Happy Ground Hog’s Day!

Today is Ground Hog's Day! Who cares right? Well you should! It means there are only six more weeks until spring! These are my five top tips for getting ready for spring.

1) If they aren’t already, the shorts will be in stores shortly! Nothing is worse then being traumatized by trying on shorts with pasty white legs! If you start now you can achieve a light glow with any moisturizing gradual tanner. A great one that I have found is Jergen’s Natural Glow. ($9.99 from Ulta) It comes in two color options, fair to medium and medium to tan. Although the product works well, the smell is less than desirable. My remedy for this is to apply a coat of the tanning lotion, letting it dry and then layering on my favorite scented lotion. Please whatever you do, don’t go to a tanning bed. You are far too beautiful to look like a leather couch. 

2) Maybe you’ve been loving slipping on your boots but pretty soon your feet are going to take center stage. Start pampering your feet now so that when sandal season rolls around you will be ready to flaunt them. A great first step is to invest in a cheap pumas stone to start scrubbing the bottoms of your feet. After scrubbing, moisturizing is key. A great way to ensure beautiful feet is using the Earth Therapeutics Mani/Pedi kit. (only $17.00 from Ulta) It has everything you need to get and maintain cute feet for spring. 

3) Clean out that closet! This is the perfect time of year to clean out you closet. Take the time to try on things and make informed choices; you don’t need to keep every pair of shorts you have ever purchased. Say goodbye to clothes that no longer fit. (hopefully they are too big not too small but either way)  Donate the clothes you don’t want or need so you have room in your closet and a feeling of good doing in your heart.

4) Dump last years makeup, lotion and any tanning or shave gel. Many of us stash our favorite summer beauty items when the temperatures begin to drop but dragging them back out can be a health and beauty hazard. Many beauty products have an expiration date. Unlike your dairy products however the date isn’t printed on the bottle. Look to the back of the bottle for a tiny picture of a jar with a number on it, usually a 12 or 18. This is your products expiration. The number inside the little jar is the number of months that a beauty product will be good for once it is exposed to air. (this is part of the reason so many beauty products come with a little seal over the end) 

Any foundation or other makeup that you applied using your fingers should also be thrown away, since most products that are applied using the hands can become contaminated with bacteria. A great bonus to this is that after you have cleaned out your drawer/cabinet you will know exactly what products you want and need for the coming season.

5) Make sure that your smile is bright and white in all the great photos you are going to be in. By starting now with whitening toothpaste you can brighten your smile without having to do any harsh and expensive chemical whiteners. Another great way to brighten up your smile is by adding a teaspoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide into your regular toothpaste once a week. Although these chemicals will help to whiten your teeth they are not as harsh as the “quick fix” whiteners that you purchase at the store.