Glam Up with Pure 'N Fresh Feminine Wash & Cologne - Fabulously Pretty

Prom season is soon to be over, but before it ends, here's a little something for you teenage girls! This is a guest post by my sister-in-law Arra Pearl.

It's prom season, and you’re probably going crazy about the whole preparation thing – choosing the right dress, snagging the perfect pair of shoes, and all that jazz! What’s more, there’s the stressful (but completely exciting) task of deciding on the ultimate hairstyle that will blow everyone’s mind away. With all these things to worry about during prom season, it’s only natural to feel a little bit stressed out. But you know, it’s never healthy to let stress get the best of you. When everything seems quite hectic, it helps to relax and think about the essentials – keeping yourself fresh even when under pressure.

Great Way to Stay Fresh

You may have the most gorgeous dress, hairstyle, and all those prom essentials. However, if you don’t feel good from the inside, you can't expect yourself to feel completely confident even with your posh makeup on. 

So, what does it take to feel and look fresh? Simple. Pure 'N Fresh Feminine Wash and Cologne - Fabulously Pretty. This new product from Unilab is specially formulated to meet every teen’s needs, you can expect total satisfaction, and you’ll be more at ease about yourself even if the party goes on all night long!

Not convinced? Watch this!

What’s In The Bottle?

Pure N Fresh has been made even better, as it now comes with additional milk proteins that protect your sensitive areas With the milder formulation and fresher scent, you’ll be more comfortable about using a product that’s tailored according to your unique needs. Practicing good hygiene comes too easy, and you’ll never have to worry about any signs of irritation such as itching, foul smell and rashes. And you know what that means – as long as you feel fresh inside, the confident vibe will just reflect with the way you move and flash that amazing smile.

Image source: @justarrapearl on Instagram

Feminine Hygiene 101

Soaps may work well on your body, but this isn’t advisable to keep your sensitive areas clean and fresh. They tend to dry up your skin, which can have a drastic effect on your pH level. When this happens, it’s only a matter of time before you start itching or noticing strange odors that only add to your stress level. Just imagine these nasty symptoms showing up during your prom night. Embarrassing, right?

Pure N Fresh makes it easy to stay fresh and feel great about yourself from the inside and out. Ideally, it works better when used regularly, particularly during that time of the month. It is enriched with mild Chamomile extract that helps keep your skin smooth and soft while taking all impurities away. Since it’s pH-balanced, there are no risks of infections or irritations. It effectively eliminates bacteria that cause odor and itching, and you’ll fall in love with its fantastic fresh scents.

Image source: @justarrapearl on Instagram

Boost Your Confidence and Look Effortlessly Cool

So, ready to party the night away and strut your stuff this prom season? With Pure 'N Fresh Feminine Wash and Cologne, you surely can! Grab a bottle and make it a habit to use this product regularly to get all the fantastic benefits it offers. You'll realize how simple it is to look and feel amazing with this great product made just for active teens like you.

Check out Pure 'N Fresh on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/purenfreshforteens

Earn Money Without Losing Quality Time with your Family

Image credit: susivinh of Flickr

A proper work-life balance is essential for all career women. As opposed to common misconception, even mothers who work from home don’t find it so easy to divide their time between taking care of their families and running a business or working freelance. 

Moms who are torn between looking after the children and forging their own careers now have the option to work at home. The Internet has made it possible for them to attend to the needs of their family, while being able to also contribute to the family income and apply their skills and talents.

Through online job marketplaces, it is now possible for anyone, including moms, to work remotely and make a living without having to report for work on a daily basis. The same goes for entrepreneurial mothers, who can now easily set up online businesses or find other ways to earn online.

Benefits of Being a Work-At-Home Mom

The most obvious benefit of being a work-at-home mom (WAHM) is being able to work on a flexible schedule, which allows them to tend to their kids anytime they need help, such as when the kids get sick or need assistance with their homework. There are many successful WAHMs who have discovered that they could actually earn the same paycheck as when they work a full-time job, without actually having to work through a full eight-hour workday.

Another possible advantage for WAHMs is that they can manage their own business without having to leave home. Nowadays, we see a lot of mothers selling products through Facebook or online channels a variety of products such as cupcakes, clothes, perfumes, and other items. Setting up an online store is easier than ever. Setting up an online payment system has also become a simple process.

