My little guy is not so little anymore.  He is speaking in semi-coherent sentences and there are no more tears shed at preschool drop-off.  I, on the other hand, almost lost it the day he did not turn around and look for me.  I found this top 10 list in my September issue of Parenting and wanted to share. So sweet…

Reasons You Fell in Love With Your Baby…and Out of Love With Your Old Boyfriend

1. His endless babbling

2. He loved snuggling in your bed – but always wanted to go back to his own crib after

3. His way of spending hours roaming around the house naked, his poochy belly hanging out

4. The wet, sloppy kisses

5. He was content to lie quietly and gaze at his navel as you did all the housework

6. His birthday gift to you was simply a wilted flower

7. His idea of dancing was to bend his legs and bob up and down with a goofy, self-congratulatory grin

8. His smell

9. You could always count on him burping right after he finished a meal

10. The fact that he’ll never, ever love anyone as much as he loves his mommy

*Happy Friday*

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

Two things happened last week that fueled my fascination with dry brushing.  1. My summer tan faded.  I don’t need to explain to you what this means.  Let’s just say it will be lights off in the bedroom until spring.  2. I read an interview with Molly Sims.  When asked what she does to maintain her gorgeous and flawless skin she stated she dry brushes every single day.  I had no idea what this was but if it would even in just a teeny, tiny way make me look like Molly Sims, I was game.  So, I googled dry brushing and immediately felt a little stupid for never hearing about the incredible benefits of such a simple task.  In case you were in the dark like me, I’ll explain what this is all about:

You will need one of these.  Available at your local health food store.  Most likely placed on an end cap.

Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing :

1. Removes cellulite.  My numero uno reason for starting this technique.

2. Cleanses the lymphatic system

3. Removes dead skin layers

4. Strengthens the immune system

5. Stimulates the hormone and oil-producing glands

6. Tightens the skin preventing premature aging.  I was sold at the removal of cellulite but I’ll take this any day.

7. Tones the muscles. My second favorite reason.

8. Stimulates circulation.  Great way to ward off those vericose veins.

9. Improves the function of the nervous system

10. Helps digestion  Always a nice bonus.

I bought this too.  Mainly because I like bags with lots of tiny things inside.  I use the oil after the shower.

To start, use a natural bristle brush, preferably with a long handle, and start at your feet, working upward in a circular motion toward your abdomen. The historical theory is to move all of the toxins in your bloodstream and lymph toward your digestive system so that it can be eliminated from the body.

How to Dry Brush:

o Begin with your feet and brush vigorously in circular motions.

o Continue brushing up your legs.

o Proceed to your hands and arms.

o Brush your entire back and abdomen area, shoulders and neck.

o Use circular counter-clockwise strokes on the abdomen.

o Lightly brush the breasts.

o Brush upwards on the back and down from the neck.

After brushing, take a hot shower with soap to remove the dead skin, followed by a 10-20 second cold rinse.

For the most effective results, skin brushing should be performed once a day, preferably first thing in the morning. A thorough skin brushing takes about 15 minutes, but any time spent brushing prior to showering will benefit the body. You can also dry brush areas of cellulite five to 10 minutes twice a day to achieve cellulite dissolving but the technique needs to be done consistently for a minimum of five months (I know, kind of a long time but if you start now it may just pay off by bikini season and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than any other cellulite removal system).

Here’s my rather lofty end goal…

Source: naturalhealthtechniques.com

Written by Lea Barlow • 1 Comment

by Alexis Novak

When my husband I were first married we had very specific video selection rules for each other at Blockbuster on Saturday nights.

Me, the blushing bride: “If the picture on the front has a sweaty man holding a gun, forget it.”

My Dear Husband: “If the picture on the front has three women in the Tuscan countryside holding wine glasses, forget it.”

That meant war so I vetoed all gambling, mob and war movies. He vetoed all menopausal chick flicks wherein the Diane Keaton-playing protagonist rediscovers how amazingly awesome she is, that she doesn’t need men to be happy, and then magically becomes a famous shoe designer. I nixed gratuitous violence and basketball movies. He retaliated by nixing Drew Barrymore from our house altogether. I barred bank robbery hijinks movies, old and new, even if that meant I had to sacrifice Clive Owen. We agreed somewhere over a bit of Tarantino, some Oliver Stone, weird indie flicks and a few foreign films. Sometimes he thought he was slick by trying to sell me on all the Oceans movies because of the Brad Pitt clause and The Bourne movies as he said there was a hidden love story underneath all the action. Sure, honey.

