The GIT Girl Magazine Issue 1

The GIT Girl

Magazine Trending Now! Clothes, Shoes, Bags & More

The look for less Fat Blasting Moves

FIGHT THE FRIZZ! 5 (Un)common Skin Care Tips

Get It Together!

LOVE: When it’s time to move on

Organize Your World

Healthy Recipes You’ll Love

Meet Nadege Lewis The Healthy Hair Heavyweight July/August 2014

The First Issue!

TheMagazine GIT Girl 2 3 5 7

Editor’s Note Getting to know you!

The Look for Less we recreate two looks on a shoestring budget!

Fitness Spotlight Fight belly fat with these exercises!

Love: When He Won’t Commit Should you stay, or should you go? We’ll tell you!

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Blogger Spotlight Meet Arielle Parr. She’s young and fabulously thrifted!

5 (Un)common Skin Care Tips

July / August 2014 In This Issue Now 19 Trending Clothes, Shoes, Bags, Hair & Nails.

What’s hot for summer 2014!

26 Get Inspired!

Recreate these Fourth of July looks!

28 Artist Spotlight

Meet the talented Julie Andrews!

30 Fashion Finds

Fashion steals under $100!

31 Beauty Buys

Try summer’s hottest beauty products!

32

Soak up the sun in safety!

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Take It to Streets

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Who got it right on the streets!

Organize Your World

match your wardrobe!

In the News Are we biased towards beautiful people?

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Banish frizz for good!

Fashion Spotlight: Mixing Color & Pattern Learn how to mix &

Organizing Digital Pictures

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Hair: How to Fight the Frizz

Food For Thought Healthy recipes !

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Cover Story: Head-Strong by Nadege Lewis Can chemically treated hair regain it’s strength?

Editor’s Note

Getting To Know You! This first issue of The GIT Girl Magazine (The Get It Together, Girl Magazine) is very special to me. It is the realization of one of my dreams and I am enormously proud of and thankful for all of the people who helped make it happen.

Summer 2014 Fashion Trends p. 19

The GIT Girl Magazine is aimed at women who need to “Get It Together” in any area. We cover food, fashion, health, fitness, hair, nails, and makeup.

The GIT Girl Mag is unlike any other magazine out there. This magazine is made for you by...you. Our contributors are real people living real lives. They hail from Virginia, to Texas, to Australia, and beyond. There might just be a GIT Girl Contributor near you.

I hope you enjoy the magazine as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. Email me and let me know what you think.

Gigi Nicole Editor-in-Chief thegitgirl@gmail.com

The best sunscreen for you.

P. 12

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THE LOOK FOR LESS

By: Tina Degen

Channel Jennifer Lopez in this cute hot pink romper that’s sure to attract attention - in all the right ways! Finish the look with a neutral shoe to give the illusion of mile long legs.

$55 Topshop.com (Belt) $29 Asos.com

$60

$95

DSW.com

Amazon.com

(cuff) $140

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HSN.com

THE LOOK FOR LESS

By: Kimberly Morris

Kelly Rowland can dress with the best of them. Recreate her take on men’s suiting with these inexpensive pieces.

Shop the Look

Blouse - $30 Sheinside.com Slacks - $10 Macys.com Blazer - $43 HM.com Necklace - $10 Romwe.com Clutch - $30 Coolhandbagz.com Heels - $29 Charlotterusse.com Bracelet - $9 Dorothyperkins.com

Earrings - $10 Topshop.com

Kelly’s Top 5 Looks

The pants are only $10!

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FITNESS

By Danielle Stewart

Danielle was once a girl on the go. She went from country hopping in the Coast Guard to being a suburban soccer mom in Oklahoma. Although she is no longer defending our coast she is one busy woman. She has garnered two degrees from Liberty University, a bachelors in Education and one in Business with a minor in accounting, and is now working on her third bachelors in Nursing. Not only has she worked hard on her education, but she has also carved out a little spot on the web for herself. She is the creator of the website and Youtube channel Fitness Fashionista. Through all of the transitions in her life, she got a bit off track and picked up some extra weight. Danielle was determined to shed the pounds and document the experience to help motivate and inspire other women. And so, Fitness Fashionista was born.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I woke up, went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and realized that I had no clue who was looking back at me. Have you ever been so wrapped up in the ups and downs of life that you have lost yourself? That’s what happened to me. I had lost my very essence. I was just a shell; a much bigger shell of the woman I had been before birth of my son, the divorce, and getting out of the military had all hit me.

