That famous American Sunday is quickly approaching and although some of us may be disappointed that our favorite team isn’t competing (or maybe you just don’t care) there is no reason to not throw a fabulous get together for the big football game.
(Images from Hostess Blog)
The Hostess blog offers some fun printables for all game day purposes to get creative with any disposable materials you might want to use to save some clean up time, or to set up some tables that make all the snacks look even more enticing.
Treat your man to the game day classics that he loves to snack on, and create an environment that can be enjoyable for the football lovers and “others” alike.
Martha Stewart has some great recipes instead of ordering take-out!
All American Buffalo Chicken
Buffalo Chicken Strips with Bleu Cheese Salad (You can at least ATTEMPT to slip in a healthy salad right?!)
Hot Spinach Dip
Sweet Onion Dip
Seven-Layer Bean Dip
We hope you enjoy this quasi-holiday and maximize your opportunity for quality time with family and friends! Share your favorite football recipes or party ideas with us!
From the dryness of winter, to the sun exposure in the summer, our skin gets it rough sometimes, and often takes a back seat on our priority list. It’s time to change that! It’s so important that we take care of our skin to keep it as healthy as possible. We can’t avoid the aging process, so let’s embrace it and help our skin look it’s best for years to come.
I will trust anything from Sephora, and these are some of my favorite brands that Sephora carries for all price ranges..paraben free, extremely natural, smell delicious and great for your skin!
Kate Somerville
Bare Escentuals
Philosophy
Sephora
Skin Care Essentials
1. Moisturizer with SPF- Keep your skin moist every day and keep it personal to your skin type. Make sure you pay attention to if your skin is on the oily or dry side so you can purchase a moisturizer that will complement that. Don’t forget the SPF either! In a society that is obsessed with tans, it’s easy for women to skip out on the protection to help soak in some color, but don’t do it! Unhealthy sun exposure can age your skin more quickly and eventually cause even more complications like melanoma. If you are really concerned about color, buy a bronzer that blends with the rest of your skin!
Sephora
Philosophy
2. Gentle daily wash- You should be washing your face twice a day, and that should be a gentle wash just to remove any dirt, germs, make up etc…
Kate Somerville
Philosophy
3. Exfoliant- Exfoliants are amazing but shouldn’t be used too often on your face because it’s so delicate. It will help get rid of any dead skin cells and keep your face smooth and even.
Bare Escentuals
Sephora
ExfoliKate by Kate Somerville
4. Night Cream- Night creams are rejuvenating. They will repair skin and moisturize it through the night.
Bare Escentuals
Sephora
Kate Somerville
5. Facial- Facials should only happen about once month. They can however get pricy, so here is a recipe for a DIY home facial from Karly Goins who is a regular recipe contributor to Lauren Conrad’s blog.
Karly’s Fall Facial
Other Tips for taking care of your skin!
1. Wash face twice a day
2. Sunscreen- here are some great options from Sephora that are good for your skin.
Bare Minerals Sunscreen
Clinique
Philosphy
3. Don’t smoke! Your skin needs circulation and smoking impairs that which is why smokers’ skin tends to look dull and gray. Instead of oxy-generated blood being delivered to the skin surface, it’s getting poisons and oxidants. Don’t — I repeat – don’t smoke. Your skin is a large organ and it needs a lot of circulation. Smoking impairs that dramatically.
4. Healthy diet- changes in your diet can drastically improve how your skin looks from glow to acne. Pay attention to what you are eating and eliminate greasy and unhealthy items.
5. Manage stress- stress can do a number on more than just our skin, but reducing it can help reduce any acne, aging lines or tension that will appear. If you a really needing some extra relaxation, try a milk bath! Seriously! You hear about it in stories of royalty, and there really are some great relaxation benefits, including benefits for your skin. Try this recipe here.
Enjoy your rejuvenated skin and feel like a new, younger woman!
We are all accustomed to the phrase “New Year New You”, but what if this was the year we took it seriously? As we get off the Holiday high, don’t just get back into your routine, start a new one!
With some help from some great articles on Babble, here are some tips for getting into a realistic workout and health routine.
“The Anywhere Work Out”
This focuses on using items that we are surrounded by or using our daily routine to sneak in quick work outs.
Work outs include chair dips (dipping your arms to strengthen triceps), lunges (you can do them anywhere!), jumping jacks (full body workout!), counter push up (using raised surfaces to do push ups on), wall sits and standing crunches.
Ways to Find Work Out Time
A little bit of alone time is good for any woman, and especially mothers. This suggests practical ways to find a bit of alone time to get a good work out in (allowing time to release endorphins, clear your head and get rid of some stress).
