Lately my mindset about food and health and exercise has started changing. It may be a combination of this girl’s amazing journey, my amazing fitness contributor who I LOVE to read, or watching Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, but I’m changing.

I have had 3 Diet Cokes since being back from France. **Fun Fact: Diet Coke & Pepsi products taste different in France and I hate the taste, so I never drink them when I’m abroad!** But I used to have a Diet Coke every day. EVERY DAY PEOPLE!! Do you know how bad that is for you? I don’t fully know either, but it’s not good, I can tell you that.

I haven’t gone near a McDonald’s, not even to take my kids to play, which is where I usually take them. In fact, I don’t think I’ve eaten any fast food now that I think about it!

You know what the funniest part is? I don’t even want it! 

You know what else is funny? The times I did have my Diet Coke, I felt so sick after!

So I’m changing. It’s not about weight or weight loss or some fad diet, it’s a lifestyle change. Can I honestly tell you that I’ll never drink a Diet Coke again? Nope. Will I give up my French fry habit for good? Probably not. But will the majority of my diet be fruits and vegetables, healthy whole grains and lean protein? YES!

And that’s where my change comes in. I want a life of balance. I have always said life is too short to be on a diet. I love food and I love to eat. So why am I going to spend my whole life dieting? Instead, I am going to be healthy. Intake healthier foods, exercise more, be more conscience about how I treat my body. Because I don’t mind getting older, I just want to make it as easy on myself as possible.

I started my life change with a fruit & vegetable fast. For 5 days straight I only ate or drank (blended not juiced) fruits and vegetables. Can you believe it? I can hardly believe that I made it that far. No coffee, which wasn’t too pleasant, I just really like coffee, but I replaced it with hot water with lemon. And yes, it’s not coffee, but it held off the craving for the 5 days and I have since continued to drink it in the morning!

Since doing my cleanse I have been trying to experiment with healthy, yummy meals for the whole family. Here’s what a day might look like for me.

Breakfast

This is my absolute favorite breakfast now and guess what, it’s as easy as pouring cereal into your bowl. I cook quinoa in bigger batches and store the leftover in the fridge. Then you can just dump some into your bowl in the morning. Here’s how I make mine:

• 1/2 quinoa
• 1/4 homemade granola
• 1/4 (or desired amount) homemade applesauce (or buy the natural applesauce)
• berries

I don’t ever measure, I just gave you these measurements so you can have an idea how I do it. But doesn’t that sound yummy? No added sugars or sweeteners or preservatives because I make most of it myself and BAM you have a healthy breakfast! Not to mention, it’s super easy & fast. That’s my kind of breakfast! Would you be interested in my granola recipe? It’s yummy!

Lunch/Snack

This was on a day where I worked right through lunch (I do hair and makeup for weddings) and by the time I came home it was just a couple hours before dinner. Instead of having chips or unhealthy snack like I usually do, I decided to have a yummy avocado! I absolutely love avocados and when you add some extras like these, it’s just perfect. This vinegar I used this time was strawberry balsamic and it was fabulous!

Dinner

These were oh so good. I love mushrooms. To me, they make any dish just that much better. So when I saw a recipe for portobello mushroom mini pizzas, I knew this would be a hit. It’s just whatever veggies you want chopped & sauteed together, I just did onion, tomatoes & garlic which is all I had. No store bought sauces, those veggies were enough! Then you top it with some parmigiana cheese and man, they’re good!

For the rice you start by sauteing slivered almonds in a little butter in a sauce pan. Add the right amount of water for rice you want. Then cook the rice until it’s about 5 minutes from being done & add the asparagus. It will then finish and steam the asparagus and it’s so yummy!!

So overall I’m not here to say I’ve got it all together & I’m a health nut. In fact, I still like unhealthy food. I do however, want to live an overall healthier life encourage people to try to do the same. Hopefully I can come up with some tips & tricks as I try to get it all figured out as well.

