Getting Summer Ready Skin and Feet

Finally! Summer is almost here - well, Spring has just sprung, but summer time is screaming my name!

I wanted to start your season off right with a few beauty tips to get your skin "summer ready." Here we go...

1. Foundation is out, Tinted moisturizer is in: Put away the heavy foundation and pick up a light tinted moisturizer instead. Once you try it, you just may never go back to foundation! A tinted moisturizer will feel less "cakey" and will give you the hint of color you're craving after the dull months of winter. While foundations can feel as if they're melting off your face, tinted moisturizers won't.

2. Don't fear the shine: I used to go crazy if there was any shine on my face; adding more powder or layering more foundation. I have since been told that the "dewy" look is gorgeous. I've stopped the powder and the foundation and have totally relied on beauty blotters. Mary Kay has the best ones out there, in my humble opinion!

3. Avoid the heavy lipsticks: Instead, use a colored lip moisturizer. Less sticky than lip gloss.

4. Sandal ready feet: Get your feet out of boots and ready for summer sandals by using a simple homemade foot mask. Here's an easy recipe that I found:

Orange Spice Foot Mask1/2 cup whole oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
4 drops sweet orange essential oil

Foot Mask How-To
1. Using a food processor, grind the oats to a fine powder. Transfer to a medium-size bowl, add the remaining ingredients, and stir until blended into a thick paste.

2. Prepare two warm, wet washcloths or hand towels, either by wetting them and placing them in the microwave for one to two minutes or by soaking them in hot (not boiling) water. Wring out excess water and set aside.

3. Sitting with your feet in the tub or a large basin, use your hands to spread a thick layer of the mask over each foot, covering them completely up to the ankles. After wiping hands clean, wrap each foot in one of the washcloths to seal in the moisture from the mask. Sit back and relax for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. When you're ready to remove the mask, carefully lift off the washcloths. Rinse your feet thoroughly using warm water. Pat dry with a towel.

Sometimes you just need to be Rebooted!

Are you familiar with the proverb, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"? Without time off from work, people become both bored and boring. Work related stress can cause a whole myriad of health issues; fatigue, depression, anxiety, headaches, unnecessary sick days, etc. From CEO's, to self employed, to stay at home moms, we all get burned out and taking time for ourselves is necessary to reboot our systems.

Here are some tips to help keep your batteries charged and ready for action:

1. Do something you enjoy! - Spend a day at the spa, play a round of golf or catch that movie you've been wanting to see. Or, take a good book, grab an iced tea and find a good shade tree and read. Depriving yourself of doing something fun and recreational, can have negative affects on your business and personal life.

2. Exercise, eat well and get plenty of rest. - Do I sound like your mother? We all know the importance of exercise. Without it, we gain unnecessary weight, become tired and our bodies begin to crave more calories due to our inactivity. You don't have to join the gym or the Y to get the exercise you need. A brisk walk around the block will do wonders for your heart! A balanced diet along with exercise, will allow your body to get the rest it needs. After all, God worked 6 days and rested on the 7th!

3. Talk about it. - Confiding in someone your trust, who is not involved in your work environment, can help you gain a different perspective of what is going wrong in your workplace. Being able to discuss what is bothering you is good therapy in general.

So, how did you get burned out to begin with? How can you prevent it from happening again?

First, prioritize your life. Has your job become your life? Do you work 10-12 hours each day? It's true, over time is sometimes expected, but when it isn't, don't convince yourself that just a few more hours will help you get ahead.
Second, set goals. Allow yourself a schedule of just how many hours you are going to work in a week and break up projects into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Finally, plan some vacation time and stick with it! Remember the tip on giving yourself some recreation time? You don't have to leave home if you don't want to. Simply allow yourself some downtime to relax and unwind. Your work will be there when you get back, but you definitely need some YOU time!

When you mentally reboot, you not only cut down on the stresses of the job, but you allow yourself to do a job to the best of your ability. Your family benefits, too, because you don't come home too tired and wiped out to spend quality time with them.

How do you mentally reboot? Is there a tip that you'd like to add? I'd love to read your comments!

Be Positive!

Do you ever catch yourself wondering how to stay motivated when life throws you a wrench? Does it seem impossible sometimes to turn the negative into positive? I may be able to help shed some light on how to keep your spirits up when you feel all you have left in your cherry bowl is pits! The truth is, life isn't easy. If it was, we'd never have anything to praise God for. Through our trials, we learn, we grow and we teach others how to walk through those dark moments. 

Instead of focusing on those down times, find strength in different avenues and trust that through God, nothing bad is going to last forever ... and it doesn't! 

Here are a few ways you can begin to focus on the good and positive and begin to eliminate the negative in your life.

