Most parents dread the time when their kids start to rebel, or even just begin making big decisions independently of their parents. But there are many decisions that you need to be involved in, whether your kids want you to be or not. Often these decisions involve what your children want to do with their bodies. Although you might not want to make them feel like you are in control of their bodies, there are some things that you could feel aren’t age-appropriate for many kids. When should you allow your daughter to wear makeup or shave her legs? Is it ok to tell your son to change because you don’t like what he’s wearing? And at what
age is it appropriate for your kids to have piercings?

Carissa Rogers

Piercings can be a contentious issue among children and parents. You might see no problem with your kids having parts of their body pierced when they’re old enough, whether it’s their ears or lip. But the question is when is the right age? Many parents may decide that there are different ages for different piercings. Pierced ears, for example, are common in younger children. But making the decision of when piercings are appropriate can be hard. Try some of these tips to help you make your own decision.

What Does the Law Say?

Before thinking about anything else, you need to know what the law says in your local area. It may be different for different types of piercing. For example, children may be able to have their ears pierced much earlier than they can have a navelpiercing or tongue piercing. It could be that there are different age requirements depending on whether your child has your permission. Make sure you check what is and isn’t legal before you make your decision. As well as the law, check with your child’s school to find out their policy on piercings.

Talk to Other Parents

Parents will have a broad range of opinions on body piercings. In many cultures, it’s common to pierce a child’s ear or ears when they’re just a baby, but other people prefer to wait until they can decide for themselves. You won’t hear just one opinion when you talk to other parents, but doing so can help you nonetheless. Listening to what other people think can help you to shape your opinion, but you don’t necessarily have to follow the crowd.

When is Your Child Ready?

Trying to decide on a hypothetical appropriate age is one thing, but it’s also important that your child is ready for such a big decision. Body modifications are a big deal, even if piercings can be removed. Not all piercings will heal completely when removed, so it’s important that your child knows what they’re doing. It’s best to give it some time if they ask for a piercing, just to make sure they’re serious, and ensure they know what the piercing involves. You could also ask them to pay for it to give them a goal and sense of responsibility.

Who doesn’t love the Holidays! I know in my family we love the Holidays because the whole family can get together. Of course we see each other the rest of the year as well, but there are some extra family members that come out too. I always have the hardest time deciding on what to get for everyone, so I decided I would try to help you all get it right the first time with this years Holiday Gift Guide.

So feel free to scroll through and find the gifts you love for your loved ones and feel free to let us know which is your favorite in the comments!

Happy Holidays!

For Kids

Looking for a great gift for kids that love doll-houses or similar toys? Then this is perfect! All the fun of a toy house without all the usual pieces that get lost everywhere. Check it out here.

Know a little one that loves all things Frozen? Check out this Surprise Slides game here. Reminds me of the games I played when I was little.

Here’s another Frozen Favorite! This will keep them entertained for hours! 6 Frozen games in one ultimate gift! Check it out here.

Know of a little genius or someone that loves the night sky? This would be the perfect gift! Give them an awesome gift that wont break the bank! Check out this Moonscope here.

Here is another great gift for any kids that love studying the night sky! Not only can you learn from it, but it can also double as a super cool night light! Check it out here.

This brush is perfect for the little girl that always has knots in her hair, or just loves to have pretty things. My girls LOVE this brush and I’m sure any little girl would be honored to have one! Check it out here.

For Her

Need the perfect gift or even stocking stuffer? These nail files are great! Not only are they the best nail files I have ever used ( I will never go back to regular nail files), but they are absolutely gorgeous! Check them out here, also be sure to check out their other designs!

These pocket mirrors are great for on the go and a great addition to anyone’s purse or makeup bag! They have tons of designs too! Check them out here.

For Him

Great gift for the guy that has everything or the guy that loves technology! These speakers are bulbs that plug into regular light sockets to produce adjustable light and sound that is controlled by your phone! Check it out here.

Yes, some guys groom their nails as well and this file is perfect. It is strong enough to use for their nails and strong enough to not feel dainty or too girly. Comes in a hard case so it is not easily broken! Check it out here.

For Everyone

Know someone always complaining about their smile? Is that you? Either way check out this amazing whitening kit. It really is perfect for everyone! Plus, how awesome would it be to tell all your friends that you crated your own custom fitted whitening tray? Check it out here.

Do you know someone that is always saying their car is too hot? Are you always complaining? Then Kulcar is right for you! Check them out here.

