Skin Care Dos and Don’ts

Life can sometimes get very hectic and stressful. Unfortunately it takes its toll on our largest organ, our skin, making it look dull and irritated. These simple Dos and Don’ts will help to regain that healthy looking complexion!

Water

Dos: Drink 64 ounces a day, it will lead to a healthy complexion and flush out toxins from your body.

Don’ts: Too many showers can actually dry out your skin, immediately after showering MOISTURIZE!

Moisturize

Do: Nighttime face lotion is super important because your skin cells are most active at night. Use ONE nutrient packed moisturizer.

Don’ts: Avoid thick creams, especially during summer. Thicker does not mean that it moisturizes better! Thick creams can keep your face from absorbing moisture. Using too many different products can irritate your skin, so stick to ONE!

Scrub

Dos: Exfoliate with natural fruit enzymes. To instantly brighten your skin add a little lemon juice to your scrub!

Don’ts: Exfoliate two times a week. If you have oily skin you can exfoliate up to four times a week. For dry skin one to two times a week would be enough.

Tanning

Dos: Self Tanner! Scared? Don’t be, it is very simple. Exfoliate and moisturize the night before. If your skin is dry then it may streak.

Don’ts: Avoid sunbathing at all costs! The slightest tan/burn will hurt your skin, which is your largest organ! Remember to apply sunscreen every couple of hours.

Bye-Bye Blemishes

Dos: Use a treatment with lactic acid for severe acne and salicylic for moderate or minor acne.

Don’ts: Alcohol based toner or toothpaste will dry out your skin and make it worse. Avoid touching your face during the day because your hands might not be clean.

Lip Care

Dos: Wear lip balm with SPF in it. Shiny lip gloss will actually attract UV rays, potentially damaging your lips.

Don’ts: Medicated balms with menthol or camphor in them will make your lips drier. Balms with shea butter or beeswax are best! They protect and nourish your lips.

For the complete article visit Elle.com.

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Super Bowl Style

Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner! I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty psyched for the Giants and Patriots rematch (Giants won against the undefeated Pats in Super Bowl XLII – 2008)!  Just because you’ll be lounging around watching the game in your living room, it doesn’t mean you can’t color coordinate to root for your fav team!

New York Giants

New England Patriots

Tune into Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5th – check your local listings.

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Dine With Diana: Red Roasted Peppers With Tomatoes

Sometimes you just have to keep your eyes open! My wonderful MIL from
Chester, England, came to help us out with the girls for a couple of weeks back
in October. She is a wonderful cook and loves to help (yes, I KNOW how lucky I
am). But, I usually leave her alone in the kitchen because its small and one of us
has to be with the kidlets.

But, I did glance over one night long enough to discover one of my new favorite
side dishes and when I tell you its easy enough that I’ve ACTUALLY MADE it a
few times since- well, that should tell you all you need to know.

Simple and surprisingly so delicious, these make the perfect last minute side dish
to any meal. The tangy, citrus of the tomatoes is the perfect balance to the sea
salt and sweetness of the well-roasted red bell pepper flavor.

Thanks to my lovely MIL!!

Xo,
Diana

Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• Red Bell Peppers
• Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚ F on broil if you can- bake will also work
2. Find any baking dish- a glass pyrex, a baking pan, whatever you like depending on how many you want to make- I like to spray w/ nonstick spray just for easy clean-up
3. Wash, halve and seed your red bell peppers
4. Wash and halve or even quarter your tomatoes
5. Lay the red bell peppers on your pan, inside side up
6. Top each pepper half w/ a cluster of halved tomatoes
7. Sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper to taste
8. Bake on high heat or broil until the peppers curl up w/ black edges (you want everything to be well-roasted- that’s the point)
9. Let cool and serve

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The Today’s Collection Founder Tells All!

I consider myself lucky and honored to know Jack Kiefer. Jack is the CEO of BabyAge.com and more importantly, a brilliant and passionate dad who knows just almost everything about everything.

His knowledge will empower you and create instant trust. Now, on Totsy we are thrilled to be offering products from the brand  he created after years in the business called The Today’s Collection which includes both nursery furniture as well as pregnancy and nursing support pillows for moms.

I asked the hard-hitting questions we all want to know the answer to.
Check him out again tonight during our first ever webinar and again tomorrow during our Twitter party!

CHIEF MOM (CM): Jack, you’ve been selling baby and children’s products for 15 years now. What made you decide it was time to create your own brand? (include being a Dad in the answer)

JACK: Over the years, BabyAge.com has received thousands of product suggestions which range from fashion ideas, to feature improvements to completely new product ideas.  It became clear to me that when we received hundreds of requests for a black crib, and none of our manufacturers would obliged that it was time we started to develop our own furniture brand.  At the time I designed my first crib, my first son was 2 years old, and I had plenty of ideas in addition to finish selection where I would improve on traditional designs.

