HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURYN HILL !

Lauryn Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer–songwriter, rapper, producer, and actress. She is best known for being a member of the Fugees and for her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Fabric Covered Thumb Tacks

Start with a pack of "Wedding Gown Size" (size 20, 1/2") metal buttons to cover (available at fabric stores for about $1.50). Pull the loops off all the button backing pieces with a pliers or wire cutter. Cut your fabric scraps into circles slightly larger than a quarter, or use the circle template printed on the back of your button package. (Since the edges get tucked in under the metal backing, you don't have to be a careful cutter.) 

Following the package directions, use the "pusher" tool that came in the pack to cover your buttons with fabric. This step is easy and the most fun! Then use a generous amount of hot glue to attach a tack to the back of your button. A standard tack should fit perfectly. Your cork board will thank you.

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Fabric Covered Magnets

For the magnet version, you'd obviously glue on a magnet instead of a thumbtack. I know that seems readily apparent, but if I don't state it for the record, I am guaranteed to get emails asking about it. 

I had some 1/2" magnets I got at Walmart a long time ago, and used 3/4" buttons to glue to them. You can get buttons to cover at your local fabric store, or order some right here. They're so satisfying to make that one of the girls sighed wistfully, "I wish I could make these all night long."

How To Save Money !

According to a nationwide survey conducted by LearnVest and Chase Blueprint®, about 50% of U.S. adults between the ages of 25 and 54 regularly worry about money—and 40% feel that they lack control over their finances.

Given these eye-opening stats, we asked five experts—as well as seven LearnVest readers—to share their best advice for getting your finances in shape this spring, from educating yourself about money to starting the journey toward being debt-free.

WHAT THE PROS SAY

1. Get Everyone on the Same Page: Monica Kaden, an accredited senior appraiser and principal at Fischer Barr & Wissinger, LLC, says that spring cleaning needs to start with dividing up the workload. “Typically, in a couple or a family, there’s one person who handles the household finances,” she says. Her advice is to have the other spouse—and even older children—sit down with the person who handles the bills, budget, and important financial documents, so that multiple people are knowledgeable about the household’s finances.

This way, family members can bounce ideas off of each other for reducing spending and finding room in the budget for more savings. Kaden suggests each task. Even teenagers can help by managing their own checking accounts or researching college loans.

2. Take Inventory of Your Possessions: Getting organized is half the battle when it comes to spring cleaning. If your home was to succumb to a fire, earthquake, flood or other catastrophic event, would you be able to account for everything—including how much you paid for the big-screen TV and your favorite leather armchair—so your insurance company could properly reimburse you?

“Insurance companies try as hard as possible to pay out the least possible,” Rachel Sanborn, a certified financial planner at LearnVest Planning Services, says. So it’s important to keep a record of the items in your home—particularly the most expensive ones—including photos of the items and their receipts.

Some websites offer online checklists to help guide you in creating your inventory. Sanborn even found an iPhone app—Know Your Stuff—for tackling this task. Added tip: Be sure to store a copy of your final inventory in a spot that’s readily accessible outside your home, like an online Google Doc.

3. Reduce Financial Clutter: “You have to clean up your financial past (debt), while trying to live in the present moment (managing cash flow) and planning for the future simultaneously,” says Julie Murphy Casserly, a CFP® based in Chicago. For those whose plans for financial spring cleaning include paying off debt, Casserly says that they need to first address the issues that created the debt in the first place—and that means dealing with the emotions that surround money.

“People need to find a compelling reason to change; it has to be tied to some dream or goal that’s different from their current reality,” Casserly advises. Think concrete goals, such as “I want to pay off one of my debts, so that I can save for a trip to Bora Bora” or “I want to pay off two of my debts to see my credit score increase.” You can start by setting up an automatic debt payment that comes out of your account each month. If you put it on autopilot, Casserly says, you can’t find another way to spend it.

4. Get Shredding: Mike Falco, a CPA in Pennsylvania, says that now is the time to shred any old financial documents. A good rule of thumb: Keep tax records for seven years, pay stubs and bank statements for a year, and credit card statements for at least 45 days.

Keeping in line with Falco’s “out with the old” mindset, also take a look at your beneficiary forms—which designate who will receive your assets if something happens to you—and update them, if necessary. Beneficiary forms are legal documents that will stand up against a will, so make sure that the person on those forms is the one who you’d want to have your assets.