Know anyone that loves puzzles? This game is super fun and very hard to put down. Check it out here.

Stay tuned as more products will be added to this list as the Holidays are closer!

Do you ever love a product so much that you always want to brag about how great it is? Well one of those products for me is the Kulcar. In fact, I decided to re-post the review for you guys just in case any of you missed it! So here you go:

When I was younger and had an older car my air conditioning didn’t work. I always wished that I had a solar powered fan to keep my car cool while I wasn’t in it so that it wasn’t so bad when I did get into it. Now we have a working AC but since our car is black with tinted windows, it gets really hot throughout the day. Sure once it cools down it stays cool, but I don’t like turning on the car and leave it running just to be able to get the girls in the car. I was so excited when I got the Kulcar!

So what is Kulcar? It is a Turbo powered fan that is placed above the window in your car that is solar powered. When in the sun the fans turn on to cool your car down without killing your battery or you needing to be there to turn it on. It is decently quiet and is easy to install.

The Kulcar comes with weather striping for you window that not only fits perfectly around the device, but also around you window. For our car, installation was a little more difficult because as you can see above, our back window are angled. After some cutting and sizing we had it installed in no time. It only took about 10 minutes to install even with cutting the strips to size. I also couldn’t believe how great it looked on our car!

Like I said earlier, our car gets really hot during the day. So if we want to take the girls anywhere we have to turn the car on, open the windows and let the AC run. I hate doing this for many reasons! One, I don’t like leaving my car on without me in it and of course I have to go back inside to get the girls after it has cooled down so this doesn’t really work for me. Two, I don’t like wasting gas. Three, it takes a lot longer then it should to cool down. With the Kulcar you can just leave it on and it will run when the sun is shining on your car and keep it cool and ready for you to get in.

The only thing I would suggest when using the Kulcar is that if you do have air conditioning in your car, I would push the solar panel down while driving so that it doesn’t turn on and off every two seconds. Other than that this device is easy to use and really comes in handy when it’s hot! I can’t wait until the weather is warmer to be able to really test this thing out!

I think that the Kulcar not only is a great product for the family, but that it would make a great gift. I mean really, who doesn’t want a cool car? Also it is a great idea for families with pets, so that they are safe in the car as well!

You can find Kulcar on their website here, or on Amazon here.

Also, be sure to check out their Social Pages!

Kulcar Facebook: #/pages/Kulcar/551389814931439
Sonray Facebook: #/pages/Sonray-Technology-Inc/500367573391926
Twitter: #/KulcarSonray
Google+: google.com/+SarahSonrayKulcar
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ksonray/

There are lots of occasions when you might need to dress to impress. You might need to dress to impress for an interview, or you might be going on a date. Whatever the occasion, making an effort is so important. These are my favourite tips!

Wear Clothes That Suit Your Shape

If you don’t know your body shape, you should find out what it is, quick. Wearing clothes that suit your shape is essential if you want to look great at all times. If you have an hourglass figure, for example, clothes that pull you in at the waist will look very flattering on you. If you see yourself as an apple shape, you’ll want to avoid wearing baggy clothes as they can make you look bigger. Do your research first!

Get Inspiration

If you’re stuck for inspiration, you don’t need to suffer in silence. There are lots of ways you can find clothes that you love. Take a look on sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and Lookbook to start with, recommend JustFab.

Only Wear Clothes You Love

Don’t wear clothes just because somebody says you should. Don’t wear clothes just because somebody else likes them either. You need to wear clothes because you love them, and that’s that! If you make sure the clothes you’re wearing are items you really like, you’ll always look confident and beautiful.

Always Accessorise

Don’t forget to accessorise, even if you’re only going to wear a nice watch. Never leave the house without your accessories! Some outfits might call for a necklace, others might call for a pair of statement earrings. My favourite jewellery is a nice watch with a statement ring. It’s a combo that goes with everything.

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Wear Colours to Suit Your Colouring

Wearing colours is great, but you need to make sure they suit your colouring. What colours suit your skin tone? Take your hair and eyes into account too and you should find colours that look great on you.

Wear Shaping Underwear

Shaping underwear is great for creating curves and pulling you in in all of the right places. No matter what you’re wearing, shaping underwear can help you to look even better than before. Try it once, and you’ll be hooked! You can even find shaping underwear that gives you a Kardashian style bum lift. Who needs surgery?!

