This morning I tried this one. I have two pilates DVDs so far and this is my favorite. I really like it.

Could you please share or recommend any DVDs, etc.? I've never heard of either of these. Quick and efficient is very appealing. :D I searched Tabata on amazon and came up with some Amy Dixon DVDs. Is that right? Do you have any favorites? Guess I need to go and see some on collagevideo and see if they're suitable for me. Knee and ankle injuries are always concerns of mine. Thank you. :)

I just know that dh and I will love these. Hope we can find them somehow. We don't have PBS and I so miss it. Are these inappropriate for children ages 12 and 13? Our children can handle almost anything. They've seen Roots and that's quite difficult and very painful to see. Thank you.

Melissa, Red Velvet tastes chocolate-y. :) The first time I tried it was just a few years ago. I think it's more common in the U.S. Thank you all so much. :)

Bill, you're making me giggle about the Kashk :smilielol5:. Me, I could do with some Kashk-e-Bademjoon right now. :D Well, so far, the Cheesecake is winning. :) We had a similar one, but I swear this one looks better, at Cheesecake Factory last year. So very, very good ...

Thank you for this. I used to be fully on top of it when it came to perfume. I knew each and every one. Then once I stopped buying magazines that carry samples and so on, I really am out of touch with the new stuff. This is a great idea. :) Wow :D. You are gold. Thank you. :grouphug: I loathe Chanel. Anything by Chanel. Some of my favorites: Crabtree and Evelyn Rose Pleasures by Estee Lauder Eternity by Calvin Klein Michael by Michael Kors Marc Jacobs (not sure which one, maybe it's just the one called Marc Jacobs - had it a few years ago) Beauty by Kate Spade - sadly, I don't think they make this anymore J’Adore by Christian Dior Hot Couture DKNY Be Delicious

Dh's birthday is coming up and he loves Red Velvet. He also loves cheesecake. No, this won't be his birthday cake. This is a dessert for that week. I want to surprise him. I don't want anything that's overly complicated or time-consuming. A little bit of time - fine, but I don't want it to be a full-day affair if you KWIM. Obviously, I would like it to taste yummy. :D Red Velvet Cheesecake - looks great and is the most time-consuming of the three. But really, it does look delish. :D I know that dh would love it. ---- Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake Brownies - much simpler and quicker - not as fancy as the one above ---- Red Velvet and Strawberry Trifle - he loves trifle - but this is not nearly as fancy, I think, as the other two. I mean, it has yogurt as one of the ingredients for crying out loud :lol:. ---- Thank you so much. :)

I like the Love and Logic series. Guess I need to re-read those. :tongue_smilie: The older my dc get, the less I'm able to stomach parenting books. They make me feel so bad and so incompetent. :confused: These days, I just prefer to laugh a lot, hug them, love them, and use basic common-sense. If I were to pick just one easy parenting book to read, it would be this one. I love her style. I have her other book and seriously need to order this one. It's less than $5. :D The author is the one who wrote that lovely poem that so many of us are familiar with. Her books are based on this poem. This thread has inspired me to go ahead and order that book. :D

:iagree: Here are my notes on that: Eyebrows are very important. Having well-groomed eyebrows makes you look more put-together even if, like me, you don't wear make up. I used to have my naturally thick and bushy brows waxed once a month. Now that I’m in my 40s, my brows are thinning and don’t really need to be waxed anymore, but she does tweeze a few and trim most of them to give them a good shape. If waxing is a splurge, then after professional waxing you can maintain the shape yourself by regular tweezing afterwards. Charla Krupp says that getting your eyebrows done is like a 15-minute facelift. It can really lift up your face. Finally, don’t pluck out any gray hairs, since brows thin with age and you might wind up with no brows at all. :confused: I respectfully disagree. I come from a culture where we were all told to never, ever shave our thighs. At the age of 13, with thighs that were beginning to look like King Kong as far as hairiness goes, I couldn't understand the logic behind that at all. Lo and behold, we moved to Grenada and beach time. My very good friend from Tennessee told me that she shaved her thighs. I said, "What?! You shave your THIGHS?!!! How could you?" It was too funny. Until then, I had been under the impression that the world will come to an end if you shave your thighs. I shaved from then on. Never listened to my mom and never, ever regretted. She was blond and fair, mind you. I'm dark-haired as you can see. Not shaving my thighs would be an absolute disaster. :tongue_smilie: :iagree: I hardly ever do gold. I'm a winter and silver looks better on me. My book arrived yesterday afternoon. I love it. Yes, this edition is old ... very, very old. But this is the one to get. The advice is timeless for the most part. There's a lot of info there. I would think you're an autumn, but I'd have to see you. I'm no expert. Just read a lot, lot, lot about this through the years, and had someone come and give us a seminar back in the days ... I love this stuff. The book is worth getting, IMHO. The swatches are helpful too, if one can afford them. I wish the swatches were less expensive.