5. Rethink Your Insurance: It’s easy to buy an insurance policy—or accept your company’s—and then just let it gather dust … a spring cleaning no-no! But Sanborn says that reviewing your various insurance policies is a great way to free up money for future goals.

If you have an emergency fund—and you should!—you can consider increasing your deductible (the money you would have to pay before your insurance kicks in), which will bring down your insurance premium (the amount you pay every month). “Emergency funds are intended to cover things like deductibles,” she says.

Additionally, if you have children, and you have a separate policy from your spouse, you should make sure that the kids are on the plan with the lowest premium. Beyond these tweaks, however, Sanborn recommends that you leave your insurance coverage alone: “It’s better to have more coverage than you need.”


WHAT LEARNVEST READERS SAY

6. Leave That Wallet Behind: “I used to make frequent, impulse purchases in the middle of the workday— buying snacks is my financial Achilles’ heel. So my trick is to leave my wallet at the office during my lunch break, which makes spur-of-the-moment buys literally impossible!” – Stephanie, Arlington, VA

7. Rename Your Accounts: “I changed the names of my checking and savings account names to reflect their purposes, ranging from “Emergencies ONLY”, “Do you really need that?” and “Needs Not Wants.” The simple act of nicknaming my accounts has, in a very short amount of time, changed how I interact with them—and my money.” - Elena, Eugene, OR

8. Treat Shopping as a Scouting Mission: “I never make a purchase when I’m at the store. If I like a particular piece of clothing, I’ll look at the quality, try it on for size and then put it back. Over the next week or two, I’ll consider if it’s something that I still really want or need, and then I’ll search Google for a promo code and either order it online (with free shipping, of course) or go back to the store to buy it. I’ve eliminated all of my impulse shopping by doing this.” - Charmin, Scottsdale, AZ

9. Consider Your Cost Per Hour: “I sometimes compare the cost of an item, meal or experience to how many hours (or days) of work it’s worth. Say I make $30 an hour, and I’m considering a $60 sushi meal. I have to evaluate if it’s worth my two hours of work!” - Namrita, New York, NY

10. Adopt the ‘One In and One Out’ Rule: “I have a spending problem, which I’m tackling with baby steps. Right now, I’m trying to “maintain” with my one in and one out rule—if I buy something, I have to give a version of it away or sell it to make space for the new item. At first, it’s easy to replace old things. But once you start to over-shop, it becomes difficult to buy, say, new boots when you know you have two pairs that you don’t want to get rid of!” - Shirley, Boston, MA

11. Keep a Running Tally on Your Phone: “At the beginning of each month, I put the amount of spending money that I have budgeted into a note on my phone. Then, as soon as I make a purchase or withdraw cash from the ATM, I subtract that amount from the total. Since I know that I’m going to instantly see the total go down, I always take a second glance at the purchase to make sure that I really need it!” - Katie, New York, NY

12. Unsubscribe From Retailers: “I’m a big fan of online shopping, so to curb that habit, I unsubscribed from all of those weekly and daily shopping emails—no more Gilt Blasts, and no more messages from J. Crew. I also limit the amount of time that I spend on style blogs and retailers’ websites because even looking at clothes online can ‘trigger’ a spend.” - Alex, Atlanta, GA

Benefits of Bathing in Cold Water

1. Strengthens Immunity

Cold showers are sometimes touted as a preventative tonic for colds, flu, and infections. An experiment in Prague studied the effect of cold water immersions on athletic young men. They immersed themselves in water at 14°C (57°F), three times a week for six weeks. Among many changes, they saw increased levels of two types of white blood cells: monocytes and lymphocytes. While certain lymphocytes are instrumental in eliminating bacteria, viruses, and toxins; monocytes are indirectly responsible for the engulfing and consuming of pathogens and foreign materials. Researchers believe that the increased metabolic rate, which results from the body’s attempt to warm itself up, activates the immune system and releases more white blood cells in response. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that people who take regular cold showers are less likely to develop colds, flu’s, and even some forms of cancer.

2. Improves Blood Circulation 

Good blood circulation is vital for overall cardiovascular health. Alternating between hot and cold water while showering, is an easy way to improve circulation. When exposed to cold water, our arteries and veins constrict or tighten. This process is called “vasoconstriction”. The tightening helps blood to flow at a higher pressure as now there is less space for the blood to flow, meaning circulation will improve. “Vasodilation”, the opposite effect, and is done when we are exposed to heat. The natural tendency of the body when it is exposed to cold is that your blood rapidly circulates to your vital organs to keep them warm, hence increasing your over all blood circulation. Why should you be conscious of having good circulation? Well, it prevents such problems as hypertension, hardening of the arteries, and the appearance of varicose veins. Good circulationimproves the performance of your system and thus help looking and feeling better.