Don’t Forget Your Beauty Treatments

Accessorising and dressing to impress is all well and good, but don’t forget your beauty treatments. Make sure your nails and hair are up to scratch too. You can’t expect to impress anybody if your nails are all odd shapes and chipped! You don’t even have to pay for these; learn how to do it yourself. It’ll be worth it in the long run.

Use these tips when it’s time to dress to impress and you’ll always look effortlessly put together. Bear in mind that less is more and you want to enhance your beauty, not mask it with makeup and sparkly jewellery. See you next time!

As we rapidly approach the holiday season again, we know there will be plenty of parties and celebrations. We will have to suffer the boss and colleagues who hate us at the office party, and put up with sister-in-law at the family get together. No wonder so many people are miserable at this time of year!

It doesn’t help that year on year we are looking and feeling older. Worse still, everybody seems to think it’s ok to comment on it and make us feel even worse! It is impossible to find a genuine smile to give and all you can think to say is bah humbug.

Fear not! We have the top 5 tips for feeling fabulous this season. Sit back with a bar of choc and your feet up.

1. Buy that fabby dress: So we are starting with a little retail therapy, but sometimes it’s effective. If you find a dress that looks good on you, buy it. How many times a year does that happen. Usually when we’ve squeezed into something we turn around and see it accentuates the size of our bottoms to silly proportions. If it fits well and looks good, then it was meant to be. Picture courtesy of Flickr
2. Department store makeover: If you pick quieter times, you can usually walk up to your favourite brand counter and try out everything they’ve got. The staff on the counter will talk you through your beauty routine and then cleanse and tone your skin for you. They’ll color match your skin and paint you up a treat. It’s all free because they’re promoting the products they’re using on you. Choose to buy or don’t. Then walk out of the store feeling fabulous!
3. Facelift: This isn’t for the faint-hearted. Sometimes we just have to get rid of those deep wrinkles to stop the frowning that causes them! Find a surgeon like Dr. Robert W. Kessler, MD, FACS or someone local to you to speak about the implications of face lifts. Surgery is not an overnight fix. For a start, it may take up to two weeks for you to be well enough to venture out again. But it could well be the solution for what’s bothering you long term.
4. Seriously intense gym workout: It is true that intense exercise for a minimum of 12 minutes will release all those happy hormones and endorphins. You’ll also feel like you have really earned that chocolate bar too! If you regularly feel a little blue, combat it with a half hour in the gym. Big brand gyms also have pools and spas included in the membership, so spend your next half hour soaking up the bubbles for a real ‘feel better’ treat.
5. Karaoke: There is nothing quite like blasting out your favorite cheesy song through an amp in front of complete strangers who will cheer you on no matter how off key you are. Let it all hang out and sing your woes away. The adrenaline of public performance and the breathing techniques used for singing are amazing antidotes for bluesy moods.

Regardless of what you wear, it’s the finishing touches of an outfit that really helps it to stand out and make a statement. Without the right accessories and touches, and outfit can look unfinished and boring. The following tips will help you to finish off your outfit perfectly:

Do Clash Your Accessories With Your Outfit

By clashing your accessories with your outfit rather than matching them, you can make a much bigger impact than you would normally. They’ll stand out, and you can really balance out an outfit this way. For example, you could clash a girly outfit with grunge accessories, and vice versa. I like mixing patterns, textures, and materials for the best clashed look.

Don’t Wear Too Many Accessories at Once

The rule is, and has always been, don’t wear too many accessories at once. You’ll look like a jewellery stand or something equally as ridiculous. A handful of rings, armful of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings will more than likely look like you’re trying too hard. You should always take off the last thing you put on if you have too many accessories on.

Do Create a Focal Point With One of Your Accessories

What is your favourite accessory out of them all? Create a focal point with this accessory by playing it up. This could be your favourite bag from Guess, for instance. If you plan on wearing other accessories, make them delicate so that this accessory really stands out. I find you can do this best with a bag, necklace or ring.

Don’t Knock the Look off Balance

You can create an unbalanced look if you wear too many heavy items and not enough delicate items. Play around with combinations to try to balance out your accessories. You should always mix different shapes and sizes, but too much of one thing can make your look lose its edge.

Do Look on Pinterest for Inspiration

Pinterest is full of amazing inspo if you’re stuck on where to take your look. You can get ideas for ring combinations, outfits, and so much more. It’s my favourite app! If you’re ever stuck, just type your query into Pinterest and something is bound to pop up.