Today as parents, we’ve cast an even wider exclusionary net.

As the dad of two young daughters he is sickened now more than ever by “Dateline”, anything with domestic violence, kids being abducted, general violence towards woman and children. He doesn’t even want the news on as background noise. It does feel like Amber Alerts are a daily occurrence, but I actually want to watch How to Catch a Perve to glean tips on what not to do.

As a mom, I am now completely over dystopian, apocalyptical flicks which include but are not limited to: aliens taking over the world; a meteor heading for earth to kill us all; the food supply is gone from a cataclysmic hurricane/tornado/tsunami and we have to eat each other; a deadly viral outbreak that only Tom Cruise can save us all from; and, the entire population has turned into blood thirsty zombies who are all after one renegade pregnant lady who doesn’t know she is carrying the next Dalai Lama. I guess all that anxiety-for-fun movie watching is not what I need anymore. Being the protector of two small children has made me painfully anxious and aware of the frailty of our existence, thank you very much.

So what is left? Sometimes I can sweet talk him into “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Good Will Hunting”, “500 Days of Summer”, “Reality Bites”. But it’s rare. He wants action. I want character-driven plot, perfectly-pitched dialogue and a good cry. He wants to be wowed. I want to feel. We can agree on “Almost Famous”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, anything with the brilliant Natalie Portman, and “Fight Club” (the bloody violence in the fight sequences are cancelled out by Brad’s ripped nakedness).

Thankfully, we never have these arguments anymore since we have zero spare time to movie watch. On our rare and precious date nights, we want to actually talk. Check in. Reconnect. How are you…really? How are we? We prefer talking over sitting next to each other in a dark theatre watching a crappy movie any day. And we always agree on that.

Written by Alexis Novak • Leave a comment

Name: Karen Hahn Vichich

Kids: 1, daughter Vanessa- almost 3 yrs. old

Occupation: Currently Stay-At-Home-Mom – previously Fresh skincare specialist

Hometown: Chapin, South Carolina. St.Petersburg, FL since 1997




H&H Interview with Karen:

1. What are the top 3 items in your grocery cart?
honey dew melon- Vanessa’s favorite
pre-cut veggie platter- easy & healthy snacking
ice cream- my nightly indulgence

2. What are you reading (honestly)?
The New Rules of Lifting for Women- Lift Like a Man Look Like a Goddess, by Lou Schuler
It discusses how important strength training is versus aerobics and contains delicious,healthy recipes.

3. What is your guilty pleasure when you get a break from the kids?
Shopping! After working for Saks, followed by my Fresh position, I’ve become obsessed with the really GOOD brands. Being on a SAHM limited budget, I love finding the nice brands in Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross.

4. What would we be surprised to find in your purse?
Stickers. I never know when I’m going to need to bribe my toddler with a positive reward!

5. What is your favorite reality TV show?
Keeping up with the Kardashians

6. What is your cocktail of choice?
Like “The Dude” on the Big Lebowski, a White Russian.

7. What is the funniest thing your kids have said or done lately?
“Can Daddy cook dinner so it can get dark outside?” Vanessa asked this at 5pm, after a long day of playing. She was ready for it to be bedtime already!

8. What is your favorite quotation?
Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver and gold. Bob Marley.

9. What are you currently working out to on your iPod?
Dr.Dre, Snoop, Notorious BIG, Outkast, The Roots, Kanye West, Warren G/Nate Dogg.

10. Who is your favorite celebrity mom and why?
Kris Jenner. Any mom who has 6 children (5 daughters !!!) is a rockstar in my opinion. She manages to maintain her hip style and class while being an involved mother and high-powered businesswoman.

11. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I used to have a dreadlock, sew patchwork skirts, wear no make-up and go to reggae fests. I camped in a two-man tent for the entire month of January in the Southern Cali desert. I was the only girl with four guys, one of whom is now my husband . Working in the corporate world might have made me more clean cut but I’m still a plain-Jane girl at heart who can rough it like the fellas.

12. What is your secret to staying Hot & Healthy?
A mother must not forget she is more than just a mother and should continue to tap into her personal interests. I run regularly, not just for the physical benefits but for the good endorphins. I come home feeling like a better mom with my batteries recharged. I religiously use facial moisturizers. When you take care of yourself from the inside (eating healthy, spirituality, surrounding yourself with positive people) to the outside (skincare, exercise, etc) it shows and feels great. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt that my husband is my best friend and the sweetest man I know.

Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment