How to Get Healthy After Hitting Rock Bottom with a Bonus: Get Fit & Healthy Shopping List

At the start of 2013, I had visions of great things that I planned to accomplish for the year. Ahem...those things flew out the window, as well as blogging, as I proceeded to get sick, terribly sick, just about every two weeks until the end of April. Being pregnant, I knew that my immune system was weaken but this was out of hand crazy. It wasn't until the end of April that I ended up with my second case of stomach flu this year, and the second time ever in my life. My husband managed to get me to our family doctor, by some miracle, and then she saw me had an ambulance arrive immediately to whisk me off to the hospital. Once there, I was rushed to the maternity ward and put on an IV Gravol drip to help curb things. Thank God it worked and everything was still awesome with the baby growing inside me. 

The larger question still loomed: What the hell had happened to my health in only six short months? I couldn't blame this all on just being pregnant. My health hit rock bottom, and it was sitting there, feeling lifeless and awful, that I realized I had to find a way to fight my way out of this mess. Sometimes when you make a wish, the universe listens and finds a way to deliver exactly what you need.

My Sister and Leann Rhimes

My sister is a stylist, esthetician and nail tech at an exclusive Indianapolis Day Spa. On Sunday she had the joy to work on Leann Rhimes. Don't they both look so beautiful! My sister is so talented! I just wish I had half the talent that she has at doing hair and makeup. I have always said that our wedding photos were published in Town and Country because my sister did my hair and makeup! She is that good!

Three Ways to Find Balance Today

I'm one month shy of surviving the first year of motherhood. Surviving isn't the word I should pick. I should be writing about all the beautiful blessing of motherhood, but honestly running the NYC marathon was easier than the constant whirlwind of meeting all the needs of a family, nevermind me. But this isn't going to be a rant. I want to highlight 3 ways that I have found balance over the last year.

Ombre Hair Color & Hair Chalking

Ombre Hair technique had once been the French girl's secret. Suddenly, it has splashed on the shores of the States and women are loving the look. The fantastic purpose is of Ombre hair coloring is not just that it is more wallet-friendly, but that it highlights beautiful soft beach waves.

Hair Chalking is a fantastic way to amp the style of your ombre hair. It's quite simple and there are plenty of products on the market available to temporary color your hair.

DIY Home Soda Fountain

I'm the kind of girl that loves a sweet treat like soda. While being pregnant, it seemed there was nothing better than a cold glass of root beer! I've seen at my local health food grocery store the Soda Stream gizmos, but I wasn't thrilled with the $150 price nor the idea that I'd have to figure out where to store it. Okay, I could find storage for it, but I didn't want to have to buy all of their refills. Lo and behold, on my hunt this morning for info on sewing that I stumbled across this brilliant post at Blue Dirt and The Etsy Blog. The posts are totally mind blowing! 

New Year Resolution: Shred the Weight

The New Year is going to be here this weekend. I've spent the last four months learning how to care for my beautiful baby girl. I thought that I was going to bounce back to my pre-preggers body, but I learned that when breastfeeding it wasn't in the best interest of my baby to drop the weight like celebrities do in six weeks. I read that it can negatively effect the infant when a woman does that. Okay! No problem. So as I approach the New Year and my baby is much stronger and getting ready for solids, I find that I might have listened to the advice a bit too well. I am so out of shape! Should I really be surprised?!

I'll be blogging about the process at Modern Girl Style because I plan on getting amped up and back into shape. I will be realistic. I wasn't just a week ago. I went in for a massage and I was told I was crazy to launch into P90X. I ran the NYC marathon just a few years back. Who was I now in this new post-baby body? Only time will tell.

Jillian Michaels and her K-Swiss

I'll be posting links to great workouts, products, and other bloggers that inspire my journey back to renewed health. Why wait for New Year's Day! The above video with Jillian Michaels looks on par with P90X. I will modify the workout for my body by doing less time. I'm also going to sign-up for the Self 2012 Challenge to track my progress online. I'm also a huge fan of Tone it Up. I hope that you join me in personally challenging yourself to break out the comfort zone and shake your booty!

I love these videos!!

Operation Declutter: Tips to Declutter Your Beauty & Makeup Routine

Last weekend,  I managed to declutter and edit my makeup down to a 5 minute work station. This gem of an idea is well described in Carmindy's The 5 Minute Face. I could still  cut back on the amount of eyeliners I have, but I wasn't yet able to do that. Eyeliner is so versatile and it  can change the shape and look of the eye immediately. I've been a fiend for eyeliner and I realized I forgot to shoot 4 other liquid eyeliners that I am constantly using. Perhaps, I still need to revaluate the next question.

I have a vast collection of Boots No. 7 and Quo, a brand of makeup only sold in Canada. Quo has amazing pigments and a fantastic price point.  My sister is a hair and make-up artist. She did my hair and my wedding makeup that were totally part of the reason our wedding photos ended up in Town & Country Magazine. Due to my clutter, I broke my brand new Pur Mineral base makeup compact. 

I tend to always head out to a department store, but my sister told me to head to the drug store. She insisted that I go for Loreal True Match instead. She swears that it is constantly being used on the runways and for photo shoots. Well, at that price, I'm in! I gave it a trial run and I can't believe the reception I got from wearing this new foundation, and I'm talking head turning kind-of attention!  Of course, I should add a  note the only man that matters in my life is my absolutely gorgeous husband, but a little attention never hurt a girl! My sister also convinced me to pick up Benefit High Beam. It's a great product that helps skin to radiate in the right places. You dab a bit on the high cheek bones, a slim line down the nose, and under the outer edges of the brow. Once you give it a try, you'll also realize that this bottle will last forever. Although, in all that excitement, do make sure to check when makeup is expired. I realized it had been over three months on my mascara so I opted to try Clinque's Lash Doubling Mascara. 

I love Bare Minerals eyeshadows, but I find that they aren't quick and easy. Instead, I found that I was able to condense the eyeshadows and lipsticks I need during the week into one quick and easy compact. I bought Quo, but Stila Color Wheel Eye Shadow Palette is another fantastic choice. 

I actually use the above kit all the time. I'm surprised it looks so good on camera! However, when you take care of stuff and you have the proper space to work, then the result is less wear on goods. Now I always finish my 5-minute face with Pur Minerals cheek blush, which I don't have to use because my makeup kit includes blush, but the color is really fantastic on me. Sometimes, I look groggy in the morning and I use Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brighter. I use this product when after I've applied my foundation or tinted moisturizer. The absolute last part of my 5 minute face is lip gloss or lip liner. I love this nude lip liner by Boots No. 7.

Declutter Makeup Tips

1. What are your makeup essentials? During the week, I suggest that you clear out your makeup tools and only use what is needed for a 5-minute makeup application. Learn more from Carmindy.
2. Consolidate your base makeup. Make sure you buy quality and that the makeup shades work for you. When buying foundation or tinted moisturizer, view the test color strips in natural sunlight. If the color blends, then its a match. In the winter, drop down by one shade if you're living in a cold climate and don't get much sunshine.
3. Organize your brushes into a container and make sure to wash them once a week! Enough said!
4. You can move faster when your eye shadows, blush, and lip gloss are in one kit. I can't stress enough how much cabinet space this saves me!
5. Pick a one favorite blush and one nude lip liner or gloss for the finishing touches. That's all it takes to ease your morning commute. You can even put together a 5 minute face kit for after work touch-ups. 

 Share your favorite declutter tips, too! Find me on Twitter and Tweet Tips to me: @moderngirlstyle

A Kiss a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Image via Kissssing Blog

I discovered this new blog via A Cup of Jo. It's SOO fantastic. It's a visual record of kisses, tender moments, and lip smiling moments made by regular old folks to celebrities to royals. Turn up the heat in your life or give yourself a quick heart-lift by checking out Kissssing. It is such an awesome blog!

Image via Kissssing Blog

Never Let Anything Stop You.

Sephora Book by Melissa Schweigner

Sephora has long been the fix for beauty junkies nationwide. Why are people hooked on Sephora? It's simple. Sephora selects amazing makeup brands to sell in its shop, from small women-owned companies like Tarte, Bare Escentuals, DuWop, Laura Mercier, to the big names like Dior, Lancome, Clinque, & Shiseido. Sephora is akin to being on Rodeo Drive & having an assortment of small boutiques to choose from.

