What is Lent? Lent is the period preceding Easter that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness. In the Western Church it runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday and so includes forty weekdays.

Lent this year goes from today, the 13th of February, until the 30th of March. As you may, or may not, know I am Roman Catholic. Every year I try to participate in lent, but always end up giving in long before the end. 2013 I am working on bettering myself. One thing that I definitely need to improve is discipline, so I am going to try my hardest this year to stick with this.

Now, what do I plan on giving up? I am going to give up using curse words & foul language. It may not sound that serious to you, but I curse a lot. It is so not lady like. =/ I was going to give up chocolate but I want to try giving up foul language, hopefully I am strong enough for this. LOL!

What are you giving up? I can’t even remember random things I would give up throughout the years. Such a shame! But I am determined to stick with it this year. Pray that I make it & I pray that you do too! LOL!

According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke; Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of this 40-day liturgical period of prayer and fasting.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a reminder and celebration of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered from the burning of the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.

I definitely plan on getting my ashes today, which would be my first time in a very long time. I have a doctor’s appointment today & dance rehearsal, but I definitely can make time to get my ashes. I need to get myself back into going to church. Growing up, I always attended Catholic religion classes & went to a private religious school. Of the Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, I’ve participated in 4: Baptism, Confession, Holy Communion & Confirmation. The 3 that I have not participated in are Marriage, Anointing of the Sick & Holy Orders.

It’s sad, growing up I used to get so mad at my mother for forcing me to do this stuff. I love God & lean towards religion more than science, but Catholic church is so boring. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter where I worship God, as long as I do. But I will definitely be sitting in a mass service today & getting my ashes.

Happy Lent! xo

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As the 2012 holiday season approaches, fashionistas may want to consider updating their hairstyle from the tousled waves rocked on the beach to sleeker, more sophisticated looks that can be paired with your holiday party attire. Johnathan Breitung, owner of the Johnathan Breitung Salon & Luxury Spa explains the following hot hair trends for this holiday season.

Ultra Glossy Chignon
To get this sleek and stylish look start with blow-drying hair away from the face while using a texturizing spray. Once hair is dried, brush into a high ponytail forming a large loop. Tease hair at the elastic band and finish by pinning the sides and bottom of the loop your head creating a large bun.

Poufy Bun
To get this elegant yet quick and easy do focus on having a less is more attitude. Start by teasing hair at the scalp and then pull back to form a simple bun. Once the bun has been secured it is time to finish off the style with a simple headband. Sticking with a simple color, like black or brown, is the best choice so it does not distract from the stylish do.

Old Hollywood Glamour
Achieve this look either with a low up-do, or wear hair down and do loose, full waves, do a drastic side part for both looks. To create the low up-do, after blow drying hair fully, use a one inch curling iron to achieve full waves. Once the curling is finished pin up your hair at the bottom of your hairline to complete this never failing look.

Super Sleek
Straight hair is always in style. The beauty with styling a straight hair look is that it can be achieved with or without bangs. Blow dry hair with a round brush and part either down the middle or on the side. Finish the look by applying a smoothing product to look sleek and stylish!

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With Thanksgiving just a few days away, there’s no doubt that we all love to indulge in our favorite foods and enjoy our time off with the ones we love. All of you food lovers out there can agree that one of the greatest perks of this holiday is the overwhelming amount of leftovers in your fridge that will keep you full for weeks to come! Even then, you may still find yourself with more food than you can handle. So what to do with it all? Time to beautify!

Erika Katz, beauty expert and author of Bonding over Beauty, has created some fun & easy DIY recipes that will turn your holiday extras into an at-home spa day for you and your loved ones!

Check out some of the easy at home beauty remedies after the jump… Can’t wait to try them!

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