If you upkeep your nails, you probably go to the salon every week or every other week since most polish chips pretty quickly. Instead of spending all that time and money, why not buy a few good manicure tools and do your own right at home?! Keep reading for a skin-loving hot oil massage with a quick manicure idea!

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Tools:

• Nail polish remover (if needed)
• Cotton
• Bowl to soak both hands
• Cuticle oil
• Cuticle pusher
• Nail clipper
• Emery board
• Orangewood sticks
• Olive oil, or vitamin E oil
• Nail buffer
• Hand lotion

All the tools listed can be found at your local beauty supply store or online. Check out a few manicure kits below 

manicure tools

Hot oil manicure procedure:

1. Remove any nail polish with cotton and polish remover. Be sure your tools are layed out on a clean surface and ready to be used, and wash your hands as well.
2. Cut nails down to desired length and file with emery board to shape them. If you don’t like them squared, but want another shape besides round try squoval! Squoval is a flattering shape, the way to achieve it is hold your hand up with your palm facing you; then file straight across nails to give it a square look. Finally, file the sides so they are rounded.
3. Apply cuticle oil on your cuticles, and use the pusher to push cuticles down. Wrap a bit of cotton around the end of an orangewood stick, and use it to clean under your nails free edge if necessary.
4. Pour 1-2 cups of olive/ vitamin E oil in a microwave safe container and microwave until it is warm. Wash your hands to remove the cuticle oil and any nail filing debris. You can also run a clean towel under hot water to use after your hot oil soak.
5. Pour warm oil into bowl to soak hands, and dip fingers into bowl. Place your hands in the bowl to ensure the warm oil covers them entirely. Let your hands soak up the warm oil for 2-3 minutes, or until it cools down.
6. Once your hands are done soaking, take them out and wash them again. Dry them off with the warm towel prepared in the previous step.
7. For extra shine, use the nail buffer to buff your nails. This will give them a natural shine, thus requiring no nail polish. If you’d rather paint your nails, this is when you would go ahead and apply the polish.
8. Once you are done buffing, or letting your nail polish dry, gently massage hand lotion on your hands and arms.

The olive/vitamin oil will leave your skin feeling ultra soft. You can do this moisturizing manicure every week for super soft skin, and shiny nails. Check out this post -> DIY Manicure for a tutorial on a basic manicure right at home!

Liked this manicure tutorial?! Feel free to share it or leave your thoughts below!

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Though not eveyone is into polka dots, I love clothing and shoes in this print. I found this great pair of red polka dot open-toe wedges at Payless  and am so glad to see warmer weather around, just so i can wear them more often.

Check out a few cute polka dot pumps and shoes below! Which are your favorite?!

Happy Friday! Don’t forget to link up with Kori @BlondeEpisodes for fashion Friday!!

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I like this definition, because contrary to what the media would like to have you believe; beauty isn’t necesirraly a flawless face, or perfectly proportioned physique. It’s qualities found in someone that excite our senses such as: a very motivated goal-oriented person, or a child filled with unconditional love for someone. Confucius perfectly defines beauty as, “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ”

Here’s some lovely quotes inspired by beauty.  Read them, love them, hate them or live by them!

“You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen.  But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing.”  ~Marie Stopes

“Beauty – in projection and perceiving – is 99.9% attitude.”  ~Grey Livingston

“Beauty?… To me it is a word without sense because I do not know where its meaning comes from nor where it leads to.”  ~Pablo Picasso

“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within” ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen, not touched, but are felt in the heart.”~Hellen Keller

“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” ~Albert Einstein

“I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made.”
~Marilyn Monroe

“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.” ~Audrey Hepburn

“I think all women go through periods where we hate this about ourselves, we don’t like that. It’s great to get to a place where you dismiss anything you’re worried about. I find flaws attractive. I find scars attractive” ~Angelina Jolie

“Women are always beautiful.”  ~Ville Valo

Printed denim comes in a variety of colors, prints and cuts. If you like floral or animal print, now you can show it off on jeans or shorts. There are also funky patterns, which make this a bold and bright denim trend.

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Some of these prints are very cute and add fun to any outfit, but a few prints seem to remind me of over the top curtains or a couch. Since the print is so busy, I’d prefer wearing printed jeans with a neutral top. More like the image below.

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I actually love this whole outfit! It’s very neutral, but the floral denim adds a pop of color and definitely looks Spring ready. From the pumps to the shades, and every other aspect of this outfit works in perfect harmony. This picture makes me want to go out and buy myself a pair of floral-print denim, that’s how good it looks!