And with a variety of online payment and credit card options available in the Philippines, customers can now pay for the products online using their credit cards and debit cards. They don’t need to go to the bank to deposit payment for purchases.

Mothers who work at home also have the advantage of incurring minimal expenses. They save on public transportation or gas. They don’t need spend a lot of money on expensive restaurants or fast food takeout—unlike when they work in an actual office. WAHMs also save on grooming and clothing costs because they don’t need to buy make-up, perfume, accessories, and clothes as often.  

Apart from the expenses, moms who work at home can also enjoy a less stressful working environment. But only if they manage their time really well. Without a boss or a supervisor to keep you on your toes, working from home comes with the tendency to slack off or to get distracted. To be able to enjoy all the advantages, working from home requires a lot of self-discipline, focus, and time management skills.

Balancing Work and Family

For work-at-home mothers (WAHMs) who want to continue earning money at home but who also want to spend quality time with their loved ones, here are some helpful suggestions:

1. Devote weekends to family. WAHMs sometimes have a tendency to think that every hour they do not spend working amounts to money lost. As a result, they even work on weekends. This is definitely a bad idea. You need to give yourself a break and make a decision to devote Saturdays and Sundays to resting and spending time with your family—nothing else. Work hard during weekdays and enjoy weekends with your family.

2. Stick to a fixed working schedule. While flexibility is a great advantage to working from home, be careful not to make it too flexible that you end up not accomplishing anything, as a result of jumping from one task to another. Even if you work from home, you still need to follow some sort of schedule, which you would have to “design” around your family members’ habits and respective schedules.

Some factors to consider in creating your own schedule may include your baby’s sleeping habits, what time the older kids get home from school, your spouse’s schedule, and others. Set a fixed number of working hours for yourself when you are least likely to be disturbed.

3. Don’t let distractions get to you. Once you’ve set a schedule for working and a schedule for your family, follow it strictly. Don’t let phone calls, e-mails, or other things distract you from whatever it is you are doing at the moment—whether it is family time or working time.

4. Maximize your time. Sometimes, all we need is a little resourcefulness to make the most out of our time. Search the internet for life hacks that can help you save time when doing household chores. Saving time on chores and at work can mean more quality time to spend with your kids.

As you can see, your quality time with your family need not be compromised with work concerns. Strike a healthy balance between work and home life by following the tips mentioned above.   

This is a guest post from Ryan Del Villar, a writer for Money Max, Philippines’ leading online comparison portal and a Philippine market news provider. Ryan is also a freelance writer at Helm Word, an Online Reputation Management company. He worked as an online video editor before he started his writing career.

4 Ways to Stay Connected and Productive at Home

Speaking from experience I can tell you it is such a relief not to have to juggle a full-time career with family and child responsibilities.  I’m sure many of you can relate to this.  I’ve tried to work that out over the years, believe me.  I would come home after a full day of work to a messy house, empty fridge and 2 starving children who have to play soccer in 20 minutes.  

I have found that our family works better when the mother is in the building.  My husband even admits it’s easier on him if I’m on duty 100 percent of the time so when he comes home from work he can just chill or we can chill together and just enjoy each other and that is a very good feeling.  That doesn’t mean that I’m against full-time career women with children.  I’m actually inspired by them.  Especially the ones who find that work life balance.  

Women that make time for themselves, their children and spouses while enjoying a rewarding and fulfilling career really do have it all.  I just don’t believe it happens very often. It’s ideal but it doesn’t work. There is no question, in my mind anyway, that being a full time mom is one of the hardest jobs in the world – I’ve done it and the only thing harder is a full-time working mom.   I’ve done that too.  

The part I loved the most about having a full time career was the routine and structure but soon after having my kids came along I realized that I was just spread far too thin and life was whizzing by too fast.  Whether it’s a decision for you to work or not, I believe as mothers we need to support and respect each other’s individual choices. 

Rising fuel costs along with green initiatives and health concerns are causing commuters to stop and rethink their careers and get clarity on what’s really important to them.  Many job seeking mothers place work life balance as a primary motivator and are looking for flexible work environments.  Employers are seeing the advantages of supporting off site employees.  The ability to reduce the expense of office space along with advancement in technology is forcing employers to redefine how their workforce is structured. 

