Tag Archives: new years

Dec29

Explore A Brand New You In 2017: How To Get And Stay Healthy

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It’s almost the start of a brand new year, which means – of course! – it’s time to start making those New Year’s resolutions. Here are some tips on how to get healthy in 2017…

Change Your Eating Habits: If you’re planning on losing weight by going on a diet, the first thing to remember is that if you suddenly change everything you eat, you probably won’t be able to maintain that diet for very long. First of all, cut down on snacking between meals – start meal planning and making sure that you eat a good breakfast, lunch, and dinner to make sure that you don’t get hungry during the day. Go for lean proteins and plenty of leafy green vegetables, but don’t cut out sugar and carbs entirely as it’ll be too restrictive. Remember that moderation is the key to success.

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Veg out in 2017

Start Gently Exercising: If you aren’t used to doing all that much exercise, now is the time to start! You don’t have to go the gym for hours to get fit. Start off by taking more walks – instead of going in the elevator, try to take the stairs. Or, if you get public transport to and from work, get off the train a stop early and walk for a little more time every day. Not only will you drop some pounds but you’ll also find that you might feel stronger and develop more stamina. If you’re finding it hard to motivate yourself, why not turn exercise into something fun and sociable? Enlist a friend to go to a Zumba or yoga class with you, and go for healthy smoothies afterwards so you can catch up and have a good chat. If you’ve been thinking about getting a pet and you have the resources and time to support that, go for it – this will also help you walk more and get you out of the house.

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Give Up Your Vices: Another year older probably means that you’ve noticed changes in your health. If you’ve smoked for years, then your cough is probably getting worse and you’re more affected by winter colds than you used to be. And if you drink to excess, you might have noticed that your kidneys have started to ache as your body processes the alcohol. If you think you might be drinking too much, or if you use recreational drugs in a way that you’re finding hard to kick, don’t be ashamed – instead tackle your problem head on by investing in some quality addiction treatment.

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Treat Your Chronic Illnesses: If you suffer from a chronic illness, now is the time to get on top of it and to really start feeling healthy. Start taking care of yourself and valuing your body. If you have asthma, make sure that you take your preventative inhaler as often as you’re supposed to, and if you suffer from mental health problems, take your medication as prescribed. You should make sure that you get plenty of fresh air and exercise, while remembering that mental illness does mean that you have your limits and that you shouldn’t push yourself too hard and ultimately feel worse.

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 Here’s to a healthy 2017!

Dec22

Amazing DIY Projects You Need To Try Next Year

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Being able to make something out of practically nothing is pretty awesome isn’t it? There’s nothing more satisfying than starting out with just a few chunky pieces of wood and ending up with something super awesome to fill your home or garden with.

Furniture and decor these days is so stupidly expensive that it makes sense to do it yourself. Even the pieces that are supposed to look old and shabby cost a fortune these days, if not more, so why bother forking out all of those extra dollars when you can do it for a much cheaper price yourself?

DIY projects aren’t just great for the final result, either. You’ll have something to fill your time with, a new set of skills, and, of course, the patience of a saint afterwards. If you’ve got some spare time on your hands (or little to no spare cash), then try these DIY projects and kick start your new year in style.

  1. The Most Stylish Table Lamps You’ll Ever See: This one is actually amazingly cheap as well as super easy. If you have some spare wine glasses around the house and a few paper shades (if not, both of these items are easy to find and can literally be purchased for a few dollars), drop an LED tea light into the wineglass and cover it with a paper shade. These make the perfect dinner table lampshades that are both safe and stylish to use.
  1. A Side Table With Style: If you have some old window shutters in the garage that haven’t been used in years, then why not put them to good use? You’re clearly not going to use them for their original purpose again so, instead, make a table from them and have an amazingly quirky looking table in one of your rooms for little to no cost.

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  1. A Lick of Paint Never Did Anyone Any Harm: If you’ve opened a tin of paint recently and got all of your walls finished, then you don’t need to throw the leftovers in the bin. Paint is expensive these days so you don’t want to waste a drop! Use what’s left to freshen up the furniture around the house. Chairs, tables, display surfaces – whatever is looking a little downbeat, spruce it up in the simplest, cheapest, and easiest way possible.

