To Vlog or Not to Vlog

Hey guys, I had an idea! I've always thought that video blogs or a cooler word "vlogs" are really awkward, but I kind of want to try it. So my idea is for you guys to ask me questions and in a week, I'll post a "vlog" answering your questions!

What do you guys think? You have to ask me a bunch of questions though (appropriate, please!) so I don't do a 2 second "vlog" answering two questions... ;)

Amazing Site for Women!

I have some great news and an awesome website for all you fabulous ladies out there! I got a chance to meet Allison Stuart Kaplan and to start interning for her website, ASKinyourface.com. It is a great site for women of all ages and covers topics us girls love to read about - relationships, eating, working out, skincare, beauty, fashion, etc!

You can see my first article on the website here. I hope you guys like my article and check out the website!

Want Amazing Nails? Guest Post by Tamuna!

Hi there, I'm Tamuna from My boyfriend's Shirt. I blog about all things pretty in life, beauty, fashion and more. Since it's winter and cold outside, I've been paying extra attention to my skincare as its noticeably more dry and requires special care.

For a girl like me, who likes to sport short, neat nails and pretty nail polish, it becomes a daily routine to maintain my hands and keep them extra moisturized in winter.

Here are some of my essential hand and nail care products that have served me well and I'd recommend.

The number one most important product for hand care is a good moisturizing hand cream. Featured is Loccitane Fleur Cherie hand cream. I apply it after every time I wash my hands, it has a mild floral scent and does an amazing job at keeping my hands nourished.

A good moisturizing cuticle cream is also essential for keeping hands and nails looking moisturized. I apply Sally Hansen cuticle cream every night while massaging into my nails. I keep Rosebud Salve around my desk at work for mid-day touch ups.

When it comes to nail care tools, my favorite item is the scary looking cuticle nippers. They don't hurt at all and easily remove unwanted dead skin from around the cuticle area. I also use cuticle wood stick to push back and remove extra skin.

Good nail files and nail scissors are also necessary tools for hand/nail care, I however, stay away from nail clippers as they tend to damage my brittle nails. I remove excess length with nail scissors and file using a gentle grip, moving in the same direction along the grain.

As for nail polishes, I like light pink and nude colors in winter for daytime use. I find Seche Vite an ideal solution for quickly drying nail polish. Keep in mind that many instant hand sanitizers can be harshly drying for hands, so I buy moisturizing hand sanitizers from Bath and Body Works.

And lastly, don't forget to wear gloves to keep your hands nice and warm.

A HUGE thank you to Lauren, I appreciate the opportunity to do a guest post.

xx

~Tamuna

I got a Stylish Blogger Award!

I got an award from the lovely and beautiful Tamuna! Check out her cute blog called My Boyfriend's Shirt. :)

Rules:
Thank and link back to the person whom awarded you
Share 7 things about yourself
Award great 10 bloggers that you've recently discovered
Contact the above and tell them of the award

I have to share 7 facts about myself, so here we go:

1. I definitely wear my heart on my sleeve and can finally admit that.

2. I am officially obsessed with the store Ulta (a makeup, hair and all around girly product selling masterpiece!).

3. One of my favorite things about my appearance are my blue eyes.

4. I have a pet rat and don't tell many people because they tend to freak out. But if you saw him, you'd understand... he's a cutie.

5. I hate driving long distances, especially in winter.

6. I love that feeling of spring arriving where the sun is starting to shine more and the breeze feels awesome.

7. I chew probably up to 10 pieces of gum throughout the day.

Here's my list of 10 great bloggers! You guys are great and I love reading your blogs:
1. http://twentyfivebeforetwentyfive.blogspot.com/
2. http://lauramariegiven.blogspot.com/
3. http://readingmytealeaves.blogspot.com/
4. http://or-so-i-feel.blogspot.com/
5. http://happysighs.blogspot.com/
6. http://lifeofalaura.blogspot.com/
7. http://www.therealpostgrad.com/
8. http://apartment513.blogspot.com/
9. http://curlsandcoffee.blogspot.com/
10. http://ohsnapitsnatalie.blogspot.com/

Free Chocolate? Yes, Please!