3. Regulates Temperature 

Cold showers provide a gentle form of stress that leads to thermogenesis (internal generation of body heat), which in turn activates the body’s adaptive repair systems. If you suffer from chronically cold hands and feet, or feel that you sweat an abnormal amount, try a cold shower.

4. Promotes Weight Loss / Increases Metabolism 

Brown fat, as opposed to white fat is heavily involved in burning energy. Exposure to cold naturally stimulates the production of these brown fats. These cells burn glucose to try and produce as much heat energy as possible. Having a higher amount of brown fat leads to more energy being burned per second and therefore, more weight is lost. As a result of the increased brown fat levels, and the increased blood pressure and body temperature, chemical reactions in the body will happen faster than they would have without regular cold showers. An increased metabolism is what a lot of people seek for because it means that any process in the body will become more efficient; meaning more weight loss will be seen and more growth/repair of muscles and otherwise will be seen.

5. Alleviates Depression 

Depression is yet another thing that cold showers can help and prevent. Research at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Virginia Commonwealth University indicates that cold water has a stimulating affect on the brains "blue spot", the main source of noradrenaline for our bodies. Noradrenaline is a chemical that might be used to help alleviate depression.

6. Improves Lymphatic Movement 

The lymphatic system is a system of tubing separate from our blood vessels that is responsible for carrying away waste from your cells as well as help fight pathogens (disease). Unlike blood vessels, the lymphatic system does not have blood, it has lymph, which carries away waste products and white blood cells which handle infection. Also different from blood vessels is that the heart does not pump lymph around the body like it does the blood. The lymph relies on the contraction of muscles. This contraction squeezes the lymph up to the thoracic duct so that the lymph can mix with the blood and then be dealt with by organs. Cold showers cause whole-body contraction and this works excellently with the lymph system, squeezing the fluid up through the body. If the lymphatic system is compromised and not efficient, then the fluid pools at faraway places (usually the feet). This results in what is known as lymphedema (a type of edema).

7. Deepens Breathing 

What you will notice as an effect of cold showers is that you begin inhaling very deeply. This is to try and combat the stress of the shock, the vasoconstriction and the overall need for oxygen to respire and keep oneself warm. This process opens up the lungs much like strenuous physical exercise does and results in a higher average intake of oxygen, which is good for many things like not feeling tired during the day and doing better at sport or other exercises.

8. Keeps Skin and Hair Healthy 

It is well known that hot water dries out our skin and hair. On the other hand, cold water can make our hair look shinier and our skin look healthier by tightening cuticles and pores, preventing them from getting clogged, thus reducing blemishes like acne. Cold water also contributes to detoxification which results in the squeezing of toxins and waste products out of the skin. This detoxification has a good effect on the skin which appears more clean and young. Additionally, the cold water closes the cuticle which makes the hair stronger and prevents dirt from easily accumulating within our scalp. Stronger hair, of course, prevents hair from easily falling out and it helps in slowing down overall hair loss.

9. Increases Energy and Wellbeing 

There are plenty of mental benefits to ending your shower with cold water. The ancient samurai warriors used to pour buckets of cold river water on their heads every morning in a Shinto practice called Misogi. This was a purification ritual on a spiritual level. They believe that it cleansed their spirit and helped start a fresh new day. A cold shower can definitely leave one feeling invigorated and energized. The heart starts pumping, and the rush of blood through the body helps shake off the lethargy of the previous night’s sleep. Additionally, while there are not many studies to confirm, many people swear that cold showers are a definite stress reducer.

10. Increases Hormone Production 

Cold water showers have the ability to increase hormone production and activity by giving the body’s glands a boost. For example, cold showers can be of great benefit to the reproductive system when trying to conceive a child. A man’s testes are not meant to get too hot; that’s why they hang outside of a man’s body. Sperm counts decrease when the temperature of a man’s testes increases. In fact, experiments done in the 1950s showed that hot baths were an effective contraceptive. Men who took a 30 minute hot bath every other day for 3 weeks were infertile for the next six months. More recently, the University of California at San Francisco did a study with men who were exposed to 30 minutes of “wet heat” (hot baths, saunas and such) a week. When the men cut this exposure out, their sperm count went up by 491%, and their sperm’s motility improved as well. While switching from a hot to cold shower may not have as dramatic an effect, if you’re trying to reproduce, it surely won’t hurt. Furthermore, it has been said that cold water therapy helps regulate the endocrine system (including the adrenals and thyroid).