CM: Lets start with nursery furniture. What have you done to make Today’s Baby furniture line different from what’s already out there on the market? (discuss quality, design, strength, green, affordable)

JACK: Problems with the existing cribs:

1) Neither my wife or I ever used the drop side (I am 6’ tall, and my wife is 5’2” tall).  I was concerned how flimsy the drop side cribs seemed.
2) Most cribs didn’t include a trundle drawer.
3) Most cribs used cheaper woods or thinly cut sections of hard woods.
4) Had slats on all 4 sides.

Design improvements from my experience with my first child with the Today’s BabyTM Sarasota Crib:

1) The Today’s BabyTM Sarasota Crib is a stationary crib without a drop side, and has a sweeping curved teething rail.  This is the only crib on the market with this design.  This provides for a sophisticated appearance with easier access for a shorter person.
2) Space was at a premium in our first nursery, and I wanted to have extra space for the next size or seasons clothes.
3) My son was able, by the age of 2, to rock his original crib, and I wanted to make sure that the Today’s BabyTM Sarasota Crib was heavier and more stable. I used cold weather select hard wood timber for all of our furniture.
4) Every night I put my son to bed, I had to kneel down after he started to doze off and crawl out of his nursery.  Inevitably, he would look through the head board slats on his crib, and start to cry.  I designed the solid head board and foot board to give me more cover to  sneak out of the nursery for my second son.

CM: And how on earth did a DAD get to be such an expert on pregnancy and nursing support pillows?

JACK: I saw how uncomfortable my wife was through her first pregnancy, and at one point brought her home a pregnancy pillow.  After watching her toss and turn for months, I started to get a few ideas on how to design a new pillow with would begin to address her sleeping and comfort problems.

Innovations with the Today’s MomTM Pillows:

1) The head of the pillow is actually a pillow.  Before she used the Today’s MomTM Pillow, she used to add 2 or 3 pillows beneath her pregnancy pillow.
2) I made the Today’s MomTM Pillows longer.  As her hips began to spread, the Today’s MomTM Pillow  was long enough to comfortably wrap between her legs to support her knees.
3) I designed the legs of the pillow to be wider offers mode lumbar support, and doubles as a nice nursing support.
4) I also added a super lone zipper which made changing and washing the pillow cover very easy.

It was clear to me that a good night’s sleep for my pregnant wife was worth the time it took me to learn how to sew and to come up with a new solution for her.

CM: It seems like you certainly are a “Jack of All Trades” – I heard you liked my title of Chief Mom and decided to declare yourself the Chief Mom with a Beard! We like that. How can our moms learn even more about you and your brand?

JACK: youtube.com/BabyAge

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Don’t forget to join us tonight for our first ever Webinar with BabyAge.com at 8:45 PM ET!! Register here: http://bit.ly/z91iye

Work it! Perfect Your Office Look With Our Handy Guide

If you’re a working mama, it’s no secret that looking your best in the office can help you do your best and impress your coworkers! But as a mother, it can be difficult to scour the racks for body-flattering items with the tots in tow.

But the process gets so much easier when you know what works best for your body type! Buying outfits according to your type can help you accentuate your best features. The most common shapes are apple, hourglass, pear and boyish. Most women fall into one of these four categories, or someplace in between.

So, the next time you hit the mall to update your work wardrobe, use our handy guide to make your trip easy, breezy!

Apple Shape: Women with an apple body shape tend to carry weight in their mid-section. A v-neck top, lengthy top or a top with an empire line will help to elongate your look. Flared pants and shorter skirts will help to create proportion.

Hourglass Shape: Women with an hourglass body shape usually have a fuller bust and bottom, with a smaller waist. Waist cinching belts, wrap-dresses and flared pants will all help to accentuate your waist and show off your curves!

Pear Shape: Women with a pear shape often have fuller hips and are usually smaller in the shoulders and chest. Wearing tops with a pattern will help draw attention away from your hips. Boot cut jeans will help your legs look leaner, whereas skinny jeans will make your hips look bigger.

Boyish Shape: Women with a boyish shape lack curves. To add curves you can start by defining your waist by wearing a shirt or coat that cinches at the waist. In order to give shape to your bust you can wear tops with detail around the bust. Jeans with buttons on the back pockets and a lighter fade in the center will make you look curvier.

No matter what body shape you have, adding even a small heel will make your legs look leaner. Try nude pumps with a skirt or dress!

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