I began to feel myself sink farther into depression and the weight on the scale was steadily creeping up. On March 6, 2013, I decided that it was time to make a change in my life and get things back on track. I didn’t just want things to go back to way they were before, I wanted them to be better. I wanted to be a better me.

I decided that in order to really push myself and get to where I wanted to be I had to do something different. I needed to be held accountable so that I could see this goal and my transformation through.

So I started the Fitness Fashionista YouTube channel. I received such a great response and people were asking me so many questions that I decided that it was time to create the Fitness Fashionista website to give people an even more in-depth view of my journey with all of the ups and downs that go with trying to lose weight.

When I ended my 2nd semester of nursing school I had packed on over 20lbs. If you know a nurse she will tell you that nursing school is tough as nails and that it consists of many late night studying. So couple that with being a single mom and it was just out of control. My last day of class I found out that I would be out for the summer and so I decided that it was time to create a plan that was going to work for me, my son and my busy schedule come fall.

Now that I am back on track I feel so much better about where I am and where I am headed on my weight loss journey and my journey in life. Losing weight is not easy and in real life we have set backs we have to remember to just get back up, dust ourselves off and get back on track.

I hope to motivate and inspire you to start your own journey!

Everything was going great. The weight was coming off and things were just really looking up in my life.

But we all know that life can throw you curveballs. I was in a relationship at the time that went up in flames and then I had just began nursing school.

Things were hectic and I slowly began to sink back in to bad habits because they were so much easier with the weight of school and the friction in my relationship.

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The formula for Danielle’s success

THE SIDE PLANK

Trim your belly fat with Danielle’s easy ab moves.

1. After you lie on your left side, place your forearm in front of you onto the mat. Position yourself so that only the forearm of your left hand plus the left side of your hips and legs are in contact with the floor 2. Position your other hand either palm down onto the mat in front of you, on your hip in the akimbo style or behind your head. Maintain good core body posture and balance by first using your right hand as leverage on the mat.

3. Set your left leg directly atop the other or place the top (left) leg in front of the bottom (right) one. If you place them atop one another then the inside curvatures of your feet should touch in a way that they mirror each other.

4. Inhale and contract your abdominal muscles, pulling them inward. As you get more comfortable and better balanced in this exercise, you can contract your butt muscles also.

5.

Exhale as you lift upwards using your left forearm and left foot. Do 8 to 12 repetitions. Repeat the side plank exercise on your right side and do this as many times as you'd like, feeling the burn primarily in your chest, back and core abdominal muscles.

Danielle’s Favorite Belly Blasting Exercises!

1. After you lie on your back, Move your arms above your head, keep them straight and put the palms of your hands together.

THE RUSSIAN TWIST

2. Contract the abs and gluteal muscles as you twist and roll up onto one shoulder. Keep the upper back straight and strong and twist until the shoulders are aligned perpendicular to the floor.

3. Hold the Russian Twist for a split second then slowly lower back to the starting position of the exercise.

Keep your hips up and high, your abs tight and the glutes squeezed together.

4. Repeat the exercise on the other side of the body.

Slowly twist up using the oblique muscles and slowly return to the starting position. Alternate sides until you complete the number of Russian Twists that you desire.

Visit Danielle at fitnessfashionista.com

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LOVE...

When He Won’t Commit Find out how to navigate your love life when the man of your dreams won’t take the plunge.

I’m going to let you in on a huge secret. If more women understood this one thing about men, they would be more satisfied with their dating experiences. Here it is: When men date a woman, they don’t want it to be easy.

They want to know what they’re going after is worth their time.

Simple concept, right? But this simple fact keeps many women from finding love and the man of their dreams.

Ladies, a worthy man wants a woman who makes them work for it. The want to know that the woman they’re pursuing thinks highly of herself and has high standards.

After all, what self-respecting man wants a woman who doesn’t respect herself?

Now that we all understand the basics, let’s move on to the real subject at hand. Why won’t he commit? Is he making excuses for why you aren’t moving to the next step in your relationship?

There are three categories of men: 1. The man who wants to make the commitment.

2. The man who is genuinely commitment phobic, with or without good reason.

3. The man who just wants to pass the time with women.

They have no intention to commit and will either say it straight out or give all sorts of excuses as to why they can’t take things to the next level you.

It’s likely you’ve had experience with all three categories of men. So, how do you handle their failure to launch?

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Maintain Your Standards When a man comes across a woman who will give him anything and everything from the beginning, he is delighted. But not for long. Eventually, he will question your values and will not feel that his commitment and love is worth spending on something so easy. It can be a huge turn off. Whereas, a woman who is selective and takes her time before moving from casual dating into a serious relationship inspires admiration and respect in a man.

