For most of us, dryer, thinner lips are an unavoidable part of the aging process – not to mention a telltale sign of our advancing years!

In spite of this, they’re also often the most neglected part of even the strictest beauty regimes – through dehydration, sun/frost exposure, and wind damage, our lips’ protective barrier thins out with age, and a chapped texture leaves lines and wrinkles looking yet more noticeable.

The good news is that it’s possible to relieve the dryness, flakiness, and soreness of chapped lips. Read on for our useful guide.

Hydrate and Heal

Want to know how to get rid of chapped lips and relieve soreness instantly? One the best and easiest ways is to keep an intensive moisturizer in your purse. A lip balm will form a protective barrier against the elements, locking in moisture to rehydrate the skin. With regular use, especially before you head outdoors, your lips will stay supple, with fine lines becoming less noticeable.

Prevention is Better than a Cure

Just like the rest of your complexion, your lips are susceptible to the elements – whether that’s a strong wind, extreme cold, or the sun’s harmful UVA rays. Protect your lips as you would the rest of your face: don a wide brimmed hat in the sunshine and wear a high-factor SPF, or apply a good lip moisturizer and wrap up in a scarf to protect against icy winds, which can further strip moisture from your lips.

Don’t Lick Your Lips

Licking chapped lips will provide instant relief from that dry, tight feeling. However, in the long term it will actually make it worse: when the saliva evaporates, it leaves behinds digestive enzymes which can cause more severe cracking and only serves to prolong the cycle. Regular use of an intensive lip balm or moisturizer will prevent lips feeling uncomfortable and hopefully should stop your urge to lick.

Exfoliate (Gently!)

While it is oh-so-tempting to pick away at those flaky bits of skin caused by chapping and dryness, try to refrain! Picking at your lips will not only make things worse by pulling away at the delicate skin, but can also transfer dirt and bacteria leading to a painful infection. For a gentler exfoliation, layer on some petroleum jelly and carefully buff lips with a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush.

If You’re Still Smoking, Stop!

We all know that smoking comes with a long list of health-related warnings, but did you know it can also have a devastating effect on the skin on and around your mouth? The repeated action of inhaling causes wrinkles to develop around the lips, while the chemicals present in cigarettes can also thin and dry out the skin.

Now dry, flaky lips is one thing less you can worry about. With these simple tips, you’ll be well armed, knowing how to get rid of chapped lips as soon as the problem strikes.

How do you take care of your skin now that you are a little older? Are there any special products or treatments that you use for your aging skin? Please join the conversation.

This is a guest post by John Brasington.

Today is everyday, and everyday is an opportunity to learn something fabulous about Who You Are.

Maybe it’s just a human thing, but I think we spend too much time seeking help from outside resources to find happiness and fulfillment. We listen to presentations on how to reinvent ourselves, how to increase happiness, how to reduce stress and manage emotions, and how to self-actualize.

I’ve even consulted gurus and clairvoyants to predict a happy future. But the truth is, everything we need to know, all the happiness we can ever have is inside of us.

Have you ever wondered what you can learn about yourself by dipping in your conscious mind every day? Here are some lessons worth considering:

Learning the Purpose of Your Life

You are the creator of your actions and thoughts. You determine the purpose of your life with the clarity of a conscious mind. You already have everything inside of you to live with purpose, fulfillment, and joy. Learn from yourself and trust in your capacity to build an awesome life.

Developing the Right Intentions

Most people have difficulty making the right decisions. Your conscious mind allows you to access a deeper understanding about what will determine focus in your life.

Your greater awareness gives you more opportunity to set intentions and work through old patterns and habits that get in the way of what you really want.

Creating Your Own Life Strategies

Your conscious mind helps you negotiate complex social relationships in your environment. It measures your social awareness and evolves social beliefs and attitudes: your values, needs, and desires. Only you can understand the meaning and significance of what gives value to your life.

Managing Your Fears

You are the only person who can acknowledge your fears and release them from your unconscious mind. When that happens, your conscious mind can manage your fears. Fear brings negative energy into your life, so it’s crucial to turn the negative into a positive and thus reduce the fear of the unknown.

Connecting the 18 Inches Between Your Head and Heart

There are 18 inches between your head and your heart. It’s an awesome idea that you “think with the mind of your heart.”

