To recognize the launch of the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart Ultrabook™ powered by Intel® Core™ processors I was asked to write about adding a Touch of Luxury to our lives. As a mom I know first hand laziness that could set in when it comes to personal appearance when you have to worry about getting everyone else ready. I will admit, I drop off my tiny dancer to school in sweat pants. Not yoga pants, but grey fleece sweatpants. But I draw the line there. Any other time I leave the house I try to look put together. It only takes a few more minutes and makes me feel a lot better than when I look like a scrub.

When you take the time out to make yourself look good, it automatically translates to you feeling better about yourself. Not only that, but you’re setting a good example for your kids. Here are some quick ways to add a Touch of Luxury to your everyday style…

Wear Perfume
This is probably the quickest way to add a Touch of Luxury but one of the most worthwhile. Scent is so intertwined with memory and emotion just a spritz of your favorite scent will make you smell lovely and lift your spirits.

Wear Clothing – Not Workout Wear
Aside from dropping off the little one at school – or when I’m actually on my way to or from the gym – I wear clothing in public. I don’t dress to the nines, but a pair of chinos and a collared-button up shirt are very comfortable and make you look put together in snap. It takes just as long to put on pants or jeans as it does to put on sweat pants.

Put On Some Lipstick (0r lipgloss, or mascara…)
So you don’t have time to make yourself up completely? Then what’s the one thing that you rely on for a face pick me up? Lipstick? Mascara? Whatever it is for you – put it on. You will look and feel better. I personally don’t just use one item but I’ve gotten my casual, everyday makeup application down to less than five minutes and I don’t leave the house without makeup (except when I’m wearing sweat pants and dropping off the little one to school).

Use a Real Handbag Not a Diaper Bag
I don’t get the design of most diaper bags – just because your carrying baby products the bag does not need to scream “baby!”. We’re adults – you can use an adult bag. All you need is a large tote or a bag with lots of pockets. If you opt for a tote, be prepared to have small pouches so that you can keep similar items together. Whatever your preference, you don’t need to carry around a pink diaper bag. You can carry a women’s bag that happens to have diapers in it.

Keep Your Hair Long
I grew up on Long Island and all of the moms there – once they hit a certain age – chop off their hair and have men’s haircuts. I don’t know if it’s the water or what but I cannot comprehend this phenomenon. Whenever I see it I think, there’s another person that just gave up. Keep your hair! It doesn’t have to be to your waist – or even to your mid back – but please don’t get a men’s haircut. You don’t need to fully style your hair everyday. A good blowout lasts a couple of days and when in doubt you can opt for a chic bun or pony tail.

I hope these easy tips help you to add a Touch of Luxury to your busy lives!

Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook™ The HP + Intel + Project Runway Pin Your Style Contest

Want to participate? Pin a photo of the HP Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook™ via the Pin It button on the Pin Your Style contest page. Then, build a board that represents that week’s theme. Check out the weekly Pinsetter images on the site for inspiration.

Submit your board’s URL into the site to enter. Then, share your board with friends to earn the most votes!

Win prizes like an HP Spectre XT Touchsmart Ultrabook™ and a gift card to bring your style to life by getting the top votes for your board.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Hello! It was so nice to have a week off and spend time with my husband and daughter. This week was back to the grind but it doesn’t hurt when you love what you do. Last week Chanel presented its Fall-Winter 2012/13 Haute Couture collection and on Lil’ Miss I’m writing about all things summer. Here’s some fun news to share from La Chanelphile and MISS…

La Chanelphile

Learn more about the origin of the iconic double C – Flash Back Friday: The Legend of the Chanel Logo’s Double C

Take a look at the Chanel Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012/13 runway presentation, beauty, look book, fittings and scenes from backstage.

Chanel debuted a new beauty film entitled Miroir, Miroir – Chanel’s Peter Philips Presents: Mirror, Mirror

MISS

Santigold debuted a new video for her single Keepers – Santigold “Keepers” Video

Joyrich released its Fall/Winter 2012 look book – Joyrich Fall/Winter 2012-2013 Look Book

Hear my whine about nail art’s trendiness – My Two Cents: The Nail Art Takeover Is Making Me Sad

This is what I look like on the weekends – and yes, it involves Chanel – Mirror, Mirror: Weekend Casual July 2012

Have a great weekend!

