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I’ve been really stressed the past few days, which isn’t like me.  I’m feeling the challenges of getting back into our family rhythm  and I’m looking for inspiration.  (This can only be a good thing.)  What do you do to get back into your routine after the holidays cast a haze over you?

I know one thing contributing to my stress is not feeling healthy… did anyone else overindulge over the holidays?  I have to share with you a smoothie that I love to start my day with a few times a week.  What I love about this cup of magic is that I feel better immediately after I drink it.  I buy bananas in bulk at the market and when they are ripe, slice them up, put them into tons of ziplock baggies then stash them in the freezer so I can whip these drinks up fast.  You can add as much or as little ginger as you like – the more the merrier for me. I just eye the amounts until I get a thick milkshake consistency, yum.

refreshing mouth party

1-2 sliced bananas, frozen
about 1 cup crushed ice
1/2-1 cup carrot juice
1 chunk of peeled fresh ginger coarsely chopped (this is the confetti)

Toss ingredients into blender until smooth.

Being a natural redhead, I’ve always been super intimadited with red lipstick. Believe me, I’ve tried a lot of them over the years – and never felt like I could pull it off.  But I was recently in Sephora picking up my favorite lotion and decided to try some on, one last time. I walked up to the first pretty shade of red I saw (Leading Lady by Lorac) and boldly put it on my lips with no abandon, just like a movie star from 1940s might have worn hers.  And what do you know… it didn’t fight with my hair, compete with my eyes or make me feel like running to the nearest bathroom to immediately wash it off.

I even feel a little bit glamourous wearing it.

Maybe this little tip will help you to finding your perfect shade. The general rule with red lipstick is if your complexion has pink tones to it, you’ll look better in plum shades, while girls with yellow tones are flattered by warmer reds that have a brown base.  With redheads it gets a bit more specific and if you have coloring like me (red hair and blue eyes) it seems tricky.  It’s actually best to look to your shade of hair for guidance—red hair either has a warm or a cool base. If you have an orange red hair, go with the warmer colored lipstick with brown in it and if you have darker, cooler hair, go with the blue-based lipstick.

I can’t wait to live off of my soup and stew recipes as the weather is getting colder.  I can read cookbooks like novels and devour the good ones from cover to cover in one sitting, especially if they feature great food photography.  I just bought a Nava Atlas cookbook and it looks pretty promising so far.  What are your favorite cookbooks? Any that you can recommend?

i loved this tip featured in domino magazine on how to create your own lipstick palette from all your almost gone, barely there lipstick tubes. not only will this make you feel like a backstage pro, but it will spring clean your drawers and all that clutter in your bag, and you might be surprised at how much product you can still use when the tube is ready to hit the trash. simply scoop out the remaining amount and microwave each individual color in a small creamer or pitcher (easy for pouring) until just melted. then pour into a palette compartment, arrange in colors to suit your style. add a lipstick brush and you’re all set!

watch the video tutorial presented by domino beauty editor sophie schulte-hillen right here. pretty blank palettes can be bought at naimies, or you could repurpose a medicine pill box, bead organizer, or an inexpensive watercolor box found at art supply stores (just be sure that the lid is air tight!)

at your request, i’ll keep this series of beauty tips rolling from time to time, you can read them all by selecting the “health & beauty” category in my sidebar —>, enjoy!

the best of the inexpensive beauty products i love to use

wet n wild nail color in blazed
why: i can’t believe how beautiful and flattering this color is! all the fashion spreads in buenos aires featured this melon luscious coral hue on models and i had the hardest time finding it until we moved back home. in a way, it reminds me of the 1950s, just a few coats on my toes and i’m deborah kerr in an affair to remember. and hey, less than a dollar.

dr. teal’s epsom salts with lavender
heaven must bathe their inhabitants in this every evening. soaking in this stuff is so good, it draws out toxins from your body and soothes skin…especially after a hard workout, and it is just so relaxing! (my husband loves to use it too.) i like the premixed bag, but lavender essential oil could easily be added to plain epsom salts and stored in your own container.

suave professionals humectant shampoo/conditioner
why: hair is truly silky soft mmm mmm. everytime i use it people want to know what perfume i’m wearing. plus, bathing with the faint smell of coconut in the winter takes me back to rio. not bad for less than three dollars, right?

cetaphil gentle skin cleanser
why: i wasn’t a believer of this stuff for a long time because i used to think that in order for a product to be effective, it had to tingle, burn, zap or sting. wrong! this is so gentle, which is especially important for troubled and sensitive skin. (harsh cleanser = dries out skin = more oil production = more acne and dry spots = more harsh cleanser, ugh & etc.) it also doubles as a really nice makeup remover too.

hope you are enjoying these, have you tried any out yet? and what are your favorites? share at least one with us…