Summer is here, and for a lot of people, that means weekend long music festivals, where we can have fun in the sun, see some of our musical heroes, mingle with fellow music lovers and have interesting new experiences. There’s no denying that music festivals can be great fun, but if you’re going to one this year, you really should do what you can to stay safe and stay healthy while you’re having a ball. Here are some tips to help you do just that:
Which concert will you be attending this summer?
Avoid Alcohol Consumption If you’re heading off to a festival, chances are that alcohol will be available. If that’s the case, you need to make sure that you and your friends party safe and that means watching how much alcohol you drink AND more importantly watching your drinks to ensure that you don’t get spiked.
Stay Hydrated You’re going to be out in the sun for hours at a time watching your favorite bands perform, and you’re (probably) going to be drinking. That’s a bad combination in terms of your dehydration risk, so make sure that you always have a bottle of water on hand to keep your hydration levels up.
Wear Sun Protection You might be more concerned about packing the perfect pair of summer shoes or the prettiest flower crown, but don’t forget to fill your festival bag with sun protection essentials like sunscreen, sunglasses and a floppy hat to keep you cool and protected from the sun’s rays.
Pack Ear Protection While you’re packing, you should seriously consider also bringing along some earplugs/muffs, especially if you’re bringing your kids to the festival. If you contact Hearing Professionals, they will tell you that close proximity to loud speakers and live bands can and will damage your hearing, especially if you’re a regular festival goer/fan of live music, so find a pair of earplugs that allow you to enjoy the show comfortably if you want to protect your hearing.
Pack Your Medication If you require any medication at all, even if it’s something like an asthma inhaler that you rarely need, do not leave it at home. Being in a festival setting without your medication could be quite dangerous for you. Sure, there are first aid facilities around, but getting to them quickly won’t always be easy, and they’re unlikely to have a fully stocked pharmacy on hand! It’ll be much better for all involved if you have what you need with you.
Avoid Unsafe Sex Festivals and romance go hand in hand for a lot of people. If you’re one of them, please think about it before you do it. The last thing you want to bring back from your festival experience is an STI or worse. If you need to know more about safe sex, contact the American Sexual Health Association or similar sexual health organization for all of the information you need to stay safe not only at festivals, but all the time.
The bottom line: Have fun at the festival, let your hair down, but keep your health in mind, stay prepared and you’ll have the time of your life.
FTC Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
Feeling positive about your appearance is difficult for everyone. Do you often look in the mirror and love what you see? Don’t worry if you don’t. Nobody does. Investing in a new wardrobe, to find your style and to emphasize your curves, is always a great way of falling back in love with yourself. At the heart of how you feel about your appearance is how much you care for yourself. Making yourself a fashion gift can boost your mental, or giving your skin a full spa treatment can transform your feeling. But there’s something else that can define how beautiful you feel. It’s your strength; it’s the energy you are ready to invest in feeling beautiful, whether it is mentally, physically or even from a health-related perspective.
JT and Vinny
Give your body the energy it needs to function For most individuals, when they think about beauty, they think about weight loss. In reality, beauty is not specifically about losing weight, but it is about giving your body the energy it needs to function. As a result, you naturally develop easy ways to make healthier meals and to stick to the appropriate calories intake. As much as you might love doughnuts, you are not without knowing that they don’t provide any nutrient to your body. Consequently, your healthy diet relies on understanding the right balance of nutrients – fat, proteins, vegetables, etc. – and addressing your needs with the appropriate recipe.
Give your mind the energy it needs to be motivated Whether you want to become healthier or fitter, you need to stick to a positive mindset. Too many people give up t the first negative thought. Feeling beautiful in your body means that you need to stay motivated, at least long enough to see the first changes. These transformations don’t have to weight-related. They can be linked to improving your health or reducing your stress levels. Whatever keeps you from feeling beautiful will not disappear easily. Therefore you need to focus your efforts on keeping a positive mindset.
Give yourself the right to be imperfect You are not perfect. You are perfectly imperfect. But guess what? Nobody is perfect. Nothing in nature is perfect either. The idea of perfection is based on having all the desirable elements and qualities, yet you are left to decide what is desirable and to recognize what is possible too. In other words, it’s important to accept that, while you may not be flawless, you may just be as good as it is possible for you to be at any given time. Is there anything wrong with imperfection anyway?