How to Start 

Gradually adjusting from hot to cold showers is recommended. For many, a drastic change in temperature would be too much a stress to their body. Push yourself to step outside your comfort zone, while at the same time listen to what your body can handle. A great way to implement cold showers into your daily routine is by turning the water to cold for the last 30 seconds to a minute of your shower. Give it a try and see what benefits you experience. Who knows, maybe the secret to the fountain of youth is hidden within cold showers.

Moving Your Workout Indoors

As we break out our bulky sweaters and stylish boots, we tend to pay less attention to our covered-up bodies. Add in the shortened hours of daylight and the cooler weather, and it's hard to care very much about how we look in a bikini while playing volleyball on the beach. Well, we believe Fall, a season of renewal, is the perfect time to reprogram that thinking. It's a time for creating good fitness habits before the holidays and the upcoming winter months arrive.

The most important thing to remember about making the transition from outdoor to indoor workouts is finding your motivation. It's important to discover what your individual goals are—whether it's losing weight or toning and strengthening or preparing for a race or event or an upcoming vacation. You have to choose an activity you'll enjoy doing and will be likely to keep up. The three Cs—commitment, convenience and consistency are necessary to be successful. You have to put exercise on the calendar the way you would a dentist appointment; otherwise, later turns into never.

It takes about four weeks for the body to adapt to a lifestyle change, so be patient. That's why people who give up on their fitness programs tend to do so within the first 30 days. See if any of our suggestions intrigue you. We promise if you stick with them for a month, behavior patterns will have adapted, and it will be much easier to stay the course until it's time to put that bathing suit back on!

One way to combat the cold weather workout blues is to exercise at home. Get the right equipment. A set of five-pound dumbbells, a four-to-six-pound medicine ball, ankle resistance bands and an aerobic stair step can be obtained with minimal cost and hassle. Consider investing in a set of workout DVDs...or playing Wii fitness games to perfect your virtual ski jump or hula hooping form. Try to find a friend to join you. (Guilt is an amazing motivator!) Be an active TV watcher. While you watch the new fall lineup, walk or run in place, do standing lunges, do tricep dips off the couch, or lift weights. During commercials, do push-ups or sit-ups. In one hour, you probably have 20 minutes worth of commercial interruption to get the job done

Join a fitness class. Check out the local gym, YMCA, or community center. Think outside the box and try something new...yoga, kick-boxing, Pilates, tap dancing, indoor rock climbing, ballet, spinning, boot camp, swimming, martial arts, Hip Hop, Zumba...the options go on. Then reward your commitment by trading in your old T-shirt and worn out sweats with some cute new workout clothes.

If you didn't change what you ate, yet burned an additional 200 calories a day, you would lose about 20 pounds in one year. That means you can lose five pounds this winter instead of gaining weight. And that assures you will enter spring fitter than you left summer!

Healthy Eating: What You Need

Good fat? Find out about healthy eating.

You've heard the phrase, “You are what you eat,” right? Well, it's partially true — not that you'll turn into a cow if you eat too many burgers — but there's a little truth in there somewhere!

Healthy eating is all about choosing the foods that help your body function at its best. A balanced diet gives you more energy, and helps you think more clearly. Take a look at the following tips and learn a little about nutrition: It'll help you make good decisions so you can feel your best, every day.

Food categories — what you need for healthy eating
Your body needs at least 40 nutrients to work well. You get these nutrients through food and supplements (like vitamins). Food is divided into three categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Each of these provides vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Too much of any one category can throw your body's balance out of whack.

Let's go back to those burgers. Say you eat them for lunch and dinner every day. Well, burgers are red meat, which is protein. Too much protein is hard on your kidneys and can even damage them. Too many carbs (candy bars, pasta, bread) on the other hand, might make your pancreas work overtime, which can increase your chance of getting diabetes. Fats are a little more confusing because they are divided into "good" and "bad" categories. Bad fats can hurt you by possibly clogging your arteries and increasing your chance of heart disease.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, or "carbs," are the sugars and starches found in foods like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, dried beans and peas, and sugars. According to most nutrition experts, carbs should make up the bulk of your diet. Carbohydrates provide your body with valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber.

There are two kinds of carbs:

Simple carbs — found in sugars like honey, fruit, candy, and even non-diet soda.
Complex carbs — found in the starchy foods (bread, pasta, rice, and certain vegetables).