Since living in France I have seen major differences in the way we eat & live and the way the French live and eat and I’ve got to tell you, it’s totally changed my outlook on it all! The French don’t diet. In fact, some of the main things they eat are cheeses and breads and butter! They just do so in moderation, are more active, buy fresher foods, and eat larger lunches and smaller dinner (among other things). So I think I’ll post a little more often about healthy living and some yummy easy ways you can try too!

So tell me, how do you keep your family healthy? I’m always looking for tips!

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Natalia

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Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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Back to business. My hair is sometimes pretty tough. It is naturally frizzy. Not naturally curly, not naturally straight, it’s got a natural frizz/wave to it. If I let it dry naturally on it’s own or in a ponytail or bun, it’s a hot mess. Something needs to be done to it to make it look nice.

So a while back Misikko sent me the Hana Flat Iron to review. And I love it. I absolutely love it.

I haven’t had a flat itron that was any good in a while. And with the difficulty of my hair, I just never wore it straight because it would frizz out the second I stepped outside. With this flat iron It stays straight for days, I love it. With or without product, although I almost always prefer product!

I made a video so you could see the beast of a fro that I started with and how it was tamed to perfectly straight by the end of the video. I hope you enjoy and that you get a chance to check out Misikko! They have a lot ore than just flat irons, so definitely give it a looksie!

I have actually added this straightener & the heat proof pouch it came in (love it!) to my professional kit that I use with brides. It’s a perfect way to style & go when I’m on a job. It heats up really high, which I need because of the type of hair I have, but you can lower it so you don’t burn your hair off like the now-famous YouTube girl. I mean, I kinda want to burn my hair off, she was even on the Ellen show!!

So tell me, what’s your favorite, can’t-live-without hair appliance?

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Natalia

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Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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Well, two years and lots of fun, learning, friendships, opportunities later I have been presented with my biggest opportunity to date.

Tank: a-Thread // Jeans: H&M // Flats: Payless (similar & similar)

I am a panelist speaker for BlogHer 2013 Style Mini-Con in Chicago in July!!!!!

Yes, you read that right. Little ole me is going to be standing (hopefully sitting, actually) up there with Gabi from GabiFresh & Patrice from Afrobella. A speaker at BlogHer among so many other amazing men & women.

Are you kidding me??

I’m so honored.

We will be discussing how style bloggers are building rich, full careers leveraging their platforms but not relying totally on it.

I love it. I’m stoked about it. I don’t talk a lot about the business of blogging here, but I’ve been able to make an income and help support my family.

This is such a blessing. I have always wanted to be a speaker, to do something like this. And now, out of no where, I am getting my chance. I truly believe this is a gift from God and I’m not totally deserving. But he must have some different plans for me and I am open to see what they are.

For those of you who don’t know, BlogHer is the biggest network of bloggers in the world, and their conference is the biggest one held. You can obviously see why I am over the moon excited about this.

Will you be attending BlogHer ’13? If yes, let me know, I would absolutely love to meet you! And I will not be offended if you don’t come to my panel meeting.
And if you’d like to come & haven’t bought your ticket yet, I have a code for %20 off! Use the promo code BH13SPKR for 20% off a Blogger Rate registration: http://bit.ly/OvCqsL

Hope to see you there!

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Natalia

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Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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I have to add that there are really not that many “rules” I hold to so there is a lot of mixing and matching you can do. However, I do personally feel there are a couple rules that are really important:

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1. Don’t try to stuff your pseudo- skinnies into boots. Seriously, this will not achieve the look you are going for. It would be better not to tuck them in at all then to have a lot of bunching.

I know many women do not feel like they can pull of skinnies. I hear ya! But let me encourage you by saying, boots automatically undo the “pear shape” effect that skinnies can have. They will balance you out perfectly. So even if you just buy one pair a super skinnies dedicated to the days you want to wear jeans tucked into boots it will be worth it!  (side note: if you dislike the way skinnies sit on your hips, wear it with a longer shirt or tunic. Super stylish and incredibly flattering)

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2. Try not to wear flats with wide leg or flared/bell pants! This look brings me back to 7th grade when the GRUNGE look was in. That was when it was ok to have jeans 3 times too long for our legs and actually wanted the bottoms of them to get shredded and dirty…blah!

