Events

Do Anti-Aging Products Really Work?

May 9, 2011 By doloresh Leave a Comment

Have you noticed how many anti-aging products are on the market? Each “serum” or cream promises to restore youthful beauty. You’ve all heard those enticing commercials, “In only two weeks you’ll look 20 years younger…and “If you call today, you can have a free trial for only $19.95! and if you call immediately, we’ll double the offer.” What? Beauty and a Bargain? These ads are powerful and huge moneymakers.

Why? Because most women (and men too…but that’s a different story) want to retain the beauty they have enjoyed in younger days. Some products actually do provide quality; however, what to try is always the question, especially if you’re curious. They all tell us that we can drink from the fountain of youth (with shipping and handling, of course).

So, do anti-aging products really work? The answer is a big NO, if you want to look the way when you were 20 or 30. Some products do provide some comfort and probably some improvement in overall care…skin, hair, body, etc., and it may be what you want. A youthful appearance, however is in the energy and confidence you have in who you are.

I’ll admit I’ve ordered a few “bargains,” a couple of offers that I was really pleased with (and still order and would recommend) and a couple that I returned. If you really are intrigued with a product and you decide to order it, check out their return and cancellation policy, actual shipping charges and how to get product help.

The phrase, “anti-aging” is a strange phrase to me as it really tells you that aging is not a good thing. We will age and no matter what we do, we’ll still be as old as we are. How we think and what we do with our life as we age is what’s important to living a full, happy life.

In fact, that’s the reason I’ve created the Sensational You course, to show women around and over 60 that we can be fashionable, elegant and beautiful regardless of our age. We owe it to ourselves to feel and look great and to enjoy the age we are with beauty, charm and grace.

There will always be that everlasting admonition, “Don’t spend time on yourself. That’s selfish!”

Typically, most women spend very little time and money on themselves. As as result, that feeling of looking a bit dumpy or frumpy slowly creeps in and self-esteem and energy drop.

This is a prime time to celebrate that extra window of time that has been given to our generation. It can be a time to rejoice about the many choices we have and how much more easily we can get the information and training we want to take us to a more fulfilling level.

If you haven’t looked over the course outline for the Six-Week Sensational You course, why not do that now? This is the best time in your life to be all that you can be and to regain that confidence in yourself that you can only get when you know you look your best. Go here now or click on the Sensational You image on the right.

Why Are Anti-Aging Serum Products So Rare To Find? (healthadvisory.typepad.com)
16 Best Anti-Aging Skin Care Products (totalbeauty.com)

Filed Under: Articles, Beauty and Health, Events, General Information, News, Self Improvement Tagged With: anti-aging, beauty, Cosmetics, health, skin care, women over 60

Happy Mother’s Day

May 7, 2011 By doloresh Leave a Comment

Mother’s Day Thoughts…

Carnation - Official Mother's Day Flower

Mother’s Day had many false starts. In the U. S., Mother’s Day originally started after the Civil War by several women’s peace groups. The idea was to set aside a day to honor relationships in the family. The final declaration to make it a national day of honor, however, was by Anna Marie Jarvis, following the death of her mother Ann Jarvis on May 9, 1905.

As is true with many holidays, religious or otherwise, commerce immediately steps into the profit mode with sales of flowers ,candy, special brunches, and countless gifts. While I’m certainly not averse to (and absolutely welcome) receiving such gifts, the truth is that for me, the true Mother’s Day gift is time with family, even if it’s simply a phone call. It’s knowing that you’re cared about that is so uplifting.

One of my biggest pleasures in life was to surprise my mom with something special on Mother’s Day. She’s no longer around and I miss the idea of knowing her delight in any loving gesture or gift she received. The next best thing is to remember her by contacting my siblings, wish wives and sisters a happy Mother’s Day, and revisit memories of mom and laugh a lot as we remember her wicked sense of humor.

To put things in perspective, it’s the giver who benefits the most from giving. How often have any of us said, just as my mom did, “You shouldn’t have!” while the giver enjoys the feeling of, “Yes, I should have and I’m so happy I did it.”

I know that for women over 60, few of us have a mother who is living. Those of us who have children living close by will no doubt spend time with them. Whatever you do or whoever you’re with, on Sunday, I wish you a very happy day whether you celebrate with your children, your family, or your friends. If you find yourselves alone, find a few carnations and take them to a nursing home or to someone you know is lonely. Everyone either was or had a mother and it’s a beautiful day to acknowledge the gift of life.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Filed Under: Articles, Events, General Information, News, Relationships, Sensational Women Tagged With: carnation, family, flowers, gratitude, Mother's Day, women over 60

Five Tips on Turning Bad Hair Days Into Great Hair Days

May 3, 2011 By doloresh 2 Comments

A Bad Hair Day!

