When something shows up three times, I figure that I’m supposed to pay attention!  These two things, totally unrelated, and as different from one another as they could be, are what got my attention this week:

TIRES – Who likes to mess with them?  They’re dirty, you have to get down to their level, and it’s hard to read my tire guage accurately.

1. If your tires are not inflated to their proper PSI (pounds per square inch) rating, they’re “less round” than they should be and require more energy to begin moving and to maintain speed, contributing to pollution and increasing your fuel consumption.
2. If your tires are underinflated by just 5 lbs. you are lowering your gas mileage by 20%. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but think of it this way: if you are an average driver who drives 12,000 miles yearly on underinflated tires, you use about 144 extra gallons of gas, costing you about $400-600.00 a year at current gas prices!  Think of what you could do with that money! A spa day, a plane ticket, the sexy shoes you could buy!
3. And worst of all….each gallon of gas burned contributes more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. We don’t want to add any extra by driving with underinflated tires!
4. Besides saving gas, saving you money, and minimizing emissions, properly inflated tires are safer and less likelay to fail at high speeds…keeping you, and your friends and loved ones safe!

Check tire pressure monthly. If you don’t have an owner’s manual, it’s usually stamped on the sidewall of your tires. Look for the PSI rating. If you can’t find it/don’t want to do it/can’t do it yourself, all of the tires shops will check and fill your tires for free hoping to gain your loyalty when you need a new set of tires. (I like to take care of the folks who take care of me.)  Do it this week, be safe!

(for more on this, check out: http://about.com/greenlivingdesign)

JEANS – Did you know that the European branch of Wrangler makes a trio of  “cosmetotextile” – jeans that are infused with aloe vera or olive extract to add moisture to dry skin, and rose hip oil, retinol, shea butter and caffeine to diminish cellulite?

Indeed, they are! The jeans are treated with these nutrients, then dried in an oven. The treatment is supposed to last 6-8 washings, and the anti-cellulite can be re-spritzed for longer wear. They are available online from www.ASOS.com  for around $149.00.  The “face” (or derriere) of this advertizing campaign for Wrangler’s new skinny jeans, is Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall’s willowy, 28 year old daughter, Lizzie.  Time flies, even for rock stars! 

To learn more, I “went” to England:  http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk.  They tested both the aloe, and olive extract jeans. The anti-cellulite jeans weren’t available for them to test.  Their verdict?  The jeans were comfortable, soft,  flattering and well-made. They suggest that you buy them for that, not their purported benefits…and I’m inclined to agree and continue moisturizing daily with a top-quality, natural product. Which ones do I like?

1. The Body Shop – SHEA BODY BUTTER  my winter fave, and my summer fave, MANGO BODY BUTTER
2. AVOCADO OIL – We have it at BELLA SALON, and I found it at WHOLE FOODS MARKET
3. ORGANIC COCONUT OIL – liquifies at body temperature, great right after a warm shower. Let soak in for a few minutes before dressing with this one especially.

Nothing like good tires to keep us moving forward, and moist skin to make us feel sexy!

XO Donna