By mid-February, the winter weather will have taken its toll on millions of hands across the country. Whether you suffer from brittle nails that are constantly breaking or hands that feel like sandpaper (and may even crack and bleed, they’re so dry- gross!), there’s no reason you should let Jack Frost win. Winter storms may be harsh, but with a little extra effort, you can keep your soft, delicate hands year round!

1. Drink enough water.

You’re giving the weather a head start if you don’t properly hydrate yourself. Just because you’re not sweating from the summer heat doesn’t mean you can cut down on your h20 intake. Continue to drink plenty of water, and limit your fizzy soft drinks and alcohol, which will dehydrate you faster than you can say “blizzard.”

2. Invite skin care into the shower.

One thing’s inevitable: you have to shower, right? So purchase soaps and body wash that won’t dry you out. According to About.com, bar soaps are more likely to dry out your skin, whereas emollient-rich cleansers will actually battle the effects of dry skin. Try Dove Delicate Cream Body Wash, or look for the word “butter,” as in “Shea Butter,” “Cocoa Butter,” or just plain “Body Butter” when you’re selecting your next lather. Your hands feel the cleansers you use the most, since they are slathering the stuff all over your bod. Read More »

Oh Valentines (read: Singles Awareness) Day.  Isn’t it grand? Watching your friends get flowers, chocolates, presents and fancy dinners.  You don’t have to be bitter even if you are the only lonely girl on your hall this year. You can fully delight in the romance that your friends get to enjoy, (they deserve something special) and at the same time pamper someone who truly deserves it – YOU.

If all your friends have dates, or even if you just prefer to go it alone for V-Day here are some great ways to treat yourself like a goddess! Your Valentines Day can be filled with chocolates, champagne and flowers without any help from a man.

Lush Ma Bar Bubble Bar – $7.65 lush.com

Lush’s Bubble Bars are super fun and decadent. It’s just like a bubble bath, only you crumble it under running water and, as it dissolves, your tub fills with bubbles.  They are hand-made with all natural vegan ingredients! While they come in all sorts of fun scents and shapes, the Ma bar Bubble Bar is perfect for your V-Day celebration because it combines decadent chocolate and toffee flavors.  Who needs a heart shaped box of Russell Stovers when you can soak in this deliciousness all night? Read More »

[Welcome to my Weekly Love List. A list on all things I love, because if I love them - well then obviously you may (and should) love them too. As the Backstreet Boys song says (and yes I am actually quoting them) “My Love is All I Have To Give.” So with that throwback, here are this week’s list-worthy things…]

1. The Poo Calendar. There is no better way to start off the day than with a laugh. And there is no better laugh than the one that comes from discussing poo. Thankfully, now you can start off your day with a factoid about all things poo. A poo’toid if you will… With the “What’s Your Poo Telling You? Daily Calendar” They are not kidding when they write, “Who knew you could learn so much from poo?”

2. Crabtree and Evelyn Body Butter. It’s all natural, it smells heavenly and it makes your skin less like a dinosaur and more like a baby’s butt. What’s not to love about that? Not a thing. Not a thing at all.

3. Core Fusion Body Sculpt DVD. I have been going to Core Fusion classes at Exhale Spa in Chicago for almost a year. Their classes kick your ass. Hard. I am sore just thinking about it. But the results are more worth it than that large cheese pizza you housed when you got home from the bar last weekend (although that was worth it, too). And now, for those of you who don’t live where Core Fusion is offered, there is a DVD to give you the same kick-ass class (and results) in your own apartment. So push that Pizza box aside and start moving! Read More »

The other day, a friend of mine started digging on one of her biggest pet peeves. “I HATE products that make you smell like food,” she complained. “I mean, who wants to go around smelling like a chocolate bar? It’s something you eat, not something you wear.”

She made it sound like such a clear-cut issue that I kept nodding and agreeing all through her diatribe—but then, as she reached the end, I realized that my bathroom cabinet is stocked with a lot of products that smell like food. I like those products.

The reason I didn’t voice (or even realize) my disagreement until she had gone on about the subject for several minutes was that I don’t even consider a vanilla-scented lotion or a mango shampoo to be food-like products. They’re made of chemicals, after all, so they don’t smell exactly like real vanilla or real mangoes. Even if they did, though, I still don’t think I would have a problem with them. Read More »