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  1. A Little Woodwork Knowledge Goes a Long Way: If you’re not much of an expert where woodwork is concerned, then don’t worry because that doesn’t need to stop you from having great wooden furniture in your home. Simple projects like a stowaway bench will bring character to the kitchen or garden play area. For tips on what sort of equipment you’ll need to get the job done properly, check out Straight Kerfs’ homepage.
  1. Make Your Decor Pop With Mini Bursts of Color: If you find that your all white furniture leaves your home looking a little boring, then there’s no need to go out and spend a fortune on replacing it all. Simply cover the metal or wooden handles with patterned fabric swatches. You can mix or match and have your home looking far more colorful at the cost of just a few dollars.
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    Bring on the color for a fun new look!

How do you DIY? What is one DIY project that you’re really proud of? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec21

How To Enter Into The New Year With A Fresh Perspective

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How To Enter Into The New Year With A Fresh Perspective

Each time a brand new year comes around, we can often go into a panic about how the next twelve months are going to be. The idea of resolutions start to be thrown around and we instantly think about all of the crazy things we need to do to better ourselves. But, a lot of the time, they can be far too crazy, indeed. After the parties wind down, it is likely that you’ll think about the future. But, instead of thinking up tough resolutions that you just can’t stick to, why not realistically decide what you want to do with the rest of the year?

Decide What You Want: The first job on the list will be to decide what you want to get out of the next twelve months. This can be entirely personal to you but it has to be achievable. You don’t want to set yourself insane targets of looking like a Victoria’s Secret model and becoming the boss of your own fashion empire, all within a year. Instead, you need to prioritize what really matters to you.

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Focus On You: When you’ve figured it out, it’s time to turn your time and attention on to yourself. You might be used to focusing on others, but that’s all about to change. From now on, you’re going to work on you. Start by setting some personal goals and coming up with an action plan with steps on how to tick each goal off. It might sound complicated, but a concrete plan will help you to see it through.

Rest More: It might sound like you’re going to be working harder in the New Year with your personal goals and action plan, but that’s not the overall idea. Instead, you want to walk into the new year with an open mind and a better perspective on life. And that includes taking a time out. You need to be able to rest more, relax, and recover. Nobody can take on the world if they’re tired and overworked.

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Head In The Right Direction: Then, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re heading in the right direction. It will depend entirely on what goals you’ve set, but you should be able to measure how well you’re doing, no matter what they are. If it’s relationship related, maybe you need to socialize more or work on being a kinder person? If it’s career focuses, then maybe you need to get in touch with Recruitment Services and look into getting a new job? Whatever the action is, make sure you take it.

Enjoy More: And finally, what would gaining a fresher perspective on life be without a little fun? As well as driven and focused, you also need to be happy. Try and make sure that you leave enough time for fun in your life. Whatever your hobby may be, make sure that you stick to it. Make plans with friends, see family, and never feel bad for enjoying your life. You only get the one, so make it count.

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Oct31

Get The Body You’ve Always Wanted in 2017

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Get The Body You’ve Always Wanted in 2017

With 2017 just around the corner, it’s almost time for the annual outpouring of “new year, new me” Facebook posts. Most of these resolutions will be ancient history for most within a week but if you are serious about making some real changes in your health, keep on reading!

Get The Body You’ve Always Wanted in 2017:

As the year comes to an end, it’s a great chance to start reflecting and evaluating how things are going in our lives. Are you on track to achieving your goals? Are you happy? While any day is a good day to make a positive change, the promise of a new year can really give you the motivation you need.

So if things have gone a little off track, you’ve fallen into a rut, or things aren’t progressing the way you want- plan to start fresh in January. Weight and fitness are common resolutions and for good reason; there are few things more important than health. After an indulgent festive season, there’s no better time than to buckle down and do what you need to do. Here are some tips to scoring the body you’ve always wanted in 2017.

Start by Detoxing: After too much alcohol, sugar, saturated fat, and all round unhealthy indulgence over Christmas, starting off your healthy lifestyle with a detox is an excellent way to go. A few days of just fruits and vegetables can help to cleanse and replenish your system. It can ‘reset’ your appetite if you’ve been eating too much and generally provide your body with a massive boost of nutrients. Stock up on fresh produce (organic if possible) and consume it as juices, smoothies, or just as it is. After a few days, gradually introduce different foods back into your diet such as healthy whole grains, lean meat, and low-fat dairy.

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YUM!

