Secrets to better skin & hair

By CANDICE RIVERA

Staff Writer

With the weather changing from winter into spring your hair, skin and nails go through changes. Skin, hair and nails get hit the worst if you’re stressing out, poor diet and weather changes. Instead of running to the drug store and picking up lotions or scrubs to taking vitamins, home remedies can save you time and money. You can find everything that you need right in your kitchen or bathroom.

Clear skin is something everyone wants. There are a few, very easy face mask and scrubs you can use. A baking soda make is perfect for both. The two ingredients are baking soda and water. Get a small bowl of water, and then add two teaspoons of baking soda. Mix well together and make sure it has a pasty texture. Then gently apply and scrub the mask all over your face. Let this sit on for about 15 minutes. Then rinse it off, your skin should feel great.

MyBeautyRescipes.com says, “… feel how soft and clear it feels?”

For those that have problems with black heads an Acne Tonic with Basil mask is perfect for you. What ingredients you’ll need:

- 2 to 3 teaspoons dried basil leaves

- 1 C. boiling water

- Steep basil leaves in water for 10 to 20 minutes.

- Cool, and then apply to face with a white cotton ball.

- Blackhead Remover Mask

- 1/2 cup fuller’s earth

- 1 tsp. tincture of benzoic

- Distilled witch hazel

Combined and mix well all the ingredients, then apply to your face.

Let it sit for 30-40 minutes.

It will harden, once time is up take a warm damp washcloth and lay it over your face the mask has harden.

Last you can peel off the mask and you should have clear soft skin.

Soft shiny hair is a must for the summer. You don’t want products weighting it down or having to fuss with it much while on the beach. To keep away the dry, damage, frizzy hair is a good oil treatment. What you’ll need:

- ½ of cup of Mayonnaise

- 2 eggs

- 1 table spoon of vegetable or olive oil

Mix all these together and apply to ends of hair first. Then work it up to the roots. Let this sit for about 15 minutes. After rinse and wash hair twice and apply conditioner.

You can now have beach hair without the frizz or sun damage. For great skin and nails, the best thing to do is to soak them. “Soak your nails for ten minutes in wheat germ or olive oil, massaging it into the cuticles,” said Going-Well.com.

But another alternative to soaking your hands and massaging oil into your cuticles is sleep. Getting-Well.com states that sleep and getting enough calcium, iron, zinc, protein and vitamins A, B and C is important as well.

Too little iron in the diet can lead to thin, flat nails. Also to increase your iron intake by eating foods such as lean red meat, dried fruit and nuts and green vegetables. With a proper diet, plenty of sleep and these home remedies you’ll be looking great for the summer.

Vacations

By Susie Rempfer

Vacations are the perfect time to sit back, relax, and smell the roses. While vacations can be soothing to the senses, they can also be damaging to the checkbook, credit cards, and wallet.

Vacations don’t have to be expensive. Whether its spending a day at Six Flags or the Baltimore Aquarium, spending a few days visiting loved ones in California, or spending a week in Europe or Mexico there are simple ways to eliminate the amount of money spent.

When planning a vacation, research is essential to cutting back on cost. Researching things such as the locations of the cheapest gas stations and the airlines with the cheapest airfare can start saving you money right away. Another quick trick to budgeting for a vacation is to go on the Internet and look up prices for hotels and restaurants you want to visit. By doing so you will be able to estimate how much money to set aside each day for meals, and you will be able to relax about finding a four-star hotel without ridiculous pricing.

 Another key thing to remember when planning a vacation is to spend what money you do bring wisely.

Although it may be the kids’ first trip to Disneyland, spending hundreds of dollars on souvenirs that will soon be forgotten at the bottom of a toy box is unnecessary. And although you may see something and say to yourself, “I have to buy this,” remember to shop around first. Some stores offer the same merchandise for less, or may offer something else that will make the first spontaneous purchase seem asinine. One tip for shopping for souvenirs is to pick an amount you’re willing to spend in total on every souvenir you buy. After each purchase of a shot glass or stuffed animal subtract that from the initial souvenir fund and budgeting money for trinkets will be worry free for the remainder of the vacation.

Another thing to think about when buying souvenirs is to stop buying something for everyone. Although a co-worker might have sent you a post card and key-chain from Hawaii, that doesn’t mean you have to buy him a twenty-dollar Mickey Mouse paperweight. Buy souvenirs for yourself and forget about everyone else; let pictures show off all the places you visited to interested friends and family members.

