Holiday photos….

some of you love this, and some dread it. I’m going to give you six sure-fire ways to  say, “Cheese!”  without it being a cheesy affair!

This photo, which The Chicago Tribune called “an all-out team blitz of holiday awfulness” is our don’t.   Unless, of course, you go in for this sort of thing. If that’s the case, skip my blog this week,  do what you wish, and I’ll see you next week!

If you want to look great, maybe even sexy, it takes just a little bit of coordination to be immortalized in style.  Start here:

1. Choose a color scheme that everyone in the portrait agrees on. It could be red tops, black tops, black & white, or denim.  If you are going to wear prints, keep them on the small side so they don’t overwhelm you.  (Note: Pastels generally wash everyone out, and are not autumn/winter tones.  Save them for springtime.)
2. A v-neck is flattering, and can be sexy, on every woman. In general, so are cowl necklines.
3. It’s cold out, but I’ll say it anyway: wear sleeves. Unless you work out and have upper-arms that you’re really proud to show off, a 3/4 sleeve, or long sleeves will look best!   (Men – sleeveless is never an option!)
4. Wear a touch more make-up than normal. Use a bit of under-eye cover-cream, lots of mascara, a fluff of powder and some blush and color on your lips. If you color your hair, have it done. You want to look and feel your very best!
5. Wear heels:  They give a you a boost of confidence, and make your derrierre and legs look fantastic…as do sheer, black hose.
6. Keep your accessories simple and elegant: Wear chic jewelry, beautiful belts, and polished shoes or boots.

These family portraits all work because of the thought and planning that went into them beforehand.

Besides providing visual continuity, the unified colors also create a unity among the people in the photo. 

 And isn’t that what it’s all about in the first place?

XO  Donna

I love November!  It’s my birthday, it’s many of my friend’s birthdays (Scorpios tend to hang around other Scorpios…professional courtesy?) and it’s Thanksgiving and Hanukkah! 

Each year I aim to make the holiday meal healthier than it was the year before.  Less breads, less desserts, no processed foods (sorry, we don’t do green-bean casserole around these parts!) no soda.  STRESS?  Glad to say, I’m learning to  keep it to a minimum. 

I want to share some excerpts from a newsletter by my doctors at Central Family Practice. I love them, and this is one reason why. The article is by Peggy Ghorbani, L.Ac.

21st Century life is so kinetic that our poor endocrine systems haven’t evolved fast enought to keep up with the demands of all our beeping and blinking devices. Constant distraction, multitasking, and unaddressed, unremitting stress all tax our adrenal glands and their production of the stress hormone, cortisol.  This is important because cortisol is a hormone that governs everything from blood pressure, to sleep patterns and cravings, to our capacity to cope with stress effectively.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, our cortisol levels are related to the strength of our Kidney Qi (energy). The Kidneys help us deal with fear, help us sleep peacfully, and determine every aspect of fertility and healthy aging!

In an effort to practice what she preaches, Peggy made a few vital changes:

• She added yoga/meditation classes in order to slow down and notice when her cortisol levels are rising. She said that “it’s a revelation to recognize stress – like a fish noticing water!”
• She proiritized happiness and choosing to relax.
• She quit drinking coffee because despite it’s great antioxidant benefits, caffeine directly induces the adrenocortical cells to produce more cortisol.  If you suffer from anxiety, poor sleep, grind your teeth….
• She is limiting alcohol. Alcohol raises cortisol and the effects persist for 24 hours or more.  So much for having a drink or two to unwind!  She does say that it’s not necessary to completely refrain, but that it’s best to keep consumption at less than 3 glasses a week.
• Her FUN solutions:  Eat dark chocolate (70%)!  In what may be the most popular study ever performed on cortisol, 40g/day of dark chocolate for 2 weeks lowered urine cortisol levels.  
• Get a massage regularly!  Massage lowers cortisol, raises oxytocin, and has been documented to improve immune function!