Adopt a Healthy, Well Balanced Eating Plan: Once you have finished your detox, start eating a regular healthy diet. We all know what we should and shouldn’t be eating- avoid fried, fatty, and processed foods and incorporate plenty of fresh and natural produce. Include a broad range of fruits and vegetables in your diet and drink plenty of water. Try kicking your caffeine habit or at least reduce it, using healthy foods to boost your energy levels instead.

Take Some Supplements: Supplements shouldn’t be used as a substitute for a healthy diet but they’re a great way to boost it. Even with a healthy diet it can be difficult to get every vitamin and mineral you need every day so good multivitamin can make sure you’re all covered. A probiotic yogurt drink can improve gut health by increasing the levels of ‘good bacteria.’

Used properly, a supplement such as Garcinia Cambogia can help to boost your weight loss if you are overweight. This is completely safe and natural and made from a tropical fruit. It can help to reduce appetite, block your body’s ability to make fat, and even keep in check your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, too. There are lots of herbal supplements available in health food shops these days which help to target and improve different areas of the body. So it could be worth going in and having a look. For example, milk thistle is good for the liver, which is useful if you have been drinking a lot of alcohol over Christmas.

Get Serious About Exercise: The key to really improving your fitness is to find an exercise that you enjoy doing. If you know that you really hate sweating it out at the gym, your motivation is only going to last for so long. Before long you’ll be looking for reasons to skip it and might eventually stop going altogether. If you find something you enjoy and look forward to, you’re so much more likely to keep it up.

It could be a sport, an exercise class, or even working out from home. You could go swimming, to yoga, or to something more unusual like a circus skills exercise group. Try some new things and go on the search for something you love doing. Finding a reliable training partner is also beneficial. If you’re a bit self-conscious joining groups alone, you will have someone there for support. You can also motivate each other when things start getting a little harder later down the line.

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Jan4

Monday Update: New Year’s Eve Edition

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Monday Update: New Year’s Eve Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the first Monday Update of 2016! On New Year’s Eve my darling boyfriend, Kyle, took me out on the most wonderful date night ever. We enjoyed dinner at Gervasi Vineyard, where he works as the assistant manager. In our over four months of dating, I had never eaten there before – asides from food heated up in the microwave, which so doesn’t count! When Kyle told me he had made New Year’s Eve reservations for us I was beyond excited! Take a look at us being a cute couple and then let’s discuss:

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^^^ I love us!!!

Gervasi Vineyard is one of the most gorgeous eateries in the Akron/Canton, Ohio area. There are three restaurants on the property, Tuscan style villas to stay in, an apple orchard, a beautiful lake, and of course – their vineyard! Kyle has been working there for close to five years and is amazing at his job. I kept telling myself it was only a matter of time until we had a special dinner there, so as I mentioned before, I was so thrilled when he told me about our reservations!

The entire night was so fun and even just getting ready to go to our 6:15 reservation was a treat. I got to help pick out Kyle’s outfit for the evening and it was so cool! Haha, I always love exploring a new wardrobe! We got dressed to the nines and made our way to the restaurant, which he lives very close to. We were the perfect amount of fashionably early for our table and got seated right away so we could begin our meal.

One thing (of many) that I love about Kyle, is that no matter what restaurant we go to, he always plans the dishes that I can eat ahead of time by researching their menu because I’m a strict vegetarian. Since we were on his home territory, however, he spent the whole car ride there describing all of the different things that I could order. Believe me, by the time that we were seated I was drooling like a dog in front of a tub of peanut butter. Classy! 😉

Thanks to Kyle’s expert descriptions of all of my options, I didn’t even have to look at the menu to know what I wanted. For our first course, I chose their butternut squash soup and Kyle got the apple salad. We also ordered a bottle of their sparkling white wine to enjoy with our meal. Butternut squash is my all time favorite kind of soup and it was seriously the best bowl I’ve ever had. It was so creamy and perfectly seasoned and it was so worth the four month wait to try it out!

For our entrees, Kyle ordered the lobster gnocchi and I opted for their linguini with an aglio e olio sauce topped with fresh spinach and arugula. While we waited for the main course we were serenaded by the saxophone player who was performing in the restaurant and it was all so very romantic! Our entrees came very quickly and they were to die for – just like the entire meal!

