How To Take Proper Care of Your Nails

Hello! I'm back! It's a tad late, but I am trying to stay up to say goodnight to the boyfriend once he gets off work...so why not write a post while I'm waiting. So, let me just catch you all up on what's happened personally and then we'll move on. SO. The trip to Israel is getting closer and closer and now it's down to 99 days. So, once it hits 30 days, I'mma be on trip preperation overload. Also, this weekend has been both amazing and terrible. The amazing part is...Anthony bought me "Tangled" after suffering through multiple showings. The terrible part is I am in terrible pain. I've been getting this extremely painful headache and migraine at work and now at home. I don't know what it is or where it came from, but I'm trying to not let it affect me. Especially when it comes to my blogging. :) Anyways...Why don't we get started...

I think this is a topic that many women and even men could take notes on. Even for myself, I find this so helpful. So before we learn to take care of our nails, we need to know what our nails are made of. Our nails are made keratine, which is what our hair and even the top layer of our skin is made of. Keratine is a type of tough protein that is meant to protect the soft tissues of our finger tips from injuries and enhancing the sensitivity of the finger tip.

So one part of taking care of your nails is to know when they are healthy or when they are in danger, for lack of better words.

Your nails can tell a lot about your health, but it's easy to tell whether or not you have healthy fingernails.
1. Smooth Fingernails - Run a finger across your nail. If it's smooth, your nails have a healthy formation. If they have ridges or any dents or pitting, they are probably unhealthy.
2. Clear or Flesh Color - Your nails are supposed to be clear or at least flesh colored with a white or off-white tip. Dark nail polishes may create discoloration, so don't be too alarmed. However, if it is a heavy discoloration, you may want to see a doctor as it may be signs to something bigger.
3. Straight Fingernails - Straight fingernails are healthy. They are forming correctly. If there is curling, then there may be a problem.

So, now that we've determined whether your nails are in healthy condition, we've got to take proper care of them to ensure they remain healthy and look amazing while we're at it too! This can range from your diet to what you actually do with your nails. So, what can we do to take better care of our nails?

A Healthier Diet

Your diet can effect your nails health. If your nails aren't healthy, maybe you need to add more protein-filled food into your diet since your nails are made of a protein. You always want to minimize your sugary foods intake, but try to minimize alcohol, calcium, and zinc level intakes. The protein will prevent any (or any more) damage from being done to your nails.

Moisturizing

Your nails can dry up a lot like your hair can. You need to make sure your nail beds are hydrated. To do this, you can increase your intake of water and fruit juices (I prefer cranberry and orange juice mixed together). Also, don't be afraid to use moisturizer on your cuticles to keep them healthy and it will prevent them from drying up.

Gloves

I learned this the hard way. I had to go to work at 4am to remove and replace labels. Well, I tried using my car keys to remove labels but that didn't work out too well. So I used my nails. And by the time I got off, my nail was broken and I have paper cuts underneath my nail. It was so painful. So, basically, all you have to do is wear gloves when you're doing household chores and the sort including gardening. If you use chemicals, it will take away the moisture, dry up and rip and peel your nails and cuticles. If you work with dirt and soil, it can get underneath your nail and cause an infection. Gloves should be your best friend when performing these tasks!

Vitamins

If you have certain deficienicies in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Calcium, this will affect your nail by causing it grow dry and brittle. So, if you have to or want to, you can take vitamin supplements to make sure you're getting the right amount to have correct forming nails.

And last, but not least...Maintenance

Buff It Out!

Buffering your nails with a fine abrasive wand will remove all the dead skin cells, therefore making your nails shinier. You can also use a nail file to maintain your nail's specific shape. It's easy and will make your nails look great without having to go to the nail salon.

Increased Circulation through Massage

When your fingers feel run down or strained, feel free to give your fingers and thorough massage. From tip to stub, just massage to get rid of any uncomfortable feeling. Also, rub your nail beds and cuticles to increase blood circulation and promote growth in your nails.

Base It!

Use a base coat or nail hardener before applying nail polish. This will prevent damage from the nail polish and may even prevent discoloration. It will also help lock in your nail's moisture.

Pamper Your Nails...

If you have the money, feel free to get regular manicures and pedicures to help maintain your nails. More than likely, your nail technician is going to be able to help you with more specific problems and even administer treatments that can protect your nails.

Alright everyone! What a long post...but hopefully it was helpful! Thank you all so much for spending time at TaylorRae.co! Every view means so much to me! I hope you all have a wonderful week. Remember to file for your income taxes! I'm getting mine in this week, and it's going straight to Israel! AMEN. Take care everyone & be blessed.

