Summer time is upon us – but it’s not too late to take some quick steps to make sure you look and feel great!Here are four quick steps you can take to get yourself heading in the right direction. It is never too late to get yourself on your way to better shape with plenty of energy!1) Assess your situation. Time for a quick reality check. Before you do anything, take a good look at yourself to get some direction. The mirror usually is a good place to start, and a few measurements may give you some motivation as well. Even one measurement, like your waistline, (take at the belly button level) can help you gauge your progress.This is also the time to take a quick mental check too. Maybe you have not succeeded in the past with weight loss or fitness goals. Why?2) Set some goals. Assessing your situation helps you decide upon your goals. Lose weight, fit into your summer clothes (the ones that somehow shrunk over winter), start exercising or re-strategize your current exercise plan. Perhaps it is time to clean up your diet a little bit, start eating a little healthier.Get set with a positive state of mind. Great successes get set first in the mind.Health, fitness and weight loss goal achievement requires three key items:Proper state of mind. – You will meet your goals.Balanced and realistic nutrition program. (That is you eating healthier, making better choices)A set minimum amount of cardiovascular exercise and some amount of resistance training.If you want maximal results in a minimal amount of time, these three items must be an integral part of your program. Decide how you are going to meet your goals. Devise the plan to your success.3) Time to take action. Once you have your goals and your game plan, all you have left to do is to simply put yourself into action. Time to hit the ‘play’ button. Don’t wait one more day to start your program. Don’t let yourself get sucked into a perpetual procrastination of “I’ll start tomorrow”.Make your mind up that your journey of weight loss and fitness success begins today. Take action physically with your exercise, eat a healthier diet, and mentally keep a positive charge going to stay on track.4) Plan to stick to the plan. This inevitably will require some planning. All great end results come about from a plan. Stay on track with your diet and exercise. Keep yourself in a positive state of mind with a strong and affirmative mental lock on your goals.All you have to do is get started. Every day on the way to your goals will build on the day before. Before you know it you will have achieved success. This can be your summer to feel and look great!
Learn Digital Photography – 6 Steps to Becoming a Great Wedding Photographer
In the world of photography wedding photography must rank as the most stressful and difficult photography. There are no second chances and you have to be on the mark first time all the time. If you think that you have what it takes then read on.With wedding photography you are dealing with the most important day in a couple’s life and every one of them wants it to be perfect. There is no asking them to come back to the studio for a second shoot. It is the most expensive day in many a couple’s life and it has to be right first time. So if you think that you can handle this type of pressure while keeping a cool head then just maybe wedding photography is for you. So what does a photographer need in order to shoot this type of event? What qualities and skills are necessary?1. A cool headYou are dealing with a high emotion event. People have made big decisions and paid large sums of money for a wedding and they want it to go smoothly and be a total success from A to Z. It’s your job to document it and they are relying on you.You are not going to get the attention and help you need from the organisers and planners. You are on your own and everything you have prepared up to the day has to go as planned. Your crisis is your crisis and nobody will be interested in it so work it out and carry on.2. A good plannerTalking about planning. If you are not the type of person who plans but rather shoots by the seat of your pants then go find another area of photography. Every detail of your planning has to work. There is no time for equipment breakdowns. Every minute in many weddings is planned down to the last second by the coordinators and you are just one small part. Nobody is going to help you when your plans fail. So don’t fail.3. A creative mindWedding photography is a very competitive world and if you don’t have the edge on other photographers you will not get anywhere beyond low budget weddings and the odd friend or family member. You need to come up with images that are outstanding and challenge the rest of the photographers to better. Creativity is key to this type of photography and if you don’t have it get it or get out. You will not last.4. A little bit crazyI included this point because any sane person would think twice before taking on a couple’s most important day. A normal photographer who shoots for the pure pleasure is not the person for wedding photography. If the thought of pumping adrenalin scares you then try baby photography.5. A skilled photographerThe last thing you need to be concerned about is whether you have the camera on the right setting or the right lens for the scene. If you have any doubts about your photographic ability then it’s not for you. Go shoot kids parties and other low stress events until you are totally competent with your photography and confident in your ability. Your only concerns should be regarding your planned shots and creativity. Everything else must be second nature. 6. A lot of moneyIf you are going to succeed in this business you need money or another source of income as it takes time to establish yourself in the business while creating a track record and portfolio. References and referrals are essential. You don’t just put up a sign and wait for the business to roll in. Wedding photography requires time, effort and a bit of luck in addition to the six points above. Take your time to acquire the photographic skills so that when you shoot your first wedding you are completely competent at what you do. And then, practise, practise, practise. Happy shooting
Lifestyle Tips That Will Make You Gorgeous!