But honestly, too much material gathering up at your shoes is overwhelming and will, without a doubt make you look a little “squat.” ***There are rare exceptions to this rule. Usually when the pants/jeans are more fancy  looking and a cute little shoe peeping out the bottoms is simply perfect. If you want to wear flats but don’t know what to do with your jeans try rolling them  or “pegging” them. It’s always a cute option!

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I’m no fashion expert! These are just tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years that have helped me always feel a little more put together in this crazy mommy world I am living in Whether its the right shoes or the right necklace, my mommy uniform can always use a little pick me up!

I would LOVE a little social media love! So please, please follow me Facebook/Pinterest/YouTube/Instagram/Twitter <3<3 xoxo Christie

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Christie

Christie is a wife and mother of 3 amazing kiddos. Her youngest was born August 2012 with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. She lives with her family in sunny Southern California. She loves to share her own stories, mishaps and tips on how to feel fabulous regardless of your stage in life.

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When I cam across Land of Nod, I was smitten! They have it all, from practical to functional, to cute & fun. Everything you might need to create a perfect space for your little.

I have yet to visit a store, but I will be heading down to the grand opening of their new store in the South Coast Plaza on May 30th! I am so excited, they are going to have giveaways and free goodies and overall it’s gonna be a fun event. Not to mention all the cute stuff! I’m pretty sure I’m going to end up picking up a few pieces for my boys.

Here are some things I’ve found online that I have my eye on.

Isn’t this cute? And so easy for the kids to be able to clean up their room on their own. Cute, functional storage. I don’t know about you, but I’m no maid. My boys are learning to clean up after themselves!

Talk about functional furniture. Or this. A dresser & storage unit. I love it. Oh and you can also use it as a changing table if you have younger kids. Versatile!

I know my boys would love this. They could sit on the ground and play with cars & planes for a good amount of time. This one is cute & has houses & a lake, I love it!

If you’re on a budget but still want a super cute room for your kids, they even have an under $10 section, $10 to $25 section, & $25 to $50 section!

Actually what I’d really like is to win a room from Land of Nod. All you have to do is enter your name & e-mail and you’re entered! You can also connect with Land of Nod on Twitter & Facebook & maybe even catch some fun promotions! Or you can also drool over their amazing pins.

Are there any of you in Southern California who will be coming out to the Land of Nod grand opening? I would love to meet you!

How do you decorate your kid’s room? Do you go for functional or practical? Or maybe a mix of both? I’d love to hear!

 This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Land of Nod , but all my opinions are my own. #PMedia #NODinCA   http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

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Natalia

Owner & Author

Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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Thankfully, I have a pretty awesome husband who helps give me the time I need. When I finally get that time, here’s some things I love to do.

Bath Time

As I am sure you all know the value of bath time. I mean, it’s not just for kids! I love to just sit and relax with my bath salts & maybe if bubbles if I’m feeling fancy! It’s definitely nice to have bathroom alone time without one of your kiddos interrupting for something super important like “Hey mom, can we do something fun today?” Was that so important that you couldn’t wait until I got out of the shower?!

Paint my nails

I don’t go to the nail salon all that often. I like it, but it gets expensive the more often you go and my nails chip all the same whether I paint them at home or get them done. So I save the money & DIY it!

Here’s a tip: After the kids are in bed & you have a minute (Unless you’re too tired & just fall asleep. Definitely has happened to me!) paint a coat during the commercials of your favorite TV show. Then while the show is playing, you can watch while that coat dries! This way, you get to watch the whole show & get your nails done! Also you’re less prone to messing up your nails. I have been loving this color, so perfect for summer!

