LilSugar

Five Ways Q-tips Can Save Your Beautiful Day

BellaSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:00:17 PST

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a . . . Q-tip? Now since my makeup application with this product didn't go quite so smoothly, I decided to focus on ways this little swab can swipe all your problems away. (Well, maybe not all of them, but quite a few.)

Stop nail polish from sealing shut. One of my favorite tricks is to dip a Q-tip in vegetable oil and do a once-over on the rims of my nail polish bottles. The oil coats the top and prevents the polish from stopping my painting plan by sticking the tops on tight.

Get more quick beauty fixes from Q-tips when you

Mommy Dearest: Can I Clean My Baby's Ears With a Q-Tip?

LilSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:00:51 PST

Mommy Dearest,

I've been noticing a little earwax in my 3-month-old daughter's ears. Is it OK to clean it out with a Q-Tip?

- Wax Woes

To see the response from Mommy Dearest,

read more. Wax Woes, I know it's tempting to grab a cotton swab and clean out your lil one's ears, but you should avoid the temptation. Inserting something into a child's (or adult's) ear canal could do more harm than good by easily puncturing the eardrum - even if you're super careful. Plus, according to WebMD, earwax is nature's protection for the ear canal, and there's no reason for you to try to get rid of it, especially since you could end up packing it against her eardrum instead of removing it. To clean the outer part of your baby's ears, just use a washcloth moistened with warm water. If you're still worried about buildup, talk to your daughter's pediatrician. Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar. Source

How to Work Out at Lunch

Health — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:15:40 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Su Reid-St. John

With my early-morning workouts getting depressingly darker as the year draws to a close, I’m starting to wonder if I should try to squeeze in some of my sweat sessions at lunch. The "sweat" part is what gets me, though: how do I do my exercise, stop sweating, clean up, make my hair presentable again, and fix my makeup - all in just one measly hour? In need of some woman-to-woman advice (because, let’s face it, guys have it way easier in the cleanup department), I turned to my four favorite trainers (and great gals to boot) - Ramona Braganza, Amy Dixon, Kristin McGee, and Michele Olson. They responded with a bunch of savvy tips that have left me thinking, Yes, I could do that! Allow me to share them with you.

Choose strength
You'll sweat a lot less while doing resistance training than you will during cardio, says Braganza, a Los Angeles-based celebrity trainer who counts Jessica Alba and Halle Berry among her clients. If you can, save the cardio sessions for when you have more time to clean up and shower.

Health.com: 10 Fun Ways to Get Fit Without a Gym

Stay cool
If you do choose cardio, keep sweat to a minimum by drying off with a cold towel, suggests Amy Dixon, a trainer and exercise physiologist based in Santa Monica, Calif. Freeze it overnight at home and pop it in the fridge at work (or keep it in an insulated bag with a cold block) until you need it. So refreshing! To halt sweat faster post-workout, drink very cold water (keep that in the fridge too) to reduce your core body temperature faster, says Michele Olson, PhD, a trainer and professor of exercise science at Auburn University, in Auburn, AL.

There are more great tips, so keep on reading!

9 Tips to Make Your Computer Last and Run Fast

LearnVest — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:15:00 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Cute bathing suit vs. medical co-pay. Yummy organic blueberries vs. credit card late fees. Beachside mojitos vs. laptop repair.

When it comes to certain expenses, it’s clear which we’d prefer. So, as a public service to help you fund all of your summer cocktails, we recommend taking a look at your Old Faithful–your computer, that is.

It’s your buddy, your confidant, and it brings you all the great info out there (like, ahem, this article). And at a grand or more apiece, it’s worth your while to make sure this expensive electronic goes the distance–if only to keep your summer funds going where they should be.

From dusting your USB ports to coddling that battery, we bring you nine tips to make sure that your machine does your bidding for ages to come:

1. Protect Yourself

If your computer were to get a virus, a diagnostic and fix at a place like Best Buy could cost as much as $200. So, protect yourself in advance. Make sure you have an antivirus and that all of your definitions are up to date. If you don’t pay for an antivirus, get a free one like AVG or Avast.

2. Watch Your Water

We can tell you from firsthand experience that one of the easiest ways to ruin a laptop is to reach for a glass of water on your desk late at night. This may sound basic, but prevent spilling on your expensive electronics by investing in a closed lip water bottle to use near your computer. If you’re on the market for a stylish new bottle that will keep your laptop-and the environment-safe, check out our picks.