Give your body the time to improve As hinted above, most transformations take time, whether you are trying to change your mindset or your physical appearance. If you are trying to lose weight, for instance, you need to be aware that you need to get rid of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of weight. To put it in other words, it’s the equivalent of cutting your calories consumption by 500 every single day of the week. While this can be achieved with a mix of diet and exercising, you need to know that you will not drop a dress size within a week. Giving yourself the time to improve is key to rediscover your beauty. Don’t rush it.
FTC Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
Color, color, and more color for summer. Bold bright colors bring a smile to my face.
How are you feeling about color and prints? Do you enjoy wearing a bold color? I believe the bolder the better. If you feel you carry your weight in the hips or you think prints on bottom make you look larger, I do not agree. Why you say? If you balance your printed piece with a solid, you can actually make your torso and legs look longer. It is the art of illusion.
For example, look at this picture below. I am haven’t for a long time been a cheerleader for my hips; but this body shaming has to stop and that starts with me. I recently purchased these Isaac Mizrahi pants from QVC. They are comfortable and the price was right. The bold print is retro and on trend; but is a classic at the same time. During the birthday month of May, my hubby and I saw this Ralph Lauren poet sleeve blouse on sale and had an extra coupon so it was way below the regular price. The sleeves are full; but the top gives me a shape and the look is slimming. I finished off the look with a Turquoise Dooney and Bourke satchel and my navy Skechers wedges. The ideal look for going out with the hubby to a movie or a concert.
Isaac Mizrahi Paisley Pants
This look is so effortless, but it is packed with comfort. Both the blouse and the pants are cotton. Wearing fabric that breathes is a must for summer, especially if you live in a climate known for high humidity.
Paisley Printed pants
Don’t be afraid of a printed pair of pants or a blouse. Get out of your comfort zone and give it a try today.
Tips on wearing prints:
1.You can put your foot in the water and try printed shoes, or a printed pants like what I work above. Enjoy the boldness of the prints.
2. I wear a solid with a print, to break up the pattern.
3. Look for quality fabric that is breathable. During the summer natural fibers is the direction I lean towards.
Stress is a mental health issue that has been receiving more and more attention. Not only can it lead to behavioral changes, but it can also lead to physical problems. Employers are increasingly under pressure to ensure their workforce are not placed under undue stress. Recognizing the symptoms of stress is important for them as well as sufferers so action can be taken to resolve the problems.
Exercise the stress away!
In Your Head Headaches are one of the most common symptoms of stress. They might come on because of tension in the neck and shoulders or grinding of the teeth. Most of us hold or touch our foreheads when we’re struggling with a headache or stress. Of course, we’re busy people so we usually just get on with our day, missing the opportunity to deal with the problem.
In Your Stomach Have you ever noticed that butterflies in the tummy feeling when you have a big meeting or a job interview? Nerves can cause knots in your stomach that are noticeable. Stress can go a step further and cause all the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. While it might be easy to find an irritable bowel treatment, it’s not always easy to understand why it’s happening. Of course, the stress of having those symptoms will compound the problem too.
In Your Work Do you keep making mistakes when you’re stressed? Simple arithmetic can suddenly be impossible to solve. You might struggle to spell words correctly or remember what you went into the room for. Distraction is a big part of stress, but the fight-or-flight response of stress could be the problem here. It can prevent the higher brain function of problem-solving. Adrenaline and the stress hormone cortisol have enormous effects on your body and mind. And none of it feels good.
In Your Muscles When we are stressed, we tend to suffer pain. While pain might cause stress, it can commonly occur the other way around. This might be due to an increase in blood pressure and the extra tension in muscles. It’s easier to strain muscles when they’re tense too. Remember all those muscle massages you do after a good workout? Now is the time to practice them some more. You can also try a massage therapist to see if different types of massage technique can offer more relief.