Lifestyle goes hand in hand with beauty. Don’t believe me? Well, what you eat, how you live your life and the products you use all optimise how gorgeous you can look and feel. Our skin is like a mirror: it reflects what’s going on inside. Blemishes, dry patches and aging skin are often related to bad lifestyle choices that lead to dietary toxins. It’s these toxins – and we all have them – that ruin the way our body and skin behaves from day to day. Even if you look great now – you have no idea how much better your skin, hair and body (in general) could look. I’m going to give you 3 sure- fire ways to maximise your beauty just by tiny alterations to your lifestyle.Cherie’s Ultimate Lifestyle Tips (Part One) -1. What You Should Eat: I’m not going to say ‘eat healthier’ because I’m sure you have heard that a thousand times. Not only is it tough to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle on a constant basis, it’s also extremely dull picturing your future on carrot sticks and water. I could tell you that a lifestyle centred around tomatoes, lemons, watercress and berries would benefit you since they are amazing skin boosters – and I’d be telling the truth – but I’m sure you want a quicker and easier way to becoming smoking hot. So, instead, I offer you the exact ingredients necessary to get gorgeous, radiant skin… fast and also where to get them.Firstly, my all time favourite – Organic Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend 500ml. I absolutely swear by this. I wish I had Dr Udo’s personal email so I could tell him I love him! It’s simple, you pop a tablespoon of it into your smoothie or water and half an hour later, your skin feels like you have borrowed Aphrodite’s face for the day. Your skin is so soft and I have even experienced dry patches clearing up like magic. Plus, it has a full array of total wellness benefits that work alongside the beauty aspect, so if you want to find out how it can help to make you gorgeous – get a bottle. It is a ‘must – have’ in my life for sure.Buy Spirulina. My uncle Justin – who has been at so many world class seminars on nutrition and lifestyle – has spent a fortune finding out what works and what doesn’t (especially when it comes to looking amazing.) One time, when I was at his house, he put this green powder into my fruit juice. I was horrified, I didn’t want to touch it never mind actually eat it! But, the truth is, Spirulina is very mild tasting, almost refreshing on the tongue. Plus, it just happens to be one of the most naturally nutrient rich foods on earth.Spirulina has the most remarkable concentration of working nutrients ever known in any food, plant, grain or herb. It actually contains ALL of the essential amino acids and so is described as a ‘complete protein. Within minutes of eating it, you get a noticeable burst of energy (which I found made my face look instantly radiant.) It’s really unbelievable and has increased my quality of life on so many levels. After all, what you put inside your body is reflected in the health and beauty outside of it. I buy the organic powder only (don’t buy the tablets because the absorption rate is lower in tablet form) .If you buy these two skin savers as part of a reasonable lifestyle, you are already half way there to your beauty transformation.2. What you should drink – What I am about to say will make you groan in the same fashion as when your mother told you to clean your room but unfortunately it’s so true that I have to mention it.It’s Water. Yes, boring I know… but honestly, since I started drinking just under 2 litres a day, my skin glows like I’m in love. It’s such simple addition to your lifestyle and yet I find it more effective than any cream. Water plumps out the skin, flushes away imperfections and keeps your skin hydrated and smooth. I also find that adding a slice of lemon to it is even more potent, with faster results. I didn’t start on two litres but trust me, make an effort and as your water intake increases, so will your confidence.3.Make your own face mask/skin tonicLet me tell you something – creams with “extract of…” (fill the blank) are usually complete rubbish. Unless they are organic, you are going to get a whole catalogue of chemicals that over time will actually cause you skin problems and damage your body. Get the right cost effective natural ingredients and you will see better results for longer, all while saving some money.Here is the really simple miracle tonic that I started using a few years ago when I had horrific skin problems. My lifestyle consisted of work, work and did I mention work? I was run down and my skin knew it. Pimples, dryness, you name it – I had it. I was even using cream for months that the doctor prescribed but it never worked. This mask, without exaggeration, cleared up my skin and made it soft and more youthful in 6 hours!You will need: 1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil 5 tbsp Organic Apple Cider Vinegar 10 tbsp Green Tea (To make a scrub, add sugar until thick and 1 tsp honey)Mix it up, dab it on with a cotton pad, leave it alone. Wake up in the morning a goddess. Perfect.If you add the above products to your lifestyle, I guarantee that in a very short time you will wonder how you ever lived without them. I feel truly gorgeous after I have used these tips and I know that you will also.Have a wonderfully radiant day,
Cherie