 VacationBy considering these few things, planning that dream vacation is no longer out of reach. Spend an evening researching where you want to go, and get estimates on everything you can think of; it may surprise you to realize that you could already have enough money saved up for that trip to Bermuda you’ve been dying to go on.

Fit for the summer

Are you ready to wear this?

 

By SUSIE REMPFER

Staff Writer

Summer time is the most awaited time of year for almost everyone. However, bikini season for many girls means starvation and anxiety.

 Instead of dreading those long days on the beach, there are simple changes that can be made now to get the best possible figure for when summer arrives.

 Exercise is an important factor to consider when the desire to wear a two-piece pops into the brain. Exercising is healthier than restricting calories, and can also be enjoyable. Cardio exercise (which gets the heart beating quicker) is a key factor when working out to lose weight or to sculpt muscle. Doing things like dancing to your favorite iPod playlist, jumping rope, or running on a treadmill while watching reruns of Sex and the City are great cardio exercises that are easy and simple to do.

 Websites such as fitnessmagazine.com or shape.com offer entire workout routines that range from working out abs and things to getting rid of love handles and belly fat. While it may be cliché sounding, workout videos are a great way to have fun while exercising.

 Yoga is also a good exercise to help lose weight. Yoga is relaxing, and helps with stretching. Use yoga as a warm up for cardio, or to help yourself relax before bed.

 Activities such as bike riding, swimming, and even swinging on swings are also simple ways to workout and have fun.

 Although dieting is a big part of losing weight, that doesn’t mean you need to stick to celery and water. Spring and summer boast the best tasting fruits and vegetables to make flavor-filled snacks and side dishes.

 Fruit smoothies are a delicious, stomach satisfying drink that can make anytime of day feel like dessert. With summer’s strawberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, mangos and other fruits right around the corner your taste buds will never know they’re on a diet.

 Salads are also a great way to slim down. Lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots, thrown in with tender pieces of grilled chicken are filling and nutritious. Taco salads, BLT salads, and other creative salad dishes are just as filling as sandwiches, but are better for you. Indulge your taste buds with flavorful healthy alternatives and see the difference it makes in your body.

 A little bit of exercise and a few less cookies is all it takes to feel confident on the beach. Rather then living off of diet pills this summer, spend a little bit of time having fun in the sun.

Summer fun is closer than you think

 

The Boardwalk is one of Jersey’s famous attractions and is an incredible way to enjoy the summer with family and friends.

 

 

By KRISTEN TANTILLO
Staff Writer

 

Now that the sun is setting later and the weather is getting warmer, it is time to start having the summer fun we have all waited for.  There are many entertaining adventures to discover right here in South Jersey.

Take the Shore, for instance. Not only is catching up on that long anticipated tan an option, but parasailing and jet skiing is also something to look into. Those thrilling rides are reasonably priced. For family fun, there are water parks in Ocean City and Wildwood that are priced less than those at Six Flags or Dorney Park. The drive is a lot shorter too. They have rollercoasters and goofy little games that will light up anyone’s face. Prices vary according to the amount of tickets purchased. Go to www.wildwoodsnj.com for information. To make sure these memories last, there are picture booths along the boardwalk, so pile as many loved ones possible in for the snapshot.

If romance is what you are looking for, try walking shoeless along the water with only the lights from the old rollercoasters and the Ferris wheel guiding your steps. Taking a walk in a nearby park at sunset while feeding the ducks will always spark summer love. Barbequing is also a spicy option. Eating outside in the warm air will also be refreshing. Ice cream is the way to any person’s heart. A cheap dessert can turn into one of the most fun things to do this summer.

Town festivals are pretty prominent here. Vineland has many festivals throughout the summer where great food and amusing rides are found. Millville and Hammonton always have some gatherings to check out. This is a plus since there is a chance friends and maybe even family will show up. Signs will be posted around these towns, so keep an eye open.

Millville has recently opened up a Motor Sports Race Track where anyone is able to arrive and drive. A day or seasonal license is required

and the cost starts at $25.00. Celebrities are always arriving in Millville to race their cars when they have free time. The Motor Sports Park is close and not too costly. Go to www.NJMP.com for more information.

If all else fails and you find the urge to escape the confines of the state, baseball games are also exciting and enjoyable at any age. The Philadelphia Phillies have home games quite frequently and the drive is only a little less than an hour. Game tickets are also under $20.00 at www.stubhub.com.

Summer is the season where everything is possible. It is the time of year where memories are made and the days as well as nights will never be forgotten.