Keep Your Friends There is nothing more attractive than a woman who loves to be with her man but continues to enjoy her life.

Continue to invest in people and activities you like to do.

This will show him that you are a grounded person who isn’t going to smother him once things get serious.

Be Willing To Express Men want you to understand who they are and they need somebody who “gets them” before they feel comfortable to settle in to a relationship. For a lot of men, commitment means more vulnerability than many women understand. There might be numerous valid reasons for a man’s fear of commitment.

1. Fear of emotional baggage (yours or his) 2. Trust issues 3. Is she commitment worthy?

Let’s face it, if a guy is going to forgo all of the other women in the world for only you he wants to be absolutely sure that you are the right one.

(continued) Take time to talk to each other and express how you feel about one another and why you think you are ready to take the next step. Help him understand the faith you have in him and your relationship. Highlight the trust you two have built and the wonderful things that can come out of taking things to the next level.

When to Jump Ship After trying the above mentioned techniques and he still won’t commit, it’s time to make a decision. Break ups are hard, but staying in a relationship where you aren’t getting what you need is harder. Respect his feelings and decide how you want to handle things. Remember, no amount of pushing and demanding will change him. Have respect for your feelings and know your value. The right man is out there.

Signs It’s Time to Move On 1. You are dating for more than 6 months and there are no signs of forthcoming commitment.

2. He has told you straight out that he is not interested in committing. (No, you’re not going to change his mind).

3. He has kept your relationship a secret with his family and friends.

4. Most of the time you spend together is to have sex.

Move Forward Once you’ve made the decision, don’t look back. If you’ve decided to stay in the relationship, don’t be bitter or guilt your man. There’s nothing more unattractive than a whiny, bitter woman. If you have moved on, move on with a positive attitude. Don’t wait – live your life. Breaking things off with someone you care about is painful. But you can find the courage and strength to embark on a new journey. And who knows, it may be with that special someone who has been waiting just for you.

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#4, Seattle, WA Singles: A Social life: B Emotional health: A+ Marriage: C Divorce: D Romantic hotspot: Assaggio Ristor ante

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FASHION BLOGGER

Meet Arielle Parr - the creator and fashion brains behind the chic blog, Young & Thrifted.

Arielle tells us how she makes a statement in thrifted fashions!

Visit Arielle at Youngandthrifted.com

I'm 22, yet I have an old soul. Since my teenage years I have been infatuated by vintage fashion. My personal style expresses my love for retro trends, with an added modern twist. Most of my clothes were purchased from consignment shops and thrift stores, where the bargains are endless! I started thrifting in high school for a fashion show, and it has been a hobby of mine ever since. The chase is a thrill! Scavenging through timeless treasures in search for the most unique items. I always seem to luck out and find clothing & accessories that are truly presents from the past. I started my vintage fashion blog, "Young & Thrifted", last year to share these special thrift finds. Blogging has been a blast so far, and it has also given me an outlet to let my creative juices flow.

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Next Steps

Next year, I plan on launching a vintage online boutique full of one of kind pieces.

I'm young and still figuring out this thing we call life, but I can say with full confidence great things are awaiting.

ADVERTISEMENT

Contact Telephone Cell Email Website

Ashley Terrell (757) 337-1632 (757) 681-0670 info@religiouzfashionz.com www.religiouzfashionz.com

Norfolk, VA, May 5, 2014– Focusing on business development as a means to empower communities and changing lives is not a new concept, but if Ashley Terrell fulfills her dream her new twist on a time tested model will give women around the world a new sense of self.

Terrell started her direct jewelry selling business, Religiouz Fashionz, two years ago as a way to provide assertive young women the means to earn money running their own business. Terrell had always done good works in her community, but knew that more could be done. So, she’s combined the two in an effort to empower women economically, mentally and spiritually.

The cornerstone of her philosophy is authentic confidence. She believes that if someone is maximizing their given talents and personality that they will find real peace. That real peace gives a connection to something bigger than them that provides an unshakable confidence, an “authentic confidence.”

“Too often we see women who say they are confident, but there is something missing that does not allow them to find that true unshakable confidence,” the Hampton roads, VA native said. “I believe if you can allow a woman to earn money doing something she loves and give her a means to use her nurturing nature that she will be truly confident. It’s one thing to say you’re confident, but it’s another to live your confidence.”

