the winter season is tough on us for a number of reasons, and the beauty challenges are just a few of them!  between your hair, skin, and nails, it's hard to stay on top of all your beauty routines during the winter months.  but have no fear! Julep has provided my readers with an exclusive tutorial on how to winterize your nails!  i know for me, keeping my nails short and staying on top of hang nails really make it easier for me to maintain my nails through the winter.  these tips from Julep are easy to follow and are sure to help keep your nails looking great through the winter months.  so check out the tips and give them a try - and don't forget to check out Julep's great winter colors the next time you're looking for a new nail polish! 

this post was written in partnership with Julep.  all opinions are 100% mine

how to be more interesting (in 10 simple steps)

some great tips for helping you get ahead in life! original article found in forbes and written by jessica hagy

1. Go exploring.
Explore ideas, places, and opinions. The inside of the echo chamber is where all the boring people hang out. 

 

2. Share what you discover.
And be generous when you do. Not everybody went exploring with you. Let them live vicariously through your adventures.

 

3. Do something. Anything.
Dance. Talk. Build. Network. Play. Help. Create. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re doing it. Sitting around and complaining is not an acceptable form of ‘something,’ in case you were wondering.
 

4. Embrace your innate weirdness.
No one is normal. Everyone has quirks and insights unique to themselves. Don’t hide these things—they are what make you interesting.

5. Have a cause.
If you don’t give a damn about anything, no one will give a damn about you.

6. Minimize the swagger.
Egos get in the way of ideas. If your arrogance is more obvious than your expertise, you are someone other people avoid.

7. Give it a shot.
Try it out. Play around with a new idea. Do something strange. If you never leave your comfort zone, you won’t grow.

8. Hop off the bandwagon.
If everyone else is doing it, you’re already late to the party. Do your own thing, and others will hop onto the spiffy wagon you built yourself. Besides, it’s more fun to drive than it is to get pulled around.

9. Grow a pair.
Bravery is needed to have contrary opinions and to take unexpected paths. If you’re not courageous, you’re going to be hanging around the water cooler, talking about the guy who actually is.

10. Ignore the scolds.
Boring is safe, and you will be told to behave yourself. The scolds could have, would have, should have. But they didn’t. And they resent you for your adventures.

a little truth about guys

As I was watching "The Ugly Truth" last night I thought about how fun it would be to write a post about guys since I'm sure I'm not the only girl who finds herself wondering "what the heck is he thinking?" or "why are guys so complicated?"  So I turned to some of my guy friends and asked, "if there was one thing you wish every girl knew about men, what would it be?"  Here you go ladies - a little peak into the minds of the men of the world.  We've got some real winning answers in here - ha!

"Women are the basis to 90% of all our decisions we make." - Danny, 24, Tax Consultant 

"My mom will always come first." - Mark, 22, Sea World Visual Production

"We aren't as tough as we appear to be." - Andrew, 21, Student

"Video games are not bad, or a waste of time." - Matt, 24, Wealth Manager

"That small insecurity you have doesn't really bother us, at the end of the day, we're together and thats all that matters." - Eddie, 23, Chef

"We don't all think the same way." - Collin, 25, Bartender

"We actually like the imperfections." - Kyle, 23, Manager

"It's not always about getting into your pants. Sometimes we just want to talk and have a conversation and get to know you. But when you act like a bitch, it's a turnoff and any thoughts of actually getting to know you are gone." - Kevin, 22, Student

"Don't change yourself to try and change a man, let him be changed by who u are." - Timothy, 22, Graduate Student

"When we ask a question we want an answer, not another question." - Brian, 30, Accountant

"Food on the table when I get home is an easy way to my heart and open wallet." - Jason, 28, Restaurant Manager

"Be honest and don't play games.  If you like a guy, or have something to say, just say it.  Because if we find out some other way, it's going to annoy us.  Oh, and we actually do care about how we look just as much as you do." - Kyle, 25, Camp Director

"Men dont want the girl to agree with every decision we make. I like a girl that can stand her own ground and be independent. If you make it too easy for me I'm gonna be over it in a matter of weeks" - George, 23, Personal Banker