Thanks for reading~! <3

With love,

Taylor Rae

Godly Love - Love For Our Families.

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful week. I sure am. Today, I was very inspired to do a Christian post because me and Anthony were having our own Bible study and I felt God saying to me that I need to expand my blog. I will still be doing posts regarding health and beauty and lifestyle, but every once in a while...I want to share my love for Christ and share His Word with willing readers. I hope you all will continue to support TaylorRae.co.

Godly Love.

Let me give you a little testimony before we begin. For 16 years of my life, I was an Atheist. I had no interest in God or Jesus Christ. I didn't believe in His love for me. It wasn't until I met Anthony and our friends Tawney and Raymond that I really got to see God and how he is moving in people. Anthony invited me to church when we first started dating and I just felt something in my heart, like there was a hole that was missing. The more we went, the more I felt it. It didn't take long before I found myself longing for God's love. I found peace and a home in Christ. It hasn't been an easy journey. Especially since my family is Atheist. But, God has provided me with an abundance of blessings and love. And I'm thankful to God each and every day.

With that said...

Let's talk about Godly Love today.

There are different kinds of Love, I guess, in today's world. There's love in a family, love in friendship, love in relationships, and love in God. There's even love for our enemies and neighbors.
I want to cover all of these today, in the best way I can. But I pray that you all will have open minds and open hearts to this.

So let's begin.

I don't know your history with your family, but I'm just going to assume that you have a fairly good relationship for the most part. God created every relative, every ancestor, every bit of life in your family to make sure you came into this world with a support system and those who can guide you in life. Whether they took that responsibility or not was their choice, but overall, they are to set an example in the household. Love within a family is very important to God. Without love, what is a family?

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:7

This scripture speaks near and dear to my heart when I think about my family. It wasn't even a year ago when my dad was told he was losing his job. My family was devastated. But we had love for each other, believed in each other, hoped for the best with each other, and we endured the pain. I prayed every night for my dad to find some way to rise above. And he did. They decided to let him keep his job along with all the benefits and more. Love is so powerful in a family. It can make us stronger and more united. Especially when it comes from Christ. My parents may not believe God had saved us, but I believe He was working on a miracle with my family. The love for one another in this family can make God do wonderful things.

"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you." - Deuteronomy 5:16

When you honor someone, you're showing some sort of affection or love to them. God wants you to honor your parents with love and respect. They've taken on the task that God has given them and may have felt some hardships because of it. Your parents may not be the best parents, or they may have made mistakes, or are even rarely in your life, but they still created you through God. So, showing honor to your parents and giving them love is giving to love to the Lord because he created them with a purpose to create you.

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

I really want to direct this scripture to siblings. A lot of the times, we tend to argue or fight with our siblings for sometimes petty reasons. It could be a clashing of two different opinions or just two different personalities not mixing well. It could even be over a TV remote. But in the end, they are still your sibling and you're gonna have to put up with them for the rest of your life. That is why it is best to be kind to them. You never know what may happen to them the next day, God forbid anything happens. But it is always best to forgive them if they have wronged you or admit you're wrong. You don't want to end things on a bad note with your family. God created both of you equally. He doesn't want to see ANY of children arguing or fighting. So forgive and let live.        

Loving your family is important. Not just in a Christian sense, but in an every situation sense. God created love for a reason. It was to unify people. It was to create a sense of security and peace. God's love for our family is enormous. And let me just say, it doesn't matter whether your family is Atheist, Buddhist, and any other religion in the world. He still loves them. He's blessed my parents abundantly and they don't even give any credit to Him. But He still puts love in their hearts. He still watches over their families and ancestors. He still watches over me and my brother and sister. Don't think He's forgotten about your family. Because He hasn't. He's watching and waiting.

That's all I have for today. This is going to be a series, so I think the next time it will be Love For Our Friends. I am going to work on putting together more scripture base and just gathering my thoughts more organized, so if you have any suggestion, please feel free to comment. Take care everyone, and May God Bless You & Your Families.
Thanks for reading~! <3
With love,
Taylor Rae

5 Ways to Relieve Stress

Hello hello! So It's been a couple days, but I have an explanation...I was trying to figure out all the technical stuff for my Japanese online class. BUT, now it's all good. Until we have to do mandatory webcam chats. I don't know how to work that...Oh well! Anyways, today I'm adding another label for the blog. "Lifestyle." And today we are going to talk about stress. I have problem with getting rid of stress and sometimes it will build up and up and up until I have a mental and emotional break down which includes crying and eating. But, I always love to learn about ways to relieve stress because...they work. Even if it's something simple. So let's get started!

