October 29, 2018 at 07:38AM Not sure how to deck your halls for the holidays? This’ll cheer you up: Etsy has some serious inspiration in the form of its top holiday decor trends of 2018. Its picks are based on looking at what thousands of its sellers are creating, what’s trending in the wider market, and what shoppers are searching for right now. The results? “This holiday season is all about self-expression,” says Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. “People want to show off their personalities and unique taste by moving away from traditional holiday designs and toward fun embellishments with a serious wow-factor.” By Etsy’s account, there are six major themes when it comes to making your home merry and bright this year. And it’s possible to incorporate each into whatever space you’re working with (be it a window sill or full house). “It doesn’t matter if the size of your home is big or small or your budget is low or high; the way your home makes you feel is the most important,” says Moll Anderson, New York Times bestselling author and home design expert. Below, she and Johnson share their best advice for how to translate each of Etsy’s holiday trends into your own home. Neon and bright “Last year, shoppers dipped their toes into unexpected holiday decor with colorful pastel accents, and this year, the trend has evolved into an even bolder style with vibrant neons and ultra-bright tones taking center stage,” Johnson says. Think pink disco ball
Category: 2019 Health
Set the timer: A derm says this is how long you should *actually* be washing your face
October 29, 2018 at 07:36AM Who’s with me? Some nights my skin-care routine is so luxe, so extravagant that it feels like it should belong in a movie montage and other evenings, the amount of energy I have to devote to my skin-care routine is seriously lacking. I grab my favorite cleanser, quickly swish it around my face, and wash it off in 10 seconds flat—but is that enough scrubbing to actually do my complexion any good? According to the experts, not so much. To get the results you want, it turns out cleansing your face has some of the same rules as other daily tasks like brushing your teeth. While your face-washing routine doesn’t need to be quite that long, there should still be more effort involved than a quick splash or two in the sink. “If all the prep—such as thoroughly removing your makeup—is already done, it should take 20 to 30 seconds to wash your face each morning and night, and after sweating,” Libby Rhee, DO, a New York City dermatologist, tells me. If you don’t have a makeup-removing pregame, however, you might go at it for a longer amount of time. “Sometimes I recommend a slightly longer or more complicated cleanse depending on someone’s goals, like using a gentle exfoliating brush while cleansing, which usually takes around 60 seconds,” she adds. Basically, there’s a happy medium when it comes to proper face-washing: not putting in enough effort could be keeping you from clear, glowing skin, but going in overboard
J.Lo’s trainer shares 3 core-blasting moves you can do with a medicine ball
October 29, 2018 at 06:43AM It’s easy to get fixated on fancy exercise equipment, but J.Lo’s trainer David Kirsch just reminded us that sometimes all you need are a few no-frills drills and basic props to get in a good sweat sesh. Kirsch—who also works with Kate Upton and Heidi Klum—recently shared an abs-blasting routine on Instagram using a weighted medicine ball and his own body mass that’s as core shaking as they come. (He’s not the only one who swears by the tool for a killer workout, either—Karlie Kloss and Cindy Crawford use ’em on the regular, too.) Scroll down to see the trainer’s go-to exercises. Hint: They’re ones you already know and love—just with a twist. View this post on Instagram Are you ready to #kirsch your #core Try these 4 moves #hangingkneeraises #medicineball #spiderman #plank #jackknives and #ballslams #ultimatefamilywellness #wellness #coreworkout #energy #fitness #fitnessmotivation #fitfam #fitspo #getkirsched @thecoreclub video: @nikole_fit A post shared by David Kirsch (@davidkirsch) on Oct 23, 2018 at 10:39am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js 1. Spiderman plank Get into a plank position, pressing a weighted medicine ball into the floor with your hands. Keeping your core engaged, take turns bringing each knee out to the side and toward the ball, making sure you’re bringing your legs back into a plank position between sides. 2. Jack knives Lying on the mat, hold the medicine ball in your hands. Keeping both your arms and legs straight, raise your upper body and lower body at the same time until
The one calf stretch to know if your workout has a lot of jumping in it