Here are a few other printed jeans for your viewing pleasure!

And tons more of printed denim to browse through!

printed denim jeans

Check out Blonde Episodes for a fashionable blog hop!

Even with a closet full of shoes, who can resist adding another dazzlin pair to their collection

My husband obviously knows me well. He understands just as he needs room for all his computers and gadgets, i need enough space to satisfy my ever-growing shoe collection. He was sweet enough to customize a closet just for my shoes, which needs to expand at the pace I’m going. For Christmas he decided to dazzle me with another addition to my collection, and gave me a gift card so I may choose my first pair of shoes at Shoedazzle. Check out my experience with this online shoe-shopping website which has become an online phenomenon.

Getting started

Shoedazzle is pretty much a shoe club, which allows you to select and purchase a new pair every month for $39.95. If you stop by their site, you’ll realize you can’t actually access their stuff unless you set up an account with them. Luckily, this process is pretty brief. In order for their stylists to recommend shoes which best suit you, you have to complete a short quiz. Which includes your favorite celebrity’s fashion sense, heel style and such relevant questions. This step was kind of useless for me as I found most of the answers not suitable for my style, but you do have the option to leave certain questions blank. When you are done, a showroom is set up for you with personal recommendations by the Shoedazzle stylists which include: Kim Kardashian, Merika Rock, Mal Pearson, Melis Kuris, Heather Zweigel, Anya Sarre, and Provi Fulp. How cool would it be to have one of these ladies jobs as a shoe stylist?!

Time to shop!

Once you complete the above mentioned process, the fun begins! You can now browse all their shoes and accessories. The first time around I really didn’t see a pair that caught my eye. I saw a couple which definitely looked cute, but decided on holding off after the holidays to see new products the following month. That is another pretty cool thing about Shoedazzle, every month new styles are added and you do have the option to skip a month’s purchase if you’d like. They recently updated their service and scratched out the whole skip a month option, nothing will be charged on your account until you choose and make a purchase.

They do send you email updates when new shoes are added or any relevant news they might have. Which is how i came across a pair of wedges which made the cut! The ciji wedge in nude (pictured below) arrived at my home in approximately a week. If you read previous articles, you’ll know i love a good nude heel (or nail polish, or  makeup look or dress!) I already have a couple nude heels, which is why I was excited to add a pair of wedges. Per the email their Ciji wedges had previously been feautured at Shoedazzle, and brought back by popular demand. Lucky me!

My Ciji wedges arrived in a pretty pink box, with a pink drawstring pouch for travel storage. I tried them on, and was glad that they looked even better in person! I already had a bunch of outfits planned out in my head which would look great with my wedges. Overall, client satisfaction was accomplished. Which in the end, should be what all businesses hope for.

*My doggie decided to make a guest appearance in a few of the pictures!

What next…

Since i purchased my first pair with a gift card, technically i won’t be charged for another month until I decide to update my billing information. Though you are allowed to skip a month, as long as you click the option in your showroom prior to the dates given, for now I think i will just hold off on this. Nothing against Shoedazzle, I liked some of their styles but not enough to enroll into their monthly program. I also felt picks in my showroom were nothing special. Not necessiraly shoes I’d actually pick myself, which makes the whole stylist help pointless for me. Either way, I prefer choosing my own styles which explains the shoe stylist part of this not a benefit in my opinion. You can request new options are chosen for your showroom, but it takes 24 hours to update. That’s not too convenient in my opinion.

I definitely can’t complain about the price though. $39.95 for a pair of shoes is pretty reasonable, especially when it includes boots. They have nice collections which include their signature designs with a pink sole, casual styles, boots, accessories, and favorites of their stylists. Overall, the idea is a good one especially for a shoe lover. But it does have it’s pros and cons, as any other program might. They do offer a 20% discount on your first purchase, which I didn’t see applied at checkout during my first purchase… But I suppose receiving my wedges in a reasonable timely matter, and my overall satisfaction with them made it worthwhile.

*Update: I finally wore my wedges out, and loved how they pulled my outfit together. I was a bit disappointed in the material quality, as they ended up scuffed a bit on the side and the back of the heel had a few cuts. They are still very cute shoes, and for a quite affordable price you can’t expect top quality material.

Are you a member of Shoedazzle or considering in joining?! Please share your reviews and shopping experience with Shoedazzle in the comments below!!!

Hairtrade.com has I&K clip-in highlight hair extensions available at their site at a very reasonable price. They are made with 100% human hair and are 18 inches in length. They come in a variety of colors, from bright pink to a subtle brown.

