indeed. it's not the same as having some resistance from a gym machine for some of them. but yoga? pilates? same as a class at the gym if you know what you're doing already or can easily follow direction. some of the workouts don't require much more than your own movements anyway, like doing a series of different types of crunches. anyway. check it out. see what you think. if you already have Netflix, you can log on and just search "workout" and tons of stuff will come up that can be added to your instant queue and then played through the Wii.

i like Tarte Clean Slate. you can find it on Sephora.com

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P96800&categoryId=C20374&shouldPaginate=true

not sure if you can get it in the Sephora stores.

i'd definitely go with a dark hose. a strappy shoe in black or silver would look great.

go for a classic look.
mine isn't incredibly fancy but it's a good quality, 1 carat diamond in a simple 6 prong setting. the prongs are platinum (picked for it's incredible strength and durability) and the band is white gold (much more affordable than doing the entire thing in platinum).
like i said, not too fancy at all, but it's definitely noticeable as an engagement ring, works well with my wedding band, and "goes" with pretty much anything because of its simplicity.

go to a thrift shop and buy any bag you see there. no need to go out and buy a specialty gym bag. chances are, you've got a bag in your closet already that can double as a gym bag.
if the gym is in your building, change in your apartment before going. take your work clothes, some shower stuff, and go. i'd keep a bag at work or in your car, too, with some stuff in case you can't shower at the gym before you go to work so you can at least freshen up for the office.
if you're looking for shoes, you need to consider what type of activity you'll be doing at the gym. i switched to Sketcher's Shape Ups after my running shoes finally gave out on me. they work for running (obviously) and any cardio i do. but i still have yoga shoes for yoga and pilates.

have you tried the LL Bean store in McLean? pretty big range of styles in women's coats. i've got a friend who is pretty petite (4'5") who just bought this coat from a LL Bean outlet where she lives - http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/66113?feat=504728-GN2 - she bought it in the raspberry color because it seemed so bright and cheery. pics of her in it seem to make the coat look pretty good on her. it's just puffy and colorful enough to look stylish, fun, and cheerful and at the same time doesn't "advertise" what she calls her "midget affliction".

looks like you missed the parts where i said that this isn't for everyone. lol. good grief. i'm not spreading a bunch of BS to the general population. i said it was something to think about, something to discuss with a doctor, and shared my personal experience. work for Coppertone, do you?

Anonymous wrote:Really? Why? Every derm I've ever been to has told me to use at lest SPF 30 every day.

simply, because the chemicals in pretty much every sunscreen that i tried were irritating my skin. i went to three different dermatologists and tried different moisturizers and medications (steroids, mostly) before the last one suggested that we stop layering on the chemicals and see what happens. i started wearing a hat when i was outside, i did invest in a natural sunscreen product to use if i had to, i started wearing less makeup and using less product all over my body and face. within a few weeks, i had less allergies, less redness, less itching. *shrug* it's not for everyone, like i said. my family has no history of skin cancers. i'm in pretty good health and i take care of myself with eating right and exercising. maybe all those had a bit to do with my end results. all i know is that simply covering your skin can be all the sunscreen you need and that you DO need some sunlight to be healthy. covering up completely with a bottle of chemicals just wasn't doing it for me.

well, ofc, if you've got a history of sun cancer you should talk to a dermatologist or your physician about adding/removing sunscreen to your skin care. there are a few brands out there that are "natural". but, honestly, if you don't have a history of sunscreen, and you realize that you DO need about 10 mins of sun exposure each day for Vitamin D, you could reasonably block harmful rays of the sun just by covering up and using a hat. i realize this doesn't work for everyone in every circumstance/lifestyle. it's just a suggestion; something to think on.

http://www.honeybeegardens.com/natural-cosmetics/products/masc.html

LOVE this stuff! doesn't flake. and doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes, even with my contacts in. just one coat looks good and a second coat will give you a pretty dramatic look without looking clumpy.

i love ultra-moisturizing lotions but can't stand the smell of some of them. even the ones that have a lovely smell, seem to fade after a few hours and i must have a sensitivity to them because i end up with even drier skin later that evening (if applied after a morning shower). with three kids with eczema, i'm careful about what i keep around the house anyway. that said, Eucerin brand of moisturizers is fabulous for really dry skin, eczema, or even normal skin that just needs a boost. it's dermatologist recommended for eczema, which is how i found it 10 years ago. you can get free samples of the stuff everywhere. sign up on their website, ask your pediatrician, etc.
as for deoderant, i used to use Secret. anything by Secret smelled great and worked pretty decent. then i tried one of those Crystal Rock deoderants. bu-bye Secret. i've had my Crystal for over 5 years now. no kidding. still a ton left. so the financial wow was there, but the fact that it didn't have a smell was a plus in my book. i didn't feel like i was just covering up body odor and i didn't feel like i had to coordinate perfumes, body wash, moisturizer, body spray, etc for a good smell. lol.

i'm only 31 and i do wear some makeup (mostly some natural mascara and some tinted moisturizer) but have thought about adding more makeup as i get older. so far, i'm lucky to have great skin and fantastic genes. do i look like Claudia Schiffer? no. but i don't look 31 and if i can continue to stay younger looking, i'll do what i can. that being said, i've talked to a few dermatologists and from what i can tell, avoiding sunscreen is a good way to go about it. i know, i know! shock! sunscreen has too many chemicals for me, though. and if three derm docs back me up, i'm all for it. i wear a baseball cap while i run and long sleeves, usually. the sun hitting my legs for my 30 mins of running is enough to give me a necessary boost of vit D. i'd also suggest a really good moisturizer. go to a Sephora counter and ask for samples. if you can, try to stay away from the ones that have a ton of chemicals on the back - for the same reason as the sunscreen. those dark circles under your eyes? not a whole lot you can do about those. get some good under eye concealer and learn how to apply it properly. good luck to you!

using the Wii in addition to Netflix isn't a bad option to going to a gym, especially in winter months. i run in the summer but just never can find the motivation in the colder weather to get up at 5 am to go running. *shrug* i use the Wii throughout the year. if you have the Fit Plus, you can put together workouts. yes, there is a stop and go feeling in changing up workouts, but honestly, that's not a horrible thing. especially if you've got small kids you want to glance into the next room and check on. or take a swig of water. anyway, i use Netflix to stream workout videos through the Wii. just something else to think about.
in the past, i've owned several home gym items. treadmills, elliptical machines, rowing machines, a bowflex, Tony Little's Gazelle, blah, blah, blah. i absolutely lost interest in those after a short amount of time. being able to switch things up on the Wii gives me all i would ultimately get out of an expensive gym membership (access to different workouts and switching up routines for the sake of staying interested).