Through her business, entrepreneurial women can sell her product line to earn money, but that is a small part of the equation. Once they are a part of the Religiouz Fashionz family, they are encouraged to interact with each other and bring others in to develop networks they can use to build a business that meets their vision. Money earned from the sale of products works as a seed to build their own enterprise and they also will be developing relationships with others who can help them realize their own business dreams. Additionally, they will be encouraged to create ways to give back to other women and their communities.

“God has blessed me in so many ways,” Terrell said. “Giving back to people and communities is important to me. I think actively encouraging others to look at how they can help their own communities through good works is part of my mission in life. Additionally, having women who can provide a large, diverse support network gives our family members the chance to help each other and the younger women who will be coming behind them.”

The microfinance concept has been proven in various areas of the world, including rural and urban areas of the United States. Terrell believes combining the base of that philosophy with a way to connect women into powerful networks that want to change the conditions of their communities will be life altering.

“I’m fulfilling my purpose, God has ordered within my steps,” Terrell said. “My purpose changed my life and I know it can happen for others.”

5 (Un)common Ways To Protect Your Skin From The Sun Artwork by: Tina Degen Polyvore: tinam-degen

the Shadow Game: If your shadow is 1Play shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at their

strongest. It’s time to take sun precautions.

2Buy a Shot Glass:

Experts say that you need one to two shot glasses full of sunscreen to cover your entire body.

Your Thirties: No matter 3 Embrace what your age, use a sunscreen

Each year, more than 3.5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer.

with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

Back For Seconds: Reapply sunscreen every 2 4 Go hours and after swimming, towel drying, or sweating.

5

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Pucker Up: Use sunscreen or lip balm with SPF protection to defend your sensitive lips from the sun.

SUNSCREEN

Your Skin Will Love

BEST FOR SENSITIVE SKIN Neutrogena® Clear Face Sunscreen

Gently provides break-out free sun protection - superior protection from the sun while helping keep skin clear of sunscreen break-outs.

BEST FOR THE MONEY Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect

BEST FOR YOUR FACE La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL tinted creme

Protect your skin from the sun's harsh rays with this Shimmer Effect Sunscreen lotion from Hawaiian Tropic.

The lotion features a brilliant shimmer effect and has an SPF of 40.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL tinted creme was created just for the face.

This tinted crème won’t cast an other-worldly pall. Plus, it is super powerful with SPF 50+.

BEST ORGANIC John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen

Named the best sunscreen by Natural Health magazine, this organic sunscreen is beloved for going on smoothly and leaving no residue. But it's best feature is it's sunblocking abilities without containing the harmful chemicals found in other sunscreens.

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STREET FASHION

Take It To The Streets

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Organizing Digital Pictures Digital pictures are great.

You can take a picture and know instantly if the shot was blurry or someone was blinking. You also don’t have to waste money on printing pictures that you don’t really want. Editing possibilities are endless, and so are the benefits. Digital pictures also give us the ability to take infinitely more pictures than 35mm film allowed.

Although—taking more pictures can be a problem. With digital cameras, cell phone and tablets, you can amass thousands of pictures before you even know it!

So then we start to wonder: where do I store all of these pictures? How do I find the picture I want, when I want it? How do I store them? The good news is that there are a lot of options when it comes to organizing and cataloging digital pictures. I am going to give you some tips on how to organize your digital pictures.

So let’s get started:

1. Picture organization: Three words: folders, folders, folders. Folders are the best way to organize pictures on your computer. They allow you to find the pictures you want, when you want them. Instead of transferring all of your pictures to the “Pictures” folder on your computer, put them in folders that will help you locate them later. If you can, transfer your pictures to your computer as soon as you get home - that makes the organization process that much easier.

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2. To create folders: Adding picture folders to the “Pictures” directory on your computer is the location that makes the most sense (but you can really put them anywhere). Click on the  “Pictures” link under Libraries”.

Next, click on “New Folder” Name the folder

 Every time you transfer pictures from your memory card to your computer, create a new folder for the download. Be descriptive so that pictures are easy to find years later. Naming a folder “Graduation”, is too vague. In a few years, who knows how many graduations you will have attended. If necessary, you can put a folder within a folder to help the organization process.



3. Once you have transferred pictures to the new folder(s), click on the “Change Your View” tab.

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 

The “Icon” options allows you to see a preview of the pictures in each folder without actually having to open each picture. It is also very helpful because it is fairly unlikely that you will have the time to name each and every picture. If you single-click on one of the pictures, it will open a bigger preview of the picture in the “Select a file to preview” pane.