Don’t Worry About What Other People Think

If you like something, wear it. Don’t worry about what anybody else thinks. Everybody has different opinions, and the world would be boring if everybody was the same. If you can pull a look off with confidence, you’ll win every time.

Do Spend Time on Your Hair and Makeup Too

Your makeup and hair are just as much your accessories as anything else. Make sure they match the look you’re trying to create. Practice different hairstyles and makeup styles so you have a few you can pull out the bag at a moment’s notice.

Use these dos and dont’s to get your look on point every single time. Expressing our personalities through our style is so much fun, so ditch your boring accessories and makeup looks and start experimenting today!

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Thanks to Eve for the photo

Balding and thinning hair can happen to anyone although it is more common for men to go bald. However, although women usually aren’t walking around with big bald patches, it’s not uncommon for their hair to thin or for them to have bald spots. Whether you’re a man going bald or a woman whose hair is thinning, it’s difficult to find ways to fix it or stop it in its tracks. There are lots of things that claim to be able to stop balding and thinning, but the truth is that it’s often in your genes. However, even though you can’t change your genes, you can try to keep your hair healthy and put off or reduce your hair diminishing. And with the advance of certain surgeries and technology, there are ways you can fix bald patches or encourage hair growth.

Stay Healthy

Your lifestyle and health could affect the thickness of your hair. There could be an underlying cause, including things like hormones and medication. If your hair is thinning or you’re discovering bald patches, there are some things you should check to see if you can fix it with a change to your lifestyle. Firstly, visit your doctor to see if there might be an underlying cause that you can treat. If hormones are causing your hair thinning, for example if you’re pregnant, you can help to look after your hair by handling it gently and perhaps changing your hairstyle. Hair loss could also be caused by a medical condition, such as a thyroid problem, or it could be a side-effect of a medication. Again, your doctor can help you with these. Stress can cause hair loss too, so if none of the other causes are the culprit, make sure you’re getting enough down-time.

Hair Transplants

If male pattern or female pattern baldness is causing your hair loss, then the cause is, unfortunately, your genes. You can’t change your genes, but you can fix your baldness. One option is to have hair transplantation in Miami. Both men and women can have transplants and hair replacements. Although it involves surgery, it’s a very clever operation. The surgeon removes hair from one part of your body, known as the donor site, to another part of your body. Usually, hair from a part of your head that balding hasn’t affected is transplanted onto bald spots to give you a natural and full head of hair.

Nourish Your Hair

If you can’t afford a hair transplantation, you can try to boost the growth of your hair in several ways. Firstly, use gentle products on your hair, so that it isn’t discouraged from growing by harsh chemicals. Find a shampoo that doesn’t contain alcohol or sulphates and conditioner with no silicones. Natural ingredients are best, so look in health stores for natural products. You can also be kind to your hair by combing it, instead of brushing and avoiding hair dryers and other products that apply heat to your hair. You could also consider a hair regrowth treatment, such as Rogaine.

If your hair is feeling a little worse for wear, you should take the steps to repair it before it’s too late. You don’t want your hair to end up a big, flyaway, brittle mess. The following hair repair tips have been proven to really work, so you can transform your locks into smooth, healthy tresses once again:

Always Use Heat Protecting Spray

Before using any heated appliance on your hair, including a hair dryer, make sure you spray on a heat protecting spray liberally. Concentrate on the ends of your hair especially. This will help to stop it from getting too damaged as you style it. Ideally, you won’t use heated appliances that often. If you must use them, follow these instructions to keep it in the best condition.

Smooth on Coconut Oil as a Mask

Coconut oil is a beauty product that has many benefits, but I love using is as a hair mask. All you need to do is smooth it on, concentrating on the ends of your hair again, and then wash off in an hour or two. You could even leave it in overnight. When you wash it out, only use a shampoo. If you use a conditioner your hair will become weighed down and greasy. You should notice a huge difference after using this.

Use Argan Oil After Washing

Argan oil is a great product to have in your beauty arsenal. There are many LT Organics Argan Oil benefits, but I especially like to smooth a blob or two on my hair after washing it. This helps to give it shine and smooth out any frizz.

Make Your Own Mask

Instead of spending a fortune on hair masks from the salon, you can make your own out of ingredients you’ve probably already got at home. Mayonnaise, believe it or not, is supposed to be a wonder product for hair. Avocado is said to be amazing too.

Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase

Silk pillowcases keep your hair smooth during the night. You may not know it, but you probably toss and turn an awful lot as you sleep. By sleeping on a silk pillowcase, you minimise damage to your hair. You’ll also find that it’s much easier to style afterwards.