Fats
Fats are a great source of energy, but they have more calories per serving than any of the other food groups — about 135 calories a tablespoon compared with 60 calories for a tablespoon of protein. Some fats are better for you than others. Steer clear of trans-unsaturated and saturated fats and cholesterol. These are found in animal fats and can be harmful to your body in large amounts.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats — found in natural vegetable oils — actually help your body function. In Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Greece) where olive oil is used a lot, there's a low rate of heart disease and breast cancer. Some fats are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These are mainly in fish oils, and actually protect your body against diseases such as atherosclerosis and arthritis.

Protein
Proteins — found in meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, soy products, beans, seeds, cheese, and other foods — give your body amino acids that help build and maintain tissue. Your body needs protein for repairing cells, too. Most people tend to eat more protein than they need — and they get that protein mostly through meat and cheese, which isn't so great. Only about 10 to 15 percent of your total intake each day should be from protein.

So that’s a wrap on nutrition, but it’s up to you to choose the right foods for your body. Whether you’re looking to add more protein or carbs to your diet, do your research and make the right decision for you.

How Much Water Should You Drink

You are young. You are strong. You're even a pretty good athlete. You know that it's important to drink water, so you drink it when you get thirsty—but there’s more you need to know about hydrating. You like listening to a lecture about as much as we want to prepare one, so read up on the most common questions we've been asked about staying hydrated.

How do you know if you're dehydrated?

If you feel thirsty, you are already likely experiencing dehydration. Long bouts of dehydration could cause flushed skin, headache, dry and itchy skin, dry-mouth, irritability, indigestion, lack of concentration, constipation and confusion. Not drinking enough water is also sometimes mistaken for hunger, so it could help prevent weight gain, too!

Does it make a difference what you drink?

Yes — not all fluids are absorbed at the same rate in your bloodstream.

But what if you HATE drinking water?

Experts agree that the best sports drink in the world is good old-fashioned water. There are plenty of things to put into water to give it some flavor out there, too. Coconut water is generally accepted as a healthier substitute than something like an “energy” drink, which can actually increase the rate at which you become dehydrated. If you are doing anything intensely or working out for more than an hour, however, be sure to replace the nutrients in your body in addition to drinking plenty of water.

How much should you drink?

For healthy girls, most experts seem to agree around 2 liters or so (and more if you’re active). Drink water with meals, between meals, while on the go — drink it a lot — because 2 liters is more than the eight glasses of water the old saying always mentions.

After exercise, be sure to take extra care to replenish the fluids you lost through sweat as well. While it may seem like undoing the weight you “lost” during the exercise, restocking your body with all the fluid you lost is more important than the 1 pound you shed — water weight — overall.

How do you know if you're hydrated?

Your urine should be the color of light lemonade. If it's the color of apple juice, get a glass of water!

Energy Drink Info..

There's no doubt your schedule is overloaded. Between regular schoolwork, exams, jobs, sports and a busy social life, it's no wonder you’re tired.

That's why an increasing number of teens are turning to coffee and energy drinks to stay focused and awake.

At what price, though?

Why did France, Denmark, Norway and Argentina place a ban on a drink we consume in America regularly? What's the truth and what's the hype? Although that ban has since been lifted, you might want to do some thinking before you go chugging an energy drink or ordering your next large coffee. Read on for some popular myths.

Myth: “Energy drinks are packed with natural ingredients like herbs.”

Truth: The amount of herbs in most energy drinks is so small it doesn't have an impact.

Myth: “Coffee has been shown to be good for health.”

Truth: This is true for plain coffee. Various tests have been conducted and results have showed plain coffee as having health benefits. This doesn’t include different coffee flavored drinks or coffee with added syrups, milk or cream.

Myth: “The ingredients listed on the can include amino acids, tropical plant seeds and B vitamins. All those are good for you.”

Truth: This is partially true. Typical energy drinks do include, guarana (tropical plant seeds), taurine (amino acids), ginseng (plant extracts) and B vitamins but the amount in each energy drink isn’t enough to have a significant effect on your body. The main ingredients in high-energy drinks are caffeine or sugar.

Myth: "What harm can energy drinks or flavored coffees really do?"

Truth: There are many current risks. Doctors are afraid the sugary beverages, consumed regularly, contribute to obesity, sleep disorders, tooth decay, hyperactivity, restlessness, headaches, anxiety, mood disorders, higher blood pressure and possibly ADHD.