The heart is a powerful energy center that represents a generosity of spirit, forgiveness, love, and passion. When the mind and heart are connected, you live in balance with your feelings.

Making Great Decisions

Your conscious awareness is the most important tool available to you when making great decisions. Quiet the mind and start from a place of peace. It is then you’ll discover the truth inside yourself.

Finding Humor in Any Situation

Humor is the great leveler in life. It has the power to turn a disappointing moment into a funny, even happy moment. Conscious awareness of the irony of life, its often random, quirky nature and its unpredictability adds humor to life.

Sustaining Positive Energy

Energy levels vary throughout your day. When you are not fully present, mood variations cause discomfort. The key to sustaining mood balance and positive energy is staying aware of the present moment.

Gaining Self-Trust

There are hundreds of opportunities in your environment that tempt you to doubt yourself on a daily basis. If you are mindfully aware of those moments, you will not fall into self-doubt. Mindfulness keeps you awake and vigilant to the awesome strength of your being.

Recognizing the Need to Change

A situation is getting too difficult, a relationship is over, it’s time to move on. How do you know this? Your conscious mind indicates the direction of change. If you settle for not being fully aware, change will never come.

Remaining True to Yourself

Finding your authentic self requires a conscious mind. You know that every being is a unique individual, yet sometimes your uniqueness gets lost in other people’s opinions and judgments. Your conscious mind reinforces the idea not to be anyone other than who you are.

Knowing That True Happiness Lies Within You

Successes, achievements, notoriety, celebrity are external manifestations of who you are. These externals are fleeting and unpredictable. Your conscious mind knows that your inner being is what gives you true joy and pleasure in life.

Finding Creativity Through Inner Inspiration

Everyone wants to be creative. The path to creativity is recognizing your vulnerabilities. Your conscious mind transforms your emotions into inspiration, then to imagination giving clarity to new ideas and possibilities.

Taking Care of Your Health and Wellbeing

When you’re not feeling well, staying present is difficult. Bringing yourself to full awareness when you are not feeling well allows you to handle physical discomfort with greater skill.

However, the key to great health is daily awareness of your wellness. A strong mind-body-spirit connection dials back reoccurring physical illness as well as depression, anxiety, or other mental conditions.

Seeing the Next Opportunity

My friend always says: “Behind every door is an opportunity.” But the opportunity exists because your mind is fully conscious and aware of a potential possibility. If you are in a mindless state, not under the conscious radar, you won’t see that next opportunity. Seize it and find growth.

Being Ready to Take Risks

Knowing that your conscious mind – a mind that is always present – brings you so many gifts gives you the opportunity to embrace uncertainty, dare to take leaps of faith, and make glorious mistakes. The conscious mind knows there is no such thing as failure.

Finding Love

How is it that we often miss the signs and signals that love is standing in front of us? Some say, in that case, you are not really looking for love. Yet, if you are looking for love, your conscious mind can lead you to love. A conscious mind is clear and uncluttered and will recognize when love is present.

Recognizing Life Isn’t Perfect

One of the great pleasures of life is the knowledge that it isn’t perfect. Life is full of pleasures and joys, but it also has its disappointments and struggles. Your conscious mind guides you through these mountains and valleys while balancing your mind, body, and spirit.

Finding Peace

To have a peaceful mind requires a fully conscious mind, a mind that is aware of the energy inside of you, the energy around you, and the openness of your heart.

A closed and unforgiving heart will never bring you peace. A peaceful state requires a quiet mind that surrenders and accepts the present moment.

Remember, you are the creator of your actions and thoughts. you have everything inside of you to live with fulfillment and joy. Learn from yourself and trust in your capacity to build an awesome life.

How do you engage your conscious mind? What have you learned about yourself by being mindful? What can you share with our community about your experiences? Please use the box below to start the conversation!

Loneliness is a funny thing; it can sneak up on you when you least expect it. Have you found that you’re not socializing as much at this point in your life?

Maybe you’ve stepped away from your full-time job where people were only a fingertip away, and now you have to stretch much further to make connections. If you’re retired or working independently from home, loneliness is a real problem with significant side effects.

When I thought about loneliness and did research on this topic, I assumed that being lonely would create people eager for connections and wanting to seek friendships. But the opposite is what I found out to be true.