1. Take time to be grateful for all you have.  I admit, sometimes I become too preoccupied with what's not going right to really be thankful for all the blessings in my life. Every cloud has a silver lining, every challenge has a great outcome on the other side if you stay focused and don't give up. When I've had a down time in my business or in life, I take some quiet time to reflect. What exactly is the problem and how do I solve it? Instead of becoming dragged down with "What's Wrong", focus on "What's Right." Try making a list. Begin writing down everything in your business or life. It could be back-ordered items, not enough business, no referrals or an argument with your spouse. Write these things in your "What's Wrong" list. Now list all the things that are right. I really love being my own boss, setting my own hours, controlling my income (even if it does get shaky once in awhile). I love that my husband works hard to care for me and our children. Put these things on your "What's Right" list and pretty soon, you'll find the "What's Right" list is much longer than the other. Take that list and hang it where you can see it. Focus on the "What's Right" when things seem to be all wrong.
2. Take a break from your devices once in awhile. I know this is a killer but the more I'm connected to everyone and everything in as many ways as possible, the less time I have for me and my thoughts. If you have challenges in your business and your life, sometimes it's best to just disconnect and have some quiet time to reflect. It's difficult for an over stimulated mind to come up with solutions, so you've got to allow yourself some down time. My solution is to turn everything off and go a quiet place in the house or outdoors when it's nice, along with a good book and read. Escaping into a story is a nice and much needed reprieve! Do yourself and your over-stimulated brain a favor and power everything down for at least a couple hours each week and give yourself some time off from everything. You'll be glad you did!
3. Take time to say Thank You. Even better, take time to send a thank you note to someone who helped you or was gracious to you or who remembered you in a special way. Send thank you notes to your clients, customers or those who have referred business to you and watch as more business suddenly appears!  Sending Thank You notes seems to be a lost art that is in need of revival. When was the last time you were surprised with a special note in the mail?  How did it make you feel? NEVER underestimate the power of a handwritten Thank You note!
4. Believe anything is POSSIBLE. "Never let life impede on your ability to manifest your dreams. Dig deeper into your dreams and deeper into yourself and believe that anything is possible, and make it happen." Wow, that's powerful and so true! Focusing on problems creates more problems and you have less time to really focus on everything that you want that is just within your reach. "Shoot for the Moon; even if you miss you'll land among the stars!" Surround yourself with visual reminders that anything is possible!
5. Get rid of the drama. I DON'T DO DRAMA! I don't  have time for it and it zaps my energy. Get rid of the drama (and people who cause it) in your life. Let's face it some people are just meant to be miserable. They look miserable, act miserable and feel miserable ALL THE TIME! Everything is wrong, nothing is going well and they sure want you to know about it. They LOVE to talk about other people and they want to suck you into the gossip circle! I have one word of advice for you, RUN! Run as fast as you can and as far away as possible. Nothing good ever comes from gossip, drama or whatever  you want to call it. Get rid of it right away!
6. Map out your life.That's right, use today as a starting point and begin creating a map of what you want your life to look like; 6 months from now, 1 year from now, 5 years from now and beyond. It's really about taking goal setting to a new level! Use lifelines (deadlines are terrifying) and really start to think about what you want to happen, how you want to feel and who you want to become in the process. None of us knows for sure how much time we have on this earth so all we can do is make the most of every moment and plan for good things to come! Life really is wonderful! 

God Bless!

The Heresy of Humanism

As a Christian, I'm often asked if I am religious. It's quite difficult to answer that question. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but I like to be considered "religious."
Being religious simply means that by "doing" things that you ought to, will somehow get you closer to God. It's not about what you can do to please God, it's about knowing Him, having the desire to want a relationship with Him. I want to desire to be "sold out" in establishing a loving relationship with my Savior, not continually do things that, in my opinion, will make Him happy.

This is where humanism comes into play. I'd like to offer you a quick definition:

 "... a group of philosophies and ethical perspectives which emphasize the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers individual thought and evidence." 

The Apostle Paul warns us in Colossians 2:8, to beware of men who draw you in with their philosophical ramblings. He tells us to watch for people who put an emphasis on human tradition and basic principles of the world, rather than on Christ. Human traditions often become "religion." In many places, these traditions become more binding and more all-known than the scriptures themselves! What are some traditions that have become a "religion" to you?
Here are some examples:

Astrology

Sun & Moon Worship

Crystals

Symbols

Good Luck Charms or practices

Horoscopes

Base your faith in Jesus Christ within Whom lives all the fullness and deity in one person. In Christ, you will have the fullness of God and won't need a good luck charm or a horoscope! Besides, Jesus is the head over every tradition and all the principles of this world, so why would you try anything else? 

"See to it that no one takes you captive through tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." ~ Col. 2:8

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Thirty-One's Sept 2012 Monthly Customer Special