Female Beauty, Woman’s Beauty Tips, Woman's Health

True Beauty is Found in a Woman’s Strength

By Darlene Brock / Health & Beauty, Purpose

The unspoken definition of a woman’s true beauty often appears on the cover of magazines in the grocery store checkout aisle. Gracing the pages is a photo-shopped image of an already nearly perfect-looking human being. The flawless skin, sparkling eyes, not a hair out of place, and unrealistic body type make me want just to turn every magazine backward, so we don’t have to endure. Social media is even worse. But having lived quite some time, walking alongside many women, I can honestly say that’s not the beauty I am drawn to. That is not to diminish the value of the physically beautiful women in our lives. Trust me, they really do have their own challenges, often insecure like every one of […]

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10 Classic Beauties Full of Grit, Grace and Inspiration

By Rachel Hagstrom / Health & Beauty, Purpose

As a devoted fan of black-and-white cinema and 1950s fashion, I relished the moments I spent watching classic films like Sabrina (check out the swoon-worthy outfits Givenchy designed for Audrey Hepburn) or North by Northwest with my Gram, who never failed to captivate me with stories about the private lives of all the actors. Theses classic beauties inspired me. I’d sing my little heart out with Etta James as she dazzled me with “At Last”—a favorite that still causes goosebumps to rise along my arms—or I would study the prized, yellowed newspapers documenting JFK’s assassination my great-grandma had tucked away in the corner of her closet. I’d stare at the picture of Jackie Kennedy, clothed in black and grief, holding her children’s

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4 Fashion Pieces That Will Make You Excited to Transition to Fall

By Laura Hurd / Health & Beauty

Cooler weather gives way to floral patterns and ’80s throwbacks that consist of leather and chic blazers—trends that will never go out of style. Thankfully, fall’s hottest looks will not only bring confidence to your wardrobe, but your bank account will thank you! Cool and Classic Blazer This must-have piece from Kohl’s boasts a polyester and wool blend that reminds us of our Saved By The Bell friends—only with much more ease of use. Fully lined with a relaxed fit, this piece will instantly elevate your look for any occasion, be it exploring a pumpkin patch or a cool night on the town with friends. It is trimmed with a single black button closure and fully functional pockets. Plus, the colors will

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My Secret to a Long-Lasting DIY Manicure

By Ashley Johnson / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

I’m a girly-girl, but I’m also practical… So I’ve always aspired to have an enviable set of nails. However, when I paint them myself, it seems to only last a day or two (at best) without chipping. When I loosen my money pouch and go to the salon, they look lovely—but it’s time-consuming and expensive to maintain. Then I met Cayly. Cayly is a friend of mine who happens to be a hairstylist at Ulta. She always had great-looking digits and finally told me her secret… CND’s Stickey Base Coat and Super Shiney Top Coat. Each bottle is about $12.50, but totally worth every penny. Plus, you can often find each item on Amazon for a cheaper price. Application Tips for Maximum

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10 Things That Make a Woman Beautiful

By Ashley Johnson / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

Here are 10 qualities that make a woman beautiful: 1. She can laugh at her silly mistakes, knowing it doesn’t diminish her dignity. 2. She gives the benefit of the doubt. 3. When she comes across something that reminds her of someone special, she buys it for them. Just because. Even if it’s just a candy bar. 4. She gets to know the people around her: baristas, security guards, receptionists, etc. Strangers become her friends. 5. She chooses to see the good in all people, knowing everyone is a work in progress. 6. She can let go. 7. She’s humble, but finds satisfaction in a job well done. 8. She’s strong, but she doesn’t use her strength to push other people around.

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How to Prepare for a Lifestyle Photo Shoot

By Chelsea Stamer / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

The idea of a having a professional photo shoot, no matter the type, can be fun for some. For others, it can feel daunting until the photos come back and you find some truly adorable keepsakes. You may now exhale. All is right in the world again. Part of the stress involved in a lifestyle photo shoot is figuring out what to wear. If you’re dressing for less posed photos or more casual style shooting, these tips are for you! So whether you’re styling yourself only or you’re styling your entire family, my hope for you after reading this article is to have a good idea of where to begin in your styling process. Here are 4 styling tips for a lifestyle

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3 Reasons Why Positive Self-Talk Can Improve Your Life

By Nicole Zasowski / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

Relationships are a gift. They challenge us to think outside of our own perspective and expand our ideas about the world. Many would report that relationships make life more enjoyable as they share important milestones and the sweet in-between moments of the everyday with those whom they love. And relationships give us powerful information about who we are and whether or not we are safe. How do we speak to ourselves? Many of us invest a lot of time and energy ensuring that our relationships with others are healthy, connected, and close, but what about our relationship with ourselves what is our self-talk? If we are honest, we have to examine how we speak to ourselves. Are we the type of friend

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Discover 5 AA Slogans That Bring Wisdom to Any Woman’s Life

By Rachel Hagstrom / Health & Beauty, Purpose

My former chosen method of numbing pain included self-medicating with pills and toxic relationships. It’s taken years, open sharing and honest conversations, lots of therapy, and a few rock-bottom moments to set myself on a path of growth and healing. For many people who struggle with addiction, recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) have ignited a new way of life, and a newfound sense of identity and purpose. Yet, the programs practices aren’t just life-changing for its members alone—anyone can benefit from the organization’s principles, and steps. Some of the best life practices can be found in the AA slogans. These five AA slogans every woman can incorporate into her daily life! 1. One Day at a Time To take it one

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Are You Grumpy or Just Neglecting Yourself?