Read on for more great tips.

Healthy Dose Link Time: The Power of Power Lifting

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:36:38 PDT

Power lifting will not make you a bulky, masculine mess - Blisstree
Just in time for school: snacks to make you smarter - Prevention
Learn how to break your junk food addiction from this family - Shine
Not sure what to do at the gym? Try this lifting routine - Peanut Butter Fingers
Fit fashions to slim your workout look - Shape
Power your morning with DIY muesli featuring in-season peaches - Eating Bird Food
Put the cotton swab down! Reasons to keep the Q-tips away from your ears - Health

Bring Spa Luxury Home With Grapefruit-Infused DIY Treatments

Sponsor — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:00:00 PDT

Leave pricey, processed beauty products behind and simplify your routine with 100-percent Florida grapefruit juice! Incorporating this tangy-sweet beverage into your diet and beauty routine may help you naturally achieve fresh-faced, everyday beauty without the expensive serums, makeup, and spa treatments. The vitamin C in 100-percent grapefruit juice may help support collagen production to help keep skin looking naturally youthful and glowing, so drink up!

Grapefruit juice is also great for creating at-home spa treatments, and a natural, homemade toner is an easy way to wake up your complexion. To invigorate your skin, combine Florida grapefruit juice with one or several herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, mint ,or marjoram). Combine all your selected ingredients into a squeeze bottle and let set for several hours to allow the ingredients and essence to infuse. Saturate a cotton ball with the mixture and swab the surface of the skin to refresh your complexion, taking care to avoid sensitive skin and the eye area.

Spa-like treatments without leaving the house? Yes, please!

For more tips and DIY treatments, visit www.GoFloridaGrapefruit.com

*Recipe created by Miriam Behar on behalf of the Florida Department of Citrus.

9 Things You Shouldn't Do in the Loo

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:17:00 PDT

There are plenty of healthy things you can do in the bathroom like stretch in the shower, lube up on sunscreen while naked to protect every inch of your skin, and floss to prevent gingivitis. There are also plenty of things you shouldn't do in the ladies room:

Drink water from the shower head: Not only have studies found that shower heads are breeding grounds for disease-causing bacteria, but the hot water itself is also not safe to drink.The hot water heater is also a place where bacteria thrives.
Keep the shower curtain closed: Mildew and mold love dark, wet surfaces, and breathing them in can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. Aside from letting the curtain air out, you can prevent mold and mildew by running a fan or opening a window, allowing air to circulate.
Flush with the lid up: Germs and other particles can become airborne when you flush, so limit the amount misting into the air by lowering the lid before flushing.
Store your toothbrush on the counter: Although toothbrush holders look neat and tidy next to the sink, it's healthier to put your toothbrushes away in the medicine cabinet or vanity drawer. Why? Every time you flush the toilet, your toothbrush gets sprayed with bacteria. Even if you put the lid down as suggested above, microorganisms can still be ejected into the air and land on your toothbrush. So gross. Keep your mouth protected by drying off the bristles after each use and putting your toothbrush away.
Use Q-tips inside your ears: The label clearly states, "Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury." Along with potentially rupturing the membrane, the swab is likely to push wax deeper into the ear canal, where it will need to be professionally removed. Using cotton swabs isn't even necessary since earwax naturally moves toward the opening of the ear canal and is sloughed off during daily routines and showers.

Keep on reading to find out what other unhealthy habits you should avoid in the bathroom.

Pack Your Bags With Sweetly Scented Cotton Balls

BellaSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:00:31 PST

Space is definitely at a premium in my suitcase, so I like to make every tiny bit of room count when packing my bags. My favorite perfume bottles never make it on the plane, since they're pretty big (and breakable, too).

Instead of resorting to stock perfume samples on your next trip, try this tip from the latest issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray: Pack cotton balls instead. Before you go, soak a few cotton balls with your favorite fragrance and stash them in a snack-sized Ziploc bag, making sure to get as much air out as possible when sealing. That way, you've got your trademark scent ready when you are, and the little sack just may act as a subtle fragrance pouch when packed.

The same thing can work with any other liquids you apply with cotton balls or swabs (like toner or makeup remover). Just give each its own labeled baggie so the right liquid ends up on the right body part, mmmkay?