We finished the main course in record timing and then ordered a small dish of their bread pudding for dessert. We could barely finish half of the serving before tapping out but it was delicious! It had a caramel sauce and rum ice cream to top if off and it’s safe to say that I was in carbohydrate heaven! Once we completed the three course meal, I felt like I was going to explode from my belly full of food. I also was wearing a skirt that wasn’t very forgiving so I’m sure the whole restaurant got a nice view of my big ol’ gut! 😉

To finish our night, Kyle and I went to Giant Eagle after we decided that we could move again and purchased a bottle of champagne to toast with. It was around eight thirty when we got home and after a glass or two of champagne and a few episodes of Malcolm in the Middle, I was beyond ready for bed. I ended up falling asleep at nine thirty, well before the commemoration of the new year at midnight!

By the time I woke up the next morning, I felt like such a goon for falling asleep so early and missing what would have been our first new year’s kiss together. Lucky for me, I have a boyfriend who’s always coming up with sweet surprises for his girl! Kyle showed me a poorly lit but super cute picture that he took of him giving my sleeping self a kiss on the forehead at midnight for proof that I still got my new year’s kiss. How lucky am I? Very. ❤

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: New Year’s Eve Edition! My evening was straight out of a fairy tale and I’ll never forget it. I hope all of you had just as great of a time celebrating! How did everyone ring in the new year? Is there a place similar to Gervasi Vineyard in your neck of the woods? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love and happy 2016. -Sarah

Jan2

Best Friend Christmas Haul

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Best Friend Christmas Haul

Helloooo everyone and happy 2016! My best friend, Lea, and I were a little bit late in celebrating Christmas with each other but it finally happened this past week and it was glorious! We had such a wonderful time opening our presents, eating Taco Bell, and girl talking to our hearts content. Take a look at what I was gifted with by my darling:

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From Lea I got:

  • A cozy fleece blanket (which I’m wrapped in right now!)
  • A to go coffee mug (which I’m obsessed with)
  • A Starbucks mini ornament
  • Bath & Body Works lotion
  • A coffee mug filled with bath and body products

I love everything that Lea got me so much but honestly I didn’t need anything from her. Our over seven years of best friendship is enough for me! It was a bit funny opening our gifts, however, because we got each other very similar presents. I got my girl a new mug and bath and body care goodies, as well, among other things! We seriously know each other too well and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I’m so looking forward to a new year full of hang outs with my best girlfriend and I’m so thankful for her friendship and the beautiful Christmas gifts I received! You’re such a doll and I love you, Lea!! ❤

I hope everyone is having a wonderful new year’s weekend! Make sure you tune in with me for this week’s Monday Update so I can tell you about how I rung in the new year! Until then, how did everyone celebrate the arrival of 2016? Who has been doing some last minute Christmas gifting to your friends and family? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan1

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

Helloooo everyone and Happy New Year!!! I’m actually prewriting this, so technically I’m still in 2015! 😉 I’m not really one to post some type of sappy “new year, new me” article so this will just be a brief post to wish all of you an amazing start to 2016. I hope that you succeed at whatever goals or resolutions you made for yourself. I hope that 2016 brings you happiness, laughter, and good health. And I hope all of you have a wonderful time ringing in the new year with your friends and family! TURN UP!!!!

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I get to celebrate the new year with my darling beau, Kyle! He made dinner reservations to Gervasi Vineyards, the restaurant that he works at. I’m pretty stoked because even though we’ve been dating for a while, I still haven’t ate there! This will be my first New Year’s Eve where I have a boyfriend to kiss at midnight rather than a bottle of booze! Score!!

Dec29

New Coat Heaven!

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New Coat Heaven!

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! On Christmas day I died and found myself in New Coat Heaven. If you read yesterday’s Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition, you’ll know that my parents gifted me with a gorgeous new coat. If you didn’t know that – then now you know! I am so madly in love with my new beauty from Target that I just had to give it some extra special attention in today’s post. Take a look at this bad boy:

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^^^ Swoon. ❤

I’ve had my eyes on this stunning knee length coat from Target for over two months but it was quite expensive so I never would have bought it for myself. While my mom and I went on one of our monthly Target excursions, I pointed the coat out to her and tried it on. I modeled the coat, expressed my desperate interest, and then hung it up and put it away so we could continue our shopping. That shopping trip was Operation: Planting the Seed.