Have Your Hair Cut Regularly

Even if you’re trying to grow your hair, make sure you have it cut regularly to get rid of dead ends weighing it down and spoiling your look. There’s no point trying to hold on to your dead ends, so bite the bullet and have them chopped off. Even if you go for a regular trim, it’s better than nothing.

If you’re sick of the condition of your hair, having a lot cut off will make it feel brand new. It’ll look thicker, healthier, and you’ll find it easier to style.

Frizzy, split hair is never a good look. Use these tips to prevent and repair damage and you’ll love the results. Do you have any tips? Leave a comment!

Image Credit

I am a big fan of energy drinks. I drink them almost every day. 5-hour ENERGY is one of my favorites and they recently had a contest to find out how everyone likes to drink their 5-hour ENERGY Shots. We wanted to share with you what ideas won the 5-hour ENERGY “Yummification” video contest!

There were a total of 3 winners, so here we go!

First place received a whopping $50,000 prize! The First Place submission is called “Pomelimelade” and was submitted by Tim Merlau from Los Angeles, CA.

It sounds super simple and delicious! The video shows what can be accomplished in the 5 hours after drinking “Pomlimelade” and is a total winner. I guess that would be why he won the contest! Congrats Tim!

Second place was snagged by Mark Golembeski from Los Angeles, CA with his “Ramalamadingdong” submission and took home $30,000!

Mark’s video shows us how to turn that 2:30 frown upside down and shows us a clown, a puppy, a guy in a tutu and much more!

Zac Sheorn from Lugoff, SC won Third Place and $10,000 with his “Arnold Power” video.

I think this would probably be my favorite of the tree drinks! This drink stick to it’s name by showing us how it can help keep you refreshed so you can keep practicing, even if you are not good at sports.

You can find these videos and check out behind the scenes of the video productions here!

What do you think of the videos and 5-hour ENERGY? Let us know below! Be sure to tell us your favorite video and of course your favorite flavor of 5-hour ENERGY!

The 5-hour ENERGY® samples, gift card, and information have been provided by the makers of 5-hour ENERGY®.

 

Having surgery has both pros and cons. Procedures come with certain risks, but they can also increase the quality of life of a person thanks to increasing their confidence. However, certain people have surgery and believe that it will change their entire lives, when this isn’t always the case. Just when is the right time to have surgery? Find out here:

The Right Time to Have Surgery

If you have an issue with a particular part of your body and you have for a while, then you may consider surgery. This may be the size of your breasts, your nose, or even your stomach. Wherever the area is, you need to make sure that booking surgery is justified.

There’s a difference between having surgery to live a higher quality of life, and having surgery to impress somebody or to try to be somebody/something you’re not.

Surgery isn’t something that should be taken lightly. Despite the fact that more and more people are having it, you need to think very carefully about your decision. There are alternative to surgery, such as beauty treatments and makeup. That may be a better option for you.

You May Be a Good Candidate for Surgery If:

• You are of sound mind.
• You don’t pick faults with each part of your body. You may have body dysmorphia, and this could lead to never ending surgery appointments. If you aren’t happy with yourself overall, you need to start by healing your mind before you do anything else. Surgery is unlikely to be the cure to your problems.
• You understand the risks and no what you will do in event of a risk.
• You have had a consultation with a surgeon from a cosmetic surgery in London, for instance, and they agree that you could be a good candidate.
• You are fit and healthy.
• You are willing to do what it takes beforehand and after surgery to get the best results.
• You know you are doing this for the right reasons, and not for somebody else.
• You can afford the procedure.

You May Not be a Good Candidate for Surgery If:

• You think this procedure will change your whole life. You may not get a promotion, or even a boyfriend. You will still be the same person.
• You want to look like a celebrity you admire. Your procedure may not look exactly as you imagined it, and you may even be disappointed with the results.
• You have any symptoms of body dysmorphia.
• You have had surgery multiple times and can’t seem to stop. You need to seek help from a therapist.
• You are unhealthy.
• You don’t want to have to quit smoking, drinking, or drugs. You need to be able to follow advice before and after the surgery to get the best results.

If everybody around you is telling you that you don’t need surgery, then it might be time to listen to them. Everybody feels bad about themselves at some point or another, but that’s no reason to go and have surgery straight away. You need to make sure you’re doing this for yourself, for the right reasons.

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