New Hope Soap Blog

The new year is around the corner and, maybe, you are hoping to make 2015 the year you work more fitness into your life and routine. But, it's difficult on your own! Here are the top 15 fitness websites for women to help you get started and make healthy choices in 2015.

1. POPSUGAR Fitness: Dedicated to everything related to health, fitness, and nutrition. They offer tips for beating stress, losing weight, eating healthy, and keeping a good routine.
2. Fit-Bottomed Girls: The founders of fit-bottomed girls understand that fit comes in all shapes in sizes. Since they're interested in health and fitness for everyone, they understand that it's about more than just losing weight. Their offering of workout videos, classes, and weekly newsletter are sure to get you off to a great 2015.
3. Blisstree: This site combines snarky humor and informative tips to bring you the latest news in beauty, health, fitness, and eating well. 

You have the perfect dress, flowers, venue and of course the perfect groom!  Make sure you also have the perfect skin to go along with it all.  

Here are 10 Must Skin Care Tips to help you look and feel radiant at your wedding.

Ditch Your Washcloth:  Washcloths are too abrasive to use on your face.  They can also harbor a host of undesirable components, such as bacteria and mold.  

Drink Plenty of Water:  Water does wonders for the skin because it flushes away harmful toxins from your body and when toxins are no longer in the body, they don't show up on your skin in the form of red pustules.  Water will also decrease cellulite, tighten and tone your skin.

Eat Healthier:  Avoid fast food and processed foods like the plague and include the following foods into your daily diet for soft, supple skin: carrots, eggs, grass-fed beef, kale, kiwi, mackerel, olive oil, sardines, sunflower seeds and tomatoes.

Exercise:  Exercise improves the blood flow throughout the body, and the increased flow of blood helps nourish the skin's cells.

Winter weddings tend to be charming occasions to remember, with a certain elegance and glamour.  If you are planning a winter ceremony here are 6 tips for planning the winter wedding of your dreams.

Be Considerate:  As out of the box at it may seem, offering cough drops, individual hand sanitizer & Kleenex would be an amazing gesture for your wedding guests.  Also, having several space heaters and a hot coffee and tea bar can keep your guests comfy.  

Dazzle with Decor:  Certain types of flowers and floral arrangements speak winter.  Some flowers include Bells of Ireland, Poinsettias, Sweet Pea and tulips.  Also, have a table set up for candles, because candles set a wonderful, warm winter feel.  Types of candles include pillar candles and tealight candles.

First, choose a theme for your basket that matches the recipient’s interests or passions. This helps make the gift a cohesive unit, and it shows that you put some thought into personalizing it. For your foodie friends, go with a cooking-themed basket containing things like a cookbook and utensils, out-of-the-ordinary seasoning blends or a special ingredient. Give your party host a basket with cheeses, candied or spiced nuts and some crackers, or thrill your office mate with coffees and teas, biscotti and some fine chocolates

Choose a smaller container than you think you will need. Contents can get lost in a too-large basket, and you want them to show up and shine.

Think outside the basket when selecting a container. Use a flowerpot, a reusable tote, messenger or lunch bag. For smaller gift baskets, use a coffee mug or even a shoe or boot as a container. Serving bowls and trays also work well with food-based gifts. Check garage sales and resale shops for containers, and don’t worry if they are a little well-used; a can of spray-paint will cover a lot of scratches and scrapes.

Save money and fuss by stuffing the bottom half of the container with paper bags or newspaper before topping that with decorative shreds. Instead of expensive filler, use your office shredder and some leftover gift wrap to create a decorative bed for the basket’s contents.

Start your new year off right by not allowing yourself to overeat during the holidays. In Part 1 of the 20 tips to avoid holiday overeating, we listed taking a walk, drinking a lot of water, and many other tips. All of these tips can keep you from doing something you regret over the holidays.

11. Leave A Bite on Your Plate- We were all told as children to clean our plates, but leaving at least one bite on your plate will keep you from stuffing yourself.

12. Plan Your Plate- Decide ahead of time what you want to eat and how much. Put small amounts of those foods on your plate so that you aren't filling your plate with everything that looks good.

13. Listen to Your Body- Pay attention to what your body's telling you. You should be able to tell when your body doesn't need to eat anymore.

14. Eat Your Favorites- Your favorite foods will be hard to resist, and you shouldn't have to deprive yourself. Eat small portions of these foods and enjoy them.

During the holiday season, it is easy to put just a little too much of that yummy food on your plate and then stuff yourself eating it all. There's nothing wrong with eating a little extra during the holidays, but if you are constantly overeating, you won't feel very well when the holidays are over. Take a look at tips 1-10 of the 20 tips to avoid holiday overeating to keep from overindulging this year.

1. Give Yourself Breaks- Take a few breaks between plates of food. If you eat slowly and take a break before going back for seconds, your body will have time to digest and let you know when you are full.

2. Don't Starve Before Meals- If you spend all day starving yourself so that you can eat as much as possible during dinner, you are going to eat much more than you normally would and pay the price afterward. 

3. Try One Bite of Everything- Take just a small bite of every food that seems appetizing to you. Then you can decide which ones you definitely want to eat, and which ones you can pass on.

Avoid Holiday Overating!

They say that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year.  There are celebrations, parties, and gatherings to enjoy all holiday season.  While we are enjoying ourselves in the company of others, it is really easy to overindulge in all the food and treats that go hand in hand with all holiday cheer.  Here is a list of 20 tips to avoid holiday overeating.

1. Keep Your Normal Eating Schedule: Do not skip meals in anticipation of the party that is later in the day. Instead, eat lighter, healthier meals, so you can still have something to eat at the party without being so hungry that you eat everything in sight.

2. Fruit and Veggies: Most likely you are not eating enough fruit and vegetables to begin with, so start with those at the party. They will help you to fill you up without adding up to a lot of calories.

3. Watch Out For Dips and Dressings: A lot of calories can be hidden in those creamy dips and dressings. Limit yourself to a very small partition or skip them altogether.