Is getting fit your New Years Resolution? Not surprisingly, it is one of the top New Years Resolutions – including myself!

Unfortunately, statistics show that about 60% of new gym memberships purchased at the beginning of the year drop off in mid-Feb.  Don’t let that be you!  To not fall into these statistics, I came up with some tips to motivate us to go to the gym.

 Tips for Going to the Gym

1) Buy cute workout clothes.  When it comes to clothes, if you look good, you feel good too.  Apply that to the gym too.  It doesn’t have to be expensive either.  TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target are just a few stores that sell inexpensive workout gear.

2) Find a workout buddy. Working out with a friend is great. Both of you can motivate each other and push each other further.

3) Pencil it in your calendar.  If you have “gym” penciled in your calendar, you will more likely be inclined to going to the gym.  Besides, wouldn’t it feel great to have it checked off on your calendar? It is a sense of accomplishment!

4) Diversify your workout.  Let’s face it, doing the same workout routine can be boring. Change it up! Do Cardio one day and weight lifting another day.

5) Take Fitness Classes. Instead of hitting the machines at the gyms, take classes.  Its a great feeling to know that all of you taking the class are towards the same goal – to get fit and you always feed off energy to each other! My personal favorite classes are yoga and pilates.

Once you start getting into a routine and start seeing results in your body, it will be easier to fit working out in your schedule.

If any of you have other suggestions, send them this way!

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Now that the Holidays are over, what do we do with the cards, gift bags and wrapping paper that we received? I’m sure your first instinct is trash, however, I believe we should all be a bit more green.  With a little effort, we can learn to reuse and recycle our holiday wrapping.

Christmas Cards:

Yes, Christmas cards can be sentimental.  Personally, I either keep them or trash them.  Instead of throwing away Christmas cards, you can actually recycle them! St. Jude’s Ranch for Children recycles used and all occasion cards year round!

Gift Bags:

Wrapping Paper:

If anyone else has some green tips to share, let us know!!

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If you’re planning on going Black Friday this year, this is a must-read! Andrea Woroch, a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert, featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, MSNBC, etc. shares with us some great Black Friday Shopping Tips!

1. Just Because It Says “Sale”…
…doesn’t mean it’s really a sale. For example, many stores are advertising blockbuster prices on the Kindle e-reader, but check with Amazon and you’ll find there’s no difference between the regular and so-called “sale” prices. Do a bit of research before you leave home by comparing the prices between clicks and bricks.

2. Overbuying
Do you fall into the frenzy of Black Friday? Everyone is grabbing and it’s so easy to feel you might miss out on a good thing. Remember that list people always tell you to make before heading out? Well stick to it! I’m guilty of this! I am blinded by huge sales and please stop and think before you hit the cash register, do I really need this?

3. Not Checking for Quality
Many sale items are of substandard quality. Clothes are a particular example this season, as the increased cost of cotton drove manufacturers to use less of the popular raw material. Many hems aren’t properly finished, sleeves are shorter than normal, and manufacturers are using gathered seams to save on fabric. Consumer electronics also are subject to this syndrome. Look carefully for any snags or sewing mishaps before you buy.  Save yourself time to prevent returning the item.

4. Ignoring Coupons
There’s a reason the Thanksgiving newspaper is the fattest of the year. All those fliers contain some really juicy coupons. Tip: Pick up a major newspaper Thursday morning or check out online forums.

5. Comparing Apples to Oranges
Naming no names, but some big-box stores order electronics and appliances with a slightly different model name or number, so you can’t comparison shop properly. If you want to price check an item, compare features, and not model numbers.

6. Forgetting About Extras
One of the best examples here is the computer printer. Manufacturers like to offer printers at what look like blazingly great prices. Unfortunately, the printer ink or toner will cost the gift recipient more than the printer cost you. The same goes with batteries for larger toys and electronics.

7. Setting Your Sites on Freebies
Babies R Us is offering a free $10 gift card on toy purchases of $75, leading you to add enough items to your basket until you’ve hit the magic $75 mark. Express gives you $25 in Express Cash when you spend $50, which means you’ll likely spend more than the $25 on other purchases. Sometimes free isn’t really free.

If you have any other tips, please share them with us!

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Did you know that 1 in 3 women admitted they would rather gain 10 pounds they could never lose before giving up makeup?Yikes!

In this month’s October SELF magazine, 2,000 readers reveal their makeup addictions and blunders—the truth about what they are spending, using and more! Do you fall into their results? Check out some of the results below!

An Overview

• 91% of women splurged on new makeup last month
•  52% own more than 20 makeup products (not including skin and hair products) – Sounds like me!
• 58% up their makeup routine when you’ve got a hot date
• More than half surveyed touch up makeup once a day
• 40% put on between 5-10 makeup products every day. And only 4% don’t wear makeup at all.
• Over 35% of women are motivated to buy a new makeup product because they saw it in a magazine story, tear the page out and buy it
• 91% expect makeup to multitask as much as you do
• When looking for a “double duty” makeup product, 40% say sunscreen is the second aspect that’s most important

What they wear the most:

• 78% use mascara every day
• 66% say foundation is a daily makeup must
• 57% brush on bronzer without fail
• 54% say lipstick or gloss is a necessity
• 59% have 5 to 10 lip colors in your makeup bag right now

Where they shop: Surprisingly,  it’s split pretty evenly!

• 48% prefer to shop at specialty stores.
• 41% buy makeup at drugstores

Bad Habits:

• 56% have gone months without replacing their mascara - I AM GUILTY AS CHARGED!
• 55% admit to going to sleep with makeup on – Never!
• 53% never remember to wash makeup brushes

Why They Wear It:

• 31% reach for makeup to feel sexy.
• 27% say it makes you look professional.
• 24% wear it to show off confidence.
• 11% use makeup to get a mood boost.

What they want to work on:

• 82% admitted they need to go back to beauty school
• The three tricks they want to master: Applying liquid liner straight; layering eye shadows; choosing the right foundation- I second this!

You can check out the rest of the results in this October’s SELF Magazine.

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