Here are 4 ways to stay connected and productive at home:

Video and Web Conferencing

With a home office or home based business you can have a meeting at 8 am while other employees are stuck in traffic trying to get to work.   You can develop teams, networks and peer groups without ever leaving your home.  According to this infographic developed by InterCall, by 2020 it is estimated that the average American will spend 41 hours in traffic each week. Online meetings from companies like Intercall allow you to host webinars, audio conferencing, online training seminars and multi-point video conferencing making it easier and more productive for everyone involved. 

Social Media 
Many of my writing opportunities came through my connections online.  It’s a great way to build a network of supporters and you can market your products and services for free.  Through Twitter, Facebook and my blog I have connected with people from all over the world.  That really helps me stay on top of my interests and my writing career.  

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the internet’s next evolution.  It provides customizable means by which every service you need to run a business can be delivered to you.  There are so many cloud based productivity tools to explore and it continues to be a huge trend in the marketplace today. 

Mobile

Mobile computing is a mega trend and according to former Windows leader Steven Sinofsky, "Mobile platforms will be part of nearly every purchase or transaction. Anything requiring reservations, tickets, physical resources, delivery, or scheduling will only win the hearts and minds of the new urban if available via mobile."

About the author: Carrie Wynne is the author of 10 Ways to be Deliriously Happy – How to Live an Inspired Life.  She conducts personal development workshops based on the principles in her book showing others how to connect to the power within themselves and develop mental strategies to create an incredible life.  As a professional sales consultant she also offers training, coaching, and sales seminars.  Connect with Carrie on Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Fun and Healthy Pool Games For Kids

Image credit: alexisnyal of Flickr

There are a lot of games that kids can play in the pool. The fun starts with just being in the pool, which provides a wonderful place for the kids to play.

Let them create. Kids are inventive and ingenious – allowing all of that creative talent to come out in playing pool games may be all that is needed. If the parent doesn’t understand the game the kids have come up with, that’s fine – sometimes kids will create games with complex rules that only make sense to them. Let the kids have fun, and sit back and enjoy watching. If the kids need a prompt, several games can be suggested that will get the fun started:

Marco Polo. Sometimes this game will start on its own, when a couple of the kids jump in the water, and someone closes their eyes and yells out “Marco.” The rest of the kids shriek, yell “Polo” and begin to try to get away by either swimming underwater, or slowly swimming away, so they’re not detected by the sounds they make. One variation of the game allows players to get out of the pool to protect themselves. If the person who is “it” calls “fish out of water,” the person out of the pool becomes the next “it.” Sometimes the kids might need a rules clarification from Mom, but other than that, they’ll just play until they get tired.

Shark in the water. If the kids get tired of Marco Polo, there’s a fun variation where one child is designated as the shark. Everyone else gets out of the water, and once the game starts, can only stay out of the water for 5 seconds. The players all jump into the pool and try to swim to the edge without getting “tipped” or touched, by the shark. To make it really fun, provide goggles and swim fins for the shark.

Dolphins in the water. This game is pretty simple to start, and when it’s timed, becomes a fun race game. Have the children pair off, and select one child in each pair to be the “arms” and the other to be the “legs.” The “legs” hold on to the “arm’s” waist, and the pair starts across the pool, with the “arms” only using their arms, and letting their legs not move, so not to hurt the child behind them. The “legs” do the kicking for the pair. When the kids get into the race, it’s a lot of fun to watch this game!

Pool basketball. It just takes a basketball goal at one end of the pool to get this game started. Pool toys for kids can be found here, and there is a wide variety to choose from. Usually the goal is set up along the side of the pool where the water is about waist deep or a little deeper. The kids wade around trying to pass the ball to each other, and toss it in to the basket. If games are played to 10 it allows players to switch sides and play a lot of games.

Kids need very little guidance to come up with some entertaining games that keep them happy and occupied while in the pool. A Mom can sit back and enjoy seeing her kids and their friends having so much fun.

Carol Atkins currently writes articles on assignment for PoolCenter.com.  She has 3 kids with her wonderful husband – two boys and a girl – and two lovely black Labradors.  After studying things like pool pump motors to design their pool for maximum efficiency, she spends hours with her family at their home pool, watching the kids and dogs splash and play.  She is also an avid runner, and diligently training for her first half marathon.