What’s so great about these extensions?!

As I mentioned, these clip-in highlights come in fun colors and allow you to wear them as you please without worrying about touch-ups or being stuck on one shade. You can go from blonde to purple strands in a simple step! You can use bobby pins that match your hair to ensure the clip-ins stay put all day, and will easily be removed when you are done.

My favorite part about these clip-ins is that they are 100% human hair and are priced very fair. In my opinion, that makes these extensions superb. They look and feel natural, and can be styled as you would your own hair. They can be curled, straightened and washed. Another great thing about 100%human hair clip-ins is they will last you a long time with proper care.

Lightest blonde I&K clip-in highlights

In the picture below, you can see the platinum clip-ins blended with my hair. My hair styling routine involves me switching up from my flat-iron to curling-iron. The clip-ins look great both ways, but in the picture below i decided to keep it  straight.

How to safely curl your clip-ins

Since these clip-ins are made with human hair, they can be styled as you would your own hair. But you still have to be cautious when doing so. As you would protect your own hair with heat-styling products, you should do the same for your clip-ins. Follow these simple steps for your extensions if you are going for a wavy-haired look!

• Spray heat-protecting spray/serum to your clip-ins and gently comb it through.
• Make sure clip-ins aren’t too damp, and clamp curling iron on ends.
• Wind the clip-in extension around the curling iron as you normally would, and hold for a few seconds until you feel the clip-ins getting warm from the curling rod.
•  Be sure not to yank out the curling iron, instead click it a few times until the clip-in extension becomes loose and you can gently remove the curling iron. This method serves in keeping the curl intact and preserving your extensions.
• Spray with a bit of hairspray so the curl holds and gently run your fingers thru the extension for a natural blended look. Repeat process on other clip-ins.

Clip-in hair extensions are easier to use and more affordable than getting extensions sewn/weaved onto your hair. They can add length and volume to your hair, as well as a fun pop of color without the commitment. Hairtrade.com also offers great products specifically made to maintain your clip-ins in great condition.

Have you used clip-in extensions before?! Share your experience or any helpful tips below!

While I’ve come to respect people who take working out seriously, it’s never something I would do. Still, it’s absolutely essential for everyone, no matter what age or weight, to get some exercise in on a regular basis in order to maintain a healthy body and mind. For those who would rather skip that hamster wheel feeling you may sometimes get at the gym, here are some easy and enjoyable work out ideas.

1. Going for a long walk.

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Believe it or not, vigorous walking can be just as good for your health as heart attack-inducing, joint-destroying running. As long as you can walk fast enough to where you can feel your heart pumping lightly, you’ll know you are getting in a good work out. Make it as enjoyable as possible by taking your dog with you, going to the park, or listening to your mp3 player while doing it.

2. Joining an informal adult sports league.

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The only way you’ll consistently work out is if you are having fun while doing it. Even if you’ve never really played sports before, it’s a good idea to take advantage of any programs your employer may offer; like a company softball team. You can also join informal sports leagues on your own, which are offered in most towns and cities. Ask some of your buddies to join you, and you’d be surprised by how much fun you can have running around trying to kick, dribble, or  bat a ball. Especially since these leagues are usually not about competition and are more about enjoying yourself, you’ll get a great work out without if feeling like one.

3. Biking to work or any other reasonably located destination.

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The key to getting in exercise for people like us who don’t like to exercise is to participate in an activity that doesn’t really feel like a work out. One way to do that is to kill two birds with one stone. Going over to your friends house who lives a couple miles away? Why not bike there instead of driving? If you live close enough to your work, consider biking or walking there as well. Since you have to go to whichever location you are considering anyway, might as well combine transportation and exercise. It’ll make you feel as though you are accomplishing more than just working out.

Of course, these are just a few ideas to get you started on a workout routine that you can feasibly keep up with, but there are tons of other things you can do to stay in shape without getting bored. Just brainstorm ways that will get your body moving while still keeping your mind engaged. Good luck!

Author bio:
Jemima Lopez is a freelance blogger and writer who writes for Zen College Life, the directory of higher education, distance learning, and best online schools. She welcomes your comments at her email:  lopezjemima562@ gmail.com.

I have always had a track record of discovering, and ditching fad diets once I got sick of the bland tasting food you had to eat just to drop a few pounds. It just did not work for me. It wasn’t until I made the decision to live a healthier lifestyle full of tasty, healthy foods that I actually enjoyed eating, that I was finally able to keep the weight off and enjoy myself while doing it. Imagine that!

