Beautiful Change Challenge #6 - Give Back to your Community

I’ve come to the end of my Beautiful Change Challenge series. This is the last challenge, and by far, one of the most rewarding. I’m challenging you to think about your community, and how you can make a positive change or have a positive impact on it.  

There are so many opportunities for everyone to give back in their community, but unless you seek them out, you may not find out about them. My husband and I participated in the Big Brother’s Big Sisters program and it was a wonderful experience. Not only did we learn a lot from the experience, but I’m hoping the young boy we mentored did too. I’ve also been a volunteer camp counselor in the past at a Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America camp. I’ve had Crohn’s/colitis for almost 18 years now, so this was a volunteer opportunity that was near and dear to my heart (see picture: camp photo collage). I encourage you to find an opportunity that you are passionate about, and you will no doubt give it your all.

Food banks, soup kitchens and other volunteer opportunities are probably less than a 20 mile radius from any location. Here are a few sites to find one near you:

Food Banks finder

Habitat for Humanity site

Big Brother Big Sister site

Already giving back? Make sure to comment below and share what you are doing with readers. Also make sure to share it with Aveeno! This year, Aveeno is celebrating everyday Active Naturals by awarding eight grants in the amount of $10,000 to continue to make a beautiful difference - apply on their Facebook page! 

New AVEENO® PURE RENEWAL™ lets you renew your hair to its naturally balanced state daily.  Unlike ordinary shampoos, these sulphate-free formulas have Balancing Seaweed Extract; bringing hair back to its naturally healthy, most balanced state with each wash, for beautifully healthy-looking hair. Learn more here http://bit.ly/A1cjWg

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®

Beautiful Change Challenge #5 - Get Physical!

 

The challenge for this week could almost be considered a lifestyle change for some people. The challenge: exercise. I’m talking about committing to being active and exercise at least 30 minutes 4-5 times a week.

I know this is hard. If you work full time and/or have kids, I know it’s hard to find the time. But this should be worked into your ‘me’ time, and whether you hit the gym up at lunch or work in a quick video before the kids get up, it’s important for your health and will make you feel better!

If you find yourself in an exercise rut, you may need to try something new to peak your interest and get you excited about working out and feeling good.

This happened to me. Last year, February 2011, I came across a local gym that offered kettlebell training and decided to check it out. So I show up to this class, by myself, not knowing anyone, and I fall in LOVE. It’s been over a year now that I’ve been going to kettlebell classes (for those of you in Michigan, it’s Fast Fitness Kettlebell) and I’m training for my first kettlebell competition in May! Not only that, but my husband goes to class with me on the weekends, and we've met some really cool people!
           

Here are some pointers to help get you started…

• Start a workout journal. Moleskin has a great exercise journal that I use. Keep track of how you feel after a good work out, or better yet, how you feel when you miss a workout. Flip back to these pages when you find yourself needing motivation to go to the gym
• Put your goals in writing (in ink!). And don’t forget to reward yourself when you hit your milestones.
• Buy a monthly membership or punch card so you’ll stay committed.
• Can't afford a gym membership? = not an excuse for not working out. There are 100s of sites and YouTube channels committed to bringing you kick butt at home work outs. Check out BodyRock.tv, happens to be my favorite one, that offers quick 20-30 minutes videos to knock out in the morning and then be done with your workout for the day!
• Added bonus: Joining a new class or gym is a great way to make new friends! 

Do you have an exercise class you are committed to or favorite gym workout? Please share!

New AVEENO® PURE RENEWAL™ lets you renew your hair to its naturally balanced state daily.  Unlike ordinary shampoos, these sulphate-free formulas have Balancing Seaweed Extract; bringing hair back to its naturally healthy, most balanced state with each wash, for beautifully healthy-looking hair. Learn more here http://bit.ly/A1cjWg

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®

Beautiful Change Challenge #2 - Beauty Routine

Now that Summer is around the corner I want to try and tighten up my morning beauty routine. With a shorter morning regime I can get to work faster, and ultimately, leave earlier, at the end of the day, while there is still plenty of sunshine left to enjoy.

I challenge YOU to do the same, not just to shorten up your routine but to also make positive changes to your routine.

The longest part of my morning routine is my hair. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to add product, dry and style every morning. And what’s worse, is everything I do is harsh on my hair. Even though I add leave in conditioner and oils for smoothing, drying it with high heat and then using a straightening iron is really tough on hair.

So as a challenge, I’m going to try and be less harsh on my hair. Here’s how: I’m not going to wash my hair every day. I’m going to try and only wash it 5 out of 7 days of the week. On my non-wash days, I’ll use a dry shampoo to restyle.

A celebrity stylist once told me that short hair looks better the next day without a wash, and I’ve found it easy to go a day without washing. I also have best friend who has long thick hair and she can go up to 3 days without washing and using dry shampoos. So no excuses, it can be done!


Are you going to try my challenge? If so, please tell me about it in the Glam chat below. Are you going to try something else? If so, please share!

New AVEENO® PURE RENEWAL™ lets you renew your hair to its naturally balanced state daily. Unlike ordinary shampoos, these sulphate-free formulas have Balancing Seaweed Extract; bringing hair back to its naturally healthy, most balanced state with each wash, for beautifully healthy-looking hair. Learn more here http://bit.ly/A1cjWg

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®