Ok, so tonight was my first yoga class of the year with my leg wrap off, and it felt SO good. It was pretty crowded with new people, old regulars and a few stragglers filling up the room. After about 10 minutes in, sex noises started surfacing…you know, like loud sighing and moaning and what not. It took me alot of focus to not turn around and tell the person(s) to shut the hell up and get out of my ear like that, I mean after all, I was supposed to be focused on my breathing and able to disengage myself from any outside disturbances..you know?

Here is my question for you all. Are sex noises allowed in the yoga room? Am I being the one who is being diffucult? I’m feeling that 1. you are supposed to be breathing through your NOSE during yoga practice, so essentially, you shouldn’t be making any vocal noises anyway, and 2. Get out of MY space – be courteous and use your ‘indoor voices’.

Ok. That is all for now.

Check out THIS Green story taking place here in L.A.:

“The glycerin in this soap is derived from making biofuel. Marshall picks up used vegetable oil from some of the finest restaurants in LA, then processes it in our garage.

The biofuel goes into our cars and the glycerin goes into our soap. Then we take the soap back to the restaurants that provided the oil and voilà. A perfect, sustainable circle.”

Word on the street is that Further Soap just got some new upgrades in a new FDA approved lab, and now are offering the public to purchase the scented and uber organic soap directly from their website. Do good, feel good, and please…wash responsibly!

Cha Cha is a super picky dog, although he is a bit on the portly side, he is extremely particular as to what he will and will not eat. It has caused some difficult training sessions, as he would rather not be bothered with the training treats. I haven’t been able to teach him any real tricks because he refuses the reward treat.

I have recently discovered the Happy Hips by Dogswel chicken and duck chews. I personally have a hard time finding the Mellow Mutt flavor, which I feel is most applicable in Cha Cha’s mental status haha.

I’m really loving the DogsWell pet food company, and feel much more assured that they take their ingredients seriously – adding no corn, no wheat and no added hormones. There is also a direct messages from the CEO and President in regards to pet food safety.

While Whole Foods has the most extended variety of different Dogswell food and snack products that I have seen in a brick and mortar, Ralph’s and Target also carry the Happy Hips and Vitality chew snacks. Looking around the site, I can see a Catswell line, as well as a vegitarian line available too! So Cheers to Dogswell for making an amazingly organic and healthy snack line that dogs really, really like – even the pickiest of dogs!

Let me tell you how I met Crystal. One sunny afternoon, I was taking my newly adopted dog out for a walk, when all of a sudden, Cha Cha starts to limp. I looked under his paw and noticed that he had a ton of super thick tree sap that had gotten full of dirt and debris which was making it impossible for him to walk. I totally freaked out, and didn’t know what to do!

Oj took me and Cha Cha to our neighborhood PetCo which was super, SUPER busy and chaotic, but I saw asked the girl at the counter if there was anything she could do for me – especially since I didn’t have an appointment. Crystal heard what was going on, stopped what she was doing, and came over and began to clip off as much of the gunk that she could, freeing Cha Cha’s paws from discomfort and allowing him to walk again. I have never forgotten her act of kindness, and on top of that, when I made an appointment with her for his next groom, she HOOKED it up! Not only does Cha Cha look like a dabber dude when he gets groomed, but he prances around super proud and arrogant.

Crystal has thus opened her own mobile grooming service : Crystal Clear Dog Grooming, where she offers full service dog baths, cuts & what not. She also offers pet transportation, vet trips, pet-sitting and walking.

I totally 100% vouch for Crystal and her lovely service – please tell her that Sylvia referred you! It’s a bit hard to get an appointment in, so I suggest you book early and try to keep a regular appointment so your dog can look fresh on a regular basis, because once you see how soft she can get your doggy’s hair and the lovely herbal shampoo she uses, no one else will do!

