Remember, we’re all AVERAGE CHICKS!! Matters not how little we have. From money, love, kids, men, battlng with weight, etc., we’re all in the same book, just different pages. The 1^st AVERAGE CHICK article, got you started on steps to a better, confidant, all around you for the 2011!! Meditation, organization, exercising, eating healthier, a little fashion sense, pleasing you 1^st, and being happy with the skin your in, but also being open to positive change and empowerment! “Change your mindset your thoughts govern your actions… you got to want change, more than you want to stay the same.” Donna Richardson Joyner. (I love that quote!) So lets get busy! You ready? Set? Lets go chick!!  

A LITTLE CHICK SELF HELP

Summer is here!! Time to open your mind and hearts to new ideas, visions, and goals for your life. Time to get out and enjoy life a little more. You only get one, so lets live it! Lets start by having a realistic vision for yourself. Your vision has to be realistic! Where do you see yourself next week? Next year? Ten years? Are you interested in going back to school? Or going for the 1^st time. Look into different grants on line, or go to your local community college and inquire on enrollment. Look into free classes offered at your local High School or Community Center. Different classes can certify you enough to apply for different positions, making more money. Never know until you try. Identify the barriers holding you back: Break unworthiness, bad relationships, bad jobs, money issues, etc. You can do it!! Identifying it is your 1^st step to breaking unwanted barriers. YOU MUST put yourself 1^st, and surround yourself with positive people. You got to have people in your life circle: Co-workers, lady at the dry cleaners, day care provider, Mike the Mechanic, guy at the donut shop, etc. But, within that circle you need a realm of close-knit people (doesn’t have to be a lot, maybe just one). A stronger group of friends/people, or person, with the same goals and dreams that you have (or already where you want to be). You got to have people in your life on board with you being happy. If you hang around 9 people who constantly complains, not happy with themselves, their lives, no goals, and no life plans, you’re bound to be the 10^th. Take control! You have the power, use it!! If it’s a Doctor your striving to be, volunteer at you hospital, if you want to be a teacher, volunteer at the school around the corner from your house. Anything to put you around people that can help you obtain your goals. You have to think with awareness, setting your mind to positive thinking. “I can do this, I can handle this!” Stop making excuses, get aligned. All excuses are missed aligments. Remember, you have to want change, more than you want to stay the same.

TIME FOR A LITTLE SUMMER CLEANING CHICK

Time to put the gloves on, pin your hair back, and tackle that closet! Here’s a suggestion; Pack away all winter clothe, boots, scarfs, and shoes, to make room for your summer clothes. Get storage bends to get it organized, and store the bends in attic, garage, or if you have room, your closet. Have you been looking for your fav pink tank that looks hellafied hot with your black skinny jeans? But you haven’t seen it since last summer? The solution: Organize your closet by color. Doesn’t matter if its jeans, dresses, camis, by putting everything in this order, you know that pink cami has to be with the pink clothes. I have a lot of shoes, and not enough floor space, so if you cant spread out, spread up. I found two tower bends with six slots to them. biglots.com $12.  I brought two and stacked them on top of each other. The slots were big enough for two pairs of shoes. It made it easy to get to, easy to see, and saved a lot of space. You gotta know when to let go. We all have outfits in our closets, with the tags on them, hoping one day to squeeze into them. Let it go. If you have something in your closet, you haven’t worn in 2 years, let it go. Matters not how cute it is, let it go. If you’ve got shoes that hurt your feet, scratched up, warp heels. Whenever you buy something new, get rid of something old, it not, your closet will overrun you.

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS FOR THE SUMMER, TO FAKE A FLAWLESS BODY:

ARMS- Boost radiance by applying a coat of vitamin rich body oil. Luminous skin diffuses light for a slim, toned appearance. Follow with a vitamin E cream to lock in moisture, then dust shimmer powder along shoulders and biceps to make muscle tone pop. Try: Patyka woods body oil. $65, spiritbeautylounge.com.  My personal fav? Baby gel, $4 in the baby section in Walmart. And, your local beauty supply store sells a little bottle of vitamin E oil $4. Urban decay sparkling lickable body powder in honey. $29, sephoria.com. My personal fav? Victoria Secrets as an affordable line of sparkling, shimmering powders. $10 to $20, but I do like Sephoria's lickable body powder.

ABS-Soften skin with a moisture-rich body wash. After showering, apply a serum with algae  (which temporarily tightens skin) and collagen-building peptides (which help fade stretch marks). To create the illusion of a six-pack, tighten ab muscles, and then mist them with self-tanner, if you need a little color. Try Mama Mio goodbye stretch marks, $70,mamamio.com. My fav? For a body wash, try Suave Naturals Cream Milk and Honey Splash Body Wash, $4. Drugstores Nationwide. Avon makes a pretty decent stretch mark crème. Avon.com. And for a perfect tan, try L’Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Prospered Salon Airbrush Self-Tanning mist, $11 lorealparis.com

CHEST-Give your bustline a boost! Apply a serum containing cell-plumping wheat protein to your chest, then follow with an antioxidant-rich moisturizer. And here’s a secret to concealing sag: Dust bronzing powder along the underside of collarbones, then down the décolletage in a deep V shape. Try Borba Firming Neck and Décolleté’ crème, $40, boba.com. Baked Body Frosting Tahitian Glow, $40,laurageller.com, and Rochal Bood lifting crème for about $20.

BUTT-Exfoliate bumpy skin on the lower part of your but for a smoother look. Then, diminish the appearance of cellilute by massaging in lotion with caffeine, which spurs circulation to temporarily tone skin and hide dimples. Finish with a coat of rich firming cream. Try: Re’Vive Cellulite Erasure, $210, revives skincare.com. Hydroform forming body cream, $75, darphin.com. Or strivectin-sd instant retexturing scrub, $45, sephoria.com. My personal fav? Avon, and Sephoria’s.

LEG-For sleek limbs defuzz. Waxing removes hair and exfoliates to leave legs baby smooth. Next use self-tanner (if needed) to deepen skin tone! Darker shades recede, so legs will look thinner instantly. Then apply shimmer cream from thighs to shins to reflect light and conceal any veins. Try: Jergens Natural Glow Express Body Moisturizer. $9, jergens.com. Victoria Secrets Very Sexy now shimmering body lotion. $20, victorias secret.com. And waxing at home hair removal kit $45, sephoria.com. My personal fav? I like all those, the only one I do different is waxing. Sally’s has a house brand that I love!!!  Its only $15, and buy your wax papers there as well for $4 to $6. They also have lotion to remove wax from hands, face, counter tops