Face Mask

This is another one I like to do after I put the kids in bed. I sit in front of my computer or the TV while my face hardens up with a nice clay mask. I always feel so refreshed after I’m done! Sometimes my kids will come out of their room for something, even when they should be sleeping, and catch me like this. It can be pretty scary!

I like this clay mask and I haven’t tried this one, but I would love to. Looks wonderful!

Now I’m not gonna lie, most of my relaxing ‘me time’ activities revolve watching TV. Because you know what? By the end of the day, I’m tired. And it’s about all I have in me to just sit on the couch and watch TV. Because of course I love other mommy me time activities than sitting on the couch. I love shopping, massages, facials, hair appointments just like the next girl, but they happen few and far between. These little ones I can do myself are far more likely to happen!

And guess what? There’s a new show airing on Tuesday, June 4, at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Lifetime called Pretty Wicked Moms. It’s parenting like you’ve never seen. I got a sneak peak at the first episode and my goodness, some of these ladies are crazy. And catty. And will definitely make you feel better about being a mom!! Here’s a little preview so you can see for yourself.

Feeling better already?

So tell me, what do you do for “Mommy ‘Me Time’? I can always use some new ideas!

FTC DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT Ma Nouvelle Mode aims to provide unbiased editorials. However, I wish to disclose that from time to time I may receive free products or other compensation from companies for blogger reviews.

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Natalia

Owner & Author

Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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Okay, Tamara – take it away!

Hi! This is Tamara again, visiting from The Workout Mama on Natalia’s wonderful site! You guy’s, are you loving her new design as much as I am? It looks awesome! Today I am sharing my tips on how you can help support your digestive system and shrink that waistline. Having defined abs is great but having a healthy gut underneath that definition is even better. Below are my 5 tips on how to have a healthy tummy from the inside out.

Drink Water. Water is pretty amazing! It flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues. We lose water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements which is why it so important to stay hydrated. We have all been told to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.  If you are like me sometimes it is hard to drink water all the time. Try infusing your water with different fruit and veggies. Some of my favorite combinations include: cucumber & mint, cucumber & basil, lemon & cucumber, and orange & lemon.  Below are two special considerations to keep in mind that could factor in to your fluid intake.

Exercise: If you participate in short periods of exercise then you should increase your water consumption by 2.5 cups. Any exercise sessions over an hour is going to require more fluid and depending how intensely you are exercising may require a “sports drink” that contains sodium to replace what your body has lost. I myself prefer unflavored coconut water with an emergen-c packet added in for flavor.

Pregnant or Breastfeeding: Pregnant gals should consume eight 12-ounce glasses of water per day and after each breastfeeding session in addition to the amount of water you should already be consuming add 1 cup.

Take a Probiotic. Probiotics are “friendly bacteria” that are similar to organisms that occur naturally in the digestive tract. Certain types of probiotics have been linked to all sorts of health benefits, from helping with irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea to boosting the immune system. You can take these “friendly bacteria” as a supplement or add them into your diet with food or drink.

Chi, Chi, Chia. Is the Chia Pet song playing in your head? As amazing as it is to watch your chia pet grow on your kitchen counter it is even more amazing the nutritional punch those little seeds possess. One ounce (about 2 tablespoons) contains 139 calories, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrates and 11 grams of fiber, plus vitamins and minerals. Fiber is great to aid in healthy digestion plus chia also contains a healthy dose of omega-3′s. You can pick up chia seeds at any health food store. Husband and I take 1 tablespoon each morning in our orange juice or dark chocolate almond milk.

Eat smart. Make sure your diet is rich in a variety of food and try to avoid eating the same meals each day. Plan your shopping list ahead of time to make sure you have lots of options for healthy meals and fruits/veggies to snack on during the week.

Exercise your whole body. Targeting just your stomach is not going to help you loose those inches. Instead increase your cardio to at least 30 minutes 5-6 times a week and add weightlifting 2-3 times a week to see results. Check out my core routine that can be added after any workout. FYI, I am a few months pregnant with Caden in this clip.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have any other tips you would add? Share them with me. Check back each month for more tips on health, food, and workout ideas!

xoxo, Tamara

If you are looking for some health and fitness motivation or new mama encouragement follow The Workout Mama on bloglovin, tweet with me on twitter @theworkoutmama, or like my page on Facebook.