Yes, that is funny :D. Hope you find your DVD soon. Gosh, what to do, what to do? Decisions, decisions :tongue_smilie:. All of the above sound so good, other than needing to see a T-Tapp trainer. Not possible for me considering where we live. :confused: In an ideal world, I would love to have T-Tapp, ballet, pilates, and a bunch of other stuff. No boredom, tons of variety, what more could we ask for? :D Good to hear that about the Clarisonic. I'll let you know about the ballet DVDs. Haven't received them yet. Should be here in a few weeks' time. I have 2 Pilates DVDs and so far I've only done one which I like a lot. Will share more later. Off to get dinner ready. I LOVE this thread. :)

Most who may mistakenly believe that they're winters think that these colors look best on them. There was an episode on an autumn like this on What Not to Wear a while back. She felt that she looked great in black and would pretty much only wear black. Most women think that the above colors look best on them. Most women think they look fabulous in black. Even if you're an autumn, doesn't mean you should never wear these colors. The right colors for you are the ones that would look best on you when they're close to your face. You could still wear black/navy/red etc. pants or skirts. You would just look better in the right colors for you when they're close to your face especially. Hope I'm making sense. I'm waiting for my book to arrive. I had it, but I lost it some years ago in a hurricane. Yes, do feel free to PM me anytime.

I've been wanting one so bad for the longest while. :) :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: on all the above. I seldom blow dry (as in never), but when I want to look nice, I do use a good flat iron. I've gone back and forth on whether I should get this or not. I think I would be a T-Tapp failure :confused: ... is it user-friendly? Sorry to sound shallow/ picky/mean - but ever since someone on another board mentioned how annoyed she was by her cadence and eyebrows, I can't seem to get that out of my mind. But ... if it works AND is user-friendly, I'm open. My current obsessions are ballet-based workouts and pilates. :)

I posted many, many tips on previous threads about this and hope that some of it helps. Chris posted a link to one of those threads. One of the many reasons that we start to lose hair as we age is impaired circulation. My beautician reminded me of this. I already knew it, but it was a much-needed reminder. She suggested the following and I swear I can tell a difference when I do this regularly. I massage my scalp for several minutes before shampooing. Then after rinsing hair with cold water, rub scalp vigorously with fingers. The scalp should be rubbed vigorously till it starts to tingle with the heat. It will energize the circulation of blood in the scalp, making the hair grow healthy, and strengthening the hair follicles This should be done for 10-15 minutes until you start to feel hot there. Yes, it takes time, but trust me, it's worth it. :) ---- Other tips to boost scalp circulation and thereby help with hair loss: Massage Scalp 1-3 Times a Day Press the bristles of your brush on your scalp and make several strokes from your hairline to the base of your neck. Then make small circles over your entire scalp. Alternate these methods for 90 seconds. My mom does this and has noticed a difference: Massage your scalp with a mixture of essential oils daily for at least 7 months. Add 8 drops each of Rosemary, Thyme, and Lavender essential oils to 8 ounces of shampoo. Pour a small amount of the mixture into your hands and rub it into your hair, gently massaging your scalp. Let the mixture sit for three minutes and rinse thoroughly. Massage the scalp with a mixture of 1 tbsp olive oil and 15 drops of rosemary essential oil. This helps to improve circulation to the scalp and nutrient flow to the hair follicles. Frederic Fekkai More Nighttime Follicle Boosting Treatment from sephora.com - amazon has it also The niacin-derived compounds stimulate blood flow and activate cell receptors that influence hair growth. After applying these compounds for 6 months, 69 percent of women with hair loss saw significant increases in fullness. Some say this - I haven't yet tried it. Massage almond oil on scalp 2-3 times a day, daily. This will stop further hair loss.

My first thought ... autumn, but I'd have to see you. Feel free to either post or PM me your picture if you wish. But I believe that you're autumn. What made you think that you were winter? Maybe you're right after all.

I think, IMHO, you're most likely a winter. I've read this book many times and once went to listen to a speaker on this. I'm not an expert, I'm just usually pretty accurate when determining what seasons people are.

Yes, I read this yesterday and also saw this on What Not to Wear. :iagree: Love this thread. I've been compiling a very long word document with tips from here, my own experience and knowledge, and other sources. My document is mostly on beauty. I'll be working on the fashion/style one next. :) I just got 2 books in the mail that I'm excited about. I already have both of Charla Krupp's books and I highly recommend those. She's fabulous. The books I got that I can't wait to read are: Dress Your Best - love What Not to Wear - dd and I love watching the show together. and thanks to recommendations here The Lucky Shopping Manual. From my pinterest board. I love her look - I hope to be this glamorous someday. :)

About a month - due to a hurricane

Added it to my wish list. Thank you. :D

Can't wait to see these and hopefully get them. :D Thank you for this thread. We love HP. Went to Platform 9 3/4 while in London and went to Privet Drive. :) This is one of my favorites and so true about me. I keep saying it like Snape. :lol: Driving my family nuts. :D I have an entire pinterest board dedicated to HP and can share more if anyone's interested. Don't get me started. :D

Okay, you're right. Since it's not fire-engine red, yes, it will look great. :)

Well, it's not that big of a deal really, and I'm sure you looked great regardless :D of your choice. I just no longer wear red and black if I can help it. I used to wear them a lot together.

