Friday night in my household usually means Boboli on the table. It fills the end-of-the-week requirement of being quick and easy while allowing me to maintain my good-mother-preparing-food-for-the-family veneer. My kids need only a brush of pizza sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. My husband and I split a Greek pizza—whole wheat crust, spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese and pine nuts—a great recipe from a diet book. I know! Check the recipe out here

For this blazing culinary delight, I always use Perdue Chicken Strips—again, fulfilling the quick and easy requirement. The recipe calls for 8 ounces of sliced chicken breast which traditionally leaves enough in the ten ounce package for the next day’s lunch. This past Friday, though, I was surprised to see that Perdue had changed the package from ten to nine ounces. Strange, but I did not notice a drop in the price of my chicken strips. In fact, I know that the price has gone up since summer.

Top 10 to do list for mom skeeing a safe way to beauty their feet:
1- SOAK your feet in warm water with either Epson salts or herbal mixtures for at least 10 minutes.

2- REMOVE thickened, dead skin build up (also known as calluses) around the presoaked heels, balls and sides of the feet with a pumice stone or foot file. Dr. Mendelsohn warns not to use a razor as it removes too much skin and can easily cause infection or permanent damage to the skin if used incorrectly.

3- SCRUB using an exfoliating cream on the soles, sides and tops of the feet to eliminate dry, flaky winter skin.

4- APPLY and massage a healthy amount of emollient enriched skin lotion all over your feet to hydrate the skin and increase circulation.

5- APPLY nail polish to the toenails only if the nail is healthy. Remove polish regularly to let the nail bed breathe for a fabulous spring

6- WRAP your entire foot with cellophane at bedtime. The cellophane will act as a makeshift sauna by locking in moisture.

7- CLIP toenails with a straight edge toenail clipper to just above the top of each toe to ensure nails do not become curved or rounded in the corners.

Pregnancy is an amazing time in a woman’s life. Her body readjusts itself for the growing life inside of her and her hormones are on overdrive to supply all the nutrients she and her baby needs. For many women, the changes to their body can be initially shocking, but your style doesn’t have to suffer.

The belly gradually expands, breasts get larger, ankles get swollen, skin changes, weight gain occurs and even the most confident woman can be  alarmed by the challenges of dressing her new body. Rest assured though, as daunting as it may seem to still look stylish and be fabulous while pregnant, it is absolutely possible once you accept your new body and learn a few new tricks. Use these 10 fashion tips to guide you in the right direction as you build your pregnancy wardrobe.

1. Do create the illusion of a waist as the tummy expands. Tops/dresses that tie in the back are waist enhancing as are those with princess seaming (vertical contoured seaming on the sides of a shirt/dress) that contour to the body and highlight the waist. Empire waisted tops and dresses (horizontal seaming right below the bust) are also fantastic
—as they bypass the waist altogether and flow nicely over the belly. If you wear an empire waisted top, try wearing it with cool/funky maternity slacks or jeans that make you look more Diva than Dowdy.

2. Do try flowy black pants that have a wide elastic waist band. A pregnancy wardrobe staple for sure!

3. Do draw the eye away from your belly and towards your face as much as possible, try wrap style tops/dresses which are very figure enhancing (Halle Berry rocked this style during her pregnancy). In fact, showing as much skin near your collar bone and upper torso is flattering to pregnant woman as it draws the eye to the face. So V neck tops/dresses are particularly flattering. Accessorize profusely to draw attention away from your wide middle and to your neck up.

As the New Year begins, our country is experiencing some trying economic times. Neighbors, family, and friends are tightening their budgets and spending wisely. It is important to continue to seek proper medical and dental care, and not neglect our health. Orthodontic treatment enhances esthetics, but also provides many functional and health improvements in most cases. Pediatric and adolescent treatment can include growth modification of the facial bones and jaws in order to reduce or eliminate the chance for future surgery or tooth extraction. Adult orthodontics can greatly improve periodontal (gum) and dental health. The theory that a healthy mouth equals a healthy body is no longer just a saying as the American Heart Association has linked gum disease and dental health with cardiovascular health.