So, honestly, anything can become a stressful situation. For me, I get stressed out when it comes to driving somewhere I've never been to, college, and time. They can stress me out to no end, but after I realized how bad it gets at times, I started to think and research ways on how to take care of stress and relieve it. And I'll be honest with you, I'm a simple person. So, it doesn't take much...

#1 - WATCH YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE

Everyone has a favorite movie or favorite movies. For me, it is definitely "Tangled." Just watching it brings a smile to my face and makes me really not pay attention to what is going on outside of the movie. Just take a night to relax, pop up some popcorn, get in your comfiest clothes, and put on your favorite flick. Watch it by yourself or with your friends. Either way, it's simple and doesn't require you to run around.

#2 - EXERCISE

When we stress, our bodies respond to it negatively as a physical threat. If you exercise on a regular basis, your body will lower the adrenaline resting already to make room for the next flood of stress hormones. Not only will exercise help with stress, but it has also been found to help with depression which may come with long-term stress. For me, I'm currently in the process of getting my gym membership and my goal is to go to the gym once a day for a one hour incline walk. It's so simple and it comes with many more benefits such as getting fit!

#3 - TAKE A NAP

Sleeping is important not only for our skin but also for our immune system. When we have even one night of interrupted sleep, our level of imflammatory cytokines rises. We have to keep our level of cytokines down because when they rise, it can lead to more than feeling stressed. It can cause certain cancers, diabetes, and even obesity. It is best to get six to eight hours of sleep a night, but if that isn't possible with your schedule, at least take a nap whenever you get a chance.

#4 - HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Surround yourself with your friends and have a fun day out! If there is one thing I enjoy it is being with Anthony. I love being around him because he makes me feel relaxed. He'll do anything he can to make me comfortable and smile. Even if you don't have a significant other, just being around close friends is a wonderful feeling. Study shows that people who are socially isolated without emotional support from others tend to have more stress and an increased risk of mortality and illness. I love my boyfriend and my friends because they are supportive of my decisions and when one of us is down and out, we pick each other up. Be sure to make some time for your friends.

#5 - FOLLOW UP ON YOUR HOBBIES

There is a reason you have hobbies. They bring comfort and can make you feel at home and relaxed. I don't know if I told you all this, but I love to sing. I always have. Recently, I've found myself realizing how much I really enjoy singing. I sing everywhere...especially in the car. I also find solice in reading. Being able to forget about the world just seems so pleasurable to me. Being able to belt out a tune or read a good book just seems so relaxing to me. Why don't you try getting back in touch with your old hobbies? Maybe you'll also realize why it was a hobby in the first place.

There's your 5 ways to relieve stress. Hopefully you guys will take some of these and try them out! And I hope you like the new addition to the blog. Feel free to comment below about what helps you get rid of stress! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My weekend is going to include something I've been excited for all week...

YES INDEED! IT'S FINALLY HERE! As I said before, my favorite movie is "Tangled." Today was the re-release of "Beauty and The Beast" in 3D and guess what it features..."Tangled Ever After." As soon as I heard this...best believe I told Anthony. For Christmas, Anthony got free movie tickets from his mom. Normally there is a surcharge fee if you want to upgrade to 3D, but we didn't have to pay surcharge thanks to the wonderful manager at the theater. (Oh...we got the tickets for BaTB ahead of time...) So, tomorrow night after me and Anthony get off work, we're going to see the movie. EXCITEMENT! Anyways...take care everyone!

Thanks for reading~! <3

With love,

Taylor Rae

Tips on How to Maintain Dyed Hair

Woo! 2nd Post on the Week! I'm on a roll~! Oh gosh, I'm terrible. So, today I became inspired to write about dying your hair after someone commented on how natural my hair looks after being bleached and dyed all crazy colors of the rainbow. Nowadays, I try to stick to natural colors, specifically browns. However, when I dyed my hair I really didn't think about what I needed to do before I got the treatment, so I want to encourage you guys to really take care of hair even when getting it dyed. This may not be such a long post, but hopefully it will help! So, LET'S START.

You want to have healthy hair before dying it, so deep condition your hair a couple days before the treatment. This will give the natural oils in your hair and scalp to resurface and protect your scalp from chemical reactions and it'll give you better and more consistant results.

You may want to go ahead and get a quick trim before hand. Split ends tend to be brittle and dry. This will effect the color seeing as split ends cannot hold color like that of healthier hair.

If you have long hair, you may have to watch how you apply the hair dye. The ends of longer hair tend to be more porous then the rest of the hair shaft. Therefore you should apply the dye onto the mid-lengths of the hair and work your way up and down.