New Looks from VANS and Gravis via MISS

Learn how to make light lipstick work for you – MISS Beauty Tip of the Week: How I Made a Light Lipstick Work for Me

See what kicks celebrities are wearing – Celebrity Style: Feminine Inspiration While Rocking Sneakers

Chanel’s The Little Black Jacket exhibit moved to Taipei last week – CHANEL The Little Black Jacket in Taipei – The Film

Catch up on the latest Chanel News and Karl Lagerfeld News via La Chanelphile

Karl Lagerfeld designed a $45,000 collar – Karl Lagerfeld Designs Diamond Collar for Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

I thought I’d talk about the Empower Waist Trimmer Belt that I was sent to review because I’ve been wearing them with all of my workouts – running and with the CoreBody Reformer.  The waist trimmer is made from neoprene and is designed to preserve body heat, promote water loss, and provide extra back support during exercise.

When I take my belt off it’s soaking wet each time.  Yes, the water loss is temporary so don’t think that you’re belly will be gone just by wearing the belt.  What I find most helpful is the support it gives me.  I feel like the belt helps me keep my core aligned so that I can do my workouts properly.  I used to have great posture (and a flat tummy) before the baby but with the pregnancy and carrying the tiny dancer I tend to hunch more than I would like.  The belt helps me keep my back straight and it also helps me keep my tummy pulled in and I don’t feel so jiggly.

Ok, one more week to go – wish me luck!

If you’ve been following my review of the CoreBody Reformer then you may have noticed that last week – what was supposed to be week 4 of my challenge – I was silent.  I have a good reason though.  No, I haven’t given up.  I was out of town for work and I simply couldn’t bring the CBR with me to work out.  During the trip my little girl was sick and she was very clingy so I ended up carrying her a lot.  I was planning on running while I was away but carrying the Tiny Dancer aggravated my hip bursitis so I was stuck with no workouts.  On top of that I was in NY visiting family and eating my favorite NY treats – ah!  I’m happy to say I managed not to gain any weight and remained steady so it was not all for nothing.

This week I’m picking up where I left off and getting back to my normal routine.  Today I start week 4 and this week marks the beginning of the longest series of workouts which I’ll be doing for the next 3 weeks. If the next 3 weeks don’t give me results, I’m not sure what will!  I have definitely started to notice some changes in my body.  At the end of week three I noticed a bit more definition in my arms and my butt definitely looked higher (which my husband confirmed) So, I’m happy to say that the CBR is working.  I’m a little bummed I had a week of non-activity in the middle but at least I didn’t do any damage and managed to maintain the status quo.  Until next week… wishing you sweaty workouts!

Today I began week three of my six-week CoreBody Reformer challenge. I’m following the workout schedule that came with the CBR and this week the workouts are getting a bit more intense.  The first week consisted of shorter workouts and week three introduces a longer workout with more circuits.  I like the way the workout plan is laid out because as soon as you start becoming a bit comfortable with the workout it gets tough all over again.

I feel like I’m getting stronger but I’m trying not to stare at my body everyday looking for more tone because I know it doesn’t come quickly.  I want to at least cross the halfway mark before I start doing that.  In the mean time, I’ll be doing my workouts on the CBR.  Until next week…

This week I’m starting my CoreBody Reformer six-week challenge. I was lucky enough to receive a CoreBody reformer to try out and for the next six-weeks I’ll be doing the 3-day plan (3 workouts/week) and documenting my experiences and results.

The CoreBody reformer is a reformer machine modified for in-home use. There is a tube that you are meant to stand, balance or sit on and you exercise by moving pulleys with your arms or legs, depending on the workout. The pulleys have three levels of resistance which you can adjust by simply clicking a button.

The CoreBoy Reformer comes with lots of useful bonus products: a DVD with four workouts, a workout schedule calendar, recipe book, food journal and portable workout cards.

I wanted to try the CoreBody reformer because I need help with getting toned. Since I have a dance and yoga background, I liked the combination of cardio dance, pilates and yoga movements that the CoreBody Reformer used. I tried the CBR two times before starting the challenge so that I could get familiar with the product. On my two trial workouts I used the basic level one resistance with no added weight to get acclimated with the CBR.

Each of the exercises focuses on a certain area (arms, legs, core) but since you are balancing for many of the exercises you are always using your core. There are also modifications for each exercise so you can work up to a higher level. The DVD shows the three levels: easy, intermediate and advanced. For my first challenge workout today I pressed one button on each pulley to add a bit more resistance and give myself a harder workout. I fluctuated between intermediate and advanced because I have pretty good balance and am able to stand on the CBR. I definitely broke a sweat and feel like my legs may be sore tomorrow.

If you’ve been reading the blog then you know that earlier this year I did a cleanse and finally got down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 96 pounds. Since then I’ve managed to keep most of those last nasty 5 pounds off and during the week I fluctuate between 96 and 98 pounds. This morning when I weighed myself I was 98 pounds. I’m happy with my weight but I want to be more toned. My stomach is totally stretched out after the baby and that is my main area of concern.

