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Do You Need a Fashion Consultant?

Fashion consultants, also referred to as image consultants, are individuals who are able to give advice on the latest fashion trends and help you develop your own style.

You can certainly read about and study fashion on your own, but there are some individuals who feel they need professional assistance to make the most of their appearance, especially if they are not that interested in reading about all the latest trends but still want to look their best.

With the bewildering array of styles and many people with body issues, spending the time and money to get a fashion consultation can help save a lot of effort, frustration and even embarrassment, so that you can find the styles that are right for you.

If you have ever seen the show What NOT to Wear, you will have some idea of what to expect with a fashion consultant, minus the TV cameras and ridicule.

Most of the time, people consult with a fashion expert when they have a special occasion coming up, such as a wedding. Others might decide that they need help in developing a more professional wardrobe so that they can really dress to impress on their upcoming important interviews.

Whatever the reason, some people do not know what suits them, or suits the occasion they are going to be attending, and feel they need professional help.

The phrase may be commonplace, but it is true: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That being the case, a couple of outstanding outfits in your wardrobe can help you wow those you want to impress with effortless ease, once you know how.

While it is true that every work environment is different, for instance, with some workplaces offering more casual dress, while others still expect more formal dress, there are certain styles that are classics that you can have for years which will not go out of fashion, while other outfits are so trendy that they will be out of style in a year or two.

In most cases, these kinds of clothes are more suited to your social life than your professional life, unless of course you are working in a position that required you to dress in a very stylish manner. The kinds of clothes that you would need to wear in an upscale boutique will be very differen from those you would be expected to don if you were working in a law office.

Professional fashion consultants spend hours reviewing the latest fashion trends and styles, including workplace fashions, and then helping to match the trends to your personality and the nature of your job plus your appearance and body type

If you are interested in updating your appearance, you may want to think about hiring a professional fashion consultant to help you develop a more sophisticated look, or one more in keeping with your age now that you have reached the age of 29 again but are in need of a fashion update.

You should have a wardrobe of mix and match separates that will work well in in the office or on a business trip, and for a fun and possibly even romantic night out as well. Fashion consultants can help you invest in a wardrobe that everyone will be impressed with, but without anyone thinking that you are wearing one of your outfits too often. They can help you save money in the long run by not buying anything so trendy that it screams last season if you try to wear it for more than a few months.

Finally, if you have body image issues, consult with an expert to help you get on the right track for the best outfits for your job, lifestyle, coloring and body type. We can be a bad judge of ourselves with respect to thse issues, so hiring a professional design consultant can help you put things into perspective and find the clothes that are right for you so you are not constantly walking around in a tent to hide what is actually a good figure, or wearing skin tight clothes when you have gained 50 pounds.

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3 Success Secrets Using the Power of Your Mind

We often seem to think that success just happens to some people, that they are ‘lucky’ or have some special skills or talents that we lack. This image of success is one example of a self-limiting belief that can hold us back from the kind of success that we have always dreamed of.

Success means different things to different people, of course, but generally speaking, it is being able to accomplish your personal, career and financial goals.

First, you need to define your goals. Next, you need to take a look at your own mind to see if YOU are actually the one who is holding yourself back from the life that you deserve.

Let’s look at # top strategies for increasing your level of success by using the power of your mind.

1-Don’t give your negative thoughts too much importance.
“The worst things in life that ever happened to me, NEVER happened.” Mark Twain

Many people tend to think the worst and come up with all sorts of negative scenarios which make them feel as if they have experienced some sort of disaster, when in reality, NOTHING happened.

If your mind has the power to create all of these worst-case scenarios that upset you, why not use your mind to create best-case scenarios that can fill you will powerful, positive feelings? In this way, you will be motivate to keep on trying, and often succeeding, in reaching your goals.

2-Create a mantra or daily affirmation.
The author of The Little Engine that Could did not call it a mantra, but, “I think I can, I think I can,” is a good example of one. In the modern world, we also have the saying, “Fake it ’til you make it.” In other words, keep on acting as if you are successful, until you succeed.

Any mantra that speaks to your innermost feelings and fears can work to calm and soothe you and serve as powerful self-talk that can transform your mindset from defeated to prepared to try, try again.

3-Set goals and intentions but don’t make them the ultimate goal.
The law of attraction states that we attract what we focus on the most, either positive or negative. The more we worry about failing, the more we attract failure.

Stressing over money or your business, wondering if you are going to be successful, is leaving the door open for failure. The negativity of these thoughts can send either mixed messages or even negativity out into your world, and hold you back from the success that you are so longing for.

The question then becomes what is your goal or definition of success. Are you mindlessly making your way to your first million, and once you get it, you will be satisfied? Or do you understand that success is a process and journey, one we can arrive at any time provided we are happy with our efforts and practical in terms of distinguishing between wants and needs?

Set your goals and intentions and then let them go. A certain amount of faith in yourself and in the power of attraction is necessary, as is surrendering to the process. Go with the flow rather than try to re-direct the river all the time, and you will attain what you desire.

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Book Review: An Unquiet Mind

An Unquiet Mind: A memoir of Moods and Madness

Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison, is turning the tables in An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness. Unlike her previous book, Touched with Fire, Jamison turns the mirror on herself, looking at her own medical condition, that of manic depression.