3 Reasons That Will Make You Want to Own This Book

1. Improve Your Everyday Makeup Routine.






Life's hectic! Women not only have all the responsibilities of life, but we want to look good doing it. This book provides insider information that will benefit your makeup routine without having to buy Sephora out. Learn how to improve your skin care routine, perfect a flawless salon-like blowout, fix makeup mistakes, and protect yourself in the sun. Unlike many other make-up books where you have to buy specific products, you don't have to buy a thing. However, there are plenty of product recommendations to leave you better informed for your next trip to Sephora, which will leave you looking less like a lamb lost in the woods.  There is even an awesome section where you will meet the Sephora masters who reveal their secrets to a great looking woman. This book really is an education.

Get Sephora Tips on Supernatural Makeup Application:






2. Learn from the Masters







If you love Lorac, like Modern Girl Style does, then you'll be delighted to learn from the founder herself, Carol Shaw, what beauty means to her. What is Beauty? It sounds like a simple question until you spend time digging under the surface. The first chapter alone is amazing. Melissa Schweiger, author of this Sephora book, really took the question to task by interviewing the brand owners featured at Sephora. It's inspiring to have glimpses at the philosophies behind Benefit, Philosophy, Smashbox, Make Up For Ever & the names go on. If you've ever been inspired to start your own makeup company, then this book is a must own.

Learn How to Achieve Some Vintage Hollywood Hair Styling at a Sephora Photo Shoot:





3.Look Fierce, Sexy, & Hot!






Women need to look hot for sultry evenings. Be it prom, cocktails with the girls, a first date, a charity event, a wedding, or for a date with their husbands. We want to look sexy for ourselves because it feels good. So, is you don't have the tools or the tricks this book will verse in the art of seduction. First step, know the tools of the trade. Learn the difference between a rounded blush brush and a contour brush. The second step is product knowledge. The Sephora book includes a dictionary of secret ingredients that will help you not just with your smarts, but with product purchases. The final step is to know how to use your product. Learn how to apply flawless red lipstick, add some golden glow to increase the illusion of cheekbones or clevage, and there is so much more to learn.

Here is a quick clip from Sephora at on Creating The Ultimate Smoky Eyes:





This book is a fantastic guide to help women become the goddesses that they are! This is truly a book that you'll be using beyond fashion trends. It is the ultimate guide to makeup, skin, & hair! Modern Girl Style loves this book & you will too!

Synopsis



Ever wonder what it's like to have your own
personal team of beauty experts, advising you on how to look and feel
knockout-gorgeous every day? Or have you ever questioned what exactly
goes on inside the creative minds of beauty industry heavy-hitters?
Step into the pages of Sephora, where the top beauty
authorities give you access to their private domains. Spend the day
with Vincent Longo backstage at fashion week, create red carpet—worthy
hair with celebrity hair stylist Oscar Blandi, master the smoky eye
with Hollywood's hottest makeup artists, and take a tour of Dr.
Nicholas Perricone's kitchen with his refrigerator full of
skin-perfecting foods.
In Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority,
fashion and beauty journalist and former Sephora beauty editor Melissa
Schweiger personally introduces the people behind some of your favorite
brands and fills this gorgeous book with the beauty secrets usually
reserved for insiders. Each photo-packed page brims with words of
wisdom and expert advice from the creators of and authorities on more
than two hundred classic and emerging beauty brands sold at Sephora,
including LORAC, Smashbox, Too Faced, Dr. Perricone, Frédéric Fekkai,
and many, many more.
Each chapter is designed to mimic a
Sephora store's "try everything" vibe while revealing the finest beauty
tips and tricks for getting creative with cosmetics. From an A-to-Z
glossary of terms and ingredients and a shopping guide to the best
products, to detailed explanations of how to properly use cosmetic
tools, Sephora is the complete beauty package that no woman will want to be without.

Biography

Melissa Schweiger is a freelance writer and editor. Her articles have appeared in Women's Wear Daily, Interview, Marie Claire, Redbook, Hamptons, Seventeen, and In Style, and on Sephora.com. Most recently, she was a fashions feature editor at Marie Claire. Prior to that, she was a beauty editor at Sephora.