I love Valentine's Day and not just because I have a boy to celebrate with. I love the idea of a holiday dedicated to love and being there for the great people in your life. While this holiday has definitely been commercialized, there are still good things that come out of this. Namely, chocolate! I found this great chocolate shop in Birmingham, MI. Not only do they make their own delicious chocolate treats, they use molds to make the cutest looking chocolates.

Check out their Facebook page because for every 50 members they get - they are starting at 250 - they will choose a fan to give away free chocolate to! "Like" them and tell your friends for more information and a chance to win some goodies!

Want Fancy Nails Easily?

Looking for a quick, easy way to change up your nails? Something that will make people notice? The wait is over! I found Nail Fraud at my local Ulta store and had to try it! I've seen these online but hadn't really seen them in stores yet.



Despite me putting them on the wrong way and having to re-do an entire hand (but that's me! If you aren't great with figuring out beauty stuff...google how to apply Nail Fraud because the directions on the pack aren't great.), they were super easy to apply! All you have to do is stick them on and trim the top to fit your nail length. As I'm writing this, it is day 2 of having them on and there is no chipping or peeling. They are supposed to last a week and can be easily removed with nail polish remover.

I would definitely recommend these! Despite a plasticy smell that bothered me at first, they are very cute and come in different designs, easy to apply and last longer than nail polish.

Have you ever tried Nail Fraud or something similar? Tell me about it!

Guest Post?

Any readers out there that would like to do a guest post for me? I can do one for you as well!

Comment on this post if you're interested, or email me at lrstewar@gmail.com.

I'd love to hear from you! :)

Cool Yoga Facebook Pages!

Love yoga? Interested in learning more about different types of yoga? Check out these two Facebook pages. Like them to get updates coming soon!

Yoga By Design is great if you are an athlete or like learning about safe yoga. YogaMedics is great if you suffer from pain and want to learn more about using yoga to help heal you.

Do me a favor and like these pages! You won't regret it. :)

I donated my hair!

Last Friday, I got my hair cut! I donated it to Children with Hairloss, a place in Michigan similar to Locks for Love. I'm so happy and proud that a little girl will get to have real hair that she previously couldn't because of me. It makes me want to cry.

So here's a picture of my new 'do! :) What do you think?

Bored? This Year...No Way!

I recently came across this old blog entry of mine from last year around this time about boredom turning into an ugly monster filled with anxiety and loneliness. I can't help but think about this as I think about my part time schedule.

I love the fact that my new job has me working about three days a week. Those three days are busy filled with driving, learning new things, and working hard. So far, on my other days off I have had things to do and people to see. But that leads me to wonder...what about the days where everyone is busy and I get too bored?

As much as I think about it, I'm not worried yet. It is a year later and I am different. Instead of freaking out, I am reeling about the opportunities. I can call friends I don't see as much if my core group are busy. I can get fit and play my Wii! I can clean and organize and do things to help my parents. I can play with Buddy or Hannah. I can go run some errands or simply do a little window shopping (okay, maybe real shopping if I can spare the money!). I can work on this little 'ole blog or think of ways to do better at my job.

So this year when boredom strikes, I am going to do my best to beat it before it spirals out of control into something else I experience from time to time.

P.S. Happy MLK Jr. Day! Today I have work off and I'm off to a Pistons game. I bought tickets for my boy for Christmas. :)

What is wrong with Twitter?

I think I may be just about done with Twitter. The times I actually remember it exists and want to post something...it never works! It always says something is wrong and to try again later!

Ugh, anyone else having this problem?

I got a Wii! :)

So I may be the last person on the planet to say this, but here it goes. I bought a Wii last week! I've been wanting one for years now and I always justified not getting one by saying, "Well my neighbors and some friends have it. I can just go over there and play when I want to." Or "It just costs way too much and I'll probably never use it." Yet, I still wanted one. So after not getting one for Christmas, having a higher paying job, and seeing it on sale at Target, I went for it.