She takes the bold step of bringing her readers into her world to try to share what many people experience, mental illness. In many cases, it is the result of a chemical imbalance disease, NOT some sort of character flaw or weakness.

Jamison says, “There is a particular kind of pain, elation, loneliness and terror involved in this kind of madness…. It will never end, for madness carves its own reality.”

What is normal for a person with manic depression is captured in great detail by this talented author: “We are all, as Byron put it, differently organized,” Jamison writes.

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness will make those suffering from manic depression, bipolar disease or any other type of mood disorder feel a little less alone and better understood.

Jamison shares her life from her childhood through living her life now, as what some call her, the healer and the healed. She manages her diagnosis of manic depression with startling results, not only taking control of it, but also turning it into her life’s work.

Jamison has spent her medical career attempting to become the world’s leading expert on what she has lived with and deals with every day, in the hope of healing herself and anyone else with similar mood disorders.

If you are living with manic depression/bipolar disease and feel that no one understands what you are going through, An Unquiet Mind is the perfect book for you. It also makes a great gift for those you love who may also suffer with this chemically imbalanced illness.
Buy now at Amazon=An Unquiet Mind

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Get a Head Start on Holiday Cooking Today

The holidays are coming, and with it, the need to entertain guests and/or feed the kids while they are home from school and usually cooped up indoors due to colder weather in the Northern Hemipshere. The holidays hold enough time and financial pressure, without the constant wail of “Im’ hungry! What is there to eat?”

One of the best ways to handle the holidays and save money at the same time is through Make and Freeze recipes.  As the name suggests, you make the recipe and eat it, then freeze the leftovers. Or, you can batch cook, making a week or two of meals all at the same time, which you can then freeze for later use.

Make and freeze recipes made from scratch help ensure that you know exactly what is in the food you and your family are eating. If anyone in your house has food allergies, this is a must. It also saves a lot of money, because properly portioned out make and freeze meals cost pennies on the dollar compared to microwave meals from the supermarket or take away from your local restaurant or fast food joint.

Package up your food into TV dinners with the help of sturdy freezer containers. Color code the lids so that anyone who has allergies or a special diet, such as vegetarian or vegan, can always spot exactly what they can and can’t eat.  If you are working and the kids are home all day,  there is no need to worry about getting a hot meal on the table. You can rest secure knowing that there is a freezer full of food for the kids to choose from, heat and eat.

If you and the children and your spouse want to spend as much of the holidays together as possible without slaving in the kitchen, cooking make and freeze recipes now, when you are in the kitchen cooking anyway, can help you get well ahead of the game by the time the holidays ever roll around.

Get recipes ready now for holiday pot lucks, covered dish suppers, dessert or cookie swaps, and even gifts that you can make and bake, parcel up, and give as presents.

Do you have guests coming to stay? Feeding them three meals a day plus snacks can be hard work, and expensive too, especially if they want to eat out while there are there. Get organized now and you will be amazed at how easy it is to entertain them this year.

If you dread the holidays because you know how much cooking you are going to have to do, it’s time to end the pattern of slaving over a hot stove just to try to enjoy the holidays. Make and freeze recipes are easy enough to cook each night, and versatile enough to multiply 2 or three times so that you can parcel up and freeze the rest. Or, go shopping, unpack your groceries, roll up your sleeves, and make about a month of meals in a single day.

Packing your freezer with recipes made with the freshest ingredients means you will never have to waste food or eat lame leftovers again. Best of all, they can give you a great head start on your holiday cooking, making Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining and socializing easier than ever. If you want a more stress-free holiday season, with better budgeting as you spread out the cost of food over 2 or 3 months instead of only a week, make and freeze recipes are the solution you’ve been looking for.

Further Reading

Make and Freeze Recipes: Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze, and Use Quickly and Easily

More Make and Freeze Recipes: More Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze and Use Quickly and Easily (Eat Better for Less Guides)

Even More Make and Freeze Recipes

Healthy Make Ahead and Freeze Muffins

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Making the Most of Seasonal Foods

The autumn is here, and with it nature’s bounty. All of the fresh fruits and vegetables that ripen in the fall are at their peak of freshness. Why not make the most of them with some great recipes. Eat some now, and freeze the rest?

Make ahead and freeze cooking can help you save time and money. You will waste a lot less food if your family stops doing the ‘leftover shuffle’, pushing last night’s delicious dish to the back in favor of something freshly cooked, or even worse, take away food.

Let’s face facts. We all love variety. Sadly, a lot of us are also carrying around a few extra pounds. Portion control and packaging up leftovers into ‘TV dinners’ is one way to get the range of foods we love and still stay slim. Serve with a salad and you have a complete meal for pennies on the dollar compared to takeaway.

Make and freeze recipes are also perfect if you have special diets to cater to. Color-code your container covers. Write on the lids or sides using freezer tape, and your picky eater or person will allergies can be sure that they are eating what they want and what’s safe for them.

Many people used to can or jar their produce to preserve it before it spoiled. Packing your freezer with recipes made with the freshest seasonal produce is even better, saving you time and money. Never again do you have to wonder what’s for dinner, and whether it will be delicious.

Further Reading

Make and Freeze Recipes: Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze, and Use Quickly and Easily

More Make and Freeze Recipes: More Great Foods You Can Cook, Freeze and Use Quickly and Easily (Eat Better for Less Guides)

Even More Make and Freeze Recipes

Healthy Make Ahead and Freeze Muffins

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