Luckily, what we wear can.

Wear Shoulder Pads

Sounds like something from the 80s, no? I’m not talking over-the-top padding to make you look like a football star. Just a light shoulder padding that gives a bit of a boost. Be sure to find padding proportionate to your body… Otherwise, you’ll look like a little boy lost in dad’s jacket.

Nix the Pleats

Find pants with a classic cut and a flat front. Opt for straight leg or boot cut looks and avoid skinny jeans–inevitably, they’ll make you appear skinnier. Patterns are good, too, ensuring the look is with the current season.

Find Your Length

Jackets should fall right at your buttocks. If the jacket is too short, it will emphasize your skinny body; too long and it will make you look like you’re drowning in fabric.

Find the Right Fabric

Heavier fabrics, like thick corduroy in the winter months, can add bulk with the right amount of style. Stick to thick wool sweaters over thin, long cardigans, and heavy wools for suits and dress clothes. Always dress is layers when the opportunity and weather is there.

Kick Up the Colour

Say goodbye to monochromatic colour schemes. Single colours from head to toe–especially black–will make you look even skinnier. Lighter colours are good options, such as white, cream, gray, light blues, and beige. Add horizontal stripes and stylish patterns.

Take on the Turtleneck

Turtleneck sweaters in cooler  weather is a perfect choice, compared to the V-neck sweaters that show off a thin neck and upper body. Again, layering is good.

To learn more about the trend’s and style’s in the fashion industry,  Fashion Schools are a great place to get started and become a fashion professional.

Go by your local market–they’ll sell you some tomatoes in bulk. Grab a bottle of red wine (a glass, too, for a little for yourself) and spend about an hour making an easy, flavorful sauce that requires little effort and enough to store in the freezer.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

You’ll need:

3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions
4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed
4 kilograms tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1 cup good dry red wine
1 heaping tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup each, chopped: fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano
Fresh ground pepper to taste
3 bay leaves

And then:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring often, until the onion has softened. Add the tomatoes, salt, and wine, then simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes. The tomatoes should be soft.

Add the rest of the ingredients, and continue to simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Wait until it has cooled, then divide into storage containers and freeze.

Image courtesy of ivillage.com

Go for front loaders
This newer style of front-loading washing machines cause less wear and wash more effectively than their top-loading friends of the past. They also use less water, and those that have the Energy Star logo tend to use 18 to 25 gallons per load, compared to 40+ that the top loading variety consumes.

Go for the cold

Regardless of your washing machine, one of the best methods you can take is using cold water. About 90% of energy used for washing clothes is based on heating the water. According to the Switch To Cold website, you can save up to $100 a year by switching to cold water washing.

Forgo the Fabric Softener

Chemicals and toxins found in dryer sheets and fabric softeners are a poor choice for your skin, health and the environment. Try this technique instead: use 1/2 cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle, which naturally balances the soap’s pH, leaving clothes soft and residue-free.

Hang it

Perhaps the most obvious of them all, skipping the dryer can drastically reduce your energy use, but sometimes, putting jeans up to dry results in stiff, immobile denims. The solution? Toss the jeans in the dryer for about five minutes, then hang for the rest of the time – it’s enough to take out the wrinkles and keep them soft, but also cost-effective and mother nature friendly.

With rich creamy salads, fatty cuts of meat, oodles of toppings and bowls of ice cream, summer BBQ noshing can really add up. Here are our top tips to keeping it heart healthy over the next couple of months.

Summertime means grilling time – time with family and friends and time to enjoy delicious foods.  There are all kinds of tasty foods to grill up, plus those sides, desserts and drinks that round out the meal.  The American Heart Association wants you to keep these important tips in mind to help you grill “fat-sensibly” through the summer season.

For the protein

• Opt for putting fish on the grill instead of rich red meats. Choose omega-3 rich salmon and tuna steaks. Enjoy them with a squeeze of lemon and fresh dill.
• Choose chicken breast over legs and thighs. If you’re in the mood for a burger, try ground turkey instead of beef.
• If you love red meat, go for leaner game meats, such as bison and elk.
• When buying meat, try loin and round cuts, which are leaner than other varieties.
• Try making your own black bean burgers as a great vegan alternative.