Myth: “When my schedule slows down, I'll cut down on my consumption.”

Truth: Although that morning “cup of joe” from your favorite coffee shop could be comforting, it could also develop into a real addiction. It may be difficult to cut down your consumption. Studies have shown that teens are vulnerable to caffeine withdrawal, which causes a person to feel angry and have a problem thinking clearly.

Myth: “High-energy drinks are the same as sports drinks.”

Truth: Sports drinks replace the electrolytes lost in sweat, help hold water in the bloodstream, and help speed rehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic that actually dehydrates you. They are NOT the same.

Myth: “The energy burst lasts for as long as you need it.”

Truth: Energy boosts from caffeine are short-lived. It might last for 45 minutes, but then you come down hard and feel worse than before. Some kids end up drinking more just to prevent that sluggish feeling, leading scientists to worry about dependency and withdrawal symptoms.

Myth: “Energy drinks are just enhanced soda.”

Truth: High-energy drinks have as many as five teaspoons of sugar and three times as much caffeine as soda.

Myth: “Adults drink coffee every day, so what's the big deal if I do?”

Truth: It's important to remember that the adolescent brain is still growing. It is wiring itself up until around age 21. So the choices you make in your youth could affect how your brain develops.

If you’re looking for ways to up your energy without resorting to coffee and energy drinks with caffeine, try eating some nuts, eating an apple, gulping some cold water or taking a power nap. Odds are the reason you’re tired is because you’re not getting enough sleep in the first place, so put down the phone, power down the computer and get to bed!

Turn Eye Shadow Into Lip Gloss

Info from Brit + Co.

Materials:- eyeshadow (used Buxom Color Choreography Eyeshadow)
- petroleum jelly or shea lip butter
- clear nail polish
- Weather Everything liner sealer
Optional: paint brushes, stencils

We'll start things off with Custom Lip Color. Gone are the days when ladies need to stock their beauty drawers with any and every shade of lipstick. If you've got an event coming up and need a little extra burst of color or shimmer, mix a rosy hued eyeshadow with Vaseline, and you're good to go. This is an especially awesome way to to coordinate your eyes with your lips, and later your nails! 

Spread a dollop of petroleum jelly on a plate or mixing surface. Then use the bottom of a makeup brush or paint brush to scrape off a little bit of color. The Buxom Palettes are highly pigmented so we only needed a couple scrapes.

So lovely!

Next up, we'll mix up a batch of Custom Nail Polish to match our new lip gloss. For this, you'll need a small cap or container to mix up a one-time use color.

We recommend using the cap of any bottle that you're going to discard. Pour a bit of polish in the cap. Scrap off a little bit of eyeshadow and use the clear nail polish brush to mix together. Paint your nails quickly after mixing or the shadow will become a little hard to mix. 

We did a pink set of nails to go with our pastel gloss.

Here we have a bubblegum pink look. Be sure to use nail polish remover on a paper towel or cotton ball to rinse off your clear nail polish brush. 

5 Easy Ways To Spruce Up Side Combs

Info from Brit + Co

We know what you’re thinking. What is a side comb? It sounds kind of like a combover but to the side? No, silly. Side combs are those mini combs you use in your hair. They’re great for adding a little flair to a normal do, and can be lifesavers for bad hair days. Today we’ll show you how to add a little pizzazz to what will quickly become your new favorite accessory.

Materials:

- side combs (available on Amazon)

- embroidery floss

- studs

- hex nuts

- tulle + iron-on rhinestones

- leather or pleather

1. Embroidery Floss

We’ll start with embroidery floss. We used a hot pink variety. Tie one end onto the comb. Then simply wrap around the top so that you have a thick covering. Tie at the end, and you’re done.

2. Studs

Press your first stud through the top of the comb and use pliers to secure on the back. Repeat with as many studs as you like!

3. Tulle

Channel your inner Princess Kate by creating a mini fascinator with tulle and hot glue. Bunch a bit of tulle together, glue onto your comb, and secure by gluing a few rhinestones onto the top.

4. Geometric Leather 

For an earthier look, go for a brown leather or pleather. We cut out a bunch of triangles and used hot glue to attach them to the comb. That’s it!

5. Hex Nuts

And last, hex nuts! If you’ve got some extra hex nuts from our January Kit, make yourself a totally nutty (hehe) hair accessory. Hot glue them in a row on the top of the comb, and you’re good to go.

And there you have it! 5 easy ways to spruce up side combs. Happy accessorizing!