I often commute on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) when going to San Francisco. For the 20 minute ride, I can’t help but people-watch, which I like to do anyway. The last time I took BART, there seemed to be an unusual amount of women in the car. As I looked around I saw a woman who looked so “with it.” As I looked more closely, I thought, “She has a great haircut that is really flattering not only to her face but to the rest of her persona.”

During that ride I counted only her as having a great hairstyle and wondered what is being taught in the thousands of beauty schools around the country. Having had my share of bad hair days, I can relate to the women are stuck in wondering what to do to create that crowning glory to which most of us are entitled.

Here are some thoughts about how to get a hairstyle you’ll feel good about. Much more about care, grooming and styling will be covered in the Sensational You course that starts on May 24th. In the meantime, here are some tips for you about hair care.

There are some things hairdressers do that tell me this is not the place I want to be.

Here are some of them:

Take you to the washbasin immediately
Have you sit and wait with wet hair while they finish the last customer
Dirty or wet towels around your neck
Talking to everyone around them without addressing your needs

Here’s what’s really important:

The hairdresser will see you before your hair is washed
Will ask you what would make a great haircut in your view for your lifestyle. Are you a swimmer, hiker, indoor person, do you attend formal events, etc.?
Will push your hair around your face so that you can see where fullness or length will flatter the shape of your face.
Will pay attention to the texture, color and type of hair you have…curly, straight, fine, etc.
Discuss color and highlights that will flatter your skintone

It’s a tall order but if you’re happy with the results and the experience, there’s no doubt you will become a repeat customer and will refer your friends to them.

So why don’t they get this? I think there’s too much focus on running a salon like a cash register or fast food restaurant. What they don’t recognize is that repeat customer and referrals will add to their bottom line for a much longer time.

The Sensational You course is starting to fill up, so don’t wait, reserve your spot today since attendance is limited.

Louis Licari: Pink Tweets She Hates Her Haircut! (huffingtonpost.com)

Filed Under: Articles, Beauty and Health, Events, General Information, News, Self Improvement, Sensational Women

Did You Attend the Wedding?

April 29, 2011 By doloresh 1 Comment

The buzz about the royal wedding will go on for a long time. Although I’m not one of the thousands who set their alarms to watch it, I was awake at 2:00 a.m. and did get to see the last part of the ceremony.

Looking at the lovely Kate Middleton and her prince, it was relief from so much disaster in the world, to see the excited, happy, delighted faces of their families and to hear the cheers of the millions of well-wishers.

Everything about the event was beautifully orchestrated, from the gown, the outlandish hats, to the music. The long-awaited look at the bridal gown was not a disappointment. The beauty and simplicity of the design will no doubt set a trend for women all over the world and hopefully, something all women, including those of us over 60, can wear with ease.

So, if you didn’t get up early, and even if you did, you may enjoy the articles and photos in the links included below. You can also go here to enjoy the breathtaking photos of Westminster Abbey and the wedding.

This weekend, find a spot of sunlight and beauty in your own life.

__________________

P. S. If you haven’t already, please check out the six-week makeover coaching event where we can discuss the style and silhouette that will show you off to your best advantage. We may not have the body of Kate Middleton, but we can look pretty darn good! Simply click on the image on the right of the screen and it will take you to the course outline where you can see what you will get when you sign up. Or you can go to the page here.

See Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen Wedding Gown! (popsugar.com)
Kate Middleton Smiles and Waves as She Arrives at the Goring Hotel Ahead of the Royal Wedding (popsugar.com)

Filed Under: Articles, Beauty and Health, Events, General Information, Self Improvement, Sensational Women Tagged With: Alexander McQueen, beauty of design, Kate Middleton, Pippa Middleton, Prince William of Wales, Shopping, simplicity, Wedding dress, Weddings, Westminster Abbey

How to Create a Signature Style

April 24, 2011 By doloresh 1 Comment

There’s no doubt that personal style, also known as a signature style, can change your view of how you see the world and how the world sees you.

When you think of the many style icons who have created an impression on you and how you view them, is there an image that comes to mind? Some of the few that you may be familiar with are:

Audrey Hepburn – the classy, understated gamin look.
Grace Kelly – Elegance personified.
Helen Mirren – Romantic charm
Halle Berry & Helen Mirren
Halle Berry – A spiky haircut to show her beautiful facial structure
Lady Gaga – Outrageous and wild – a bid for attention

You can see that a signature style can be quietly elegant or outlandishly wild. To try creating a signature look without knowing who you are and what you love is like eating a dish you don’t like because it’s “good” for you. Style has to work for you, not the other way around.