New Year, New Style: 4 Ways To Accessorise Jewellery In 2014

With everyone’s New Year resolutions in full swing (hopefully!), now’s the time to start looking ahead – while you’ve promised yourself a purge of your wardrobe and jewellery box, getting rid of anything you’ve not looked at twice since you bought it, you’ve got to replace what you ditch with stuff you know you WILL wear.

Accessories can make or break even the most carefully thought out outfits, so it’s vital to get those little additions perfect – there’s no sense in following the trends and crafting the perfect outfit, only to pair it with jewellery that’s fully of styles from two years ago. This handy guide runs through some of the basic jewellery styles which are hitting designer stores and high street shops alike in 2014.

New Colours, New Stones

Recent trends, particularly for those moving into 2014, have seen a shift away from traditional colourful stones like sapphires and emeralds – partly because of rising prices and the demand for more affordable jewellery, even amongst high-end designers like Louis Vuitton, but also because designers are beginning to cotton on to the fact that these previously more obscure stones open up a whole new and broadly untapped colour palette.

This means that 2014 will see an explosion in unique-coloured jewellery with garnets, opals and topaz taking precedence over their more valuable cousins. It’s something of a retro throwback to the 70s, where these unusual stones were similarly popular, and the reinvention of styles from these eras is definitely big this year.

Large, Statement Necklaces and Chokers

‘Go big or go home’, as the saying goes, and this is especially true for necklaces and chokers in 2014. We saw an abundance of new big and daring styles in this area in 2013 and 2012, and this trend is set to continue in 2014, with a focus on bigger being better. Whether in bright colours and ornate styles, or simple gold or silver finishes, it’s all about big necklaces and chunky chokers.

Following this trend is the perfect way to not only complement an outfit’s existing style, but also to add a statement piece and accentuate an otherwise subtle and muted outfit.

Retro Watches Are Back

Ralph Lauren championed this look on the catwalk in 2013 and, since then, countless other designers with their own ladies watch lines have cottoned on that retro jewellery is set to be big business in 2014. Leather straps, delicate watch faces and noticeable yet subtle watch shapes are all popular fashion choices, with a hark back to the 60s and 70s seeming to be a particularly big choice of style. 

For the catwalk look, designer is the way to go – Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger and Karen Millen are amongst the big names taking the leather-strapped retro look by storm. O’Hara’s range of ladies watches is a great place to start for finding that perfect addition to your wardrobe.

Go For Gold!

Despite the growing trend to coast away from the norm in terms of stones in jewellery, some things never change; the popularity of gold is taking 2014 by the horns and dominating with full force. From chunky chokers to delicately beautiful bracelets, gold is set to be the number one style of jewellery in 2014 with countless 24-carat designers and their followers on the high street both going all-out with our favourite yellow metal.

As with large statement pieces, even the most delicately elegant piece of gold jewellery can add a spark of something truly special and eye-catching to a simple, minimalistic and muted outfit. Don’t go overboard with every piece of gold jewellery in one go, but make sure you have a good range of earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings to choose from to suit any style of outfit.

This guest post was written by Tom McShane – professional blogger working with UK-based Nigel O’Hara Jewellers, who supply designer watches and jewellery for perfect accessorizing.

Virtual Book Tour – A Parent’s Playbook for Learning

I really resonated with Lexi’s post back in June when Dirk headed off to Kindergarten. Like Lexi, I was lucky enough to have a WAHM schedule to be able to be there for my daughter’s very first day of big kid school and my son’s very first day of preschool. I have also worked hard with both of my kids to, in my case, semi-homeschool them and get them enrolled in schools with smaller classes so they get more one-on-one time with their teachers. What’s made a big difference for me both in terms of helping new teachers get to know my kids and also in terms of me understanding how my kids learn best is keying into their individual temperaments…and continuing to think of myself as one of my kids’ most important teachers even after they’ve headed off to elementary school.

When I started getting my firstborn ready for school, I started teaching her in the ways I most liked to learn as a child. I thought this would be a great approach, considering I graduated both high school and college early and with honors. I knew that interests played a big role in making learning “click” for kids because I’d done my undergraduate thesis on multiple intelligences in college. But I didn’t realize until I started teaching one-on-one just how important it is to know your child’s learning personality type.