For the sides and snacks

• Think in color. Try leafy green salads with olive-oil based dressings.
• Use your favourite nut and seed butters, such as tahini and cashew, for cream-based salad dressings
• Instead of chips, tortillas and pretzels, go for veggie trays with a dip such as hummus. For something salty and snacky, try air-popped popcorn. Add a little extra by tossing it with dried fruit, nuts, seeds and soynuts.
• You can never go wrong with fresh, local fruit trays.
• In fact, when you grill fruits – especially pineapple and peaches – the natural sugars caramelize and enhance the flavour.

For the rest

• Choose low-fat, high taste condiments like mustard over mayo, and go easy on the sugar-laden ketchups and relishes.
• Try salsa as a low-fat, savory topping
• If making cheeseburgers, used aged cheddar or other strong cheeses instead of other varieties – a little goes a long way because they are big on taste
• Buy whole-grain breads and rolls to house your burgers. Or try pita bread or tortillas – both the whole grain variety, too.
• Soda pop can be a calorie killer; buy a bottle of club soda and 100% juice. Use about 1/4 cup of juice and fill the rest with ice and club soda – a perfect, fizzy treat.

Image source

Needless to say, there is a load to see and do. But how do you navigate through everything to, well, see and do?

The folks at ABC news recently put together a great list for NYC newbies. Here are our favourites from their Ten Tips for New York Tourists.

Wander, wander everywhere

With the city so people friendly, none of it is off limits. Most of Manhattan is laid out on a grid system, making it very easy to navigate.

Learn the subway system

Don’t be intimidated by using the tube. The trains run 24 hours, making it easy to get from A to B and beyond. Use HopStop.com for destination help, and definitely opt for the 7-day unlimited ride MetroCard.

Try something new

New York City is a mecca of new cuisines, so definitely think outside what you already have in your own local area. Try some authentic (and cheap) dishes while enjoying the diversity that NYC has to offer.

Go culture rich

Don’t shy from Broadway because of ticket prices.  Instead, try free discount ticket listings at www.theatermania.com and www.playbill.com, or visit a TKTS Discount Booth on the performance day.  If your show’s sold out, check out www.stubhub.com or www.razorgator.com.

And for music, make sure you see all the different genres NYC has to offer, such as indie rock listings at www.ohmyrockness.com, classical music  at www.classicaldomain.com and jazz at www.gothamjazz.com.

Read the full article Ten Tips for New York Tourists from ABC.

Here are our top seven tips to Spring cleaning your car to ready it for the new season.

Wash it

Seems simple, doesn’t it? But we mean a thorough, hard-core hand-washing. The inside, the outside, and every crevasse inbetween.

So what does this entail?

• Tidying the inside, followed by a good vacuuming
• Using soap that is made specially for automobiles
• Washing it with a hose that utilizes a mist-spray nozzle
• Handwash with a bucket, soap and sponge, gently working out the debris and rinsing frequently.
• Wash the fender and bumpers last.
• Use the hose to clean and remove salt and other buildup from the wheels and undercarriage.
• Dry with a shammy or natural cloth.
• Give a good washing to the windows and mirrors, using streak-free cleaner.

Inspect it

Once clean, take a good look for rust, stone chips and other abrasions. Repair them immediately with touch-up paint and a special applicator, available from the dealership (new cars often come with them). For large issues, bring it in the body shop.

Grease it

Use graphite lubricant on your locks and use a small amount of petroleum-based lube for hinges. Double check in the owner’s manual for the products to buy.

Check it

If there is any cracked or brittle weather stripping, be sure to replace it right away.

Double check it

Once it’s all spic n’ span, take a look at the underbody for rust or winter damage. If you’re not sure, this is a good time to bring it in to a mechanic, and then get them fixed as soon as you can. Important areas, such as brakes and the exhaust, deserve extra attention. I

Organize it

What do you really need in there? Some necessary papers, a mileage notebook, a wastebag, some CDs… Try to keep it as a car and less of a second living space/home office.

Identify the space. Large pieces work well for large places, and small pieces for small. Keep it in scale with the location.