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You see the thing is, dieting is not about depriving ourselves and forcing ourselves to “eat like birds”; it is about finding fabulously healthy meal solutions that will keep you satiated and on track. Because I am one of those women who is fueled by cravings, usually for bad food, I have discovered a few recipes that not only taste amazing but help to battle weight loss.

Kick Your Day Off Right

We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I tend to agree with this statement but mostly because breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, and eating a big meal just makes me happy!

While some of us may just not be hungry in the morning, it is shown that those who don’t eat breakfast cannot focus. They are also unable to work as hard as those who eat breakfast, have less strength, and usually choose less nutritious foods which ultimately lead to weight gain. The exact opposite of what we’re trying to do.

While you may not be hungry right when you wake up, why not consider going through your morning routine and save eating breakfast until the very end. This way you allow your body to wake up, start your metabolism, and get moving ultimately kick-starting your appetite.

So what foods should we be eating in the morning? The easy and quick options are usually the most tempting, however if you can manage 5-10 minutes to prep your breakfast you can eat a well balanced, protein rich meal that will keep you satisfied until lunch rolls around.

I try to eat a variation of this meal every morning so that I am never bored with what I am eating, and it helps to make my ‘dieting’ seem less like dieting.

An Eggscellent Start to Your Day:

• Take 3 eggs, and separate the yolks from 2 of the eggs and throw in the garbage
  Preheat a non-stick pan, add a handful of spinach, and cover with a lid for about 1 minute, the spinach will cook pretty quickly.
•  Beat the full egg and 2 egg whites together in a bowl until blended
•  Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the spinach and scramble
•  As that is cooking, take one half of an avocado and mash it, toss in some garlic (to taste), a tiny pinch of sea salt, and 1/4 of a tomato finely chopped
• Mix your avocado and tomato mixture together creating a single serving of guacamole and place on the side of your plate
• Once your eggs are finished cooking, transfer to your plate and enjoy your egg whites with homemade guacamole

This recipe is not only tasty but low in calories, high in protein, iron, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. In one simple meal you will be consuming around 15 grams of protein, 155 calories, with 83% of these calories coming from healthy fats that your body needs to lower your bad cholesterol and keep your heart healthy.
The best part is, this meal takes almost no time to make and is a delicious take on eating plain old egg whites. Not bad for breakfast!

A Mid-Day Metabolism Kick

For some of us, it can be hard to not feel the mid-day yawns creeping up on us. We haven’t eaten in a few hours, our body is getting tired, and we usually start daydreaming of all the yummy, bad-for-us lunch options we could indulge in.

But instead of resorting to old habits and giving into our cravings for a carb-y lunchtime meal, why not come prepared? Salads are one of the easiest, cheapest, and healthiest ways to lose weight throughout the afternoon. So instead of feeling bloated and slipping into a carb-induced food coma that just makes us feel guilty, plan ahead and pack a lunch.

A hearty salad that keeps me full throughout the rest of my day, and is extremely tasty, is a little number I like to call…

The Killer Kale Salad:

• Thinly chop up 1/2 bunch of kale and add it to a pan on medium heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Rotate the kale until the leaves become bright green and almost cooked, approximately 5 minutes, then remove from heat
• Open a can of black beans, drain, rinse, dry, and pour about 1/2 the can into a lunch container
• Layer your cooked kale on top of your beans
• Grate a full carrot and sprinkle over the kale
• Using your pan that you cooked the Kale in, toss in a handful of walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds, all incredibly good for you and rich in healthy fats, and roast for about 2 minutes the sprinkle over your beans, kale, and carrot mixture
• For your dressing, mix 1 large tablespoon on organic tahini paste, 1 tablespoon of umeboshi plum vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup. Mix well and pack in a separate container so you can dress your salad when ready and not risk it getting soggy

This recipe is simple and quick to make, full of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and protein. It will keep you full throughout the afternoon without feeling bloated or tired, helps to boost your metabolism, burn calories, and the best part, tastes amazing!

Stay Lean and Mean With More Protein

While most dieters dread dinner time, it can be one of the most creative meals to experiment with. Recently I have been trying my hand at shish kabobs. They are grilled, low in fat, high in protein and can be made with a variety of meats or fish.

Generally, when preparing a healthy dinner you want to keep portion control in mind.While experts encourage a bigger breakfast, most of them say that you should be eating smaller portions later in the day so that your body doesn’t have to work as hard to break down a lot of food over night, ultimately causing you to gain weight.