I hate pictures of myself – especially ones of me in fitness clothing but I’m doing this for you… This is what I look like.

I’ll show you what I look like at the end of the 6 weeks and I’m hoping that I’ll have more muscle tone and a tighter stomach – I want my waist back! In addition to the CBR workouts three-days a week, I’ll continue running 3-4 days/week and eating well. I’ll touch base with you each week to let you know how it’s going. Wish me luck!

Exercise:
None.

Day 18
Breakfast: Green juice (kale, green apple, cucumber, celery, orange, parsley)
Mid-morning snack: 1/2 Banana
Lunch: 1/2 cheese quesadilla with guacamole, avocado salad with tomato*
Snack: Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal with soy milk*, Almonds
Dinner: Minestrone soup, kale salad with avocado, tomato, corn and red pepper, kale chips
After-dinner Snack:

Exercise:
CoreBody Reformer 40 minute workout.

Weight: dipped just below 96.5 (I’m a little bit in awe that the weight is still going down – I’m wondering if I lost fat or muscle?)

Day 19
Breakfast: Green Juice
Mid-morning snack: Banana
Lunch: Minestrone soup
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Mexican! Garlic marinated grilled shrimp, rice and beans
After-dinner Snack: Raspberries

Exercise:
Ran 3 miles

How I felt:
I made it! I met my personal goal and I feel great. I’m down five pounds and I’ve managed to keep the weight off. The weekend was weird because I could finally eat but I made really smart, healthy decisions on Saturday. Sunday I made a big lapse but I’m blaming it on the Super Bowl. After not eating meat for 3 weeks I went and had a hot dog of all things! I paid for it with a tummy ache and a promise not to do that again. On Monday, to make up for it I didn’t eat any meat and as far as wheat I only had 1/4 of a whole wheat pita. I’m committed to eating better and I plan on doing this cleanse (maybe just the first week) about every 6 months – 1 year depending on how I’m feeling. I hope my experience may have inspired you to start out on a healthy new path – anything is possible if you just commit!

Before I had a baby I loved doing yoga. I’d go to the gym three times a week and take a class. Now that I have a baby I don’t get to the gym very often so if I want to do yoga, I have to do it at home. I don’t mind doing yoga at home but it’s hard to find good videos because many of the videos on the market are for beginners so I found them to be too easy. Not only that, but yoga video producers feel that they need to make the DVD completely “zen” so the videos always feature New Age music or nature sounds and are usually filmed in a natural setting. There’s nothing wrong with that, it just gets tired. And frankly, I don’t want to watch you do yoga on the beach when I’m stuck in my living room, ok?

I was offered the chance to try PranaVayu Yoga with David Magone and I jumped at the chance because I have a yoga dvd that I’ve been enjoying (I managed to find one) but it was getting repetitive and I wanted to add something new to the mix. The first thing that struck me about PranaVayu Yoga with David Magone is the way it’s filmed – it’s a yoga video for the 21st century. It’s filmed in black and white in a yoga studio in an urban setting and the music is relaxing without sounding like wind chimes. I found the visuals refreshing and a welcome change to many of the yoga DVDs out today.

PranaVayu is a unique style of Vinyasa yoga that is at once both physical and meditative in nature. Developed in 2001 by David Magone, PranaVayu yoga as a practice blends specialized vinyasa sequencing, a unique system of skeletal alignment principles, meditative practices, and a Buddhist philosophy to facilitate positive mind/body change. I enjoyed the flow, sequences and positions and found this practice challenging enough for me, while leaving me with much room for improvement. I definitely haven’t built up the strength yet for some of the lifts but I like having goals to work toward. If you’re looking for repetitive sun salutations (which I love don’t get me wrong) you will not find them here. Many of the poses originate from downward dog but the time saved from doing sun salutations is exploring poses that I was missing from my other yoga DVD.

I really enjoyed this yoga practice – I felt invigorated, strong and clear-headed afterward. I am definitely going to keep this in my rotation of at-home workouts. You can purchase the PranaVayu Yoga with David Magone DVD online can see the trailer for the video below:

CORRECTLY packaged birth control pill packs

Ladies, you may have heard this on the news but if you are using Lo/Ovral-28, Norgestrel or Ethinyl Estradiol birth control pills please check the expiration date on your packets. If your packet has an expiration between July 31, 2013, and March 31, 2014 use a back-up method of birth control as the packets were packaged incorrectly.

Please click here for the full press release from Pfizer, along with images of correctly packaged pill packs and affected lot numbers.