My eldest daughter has a very different personality type than I do, and until I started keying into those personality type differences, learning wasn’t as fun for her as it could be. Because my ultimate goal is to make sure my kids enjoy learning and turn into life-long learners, my original strategy of doing it the way I did as a kid just wasn’t working. I began doing a lot of research and started weaving in personality type based techniques into our work together and things started to change. She started to understand new concepts better and faster…and to enjoy learning more. I think one of my simultaneously best and worst moments came last year when we were working on homework together and she said, “I love the way you teach me, Mom. Why can’t my teachers teach me this way in school?” This is not to say we don’t have our moments—it’s certainly not all peaches and cream—but our time together is more effective and more enjoyable now that I’m tuned into her temperament. I wrote my book—A Parent’s Playbook for Learning—for other parents like me who want their kids to grow up to love learning and have yet to discover the magic that comes from honoring their kids’ natures in a learning context.

This is a guest post by Jen Lilienstein, founder of Kidzmet.com and author of the award-winning book, A Parent’s Playbook for Learning, which can be purchased in paperback or ebook formats on Amazon.com, BN.com, iTunes, and in bookstores around the world.

Setting Up a Home Tutoring Business

If you’re like me you’re probably asking yourself, “How can I make money at home?”.

I’ve ask myself that a thousand times because I have to move around a lot for my husband’s job and I have a child. I have always stayed at home with my son so I am looking for opportunities to work at home.

Let me share my journey.

In 1982 when I was a teaching assistant in the English Dept. at Duquesne University, I strolled over to the ELI (English Language Institute). It was a couple buildings away from College Hall where I taught. The waiting room was full of international students. They smiled when I walked in and some of them bowed to me. I could tell they were right off the boat because of the way they dressed.

I spoke to the receptionist and started to fill out a form to tutor. Sherry Goldman walked in with her glowing smile and my life changed forever. (Sherry was the director in 1982.) She introduced me to some of the students sitting in the waiting room. She served tea and we all sat around chatting, me wanting to know about them and their countries and them trying to communicate with me in that broken English sort of way. Like if you put a bunch of words in a Yahtzee cup and shook them up and spilled them out. However the words landed, that was their sentence. I listened.

Games to Encourage the Kids to have Fun Cooking

This is a guest post by Cormac Reynolds.

Give your children some inspiration to want to start cooking by giving them fun things to do in the kitchen.  Pretend to your kids that you are finding it very difficult coming up with things to cook in the kitchen and ask them to think of ideas.  You never know they may surprise you and make you a lemon cheesecake or some other indulgent dish.

Some kids are just not interested in cooking so in this case introducing them to cooking games can be a way of getting them to experiment with cooking. 

Let’s look at some easy cooking games that the kids will enjoy:

3 Foods 1 Dish

This is a fun game for the entire family.  The idea of this game is to pick three items and put them into a basket or even a bowl and cover them.  When it comes to cooking a dish let the kids pick one item out of the basket and they have to use it in their next dish.  Who knows if there is a lemon in there, you may get a lemon cheesecake.  The surprise element adds a touch of fun.

Name the Spice

Another fun game for both the kids and adults!  Choose a number of spices and allow the kids to add these to a dish.  Foods to cook include soup, spaghetti bolognaise, and chilli to name a few and allows a variety of spices to be added.  This is where the fun begins.  When it is time to serve the food it is the family’s chance to guess the spice or spices that have been added to the food.  The person that wins and guesses the spice correctly can win a prize.  Maybe first slice of pudding!

It is important to note that only spices that will go with the foods are included, because before you know it a bottle of chilli could be added to your dish. 

Challenges are Good for Kids

It is providing these challenges to your children that can get them excited about cooking.  What child does not like playing games?  Cooking can be fun and allows your child’s imagination run wild in the kitchen and see what recipes they come up with.  Who knows they may be the next Junior Master Chef. 

When it comes to desserts, we have mentioned lemon cheesecake, but there are so many creative recipes that allow kids to be creative.  Get them to make cupcakes and let them decorate the cakes themselves with sprinkles, icing and sweets.  Let them make their own designs and then enjoy eating them afterwards.

Not only will the kids enjoy playing the games in the kitchen but they will enjoy spending time together as a family.  It is this quality time that will be welcomed by all members of the family, while also allowing them to feel comfortable within the kitchen environment.

About the Author: Cormac Reynolds loves food and enjoys much of his time in the kitchen. He works at Anchor Dairies.