October 29, 2018 at 06:21AM Whether you’re doing jumping jacks, box jumps, skipping rope, or penciling in dance cardio, jumping-inspired moves are a fitness gold mine. It gets your heart rate way up, ignites that lower-body burn, and sculpts what can only be called “designer calves” (and glutes, for that matter). Unfortunately, (ugh) it’s not without its risk of injury. “Jumping is actually a super high impact way of moving that can put a lot of stress and strain on the body, especially the calves, shins, and feet,” says dance sculpt instructor, Megan Roup, who happens to be leading our next Well+Good Retreat in Miami this December. “Stretching before and after jump-based workouts is really important because often times people will complain of really tight calves.” Too-tight calves, in addition to being about as pleasant as the taste of moldy bread, can also lead to painful injuries such as exacerbated shin splints, calf pulls, and even stress fractures. So, I talked to Roup about how to target calf muscle and ward off injuries that’ll side-line your fitness routine. She recommends a classic: The standing wall stretch, which helps to loosen up the calf. After all, if your calf gets too tight, you might all of the sudden notice problems with the Achilles or even suffer from ankle or foot issues. Before that happens, take to the wall and stretch things out. Photo: Getty Images/ franckreporter Find a wall, box, or pillar that is stable enough for you to put your weight into it. Stand
These tried-and-tested vegan deodorants will do your armpits right
October 29, 2018 at 05:27AM For the majority of my life, the idea of switching away from my beloved industrial-strength antiperspirant was pretty much out of the question. I simply did not have the emotional stability to play Russian roulette with my armpits. Excess sweat? An (ahem) odor? Rings around my underarms? Yeah, count me out. But as cleaner deodorants have grown in number and efficacy, I decided to rethink my stance and pursue not only an aluminum-free alternative, but a vegan deodorant, at that. Let’s get a few things out of the way about the confusing underarm lexicon from the get-go: First off, deodorants differ from antiperspirants in that they’re devoid of aluminum, which creates a plug in the sweat gland to prevent sweating from happening. Deodorants, instead, are a cosmetic product that help to sop up sweat with ingredients like baking powder and add a nice fresh scent in some cases. Vegan options, could theoretically contain aluminum so long as they’re devoid of animal byproducts and haven’t been tested on animals, but the ones that I tried out didn’t. They were vegan deodorants. In terms of using a vegan versus a non-vegan option, Tara Pelletier, co-founder of the vegan deodorant brand Meow Meow Tweet told me that the effect on your pits is roughly the same no matter which deodorant you choose, but she added that “in terms of sustainability, using plant-based ingredients from ethical, organic farming methods is often more environmentally friendly than farmed animal products.” And so
Incorporate hand mudras into your meditation practice to level up your life
October 28, 2018 at 07:00AM First things first, for those who have never heard of hand mudras: They’re not complicated, and you can start incorporating them into your life stat to reap the well-being benefits. To put it simply, mudras are hand positions that are used during meditation to “reinforce specific healing states of mind,” says meditation teacher and transformational coach Sah D’Simone. They help “draw your mindfulness inward and reconnect you with your heart’s language of compassion, kindness, goodness, creativity, and joy,” he says. Sounds beautiful, right? “Mudras draw your mindfulness inward and reconnect you with your heart’s language of compassion, kindness, goodness, creativity, and joy.” —meditation teacher Sah D’Simone Each finger represents a different element, Unplug Meditation teacher Megan Monahan says. The thumb symbolizes space; the index is air; the middle finger is fire; the ring finger is water; and the pinky stands for earth. So it is believed that by creating different mudras with your hands via different configurations of your fingers, you are tapping into that powerful energy. “You have within you the infinite organizing power of the universe,” Monahan says. “No big deal.” Whether you’re a meditation newbie or use the Headspace app every single day, try out the following mudras whenever you feel like leveling up. Read on to learn 9 hand mudras, their benefits, and how to do them. Photo: Getty Images/Javier Snchez Mingorance 1. Varada mudra Meaning: Granting of wishes Benefits: “Varada mudra evokes generosity, charity, giving, compassion, being part of the solution,
6 tips for getting over a BFF (because sometimes they’re just not forever)
October 28, 2018 at 05:00AM Best friends forever are supposed to last, well, forever, and losing one can be a very rough, painful, emotional experience. Sometimes the distress feels more intense than what comes from a romantic breakup. With a BFF breakup, the one person who’s always there to listen to you vent, take you out for a night on the town to cheer you up, or binge-watch movies with you while downing a pint of nice cream is no longer there to ease the pain. It’s definitely not an easy loss to get over. But, while it’s not easy, do keep in mind that it’s a common experience through which many folks suffer. And, it could be the result of many different issues, says therapist and friendship expert, Miriam Kirmayer. Maybe the friendship was downright toxic and you finally had enough. Maybe there was one big fight that led to the falling out (i.e., your trust was violated) or tons of little things (like a friend being flakey all. the. time.) that signaled to you it was time to go your separate ways. Our lives change. We change. Then one day, you find that you just don’t have anything in common anymore. “More often than not, friendships end because of this gradual distancing process that happens,” Kirmayer says. Our lives change. We change. Then one day, you find that you just don’t have anything in common anymore. Or, it might just be the fact that your schedules don’t match