Stacia, The Orientalist looks very interesting. :) I'm on the very last chapter of Mindset. Dh is listening to it on audio books. I have a rather fixed mindset about many things and have much to learn :tongue_smilie:. Will be taking lots of notes once I finish reading it. Dh has a growth mindset about most things. Mind you, he's also taking notes. :D This book is fabulous. I highly recommend it to those who love Outliers. There's much more to this book than the chart below.

Any form of stress can increase the blood pressure, but obviously chronic stress is the most harmful, because it’s not a temporary condition. You need to set aside time to use some form of daily stress reduction like deep breathing, meditation, or prayer. Not dashing off a quick note to God to ask for calmness, but rather taking 10-30 minutes a day to do some form of active stress reduction. Do something on a regular basis to lower your stress. Laughter – funny movies, books, and looking at the humorous side of things, even in the midst of tragedy Take a night out – movies, concerts, plays, artistic events, and even sporting events – these have been found in a major study to have a strong influence on longevity Togetherness – just being with friends and loved ones Positive, Proactive Approach – If necessary, get professional help to overcome excessive negativity or fatalism Hypertension is a common symptom of a congested lymphatic system. Things that help to clear up the lymphatic system and that should be done very regularly: Rebounding Deep Breathing – few minutes morning and evening Dry Body Brushing Massage and/or Reflexology Swinging Only small, frequent meals should be eaten The way you sleep may also be important in helping control high blood pressure. Try sleeping with the head end of your bed elevated 8 to 12 inches above the foot end (use concrete building blocks). On rising, sit up slowly and dangle your feet over the edge of the bed for a few moments before standing. Those who get 5 or fewer hours of sleep a night are twice as likely to develop hypertension compared to those who get 7 hours. Don’t lift anything heavy Try talking less. Virtually any communication can raise blood pressure. Speaking can cause blood pressure to increase by 10 to 50 percent. Classical Music – If you listen to 12 minutes of classical music just 3 times a week, in 4 months your systolic (upper) blood pressure may be 7 to 9 mmHg lower. Sit up straight and improve your posture. Your blood pressure can drop by up to 40% as a result of acupuncture! Don’t smoke – obviously Drink hard water, not soft water. Soft water leaches heavy metals like lead out of pipes and faucets. Calcium and magnesium make water hard. Your body needs both of them. Why put toxic metals into your body when you could put essential minerals in it instead? Drinking hard water is associated with lower blood pressure, possibly because of its magnesium content. The toxins in soft water can contribute to high blood pressure. If you have a water softener, buy bottled water for cooking and drinking. BOOK “The High Blood Pressure Solution†by Dr. Richard Moore

REGULAR EXERCISE 30 minutes of mild to moderate aerobic exercise done for 3-6 days a week can lower your blood pressure. If you think you have no time, ask yourself if you have time to recover from heart disease, or if you have time to spend sitting in doctors’ offices With high blood pressure, the priority is relaxation. Intense, unpleasant exercise can actually increase stress levels and even blood pressure in the long term. It’s far better to exercise at an easier pace but for a longer time. Build up your exercise levels gradually and slowly if you’re just starting out. A brisk walk is enough. Walking is very beneficial in reducing systolic blood pressure. Gentle Rebounding Many yoga poses and the regular practice of yoga help relieve symptoms of high blood pressure. Yoga is fabulous for high blood pressure. Do housework. Doing roughly 50 minutes of housework daily can lower blood pressure. Housework is great exercise, plus living in a clean, organized home can help reduce stress. Breathe deeply. Slow breathing and practices such as yoga or tai chi decrease stress hormones, which elevate rennin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure. Try 5 minutes of deep breathing every morning and night. Inhale deeply and expand your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension.

Niacin reduces high blood pressure You can’t get enough niacin in your diet to achieve blood pressure benefits To gain a cardiovascular benefit, you need at least 500 mg. At this dosage, many commonly experience flushing, which subsides within an hour. So, it’s best to avoid taking it right before leaving the house or going to sleep. These symptoms can be minimized if the niacin is taken with aspirin or a meal. In fact, flushing is a positive sign that blood vessels are dilating in response to the niacin, and patients who flush ultimately raise their HDLs and lower their triglycerides more than those who don’t flush. Niacin is more effective than niacinamide. CAUTION: Do not take more than 2000 mg daily. Very high doses can damage the liver. One capsule of 500 mg per day is the usual recommendation. Be careful if you have prediabetes or diabetes. Niacin can raise levels of blood glucose. This effect is generally mild, though, and doesn’t outweigh its heart-protecting benefits. But it’s good to consult with your doctor before taking it. Also use caution if pregnant, have glaucoma, gout, liver disease, or peptic ulcers.