(I’m going to quote somebody here…) “Just Say No,” to things that aren’t fun, that are an obligation that you don’t enjoy, to things you know you shouldn’t do.  Just because you’ve always eaten unhealthy food, doesn’t mean it needs to continue.  Just because you over-imbibe to deal with the fam, doesn’t mean that needs to continue either.  Start some new traditions, ones that support you and make you feel  healthier and happier.  Give people a heads-up! “Here is what I’m doing this year in order to be healthier,  if you’d like to participate, please come join me!”   Become a great example.

A relaxed, healthy, happy hostess is a  Very Sexy Hostess!

XO Donna

Today is the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Sexypast60!   I want to thank each and every one of you for reading,  commenting, and for sharing this adventure with your friends.  

Here is a short list of important days: 

• Today is Halloween.  (Where the magic happens!)
• It is 29 days until Chanukah.  The other M & Ms.  (Menorahs and matzoh)
• It is 29 days until Thanksgiving.  Order those Turduckens.  (I couldn’t eat anything with ‘turd’ in the name)
• It is 55 days until Santa comes down chimneys worldwide.  (Maybe this is the year we resolve the Real Tree vs. Fake Tree issue?)
• It is 56 days until the extended-family returns for Christmas dinner.  (Aw, Mom, not Turducken again! )
• It is 57 days until you should call your therapist and beg to get back into group.
• It is 61 days until New Year’s Eve  (Party Like It’s 1999!)
• It is 62 days until we make New Year’s Resolutions.
• It is 92 days until 75% of you abandon those resolutions .

Speaking of something sweet, did I mention that today is Halloween? 

I hope you all have lots of fun, get lots of your favorite candies, and remember to brush your teeth before bed.

  (Otherwise, add “Call D.D.S.”  to the above list, for first thing in the morning)

Now for this last part. I want to apologize beforehand to anyone who for some odd reason finds this offensive.  I thought it was  ‘laugh out loud’ funny, but there is no accounting for taste, is there?

I trust that it’s the perfect ending for a blog on Halloween, and a tribute to the man who has scared the #@*!  out of many, many a reader! 

Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to present  the master…Edgar Allan Ho.   

(Now that’s funny, I don’t care who y’are !)

XO Donna

What a day this has been!  It started off this morning over coffee with Gina Waterfield; the lifestyle genius of Table Talks and Niblets.  It’s always a cross between a catch-up session and a brainstorming session when we’re together!

Coffee finished, we headed our separate ways. My goal was to get my financial-shit together today:  I intended to buy a multi-page folder and organize every little bill, receipt, medical record, and statement that was piled precariously on the corner of my desk. 

I found just the folder I needed, bought some new pens for my ‘morning pages,’ and grabbed some mint tea and yogurt for good luck.  I was ahead of schedule.  Until I went to pay and couldn’t find my credit card!

Panic ensued…I tore through my purse like a madwoman!  I finally had to get out of line (the people behind me were giving me dirty looks ) and go pay for everything with a check at the Customer Service Desk.

I walked back to Starbuck’s at the other end of the shopping center where Gina and I had our coffee earlier. No card. Walking back to my car, I reminded myself that I never lose things.  I have never lost anything.  In my whole life! More digging through my new, blue, way-too-big-to-ever-be-practical purse.  I finally admitted defeat, called my bank, and they breezily told me to cancel it…which was done in less than one minute over the phone. 

I was informed that my new card would arrive in 7-10 days, (who takes 7-10 days to get something to you anymore?)  and that I could get a temporary card at a nearby branch. I thanked the young woman and drove to my bank.  For some reason, when I got out of the car, I reached around to my back pocket and found my card (I never put things in my back pocket).  I told you I never lose anything!

It was too late to undo the cancellation, but two great things came out of this:  we updated my account so I no longer have monthly fees. And they told me I was eligible for a new credit card:  0% interest for 12 months, and 5 points for each $1.00 I spend on gas, groceries and prescriptions.  What else IS there to spend money on???

I still have to organize everything on the corner of my desk, and I’m not saying it will never happen, but I got my financial shit handled today and that feels pretty powerful!

XO Donna