I bought the new black Wii that came with a remote, nunchuk, Sports game, Sports resort game and I also bought a pink remote and Just Dance 2. Best. Purchase. Ever. While it is not fun dropping a few hundred dollars, it was definitely worth it. I love that it is not only fun, but a great workout.

Once I save some more money I plan on getting Wii Fit Plus, The Amazing Race game, and another nunchuk. Anyone suggest any other fun games?

A Book Review on Amazon by ME!

Check out my book review from my former internship! Just scroll down and read the one by Lauren (that's me!). Check out the book too. Sandra is a great person and loves spreading happy thoughts!

My 2011 Goals

I'm finally getting around to doing this. Writing my goals for 2011. I keep reading many, many blog posts with goals and resolutions and people saying they have a great feeling about 2011. 2011 hasn't started that great for me and I am working on changing my attitude about it. I just certainly hope everyone else is right and 2011 becomes a great year!

My Work Goals:
1. Ask more questions! I don't know about any of you, but in the moment I often blank out when I am nervous. I forget to ask questions and then mess up because I couldn't think of what I wanted to say. So I want to work on communicating much more effectively.

2. Learn as much as I possibly can! This is a given. This is my first job after graduation and I know it has been sent to me for a reason. There's so much to learn and I am just trying to get better each and every day.

3. Be positive! This goes for everything in my life. Be positive in every situation because that is really all you can do to stay happy. I tend to be a perfectionist and get really hard on myself when I don't do things right. I need to just focus on learning experiences and trying to be better in everything I do and not beat myself up for it.

My Personal Life Goals:
1. Spend more times with my pets! As I am writing this, Buddy is crawling around on my lap. I want to get him out and playing more often and spend more time with Hannah too.

2. Move my booty more! I was thinking of joining a gym, but I'm not sure I want to spend the money. I just bought a Wii, so that helps! So for now, there are plenty of things I can be doing to work out or simply get moving a little and I plan to do that.

3. Eat better! Having a new job where I have to bring a lunch a few times a week definitely helps. By packing my lunch the night before, I can make sure I have mostly healthy options. I have a big sweet tooth so I want to work on being healthier. I know it will help me feel better.

4. Spend more time doing things! When I have days off or nothing to do, I tend to latch on to three things: my laptop, my TV, and my cell phone. All are great things, but all make me a zombie to an electronic screen. My goal is to read more, spend more time with friends, and simply just do other things that may be more beneficial to me.

So tell me, what are your goals for 2011?

Cool New Hair Tool

I just bought an Instyler (in pink of course!). I've seen these commercials before and thought it seemed cool, but wondered if it really worked. One of my friends was talking about getting one for Christmas, so I waited to see if she would and if she liked it. She did, so I did a bit more research. It seemed like an amazing product. Able to straighten hair fast and make it silky and even able to curl and wave your hair. So I decided to try it! It is expensive, but I had a coupon and a gift card for a store so I went for it.

It is awesome! While I haven't fooled around with it enough yet to curl or wave my hair, I am very happy with its straightening abilities. It is fun to use, easy, and makes your hair straight and shiny fast.

Like a Listener or a Talker?

Sometimes I wonder if it is better to have a relationship where you rarely run out of things to talk about yet when you do it is an awkward silence, or to have a relationship where there tends to be more silence but it is never uncomfortable?

In my relationship, we fall into the latter category. We're both pretty introverted, but I am a little more chatty when we're together. At times I wish he would open up more about his feelings and be more talkative, but I really have to be thankful. We never have awkward silences and he is an excellent listener. And to be honest.... what can us girls really expect from boys as far as talking about our emotions goes? ;)

So what do you think? What do you look for in a relationship?

New Year, New Job, New Start...

I start my new job today! I am extremely excited and anxious! What a great way to start the new year though. I'm feeling really grateful.

Wish me luck, friends! :)