Orthodontic treatment is a lifetime investment that most offices make quite affordable. Despite the lack of full or even partial insurance coverage, there are many flexible options available. Our office offers three different methods of paying for treatment: Option A, or “payment in full” results in the patient receiving a courtesy “filing fee discount” off of the treatment fee. Option B is our in-office payment plan. There is no finance charge, just a down payment followed by low monthly payments. Option C is an in-office payment plan with a lower down payment and higher monthly payments. Payment plans are flexible and orthodontic care should still be on your list. Call today to schedule a free consultation to customize the best plan for you and your family.

Zachary A. Casagrande, DDS, MS
Board Certified Orthodontist
Faculty, Medical College of Virginia
Orthodontics for Children and Adults

222855 Brambleton Plaza, Suite 200 Ashburn, VA 20148
www.ashburnsmiles.com
703.327.1718

CALL TODAY TO SHEDULE!!!

Dear Modern Mom Readers, (My Friends, Colleagues, Neighbors and Everyone Who Reads This)
I am writing to ask you to do a favor for your family and friends if not for yourself. You see we, moms, are often the least motivated by our own needs and wants. What we don't realize is, if we do not prioritize our own health and well being before any other, we are actually doing our children and families disservice. The analogy of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first and then attending to your kids is true in most cases. If you are not healthy and happy, no one is HAPPY!!!!
So, I come to my point. You may know I am of Mediterranean descent and have olive skin tone. Although fair and often sunburned in the sun, eventually I can tan like no other and have over the years. But no sun worshiping by any means. Just normal summer exposures.

Those of you who know me well, know that as sensitive as I am personally, my skin is worse! I look at a pimple, I get one. I smell sunscreen, I break out. I think of glycolic acid, my whole body starts itching and peeling. You get my point. So, when I was asked to be on Fox News last week, I had just gotten an intense facial and micro dermabrasion at my dermatologist's office. My aesthetician was in a particular mood and decided to do some deep pore cleansing that I knew I would regret. After being scrubbed, exfoliated, buffed and masked, I felt great. I looked in the mirror!!! HORROR! How can I be on TV like this? I can't even touch my face it kinda hurts.

Endermologie is the safe and natural answer
It’s amazing what we’ll do to get the smooth vibrant skin we had as children. The truth is, 80–90% of women have some form of cellulite on their bodies. Some of my clients won’t be seen in a swimsuit, shorts, skirts or anything that exposes their legs. They are mortified and committed to doing whatever it takes to get rid of cellulite. For others, it’s a minor inconvenience.

With the myriad of treatments out there — from creams to mesotherapy — all claiming to “melt” fat and cure cellulite, we’re getting the message that this is a an outside job. But studies more and more are indicating the opposite. That cellulite begins deep underneath the skin and needs to be treated from the inside to actually affect a significant change.

Seasons are changing and the requirements for a healthy glow are also in need of tweaking. We asked Dr. Dima Ali, a world renowned aesthetic and anti-aging medicine expert out of Reston, VA, a few questions about our skin and some questions regarding the latest buzz around Borage Oil. Here is what she told us...

By Dima Ali, M.D.
Borage Oil Supplements – Neither Miracle Nor Myth

A little yellow jacket toxin, a drop of cobra venom straight from the fang, a spoonful of finely crushed fish cartilage, bullfrog skin extract, 1cc of the purest camel colostrum secretion, pure snail slime obtained under the most sterile conditions and, finally, a smidgen of fresh placental tissue…there. Now I’ll just add a little dry ice for the whole “witch’s brew” effect and there you have it – the latest and greatest Anti-Aging potion combo on the market. It comes in a lotion as well and it’s recommended that both are used for the full “synergistic” effect. Do any of these “miracle” pills and serums work or is it all myth?

"The good, the bad and the repairable"

Multiple preganancies, weight gains and losses, nursing can all be major contributors to loss of fullness and firmness in breasts. But there is hope.... breast augmentation, which will increase the size and shape of the breast through the surgical placement of implants. This procedure has come a long way and is now one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the nation.

Since augmentation is both unique and personal, it is important to discuss your goals and desires with your board-certified plastic surgeon, including type of implant (silicone or saline), size of the implants, location of the incision, and the location of the implant placement (under or above the muscle).