By Jennifer Grassman / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

I’m a moody person. I’ll admit that. But often, I feel grumpy, depressed, irritable or anxious. Are you grumpy too? Well, I find that the root cause of my negative mood is that I’ve actually been neglecting myself. Maybe you’re neglecting yourself too. It’s so easy as a stay-at-home, work-at-home mom to get so caught up in changing diapers, wiping up spills, mixing bottles, meeting deadlines, making phone calls, and kissing booboos that I neglect to take care of myself. And that makes me grumpy. Are You Neglecting Yourself? Here’s a Checklist to Find Out: Have you eaten something healthy? I tend to skip breakfast, and that leaves me feeling groggy and malnourished. Protein is super helpful when it comes to boosting

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5 Things You Need to Quit Right Now

By Ashley Johnson / Purpose, Health & Beauty

I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and came across a quote that said: 5 Things to Quit Right Now: 1. Trying to please everyone. 2. Fearing change. 3. Living in the past. 4. Putting yourself down. 5. Overthinking. That’s actually pretty good advice, I thought. So I took a screenshot of it and decided to take it to heart. Here’s why I think we should quit each thing on that list: 1. Trying to please everyone. It’s simply impossible, and if you live your life seriously trying to accomplish this goal, you’ll run yourself ragged… And probably feel like a failure, because it’s simply unachievable. Don’t do that to yourself. Be kind, respectful, and do your best to love your neighbor

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5 Colors Every Woman Can Look Great In

By Darlene Brock / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

I’m sure you have landed in the dressing room with a handful of clothes that you think might just work. As you slip that really cute top over your head then look into the mirror the shriek you emit is audible five stalls down. Is it the lighting in this dressing room (which shall we all say is the dumbest thing a retailer ever installed?) or does this color just make me look horrible? It could be the yellow/blue/gray light that shines down on the top of your head, but it’s often the color of the clothing. I know if I put that tan khaki tone anywhere near my face the next step is to take that shovel and dig a 6-foot deep

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Everything You Need to Know About a Capsule Wardrobe

By Chelsea Stamer / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

The idea of a capsule wardrobe sounds intriguing. Maybe it’s because it brings minimalism into view, the other end of the spectrum to my occasional spendthrift ways. But what is a capsule wardrobe? Simply put, it’s a mini wardrobe that consists of around 30 staple items that can be mixed and matched to create quick, put-together looks. Some may think the idea of having a capsule wardrobe sounds a little boring or unrelatable—maybe even something in which only hipsters partake? But truthfully, I believe that many people do not fully realize the positive reasons for having a capsule wardrobe. Those who have been intentional about creating a capsule wardrobe for themselves would likely say it feels freeing from living in excess and satisfying to

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6 Practical Tips When You Want to Get Healthy

By Catie Welvaert / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

A few years ago, I was told I had hormone imbalances that would make it more difficult for me to lose weight than other people. You’d think a diagnosis would be the perfect motivation to start making healthier decisions. However, all of the previous year was a festivity for me, and I’ve never believed in depriving myself of good food (still don’t!). I graduated from college, got married, moved twice, and got a desk-oriented job. I don’t remember the exact moment that triggered my get-healthy quest, but one day, it just clicked. I wanted to actually be healthy more than I wanted someone else’s body, for once. I realized that I needed tools, and I needed them to work for me where I

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Just Because She’s Pretty, Doesn’t Mean You’re Not

By Ashley Johnson / Health & Beauty, Audio Articles, Relationships

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) Do you have a friend who’s so beautiful that sometimes you find yourself staring, admiring? How about one who lives off of donuts and never lifts more than her purse but somehow maintains the body of a supermodel? Maybe you have a friend who always gets what she wants, and everything seems to go her way. Or what about your funny, charismatic friend who lights up a room and makes even strangers feel like they’ve been life-long friends? Have you ever noticed your friend’s beauty, talents, opportunities, or life as a whole and then suddenly felt like you got the short end of the stick? It’s not a fun place to be, and

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5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer

By Karen DeVault / Life & Culture, Health & Beauty

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is an annual campaign designed to increase breast cancer awareness worldwide, promoting research, risk assessment, screening and early detection, and treatment options. According to Breastcancer.org, more than 287,000 women in the United States alone are estimated to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2022. Nearly 43,000 of them may die from the disease. If you are concerned about breast cancer, there are steps you can take to lower your risk. While we can’t do anything about risk factors such as family history and age, some lifestyle changes have been shown to reduce breast cancer risk, even in high risk women. Five of them are provided below. Important to remember is that these steps are

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The Reality of STDs: Hard Conversations You Need to Have

By Darlene Brock / Health & Beauty, Best Of, Relationships

There truly are some conversations we would much rather avoid. The ones that create angst in both the discussion starter and the recipient, whose terrified expression is begging you not to continue! An honest talk about STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) has to be in life’s top five! This is definitely not sunny chatter over the dinner table, or light banter with the store clerk like you’re talking about the fair weather. But the reality is that our current societal statistics require us to have these talks. We absolutely must have them with our children. We absolutely must have them with our dating partner. Today’s studies tell us 1 in 4 females between the age of 15 and 24 have an STD*, currently a full

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Can Your Yoga Practice Be Holy?

By Maureen Beville / Faith, Health & Beauty

Eight years ago, I was enjoying a work-from-home career as a health writer for various corporate wellness programs and raising my two young daughters. I stumbled on a Holy Yoga class one weekend, and that ultimately brought me to where I am today. That class changed my experience with yoga and created a desire to connect with God every time I got on my mat. After much persuasion from friends, several “God winks,” and a turn of events with my career (I was laid off), I decided to pursue a yoga teacher certification through Holy Yoga. What is Holy Yoga? I wanted to provide the same opportunity for others to connect with Christ on the mats that I had experienced. Holy Yoga

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