Style killers!

Trying too hard to look like you did when you were 20 or 30;
Not understanding what flatters your body shape;
Hating your age rather than embracing it;
Trying to copy someone else’s style.

If you want to create your own special style and aren’t too sure about what that really means for you, you can experience it through the “Sensational You 6-week Coaching Course,” that starts on May 24. You can create your own signature look and it doesn’t have to break the bank. All you need is to understand how to apply some of the principles and secrets that are so basic and easy to use once you know what to do.

To start creating your own signature style, begin by leafing through magazines and cutting out the styles you like. What do you like about those styles? Are they colorful, artistic, conservative, sporty, business-like or romantic? Perhaps you like a combination of those styles. Keep searching until you have ALL the styles you like. Once you find them, put a one-word description beneath each one about how that style makes you feel. For example, “I like this style makes me feel ______ (like it’s me, delighted, inspired). It’s the feeling you get when you see something you like that will draw you to seeing the possibilities for yourself.

I’m excited about presenting part of this course on personal style because there is so little attention paid to the 60 plus woman. This could be the one course you take that is devoted only to you, how you feel about yourself and how you look. Because I like easy, it’s all been put together in easy steps that will boost your confidence and your image like very few things (other than falling in love, of course) can do.

You can go here to learn more about the course; however, it is limited to only 10 women, so if you really feel this is for you, I would encourage you to sign up today.

Filed Under: Articles, Beauty and Health, Events, For Solopreneurs, General Information, News, Self Improvement, Sensational Women Tagged With: Audrey Hepburn, beauty, beauty course, elegance, Grace Kelly, Halle Berry, Helen Mirren, personal style, signature style, women over 60

The Day I Gave Myself A Shower

April 19, 2011 By doloresh 6 Comments

Clearing some of my clutter last week included getting rid of some long-buried stuff I haven’t used in years. Among them was a set of placemats that I bought a long time ago. Maybe I’ve hung on to them because of the memories of the day I gave myself a shower.

It was a sunny day in April, my sons were doing their chores in the garden and I was puttering in the kitchen looking at how bad some of my utensils looked. It got me to thinking that although I’ve attended many kitchen showers for brides-to-be, I had never been given one. So I decided that I would give one for myself.

A beautiful new kitchen and bath shop had just opened in town and I had noticed the beautiful colors and arrangements of placemats, kitchen gadgets, towels and cooking utensils. Eager to explore this new business, I took myself shopping.

I picked out many of the shiny new objects, (including the now-worn placemats), some beautiful cloth napkins and various other goodies. The owner was so sweet. She laughed when I told her I was holding a kitchen shower for myself and decided to join in the fun. So she wrapped each item individually, using different colored ribbons for each package. I left with my shopping bags, picked up a cake and ice cream and headed for home.

Later that afternoon I invited my three sons and my husband into the family room, saying I was holding a shower that afternoon. They looked at me, and each other, believing I had completely lost my mind when I told them it was a shower for ME. Given that cake and ice-cream were part of the shower, however, they decided to indulge me in my craziness.

New Kitchen Shower Gifts

So amidst cake and ice cream, which they loved, I opened each gift and acted surprised and delighted with each package I opened. They laughed and laughed as I showed great excitement over each new treasure for my kitchen. As they left, I heard one of them remark, “I think our mom is nuts.” But they were still laughing at my silliness.

Often we wait for others to make us happy or wait to be showered with gifts only to wait for a long, long time for something that may never happen.

Showers are a wonderful way to have fun while giving, even if it’s for yourself. Also, there’s no law that says you can’t give a shower for yourself.

Is there a gift you can give yourself today? It could be something delightful as a new nightgown, new lingerie, or a bouquet of fresh flowers. You could also treat yourself and sign up for the new Sensational You Beauty Course.

Or maybe there’s a gift you can give to someone for no reason other than to make their day. Even a shower of compliments in gratitude for things you appreciate in your friends and family is a nice celebration

It’s April! There’s no better time than now to have an April Shower.

Filed Under: Articles, Beauty and Health, Events, General Information, News, Relationships, Self Improvement Tagged With: April shower, Baking and Confections, clearing clutter, compliments, Cooking, Gift, gifts, Home, Ice cream, kitchen showers, Shopping

How One Woman Changes Women’s Lives Through Humor

February 2, 2011 By doloresh 4 Comments

I recently came across this video and loved it for the humor and the truth about who we are. Watch Liza Donnelly as she describes how her cartoons and use of humor motivate and inspire women all over the world.