Shish kabobs can be a great solution for smaller portions as you can really keep track of how much you are eating. I try to stick to 2 kabobs with a small quinoa or bean salad on the side.

Shish Kabob Snob:

• Cut your preferred meat, I like calamari, shrimp, chicken, or lean pork, into cubes, toss into your favourite marinade, and let sit for around 30 minutes
• Chop up 1/2 red onion, 1/2 a bunch of broccoli, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1/2 sweet potato, and 1 zucchini
• Take your skewer and add 2 vegetables for every piece of meat you add onto your skewer
• When finished, either barbecue your kabobs or lay your kabobs over the sides of a medium baking sheet so that your skewers are not touching the bottom of the baking sheet and bake at 400 F

They are uber simple, easy, tasty, and lean! As stated, pair your kabobs with a bean or quinoa salad as both are high in fiber and will help to keep you full for the rest of the night, ultimately cutting down on late-night snack cravings.

And who said healthy eating had to be plain and boring? Just use your imagination, choose ingredients wisely, and eat yourself skinny!

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AUTHOR BIO
Jill is a writer for the popular skincare review website, BES Skincare, where she reviews products for people who are looking to buy Trilastin, buy LifeCell or various other skincare products. The biggest perk of her job: she has amazing skin!

When it comes to fashion, you can never go wrong with neutral shades and classic styles; but adding color (whether bold and solid  or fun patterns) is a great way to play with style and create quite unique looks. Spring fashion invokes images of pretty pastels, bold and solid pieces, futuristic metallics,   sexy stripes, florals, and fun patterns. Mix those with a neutral piece and you got yourself an outfit that’s ready for spring, and a great option if you’d prefer a less flashy look. Check out a few of my favorite Spring-inspired outfits below!

floral ruffle skirt available @ Kohls

Floral skirt and red owl:

This outfit welcomes Spring with a beautiful floral skirt, pops of color, and a big and bright accessory. I love owls and this necklace is perfect to offset a plain and neutral top. Switch the red flats for a pair of sparkling gold wedges!

Tanks by Topshop
Flats by J.Crew

A touch of teal:

Teal is a very pretty color, and perfect for Spring! Teal jeans work well whether you want to pair them with a tee and tennis shoes for a casual look, or dress them up with a black blouse and funky wedges. The yellow necklace is a nice way to brighten up a casual outfit and contrast the teal pants.

Tees by Old Navy
Sandals by Jessica Simpson

Black and yellow:

Black shorts are the perfecct addition for your wardrobe this Spring, since you can match them with colorful tops very easily. They are also versatile as they can be dressed up or kept casual. The yellow off-the-shoulder top looks great when paired with fun turquoise jewelry, and the gold sandals keep this look from looking too dressy.

Shorts by Express
Sandals by Libby Edelman

Blue or lavender?!

The pale pink skirt is a great neutral to match with a bright or pastel top. I love the contrast of the pink and blue mixed with the metallic silver flats.

Tanks by Apt. 9
Flats by Vera Wang

Spring is a great reminder that warm and sunny days are almost here! Time to shed those layers and spring into a fun and cool outfit. Apart from pastels, and bright shades, i also love floral prints, especially in dresses and blouses. What’s your favorite fashion trend for Spring?!

Share your thoughts on Spring fashion below, and stop by Blonde Episodes for more fashionable reads!

Bell peppers are packed with vitamins and minerals and combined with  ground beef, make a hearty healthy meal. Easy preparation and a few ingredients make this recipe one of my favorites. Even if bell peppers aren’t your favorite, you might actually like the outcome of this one. Try this tasty recipe and share your thoughts below!

*Recipe makes two servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers
• 1/2 lb Ground beef
• 2 slices of cheese
• 1 egg

How to make stuffed bell  peppers:

-Preheat oven to 350  and prepare a cookie sheet with foil on top. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat it until it’s a pale yellow color.

-Fully cook your ground beef and season to taste. Add  some chopped spinach and mixed veggies if you’d like.

-Cut washed peppers in half and take the seeds out.  Dip them one by one in beaten egg also pour a bit of egg inside. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

-Take peppers out and place some cheese at the bottom of each shell, then fill with ground beef half way and add more cheese. Fill the pepper and place a bit more cheese on top. Place peppers back on oven rack at 350 and bake for another 10-12 minutes.

-Broil on low for five minutes. Take peppers out of oven and let cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself.

-Serve and enjoy!