Remember when I was having trouble with the whole bubbling nail polish thing? I think I have solved the mystery! If you scroll down a bit, you will see an entry for Qtica, which I am considering inducting into the Holy Grail category for it’s amazing outcomes. After 3 weeks of intensive and consistent treatment using my Qtica regimine, my nails are amazingly healthy, growing like weeds AND I polished my nails last night again with the very same OPI Polish with no bubbles. Yay!!

I’m thinking that perhaps nail polish bubbles on uneven and unhealthy nails. Perhaps because of the ridges and what not, air gets trapped when polishing, which causes it to bubble. I’m no scientist, but it seems to be a logical theory in my mind at the moment. Once your nails are healthy, perhaps the ridge factor/uneveness is absent, therefore allowing the polish to adhere in a more even distribution. Take That!

Times are tough, baby…but PLEASE don’t let it get to your feet! You can give yourself a fabulous designer-friendly at home pedi and be the star of the party with these easy and budget friendly ideas:

Black, White & Dior All Over DIY Pedicure by SylviaG

Materials list: Clear nail polish, 2 different colors in contrasting shades of nail polish. 1 toothpick. Scissors, scotch tape, nail charms, and an open mind.

First, scrub, exfoliate & moisturize your feet. You don’t need any fancy tools, just a basic good old fashioned foot scrub in your shower will be fine. BE GENEROUS with your moisturizing – and keep it as a nightly routine. Feet need to be moisturized DAILY.

Next – paint your toes a solid light color. I chose plain white for a more drastic look, but I’ve also had really good luck with baby pink, silver and pearly white. Let dry for 10 minutes. Watch some mindless reality shows to pass the time and let the polish dry. lol.

Then, get your scotch tape and cut into cresent shapes. tape each one to the top of your toes to mask and get a clean line. Paint on the top part of that cresent shape mask a dark color. I chose black for a heavy contrast color.

Cover with clear polish. I used a high-gloss chip resistant coat. I did NOT use a quick -dry as I need the clear polish to stay a bit tacky to adhere the nail charm.

Put a drop of clear polish onto a piece of paper. With a toothpick, dip the tip into the clear polish, then touch the dipped toothpick onto the chosen nail charm. Press the nail charm onto the wet nail polish, whereever you wish, and in whatever design you wish.

Brush another coat of clear coat on top of your finished creation, and you have a fabulous custom designed pedicure!

Enjoy!!!

Ok, before I go ahead and say that I’m vouching for LifeBooker.com – let me post a disclaimer. I totally am not, I’m simply sharing a site that looks interesting. A while back, I had posted some sites which ended up being quite a disappointment after they went the advertisement route, so I really am just a bit curious about it. Has anyone had good luck with LifeBooker.com? I’d love to hear some feedback…

It seems like a special/sales finder, I’ve browsed around the site for a bit, and saw some lactic acid chemical peel facials in the neighborhood of around $80 which is a pretty good deal. I might have to do some further investigation and post a follow up.

Remember when I had that Burning Nail issue from buffing my natural nails too short? I ended up at Beauty Gallery in Chatsworth looking for something, anything to help heal the mess that I made, because by day two, I was in super intoleratble pain. I picked up the Qtica growth stimulator and the Qtica cuticle cream and shelled out the $35 bucks for both (YES, the price of a full set of acrylic nails…I’m JUST saying) and hoped for the best.

It’s been about 3 weeks maybe, and I can honestly say that FINALLY my nails seem to be almost 100% better, and even strong, and dare I say, healthy? Really? I bet you have noticed I’ve stopped complaining about fake nails being better than real nails…because maybe they aren’t so bad afterall. Healthy nails, that is.Thanks Qtica - I will try not to complain when I see your prices next time.