3. Now that you have your pictures organized on your computer, you have to setup a backup system. There are many options out there, but only having your pictures on your computer is dangerous. If anything happens to your computer—all of your pictures are gone. Some options are: an external hard drive, online photo services (e.g:Shutterfly), Drop Box, Google Drive, etc.

Your specific needs and the amount of pictures you have will determine the type of backup system you should have. The folder system should work within any of the backup options listed.

Angela Beatrice is the lifestyle blogger behind Classically Happy Picture Taking!

Beautiful and Love, Amazing Love. She lives in Southern California with her dog, Bella, where she attends school full-time and loves to sew, knit, crochet and pin almost anything related to home décor on her Pinterest page.

You can catch up with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, she’d love to hear from you!

For more organizational tips, visit classicallybeautiful.blogspot.com

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In The News Read more at relaxedhairhealth.com attractive) piece of fruit. Our eyes are naturally drawn to beautiful cars, homes, pieces of art .etc. It's in all of us.

Recently, the internet was turned upside down when a

routine criminal arrest turned into a world wide conversation on the power of being beautiful. Jeremy Meeks was apprehended, along with three others, on suspicion of criminal activity. When the Stockton police department posted images of their newest arrests, they had no idea how a simple image would generate such a heightened reaction simply because the alleged criminal was......strikingly beautiful.

Many have debated about whether it was just "a good pic" or if Jeremy missed his calling as a fashion model. Whatever your opinion, I'm sure many would agree that his above average looks are certainly "remark -able." Looking back at the entire ordeal, my mind flashed back to the olden days when I'd watch video taped evidence of "beauty bias" in action. Preferential treatment given to attractive people seemed to occur in a multitude of situations from landing a great job to being helped by total strangers. They've even determined that children are also susceptible to creating positive or negative perceptions based on how a person looks. Perhaps we, on a basic level, all have something deep down that impacts how we relate to attractive people. I've even heard that it could be connected to our need for survival in that (1) attractive people are seen as friendlier, more approachable, less dangerous (2) Most want to procreate with someone who is deemed attractive to them.

Heck, this bias towards beauty, that we seem to have, doesn't only apply to other human beings. If we are given a choice to pick out a piece fruit from a bowl of its counterparts, we reach for the brightest, freshest

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Knowing that attractive bias exists, should we focus our attention on condemning the shallow preferences of others or should we somehow leverage it? What if, our level of attractiveness can impact the kind of life we live?

What if we could be earning a higher wage (as some studies suggest), receive extra support from others that we wouldn't normally have access to and gain other benefits simply if we presented ourselves a different way? What if we could alter the course of our lives by presenting ourselves to the world in an intentional and powerful way.

"There are no ugly women, only lazy ones."

Can you think back to a time when you paid careful attention on how you looked compared to other days.

How did people react to you? Did you seem to emanate a different level of energy than when you just walked out the door without giving yourself a second look? On an average day I look as if I put approximately 1% of time and energy into the way I look. My excuse has to do with lack of time. Once, however, I took a two week vacation and committed to dedicated ample amounts of time to taking care of my skin, doing my hair, keeping my nails chip free, growing my lashes, preparing my clothes, the works.

Everything changed during those two weeks. People saw me in a new way. The lingering looks from total strangers seemed endless. People who I once thought were outside my level of attractiveness seemed drawn to me. It was pretty crazy. Nothing like I had ever experienced before. It made me wonder "is this what it's like to be an attractive person. Why is it so different?" Then time passed and my old habits crept in and soon, I went back to being my old self again. This whole Jeremy Meeks fiasco helped remind me of how much our appearance impacts the direction of our lives.

I'm not talking about trying to please others, I'm referring to being the very best version of ourselves at all times. And not to mention how much our confidence skyrockets when are look our best.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

by: Marianne Bloudoff, RD

Every GIT Girl should know her way around a kitchen—at least a little, right? These dishes are sure to inspire you to dust off your pots and pans and use your oven for more than just storing sweaters. Follow Marianne’s step-by-step instructions and enjoy Getting It Together in the kitchen!

Mandarin Almond Chicken Serves 4 Sweet, sour, crunchy, and delicious! This family friendly stir fry uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen to create a bright, fresh, and healthy dinner in a snap. Pair it with brown rice or quinoa for a satisfying meal.

 3/4 cup blanched whole almonds  1 tbsp avocado oil (or other oil with high smoke point)  1 medium onion, thinly sliced  2 cloves garlic, minced  3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed  3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced  4 celery stalks, thinly sliced  1 can mandarin oranges packed in juice, drained and juice reserved  2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari  2 tbsp white vinegar  2 tbsp corn starch  2 tsp chicken or vegetable bouillon  1 – 2 tsp sugar  1 tsp sesame oil sesame seeds, for garnish 1. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, and toast until golden brown. Remove from pan.