Filed Under: Articles, Events, General Information, Video Tagged With: changes lives, humor, Liza Donnelly, Women

How Will 2011 Be Different?

January 6, 2011 By doloresh 4 Comments

Ready for the new year?

At the beginning of a new year most of us look at the coming year as a clean slate that we can fill with new things. Putting the previous year behind somehow gives us a renewed energy and we resolve to do things differently. But do we really?

Have you vowed to be fit and lose those pounds, get that decluttering done, update your wardrobe, grow your business and be a brand new you this year?

So where can you start with this transformation? Here are a few resources to consider.

For losing those pounds (or maybe gaining a few), My Fitness Pal has an easy-to-follow tracking system that you can use to moderate your eating. It’s not a diet, it’s merely a user-friendly tracking system that helps tweak some of our eating habits.

For general fitness, recipes, health tips, Real Age and Denise Austin’s Morning Stretch are worth exploring.

Ready to declutter? There are many methods and ways to do this. For updating your wardrobe, review my previous blog post on winterizing your wardrobe. Simply use the same method but reverse the seasons. Start with what you love, keep it and store, donate or toss what you don’t want.

If you’ve always wanted to know how to become a blogger, create some on-line exposure for yourself or your company, I highly recommend Bea Fields. She has several courses geared to beginning and advanced blogging. She’s incredibly generous with her knowledge and extremely patient with answering questions. Her prices are amazingly affordable.

Wondering how to learn about investments in the stock and mutual fund markets? I know there are many places where you can place your money but I find Charles Schwab easy to work with and their representatives are helpful and understanding. Their website is easy to access and you can do a lot of research on their site.

If you have other resources to make our lives easier, better, and healthier, I’d love to know about them.

By the way, I receive no money from any of these recommendations. They’re just what I’ve found helpful this last year.

Filed Under: Articles, Events, General Information, News Tagged With: 2-11, finances, fitness, resources, transformation

This Story Made My Blood Boil!

December 16, 2010 By doloresh 1 Comment

There are some stories that really raise my blood pressure when I read about them. This story is about the Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery. Her alleged “crime” landed her in prison four years ago where she started her sentence with 99 lashes with a whip.

Her story has created such a public outcry that the sentence was changed to death by hanging. Big deal! Stoning to death is a horrible way to die, but I don’t think hanging is any picnic. Does the punishment fit the crime?

This is an injustice of the worst kind! It seems to me that it’s one more way for the men in their government to set a standard on the role of a woman in that country. What’s just as frightening is that there have been two more women sentenced to death by stoning for the crime of adultery. When a government takes over the laws for an individual’s own private moral behavior, can there be justice in this kind of a system? This is living in fear for your life at all times.

According to the news, prisoners will sign papers admitting guilt to stop the lashing. Makes me wonder what kind of defense anyone would have when accused, judged, convicted and tortured before signing any paper. It doesn’t seem like there would be any defense if a husband simply wanted to get rid of a current wife.

Women and men around the world have joined in condemning the sentence. The goal now is to free her. Here’s the link to more details about this story. The article also contains a link to a the petition to save Sakineh’s life. I signed it and would encourage you to do the same. This kind of abuse has to stop!

By joining the many men and women who are signing the petition to save this one woman, it will hopefully make an impact on changing such an antiquated, sickening law.

Filed Under: Articles, Events, General Information, News

The Gratitude Book Project

December 14, 2010 By doloresh 3 Comments

This is so exciting! I was asked to participate in a special project on gratitude. The idea was to be grateful not only at Thanksgiving, but throughout the year. The book gathered together more than 300 co-authors who answered the question “What are you grateful for?” The project is now a book found on Amazon.com.

Now I’m proud to say that I’m a co-author in the book, The Gratitude Book Project – Celebrating 365 Days of Gratitude.

So let’s spread an attitude of gratitude! The really good news is that the book is here in time for holiday gift-giving!

It’s one of those books I like to keep by my bedside where it’s easy to pick up and read inspiring thoughts, stories and ideas. Sometimes a story of idea about gratitude can lighten my day and relieve stress. I hope it will do that for you too.

It’s being released today, Wednesday, December 14 just in time for Christmas gift-giving. Check it out at Amazon.com.

National book sale proceeds benefit these four non-profit organizations:
• FeedAmerica
• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• ASPCA
• Women for Women International

Filed Under: Articles, Events, General Information, News Tagged With: book, co-author, gratitude