gotta be that home-cooking!

Habit #5:  Look in the Mirror and SMILE

Want to know the biggest culprit in feeling ugly?  You.  Every day, for this entire week, take 3 entire minutes, and smile at your full-body reflection.  I am so serious! Three minutes out of every day to look at your body and appreciate it for not breaking down, carrying you through your life, carrying your children, making your husband smile, getting you to this age, being with you through your entire life’s story—it deserves a smile.  Cellulite and all 🙂

Doesn’t healthy self-image look FUN?!

Ok…..I’ll let you know how my week went!  Let me know how yours is going too!  More tips for Week Two coming next Friday….

xoxoxoxo

A couple of weeks ago, one of our gorgeous brides, Vanessa Saldana, liked my posting about the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor and suggested I do a post on the various signature makeup tricks of Hollywood icons and modern-day starlets, and I love this idea!

With the help of my favorite beauty websites, let’s take a look at the famous makeup techniques and how we can get them at home! I’m mixing up modern stars with the legends, so we can cover tricks from across the board 🙂

1.  Judy Garland’s Red Lips

Her mouth needed to be famous, as it’s the gateway to that incredible, unmatched voice, and she achieved this by always appearing with her lips in a trademark scarlet.  Red lips are not the easiest things to perfect though, so I turned to The Beauty Bean for their detailed tips on both choosing the right red, and applying it properly. Here’s their expert advice!

• 1 The key to achieving any bold lip is to hydrate your lips.  Cracked and peeling lips will make your lipstick bleed and look uneven. After leaving the conditioner on your lips for no long than five minutes, wipe the product off with a tissue.
• 2: To get a long lasting lip apply a red lip liner over your entire lips. Find a shade that will complement the lipstick you are using.
• 3: Apply a red lipstick. 
  • Choosing your red lipstick: 
    • Have a warm, more olive complexion? Look for fire-engine reds with orange undertones.
    •  Have a fair, cool complexion? Look for cherry reds with blue undertones.
    • Dark skinned? You lucky ones looks good in just about every shade.
    •  Still not sure of the shade for your perfect pucker? Look at your vein color: if you have blueish veins you should look for blueish reds, have greenish veins, looks for orange-reds.
• 4: To ensure that your red lip will not bleed take an angled brush, such as one that you would use to line your eyes, and dip the brush into any compact powder that you may have and trace it below your lip line.  (Tip: if you went a little overboard with the powder or if the shade was off and you now look like you have compact powder mustache, no worries: just take a blending brush and buff in.)
• 5: If you prefer matte red lips, then your finished.  If you feel, however, that your lip still needs to be cranked up one notch add a gloss on top.  A clear or dark pink lip-gloss will make your lips pop.  

Check out The Beauty Bean for more amazing makeup tips!

2.  Kadashian Lashes

Oh my those girls are pretty! The Kardashian girls got a lot by way of genetics, but one thing they are always sporting are mega-long lush lashes!  Obviously, they weren’t born with these, they’re just masters of putting on fake lashes (or their makeup artist is).  I am a total klutz in this regard, so let’s turn to Ehow.com and this is what they listed as instructions!

• 1:  Remove false eyelashes from container by lifting one end with tweezers and lifting gently.
• 2  :  Looking into mirror, hold eyelashes up to the base of your own lashes to see if the ends need trimming. If they are too long, simply cut the end with the shorter lashes. Be careful not to over trim. Most lashes do not need to be trimmed more than 1/2 mm(about 2 lashes).
• 3 :  Open lash adhesive and dab small beads of glue along the inner lash line. Connect the beads with the tip of the adhesive. Be sure not to use too much! This will result in clumps and longer drying time. Wait for glue to become tacky (about 20-30 seconds).
• 4 :  Apply lashes to the base of your lashes getting it as flush as possible. Sometimes the tweezers can be useful here to pat down the lashes until glue dries. Adjust as needed before glue fully dries. Allow to air dry approx. 2 minutes.
• 5 :  Now use black liquid liner starting at the inner corner of lash line and extend out just a bit beyond outer lash line. This line should be as fluid as possible. If you are inexperienced with liquid liner you may use a pencil or cake liner using same technique. The eye liner over the lash line helps blend the base of your own lashes with the falsies!

Read more: How to Apply false eyelashes | eHow.com

3.  Marilyn Monroe’s Beauty Mark

As if you could pick just one point on the amazing Marilyn to copy, but one thing we all think of when seeing her iconic pictures, is her perfectly placed beauty mark.  It isn’t something everyone can pull off, and it isn’t for every occasion, but man that amazing beauty mark is just so….cool.  For this one, I looked to Bella Sugar for their advice!  This is what their article says….

• Consider your coloring: For the most flattering beauty mark, don’t stray too far away from your natural coloring. If you’re a redhead, for instance, a rusty brown pencil will probably do the trick. If you’re a fair-skinned brunette like me, black probably isn’t the best option. Look at the undertones and intensity of existing moles and freckles for the best results.
• Choosing a formulation: An eyeliner or eyebrow pencil will probably give you the most control, but here are some other options: liplinermatte eyeshadow with a wetted eyeliner brush; liquid pot of color with a small stiff brush; or waterproof mascara dotted on with a brush. Whatever you decide, choose a shine-free finish and look for long-wearing, waterproof formulas.
• Location: Try placing your mole on the upper or lower lip, on the side of the chin, right above or off to the side of an eyebrow, or on one of the cheeks. If you’re not sure, pick a spot that highlights your favorite feature. Whatever you do, avoid going overboard by limiting it to just one mark.
• The application: To prevent slippage, first create a base by applying a primer, foundation, or concealer. Next, use small circular motions to draw on your mark. The less perfect the better. Set with a translucent powder.
• Other options: There’s always the permanent tattoo option, but for completely temporary fix.

Check out Bella Sugar for all kinds of beauty and style tips!

4.  Taylor Swift’s Cat Eyes

Ah Swifty, how I love thee.  This little girl sure does rock the big cat eyes! She always has that perfectly winged out eyeliner, and while I know a professional is doing it for her, there must be a way to get a little bit of that look at home!  I’m letting EHow.com weigh in on this one as well…..

xoxoxoxo