Turn heat up to medium high.

2. Add oil to wok, and then add onion and garlic. Stir fry for 1 – 2 minute, then add chicken. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add carrots and celery to wok, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until chicken is cooked and vegetables are cooked but crisp. Add the almonds back to the pan. Turn heat down to medium low.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together reserved mandarin orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, corn starch, bouillon, sugar, and sesame oil. Add to wok, and cook until thickened.

5. To serve, top with mandarin orange slices, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Note: Don’t add the mandarin oranges until serving, otherwise they tend to fall apart in the stir fry.

For more recipes, visit Marianne at

frenchfriestoflaxseeds.com

Makes approx. 2 cups Add a pop of color to your next veggie platter or sandwich with this stunning magenta colored hummus. The dill and beet flavors give this hummus an Eastern European twist. You might not want to go back to regular hummus after this.

 1 can (19 oz or 540 mL) chickpeas, rinsed  2/3 cup cooked beets  1 large clove garlic, chopped  3 tbsp olive oil  2 tbsp tahini  juice of 1 lemon  1/3 – 1/2 cup fresh dill  sea salt & pepper to taste 1/4 – 1/3 cup water 1. Combine all ingredients except water in a food processor, and blend until combined. Add water until desired consistency is reached. Allow to sit for several hours before serving to let flavours meld.

Notes: Although I cooked my beets from scratch, you could easily use canned beets (which would be much less messy).

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TRENDING NOW...

Fashion

Stripes

Take a look at what’s trending in the world of fashion for Summer 2014.

Turquoise Nobody does summer wear quite like Tommy Hilfiger. This year’s Spring/Summer collection took on a sportier edge with brilliant turquoise as a

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Only $40!

Stripes played a part in the Marimekko fashion show for Summer 2014. Score the look of an elongated frame with these flattering vertical stripes.

Shoes

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ANKLE STRAP

THE MUST HAVE SHOES FOR SUMMER 2014 MULES

STILETTO SANDALS

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THE BUCKET BAG

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FRINGE

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Accessories

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Hair

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Makeup

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Nails

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This summer, Turn Up the Heat with 8 intense polishes brought to you by Sinful Colors. The colors are rich and vibrant are sure to take elevate any summer look. And at just $1.99 a pop, who couldn’t afford to look more fabulous.

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Mint Tropics

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GET INSPIRED!

This July Fourth, get inspired by some of the most patriotic nail art around.

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Classically Beautiful is a lifestyle blog devoted to helping you create a beautiful life.

Blogger Angela Beatrice shows you how to take a hands on approach to creating the life you want. Classically Beautiful covers Home Decor, Organization, Beauty, Vegetarian.

Recipes, Giveaways and so much more! Classically Beautiful can be found at ClassicallyBeautiful.com and is also on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

by Julie Andrews

Expressing ourselves through The Arts is an important part Getting It Together. Art unlocks untapped places in the brain and feeds the soul. Our Art Contributor, Julie Andrews, will show us how to tap into our creative sides and explore the expressive world of art. Let the images and words here inspire you to tell your own story.

I suppose when one starts life being named after the iconic actress who played Mary Poppins, creativity and the arts were bound to play an important role in my life. However, the fact that I sing while doing chores and collect umbrellas is entirely my fault. (I blame neither my parents nor the beloved Mary Poppins.)

You can probably tell that my love of art began as a child. I was a military brat, moving from one military base to another, experiencing different cultures, customs, personalities, and art along the way. I began to use art as a form of communication. I was terribly shy in my younger years and art allowed me the freedom of emotional and creative expression.

completely fell head over heels in love with the arts and various forms of creativity. It just never failed to move and inspire me. It always amazing me just how many forms of art there are. From painting to sculpting, from fashion to interior design, from photography to poetry, from dance to performance art, just to name a few.

We as humans have the amazing ability to create the most beautiful, creative, emotional, and unique things out of nothing more than the power of our imagination. My personal outlet, and passion, in art is watercolor, writing, and photography. We all (continued on next page)

As an adult, I was again introduced to varied arts and artists while working in the music industry. I was exposed to many different kinds of art and constantly blown away by people's ability. That was when I

Julie has worked with celebrities such as Tupac and Michael Jackson.

Canal life in Amsterdam.

The canals of Amsterdam are a beautiful and historic part of this famous city in The Netherlands. Strolling along the canals is always lovely, but when the sunlight hits the water it is really quite beautiful.