Curious about trying acupuncture for anxiety? Here’s what you need to know first
October 28, 2018 at 04:48AM Anxiety is one of the worst feelings ever. The symptoms can range from a feeling of tightness and heaviness in your chest to a full-blown panic attack complete with a racing heartbeat, hyperventilation, a wave of fear rushing through your body, and feeling as though you’re literally going to die. Regardless of the extent of the anxiety you experience, it’s definitely not easy to deal with. It can feel like an endless trial and error process, trying everything from meditation and breathing exercises to CBD oil. While medication does offer relief for many, others hope to find the answer through natural treatments such as fitness, magnesium supplements, or dietary changes. Another buzzed about natural treatment for anxiety is acupuncture. The ancient practice of inserting small needles into pressure points is said to help with a host of different ailments including a low libido, trouble conceiving, and even allergies. And research has shown that acupuncture could be effective in improving symptoms of anxiety, too. Now, I know what you’re thinking: how can you possibly relax when you’re laying there with a bunch of needles all over your body? The thought alone might induce a panic attack. But, acupuncture is actually a pretty painless experience. The needles are super thin—like a strand of hair thin—and most people don’t even feel them, says Calley Williams, licensed acupuncturist and owner of Seed of Life Acupuncture in Los Angeles. Below, she answers all the top questions about acupuncture for anxiety, including
The astrological reason why Halloween may feel like a real turning point this year
October 28, 2018 at 03:49AM Astrologer Jennifer Racioppi is here with the celestial weather report for the week, with a wellness twist! Here’s her best advice on getting the most out of the next seven days with your food, fitness, and self-care choices—no matter what your sun sign is. Monday, October 29 The week begins on a promising note. With Mercury, the planet of communication, conjoining Jupiter, the planet of good luck, while making a manifesting trine to Chiron, Monday holds great potential and brings ample support. Tune in to this potential and accept it. Today’s aspects support you to foster an even healthier mindset. To that point, spend time journaling, especially about what the last year has brought forth for you. Monday holds great potential and brings ample support. Tune in to this potential and accept it. With Mercury and Jupiter meeting up and blending forces today in the sign of Scorpio, take time to dialogue with yourself. Jupiter has traveled in Scorpio since October 10, 2017. Next month on November 8, it exits Scorpio, entering into Sagittarius, and won’t return to Scorpio until 2029. Consider what you have learned since Jupiter came into this sign a little more than a year ago. How have you grown? Tuesday, October 30 Venus, which continues its retrograde journey, squares the nodes of fate today as it opposes Uranus. This combination pushes you to own your value, and take a stand for your beliefs. Embrace an attitude of grit, determination, and resilience as you own your
3 NYC Marathon Vets Tested Out New Training Shoes—Here’s Their Review
October 27, 2018 at 06:30PM Whether you’re training for a marathon or just enjoy the occasional three-mile jog, finding your running shoe equivalent of Cinderella’s slipper is essential—not only for preventing injury, but also for actually looking forward to lacing up each day (look good, train better, right?). But sometimes, switching up your commitment to your road-worn pair can help you find something even better—which is why we challenged three long-distance runners to do just that. Ahead of the New York City Marathon, we tasked the running aficionados with taking one of three styles of ASICS sneakers—all in the brand new, Northern Lights-inspired Solar Shower shades—for a spin to see how they compare to their go-to kicks. Full disclosure: These ladies run a lot (up to 80 miles a week!), so they have some strong opinions on logging miles, choosing the right footwear, and everything in between. Keep reading to see how the ASICS Solar Shower Collection sneakers stood up against their everyday running shoes. Photo: Emily Fayette Emily Fayette, run coach, Flywheel instructor, and founder of The Healthy Hustle Fayette uses running as her primary mode of transportation, and is training for her second marathon (her goal is to make it through all five NYC boroughs in three hours). Since she usually ends up clocking around 80 miles every week, her feet can use all the TLC they can get. “Comfort is everything for me,” Fayette says. “And the Solar Shower GEL-Cumulus 20 SP shoes are extremely comfortable and light. My first day