Loneliness is draining, upsetting, and distracting. Loneliness is NOT the same as wanting to be alone which can often bring positive attributes such us solitude, peace, and renewal.

It turns out that loneliness is a significant reason for unhappiness, and it’s important to know why we’re lonely to address it.

In fact, according to Elizabeth Bernstein’s Wall Street Journal piece, “Alone or Lonely,” the rate of loneliness has doubled in the past 30 years. I’m not too surprised by this statistic, especially when you think of how life and communities have changed.

Many Different Types of Loneliness

• If you just moved to a new city, it makes sense that you’re lonely.
• If you feel different than other people, you may feel isolated.
• If you have family and friends but no deep intimate relationship, you may still feel lonely.
• Maybe you’re too busy or lack trust in others or want some peace after a hectic and full life.

The Solution Depends on the Situation

Luckily there are many ways to change your habits so you can combat the situation. According to a study published in the PLOS Medicine journal in 2010, people with social relationships are not only happier but live more than 50 percent longer than the rest of us!

This alone is a great reason to change some habits! One thing is for certain, they all take a level of motivation, strength, and willingness to break old habits and establish new ones.

Get Better Sleep

Quality of sleep is detrimental. Yes, sleep. One of the most common indicators of loneliness is poor quality sleep, including taking a long time to fall asleep, waking up a lot during the night, and feeling sleepy during the day.

Sound familiar? Lack of sleep makes you grumpy, lowers your energy, and increases your likelihood of getting sick.

Create an Engaging Social Environment

Connect with other people. Join a book club, sign up for Pilates class, chat with the check-out person. Make a people connection during the day, every day.

Make a Difference in Your Community

Nurture others, including animals and plants. Volunteer, teach a class, attend a class, babysit, get a pet, fill your house with plants, tend the garden. There are so many ways to nurture in this world, and the love returned is twofold.

Open Up Your Heart and Mind

Unfortunately, loneliness can make people feel cynical, judgmental, and critical of others. It’s important to be aware of these traits in case you see them developing in you. It turns out that lonely people are less accepting of others.

Try Something Entirely New

Have you considered going to a retreat where you would meet like-minded women? A safe place to explore new ideas and to feel empowered? Why not inspire your well-being through unique experiences designed just for you? There are many events just for women like you.

Meditate

Meditation is your best friend. The sheer act of meditating makes us feel connected to everything and everyone. Meditation cancels out the mental, emotional, and physical effects of loneliness. Even though our friends may walk in and out of our life, meditation is always here to stay.

Finding a retreat of likeminded women to spend some time with is fun and beneficial. The sheer act of participating with others in activities to nourish your soul will and does change your life forever – not to mention the lifelong friends you can make.

If you’re interested in finding some fantastic life-changing and beautiful retreat opportunities, contact me HERE.

Most of us at some point in our life have suffered from loneliness. Have you found any good habits that worked for you to combat this dreaded feeling? Which habits were easy to achieve, and which required more work on your part? Please share with our wonderful community!

Melissa Gorga’s Warrior Sweatshirt at the Jersey Shore

Season 10 Episode 14 Real Housewives of New Jersey Fashion

Besides being super cute, Melissa Gorga’s “Warrior” sweatshirt is actually very fitting for tonight’s episode of Jersey Shore The Real Housewives of New Jersey in our opinion. Because as one knows, you really do need an excellent set of fighting skills to get through a trip with these ladies just as much as you would have needed them to get to this cute hoodie before it sold out.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to See Her Sold Out Spiritual Gangster Sweatshirt

Originally posted at: Melissa Gorga’s Warrior Sweatshirt

Margaret Josephs’ White Sequin Dress in Confessionals

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 10 Fashion

The great thing about the outfits that the Real Housewives wear in confessionals is that since the footage is normally filmed after the actual episode is, pieces like Margaret Josephs’ white sequin dress are still in stock (at the time of posting). A white sequin dress is great because it can be worn in the winter and spring, and perhaps even to a white party during an unseasonably cold summer night. And even though I think Margaret has styled it perfectly with a high pony, if you choose to steal her style right down to the hair just make sure you don’t rock this look anywhere that Danielle Staub is allowed within 500 feet in attendance.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Bailey 44  Sequin Dress

Originally posted at: Margaret Josephs’ White Sequin Dress