Illusion of Perspective.

In this photo is a shot of bicycles wheels, yet when you look at it more it can also give the illusion of being one wheel with several smaller rings inside it.

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feel that magical pull of art and creativity in one way or another and the need to have it in our lives.

The satisfaction one gets from creating a piece of art is incredible and unlike any other feeling. I want to help those that feel they are not creative, do not have the skill set, or maybe feel they do not have the time to create art. As well as inspire those of you who already have a love of the arts.

I want to show you the personal journey of how artists have found and harnessed their creative voice and ability, and what it took for them to achieve their level of success. I want us to all learn how they were able to find the time, hone their skills, and artistic ability; and help motivate you to find the time, learn the skills, and find your own unique and creative voice within yourself.

Aristotle once said " The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." How beautifully true that is.

I look forward to going on this journey with you all and discovering together the personal and inspirational stories of art!

Julie Andrews is a freelance artist living in Houston, TX. For more information on Julie and her art, visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/julie.andrews.9469 or on Instagram @sweetblueberrynights

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Gentle Curiosity There is almost a magical quality about silhouettes. Our eyes are immediately drawn to the image and to the mood or feeling it creates. In this shot, a boy on the shore is reaching out to touch something with a gentle hand.

Exposing a Modern Vintage Soul This capture has important meaning to me on a personal level. It marks the beginning of a journey in to self portraits, which for me was a way to challenge and confront insecurities I had within myself.

Simple Marvel of Nature I am often awe struck by incredible beauty of nature. A flower is a relatively common thing and we can all readily agree they are beautiful. Yet we often overlook the full scope of their true magnificence.

This shot is all about magnifying the marvelous beauty of a simple flower.

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HAIR

By Kimberly Powell

How to Fight the Frizz In any battle, you must first identify your opponent. No, your opponent is not your hair – it’s the humidity. Humidity, coupled with friction, causes frizzy hair due to the absorbent or porous nature of hair, allowing it to soak up moisture in the air.

So how do you combat frizz? Think of your hair as a sponge.

If the sponge is already full, it can’t absorb any more water, right? So the question becomes, “What do you want to fill your sponge with?”

The first step in combating frizz is to find the right product for your hair. It’s essential that you select quality product, instead of numerous less effective ones. A personal favorite of mine is Carol’s Daughter Capuacu Frizzless Flawless Hair Set. This amazing set includes shampoo, conditioner, a deep conditioning mask, and blow drying cream for your straight days. These products are formulated to help your hair retain the right kind of moisture and seal out the humidity.

The second product I recommend is Garnier Fructis Sleek-nShine Leave in Conditioner along with the Sleek-n-Shine Flat Iron Perfector Straightening Mist. I love these products for quick touch ups. The leave-in conditioner refreshes curls, moisture, and seals the strand to prevent frizz. On straightened hair, the Sleek-n-Shine Iron Perfector Straightening Mist adds heat protection without adding unwanted weight. And as a bonus, both Garnier products protect hair for up to 3 days.

Photo courtesy livingproof.com

The Five Frizz Free Rules 1. Develop a deep conditioning regimen and implement it at least once a week.

2. Avoid obsessive heat styling with flat irons, blow dryers, and curling irons.

3. Protect your hair from heat damage by using a protective serum or cream.

4. Minimize friction by avoiding over handling hair once it has been styled.

5. Find the right product that works for your hair and stay with it.

Carol’s Daughter Capuacu Frizzless Flawless Hair Set.

Garnier Fructis Sleek-n -Shine Leave in Conditioner

Garnier Fructis Sleek-n -Shine Flat Iron Perfector Straightening Mist

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HEAD-STRONG Want your chemically treated hair to be repaired from the inside out? Ask Nadege Lewis, the blogger behind the hit site Relaxed Hair Health, the secret to her success.

COVER STORY Ever since I started my blog (relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.com), my goal has been to help uncover ways to bring as much health back to chemically treated hair as possible. So, I cannot tell you how excited I was after reading an email from a reader who wanted my opinion on a product that claims to have the power to repair chemically treated hair from the inside. Immediately, I wanted to know more.

What is this product? How does it work? How can I get my hands on it?

The product is called KHairPep. What makes KHairPep work is the active ingredient K18peptide (trademark). According to their website, this peptide has the ability to penetrate the cortex of the hair, bonding and rebuilding keratin. The strengthening benefits of the peptide remains in the hair even after washing.

Hair regained up to 90% of it’s strength...

The graph shows the level of the hair’s strength in its three different stages.

