I suppose it’s one thing to exercise for your health (I should probably walk more), but something quite different indeed to exercise for tone and a svelte, fat-free body – especially when you’re closer to 50 than 40-years-old. Especially when you’ve never really needed to worry about it before, but one day you look in the mirror and think: “EEK! What happened here?!?!”

As I looked for ways to fix the flaws, a nightmarish exercise regime filled my mind: Pain, a five-hour-a-day work-out plan, and muscles so sore I can’t get out of bed, all the while existing on a carrot stick and grain of rice. I wonder if maybe I’d luck out on Sundays, and get to add a grape to the menu. Nah. That would be too easy. My bet is I’d be given half a blueberry.

At which point, it sounded much easier, and at least on the surface more appealing, to just give it up, turn into the frumpy middle-aged woman and call it a day with a box of bonbons nearby.

Surely, I thought, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposal. So I turned off the movie reel in my mind and did some thinking (which tends to get me into trouble at times).

As a big believer in the power of positive thinking, et al, I reminded myself that we can’t necessarily get from A to T immediately. But by reaching for a better thought, we make baby steps to the end result. I know most of you know what I’m talking about. When we feel bad about ourselves, the last thing we want to do is commit to a change that seems overwhelming at best. What we need is a kick-start. Something to help us feel just a little bit better. That little bit then becomes another little bit, and before we know it, we’re feeling much better (and, with a little luck, much more svelte).

So I thought I’d take a look into some ways to improve our appearance quickly – or at least painlessly, without having to go under the knife. Truth is, I may talk about face-lifts and tummy tucks, but I’m a big chicken. Here are a few things I found that seemed worthy to share. Let’s start with this little trick for diminishing broken capillaries and spider veins from ehow.com:

Apply homemade remedies to the affected areas. For broken capillaries apply a homemade mask onto the face. Mix 1/4 cup of rose oil or crush chamomile tea in with the facial moisturizer of your choice. Allow the facial masks to set for the night.

Diminish both with apple cider vinegar (apply it to the skin twice daily) or combine rose, palmarosa or parsley oil into a mix with virgin coconut oil. Apply it to affected areas for three to four weeks twice daily.

Sounds easy enough, I suppose. This looks to work on rosacea, too – a fairly common problem for women in the 30-60-year-old age group.

Maybe you’re more worried about a sagging neck or chin. While this one is a little tougher, with researchers claiming products containing collagen don’t work (the molecules are too big to penetrate the skin), apparently products containing cynergy TK with functional keratin work quite well. But you are gonna have to pay for it.

If you’d rather not dish out the dough, Dermaxime has some exercises to try that target various areas on the face and neck. Of course, that takes us right back to exercise, which defeats our purpose.

Next up, and you know you’ve been waiting for this one, is a home remedy for cellulite: coffee grounds. Clearly a two-for-one deal, this one may just be worth a try (no guarantees).

This topical treatment, courtesy of homeremedyweb could prove to be a cellulite buster, too:

Mix 3 parts apple cider vinegar with one part of your favorite massage oil.

Gently knead this solution onto affected skin areas twice daily.

This massage treatment will help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Let’s move on to a little make-up trick. While you may be tempted to cake on the foundation to cover up flaws or even out skin tone, keep in mind that less is more – at least in this situation. Heavy foundations tend to make the skin look older (in total contradiction to what we’re looking for). So go for sheer to medium-weight coverage.

In my humble opinion, if you’re looking for an immediate feeling of I-love-me, get a haircut that flatters your face – and don’t forget the color or highlights.

Who knows… It could be catalyst that sends you in search of the nearest treadmill.

-Liz

dyeing your hair recharges your batteries.

In addition to making you look younger, coloring your hair makes you feel more energized. British researchers who measured how women felt before and after a dye job (even just to cover a few stray grays) discovered that 100% of the women experienced a surge in energy and confidence!

Changing your hair is the easiest way to transform yourself and replenish your zest for life, says Charla Krupp, author os How Not to Look Old.

~Woman’s World Magazine

these surprising uses for olive oil.

* As furniture polish.  Mix 3 parts oil with 1 part vinegar. It works on all finished wood surfaces – and on stainless steel too.

* As a zipper fixer. Dip a cotton swab in olive oil and spread on a stuck zipper. This should have you zipping in no time.

* As a makeup remover.  Dilute the olive oil with some water and use as a makeup remover. It’s gentle and moisturizing and cheaper that drugstore makeup remover.

Kate’s advice…just make sure no one sees you snatching those seat covers from the ladies room.  That could prove to be embarrassing!

~Kate

Enjoy your Coffee Break!

Here are some tips for pumping up your hair’s volume.

Blow a burst of cool air on dry hair to seal the cuticle and give roots more staying power.

Kate

Use volumizing products to thicken the hair shaft and make your style look fuller.

Massage scalp while blow-drying to lift hair at the roots.

Here are some tips for pumping up your hair’s volume…

Sleep in a high pony – let it loose in the A.M.

Apply conditioner to only the ends of your hair to keep your roots springy.

Avoid products with silicone – it flattens your strands.

-Kate