It's Cold and Snowy, What Should You Wear?

Welcome back to another week of real life fashion advice. We are in the middle of winter around here, and while we haven't had much snow so far, I have a bad case of the winter blahs. For me, that means that my simple and casual wardrobe has dwindled down to Pajamas and yoga pants. Neither of which make for a very exciting fashion post.

So let's talk about snow and what you can wear in real winter weather and still look stylish.  A great coat is must have - and one that is sadly on my list of things of I need. I just can't find a nice looking one in my budget. They are too short, too puffy or too expensive. So I'm biding my time with my trusty Lands End Pea Coat and a couple Eddie Bauer down jackets.

Boots are another must have item. I have a pair of Uggs that are so warm and I love to wear them to the bus stop on cold winter days. They are not very snow practical though. On snowy days I pull on a pair of warm socks and my Wellies to keep the wet out.

Hats, gloves, mittens, scarves. . .accessories are easy to find in a wide variety of colors, patterns and styles. This simple pink fleece hat from Lands End is one of my favorites. I have a matching scarf and gloves as well. Here I'm sporting my J Jill Infinity Scarf.

What do you wear when the flakes start to fly?

catch you soon -
This post is linked up at The Pleated Poppy and at Get Your Pretty On. Be sure to check them out for more outfit ideas and style inspiration.

5 Secrets to Winter Hair Care

Winter weather is here and one of the first places that shows it is your hair. From static electricity to hat head, harsh winter weather and changing temperatures can be hard on your hair. Even if you don't spend much time outdoors, winter weather can still have a not so great effect on your hair.

What can we do to keep our locks looking their best? You have to take both preventative AND replenishing steps to get your hair into condition. Are you ready?

1.  Use a thick, rich, moisturizing conditioner regularly. Choose a product based on your hair type, and apply it beginning about two inches from your scalp, and pull it through your hair to the ends.I am currently crushing on a couple of VO5 products to keep my hair supple this winter.

2.  Use a natural boar bristle hairbrush with a wooden handle to reduce static. Prices vary so try shopping around and don't forget about places like Sephora and Ulta for inexpensive options. Believe it or not, you can also rub your hair gently with a dryer sheet.

3.  Consider switching your gel for a styling cream. The key is to avoid high alcohol content products, which can be drying to your hair. You can re-activate the cream product with a bit of water to revive any hat head flatness.

4.  Limit your time under the blow dryer. Heat can be damaging to hair anytime, but in winter it can be even worse. One way I'm reducing my drying time this winter is with Goody's new QUICKSTYLE™ absorbent, anti-microbial, microfiber brush. This brush is amazing on my thick hair and dramatically reduces the time it takes me to blow-dry.

5.  Avoid Hat Hair. To battle hat hair, try pulling long hair into a high ponytail or pulling shorter hair straight back before putting on your hat.

So let the winds blow and the snow fall. Armed with these 5 tips, we can still have beautiful, manageable and healthy hair all winter long!

What's your favorite winter hair care tip?

catch you soon -
Thanks to Goody for sending me a QUICKSTYLE™brush to review and share with my readers.

Winter Driving Safety Tips

With two big winter storms in the last three days, staying safe on wintery roads has been on my mind.  While I think I'm doing "everything right",  I thought a little research to improve our skills couldn't hurt - right?

Here's what I learned:

Triple-A offers these winter driving tips:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly to avoid skids. 
• Drive slowly, everything takes longer on snow-covered roads.
• Increase the normal following distance (3-4 seconds) to 8 or more seconds to provide a longer distance in case of a sudden stop.
• Know your brakes. Keep your heel on the floor and apply steady pressure with the ball of your foot.
• Don't stop if you can avoid it (obviously stop at all Stop signs)
• Don't power up hills or stop going up.

Best tip: Stay home.

If you have to venture out, be as prepared as possible with a winter weather emergency car kit. The Weather Channel suggests keeping these 10 things in your vehicle for winter emergencies.

• A blanket
• A snow shovel (there are many collapsible models)
• Flashlight
• Hand warmers
• Matches
• Bottled water and protein/snack bars
• Syphon pump (in case you run out of gas)
• Lightsticks
• Flares
• A whistle

You can store all these items in a plastic bin, car compartment or even a zippered tote bag in your trunk or cargo space. Preparing your car for winter travel is essential, and Lisa from A Daily Pinch offers even more tips and a Winter Safety Travel Checklist.

It never hurts to brush  up on your skills, check over your car (turn signals, lights, wipers and tire pressure) and be prepared.  Drive safe out there - even that awful man in the pick-up truck that yelled at me for driving too slowly on un-treated snowy roads the other day. My dad always told me, "it's the other people you have to watch out for."

What's your best winter weather driving tip? 

catch you soon -

Keeping Your Hair and Skin Moisturized | #BestofBeauty

Winter has definitely arrived here in the Philly Burbs this week. When I took Owen to the bus this morning, it was 21 degrees. . .and that's the high for the day. But don't let winter cramp your beauty routine.

We all know that winter weather can wreak havoc on our hair and skin. . .between the cold air outside and the dry heat indoors, our skin can feel tight and look flaky and our hair can really dry out too.

Here are some tips and my current favorite products to keep your skin and hair hydrated and looking their best all through winter:

• Use a humidifier indoors (optimum indoor humidity is 45% - 55%)
• Turn the heat down in your shower.  Hot water can strip your skin and hair of natural moisture.
• Use a rich moisturizer after your shower.  I've been a long-time fan of St. Ives Daily Hydrating Lotion.
• Keep you hands moisturized, especially around your cuticles to ward off hangnails.  I'm a fan of Burt's Bees Hand Salve.
• Wear a hat to protect your hair.
• Use a moisturizing product on your hair after you shower. I'm currently using Moisture Cure by Matrix.
• Try to limit your use of heat appliances.
• Drink plenty of water - it is the best hydrator even in winter.

What are your best winter weather beauty tips?

catch you soon -

I'm linking up with Whitney over at Mommies With Style for #BestofBeauty Tuesday.