I don't know about you but this type of news gives me life! This level of hair repair is exactly what I've been waiting for. First, we hear that split ends can be repaired. Now,

we have a product that can actually repair the cortex of the hair shaft. This is game changing.

Let's go back to the first email sent by a

The miraculous results of their clinical trials show

reader which began this conversation. In it,

that damaged hair can experience an increase

she was worried about the alcohol con-

in strength and elasticity of up to 85 percent. They

tained in both the KHairPep's serum and hair

first tested the strength of non-chemically treated

mask listed second on the ingredients list. Her

hair prior to chemical treatment, and then again

concern was whether the alcohol would be

after. The hair lost about half of its strength after

drying to the hair. I conducted a quick

the chemical treatment but was able to regain

search online to see what I could find and,

up to 90 percent of its strength back with the

yes, that ingredient could be cause for

application of KHairPep serum. And with four

concern if dry hair is an issue. Confused as

additional treatments, they observed even more

to why a product that is meant to repair hair

strengthening benefits to the hair.

would have a drying ingredient so high on

35

“My goal has been to help uncover ways to bring as much health back to chemically treated hair as possible.�

“Summer is here and I have a clear vision of me on the beach with healthy, luscious hair.”

(continued) list. I reached out to the creators

It makes sense. We invest a lot time and

of KhairPep Transforme™ to gain clarity.

money in protecting our cuticle layer and sealing it to prevent further damage. So if

Within days, one of the Co-Founders of the

they make a product that is meant to deep-

brand reached out to me with a plausible

ly penetrate, we have to open the cuticle to

explanation. Here's what they said:

allow it to do its thing. Totally understanda-

"The alcohol is present in the KhairPep Transforme™ products for two reasons. The main reason is that it helps swell the hair cuticle which facilitates penetration of our proprietary peptide into the hair. The related reason is that it helps dissolve lipids that would otherwise slow the entry of the peptide into the hair.

Some customers may feel a drying effect.

However, it is a necessary step in the process and the result is stronger, more elastic hair and healthier hair. Khairpep is a treatment and as a result we purposely did not build in many cosmetic properties. We wanted it to be the best at repairing hair that has been damaged by bleaching, coloring, straightening etc. Once consumers have used our treatment they can apply any styling or conditioning products that you they like - by this time, the peptide will be inside and repairing the damaged hair.

Some of our customers with dry hair prefer the masque which has additional conditioning (compared to the serum).

38

ble. And like he said, we can easily reapply moisture to our hair following the treatment.

I went on to ask a few additional questions

like the difference between this amazing peptide and functional keratin. In addition, I wanted to know whether this would make for a good reconstructor after a chemical relaxer, prior to neutralizing. Here's what they said: “With regards to functional Keratin, it is extracted from wool. It is a bigger protein that sticks to the surface of hair fibre. It can be removed by friction/abrasion under normal conditions… Our peptide actually penetrates the hair. With regards to your second question, we have not tested Khairpep products after relaxer and prior to neutralizing. However, our products need to be applied at neutral-acid conditions….It therefore makes sense that it should not be applied before the neutralizing. (I believe that relax-

ing is done at high alkaline levels?). In terms of when to use our product, we recommend using after hair damage (e.g. after bleach-

To summarize, there may be some drying

ing, coloring, relaxing, etc.) Use it 2-4 times

effect, but it is a necessary part of the

that you wash your hair. Maintenance is

treatment and the result is worth it for those

typically once ever 1-2 weeks but depends

with very damaged hair."

on personal preference too. The peptide

(continued) leaves the hair slowly over

product to use directly after a

chemical

time. Note that you use KP products after

relaxer but it seems to be a better option to

shampooing while the hair is still damp, but

use it just after the hair has been neutralized,

BEFORE the application of any conditioner or

prior to deep conditioning. With all the infor-

styling products because these will block entry

mation given, I was excited and ready to

of the peptide into the hair."

place my order but, before I did, they generously offered to provide me samples of

So there you have it. The functional keratin is

both the conditioner and the serum. I can't

useful for surface level damage while this

wait to test them out. summer is here and I

peptide can take care of things from beneath

have a clear vision of me on the beach with

the surface. I thought this would be a great

healthy, luscious hair. - Nadege Lewis

Nadege Lewis is the creator and author of the popular site Relaxed Hair Health. Visit Nadege at relaxedhairhealth.blogspot.com.

bhave™ is a proud Australian brand with a vision and commitment to ethical hair health, uncompromising standards and strong branding.

Find out more about bhave™ products at

bhavehair.com

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