And believe me, the seed in my mother’s brain was planted, alright. When I was gifted with the Corella Deville coat on Christmas day, my mom told me that the day after our outing she went out and bought it for me for one of my presents. She said that if she didn’t do it right away then she would have forgotten the size I needed and she didn’t want it to get sold out. What a lady! ❤

I’ve been planning outfits in my head around this knock out of a coat for days now. The unveiling of my new winter garb will take place on New Year’s Eve, when Kyle and I go out for a date night to ring in 2016. I’m going to pair it with a beautiful, knee length, floral dress along with a killer pair of heels and of course, a bright red lip! Be on the look out for pictures!!

I really am in New Coat Heaven and I’m so thankful for the amazing gift compliments of my mom and dad! Who received new clothes for Christmas? What about new jewelry or accessories? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec24

New Year, New Look

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New Year, New Look

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! I’ve been itching to do something fun to my hair (no, not dye it!) and I think I found the perfect style to do that with. Take a look:

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^^^ Isn’t that gorgeous?!

The thing about my hair, is that it’s incredibly thick. This is absolute torture for me because I like my hair to be really sleek. My beloved hair stylist, Anna, and I have played around with different methods to get rid of the bulk of my hair during each cut but it always seems to grow back with a vengeance. After taking that situation for what it is, I started playing around with styles that will “remove” the thickness from my hair and give me something really sharp and edgy.

I knew that I absolutely did NOT want to do anything like shaving the sides, so then I decided that cornrows or braids would be a good way to go. To have a somewhat permanent twist on both sides of my head would eliminate the problem of what Anna and I call the “bubble”. The bubble effect happens what my hair starts poofing from the thickness and NOTHING makes it better!

What really drew me to the style that I found, though, was the fauxhawk. I’ve wanted my hair like that for ages but I always thought that it wasn’t long enough. Despite the appearance of a short haired cut, my hair still reaches my collarbones, aside from the back of my hair which is cropped nice and tight. The back of my hair has always been a problem for me, as well, because once it starts growing in, it looks like a straight up mullet – and not in the Uncle Jesse on Full House cute way. This style should help ease that unfortunate issue as well.

Everything about this New Look for the New Year sounds like the answer to my hair related prayers and I’m ready for something fresh and new. I’ve really liked the way that I’ve had my hair, but it’s been basically the same all year and I really want an edgy change. And can you imagine how dope this style will look with my bright red hair? Dayum!

I would never do such a drastic change without the 100% approval and professional opinions of my stylist, so I posted the picture I posted above on her wall on Facebook. Anna was in love right away so the new style is a go! Once everything slows down a little after Christmas, I’ll hit up the salon to get it done. I’d like to have it done before New Years though so I can have my new hair when Kyle takes me on our New Year’s Eve date!

I’m ready to ring in the New Year with a New Look and I’m so excited!! What are your plans for the new year? Who’s going to treat themselves to a new look for 2016? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan1

New Year’s Celebration!

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New Year’s Celebration!

Hello one and all and Happy New Year!!!!! Whatuppppp 2015! I had a hell of a time bringing in the new year with my sister Kristen, her boyfriend Ramon, and a great group of friends. Best believe that white girl wastedness was a very real thing last night. I thought I’d upload some pictures of my new years fun, while nursing a slight hangover. -_____-

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Unfortunately all of the other pics that I have from last night are of me doing a keg stand which is not about to go up on the internet any time soon! I was actually really hyped on that because it was my first time keg standing (Do people say that? They do now.) and I lasted a whole EIGHT SECONDS! Not bad, right? Maybe? I don’t know! Best of all, I had a whole crew of people holding my dress while I was getting my keg stand on…like a real lady! 😉 Either way, it was SO MUCH FUN!!! There’s nothing that I love more than a night of frivolity with a bunch of my favorite people. I’m so thankful for the wild and safe time that was had last night. I’m especially thankful that my sister, my BFF, my one and only was my New Year’s kiss!!!

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^^^^^ Speaking of my one and only!!!! I made this fun little Pic Stitch sister collage! :)) Love her!!!

I hope all of you guys had a fantastic time bringing in the new year in whatever way you chose to celebrate! If you’re stuck with a hangover like I am, I feel your pain all the way from Akron, Ohio. How did you guys welcome 2015? What were you drinking on? Who was your new year’s kiss? I want to hear all about it, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Laterrrrrrrrr. -Sarah