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Tamara Buschel

Tamara is a wife and mommy who loves a good sweaty workout! She is a personal trainer and yoga instructor in Chandler, Arizona.

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The boys running in the city square.

So I thought I’d share a few things that we’re adjusting to here.

You know you’ve lived in France too long when:

• You find yourself bummed you don’t have a quarter to pay for a shopping cart.

In France you have to pay a Euro to use a shopping cart. You get that Euro back when you return the cart, so it’s kind of a good idea, except it’s a total bummer if you don’t actually have a euro!

• Your son can’t believe he has to go to school again (and it’s only Wednesday)

In France the kids never go to school on Wednesdays and get a two hour lunch break each day. They also have a 2 week vacation every 6 weeks and this is not including summer. Needless to say, Tae was a little shocked when he had to go to school again!!

• Shoot – forgot the grocery bags again! Guess I’ll buy it at the check out. Wait. I’m in America!

You also have to buy & bring your own grocery bags to the store in France. I think it’s a good idea because you use the same bag over and over again. It just stinks when you forget to bring it and have to buy new bags yet again and then you have a huge stash of grocery bags at home.

• You find yourself bagging your own groceries. And trying to do it super fast.

This is probably my least favorite thing about France. In fact, I hate it. You have to bag your own groceries. You’re probably thinking “geez Natalia, just throw them in the bag!” but it’s not that easy. The checkers go super fast with no regard to the fact that you’re trying your best not to put canned goods on top of the eggs. Then your groceries pile up and they don’t care, they just keep scanning away! I’ve come to the point where I strategically put my items on the belt in the order I want them in the bags. It still isn’t pretty, but it’s helped a bit!

• You catch yourself driving the speed limit on the freeway.

No one’s in a hurry in France! This is something I love. (Except, of course, when I need to get something done!) They are chill. There’s no rush. They’ll get there when they get there. It’s lovely. It’s really caused me to slow down and enjoy life a little more.

• You think “Oh, I’ll just walk.”

Yep, they walk everywhere. Not once did either me or my husband drive Tae to school. We walked everyday, to and from & for lunch. (For the 2 hours lunch break they do have, you have to go pick them up or pay 6 euros a day for them to eat there. We pick him up.) It’s refreshing and I like that too.

• You forget there actually is a McDonald’s within a 10 minute drive. In fact, they’re practically on every corner!

Another one of my favorites. They don’t have a McDo’s on every corner! Believe it or not, they eat at home most of the time. French cuisine is such an art (I personally can’t stand most of them. Except the cheese & bread. mmmmm bread…) they take it as an insult if you eat at McDonald’s. Now a days you’ll see the younger generations there more, but not nearly as much as America.

• I must change out of my sweats.

In France it’s not nearly as acceptable to wear your sweats around town. Trust me, I’ve done it. And the looks I got reassured me that it isn’t acceptable. I’m from Southern California. People live in their yoga outfits. Not sure if they actually do yoga or just want the appearance of it, but it’s true. In France, it’s boots, jeans, dressed up all the way.

So I’m back in California and adjusting to life here. I am absolutely loving the weather. Tae is back in school, that kid needs to keep busy! I’m not gonna lie, the time change kicked my butt this year, but almost 2 weeks later, we’re doing okay.

Living between two countries has it’s challenges, but overall it’s a great experience and so fun to be able to visit so much of the world. We most definitely wouldn’t be able to do this otherwise!

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Natalia

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Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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Hair is a funny, tricky, difficult, and sometimes frustrating thing. Everyone’s is different, so what works for me might not work for you. It’s affected by weather & other factors, so sometimes we just don’t know what we’re going to get. Then there’s the time we have to put into it and frankly, sometimes it’s just not there.