In Your Diet Reaching for the comfort foods is a common habit when we’re under pressure. We feel like we need more energy to cope so we go for the high calorie, high sugar snacks that we ordinarily wouldn’t touch. Unfortunately, this can exacerbate the problem. The excess sugar can make you feel ill, and the extra guilt will make you feel emotionally vulnerable too. If you find yourself binge eating, chances are you’re under a lot of stress. There are better ways to deal with it.
Stress can be relieved in a number of ways. First, try some exercise. This will help eliminate the extra adrenaline from the flight-or-fight response. Try relaxing massages and quiet time. Getting away from the source of the stress can often help relieve it. Finally, try talking to someone about your feelings. Counseling and friendship can be very beneficial here.
FTC Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links.
Picture perfect weather this weekend. All I wanted to do was to be outside in the garden and play with the family all day.
I wanted to share with you a new exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) called, Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style, in the Altria Group Gallery, and New Market Gallery.
The exhibition is only open from May 6, 2017 to August 27, 2017.
Do not wait to see it if you are in the Richmond, Virginia area. You don’t want to miss this rare opportunity to learn about one of the most iconic designers of the mid-to-late twentieth century.
Born in Algeria in 1936, Yves Mathieu Saint Laurent came to Paris as a teenager and began his career designing fashion pieces. Saint Laurent at age 18 won the International Wool Secretariat fashion design competition in 1954. He was a genius and as a very young man, he became the lead designer for Christian Dior in the late 1950s. He was very shy, but was very aware of his talent. Saint Laurent is credited as the innovator of the pantsuit for women, the transformation of the trapeze dress; among countless other designs.
The exhibition “includes accessories, photographs, drawings, films, and video from the Fondation’s vast archive. (It) traces the trajectory of Saint Laurent’s style as it developed over the course of his career. Beginning in 1953 with the “Paper Doll Couture House” that he created as a teenager, which is being shown for the first time in the United States in this exhibition. Ensembles early in the exhibition focus on his formative years at the House of Dior, including an example of a short evening dress from his successful “Trapeze” collection, which marked his debut as a fashion designer when it was shown in Paris in 1958.”
Take a look at the Paper doll images in the gallery below.
Various examples of paper dolls, assembled by Yves Saint Laurent, circa 1950. Dolls cut from magazines and glued onto cardboard; garments made of paper cutouts, ink, watercolor, and gouache. Foundation Pierre Bergé -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.
1971/PE 0247 Yves St. Laurent Collection Board
“Drawn from the archives of the Fondation Pierre Bergé—Yves Saint Laurent and other private collections, this breathtaking exhibition offers an intimate and comprehensive look at the lifetime achievement of Yves Saint Laurent, one of history’s most radical and influential fashion designers. Featuring 100 examples of haute couture and ready-to-wear garments-some never shown publicly before—this exhibition reveals Saint Laurent’s artistic genius, as well as his working process, and the sources of his design inspiration.
The iconic trapeze dress from the Trapeze collection when Saint Laurent was designing for the house of Christian Dior.
The Trapeze design has been an inspiration to many designers through the years because it flatters a woman’s body, and gives a relaxed fit. Saint Laurent took Dior’s design and radically updated it with a fresh look.
Another favorite is the dress below, which shows women speaking out how they feel and being liberated and making sure that that the ring stays on that finger forever.
Yves Saint Laurent (French, 1936-2008). Fall-Winter 1970 haute couture collection. Multicolored silk velvet coat with appliqué letters forming the words, “Love me forever” on front and “or never on back; various shapes in multicolored silk. Fondation Pierre Berge -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris.
The First Pantsuit
The First Pantsuit, Yves Saint Laurent (French 1936- 2008), worn by Ulla. Fall-Winter 1966 haute couture collection. Foundation Pierre Berge -Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, Photo: Gerard Pataa.
I had to show the menswear inspired suit I mention earlier, which can be worn everyday for work or play. The bow in Ulla’s (the model) hair, and the bow in the white collared shirt gives a feminine touch.
Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition allows the visitor to get into the world of one of fashion’s most iconic designers for the first time.
Remember the exhibit closes August 27, 2017, enjoy and be inspired.
Here is a quick look at some of the garments from the exhibition.
* I would like to say “Thank You” to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for providing me with the images and background information on the Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style exhibition.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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