Find your focal point. Wherever you place it, the art will turn into a focal point for the whole room, so make sure its well lit and a destination to attract the eyes.

Use hallways. Change your hall into an art gallery. These high traffic areas are the perfect place to house photographs.

Keep an eye. Direct sunlight can cause damage, so throughout the year, ensure that what was best in December still holds true in the summer months.

Go with the flow. Long, vertical walls suit artwork with a vertical composition; the same goes for horizontal art and walls.

Work with the wall. Decide whether white walls, colours, or textures create the best showcase for your art.

Hang it right. Choose to place your artwork at eye level while standing.

Think ahead. If making an investment, think of how it might transition if you move or redo your home.

What better way to start than with our diet?

By thinking outside the processed foods box, adding a little nutrition here and there, and making a conscious effort to do it, we can jump into the new season feeling healthier, lighter and fresher.

Change from Winter to Spring

Winter is often chockful of hearty stews and rich chilis, but come Spring, we’re ready to lighten up. Swap heavy cream and meat sauces with a light primavera on your pasta, and opt for broth-based soups over potato-laden stews. Choose salads over roasted vegetables, and start seeking out what is coming up in season. Squash is out, asparagus is in, and an abundance of fruit is to come.

Fill up on fresh

Make your way out of the processed food aisles and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store – most frequently in the front. Fill your basket with colour, looking for reds, oranges, leafy greens and everything in between. Produce is your pal, and the more vibrancy in your choices, the more flavour and nutrition you have offered to you.

Step away from steaming veggies and into a world of roasting, grilling, sauteing and interesting salads. Try loading some baby spinach with nuts, seeds, crushed crackers, fresh fruit and every colour in the vegetable rainbow.

Learn to bake better

Desserts, breads and other sweets don’t have to be a healthy diet buster. Instead, a few tweaks here and there can easily make them suitable for everyday noshing. Swap half the oil or butter for fruit purees, like prunes or applesauce. Lessen the sugar but 25%, and try natural sweeteners, such as agave nectar, maple syrup and sucanat. Use two egg whites for each egg, or try a common vegan replacement: whisking 1 tablespoon flaxmeal with 3 tablespoons warm water. Experiment with different whole grain flours, and opt for whole fresh ingredients.

Strength train first

Make strength work part of your fitness regime before any cardiovascular work. Because it takes the body time to warm up, you’re better off opting for a short warm up, doing weights, then having an ignited body ready to run, swim or bike. Plus, you’ll put more effort into the weight lifting – and in the long run, that’s what is optimal for weight management and optimal health.

Go nuts

More and more research is showing that nuts and nut butters are great for weight loss. The combination of protein, fibre and fat keeps you full, helping you eat less overall. And because the unsaturated fat in peanuts and nuts burn faster than other fats, its great for calorie burning, too.

Load up on lettuce

We’re not talking just a salad here and there. We mean go for the good stuff. Arugula and watercress are chock-full of cancer-fighting agents. Spinach is rich in lutein, which fights cancer and blindness. Darker leaves like romaine and red leaf are a good source of beta-carotene, and kale, collards, and chard are great sources of iron and vitamin K.

Realize you can run

Try the Couch to 5km. You won’t be disappointed.

Image courtesy of fitnessandhealthsolutions.homestead.com

When to wear

If an invite ever says the tuxedo is an option, then it’s a must. If it’s a night of romance, it’s recommended.

What to add

The Tie

You have three options: a pre-tied bow, an actual bow tie, and a black tie. Choose the former if you’re in a rush, the middle if you’re able, and the latter if you’re a twenty-something or under, and trying to go a more casual route.

The Collar

The tux classic is the band collar with duo-points facing down. Alternatively, you might want to go with the pinpoint French-cuffed route. Both are classic and slick.

The Shoes

Black leather and nothing else – and keep them scuff free and polished.

The Links and Studs

Go with basic silver which says class without overdoing it.

Which to choose

The single-breasted jacket - basic, all purpose and clean.

The double-breasted jacket – a boxier fit, it looks better on taller men.

The shawl-collar jacket – is a thing of the pass. Step away.

The white dinner jacket – if you’re getting married, perhaps only then.

Image courtesy of askmissa.com