Yet, when those ‘great hair days’ happen, you feel fabulous! Like you can conquer the world. You feel beautiful, confident, and ready to get some shizz done.

So why is it, that the former seems to happen more often than the latter? That hats and ponytails and messy top knots are becoming more and more frequent. Not that those are bad, they all have their place in this hair world.

But we should LOVE our hair! Curly, straight, thick, thin, you name it, let’s embrace it just the way it is!

And guess what, ULTA Beauty wants to help. I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this. ULTA Beauty is challenging women like you and me to love our hair. To embrace it and learn to work it, so those great hair days become more frequent.

May 12th through June 1st, ULTA Beauty is hosting a Love Your Hair event. So basically, this is 21 days of celebrating your hair! This includes hair events, demos, prizes, and Beauty Steals™. In fact, each day they will be featuring one or more Beauty Steals where they discount hair products in stores & online for just that day.

Here I used Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel & Big Sexy Hair Root Pump along with a little Orofluido which is an absolute favorite of mine!! And it’s the steal of the day today! I first got this amazing product in my Birch Box last year and fell in love. My hair has never felt so silky smooth and soft. It’s amazing! 

I don’t know about you, but styling my hair without quality product is like trying to take a shower without the water. It just doesn’t work. So why not take advantage of this amazing event and grab some new products to work with! Let me give you a little idea of what you’ll be seeing in the next 21 days.

Curly hair? Have no fear! There are plenty of products that would be perfect for you! Here, we’ve got some moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, leave-in spray conditioner, mousse, & some curl cream. Can you see the name brands there? And yes, they work.

Or maybe you like it sleek and straight. No worries! There’s some smoothing shampoo & conditioner, some CHI Heat Treatment & Heat Protectant (one you wash out and one you spray before you use the straightener) and some straightening cream. Oh, and that Hot Tools Straightener? Yep, you’ll see that steal on May 22nd.

The perfect blow out. Oh, I’m IN LOVE with these products. That Big Sexy bottle (which is actually small here) is blow out gel. I cannot say enough fabulousness about this stuff. It thickens and volumizes the hair like nothing I’ve ever used. And the Orofluido (deal is on May 15th!) is hands down the best product I’ve used to make my hair silky smooth. It’s incredible. And yes, that blow dryer is coming atcha this Friday.

And hairspray. A style isn’t a style until you set it. These will more than do the job. I can’t even tell you a favorite because I love them all so much. So any of them will be a fabulous choice.

And you know what? Those aren’t even all the products that will be featured! You have got to check it out. They’re amazing.

Since it is hard to sit here and write about what makes them so cool, I thought I’d show you. So for the 21 days I am pledging to love my hair, you can Follow me on Instagram where I will be featuring different products and how I styled it on either my own hair or someone who lets me play around with theirs using them.

So join me & ULTA Beauty and pledge to LOVE your Hair!! And guess what? By doing so and yelling it from the rooftops (or you can just tweet, tweeting probably works best) you can also be entered to win a $100 gift card to spend at your local ULTA Beauty or online! All you have to do is tweet your hair pledge & use the hashtag #ULTAHairPledge, then leave a comment here with your Twitter link, and you’re entered to win! Here’s an example for you:

 ”I pledge to try 4 new hair styles this month. #ULTAHairPledge #sweepstakes”

or

“I pledge to ditch the ponytail this week! #ULTAHairPledge #sweepstakes”

 Oh and by tweeting a #ULTAHairPledge tweet, you’re also automatically entered to win free blow outs for the rest of the year! You can also check out their site for all the fun events that are going on. For example, the 22nd and 23rd of May you can get a free Redken Diamond Oil 5 carat finish!

I hope you’re as excited as I am! And if you get a chance to visit an ULTA Beauty & take advantage of some of the Beauty Steals & events, I would love to hear about it! You can tweet at me or find me on Facebook. Always remember to use the hashtag #ULTAHairPledge so that you can encourage others to love their hair as well!