It is suggested that you look for hypoallergenic and conditioning dyes (yes, they do exist). These dyes are more gentle on the scalp and hair and you want your hair to maintain as much health as possible after the treatment.

I personally suggest using a hydrating hair mask at least twice a week after the treatment. Dying your hair will chemically strip it of it's moisture and that affects the hair's appearance. So, you want to give it moisture as often as possible through your shampoos and conditioners along with hair masks. For me I use two different hair masks:

Paul Mitchell moisture Daily Treatment - $10

I use this...a lot. My hair stylist gave this to me for free and I love the results I get from it. My hair has completely benefitted from this product because it makes your hair look healthy while adding moisture and volume. My hair afterwords is super soft and looks amazing after blow-drying. It is a tad bit expensive but a little goes a long way. So, it will last.

KAO Essential Ultra Honey & Shea Butter Hair Mask - $8.60

I've talked about this product so many times, but it is just THAT good. I don't use this quite as often because I can't get it quite so easily. Every time I do use this product, my hair smells so good...and I end up sniffing my hair all day. The smell is wonderful, but the overall end result is even better. My hair feels rejuvinated and soft and fluffy and...just amazing. I don't need to blow-dry, because it makes my perm even more bouncy and full. It's very moisturizing and I highly reccomend it for the great price.

After dying your hair, you may want to minimize the use of heated hair styling tools. Dying your hair already removes a lot of the moisture from your hair; heated tools just add to the removal process. I have a huge problem with this because I feel a need to straighten my bangs every day. Unfortunately, this will cause your hair to become frizzy and even more damaged. Try to lessen how many days a week you use heated tools or at least use a heat protectant spray beforehand.

If you want something with less chemicals, choose a semi-permanent hair dye. These are healthier for your hair and it's safer. Permanent hair dyes have more chemicals that are stronger so they can maintain the color longer.

Condition EVERY time you shampoo. This is what I live by. Conditioner can replenish some of the moisture lost in the dying process plus it protects your hair from the outside elements that could fade the color our may cause some sort of damage.

Well there you have it! These are my tips for maintaining dyed hair. I hope this has been helpful and if you have any tips, feel free to comment and share below!

Take care everyone and have a wonderful week!!

Thanks for reading~! <3

With love,

Taylor Rae





10 Common Beauty Myths!

Hey everyone! I'm back! Classes officially started today. Luckily, two of mine are online and one is an actual class I actually have to show up to. Plus, today I got a new cardigan and a new hooded shirt! Anyways....lol. Today I want to talk about common beauty myths. I don't know how many times I've heard someone claim something will happen when it clearly will not. Especially with our health and beauty. So today, I'm going to show you some every day beauty myths and why they aren't true.

Beauty Myth #1 - "Your pores are shrinkable."
Unfortunately, we cannot shrink the pores on our face. The size of our pores are genetically determined and will not change. Some factors may make your pores appear bigger, such as dead skin cells or oil and bacteria. By cleansing and exfoliating, your pores will look their regular size.

Beauty Myth #2 - "You can repair split ends."
No. Nada. Nein. Split ends cannot be repaired. The only way to get rid of them is getting a regular hair cut/trim. You can't use special shampoo or anything of the like. You're gonna have to put up some money and go to your hair dresser.

Beauty Myth #3 - "Organic/natural ingredients are Non-Allergenic."
Let me ask you this. If you are allergic to apricots, are you really going to put apricot exfoliating cleanser on your face? That's what I thought.

Beauty Myth #4 - "Chocolate will make you break out."
It is true that if you eat poorly, such as indulging in chocolate on a regular basis, that it can exacerbate your skin's condition. HOWEVER, the causes of acne are hormones, over-producing oil glands, and dead skin cells which lodge themselves into skin pores.

Beauty Myth #5 - "Alcohol-Free is Better."
I think this is a big one for me. I had a misconception that anything that had any type of alcohol in it was immediately bad for my skin. Well as it turns out, there is a beneficial type of alcohol called "fatty" alcohols. These can include cetyl-alcohol, benzyl-alcohol, and oleyl-alcohol. These have emollient which makes the skin soft.

Beauty Myth #6 - "Conditioner is Bad for your Hair."
Conditioner is first and foremost supposed to be used after shampooing. It relieves the hair of tangles and protects it from outside elements. And as someone who uses conditioner on a daily basis...my hair looks amazing for having been permed and dyed multiple times. If you have chemically treated hair, you may need a stronger conditioner. If you have oily hair, choose a mild conditioner.