Some ideas include finding a gym with great childcare, babysitting swaps or finding a mom work out group. For those who aren’t quite comfortable with the drop-off yet suggestions include getting a jogging stroller, a bike seat for the kids, Mommy and Me classes, playground fitness,
Unexpected Benefits of Exercise
Finally, if you need a little extra motivation to fit in time for exercise, here are some benefits we might not regularly think about! Remembering where you parked your car (just 30 minutes of exercise a day can help you regain focus), your exercise will help gets your kids into a good habit of healthy and active lifestyles too, boost feel-good hormones and reduce stress, better sleep, better sex and flexibility that will help you reach the sippy cup on the top shelf!
Make it your goal this year to create a new habit of living actively and healthy and in a way that is realistic and sustainable for you, keeping in mind how many benefits you (and your family) will enjoy! Happy New Year!!
It’s a new year and maybe you are looking to make some changes to make your home look new. Here are some some design inspirations with easy and inexpensive ways to give your home a fresh look for the new year. (With help from Pinterest and Better Homes and Garden)
Think White: white goes with everything, it looks clean and reflects light making rooms look spacious and welcoming. White is also less expensive for accessories, furniture and paint because retailers make more of that color.
Salvaged Style: consignment furniture stores are your best friend this year. So many trends being seen in places like Anthropologie, Restoration Hardware and other popular home design display that “used” look for a lot of money. Visit thrift stores and second hand furniture places to find your household gems. Use your imagination to envision the way it can be sanded, painted or switched around to match your home and you will save loads of money. Use old doors or windows as bed headboards, Mix match the chairs or find old picnic benches to refurbish and use for your kitchen table (benches can also be space saving because you can push them all the way under the table).
Vintage Charm: Old knick knacks you find at thrift stores, flea markets or estate sales can make great and inexpensive additions to a home. The “worn down” cottage looking kitchen with vintage accents is irresistible.
Efficiency: Turn an old vanity into a bathroom sink, add pullout shelves to your cabinets making everything easily accessible and more organized or purge your home of anything you don’t need to reduce clutter!
Enjoy making your “old” home seem new!
Prepping for the new year to be arriving is getting me really excited to see what new trends the fashion industry will introduce into our closets. I thought I’d share a little sneak peak into some top designers’ looks for Spring 2012.
These looks are all super inspiring!
Max Mara-sleek and simple
Dolce & Gabbana – colorful dresses and lingerie inspired tops
Chanel – black and white
Salvatore Ferragamo- tropical prints
Nina Ricci – lingerie inspired tops, sleek silhouettes
Valentino – elegant outdoors
Moschino- Spanish inspired designs
Versace – lingerie inspired tops, sleek silhouettes
How sexy are all these looks? Designers for Spring are really focusing on the figure of women, and the silhouettes they are using will really celebrate all different shapes and sizes of the natural woman. Paired with some POSH jewelry, these styles will make the perfect POSH Mommy ready for a Spring outing!
Let’s take a little break from Holiday talk to enjoy this incredible baby shower.
Five girlfriends of the mommy-to-be, Fallon, got together to plan and design a shower that would make her feel loved and would help her baby boy on the way, Bravery, get some sweet hook ups.
The great thing about this shower is that two of the women who got together to design and plan are also moms! Nova Page and Trish Treves are mommies that scream POSH style and personality! (Nova is also an incredible musician.) Another one of the girls is a display artist for Anthropologie.
So here are some pictures from the shower so you can be inspired for future showers or parties you may be throwing! Fallon is designing Bravery’s nursery with a nautical theme, so the girls stuck with that for the shower.
Chairs set up for all the mommies to sit in a place of honor. Each chair has a label for Fallon, her mom and her husband’s mom that say “Bravery’s Mommy” “Fallon’s Mommy” and “Mingo’s Mommy”
Old suitcases on a table to place all the gifts, along with a “Bravery’s Loot!” sign to instruct guests!
There is so much detail! Tall branch centerpieces with moss, and little bottles wrapped in twine to fill with pieces of rolled up paper where the girls were requested to write their prayers down for Bravery.
Fallon ROCKING heels and a body con dress with her belly bump! With Nova and Trish on the left and the mommies helping her open gifts!
Wouldn’t every Mommy-to-Be dream of having showers thrown for them like this!?
Check out Nova’s music and some of her designs.
Photography by Vittoria Picone
Location: Moniker Warehouse, downtown San Diego.
Whether you are looking to get away this Christmas season, or you are planning a 2012 get away, it’s a good idea to be prepared and know where to find the best deals!