I can’t wait to see everyone loving a little on their hair!

Sweepstakes Rules:

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/15/13 – 6/1/13.

Be sure to visit the ULTA Beauty page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

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Natalia

Owner & Author

Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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I am always on a mission to find ways to be cute yet practical as a mom. If you’re a mom, you understand what I mean. It’s so tempting (and easy!) to wear sweats every day. But we don’t have to! Getting dressed up can boost your spirits, make you feel better about yourself, and brighten your day!

So I have come up with a few suggestions inspired by Crystal Light Liquid’s fun and vibrant website to add vibrancy to your ‘mom wardrobe!’

So here’s what I’m trying to do here. After I spent time browsing Crystal Light Liquid’s fun website (seriously people you can’t not be inspired! So much color & even some glitter!), I wanted to come up with some easy, practical ways to add vibrancy to your ‘mom’ uniform. Or if you’re not a mom, you’re day to day ‘uniform.’

Side note – my favorite features on the website were the “Explore new Flavors” where each flavor has its own mood board! I love the pink puppy, but the Peach Bellini mood board has to be my favorite. Then there’s the Crystal Light Liquid Mixology where they have some recipes you can create using some of the Crystal Light liquids. I want to make this one, looks so good! Perfect for parties, too!

Okay – onto adding vibrancy! Here’s my 3 tips:

Printed Pants

I know this may seem like a lot, but think about it — they’re really just jeans! They’re all the same things your beloved jeans are: comfy, practical, easy, but the print adds so much! Immediately you’ve stepped up your game and added some funk to your life.

Colored Jeans

The picture on the left is your typical ‘mom uniform,’ jeans & a plain tee. Not too bad, but not very fun either, right? Throw on a pair of colored jeans and BAM you’ve got a cute, vibrant, fun outfit! Once again, still jeans, so still all the things we love about them. But with little to no effort, you’ve spiced up your wardrobe.

I have two pictures on how to wear jeans because some of you might be brave and want to be really vibrant, so you can add some color on top too. For the first look, inspired by the Strawberry Lemonade mood board at Crystal Light Liquid, I took my paisley top (which is actually a swim suit cover up… shhh don’t tell!) to brighten it up even more. But if you are hesitant about embracing this look, try it with neutrals like the purple with black. Still fun but maybe a little more within your comfort zone. This look was inspired by the Berry Blitz drink, doesn’t it look yummy? (the drink – not my outfit )

Add Animal Print Accessories

It’s really so simple! On the left I’m wearing leggings — super comfy — Keds, and an over-sized tank. Kinda boring but comfortable. And we all might agree that comfortable almost always wins out. Well, I’m here to suggest that with a few accessories, you can have comfort & be stylish!

I added some leopard flats, belt and scarf. They are all minimal accessories so it doesn’t overpower the look, but still adds a vibrant touch! I kept the top knot because, let’s face it, sometimes the top knot just works. Or it’s all you can handle. Either way, you can make it chic with some other touches. This look was inspired but this scrumptious drink.

I hope you liked my looks! If you need some added inspiration, seriously go check out the Crystal Light website, there’s no lack of it there! And while you’re at it, I am sure you’ll get some amazing drink ideas for parties or to just keep your drinks interesting!

Now Crystal Light Liquid and BlogHer want to give one lucky reader a $100 Visa gift card!! To be entered for a chance to win, all you have to do is tell us: 

How do you add vibrancy to your wardrobe?

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post. Here’s an example tweet you can use:

“Would love to win $100 Visa Gift Card thanks to @CrystalLight! http://wp.me/p2jy61-1Sw #SweepstakesEntry”

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here. 

This sweepstakes runs from 5/14 – 6/4.
Be sure to visit the Crystal Light page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Author information

Natalia

Owner & Author

Natalia is a wife & a mother in a household of boys! Currently living in France, she likes to blog about life and travel overseas, staying feminine in her manly house, & sharing beauty tips and tricks for the everyday woman.

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