Beauty Myth #7 - "Sticking to One product line is Best for your Skin."
This is entirely false. Of course brands are going to make you think that if you stick to their line, that all your acne troubles will go away. I'm sorry, but your skin will react differently to different products in the same line. Just stick to products that work best for you regardless of their brand.

Beauty Myth #8 - "Cucumbers Reduce Eye Puffiness."
Nope. Have you ever noticed that cucumbers stay cold for long periods of time when taken out of the fridge? People use cucumbers because of it's ability to stay cold. The coldness is ultimately what reduces eye puffiness. In retrospect-anything that is relatively cold can help reduce eye puffiness.

Beauty Myth #9 - "Drinking Tons of Water Keeps Skin Looking Young."
While it's always good to stay hydrated with water and what not, it unfortunately doesn't do much for our complexion. It may get rid of very mild wrinkling, but that's it. Water is best used as cleansing for our kidneys and a supressant of the appetite. And it keeps you hydrated, which is very important.

Beauty Myth #10 - "Soap is Bad for your Skin."
I don't know who thought of this and who follows this, but I would rather not know. This myth was created during a period where soap was made of the grossest things you'd think of including animal fats. The materials in the soap had a high pH level and would cause the skin to become dry. Nowadays, our soaps have emollients and synthetic surfactants that can moisturize our skin and cleanse it properly according to our skin's needs.

Well there you go ladies and gentleman. I didn't even know these existed! But, now they have been debunked and you can learn from misconceptions. I hope you all enjoyed this post and learned something from it because I know I certainly did. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week! Be safe everyone and HAPPY NEW COLLEGE SEMESTER. -___- Woohoo.
Thanks for reading~! <3
With love,
Taylor Rae

Happy New Years! My 2012 Resolutions

Happy New Year Everyone!

I know this is a couple days late, but I haven't really been home or on the computer since 2012 started, so my apologies! :) So I guess I should start off with the best moments of my 2011...

1. Growing in Christ as a daughter, a friend, and a girlfriend.

2. Celebrating our one year anniversary with Anthony.

3. Graduating high school and finishing my first semester of college.

4. Starting my job on April 24th.

5. The entire year.

Everything about it has been memorable. There were rough patches here and there, but after counting my blessings...I know this year has been life changing.

Anyways, now we're in 2012. I have been thinking and thinking and praying and praying about what I should do in 2012 as resolutions. Everyone seems to know 100% about what they want to do. Me? Well, I've been having difficulty. But, I feel like there are things that I need to do this year, so those will be my main resolutions...

Resolution #1: Save My Money for Future Aspirations

I think I have a little difficulty saving money. I think I've been taking my earnings for granted instead of saving up for a future apartment, wedding, and other expenses to come when I'm on my own. My boyfriend has constantly been reminding me that we have to save our money for our trip to Israel and our future together. I believe he's right and today, I transferred $100 to my savings account to get me started. I'll keep $500 in my checking account so I can pay for my car loan and gas expenses, but everything else goes to savings.

Resolution #2: Learning to Cook...Better

I find this ironic almost. In high school, I took culinary arts, passed my certification tests with an A, and passed the final which included creating a salad with a lime vinaigrette and a french omelette with a fanned strawberry. I don't know what happened afterwards, but I guess I've become lazy and stopped enjoying cooking. I want to learn how to cook meals and enjoy it like my parents do. I don't want to eat out all the time, I want to cook for Anthony and my family. Wish me luck!

Resolution #3: Update My Wardrobe & Add Fashion To The Blog

If there is one thing I enjoy is watching fashion shows online and looking at trends all over the world. I think I mostly enjoy vintage fashion because...I just love how conservative yet adorable and high fashion almost. Plus they can be so versatile! And I love my sheer blouse and stripes! I want to incorporate my love for fashion onto my blog sometime this year, but I feel if I want to do that, I need to update my wardrobe somehow. So, just keep a lookout for fashion additions to the website.

Resolution #4: Continue To Grow In Christ And His Word

I want to really further my faith in Christ this year. He's got so many blessings waiting for me and Anthony. This year, I want to start reading the Bible more than I do now and reading more Christian books to help me on this journey. I want to use the Bible to strengthen mine and Anthony's relationship with Christ and with each other. Hopefully, me and Anthony can maybe create our own Bible study together and increase in Holy knowledge.

I hope you all had an amazing New Year's! May this year bring happiness, laughter, smiles, love, and blessings all around! My heart is so happy to see this blog grow in readers. I hope that it will continue to grow and I'm hoping to FINALLY get my youtube up and running within the next month, so I'm sorry for the constant delay. Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Thanks for reading~! <3

With love,

Taylor Rae

P.S. - Feel free to follow me on Twitter! @TaylorRae319