Here are some great travel sites to follow to keep an eye on upcoming deals and to make sure you are getting the best possible prices on flights, hotels, rentals etc…
1. TravelZoo
2. Jetsetter
3. Vacationist
4. Sniqueaway
All these sites require that you “sign up” for their e-mails and trust me, at one point it will be worth it. They will e-mail you about flight packages, specials and a wide variety of great deals to be in the know about.
These two sites are also great references. They feature news about different events, locations, hotels etc…all around the world so you can be up to date about where to travel and what to look for!
Wandermelon
Forbes Travel
Of course, if you are getting ready to travel, make sure you are doing it in style! Here are 4 must haves for a POSH Mommy on vacation.
1. Carry On-This Navajo Indian inspired print is really in right now, and this bag off Etsy is completely realistic for stuffing items into your carry-on bag.
2. Passport Case-It’s so easy to lose a passport and other important documents, and those are things you definitely want to know exactly where they are. This case will make sure you don’t have your passport lose in your purse, and it’s adorable.
3. Vintage Luggage-Ok, so many vintage luggage isn’t the most practical form of travel (compared to all the fancy luggages out there today), but they are too awesome to pass up. They work just as well as any other luggage AND they look fabulous.
4. Cozy Coat-Help make your travels comfortable with this cute and cozy hoodie from Anthropologie. It will make the trip, long or short, a little more enjoyable.
Happy traveling!
It’s no surprise to a woman that holiday shopping can be a completely enjoyable and stressful experience at the same time. This season, prepare yourselves (and your wallets) for the shopping that is to come! Here are a list of a few tips compiled from Good Morning America, Fabulously Frugal and Good House Keeping to get yourself ready for the gift shopping season!
1. Make a list and check it twice. Making a list of who you need to buy for and exactly what you are looking to get them will make your shopping trips focused and easier. Stick to the list and don’t let yourself wander! Your wallets will thank you!
2. Debit instead of Credit. Especially during a season where extreme amounts of spending is encouraged, it is easy to get sucked into buying what we can’t afford. Know your limits and set your budget. “A debit card automatically forces you to spend only what you have, and allows you to avoid paying interest. Leave the credit cards at home. Let’s say that you go ahead and charge the $817 (that is the amount which the average American is planning on spending this holiday), and pay the minimum payment of $10 a month with an average annual percentage rate of 18 percent. It would take you 133 months to be rid of your debt. In that time, you will pay $840.83 in interest.” (Good Morning America)
3. Find the Deals. After making a list, it is easy to search online first for the best deals and prices for what you are looking for. Check out sites like amazon.com, jasmere.com, groupon.com, livingsocial.com or buywithme.com to find daily deals!
4. Shop Online. Shopping online can greatly reduce the amount of stress by simply avoiding the stores and crazy lines. You might also be able to find better selections and deals by doing this.
5. Avoid Shipping Fees. This is tricky if you are deciding to shop online, but make sure to pay attention to sites that are having free shipping specials. Or, if there is a store near you, most of the time there will be no shipping fees if you have it shipped to the store to pick up!
Share your other suggestions for avoiding holiday shopping craziness!
Now that Thanksgiving over, the Christmas celebrations can officially begin! Here is a list of 6 Mommy Must Haves for the Holiday season to get into the Christmas spirit!
MUSIC- A Very She&Him Christmas
She & Him is an adorable band with the adorable Zooey Deschanel and they have come out with their first Christmas album! It’s a great collection of some remade holiday classics.
MOVIE-Love Actually
This really is the ultimate romantic holiday comedy and the perfect flick to put on and cozy up with a fire burning!
MOOD- Spiced Egg Nog Anthropologie candle
Nothing like an Anthropologie candle to put someone into the holiday spirit! Try this new egg nog scent that is absolutely delicious!
MERRY- Big Kid Egg Nog
Speaking of egg nog…crank up the merriness with this home made egg nog recipe.
MINK- Anthropologie Coat
Every woman needs a good coat. This one is great for wearing with boots and a dress or even a good pair of jeans and heels. The youthful touch is great for all ages.
Mmmm-Butternut Bisque
Butternut soups are so delicious in the winter weather. They have a light consistency so you don’t feel so heavy after eating it like you would with chili and they are healthy too! This recipe is great to prepare ahead of time in large amounts and keep in the freezer to pull out when the spirit is right!
What are some of YOUR holiday must haves!?
The Holidays are such a great time to cozy up with a fire and some crafts. Here are 5 DIY’s to get busy with. They are perfect for making yourself something, or even ideas to save some money and make these for gifts for your friends!
1. Rosette Necklace
2. Book Clutch
3. Circle Skirt
4. Gift Jars
5. Infinity Scarf
If you have other DIY’s share them with us!