Alternative uses for the Cuticle Cream BTW:

>Used to soothe irritation under the nose during a cold or flu
>Immediate relief from light curling iron burns (reported by hair stylists)
>Relief of minor exema
>Applied around cheekbones and laugh lines by skiers in extreme winter conditions to defend skin against harsh elements

“45% of Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Buyers are Women who are buying for boyfriends or husbands who work with their hands in the fields of construction, manufacturing, automotive and professional athletes. As one customer put it “….if those rough cuticles and jagged hang nails scratch my face, or snag my blouse one more time I’ll…” – from ArtOfBeauty.com

JANUARY 22: Unleash your inner goddess…try my 8wk Private/Intensive Belly Dance Series at BodyWorks (my studio) starting next Thursday, Jan. 22nd from 8pm-9pm. The series will go for 8wks covering technique and choreography in an intimate setting.

The cost is only $88 plus a small registration fee for new students ($25). Space is limited. To secure your spot, RSVP contact BodyWorks Studio or by mailing your FULL NAME, CONTACT INFO & PAYMENT TO: “BodyWorks”. See address below.

BodyWorks Fitness & Performing Arts
10207 Sepulveda Blvd. Mission Hills CA 91345

Phone: 818-830-1612
www.BodyWorksStudioInfo.com

Talk about a tough job…Michelle Obama has to look stunning, keep it together, AND worry about the extreme cold with hair, makeup, wardrobe!

Situations like these call for Team Mrs. O to be sure. Makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Myles has it handled. She has been vetted for make up duty for Innauguration activities, and on my birthday Jan 16, she even gave a demonstration of how she will be doing the First Lady’s look at Beauty360.

Daily Candy, Washington DC edition has a full rundown of Inaugural Glamour Tips from Ingrid Grimes-Myles.

Next up…hair and wardrobe!

March 2009 will be quite feline, ya’ll. MAC Cosmetics is coming out with a whole new Hello Kitty line which features alot of blacks, silvers and pinks. It’s kind of cute to be absolutely honest. If you have a teen-ager, be prepared and know the fabulousity about to hit your local Mac counter! Check out a sneek-peek of all the products in the line on my Flickr account.

Hello Kitty for MAC Cosmetics

Moms had a huge tub of Eucerin tub on her nightstand last weekend while I was doing my mani – and so I decided to try some out. It went on SUPER thick, but within 10 minutes, it soaked into my skin and all was smooth and moisturized. This morning I tried the L’Occitane Shea Butter hand cream, and it too went on super thick, but within 20 minutes, it was still sticky and tacky to the touch, needing a warm wet towel to wipe off at least my fingertips so that I can type again. I suppose that as an overnight hand treatment, either would be fine, but in today’s economy, I’m opting for the big ol tub of Eucerin for the price.

My favorite online drugstore has incentives too when you get your goods from them

Have you seen the infomercial for Bump It? I must admit, shamefully, that I am quite intrigued!!! You must check it out…I actually think I am going to buy some today I AM VICTIM TO AN INFOMERCIALS EEEK! I hate when that happens!

I switched up the formula combo that I’m using with Ojon, and having so much better luck!! Here is what I’m doing now that is working like a gem on my locks:

Ojon Hydrating Thickening Shampoo

Ojon Revitalizing Mist

Ojon Conditioning Volumizing Foam

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment

So I finally I see what the magic is from the Ojon line, and I do really see and feel the difference. Also, I buy my Ojon products from Beauty.com because the shipping is free, they have discounts on multiple purchases so you can get discounts on your whole purchase, including products like Ojon, which do not go on sale at Sephora, nor can you get discounts on that site either. Plus you get some nice sized and generous product samples with your purchases on beauty.com too – all around a way better deal.

It’s one of 2 things. 1. My baby is now 17 years old, and 2. WHEN my son was a baby, there was no way I could afford Restoration Hardware. Ok so now that THAT is out of the way, I just got an email blast from Restoration Hardware Baby. I know it’s kind of off topic, but most of my readers are mommas, so this post is for ya’ll.

You can browse around, get some decor ideas, register for your baby shower, send a gift,  and/or sign up for the newsletter to see the new and upcoming products/events/sales. Restoration Hardware is giving away a $100 credit towards any $400 purchase to those who register their events on the gift registry…sounds like  a great deal to me!

Enjoy!